Grace Community Church Listen Again

We can’t measure our talent by comparing ourselves with someone else. God is asking us to be faithful with the talents we’ve been given. A stage show — such as a musical — has a lot of people that are not the main performers, without whom the show would be a lot less exciting.

Being part of the kingdom of God requires us to handle our treasure in a way that may seem counter-cultural to the world we live in. We are encouraged as believers to offer our ​‘first fruits’ to God, as an act of faith and worship. Rather than be motivated by external pressure to give, our motives should flow from the internal and eternal realms. Money is very often a test case for what’s going on in our hearts — where our devotion goes, our money will follow.

After Paul had brought his message to the new churches around the Mediterranean, he returned to collect money. He suggested that, with their help, they were joining in with the "serving of the saints". Interestingly, in his instructions, Paul is not legalistic. He does not suggest an amount or a percentage, rather he is urging these new Christians to respond as a reflection of their understanding of God's goodness. He is more interested that they give with their hearts aligned rather than it being an adherence to a rule or law.

Reading the "Feeding of the Five Thousand" opens up a number of questions that encourages us to look at Jesus' heart for his people. When they see the problem of all the hungry people they turn to Jesus for help but, to their surprise, he turns the table and asks them to do something. They are compelled to present the only food they have. Though meagre, it is everything. For Jesus it wasn't about how much they had but how willing they were to give it. In contrast the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18 is left sad because, even though he kept all the commandments and led a good life, Jesus asked him to give up everything in order to follow him. In this story it's clear that the young man didn't own money — rather the money owned him. Tithing suggests we give 10 percent but Jesus compels us to be faithful with 100.

In scripture we are encouraged to be faithful with our time, talent and treasure. The question that we all have cause to ask is: how do we steward our money and resources in the best way possible? Does it mean tithing a set percentage, or could there be more to it? In Genesis 14 we have the first introduction to the concept of tithing, and this concept set the pattern for Christian giving that is still used by many today. Abraham learned that giving had a lasting impact on future generations, the blessing of God was not just for him but to all who came after him too. As we consider our own giving and the legacy we are leaving behind, perhaps the question should be ​‘How can we be faithful with it all?’, not just our tithe, but all our resources. Is there a way we can raise the bar on stewarding our time, treasure and talent so the blessing will be on our future generations?

Life does not progress on a linear timeline, but rather it zigs and zags, perhaps even moving in circles sometimes! In Ecclesiastes our attention is drawn to the fact that our life is like a mist or vapour, which passes by quickly. So how do we acknowledge, accept and redeem that fact? Every moment in life could be pregnant with possibility, but we need to learn how to engage in the ordinary moments in between the extraordinary. Just like a couple dancing, one person must have an awareness of the other and awareness of the music in order to respond creatively. What would it look like for us to have an awareness of the extraordinary while living in the ordinary realm of everyday life?

Sometimes when we face difficulties and trials in life, we explore every avenue before we enquire of the Lord. In the stories of Nehemiah and Daniel we see that they acknowledged the turmoil their communities were in and they fasted. It is in these examples that we have a precedent of how to deal with the problems in our communities today. In order to bring ​‘Kingdom Solutions’ to these problems, we need to rend our hearts and align ourselves with the heart of the Father.

Stewarding our time well. Sometimes, in order to move forward, we need to be able to carry our past well. Writing a new chapter is not the same as starting a new book. What goes before shapes who we are today. However, we should never be defined by feelings such as shame. Life is not linear. Instead, it’s more like a spirograph.

The journey the magi took to visit Jesus was long and risky. Because of their knowledge, Herod sent them to find Jesus and report back so he could ​“worship him”. Of course, his real motivation was jealousy. For the magi, however, their encounter with Jesus changed them. So much so that they went back to their home country via a different path. It’s impossible to encounter Jesus and not be changed.

It’s the time of Ahaz, King of Judah. Jerusalem is under threat from Damascus, Syria and Samaria. The threat causes the people under Ahaz to become terrified. Isaiah has been sent with a word. He says, keep calm, don’t be afraid, don’t lose heart. This prophecy came true for Ahaz, but its effect was for a time. 700 years later a little boy, born of a virgin, appeared to fulfil the words from prophecies such as those in Isaiah. This time, the effect was going to be eternal.

The Gift of Waiting is that we quiet ourselves to hear what the Father is doing. There will be a time when the parched land will rejoice. There will be a time when the dry wilderness will blossom. The weak will be strengthened. The fearful will be comforted. The blind shall see. The deaf shall hear. The lame shall walk. We look forward to the time of John the Baptist: a time that Isaiah prophesied about. John was the voice in the wilderness, a voice proclaiming a new hope. In Matthew 11, John’s in prison as punishment for rebuking King Herod. Why he’s there he hears about the deeds of Jesus. He asks the disciples to confirm if this was indeed the Messiah. They are able to say, yes, Jesus is indeed fulfilling the vision given to Isaiah. The weak are strengthened, the fearful comforted, the blind get their sight back, deaf are able to hear and the lame are walking. Even more than that, the dead are being risen to life!

In Isaiah 11 we learn of the Branch from the line of Jesse, that would one day bear fruit. This prophecy was spoken at a time of great societal injustice, where hope was hard to find and oppression was rife. Isaiah is reimagining a world where the Messiah would come and rescue the oppressed, stand up for justice and love the widow and the orphan. Perhaps there is a call on us today, to also be that champion who raises the banner of justice, loving those within our community and bringing a message that Hope is here.

It’s not yet Christmas. We’re in Advent. A time for waiting. In week one of four, we look at the prophetic words in Isaiah 2. It’s over 700 years before Christ, but there are already hints of what kind of kingdom Jesus will introduce to the world. The mood changes from war to peace. Weapons are being refashioned into gardening tools. The time of conflict is moving over to make way for a time of settling and growth. In the West we are not waging physical war, as such, but often we are engaged in war of words. Social media shows a public square that is more interested in being right, rather than cultivating relationship.

In the hundreds of years after the birth of the Church, men (like Constantine), changed the order by introducing hierarchies. Sadly many of these developments undermined the original vision for the church, specifically the grass rootedness. The Bible portrays a different approach to church structure. One where all generations play an equal part. Read, for instance, the story of the jailer in Acts 16. When he came to faith his entire household were baptised. All the people in his family were welcomed into the household of God. One figure that highlights the status-less nature of the body of Christ is Stephanus. First mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:16. Easy to miss: the verse is almost a side-note. At the end of the letter, he and his servants (Fortunatus and Achaicus) are commended for the work they’d done in the Corinthian church.

God and humanity The story of Adam is a story of how man tried to be God rather than aspire to be like him. The relationship between God and man was broken. However, as God loved us, his desire was to bring us back into relationship. That meant, for our part, confession. Confession is essential to healing a relationship. It restores trust and it brings us down to a level where we can more fully understand each other Person to person In a similar way, our relationships need work. Often strained relationships are a result of a loss of trust. Forgiveness is a great way for the aggrieved to start the journey of recovery. Confession is where both sides can start to make honest progress. It is possible that a confessional relationship can be even stronger than before. Rupture and repair In Judaism, as people aim to repair a relationship, the ​“apology” is not the first thing that’s said. How often do we even try to skirt a true apology by saying, ​“I’m sorry if…”. The repair means we name the problem, understan

Does it feel extremely difficult or too radical to keep the Sabbath? Perhaps that’s why we need it, now more than ever. In our fast-paced modern culture, we struggle with periods of rest and inactivity. However, scripture clearly teaches that having one day to rest, replenish and cease our normal activities is essential for good healthy living. Our mental, physical and spiritual health will all benefit from a regular habit of Sabbath. It is an invitation from the Father to reconnect with him, to rest our minds and bodies in communion with him. A basic template for Sabbath might look like: Stop Rest Delight Worship You will hear from David and Jaci as they share their own experiences of Sabbath and what they understand God’s design for it to be.

Baptism can take many forms in our modern church today. Full Immersion, infant baptism, ​‘sprinkling’ to name a few. While our opinion on these may differ, and we each may have our own preference, perhaps the mode or form of baptism is secondary to the declaration of faith that it stands for? A nurturing community and church family appear to be essential in watering the seed that baptism represents in our lives. We are baptised into community, and as we follow the example of Jesus in practising baptism, we continue to move further along on our journey as part of the family of God.

Justice: 'Mishpat' / Neil Dawson by Grace Community Church

The Holy Spirit can be described as the Breath or Wind of God, that fills all those who know and love him. Sometimes that breath can be soft and gentle, or sometimes powerful and supernatural. Often the work of the Holy Spirit is a mystery to us, but we can have faith that it is always at work, in and through us. The work of the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the heart of the Father, ultimately leading us to love as God loves.

When we sit at the table we encounter God in a physical sense. The bread is a proclamation of the past: a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It causes us to stop, pause, look back and remember. The focus is taken off us, and moved onto him. The wine is a proclamation of the present and the future. It’s blood that carries and sustains life. It represents covenant and promise. Often the question comes up as to who is worthy to partake. The immature cause splits, divisions and cliques around their respective opinions. The mature will overlook offence and faults in order to maintain the unity of the bride.