Following Jesus Can Be Tough!

 

I was interested in the recent court case that confirmed that the law is above individual beliefs – probably the correct decision in this particular case.

Mr and Mrs Bull are Christian owners of a B&B and were found guilty of discriminating against a gay couple (Mr Hall and Mr Preddy) by refusing to allow them to share a double room. Their defence was not that the couple were gay but unmarried which contravened their beliefs.

In Matthew 7, Jesus is recorded as saying, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” and it would appear that the Bull’s made a judgement here.

Although I admire people who hold strong beliefs and are prepared to fight for them, (after all, where would we be without the likes of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King), and at risk of being a hypocrite myself by judging the Bulls for their misguided beliefs and action, I have to ask myself ‘Where was Jesus in this?’

We are supposed to be Jesus in the life of those we encounter in our daily lives. Where was grace? Where was ‘Love your neighbour?’ To the woman caught in adultery Jesus said, ‘I do not judge you either but go and stop sinning’. Surely, we are called to live Kingdom lives and to reflect Jesus into our community. By living to our values we should then attract others into the Kingdom so that they too can know ‘repentance unto life’, where their lifestyles will then start to match their own newly held beliefs.

May God bless the Bulls, Mr Hall and Mr Preddy.

Tony

 

Moving in to a New Year!

I hope and trust you all had a great Christmas 2010!

I always find the period after Christmas and before New Year to be something of limbo. Still recovering from the mass of Turkey and other edible delights, and my eyes still slightly sore after numerous old films I watch every year, I cannot help but find myself in a place of reflection over the last 12 months, and also prediction towards the coming year. Although there is nothing special that actually occurs on the 1 January every year that makes it any different to a normal fresh day, it does carry some sense of extra freshness and brand new beginnings.

At SBC we are wanting to start 2011 with some very important questions regarding what we are working on in our spiritual lives, but importantly we are asking the question "What are you and God working on together?".

This year as you prepare your New Year's resolution, why not consider what you and God might want to achieve together in 2011.

God bless

Taming the tongue

The person who never minces their words

is responsible for a lot of indigestion

Hugh Redwood

In James 3:3-11 we are reminded of the power of the tongue and also the reality that taming wild animals is easy compared to taming the tongue.  We can use it to praise God, but also to tear down those made in the image of God.  The challenge to speak well is a great one, one I suspect we all struggle with from time to time.  One of the greatest problems we face is the lack of an 'undo' feature.  On modern technology there is nearly always a way of simply returning to a previous state, as if the last action had never happened.  This is even available on some e-mail programs, where a message can be snatched back when sent in error.  However, when a word is spoken there is no 'undo, it is done and the consequences will be faced.

To what extent does grace alter what we say?  How long do we think before speaking?  How hard are we working at 'taming our tongues' in spite of the apparent impossibility?  How often are we causing indigestion?

Rich Webb.

OFC Launch Day Thoughts

King Solomon wrote:

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; 
And there is one who withholds more than is right, 
But it leads to poverty.
(Proverbs 11:24 NKJV)

I believe Solomon was talking both about our sowing and our giving. And it is not just about giving our money, our time, our food or other resources that we have. What God seems to be saying here (through Solomon) is that we are to give what God has given to us: love, life, hope, promise, truth and His Word.

Surely, the launch of Outward Focused Congregations is another of God's opportunities for us to be faithful to Him, to scatter seed, grow and harvest a crop. But it is more than that, it's not just a numbers game but another opportunity to share what we have through Jesus with those in our community whose eyes, hearts and minds are closed to Him.

OFC's give us a momentum to scatter and increase but there is also a warning in what Solomon says for those of us who pass up the opportunity.

It's tough at the moment - hang in there

Does it feel like hard work at the moment?  Are you putting more effort in to serving God than ever before, and yet not seeing a lot of fruit?  Do you seem to be wading through treacle, with only more treacle on the horizon?  Are you praying more passionately than in the past, and yet God seems more quiet?  Are you desperate?

It is a feeling or experience that I am finding common around SBC at the moment.  So much so that I want to talk about it, so that we understand it and are not discouraged.

Let me give you a solid example.  Last night I was at our building for the Youth Small Group and met a couple of our guys, let's call them Bob and Tony.  Bob and Tony were there to run a course called 'Money Matters'.  It is an awesome course that helps people deal with their money.  It is not just for those with debt problems, in fact it is more designed for those who want to be in control of their money that bit more, but who are not in huge debt.  Bob and Tony have seen people's lives turned around by coming on the course and know of many more people who would benefit.  Last night they diligently turned up ready to run the course, expecting only one person to come.  Guess how many people came?  No-one.  Not even the one person they were expecting came.  

Now, before we get all weepy for Bob and Tony, and try to work out their real names so that we can go and console them, we need to remember that this picture is replicated in many different ways across SBC.  They are not alone. It is tough, really tough.

So what is going on?  I have given a lot of thought and prayer to this.  Do we need to pray more?  Do we need to pray harder?  Do we need to pray differently?  Do we need to repent of hidden sin?  Do we need to close everything and start from scratch?  Do we need to shout louder and guilt trip people into getting involved?  Should we give up and do something else?  Perhaps you have been tempted towards one of these options, or maybe even all of them, I know I have have.  Yet I believe that none of them are God's answer.

The conclusion that I have come to is this:  we need to persevere and not do anything different.  We need to serve and not worry about success or fruit, but just serve because God asked us to serve.  We need to press on, not because we are seeing breakthrough, but because we live in hope of breakthrough.  We need to seek his face and his voice, not because we hear Him speak often, but because we love Him even when we don't hear Him.

I believe and have faith for a time to come when we will see fruit and breakthrough, when we will see His Kingdom come in awesome and powerful ways.  However, right now I believe that God wants to know if we will serve Him when there are no results.  Will we do it simply because he asked us to do it, even in the face of discouragement?  If we will, then I believe our hearts will be ready to cope with 'success'.  Through this tough time I think He is causing us to examine our motives for serving and praying.  Right now I think He is asking us simply to be obedient, and leave the outcome of our efforts in His hands.  

So what is our response?  First, we keep on keeping on, serving and praying because we love God.  We live in hope of breakthrough, but leave it in God's hands.  Second, we encourage one another to keep going.  This is no easy journey, but together we can help one another see and understand what God is doing.

It's tough at the moment, but hang in there, it is just for a season.

Have You Got The X-Factor?

X-Factor is back and already gripping the nation. Saturday nights now consist of more than 11 million people in the UK sitting in front of the television and watching all the auditions for a panel of judges, hoping to be the next big star!

As much as it is about the talent and finding the 'next big thing', in the early audition period much of the programme is dedicated to those hopefuls who believe they have the X-Factor, but the judges (and the crowd) very much disagree. It is quite amazing how some people can truly believe they have the voice of an angel, and the shock on their faces when the judges suggest singing is not one of their best qualities.

It is in fact the opposite of this situation that Simon Cowell and the team seem to love. Those people who walk on stage, who carry a presence and have extraordinary talent, and yet struggle to see it in themselves. Simon gets a little sparkle in his eye when he sees someone who he believes has the potential to be a star, but knows that they can be so much better when they understand just how good they are.

In what areas do you need to believe in yourself more? What gifts do you have that you need to exercise and develop?

Also, who around you has a gift or a talent that you can encourage and help develop? What can you do to help others understand how good and gifted they are?

I believe the Church is meant to be a community that encourages people's gifts, pushes people to be the best (and most Christ-like) they can be, and who do everything they can to develop those around them who have potential to do something great. Let's make those things strong characteristics in our lives, and ultimately in our community!

God bless

Tom MacDonald

Student Pastor @ SBC

Journeys Pt 6 – The Legacy

Since arriving at SBC about 22 months ago, Julie and I have been sharing the journey with those around us.  Last September we encountered the concept of Outward Focused Congregations (OFCs) and it seemed at first to many of us to be a change of direction.  After some time to reflect and pray it is clear, however, that it is not a change of direction for SBC, just a different emphasis and set of priorities.  It provides us with a chance to leave a legacy.

A couple of months ago, Rich Webb came to our Journeys course at college and the students were amazed at his story, especially the idea that he was willing to give up the potential of a 6 figure salary in banking to serve God.  Rich explained it that, yes he could have earned a lot of money and left an inheritance but by faithfully serving God he would have the chance to leave a legacy.

We, as a church, have a chance to leave a legacy as we journey together.  What will that legacy be?

It won’t be that we are a church that praises God with passion and a loud voice, important though that is.  It won’t be the use of technology, or the love we have within the fellowship, or the ministries we run; important though all of these are.

Our legacy will not even be OFC’s even though it is the way we will reach people and grow as a church.

Our legacy will be the relevance we become to our community by the lives we help to change in reaching the lost, giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and extending the Kingdom of God to those around us.  This cannot be achieved unless we are fully compliant with the Spirit and the Father’s Will, which is for us to follow Jesus in everything we do.

Stop and stand back

It is very easy in the busyness of life to allow ourselves to get caught up in the activity and detail of everything around us.  Of course that is not a bad thing in itself.  The problems comes, however, when we 'mistake the edge of our rut, for the horizon', when we begin to lose sight of the bigger picture.

The whole of scripture points to life having rhythm.  Whether it is the pattern of work and rest in the creation account, or the expression of 'seasons' of life in Ecclesiastes, God's desire is for there to be variation in our life.  Just as we to push ahead with determination to pursue God's purpose for our lives, so also we need to stop and stand back.  I believe that such times are essential for us to regain sight of the bigger picture.  It doesn't so much matter when we do it, or even how we do it, but I believe we must do it.

In these times of stopping and standing back I believe there are some important things to reflect on:

• What has God been doing in my life?
• What is God doing in my life right now?
• What might God want to do in my life in the future?
• What is God doing elsewhere?

Taking time to consider these questions will broaden our horizons and enable a rich picture of God's activity in our world to form.  We will find the Kingdom, where before it was not apparent  and sense God's hand in places that previously appeared isolated.  It is often said that we can only live our lives looking forward, but only understand them looking back.

When and where will you stop and stand back?  You might think you can't afford the time, but I wonder whether you can afford not to.  Perhaps you will discover something that could change everything!

Rich Webb

Renewing Covenant

Often people spend a lot of time looking at the covenants God has made with us, his children. However, sometimes we fail to remind ourselves of the covenant we have made to God as well.

When you become a Christ follower you enter a covenant of allowing Him to be the Lord of all our days, until the end, and we promised to submit to His ways.
In reality and if we are honest, this is not always easy. We seperate our lives in to sections and give God what we don't want, or we hide an area of our lives from him.

I recently read this prayer by John Wesley in my devotions, and it has really challenged me to daily submit myself to Him, and to renew the covenant I faithfully and wholeheartedly made.

"I am no longer my own, but Thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal"

Perhaps today you need to commit to God and allow him to be Lord of your life! Wonderful news if that is you! But also just maybe you need to renew your commitment to God today, and perhaps the heavens rejoice in that moment also?

Live everyday for him!

God bless

Tom MacDonald
Student Pastor

Don't pick up the baggage!

It’s fastapproaching that time of year again when many of us will be jetting off todestinations all around the world to enjoy a well earned break. If that’s you,I really hope you have great time and that you come back refreshed and readyfor any challenges that may lie ahead for you.

I often find theactual getting there to be quite stressful! Ensuring you get to the airport ontime, getting the car parked in the right place, getting to the check in deskon time and getting to the right gate for your flight can often seem reallyhard work. I have to say though, the holiday feels it’s really begun when youget checked in and most importantly you get to drop your baggage off. You turnaway from the check in desk and that’s it – just the plane to get on and then aperiod of fun and relaxation. Of course, it does get a little bit stressfulagain when you’re waiting to pick up your baggage at the other end – there’salways the fear that your baggage won’t have made the plane and that you’llspend the first few days of your holiday with nothing to wear! Thankfully, forthe bulk of us, it’s not a problem and our baggage is ready to collect when itcomes round the belt in baggage reclaim.

I believe that whenwe come in to relationship with God, a similar thing can occur. God wants us tocheck in our baggage at the start of the journey that may have weighed down ourlives up until this point. He wants us to handover the things that may haveblighted our lives previously in order that we can live our lives in freedomwith him. Living freely is one of the most amazing things that can beexperienced but sadly for many people, they do not allow it to last. Theproblem is that on too many occasions, we head for baggage reclaim when we haveabsolutely no need to do so! Contrary to when we go on holiday, when we checkin with God, we check in our baggage as we should do but then we should neverfeel we have to pick it up again. With God, we live in complete freedom andnothing that we have handed over to him should ever be picked up again! All ourstrength and courage is found in him alone.

Living in Freedomis available to any one of us who wants it. We just need to hand everythingover to God and allow him to take control. Why not come along to SBC thisSunday at 10am and find out more about Living in Freedom?

 

Journeys Pt 5

John Newton (1725-1807) was a journeyman who travelled theworld visiting places that few of us will ever see.  He also had a remarkable career.

As a young man John was, by his own admission, not a nice manto know.  He was brutal, tough, a heavydrinker, womaniser and blasphemer.  Heonce claimed that he could corrupt the heart of any man within 30 minutes offirst meeting him.

Having joined the navy he rose to prominence and eventuallybecame the captain of his own ship, earning a lot of money through theabominable slave trade that helped to build the wealth of our country.  But it was on the journey that he encounteredGod and the amazing grace of Jesus that was to transform his life just as ithas transformed ours.

There are not many of us who have sinned in the way John did(at least not in our own minds), for God does not grade sin and ‘all havesinned and fall short of the glory of God’. We know that ‘the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternallife in Christ Jesus’.

This is the transformation for so many of us, including JohnNewton, who went on to serve God so powerfully for the rest of his life’sjourney, leaving behind a legacy of service and words of praise, including“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that save a wretch like me”.

Journeys Part 4

At our Central Prayer meeting in February, Rich Webb stated thatit was not necessarily the departure point or destination that is important butthe encounters we have on the journey that were important. 

In the context of what he was talking about he was, of course,absolutely right but for me the journey started at the Cross and that is alwaysimportant.  For it is at the Cross thatwe encounter the true nature of God, His overwhelming love for each of us, Hisgrace, His mercy and His purpose for our lives. It is at the Cross that we encounter light, life and truth, and forthose of us who have chosen to follow Him it is the start of an incrediblejourney.

Each of us is on a unique and personal journey although we doshare it with others along the way but the journey is never about us but aboutthe opportunities it gives us to share the gospel message, to feed the hungry,bring gifts to the poor, reach out to the lost and bring healing to the sick.

This is reflected in the journey of Tychicus, from Rome to Colosse.  In the first century this would have been anarduous and dangerous journey by land and sea but Paul has the confidence tosay “Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, afaithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord”.  Tychicus recognised that the journey was notabout him but his purpose was to tell the Colossian church the news about Paul,who was imprisoned in Rome .  How many of us would want to talk about ourown journey in such circumstances?  It isnot about us, it has never been about us but about those we are called toserve!

We can never underestimate what God is doing in our lives as wecontinue our journey and we need to focus on the opportunities He provides forus.  However, it doesn’t hurt to considerthe final destination.  If we do so ithelps us to live in the reality of our salvation.

Journeys Part 3

I have a fuel inefficient Honda Accord, made worse by the factthat most of my driving is around Scunthorpe .  To help save fuel I often knock it intoneutral to coast down hills and it seems to work. Some of you may disapprove ofthis strange driving style but it is not as bad as ‘coasting’ on my spiritualjourney.

This is why I am finding our latest teaching (non) series‘Shifting Gear’ so encouraging.  Whereverwe are on our only personal journey with Jesus it inspires us to move upanother gear and go for it. 

Of course, we could shift down a gear or even go into reversebut, with Rich’s latest anointing and the increased power of his teaching sincePalm Sunday, you would have to be totally resistant to the Spirit in order toachieve that.

I am excited and challenged by the teaching.  I am also excited by the next stage in myjourney with Jesus as I now have a mentor (we all should have one really) and Ijust know that as well as the support and guidance I shall receive it is reallythe challenge and accountability that I need.

I am mindful of Jesus’ great prayer for His disciples (that’sus now) recorded in John’s Gospel where he says to His Father, ‘Asyou sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’  He has sent us into the world for a purposeand to have influence in our community. We can only do that by fully engaging with our community, with ourneighbours, with our work colleagues and our friends.  We need to share the gospel at everyopportunity, showing love and giving practical help through projects likeFoodbank and CAP.  This will be thecurrent focus on my journey with Jesus.  

Change of direction

Yesterday I was meeting with a couple of pastors to talk about church and leadership strategy.  One of them shared something as an unconnected aside.  I thought it was awesome, so I thought I would share it.

It is not unusual for ancient cities to have large walls and sturdy gates.  They existed to keep the city safe.  By controlling the flow of people, they protected those on the inside.  Very often they were used to prevent people from entering completely, such as in times of war.

Towards the end of Ezekiel there is a description of how things are to be arranged in the future.  The descriptions of the land, temple and city can be seen as descriptions of the coming Kingdom as well as the obvious description of a physical future reality.  In Ezekiel 48:30 onwards the details are given of the gates of this future city.  However, the interesting thing is that in that verse they are not referred to as 'gates', but 'exits'.

Could it be that where before the emphasis was on controlling and defining the inward flowing of outsiders, the emphasis now is on encouraging and releasing the outward flow of insiders!  What does this mean for us today?  Let's see your comments and thoughts.

Rich.

Journeys Part 2

During his message ‘The Power of a God Encounter’, Brian Houston told the story of Biju Thampy as he was travelling around Mumbai in a tuktuk (3 wheeled taxi).  As it stopped at a junction to give way to other traffic (which I understand is a miracle in itself!), Biju noticed a young street girl aged about 6 begging for food.  This was not one of the children you may have seen in Slum Dog who live in very poor conditions – this was a child on her own with nothing.

Biju had compassion on her and gave her some money for food. As his tuktuk pulled away he looked back in time to see a man step out of the crowd and mug the girl for the money.  In his anger and frustration Biju cried out to God and said, ‘Lord, why do you allow this to happen. Do something’.

He immediately felt the Spirit come upon him and speak into his heart.  He said, ‘You do something’.

Five years later Biju’s ministry, Vision Rescue, is having an impact on the lives of the 300,000 street children in Mumbai.

My own journey with Jesus is nowhere near as dramatic as Biju’s but has some similarity.  I used to work for a local college that decided it could no longer afford to employ a chaplain, leaving the students with no one to turn to for spiritual guidance.  I felt something should bedone by our church but didn’t know what. Should our Chaplain and her team offer to take over the role?  Should our Youth or Discipleship Leaders get their teams involved?  Then God seemed to say ‘You do something’.

So Julie and I sought permission to run the Journeys course which proved so popular that we followed it with a version of Student Alpha.  We now have a core group of nine students who turned up every week wanting to know more about God and His creation.  OK, so it’s only 9 out of 1700 students but each one is precious to Jesus and each of them is on their own journey. 

The work is not something that comes natural to us.  There is a two generation age gap, they live very different lives to us and have different outlooks.  We have had to invest a lot of time, energy and some money into doing it.  It can be uncomfortable and scary stuff but Rich is always inspirational in his teaching (Feel the fear and do it anyway comes to mind).

It has been a real privilege to start this work and we pray that we will continueto have such encounters on our journey with Jesus.

Tony

Journeys Part 1

Recently, I had the opportunity to again watch Brian Houston’s message, ‘The Power of a God Encounter’, which he brought to last year’s Hillsong Conference.

Part of the message reminded me that Jesus was always on the move, always coming from or going somewhere. And it is on a journey that we are most likely to truly encounter God in an awesome and life changing way.

Luke records that it was on the road to Emmaus that Jesus opened the eyes of two of his followers to the power of scripture; it was on a journey near Caesarea Philippi where God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ; it was on the Desert Road that Philip had a meaningful conversation about the words of Isaiah that led to the Ethiopian eunuch becoming a baptised believer; and it was on a journey to Damascus that a God encounter not only changed the life of Saul but potentially for all humanity.

The current phase of our own journey started when Julie and I first came to SBC in September 2008. After just a couple of weeks Rich Webb was bringing a message when suddenly he seemed to be speaking directly to me and said, ‘You have become content with things that you were never meant to becontent with!’. I can’t remember much else from that message as I was stunned – those words became written on my very soul. How can I or any of us ever be content when we are surrounded by ‘the least, the lost, the broken’? How can we be content when our community is riddled with poverty, hunger, loneliness, pain, injustice and apathy towards our Creator God? How can we just close ourselves away inside a comfortable, secure building each Sunday and be almost oblivious to the needs of others?

Jesus said that we are the ‘Salt of the earth’. Whether we interpret that salt is for preservation and to prevent corruption, whether we consider that salt is there to bring savour or have some other interpretation it doesn't really matter. The salt has to be applied or has to be totally absorbed to have any impact – if it remains in the salt cellar it has no relevance at all. An Outward Focused Congregation would offer an ideal opportunity to pour out the salt! That has to be my next destination on this remarkable journey with Jesus.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

A football players dream is to play on the biggest stage possible, and today is the cut off date for Fabio Capello to name the England football team for the Wold Cup in South Africa 2010, starting in less than two weeks! He has to cut down the squad of players from 30 to just 23, a very difficult decision, one that will be heartbreaking for 7 individuals.

We all have very difficult decisions to make in our lives, and often they will have an impact on other people as well as ourselves. It is also true that during these hard moments, we often forget to consider what God might be saying or doing in our lives. How much do you trust in God through your decision making? In my experience when I have sought after God in a decision, I have no made the most obvious or my natural decision, but it has worked out for the best. Why not make God your number one call when you are making a decision?

God bless

Tom

Coming Together With a Common Goal

If you’re a music fan like me, you will have loved seeing the battle there was for the Christmas number 1 last year. The idea that a song by Rage Against the Machine that was originally a hit some 18 years ago could get to number 1 ahead of the marketing force behind the X Factor winner just seemed madness but it happened. It was fascinating to see the campaign gather pace not only on Facebook but across various TV and radio networks. For me, the whole campaign was summed up by a post on the Facebook page on the Monday after it got to number 1 that just said it all. It said that if people came together with a common goal in mind, anything could be achieved. Now I have to say, that got me thinking! For me the question is if people really come together with a huge desire to extend the Kingdom of God in our local area, just what could we achieve? How different could North Lincolnshire look? I would venture to say that it would look very different! SBC’s vision is to extend the Kingdom through outward focused lives and that extension of the Kingdom has to be what we’re about. Why not come along to our main building @ 10am on Sunday and hear more about this or if you can’t, why not follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook page for the podcast? See you soon.

Iain

Sharing stories

One of the great things about our current series (which is not a series) is hearing amazing stories of people living adventurously.

Obviously it is great to hear exciting testimonies of people living crazy, Spirit-led lives, but there is more to it than that.  On a number of occasions people have shared stuff that God has used to inspire future messages.  So the process becomes two-way, with people not only being changed and challenged by messages, but also being a catalyst for future messages.  Of course, their intention was never to tell anyone else what to preach, they were just sharing out of their excitement.

So let's start sharing even more.  Why not tell us how you are getting on with living hungry or living engaged?  You can use the SBC Facebook page, make a comment on the blog, or even tweet it.  I am sure that there is great benefit and blessing to come from encouraging one another with tales of what God is up to with us.

Let the sharing begin.

Rich.

Are you hungry?

I certainly was.  The morning had flown by, and then an important telephone call came.  Before I knew it, it was 14:00 and I hadn’t had anything to eat.  I was hungry.  I had to make a swift trip to Co-Op to get a sandwich and there wasn’t much left. Thankfully there was something I fancied, but I was so hungry I would have eaten a sandwich with cucumber in it (desperate times and all that).

 However.

 My real question is, ‘Are you hungry for God?’

 If so, how hungry are you? Are you hungry enough to be inconvenienced?  Hungry enough to make sacrifices in your life?  How hungry are you to know God more, to experience His grace, to hear His voice and to be used by Him in the extension of His Kingdom?

I’d better stop there or else I won’t have anything to say on Sunday!  Come along to hear more or if you can’t, follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/official_SBC) or check out our Facebook page for the podcast.

Rich.