Three things have 'gotten' (as they say in the US) me thinking:
First, last night, I caught the end of a programme about how prefessionalism in sport might be harming performance, and in particular, stiffling the exuberant brilliance of the most naturally gifted sportsmen & women.
Second, the other day in the car, I began listening to a talk about how, in Philippians, Paul continues to rejoice despite his sufferings because of his ministry, and how the book supposedly climaxes in his exclamation, 'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!' The speaker began to say that ministers must therefore always be joyful.
Third, some time ago, I read a book about ministry entitled, 'Brothers we are not Professionals', in which John Piper reminds stipendiary ministers not to become detached & 'professional', relying on competency rather than on Christ.
So, as I say, all this got me thinking: to what extent should Christian ministry be characterised by joy and to what extent is it about dogged perseverance and struggle? Are the two mutually incompatible, and if not, then what does joy in the midst of struggle look or feel like?
Let's be honest (as Ed Miliband said countless times yesterday!), ministry is hard work. It means very long hours and intense emotional involvement with others: "my little children... I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!" (Gal 4:19); "we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children." (1 Thess 2:7); "For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:8). So any minister worth his salt worries about the church family as a father or mother worries about his or her children - are they growing in their faith? How is s/he coping with this bereavement, illness, marital problem, divorce, redundancy etc? Why hasn't s/he been in church recently?
And then there are the worries about church growth & evangelism, the administration of the building, health & safety, finance etc etc., not to mention personal holiness & spiritual health.
So when Paul says, 'For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.' (1 Thes 2:9) or when he says to Timothy, 'Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. (2 Tim 2:3-6), we know what he means - gospel ministry involves labour & toil, suffering, hard work, training like that of an athlete and so on. But where's the joy?
Well, I think Paul is saying that the joy is in the fruit of ministry: his prayers of thanks are for his hearers' growth in love, joy, faith & peace in Christ. His joy is in the proclamation of the gospel and the knowledge that whatever happens, God will save him for eternity (Phil 1:15-19). It's his pride in the Corinthians' faith (2 Cor 7:4), the Macedonian's generosity (2 Cor 8:2); the unity of the Philippians (Phil 2:2); reunion with Timothy (2 Tim 1:4); the love of Philemon (Phile 1:7) that gives him joy. In other words his joy is tied to the spiritual well-being of those in his care because if they are strong in faith, they will be living to praise and glorify his Lord & saviour, Jesus.
That's not to say that Paul doesn't know joy as a fruit of the Spirit. The other fruit are bound up with our interraction with fellow believers - love, peace, patience, gentlenes, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control - all (including faithfulness) are about our relationship with others. So why not joy as well?
So hard work for the sake of gospel growth in others is what brings joy.
But how does this relate to sportsmen who become too professional and lose their flair? Well, I think John Piper is right when he says that stipendiary ministers must not rely on professional competence (hours and hours spent getting the sermon structure exactly right or producing a perfectly balanced order of service, for example). Sometimes ministry must be instinctive - call it "Spirit led" if that's your language (though of course the Spirit can lead carefully prepared services or sermons or meetings!) - so, for example, preparing for a meeting may have to be put to one side for the sake of an "impulse" to spend time with someone who is struggling. Perhaps life in general should be less structured around meetings and schedules and more about people.
Now I'm rambling. But for me, one thing's for certain, there is more joy in one sinner who repents or one young Christian who's growing, or one mature believer who's persevering in service than anything else. If I have to work hard for this, so be it. And anyway, it's not me who works these miracles, but God's grace in me.
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Thursday 23 September 2010
Freedom
I'd seen this month's issue of The Spectator advertised as being about the loss of freedom of speech in Britain, and since I had some time to kill in London last night, I bought it.
Having never read The Spectator before, and being a general ignoramus, I hadn't realised just how conservative/right wing it was, and some of the articles are a bit silly. Nevertheless, the various articles on free speech made some very valid points, and are summed up by Melanie Phillips; http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/all/6273423/i-think-therefore-im-guilty.thtml
Having never read The Spectator before, and being a general ignoramus, I hadn't realised just how conservative/right wing it was, and some of the articles are a bit silly. Nevertheless, the various articles on free speech made some very valid points, and are summed up by Melanie Phillips; http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/all/6273423/i-think-therefore-im-guilty.thtml
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Psalm 3
Had a great 1:2 Bible study last night with the guys, looking at Psalm 3:
And we applied it to our own lives - the state of the nation, the problems of working in a secular environment etc. (not dissimilar to Daniel 3 & 6).
But no study of the Psalms is complete without asking if and how it maight point to Jesus. Here we found Matt 27:41-43
A psalm of David.When he fled from his son Absalom.
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him."
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;We talked about David's situation and the context of the Psalm (vv1-2), about his confidence in God's presence (v3), God's willingness & ability to hear & answer prayer (v4), the peace and rest that trusting in God the Father brings (vv5f) and God's justice and vindication of his people (vv7f).
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
And we applied it to our own lives - the state of the nation, the problems of working in a secular environment etc. (not dissimilar to Daniel 3 & 6).
But no study of the Psalms is complete without asking if and how it maight point to Jesus. Here we found Matt 27:41-43
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ (Matthew 27:41-43 ESV)So Jesus too was mocked for trusting God to deliver him, and we're reminded that our deliverance will come not now, but later when the power of the resurrection that is at work in us by grace through faith is shown to be real.
Sunday 19 September 2010
A modern day lions' den
In our Bible studies we've been looking at the problems faithful believers had with intolerant governments (Daniel 3 & 6).
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were told they had to worship the 90' statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up or be thrown in a super-heated furnace; and Daniel was told it was illegal to pray to anyone other than Darius, the king.
Of course they all drew lines in the sand and refused to obey the government, preferring instead to remain loyal to God, and trusting him to deliver them - or not:
And the answers are remarkably simple: Paul says that faced with persecution we should, 'Remember Jesus, raised from the dead' (2 Tim 2:8); Hebrews says, 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.' (Heb 12:1-3). And how do we do this? Well, it must be through daily meditation on God's word. It's there that we meet Jesus and hear God speak by his Spirit.
But when only 5 people turn up to study God's word, it begs the questions, 'Who will remain faithful? Who will remember - or forget - Jesus? Who will allow their eyes to rest on something other than Jesus?'
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were told they had to worship the 90' statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up or be thrown in a super-heated furnace; and Daniel was told it was illegal to pray to anyone other than Darius, the king.
Of course they all drew lines in the sand and refused to obey the government, preferring instead to remain loyal to God, and trusting him to deliver them - or not:
"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18In view of our government's intolerance of Christian morals, and its insistence that we bow the knee & obey it's alternative (im)moral laws, we need to know how we will remain faithful when we have to draw a line in the sand.
And the answers are remarkably simple: Paul says that faced with persecution we should, 'Remember Jesus, raised from the dead' (2 Tim 2:8); Hebrews says, 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.' (Heb 12:1-3). And how do we do this? Well, it must be through daily meditation on God's word. It's there that we meet Jesus and hear God speak by his Spirit.
But when only 5 people turn up to study God's word, it begs the questions, 'Who will remain faithful? Who will remember - or forget - Jesus? Who will allow their eyes to rest on something other than Jesus?'
Friday 17 September 2010
Papal visit
I wasn't surprised to see that the Protestant truth Society had taken out an ad in the Telegraph to protest about the Pope's visit, but I was a bit surprised to see that Church Society had co-sponsored it.
You see, while I'm certainly not a fan of Catholic theology (whether Roman or Anglo-), I really don't think that protestations in the press will help the proclamation of the true gospel. What we need is not a display of 17th Century Pope-bashing, but gentle and loving presentations of the sufficiency of Christ and of God's word for salvation. Anti-catholic adverts in the press won't help evangelicals in their personal witness to RCs.
Not only that, but the Pope (bless him) has actually said some things I wish Rowan Williams had had the guts to say. For example,
You see, while I'm certainly not a fan of Catholic theology (whether Roman or Anglo-), I really don't think that protestations in the press will help the proclamation of the true gospel. What we need is not a display of 17th Century Pope-bashing, but gentle and loving presentations of the sufficiency of Christ and of God's word for salvation. Anti-catholic adverts in the press won't help evangelicals in their personal witness to RCs.
Not only that, but the Pope (bless him) has actually said some things I wish Rowan Williams had had the guts to say. For example,
The evangelisation of culture is all the more important in our times, when a ‘dictatorship of relativism’ threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man’s nature, his destiny and his ultimate good. There are some who now seek to exclude religious belief from public discourse, to privatise it or even to paint it as a threat to equality and liberty.And,
I urge you to lead lives worthy of our Lord and of yourselves. There are many temptations placed before you every day - drugs, money, sex, pornography, alcohol - which the world tells you will bring you happiness, yet these things are destructive and divisive. There is only one thing which lasts: the love of Jesus Christ personally for each one of you. Search for him, know him and love him, and he will set you free from slavery to the glittering but superficial existence frequently proposed by today’s society. Put aside what is worthless and learn of your own dignity as children of God.Why won't C of E Bishops or Archbishops say things like this? Of course, the Pope's message also contained a lot of nonsense about 'priests', and it was set in the context of a Mass, both of which diminish the glory of Christ's finished work on the cross, but at least he has the guts to speak out.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
A little light alliteration
I was scribbling a few notes for my short talk on Matthew 11:25ff at the nursing homes this afternoon and came up with a helpful way of remembering the main points of my talk:
"Jesus replaces a religion of rules with revelation and a relationship".
The heavy & burdensome yoke was the rule-based religion of the pharisees. Jesus comes with a revelation of God the Father, and invites us to know the Father in a relationship of love which is the easy and light yoke of Jesus (cf 1 John 5:3).
Monday 13 September 2010
Social action
It's long been a criticism of more conservative evangelical churches that we don't get involved in society to the same extent as the charismatic, Catholic and liberal churches. And it's true: in TW, it certainly wasn't the CEs who got Street Pastors or Debt Counselling off the ground (though I'm pleased to say that we are now involved in both). The reasons for this reluctance are well-rehearsed: we don't want to be distracted from the gospel. Yes, it's important to love our neighbour (or even our enemy!) but ultimately, there's no point in making this life a little more comfortable if our neighbour (or enemy) ends up in hell for eternity. The best way to show love to others is to share the love of Christ in the gospel, we say, so we concentrate on evangelism.
Of course there's truth in this, and we must never, never allow social action to overtake or replace gospel proclamation as it has done in so many organisations. However, it has to be right that we demonstrate Christ's love in practical ways to non-Christians and at the same time share the gospel.
So what should our priorities be?
Well, let's look at the state of people's lives in our area. What causes most stress, anxiety & hardship among adults & children? Two things immediately spring to mind. First, work-related stress - whether it be anxiety over redundancy or pressure from bosses & clients or the stress of managing a work-home balance. I meet many, many people who struggle at work, and yet work is often all they have, so they're caught in a trap - work causes almost unbearable anxiety but what else is there to live for? This is especially true for men, who tend not to keep friendships outside work, and if they move jobs or are made redundant, they lose everything that gives them self-esteem and pride (which, although sinful, are motivational forces).
The second is surely relationships, and in particular the breakdown of relationships, and this is not unrelated to the first point. Most people invest everything in two things: career and home. And when the career is stressful, relationships at home are affected. But marriages (I include what used to be called 'common-law marriage' here) are rarely healthy - they're too insular, with husband and wife investing & expecting too much from their spouse. The vast majority of couples spend every evening & every weekend together, and they imagine that this one person will be able to fulfil all their hopes, dreams, desires etc. But no other person can bear that weight of responsibility. Only God can do that, and he gave us marriage as a means to serve him and others, not as a private partnership lived in the prison of a home chained to a TV. And so marriages break down. And, though it's politically unacceptable to say this, the consequences are massively expensive in terms of the price children pay in emotional damage, cost to society (financial and social) end even cost to the environment (why do we need to build so many new homes?).
So... the church would do well to engage with these two areas - a proper attitude to work and a proper attitude to marriage. So 'The Marriage Course' , while not perfect, has been hugely popular, and has helped thousands of marriages to survive. I don't know of a similar course about work, but surely there would be a demand for it?
However, the underlying issue is a gospel issue. Unless people make the Lord Jesus their God, they will always idolise something or someone else - something or someone who cannot supply what they need, and so will be a disappointment. So while it's possible to help people cope better at work for now or to help a marriage for a while, ultimately, only a relationship with Jesus will put these things in their proper place in life.
Of course, having said that, Christians aren't entirely free from the stresses of work or marriage problems. But a right relationship with Christ, and a proper understanding of the place of work and marriage, is the starting point - we're then heading in the right direction - and with God's help, we can begin to get life in its proper perspective again.
Of course there's truth in this, and we must never, never allow social action to overtake or replace gospel proclamation as it has done in so many organisations. However, it has to be right that we demonstrate Christ's love in practical ways to non-Christians and at the same time share the gospel.
So what should our priorities be?
Well, let's look at the state of people's lives in our area. What causes most stress, anxiety & hardship among adults & children? Two things immediately spring to mind. First, work-related stress - whether it be anxiety over redundancy or pressure from bosses & clients or the stress of managing a work-home balance. I meet many, many people who struggle at work, and yet work is often all they have, so they're caught in a trap - work causes almost unbearable anxiety but what else is there to live for? This is especially true for men, who tend not to keep friendships outside work, and if they move jobs or are made redundant, they lose everything that gives them self-esteem and pride (which, although sinful, are motivational forces).
The second is surely relationships, and in particular the breakdown of relationships, and this is not unrelated to the first point. Most people invest everything in two things: career and home. And when the career is stressful, relationships at home are affected. But marriages (I include what used to be called 'common-law marriage' here) are rarely healthy - they're too insular, with husband and wife investing & expecting too much from their spouse. The vast majority of couples spend every evening & every weekend together, and they imagine that this one person will be able to fulfil all their hopes, dreams, desires etc. But no other person can bear that weight of responsibility. Only God can do that, and he gave us marriage as a means to serve him and others, not as a private partnership lived in the prison of a home chained to a TV. And so marriages break down. And, though it's politically unacceptable to say this, the consequences are massively expensive in terms of the price children pay in emotional damage, cost to society (financial and social) end even cost to the environment (why do we need to build so many new homes?).
So... the church would do well to engage with these two areas - a proper attitude to work and a proper attitude to marriage. So 'The Marriage Course' , while not perfect, has been hugely popular, and has helped thousands of marriages to survive. I don't know of a similar course about work, but surely there would be a demand for it?
However, the underlying issue is a gospel issue. Unless people make the Lord Jesus their God, they will always idolise something or someone else - something or someone who cannot supply what they need, and so will be a disappointment. So while it's possible to help people cope better at work for now or to help a marriage for a while, ultimately, only a relationship with Jesus will put these things in their proper place in life.
Of course, having said that, Christians aren't entirely free from the stresses of work or marriage problems. But a right relationship with Christ, and a proper understanding of the place of work and marriage, is the starting point - we're then heading in the right direction - and with God's help, we can begin to get life in its proper perspective again.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Prayer
In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus encourages us to pray - and it is a great encouragement - he promises that God our Father will not only open the door to us when we pray, but that he will hear and answer as the loving heavenly Father he is, giving us only good things.
Now, let's get on with praying!
So why don't we pray? Why are church prayer evenings always, at every church, the worst attended meetings. If we had a meeting about what colour we should paint the hall, I reckon more people would come!
Perhaps it's the embarrassment or fear of praying with others.
But in the sermon on the mount (Matt 5-7) Jesus repeatedly commands & exhorts us to pray. And he concludes in chapter 7 with some stark warnings to those who don't listen & obey his teaching. Such people don't produce good fruit, are hypocrites, and are building their house on the sand. When judgement comes their house will fall with a great crash.
It's a stern warning that we always think applies to someone else. But those of us who are lazy about prayer better listen up! Prayer is not optional.
J.C.Ryle, in 'A Call to Prayer' speaks very plainly about this (at times I think he actually over-states the case, but sometimes you have to do that to make your point!):
To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven. It is to be on the road to hell. Now can you wonder that I ask the question, Do you pray?and again,
Never be surprised if you hear ministers of the gospel dwelling much on the importance of prayer. This is the point we want to bring you to; we want to know that you pray. Your views of doctrine may be correct. Your love of Protestantism may be warm and unmistakable. But still this may be nothing more than head knowledge and party spirit. We want to know whether you are actually acquainted with the throne of grace, and whether you can speak to God as well as speak about God.Robert Murray M'Cheyne summed it up, "A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more."
Now, let's get on with praying!
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Daniel 1
NB These are my sermon notes and not a transcript.
Q: If you wanted to rid the country of Christians, how would you do it?
605BC
Middle East – full of various tribes & ethnic groups with deep loyalties.
Three great powers – Egypt, Assyria & Babylonia.
Assyria going through a bad patch – decline.
Egypt – recently defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, commander-in-chief & prince of Babylonians.
Now Babylon is the great power.
But each of the great powers in their turn have found the smaller ethnic groups & nations a constant thorn in flesh.
When Nebuchadnezzar became king, he decided to deal with the problem once and for all.
First, v2, carried off religious artefacts from temple of God in Jerusalem & put them in the temple of his god in Babylonia.
Q: Why?
Demonstrate that his god more powerful than the God of Israel.
Then, vv3-5, he selected some of the young Israelites – those who were well connected and wealthy, fit & strong, intelligent & well educated and he took them off to the University of Babylon.
They were enrolled on the three year BA(Hons) Babylonian language & literature course, and were given a grant which provided all their meals and accommodation.
Once they'd graduated, they would be put on the government's fast-track scheme as special advisers to the king.
Among the youngsters who were exported to Babylon were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah.
But the head of the department for education decided that to help with their integration to Babylonian society he'd give them new names: Daniel → Belteshazzar; Hananiah → Shadrach; Mishael → Meshach; Azaraih → Abednego.
But why choose language & literature for these guys to study?
Because that's what would integrate them into Babylonian society.
If they knew the language they could be influenced by other Babylonians.
And the study of literature? Well that was the study of the history & influences that shaped Babylonian thought, religion, culture, society etc. The idea was that these young men would be so saturated in Babylonian thought that they themselves would begin to think and act like Babylonians.
Today, the universities eventually shape our society.
The professors spend their long summer holidays coming up with weird & wonderful ideas to impress their students.
Then they teach their ideas to intelligent but impressionable young people.
The youngsters then go on to write books, make films & tv programmes, write for magazines & newspapers, write & sing songs, go into politics etc., and 20 years later, what the academics were theorising about on the beach in Spain becomes part of our culture.
So many years ago, something happened to make Richard Dawkins hate Christians – perhaps his vicar upset him; perhaps his university tutor indoctrinated him; perhaps his girlfriend became a Xn & dumped him...
For some reason, he began to believe atheism, and he began to write books.
Some of his ex-students wrote glowing reviews about their professor's books, and they began to sell well...
It's not just the new religion of atheism that has developed like this – extreme feminism, approval of homosexual practice & ideas about civil partnerships all developed in this way.
So Neb's plan was a good one. Indoctrinate these intelligent young people now & they'd influence all the Israelites tomorrow.
But in v8, Daniel makes a bold and courageous decision: he resolved not to defile himself with the royal food & wine, and asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.
Now Daniel didn't have to avoid the royal food & wine – Jewish food laws allowed him to drink wine and eat meat.
So what's Daniel doing here?
Well, he seems to be making a point to the chief & to Nebuchadnezzar.
By refusing the king's food & wine, Daniel was saying, 'Look, I'm not one of you. I'm not completely in cahoots with you – I'm different from you, and I won't become one of you.'
For Daniel, this was a way of drawing a line in the sand and saying, this far but no further.
And it really worried the official – read vv9-14.
Daniel has put down a marker and said, 'I believe God will honour my decision. As I honour God, so he will honour me.'
And that's what happened – read vv15-16.
And on one level, we can read this and say, 'We too must stand up & be counted. We mustn't allow ourselves to be compromised. At some point, we need to say, 'this far and no further'. Exactly where we draw the line will vary depending on our circumstances.
It may be that you don't go to the pub with certain friends, or go to certain parties, or that you don't do sleep-overs.
It may be that you refuse to have a lift from certain drivers, or do business with certain clients.
The bottom line is that we will all want to put down some kind of marker which demonstrates that we're not going to be integrated in to the non-Xn world of our friends & colleagues.
But there's also something bigger going on here – something behind the scenes.
At the beginning, it seems as if God is powerless:
the capital city of his kingdom has been beseiged;
his king has been delivered into Nebuchadnezzar's hands;
his temple has been ransacked – the articles from the temple have been carried off to the temple of Neb's god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god;
The top men of God's people have been taken into exile.
So what's happened to God's promises to build a great nation in the land around Jerusalem?
Has he given up?
Has he been outwitted?
Well a couple of words in v2 show us that God's still there & still in charge: READ.
Not only that, but look at what happens to the young students in Babylon: READ v17
it's not the professors & lecturers who teach them, but God.
God gives them knowledge & understanding of all kinds of literature & learning.
God teaches Daniel what no professor could teach – understanding of visions & dreams of all kinds.
And so, after 3 years at uni, they go before the king for their finals.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah all get firsts – read vv18-20.
So God is at work - as the rest of the Israelites sit by the rivers of Babylon and weep, God is at work in their young leaders.
And the final sentence again points to the fact that God is doing something much bigger than the people can imagine.
Daniel is still there when Nebuchadnezzar has gone and has been replaced by King Cyrus. Daniel outlasts Nebuchadnezzar.
New Testament trajectories: John 17:13-19; Romans 12:1-2
Q: If you wanted to rid the country of Christians, how would you do it?
605BC
Middle East – full of various tribes & ethnic groups with deep loyalties.
Three great powers – Egypt, Assyria & Babylonia.
Assyria going through a bad patch – decline.
Egypt – recently defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, commander-in-chief & prince of Babylonians.
Now Babylon is the great power.
But each of the great powers in their turn have found the smaller ethnic groups & nations a constant thorn in flesh.
When Nebuchadnezzar became king, he decided to deal with the problem once and for all.
First, v2, carried off religious artefacts from temple of God in Jerusalem & put them in the temple of his god in Babylonia.
Q: Why?
Demonstrate that his god more powerful than the God of Israel.
Then, vv3-5, he selected some of the young Israelites – those who were well connected and wealthy, fit & strong, intelligent & well educated and he took them off to the University of Babylon.
They were enrolled on the three year BA(Hons) Babylonian language & literature course, and were given a grant which provided all their meals and accommodation.
Once they'd graduated, they would be put on the government's fast-track scheme as special advisers to the king.
Among the youngsters who were exported to Babylon were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah.
But the head of the department for education decided that to help with their integration to Babylonian society he'd give them new names: Daniel → Belteshazzar; Hananiah → Shadrach; Mishael → Meshach; Azaraih → Abednego.
But why choose language & literature for these guys to study?
Because that's what would integrate them into Babylonian society.
If they knew the language they could be influenced by other Babylonians.
And the study of literature? Well that was the study of the history & influences that shaped Babylonian thought, religion, culture, society etc. The idea was that these young men would be so saturated in Babylonian thought that they themselves would begin to think and act like Babylonians.
Today, the universities eventually shape our society.
The professors spend their long summer holidays coming up with weird & wonderful ideas to impress their students.
Then they teach their ideas to intelligent but impressionable young people.
The youngsters then go on to write books, make films & tv programmes, write for magazines & newspapers, write & sing songs, go into politics etc., and 20 years later, what the academics were theorising about on the beach in Spain becomes part of our culture.
So many years ago, something happened to make Richard Dawkins hate Christians – perhaps his vicar upset him; perhaps his university tutor indoctrinated him; perhaps his girlfriend became a Xn & dumped him...
For some reason, he began to believe atheism, and he began to write books.
Some of his ex-students wrote glowing reviews about their professor's books, and they began to sell well...
It's not just the new religion of atheism that has developed like this – extreme feminism, approval of homosexual practice & ideas about civil partnerships all developed in this way.
So Neb's plan was a good one. Indoctrinate these intelligent young people now & they'd influence all the Israelites tomorrow.
But in v8, Daniel makes a bold and courageous decision: he resolved not to defile himself with the royal food & wine, and asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.
Now Daniel didn't have to avoid the royal food & wine – Jewish food laws allowed him to drink wine and eat meat.
So what's Daniel doing here?
Well, he seems to be making a point to the chief & to Nebuchadnezzar.
By refusing the king's food & wine, Daniel was saying, 'Look, I'm not one of you. I'm not completely in cahoots with you – I'm different from you, and I won't become one of you.'
For Daniel, this was a way of drawing a line in the sand and saying, this far but no further.
And it really worried the official – read vv9-14.
Daniel has put down a marker and said, 'I believe God will honour my decision. As I honour God, so he will honour me.'
And that's what happened – read vv15-16.
And on one level, we can read this and say, 'We too must stand up & be counted. We mustn't allow ourselves to be compromised. At some point, we need to say, 'this far and no further'. Exactly where we draw the line will vary depending on our circumstances.
It may be that you don't go to the pub with certain friends, or go to certain parties, or that you don't do sleep-overs.
It may be that you refuse to have a lift from certain drivers, or do business with certain clients.
The bottom line is that we will all want to put down some kind of marker which demonstrates that we're not going to be integrated in to the non-Xn world of our friends & colleagues.
But there's also something bigger going on here – something behind the scenes.
At the beginning, it seems as if God is powerless:
the capital city of his kingdom has been beseiged;
his king has been delivered into Nebuchadnezzar's hands;
his temple has been ransacked – the articles from the temple have been carried off to the temple of Neb's god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god;
The top men of God's people have been taken into exile.
So what's happened to God's promises to build a great nation in the land around Jerusalem?
Has he given up?
Has he been outwitted?
Well a couple of words in v2 show us that God's still there & still in charge: READ.
Not only that, but look at what happens to the young students in Babylon: READ v17
it's not the professors & lecturers who teach them, but God.
God gives them knowledge & understanding of all kinds of literature & learning.
God teaches Daniel what no professor could teach – understanding of visions & dreams of all kinds.
And so, after 3 years at uni, they go before the king for their finals.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah all get firsts – read vv18-20.
So God is at work - as the rest of the Israelites sit by the rivers of Babylon and weep, God is at work in their young leaders.
And the final sentence again points to the fact that God is doing something much bigger than the people can imagine.
Daniel is still there when Nebuchadnezzar has gone and has been replaced by King Cyrus. Daniel outlasts Nebuchadnezzar.
New Testament trajectories: John 17:13-19; Romans 12:1-2
Psalm 119:41-48
(This is just a copy of my sermon notes, and not a transcript - I don't always stick to my notes!)
If you were here last week, you ought to remember what the service was all about.
You ought to remember because in Luke 8 Jesus reminded us, “consider carefully how you listen” to God's word.
We heard that, one day, the spotlight will fall on each of us, and reveal how we have listened to God's word.
And we heard Jesus say that his true family was those who not only hear God's word but also put it into practice.
So, as far as Jesus is concerned, listening to God's word and obeying God's word are crucial. That's why I say, we ought to have remembered what last week's service was all about.
That's why it's surely no accident that the longest Psalm in the Bible is all about God's word – that is, it's about God's communication to humanity and our response to him.
Now one of the things we saw last week was that the truth about Jesus is public – it's a light that mustn't be hidden under a bucket – it's a truth for everyone, and they need to hear it.
And yet, if you've ever spoken about Jesus in public – if you've ever dared to put the Bible into practice in your business life – you will probably have experienced some kind of criticism for doing so.
That's the experience of the Psalmist in v42 – he's taunted for trusting God's word.
We don't know what the circumstances were, but some people were taunting him for believing the Bible and for putting it into practice.
I wonder how you respond when people taunt you for believing the Bible – or perhaps you've never been in that position because, to be honest, you've never been that public about your faith – you've never admitted to your non-Xn family, friends or colleagues that you do read the Bible, and that you allow God's word to shape every aspect of your life.
And so perhaps you need some encouragement to be more public about your attitude to God's word.
Perhaps you need reassurance and a reason to be more open about the Bible.
Well, that's just what the Psalmist gives us here – reasons to be confident in God's word.
First we find that God's love and salvation come from his word: vv41 & 42
v 42 is saying something really amazing – God's unfailing love & salvation come to us from his word of promise.
When we think of God's love, it's easy to become sentimental and think of him as a sort of friendly, jovial Santa Claus.
But there are three things here that tell us it's far more than that:
First, this is 'unfailing love'. This is how our Bibles translate a special word that speaks of God's undeserved and unending mercy and loving-kindness.
Second, it is the unfailing love of 'the LORD'-in-capital-letters. This is is how our Bibles translate a special & personal name for God – Yahweh – the God who is personal and is always with his people.
Third, this is the unfailing love of the LORD which brings salvation according to his promise.
God saves us according to his promise. Now that could simply mean that God saves us because he promised to do so – that's true, but the rest of the Psalm shows that it's more than that.
God's unfailing love and salvation comes to us through his word of promise.
It is as we believe and trust God's promises that his love & salvation come to us.
And where do we find God's promises? In the Bible.
And we receive the benefits of this promise by trusting it. By trusting that God is honest and true and will fulfil his word. That's all.
God doesn't ask us to be more religious or more moral. He simply says, 'Believe me. Trust my word.'
When I started work as an 18 year old in the City of London, business was still conducted on the basis of, 'My word is my bond'.
And that's the basis on which God offers us his love and salvation – 'Take me at my word', he says, 'As you do that, my unfailing love and salvation will come to you.'
So God saves us by the word of his promise – so the apostle James says, 'humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.'
But how does this give us confidence and assurance when people taunt us?
Well, the Psalmist knows that one day, the truth that God loves him and has saved him will come to light – everyone will see God's salvation and, v42, he will, once and for all, be able to answer the one who taunts him.
And the same's true for us. One day, when Christ returns, everyone will see that we were right to trust God's word.
They will realise that they were the real fools, not us.
This is exactly what Jesus said about the light – one day it will shine on each of us revealing whether or not we listened to God's word.
Now because of this, the last thing we want to do is to stop trusting God's word.
We want to be on the winning team when the final whistle goes. So in v43, we cry out to God, 'Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws'.
These days, almost as soon as a child learns to read, we encourage them to read quietly to themselves. But when the Psalms were written, even adults would always have read aloud.
So when he asks God not to snatch the word of truth from his mouth, he's asking God to keep him faithful in his Bible reading.
Why? Because his hope is in God's laws – his future depends on his continued trust in God's laws.
And here the word 'laws' means the decisions of God the judge.
One day, God will sit on his throne and pass judgement on everyone – and in this context, it's about his judgement on whether or not we've believed and received his word of promise.
The Psalmist does trust God's word, so he trusts that God the judge will judge in his favour – he'll be found innocent if he continues trusting.
But believing God's promises does more than just guarantee that one day we'll be able to say to our non-Xn friends, 'See, I told you so'.
And in vv44-45, we see just what a difference following God's word makes to our lives today: READ.
Now, generally speaking, the translation of the Bible we have here is first-class, but here it's not very helpful.
The word translated 'law' in v44 is very different from the word translated 'laws' in v43.
So v43 says, 'Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws – your judgements – your legal decisions.'
But, v44, says, 'I will always obey your law – your teaching'
You may have heard of the word Torah – that's the word here in v44 – it means 'teaching' or 'instruction'.
So here the writer is saying, 'I will always pay attention to your teaching – for ever and ever.'
Now most people think that to follow God's teaching means being restricted and confined.
But that's not what actually happens. Look at v45, when the writer follows God's teaching, he walks about in freedom.
When we follow God's teaching life opens up – the horizons of possibility are broadened, there's freedom from the false promises of sin and self-obsession.
And one of the ways God's teaching brings this new freedom is by replacing our old ways with a new ministry – a new goal and reason for living.
God gives us the ministry of proclaiming the goodness and greatness of his promises to those who haven't yet believed him.
This is the gospel ministry of sharing God's unfailing love and salvation with those who are still trapped in sin.
READ v46
Yes, our writer is experiencing the taunting and mocking of unbelievers, but that doesn't stop him proclaiming the promises of God.
And this, of course, is the ministry & mission of every Christian believer.
We too know that even if we're taunted now, one day we will be vindicated because the Bible tells the truth about God.
And we know the unfailing love of God for ourselves – we've seen it in Jesus Christ, and we've received it by faith.
We too experience the freedom of a life lived in accordance with God's teaching.
And so we want to share the truth about this great promise-keeping God with others.
And yet so often we lose our motivation for speaking about Jesus. In fact, even our love for him fades and grows dim.
How can we rekindle this motivation and love?
If we spot the connection between v46 & v47, they will help is here: I will speak of your statutes before kings and will no be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.
So our love and passion for God and our motivation for speaking about him are rekindled by our love for his word.
God speaks to our hearts and minds when we read the Bible. That's why we love the Bible.
We don't love it because it's a great work of literature. We don't love it because it's part of out tradition at St Peter's.
We love the Bible because it is God's word to us today, and because as we read it we hear God's voice.
This is how we relate to God – the only way we can form a relationship with anyone is by listening and talking.
And yet this seems too easy, and people look for all kinds of mystical ways to relate to God.
So we need constant reminders that if we delight in God's word, we delight in God himself. If we love God's word, we love God himself.
And so being immersed in God's word will mean being immersed in God. Our love for him will grow, our knowledge & understanding of him will deepen, and we will want to speak of him to others.
Daily Bible reading notes from The Good Book Company
For adults: Explore
The Daily Reading Bible
For 14-18s: Engage
For 11-13s: Discover
For 7-10s: XTB
Sample copies are available for each of these, or you can subscribe (£13-£16 per year).
Available from The Good Book Company: www.thegoodbook.co.uk 020 8942 0880
Study Bibles
These Bibles have cross-references, introductions to each book, and notes at the foot of every page to explain the text.
The NIV study Bible is generally very good, but the ESV (English Standard Version) has better notes, some good general introductions to the Bible and allows access to their helpful website.
Amazon is selling the ESV study Bible for £23.49 (RRP £40) and the NIV study Bible for £20.99 (RRP £30).
These are also available from Tonbridge Christian Resource Centre and Burrswood Bookshop, though you may have to order them.
THE BREIFING
A monthly magazine full of good articles for those who are prepared to think about God & his word.
£16.00 per year, includes a daily Bible reading plan with comments.
Pick up an old copy from the back of church and have a look, or visit www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-Briefing
Online resources
Always be careful with websites – there's some wacky stuff out there! Good sites include:
www.thegospelcoalition.org A huge collection of sermons, articles, talks, blogs etc.
www.stag.org/multimedia/sermons First class sermons from St Andrew the Great, Cambridge
www.sthelens.audiop.org.uk St Helen's, Bishopsgate – Dick Lucas, David Jackman etc.
www.biblegateway.com Online Bibles with search tools, commentaries. Also mobile site.
www.www.allsaintslittleshelford.org Great sermons by Christopher Ash & others.
www.sydneyanglicans.net A huge resource of multimedia articles on parenting, films, youth work, theology, church... you name it, and if you search, you'll probably find it here!
www.phillipjensen.com Clear, straight, humorous talking on various topics & questions.
www.bethinking.org Video, audio & text articles on many subjects. Aimed at students, but useful for anyone & pitched at different levels.
Read the Bible in a year
www.ewordtoday.com/year Bible reading plans starting at different times of year
www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans Various plans & and email reminders!
www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.one.year.tract.pdf The Psalms & NT twice, the rest once in a year.
If you'd like one of these printed off for you, please ask Lindsey Sumpter.
If you were here last week, you ought to remember what the service was all about.
You ought to remember because in Luke 8 Jesus reminded us, “consider carefully how you listen” to God's word.
We heard that, one day, the spotlight will fall on each of us, and reveal how we have listened to God's word.
And we heard Jesus say that his true family was those who not only hear God's word but also put it into practice.
So, as far as Jesus is concerned, listening to God's word and obeying God's word are crucial. That's why I say, we ought to have remembered what last week's service was all about.
That's why it's surely no accident that the longest Psalm in the Bible is all about God's word – that is, it's about God's communication to humanity and our response to him.
Now one of the things we saw last week was that the truth about Jesus is public – it's a light that mustn't be hidden under a bucket – it's a truth for everyone, and they need to hear it.
And yet, if you've ever spoken about Jesus in public – if you've ever dared to put the Bible into practice in your business life – you will probably have experienced some kind of criticism for doing so.
That's the experience of the Psalmist in v42 – he's taunted for trusting God's word.
We don't know what the circumstances were, but some people were taunting him for believing the Bible and for putting it into practice.
I wonder how you respond when people taunt you for believing the Bible – or perhaps you've never been in that position because, to be honest, you've never been that public about your faith – you've never admitted to your non-Xn family, friends or colleagues that you do read the Bible, and that you allow God's word to shape every aspect of your life.
And so perhaps you need some encouragement to be more public about your attitude to God's word.
Perhaps you need reassurance and a reason to be more open about the Bible.
Well, that's just what the Psalmist gives us here – reasons to be confident in God's word.
First we find that God's love and salvation come from his word: vv41 & 42
v 42 is saying something really amazing – God's unfailing love & salvation come to us from his word of promise.
When we think of God's love, it's easy to become sentimental and think of him as a sort of friendly, jovial Santa Claus.
But there are three things here that tell us it's far more than that:
First, this is 'unfailing love'. This is how our Bibles translate a special word that speaks of God's undeserved and unending mercy and loving-kindness.
Second, it is the unfailing love of 'the LORD'-in-capital-letters. This is is how our Bibles translate a special & personal name for God – Yahweh – the God who is personal and is always with his people.
Third, this is the unfailing love of the LORD which brings salvation according to his promise.
God saves us according to his promise. Now that could simply mean that God saves us because he promised to do so – that's true, but the rest of the Psalm shows that it's more than that.
God's unfailing love and salvation comes to us through his word of promise.
It is as we believe and trust God's promises that his love & salvation come to us.
And where do we find God's promises? In the Bible.
And we receive the benefits of this promise by trusting it. By trusting that God is honest and true and will fulfil his word. That's all.
God doesn't ask us to be more religious or more moral. He simply says, 'Believe me. Trust my word.'
When I started work as an 18 year old in the City of London, business was still conducted on the basis of, 'My word is my bond'.
And that's the basis on which God offers us his love and salvation – 'Take me at my word', he says, 'As you do that, my unfailing love and salvation will come to you.'
So God saves us by the word of his promise – so the apostle James says, 'humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.'
But how does this give us confidence and assurance when people taunt us?
Well, the Psalmist knows that one day, the truth that God loves him and has saved him will come to light – everyone will see God's salvation and, v42, he will, once and for all, be able to answer the one who taunts him.
And the same's true for us. One day, when Christ returns, everyone will see that we were right to trust God's word.
They will realise that they were the real fools, not us.
This is exactly what Jesus said about the light – one day it will shine on each of us revealing whether or not we listened to God's word.
Now because of this, the last thing we want to do is to stop trusting God's word.
We want to be on the winning team when the final whistle goes. So in v43, we cry out to God, 'Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws'.
These days, almost as soon as a child learns to read, we encourage them to read quietly to themselves. But when the Psalms were written, even adults would always have read aloud.
So when he asks God not to snatch the word of truth from his mouth, he's asking God to keep him faithful in his Bible reading.
Why? Because his hope is in God's laws – his future depends on his continued trust in God's laws.
And here the word 'laws' means the decisions of God the judge.
One day, God will sit on his throne and pass judgement on everyone – and in this context, it's about his judgement on whether or not we've believed and received his word of promise.
The Psalmist does trust God's word, so he trusts that God the judge will judge in his favour – he'll be found innocent if he continues trusting.
But believing God's promises does more than just guarantee that one day we'll be able to say to our non-Xn friends, 'See, I told you so'.
And in vv44-45, we see just what a difference following God's word makes to our lives today: READ.
Now, generally speaking, the translation of the Bible we have here is first-class, but here it's not very helpful.
The word translated 'law' in v44 is very different from the word translated 'laws' in v43.
So v43 says, 'Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws – your judgements – your legal decisions.'
But, v44, says, 'I will always obey your law – your teaching'
You may have heard of the word Torah – that's the word here in v44 – it means 'teaching' or 'instruction'.
So here the writer is saying, 'I will always pay attention to your teaching – for ever and ever.'
Now most people think that to follow God's teaching means being restricted and confined.
But that's not what actually happens. Look at v45, when the writer follows God's teaching, he walks about in freedom.
When we follow God's teaching life opens up – the horizons of possibility are broadened, there's freedom from the false promises of sin and self-obsession.
And one of the ways God's teaching brings this new freedom is by replacing our old ways with a new ministry – a new goal and reason for living.
God gives us the ministry of proclaiming the goodness and greatness of his promises to those who haven't yet believed him.
This is the gospel ministry of sharing God's unfailing love and salvation with those who are still trapped in sin.
READ v46
Yes, our writer is experiencing the taunting and mocking of unbelievers, but that doesn't stop him proclaiming the promises of God.
And this, of course, is the ministry & mission of every Christian believer.
We too know that even if we're taunted now, one day we will be vindicated because the Bible tells the truth about God.
And we know the unfailing love of God for ourselves – we've seen it in Jesus Christ, and we've received it by faith.
We too experience the freedom of a life lived in accordance with God's teaching.
And so we want to share the truth about this great promise-keeping God with others.
And yet so often we lose our motivation for speaking about Jesus. In fact, even our love for him fades and grows dim.
How can we rekindle this motivation and love?
If we spot the connection between v46 & v47, they will help is here: I will speak of your statutes before kings and will no be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.
So our love and passion for God and our motivation for speaking about him are rekindled by our love for his word.
God speaks to our hearts and minds when we read the Bible. That's why we love the Bible.
We don't love it because it's a great work of literature. We don't love it because it's part of out tradition at St Peter's.
We love the Bible because it is God's word to us today, and because as we read it we hear God's voice.
This is how we relate to God – the only way we can form a relationship with anyone is by listening and talking.
And yet this seems too easy, and people look for all kinds of mystical ways to relate to God.
So we need constant reminders that if we delight in God's word, we delight in God himself. If we love God's word, we love God himself.
And so being immersed in God's word will mean being immersed in God. Our love for him will grow, our knowledge & understanding of him will deepen, and we will want to speak of him to others.
Daily Bible reading notes from The Good Book Company
For adults: Explore
The Daily Reading Bible
For 14-18s: Engage
For 11-13s: Discover
For 7-10s: XTB
Sample copies are available for each of these, or you can subscribe (£13-£16 per year).
Available from The Good Book Company: www.thegoodbook.co.uk 020 8942 0880
Study Bibles
These Bibles have cross-references, introductions to each book, and notes at the foot of every page to explain the text.
The NIV study Bible is generally very good, but the ESV (English Standard Version) has better notes, some good general introductions to the Bible and allows access to their helpful website.
Amazon is selling the ESV study Bible for £23.49 (RRP £40) and the NIV study Bible for £20.99 (RRP £30).
These are also available from Tonbridge Christian Resource Centre and Burrswood Bookshop, though you may have to order them.
THE BREIFING
A monthly magazine full of good articles for those who are prepared to think about God & his word.
£16.00 per year, includes a daily Bible reading plan with comments.
Pick up an old copy from the back of church and have a look, or visit www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-Briefing
Online resources
Always be careful with websites – there's some wacky stuff out there! Good sites include:
www.thegospelcoalition.org A huge collection of sermons, articles, talks, blogs etc.
www.stag.org/multimedia/sermons First class sermons from St Andrew the Great, Cambridge
www.sthelens.audiop.org.uk St Helen's, Bishopsgate – Dick Lucas, David Jackman etc.
www.biblegateway.com Online Bibles with search tools, commentaries. Also mobile site.
www.www.allsaintslittleshelford.org Great sermons by Christopher Ash & others.
www.sydneyanglicans.net A huge resource of multimedia articles on parenting, films, youth work, theology, church... you name it, and if you search, you'll probably find it here!
www.phillipjensen.com Clear, straight, humorous talking on various topics & questions.
www.bethinking.org Video, audio & text articles on many subjects. Aimed at students, but useful for anyone & pitched at different levels.
Read the Bible in a year
www.ewordtoday.com/year Bible reading plans starting at different times of year
www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans Various plans & and email reminders!
www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.one.year.tract.pdf The Psalms & NT twice, the rest once in a year.
If you'd like one of these printed off for you, please ask Lindsey Sumpter.
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