Sermon 27 September 2009

Being Different

There is a huge intolerance in the world and I am sad to say that the majority of people that seem the most intolerant are those who have religion on there side. There have been wars fought throughout the bible and even post the new testament in the name of God, that have reeked of intolerance. Infect the very basis for the history of our country was from the church. September 11 two aero planes flew into the world trade centre killing thousands in the name of Allah. Which comes from the word alleluia which is the same God that we worship? George Bush taking a word from psalm 26 “Evil doers” justified in the name of God the Iraq war. I wonder what God thinks?

Not only have wars been fought in the name of God but judgment has been passed on people based on their different ideas of religion, looks and of their life. Just recently a tornado ripped through America and the evangelical church there blamed it on homosexuals. We have claimed authority over the world in the name of God but we haven’t allowed God to be present in that world.

Here is a little experiment have a look at the slides and see what you think

Who is the Christian?

 

 

 

 

 

It is time to elect a new world leader, and your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three leading candidates.

Candidate A: Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He’s had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B: He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whisky every evening.

Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He’s a vegetarian, doesn’t smoke, drinks an occasional beer and hasn’t had any extramarital affairs.

Which of these candidates would be your choice?

Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Candidate B is Winston Churchill.

Candidate C is Adolph Hitler

 

Numbers 11

Note in the passage of Numbers how it is not the 70 leaders which would have given them prestige and honour but rather it is two men in the camp. These men would have probably been younger than 30 and would have not been seen as high up on the scale of authoritarian but yet in some way God speaks to the people through these men. Not in the tent but in the camp.

 

Mark 9: 38 – 50

Honour and shame. Jewish culture believed if you had an illness, that you were unclean and the reason you had the element was because of sin and this was a punishment from God on your life. So people who had leprosy couldn’t go into the temple because they were unclean or if you lost an eye you would be thrown out. Can I paraphrase the text just a little to see if maybe I can offer another aspect to it. Here the disciples knowing the Jewish laws and traditions come to Jesus saying master there is an unclean sinner preaching the gospel, in fact his not a rabbi or even a prophet but what he is doing is telling people about you and he is not like us. People are getting healed and this goes against everything we have been taught and everything we hold dear as a religion. Jesus says leave the guy alone and let them preach. You see its not who you or what you look like that makes you important. You can think you holy but its better to make yourself unholy for the gospel and in doing so you preach the message. Jesus is actually snubbing the people who think that they are the closest to Gods message. THIS IS RADICAL

I remember when I was young there was a game show on TV where they had a flies view of an object and you had to try guess what the object was. I mean they had cameras and the most arbitrary things you could think what it is. To my dismay no matter how hard I tried to guess the picture I don’t think I ever got one correct. I think that is often how we see God. God is so big and so massive that to try and understand God is impossible. In fact when we think we have even understood a concept of what and who God is we could hardly be further from the truth. Friends we are like that competition only seeing a small piece of God and can therefore never have the full truth. We need to see and hear other people’s perspectives

 

So what happens when people speak of a different theology than mine?

Maybe they are seeing a different side of God that you have not. Maybe there is some truth in what they are saying. Even if it makes you feel exceptionally uncomfortable there must be some form of understanding. There must be grace and there must be acceptance. If two are more are gathered in my name I am there!!!!

1 Corinthians 13:12

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 

 

 

What happens if people are in a different religion?

 

Genesis 1 says that we are all created in the image of God and therefore we all reflect a piece of God in our lives. To say that a Buddhist or a Hindi or even Muslim is wrong is to deny God working in their lives. You see if we all reflect a piece of God maybe we can learn from other religions. We judge and we do not even know who they are. That doesn’t even sound like the Jesus in the bible. Jesus was first visited by astrologers not JEWS. Rob bell and minister in America went to a conference with some of the great religious world leaders and Christians stood outside and judge him calling him evil.

 

What happens if people are doing things that we know are hurtful?

xxxchurch.com at the the pornography expo

 

The truth is if we believe in grace and that Gods grace is bigger than any flaw we believe in then we have to say that it doesn’t matter exactly what you believe Gods grace will still find us there.

 

So may we start to learn that your greatest gift to me is your greatest difference from me. May we learn to listen rather than judge and may we allow God to be present in our conversations and our journeys.