23rd July 2017 – Servant leadership – Liam Parker

23^rd July 2017 – Servant leadership – Liam Parker

John 13 vs 1 – 17

Liam first publicly honoured Dan McNabb for his leadership of LIFE. After reading John 13 1-17 Liam shared a personal story about his Drama teacher, Mr Snip good guy. Liam loved acting and was often in  school play as the main character. Liam asked Mr Snip if he could also be the assistant director for the play Grease. He was made assistant director but one day couldn’t make a rehearsal as was doing a driving lesson. He didn’t tell Mr Snip who replied that this wasn’t good enough for an assistant director. Liam went to speak with Mr Snip and went in to his office. Liam sat on the table next to his desk “Hey Mr Snip, you were talking about me?”  He said “get off my table, Liam look, just because you are wearing jeans and the Assistant Director you are here to help young people get the most out of the school play”. Liam’s attitude started to change to become more like Mr Snip who has read the script more times – who knows all the solos –and who notices when someone is not in place.

By being the director he was serving the people around him..

In John 13 1-13 JC is about to be separated from his father in heaven for the first time in eternity – he’s going to experience separation, Everyone is going to abandon him except John. Life is going to get messy for Jesus – even though these people going to leave him – he makes a decision to get down from position of authority and goes to the place of lowly servant and washes the disciples feet  

He does something very simple but very dramatic – Jesus is probably thinking “I’m going to give them a symbol” Through Jesus teaching this form of leadership he is saying this servant leadership is the only form leadership

The bible talks very clearly about people standing in leadership but don’t have the character to handle it.  Jesus knew that being a servant kills selfish ambition and vain conceit.

We all need to get to a place where we are all servant leaders.  When we come to church we come to serve  Through serving you can influence people – because you have served them before

Simons job as Senior Pastor is to create a space for us to be servant leaders – serve the servers. As it says in the bible it is more blessed to give rather than receive. The challenge is when not giving out of cheerful heart.

If you truly become a servant leader – you will experience hardship…Servant leadership takes a lot of effort, to be more patient, give more time to people – keep humbling – let people make mistakes – keep washing people’s feet until the job is done

Serve the coffee because someone might find salvation – keep car parking as someone might find healing

Questions for Small Groups:

How do I get there to get to a place of servant leadership|?

Are you trying to find a love from the people – trying to please them?

Can I endure it – keep serving – what areas of Church can you serve in?

Do you know you are loved?? Does anyone in your group feel unloved by God? Pray for each other to experience more love and speak biblical truths over each other

16th July 2017 - Revelation 2 – Letter to Ephesus - Ben Pocock

16^th July 2017

Revelation 2 – Letter to Ephesus

Ben Pocock

 

 

Ben first explained that we are currently in a series on the book of revelation, last week Simon Benham explored Revelation 1, and over the next few weeks we will be looking at the 7 letters to the 7 churches which are covered in Chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation.

 

The book of revelation points and looks towards Jesus. Over the next 7-8 weeks we will be looking at these Letters and looking at:

 

• What did Jesus want to say to these churches 2000 years ago?
• What does Jesus want to say to us, Kerith Community Church now?
• What does Jesus want to say to us individually today?

 

Ben explained that over the course of the last 11 years – His relationship with Heather has gone through different seasons, from their dating time when they lived in Yorkshire and Exeter, when Heather moved to Finland and now as a Married couple and most recently with the new addition of a baby. Over the course of the past 11 years they have been through many seasons, and sometimes intentionally and sometimes not intentionally they have had to relook at their relationship and what it looks like, how do they continually love one another in the new seasons.  The same goes for the way we connect to Jesus, our relationship with Him.

 

The Letter we are looking at today sees a church in a season of a relationship that isn’t where it could or should be.

 

The place we are looking at today is in a place called Ephesus.

 

LETTER TO EPHESUS

• By the coast,
• One of the largest cities in Asia-Minor
• 250,000 population
• At an intersection of major trade routes.
• Had a harbour, became a commercial centre, trade, business.
• One of the ‘jewels on the belt of the Roman lands in the Mediterranean’.
• Cultural centre too.
• Temple of Artemis (Temple of Diana) – one of the wonders of the world.
• One of the most urban centres in the Roman Empire.

 

It was a place of influence. A city of influence. Culturally, religiously, in business.

 

This is a letter ‘to the influencers’

 

 

 

 

 

The average church size in the UK is 75 – Kerith is much bigger. Cathy Madavan has said of Kerith “Our church is a church of influence. ‘this is not normal’

We are an influential church, we are influential individuals. This is to us.

 

Almost all of the 7 letters have a similar structure,

 

USUAL STRUCTURE

 

1. Image of Jesus
2. Positive encouragement, something that they are doing well.
3. Area of correction to face.
4. A warning and a promise from God.

 

 

IMAGE OF JESUS

 

7 stars in his hand – 7 stars are angels the letters are written to.

7 golden lampstands – represent each of the recipients of these letters.

 

We learn that GOD IS WITH US. WALKING AMONG US.

THIS IS HIS CHURCH!

 

Ben said that this demonstrated the Sovereignty and Authority of Christ

 

‘He is the Head of the body, the Church’, ‘in Him all things hold together’.

Jesus said

“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE

GATES OF HELL WON’T PREVAIL AGAINST IT”

 

The church is not Simon’s, its not the Trustees its HIS Church – it takes responsibility away from us and gives us Peace.

 

ENCOURAGEMENT

 

“I know your deeds, your hard work. Your perseverance” – DESPITE PERSECUTION

 

Christ sees your deeds, your commitment and consistency.

 

Let’s recognise that this community known as church takes hard work

Work itself is not wrong – working hard is honoured by Christ here.

 

Let’s not live in unreality that community shouldn’t take work or perseverance. It does.

 

DESPITE what happens to you.

DESPITE trials, persecution, keep going. Have an unswerving FAITH.

 

 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT CONTINUES

 

I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. “

 

Paul wrote

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

 

Christ honours those who stay true to the Word. Jesus came in TRUTH and grace. Hold onto that truth.

Jesus said “I am THE way, THE truth, THE life, no one comes to the father except through me.” Let’s not dilute that, let’s not ignore that.

 

As a church we want to be like a PEACH – ultimately sold at the core.

 

CORRECTION

 

In the striving for doing the work of God, the Ephesians lost the main point – LOVE.

 

This refers to both their love for God, and their love for others.

When giving ‘next steps’, Jesus said ‘repent and DO the things you DID at first’ So we see that this love they have left aside and abandoned, is impacting their behaviour too.

 

Jesus said the two most important commandments, “love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

 

Paul wrote about LOVE in another letter. 1 Corinthians

Explains what love is and what it looks like.

Then comments ‘these 3 things remain, FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

 

Ephesian Church had FAITH and HOPE it seems! But lacked Love.

The greatest of the 3? Love.

 

They had become ‘EMPTY SHELLS’.

 

Signs you may be losing your first love.

Feeling short with people? Bitter towards anyone?

Impatient with individuals?

Avoiding certain people or groups?

Wanting to distance yourself from people?

Delegating any relational responsibilities to others?

You’re doing FOR God takes up more of your time and thinking than conversations with him.

Your ministry is causing increasing stress and any anxiety.

Strong desire to isolate yourself and remove yourself from situations where you may be required to reflect on your life/ministry/relationship with God.

 

Jesus says REPENT – turn from it and come back to what you first did.

• Relationships look different over time – but LOVE should continue.
• What was your attention on when you had that love?
• What was your focus?
• How did you invest in LOVE with PEOPLE and JESUS?

 

Go back to basics – who is Jesus and what has He done for you?

 

 

WARNING & PROMISE

 

Ultimately Jesus tells the church that they will lose their LIGHT if they don’t return.

 

As a church, if we don’t LOVE, we will lose our light, our impact.

Go to Ephesus today – you will struggle to find a church.

 

BUT

 

‘To the one who is victorious’- battle language!

We are in a spiritual battle – for our minds, for our attention.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.

Keep pursuing LOVE.

Keep moving and acting in LOVE.

When you have an opportunity to LOVE, do it.

Be interrupted in your life by ACTS OF LOVE.

 

“have the right to eat from the tree of life”.

 

Temple of Artemis had a tree in it, when criminals would go to this tree they would be safe from being arrested – a safe haven, an asylum for them.

 

Christ here says ‘THE’ tree of life. Coming before Christ and remaining in Him you would eat from the tree of life, not temporary asylum. Not some fleeting safe house, but permanent, eternal life.

 

As I think of that – reminded of Christ’s love for me. His desire for me, his attention on me. I’m reminded of the times in my life where I have come back to Him, and fallen back in love with Christ.

 

Questions for Small Groups

 

• Ben talked about going “back to basics” who is Jesus and what has He done for you?

 

• Share with each other where you feel you are at with your love for God – do you feel you have lost your first love?

 

• Do you find yourself short with people, impatient – how do you conquer these feelings? What can you do to change these attitudes?

 

• How do you “find” your first love – what practical things can you do? – share with each other ideas you can do habitually so that you keep your or find your first love again

 

 

9th July 2017 Revelation Chapter One (Simon Benham)

Simon started a new series on Revelation, preaching from chapter one.

Turn Up the Volume of the Word of God

At the REAL conference, Simon heard one of the speakers say “Turn up the volume of the Word of God in your life.”   We hear so many voices (e.g. social media, TV, friends, family) that we can struggle to hear God’s voice.  Dial up the volume of God’s voice by giving more attention to reading the Word of God.

Overview of Revelation

The book of Revelation is a revelation from Jesus, and of Jesus.  It was written to the church that was being persecuted.  It is a book of strange imagery, but the overall message is that “Jesus wins”!

It was written by John (one of Jesus’ twelve disciples) in A.D. 96.  John was in exile on the prison island of Patmos.

Receiving Blessing from God’s Word

Verse 3 promises a blessing to those to read the Bible out loud, and a blessing to those who take it to heart (i.e. apply it).

The most powerful way to see change in your life is to read God’s word daily and apply it. Don’t worry about what you don’t understand, but apply what you do understand.

(The church stood and read the whole of Revelation chapter 1)

Revelation of Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb

The other disciples had by this time been martyred, so of all the people alive in the world at this point, John was the one person who already had the most revelation of Jesus.  Yet he still needed more revelation of Jesus.  The same is true of us; no matter how much we already know of Jesus, we need more revelation of Him.

John had known Jesus primarily as the lamb of God, who in humility and suffering willingly died to take away the sins of the world. But now the church was being persecuted and murdered (Caesar Nero used to coat Christians in tar and burn them to light his garden parties, and Caesar Domitian was the first emperor to officially title himself as ‘God the Lord’ and expect worship from all).  John and the church needed revelation of Jesus the Lion, who has all authority and power and is ultimately victorious.

Imagery in Revelation One

1.        Seven golden lampstands (v12)

These represent the seven churches (v21).  The number seven in the Bible reflects completeness (e.g. 7 days of creation), and so in this imagery represents the whole church.

Jesus is pictured walking amongst the churches.  He places great value on the church, His bride, not just on the individual.  Church should not just be one thing amongst others that competes for our time.  Meeting together as the church each week should be our priority.

2.       Jesus has robes down to his feet and a golden sash (v14)

Robes and sashes are associated with authority, honour, victory, kings and queens and priests.  Jesus is showing himself as the king of kings and the great high priest.

All earthy authorities, and every human being will one day bow down before Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord (Is 45 v 23, Rom 14 v 11).

3.       Jesus has hair as white as wool or snow (v14)

The Bible says that ‘Grey hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life’ (Prov 16 v 31 NLT).  With age comes wisdom, insight and knowledge.

Jesus has all wisdom, insight and knowledge, and gives it to all who ask (Jam 1 v 5).

4.       Jesus has eyes like fire (v14)

Fire speaks of God’s purifying, penetrating sight.  ‘Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account’ (Heb 4 v 13).

Jesus’s eyes see everything that happens in our life.  He sees injustice, and the day will come when He will bring people to account.  We cannot hide anything from God, although we sometimes act as if we can.

5.       Jesus has feet of burnished bronze (v14)

Burnished bronze is bronze glowing in a furnace.  Imagine stamping around with feet of flaming metal – everything you trample is turned to ash.

Malachi prophesies: ‘” Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant 

and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.  But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act.”’ (Mal 4 v 1-4).

The day is coming when Jesus with judge all unrighteousness.

6.       Jesus has a voice like the sound of rushing waters (v15)

Standing at the foot of Niagara Falls, the noise is overwhelming.  You cannot hear anything else.  This is how the voice of Jesus will be over all the earth.

7.       Jesus holds seven stars in his right hand (v16)

These represent the messengers to or leaders of the church.

8.       Out of Jesus’ mouth is a double-edged sword (v16)

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 (Heb 4 v 12).  The word of God has such power.

9.       Jesus’ face shines like the sun in all its brilliance (v16)

John had seen the face of Jesus since like this once before, with Peter and James. ‘There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light’ (Mat 17 v 2).

This is Jesus revealing His true nature; His glory, majesty and wonder.

We all need a bigger revelation of who Jesus is, that we also would reflect His glory to those around us.

Questions

Ice breaker: After John saw Jesus, he fell at his feet as though dead.  Have you ever been shocked or speechless about something positive that you have experienced in life?

1.    Simon mentioned ‘turning up the volume of the Word of God’ in our lives (see above), and reading the Bible aloud and applying it to our lives.  How loud do you feel the volume of the Word of God is in your ears?

2.    How can you turn up that volume?

3.    Simon said that just before John’s revelation, he was the one person alive at that time with the most revelation of Jesus, yet he still needed more.  How do you think you would change if you had more revelation of Jesus?

4.    Review the 9 pieces of imagery about Jesus above.  Which one speaks to you most and why?

2nd July 2017 - Inspiring the Body of Christ - Joy Blundell

Joy Blundell

2nd July 2017

Inspiring the Body of Christ

Today’ preach is a ‘big picture’ narrative which takes in the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  Its purpose is to inspire and encourage people to worship God 24/7, through all that they do in their lives.  People who:

·         Pursue knowledge and wisdom and make it available to others

·         Reflect the hospitable heart of God in their welcome to others

·         Demonstrate the order and security of God as the organise and direct others

·         Pioneer and take risks with new ideas to benefit others

These people are our neighbours - look around with new eyes and recognise them!

Creation – the big picture

Take a moment to think - why did Jesus die?

If you answered, “to save us from our sins” then you’re right – we were all fallen, in need of fixing and forgiveness, redemption and renewal.  But there’s more; before the fall came creation, and that’s where we need to start, celebrating what is good before dealing with the fall.

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Gen2^4-14

The Bible starts with a wedding between Adam and Eve, and ends with a wedding between Christ and His church.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Rev 21^1-4

Revelation goes on to describe how ‘the nations’ bring wedding gifts to the occasion.

God’s plan for us

Genesis teaches us that God’s creation was good but incomplete, and humans were appointed as co-creators to fill the earth. There are families to be born, kingdoms established, cities built, dances ballads and sculptures to be composed, knowledge to be discovered.  When Genesis speak of a garden to be cultivated, the word cultivated is the root of the word culture, and that is what God called mankind to. God looks to us to bring our creativity to his world – as a manifestation of our worship.

Four rivers flow out from the garden of Eden.  Using these in an attempt to pin the geography of the garden misses the point – the real meaning is to be found in their names.

·         Pishon means increase.  Yes, we are called to increase our numbers, but also to increase who we are and our presence in the earth – so that God may – Increase his presence in us.  Joy and her husband Paul have reflected on the prayer of Jabez (to enlarge/increase his territory) and applied it to their own lives:

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

1 Chron 4¹⁰

One of the lessons God has taught them is that In order to increase you need to decrease – laying some things down so that you can pick up others.

·         Gihon means gushing, flowing. It represents abundance, fullness; the same word is used in Psalm 23⁵ “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  God wants us to do more that survive, He wants us to thrive, and as we do so the things flowing out of our life are bound to impact on the world within us. 

·         Hidakel (the Hebrew name for the Tigris) means swift, darting; it’s a word picture of an arrow in full flight, like the film sequence in “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves”.  We’re designed to have purpose, intentions, goals, to actively bring the kingdom of God into this world.  It calls for decision - this is what God called me to, I’m going to go for it.  It’s a discussion Joy and Paul have every year – what are we dreaming for, what are we pointing our lives towards this year?

·         Euphrates: sweet-fragranced, and fruitful.  We’re called to sweeten the lives of others, as in Matthew 5¹⁶: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds [sweetness] and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Those four rivers speak of God’s intention for his creation, and for our part in it – to increase, to live with intention, to aim for a goal, and to exhibit ‘sweetness’.

Then there was the Fall - disobedience, disconnection, and failure.  Jesus came to came to redeem God’s creation in its entirety (Colossians 1^19-20: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”).  Matthew 28^16-20, sometimes called the Great Commission, is not just a call to spread the good news – it should be seen in the context of creation as a reawakening of the Genesis mandate.  In Jesus, we become again the people we were meant to be.  In effect Jesus says, “Go into the world and write your place so that people can thrive and the world may come to life again.”

In the words of a Dutch theologian and Prime Minster, Abraham Kuyper: “ … there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!”.  We are the image bearers of that vision.  It is a difficult task in a fallen world – but God will prevail.  Revelation 8 and 9, which speak of ‘woes’ inflicted on an unbelieving world, describes a painful ‘regime change’, a reordering of power over the world which reaches its fulfilment in Revelation 21.  At that time, there is no more pain.

Questions

Joy and her husband Paul once sat down to imagine what “no more pain” would look like for Lincoln:

·         No more depression

·         No more broken bottles in the park

·         No more foodbanks

·         No more racism

·         No more racism.

What do you think “no more pain” would mean for Bracknell?

What can you do tomorrow, as an act of worship to breathe life into that dream? To influence children, buildings, ideas, plans for the future, businesses?

Because of Jesus we were reconnected to our original purpose. Our challenge is to find others we trust to share our aspirations with, and together to encourage each other to bring more of heaven to earth; our worship.