“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments…their righteousness endures for ever.”

Today we begin our first series of themed sermons.  My thanks to all of you who suggested various topics that we could explore together in more depth than we usually do from following the readings alone.  The first topic that we will be looking at over the next 5 weeks is: Being Christ’s Church in a Modern world – Christian lifestyles; during which we will look at the particular issues of A life of righteousness (today’s theme), the cost of following Christ; answer the question “is Christianity in decline?”, look at how we can be God’s people in this parish and how to live a simple lifestyle in a material world.  We will be coming back to the major theme of Being Christ’s Church in a Modern World as we look at some of the ethical issues we face at some point next year.

I chose this theme to kick us off because it seems to me that this is one of the most important aspects of faith.  Whilst being well versed in the Bible, understanding the various books in the Old and New Testaments and all sorts of doctrinal matters are important, how we live out our faith day by day or how we are Christ’s church in a modern world, to use the theme heading, is something that we all need to think about.  Because it is about what our faith in God means to us, and how that informs not just our lifestyle choices, but every part of our daily life. 

Being a Christian does mean that our view of life and how we live our life is different than those who aren’t.  Now, by this I don’t just mean we are kind to others and lead a good life.  I often come across people who will say that so and so didn’t go to church, but they were always kind and generous.  Whilst I’m sure that God looks kindly on people who are good and generous and kind, being a Christian is that, but it is also so much more.

When it comes to people finding reasons why they don’t come to church there are several approaches used.  Some say things like “I’m not good enough to go to church”, and others will say things like “she thinks she’s someone because she goes to church.”  Both attitudes are saying the same basic thing in different ways, that people who go to church do so because they are good, or better than others.  Yet the truth of the matter is that we come to church, not because we are good, not because we are better than others, but because we know we aren’t perfect, and we know that to do things God’s way we need his help and guidance.  We know that we need God’s love and forgiveness that we may lead lives that are modelled on Jesus, lives that are giving and caring, lives that reflect the love of God, lives that are so much fuller because we have a relationship with the living God.

The title of today’s sermon “A life of righteousness” could also be entitled living God’s way.  Because what I mean by a life of righteousness is a life that is lived in the right way – and the only way we live in a right way is to live a life centred on God.  When we think about it this shouldn’t surprise us.  After all, God made the world and all that dwells therein, and that includes you and me; so to live how God wants us to live is about us following the maker’s instructions. 

Today’s readings give two of those instructions of how we might live righteously, or rightly.  Love and humility.

Humility is often a thing we struggle with these days.  Partly because we have a wrong idea of what being humble is about.  Humility should not be confused with putting ourselves down or playing down our talents.  God has given us many different gifts, and he wants us to use them, not hide them, or play them down.  He has given them to us for our good and the good of others, so it is right to use them.  Humility has more to do with our ability to use the gifts we have quietly.  It is about what motivates us.  In other words it’s about using our gifts and talents for God and the good of others rather than using them to make us look good and for our own glory.

In today’s gospel Jesus uses a parable to show how foolish we can look when we seek glory for ourselves - when people at the feast came in and got the places of honour for themselves.  In many ways the parable is very straightforward.  How humiliated would we be if we went to the most honourable seat and were then told to give it up for someone else?  We would indeed feel very foolish.  And we have a very good saying about such things: pride comes before a fall – a mirror of Jesus’ saying: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

How often do we look at people in the public eye who have set themselves up as being great, and delight when things go wrong and they slide down the ladder of pubic opinion? 

Humility, doing things, using our gifts and talents, for God’s glory and the good of others is the right way, is the way God wants us to use them.

The other maker’s instruction in our readings today that goes alongside humility is love -  love that cares for the needs of others. 

Do you remember the Love is comic strip?  Kim Grove originally drew them for her future husband, but are now widely known in comic strip format and through T-shirt designs.  There were slogans like love is wanting to see each other; and love is when he has a special meal ready for you; and Love is never having to say sorry.

A good way to define what Christian love is, is to say: Love is wanting what is best for someone else.  Love in it’s fullest is a very unselfish thing.  It is a way of showing that you really want what will be good for someone else, no matter what the cost to you.

Both the Gospel and the letter to the Hebrews have some challenging words for us today.  Jesus says show your love by caring for the outcast – rather than throwing a banquet for your friends why not invite the poor and the crippled, and the lame and the blind; and the writer of Hebrews encourages us to remember those who are in prison, to show hospitality to strangers, to do good and share what we have with others.

It is always challenging to us when we look at local and international life for us to think about how we can share what we have with those in need. 

There are many who are homeless, living on the streets of Manchester; there are millions in Africa who have little or no food, medicine, educations, clean water – the things that we take for granted.  How can we help them all?  Well, I guess that many do already by giving to various charities set up to give help in such situations; and because the nature of these problems is so large it would be impossible to solve them all ourselves.  But that doesn’t mean we should give up doing what we can, no matter how small a thing it may seem.  As one leading supermarket tells us “Every little helps.”  We do what we can with what we have to share with those in need.  God knows what we do, and he knows how what we give is of benefit to others.  The important thing is to care enough to do something.  To put our love for one another into action, and to keep those in need in our prayers.

So, a life of righteousness is a life centred on God.  A life that is lived in humility and love.  Being righteous doesn’t mean we are better than anyone else; it just means we want to live by our maker’s instructions.  After all, he gives us all that we have; he made us and knows us, so it makes sense that we look to him to show us how to live.  For when we follow his ways we reflect his glory and his love into the world around us.

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments…their righteousness endures for ever.”

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments…their righteousness endures for ever.”

Today we begin our first series of themed sermons.  My thanks to all of you who suggested various topics that we could explore together in more depth than we usually do from following the readings alone.  The first topic that we will be looking at over the next 5 weeks is: Being Christ’s Church in a Modern world – Christian lifestyles; during which we will look at the particular issues of A life of righteousness (today’s theme), the cost of following Christ; answer the question “is Christianity in decline?”, look at how we can be God’s people in this parish and how to live a simple lifestyle in a material world.  We will be coming back to the major theme of Being Christ’s Church in a Modern World as we look at some of the ethical issues we face at some point next year.

I will, however, not be using my original text – but this can be heard either tonight at Healds Green Methodist, or do ask for a copy or look on the church website.  The reason I will not be using the original text that I wrote before going away is that whilst away it dawned on me that the main tenet of the sermon would fit very well with the task that is before us as a church – the task of listening to what God wants us to do with this building.

The main tenet of the sermon is:

A life of righteousness being a life lived in the right way

The right way being a life centred on God.

The challenge for us is to hear what the right way is.  How do we respond to the dry rot?

What is God saying to us through it?

Whatever it is that God is saying we must remember that through this challenge God is and will bless us.  This is not a disaster but a blessing.  I say that because if we listen to God and follow his will whatever we do we be a blessing.

I’m sure there is much fear around – costs 14,000 + the cost of a new roof; the future; seeing this as a failure. – it is not.  I believe it is one way in which God is trying to communicate to us his will for us as a church.  Helping us to think about what we are about as a church.  Helping is to see how we as God’s people, hear in this parish are called to serve and worship.

As I said in my letter the first thing we need to do is to pray, and keep praying.  If we are to understand God’s will for us we need to spend time in his presence and listen to what he is saying.  Holding before him the fears and dreams for our future as a community of faith.  During the next few months the PCC will be spending a lot of time reflecting on this.  We have already booked time away together to plan for the medium to long term.  The dry rot issue is not something that will negate those plans, on the contrary it will feed our discussions and focus our minds clearly on what it is that God would have us do.  We will have our first discussion about it on Tuesday at the PCC – and please feel free to speak to any of the PCC today and in the weeks to come as we all try to discern what it is God is saying. 

I firmly believe this is not a disaster but a challenge and opportunity for us to think about the mission of the church in this parish.  Where will God lead us?  Well, I can not say for certain.  I have some ideas of what God might be saying, one of the futures that lie ahead for us is larger in my mind at the moment than the others – which it is that God wants will be clearer after much prayer and discussion.

Before we discovered the rot I was talking to the Archdeacon about where God might be leading us.  There were many different paths open, but I think that two possibilities now stand out.

One thing God might be saying to us is: The church building is far too big for us.  As beautiful and grand as it is; and even though it has been a useful tool in our life of mission and worship, and even though it is an important building part of who we are, it is now too difficult to keep open.  Shed the burden of trying to keep the building open and in good repair and begin a new phase in the life of the parish in another building.  The school would be an obvious first choice to look at if this is what God wants us to do; and I think it would be an exciting challenge for us to relocate there.  There would be all sorts of mission opportunities through our links with the school that we struggle to capitalise on now.  I know of many churches that have done just that and found it a real blessing.

Another option would be to find alternative uses for the building through the week that would generate enough income to not only pay for the repairs but also give us enough money for the day to day upkeep of the church.  I don’t believe God would want us to keep the building open and in a good state of repair to just use it twice a week.  If God is calling us to spend what would amount to 100’s of thousands of pounds over the years to repair all that needs repairing, then there must be a reason for it.  And if God wants us to do that I believe the money – a lot though it is – will be there for us.  But what it is God wants us to do with the building needs to be clear and be obviously the will of God.  This too is a challenging option and would take much hard work by everyone – but it too would be a joy and blessing if it is what God would have us do.

There is a third option which isn’t really a pathway to following God’s will, but I offer it to confirm what you already know; that is to stay and do what little we can do with the little that we have for as long as we can.  This way would lead to a decline – the speed of which would depend on how long the building was safe and for how long money to stay was available.  This way would lead to the church’s eventual death – and that’s why I say I don’t believe this is what God wants for us. 

From what I know of God he is a God who wants life in all its abundance for all his people.  Our task is to discern how that is to be lived out here, and in every part of our life.  Our current situation should be seen as a positive thing as God leading us to the future.  A future that is centred on God and blessed by him.  To live a righteous life is just that.  A life that is lived rightly; a life that is focused and led by God.  For when our lives are lived this way it will not only be a life of abundant blessing to us, it will be a life that is a blessing to others also.

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments…their righteousness endures for ever.”

Creation date : 05/09/2007 - 22:23
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