Gateway Growth Groups - An Introduction

Gateway Growth Groups – An introduction

Why:

Why are Growth Groups needed in a local church?  It’s simple - to ‘Grow in faith’ (as a Christian), OR ‘Grow into faith’ (as a not-yet-Christian).

Where and When:

Where and when does the group meet?  Ideally, as it’s a small group, from as few as 3 up to 12 (then Growth Groups can divide and multiply), which meets in someone’s home or if suitable at the church building – usually one evening during the week (Mon-Thurs) or possibly daytime.  But it can be anytime, anyplace.  Gateway Church have had small groups that even met in a pub and a nightclub!

What:

What goes on in a group?  The focus is usually to look at some part of the Bible (Best Instructions Before Leaving Earth!) or to consider a topical theme with reference to the Bible.  What is the Bible?  At Gateway we believe it is God’s Word, with many different human authors, but with a supreme divine author – the living God.  Therefore, everything in the Bible is intended to be there by God.  In other words, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3.16).  This can be aided by a booklet or a DVD or just a straightforward presentation by the leader.  Currently, Gateway Growth Groups are together using Just10, which is a series on the 10 commandments, with a DVD presentation and booklets.  The idea is to allow some kind of Bible teaching to take place that addresses, challenges, educates, impacts, informs, motivates, and speaks into the lives of the participants.  The focus is both vertical and horizontal, i.e. the teaching is connected with the person’s relationship with God and their relationship with people (family, friends, work, enemies, plus guidance on relevant 21^st century issues and help with personal problems).

Who:

Who are the ‘key players’?  A Growth Group needs a co-ordinator/s to ensure the group meets and knows where and when.  Organising a Growth Group can be hard work sometimes!  The most efficient way, as far as possible, is via texting.  Set up a Growth Group list and communicate with a text that’s sent to each participant.  A Growth Group needs a host/s who opens up their home and provides hospitality (a cuppa and biscuits or something more adventurous).  Finally, a Growth group needs a leader/s for each meeting or a rotation each week.  This person ensures the group is led – a leader/s is vital to the success of the group.  S/he may facilitate the group in discussion with use of a resource material from a booklet or DVD or to actually lead the teaching – seeking to clearly explain the Bible with an accurate and helpful application.  This also includes ensuring there is a balance of discussion from the participants, eg nobody dominates (the loud one) and nobody is left out (the quiet one).  They need to be sensitive to any who can’t read or write, and have a simple strategy in place to deal with this or at least seek advice.  Furthermore the leader needs to ensure a balance is struck between encouraging people’s questions, even strange beliefs/views being aired, and true Christian teaching being the benchmark.  Last of all, the leader needs to finish at the agreed time!

As well as refreshments, and general conversations about life and lives, prayer should be encouraged, especially a corporate prayer time.  There are different creative formats and ways to help people become familiar to praying either quietly or audibly.  The main thing is not to turn people off that they don’t return again!  Remember that a person’s spiritual growth can take many weeks, months, even years.  It doesn’t usually happen over just a matter of weeks, but rather “with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4.2).

It might be possible, if there is a shortage, that the co-ordinator, host and leader is one and the same person!  However, sharing the responsibility is wise and strengthens people in those particular ministries and lightens the responsibility.

However, no group can exist without participants.  The whole church needs to encourage one another to be part of a small group, and not leave it just to the Pastor or Growth Group leader to ‘chase’ people into a group.  In Growth Groups, it’s a great opportunity for ‘dialogue’.  The Sunday meeting where the whole church gathers is more conducive to ‘monologue’ i.e. preaching (although Gateway on a Sunday does provide a short time for Q & A immediately after the preaching).  Small groups, usually in the homely surroundings of sofas & settees is more suited to sharing and discussing.  People can open up more to share personal and private news which can receive prayer and support.  If it’s confidential to the group – keep it confidential to the group! 

The Sunday preaching and Growth Groups are BOTH very important to a healthy growing church.  Both are needed – see Acts 2.46 where we are given a snapshot of the early Christians, “Every day they continued to meet in the temple courts [formal preaching].  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts [informal midweek Growth Group]”.

“The real secret of fruitful and effective mission in the world is the quality of our community” (Tim Keller).

Starting A New Church (church planting) in Barnsley, UK

Preface:
Exactly two years on this day, which was a Sunday, a vision was shared with the Gateway Core team (although we had no name then) about starting a new church.  This is the written version - as it was then.  Amazing how God has brought this vision to fruition during the last two years.  "For nothing is impossible with God" (Matthew chapter 1.37, Bible).

 

New Church – possibilities!!!

 Meeting of Core Team on 16 January 2011

Theology – where do we start – there’s loads in the Bible!

See Isaiah 49.6 cf Acts 1.8. Matthew 13.33, 16.18, 28.16-20, Luke 13.18-19, John 20.21, Acts 2.42-47 cf 5.12-14 – as starting points

Complaint:

·         We’re not winning enough people for Jesus. 

·         We are shackled by a church institution that originally was a movement – we need freedom and flexibility as a local church body under the control of its head, Jesus Christ. 

·         We have been hindered by division, gossip, and heresy – we need to be united in Jesus and His gospel.

·         We have lost touch with our roots - the original movement of the Methodist church.  ‘In the providence of God Methodism was raised up to spread scriptural holiness through the land by the proclamation of the evangelical faith’ (Deed of Union).  We need to be missional not ecclesial (churchy).

Avoid:

·         Package mentality.  We cannot pretend to be another church from elsewhere, and clone/copy them (although there are good models around).  Be OURSELVES in CHRIST, LEARNING from others.  Be natural in accordance with gifts of members, and relevant.  Be unique.  Develop our own style

·         Hazy vision.  We must articulate the vision from the start so it is clear to all

·         Preoccupation with buildings.  The church is always the people and relationships.  A building is important but must not consume the church.  Be flexible, in case we have to move to another place

Priorities:

Bring glory to God:

·         Exalt supremacy of Jesus – especially his death & resurrection

·         Centrality of Bible - proclaim & explain.  Obey its divine revelation

·         Prayer - Jesus prayed before launching out

·         A passion for Barnsley people to convert to the Lord Jesus

·         Congregation living as missionaries in a godless society

·         The new church, one & all, living out a gospel-orientated & godly life – which attracts!

·         Taking risks for God – faith!

·         Effective & strong leadership – the micro influences the macro

·         Effective & strong lay-ministry – everyone using their God-given gifts and developing expertise.  We’re all ordained to do something!  Who is gifted for what?

·         Respect the Methodist Church, the Barnsley Circuit, and other Barnsley churches

Strategy:

·         Regular Sunday meeting.  Strong on Bible exposition (beginning with short talks) along with Q & A, lively praise, prayer and testimony.  Separate group/s for 0-11’s.  Food/meal.  Keep it simple.

·         Regular midweek growth groups (G.G.).  Strong on application from Bible (e.g. discuss talk from previous Sun).  Pastoral support for each other.  Focused prayer on new people e.g. inviting them to events. G.G. unite monthly for prayer mtg.  Provide food on Sun (rota).

·         Regular outreach events.  A blend of Social (Christians mixing with unbelievers – we’re not weird!), Topical (discuss relevant issues), & Evangelistic (e.g. Christianity Explored) events.

21^st century Barnsley expression of church:

·         Maximise use of technology.  Website, Facebook, Podcasts etc as ways of evangelising new people and discipleship of one another

·         Focus on specific people groups.  The new church must consider reaching children/youth, single parents & third agers. 

·         Supporting the needy e.g. work of Street Pastors, refugees, financially stricken & ministries abroad

·         Apologetics.  Arguing, debating and promoting the gospel in creative ways.  People’s minds need to be won - that Christianity is true and life-changing!

·         The work place.  The new church to help equip Christians as effective witnesses in their workplace, e.g. simply asking people to share in a Sun.mtg slot & church prays for them

Other emphases:

·         Open at the edges, committed at the core

·         Giving of money - must be gospel-orientated ie not into a black hole somewhere

·         Think about the next church plant asap – to win Barnsley for Jesus

·         Less ‘business meetings’ the better!  Minimal central structure serving needs of the new Church

·         Be a church that loves to be together - all ages/family (meals, celebrate birthdays, loads of photos, laughter, muck in together)

Challenges:

·         Location – where do we meet?  What time do we meet?

·         Name of new church? (securing charitable status)

·         Forming of a Leadership team.  Leaders must lead by example, faithfulness and love.  The main attribute is ‘character’ – see 1 Tim.3.1-13 & Titus 1.6-9

·         How do we attract new people?  Friendships, invites to outreach events, good publicity

·         Securing finances

·         Commissioning of church, publicity and LIFT OFF (you only get one chance to launch a new church)

Conclusion:

Start small (mustard seed analogy), keep it simple, have faith in a great God

Mark Reasbeck 16.01.2011

 

Is your calling to be a 'rope-holder'?

Every church evangelist, pastor, pioneer, minister, vicar (whatever the title) needs a right-hand man/woman!

Is your calling to be the 'second-fiddle'?  Every church, para-church organisation needs one, as well as the usual close team and the wider circle of committed believers.

Barnsley is famous for many things, including the birthplace of one extraordinary Christian pioneer, James Hudson Taylor (JHT).  I have at least 8 biographies of JHT on my bookshelf and how his mission work reached the millions in China.  I have one biography on Benjamin Broomhall (B.B.) 'A Flame of Sacred Love' by Norman Cliffe, published by OM & OMF. 

Who is B.B?  He was JHT's right-hand man back in England.

Apart from the supernatural partnership that JHT had with the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, humanely speaking B.B. was the man behind the man (JHT).  B.B. and his wife Amelia (sister to JHT) had found "their destiny" (p40) in ensuring the 'China Inland Mission' base back in the UK developed, and endured with a fruitful ministry that indeed counted for eternity, providing the support and infrastructure for the mission work in China.  It was "undoubtedly a case of the right person being in the right place at the right time" (p46). 

One principle he followed, based on his business background was to "only sell success" p53 which in reference to the magazine 'China's millions' meant "omitting any references to set backs and dismissals".  Hmmm...debatable point for honest and transparent Christianity, but I can see his point.  He was, after all, building an organisation from the other side of the world to JHT and his growing band of pioneers who were bravely and courageously venturing into unknown areas of China with the good news of Jesus.  This was in the days communication was a bit different from the instant communication of 2012.

To quote William Carey, the original modern pioneer missionary, would say of his right-hand man, "I'll go down the mine if you will hold the rope".  There is no doubt that B.B, (and JHT had another right-hand man previously - William Berger), was a rope-holder.  "The very nature of rope-holding is remaining in the background when important work is done" (p124).  But the work cannot be done with the rope-holder.

Is God calling you to be a right-hand man/woman for the spread of the gospel?  Benjamin Broomhall and his wife Amelia are unsung heroes, but without them, perhaps the church in China today would not be growing as fast.  At the last estimated count 8% of the 1.3 billion population are Christian - that's over 100 millions followers of Jesus Christ.

Are you called to be the 'rope-holder'?

The Ninth Commandment of God

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour” –

Exodus 20.16

Preached at Gateway on 11^th November 2012.

Last week, the top boss at the BBC resigned, because of allegations made on a ‘Newsnight’ report about a named politician being linked with abuse in Care Homes in north Wales back in the 70’s.  This has proved to be untrue about the politician, with significant consequences hitting the BBC.  Journalistic standards have declined.

It’s easy to judge others and not examine our own hearts and lives.  Sometimes we are very economical with the truth, or we manipulate or we lie – in order to get our way or protect our reputation.  A Gallup morality poll discovered that 10% lie to the Taxman and 30% lie to their Spouse!

“You shall not give false testimony”.  This is a positive command of God expressed in a negative form – it’s God’s way of catching your attention.  These 10 Commandments show us the real God and they reveal the true you and me.  We read elsewhere in the Bible,

“God is not a man, that he should lie”, Numbers 23.19

“the Glory of Israel does not lie”, 1 Samuel 15.29

“God, who does not lie”, Titus 1.2

“it is impossible for God to lie”, Hebrews 6.18

The fact that the ninth commandment says, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour”, reveals more of God’s standard.  God is a person of Truth.  There is nothing false about God.  He has complete integrity.  He does not manipulate, he does not spin a tale, he does not stretch the truth, he does not try to pull the wool over your eyes.  He’s not devious or conniving.  He does twist the truth, or cover up.  He does not exaggerate.

God says what he means and he means what he says.  He has told us so in a book – the Bible – God’s Word.  Why do you think every working day across the nation, and across the world, people in courts of law, who are giving testimony, place their hand on the Bible and promise to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

But because we have broken fellowship with God, falsehood and lying is an everyday occurrence.  Rather than being in league with the living God, so many people are in league with the Devil.  This is how Jesus described a bunch of religious people, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. For there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8.44).

So when you lie, you speak the devil’s native language.  J.John once said, “Honesty is: everything we say is true, but not everything true must be said”.  Discretion and wisdom is needed to know what to say in every situation.

The apostle Paul writing a devastating critique, described humankind in Romans 1.25 like this, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie”.  This ninth Commandment is there to pull us back from committing falsehood.  Telling lies ruins relationships, it causes chaos, it sparks conflicts.  Whereas truth builds trust, a stable society is established upon the foundations of integrity.

Remember the original context of God’s commandments.  God had miraculously brought the Israelites out of captivity, the horrors of slavery in Egypt.  He had set them free, they were his chosen people.  Here they are in the book of Exodus on their way from Egypt to the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  But God knowing the reality of human nature delivers these 10 commandments and many more laws for his people, because he wants to protect them.  It’s like, if we never teach our kids about crossing the road safely, they are more likely to be hurt.  My own children know my commandment of crossing the road safely, looking and listening and not running.  It is for their well-being and because they are loved.  So likewise, on a much bigger scale, God’s 10 Commandments.  They are there for your protection and well-being, because you are loved.

God actually and factually wrote these 10 Commandments – just 10 – in stone.  They were set in two tablets of stone, inscribed by the finger of God, which Moses took down from the top of Mount Sinai.  These 10 are absolute, not obsolete, and they were to be lived out by the people of God – the Israelites.

We are the church today – the people of God - and these 10 should shape our lives.  The church of God in Barnsley, this local church Gateway need to have a distinctive character.  If a report was carried out on the people of Gateway – it should hopefully read, they are content with what they have, not coveting, rather are generous in their giving (reference to the tenth Commandment).  They are a people who speak the truth, who stand up for truth, who can be trusted to the max, who ooze integrity out of every pore, who shun and form of deviation from the truth (reference to the ninth Commandment).  That’s what we’re to aim for.

But the thing is this...let’s get this straight...as we move to preparing for the baptisms taking place today.  You are not a Christian because you keep the tenth Commandment, "You shall not Covet".  You are a not a Christian because you keep the ninth Commandment, "You shall not give false testimony".

Keeping the 10 Commandments do NOT make you a Christian.  Yes, they are very admirable achievements if you seek to hold to them, they may make you religious, but they do not make you a Christian.  Remember the true way to read the Bible – it’s not a case that there are good people and there are bad people – rather it’s the case of there are bad people and there is Jesus, One who was and is perfectly good.

The sobering truth is you have broken the ninth Commandment in some form or way at different points in your life.  In fact a lot more times than you are ready to admit or recall.  There are different kinds of false testimony – gossip, flattery and slander, not forgetting the silent lie.  James reminds us, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2.10).

The 10 Commandments show us our need of Jesus.  Because of God’s amazing love, He comes himself into our world in our image – as one of us.  Jesus Christ – the Son of God.  If you want to know what God is like, look to the person of Jesus in the gospels.  He kept the 10 Commandments perfectly, and though he experienced temptation, he was without sin.  What God the Son accomplished for you and I, was he died on the cross in your place, for your sin.  He took the blame instead of you.  On this Remembrance Sunday, Jesus puts it so well, “Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15.13-14).  The judgement of the Father fell on the Son, and if you put your trust in Jesus, the judgement of God will be lift from YOU.  Like the Israelites, you’ll be free, not from literal slavery, but the slavery of sin.  God, by his Holy Spirit will come into your life.  He will give you new desires.  What makes you a Christian is putting your life into the hands of Jesus who was good enough.  You will be clothed in his righteousness.  So when God looks upon you, he’s see you as holy and pure, not because of your record, but because of the spotless record of Jesus that is transferred to you.

You’ll find as a new Christian, you will want to obey the 10 Commandments, you’ll have God’s power available to resist falling into sin.  “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour” (Ephesians 4.25).

Today we rejoice that four people, there may be more, wish to publically declare that they have put their trust, not in their own righteousness which is never good enough, but in the righteousness of Jesus.  By baptism, they are identifying their lives with the living God in Jesus, who died and rose again.  So they too, by baptism will die to sin and rise to new life.

In Jesus, trusting him, trusting God, their sins, their shortcomings, past, present and future are washed away by the death of Jesus, symbolised by the waters of baptism.  They are also declaring commitment to serving the risen Jesus in their local church - Gateway Church.  As I finish, God is Truth, we have lied, Jesus saves us from our sinfulness and the father of lies, the devil, by us being baptised into his perfect death and resurrection, transformed to live like him our Lord and Saviour.

As I finish, on this note of Baptism, with the ninth Commandment ringing in our ears, ‘You shall not give false testimony’, which you can further explore in your mid-week Growth Groups with plenty of application – let me say this:

We are the church, and because we are clothed with Christ, as Colossians 3.9-10 puts it, ‘Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator’.

Jesus - the Risen King

Gospel of John 20.19-23 : The Risen King
Part of a message preached at Gateway on 23 September 2012

Introduction

At Gateway we like to preach the Bible...why?  God speaks.  In God’s Word we discover God’s dealings with humankind through history – how not to live (there’s so much that should make us wince) as well as how to live a correct life, pleasing to God.  But above all the Bible is about a Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God to the rescue – the King himself – who saves you from the most serious of human predicaments: sin, death and eternal separation from God himself.  No matter how correct a life you live, it’s never good enough, that’s why you need a Saviour.  The Bible in a rich and extraordinary way tells you about the one and only Saviour who can meet your need – Jesus Christ.  It’s all about Jesus Christ.

Today we conclude a mini-series from John’s Gospel – which has kicked off our time at Mottram Hall.  It’s a series called, ‘It’s all about Jesus Christ’.

Read John 20.30-31

Week 1 we looked at John 12.20-33 thinking about 3 things at our first meeting at Mottram Hall:

1)   Expect people different from you to turn up at Gateway

2)   Expect to be challenged about your commitment to Gateway

3)   Expect the death and resurrection of Jesus to be central in Gateway

With that third point in mind we looked last week at the death of Jesus, a snapshot of the cross John 19.16-22 which revealed truths about King Jesus:

1)   A crucified King

2)   A universal King

3)   The King of Kings

Today, we’re thinking about the Risen King in the passage John 20.19-23.  Again it’s just a snapshot, one of many that we could consider about this fact – Jesus resurrected from the dead.  Let me repeat that – Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Yes, some people have been resuscitated or even miraculously raised from the dead.  We only have to consider Lazarus in John 11 – whom Jesus raised from the tomb after 4 days of burial.  But the problem is the Lazarus’ of this world eventually died...again.

Jesus was resurrected – different – never to die again.  It’s factual.  It happened.  The evidence for the resurrection is overwhelming.  Of course people choose to ignore or simply bury their heads in the sand, or dismiss such an event.  It doesn’t happen.  Of course it doesn’t happen, that’s why the resurrection of Jesus is so mind-blowing – because it really did happen.  From a neutral point of view, if it’s true, it changes everything in your life, because then everything else is true about the Christian faith.  If it’s false, everything else about Christianity collapses lack a pack of cards.

FEAR

Verse 19 tells us everything about the nature of sin and death summed in one word – FEAR.  The disciples, these followers of Jesus, had been everywhere with Jesus during the last 3 years.  They had witnessed his astounding miracles and heard his amazing teaching.  Jesus had even given them the chance to minister to others in his name.  Numerous times Jesus had told them clearly, ‘I am going to be killed, and I shall rise again’.  There are 2 parts here...death and resurrection.  Part 1 - The disciples have seen Jesus die, they witnessed his crucifixion.  They were there at the foot of the cross.  They saw him taken down, they saw where he was buried, indeed by two of Jesus’ own supporters.  But they don’t get part 2 – they have no anticipation about part 2 – they just don’t see it coming.

That’s human nature – part 1 – death.  We all expect that.  But part 2 – resurrection – no it's off our radar screen!

So here they are terrified.  The eleven specifically commissioned by Jesus, hand-picked to be on his mission team – are huddled together somewhere, most likely the same room where they shared the Last Supper with Jesus 3 days previous.  They have locked the doors.  They have hit rock bottom.  They are confused.  They have heard rumours from the women followers and two on their way to Emmaus that Jesus has come back to life.  They are terrified of the religious authorities...if the authorities crucified Jesus what will they do to his followers, hence they take precautions to lock the doors.  They can’t make sense of what is going on.

There are many people, who in the absence of Jesus in their lives, experience fear.  Perhaps you today feel at rock-bottom, or you are confused in life – not sure which way to turn.  Perhaps you have turned inwards – not able to face the world – you’re feeling depressed.  Anxious, worried, fearful.

PEACE

It was into this situation the Risen King Jesus entered.  Though the doors are locked, Jesus stands among them.  There is no barrier that locks Jesus out.  There is nothing going on in your life that Jesus cannot break through.  He is the Risen King.  He can lift you up, he can bring order, he can bring healing, he can bring peace into your life.

V19 ‘Peace be with you’ said Jesus to the terrified disciples.  The Bible frequently speaks about God’s peace (Nu.6.26, Ps.85.8, Mal.2.5, Lk.2.14, 24.36, Jn 16.33, Phil.4.7, Col.3.15).  The Hebrew word used for Peace in the Bible is Shalom.  Jesus greeted these followers with the familiar ‘Shalom’.  Now we tend to understand the word peace as a bit of quiet and the absence of a bit of stress e.g. 9pm once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.  But Shalom has a much richer meaning – it’s about ‘well-being’ in its fullest sense.  It’s all the blessings of God’s Kingdom, true happiness - gathered up in the word ‘Shalom’.  It’s life at its best under the loving hand of God.  Into the FEAR Jesus speaks Shalom, PEACE.

When Jesus uses it on the first Easter Sunday evening – it’s the first truly authentic ‘Shalom’ in the history of the world – because for the first time death has been conquered and life has been restored in the person of Jesus Christ.  How perfect that Jesus’ first word to these disciples after his death and resurrection should be ‘Shalom’ – because truly Jesus has accomplished reconciliation between believers and God and life everlasting.

This is what the Risen King Jesus offers – and when you know God’s peace – he turns things around – he turns fear into joy (v20).  Jesus had even predicted this joy just a few days earlier – Jn 16.19-20, 22.

So there in that room – King Jesus, yes the crucified King, is the Risen King.  But his crucifixion, his death is not forgotten.  He shows them his hands and side.  Indeed, our hurting and needy generation need to recognise Jesus by his scars.  He is not aloof from suffering. 

So in the presence of the Risen King fear evaporates – because Jesus brings purpose (we’re made to live for him), he offers hope, he is life - because death has been defeated.  He turns these depressed, frightened, inward-looking cowards into world-beaters.  These 11 become transmitters to the world in the face of the most severe persecution.  They are commissioned to go from that locked room into all the world.  The church was born and continues to shake and shape history, e.g. you cannot understand truly British history without understanding the influence of Christianity upon the people and British society.

Here’s the thing - these 11 disciples, and the other followers of Jesus – could never have held out under the pressure, even becoming martyrs, if the resurrection was NOT true.  Let me say this, before I conclude.  It usually takes many years for a major mind-shift to take hold in society about some area of discussion or trend.  Take smoking for example.  Everyone knows it harms health, but it took several generations for a mind-shift to occur and something significant to be done – i.e. banned smoking in all public places incl pubs.  It took years, decades for this mind-shift to occur in society, and impossible to happen overnight.

The resurrection – nobody at the time of Jesus believed resurrection could take place in history (except Jesus).  No matter what religions or beliefs were around at the time – and there were many – resurrection of the dead was categorically not included.  That was the mind-set of everyone.

Yet within weeks, the disciples have only one message which dominates their lives, Jesus is Risen.  How come this dramatic mind-shift took place virtually overnight?  How come this belief about resurrection that no-one held too throughout the ancient world, whatever religion, suddenly becomes the driving force in the lives of these ordinary followers?  Because it happened!  Because the crucified King became the Risen King.  Because he truly rose from the dead and therefore he truly brings peace into lives where there is fear.

Conclusion

Although there is you could say an official commissioning 40 days later by Jesus on the mountain in Galilee to these disciples, and although there is a day soon afterwards when Jesus poured out the promised Holy Spirit to anoint, empower and equip the disciples in their mission, here in this room Jesus gives them a foretaste of what’s to come.  You could say, as John Calvin puts it, here is a ‘sprinkling’ of the Holy Spirit, but a ‘saturation’ of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost 50 days later.

V21-23...It’s a picture of the Trinity sending the disciples out with this wonderful message of forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God sends His Son into the world, initially through the person of Jesus, but subsequently through His Church.  The love of God reaches people, phase one through Jesus whilst he was here on earth and then phase two, through his Church – you and I.  You are called to carry on Jesus’ work, not to start a new one, living for the Risen King who has brought about Shalom - Peace instead of Fear.

The Reward of the Games

The Reward of the Games - 1 Corinthians chapter 9.24-27    

Preached @ Gateway Church 19/08/12

Think of what’s involved to win the prize e.g. in the Olympic 5000 metres final!  To ‘run in such a way as to get the prize’ (verse 24) speaks of commitment and sacrifice.  I recall hearing one of the team GB guys who didn’t even win a medal talking about how he spent 5 weeks in an altitude tent away from his family in order to prepare to win.  Only an Olympian champion standing on the podium truly knows the absolute cost of being there – no wonder they are in tears.

There is something here in this Bible passage, written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, about personal discipline.  The Olympian athletes get up early whilst the rest of us are still in bed, to pound the streets running or cycling.  There’s a challenge here for our discipleship.  Are we prepared to get up 20 minutes earlier in order to pray and read the Word, or do we just turn over and go back to sleep?

Here’s the thing, not only is there the strict training involved, e.g. diet and fitness programmes, but there’s something here about motivation (verse 25).  Those athletes, whatever their specialism, were not at London 2012 by accident.  They were motivated, there was something driving them on.  What was it?  It was the crown – the reward of the games.

In the 1^st century, the Isthmian Games in Corinth – second biggest after Olympia – the prize was a wreath of green leaves.  Today, it’s the gold medal.  So all this tremendous effort, and ‘they do it to get a crown that will not last’ (verse 25).  To draw on this athletic metaphor that the Apostle Paul is using, thinking of our Christian discipleship, ‘we do it to get a crown that will last forever’.  How much more should we have passion, dedication and enthusiasm!  Life is like a race, a race to Jesus.  There’s a start and a finish, and what is really important is what happens in between.

Let’s think about this, ‘a crown that will last forever’, which should always motivate us in the race, in the ‘game of life’.

What is this crown? There are clues elsewhere in the New Testament:

          Crown of righteousness (1 Timothy chapter 4.7-8) – a realm where there is no more evil.

          Crown of life (James chapter 1.12) – a realm where there is no more death.
          Crown of glory (1 Peter chapter 5.4) – a realm where there is beauty and magnificence forever.

These phrases are like signposts pointing us to heaven and eternal life.  A crown implies some kind of life-change.  Think of the Olympian equivalent today – when that gold medal is awarded and is hanging around your neck – your life is changed.  You become famous and rich.  Yet it’s not the ultimate answer.  You are still stuck in this sinful world – and eventually your good health will fade away, and not even your gold medal can do anything about it.  It’s a crown that will not last.  One of the deep sighs of life is exactly that – nothing lasts!  Everything is subject to decay causing great frustration.  Most Olympic champions at London 2012 will struggle to exceed their recent feats in 4 years time in Rio – it’s downhill from here.

The crazy thing is that people invest in the physical body as if it were the ultimate answer. 

In the Greek games winners were immortalized.  Physical prowess was so important, because Greek culture exalted and extolled the physical. 

Today people worship at the gym...it is their temple where they worship their bodies.

The highest paid people today are not politicians, surgeons or even bankers, but sportsmen and women.

The investment in the NHS, which is such a huge percentage of the UK budget, illustrates how society considers the priority of the body and its well-being.

Think of the time you spend on your body e.g. hair, make-up, and tan?  To some it becomes an idol. 

Just as an aside, idols can become so subtle.  Even the ‘legacy’ of London 2012 can become an idol, if you think the legacy is the answer to the problems of the next generation.  Sport at grass-root level may help our youngster in lots of ways, but it will not solve the heart of the human problem – the problem of the human heart – sin.  Only Jesus Christ can.

Yes, we are made in God’s image, so to an extent the physical is important.  We are to honour God with our bodies and to avoid drug abuse or sexual immorality.  But the reality is that crown of superior physique will not last, even when pushed to limits and gaining gold.  Just look at Muhammad Ali at the London 2012 opening ceremony.  In the end you will just be a memory like John Lennon and Freddie Mercury, like at the closing Olympic ceremony.  As the Bible says, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stand for ever” (1 Peter 1.24-25).

Here’s the point, there is a greater finish in a far greater race called life.  There is a greater focus, there is a greater goal, there is a greater reward, there is a greater crown that will last forever in a realm where there is no more evil or death.  When you receive this crown, yes, your life is changed, transformed forever.  It’s called resurrection life rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Whilst it’s important to look after the body, you also need to prepare for eternity.  That requires discipline.  What you believe today and how you live out those beliefs count for eternity.  I can’t compete well, unless I train well.  I can’t stay focused on Jesus and His Way, unless I put in the prayer, the study of his Word, meeting with other Christians for mutual encouragement.  A Greek athlete would prepare 10 months in order to win a wreath of green leaves, surely the Christian prize is far more worthwhile.  Whilst we need to keep an eye on physical flabbiness, let’s avoid spiritual flabbiness at all costs.

With the Christian prize in view, Paul draws again on sporting images (verses 26-27), declaring there is a purpose in all of this.  You are to have self-control, not running aimlessly.  Many people are running blind, in that they do not know where they are going in life, and they are confused.  They don’t know where to put their focus, where to channel their energy.  It’s as if they are just beating the air.  Christian – Jesus Christ has accomplished the prize for you – he did it at the cross.  If you are not yet a Christian, you need to accept what Jesus has achieved – and therefore live your life for Jesus.  He has redeemed you at great cost, more costly than gold.  In response to his free gift of eternal life, you should freely wish to run the race to Jesus, for he stands at the end waiting to stay, “Well done good and faithful servant, you have run well”.  So there must be serious discipline on your part, in order to stay focused on Jesus, in view of what he has done for you – securing your eternal salvation.  

What’s the point of getting out of bed in the morning - even 20 minutes earlier?  Now you know the answer from this passage.  Run in such a way as to get the crown that will last forever.

What’s the point of Gateway meeting each Sunday afternoon?  We are on a mission – and the church is purpose driven, because it’s biblically driven - challenging us to be motivated by the prize.  I believe Gateway church is on the verge of moving up another level.  Let’s harness our spiritual muscles by God’s grace, to reach everyperson in Barnsley with the good news of Jesus in partnership with other localchurches. 

"I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3.14).