Proclaiming God's Message

Proclaiming Cod's Message

(2Thess. 3.1-5)

These notes supplement hand written notes for a family service.

So what do we need to grow as a Christian?

STRENGTH (...highlight on OHP)

Jesus never said that the Christian life would be easy, and at times even the most committed of us can be tempted to give up.

The greatest test that I faced was when I was 18. I had just left my home in Newcastle, (from the security of a Christian family, and many Christian friends). And I came to the Midlands!

I knew no one, ...and was staying in digs with 6 other lads, none of whom were Christians.

The culture shock for me was enormous, ...and after a few weeks, I came this close to giving up my faith. ...but God came to my rescue!

Tragedy, or a change in circumstances, can suddenly hit us, ...when we least expect it. And we need STRENGTH, or else we snap.

Ten years ago we had the great storm, when Michael Fish least expected it! In many areas only the strongest trees survived.

Life is like that.

And where does this strength come from?

From GOD, (highlight OHP). But we have our part to play too, ...we need to nourish our relationship with him, (through prayer and Bible reading), so that we grow in strength.

Put up LEAF on Plant.

What else do we need?

SAFETY FROM EVIL (...highlight on OHP)

The Bible tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion who is wanting to devour us, ...and so we need God's protection.

When it comes to evil, people often go to one of two extremes. Some get obsessed with it, ...they are fascinated with the occult, or superstitions, and either get drawn into them, ...or become very fearful of them.

At the other extreme, some people deny that there are any powers of evil in this world.

Now the Bible takes a very balanced view. It recognises that there are evil powers, ...but God is even more powerful. Our focus is therefore not to be on evil, but on God.

It is in God that we trust to protect us from evil.

At other family services we've seen how God gives us his 'armour' for protection.

Now this is no guarantee that things will never go wrong for us. I'm sure that all of us can think of good Christian people who have faced great tragedy in their lives.

It was the same for a Roman soldier going into battle. Wearing armour was no guarantee that he would survive, ...arrows sometimes got through the chinks in the armour.

Nevertheless, a soldier going into battle was still better off with the armour than without it.

And we too need to seek God's protection, ...asking that he will keep us safe from evil.

Put up LEAF on Plant.

What else do we need?

CONFIDENCE (...highlight on OHP)

Who are we to have confidence in?

- in the Lord,

- also in each other.

Do you find it hard to have confidence in people?

An American Actress, Helen Hayes, tells the story of the Thanksgiving Day when she was cooking her first turkey dinner for her family.

Before serving it she said to her husband, "Now I know this is the first turkey I've ever cooked. If it isn't any good, I don't want anyone to say a word. We'll just get up from the table, without comment, and go out to a restaurant to eat."

She then went into the kitchen to fetch the turkey. As she returned to the dining room she found her family seated at the table with their hats and coats on.

I know for some people, trusting others is extremely hard. They've been so let down in the past, they've lost all confidence in God or others.

I often meet people who have been badly hurt, and one way in which we cope with situations like that is to say to ourselves that we will never trust people again.

Others tell me that they can never trust God again.

If you're in that situation, I know that talks like this can seem over simplistic. But it's also true that to grow as a Christian you do need to regain your confidence in God and others.

It's not a matter of pretending that you haven't been hurt, ...but it's a matter of asking God to help you to come to terms with that, ...to move on, ...and to help you regain that confidence. And it won't be easy.

Put up LEAF on Plant.

What else do we need?

TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S LOVE

(...highlight on OHP)

The heart of the Christian faith is our relationship with the God who made us, and who loves us. He loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for us, so that our relationship with him could be made whole.

The more we know God, the more clearly we see how very much he loves us.

I take many wedding services here at St. Barts, and the opening words of that service are taken from the first letter of John:

"God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them". (1Jn. 4.16)

Actually I find it quite hard them being the very first words of the service, ...because they're a bit of a tongue-twister! And it doesn't give the couple much confidence if I stumble over the first sentence of the service.

I often wonder what the bride and groom make of them, ...but they contain a wonderful truth.

"God is love, and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them".

And it's as we understand the depths of God's love that, that we gain the confidence to grow as Christians.

Put up LEAF on Plant.

And finally, what else do we need?

ENDURANCE

(...highlight on OHP)

In some ways this is going back to where we started, ...when we thought about strength. But there is a difference. When we think of endurance, we're not thinking about the un-expected tragedy, or change in circumstances which suddenly hits us, ...but more of the long term determination to keep on going.

When Jan was 20 she came to the end of her 3 year course at college. During her time there she had become a Christian, together with some of her other friends. Just before she left, the vicar of the church she attended called a meeting for all those Christian students who were about to leave.

At that meeting he pointed out that, on the basis of previous experience, about half the students at that meeting would no longer call themselves Christians within five years.

It's a statement which Jan has never forgot, ...and it certainly proved to be true among those she is still in contact with.

Life batters people about, and that's the way it will always be! But if we remember that God is in control, we can keep on going even after others give up.

Put up LEAF on Plant.

These are five terrific things to have in our lives, (read them), And only following Jesus can bring them together.

They are such good news that those who have benefited from them want others to benefit from them too. That's one way in which the word spreads.

If you've benefited from these things, in what ways are you spreading the good news?