Who are you? How would
you answer that question?
What is your basic identity? And how does that affect your faith…and your life…
What is your basic identity? And how does that affect your faith…and your life…
as a follower of Jesus
Christ?
There’s a sense in which we must answer these questions
if we’re to continue to grow in faith. So for the next few weeks
in a five
part preaching series…called ‘Who are we’? I’m hoping every one of you…
will be able to answer those questions for yourself.
Today in part one we’ll try to see how our own life story…
will be able to answer those questions for yourself.
Today in part one we’ll try to see how our own life story…
impacts
on our understanding of God’s story and God’s love for us.
You could say we’re looking at the interface
between biography and theology.
And the following four weeks… we’ll try to grasp…
how grace… shapes our identity. And we’ll get a healthier view of our role in the mission of God…in the story of the sower and the seed. Then we’ll see how our family’s story…
forms our approach to relationships in Christian community. And finally we’ll ask…
between biography and theology.
And the following four weeks… we’ll try to grasp…
how grace… shapes our identity. And we’ll get a healthier view of our role in the mission of God…in the story of the sower and the seed. Then we’ll see how our family’s story…
forms our approach to relationships in Christian community. And finally we’ll ask…
what balance we can expect …between strength and weakness…
as
we continue to grow in faith.
Cloud slide
So to begin…Our
story and God’s story…First I want
you imagine a long corridor…
stretching
into the distance…
and on either side… are comfortable warm …rooms…
and on either side… are comfortable warm …rooms…
each one furnished…
with treasures and pictures…
from homes left behind in the final move to the dependency of old age.…
from homes left behind in the final move to the dependency of old age.…
As you walk down the corridor… you lean into each door
to say hello to the person who lives there…
to say hello to the person who lives there…
you speak words of comfort…you
inquire about their health…their family.
You know their stories…all of them…you’ve been their chaplain and their friend…
You know their stories…all of them…you’ve been their chaplain and their friend…
since they came to
this place. Your job is to…
speak the name of God to them…
pray with them…and encourage them. [pause]
pray with them…and encourage them. [pause]
Some of the residents are napping of course…and you don’t want to disturb them…
others… look up from their knitting or
the telly and smile in recognition and affection.
Some have that look of contentment on
their face…that comes from knowing they’re loved…other have… a kind of sad… resignation…
As this is a Christian
aged-care facility…almost every resident grew up going to Sunday School…attending church with their
family…
well it’s what you did in those days…isn’t it.
well it’s what you did in those days…isn’t it.
And they have no
hesitation calling themselves Christians.
But what saddens
you… is that so many you care for …
have made the long journey of life… into their nineties
and still aren’t sure…God loves them.
have made the long journey of life… into their nineties
and still aren’t sure…God loves them.
And you’re worried
for them…at their age and stage…
they have so little time… to find out the truth and enjoy it.
they have so little time… to find out the truth and enjoy it.
Your prayer
is before they die… they might open themselves…
to God’s unconditional
love for them.
What went wrong…where
did they miss the message…
what got in the way…what prevented them
from embracing the fullness of God’s love?
what got in the way…what prevented them
from embracing the fullness of God’s love?
This is a true
story…told me by a friend whose writing a book about faith in old age…
an
Anglican priest in Taranaki.
But her story isn’t unique. It’s a spiritual tragedy repeated over and over again…
But her story isn’t unique. It’s a spiritual tragedy repeated over and over again…
from Bluff to Kaitaia. [pause]
Title slide
Now wouldn’t you say it’s fundamental to the Christian faith…
that we’re unconditionally loved by God…and wouldn’t you say in a nut shell…
that is our true identity…yours
and mine…loved by God… just as we are…
Yet as Christians…
we can grow up...singing
Jesus loves me…
and never own it for ourselves
at a deep emotional level
From birth to old age… it’s possible to hear the story of God’s unconditional
love…without believing it’s true for us.
Somehow we’ve never known… the contentment
and even happiness… that come from believing we’re loved by God.
Why does this happen?
Well, the cause is usually… somewhere in our own story.
In how we’re programmed to understand love and happiness in our own family… And sometimes the story of God’s unconditional love is eclipsed…or blocked out…
Why does this happen?
Well, the cause is usually… somewhere in our own story.
In how we’re programmed to understand love and happiness in our own family… And sometimes the story of God’s unconditional love is eclipsed…or blocked out…
by
learning about love with strings attached…
love that’s conditional…on how well we perform…or how hard we work…
love that’s conditional…on how well we perform…or how hard we work…
or how proud we make our parents.
And that’s where we first learn about love isn’t it?
And that’s where we first learn about love isn’t it?
Now
most parents mean well… and do the best they can…
but with the best will in the world… our parents can teach us we’re only lovable if …
but with the best will in the world… our parents can teach us we’re only lovable if …
we’re pleasing them… or living up to their expectations.
Sometimes love is withdrawn…
when certain conditions aren’t met. And we find this is true
of the acceptance we seek at school…and in other relationships.
Sometimes love is withdrawn…
when certain conditions aren’t met. And we find this is true
of the acceptance we seek at school…and in other relationships.
Many
of us have a story or two… about a time in life…
when we were hurt or laughed at or rejected…times that damaged our ability to feel unconditionally loved…for our true self…And that’s why it’s important to understand
when we were hurt or laughed at or rejected…times that damaged our ability to feel unconditionally loved…for our true self…And that’s why it’s important to understand
our own story …if we’re ever going to move and grow
in our relationship with God. [pause]
in our relationship with God. [pause]
When
I was growing up… my mother… who was the font and source of all love and
wisdom… used to tell everyone we met what a perfect child I was…and without realising
it I got the message…that my Mother’s love…was in proportion to how perfect I
was…
When I was six…my mother had me tested…so the truth of my amazing IQ could be
When I was six…my mother had me tested…so the truth of my amazing IQ could be
confirmed for all to see. Everything went really well except for 7 plus 5.
I
guessed and got it wrong.
On
the way home in the car… my mother asked me how it went. I told her it was
fun…
but wasn’t sure about the answer to seven plus five…
I remember the shock
and disappointment on my mother’s face and in her voice.
Somehow without her
intending it…
I felt her love for me had diminished.
I felt her love for me had diminished.
and
so I put two and two together and got four…
I came to believe I could only be lovable if I was perfect
if I didn’t make mistakes…And hey I was smart enough to know I wasn’t perfect…
I came to believe I could only be lovable if I was perfect
if I didn’t make mistakes…And hey I was smart enough to know I wasn’t perfect…
I knew I was only a kid…
and
so I concluded I was unlovable…
whenever I wasn’t perfect at something. And
the sad thing is…
I didn’t realise this consciously until I was about
thirty five.
I’d been emotionally
programmed to equate perfection with love….
What was important
for me as an adult…
was to understand my story…so I could bring this false belief…
was to understand my story…so I could bring this false belief…
what you might call this personal lie …into the
light. …and test this lie…
against the reactions of people I trusted. And most
importantly…
to test it out against God’s story
of unconditional love for all the world…
a story I’d heard since childhood.
of unconditional love for all the world…
a story I’d heard since childhood.
One
way to test for how unhelpful programming…
or a personal lie… has impacted on your life story…
or a personal lie… has impacted on your life story…
is to answer two
questions. And I’m not going to ask you to share any of this.
Just fill in the blank at the end of these questions for yourself.
Slide words
I
could be truly loved, if only I weren’t ________
I
could be truly loved, if only I were ________
Sometimes the first thing that pops into our minds is the one to go with.
Sometimes the first thing that pops into our minds is the one to go with.
[Wait]
Blank slide
One of the giants of the reformed faith, John
Calvin wrote
‘True and substantial wisdom principally consist of
two parts,
the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves.’
In other words it isn’t spiritually healthy… to refuse to look honestly at our own story…
In other words it isn’t spiritually healthy… to refuse to look honestly at our own story…
because events in our life can
distort and even obscure our
perspective on God’s story.
And far from being self-indulgent…understanding ourselves an integral part of our journey
toward wholeness in God…
I think this is precisely what Jesus wanted his
followers to understand before he left them to
carry on his work…
And there are few passages… that express God’s unconditional love for us…
And there are few passages… that express God’s unconditional love for us…
as clearly as our reading for today… which we heard just before.
Jesus slide
The scene is the Upper
Room…late evening after the meal…
candles have burnt down and Judas has
left the building.
Jesus is saying farewell…his
friends don’t want him to go…
Jesus warns them of danger ahead and persecution because of his name…his cause.
Jesus warns them of danger ahead and persecution because of his name…his cause.
And he promises the coming of the Holy Spirit in his stead…
to guide them
and testify to the truth Jesus taught them.
and testify to the truth Jesus taught them.
Jesus prays
The last thing Jesus
does…is pray for them.
In hushed silence…
the disciples witness Jesus’ intimate conversation…
with the one he calls Abba.
And what do they learn about
their story and God’s story
as Jesus’ prays?
as Jesus’ prays?
They learn that each one
of them is a gift to Jesus from his father…
that they belong to God…and now
they belong to Jesus.
they belong to Jesus.
They learn wants them
share the joy he takes
in his relationship with his Father.
in his relationship with his Father.
They learn Jesus hasn’t called
them out of the world to a separate and exclusive
colony of the righteous…
but is sending them into the world
to continue his work… in the world.
but is sending them into the world
to continue his work… in the world.
Dangerous… politically incorrect
work… for which divine protection is needed…
but not isolation from the world.
And finally Jesus asks that they
be set apart… sanctified… for this holy purpose…
like the bread and the wine…
And then the most
amazing thing occurs…
Jesus prays for you and for me.
Jesus prays for you and for me.
My prayer isn’t
for them alone…he says…I pray also for those who will believe in me
through
their message…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me
and I
am in you. May they also be in us
…so the world may believe you sent
me.
I’ve given them the glory you gave me…so they may be brought to complete unity.
Slide
words
Then the world will know you sent me…
and have loved them… even as you loved me…
and have loved them… even as you loved me…
Not just those
who have already heard and believed…
but God so loved the world…
but God so loved the world…
For God so loved
the world…he gave…love…
And unless I’m
mistaken… you and I are included…
Cloud
slide
God loves you
whether anyone else does. God loves you whether you love yourself…
How can you
carry that good news to others if you don’t believe it yourself?
In silence now…
I invite you to let go of all the conditions and strings and lies…
that have
kept you from accepting God’s unconditional love for you…
In silence I
invite you to consent to God’s love for you
just as you are.
just as you are.
That is who you
are.
___________________
my thanks to Henry Wismayer for his beautiful photo of Mt Damavind
Also my thanks to Rod Wilson President of Regent College in Vancouver for the five chapter headings of this sermon series. He used these headings in his presentation to the South Island Ministry Conference in Dunedin May 2012.
