Sunday the 1st August 21

Conducting yourself as the Lord demands!

In chapter 4 in the letter to the ephesians Paul reminds the church in ephesus that they need to live in the manner worth to that which they have been called. IE to conduct themselves as children of God. We live according to and in obeidence to God’s word not just because we have to, but because we trust that God has a better plan, a better way, than ourselves.

However, Paul was aware of one thing, like today the Church in ephesus would have been very visable to those on the outside. The Church is a means by which God works in the world, shows his compassion and enacts change. If the self professed Christians couldnt even get it together then why should the non-believers outside the doors? Paul is reminding them then also to be conscious of how others may perceive the actions of those who are part of the Church.

The Christians however are not to put on a show, this must be a genuine venture to live in a way that is obedient to Gods word. Paul says they must do this with Humility and Gentless, Patience and with putting up with each others faults and lapses. The church is called then to be a very visable presence in the commuity, to live as God has called them to and to do so humbly. Oh whilst also putting up with the new curate excentricities!

The Church, You and I, are apart of Gods representation on earth, how we conduct ourselves really does matter. How we reflect the love of God into the world will impact on the way people come to understand who and what God is. If they see us acting in a way which is contray to the word of God, when then should they act in any other way?

The Church throughout the country needs to stand united and ready to follow the word of God now matter how hard or counter cultural it may be. Our lives should give glory to God not to the gods of the modern age.

I am so pleased to be surrounded by wonderful Christian brothers and sister here in this parish. I’ve only been here a month but already its clear that your heart is for Jesus!

A shame however, that King David’s heart was thinking of its own desires when he took Uriah’s wife and sent him to die to cover up his shameful actions. In the wife of Uriah’s distressed state at hearing the news of her Husbands death she is made to married the man who took advantage and broke her family apart by essentially murdering her husband.

But this is where a religious mind and wondering heart become a dangerous mix. Nathan tells David of two men who lived a unknow city. One was rich and the other was poor. The poor man had only one small lamb which he had managed to buy. This lamb he nurtured as it grew and he shared all he had with it and it became to him like a daughter , we are told. When a vistor came to the rich man, he was unprepared to take a lamb from his own flocks and instead stole the lamb away from the poor and turned into a meal for his guest.

David is outraged by such a story, his religiousosity comes flaring to the surfice. “The man who did this deserves to DIE,” proclaims David to Nathan. Well David be careful what you wish for. because you did to Uriah what the rich man did to the poor man explains Nathan. David, “YOU are that man!” proclaims Nathan.

David’s only response to his crimes being laid out in front of him is, “I have sinned against Yahweh,” Odd, he hasnt rolled out the firing squad to which he was so partial only a few moments before.

David was given everything, he was made king, had many wife of his own, and is told that should the kingdom he had recieved been too little all he had to do was ask and God would have had added to it. He’s asked, “Why have you depised the word of God by doing evil in his sight?” Little suprise that David gives no answer.

In truth David is human, he is bound to make mistakes, to listen to his own temptations. We all are, and while we stand in condemantion of David’s actions I wonder what if any actions God is calling us to repent for. I have a list as long as my arm as i strive to live in the manner which I am called. Like David i am far from perfect.

Its Jolly good then that Jesus says “Now this is the will of the one who sent me: That everyone whom he has given me, I would not lose any of them, but raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and Believes in him would have eternal life.”

We have redemption in Jesus, by daily coming to him and repenting of where we have gone wrong we are restored to the newness of life and set free to live in his love and freedom. He bore the weight of our sins on the cross. If there was no other reason to live according to God’s word, surely Christs sacrafice is enough.