Glorifying God as we return - St Paul's Anglican Carlingford and North Rocks

well some paul's what an 18 months it's been um i was absolutely delighted a week or two ago that uh the time for us to think about returning to church and all of the issues involved has now come and like many of you i was delighted to hear about the roadmap coming out of code i remember that day when those announcements were made my heart just rejoiced to be able to see a light at the end of a tunnel and of course i'm thinking certainly about church and certainly about me getting to know some pauls i've i've worked out by the time we come out of lockdown i will have had longer at some points in lockdown than in person so certainly for all of that but also just personally and and even just in fact earlier today i'm recording this on a particular day and earlier today there i was i booked at a restaurant for my family to go out a freedom dinner or whatever one might call it and and so just a few weeks ago we reached this point where we're starting to think about returning to church and we launched our survey in the last week or so we've had over 400 people respond to that survey i want to thank each and every one of you responses are still coming in we value each and every one of them and you know as i looked at the results for it emerging that's still going on spoke to the staff team spoke with others we just thought that it actually would be a wonderful opportunity in time for us just to record this video i'm now recording which is not so much to talk about the saint paul's road map coming out of lockdown we're not in a position to do that there's still some details some details we find don't matter other details can really impact the road map out and we're still trying to work some of those out this video is not about a road map out this video is about here we are in this moment between between knowing that that we're now in this sort of phase of working out what it means but not quite having the plan yet and and it's an opportunity for us just to think and reflect and and and ponder and pray what it is we can learn about what it means to glorify god at this time of coming out of covert lockdown and that's a time i don't think it's going to be like flicking a switch there's so much going on it's going to take a considerable amount of time for us to be on the other side of covert whatever that might look like but i do want to just say if you're watching this video having expectations of that road mapping pools being laid out you're going to be disappointed we're not quite there yet i think in the next week or so i'm hoping and praying that we'll have the clarity on that kind of issue but i just want us to step back for a few moments and think about as i thought about this and talk with other colleagues um you know i i thought going into covert 18 months ago like many of you um um he that he may be something to unite our world and unite our country and to unite christians in whatever church you might be part of it was welcomed because thinking back into recent years across the world and certainly in australia as well we have been going through all kinds of discussions and issues of division there was marriage remember that a few years back and the votes and the plebiscites and all of that then we progressed and intertwined with that he's thinking about gender and all of the different views around that then there was the metoo movement then not long after that in fact during covert even black lives matter there it was and covert happened within that context of all of these issues of division around the world and so part of my reaction was here maybe is an issue where we can be united about with the problem with the struggle with the way out and yet 18 months on i find myself thinking actually um here is another issue with the potential for division is very much there around the world in our country and we've seen it in different states and different responses um in different views about how to come out of lockdown in different views about vaccinations in all kinds of issues in fact a number of commentators are saying and trying to prepare us for what may well be the case which is that the hardest part of covert is yet to come throw into this in recent years and even throughout covet as well we've had fires we've had droughts we've had devastating floods around the world mice plagues lengthy lockdowns and now there's fatigue there's poor mental health there's a health system that is overstretched there is all kinds of people exhausted people trying to relearn their jobs and their roles to be far more on zoom than ever before their zoom fatigue that's become a thing i've gone through that myself in fact my wife would say still going through that domestic violence addictions growing use of alcohol over covert unemployment economic shutdown and of course now we're coming into a time of policies made by governments and also corporations you know no jab no job i was already thinking so much is going on and then the new south wales premier resigns on the very day ironically that there is a supreme court challenge being mounted at the moment there's a class action challenging vaccine mandates that are becoming increasingly common and these are not remote things i actually know someone who's part of that class action i know of several who have lost their jobs and keep hearing of more and more stories in that in that vicinity because of the stands people are choosing to make on these very issues and so i'm just feeling like as we pond even ponder coming out of lockdown the opportunity for division and the opportunity for the unity that christians should have because of the gospel of jesus christ there is more potential than ever before or perhaps in recent times for problems to be caused up until monday the announcement when the government announced its roadmap beyond 80 and then first of december i even was finding myself in this incredible position of thinking about might it even be the case that we will be forced if we want to open up to ask the people of some polls to tell us about their vaccination status all kinds of ethical issues around that that i just i was so delighted to hear those announcements because i now realize we don't need to do that but you know even as i was preparing these notes i got a message from someone in and then i'm just going to read it the message said pundits are also predicting that we should prepare for the great resignation as people reassess what they want in their work lives and choose to live for something different and so here i am at this time there's all kinds of emotions going on all kinds of issues we're thinking about on the one hand very real issues that impact so many like that on the other hand rejoicing that i was able to get a booking to a restaurant we wanted to go through for a long time as a family to celebrate freedom day i'm trying not to use that term by the way but it does feel like that doesn't it we've been in lockdown for so long we've been restricted for so long butts and pulls for us as a society and as individuals especially as we think about returning to church i'm absolutely sure that there's going to be a few bumps along the way and so i wanted to give this there's not a talk for church on sunday this is for something across us we're putting it up on youtube you found this through different links we're going to make available and this really is just one of those almost fireside chats to just help us think about what it means and how to think about and how to approach and how to look forward to glorifying god in the coming weeks and months because part of the issue and part of a challenge involved is very much that there is a clash of biblical values at so many levels even as we think about returning to church it's just not as simple as saying meeting together for christians is important therefore let's return as as soon as possible and likewise it's not as important as saying safety is important let's delay until all of those issues are completely gone there are so many issues let let me just try to illustrate there's i think four issues i've got here maybe it's five issues just to talk about that even internally it's so hard to know how to apply them and the first one god values is how i'm just going to structure he's got there's five things god values loving one another just a few weeks ago part of our lockdown life series i i gave a whole talk on on one from one john chapter four uh really about god's love for us in jesus christ that defines love for us because of god's love for us we should love one another it's picked up in all kinds of places over the bible galatians 1 verse 10. therefore as we have opportunity let us do good to all people especially to those who belong to the family of believers and knighted safes and pulls for survey over 400 responses so many people participated the number one priority that you guys identified that needs to be considered as we contemplate returning is caring for those who have been struggling in lockdown i was so delighted to see that because the issue of loving one another is really front and central in people's minds as we contemplate returning i've spoken with teachers who are finding the whole zoo method of an online method of pre-recording lessons not being able to engage and interact with children that they that they deeply love and that's been so hard hospitals are on the edge did you have a reaction i had a few weeks back when i heard westmead hospital one of the largest hospitals in the in the southern hemisphere is at the point of now diverting patients to other hospitals in order to need to manage its capacity healthcare workers are exhausted wards are full others many of you have had medical procedures cancelled or deferred so that the health system can manage its capacity with the uncertainties around covert home learning is having its toll there's all kinds of things we need to do to work out how to love one another but you know even internally on this one it also goes the other way because part of loving one another also means navigating those with conscience issues and conscientious objections to things like which vaccine or even getting vaccinated at all and i know that there are some people listening for whom these are deep struggles but secondly the second thing god values right that's the structure i'm going with on this one it's not quite alliteration but it's almost god values the gathering of god's people you know in the bible the term the people of god it is not synonymous with church church is about the gathered people of god it goes right back in the bible to mount sinai when israel the people of god they were gathered around around god they were listening to god they were serving god they were worshiping god in ways appropriate at that time and that gathering of god's people that churching off god's people it is something that has continued all through the ages and in in my judgment and this is something we talked about as the senior staff and we all agree online services not church now don't get me wrong it's the best we can do there's incredible value it is a ministry of the word the zoom gatherings afterwards i've been alternating which ones i've been going to and they're great but it's just not the same isn't and we all know that it's part of the reason that we took the decision for most of our congregations in fact not to have communion online i remember the first time i i tried doing that i wasn't at some pools at the time and there i was in front of my computer screen with having communion just on my own it was just it just wasn't right well what i mean to say it wasn't quite the same as doing it with people as this symbol of being unified in christ and his death and his resurrection from the dead with those just remembering his his death on the cross in that way now don't get me wrong online services are good and that's the best we can do at this time but they are a poor substitute for meeting in person gathering is good that's why in hebrews chapter 10 it talks about not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but you know even meeting together it's not one of those things that god loves that trumps everything else when we're sick or when there's an emergency it is entirely appropriate that we stay away out of care love and concern for other brothers and sisters and so you see god love god values us loving one another but how do you work out what that looks like god values meeting together but thirdly god values christian unity and the classic place in the bible and i'm sure many of you are aware of these galatians 3 28 there is neither jew nor gentile neither slave nor three nor that is there male or female for you are all one in christ jesus and indeed some of my colleagues at other churches they've been adding at this point um there is neither jew nor gentile neither slave nor free neither vaccinated nor unvaccinated all are one before jesus christ now i as far as i can tell atson paul's this particular issue it is not so much of an issue at this church as i know that it is among other churches and yet still i'm absolutely sure that for some people there is a conscientious and research choice not to be vaccinated and if that's you i just want to say this time i want to respect your decision i do respect your decision and i want to fight for you guys and i'm i'm so delighted to hear that the government's roadmap actually had a plan for those who are opting not to be vaccinated as well and for me the very thought of not meeting with a section of god's people it has been an incredible source of grief i apply that to those who choose not not to be vaccinated as much as i apply that to those who are not regular at church outside of covert times but again though you see the point the the the unity that we should have because of the gospel of the lord jesus christ the the the one who unifies people and and and brings all of those different groups together jews gentiles slaves free male female even then unity it does not trump everything else the the best example is truth you know at some points if if a well-meaning um heretic came in in the name of christ well we wouldn't give them a voice would we so all kinds of things where we just we need to keep we need to work out all of these work together and the issue we've got to work through is these clash of biblical values that even internally can work out sometimes in different ways fourth god values obedience to governments romans 13 they might be corrupt governments they might be just governments they might be godly governments they might be ungodly governments they might be even promoting evil but god has put them there in his sovereignty we don't quite understand his full plans his full purposes but that's they are the governments he's put in place some others have loaded the idea of disobeying governments on the issues around coming out of covert can i just say some polls for me that that has never been an option on this issue it may be needed in the future if a government was to talk about for example banning the proclamation of the lord jesus christ that might be a different matter but what we're talking about here are the issues around um working out the temporary solutions to manage a global pandemic for the safety of all people it's quite different in its category and in fact i think it's somewhat ironic that when the government did announce its roadmap out in fact i almost fell off my chair that the governor new south wales government at least granted a huge concession to churches and that is unvaccinated people at the 80 mark will be able to join vaccinated people and meet together in church the only activity they are allowing unvaccinated people to do for that four or five week period maybe a little less we'll see what happens that was a huge concession and friends i just want to just take this opportunity to say i i don't have a detailed plan for some polls as yet um we've got some things to work out but even though some pools doesn't have the same kinds of divisive issues at least to the same extent that i'm aware that some other churches do it just seems like a no-brainer for us to wait until that 80 mark at the very least before we return to in-person church on sunday it's only a couple of weeks difference and it just seems like a no-brainer but more on that next week fifth and finally god values are shining like stars in this world 1 peter 2 verse 11 puts it like this dear friends i urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong they may see your good deeds and glorify god on the day he visits us and i take it what's happening is here the world is watching and they see how we conduct ourselves they see how we work things out they see how we make decisions and that testimony then in turn it points them to know the god who has united us through jesus and so people then turn to jesus themselves have you ever had someone come up to you and just say you know i don't know what it is but there is something different about you and you and i know the answer is jesus jesus himself he talks about being in this world as light and salt philippians 2 puts it in terms of shining like stars in this world in this crooked and depraved generation so that people might save a hope of the gospel i i was so encouraged in one of the zooms i've had in recent times in fact just the other week i suspect it was um and someone said to me raj i took a look at that returning to church survey and i realized i hadn't thought about this and i realized how complex it is and the next line it was very special never forget it the person who made the comment you know who you are it meant a lot to me and they just said raj i prayed for you to navigate all of this complexity i'm so kind but this talks not so much about me i just want to encourage all of us at some pause at this time as i was talking to a colleague about these matters um he pointed me to philippians chapter two from verse five and it's really interesting often we quote from verse six but i just wanna start at verse five it says in your relationships with one another have the same mindset as christ jesus who being in very nature god did not consider equality with god something to be used to his own advantage rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross and we look at the bible and we think more about the time of jesus was in this world and i am so struck when he was in this world he associated with lepis he associated with the sick he associated with the blind he associated with the outcasts of society because his love for them it was so great he put himself out to save them nothing else matters nothing else was more important anson paul's this has continued all through the ages one of the things i'm absolutely sure i'm going to talk more about in sermons down the track i don't know which one but it just it just has struck me so much over the years christians have always been gripped by the gospel and gripped by the power of the cross and and the power of jesus and they then have put themselves out for others as well the east african revival is one of those things that get that gets me in the 1920s and the 1930s their university graduates were from england from oxford and from um cambridge and other places and and they decided they were going to go to east africa a place that didn't know the gospel but also a place where the life expectancy was half that of the western world but they decided in the same way that jesus sacrificed himself for them they were going to sacrifice themselves now for the people of east africa so that they might know jesus and they left their families their loved ones and they got sick but you know in that process what they did they took they took the gospel and we look back now a hundred years down the track and now what we see those same countries in east africa they are now the epicenter for evangelical activity as people are flocking to jesus in droves i had the absolute privilege of taking a a bible training trip into uganda on a couple of occasions and you should see the hunger they have for jesus it is absolutely extraordinary and as i think about the months ahead as i think about the weeks ahead in our context i think there are so many opportunities that await us i do think our world has been shaken certainly our world certainly our society we've seen the divisions that exist i mentioned the number before and even in the political sphere as we see those unraveling stealing there's still lack of clarity on so many issues what that means is many people will be searching for jesus i'm so hoping we can go ahead with some of this it's looking good at this point but we don't know that is one of those opportunities but it's only one opportunity for each one of us in the spheres of people we're going to be talking to there's going to be opportunities i'm expecting people are going to want to check out church i'm expecting people are going to want to understand where they can have certainty where they can have hope whilst it might look like christianity is in decline in so many ways indeed it is the case we have a better story we have the bible we have what god has revealed to us that helps us make sense of this world and make sense of what's happening we might not have all of the individual answers but we have the most important ones and so i want to encourage this as i finish up so many places i could go to 2 thessalonians 3 is one place i'm going to go to where it just says the lord is who will establish you and guide you from the evil one i want to encourage that these times and paul's we don't know the precise workings of the future in the next few weeks i hope we are going to have a bit of a clear idea about what it means for some pools to return to in-person church i'm sure we're going to have to keep navigating all of those issues i spoke about but i wonder if for now you might join me in prayer that god would help us and god would also help us make the most of these incredible opportunities as the world grapples with what on earth has been going on let's pray our god and heavenly father we thank you that you are in control of all things and father we might may not know all of the answers at this time we may not know all of the answers this side of the return of jesus but we do pray for your wisdom we do pray that you would work deeply in all of our hearts as we each wrestle with what i have described as a bit of a clash of biblical principles that we need to navigate with you father we thank you that you value love us loving one another we thank you that you went through such an extraordinary effort in sending jesus to even define love for us we thank you that you value the gathering of your people we thank you that you value christian unity so much that you sent christ we thank you that you teach us to obey governments and we thank you for the privilege to shine like stars in this crooked and depraved world father we pray that we might look to jesus at this time that as we work through things in relationship with one another that we might take the grace that he has shown us the putting aside of his own rights for the good of others and we pray that you might help us know what that looks like and father we pray to you who are able to keep us from stumbling and to present you before your glorious presence without fault and great joy to the only god our savior be glory majesty power and authority through jesus christ our lord be for all ages now and forevermore and father we each pray that you may help us to know how to glorify you at this time and we pray in jesus name amen

Channel: St Paul's Anglican

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Length: 29min 58sec (1798 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 03 2021