Sermon: Nehemiah 11-12 Dedicated

If you were to put together the soundtrack for your life, which songs would you include? Perhaps there are particular songs that fit into particular periods of your life; songs that, when you hear them, you’re reminded of a specific day, or incident, or period of your life. Maybe the song that was your first dance at your wedding. Or a song from your childhood that sparks memories.

One of the songs that seems to stick in my memory was released 21 years ago. And twenty years ago, when I was finishing school, this was the soundtrack to our secondary education. It’s by Fatboy Slim, and the words go like this:

‘We’ve come a long, long way together,
through the hard times and the good.
I have to celebrate you, baby,
I have to praise you like I should.’

At the age of 18, those words seemed to sum up our schooling, and the end of an era that was the Wallace High School, Lisburn. But as I sat down to consider these chapters of Nehemiah, it seemed as if they could be included in his soundtrack as well. You see, we’ve come a long, long way together from when we first met Nehemiah back in September.

Back in chapter 1, Nehemiah was in Susa, the capital of the kingdom of Persia. He was an Israelite who had never been in Israel, born and brought up in exile far away from God’s promised land. He had just heard the news of the state of the city of Jerusalem, and it had caused him to weep.

The people who had returned to Jerusalem were in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates had been burned with fire.

City and people were in disgrace. It caused Nehemiah to weep, but more than that, to pray. And so Nehemiah prayed, as God had put it on his heart, to go with the king’s support, to rebuild the city and its people.

And since September we’ve been following the hard times and the good that Nehemiah faced back in Jerusalem. It wasn’t an easy job to rebuild the walls - not everyone was on board with the idea; and there was opposition from outside, threats, and taunts. There were problems inside the city too, as the rich exploited the poor to make a quick buck. But despite all those problems, the wall was built in fifty-two days. Nehemiah then turned to the other item on his checklist - to rebuild the people of the city. He did that through the reading of the Law, hearing what God wanted of his people - which led to joy (the joy of the Lord is your strength), but also to repentance, and a resolve to follow God’s word. We saw that last week in their solemn agreement, setting out their promises to obey what God had said.

Tonight, in chapters 11-12, we see the final elements coming together in Nehemiah’s grand plan of building up the city and the people. And remember why all of this is so important. God had promised that his Messiah, his king, would come through the Jewish people. So it’s vital for God’s promises to be fulfilled that the Jewish nation is intact and prospering - so that Jesus will be born. So let’s see how the final details of Nehemiah’s plan came together.

You might remember that back in chapter 7, we heard how ‘the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.’ (7:4). That is only really resolved at the start of chapter 11. The leaders live in Jerusalem, but there’s still more room. So ‘the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.’ (1)

The people themselves were tithed, a tenth of them to live inside the city of Jerusalem. And the rest of the chapter is a list of the residents of Jerusalem - at least 3044 men (plus wives and children) - from Judah, and Benjamin, as well as priests, Levites and gatekeepers. And we read of where the temple servants and singers settled.

Things really are coming together. And as chapter 12 comes, there are more unpronounceable names, with the family tree of Levites and priests. You’re welcome to have a read through them all later on yourself. But we’re going to pick up again from verse 27, at the climax of all that Nehemiah had set out to do.

And just as my old school-leaving song put it, ‘I have to celebrate you, I have to praise you like I should.’ Here we see the great outpouring of celebration and praise to God, because of all that has been accomplished in the city of Jerusalem.

The occasion is the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. With its dedication, Nehemiah’s building project is complete. The city will be secure, and returned to its previous position. The disgrace is finished, as they celebrate. And they take it very seriously!

‘At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem.’

Now, with Holy Week and Easter on the horizon, the choir will be gathering from next week to practice some special pieces. (You’re very welcome to come along and join us!) And here we see all the singers from all their villages come together to sing along to the Levites playing their instruments.

But first there’s an important priority. Verse 30: ‘When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.’ Everything has been purified, has been dedicated to God. And so they’re ready to begin the celebration.

From verse 31, Nehemiah divides the leaders, the choirs, and people into two groups. And they’re to go on top of the wall in opposite directions, playing and singing God’s praise, until they meet up at the house of God. And the nearest picture I could think of as to what this would be like was, forgive me, the Apprentice Boys of Derry! Before their big parade in August, they parade around the city walls. And what’s going on in Jerusalem is a bit like that.

Do you see what they’re doing? They are encircling the city in praise. They are covering the city in praise. And with each step that they take, they are praising the God who fulfilled his purposes, despite the taunts and threats of the opponents. Taunts like Tobiah’s words back in chapter 4: ‘What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’ (4:3). Here, the people of God are walking on their wall. The work has been done. And God is to be praised.

By verse 40, both choirs have made it to the house of God. The singers take their places. The trumpets are sounded. And the note is a note of joy. ‘And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.’ (43)

If you were making a movie of Nehemiah’s story, this is where you would end. The camera hovers over the scene, as everyone rejoices, job done, and then pulls back, with the sound of rejoicing still audible, until the titles roll.

As Solomon, in an earlier period of Israel’s history had said when he dedicated the temple, ‘Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.’ (1 Kings 8:56)

Solomon could see the fulfilment of God’s promises, and yet there was more to come - not least the destruction of the temple he was dedicating. And for Nehemiah, he rejoices as he sees God fulfilling his purposes in his day, but as you can see, even his book isn’t finished, let alone the whole of God’s plans and purposes. So for us, even as we celebrate at all that God has done for us, as we look back, and see the long, long way we’ve come, the hard times and the good, and even as there is much to celebrate, and much to praise God for, there is still more to come. He is not finished with us yet.

For Nehemiah, the remaining verses of our chapter is setting practical details in place, things like storerooms and people to supervise them. They build on the precedent of what David and Solomon had commanded, and they provide for the service of God’s house, just as they had promised at the end of chapter 10: ‘we will not neglect the house of our God.’

Tonight, take an opportunity to look back; to reflect on how God has been at work in your life to fulfil his plans and purposes. Rejoice in all he has done. But don’t just settle for what’s happened in the past. Continue to look to the future, to dedicate yourself to his service, to look to what he is doing today, and tomorrow, and how you can be involved as he builds his kingdom, and works towards that great and final day of rejoicing.

Perhaps we can give the final word to Fatboy Slim:
We’ve come a long, long way together,
through the hard times and the good.
I have to celebrate you, Jesus,
I have to praise you like I should.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 24th February 2019.

Sermon: Mark 3: 20-35 Jesus: Mad, Bad, or God?

One of your friends has just started dating their new boyfriend or girlfriend. And then you’re introduced to them. Later on, or the next time you meet your friend, you know what they’re going to ask you. Well, what do you think of him/her? Or, something newsworthy happens and the TV cameras roll into town, asking people: what do you think about what’s happened? Or, on the way home from the rugby match last night, the chat was asking what did you think of such and such a player?

It happens so often that we’re probably not even aware that we’re doing it - but all the time we are forming opinions about other people. Every time we meet someone or see them or hear about them, we’re revising our thoughts on them - for good or ill. And that’s also true of our opinion about Jesus. Every time we open our Bible (or not!), every time we come to church and hear another little bit from Mark, we are forming and re-forming our opinion about what we think of Jesus.

In this morning’s reading, we get to hear some people’s opinions about Jesus. And these opinions might be influential, as you make up your own mind about Jesus. Because in this morning’s reading, we hear the verdict of Jesus’ family, those who had known him the longest and the closest; and we also hear the verdict of some religious leaders from Jerusalem itself, the centre of the Jewish religious system.

But what do you think of Jesus? That’s what matters. To help you narrow down what you think, CS Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, narrows down the options. There are only three. He says that Jesus is either mad, or bad, or God. Those are your options. And, it just so happens, that we find two of those options in our reading today. So as we dive into the passage, keep asking yourself - which of these represents my view of Jesus? What do I think about Jesus?

As our reading opens in verse 20, we’re in familiar territory in Mark’s gospel. None of this should come as a surprise. Jesus has entered a house, and again a crowd gathered. Mark keeps talking about the crowds following Jesus, coming to hear him teach, coming to be healed, coming to see who Jesus is. But this time, the crowd is so great, that Jesus and the disciples aren’t even able to eat. There are so many people, with so many demands, that Jesus isn’t even able to get a bite to eat. He’s so busy that he’s in danger of overdoing things.

But there’s an intervention on its way. Look at verse 21. ‘When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”’

So that’s the family opinion. They’ve heard how Jesus is getting on, he’s overwhelmed but still keeps helping other people, and so the family decide to intervene. They’re coming to take charge of him. And do you see how it fits into CS Lewis’ categories? The family say ‘He is out of his mind.’ He must be mad!

Now, later on we’ll see what happens when they arrive. But, while they’re still on their way to take charge of him, Mark tells us about another opinion about Jesus. And this one seems to be important. ‘And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”’ (22).

So these are religious leaders who have travelled down to Galilee from Headquarters in Jerusalem. They must have heard something about Jesus, and they’ve come to see for themselves, to investigate all that’s happening, to formulate an official viewpoint. And their official report says - ‘He is possessed by Beelzebub!’ He’s empowered by the devil, the prince of demons, to drive out demons.

We get another summary of what they’re saying in verse 30. ‘He has an evil spirit.’ So Jesus’ family think that he’s mad; the religious leaders think that he’s bad. He’s working on the devil’s team, as he drives out demons, or evil spirits.

So what do you think? Is Jesus mad? Is he bad? Or could he be God? To help us decide, it’s important to not just listen to what other people were saying about Jesus, but also to listen to what Jesus says about himself. And so from verse 23, we see how Jesus answers their accusation. ‘So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables.’ He’s replying to the teachers of the law, and he shows them how absurd their accusation is.

First of all, from the middle of verse 23: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.’ (23-26)

Now, very conveniently, both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party provided examples of this truth this week! There were divisions within each party, over Brexit and other things, and the moment came when the eight Labour MPs and three Conservative MPs left to form The Independent Group. Whether they’ll be able to stand together or not, we’ll see as time goes on. But the principle is clear - division and disunity leads to disaster. So if Satan is divided against himself, and Jesus is driving out demons by the power of the demons, then Satan is finished. So that’s ridiculous to think that Jesus is bad, that he’s possessed by Beelzebub or an evil spirit.

So what is going on? Why is Jesus driving out demons? How does he do it? ‘In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. then he can rob his house.’ (27)

Jesus is speaking in parables (23). And when you look closely at this parable, you find that Jesus portrays himself in a way you wouldn’t expect. So there’s a strong man, who’s in his house with all his possessions. Now, how could someone carry off the strong man’s possessions? You would have to tie up the strong man first of all, and then you’d be free to rob his house.

And the surprising thing is that in this parable, Jesus pictures himself as - not the strong man, but the stronger man who robs the strong man’s house. You see, in this parable, the strong man is Satan. He’s secure in his house. He has all he possesses. But Jesus has come into the world to rescue people from demons and evil spirits. Jesus can only do that because he is stronger than the strong man. He has tied up Satan, and is free to rescue people from his hands and his possession.

Satan isn’t divided. Jesus has come to oppose Satan; to overpower Satan; to bring about freedom; to bring about good. So he isn’t bad (as the religious leaders thought) - he is good. In fact, he’s more than good, he is God.

We can see that in how he speaks in verses 28-29. He says that there is forgiveness available for ‘all the sins and blasphemies of men’ - Jesus himself is the guarantee of that statement, because he is on his way to the cross to die to make that forgiveness possible. But there is one sin that is an eternal sin, for which there is no forgiveness. Some churches talk about mortal sins and venial sins, but the truth is that all sins are mortal - any sin deserves the penalty of death. But Jesus describes only one sin as an eternal sin, for which is there is no forgiveness. And it’s this: ‘whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ (29)

So what is this sin? It’s to describe the work of the Holy Spirit as the work of a demon. It’s to call ‘evil’ what is good. It is to deny that God is God. Verse 30 helps us to see what it is: ‘He said this because they were saying. “He has an evil spirit.”’

Jesus is not bad. To think that would be dangerous. But is Jesus mad? Remember, that’s what the family of Jesus thought. And by verse 31, they’ve arrived to take Jesus home, away from the crowds, away from everybody, for some peace and quiet and less of this mad nonsense!

So they send word inside the house to call him. Now, perhaps Jesus response would have confirmed their suspicions that he was indeed mad. It certainly would have been hurtful, even painful for them to hear. But the message comes: ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’

‘“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”’ (33-35).

Jesus came to rescue us from the hands of Satan, and when he does so he forms us into his new family - a family not based on blood relations, but on being brothers and sisters of Jesus. And the family likeness is obedience to God. Whoever does God’s will is part of the family.

That must have been hard for Mary to hear. She had borne him, had raised him, had given her all for him. It sounds as if Jesus has gone mad! Family ties were even stronger in those days than our family ties are these days.

But fast forward from that day, and we discover that eventually Mary and some of Jesus’ brothers become his brothers in the family of God. James becomes one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, and writes one of the New Testament letters (describing himself only as a servant of Jesus!). Jude, who writes another of the New Testament letters describes himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

And you can be a brother or sister of Jesus too. It depends on coming to a right verdict on who he is - not mad, not bad, but God, who came to rescue us from the strong man Satan; God, who came to give his life to secure the forgiveness of our sins; God, who came to welcome us into his family by giving us the Holy Spirit to help us to do the will of God.

So what do you think of Jesus? Mad? Bad? Or God?

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 24th February 2019

Sermon: James 5: 7-11 Fruitful - Patience

This morning we’re thinking about patience. Now, when I was growing up, my granny had a saying that went like this: ‘Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can. Seldom in a woman, and never in a man.’ Do you think that’s true?

So let’s do a little test. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 very patient and 5 not very patient, how are you...

when you’re counting down the days to your birthday
when you’re stuck in traffic
when you’re sitting in waiting for a delivery
when you’re in a queue
when you’re in the dentist’s waiting room
when you’re looking forward to half-term holidays

Now, if you’ve kept a note of your scores, then I’ll tell you later on what your score means... And if you couldn’t wait to hear what your score meant, then you’re probably impatient!

So how patient are you? If granny’s rhyme was true, then we all have some work to do. We’re not as patient as we should be. But why should we be patient? Why are we even thinking about growing in patience?

We’re looking at patience today because it is one of the fruit of the Spirit. We’ve already sung about the full fruit of the Spirit in our service - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And we’ve been looking at each of them in turn at our Church Family services to see what it is God the Holy Spirit wants to grow in us.

Some of us might be more patient, because of our natural personality, and some of us might be less patient, because that’s the way we are. But all of us can grow in the patience that the Holy Spirit wants to grow in us - because he is at work in us when we belong to Jesus.

So to help us think about growing in patience, I’ve brought along some things to help us. I need someone to help me - someone who is good at gardening and growing things. So I’ve got a planter, some soil, some seeds, and we’re going to plant these lovely flowers. We can see what it’s going to look like, we see the pattern and example here on the packet.

And for the fruit of the Spirit, the Lord Jesus is our pattern, and our example. When we want to see what the fruit of the Spirit look like in real life - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we can look at Jesus, and see how he demonstrated all the fruit of the Spirit.

And when we read the gospels, we find how patient Jesus was. He always had time for people, he spent hours and days caring for people and healing people, he was never in a hurry, in a word, he was always patient.

And in our first reading, we see just how patient the Lord still is. You see, Jesus lived, and then died on the cross as our Saviour to take away our sins. He was raised to new life on the first Easter Sunday, and he ascended back to heaven, promising his disciples that he would come again. Peter says that, as time goes on, and Jesus hasn’t yet returned, people are going to be asking, so, where is he?What about this return that he promised? And some will even think that Jesus isn’t going to come back at all.

But in verse 9, Peter tells us what’s going on. ‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ The reason that Jesus hasn’t come back to this earth yet isn’t because he’s slow at keeping his promises. No, he is being patient, giving us more time to turn to him, to repent and trust him. If Jesus had returned fifty years ago, then many of us wouldn’t have been in his kingdom. Or thirty years ago, or ten years ago. Some of us here in Richhill have become Christians, followers of Jesus, in the last year - that’s why Jesus hadn’t already come back this time last year. He was being patient. And maybe the reason he hasn’t already come back is so that you repent today - as we’ll see in the Baptism questions a little later on, to repent is to turn away from sin, and to turn towards God.

The Lord is patient towards us, not wanting us to perish, but wanting us to turn to him, before he finally returns. And because Jesus is patient, we who follow him, we want to be patient too, to be like Jesus in every way. That’s what our other reading is about. Being patient.

Do you remember what we planted earlier on? I’m just wondering to myself, have those seeds done anything yet? Have they started to grow and sprout? So I’ve got my little trowel here. Boys and girls, do you think it would be a good idea to dig them up to see if they’ve started to grow?

It would be a bad idea! I need to be patient, to wait for the seeds to sprout and grow in their own good time. It wouldn’t help the seeds if I was digging them up every five minutes to see if they’re doing anything. I need to be patient. And that’s what James, the brother of Jesus tells us in his letter. He says: ‘Be patient, then brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.’

The farmer doesn’t harvest his crops until they’re ready. He has to wait for the rains in the autumn and in the spring before his harvest is ready. And we need to be patient as we wait for Jesus to return. But that’s not always easy. We see all the bad things happening in the world, and we know that Jesus will put all things right when he comes, and so we have to wait patiently.

And we need to be patient with other people - just like Jesus was. We need to see people the way Jesus sees them - as the people we are to love and care for and help and talk to about Jesus.

Many of us will know Psalm 139. It’s a Psalm about how amazing and wonderful God is, that he knows everything about us, wherever we go, whatever we’re about to say - God knows everything about us. And no matter where we could go, God is always with us. And, as we come to the Baptism of little Rachel, the Psalm also talks about how God ‘created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’ And then it says this: ‘All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’

So often we’re always looking forward, always rushing on to the next thing. So maybe you were eagerly waiting for Rachel’s birth - we can’t wait to meet her! And maybe you’re eagerly waiting for her to start walking and talking - we can’t wait for her first steps! But all of us can get caught up in this - we can’t wait to finish school. We can’t wait to start our first job. We can’t wait to get married. We can’t wait to get a bigger house. We can’t wait to have children. We can’t wait to retire. We’re always looking forward, wanting the next big milestone to come. Always rushing on, a microwave society always in a rush.

But every one of our days has already been written down. God knows how long we’ve got. And so we don’t need to rush on. We can be patient, taking each day at a time. Seeing what God has prepared for us to do today - in the people we meet, the opportunities we have, the places we find ourselves. It doesn’t come naturally, and it may not come easily. But God is calling us to be patient, and to grow in patience, to become more like the Lord Jesus. And God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us to grow his fruit of patience in us. So let’s pray, as we seek to follow Jesus in this way.

This sermon was preached at the Church Family Service with Baptism in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 17th February 2019.

Sermon: Mark 2:23 - 3:6 Lord of the Sabbath

Last week we saw how Jesus says that his kingdom is something new and different to what has gone before. He used those two pictures of how a new patch of cloth will pull away from the old garment, making the tear worse; and how new wine poured into old wineskins would burst them. New cloth is for new clothes, and new wine is for new wineskins.

And over the past few weeks we’ve seen how Jesus is doing a new thing in these opening chapters of Mark’s gospel. He claims to have the power to forgive sins and heal. He calls tax collectors and sinners, and eats with them as friends. His disciples don’t bother fasting in anticipation of Messiah’s arrival - because Jesus says he is the Messiah and he is already here! But perhaps the biggest battle in these early chapters is about the nature of the Sabbath.

Now, just in case you’re not familiar with that word, Sabbath means seven or seventh - the seventh day of the week (Saturday). And in the Ten Commandments, we read these words: ‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work...’ (Ex20:8-11).

So the pattern of creation, and then the law, is work six, and rest one. And our passage this morning focuses on the events of two separate Sabbath days - in both of which, Jesus runs up against the expectations of the religious people. [Remember that the chapter divisions are a more recent development. Mark has grouped these two stories together for a purpose. We’ll see what that is as we work our way through the passage.]

You might remember that all the way through Mark 2, each episode has contained a question asked by someone - in these two episodes there is a question in each. One is asked by the Pharisees, but the second is asked by Jesus himself. So let’s dive in, to see what happened on the first Sabbath day.

‘One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some ears of corn. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”’ (23-24)

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I’m on a walk, I tend to pick up or pluck things. So, in the beach, I keep an eye out for shells or smooth stones. Or in the forest, maybe a nice leaf or conkers. And as the disciples walk through the cornfield, they pluck some ears of corn.

But the Pharisees, they see this happening, and they aren’t happy about it. The Pharisees, they’re the religious people. They take the Bible seriously, they work hard to obey it all, and so they ask the question: ‘Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’

We’ve heard what the Law says - keep the Sabbath day holy... don’t work on the Sabbath. So what’s the problem? Well, the Pharisees, they wanted to make absolutely sure what the law meant, and so they had rules about the rules. There were, according to the Pharisees, 39 types of work that were banned on the Sabbath. Among them was sowing, ploughing, reaping, threshing and winnowing.

So, to them, the disciples were reaping, picking ears of corn; and they were probably threshing to separate the grain from the husk. For the Pharisees, the disciples were doing what was unlawful.

So how will Jesus respond? Not in the way you might have thought. He doesn’t directly answer the question, but instead reminds them of a story from the Old Testament, that we heard read earlier. But do you see how he starts it? ‘Have you never read...?’ These were the serious Scripture scholars of his day! They knew whole chunks, if not the whole of the Old Testament. Yet he asks them if they’ve ever read this bit about David.

And what’s the story? David and his men ate the consecrated bread from the house of God - bread that was only lawful for priests to eat. So the law said that only priests could eat this consecrated bread. But David and his men ate it. Why did it happen? Why was it ok? Look again at verse 25. ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?’

The law was important, but feeding the anointed king and his men when they were hungry was more important. Ensuring their survival was more important than keeping the law. So the reason the disciples were doing it was because they were hungry!

But do you see what Jesus says in verse 27? ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’ What is Jesus saying there? He’s dealing with purpose. Which was made for which? Which is to help and serve which? The Pharisees, they seemed to be elevating the Sabbath, so that the keeping of it was more important than anything else ever. So even if you’re hungry, tough, you can get something tomorrow. That would be man being made for the Sabbath - man created in order to obey the rule.

But Jesus turns that on its head. ‘The Sabbath was made for man.’ Sabbath isn’t meant to be a duty, a drudgery. It’s meant to be a delight. Sabbath, a whole day of no working, of rest from labours, is a gift to God’s people and to everyone. Sabbath was made for man, not the other way round. And, so that we get it absolutely right, Jesus reminds us that he is Lord, even of the Sabbath. He has given it as a blessing, not a burden.

Now, as you might imagine, that didn’t really go down too well with the Pharisees. Jesus didn’t seem to value what they valued and didn’t seem to do what they wanted him to do. And so, they’re watching carefully to gather more ammunition for their opposition to him.

So as chapter 3 starts, it’s a different Sabbath day, but the same battle is raging. Jesus is in the synagogue, the Jewish meeting house where they came together for teaching and prayer and worship. And we’re told who else is there - there’s a man with a shrivelled hand (a withered hand, in some versions), and this group of people watching carefully.

Look at verse 2. Now, there might be lots of reasons why you have come to worship today, I hope this isn’t why you’re here: ‘Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.’ They were evidence gathering! They were wanting to accuse Jesus, so they watch him closely, in case he does something unlawful - making someone better on the Sabbath. (Again, that would be classed as work).

But Jesus doesn’t hide away in the corner. And they don’t have to watch very closely. Jesus gets the man to stand up in front of everyone. He’s making sure no one will miss what he is about to do. But first, Jesus asks a question. (Up to now, it’s been others asking the questions, but now Jesus has one of his own.) ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’

What do you think? It’s a multiple choice question. Of the four answers, they’re really two answers. So it’s like Who wants to be a millionaire, and you’re down to the 50/50. Which is lawful? Answer A: To do good and to save life. Or Answer B: To do evil and to kill. Who thinks A? And B?

You’ve done a better job of answering than those in the synagogue that day! The answer is obviously A - it’s lawful and right and good and proper to do good and to save life, even on the Sabbath day. That’s what Jesus wanted to hear, and it’s what Jesus will go on to do as he restores the man’s hand. But do you see how verse 4 ends? ‘But they remained silent.’ They refused to answer. They didn’t want to acknowledge that Jesus was right.

Do you see how Jesus responds to their silence? As we look at verse 5, you might be shocked. You might need to look at it twice, just to make sure it says what you think it says there: ‘He looked round at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”’

You remember those WWJD bracelets that have been around for a while now? Seemingly they don’t stand for ‘Who wants jam donuts?’ But they stand for ‘What would Jesus do?’ And here, what does Jesus do? He gets angry. He looks at them in anger. We’re not used to thinking of Jesus as being angry, are we? So what made him angry? And what made him deeply distressed? The stubborn hearts of the Pharisees.

Their principle was more important to them than helping someone in need. Their rules were more important than their compassion. And it made Jesus angry. Could there be times when we make Jesus angry in this way? We have a rule, or a principle, and we’ll stick to it? And we’ll watch carefully to criticise others who don’t do things the way we do them? And we’ll use it as an excuse to avoid helping someone in need?

Jesus shows us that the Sabbath isn’t about rules, it’s about relationship - taking time out with God and his people on a day of rest and refreshment.

But the Pharisees didn’t like what Jesus was doing. To quote the old song: ‘There may be trouble ahead.’ Verse 6: ‘Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.’ Do you see the irony here? They’ve been so concerned about keeping the Law, observing the fourth of the Ten Commandments (or at least their interpretation of it), that now they’re plotting to break the sixth commandment - ‘You shall not murder.’

This morning we remember and celebrate the death of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. He perfectly observed and obeyed the Law, so that he credits our account with his perfect righteousness, while paying the debt we could not pay. And on the first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, Jesus rose from the grave, to bring about the eternal Sabbath rest. It’s why Jesus offers us rest in one of the ‘Comfortable Words’ from the traditional communion service: ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’

Lay down your burdens. Give up your attempts at working to earn God’s favour. And receive his rest.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 3rd February 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 9: 1-38 Saying Sorry

It’s one of the first words that children learn to say, but it’s perhaps one of the words that they don’t really want to say. And so, often, I’ve watched as the child is kept back from playtime or privileges, maybe perched on the naughty step or time out zone, until they say the five letter word. What is it? Sorry. As Elton John once sang, Sorry seems to be the hardest word.

Tonight we’re listening in as the Israelites do just that. They have gathered together to say sorry. The chapter heading put in by the NIV publishers says ‘The Israelites confess their sins’ but that’s another way of them saying sorry to God.

Last week, in chapter 8, we saw how the people had gathered together a few weeks before. Then, they had heard the Book of the Law read out for over five hours. And as they heard God’s Law, they wept, because they realised they had fallen short and failed to obey. But on that occasion, they were told not to weep, because the joy of the Lord is their strength - that joy of hearing, understanding and obeying God’s word.

But now, three weeks later, they are here to do business with God. There’s no party atmosphere this time. They have come to weep and mourn and confess their sins. Do you see how they do it in verse 1? ‘Fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.’ These are all signs of mourning. They are here to confess, to say sorry to God.

Notice that it’s those of Israelite descent (2), they have separated themselves from all foreigners. And they are confessing ‘their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.’ They’re owning up to their own sin, rather than just blaming the generations past. They’re serious about saying sorry. And it shows - for a quarter of the day, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God. Another quarter is spent in confession and in worshipping the LORD their God.

This seems to be private, rather than corporate - each person meeting with God and confessing their own sins. And offering praise to God. but from verse 4 we see what was said from the front, as the Levites (all those guys again) lead the people - calling in loud voices to the LORD their God (4) and in calling the people to ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.’ (5).

The bulk of the chapter, however, is taken up in the form of this long prayer. It appears to be led by the Levites, as they speak to God and confess the sins of the people. But did you notice how it’s composed?

What was your favourite subject in school? Maybe maths or English. Maybe geography or science. Or maybe history. You see, this prayer, this confession, is a retelling of the history of God’s people. This prayer is going to be like a history lesson for God’s people, reminding them (and us) of how things have gone in the history of God’s dealings with his people.

So as the people stand up to praise, that’s where this prayer begins. It begins in praise of God, verse 5-6. There’s praise for God because of who he is, and because of what he has done - his acts of creation. The prayer begins with that desire that God’s glorious name will be blessed and praised, exalted above all blessing and praise. So however much praise anyone else gets - sports stars or pop stars - God’s praise is to be exalted above all other praise. Why? Because God alone is LORD, the God who made everything - the heavens, the starry host, the earth and all on it, the seas and all in them. God made everything, and gave life to everything, so that it is right and proper that the multitudes of heaven worship him.

So when we come to pray, we do well to remember who it is we’re speaking to. His glory, majesty, power. The one who deserves our praise and worship.

From verse 7 through to 15, we get a recap of Israel’s history - all the things that God has done. So, in verse 7, we hear how the LORD God chose Abram, brought him from his homeland, and gave him a new name, Abraham. God then made a covenant with him, to give his descendants the promised land. And the summary is that ‘You have kept your promise because you are righteous.’ (8).

God also saw the suffering of his people in Egypt, and their cry at the Red Sea. And so, God sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, working to save his people; and making a name for himself. God split the sea for the Israelites, but drowned their pursuers. And he led his people with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.

And he gave his people his law at Mount Sinai, God coming down to his people, speaking to them from heaven. God fed his people with bread in their hunger, and gave them water when they were thirsty, and told them to go in and take the promised land.

God had done all this, he had provided and protected and fulfilled his promise so many times. And how did the people respond? We see their response in verse 16. ‘But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them.’

They rebelled against God, even when he had done so much for them. In fact, they even wanted to turn back to Egypt, and appointed a leader to do that. They preferred the thought of slavery, rather than obeying God, whose service is perfect freedom.

What did they deserve from God? They deserved punishment! They had disobeyed, and yet how did God respond? ‘But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them...’ God didn’t abandon them to judgement, didn’t leave them to wander on their own, not even when they made the golden calf. God was patient towards them. They lacked nothing, having God’s provision, God’s Spirit instructing them, and even their clothes didn’t wear out or their feet swell.

Those were the wilderness years. Surely it would be better when they were in the promised land? We see that account from verse 22. God giving kingdoms and nations into their hands. Fulfilling the promise of descendants like the stars in the sky. They captured the land, filled with good things, ‘they ate to the full and were well-nourished; they revelled in your great goodness.’ (25).

But at the start of verse 26, we find that word ‘but’ again. ‘But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you.’ And the pattern would continue. God would send enemies to them, the people would cry out, God would save them, then things would go bad again, and round and round the pattern continued.

But it wasn’t just like playing on a roundabout or a merry-go-round, where you go round and round and then stop where you started. No, this pattern of going round and round was more like a spiral staircase, going round and round, but also going down and down, each time things getting worse, farther and farther from God.

The arrogance continued (29), they continued to turn their backs on God, but God was still patient. Yet God’s patience came to an end, and he handed the people over to the neighbouring peoples. And even then, he didn’t make an end of his people - why? ‘For you are a gracious and merciful God.’ (31)

In verse 32, we see the final plea, the appeal, for God to help his people. They appeal to ‘our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love’ - asking that God would help them. They know they don’t deserve any help - ‘In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.’ (33). So because they can’t ask for justice, they must ask for grace. They’re in the mess they are in because of their sin.

They’re slaves in their own land. Another king rules over them, enjoying the harvests of the land of promise. And how do they sum up their position? ‘We are in great distress.’ They are experiencing the miseries of sin. They are, as the traditional language service puts it, ‘miserable offenders.’ They don’t deserve anything, but they look to the God of their fathers; the God of the covenant. Did you notice how God has been described?

He’s from everlasting to everlasting; blessed; righteous; the promise-keeper; the Lord who worked miraculous signs and wonders; the provider; forgiving, gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and abounding in love; patient; gracious and merciful.

This is our God. He is the same yesterday and today and forever. He still offers us his compassion and mercy - even when you think you have blown it. There is still the opportunity to come back to him, to turn around and return to him. Indeed, as Romans 5:20 says, ‘where sin increased, grace increased all the more.’

And that grace of God is seen in the cross of the Lord Jesus, where our God took upon himself the penalty our sins deserved, in order to give us his righteousness. Forgiveness is available, freely given, if you’ll but ask and receive it.

For Nehemiah and his people, their repentance leads to action. They make a binding agreement, as they resolve to change. We’ll see it next time we’re in Nehemiah. But tonight, perhaps as you fall asleep, take a few moments to reflect on your own life story, on the ways in which God has been faithful, even when you’ve turned your back on him. And rejoice once more in his grace and mercy, his steadfast, and the forgiveness found in the Lord Jesus.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 27th January 2019.

Sermon: Mark 2: 18-22 All Things New

Have you ever wondered to yourself why we do things the way we do them here in St Matthew’s? Perhaps this is your first visit here, and you’ve had some questions pop into your head this morning. Questions like, why is the minister wearing what looks like a black dress and a white sheet? Or, why do we stand up and sit down so many times? Or, why will we sprinkle some water over Henry’s head in a few minutes’ time?

But even if this is your millionth visit to St Matthew’s, you still might have some questions about why we do things the way we do them. Especially if you’ve been to a different sort of church. So, for example, my brother-in-law is a Presbyterian minister. Right now, he is probably standing in his pulpit, preaching. But if you could change the channel, or if he appeared by videolink on the screen, you would notice some differences in how we do things. He’s wearing a shirt and tie, and no fancy robes. They’ll have sung some Scottish metrical Psalms. They sit down and don’t sing when the offering is being received. And he’ll probably preach for a lot longer than this sermon!

And, when you notice the differences between us, you’d want to know why. Why does he do this, and I do something different? This sort of question is what is happening in our Bible reading this morning. Some people have noticed that Jesus’ disciples, his followers, are doing something different to other religious groups. And so they want to know why that is.

We see how the question comes about there in verse 18 (p1004). ‘Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.’ The John there is John the Baptist, the man who had prepared the way for Jesus, and had got people ready for Jesus’ coming. And the Pharisees, they were a Jewish religious group. They hoped that they would bring about God’s kingdom by their keeping of the Old Testament laws. So they didn’t just keep the rules, they made up more rules about the rules, and kept them as well. They were strict in their religious practices.

And both groups, John’s disciples and the Pharisees, were both fasting. That is, they weren’t eating any food, maybe for a day, maybe for longer, for a religious reason. Everyone knew that they were fasting. They made it clear and obvious so that everyone else would know just how seriously they were taking their religion.

So it was also noticeable that Jesus and his disciples weren’t fasting. They were eating as normal. They weren’t keeping the same strict regime as those other religious groups. And that’s why the question is asked of Jesus: ‘How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?’ (18). They’re standing out, not doing something all the other religious people are doing. Why not?

As Jesus answers, he says that, basically, this disciples shouldn’t be fasting when it’s feasting time. Let’s look at what he says: ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, as long as they have him with them.’ (19)

Today is a special and significant day for Henry and for his family and friends. It’s a day of joy and delight. Imagine if you all gather after the service, only to be told, we aren’t going to have any food or drink to celebrate. We’re just going to keep a fast together. That wouldn’t be much of a party!

And that’s exactly what Jesus is saying. He says that he is the bridegroom, and so there’s a party. Jesus is the one who brings joy - so how could his followers fast and mourn? Some writers suggest that the fasting of the Pharisees may have been in anticipation of the arrival of the long-promised Messiah or Christ, the King who would come to rule over God’s people. But why keep fasting and waiting, whenever Jesus is now here?

That’s why the disciples of Jesus aren’t fasting - the king has come! The reason to celebrate is here! The party has begun. This is why Christians love to sing, why we’re joyful, because we know the difference that Jesus has made in our lives, and is making in our lives. If you’d like to know that joy for yourself, if you’d like to experience it for the first time, or all over again, then I’d be delighted to help you afterwards.

But notice what Jesus goes on to say in verse 20. He’s said that the disciples rejoice because Jesus is with them. ‘But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.’ Jesus was with the disciples for three years, teaching them, leading them, but then came the time when he was taken from them - Jesus is referring there to his death on the cross. Already, in just chapter 2, Jesus knows that he is on his way to the cross, taken away from his disciples, indeed abandoned by them, to die to take away their sins. Jesus knew what lay ahead for him. He knew that the disciples would fast and mourn in those days. But they were just a few days, while Jesus lay in the tomb. You see, Jesus’ death wasn’t the end of the story. He rose to new life, resurrection life, he lives today, and continues to give us his joy.

So why don’t Jesus’ disciples fast? Because Jesus, the bridegroom is with them, they have a reason to feast and celebrate and rejoice! But Jesus then goes further, to show that he isn’t in the business of mending and making do and fixing up - rather he is in the business of making all things new.

And to show us how Jesus makes all things new, he uses two everyday examples. Look at verse 21: ‘No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.’

So imagine that you’ve got a favourite T-shirt. And you’ve worn it a lot because you like it. And eventually, it has a hole in it. What do you do? Well here’s what you wouldn’t do. You wouldn’t get some new fabric, which hasn’t been shrunk before, and make a patch. Why? Because whenever you wash it for the first time, and every time afterwards, the new patch will shrink, and make a bigger tear! Just patching it up with some new cloth isn’t going to work. The new will destroy the old.

Or think about the second example in verse 22: ‘And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.’

These days, you normally get wine in glass bottles. At least, that’s how the Communion wine comes. But in the time of the New Testament, wine came in wineskins - leather containers which held the wine. So if you had new wine, Jesus says you don’t put it in an old wineskin - the old wineskin had already been used, it had been stretched to the limit as the wine fermented in it, and it may have become brittle. To put new wine into an old wineskin would risk bursting the wineskin and losing the wine. The solution to the problem? New wine goes in new wineskins.

Do you see what the two stories are pointing us towards? The new patch will tear the old garment. The new wine will burst the old wineskin. In both case, the new material and the new wine are for new things. And the old is to be left behind, discarded.

So what is Jesus saying? He’s saying that the old religious system - the Jewish ceremonies and things like fasting - they’re like the old garment and the old wineskins. but they can’t contain or handle or cope with the newness that Jesus brings, the newness of God’s kingdom.

The Pharisees and even John’s disciples were fasting, as they waited for the Christ to come. But Jesus the Christ has come - and he doesn’t really fit into the old categories in the same way. Jesus isn’t in the business of patching up the old ways; he brings in something new - the new wine of the kingdom of God.

And that’s what Jesus wants to do in our lives as well. Jesus isn’t interested in helping you patch up your life as it is - just a wee bit of help every so often; just a patch that you put on for Sunday mornings; just a bit of minor fixing up a few wee bits of your life. It won’t work. He’s not interested in that!

Jesus wants to make you new. Not by tackling a new years resolution (if you’re still going with it by now). But by making you new. Clothed in a new garment. Made a new wineskin, for him to fill with his new wine - the joy of his kingdom. Imagine that - a fresh start, a new way of living, a new identity as a follower of Jesus, a child of God.

Jesus came into the world, he died on the cross, so that you can have this fresh start, and can experience the joy of knowing him. It’s why the disciples weren’t fasting, waiting for God’s kingdom to come - they were already living in it. And you can share in this joy today, as you trust in Jesus and are made new.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 27th January 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 8: 1-18 The joy of the Lord is your strength

Marie Kondo is a professional decluttering advisor, who has written books on how to tidy up your home and to declutter any space in it. She recently launched a new TV series on Netflix, where she goes in to help people with the process of decluttering. I’m not entirely sure that I would buy into all that she advises - for instance, it seems that she says that you should only keep no more than 30 books. I’m not sure how I would manage with that bit! But when it comes to decluttering, here’s the question that she uses to help her clients decide whether to keep something or to get rid of it: Does it spark joy?

The reason I mention Marie Kondo is because that’s the very question that we’re asking tonight. Does it spark joy? You see, in our reading tonight, we come to what is probably the best known line from the whole book of Nehemiah. If you weren’t able to think of much else of what Nehemiah does or says, there’s a fair chance that you would know this line. It appears in modern Christian songs, it’s quoted in lots of Christian books, and it’s often seen in social media posts. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

But what does it mean? What did it mean when Nehemiah said it? And what might it mean for us, tonight in Richhill?

Last week at Cafe Church we were looking at happiness and how to be happy. And we saw how happiness depends on what happens, it can go up and down, whereas joy is that Christian virtue, that fruit of the Spirit, that continues to bear us up no matter what our circumstances. It’s a settled contentedness that comes from the Lord.

But to ask Marie Kondo’s question in a slightly different way - what is it that sparks this joy? How do we get this sort of joy in the first place?

The answer that Nehemiah 8 gives us may not sound like the most exciting answer. It might sound a wee bit boring, predictable, and unexciting. But it’s the answer that Nehemiah gives, and the whole Bible confirms: The joy of the Lord comes from hearing and understanding and obeying the word of God. That’s it. That’s what Nehemiah 8 will show us. But it’s far from routine. It is revolutionary - it was for the people of Nehemiah’s day, and it will be for us as well if we really hear and obey God’s word.

Our reading tonight describes a most remarkable week in the life of the city of Jerusalem. We’ve been watching as Nehemiah hears the report of the city when some of the people have returned from exile. The people in great trouble and disgrace, and the city walls broken down and the gates burned. So Nehemiah set out to build up the walls, and then to build up the people. His first task was completed, so then he set about building up the people.

And to do that, a great assembly is called on the first day of the seventh month. Verse 1 says: ‘all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.’ Everyone is gathered together, they’re all there, for just one purpose. They want to hear the ‘Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.’ (1).

Their desire is to have the first five books of the Old Testament read aloud to them - the Book of the Law of Moses. They want to hear God’s word. You see, in these days, not everyone would have been able to read. And very few would have had a copy of the Scriptures - certainly not like the easy access we have these days with Bibles galore and Bible apps on our phones. they wanted to hear God’s word. And that’s what Ezra gives to them.

The assembly gathers, ‘men and women and all who were able to understand’, in order to hear Ezra read for hours and hours from God’s word. Did you notice how long it was? ‘From daybreak till noon’. The seventh month is when we have September. And daybreak in September comes between 6.15am and 6.30am. (Isn’t the internet wonderful for all sorts of information!). So for at least five hours, Ezra reads, ‘And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.’

Verses 4 onwards tell us a bit more about the practical details of how it was all worked out. There’s a high wooden platform built for the occasion, so that Ezra can be seen and heard. The other priests in verse 4 are on either side of him.

Verses 5 and 6 tell us about the liturgical details, each of which show how the word is honoured and respected. So, earlier, you stood for the reading of the Gospel, and said the responses ‘Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ’ and ‘Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.’ Well here, in verse 5, when Ezra opens the book, the people stand up. As Ezra praises God, the people lift their hands and respond with Amen! Amen! Then they bow down and worship.

The Levites also have their part to play. They seem to be in and among the crowd, instructing the people in the Law. They’re reading from the Book of the Law, ‘making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.’ And, in a sense, that’s what we’re doing right now, and what we seek to do in every sermon - to read and then explain and apply God’s word, so that it’s clear and the meaning is given, and so that everyone can understand it. That’s why it’s good to have your Bible open in front of you, and it’s why there’s a lot of work goes into sermon preparation and writing.

In verse 9 we see the conclusion of the day’s events. The reading and explaining has been finished. So what is it that Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites say? ‘This day is sacred to the LORD your God. So not mourn or weep.’ This is a holy day, a sacred day, and so they say not to mourn or weep. Why do they say this? Well, because, as verse 9 continues: ‘For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.’

As they heard what God demanded of them, as they heard what the Law said, they were weeping, because they realised how far short of the standard they were. At high school I wasn’t terribly athletic (I know that’s hard to believe!) but I definitely didn’t like the high jump. The bar was set, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get over it. And the Law sets up a standard, but no one could keep it. And so the people weep and mourn. They’re aware of their failings.

But notice what Nehemiah also says as he says those famous words of his: ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’ (10).

There’s a contrast here - between the grieving and the joy. The people think they need to fast and grieve. But instead Nehemiah says that the Lord gives joy, that there’s a joy in hearing God’s word, that this day is special, that it should be kept with feasting, because they have heard God’s word. This joy is something only God can give, and it gives us strength for all that he calls us to do in response.

After the Levites have said the same, we see the effect in verse 12. ‘Then all the people went away to eat and drink, and to send portions of good and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.’ They go to feast and to share so that others can feast, because they celebrate with great joy. And why do they have this great joy? Because they understood God’s word.

Is there a danger that we’re so familiar with the Bible that we think we know it all already? Have we lost this joy, this amazing thrill of hearing and understanding God’s word? You remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their hearts burning as Jesus explained the scriptures to them. Have we ever had that good type of heartburn as we’ve really grasped what God is saying... to us?

Now, that was all day one. (Don’t worry, the other days will be briefer!) And on day two, verse 13, it’s a smaller gathering back for more Bible study. It’s not the whole assembly then, but it is the ‘heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.’

The leaders of the people are there to study the Bible. And as they read and study, they discover that God had commanded a special feast to be kept in that very month, on those very days. The feast of booths (or Tabernacles) was to remind the Israelites of how their ancestors had lived in tents during the wilderness years, on their way to the promised land. And so straight away, they hear and respond to God’s word - they obey it - and send the word out to everyone to come with branches to make booths to stay in for the week of the feast.

Everyone built their shelter - either on rooftop or courtyard or temple courts or in the city squares - and lived in it for the feast. It hadn’t been seen or experienced for a very long time - in fact, not since the days of Joshua son of Nun, when Israel first entered the promised land. ‘The Israelites had not celebrated it like this.’ And what happens when they do? ‘And their joy was very great.’ (17).

And so, for the whole seven days of the feast, Ezra reads from the Book of the Law of God. There is joy in hearing and understanding and obeying God’s word. Yet, as we’ve said, and know all too well, we can’t keep the Book of the Law. The standard is too high. It would be like having the pole vault height and having people try to high jump over it. None of us can do it.

But that’s why Jesus came into the world. He came to fulfil the demands of the Law. He perfectly obeyed every command on our behalf, and then took the punishment of the law-breaker. And why did he do it? Hebrews 12:2 - ‘for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.’ Jesus was focused on the joy set before him as he suffered on the cross. And in Jesus, we are offered the joy of the Lord to strengthen us. He gives us his joy so that it is just as if I’d never sinned, but had perfectly obeyed the word of the Lord.

Tonight we’re invited to share in the meal that celebrates his victory on the cross. In bread and wine, we marvel at his grace, that takes law-breakers and makes us law-keepers. Find in Jesus your sins forgiven and receive his perfect righteousness. Then rise from the table, determined to grow in the joy of the Lord, to find strength for the journey, as you hear and understand and obey God’s word.

Perhaps Marie Kondo’s question does make sense. Other possessions, even other books may or may not do it for us. But above all, as we take up our Bible, may we know for sure that it sparks joy in our minds and hearts and lives, because it is God speaking to us, calling us to follow and obey. The joy of the Lord is your strength. May this be so tonight, and always.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 20th January 2019.

Sermon: Mark 2: 13-17 Follow Me

If you could ask God one question, what would it be? That’s the question that’s asked at the beginning of the Christianity Explored course. And so participants come up with their questions for God, which will hopefully be answered through the seven-week course. As we dive back into Mark’s gospel after a break of almost a year, we discover that lots of people have lots of questions they want to ask Jesus.

So as you have the pew Bible open on page 1004, in Mark 2 there are four separate stories, four episodes, and each of them contains a question being asked of or about Jesus. In verse 7, the teachers of the law ask why Jesus is speaking blasphemy, claiming to be God, as he forgives sins. In a couple of weeks we’ll see verse 18 where there’s a question about the disciples not fasting, and then in verse 24, a question about why the disciples are breaking the Sabbath. Lots of questions for Jesus, all coming out of how people are reacting to his public ministry, and there’s another question in today’s reading.

It’s there in verse 16. ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’ That’s the question that is on the lips of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees. They’re asking why Jesus is eating with tax collectors and “sinners” because that is exactly what Jesus is doing - and they can’t get their heads around it.

We’ll come back to the question itself shortly, but first we need to see the context, to see why the question was being asked. As verse 13 opens, and Mark tells the story of Jesus, you wonder what is going to happen next. When you know the stories of Jesus, you’re aware of the possibilities. ‘Once again Jesus went out beside the lake.’ And you think to yourself - is this when he walks on water? is this when he goes in a boat and calms the storm? But this isn’t either of those times. They’ll come later on in the gospel.

Verse 13 continues, ‘A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.’ So, you might be expecting to hear what it was that Jesus was teaching them that day. We’ll maybe hear a parable or two. But again, that’s not what Mark is going to tell us about that day. It’s in verse 14 that we see what Mark is focusing in on:

‘As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.’

Jesus has a large crowd with him. There are loads of people around him. But Jesus is focused on this guy, Levi, sitting at his place of work. He wasn’t making jeans, he was... a tax collector.

Nobody really likes tax collectors. Oh, and by the way, a little public service reminder - if you do your Self-Assessment Tax Return, then you need to have it in and any tax paid by the end of January. But if you think that people don’t really like tax collectors now, people in New Testament times really didn’t like tax collectors.

You see, to be a tax collector then meant that you were working for the enemy. The Roman Empire were in charge, they had invaded and captured the land, but they employed locals to collect the taxes. So to be a tax collector you were a traitor. And you were probably on the take - charging whatever you could get away with, making a profit on the side.

Levi was... a tax collector. He was busy at his work when suddenly Jesus walks up to him and says, ‘Follow me.’ Jesus had said the same to the fishing brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John back in chapter 1. And they had done what Levi does here. ‘Levi got up and followed him.’

His tax collecting days are over. From this day on, he will follow Jesus, because Jesus has called him to follow him. Notice it wasn’t that Levi saw Jesus, and Levi decided he would go up to Jesus and follow him. No, it’s Jesus that takes the initiative; Jesus that issues the call; and Levi follows.

In verse 15, the scene has shifted. We’re no longer on the road. We’re in Levi’s house. Jesus is having dinner with Levi, but it’s not just the two of them. The guest list is a lot bigger. I imagine that it’s a bit like a big family dinner, you know, when the dining table is fully extended, and people are sitting on the normal chairs, the emergency spare chairs, the piano stool and anything else that means someone can sit at the dining table.

There’s Jesus and his disciples. And there’s Levi. And then there’s all the others who are invited to dinner. The ‘many tax collectors and “sinners” who were eating with him. A big dinner party. Perhaps you’ve thought about the question - if you could invite any three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would you invite? When people think of who they would have, it’s always famous people, their heroes, people like Winston Churchill or ... No one would want to have Levi and Jesus’ dining companions.

Do you see the way tax collectors and sinners go together? We see that three times in verses 15-16. Tax collectors were seen as outcasts, beyond the pale, but so too were sinners. These were people who everyone knew were bad, who didn’t bother to try to keep the religious rules. Tax collectors and sinners were regarded as bad as each other.

They weren’t up to the religious standards of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. The Pharisees looked down their noses at them. And so, in verse 16, when the Pharisees see Jesus eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they ask that question: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’

To eat with someone was to recognise them in friendship and partnership. So to eat with tax collectors and sinners was for Jesus to say that he was at ease with them, regarded them as friends. It was simply unthinkable to the religious Pharisees.

The question is asked of the disciples, but it’s Jesus who answers the question. He says: ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.’ (17)

Imagine that you call into the Health Centre tomorrow morning. Or, you try to get in, but there’s a huge crowd of people, all waiting to see the doctor. And, as you wait, you look around, and can’t seem to see anything wrong with the people in the queue. There isn’t anyone coughing or sneezing repeatedly. There are no obvious signs of anyone being ill. So you pluck up the courage, and start chatting to the person next to you. What are you here for? And the man says, Me, oh, I’m feeling really healthy today, in tip top condition. I’m just going to have a wee chat with the doctor about football. And the lady on the other side of you, she says, I’ve never felt better! I’m in perfect health. I’m wanting to talk about where I should go on holidays.

What would you want to say to them? You’re wasting the doctor’s time! They’re not here for you to come and socialise if you’re healthy! There are sick people they need to see. If you’re healthy, then you don’t need the doctor - not when there are sick people.

Isn’t that what Jesus is saying here? He makes the same contrast in two different ways. There’s the contrast between healthy people and sick people. And there’s the contrast between righteous people and sinners.

Just as it’s the sick people who need the doctor, so it’s the sinners who need the Saviour. This is the reason why Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. They know they’re sick with sin, and they know they need a Saviour. Did you notice in verse 15, at the end of the verse, ‘for there were many who followed him.’ Levi was one, but there were many other tax collectors and sinners who followed Jesus. They knew they needed Jesus, and they were glad to follow him.

So if the tax collectors and sinners are the ‘sick’ who need a doctor, who are the healthy people, the righteous? It’s clear that Jesus is saying that the Pharisees think that they’re healthy, think that they’re righteous (in right standing with God), and therefore don’t need Jesus. They thought that they were ok by themselves and their efforts.

And maybe today, you find yourself with the Pharisees? You try hard to keep the rules. You try hard to never miss church. You think that you’re righteous. The truth is, though, that none of us are righteous by ourselves. None of us can earn our way. We all fall short of God’s glory, in so many different ways. We are all sin-sick, needing a Saviour.

The good news is that that’s why Jesus came. He didn’t come to call the righteous; he came to call sinners. He came to call Levi, and the other tax collectors and sinners. And he came to call you, and me.

Will you hear his voice? Will you follow him?

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 13th January 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 7: 1-73 Registering Returnees

We’ve had almost two years of President Trump, and already the talk is of who the candidates will be for the next Presidential election in November 2020. You may remember that one of Trump’s big campaign promises was that he would ‘Build a wall’ on the Mexican border. Two years on, he doesn’t really seem to be making much progress on his promise.

In contrast, over the autumn term we were watching as Governor Nehemiah returned to the city of Jerusalem, ready to build a wall. The city wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates burned with fire. That was the case since Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylons had invaded, taking the people of Jerusalem away in exile. Nehemiah had heard about it all from his place in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire - the empire that had conquered Babylon.

And so, over the first six chapters of his book, we’ve seen how he determined to build up the wall, to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, to again make it the place of God’s glory. We’ve listened in to his prayers of confession and intercession; we’ve watched him make the long journey home’ we’ve witnessed him hard at work with many of the residents of the city; and we’ve seen him respond to the barrage of threats that came against him.

So, when we read in Nehemiah 6:15 that the wall was completed in fifty-two days, we might think to ourselves: ‘Job done.’ Quicker, and better than the US President. You could say that Nehemiah trumped Trump. And you might think to yourself, so, is the rest of the book just about how Nehemiah took a great big rest, sat with his feet up and enjoyed a cup of tea as he looked out at the city wall he had built?

Well, we’ve already read chapter 7 tonight, and as you’ve probably noticed, sitting down and taking a rest was the last thing on Nehemiah’s mind. Even the opening words of 7:1 show us that there’s more to come: ‘After the wall had been rebuilt...’ Finishing the wall was not the finish of Nehemiah’s work. But then, if you remember, it wasn’t the only reason he was downcast in the first place.

Flick back to 1:3 and you see what it was that caused Nehemiah to weep: ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’

It wasn’t just the wall that was broken down, it was the people who were broken down. And it was always Nehemiah’s hope and wish and prayer that he would build up the people as well as building up the city. So while the city came first, because they needed a place of safety and shelter, the city wasn’t all that he had come to put right.

Maybe you’ve been putting together a list of jobs to be done in the new year. Putting the Christmas tree away. Tidying out a particular cupboard or room. Doing a spot of decorating. And it’s with great satisfaction that you tick it off. But with one job done, there’s always another waiting for you. So here, Nehemiah has the wall built, but from tonight on, we see that he tackles his second to-do item on the list - build up the people of the city.

‘After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.’ (1) With the gates in place, you need some gatekeepers - the people who will guard and defend the gates. To oversee them, Nehemiah appoints Hanani over the city, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. But Hanani’s appointment isn’t nepotism, or family favouritism - it’s because ‘he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.’ These were the qualities Nehemiah was looking for - integrity and the fear of the Lord.

The overseers are given instructions for the gates not to be opened until the sun is hot. (Some commentators reckon this might mean that the gates are to be closed during the siesta in the noonday sun). More guards were to be appointed, some at their posts and some near their own houses. There was no point building walls if the gates were going to be left open and unguarded. So safety and security is under control.

But go back for a moment to the other people Nehemiah appointed. Alongside the gatekeepers were the singers and the Levites. Was it an audition like The Voice which is on TV on Saturday nights? Were they looking for the next pop star? Well, no, these singers were appointed to sing God’s praise in the temple. King David had originally put singers in the temple, and so here Nehemiah is re-establishing true worship. That’s also the case with the Levites - men of the tribe of Levi who weren’t priests, but who served in the temple. Nehemiah is building up the people through providing security and spirituality.

But do you see how the two parts of Nehemiah’s work - building up the city walls and the people go together? Look at verse 4: ‘Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.’ A big city, lots of space, but it could hardly be a city if it has no people. The people need to be built up. And that’s what Nehemiah turns to do:

‘So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:’ (5)

God puts it on Nehemiah’s heart to gather the people, to assemble them, so that they can be registered. Nehemiah is seeing who he has to work with - the people that God has given to him. But if you look closely at verse 5, the list of unpronounceables here is an older list - of those who had been the first to return. And this is almost exactly word for word and number for number the same list as you find in Ezra chapter 2. There are some slight differences in spelling, and some different numbers. But it’s essentially the same list. And what does it tell us?

It tells us that God was faithful. He had promised that a remnant would return from exile, and this big long list is a record of the people who returned again to their promised land - all 42,360 of them, besides 7337 servants and 245 singers.

It tells us that God was not finished with the Jewish people. He had promised that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, and the tribe is still going, with Zerubbabel (7) and the men of Bethlehem (26) mentioned. The family line of David through to Jesus was still on course.

It tells us that people matter to God. Every person, whoever they were descended from (8-25), wherever they came from (26-38), or whatever their role in the temple sacrifices and worship (priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, Solomon’s servants v39-60), every person mattered and was counted.

It tells us that Gentiles were being included among the people of God. In verse 61 we see the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda, who couldn’t prove their descent from Israel, but who were part of the people.

And it tells us that the purity of the priesthood was vitally important. You see that in verse 63, where the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai can’t find their family records, and so are excluded from the priesthood as being unclean. They couldn’t have just anybody serving as a priest in the temple. Its purity was important.

So almost 50,000 people have returned to Jerusalem and Judah, according to this list of Ezra, and copied by Nehemiah. God’s promises are on track. And yet the city was broken down, and these returned people weren’t much better - in great trouble and disgrace. They need to built up just as much as the city needed to be built up.

But notice that they were generous, they were willing to contribute to the work of the Lord. The governor, and the heads of the families, and the rest of the people give freely and willingly to the Lord’s work - thousands of drachmas of gold, thousands of minas of silver, bowls, and garments for the priests.

But as the closing verses tell us, the people went to settle in their own towns. The people are spread out across Judah, and the city is spacious and fairly empty. There’s more work to be done. But Nehemiah has made a start. He didn’t rest on his laurels. He needs to build up the people of Judah, so that the promised Son of David, the Lion of Judah, could come and rescue his people.

Through Nehemiah’s work, God is at work. And through the things that we do, our feeble efforts, our stumbling attempts, God is at work to bring in his people, to populate his eternal city, to ensure that the people he has elected and chosen and called will indeed be brought in. When the roll is called up yonder, will you be there?

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 6th January 2019.

Sermon: Matthew 2: 1-12 The Wise Men's Gospel Gifts

This morning we’re focusing on the arrival of the three wise men. But have you ever stopped to consider what would have happened if it had been three wise women who had come to see the baby Jesus?

They would have asked for directions and not got lost.

They would have arrived on time, not up to two years afterwards.

They would have made a casserole, and cleaned the stable.

They would have brought practical gifts, not the strange items the men brought.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding these visitors from the east. Who were they? How many of them were there? But perhaps the most mysterious thing about them is the gifts they bring to the baby. I mean, if you hear of a friend or family member who has given birth, you’re not going to rush out to the shops to buy the baby some gold, frankincense and myrrh, are you?

There are a thousand and one things that would be more practical and useful for a baby - baby clothes, nappies, towels, bibs, toys, the list could go on and on. So why do these wise men bring these gifts? In verse 11, their treasures and opened, and they present him with gold, incense and myrrh - or, as was heard at a Nativity one time, gold, Frankenstein and a mirror.

They are strange gifts, and yet, they turned out to be useful, given that the next day the family of Jesus would be fleeing for their lives to Egypt - these precious gifts could be sold to pay for their food and lodging. But while they are still strange gifts, yet they tell the story of this baby. The gifts are a telling of the gospel. So let’s consider each of them in turn, to see what they tell us about this special baby.

The first one is obvious enough. Gold, for a king. It’s the question on the lips of the wise men when they first appear in verse 2: ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?’

They had come searching for the newborn King, which is why they landed at the king’s palace in Jerusalem. As we saw last week, though, Herod wasn’t too happy to hear their question. It means there is a rival ruler around. And notice that they don’t ask ‘where is the one who has been born and one day will be king of the Jews?’ When Prince William was born, he was automatically second in line to the throne, one day, by God’s will, he will be king. But he wasn’t already king when he was born.

But here the wise men ask where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? The baby is already King. The gold is a recognition of the baby’s place as king of kings and lord of lords. The wise men come to worship, but did you notice that the people in Jerusalem weren’t bothered about the good news.

They were disturbed about it, but they weren’t overjoyed about it. The chief priests and teachers of the law can answer the Bible quiz question: ‘where will the Messiah be born?’ But they don’t bother to go with the wise men to see their long-promised king. Will we be found with the wise wanderers who worship? Or the precocious priests who prevaricate by staying away?

So first out of the treasure chest is gold, fit for a king. The second gift might be less obvious, but it also makes sense. We’ll sing in a few moments of ‘we three kings’ but they were wise men, as verse 1 says, ‘Magi from the east’. That word, magi, suggests a link to magicians, and magic arts. In the original form, they would have been the king’s wise men, advisors and astrologers who observed the skies. Tradition (not found in the Bible) names these three wise men as Casper, Melchior and Balthasar. Who knows if they’re right. But we know for certain the name of another of the magi from an older generation - Daniel.

Daniel (of whom we have the biblical book) was one of the wise men of Babylon (and later of the Medes and Persians). In Daniel 9 we read of how Daniel is reading the Scriptures, the prophecy of Jeremiah, and realises that the time of exile of 70 years is coming to an end, and that prompts him to pray.

It seems that the wise men of the Persian kingdom held on to Daniel’s scriptures. Our Old Testament reading (Isaiah 60) pointed forward to the coming of a new king, one in whom the glory of the Lord is present, to whom nations and kings will come. And in that very passage we even find a suggested gift list for those who come to worship: ‘And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.’ (Is 60:6).

Gold and (frank)incense, declaring the praise of the LORD (that is, of God). Frankincense is the sign of divinity - the sign that this is no ordinary baby, that this is God who has come to earth. You see, in the Old Testament, frankincense was used in the temple offerings as an odour pleasing to the LORD (e.g. Leviticus 2:1).

but it was even more exclusive than that. In Exodus 30, the LORD is instructing Moses on how to set up the tabernacle and begin the sacrifices and priestly ministry of Levi and his sons. Frankincense is used to make the incense of the tabernacle (and later temple). This perfume couldn’t be bought on the high street or used for anybody else. It was only to be used by the priests, in the place of worship, for God alone.

The baby is a king, but he is also God with us - as shown by the frankincense. This is your God. Will you worship him?

But what about the third gift? The myrrh is perhaps the strangest of the three. Sometimes I have to go into a Yankee Candle shop. The blend of smells and fragrances can be overpowering. But if you take a deep breath, and hold it as long as you can, then you can just about survive until you get out of it! But in those kinds of shops you get all sorts of smells. Christmas candles with cinnamon, or cranberry and orange; regular candles that smell of fluffy towels, or lavender, or baby powder. Any number to choose from. But you definitely wouldn’t have chosen to buy a myrrh candle. Myrrh was the smell of death.

Imagine bringing a little baby something that smells of death? It’s almost unthinkable - as you celebrate a new life to have a reminder of death in your nostrils. You see, myrrh was used in the ceremonies of death in Jesus’ day. It was part of the spices used as the body was wrapped in the shroud, ready to be laid in the tomb. And in John 19 we’re told that Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds weight of the stuff for the burial of Jesus.

So even as Jesus is born, as the baby is growing, and these strange visitors appear, this gift is pointing to the reason he was born. The King who is God with us, was born to die. Already his path to the cross is marked out. His death is already present as he begins his life.

The King, God with us, dies - dies for us. This is the gospel, the good news of Jesus. He who had no sin; he who deserved to be worshipped and praised; he stepped down into this world to die for our sin.

We don’t know how much of this the wise men really understood, but they went on a costly journey, to bring costly gifts, to bow down and worship the baby king. They were the first Gentiles to come and worship, but they are by no means the last, as men and women from every tribe and tongue hear the good news and respond in the same way - to bow the knee and worship King Jesus.

The wise men’s gifts tell us the gospel story. Jesus is the king - will you surrender to him? Jesus is God - will you worship him? Jesus is the one who died and rose again for your sins - will you receive his forgiveness?

This morning, on the first Sunday of a new year, you are invited to the table. Come in obedience to your king who calls you! Come and worship your God! Come in thankfulness that Jesus died to take away your sins - all of them - to give you a new start.

As the old car bumper sticker says: ‘Wise men worshipped Jesus. They still do.’ Will you be wise today?

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on the Feast of the Epiphany, Sunday 6th January 2019.

On Blogging

We're coming up on fourteen years since my first foray into the world of blogging on this site. Originally called The Thoughts of a Random Ordinand, it became the Reverend Garibaldi McFlurry following my ordination. For a while I've been thinking about this blog and the purpose it serves. And today, having seen the start of Tim Challies' new series on blogs and blogging, it has prompted me to get back into proper blogging.

While it's good to be able to share my sermons here - and that's what the majority of the blog traffic is coming for - it would be good to get back into other forms of writing which aren't just my sermons and Bible talks. So perhaps there'll be some book reviews, creative writing, and other thoughts on ministry, life and culture. We'll see how we get on, but consider this a new year's resolution of some kind or another. Watch this space!