Luke 6:39-49
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Navigating a Minefield - audio
Today’s passage springs out of what Howard brought to us last week. Do you remember his three points: Forgiveness, Love and Generosity; foundational characteristics of Jesus’ Disciples. And one of the things we see at the end of that passage leading into today’s is the reciprocity of God’s grace spelt out first in his injunction to refrain from judging lest you in turn be judged and then in his assurance that if you forgive others, forgiveness will be yours. And that leads on to the two parables that we’re looking at today.
Generosity
Lk 3:1-22 - The Baptism of Jesus
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Baptism of Jesus audio
We return today to Luke’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Howard brought the first part of this chapter to us a month ago and Gordon followed up with John the Baptist beginning his task of preparing for the coming of the Messiah. So let’s think back to what we heard then.
First, this account is set in a historical context. Luke dates it for us. Dates are important aren’t they? Personally and nationally. It’s my grandson’s birthday next Saturday so for us and him it’s a significant date. In two weeks’ time we’ll remember a significant date in our national history, some with celebration, others with discomfort. My sister has her birthday is on another significant national day, April 25th. I wonder if you remember what you were doing on Sept 11th, 2001? That’s a date that’s etched into every American’s brain and probably most of the free world’s as well. And here Luke gives us three historical markers to show us that the events that he records here are significant historically.
Psalm 73 - A Psalm of Lament
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Well, today we move on, from the foundation laid for us last week by Chris, to a Lament; though, interestingly you’ll see some of what Chris pointed out last week popping up again.
As Chris pointed out last week the psalms are first and foremost poetry and poetry is a great medium for expressing feelings. The words are not always exact, nor are they meant, necessarily, to be heard literally. Rather they’re meant to evoke a response of the heart; that means their appeal may be more to the emotions than the intellect. So they can be particularly helpful for people who are struggling with life, who perhaps don’t have the energy to think things through rationally or who are too unsettled to think calmly. These people can join with the psalmist in pouring their heart out to the Lord. Psalms are also good when you’re so full of joy that you can’t put it into words so you might call on the mountains and hills to give God praise. And we’ll see some of those in weeks to come.
But today we’re looking at Psalm 73, a lament.
Eph 6:10-24 Be Strong in the Lord
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Be Strong in the Lord
Well, we come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians today so I thought we might stop and think about what we’ve heard over the past 8 weeks.
We began with a reminder of the way God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ; how he chose us before the creation of the world to become his children; how he’s lavished his grace upon us by wiping away our sins. We were also reminded that God has revealed to us the mystery, that is the details, of his plan for the final completion of his creation; what he calls the completion of time.
Then we thought about the amazing result of Jesus death and resurrection, which is that through no efforts of our own, by God’s grace that is, we’ve been saved, raised up and seated in God’s presence in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And because we’re now in Christ Jesus all the barriers that divide us from other human beings have been broken down.
Eph 4:1-16 - Becoming One in Christ
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Becoming One in Christ audio
We come today to the core issue of the letter: If we’re to fulfil our destiny as a church, if we’re to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, as we read last week, then we must be united in heart and mind. But can we do it?
Here in ch 4, Paul begins to outline how being the new people of God is to be worked out in the down-to-earth, concrete realities of life. As we read on we discover that there are two challenges for us. First, it’s to build ourselves into a single united people without any of the social and economic divisions we see everywhere else; and then to be a holy people, showing in our lives the purity and righteousness that belongs with the people of God.
So today let’s think about the unity of the Church. How does that unity arise and how is it to be maintained?
John 10:1-18 I am the Good Shepherd
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
I am the Good Shepherd
“I am the Good Shepherd” has a sort of comforting feel about it doesn’t it? But when Jesus says it in this passage his listeners may not have had the same response. They would have realised that he was saying something very significant; in fact, making a claim that no-one should dare to make.
Now I imagine you know that sheep and shepherds in the Old Testament were a well-known metaphor for the people of God.
For example, in a couple of weeks we’ll be reminded again of those words from Isaiah: “All we like sheep have gone astray. We’ve all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah was referring to the nation of Israel as he wrote those words, though we understand that they apply to us as well.
Today we often refer to Christian ministers as pastors. Ministers even refer to their congregation as their flock. So it’s still a common metaphor for God’s people.
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