Sunday Holy Communion at Emmanuel Didsbury
27.06.04 10:30am
The Life of a Disciple
(the discipleship wheel by Richard Foster)
The Compassionate Life
True Worship
Amos 5:21-24 (p.783) and Matt 25:31-46
Aim of the Sermon: True worship rolls out into every area of our lives.
Illustration: The small practice drawing needs to be translated onto the canvas. Our Sunday service helps us put things in order, but that needs to be translated onto the canvas of our lives.
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In art classes, we would be taught to plan out the painting or drawing we were about to do. We would draw our ideas in an area a bit larger than a large postage stamp. In this small space we would map out what would be where in our painting, what would take centre-stage, what the focuspoints would be, ordering things in rough. Then it would come to translating this to our big sheet of A1. Now, I could do the postage stamp planning, but when it came to putting it all on the large scale, putting it on the canvas or whatever, I really hesitated. The big picture was easy to mess up. Things were more complicated, had to be more detailed and were generally harder to sort out on the big canvas. I was much happier doing the postage stamp-sized planning and ordering than the real painting. I remember once when David Hockney came to our art lesson, to see if anything had changed since he’d been at the school. While he was there, I definitely wasn’t starting anything big. I was afraid of what he’d think.
What is going on with Amos 5:21-24?
It would be great if you could turn in your bibles to our OT reading (p.783… Amos 5:21-24). Amos has been saying that despite God’s choosing his people, they are going to be judged by Him in a big way. And here we have God rejecting their worship.
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs…”
What is going on here? God has chosen these people, so why does he threaten judgment? God has laid down these ceremonies and regulations so why does he reject them?
They were holding the feasts, doing the sacrificing, singing the songs. And yet he rejects them.
We’re meeting together, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice, singing the songs. Are we in danger of having our worship rejected by God?
A relationship with God was never about sacrifices,
but was based on obedience.
The people in Amos’ day were rejected along with their worship because “a relationship with God was never about sacrifices, but was based on obedience”, and this was where they fell down. They met together, they did the ceremonies, sang the songs, but there was a need for justice and righteousness to roll on and out like a river, a never failing stream. Their worship wasn’t true worship because it wasn’t linked to active obedience. It wasn’t flowing out in abundance, like living water; it was stagnant.
And this issue was still a live issue in Jesus’ day. In Matt 7:21-24; where Jesus claims the position of God in judging humankind, he says this:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Jesus said that only those who are actively obedient will survive the big flood of judgment and enter the kingdom of heaven.
And again in our gospel reading, Jesus puts the test of faith as seen in attending to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned.
The division of private life with public life, and Sunday worship with day-to-day living, is a false one.
You see we’ve created a false division in our lives, between the private and the public, between the Sunday worship and the day-to-day living, and between the spiritual and the physical. It’s a false division, and it’s nothing new, it’s seen in Amos, it’s seen in Matthew’s gospel and it’s seen in 21st century Manchester and in Western Christianity.
Don’t get me wrong, the gospel has always, and will always be, about our desperate need of rescue from God’s wrath; about Jesus paying the price in full, dying in our place on the cross.
But the gospel has always been so much more than that. The gospel is massive. It is not a spiritual, private thing for Sunday’s only. It’s not about saving disembodied souls to float in the sky. And maybe our focus has been so narrow because we are aware of the danger of losing the centrality of the cross, but I think there are also other reasons for our dividing, like those in Amos, our Sundays from our day-to-day living.
Reasons why we separate Sunday worship from the rest of our lives
1. Failing to understand we are sinners… our lives need to change
Firstly, we often fail to follow through in our lives, because we fail to recognise ourselves as sinners and our lives in need of change and transformation. Some commentators have suggested this is what is happening in Amos, as sin offerings aren’t mentioned. (see Lev 1-4).
Jesus is our Saviour…he died on the cross for us, but we forget that our messed up lives are the reason why he died, and that his death opens up the possibility for transformation of our lives by the Holy Spirit.
True worship gives the canvas of our lives to Him, for Him to rescue.
2. Failing to understand God’s Sovereignty
I think we also forget the reality of God being Lord of all. He is the Lord of ‘out there’. The King over creation, the Lord of work, the Master to whom we are accountable for our decisions.
T. Moritz “future components of God’s kingship [must not] detract attention from the thoroughly this-worldly focus of Christ’s kingship claims.” (p.61 in Christ and consumerism; ed. C Bartholomew)
True worship gives the canvas of our lives to Him, for His glory.
3. Because real life is messy
A big reason why we struggle to take our postage-stamp-sized Sunday worship and paint it large on the canvas of our lives is that it’s really difficult and messy on the big scale.
Difficult decisions face us if we decide to let our relationship with God affect our spending, our jobs, our relationship…
It’s a bit like, where do we start? Real life is messy, maybe it would be easier to keep things separate, to bury it, and just doodle, getting on with living and enjoying life, and dig it up every Sunday.
I tell you, I find it extremely messy trying to figure out how my relationship with God affects my life. It’s tempting to keep it simple, in a corner…
4. Because we like being comfortable
True worship can be messy, as we seek to work out how it all draws together.
But I think the main reason why we restrict how much the life-giving, life-changing God affects our lives is that we like being comfortable.
The lie at the heart of Western living is that we can get away with it… that if we take care of ourselves… the benefits will trickle down to others.
We can no longer live with this lie
Global Warming shows us the affects of our selfish destruction and consumption.
Global Terrorism shows us the affects of our selfish manipulation and empire building.
Global Economic discontent shows us the affects of our selfish trade tactics, taking advantage of the disadvantaged.
And somehow, we Christians in the West have swallowed the lie that we can’t affect things, that our little gospel doesn’t have anything to say in the realm of politics, that our small faith doesn’t have any weight in society, that our miniature god can’t challenge the power, the choices, the systems of this world in which we live. But we also kind of like being comfortable, having money to spend on little luxuries, buying the car we want, wearing what we want, doing what we want. From here, true worship seems not only messy, but hard work.
This is a message for me as much as for anyone. I am the first to box up God on Sundays. My life needs to be examined as much as anyone’s to see whether I am a true worshipper. Whether my relationship with God rolls out on to the canvas of my life.
The compassionate life is more than just a feeling, it is “the act of entering into the suffering of another person with the purpose of relieving it.” (New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology; p.244)
We have kept our faith in the postage stamp-sized section of our lives, and we have doodled over the canvas of our lives. When we should have imposed the order and priorities mapped out on Sundays onto the big picture. The effects of our separation are breaking in on us, when we should have been breaking out, letting justice and righteousness roll on and out.
Rolling out righteousness
So how can we roll out righteousness into our lives and into our society?
1. Jesus makes it simple (Matt 25:31-46)
If we are afraid of it getting messy, let’s go back to Jesus’ words and lets see if we can’t do more… go through those descriptions in Matt 25 and pick one to work on first.
2. Individual/Small Group/Church
Rolling out righteousness must be worked at on an individual level, but the great thing about this church is that you can be in a home group or cluster and together as a group tackle some ways of rolling out righteousness.
Being in a group makes things easier. You can take on projects, or issues, with more confidence and resources as a group.
3. Personal and Global
True worshippers demonstrate the order and priorities that God has mapped out for them in every area of their lives. Our lives of obedience and sacrifice have small personal dimensions, but also global dimensions.
Fair trade
I am really encouraged to see that as a church you are embracing the ‘Fair Trade’ campaign. This is a clear way of rolling out righteousness and justice.
Consumption
Clothes, shopping, car
But our consumption is so much a part of our lives in the West, with so much money to spend on ourselves, with so many choices. Even though it is messy, I believe as the church, we need to lead the way in challenging the selfish mentality of consumerism, that doesn’t care under what conditions a pair of jeans were made, about the effect on God’s creation that millions of plastic shopping bags will have, about the effect of driving everywhere, or overheating our houses has.
“Jesus’ approach of caring for (rather than defrauding) the economically powerless needs to be emulated by his followers.” (p.76; T Moritz; in Christ and Consumerism…)
“One’s own use of possessions speaks either the transforming language of gospel proclamation or that of consumerist idolatry.” (p.71; T Moritz; in Christ and Consumerism…)
Environment
There are simple ways that we can change our lives, that will effect the environment (which we are called to tend), and also positively affect people who are faced with the desertification, the flooding, and the lack of crops that come from a globe that is fast overheating. This is acting rightly and justly.
Overseas aid
This week in the paper (June 2004) there is an article on the shockingly low level of spending this country puts towards overseas aid. You can easily write to David Blunkett (UK Government Minister) demanding this changes. 0.7% of GDP is not a lot to lobby for.
“The idea of a ‘trickle-down’ effect falls far short of a biblical view of humanity…” (p.52 McConville in Christ and Consumerism…)
“’wealth creation’ is two-edged when it trades the future, or some distant part of the globe, for the immediate good. As an end in itself, it is not far from the priorities of Amos’s Sabbath-traders or Ahab’s contempt for patrimony.” (p.51 McConville in Christ and Consumerism…)
5. Local
Refugee action
One issue that I think that is quite current in Manchester at the moment is the refugee situation. I would urge you as individuals, as home groups, as clusters, whatever, to see how you can get involved to help refugees. This seems to me directly linked with Jesus’ words in Matt 25 and with God’s commands in the Old Testament to love and care for the alien and refugee. This is counter-cultural, but in partnership with agencies such as Refugee Action, I believe we can show a practical outworking of the gospel, where society only shows hatred, rejection, and ejection.
Eden link (a Manchester youth outreach project)
On a local level, I am really excited that you are getting behind the Eden team working in Harpurhey. I am passionate about more able churches getting behind smaller or poorer churches to help them in their work for God.
Living in Harpurhey for the last 4 years we have been greatly blessed in experiencing God’s goodness in that place. Now officially the most deprived neighbourhood in the UK (though I would question that), it is exciting to see God working in people’s lives in that place. I am excited by what God is doing through Christ Church Harpurhey and through the Eden team in bringing the good news of Jesus Christ, and in demonstrating it practically.
Your link with Eden, is a chance to see transformation occur in society, in people’s lives, as a direct result of your obedience to and relationship with the living God.
Conclusion
As James reminds us…
Works without faith are futile.
Faith without works is dead.
Motyer in his commentary on Amos: “The evidence of true religion is that it touches all life with the holiness of obedience to His Word and command.” (p.137; The Message of Amos; BST; J A Motyer)
If we are to be true worshippers, we need to be bold in seeking to bring the order and priorities that come from a living relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, and rolling them out onto the canvas of our lives. It may be messy and difficult, but we’re called to trace out a faith that is worked out and lived out.
I believe the resulting painting on the canvas of our lives will be glorious; as we allow God to work in us and through us.
The results of living otherwise are leading us to calamity, and will lead to eternal destruction.
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Joseph Stiglitz, previously head of the World Bank, writes, “If globalization continues to be conducted in the way that it has been in the past, if we continue to fail to learn from our mistakes, globalization will not only not succeed in promoting development but will continue to create poverty and instability.” (Globalization and it’s discontents; p.248)
