.
Driving up to the mansion seemed quite grand. The turrets bathed in the bright sunlight - windows glistened sending wild cascades of light over the pastures. The driveway was, well, elegant to say the least. But immediately Bernard sensed something was wrong. The hedges and shrubs had obviously been groomed and cared for, once, but now wild new growth was taking over.
He was quite looking forward to meeting and interviewing Lord Bloomsberry as he was well known for his generosity and great political influence and power.
Bernard glanced to the right and there screaming across the once well groomed lawn was the Bentley – standing up through the sunroof was a maid waving and cheering, obviously drunk and the car was being driven by a seemingly demented lad who was heading straight for the duckpond. He would need to swerve. He didn’t. The car landed with an incredible splash. Ducks screeched, scattered and flew in all directions a swan floated injured on the surface and the maid angry at being wet started yelling at the driver.
Strange, thought Bernard as he knocked on the Manors door the bell was out of order two wires announced where it had once been mounted.
A horse galloped past behind him riderless – Bernard looked over to the stables and was surprised to see a beautiful thoroughbred being butchered for it’s meat.
No-one answered so he pushed the already opened door.
A party was underway and it had obviously been going for quite some time. Days probably. All manner of things were going on- his attention was caught by a butler snorting drugs off the coffee table. Excuse me shouted Bernard above the sound of some terrible music can I see Lord Bloomsberry!
“Don’t you worry about him!” mumbled the drugged Butler – He ain't comin back anytime soon ‘es gone to Australia for the winter.
“Oh no!” said Bernard. “I have an appointment here with him this afternoon – His Aunty died suddenly and I am to meet him here today to interview him about her life for the Guardian. If he isn’t home now he will be home soon. I will just wait here if it is OK.” Bernard sat in one of the few chairs that was both upright and intact.
The people in the room looked at Bernard in shock. Slowly the news filtered through their dulled minds, as if motivated by some divine bell they panicked simultaneously running around the room trying to regain some sense of order. Before they had even started –a taxi was heard pulling up at the door – The master was home.
As the staff realised it was too late they ran to hide as the voice of Lord Bloomsberry boomed into the room. “What on earth have you done to my estate?”
To come into a topsy turvey world like this and to know how to live in accordance with the real house rules and in the spirit of the mansion would require a completely different script.
This is the situation that the Christian finds themselves in in the modern world.
We have the script written by the Lord – not of the mansion but the earth and it doesn’t appear to being regarded – in fact hardly at all.
In such a world – if you tried to live by the house rules you would expect opposition. In the world we live in we can expect opposition when we try to put the chairs upright.
Charles W. Colson in his incredible book How Now Shall We Live? Makes this profound statement:-
“Christians who understand biblical truth and have the courage to live it out can indeed redeem a culture, or even create one. This is the challenge facing all of us in the new millennium.”
? Charles W. Colson, How Now Shall We Live?
Imagine a staff member in the house trying to restore order while everyone else ran wild.
The Apostle John once wrote1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
We live in God’s world and even though the standards of the master are broken and ignored by a majority - we are called to live by the will of God.
How then shall we live?
This can well be the question that John or Jane Christian may well ask in such a confusing world. I believe that we find key helps from the scripture that teaches us to live in a world gone mad.
This morning I wish to use Romans chapter 8 as a guide.
Firstly – If you think of the illustration above you might well ask what is missing ?
It is the Spirit of the Master.
We need to be operating in the Holy Spirit.
Romans Chapter 8 1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In the world there are two possible walks but both of them are not available. If I was asked to walk to Waikaia by one person and then to Gore by another by afternoon tea today I should have to set off immediately. But I couldn’t do both. I would either walk to Waikaia or Gore. The Christian too has to choose either to walk by the flesh or by the Spirit. You can’t do both.
Charles Stanley says:- : Believers have the Spirit of Christ, the hope of glory within them (Colossians 1:27). Those who walk in the Spirit will show forth daily, moment-by-moment holiness.
The Holy Spirit is a distinct individual. He is the third person of the trinity. He comes to dwell in us. In the book of Acts chapter 2 we view powerful images of this and in my own life when I was filled with the Holy spirit there were dramatic changes in my life. God began changing me in quite dramatic ways. I spoke in tongues – Miraculous things happened and gradually my walk as a Christian became possible because I was not alone.
If the people in the house had been mindful of the Spirit of the Master – That is – how he would want the house run. Then they would have lived very differently.
God calls us to live counter culturally and that will mean being distinctively different to the world around us. Recently I took the 3D team to Gore and we stood singing on a street corner. Now in this society that is a countercultural thing to do and if I am honest I felt quite awkward. But interestingly a young girl came and stood beside us for quite a long time she was attracted to Christ in us,
• Another thing about the Holy Spirit that we learn from romans chapter 8 and is very useful for us living in a disturbed world as Christians is that the Holy Spirit feels our anguish – God understands our situation - . Romans chapter 8 We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
We need to obey The instructions
2.We are called to obedience and obedience could well mean that we are well out of step with our culture. But God not only understands but he is making all things work together for good.
What does this mean – I think it says that we can dare to be different because we can trust God.
One man decided that obedience to God meant printing the bible in English his name was William Tyndale he said:-
“I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text.
• William Tyndale
After being in hiding for for several years, in 1535, Tyndale was betrayed and handed over to the authorities.
I never altered one syllable of God’s Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me.
– William Tyndale
In 1530, he wrote a treatise critical of Henry VIII’s divorce. When the English King found out he was furious and sought his extradition.
After being in hiding for several years, in 1535, Tyndale was betrayed and handed over to the imperial authorities in Belgium.
The Word of God and the Spirit of God are closely connected
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
The word of God contained in the bible is very important. It is God’s word that shows if we are working in the spirit of God or the flesh.
If you want to live your Christian life and keep the favour of the Lord of the world then you need to know his word. If William Tyndale would give his life just so that people could have God’s word then it has to be of vital importance.
Jesus once said – My words will never pass away.
Of course many people today change God’s word to suit themselves. If you can’t stop the word of God then the devil must think - then change it to suit yourself. But it isn’t just the cults who do that the church can as well. They often will change God’s word to suit their own agenda.
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All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22
Thirdly If: We must allow God to change us into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
I read a commentary on this and indeed as I have reflected upon it it has shocked me. the thing is I should be like Jesus
It is quite simple – John Piper sums it up like this!
'" Foreknowledge, is "sovereign , distinguishing love" (John Stott,
behavioral conformity to Jesus is a life-long battle with wrong deeds, and emotional conformity to Jesus is a life-long battle with wrong feelings, so intellectual conformity to Jesus is a life-long battle with wrong thinking. I am never surprised when some folks stumble over the harder teachings of Scripture. Conformity to Christ does not come all at once, neither, behavioral, nor emotional, nor intellectual.
The image at the beginning of this sermon about a mansion indicates something very important - because God is trying to make us like Jesus his Son.
He is not just satisfied that you are in his sheep pen in his mansion he wants you to be like act like and to carry the image of Jesus.
There is an unrelenting concern by God to make you like Christ – There is an element of you can run but you cannot hide here.
This is very very exciting. Have you ever been in a situation and asked why has God put me in this situation Like when I was in my early 20’s and was convicted of Drink Driving - I could well say how sad bad luck and all manner of things but . 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
I was predestined to be conformed into the image of Jesus.
If we are committed to Christ then God will do all that he can to conform us into the image of Jesus. Sometimes when my life has been going very well I have become overconfident and moved away from being conformed more into the image of Christ but God calls me to more not less
In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain's motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth. Thus their motto was "Ne Plus Ultra," which means "No More Beyond."
The word being torn away by the lion is "Ne" or "no," making it read "Plus Ultra." Columbus had proven that there was indeed "more beyond.
Interestingly the name Christopher means Christ bearer and we need to be bearers of the image of Christ.
Sometimes you meet old Christians and they transmit the image of Jesus. They did not start that way they were willing to submit to the conforming work of God.
“The question for the child is not, `Do I want to be good?"' Bettelheim writes, "but Who do I want to be like?”
? Charles W. Colson, How Now Shall We Live?
In Matthew 21 we read the parable of the tenants
33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ’They will respect my son,’ he said.
38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ’This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."
42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
" ’The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
