Sermon delivered at united service
Moving forward with God and leaving the baggage behind
John 17:6-26
Sermon outline
Introduction: Thank you for coming this evening in response to a call to be united in worship. Since a week of prayer last January, I’ve been convinced that God has wanted to bring healing to the churches/Christians of Wincanton and whilst I was in hospital last year He seemed to confirm it. Hence the reason for this evening. At the beginning of the year I think we need to look at three questions: What we share? What we should be? And what solders is together? All of which can be found in our reading from what is known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17. The answers and the reality should challenge us all?
Firstly,
What we share (vs.6-19)? We have the knowledge that all Jesus spoke and did was from the Father. From Scripture we know that Jesus was sent by the Father and that we need to accept His words. I must say that during the last six months, particularly whilst I was in hospital Jesus’ words were and are a source of strength for each eventuality. This resource is something we can share with each other. Jesus says that all of us who come to faith in Him are God’s and if we are God’s then we belong to Jesus. Therefore, as through faith in Jesus we have received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:), we share a triple security in life and death, which is far more valuable than any insurance we can purchase in this world. Our futures are secure from the devil and His forces of evil. We share a commission to go and tell the good news of Jesus, to make disciples and teaching them all that we have learnt from those through whom God taught us (Matthew 28:19).
Let’s take time to celebrate what we have achieved together during the past year – we have studied and learnt together during Lent, we have worked together to establish Play and Praise, the after school club, held in Wincanton Primary and the chaplaincy in King Arthur’s. These things would have been far less, if they could have even started, if we were not prepared to work together. Let’s rejoice in these examples of what we should do together.
What we should be (vs.20-23)? Jesus prayed that all believers should be one as He and the Father are one. The God, in three persons whom we worship is centred on relationship and as His followers we should take this seriously. There is no suggestion that individual Christians can be as effective as possible on their own. We are called to fellowship. The tragedy is that the history of Christianity in this area has not been built on unity. When John Wesley came to Wincanton he described it as one of the darkest areas he has visited. Looking at the history of the Baptist Church. It was started by a group who left the United Reform Church, which has since closed, to join/start an Independent Chapel, which they later left to form the Baptist Church. It appears some left the Baptist Church to form the Community Church. The common theme seems to have been a feeling that congregations had become more socially focused than mission centred. There will have also been individuals who have joined churches outside Wincanton to worship, despite living in Wincanton. There will be those in our churches who criticise the leadership, or are desperate for change. All of these can be signs of division, which are seen by those outside the church. And yet Jesus prays that we be one as our God is one in three persons. There is nothing wrong in travelling to worship in another church, nor to advocate change in a congregation as long as the motivation is God centred and not me-centred.
In a previous church the ministers in the town met monthly and most agreed to let each other know if someone moved from one congregation to another. We saw our role as being responsible for the town , rather than just our congregation. We also encouraged transfers to ensure things were sorted out in the previous church before moving. The aim was to leave any baggage behind. When people move without doing so they often take hurt with them. This can manifest itself in criticism of the previous church or people in it. The problem with criticism is that spiritually it affects the critic as much as the one(s) criticised and this, if not dealt with can affect the new church joined, or at the least the individual, couple, or group that move. More importantly, such criticism whether resulting in a move, or expressed by those remaining in the church can leave the door open for the devil, the enemy of God and the church to wreak havoc. Where there is a difference between what we should be and how we are we need to come to the cross, ask Jesus’ forgiveness and for a fresh infilling of the Spirit to give us the strength to turn back to God’s will and to be used in the building of His church in this place in our generation. Sometimes we need to be open to our Lord showing us through the illumination of the Spirit to confessing the sins of the past committed by our spiritual ancestors as well as those committed by ourselves. In other words we should ask God to bring down, or prompt us to bring down all the barriers between who we are as church and what we should be.
Finally,
What solders us together (vs.24-26)? Jesus prays that we will be soldered together by the love that God expressed for His Son, that through a relationship with Jesus we have in us. That means we are prepared to put others needs and the glory of God before ourselves. This is certainly counter cultural and the more we do it the more the glory of God will be seen. For too long the church has been seen by society as a number of different congregations competing rather than working together. The love of God should enable us to celebrate each other’s successes, to support each other practically and in prayer. At this point I want to ask that you would take my thanks and those of my family and the Baptist Church for your prayers back to your congregations. There have also been offers of practical help from different congregations, which have humbled me. This is all an expression of that love that Jesus promises will hold us together. The challenge to do together what we cannot do alone and to celebrate what the individual congregations can do on their own is great, but the needs of those in this area who do not know Jesus is even greater. His love will never be defeated, but He chooses to work through us. We will be more effective servants if we love one another, because when people see this characteristic in us they will know we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34-35).
Conclusion: Having considered together what Jesus prays that we should share, what we should be and what solders us together, how are we going to respond…you and me?
I want to confess that there have been times when I have been envious of the Community Church’s children’s and youth work. The only thing that has turned that around has been prayer for those involved and for it to be successful…even to get involved by supporting them in their Holiday Bible Club. What about you? Let’s for a time be still and open ourselves to the Lord to see what He would say to us individually and corporately….