5th Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 179
Prayer to start
May the words of my lips and the thought of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
AMEN
Introduction
A wife said to her husband : I’ve got some good news and some bad news –
What’s the good news? – said the husband
The good news is I found a picture that’s worth £500,000.
Wow! Said the husband That’s wonderful! What’s the bad news?
The bad news -said the wife – is – its a picture of you and your secretary!
Some news – no matter how its dressed up will always be hard to swallow –
That was certainly the case with Amos in our OT reading
Point 1 Amos – the bad news
Israel was enjoying a time of peace and expansion – for the first time in generations – there was no military threat from its neighbours – and they had full control of the major trade routes –
the merchants were reeling in big profits – new stone houses were being built – luxury goods were becoming readily available – the wealthy were enjoying top grade meat and fine wines-
and the people believed that their prosperity was a sign that they were living righteous lives –
but the truth was that the wealthy Israelites were getting their luxuries at the expense of the poor
but – one lone voice spoke out against them –
that of Amos the shepherd-
He had been called by God to speak out against the materialism of his day –
Yes – the people regularly attended their shrines to worship – performed their sacrifices – but God wasn’t interested in their religious feasts – He wanted justice –
the people were congratulating themselves on their devotion to God – not realising that they had in fact cut themselves off – from a relationship with Him
Amos foretold of destruction and deportation of the people and – that the sanctuaries and shrines of Israel would be laid waste –
He described a vision of a wall and a plumb-line – God had set a standard – for Israel – to measure up to – and if they didn’t the consequences would be dire
this was the third of three visions of destruction foreseen by Amos – for the first two involving locusts and fire – but Amos prayer for mercy – and God relented – but this time God was determined that his people would be brought into line –
Amaziah – the priest in charge – of the shrine at Bethel – did his best to silence Amos – He told the king that Amos was conspiring against him – he accused Amos of being a troublemaker – a foreigner from the south – and tried to send him packing –
In Amos’ time the warnings he gave fell on deaf ears – Today – God calls us – to sound out His warnings – and keep his messages shining – through the gloom of our materialistic society –
As with Amos – we don’t need any special credentials or training – just a will and faith to obey –
As with Amos – it will be a message that few will want to hear – and many will try to change it or send us away – but nothing will change until people’s hearts are changed – and until God changes them.
Point 2 Death of John the Baptist
In our Gospel reading Mark describes the death of John the Baptist –
but its not all bad news –
John had preached a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins and it was becoming so effective – that it was upstaging the importance of the temple itself –
He made it clear that his preaching and baptisms were meant to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord –
‘ after me will come one who is mightier than I am, whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and unfasten, I baptize you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy spirit’
and now because of John and Jesus – the message was spreading and the world was beginning to take notice –
Herod even imagined Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life –
It was after John had criticised Herod for marrying his brother’s wife Herodius – that John was put him in prison –
Torn between his anxiety at what John was saying and a compulsion to listen to him again and again – – Herod kept John in prison until that ill fated party
the guests- the wine – the famous dance – and Herod’s rash promises – all conspired to bring the executioner to the dungeons – and a belittling end to a noble and great prophet –
Mark in telling this story is also pointing towards the death of Jesus Himself – on the cross – who too -would become a political football – this time – between the Roman Governor – the Jewish High Priest and the expectations of a fickle crowd –
In the eyes of the world – Herod was one of the most powerful and ambitious men in the country – he was rich and used to getting what he wanted –
But when his time of testing came he was weak and – allowed himself to be manipulated and put under pressure to do something he didn’t want to do –
Others at the party didn’t fair very well either – they looked on – and kept silent while the deed was done –
Only John stayed on the right path and followed God’s will – and although his death reminds us that – being a disciple of Jesus can be costly – and justice is not always served here on earth – it marks in a dramatic way – the fulfillment of God’s purpose and John’s wish about Jesus – “that Jesus must become greater, and John must become less”
Point 3 Paul & the Ephesians
So we’ve heard about bad news in a good situation – and good news in a bad situation – now we’ve got good news in a good situation –
Sometimes in life – something happens to remind us just how much we have to celebrate – the many blessings and gifts that God so freely showers upon us –
In the opening verse of the our NT lesson Paul tells us he never gets tired of counting His blessings when it comes to God –
Paul tells us that we have been chosen by God to be His people – to be without blemish in his sight- to be filled with his love – and to be adopted as His children – through Jesus Christ –
All of this not only for our sakes – but for the sake of what God wants to accomplish through us –
Paul reminds us that – our salvation in Christ is a vital stage – on the way to a much greater purpose for God –
God has a plan for the whole of the universe – which He determined beforehand in Christ – and which involves us – such that each of our own smaller stories fit precisely within God’s greater story –
and understanding God’s greater story in Christ – helps us to understand our own – story and our share in the heritage that Jesus’ death and resurrection has bought for us –
Many of us at some time in our lives will receive an inheritance – something left to us from family or friends that have gone before us –
today such inheritances are often turned into money – but very often in the Jewish world – they consisted of land – that was not to be sold – but kept for future generations –
As Christians we are to receive an inheritance from God – the inheritance that God had promised to Abraham, Issac, Jacob and the prophets that followed – that inheritance is there waiting for us now-
As followers of Jesus Christ we are free to set off and claim that inheritance –
The Jews talked about the Exodus – as God’s greater story within which each of their individual stories played a part –
We are part of a new Exodus – bought for us by the fresh act of God’s power and love through Jesus Christ –
Like the Exodus before we needed to brought out of slavery to sin – by God Himself – we also need to be guided and watched over – in our wilderness wanderings – by the Holy Spirit – just as those first Exodus people were – by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night –
there will be set backs – but through faithful endurance and our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus – we will arrive – and the promised land – will be there waiting for us –
In short – the old story – has been fulfilled – and the true redemption has occurred – and forgiveness of sins the real deliverance from the real slave-master – has been accomplished through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ – and through Jesus – we have received the greatest of blessing that God has to offer – a place with Him – as part of His family – and heirs to His kingdom –
Conclusions what about us
There may be good news and bad news along the way – but in Christ’s saving grace we are all special and have a part to play – our stories are part of His story – our inheritance – part of His inheritance
God has chosen us to be – part of His big picture – and each day – like Amos and John – calls us – to play our part in bringing His people to their inheritance in Glory –
Are we ready to spread the best news of all?
Closing Prayer
In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit
Amen