Sermon on Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-3; 18-19; 24-26; Romans 16:3-5)

Sermon on Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-3; 18-19; 24-26; Romans 16:3-5)
Given 11 February 2018 at Studley Parish Centre

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

How many times have you heard that question? If you’ve ever filled in an application or attended an interview, chances are that you’ve been asked your five-year plan. As for me, I’ve always been a planner. Forget five years, that’s far too short a time – 10, 15, 20, I had it all figured out. I always knew exactly where I was going to end up and what I was going to be doing… and then I fell in love with an Englishman…

Sure, it wasn’t the end of the world. English people make plans too. We were just going to need a joint five-year plan. But Alexander and I had it all figured out. We were going to teach in Germany. That was the beginning of our five-year plan. And we did become teachers… in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was fine. We’d just switch the location of our plan, our five-year plan… After one year we moved to Poland. We decided we’d just need to settle in Poland and then start a family in the next five years. Fifteen months later we were moving to England because I was pregnant with Franklin. We had planned for Franklin, we just didn’t anticipate he would arrive so soon. But we had figured out how to roll with the punches. We’d get back to a modified five-year plan. I can remember watching Alex take down Franklin’s bedside cot and telling him we could get it out for the next baby in five years’ time… you’ve all met Andrew?

They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. I can just imagine Priscilla and Aquila starting their marital life filled with plans for the future. Perhaps they were hoping to expand their business throughout Rome. Then they were exiled. Once they set up shop in Corinth, they probably planned to establish themselves there. Then along came Paul. On their arrival in Ephesus, perhaps they planned to live a quiet life, worshipping as just the two of them. Then they heard Apollos speaking, and instructed him in the ways of the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse I cling to when life isn’t going the way I planned. It says, “’I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” At the end of the day, our five-year plan does not matter in the least! It is the eternal plan of our Father in heaven that will get us to where we need to be. Life may not look how we expect it to, but if we trust in the Lord with great faith we can overcome any obstacles along the path.

Priscilla and Aquila are models for this strong Christian faith. They were exiled from their home, from all that they knew, and managed to continue their trade as tent-makers. This enabled them to meet Paul who grew and strengthened their faith. The three of them had such a close bond that they travelled together. On their travels, Aquila and Priscilla met Apollos and, although he was a highly educated man, they were able to teach him a deeper understanding of the sacrifice of Christ. Through faith, Priscilla and Aquila went from refugees to Christian leaders.

The fact that Priscilla and Aquila were tent-makers is an interesting little nugget when looking closer to the New Testament. Eskenosen is a Greek word meaning “to have one’s tent”. And Eskenosen is the word used in John 1:14 when it says Christ dwelt among us. The Greek translation is literally that He made His tent among us. Why a tent? What are the characteristics of a tent? Firstly, a tent can be constructed anywhere. When saying Christ built His tent among us, we could be referring to a physical location, as in Bethlehem, Nazareth, or anywhere else. But as Christians, Christ has also built His tent in our hearts. He is with us always, in all ways.

Another facet of a tent is that it is oftentimes temporary. We only had Christ on loan on this earth. He was never meant to stay. His body was a temporary vessel sacrificed for us so that we might find our permanent home with His Father, our God, in Heaven.

Because tents can be easily erected anywhere, they make an easy home for people living as refugees. This theme of refugee and exile can be found throughout the Bible. As in the story of Aquila and Priscilla, the Jewish people have often been forced into exile. Even Jesus Christ himself had to flee as a baby for fear of execution under King Herod. But, in times of adversity and struggle, God’s love has a way of shining through and strengthening us.

As for Aquila and Priscilla, they were strengthened not only as individuals, but also within their marriage. Each time they are mentioned, Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together. Furthermore, the order of the names is interchangeable – this speaks volumes! At that time, wives were viewed as the property of their husbands, but since Priscilla’s name comes first as often as Aquila’s name, she is obviously viewed not as property, but as a genuine partner. They shared a real love, with a God-centred marriage. And because they were God-centred, their faith sustained them through challenging times.

We’ve all had different journeys, but every one of us has had hard times to overcome. Everything from health failures, to financial crises, to schoolground bullying, to whatever else mars the human condition – we’ve all been there at one time. Some of us are struggling right now. But whatever burdens you, nothing is too big or too small for Jesus. Through Christ’s love, we can overcome all obstacles.

In closing, let us take a moment to reflect on the obstacles we need to overcome. Lay your worries on Christ. Lay your pain on Christ. Open your heart to Him and lay yourself before the Cross. Let us put all that burdens us before God. And with His love, we shall overcome. Amen.

Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20
Given 20 August 2017 at Studley Parish Church

At the beginning of today’s reading, Christ asks: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and there are various responses from His disciples. Reading this, I’m always reminded of the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland who incredulously asks Alice, “Who are you?”

Who are you? How do you define yourself? Does this align with who others say you are? Have you ever considered who people say you are?

I have a sneaking suspicion many of us have thought of what others think or say about us, but have you ever considered who people say you are? Do they say you are your position? As in a teacher, or a nurse, or a counsellor? Do they say you are your relationship to others? A mother, a father, a sibling, a spouse? Does anybody define who you are as being a follower of Christ?

Who are you? Who would you want others to say you are?

After the opening question, Christ asks, “Who do you say I am?” Addressing His followers, He is asking if they even know who they are following.

As followers of Christ ourselves, who do we say Christ is? I’ll give you a moment to think on that and then I’d like us to share our thoughts… Does this response change based on who we are talking to?

So who do we say Christ is?

We have varied interpretations of who Christ is. When Christ asked His disciples, Simon Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Simon Peter recognized that Jesus was the true Saviour of the Jewish nation and He was not only man, but also the son of God. And not just any god, the living God. The God that is greater than any statues or false idols. The God that surrounds us all with His eternal love.

Once Simon Peter responded, Christ said, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” How do we receive the mysteries of Christ? While I hope my words speak to you today, I pray that I am merely a vessel to reveal the glories of God. As we sit in church and listen to the message, it is vital that we listen with more than just our ears. When I finish my talk, we’ll be singing Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord. We should also pray the Lord open the ears of our heart so He can speak to us. We must be active in listening and hearing not only the words of flesh and blood, but also the message of our Father in Heaven.

Once Simon Peter reveals who he knows Christ to be, Jesus rewards him, calling him “Peter”, or the Greek word “Petros” which means rock or stone. Simon Peter’s faith is so strong that Christ chose him as the foundation on which to build His church.

Imagine the rewards we could receive for recognizing who Christ is? We don’t even have to imagine. We’ve already been promised our rewards in Heaven should we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and turn our eyes to Him. These mortal chains are but a temporary burden for those who know the Love of Christ.

And how joyful it is for those of us who know who Christ is? See, after praising Simon Peter, Jesus instructed His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Self-discovery is essential to growing our faith. This can be said for anything really. How many times have you parents told your children not to touch the hot pan, just to turn around and catch them doing it? The world we live in is just a giant hot pan with the fire of sin surrounding us. Our loving Father in Heaven has given us the tools to follow so we don’t get hurt, but we inevitably find ourselves in situations where we get burnt. While falling from time to time is unavoidable, we have the choice to turn to our Saviour and declare who He is with our thoughts, words, and actions. Once we know in our heart of hearts who He is, it becomes much easier to answer the sceptical caterpillar when he asks, “Who are you?”

On Deuteronomy 27-30

Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the Israelites to keep all the laws of the Lord. Moses said once Israel arrived in the Promised Land, half of the tribes should go to Mount Gerizim to hear a blessing and half should go to Mount Ebal to hear a curse. Moses listed the twelve curses to which Israel should say, “Amen”. After that, Moses explained that those who followed the commands of the Lord would receive many blessings, but those who didn’t would be cursed.

The minute detail given to the curses in chapter 28 makes it obvious that these curses are important. In later books, Israel’s disobedience and fall are described and the curses from this chapter happen. It is hard to understand why a loving God would curse the people that He chose to be great. On the other hand, I guess this shows that even if a people are ‘chosen’ that doesn’t make them perfect. From a Christian standpoint, there are plenty of Christians who are called to follow God, but they often fail. The good thing about Christianity is that it lets us make mistakes. We are human, we aren’t perfect robots. Christianity accepts this and allows for forgiveness when we make mistakes.

Moses reminded Israel what the Lord had done for them. He also warned again of the curses if they didn’t follow the Book of the Law. Then, Moses said that all who repented would be forgiven by the Lord. He explained that he was speaking of the choice between life and death. To obey and follow the word of the Lord was life, but to disregard the word of the Lord was death.

Much of what has already been said is repeated in different ways in chapter 29, then chapter 30 gives good news. Those who recognize the error of their ways and repent will be forgiven and their fortunes will be restored by the Lord. This is more like the Christian idea of repentance and forgiveness. It would be nice if Moses focused more on forgiveness and less on curses. The end of the chapter gives a choice between life and death. I don’t know if Moses means this metaphorically, but I like to think of it on a metaphysical level. In choosing God, and as a Christian in choosing Christ, it means that we will have life eternal in heaven. Even if we fall and make mistakes we can redeem ourselves with heart-felt repentance, faith and good works. But if we choose to ignore God, then we are choosing death. By refusing God, we cannot access life eternal, and the death of our body will also be the death of our soul. Afterall, how can someone who doesn’t believe in heaven go there?

There are my thoughts on Deuteronomy 27-30.