{"id":2734,"date":"2018-09-24T14:54:58","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T04:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=2734"},"modified":"2018-09-24T14:54:58","modified_gmt":"2018-09-24T04:54:58","slug":"crossed-shaped-living-23-09-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=2734","title":{"rendered":"Crossed-Shaped Living 23-09-2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cross-Shaped Living. [Eph. 3]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ephesians 3: 1 \u2013 12; 1 Samuel 17<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Christian endeavour achieves very little without the power of God.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the great things about human endeavour is that through it much knowledge has been gained and great technological advances have taken place. The Duke of Wellington said this about human endeavour; All the business of war, and indeed all the business of life, is to endeavour to find out what you don’t know by what you do; that’s what I called ‘guess what was at the other side of the hill’.\u00a0 But all is not rosy in the garden. Some note the limitations of human endeavour. Elbert Hubbard brings us down to earth with his thoughts that, Don\u2019t take life too seriously, you will never get out of it alive. And he also said, Polygamy: an endeavour to get more out of life than there is in it.\u00a0 <\/span>As much as humankind can celebrate our endeavour combined with our creativity, we have not yet been able to establish a lasting peace based on justice. The dream of Karl Marx foundered on the rocks of fear, human folly and self-centredness. The free market philosophy fails precisely because it feeds self-interest. For there to be peace \u2013 real peace \u2013 we need grace to temper our humanity.\u00a0 <\/span>I speak of God\u2019s grace. God\u2019s grace is a love given selflessly to those who least deserve it. It is a love given to the helpless \u2013 all humanity \u2013 who cannot earn it.\u00a0 <\/span>It is genuine love that holds us together. We humans know this.\u00a0 <\/span>Human love which flowers for a moment is a glimpse into God\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0 <\/span>That is why human endeavour for the good of humankind cannot succeed without the help of God.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This third sermon in our Ephesians\u2019 series provides a dynamic picture of this truth that nothing of ultimate goodness is achieved without God\u2019s power.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve reflected on a pattern for the Christian life as beginning with sitting, then walking the faith and finally standing firm in the faith. This sermon addresses an aspect of \u2018sitting\u2019 with God and letting God act; that is letting go of the reins so God can direct our lives for the good. There is nothing so detrimental to our walk with God than us wanting to run the show. Not because God wants us to be submissive puppets, rather until we learn to see and understand God, we will default to our view on life.\u00a0 <\/span>To sit with God means we learn to see the world through God\u2019s eyes. To sit with God allows us to experience God\u2019s power. Otherwise our striving blinds us to God\u2019s power, or at least dilutes God\u2019s power [2:6; Rev 3:21]. What Paul offers us in Ephesians is a view of how the power of God works. The clue to this is the Cross-Shaped-Living (CSL). Paul provides us with a personal testimony to the Cross-Shaped-Life.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In chapter 3, our primary text for today, Paul explains how the power of God is working to bring about peace and unity. Paul\u2019s explanation begins with a personal testimony that is counter-intuitive. He tells us that he is in prison. How does this help us understand what God is doing?\u00a0 <\/span>In the first place if God is all-powerful why then is his top agent in prison?\u00a0 <\/span>Secondly, telling people you\u2019re in prison tends to cast doubt about your trustworthiness.\u00a0 <\/span>So when Paul talks about being a prisoner it tends to throw up more questions than answers. But if we pause to reflect on exactly what Paul says we see a different picture. Paul writes; \u201cFor this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Paul says he is a prisoner of Christ and it is for their sake that he is a prisoner.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Paul wants his readers to understand that God\u2019s power works differently to the way of the world. We think of the powerful as those who have influence, control and shape reality.\u00a0 <\/span>Power is exercised through status, wealth, political control and media manipulation. In the end the powerful can enforce their view on others. But God doesn\u2019t work this way.\u00a0 <\/span>God\u2019s greatest action is the self-giving love seen in Christ Jesus. And the greatest example is the Cross.\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus met the political and military evil with love.\u00a0 <\/span>It was Jesus\u2019 love and truth that destroyed the political and military evil.\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus would not compromise and resort to military or political power battles. Love ultimately destroys evil because evil cannot destroy love. Love given remains while evil spirals into decay.\u00a0 <\/span>Look at the history of the powerful evil ones and their ultimate downward spiral of decay and destruction.\u00a0 <\/span>But Jesus\u2019 self-giving love raised the Church: a community of love, truth and peace. The Church has grown while the Roman Empire and Jewish Sanhedrin disappeared in the pages of history.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The story of David and Goliath points to the same truth that God\u2019s strength is displayed through the weak. David is a boy who looks after his family\u2019s sheep. He is too young to fight, but old enough to take food and supplies to his brothers in battle. David appears near the battle lines of Israel and the Philistines. The Israelites and the Philistines were fighting over more than land. It is was a battle about whose god was the greatest. David comes along as an inquisitive boy would and asks questions. But the na\u00efve lad wants to know why the Israelites are scared of Goliath when their God is greater. David\u2019s questions and views are expressed to King Saul. Saul calls David into his presence. In the exchange David expresses his willingness to confront Goliath in the name of God Almighty. Saul wishes to dress him in armour, but David feels restricted. He is not yet a man nor a soldier. But he boldly declares that he will face Goliath.\u00a0 <\/span>When he does Goliath mocks him and asking, \u2018Why have the Israelites sent a boy to me armed with a few stones?\u2019 David stands there in the faith that God will prevail.\u00a0 <\/span>God does, through David\u2019s faith and his experience in fighting wild animals that attack his sheep.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We all know how it ends.\u00a0 <\/span>David\u2019s accuracy with a slingshot stuns Goliath and while unconscious David slays him.\u00a0 <\/span>All see this as a demonstration of God\u2019s power working through the weak.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is precisely what Paul wants the Christians in Ephesus to understand. God\u2019s power is visible in spite of Paul\u2019s imprisonment.\u00a0 <\/span>God\u2019s power is demonstrated through our humility and faith, because our humility and faith allow God to act. \u00a0 <\/span>Paul\u2019s imprisonment is not a sign that the Roman gods are more powerful. If that were true why is the Church still growing when Paul is a prisoner of Rome? No, the power of God is at work in the Church.\u00a0 <\/span>Paul is saying that his imprisonment is showing exactly who is in control \u2013 it is God. God is transforming things.\u00a0 <\/span>Paul understands the profound godly truth that human endeavour will never bring about the good and justice without the power of God.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Paul then goes on to explain two very important things.\u00a0 <\/span>Firstly, that God\u2019s power comes to us as a gracious gift. Earlier in the epistle to the Ephesians Paul has expressed this truth saying; But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our sins, made us alive together with Christ\u2014by grace you have been saved\u2014and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [2:4-8].\u00a0 <\/span>Grace \u2013 love given to the undeserved \u2013 is God\u2019s power exhibited in humble service to this world.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The second important thing in this passage is the mystery Paul talks about [1:9-10; 3:4-6]. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.\u00a0 <\/span>It is hard for us to appreciate the significance of the bitter division between the Jews and Gentiles.\u00a0 <\/span>The term \u2018Gentiles\u2019 means the other nations. But right up until the time of Jesus the only way there would be any reconciliation between a Jew and a Gentile is if the Gentile became a Jew. But what the first Christians, who were Jews, came to realise was that God was receiving the Gentiles, who turned to Christ Jesus, and blessing them with the Holy Spirit just as the first followers of Christ were blessed [Acts 10]. This reconciliation resulted in a new unity and peace between former Jews and Gentiles. If the Resurrection declares the power of God working in Jesus of Nazareth then the unity and peace in the Church declares the working of the power of God in the Church.\u00a0 <\/span>Our peace and unity is the sign of God\u2019s power in our midst. Its absence declares that we have turned away.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Cross-Shaped-Living is sitting in the grace of God\u2019s reconciling love in Christ Jesus and living a life of selfless love. This love is to be seen in our love for one another and our love for all of God\u2019s world.\u00a0 <\/span>Cross-Shaped-Living allows our human endeavour to be empowered by God\u2019s grace.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*******<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Peter C Whitaker, Leighmoor UC:\u00a0 <\/span>23\/09\/2018<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

pcwhitaker@icloud.com<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\/ www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cross-Shaped Living. [Eph. 3] Ephesians 3: 1 \u2013 12; 1 Samuel 17 Christian endeavour achieves very little without the power of God. One of the great things about human endeavour is that through it much knowledge has been gained and great technological advances have taken place. The Duke of Wellington said this about human endeavour; All the business of war, and indeed all the business of life, is to endeavour to find out what you don’t know by what you do; that’s what I called ‘guess what was at the other side of the hill’.\u00a0 But all is not rosy in the garden. Some note the limitations of human endeavour. Elbert Hubbard brings us down to earth with his thoughts that, Don\u2019t take life too seriously, you will never get out of it alive. And he also said, Polygamy: an endeavour to get more out of life than there is in it.\u00a0 As much as humankind can celebrate our endeavour combined with our creativity, we have not yet been able to establish a lasting peace based on justice. The dream of Karl Marx foundered on the rocks of fear, human folly and self-centredness. The free market philosophy fails precisely because it feeds self-interest. For there to be peace \u2013 real peace \u2013 we need grace to temper our humanity.\u00a0 I speak of God\u2019s grace. God\u2019s grace is a love given selflessly to those who least deserve it. It is a love given to the helpless \u2013 all humanity \u2013 who cannot earn it.\u00a0 It is genuine love that holds us together. We humans know this.\u00a0 Human love which flowers for a moment is a glimpse into God\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0 That is why human endeavour for the good of humankind cannot succeed without the help of God. This third sermon in our Ephesians\u2019 series provides a dynamic picture of this truth that nothing of ultimate goodness is achieved without God\u2019s power.\u00a0 We\u2019ve reflected on a pattern for the Christian life as beginning with sitting, then walking the faith and finally standing firm in the faith. This sermon addresses an aspect of \u2018sitting\u2019 with God and letting God act; that is letting go of the reins so God can direct our lives for the good. There is nothing so detrimental to our walk with God than us wanting to run the show. Not because God wants us to be submissive puppets, rather until we learn to see and understand God, we will default to our view on life.\u00a0 To sit with God means we learn to see the world through God\u2019s eyes. To sit with God allows us to experience God\u2019s power. Otherwise our striving blinds us to God\u2019s power, or at least dilutes God\u2019s power [2:6; Rev 3:21]. What Paul offers us in Ephesians is a view of how the power of God works. The clue to this is the Cross-Shaped-Living (CSL). Paul provides us with a personal testimony to the Cross-Shaped-Life. In chapter 3, our primary text for today, Paul explains how the power of God is working to bring about peace and unity. Paul\u2019s explanation begins with a personal testimony that is counter-intuitive. He tells us that he is in prison. How does this help us understand what God is doing?\u00a0 In the first place if God is all-powerful why then is his top agent in prison?\u00a0 Secondly, telling people you\u2019re in prison tends to cast doubt about your trustworthiness.\u00a0 So when Paul talks about being a prisoner it tends to throw up more questions than answers. But if we pause to reflect on exactly what Paul says we see a different picture. Paul writes; \u201cFor this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Paul says he is a prisoner of Christ and it is for their sake that he is a prisoner.\u00a0 Paul wants his readers to understand that God\u2019s power works differently to the way of the world. We think of the powerful as those who have influence, control and shape reality.\u00a0 Power is exercised through status, wealth, political control and media manipulation. In the end the powerful can enforce their view on others. But God doesn\u2019t work this way.\u00a0 God\u2019s greatest action is the self-giving love seen in Christ Jesus. And the greatest example is the Cross.\u00a0 Jesus met the political and military evil with love.\u00a0 It was Jesus\u2019 love and truth that destroyed the political and military evil.\u00a0 Jesus would not compromise and resort to military or political power battles. Love ultimately destroys evil because evil cannot destroy love. Love given remains while evil spirals into decay.\u00a0 Look at the history of the powerful evil ones and their ultimate downward spiral of decay and destruction.\u00a0 But Jesus\u2019 self-giving love raised the Church: a community of love, truth and peace. The Church has grown while the Roman Empire and Jewish Sanhedrin disappeared in the pages of history. The story of David and Goliath points to the same truth that God\u2019s strength is displayed through the weak. David is a boy who looks after his family\u2019s sheep. He is too young to fight, but old enough to take food and supplies to his brothers in battle. David appears near the battle lines of Israel and the Philistines. The Israelites and the Philistines were fighting over more than land. It is was a battle about whose god was the greatest. David comes along as an inquisitive boy would and asks questions. But the na\u00efve lad wants to know why the Israelites are scared of Goliath when their God is greater. David\u2019s questions and views are expressed to King Saul. Saul calls David into his presence. In the exchange David expresses his willingness to confront Goliath in the name of God Almighty. Saul wishes to dress him in armour, but David feels restricted. He is not yet a man nor a soldier. But he boldly declares that he will face Goliath.\u00a0 When he does Goliath mocks him and asking, \u2018Why have the Israelites sent a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Leighmoor.Master","author_link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/author\/leighmoor-master"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Sermons<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Cross-Shaped Living. [Eph. 3] Ephesians 3: 1 \u2013 12; 1 Samuel 17 Christian endeavour achieves very little without the power of God. One of the great things about human endeavour is that through it much knowledge has been gained and great technological advances have taken place. 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