Make a difference…

Mission…I’m just no good at it!

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Evangelism, Lifestyle

Many Christians would not deny their passion to see God’s word being shared amongst their communities yet in reality they would rather somebody else had the boldness of Paul whilst they stayed at home praying about it.

One of my favourite passages in scripture is Acts 9. Not just because of Paul’s revelation of who Jesus is, but because of a man called Ananias. He is described as “disciple” and later as “a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews.”. As readers of the text we’re only introduced to him on two occasions and both are to support the role he had in Paul’s meeting with Jesus. For some he is seen as a support actor in the story of Paul, yet for me he has become somebody who I can often relate to.

Here was a man dutifully praying for God to ‘use’ him. Luke uses the concept of visions and prayer being closely associated (Acts 10:9-11; Luke 1:10; 3:21; 9:28) and once again we see this prophetic revelation occurring with Ananias. We cannot help but picture the scene when God announces that Ananias is being called to go to Saul, a man feared by followers of Jesus. How would he respond, would he leap to his feet with gusto and readily go without hesitation or would he respond in the same way as so many of us would? Ananias’ response was consistent with Moses – ‘it’s too hard’, ‘not me’, ‘are you sure you have the right person?’ He feared the unknown and was apprehensive about going to share the gospel with this man. Yet his faithfulness is an example of how when we trust God alone, he is faithful.

Petersen, states that “one of the most helpful definitions of faith in the Bible is found in Romans 4:21: “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” Faith is the confidence that God will do what he has said he will do.” If we are to take seriously Matthew’s account of what Jesus said to his disciples then we must hold onto the faith that God is with us.

“…Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” 

Ananias was sure in his heart that God would be faithful and would be with him, however I wonder if the following script may be more reflective of my response had God asked me the same question today…

Patrick: Please God, if you just give me the opportunity to share your gospel, then boy, I will usher in revival. I’ll ensure that those pews are filled. I mean the vicar’s doing a good job, but Lord if you want some real action in these churches then just give me that golden opportunity to evangelise.

Narrator: Patrick sat and waited with his head bowed in anticipation of God’s mighty hand resting upon his shoulders and telling him to be the ‘next big thing’.

Patrick: Look God this is all for your glory, I mean I wouldn’t want any fame or wealth…although I really would like to move to that new housing complex, it could be my headquarters for the advancement of the Kingdom and what a strategic position. Yes Lord use me and provide me with enough money to move into that new complex. All for your glory I might add.

Narrator: Once again with head further bowed Patrick swayed and rocked gently. He had seen many people adopt this position in prayer meetings before and he reassured himself that if he was to roll over then it would be because of God’s Spirit resting upon him and not the fact that his legs had grown numb and he was becoming tired.

Patrick: Ok God perhaps the house…

God: Patrick I have heard your prayers and listened to your cries.

Patrick:Who’s there?

God: Be still and know that I am God.

Narrator: Patrick fell on his knees with face bowed towards his thread bear carpet. After what seemed like eternity in silence he began to look around for a hidden camera.

Patrick: Ok who is this really? Simon is that you?

God: Get up and go to the street called Straight…

Patrick: Straight street, is that the one on the corner of Catterick Road?

God: Go to the street called Straight and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying…

Patrick: Hang on, not ‘the’ Saul, the one who was breathing out murderous threats against all who followed your Son?

God: He has seen in a vision…

Patrick:  Hang on…the same Saul who was there when Stephen was stoned?

God: He has seen in a vision that as you place your hands upon him he will regain his sight.

Patrick: The same Saul who has the authority of the chief priest to arrest all who call upon your name?

God: He is my chosen instrument…

Patrick:  I’m sorry but I think I’ve misheard your calling, wouldn’t I be better used as a worship leader, or I could set the chairs out before the service. I know, why not send Gill, I mean she’s been on the training day and has helped with the welcome team. What about Bert, he’s read lots of books on mission and evangelism and is a nice man. Maybe I could be in charge of the collection or look after the toddlers…

God: I want you to go. He is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.

Patrick: Lord I know you hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. I will go because I know you are with me.

For so many, the prospect of sharing their faith with others fills them with fear and trepidation, however it’s vital to remember that we don’t walk alone. When we step out in weakness Jesus promises to walk along the path with us. For many generations Christians have ‘boldly gone where no one has gone before’ sharing the gospel to those who feel on the margins of society. Throughout Luke/Acts, we’re encouraged to remember that the gospel is for all regardless of social status. The question therefore is do we have total trust in God’s faithfulness to give us the words, to focus our thoughts and to guide our actions so that we may ‘be’ the gospel to those we meet; or will we be tempted to say…it’s not my thing?

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 6 (Is our worship costly and humbling and does it attract others?)

In the last part of this series I have been challenged by the question, how much does our worship cost? I don’t just mean our collection or how much our Sunday suit may have cost. What I mean is that our actual commitment to worship God should be costly. We are told by the gospel writer that this woman made a sacrifice that was very costly to her. Physically it would have been costly – one denarii was approximately a days wage so 500 denarii would have been over a years wage! Jesus commends the woman for using her most costly possession – the perfume – to anoint his feet. As others around began to question this act of worship, Jesus refuses to give in to the pressures of the Pharisees to condemn the woman for wasting the costly perfume. Instead he looks at the woman’s motives behind her gift, he looks at the heart. He knew that her worship wasn’t just an act of kindness rather, it was an act of sacrificial worship. We must ask ourselves why we are coming to worship, is our worship costly? Marcus Green wrote in his book ‘Salvation’s Song’ about the greatest act of worship – that of Jesus’death on the cross. His total obedience and love upon the cross demonstrates that worship is to be costly. At the cross and the empty tomb, we find the Glory of God penetrating into the hearts of all who come to Jesus. His heart is to be in a close relationship with his Father and to glorify his name within a broken world.

We live in a world where humanity looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heart. The woman in this passage worshipped Jesus out of love and Jesus used her example to teach everyone a lesson that God’s blessings come with humble worship. The breaking of the alabaster bottle of perfume was symbolic of her desire to break with her past. To shatter the confines that prevented her from coming closer to Jesus. She was willing to do anything to please Jesus even if it meant public ridicule.

The custom of the day was to anoint the head, yet her anointing of his feet demonstrated her acknowledgment of Jesus’ Sovereignty and her broken status in society. Her actions demonstrated a deep rooted desire to humbly serve him. She presents us with the challenge, how do we respond when we come into the presence of the King of kings?

Our worship is to be pleasing to God, to be from the heart and to be costly. The greatest cost some of us make is to miss the Sunday edition of Coronation Street in order to go to our Sunday night service. Yet Jesus calls us to live our whole lives as an act of worship. As we live this life others will see the glory of God. This passage is very similar to that in John 12. In John’s gospel, it is recorded that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Although it doesn’t say it in Luke’s gospel, it is suggested that her perfume would have been as fragrant.

If this is to be accepted then those who stood in other rooms would have smelt this beautiful fragrance, and would have been drawn into the place of worship. Although not my tradition, I am drawn by the symbol of incense. When you worship in that environment you find that you smell of incense when you leave. It permeates all things, no barriers can prevent the smell of the incense penetrating and surrounding all who are present during that time of corporate worship.

Today I am left asking myself, does our worship penetrate all those who come to seek Jesus? Are we like those stood watching this act of worship or are we seeking for our worship to be costly to us but sweet smelling to others?

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 5 (Be prepared but never too rigid)

I was never a member of the scouts but like everyone, I know their motto – be prepared. A good boy scout always has to be ready for anything. I used to marvel at those people I knew who were members of the army cadets. As they became more involved they would often make ‘survival kits’. One friend had a kit for all eventualities – snow blizzard, lost at sea, desert survival, urban warfare, nuclear holocaust etc (it never really made much sense living in Manchester!). Often they would be so prepared that if anything happened that they hadn’t prepared for they would have been completely thrown! But this passage reminds me of these by-gone friends.

Once arriving at the house the woman produced an expensive jar of oil – she had come prepared to worship Jesus. This preparation must have taken time and sacrifice. She must have taken time to save her money and to purchase the oil. In this busy world of deadlines and meetings, I am aware that I don’t always prepare properly for worship. In the Old Testament, we are reminded that the Temple worship involved a large amount of preparation. There would have been a great amount of time spent preparing physically, spiritually and mentally; yet today I know some leaders who just look at the index at the back of a music book to choose songs for worship and others who spend no more than an hour preparing a sermon.

For many this isn’t acceptable – you would expect a preacher to spend more time than this ‘getting ready for corporate worship’, yet how often do members of the congregation just turn up? How often do we physically and spiritually prepare ourselves? As a scuba instructor I am amazed that many people want to ‘just dive’. They don’t want the preparation; the time spent
learning decompression tables, understanding the physiological effects of nitrogen, the hours in the pool. They just want to go ‘deep’ to see the wonders of the undersea world and experience its beauty. But it takes time if we are to go where we want. We can’t just throw on our spiritual tanks and wet suits and jump in. If we want to worship Jesus we have to prepare ourselves. If we want to go deeper with God then we will need more preparation – how many of us spend time in silence before a service asking God to speak to us, confessing our sins etc.

Being prepared doesn’t mean that we are so shackled that we are not spontaneous. When diving I frequently have to react and act upon different environmental conditions. So often I have turned up at a site only to find the sea is rougher than expected. Being prepared also means being able to be spontaneous.

This passage beautifully highlights to me this need. I have no doubt that this  woman must have gone over the encounter in her mind a million times and planned what she would do; how she would say the right thing, do the right thing, yet her planned worship became something that even she couldn’t have planned.

She probably didn’t know that she would begin crying or that she would need to dry Jesus‘ feet with her hair. Although she was prepared, there was spontaneity. A freedom within a framework. I wonder how often we come to our corporate acts of worship with planned expectations of how it’s going to go. If we believe in a dynamic, living God, do we expect him to be confined by our expectations? Being spontaneous doesn’t neglect the importance of preparation, but we do need to be open to God and not expect him to be confined by us.

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 4 (Break with our expectations and worship in an unfamiliar environment)

In today’s society, so many people see their corporate act of worship on Sunday as their ‘time of worship’ for the week. We see church notice boards telling people when people can worship and even how, yet this passage offers us a challenge about our worship. Here we see a sinful woman coming to worship Jesus at an unspecified time. She didn’t feel it necessary to keep to timetables or service times and presents us with a challenge to see that we can worship God beyond the ‘Sunday service’.

She came prepared to worship God daily, to make sacrifices in order to worship. In her busy life, she saw it was important to worship Jesus beyond the specific time and to commit herself completely to her act of worship.

But it wasn’t just the timing of the worship. How often have we heard people say that the worship isn’t their style, or that they were unable to worship in this way? Yet, here we have an example of a sinful woman entering into a new environment, in which she would certainly have encountered hostility from the Pharisee, in order to worship. She broke with the expectations in order to meet with the one who had broken the chains of sin.

In Jewish custom, if a woman was in public with unbound hair it was a gravely immodest act and was seen as inappropriate behaviour. Yet, this woman had forgotten all those who were around her; she had been swept up by Jesus’ presence so that he was the only person who mattered. She knew that Jesus was the focus of her worship. It can never be said that this woman enjoyed the experience of worship more than Jesus. And so I’m challenged to ask, do I worship worship, or worship the focus of our worship, God? Are we really able to be so critical of worship when the object of our worship is the creator and redeemer? Are we really so self-exhorting that we dare criticise that which pleases God’s heart?

Today so many Christians find that their worship is hindered by those stood around them, the organist, the band, the preacher or the one leading the service yet this woman had become oblivious to all who surrounded her. She knew what others would say but it didn’t matter. How often have we felt wounded by others criticising how we worship (providing it is ‘genuine’ Trinitarian worship). I know so many who have become dried up with people placing their expectations of worship on them, telling them how to worship or what works.

It is God alone who knows our hearts; he knows when we come with hearts of worship. This woman highlights so clearly that worship is corporate but at the same time it is so intimate. It’s a moment to meet our redeemer and so we must be seeking this moment all of our lives. Are we Christians who have expectations to worship on Sunday but none for the other six days of the week? If we are to truly seek the heart of Jesus we must first seek him.

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 3 (Recognising and responded to who we are serving)

In the previous part of this series, I suggested that the woman knew who she was serving. This doesn’t seem to have much significance on the surface, but as we journey with God, it becomes clearer that we must also be able to recognise who we are serving. In this passage Jesus most probably would have been reclining at the table with his sandals removed. The crowd around him would have added to general ‘busyness’ of the scene, when along came a lady, a woman of poor standing within the community eager to meet Jesus. As she approached, edging her way past those already present she instinctively positioned herself in order to serve him and began bathing his feet. This action was usually performed by servants of the house upon entering to show respect to the guest, yet Simon had either instructed his servant/s not to show this basic hospitality or had servant/s that had taken on some of Simon’s opinions about showing discourtesy towards Jesus. As this woman began to serve Jesus, the full realisation that she was kneeling in the presence of the King of kings became clearer, and as her emotions welled up inside, she wept. She was beginning to fully accept and understand that she was in the presence of someone special.

As she served Jesus, she was moved by the encounter. The room was full of people who had heard Jesus’ teaching and had heard about who he was, yet there was only one who truly recognised that they were in the presence of their messiah, their Saviour. Moreover, as the realisation of this encounter became real, the tears flowed onto Jesus’ feet and she unwrapped her hair to dry them. Despite all around her, she was engaging in an intimate relationship with Jesus. How often do we become distracted by others whilst worshiping in a congregational setting? We so often become ‘bothered’ by the world around us and forget that we are with Jesus, our Lord. In this passage the woman demonstrated a beautiful act of humble submission as she bowed down and kissed his feet. A kiss would have showed friendship and closeness and the Greek can be translated to read that she fervently kissed his feet. Many people know that when two people kiss, they  mbrace and become vulnerable for a fleeting moment and I can’t help but contrast her kiss with Judas’. His kiss was to betray the King of kings yet here we find her offering herself to Jesus through the loving act of a kiss.

The woman in this passage had a life changing encounter with Jesus. As we come to worship Jesus we need to recognise who we are worshipping, and allow him to change our hearts and lives. I wonder where we stand; do we seek that kind of loving relationship with Jesus? Is our worship like a loving kiss between two people who love one another or are we standing to the side not wanting to get too close?

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 2 (Approaching with the ‘right heart’)

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Lifestyle, Worship

As an ordained minister I have the great privilege of presiding at communion within my local church. Whilst standing at the communion table I’m able to help lead others in what is both an intimate and corporate expression of love and grace. I was once told to remember that when it came to communion, “it’s clean hands, clean heart and black shoes” but this passage has highlighted to me that our heart is the core, not the colour of my shoes (or trainers/desert boots in my case).

In this passage we see Jesus welcoming the attempt of this woman to come and seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God. His willingness to accept anyone at anytime in any situation is evident in the fact that this lady came with a sincere heart for repentance and that she had faith in him. I can’t help but picture the scene as many who watched became uncomfortable by the presence of this lady, yet Jesus knew that the woman was willing to trust only in his mercies and not in her own goodness. She came with a heart of love for Jesus.

Jesus was surrounded by people who refused to show love and compassion. Simon’s actions were not those of a man who showed love towards Jesus and his lack of love is seen in his actions towards Jesus and his hard judgment of the woman. Like many other Pharisees, Simon had built walls around the Law, and had endless lists of rules and regulations. All these helped ensure that it was being upheld but didn’t help express a true heart felt love for God.

As with most lists and regulations, if we’re not careful they can produce within us a scene of ‘unholy’ righteousness. As we boast about our ability to keep specifics we lose sight of Jesus’ love. It can almost encourage us to see our works as outweighing God’s grace. But in contrast, we see in this passage the heart of the forgiven woman. Her love for Jesus is self-evident in the way she approaches him.

As others boiled over and became displeased with the situation, Simon found it all too much to bear. His challenge provides Jesus with a door to reveal his heart. Jesus’ response was to ask Simon, “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon’s answer comes with a clarity, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.” Jesus begins to break down the walls that have surrounded Simon’s heart and reveal the core when he says, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet…Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” This powerful answer provides us with a platform for our worship of Jesus today. The stark reality is that you and I have been forgiven; we’re able to come before God with the assurance that our sins are forgiven and it’s because of God’s immense love for us that we are able to come to him.

It’s not through our actions or our deeds but through our faith in Jesus. I wonder today how many people are subtly depending upon their own merits to please God. How many people seem to have forgotten that it is by grace we’re saved, through our faith in Jesus’ love and not through our own actions?

This woman knew she had to see Jesus; it was a matter of great urgency. The reason for this great desire to seek him was that she recognised the needs of her heart. I wonder how many of us today recognise the needs of our heart. She had received God’s love and forgiveness and she knew that this encounter would lead to her personally knowing Jesus’ grace. She had a heart that recognised and understood that Salvation is a free gift from God. She had a heart that knew God’s forgiveness and that it’s given to us, not earned. As we offer our worship to God, shouldn’t we be doing so knowing that our works are unable to produce forgiveness? As we approach Jesus let us do so knowing that we can come to him because he loves us and because he died so that we may have forgiveness.

Chris Tomlin – How Great Is Our God (World Edition)

One day every tribe and every tongue will proclaim the wonders of our God…

Worship at his feet: Luke 7:36 – 50 part 1 (Seeking not withholding)

 

This passage has so many different levels and approaches that can help us all reflect upon our individual and corporate acts of worship. It’s more than likely Jesus had been a guest speaker at the synagogue, and Simon was probably in attendance that day. Jesus no doubt was invited to say a few words during the assembly, his powerful teaching causing a bit of a stir. As was the custom in that day, one of the synagogue leaders would have been obliged to provide a meal for the honoured guest speaker. So Jesus returned to Simon’s house where he would have expected certain courtesies. During the meal, a woman of known ill repute entered the dining room to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and anoint them with precious oil. As people stopped and stared they focused upon her physical actions but missed the deeper level of love. Her actions showed a deep routed gratitude for something she had previously received—the forgiveness of her sins. Imagine the scene – the mood has changed and the crowd becomes more agitated, people start to mutter and Simon wonders why Jesus would permit a sinful woman to touch and anoint him. Even the religious leaders of his day recognized that Jesus was a great teacher—perhaps the greatest ever, many of them even suspected that he was the prophet Moses had prophesied about, perhaps even the Messiah’s forerunner. So why did he allow ‘her’ to be so close to him? Was he aware of her social status?

The host of this banquet, Simon the Pharisee, made a bold signal to the crowd that he had not yet decided what to make of Jesus. By withholding certain courtesies that were common in that society, he made it clear that he didn’t feel it was necessary to give all the respect due to Jesus. Jesus was well aware of the discourtesy of that day; Simon had withheld water for Jesus’ feet, oil for his hair, and a greeting kiss. It was clear that although the feast was given in Jesus’ honour, Simon considered his guest to be below him socially and spiritually. Jesus used Simon’s private thoughts to provide an opportunity to drive home the nature of forgiveness.

We live in a society that expects things to be done for them or to them. The only reason people actively seek a well-known person would be to ask for an autograph or to get something. However in this account we see a sinful woman seeking Jesus out in order to serve him. How often do we actively seek Jesus in our worship? By withholding our praise to Jesus, we become nothing more than the inhospitable host Simon, who sought to ‘undermine’ Jesus and not give him the respect due his name. If we stand back and question others as they approach Jesus, we become like those who stood around muttering and disapproving of who Jesus was accepting and drawing close. Both of these actions lead us further away from the heart of Christ and prevent us from coming with a true heart of worship. As we approach the throne room of God we need to be doing so as a seeker of God, as somebody who is aware of our human failing, but as someone who relies upon Jesus’ grace. The first question this passage calls out to us today is how will we approach Jesus – as somebody who is seeking Jesus or somebody who withholds their worship?

Abundant life – Send me

A powerful song that should be every Christian’s prayer…