1 Kings 14:21-16:7
It feels like we are watching two TVs simultaneously on fast-forward. Each of the TVs is showing one of the home nations competing in the world cup. We turn our attention to one screen, hopeful, expectant of potential finally being realised. But no. As the action speeds through it becomes increasingly clear that the boys are chronically underachieving. So we pause that TV and then swivel in our chair to check out the other team on the other screen - a new game, a new sense of hope but it’s the same old story and the same old result. So we pause the second screen and set the action going again on the first screen one. But game after game, screen after screen the two teams fail and fail and fail again. It’s enough to make you want to give up all together. Who is to blame for this continuing debacle? Like a post-match pundit the son of Hanani steps forward and issues the verdict - the fault lies with the people. They are the ones who are disobeying and sinning and angering the Lord. This is all happening not because the Lord is too weak but because the Lord is too strong. He is too strong to let rebellion and arrogance go along unpunished. His love is too great to let his people prosper and get comfortable away from his presence. He brings destruction to prompt people to come to him for rebuilding. He wounds so people will turn to him for healing. Even when life looks like it is completely bankrupt God can be found and God can be trusted. He is strong. He can lead us to victory if we put our trust in him.
Acts 16:16-40
We see here what it means to say that Jesus is Lord. That has traditionally been seen as the neatest summary of Christian confession. But Paul and Silas show that confession is not where the journey ends. Confessing Jesus is Lord means that every part of your life now revolves around him. Around his desires. Around his good news. First up is worship. Giving him his worth in spite of any of our circumstances. Whether we’ve been promoted or made redundant he is still the boss of this whole joint. Whether we’ve got engaged or been dumped he is still more dazzling and more radiant than the most gorgeous vision on this earth. Confessing Jesus is Lord is committing to praying and singing hymns to him no matter where we are, no matter how we are. Confessing Jesus is Lord is also about arranging our lives and responding to circumstances so that we have the best chance of sharing his great story with as many people as possible. Paul and Silas didn’t peg it when their chains fell off. They chose to stay so they could let the jailer into the incredible truth about Jesus. How are we arranging our lives and responding to circumstances so we can share Jesus with people? It might be how we use lunch breaks or where we go for coffee or how we choose to stop and speak to neighbours rather than just nodding and walking by. It could be anything really. Just decisions we take which prioritize getting some space to share ourselves with people rather than just rushing on to the next thing and the next thing. And finally, confessing Jesus is Lord is about refusing to be a push-over or to be taken for granted and abused and ignored. Confessing Jesus is Lord is committing to seeing people with inherent value and standing up for them, and yourselves when people try to treat you like dirt. Do we really know our value to Jesus and the value of every other person to him? If we are pressing into these 3 things - worship, organising our time so we can share Jesus with people and acting out the inherent value of humans then we should feel pretty confident that we are doing more than just making hollow declarations. We can indeed be confident that we are being doers and not just hearers of the word.
Proverbs 15:21-30
I’ve been working on this ‘cheerful look’ that brings joy to the heart and I think I have finally cracked it.
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