4th Sunday before Lent – Sermon 296

• 4th Sunday before Lent
• 6.30pm Evening Prayer BCP
• 10^th February 2019

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

INTRODUCTION

Success! –  How do we measure it? – the size of the house – how much money we earn? –  our qualifications? – How many people we are in charge of? – our popularity on Facebook – or twitter?

For most people – success is usually about achieving financial security – so that we feel – we can do what we like – when we like – how we like! 

But Paul has different ideas –

Point 1         Paul’s letter to the Colossians

Paul in his letter to the Colossians – tells us where our measure of success should lie – 

 “Were you not raised to life with Christ? – then aspire to the realm above – where Christ is – seated at God’s right hand” –

“Fix your thoughts on that higher realm – not this earthly life”

A vicar was invited to dinner – by a rich landlord – and after the meal – was taken to where he could get a good view of the surrounding area –

‘Twenty-five years ago,’ said the landlord – ‘I had nothing – now’ – pointing north – and then south – and east and west – ‘as far as your eye can see’ – it’s all mine – all mine!  –

He paused for a moment – expecting to be complimented on his great success – but the vicar placed one hand on his shoulder – and pointed up –

‘and how much do you have in that direction?’

Paul reminds us that we need to discard the patterns of our behavior – that take us in a direction – away from Jesus – And put on patterns of behaviour that bring us – in a direction – nearer to Jesus.

Like a suit of clothes – we need to take off –- anger – greed- malice – slander – lying –

And put on what we see in Jesus – Compassion – kindness – humility – gentleness – patience – forgiveness of others –

Labels can mean a lot in clothes – for us – if Jesus’ name is not on them – then we are wearing the wrong clothes.

God wants us to live our lives showing and declaring the qualities that Jesus has shown us –

to reveal Jesus to others – in what we do and say – other words – live with a changed heart – a heart changed by Jesus – a heart that welcomes God’s love within us and reflects God’s love all around us –

Point 2         Hosea and his family

The size and prosperity of our families – is another of the world’s ways of measuring how successful we have been in life –

but – if Hosea’s story happened in today’s church – there wouldn’t be many that would call it a success. 

Instead it would probably be all over the TV and newspapers – receive thousands of hits on UTube – Facebook or twitter – and be one of the most talked about scandalous things we’d ever heard. 

Hosea a preacher and prophet – a local celebrity of his time – marrying a prostitute woman named Gomer! 

Hosea was a young preacher in northern Israel, and lived during the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, the king of Israel.

 Jeroboam was one of the wicked kings of Israel and the nation was going through a difficult time when Hosea was preaching. 

People were “living it up,” and they didn’t have much time for God. 

Rather than blame themselves for their problems – they blamed God.

Hosea was called by God to point out 3 glaring sins against the nation of Israel – and He was told to do this through His family – normally a measure of success –

Israel had prostituted herself with foreign gods – had left the God who had chosen her (2:12-13) –

Her people were without knowledge of God and the religious leaders were NOT teaching the people about God (4:6; 5:4) –

and the people were ignorant about the Laws of God and of God Himself (8:12).

Hosea was told to name his children – according to what would happen to the nation if things did not change –

his first son Jezereel – would symbolize punishment – on the king’s family – the King’s family would come to an end – just as Ahab’s family came to an end in Jezreel.

The second child – a daughter – Lo-ruhamah meaning No Compassion (or No Mercy) – would symbolise the transfer of God’s love to Judah in the South – His protection of Israel would come to an end –

The third child – another son – Lo-ammi – meaning “Not My People” – those who refuse to bow to God and give Him sovereignty – would NO longer be his people and He would NO longer be their God.

God calls the nation to repent – through Hosea –

God promises to discipline them but as the closing sentences show – He also offers Hope – hope that there will come a time when they abandon idol worship – and return to worship Him – and their true God  – who has never left them and has protected them for many years.

God’s desire was that the people would once again be restored and serve Him and be the nation they were called to become –

Point 3        What it means for us

The message for us from these two readings – is that we shouldn’t focus all our efforts on improving our own status and influence in society – ahead of the needs of others and the needs of God –

The kingdom of God – at its heart – is about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with His love and power –

so that all people made in God’s image – and dearly loved by Him – can live in the knowledge that He is in control – and will guide their future –

Our lives shouldn’t be measured by what we own or achieve on earth –

we will not be judged on whether we could have achieved more or done more –

but on what’s in our hearts – the heavenly treasures we carry – inside us –

the riches we are willing to share with God and with others – not the earthly ones we carried for ourselves –

Ending

Jesus is here to shower grace and a new life on people everywhere –

His values and priorities are bearing down on the greed and anxiety in the world – and turning hearts towards God and His love –

We need to play our part in ensuring that God’s values and not the world’s become the priority of the people we know and love –

We are called to help others understand that – true success is to live a new life in Christ –

to be renewed in His image – and to follow Jesus’ ways of forgiveness and truth –

Jesus came to show us the best and only way to live – He is the way the truth and the life-

And if we live with Jesus in our hearts – In God’s eye’s – there can be no greater success than that.

Closing prayer

AMEN