God's Blueprint for Mankind - Grace and Truth - imitating the compassion of Jesus

1 God’s Blueprint for Mankind (1) Grace and Truth: Imitating the compassion of Jesus John 4, 1st September 2019 Preacher: Pastor Roy Summers 1. Introduction: Christ changes all our thinking! Many years ago I worked with a labourer, let’s call him John, at Yale Locks in Willenhall. John had just become a believer. His face shone with a new joy, but—this what I remember most about John—his mind woke up and exploded into life. He now wanted to learn truth, and especially God’s Word, and found himself questioning everything he had once absorbed from the world. You could almost see the mental transformation happening before your eyes! Decades later and across the Atlantic, a lesbian teacher at a University in America became a believer. Let’s call her Mary, I don’t know her, but she had been teaching “Queer Studies” (a field of study whose aim is to banish historic, global, biologically sound ideas about marriage and gender from the world). When she came to Jesus Christ, her thinking was revolutionised too and she felt that the word conversion was “…too tame... to capture the train wreck that I experienced in coming face to face with the Living God.” Her old way of thinking and life came to an end in a traumatic train-crash sort of ending, as the Holy Spirit made her brand new. John and Mary—two very different people—share the same experience, which the power of the Gospel performed in their hearts, minds and lives, “If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17) writes the apostle Paul - who could have also described the end of his old life as train wreck too! “Repent and believe the Good news”! (Mark 1:15) says Jesus Christ. That word, “Repent” is the Greek word “metanoia” and it means “change (meta) your mind (noia).” When we come to Christ, we change our minds about everything, God, the world, the past, money, sex, the future—God changes our minds and we are called to change our minds too: “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2) Here is a test: you know you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ, if you’ve had a John or Mary sort of experience. All our experiences are slightly different from one another, in speed and intensity, but one test that we are true followers of Jesus is that our hearts and minds and lives have changed—and are continuing to change through the power of God’s Spirit living in us and the power of his word, the Bible, working through us. 1 2 2. Why this series? Here’s the reason I have begun today’s sermon with John, Mary and Repentance: during September we are going to tackle some difficult issues in our Sunday morning sermons. We’re got to talk about gender and sexuality and the role of men and women. And some of us will have to change our thinking. Fifty years ago, even 30 years ago the teaching we are going to hear together would have been completely uncontroversial in the West—(and it continues to be uncontroversial in most of the non-Western world (the West should reflect on that fact soberly)). But today, through social media and the media in general there has been a revolution in gender and sexuality so deep that if you hold a Biblical view on these matters you could easily be ridiculed and laughed at— and if you’re not careful, you could lose your job. I know of a school teacher who found herself in a seminar for teachers a few months ago, concerning a new curriculum for schools on these issues that is due to be rolled out by the Government next year. She felt completely on her own, isolated and fearful of saying a single word, lest she be shouted down, persecuted or even sacked! (Later in private conversations with individual teachers, she discovered she wasn’t as on her own as she had thought, but noone dared to speak their mind at the seminar.) Brothers and sisters we cannot go along with the world in matters of gender and sexuality, we must pluck up the courage and with God’s help, address these “hot potatoes” on Sunday mornings. I would like the whole church to talk about these issues over September. Talk about them over lunch, discuss about them in your home groups. Some of these issues may be painful or personal, so let us be patient with one another. Here are three reasons why we must preach and talk these matters: REASON 1: Parts of the evangelical world are drifting One of the greatest tragedies of our times is the way that so-called Christians are drifting from the truth that has been held by the church for 2000 years– indeed from the dawn of time. We need to weep about this drift, not judge. In the CoE more women are being trained as vicars than men—it should not be so – men are backing out of life and leadership. Books are being written by people who are drifting, such as “Changing our Mind” by David Gushee. The three main reasons some people are changing their minds have nothing to do with God’s Word, which has not changed! The Bible was and remains crystal clear on these matters. So why the drift? Some have changed because they have simply and uncritically absorbed the thinking of the world, little by little, decade by decade. Some have been influenced by their families. A son, daughter or relative, has come out as gay or lesbian, and instead of fitting the family to the Bible, they have (tried to) fit the Bible to the family. 2 3 A number of years ago, Yvonne and I made a pact, you could call it a vow, that if any of our relatives came out gay—and there was and is no indication of such a thing—we would never change our Scriptural views on these matters. We would continue to love that relative but resolutely stick to the truth and explain that lovingly to that relative. The third reason, the main reason some so-called evangelicals are drifting is the fear of persecution. They can see the writing on the wall, and they know that the western church will be persecuted, not because they believe Jesus is Lord, as in the first century, but because we believe that there are only two genders, male and female, because we believe that the only place sex should take place is between a married man and woman, and because we believe that though men and women are equal in God’s eyes, they have different roles to play in the home and the church. The fear of persecution is the main reason some are drifting. And that is so sad and so strange! The church has always been different—and that is exactly why it turned the world upside down! It did not transform culture because it became like culture, it transformed culture because it was radically counter-cultural. So, the first reason for this series of sermons, is because we need to be confirmed and strengthened in our doctrine as the world changes and as some even in the evangelical church drift. The number one attack on the western church today is gender and sexuality. I came across this helpful way of understanding where we are today, and you may find it helpful. Over the centuries here are the attacks on the church. In the first few centuries, the attack was on “Christology”, “Who is Jesus?” Just a man? Just God? Truth won! Jesus is both God and man, two natures in one glorious Person. The attack in the centuries leading up to the 1500s was on “Soteriology” – how someone is saved. By works or by faith in Christ alone? Truth won! We are put right with God by faith alone. And today? Where is the attack on the church coming from? “Anthropology” – what is mankind? Are we just an animal or are we different? Are we male or female, or a spectrum of genders? Is mankind heterosexual? We have to make a stand on what the Bible teaches! We and our families will drift away from the truth if we do not read God’s word ourselves, hear God’s word preached and believe it. And we as a church will drift if we relegate our preaching to a little 10 minute humorous pep talk on a Sunday morning! So thank God for Bible sermons and even for long sermons! Our sister Sarah Wilkins who works as a missionary in South Africa was telling me how the sermons 3 4 at her church are at least twice as long as the sermons here in the UK. Think about it this way brothers and sisters: all week long – hours upon hours - we are absorbing the thinking of the world, through the News, what we read, conversation with people around us, social media— dozens of hours of influence! On Sundays, we have an opportunity – just 40 minutes! - to have all that thinking corrected by God’s Word. How we should thank God for our church! REASON 2: Genesis 1-3 are foundations of the Gospel Another reason these issues are so important, is that Genesis 1-3, where all these issues are taught, are foundational to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope we’ll see this clearly as the weeks go on. Why did God the Father send Jesus, his only Son into the world to save human beings? Not to save chameleons or lions or cow parsley or even fallen angels, but to save human beings alone? Because, teaches Genesis 1, we are precious and unique creatures, made in the image of Almighty God. We rise almost infinitely above all the animals and wonderful creatures of the world. Why did God send his precious Son? Because, teaches Genesis 3, we fell away from God, when Adam and Eve, our first parents, disobeyed God and began to sin, and became constitutionally sinners, sinner by nature as well as by practice. The Fall, described in Genesis 3, explains why we are all messed up in one way or another. We are all messed up sexually, some will find themselves messed up gender-wise. What now is, isn’t what should be. To find out what should be and what is right we have to go back to life before the fall, back to Genesis 1-2. The whole of the Gospel, the reason Jesus came into the world, and the life we are called to lead, rests on the foundations of Genesis 1-3: deny those chapters and you deny the Gospel. REASON 3: The Gospel sets us free from the lies of Satan The third reason we must hear about these things, talk about these things, and teach these things, is because the Gospel, the truth, sets us free from the lies of Satan! We want to see men and women set free from the modern lies of Satan. We are 100% convinced, that the world is now taken captive by lies about gender, sexuality and the role of men and women. We have the truth, which sets men and women free and gives them fullness of life! “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! (John 8:36). “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). We need not be shy and apologetic and embarrassed by God's Word, we must be bold and courageous because it is true, and the truth sets men and women free! Do you know why many women flocked to the churches in the first century? Because the Gospel told their husbands that sex was for marriage alone. Unconverted Roman men thought 4 5 that they could have sex with prostitutes and slaves (of either gender, was the unpleasant truth). The Gospel taught that sex was for marriage alone, it was God’s gift to a married couple to bond them together. And this truth liberated not only the men from sexual perversion and sin, but their wives too: Christian wives no longer had to compete with slaves and prostitutes for the affection of their husbands! The lie of Satan—that sex should be detached from marriage- was exposed and that led to freedom! Let’s be courageous in our all witness to our unbelieving friends, brothers and sisters, not only on these matters. We have Good News to share! Let’s take every opportunity to share it. I need to learn to be more courageous myself. Billy Graham was visiting a lightbulb factory, in Poland I believe, and at the end of his tour, surrounded by factory workers, he took up one of their light bulbs in his hands. He commented on how well it was made, and then he said, “Can I tell you about Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. And if you follow him you’ll never walk in darkness but have the life of light.” Some people think that was cheesy, but I think it was a beautiful example of courageous witness! So, the third reason, for this series of sermons, is that if we are going to share the Gospel in our school, factory, shop floor, families, university—wherever God has put you—these issues are going to come up, we must know the liberating truth so that we can share it with the world. Listen to Nancy Pearcey, Christian writer: “The biggest barrier to even considering Christianity today is its moral standard. Many people are no longer asking: Is Christianity true? They are asking: Why are Christians such bigots? The challenges is to show them that in reality biblical morality expresses a higher view of creation and the body than secular morality does. It grants greater dignity and worth to the human being and is ultimately more fulfilling.” So this September, we’re going to consider together God’s amazing and wonderful design, his blueprint for mankind, to shore up truth here at MPC to make sure we do not drift by God’s grace; to remind ourselves of the foundations of the Gospel, Genesis 1-3; and to prepare us to share the truth of the Gospel which sets men and women free from the lies that are now rampant throughout the media, whether, social media, TV, press. 3. How should we share? With Grace and Truth I've got one more thing to share this morning, as we close—and I believe it is the most important thing of all. We’re not going to compromise, we’re going to preach the truth in the world, but how we do it matters. We could wag our fingers at the world in a judgemental way, or we could share the word in a compassionate way. Jesus shows the way: “The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) I remember a Christian lady in Harrogate coming to me all upset one new year, because her neighbour had returned a tract that she had put through her letter box that Christmas—just 5 6 pushed it back through her letter box and she was upset. As we got talking it became clear that she had almost nothing to do with her neighbours all year long, but felt that she should witness to them at least at Christmas time, and they didn’t respond well! Was it because the neighbours felt truth but no grace, I wondered? What did Jesus do? He combined Truth with Grace in perfect symmetry and balance. He wasn’t all truth, which on its own can seem cold and hard. He wasn’t all Grace, which on its own can seem insincere, lovey-dovey, wet and anaemic. He combined in his person perfectly, Truth and Grace. He always spoke the truth, but he spoke it with grace, and love and compassion. One day, Jesus came across a woman, who was a sinner and an outsider in every way. I wonder if you and I would have bothered with her! Or perhaps we would have walked away? She was immoral woman, living with her sixth man. She had come to collect water in the middle of the day, when it was crazy hot, probably because it was the only time the other women of the village who despised or feared her were not around. She was a Samaritan, despised by the Jews. And then she was a woman, which in the culture of the day, meant Jesus should not talk to her, on her own. But she was lost, looking to find meaning and purpose and happiness in relationships with men, but not finding it there—proved by the fact that she was on man number six. What did Jesus do? Condemn her? “You immoral Samaritan?” No! He was filled with TRUTH and GRACE. He befriended her and struck up a conversation with her. He had to point out her sin, that was the Truth part. But it was in the setting of love: he was prepared to risk his reputation just talking with her (when his disciples saw just the two of them they disapproved); she would have known that. Though he was tired he spoke to her. He patiently answered all her misunderstandings and wrong ideas. He entered her world of thirst and water collection, and talked about a kind of living water he could give her which would quench her deeper, inner thirst for ever and for ever! He could give her the gift of the Holy Spirit, the life of God, in her heart, which unlike men or sex would satisfy the deepest desires of her heart. Like this women, the people around us are lost! Isn’t one of the saddest lies of our modern world that our primary identity is to be found in gender or sexuality— whether someone is gay or straight or bi, we’re male, female or fluid? We are so much more than these things! The Gospel teaches us that our true identity, our central identity is not gender or sexuality, but this: that we are creatures made by God in his glorious image; that through Jesus Christ, we can become children of God; that as we come to God through Jesus Christ we can identify as disciples, followers of the Jesus who came among us, lived our life, died our death, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is returning one day in power and glory! 6 7 In Christ alone my hope (identity) is found, He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid Ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand. 7