From Groaning to Glory – a Sermon

Text: Romans 8:18-30 [See here for the Bible Study Notes on this passage]

Baghdad, July 30^th 1919.

Dear Walter,

I’ve got some very sad news to tell you, last night when down at the river bathing poor old Eric was drowned.  You must forgive me for putting it so blunt, but I feel too full up with it to say much about it.  We were bathing as usual and poor old Eric went down.  We dived with ropes round us and swam about for half an hour but nothing was seen of him.  He was evidently caught in a swift current and carried away.  It was all over so quickly that it is hard to realise it.  They say everything works together for good but I’m blessed if I can see it.  You know my saying, don’t you?  “What is to be will be”.  We’ve got one consolation, Walter, and that is, he is gone to a happier world than this.  I don’t think there was a better living man to be found anywhere and he was liked and respected by everyone.  Please forgive this short letter.  I hope they will find the body and bury him with military honours.

Remembrance to all,

I remain,

Your Old Pal, Sid.

Eric Gaze’s body was never found.  His young widow was left to bring up three small daughters on her own.  Her Christian faith, severely shaken as it must have been, grew deeper and richer over the years.  She taught her daughters to put their hope in Christ, and they in turn passed it on to the next generation.  Including me.  Eric Gaze was my grandfather.

‘They say everything works together for good.’  This was, of course, a half-remembered quotation from Romans 8:28 – ‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’

How can Paul have such unshakeble conviction in the face of everything that life can throw at us?  Has he forgotten all the sadnesses, the disappointments, the bereavements, the pain, that he had met in his own life, and that we meet so often in ours?  Is this not a specimen of vague optimism, a hope against all hope, that somehow everything will work out in the end?  And is not such vague optimism too easily dashed, too quickly to be replaced by fatalism, or even despair?

Life in the Spirit – a Sermon

Romans 8:1-17 [See here for the Bible Study Notes on this passage]

Where do we start with Romans 8?  It’s a sumptuous banquet – but which of its dishes do we sample?  It’s a glorious symphony – but which of its themes do we to attune our ears to?  It’s a lofty mountain range – but which of its peaks do we try to scale?

As always, it’s good to get our bearings from the context.  Chapter 5 – in Christ, we have victory over sin and death.  But that’s not quite the end of the story.  In case you hadn’t noticed, we still sin, and we still die.

By the time we reach chapter 8, Paul is still dealing with that problem.  Sin and death have been decisively dealt with in the cross-work of Jesus Christ.  God will one day make all things new and bring us into the fullness of his glorious inheritance in the saints.  Although we do not yet see the renewal of all things, we do experience here and now the power and privileges of the age to come.

Under Fire – a Sermon

Text: Acts 4:23-31

Peter and John are under fire for two reasons: they have been speaking boldly for Jesus and they have been performing miracles in his name.

They’re thrown into jail, and the next day they are hauled in front of the Jerusalem authorities.  Peter and John explain that the crippled man has been healed in the name of Jesus, and, since the man himself is standing there, the accusers are left speechless.  Peter and John are released, but given a stern warning not to teach any more in the name of Jesus.

Peter and John return to their fellow-believers, who respond to everying that has happened by offering a remarkable prayer.

Questions on the Holy Spirit

I’ve been blogging, over the past day or so, in response to various questions about the Holy Spirit that I’ve been asked to discuss with a small group from my church.

Here I want to put it all together in some kind of order.

Prophecy and Authority

According to the Network Participant’s Guide, the traits of a prophet are that s/he is discerning, compelling, uncompromising, outspoken, authoritative, convicting, and confronting. Phew! no wonder the gift of prophecy can sometimes seem too hot to handle! Such a set of traits raises important questions about the authority of the prophet, and how this relates to other kinds of authority within the church.  I’m going to argue that that the authority (and therefore the accountability) of the prophet is similar to the authority (and accountability) of the teacher.

‘Spiritual Gifts’ – Why Some People are Cautious

I wrote the following to some Christian friends, a number of whom wished their church to move in a more ‘charismatic’ direction.  It is a plea to listen carefully and patiently to those who are more cautious.

What does it mean to be ‘Filled with the Holy Spirit’?

Continuing this series of posts on questions about the Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

A further instalment in this series about the person and work of the Holy Spirit:-

Who is the Holy Spirit?

I’d like to sketch an answer to this question under two headings:-

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

The ‘Holy Spirit’ is named as such only three times in the Old Testament: Psa 51:11; Isa 63:11, 12. The concept of ‘progressive revelation’ reminds us that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, like a number of other doctrines, is present in the Old Testament only in embryonic form.

If the Christian era is identified as ‘the ministry of the Spirit’ (2 Cor 3:8) then it is to be expected that that era will be characterised by a clearer and fuller revelation of the person and work of the Spirit.

Should We Pray to the Holy Spirit?

This is another question about the Holy Spirit which has recently been posed to me.  Once again, I am reluctant to discuss such a ’shy sovereign’, who is more to be experienced than analysed.  Nevertheless, I offer a few thoughts:-

Should Everyone Speak in Tongues?

In earliest times, people spoke the same language. This unified language was used in rebellion against God in the building of the tower of Babel, Gen 11:1ff. God quelled this rebellion by confusing the people’s language and by scattering them over the face of the earth, Gen 11:9. In the future life, the unity of language will be restored in the praise and service of God, Rev 7:9-12; cf Zeph 3:9; 1 Cor 13:8. Some foretaste of this is found in the NT church in the miraculous gift of tongues at Pentecost, Acts 2:4,11. This was a remarkable sign of the universality of the gospel message. In the worship of the church, tongues plus interpretation also bears witness to the promise of the future eradication of language differences. In private prayer, a token is given in the gift of tongues of the final victory over the effects of the fall, which included a broken fellowship with God. (Based on Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1069ff)