100530
Click here to listen to Wednesday Holy Trinity Sermon by Rev David Pearson. 9mins (no notes)
Click here to listen to Roger Biggs testimony. 25mins (no notes)
Following Sermon by Paul Tucker.
Prov. 8:1-4; 22-31 Wisdom calls to all and before creation was the first work of God.
Rom. 5: 1-15 Being justified through faith we receive the Spirit and the gift of life.
John 16: 12-15 Jesus promises the Spirit as the guide to truth for all believers.
One of the most frequently quoted statements from literature are the words William Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar -
'There is a tide in the affairs of men, - Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune’;
Shakespeare's character Brutus was saying that life offers opportunity, like a flood, that must be recognised while still a trickling stream and then embraced. To do so leads on to glory and prosperity.
This morning I am going to talk about Jesus.
Who is this Jesus we worship and live our lives for?
It is generally accepted that Jesus stands in history as no other person. Author Max Lucado said the cross sits on the timeline of history like a diamond shimmering in the summer sun. That’s so often the picture we hold of Jesus, what he did on the cross, how he redeemed us, the salvation he won for us as he hung crucified in our place. However, today’s readings focus on Jesus’ life rather than death, his ministry example to guide and train and equip us, rather than the victory he won on the cross, to focus on his person, the question then, for us today is who is this Jesus?
Charlie, a new retiree greeter at Bunnings, just could not manage to get to work on time.
Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker, really tidy, clean shaven, Sharp-minded and a credit to the company. He was clearly demonstrating the benefit of Bunnings 'older persons are friendly' policy.
One day the boss called him into his office for a talk. "Charlie, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic. You do a bang up job, but your being late so often is quite bothersome".
"Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it."
"Well good, you are a team player. That's what I like to hear. It' odd though you're coming in late. I know you've only just retired from the Navy. What did they say if you came in late there?"
They said "Good morning, Admiral, can I get you a cup of coffee, sir?"
Well we are not talking about Shakespeare or the Admiral today, but Jesus. So who is Jesus – a pensioner in the model of gentle Jesus meek and mild or Jesus, Admiral of the fleet. In recent times people have attempted to reduce the impact of who Jesus is by subtleties; changing BC to BCE in an attempt to sanitise time and history, changing the name of Jesus to equate to a wise teacher at best, slang at worst. Who is this Jesus – a man in step with his world but out of step for ours? a prophet too heavenly focussed to be any earthly use? or the Saviour who’s love breaks barriers, who’s sacrifice rescues the unlovable, who’s wisdom transcends time?
Our language is so laden with statements made by Jesus, such as the ‘golden rule’, - and our laws so shaped by truths expounded by Jesus that the world has been influenced by Jesus to a far greater degree than by any other person that lived, even though in modern times, especially in the last half century, there has been a concerted approach to undermine and deny this, preferring to rely on their own wisdom having made a god of science and rational philosophy.
Who is this living Jesus? He is the giver of life, the revealer of truth. He is Jesus who ushered in the Kingdom and is the proclaimer of the Holy Spirit, - Christ wasn’t Jesus’ surname – it was his job description, it means ‘the anointed one’, Christ, the anointed one … and the embodiment of all we inherit.
Glory, that is part of what we inherit? The ability to give glory, not to grasp it perniciously for ourselves. Far more important than Shakespeare’s recommended opportunism to grab glory or fortune for ourselves, - that resulted in Caesar’s murder, Scripture tells us that glory is the fullness of God. And in God we see perfection. He is the master of timing – indeed of ‘time’ itself, - Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end - and He has set down times and seasons for all that happens, and so scripture tells us that our times are in His hands.
St Paul tells us in the epistle reading that at the ‘right time Christ died for the ungodly’.
The time was right because Humanity was lost. We were powerless to help our selves. Being enslaved by sin we did not have the strength, ability or means to win free.
The time was right because God’s love overwhelmingly displayed through Jesus, his son, overflowed like a flood (torrent?) to a dying world.
The time was right because God is just, fair and relentless in his abhorrence of sin. We needed rescuing from God’s wrath and indignation, something we could not do for ourselves.
The time was right because we were enemies of God, through our sin, and Jesus mediated our reconciliation and to restore us to wholeness.
The time was right because Jesus poured out his blood that paid the price for our sin, the only complete satisfaction that could be made.
As a consequence of Jesus’ sacrifice and ministry, Paul said in the epistle reading we would know and experience faith, grace, hope and love through the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts. This would be our inheritance, this would be our new standard, this would enable us to go through the character building processes needed to transform us into Jesus’ image.
In the gospel reading, Jesus spoke about the work of the Holy Spirit that He said would be poured out as a comforter, guide and companion, as Paul says, a seal and guarantee or foretaste of the blessing we are finally to inherit in full measure. Jesus said that the Spirit would guide us into all truth, but that the truth would not be something for us, or of us – not something we own – but rather the Spirit would take of the things that bring glory to Jesus, the things that belong to the Father to make them known to us.
You see this living Jesus is the focus or lens, through which we see and understand God and he is the pattern that God is using to imprint on all our lives. In Romans we read that ‘those he called He predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His son, that he might be the firstborn among many’.
Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom saying it was nigh – at hand – and accessible and it is through Jesus we are made citizens of the kingdom and through the Spirit who implants God’s truth in our heart so we are engaged only in worship of God, engaged only in seeking that Jesus be glorified and we are enlivened, empowered and equipped to engage in the mission of the Kingdom. - To this end Jesus sends the Holy Spirit giving grace and gifts of spiritual power that enable us to serve him more effectively.
Let us then as we remember Jesus death and suffering in the Eucharist, allow the Holy Spirit to speak into our hearts and lives afresh. Let us allow the ministry of the living Jesus give us courage as we allow the Holy Spirit to reshape our lives and transform us to be like Jesus. Let us again commit ourselves to Jesus and proclaim that he is Lord, indeed Admiral of all we have and are and pray that his love and grace is shown forth in us and his name glorified in all things.
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