Sermon, Pray Always, 16/10/16, St Marks Cygnet

Sermon: Pray Always, 16/10/16

Luke 18: 1-14, 2 Timothy 3: 10-4: 5, Jeremiah 31: 27-34

Today’s gospel reading consists of two parables which Jesus told, to teach his followers about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

The first parable is about persistence in prayer.  It tells of the humblest of persons, a widow, who had been wronged and was seeking justice. Perhaps she’d been swindled, or robbed, we aren’t told. She was powerless because of her place in society, yet she knew that she deserved justice and she knew the only way to get it was through the judge. We are told he was corrupt, he was not interested, yet through her persistence she won the justice she had begged for. Jesus may have startled his listeners by comparing God with the corrupt judge, but I think he wanted us to focus on the persistence and faith that the widow had, that eventually she would be given what she needed. She didn’t give up and her petition was granted.

I think Jesus also wanted us to think, well, if a rotten corrupt judge will answer the pleadings of a humble person, how much more will our heavenly father who loves us, listen and answer us.

It can be very disheartening to pray and feel we are not being heard.

Mind you, God’s ways are not our ways and the answer that we receive may not be what we expected. But it will be the answer from the Father who loves us.

 Pray always and do not lose heart

The second parable tells us something about how to pray: from the heart, directly to God and tell it like it is. The Pharisee was praying loudly and publicly to the people around him more than to God. He was informing God about his righteousness and his contempt for those who were not as good as he in keeping God’s law. In contrast, the tax collector stood before God, his eyes cast down. He did not supply God with a list of his virtues, rather he assumed that God knew the worst about him. He just asked for forgiveness. Jesus said that this man went home forgiven and justified, which means right with God. I’m sure his heart felt very much lighter! It doesn’t take a lot of words to say sorry and ask for forgiveness, but it must come from the heart.

Those who humble themselves will be exalted and those who exalt themselves will be humbled.

Pray always and do not lose heart.

In our services and at home we offer intercessory prayers-in these we are asking God for some things that we and others need.

I’ve been reading a little about belief in intercessory prayers in the history of our church. During the 1800s as more and more became known about how nature works, what causes the weather, what causes diseases, crop failures, and so on, some gave up on intercessory prayer. They thought that, for example, praying for rain to end a drought was pointless, because rainfall depended on a complex set of meteorological conditions, not on God deciding to send rain when his people asked for it.

 

The Anglican bishop of Melbourne, bishop Moorhouse in the 1870s caused a furor when he wouldn’t join with the leaders of the other faiths to pray for rain to end a drought. Rather, he said, we should agitate for construction of dams and sensible planning for water usage. A practical man. He was right in one way-I think God expects us to do everything we can to help ourselves and others. But he was wrong in believing that God would not hear the prayers of his people and answer them. I believe that God answers the prayers of his people in the wisest way. The answer was not immediate rain because there was a severe drought in Victoria in the 1880s. But it brought about something they needed more:  the impetus to plan and build dams and irrigation channels for the future. In the short term, perhaps they began to share water with neighbours and to help one another financially through the drought. All good outcomes of prayer.

We may pray for healing for a friend who is very ill, but sometimes the healing that comes in answer to our prayer is different from what we expect: perhaps it is the healing of family rifts as all are drawn together by a common bond of love for the person who is ill. I have seen a person dying but filled with the joy of finally seeing all of her loved ones standing together and talking at last.

Moorhouse shared the belief of many at the time and now, of a remote creator God, who set the laws of nature going then stepped back and interfered no more. I don’t believe God is like that. I believe God answers prayers, giving us what we need, which may be not what we think it is. After all, God interfered, big time, in the affairs of humans in the incarnation. Thoughout his life, Jesus showed us how God bends the laws of illnesses, paralysis, stormy seas, and death itself, to intervene in the world, because of his overwhelming love of humanity and of creation.

I believe he intervenes all the time by answering our prayers.  Otherwise Jesus would not have told us and modeled prayer for us:  pray always. He gave us the Lord’s prayer as a model for the sort of words to use, and to show what we can pray for. He spent hours in prayer himself. He gave us the illustrations in today’s gospel of how to pray and how not to pray.

We must trust in the wisdom of God to answer our prayers in the best way. Thinking practically, it’s likely that every person who is dying has someone praying that they may live. We know that this would not be a helpful outcome for the population of the planet. Continuing our practical thinking, there are laws of nature, that is why we have earthquakes and tsunamis and volcanic eruptions and floods and droughts: God created these laws of nature to give us the world in which we live, we would not have a habitable planet without them. Yet these natural disasters can cause suffering and death. We may pray to be spared from them, but all are necessary in the shaping and renewal of our planet. We cannot see the big picture that God sees, so we must trust in his wisdom to answer our prayers in the best way. Even so, sometimes, it seems, out of love and compassion God breaks his own rules when his beloved people call upon him. Rainfall comes unexpectedly. Survivors are pulled from landslide rubble days after hope is lost-prayers are answered. In answer to our prayers after disasters we see the bravery and compassion of the rescuers, the generosity of the aid agencies and their supporters, the medicos. God answers our prayers in God’s own wise ways, and we need to be alert to see those answers.

Some say their prayers are not answered and give up. There may be some reasons for thinking this:

 

·       Are we asking for the wrong things?

We often finish our intercessions by saying that we ask these things in Jesus’ name. That means that we ask just as Jesus would ask for this thing from God. So for example, we might pray that God will comfort our friend whose mother has died, and we ask it in Jesus’ name. For we know that Jesus sought to comfort those who are in mourning and so we know he will be with us, joining in our request to God.

We might bring before God the suffering of the people of Syria. Perhaps we don’t even know what would be the best outcome for them, but we know that Jesus understands and cares about the way children and poor people suffer at the hands of military forces and uncaring rulers. So we can be confident that he will join in our prayer to God, when we ask in his name.

Sometimes, often even, we don’t know what the best outcome is. So we can simply pray for the best outcome. I often do this when a person is nearing the end of a painful illness, when death itself and going to be with the Lord may be the best possible outcome. So we pray for God in his wisdom to bring about the best possible outcome and trust him. It may be recovery or it may be death, but our prayers are answered.

So when we pray about winning the next Lotto, or even the footy Grand final it is not likely that Jesus would be joining with that prayer. Are they the sort of things Jesus would ask of his Father God? No! We really cannot pray such a prayer in Jesus’ name, so the chances of receiving the answers we seek are rather slim.

Intercessory prayer is asking God for what we need, for ourselves and for others. It lets God know what’s on our hearts and that we have faith that God cares and will answer.

But there are other kinds of prayer which we often neglect.

Communication with God needs to be two way, as it does in any meaningful relationship. In order to hear God speaking to us, we have to stop talking every now and then and listen. Switch off the Smart phone, let the phone call go through to message bank and turn off the telly. Sit in silence, focus on a picture, or a candle or some quiet music, whatever helps us to banish gently the thoughts about what to have for dinner, what I should be doing instead of sitting here. Doing nothing, sitting in silence can be hard, we are not used to it. Reciting a mantra, or breath prayer can help the focus: for example, Lord Jesus Christ, grant me your peace, over and over in time with our breathing, helps to still the mind. I particularly like: be still and know that I am God. Over and over, for some minutes, in time with your breathing. That’s meditating. It takes practice to keep from distracting thoughts, but it’s very refreshing and allows us to listen to what God might be trying to say to us. Gently push aside all the intrusive worries and thoughts about dinner. With practice you can build up from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Or more.

God speaks to us in many ways. Another way to open minds and hearts to God is through deep appreciation of his creation: a walk in the garden or the bush, appreciating deeply what he has made and what it reveals of his care and his power. Stare at the stars in the night sky. Be really present in what you are doing, not thinking about what we’ll be doing tomorrow.

Another way he speaks to us is of course, through his word, scripture: reading a passage slowly until some words seem to stand out, seem to really speak to us. Then concentrating on those words, ruminating, chewing over them, asking God why they stand out. What is God saying to me personally in those words?

Can I suggest that it is well worth the time to spend time in prayer with God every day. Ideally spend time with God at the start of each day before the world takes over our lives. Then perhaps finish the day with a time of reflection on the day and where God has been in it. Think about prayers you have said and answers you may have received. It’s worth putting the day back into perspective before we sleep.

May the Lord be with you. Amen

Lesley Borowitzka, 16/10/16

 

NEWS RELEASE EVANGELISM JSM

From the newsroom at Christian radio FM Woodbridge we have the following press release.

Parish to share the good news of Jesus to many

As you know press releases usually comprise of who, then what when where and why

It would seem to make sense to start this press release  with Why but we will stick to the regular format. Because, the Who, is critical,

The who is you and me. Too easy. We invited Billy Graham but unfortunately his calendar is a bit full. In fact we have been handballing this role for too long. inviting other people to do this job for us over a very long period of time.

The reality is, the buck stops with us.

Although it should belong in the why, lets take a sneak peek at the reason why you and I are featured in this event.

Matthews Gospel, the final passage, the great commission

Matthew 28:16-20New International Version (NIV)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

That would be more than enough but there is more which we will come to later.

WHERE

Everywhere, in church but mainly not in Church, Those in Church usually have an understanding of the great gift from God in Jesus, Larger churches may see more non believers walk in of the street. Some of who,  may be invited by parishioners. It is relatively rare in my experience in this Parish so the good news has mostly  to be spread outside these walls.

I doubt if we will have many takers for the street corner with soap box, probably fruit box in these parts. The logical place to start is within our circles of influence.   I know that we usually avoid raising controversial matters with those close to us and discretion and diplomacy are required, more so, guidance from the Holy Spirit. Situations arise within families where life gets out of control. Those family members who share their concerns with us do not want to be told that they are going to hell, but no doubt would appreciate being told that they will be held in prayer or even an offer to pray with them apart from any other guidance we may offer. We know that God acts through the Word and the Spirit so some scripture may be appropriate.. Such situations can and will arise in all our spheres of influence, clubs, workplace and so on. Starting every day with the prayer that asks God to cross our paths with those to whom we can witness or reach to for God is a great start. It is amazing what follows.

WHAT

That cat is out of the bag already also, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, Go’s gift to the world.

It is very straightforward for most Christians that the good news is the salvation that we have gained through Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, that he has taken the sins of the world to himself. Humankind would appear to have been sacrifice focused since as early as people formed communities and wondered at the vagaries of nature, the capricious nature of life, lives that may be taken through accident, attack by animals, or other humans, lightning, earthquake, flood sickness and the list goes on. Most civilisations have had a culture of sacrifice usually to appease the gods and enable those living to have a fair chance of making it to beyond reproducing age before departing this world .But  God for God, there can not be a more perfect sacrifice.

It is interesting that the majority opinion in the world at large when asked what is the essence of Christianity would answer, they have a great set of morals, everybody should learn that and the world would be a better place..

Many religions have good sets of moral guidance, but none other than Christianity has confronted the Devil and defeated him through the cross and the resurrection, death has been defeated, Christ does reign supreme over all creation.

There is more good news, as well as salvation and a great set of moral guidelines, what about answered prayer, what about the knowledge that as promised God will never leave us God is with us through thick and thin. It is like the marriage vows but there is no divorce with God. We might stray but god does not.,  The worst sinner can repent and ask God to save them and God remains faithful.

Healings, spiritual and phusical. Lost car keys, Guidance through life, nudging and prompting this way and that through lifecomplex obstacles and hurdles.

There is a lot of good news for sure.

WHY

The good news is that it is the job of the Holy Spirit. All we do is to assist the Spirit by passing on God’s word. Because God acts through God’s word and God’s spirit. I have no doubt that God could dispense with our help but Jesus made it clear that this is what he wants us to do. It is not just these words of Jesus that prompt us. We know of God’s intention made clear from Genesis onwards that it is God’s intention to bless humanity through the seed planted in Adam, and Eve. The covenant he made with Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through his offspring, that the messiah would come and be a savior for humanity and as Isaiah tells us, that every knee will bend , every head bow and every tongue confess Jesus to be Lord. We are part of God’s plan revealed in the bible and Jesus just made that absolutely clear so that we do not have to rely on deciphering the Old Testament and draw the conclusions therefrom.

There is another reason, another why. Jesus summarized the law and the prophets with the two great commandments, Love God first and love thy neighbor as thyself. That means don’t be selfish, that means that our response to Gods love is to share the good news. When we are gifted with such a priceless treasure as a relationship with Jesus which brings salvation and the other benefits we know, how can we sit on that and keep it to ourselves.

You are likely to be going to the training day on the 29^th, next Saturday and I expect that one of the themes which comes through will be that of pathways and another theme, small  steps. The pathways theme is very logical and straightforward.

There is a process in the formation of most Christians which may not begin at the same place but usually contains all the same elements. People are first engaged, engaged by other Christians, their interest is aroused, they develop relationships with Christians, they observe, question maybe aloud as to what it is that Christians treasure so much. The next step is witness, the sharing of that very thing, what it is that makes our faith so important to us. It may be how we came to Jesus,. It may be the before and after story, before Christ was at the Centre of our lives and the after. The difference that has made in our lives. Bill Hybel’s book Walk across the room suggests a statement of around one hundred words is adequate. A concise statement that does not confuse or sidetrack listeners with stories about miracles or visions, those things  which are going to raise more questions than answers for a listener. Once interest is raised it is time to cut to the chase as they say, evangelise, tell the story of Jesus Triumph over evil, of how all are offered salvation through faith in Jesus,. The next step once people have started following Jesus is the establishment of their faith, helping new Christians to grow, through small groups, through having someone help them read the bible, perhaps being a bible reading partner, certainly a study guide at least.. the process continues as the traveler is established into maturity, Preaching is of course valuable in many of the stages and most so for the establishment process which is a point on the journey where people are well positioned to share the good news themselves. To help them do so. The final step is that of equipping, equipping people with the tools which help to help people at any stage of the process to take the next step. Having laid out that logical process, there is no secret that the most effective evangelisers are new Christians who are so enthusiastic in their new found faith that it is contagious with their peers. We need to wear our own enthusiasm on our sleeve also.

We talk about steps in the process, the book which  Bishop Richard had clergy read prior to the clergy conference spoke of helping people take steps towards Jesus, not leaps, steps of whatever size was appropriate for the individual. None of us are expected to convert anyone in one session, We encounter people at somewhere along the spectrum between engaging and equipping  and with the help of the Holy Spirit as to  where they are and what we can offer them to assist on helping them take another step closer to the Lord. Knowing all the time that it is God’s spirit who convicts and it may take a number of encounters with different messengers who convey the appropriate message for their stage on the journey. We may think our efforts are inconsequential or ineffective, but every straw on the camel adds to the end result.

I pray for God’s blessing upon each one of us as we join with the Holy Spirit in the sharing of the best news in the universe. Amen