Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Lairg 11th Feb
Audio File of whole sermon
Yet as is the confession of our faith, God did eventually turn up on the property in the person of Jesus Christ, the messianic King and suffering servant of creation.
John the Baptist (also known as Elijah) drew the outline and then Jesus came and coloured it in, declaring that every single eternal purpose was to be accomplished in his visitation.
He came, he saw, he conquered and then he disappeared, and from what I reckon and have observed, there is no heavenly city and no effective kingdom that has solved the world’s problems.
So where does that leave us, well clearly not alone, and clearly not wandering, listen to Hebrews 11
By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Abraham was looking for something with solid foundations, not transient religion or reliance upon self. Any of that ring a bell…? Stranger/Foreign Country/tents
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Verse 13, these people were living by faith (faith in Jesus? - well obviously not as he had not visited at this point) faith in who…verse 11, faith in him who is faithful.
What did that faith look like (by the way we are getting close to who are good and bad fish), well it looked like this… They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
What happens to these people – well let me make it really clear…those people who by faith alone, look for a future hope, a city built by God, who do not look for possession, or fame, or name, or legacy but look up and ahead…God is not ashamed to be called their God, and he has prepared a city for them. What has he done? He has finally erected that heavenly city in the midst of the eternal garden, and it is in eternity that they will tend and nurture all he has prepared for them, living in community and peace and soul satisfaction.
But quickly now, we need to return to those fish on the beach, probably flapping their last and gasping for air, for we have been away for quite some time. What is the criterion for separation? Faith and faith alone.
What does that faith look like, well it looks like a whole pile of people who don’t have regard for themselves because they have a regard and a passion for a future hope.
Let me if I may add a little flavour to your faith and hope…we are not judged on our past performances, but rather we are judged by what Jesus did for us by taking the evil into himself, by pointing the bow heavenward, the greatest example and pattern for how it looks when someone has a future hope, for the glory set before him he endured death on our behalf, even death on a cross.
You see what has happened on the beach? Every thing has reached the millennial shore, there is forgiveness for everyone. Let me shock you a little if I may…both heaven and hell are populated entirely and only by forgiven sinners, the reason for hell is that some people just do not want any part of that forgiveness, they do want to be at the party, and they reject the grace of God.
Matt 13:49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The righteous are those clothed in the right clothing of Jesus Christ, the wicked are those who gatecrash the party and find they are naked, just like Adam & Eve in the beginning, naked when they realise that it is only by God’s power that they lived in the light.
You know why so many people reject the grace of God? Because they never invented it!!
Really, they will not accept a gift, because there is nothing anybody can do to receive a gift, which is the nature of a gift. These teeth gnashers are saying ‘don’t you dare give me a gift God, I can make it on my own, and to be honest, this gift you are giving me was mine anyway, I had a right to it!!! Selfish to the very end.
And God turns and declares, ‘well sorry my friend, but I am happy for all those who have accepted the invitation, but we have to celebrate and be glad, whether 1 or 99, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. You are not going to spoil the party, so if you cannot bear the shame and joy of being forgiven then you need to get the hell out of here, literally.
Can you believe that being forgiven can be a shameful and joyous thing, I know deeply by the scars I wear what this means…times I have raised a clenched fist to heaven and shouted, ‘don’t you dare forgive me (stronger words) and I have wrestled and fought and He has stood over me, when all the mockers and finger pointers have gone, and he has said, ‘your sins have been forgiven, now go in peace’. Oh the shame and the joy of being forgiven by God!!!
Hurry now, we need to sort these fish out…hang on a minute though, we do not judge the nets contents…ever…we just trawl and haul and welcome and end up on the beach ourselves.
Yet sorted they will be, and the sad part of it all, because of the wilful refusal of some to accept the reconciliation of God they never make it from the net to the bucket.
Those who live in a way that shows a longing for a heavenly city built by God go away to a banquet and a feast, but what happens to those others, I’m so so very sorry, but we have an invite to a party, we need to go, we will just have to leave them to spend eternity flapping and gasping on the beach.
Labels: lairg dingwall church sermon
