The Council of Jerusalem

For the last few years, we’ve spent the time between Easter and Pentecost looking at the book of Acts, and we’re now up to chapter 15.

Picture AD49: around ten thousand Christians scattered across the Eastern Mediterranean (and Ethiopia). Numerous churches dot the region, notably in Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, all part of the Roman Empire. There are two large churches – Jerusalem and Antioch. Jerusalem is the oldest church, predominantly Jewish Christians under James’ leadership. Contrastingly, Antioch thrives with diversity, its cosmopolitan vibe reflected in its Christian congregation led by Paul, Barnabas and others. Missionary journeys extend westward, birthing new churches in Turkey and Cyprus.

But there is a crisis, which we see in Acts 15 and Galatians (probably written by Paul in Acts 15:2-3 to the churches he’d founded in Acts 13-14.) And it asks a question which gets to the heart of Christianity: must one conform to belong?

Jerusalem followed the Jewish reluctance to mix or eat with Gentiles, and some members of the church thought that Gentiles needed to become Jewish before they could become Christians. Antioch was much more inclusive, which may well have then caused trouble for the Christians in Jerusalem. So some of them went to Antioch to try to persuade the church there to fall into line. This chapter is what happened next, and there is a lot we can learn from it, both about the gospel, and how we handle conflicts.

1. Seek unity by talking and really listening

The church in Antioch was split over it – Barnabas and Peter (who was visiting) had gone along with the “Judaisers” for a bit (see Galatians 2:11ff). Paul doesn’t just split over it – he engages in dialogue with them, and persuades Barnabas and Peter to his perspective. The Antioch church then don’t split off from the Jerusalem church over it – they send Paul and Barnabas to talk to them, valuing unity over autonomy. They prioritize genuine dialogue over political manoeuvring, aiming for understanding rather than superficial agreement. Disagreements are inevitable but can be constructive if handled with open communication. Toxicity arises when listening and dialogue are lacking.

That’s especially clear in modern situations like the Israel-Palestine conflict, where very few people seem to listen well to both sides.

2. Focus on what really matters

Peter had shared the good news with and baptised the Roman centurion Cornelius in chapter 10. And Cornelius hadn’t had to become a Jew – God had made that clear in Peter’s vision. Peter realises therefore that the only way to be saved is by grace through faith – it is about us trusting God and so receiving his undeserved love for us. At the core, it’s about God’s unconditional love and our trust in Him. So all are welcome, irrespective of background or status.

We are saved because God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

3. Submit to Scripture

James speaks last. He sees that God had already spoken in the Bible about including the Gentiles, and notes that they don’t need to become Jewish first. When it comes to seeing the truth, it’s not about us agreeing to disagree; it’s about us seeing what God has already said about it. And then we surrender to what God has already said, even if it goes against our prejudices and what is expected of us culturally, like with James here.

4. Be flexible on practical outworkings

James proposes a compromise, easing Jewish concerns without imposing full Jewish law on Gentile Christians. He suggests four minimal requirements, addressing sensitive issues like sexual immorality and idol food. These concessions maintain unity while allowing Gentiles freedom in dietary choices and letting Jews and Gentiles eat together.

Though context-specific, they illustrate a broader principle: acting out of love and consideration for others. We should be firm in doctrine but soft in love. Flexibility in non-essential matters fosters unity and enables effective witness. Let’s emulate this balance of faith and love as we reflect God’s light in the world.

Discussion Questions

1. What principles can we draw from Paul’s approach to resolving conflicts, particularly in his interaction with Barnabas and Peter? (e.g. Gal 2:11ff, but also here)
2. Why do you think it was essential for the church in Antioch to seek counsel from Jerusalem instead of asserting independence?
3. Are there situations of conflict where we need to talk and listen more?
4. Pick a situation you know where there is conflict. Reflecting on James’ compromise here, how can we balance cultural sensitivities and core principles in our interactions with others, both within and outside the church?
5. Discuss Paul’s stance on flexibility in Christian practice (as seen in 1 Cor 9:19-23). How can we apply his approach to problems we meet today?

Money in the New Testament

A lot of the Old Testament teaching on money just carries over into the New Testament, especially the idea that everything comes from God, and that we are called to be generous in blessing others with what we have received from him.

But the emphasis does shift a bit in the New Testament – here are three things that come into clearer focus.

1. Radical Self-Sacrifice

2 Corinthians 8:9 says “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

God provides us with everything we need, but that cost him everything as Jesus died on the cross to buy our forgiveness. This incomprehensible act reshapes our perspective on generosity. While Old Testament figures like King David exemplify lavish giving, the New Testament portrays individuals relinquishing security, selling possessions, and dedicating lives to spreading Jesus’ message globally.

We are better now than we were a few years ago at remembering to look after ourselves, but sometimes we are called to burn out for God and his work.

2. Guarding Your Heart

In the New Testament, there is much more emphasis on keeping your heart right with God when it comes to using money.

Jesus emphasizes that giving isn’t about showing off, and prays “give us today our daily bread” – with the implication that we should want neither poverty nor riches (Pr 30:8).

Likewise, Paul warns Timothy “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Tim 6:9-10)

There are good people in the New Testament who are rich (e.g. Lydia), and they often use their large houses to provide meeting places for the church, but it is seen as the exception rather than the rule. Jesus warns about the challenges rich people face in entering the kingdom. Paul instructs the rich to anchor their hope in God, promoting generosity and good deeds.

Importantly, giving should stem from a right heart, free from coercion or compulsion, fostering a genuine, joyful spirit of generosity.

3. Money should serve relationships

When money is used well, it serves relationships.

In Acts, the believers share financially because they shared relationally. People sell their properties to support each other because they see each other as family.

In 2 Corinthians 9, this is expanded to Christians we don’t know and will never meet! This fits with St Jude’s policy of giving away 10% of our income to global and local causes.

If we want to be more connected into church, we should give more to church – whether in time, money, energy or prayers. Ultimately, the intentional use of financial resources has the power to deepen connections within and beyond the church community.

Money in the Old Testament

We’re doing a short series at church on “Money in the Bible” – starting this time with Money in the Old Testament.

1. Everything Belongs to God

In Psalm 24:1, we’re reminded that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord, emphasizing that God is not in need of our offerings. Psalm 50 reinforces this, stating that God owns all, and if He were hungry, He wouldn’t ask us. Our giving isn’t because God needs it; rather, it expresses our dependence on Him.

Everything we have, including our abilities and opportunities, come from God. When King David gives a fortune towards the temple building project, he recognises that God is the source of all his wealth and that giving is a privilege (1 Chron 29:10-14). We see that God has already given us everything, and we are only stewards of it, we can only give God what is already his. We give out of gratitude.

2. We Put Generosity Ahead of Profits

Farmers were meant to leave food behind for the poor rather than maximise profits – Ruth and Boaz famously meet this way! In 1 Kings 17, the widow of Zarephath is called to radical generosity, even though she is about to starve to death, and God uses her generosity to provide food for her and her son for years. Everything belongs to God, so we are called to keep on being generous, even when we’re short of resources.

The same is true of Christian businesses, with examples like Cadbury’s early commitment to workers’ well-being and Timpson’s emphasis on hiring marginalized groups. But we’re also called to myriad small acts in daily life, especially around hospitality.

3. Tithing

In the Old Testament, tithing involved giving 10% of one’s income to support religious institutions and practices, not as a compulsory tax but as a voluntary act of gratitude. Deuteronomy 26 outlines the prayer accompanying the tithe, emphasizing dependence on God’s generosity and acknowledging that everything comes from Him. While not commanded in the New Testament, the practice reflects a pattern of responding generously to God’s gifts, promoting a habit of gratitude and dependence. It still works today, especially when starting out with finances. It can be harder to jump straight into tithing, but starting with 1% and maybe increasing it year-by-year can be a way in.

Malachi 3:6-12

In Malachi, the people have drifted into half-heartedness. They’ve got bored of plodding on with their faith, and things have gone off the boil. People are using their power to oppress the poor, the priests aren’t teaching God’s word faithfully, there’s a growth in domestic violence and so on.

God says “return to me, and I will return to you”. “How do we return?” the people ask. “Don’t rob me” “How are we robbing you?” “Pay your tithes”. God isn’t telling them to pay their tithes so that he will have enough money, though there doesn’t even seem to be enough for the priests to be able to eat without getting another job.

He is telling them to pay their tithes because it’s about how they pursue closeness with God. He sees that everything that’s going wrong is about their attitude to money and possessions, and tithing is the antidote to that.

Because God is so generous, the more generous we are, the closer we are to him. And the closer we are to him the more we see his generosity and provision. Despite what the accountants say, money is not a zero sum game where the more we give away the less we have.

God says “Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

That’s the witness of the Old Testament, and that’s my experience. The more generous we are, the more God opens his floodgates of generosity to us.

God Points (Luke 11:37-54)

Well that sounds like an awkward dinner party, doesn’t it? And it’s important to realise why it was so awkward.

In our daily lives, we are part of lots of different communities, and communities often have social hierarchies, influenced by various factors that may not directly relate to the task at hand – whether that’s some jobs wanting people not to have visible tattoos, or other groups valuing people who dress the same as them. We sometimes talk about this colloquially by saying “dad (or whatever) points”.

In this passage, Jesus deliberately skips the customary handwashing before a meal, astonishing the Pharisees. It wasn’t accidental; it was a deliberate challenge to their system of “God Points”—a way the Pharisees measured spiritual worth based on external actions. Jesus critiques their misplaced priorities, where outward rituals receive more points than inner virtues like generosity or a compassionate attitude toward the poor.

If we follow our own systems of God points, as with the Pharisees, it can lead to discrimination, arrogance, and a departure from God’s priorities.

First, don’t use “God points” to judge yourself

It’s easy to assume that we don’t belong in a church because we’re not exactly like the others. We don’t have the same sort of jobs or hobbies, don’t dress the same, don’t have the same level of social skills or education or whatever.

But all of that stuff is irrelevant. If you hear or imagine voices saying that you aren’t welcome because you’re different, that’s not God; it’s not Jesus; it’s the devil.

You are so loved and welcomed that Jesus ranted at the Pharisees and lawyers who wanted to keep others out. You are so welcome that the only person who really was good enough to be included in God’s family went to the cross to die to trade places with anyone who will come to him so that they can be welcomed in because Jesus was good enough.

Secondly, avoid using “God points” to judge others. We often assess someone’s spirituality by visible actions, dress, or social class. When we do that, whether by church attendance, outward expressions of faith, or adherence to moral codes, we risk Pharisee-like judgment. This approach misses the essence of following God—a heart relationship with God which leads to the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). Instead, it creates an unattainable standard, often tied to middle-class norms, often discriminating against the poor. Moreover, it hinders recognizing God’s work in unexpected places. One of the wonderful things about Jesus in the gospels is that he deliberately doesn’t pick people based on all these external markers. He picks fishermen, and loudmouths, and tax collectors, and former terrorists and women with dodgy pasts.

Thirdly, refrain from using “God points” to judge leaders. Many leadership scandals arise leaders who are great at fitting in or scoring “vicar points” from the congregation, but don’t show the Fruit of the Spirit.

The concept of “God points” stands in stark opposition to God’s fundamental commandment: to love Him and our neighbours. When we reduce spirituality to a checklist of external behaviours, appearances, or cultural conformity, we stray from the heart of God’s instructions. The Bible consistently emphasizes the primacy of love—love that reflects the nature of God Himself. Jesus distilled the commandments into these two core principles, affirming that love is the essence of true discipleship. “God points” divert our focus from cultivating genuine love and empathy, fostering a legalistic approach that risks alienating others and undermines the transformative power of authentic, Christ-centred love.

Discussion Questions

1. In our communities, we often have unspoken hierarchies based on various factors. How can we identify and challenge the “God points” or social hierarchies that may exist in our churches or social circles, hindering the inclusivity that Jesus demonstrated?
2. The sermon emphasizes not using “God points” to judge oneself. How can we foster an environment in our churches where individuals feel completely loved and accepted, free from the pressure to conform to certain external standards or expectations?
3. The sermon mentions Jesus deliberately choosing individuals without regard to external markers. How can we actively train ourselves to recognize and appreciate God’s work in unexpected people or places, challenging preconceived notions about who is “spiritually mature”?
4. Leaders are cautioned against relying on “vicar points” rather than displaying the Fruit of the Spirit. How can our churches ensure that the selection and evaluation of leaders prioritize spiritual fruit over external conformity, fostering environments where true leadership is marked by love and authenticity?
5. The concept of “God points” is contrasted with God’s commandment to love. How can we, as individuals and as a community, guard against falling into legalistic approaches and instead prioritize cultivating genuine love and empathy as the core of our Christian walk?

Getting the Right Tenant

Normally I put shortened summaries of my sermons on here. This time I’m posting the (nearly) full text – the passage is Luke 11:14-36

In the last few New Years, we’ve spent a while looking at one of the early biographies of Jesus – the book known as Luke, after its author, who was a first century doctor and historian.

And this next bit can seem to raise more questions than it answers for modern British readers, which is partly because of a cultural gap. In other cultures, this has been seen as a really important, clear and powerful passage.

I guess the biggest jump we need to make in order to understand it is thinking about demons. One helpful description of how people at the time saw demons is this “Spiritual forces at work behind corrupt human power structures, also on a personal level exploiting humanity’s greed, selfishness and weakness. They are at work in anything that drags God’s good creation back into chaos, darkness and death.”

Demons are a kind of personalised way of talking about dark forces at work in the world.

Luke was a Greek doctor. If you introduced him to a heroin addict, would he say that was the work of demons destroying the person’s life? Yes, probably. If you explained all the biochemistry and neuroscience to him, would he still say it was demons? Probably, yes – he would just think those were two different ways of talking about the same thing. We still occasionally use phrases like “the demon drink” to describe the negative effects of alcohol and addiction to it.

And yes, sometimes there is so much evil in some people and situations that there has to be some kind of evil personal force there. But I don’t think that’s always the case – I think the way the term is used in the Bible is broad enough to cover those kinds of personal concentrated evil, but also to be a way of talking about more abstract evil powers at work in the world in addictions and so on. Sometimes a “demon” might just be a way of talking about whatever negative influences cause a debilitating illness, or a crippling psychiatric problem. They don’t always have to be personal.

The “action” in the passage happens in the very first verse.  Jesus drives out a demon that was mute, and the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.

Do we know what was actually going on medically? No, but I don’t think it matters. Whatever the problem was, whether it was primarily physiological, psychological or spiritual, Jesus healed it.

And the crowd was amazed.

But things are starting to heat up. In his early ministry, Jesus had been wildly popular, but now the opposition to him is starting to harden, and the crowd start accusing him of being able to do amazing things because he is in league with the devil.

Notice what’s going on here. Jesus is making such a huge difference to so many people’s lives that his opponents can’t just write him off as a “great teacher who is right about some things and wrong about some things”. Yes, despite the fact he only preached for three years, never went more than a couple of hundred miles from Jerusalem and never wrote a book, he is undoubtedly the most influential and radical teacher in history, and his ideas still shape many aspects of the modern world. But they can’t say he was just a great teacher, because of what he did.

He was so powerful, so transformative, that his power and wisdom had to come from outside this world. It either had to come from God or the devil.

And there are four fairly brief points I’d like to make from the passage – this is the first.

You won’t be able to sit on the fence forever. Now some of us are doubtless still figuring out who we think Jesus is. That’s great –it’s good for us to come to our own conclusions on such an important question. But you won’t be able to sit on the fence forever. Eventually, you will need to decide, and he won’t let us say that he’s just a wise teacher, because wise teachers don’t have the kind of power that Jesus had. The crowd who are following Jesus have started to reach that point. Maybe there are some here this morning who are there too.

But for those who decide not to follow him, the question is how on earth he could do the things he did without God. And that’s what pushes some of the crowd to say that he’s in league with the devil.

Second, whatever the problem, Jesus has power to heal it.

We see this consistently. Everyone who asked Jesus for healing received it. Even if they were dead, even if the problem was utterly beyond any medicine to treat, as with some of the demons that he met, whether it’s a problem in mind, body or spirit.

Jesus has the power to heal it. We see that in what he says in v17-22. He says that people being trapped by evil is like they are held captive by the devil, and the only way to set them free is for someone who is stronger than the devil to beat him up, and then he can plunder whatever the devil has.

Jesus is that man. Rescuing people from every type of evil shows that he has beaten the devil – that there is no pit so deep that he cannot lift you out of it – no hiding place so far away that he cannot reach you and bring you home.

And sometimes that rescue takes place suddenly and dramatically, like here. Sometimes it takes hard painful work, and takes years. But it’s no accident that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by two Christians based on principles that they got from Jesus. It’s no accident that modern hospitals were invented by Christian saints Basil and Macrina within 50 years of Christianity being legalised. It’s no accident that both the psychiatric therapies that emphasise the importance of unconditional acceptance and the one that recognise our innate brokenness find their roots in the Christian tradition.

Sometimes Jesus heals straight away. Sometimes he heals slowly over time, through the work of others and the transformation of society. Sometimes he postpones healing until the new creation. For example, I’m fairly sure that God isn’t going to heal either my autism or my depression fully in this life. He is going to keep on using them to help me depend on him more, and to help others who are struggling. But in doing that, God can transform even those weaknesses into strengths for his kingdom, because his power is made perfect in our weakness.

Third, because you can’t sit on the fence forever, because there is no such thing as neutrality when it comes to Jesus, you need to make sure that you replace the bad with the good. V24-26

Jesus tells a short parable in v24, which still has powerful resonances today. You are like a house, and if there’s something powerful controlling you, whether that’s alcoholism or depression or whatever, it’s like having an unwelcome guest living in your house, using all the facilities and generally trashing the place. And for some, that seems like a good description of what addiction or depression can feel like.

But if you manage to get rid of that bad thing from your house, whether that’s by Jesus driving it out directly, or by various other means of getting help, you can’t just leave the house empty; you have to fill it with something else. You don’t just stop smoking; you take up something else instead. You don’t just stop watching porn, you find something else to do when you have those urges. You find ways to avoid those situations or triggers and replace them with something else.

You don’t just give up evening drinking, you find something else to replace it – board games, or meetings or something.

It’s the same with your whole life. If your whole life has been revolving around an addiction, whether that’s a substance addiction or a social media addiction or whatever, then you don’t just need to quit it. You need someone else to be living in the house of your life. You need someone who is strong enough to fight off all the demons that want to live there.

You need Jesus. We all do. Because all of us are or have been addicts to something. Money or sex or power or approval or pleasure or leisure or feeling significant. We’re like houses. We’re made to be lived in, and if we don’t choose a good tenant, we end up with squatters.

God wants to live in us by his Spirit. And if we let him, he will make himself at home. He will redecorate, and might even knock some walls through or something. But he will do it for the best, to enable us to be the houses we were meant to be, for us to be temples of the Living God, so that others can come to us and meet God in us.

Finally, we do this by hearing God’s word and obeying it. V27 and following.

What matters isn’t whether we go to church. It isn’t whether we identify as a Christian or hang out with other Christians. As Jesus says, it isn’t even whether they are his mum; it’s about how we respond to God’s Word.

Jesus expands on this with three illustrations, which need a bit of unpacking for us today. The first is the “sign of Jonah”, which in the context is clearly about people responding to the preaching of the prophet who suffered, died and came back to life (even if in Jonah’s case that was only “really ought to have died”) by hearing what he said and doing it.

Likewise, v33-36 is about how we respond to the light that comes from God’s word. If we take our Bibles and hide them in the attic or at the back of a bookshelf like a precious heirloom, and never get them down, that’s like finding a torch during a power cut and putting it back in the drawer. It’s like having headlights on your car and never using them. No, you respond to God’s word by hearing it, and then obeying it.

The other picture Jesus gives us is that it’s like we are a room again, and we have one window, our eyes. To make the room nice, we want our eyes to be pointing in a direction where they are going to let a lot of light in, don’t we, south facing, good view, not the neighbour’s wall, otherwise it’s going to be dark and gloomy inside us.

What is that for us? Look at God’s word. What do we do about all of this? Hear the word of God and obey it.

Now there’s lots of ways to do that. And here’s a load of ideas about that, but perhaps the most important one is being part of a church family where the Bible is faithfully preached.

And I know it’s the 7^th January today, but today is as good a day as any to start. Because Jesus has beaten the devil, and he makes himself at home in us by his Spirt as we hear his word and obey it.

Discussion Questions

1. How does understanding the cultural perspective of demons in Jesus’s time broaden our interpretation of their role in the passage? How might this concept apply to struggles we face today, beyond personal demons?
2. In the discussion of Jesus’s healing power, the passage emphasizes that he can heal any problem—physiological, psychological, or spiritual. How does this reassurance impact your understanding of God’s ability to address various challenges in your life and the lives of others?
3. The parable of replacing bad tenants with good ones suggests that mere cessation of bad habits is insufficient; positive replacements are crucial. How can we actively cultivate positive habits and allow Jesus to be the transformative presence in our lives, overcoming destructive forces?
4. The emphasis on hearing and obeying God’s word is central to the passage. How do the parables of Jonah, the lamp and the bowl, and the room and the window illustrate the importance of actively engaging with and applying God’s word in our lives?
5. The sermon highlights various ways to engage with God’s word, from personal study to community gatherings. How do you currently incorporate God’s word into your life, and in what ways can you enhance your engagement, both individually and within your community?

New Year, New Habits

It’s a New Year, which is a great time to think about habits.

Yesterday at church, we looked at a (mostly) forgotten bit of the Christmas story – Simeon and Anna from Luke 2:21-38. It almost certainly happens between the shepherds and the Magi visiting Jesus, but instead of Simeon and Anna going to see Jesus, Jesus goes to see them in Jerusalem, while visiting the Temple for his dedication.

Simeon and Anna are amazing older people – they are wonderful examples of what mature faith can look like. And it’s easy to find them spiritually intimidating – Anna virtually lives in the Temple, and Simeon has the kind of relationship with God where he can spot the Messiah as a baby in a crowd.

But they’re here partly as examples for us. If the shepherds in the Nativity show us that God came for everyone no matter how dirty, and the Magi show us that he came for everyone no matter how far away or foreign, Simeon and Anna show that God cares for, values and includes people no matter how old.

So how can we get to be people like that, or more like that at least?

It helps to ask the question how they got to be like that. Were Simeon and Anna amazing because they spent so much time in the Temple, or did they spend so much time in the Temple because of who they were?

And the answer of course is that it’s a bit of both. It’s like a spiral – before they were like that, they were still “righteous and devout”, but a bit less impressively so. They got there by the long accumulation of positive habits and disciplines.

How can we help to accumulate positive habits in this New Year?

1. Live out of who we are in Christ

When Simeon and Anna were younger, they were doubtless like many other people – with some positive traits and other negative ones. But they decided they wanted to be people who walked closely with God, so they picked up the habits that fit better with that identity.

In the same way, we can decide that we are going to be the kind of person who exercises more, or who takes care of our home, and then choose to do small habits that fit with that – going for a walk every morning or making our bed before we get dressed. And habits like that are important. But they are nowhere near as important as the habit of spending time with God, which is what doubtless led to the character transformation in Simeon and Anna.

All of us have mess in our past, and in our present, but if anyone is in Christ, they are also a new creation, so we can live into and nurture our new creation life.

2. Take the opportunities that we have 

Simeon and Anna both take their different opportunities in different ways. This can be hard to do because our opportunities are so often camouflaged by difficulties. For example, Anna’s widowhood can’t have been easy for her; it wouldn’t have been the path she chose for herself. But in her widowhood, she found a wonderful opportunity to spend lots of time in worship to God. In her poverty, she took the opportunity to spend time in fasting and prayer. We saw the same with Covid – it was a real hardship for perhaps the majority of the population, but also a tremendous opportunity for seeing the value of fellowship and working on our own personal walks with God. In the same way, we might find that a long commute is a pain, but that it gives us amazing opportunities for time with God in the car.

3. Aim for growth in character

Simeon had an incredible one-off opportunity. As an old man, he got to hug the baby Jesus, knowing that he was God’s promise Messiah. It’s a beautiful picture. But how did he get to take that opportunity? He spent years praying, waiting and listening to God. And so when the time came, he had the character and dependence on God that he needed to take it.

So this year, let’s seek to grow closer to God, like Simeon and Anna did. For those who’d like to take up (or improve) habits of personal Bible reading, I’ve done a series of blog posts on different ways we can do it.

Discussion Questions

1. In the passage, Simeon and Anna exemplify mature faith. How do you think their habits and disciplines contributed to the depth of their relationship with God? What habits could we adopt to deepen our connection with God in our daily lives?
2. How does our identity in Christ influence the habits we choose to cultivate? In what ways can we align our habits with our identity as new creations in Christ?
3. Both Simeon and Anna faced challenging circumstances—Anna as a widow and Simeon in his old age. How did they turn these challenges into opportunities for drawing closer to God? What difficulties or challenges in our lives could potentially become opportunities for spiritual growth?
4. Simeon gives us a wonderful example of praying, waiting, and listening to God. How can we incorporate these habits into our lives to cultivate a character that aligns with God’s purposes? Are there specific practices or disciplines you find effective in developing character?
5. It’s important to take opportunities, even in difficult circumstances. Reflect on a time when you turned a challenging situation into an opportunity for spiritual growth. How did that experience shape your faith, and what lessons can we learn from Simeon and Anna in embracing opportunities for growth in our own lives?

Carol Service 2023

Here’s my sermon from the 2023 Carol Service at St Jude’s. If you want to read more about some of the historical / philosophical stuff, something like The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener would be a good starting point.

When I chat to people about life and the world, there’s a really strong sense that something is deeply broken. And the Christmas Story – the real Christmas story we’ve been hearing in the readings and singing in the carols this evening – shows us that we’re right to feel that way, and it also shows us that the darkness and brokenness is far from the final word.

The shepherds’ life was one of poverty and hard work. They didn’t even get time off at night – they were expected to sleep out in the fields with their sheep because of the local wildlife. And yet it is in the midst of their darkness that the light breaks in with the arrival of the angels, causing them to abandon their posts and find something much better.

The wise men’s lives were very different. They were scholars, probably Persians, and were well off, though still not satisfied. Their life was one of study, and it was in the middle of their study that the truth broke in, once again as light shining in the darkness, though this time with a star. And again they abandoned their desks for months of travel to find the one the star told them about.

Different again were Mary and Joseph. They lived good lives in quiet obscurity. Mary stands at the end of a long line of women in the Bible who couldn’t have children, and who God used powerfully. But when they heard what was going to happen to them the cost must have seemed extraordinary, not least losing their respectability in a very conservative society. And yet they also embraced their role because they saw the glories that would come through it.

And throughout this story there are glimmers of hope in the darkness where we often find ourselves too.

So in a world which too often follows the dreadful Darwinian logic that the strong thrive and the weak suffer, it shows us another way. After all, if deepest reality is that the fittest survive and the weakest die, often at the hand of the strongest, where do human rights come from? But here the strongest becomes a helpless baby for the sake of the weakest, and the one who thinks he is the strongest, King Herod, is driven mad with anger and fear by that helpless baby and yet is himself powerless to stop it.

In a world where we so often divide the physical and the spiritual; the conceptual from the actual, and where we either say that the body doesn’t matter at all, or that it’s everything, and neither of them works. We know that we need things like equality and human rights and consent and freedom and compassion and humility being valued and yet we know there is no basis for them if we are just highly evolved apes. And yet here we are told that the Word became Flesh and made his dwelling among us, that he is the place where the world of ideals and the world of realities meet – the perfect human one who then calls and enables to us reorient our lives around him.

In a world where it can so often look and feel like God’s promises have failed, Jesus is the resounding yes and Amen – the demonstration that God will go to any lengths to keep his promises and rescue those who trust in him, even if and when we need rescuing from ourselves, even it means the one who spoke the universe into being becoming a speechless baby in that same universe for us.

Even when it means that baby growing up to be a man who would take all the consequences of the things we do wrong, and the things that are done to us, all the brokenness of the world into himself, and die and still defeat that darkness by rising to a new and unquenchable life.

So in our darkness and in the darkness of this world, will we turn to him who brings light and who is our light, to the one who is the life that brings light to all people?

In a world where we are meant to determine our own individual identity, but no identity ever gives us the sense of meaning that we need, we see that ultimately it’s not about us. Because to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, which is a status far above anything we could hope to determine or earn for ourselves. So will we receive him?

And in a world where there is so much isolation and loneliness, for those who receive the baby born that first Christmas, it’s about finding ourselves adopted into a new family. Not that we know all the answers – we really don’t. But we know that we have been found by the one who was born at Christmas, and that he is the answer to all of our hopes and questions and longings and we are a radical community where anyone really is welcome.

And I think there are three main ways to respond.

The first is to join our church mailing list. Every week, there’s an e-mail about things that are going on in the life of the church, and another one giving a summary of the sermon from the weekend and some discussion questions on it to talk about with others.

The second is to read a gospel – one of the original accounts of Jesus’ life. I usually recommend Luke, which was written by a historian within 30 years of Jesus. He went around interviewing a lot of people who were there, including Jesus’ mother, and he wrote it up as a historical account of the events. See what happened after the Christmas story, and how it began to change the world.

The third is to come along and find out more. To walk with us a way, and see if you’d like to join us. You don’t have to believe anything. We’re here every Sunday at 10:30am, and livestreamed (or catchup) on Youtube.

God’s Always-More-Than-Enough Love (Philippians 4:10-23)

This is the final section of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. And it can seem a bit awkward – in part that’s because of the cultural gap between us and them.

Paul, writing from a Roman prison to the Philippian church in Greece, thanks them for a gift sent through Epaphroditus. In his culture, gift-giving had complex expectations. Paul’s gratitude is nuanced too — saying a straightforward thanks could imply an implicit request or a future reciprocal gift. Complicating matters, both Paul and the Philippian church are in dire financial situations.

And in all of this complexity, I think there’s one huge theme that ties the whole passage together. It’s this – that God’s love is always more than enough for us. No matter whether we have everything or nothing, no matter what our situation in life. If God’s love doesn’t feel like enough then the problem is that we aren’t seeing it clearly enough – we need to lean into it a bit more.

And that means we can be content. Contentment stems from recognizing that God’s love is abundant. Paul warns the Philippian church of the trap of seeking prosperity, emphasizing that true satisfaction isn’t found in money or financial stability. People who run after money constantly want “a little bit more”; Paul advocates a different perspective—learning the secret of contentment in every situation, relying on the strength provided by Jesus. The popular verse, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” tells us how – finding fulfillment in Jesus, not just material success. Whether in plenty or want, with Jesus, there’s enough. The key to contentment lies in embracing God’s sufficiency, a truth that surpasses mere achievement.

We can give generously. Giving generously is a win-win, thanks to God’s abundant love. Paul sees the Philippian gifts not as personal favours but as offerings to God. By avoiding the gift-obligation game, he emphasizes their support for God’s work. It’s a shift from the complex dynamics of reciprocity. When we contribute to God’s work, it’s a direct gift to Him. Paul assures that God, incredibly rich and generous, repays abundantly. It’s a divine investment, far superior to earthly ventures. Despite financial insecurity, the Philippians’ giving leads to divine assurance—God covers all needs.

We can trust God with others, grounded in His more-than-enough love. Though Paul can’t physically be with the cherished Philippian church, he assures them of God meeting their needs and prays for His grace to be with them. When we can’t provide for those we love, we entrust them to God’s care, knowing His love suffices. Paul, once a prolific missionary now imprisoned, witnesses God’s love surpassing limitations. Even in jail, he discovers believers in Caesar’s household. Despite his inability to preach, God’s love extends to the powerful Nero Caesar’s household, revealing its boundless reach.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways does the theme of God’s love being more than enough resonate with your personal experiences of contentment or discontentment? How can we actively lean into God’s love to find true satisfaction, especially in challenging circumstances?
2. In exploring the theme of contentment, how can we practically learn the secret of being content in every situation, as Paul suggests? How does relying on the strength provided by Jesus, rather than material success, impact our pursuit of contentment in today’s society?
3. Reflecting on the concept of giving generously as an offering to God, how can we shift our perspective on giving from a transactional mindset to a divine investment? In what ways does recognizing that our contributions directly impact God’s work influence our approach to generosity?
4. Considering the idea of trusting God with others, how can we apply Paul’s example of entrusting loved ones to God’s care when we can’t provide for them? How does recognizing God’s more-than-enough love alleviate the anxieties we may feel about the well-being of those we care about?
5. Exploring the unexpected reach of God’s love even in Paul’s imprisonment, how can we find hope and inspiration in situations where our abilities to share our faith seem limited? How does the boundless reach of God’s love challenge our perceptions of who can be touched by the Gospel, even in seemingly powerful or unreachable places?

How to Get Peace

Peace is something we long for, for ourselves and for others.

And in Philippians 4:4-9, Paul gives us a recipe for real peace. It’s not an academic treatise being written from a spa retreat; it really worked in Paul’s life, despite his imprisonment, and all his various sufferings (e.g. 2 Cor 11:24-28). And it’s real peace – it’s peace that comes from the God of peace (v7 // v9).

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

Here are the five ingredients Paul talks about.

The first is joy. It’s not a mere “don’t worry; be happy” directive but a continuous call to “rejoice in the Lord always.” Despite life’s challenges, find joy not in circumstances but in God’s unchanging love. Rejoice in the eternal truth that God’s love never ceases, and His mercies are endless. Jesus paid our debts on Good Friday, allowing us to enter God’s presence debt-free. In every trial, cling to the promise that God never abandons us; even the worst day in history, Good Friday, is a testament to God’s redemptive power.

The second ingredient is gentleness. Philip talked about this a fair bit last time – it’s about letting offences against us slide and forgiving others.

Prayer, the third essential ingredient, is directly linked to alleviating anxiety, as emphasized by Paul. Instead of succumbing to worry, view it as a signal to engage in prayer. Paul, burdened for the churches, sets a precedent by consistently praying for them. Personally grappling with concerns for the Church of England, I’ve discovered the power of turning worry into prayer—shifting the focus from control to trust in God. In prayer, recognize your lack of control and surrender it to God, whether it’s a broader issue or a personal challenge, allowing freedom from the burden of unnecessary worry.

The fourth ingredient, according to Philippians 4:8, is focusing on positive thoughts. Paul encourages contemplating what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. This involves choosing uplifting content over constant negativity in our engagement with the world. It’s about avoiding doomscrolling and comparison traps while actively seeking the positive aspects in people and situations. By dwelling on the positives, especially through the lens of Jesus’ transformative power, we can find excellence and praise in any circumstance.

The fifth ingredient for peace is being part of a community that follows this together (v9). “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice.” Paul clearly sees the importance of his teaching, but as lived out in a community. It’s about sharing life not just sharing facts.

Do you want that peace for yourself? Peace that transcends understanding, the God of peace being with you? Because it’s free, and it works, but it cost Jesus everything. He died so that in him the hostility between God and people, and between us and our enemies, might die. He died to give us this peace, and he rose again, so that we can rejoice in the Lord always and know that the bad news is never the final word. We need to accept it.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you currently experience joy in your life, and how might the biblical concept of rejoicing in the Lord always reshape your perspective on joy?
2. In verse 6, Paul connects prayer with alleviating anxiety. Share a personal experience where prayer helped you navigate a challenging situation or worry. How can we cultivate a habit of turning worries into prayers in our daily lives?
3. Philippians 4:8 emphasizes thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. How can this principle impact our media consumption, and how might it shape the way we view and interact with the world around us?
4. Explore the idea that, because of Jesus, there are always positives in any situation. Discuss examples from your own life or from the Bible where seemingly challenging circumstances turned into opportunities for excellence and praise. How can we train our minds to focus on the positives, even in difficult times?

Philippians 2:12-18

Philippians 2:12-18 can be a puzzling passage. On Sunday, we looked at three surprises in the text.

Who is responsible for our salvation? v12-13

The answer becomes clear once we delve deeper.

Imagine a parent arranging a canoeing holiday for their child. The parent has done everything – booked lessons, paid for them, and cleared schedules for the child’s enjoyment. Yet, the child must put in effort during these lessons. The parent says, “I’ve done my part, but you must contribute too.”

Similarly, God has saved us, but we still need to live it out – to work it out. It’s not about earning God’s favour; He has already rescued us through Jesus.

But neither is it a passive process. It’s not merely “let go and let God.” We’re meant to be transformed, which can be demanding. Consider someone who wakes up early for dedicated time with God, sacrificing other activities. They prioritize what matters most.

Paul urges us to “work out your salvation” continually, adapting as we change. And he adds, “with fear and trembling.” This signifies taking it seriously, akin to the diligence students show during crucial exams. Just as salvation is free but costly for Jesus, it transforms every aspect of our lives.

Our salvation involves both God’s work and our active participation. We’re invited to engage with fear and trembling, allowing God’s love and His Word to shape our lives fundamentally. Why? Because God has committed Himself to our salvation, and it should profoundly impact us.

What example of living out our salvation does Paul choose?

While we might expect the focus to be on reading the Bible, sexual ethics, or acts of charity, Paul surprises us by highlighting a different priority: avoiding grumbling and arguing.

Paul draws from the example of the Israelites during the Exodus, emphasizing how their constant grumbling and complaining hindered them from reaching the Promised Land. This serves as a warning against letting negativity and discord obstruct our spiritual journey.

To follow Paul’s advice, we must replace grumbling with rejoicing. Instead of dwelling on grievances, we should cultivate a habit of gratitude. This can be achieved through daily prayers of thanksgiving, meditating on worshipful Psalms like Psalm 100, or simply reflecting on the blessings in our lives. Gratitude shifts our perspective, making it easier to avoid grumbling and contention.

By embracing this mindset, we ascend a spiritual ladder. First, we eliminate grumbling, then we become blameless and pure in a world marred by crookedness. Next, we shine like stars as we hold firmly to the word of life, offering hope in a chaotic world. Finally, we reach a point where our lives become a source of pride to others, not for selfish reasons but as a testament to the transformative power of gratitude.

What specific instance does he pick in his own life?

The third surprise in Philippians is Paul’s profound example. In verse 17, he likens his potential sacrifice to being poured out like a drink offering in the temple. Just as Jews offered valuable items to God, Paul views his possible death as an extra offering to God, if it serves the Philippian Christians’ faithfulness to Christ. This perspective shocks us – Paul faces death as giving his life to God, not losing it. It reminds us that in tough times, we can cry and lament, but we must avoid grumbling. Turning to God transforms our perspective and enables us to find joy even amidst adversity.

Discussion Questions

Salvation and Participation: In verses 12-13, Paul talks about working out our salvation with fear and trembling while acknowledging that it is God who works in us. How do these verses balance human responsibility and God’s sovereignty in our journey of faith? How can we actively participate in our salvation while relying on God’s work in us?

The Role of Gratitude: Paul emphasizes avoiding grumbling and arguing in verse 14. How does the act of gratitude, as discussed in the passage, help us steer clear of these negative behaviours? Can you share personal experiences of how cultivating gratitude has transformed your perspective during difficult times?

Paul’s Sacrificial Perspective: In verse 17, Paul uses the metaphor of being poured out like a drink offering. What does this metaphor teach us about Paul’s attitude towards suffering and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel? How can we apply this sacrificial perspective in our own lives as we seek to serve Christ faithfully?

Shining as Lights: In verse 15, Paul encourages believers to shine like stars in a crooked and twisted generation. What practical steps can we take to be these points of light and hope in our modern society? How can our actions and attitudes draw others toward Christ in a world filled with darkness and chaos?