Merredin Uniting Church

Sermon: Who is Jesus? by Rev David de Kock on Sunday 27/9/2009

Texts: Hebrews 1:1-4 and Matthew 6:13-22

Jesus is undoubtedly the most controversial figure in history. Wars have been waged, people have been executed, hermits have withdrawn from society and heroes have been made –all through this controversy over who Jesus is.

There is little doubt that Jesus existed; but there are widely differing opinions about Him. Islam holds Him to be a prophet and worthy of honour but deny any claims to deity. The Ba’hai’s who grew out of Islam see Him as a messenger from God – like the Gnostic emanations through which God has sent important messengers into the world who come to update us on God’s current thinking. Even within Christianity there is much confusion over the Trinity – is Jesus God? Or part of God? When we say Son of God what exactly do we mean? Surely that means there are at least two: God who is the Father, and God who is the Son. And who or what is the Holy Spirit?

Today I want to take us beyond the controversy so that we can get a clear and accurate picture of who Jesus is. And at the end of this sermon I will give you opportunity to make your declaration of who Jesus is for you. Your answer may be far less complex than the one I will sketch out for you – that’s no matter. Our understanding of Jesus is very personal, it arises out of a relationship, not out of intellectual studies…

Of course the best place for us to get an idea about who Jesus is, is in the New Testament Scriptures and specifically in the four gospels. And I would encourage you to make time to read these four books – it’s not a lot of reading – you could do each in a sitting. Matthew is less than 50 pages long, Mark is only 30 pages, Luke is a little over 50 pages while John is only about 45 pages. That’s less than the Sunday papers and a far sight more interesting.

In our text from Matthew this morning Jesus tells us exactly who He is. Let’s put the scene into context.

Jesus and His disciples are in the region of Caesarea Phillippi. This is the area north of Galilee, near the source of the Jordan on Mount Hermon at a place which is today called Banias.

What is most interesting is that at this place are a number of votary niches carved into the rock face which are shrines to the Greek god Pan. Originally it was called Panias after the god.

Here at this place, Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

The concept of “Son of Man” has its origin in the book of Daniel where in Chapter 7 the prophet sees a vision of the Son of Man (obviously Jesus) who approaches the Ancient of Days and, I quote from verse 14, “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

This was a familiar prophetic picture of the Messiah – to which I will refer in a moment – Jesus is asking His disciples if the people of this pagan territory had any concept of the Messiah, and if they at all thought that He was in fact this very Messiah to which the Scriptures referred.

Caesarea Phillippi is pagan territory and the people Jesus was referring to would probably have been the pagans – those who worshipped the gods of nature and seasons.

“Who do these people say that the Son of Man is?”

Clearly there was confusion – some thought he was John the Baptist, others thought He was Elijah, some Jeremiah or one or others of the prophets.

What is fascinating is that even though these were pagan opinions – they nonetheless saw that the Messiah, who we know to be Jesus – the true Son of Man, was connected to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was connected to the God of the prophets of Israel, who had, in fact, spoken of the day when the Messiah would come to bring salvation to His people.

It’s an equally interesting question for today.

What does the non-believing world think of Jesus?

It’s not too dissimilar. They see Him connected to God. They see a prophetic message in His words and teaching, but like the pagans they are unmoved by Him. He makes no great difference to their lives and so their opinion about Jesus is in fact irrelevant to their lives. The whole world knows about Jesus but only a small portion has found any real meaning and purpose for their life in Him.

So Jesus speaks direct to them all. “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” This is the crunch line. I can voice other people’s opinions and remain unchallenged but when I have to give my own opinion I must be more certain. My opinion must affect my life. Again I remind you that at the end of this sermon you will have opportunity to share your understanding of Jesus.

Many years ago, long before I became a Christian and had read this text, I was working at General Motors. One of my tasks was to canvas the opinion of local banks on the likely direction of interest and exchange rates. One particular person always told me that he would have to find out from head office and then come back to me. One day I said to him, “Don’t you have your own opinion?” Years later our paths crossed again – he was now Head of Operations for the bank in Switzerland. He said to me that the greatest spurt to his career was that question I had asked him. He suddenly realized that he should have an opinion, and to have an opinion he had to think about things a lot more seriously. He had to gather facts; assimilate them and then formulate his assessment – and he found that when he had done that he had established an authority and a credibility in the bank. The people he had previously canvassed for opinions in fact didn’t have their own opinions – they just passed on what they heard from others.

It was simply “what the people think.” When my friend began to think on his own it affected his life!!

So Jesus turns to the disciples, “And you, who do you, say that I am?” He is asking them to formulate their own opinion out of all that they had seen and known of Him from the time He called them to follow Him. Peter responds – “You are the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of the living God!”

Simple words but full of profound meaning

• The Christ is Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah. And the concept of Messiah can only be understood in the Jewish context – literally it means “Anointed One” but the idea was only used to mean the ONE who would come from God, not simply elected or appointed by God. And this ONE would belong to the royal line of David and he would be the ONE through whom God would exercise His rule in righteousness and peace, and through whom He would shepherd His people. Peter was saying that Jesus is FROM God, of the line of David and thus a king and also that God exercises His rule through Him.
• Peter also calls Jesus “the Son of the living God”. This defines a unique relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father. And, most importantly, it leads us to the inescapable conclusion that the Son of God must have existed and been with God before He was born into the world as Jesus. Peter’s confession then is that Jesus came into the world to reveal God to mankind.

Messiah and God! That’s Peter’s confession. Out of what He has seen and heard and formulated about Jesus, He is convinced that Jesus is not simply a prophet – He is the One the prophets spoke of. He is the consolation of Israel. He is Daniel’s Son of Man who comes from the Ancient of Days with authority, glory and sovereign power; His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Jesus concurs with Peter’s evaluation. You are blessed that you say such things because you could never arrive at this conclusion on your own – it is only by the Father’s revelation that Peter could know, without doubt, that Jesus was Saviour and Lord; Messiah and God.

And then Jesus changes Simon’s name. He calls him Peter. Peter the rock. And as they stand before these pagan worship places carved into the rock face of Mount Hermon, Jesus says, on this “rock”: on the statement that this man has made, “I will build my church and the gates of darkness will not overcome it.”

Name changing in the Bible is a significant event – it is a feature of the covenant relationship; a new beginning, a new commitment and a new future. Changing Simon’s name to Peter means that Jesus was declaring this statement – Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God – to be the very foundation stone of the covenant that God has made with His church on earth.

And then Jesus voices the commission to the church. The words Jesus uses are the traditional ordination blessing that comes from a Jewish Rabbi to his disciples as he would commission them to go out to teach and do what they had learned while they were with him – “I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”.

This is the blessing of commission from the Lord of the Church to those, all those, who believe in Him – who are convinced that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

Strangely then, Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. Why not? Surely this is the greatest news of all time. Yes it was, but the time was not yet right – certain things had to happen first before the world would know for certain that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

He had to go to Jerusalem to suffer at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. He had to be killed and raised to life on the third day. All of these things had been spoken of by the prophet Isaiah – they were to be the signs of the Messiah, of the coming to the end of the age and the declaration of the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Peter didn’t want these things to happen even though it was the necessary fulfillment of prophecy. “No, Lord, none of this shall happen to you!”

Peter desire for Jesus to avoid the crucifixion is much like so many people’s response to it 2000 years after the event. Why did He have to die? Why was it so cruel? Couldn’t He have avoided it?

We forget that it HAD to happen. The agonizing and cruel torture and death that our Lord underwent was necessary to the covenant. Covenants are sealed in blood because blood is the substance of life and death. Covenants create relationships that are deep and powerful – they move beyond differences, beyond sinful actions against one another into a relationship that binds one to the other in agapeo love.

Jesus said to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan, – you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.”

It was for the purpose of the Cross that Jesus came to us. He came to shed His blood so that the barrier of sin that we had erected between us and God would be removed. He came to die so that we could have life. He gave Himself for us so that we could walk with God in His kingdom and so that we would recognize His sovereign power of all things, including life and death.

And the challenge to us in this covenant of grace is that as we follow Him, we too will deny ourselves and take up our cross.

Take up your cross and lay yourself down to die. If you seek to save your life, to demand your preferences, to live for yourself, you will surely lose your life.

The only life worth having is the life that is laid down at the feet of Jesus. It is only when you lose your self life that you gain the life that is really worth it.

We struggle against this, don’t we? So often we are like this Peter – full of words and ideas and the outward face of faith, but when the crunch comes, we want only to protect our own lives, our way of doing things, our ideas and preferences. Three times Peter denied that He knew the Lord, because it might have cost him his life – but after the resurrection this man was changed. Filled with the Spirit he stood boldly on the Day of Pentecost to call the people to repentance – to commit themselves to the covenant that God had made with them in Jesus. He was persecuted, jailed and eventually also crucified for his faith – BECAUSE he came to that point where he knew without any doubt that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

He was prepared to take up his cross and lay down his own life for his Lord and Master.

And you – Who do you say that Jesus is?

It is not enough to mouth the words of others. It is not enough to quote scriptures and go through rituals.

The bottom line is that you need to formulate your own conclusion – you need to think it through – and then your life needs to be molded on that conclusion.

Is He, or is He not the Christ, the Son of the Living God?

Who do YOU say that Jesus is?

Hallelujah! This is the Day of the Lord…

Perhaps its because Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming and the crops are looking good but there seems to be a distinct joyfulness in the air. These are the obvious signs of God’s good intention towards us and they ARE cause to celebrate. Indeed, we should hold ever before us the fact that God’s intention towards us is ALWAYS good. He desires for us to know the goodness and the fullness of the life He has given us. Sometimes it might seem that we do not have this joy but that is not because God’s intention has receded. No, rather that something has intervened. God’s offer is always to remove that intervention. This is the message of the Gospel. The greatest barrier between us and God is sin … our (and other people’s) choice to live independent of God’s intention. God came in Christ to deal with that. He showered us with grace by the offering of Himself to settle the difference between us. Having received that grace, what can we do but live the life of Jesus. A life lived in honour of the Father, accompanied by the Holy Spirit and for the sake of those who have yet to know that grace. So let us rejoice, let us lift up our hearts, let us be bold in the fullness of God’s love towards us.

If you missed the first of the “Jesus, All About Life” adverts on TV, you can watch it by clicking the connection on our website. It’s a no-nonsense presentation about the reality of Jesus in our life – in the good times and also when the world comes crashing around us. Jesus really is “all about life” and Life is “all about Jesus”.

In the services today there is opportunity for you to share what Jesus means to you. My own reality check with Jesus came way back in 1977 when I was still pretending to be a Christian. In a startling incident, He told be that He had many times tried to come to me but had been prevented from doing so. Suddenly this “friend” was in my life. Whichever way I turned He was there and He was always gracious towards me in my ignorance. It took a while but gradually I realized that the best way forward through life was for me to put my feet where His had been. He strengthened me when I was weak, encouraged me when I was down, directed me when I was lost. This journey with Jesus over the past 30 years has been awesome (and sometimes confusing). I knew Him first as a friend and comforter but I have also come to know Him as the glorious King seated in majesty in the throne room of heaven. This dichotomy is truly a mystery but it also speaks volumes about the amazing grace of God.

Looking ahead, we have a big day on Saturday October 24th. It starts with a Parish Council Meeting then leads into the Parish Planning Day and ends with the Variety Concert – Hard work, big decisions and lots of laughs. Please plan to be there…

In the Planning Day exercise we are going to be following the “Twelve Keys to an Effective Church” program. It begins with an assessment of who we are. This is a significant part of the exercise because we invariably have a low view of ourselves. This “low view” perception then determines our behaviour which ultimately fixes our destiny. But God has great plans for His Church and He wants us to be part of it. So we will then decide how far we want to go to fit into God’s plan ie how much practical faith do we have.

We then move into an assessment of our own strengths in terms of the twelve key characteristics. These are:

Using this strength assessment we will plan to use the characteristics in which we might already be strong and to build up those where we might not be as strong so that we can move forward to be who Jesus wants us to be.

This is a long term program. We will plan a 3 to 5 year future with a series of achievable and measurable goals. And then we will need to revisit the strategy regularly at Congregation and Parish Council meetings. I know of nothing more exciting than to catch a glimpse of God’s plans and to discover that I have an invitation to be part of it – I am sure that you will find the same!

Thinking about it, this is like the birth of Fanie and Suzette’s baby girl. They have been blessed and they are now part of another person’s life. Their hopes, dreams and future decisions now have eternal significance. Congrats!

God is so good! Shalom and God’s joy be with you all.

This sermon was brought Kevin Tengval on Sunday 20/9/2009. Kevin is one of the Elders at Merredin Uniting Church and brought the Sunday message as Rev David de Kock was in Perth for the Uniting Church Synod meeting.

Title: We are all unique with God’s gifts

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

We have all heard and read that we should be like Jesus. A statement, which we can all, agree with.

Or we hear the question, what would Jesus do?

But I wonder do we really think what that would actually mean in reality? We can read about the disciples and what they gave up to follow Jesus.

If that is what it takes to make it to Jesus? Then I’m stuffed. I don’t know about you? But thank God his graciousness overcomes all and the way to God is through Jesus, by the very nature of his being, I don’t think it’s possible to be exactly like Jesus although I do believe it’s important to try.

To be like the disciples I think would be extraordinarily difficult. If we look back even further and look at the life and times of John the Baptist. Who here would walk the deserts and towns dressed in nothing but a camel hair coat eating locusts and honey, not me I’m sure, I think I could probably be talked into eating locusts and honey but a camel hair coat no way!

The disciples were asked to give up every thing to follow Jesus. And if what we read in the Gospels is correct then Peter and co dropped there nets and went with him. So then I wonder if Jesus were to appear here and say to us follow me. Would we be willing to drop everything straight away and go with him? Would we say and I’m sure I would say. What (and I say this in no particular order) about work what about my house what about my family, my friends and my pets. What about my finances? How will I live, how will I travel? Where will I sleep? Etc.etc.

Thank goodness, Thank goodness, Thank goodness, that Jesus died to save us from sin and that includes failing to give up all things worldly and follow him unreservedly. I am not saying for a minute that gives us an excuse to sin or do worldly things knowing we are covered by grace. We all know it doesn’t work like that.

We do, or at least we should strive to be as much like Jesus as possible. But I think we should understand that the human race is flawed, a creation that didn’t quite work as planned due to the misbehaviour of Adam and Eve, and therefore we are all born into sin.

And that is why God made that most amazing and awesome sacrifice of Jesus, and it’s in him and only in him that we are saved from eternal damnation.

Now I don’t know about you but when I start to look at the commitment and dedication of Jesus’ followers back in biblical times I’m afraid it puts me to shame. Only you know how you feel or where you stand.

I know this sounds as if I am having a great attack of depression, but it’s not like that at all. For we are all unique and special, and wonderful in Jesus eyes. It’s amazing to me that he knows every hair on our head, he knows us all by name, incredible isn’t it that we who must seem so insignificant can mean so much. I can’t quite get my head around that one.

What’s more amazing I think is that all of us past present and future generations and individuals alike are unique. No person has the same fingerprints or quite the same DNA. Also everyone, man, woman and child has there own individual gifts. The trick I think is to work out what our gifts are and then to decide how we are to use them. As Christians it is easy and right to say I will use my gifts for the glory of God.

A bit harder to put into practise me thinks? I for one think, in my 53rd year that I might have, finally worked out what my gift or gifts are, and further more how to use them for Gods glory. Others have gifts of music a special gift very visible gift. Some have the gift of healing, some have pastoral gifts. Or gifts, of gardening.
Far too many to go into here. Now I’ll stand corrected but I don’t think that any gift is better or more important than another.

Some gifts are far more popular than others, you may have heard people say oh I wish I could sing or play like that, or I would love to play in church, but I don’t think I’ve heard too many people say “Oh! I wish I had the gift of cleaning? I would love to clean the toilets in church”

Or even “I wish I had the gift of waffle so I can sit on the phone all day talking to people about God”

What I’m trying to say is that sometimes the gifts that we do have we don’t give God the credit it for them? Who can say that god did not lead me into becoming a School bus driver so that I may also be able to use that Knowledge (or shall we call it a gift?) to drive the Bus on church related events. Or those who have the gift of mechanics
( just a job you might say) who knows when that particular gift may help some one in need, did God give or lead that person into that particular gift so he or she may help someone in need.

I think it’s possible that we can go through our lives not knowing exactly what our gifts are? And are still able to manifest them unknowingly. Maybe some of us need to mature in our faith before we are able to use our gifts as God wants us to? Maybe we have to wait until the time is right before our gifts are needed. None of this I believe diminishes the value or dare I say prestige of our gifts.

I don’t think for a minute that God gives a better gift to so and so and a not so good gift to another. I am sure that all gifts in Gods eyes are as important as each other; I am equally as sure that all who professes Jesus to be our Lord and saviour, are given gifts.

Now here’s where I may be challenged?  Some may say that there are gifts of the Holy Spirit. and other gifts. I don’t believe that.  I think all gifts are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Not just obvious ones like Healing and speaking in tongues, or prophesy.

If like me you believe that God makes us who we are then I believe it follows that the abilities and /or gifts, are God given, and therefore are gifts of the Holy Spirit. If that is the case as I believe then all gifts are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And so I end this message with the challenge “That regardless of who you are how old or young you may feel or where you are” continue in being you. in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
AMEN

May the Lord truly bless you as you meet together this morning – and this afternoon at the Nursing Home. And thank you to all those participating in the services.

Margie and I are in Perth for the annual WA Presbytery/Synod meeting. I am not very clued up on the business of the Synod Meeting yet but I hope to make acquaintance with my colleague ministers. We will be staying with Margie’s sister in Mandurah and sharing lifts with the folk from the Mandurah Church. The other representatives from our Parish are Matthew Smith (Merredin), Heather Hutton (Bruce Rock) and Gordon Jones (Mukinbudin).

It is really good to have all our furniture (almost) unpacked at the Manse. Its really beginning to feel like home now. Please remember that you have an open invitation to visit, especially as we now have more than the four cups we started off with.

You may have noticed the JAAL – “Jesus. All About Life” notice in the Newsletter over the last few weeks.  This is a major advertising campaign by the Bible Society to bring the name of Jesus into the mind of Australians. Associated with this is the opportunity for local churches to invite friends to attend church with them. The program began in the Eastern States earlier this month and is set to launch in WA next Sunday. At Merredin we will have a JAAL banner on display outside the church. I will also be using the opportunity to share the good news about Jesus from the pulpit. Next week I pose the question, “Who is Jesus?” I encourage you to think about your own answer to that question and to use the GodTalk time in the service next week to share your answer.

For me the two Scriptures for next Sunday say it all – the powerful declaration in Hebrews, that Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being”; and then Peter’s declaration at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus is the Son of the living God. Each time we have been to Israel I have made a point of going to Banias where there are caves and temples to the god Pan. This was the place where Jesus asked the question, “Who do the people say that I am, and who do you say that I am?” And I imagine the confused people going in and out of those temples and caves and the disciples wondering why Jesus should have brought them there to the source of the Jordan River at the foot of Mount Hermon to ask them that question. But it was relevant, for not only is Jesus the source of life, but He is also the One who makes sense in a confused world.

Next Sunday the Mukinbudin service will be held out at Eaglestone Rock near Lake Brown on Cornish Road at 11.15am followed by a picnic. They have invited folk from Muka to join them through an advert in the Muka Matters and, of course, the whole Parish is also invited to come along. It is their usual Communion Sunday so we will be sharing Communion as well. Please do join us.

On October 4^th which is the Nungarin Harvest Day and Mangowine Concert, Fr Stan from the Roman Catholic Church and I will be sharing a service for the Blessing of the Harvester. It’s actually a bit early to do that but the community are wanting to use the opportunity afforded by the other festivities to get people connected. The service is at 10am.

For the rest of the Parish we intend to have a Harvest Festival Service on November 8^th at the Merredin, Mukinbudin and Southern Cross services. The ministers in the area decided that each church should celebrate the service in their own congregations but on the same day. Again this is a great opportunity for you to invite friends to the services and to encourage folk to seek God’s blessing as the harvest begins.  Of course there is another greater harvest which Jesus spoke about at the Well of Samaria when He invited His disciples to look out at the crowd coming out to them from the Samaritan village – “Look, the fields are ripe for the harvest!” This harvest will come from those whom you invite to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

And then finally …. The Sing Australia organization will be in Perth in November and will be touring through the country areas of WA. They have requested to worship at Merredin Uniting Church on November 15^th and to contribute to the worship through song. Because there will be 77 of them attending the elders and I have decided to use the opportunity to invite the other churches in town and also to look for a large venue where we could have a combined community service. More details to follow. This will be a really exciting celebration!!!

And now may the joy and peace of the Lord be with you all.