Sunday, May 20, 2007

Pastoral Note - 20th May 2007

Everyone has a view on what our problems are as a church. I am always hearing that the church needs to make changes, our leaders need to make changes, our people need changing. We need a ‘reformation’ of sorts. The ‘Reformation’ was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic church in Europe. The Reformers were those looking to reform the church from its corruption and false teaching. In an attempt to reform the Catholic church came the REdiscovery of the Word of God, out of which the protestant churches have come out from (Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Lutheran).

One reformer was a man called Martin Luther who challenged the teachings of the church on how someone gets saved. Luther argued from the Bible that a man/woman is made right with God through faith alone in the work of Christ alone (Rom.1:16-17). It hinged on the conviction that the Bible alone is ones final authority on all matters of life and doctrine. He was charged with heresy. When questioned before the courts, standing before the most powerful men and women in Europe and asked to recant, he said, "Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me."

True reformation begins when you take the Bible as your final authority on all matters of life and doctrine. If we are to bring reformation to our church, our leadership and our lives, then we must be men and women of the Word i.e. Bible centered and Bible believing Christians. The revealed Word of God alone must shape what we believe and how we are to live. Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone) was the battle cry of the Reformers, many of whom died defending the authority of the Bible.

Transformation begins with a conviction that it is the Word of God alone that is our final authority on all matters of life and doctrine; a word that is inspired by God or God breathed, infallible (without error in what it teaches) and sufficient for my life (2 Tim.3:16-17). The best thing we could be doing as a church is to be men and women devoted to searching the Scriptures, reading the Scriptures and applying the Scriptures. Only then will you experience God’s personal ‘reformation’ in your life.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Read, Reflect, Respond - 6th May 2007

Psalm 19; John 10:27-29

1. What brings the song writer comfort in Psalm 19?
2. How does Jesus’ promise in John 10:27-29 bring me comfort in my valley experiences?
3. What should I do when I’m walking in a spiritual desert?

Pastoral Note - 6th May 2007

Quite a number of years ago, I remember counselling someone feeling spiritually down. We’ve all gone through it before – either times when you feel like you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps.19) or when you feel like you’re walking in a spiritual desert. You know the feeling when God feels distant – when everything in your life seems to have gone wrong. I’ve heard it before from those who’ve walked in that spiritual desert – “I don’t feel like praying and when I do I don’t feel anything. I haven’t read my bible for some time, and when I do I don’t get anything out of it. God seems so distant and I feel that I’m going to lose my faith. I feel as if I’m going to let go any moment.

What we need to realize is that in our desert experiences God is actually closest to us. The song writer in Psalm 19 says that though he walks in the valley of the shadow of death, he knows God’s comfort i.e. God’s comforting leading and presence. ‘Your rod and your staff they comfort me’, says the song writer. The apostle Paul says the same thing in his desert experience as you read 2 Cor.1. Beaten, misunderstood, in chains, falsely accused, physically sick and he says, ‘God is my comfort’.

Why is the song writer and Paul able to find comfort in God, even in the worst of times as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death? The answer lies in that what keeps you secure and safe doesn’t ultimately depend on your hold on Jesus, how hard your grip is, but on Jesus’ hold on you … on the Father’s grip on you. And let me say to you that Jesus and the Father never let go.

Jesus himself tells us this in John 10:27-29. (27) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (28) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Sometimes our hold on Jesus feels weak and fragile. The circumstances of our lives make us feel like we are losing our grip on God. What we need to remember is that his hold and his grip is what matters. His hold and his grip is strong and unbreakable. In fact, your are doubly secure – you are in the strong hands of Jesus and the Father, such that no one can snatch you from the double hand grip of God! When you cannot walk, when your arms are weak and failing, when your grip is slipping, remember that He still holds on to you.

Whether you’re walking in a spiritual desert or walking through the valley of the shadow of death, remember that He is holding on to you. What you need to do is to persevere, to keep trusting him, to keep obeying him, or as Jesus says in the verse above, to keep following Him, because he’s right there with you.