"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" as the saying goes. Why make something better when it is perfectly functional the way that it is now? Have you ever wondered that? Have you experienced the headache of installing an update for your phone or computer which promises to make your user experience so much easier, faster and enjoyable, only to discover that after downloading and installing the update, things now don't work like you expect and you wish you hadn't bothered.
Sometimes this is what it can feel like moving with the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit brings us the "resurrection life update", some of the old programming has to go. Some of the operating system that has been directing our lives up until that point needs to be re-written. These kinds of changes can feel uncomfortable; sometimes we wish God would just leave us alone and stop 'updating' us, we believe we were fine just the way we are. But God loves us too much just to leave us where we are, especially when he knows what fulness of life really is and what it would look like if we just embraced life on his terms. So, he gives us his Holy Spirit to guide us into that new life and to help us navigate the change from death, to life in Christ. That's what we'll explore more today as we talk about moving with the Spirit.
#3 in series: Winds of Change
"You're in!" There's nothing quite like recieving that kind of news. You're in the band, the musical, the team. Hopefully any of our recently graduated Yr 12 students are celebrating that they 'got in' to the university course of their choice after years of hard work. Being 'in' is something that we all strive for and at times the desire to 'fit in' or to be included and belong to something drives us to do things we might later regret. I'm sure each of us have photos that reflect some poor 'fashion' choices we adopted to 'fit in' back in the day.
Fitting in with others is a risky business; people's ideas and preferences change like the wind and in a society and culture as fickle as ours, what's 'in' one day can be 'out' the next.
The phrase 'in Christ' or 'through Christ' appears over 150 times in the New Testament. Being 'In Christ' is a significant part of what it means to be a Christian and the good thing about it is that the goalposts don't change. In fact, the criteria for getting 'in' don't even rely on you. So when your circumstances change and the places and groups you were once 'in' no longer accept you, there s always a place where you will be welcomed in - in Christ. That's what we're going to unpack today.
#2 in series: "Winds of Change"
"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, while others build windmills." It's the translation of an old Chinese proverb that says some people respond to change as something to be resisted, while others see it as an opportunity. Maybe you know the truth of that! Sometimes change hits us rapidly and gives us little time to adjust. The sudden or unexpected death of a loved one, or the unexpected termination of employment. For us at LifeWay, change in our Leadership after many years of consistency. At times like this, it is common to seek some kind of shelter from the chaos and change. At other times, like on a hot summer afternoon, a 'change' carried on the ocean breeze is a welcome thing and something we long for, it brings relief and comfort from the oppressive heat of a sweltering summer's day.
Today we unpack what it means to 'Rest in the Father' in the midst of the change and chaos that life can bring. God shows us that he is both our shelter in the storm, and also the cool summer breeze that brings comfort in the midst of the change.
#1 in series: Winds of Change
Most of us have had the experience of sharing a house with others. Maybe you had housemates and lived in shared accommodation when you first moved out of home and perhaps went to further study? Maybe your only experience of sharing a house has been living together with your family, your parents and siblings, or your spouse.
Sometimes living with others is a real joy, their company and conversation can be a real blessing, especially on days when you would otherwise feel alone. And yet, live with someone long enough, and you inevitably discover some of their behavioural quirks and annoying habits which can begin to really tick you off.
At Christmas, God moved in. And like any housemate, there are days we are glad about that, he brings tidings comfort and joy, as the Christmas Carol says. But God also wants to rearrange the furniture of our lives, to make more room for himself to live in us and sometimes that gets uncomfortable and we can resent that. So how do we delight everyday that God now lives with us? That's what we're going to discover today.
#7 and final in series: "Christmas V.I.P."
CHRISTMAS DAY
Christmas is a time for gifts. A time for giving and a time for receiving. Some gifts surprise us by the thought that is given. Some gifts we think immediately of who we can regift too and wonder what the giver was thinking. Sometimes we reflect on the gifts that we didn't ask for -dreams that once unwrapped were broken, illnesses that were thrust into our lives that were not wanted, prayers offered that were met with silence, grief which caught us unawares and left us in tears. The surprise bill that turned up unannounced that caused incredible worry, news that you had eagerly anticipated that left you devastated or disillusioned. These are the kind of gifts that we wish contained a gift receipt, so we could swap them for something more desirable or receive a cash refund for, so at least we could get something that was covered in glittery wrapping paper or contained answers that were wrapped with colourful ribbon. They are the gifts that we wish we could bundle up in a post-pack and return to sender, for they don't feel like a gift at all. This Christmas God has a gift tfor you that a lot of thought has been put into; a gift that is personal, costly and deilvered with love. It's a gift that God invites you to receive with joy and use daily. We will look at that gift today.
#6 in series: Christmas VIP
CHRISTMAS EVE
Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. Do you feel that way about Christmas? You’ve already experienced it, you’re so familiar with it that you are not really surprised or overwhelmed by the conception, planning and execution that it took to pull off the first part of the greatest moment that would change the trajectory for each and every person. When the time was right, God invited ordinary people who were very important to him, to be a part of the event that would change the world, and shape eternity; to experience the fullness of love that is unimaginable and incomprehensible. It's good news of great joy for all the world. God is here now.
#5 in series: Christmas VIP
They're called P.S.A.'s or Public Service Announcements. Important messages for the community that share a reality or a situation people need to know about. Often they are broadcast for free by television and radio networks as a 'service' to the community. They are announcements that remind us not to speed, or drink and drive. They are emergency warning systems that alert a community to some kind of impending danger like bushfire or flood, or outbreaks of Covid or even product recall notices. In many ways, the Bible is full of God's Public Service Announcements. Announcements that warn people of the impending danger and destruction, remind people of his plan of salvation, and notify people to be alert for signs of the Messiah who will save his people from their sin. Today we hear the second half of the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. After 9 months of silently watching what God was doing, Zechariah opens his mouth for the first time to make a Christmas VIP Public Service Announcement. We, too are called to make this Christmas Announcement. We'll explore that today.
#4 in series: Christmas VIP
Name Tags. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Some people are uncomfortable wearing them! But a name tag is more than a sticker or a badge. It's a statement that connects our face with the cause or business we represent. It's a permission slip that allows connection and gives access. It's an invitation to build relationship.
Joseph is invited to name Christmas for the world. To put a name tag on Jesus! It's a name tag that gives permission to interact personally and connect deeply. It's an invitation to an ongoing relationship that gives full and free access to everything Jesus is in every circumstance of life. So join us today as Joseph names Christmas for you and invites you to name Christmas for others.
#3 in series: Christmas VIP
It’s the latest ‘big thing’. Street Casting! Film-makers are taking people off the street and putting them into lead roles in their films. They are looking for characters, not who are polished and have attended the best acting schools, but those who are real and authentic and ‘perfect’ for the role needed to be played. From the very beginning, God has had an eye for plucking people from obscurity and casting them in integral roles in his salvation drama. People like Abraham, Joseph, Tamar, Rahab, Samuel, David, Esther, or countless others, characters who are raw, real, authentic and pivotal in the story of redemption. So when God sends an angel to announce to an uneducated teenager from a small, remote village that she has been chosen to play a V.I.P. role; to carry the hope of the nations, it should come as no surprise. But what is a surprise is Mary’s immediate response to lay down her own plans and dreams and say “Yes” in faith to a part in God’s continuing story. For little does she know the ridicule and shame it will invite, the danger it will involve, or the heart-wrenching grief she will experience. But as Mary carries the miracle of Christmas and delivers the greatest blessing the world has ever seen, she will discover a grace that carries her through every circumstance…and it’s a grace that we pray, you will discover too.
#2 in series: Christmas V.I.P.