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.