Encounter Jesus - The Centurion (Luke 7.1-10)

Image courtesy of www.LumoProject.com

Introduction

Nicky Gumbel tells the story of a young member of his church, years ago, who had a job working in the library of a major national newspaper. This newspaper kept files of old cuttings about every well-known person. The files were kept in rows of long shelves and were separated into ‘living people’ and ‘dead people’.

One day, he was looking through the files of dead people and came across a large file marked ‘Jesus Christ’. He glanced over his shoulder to check that no one was looking and quickly moved the file from the ‘dead people’ section to the ‘living people’ section!

We’re starting a series of talks today about encountering Jesus. That is what everyone needs to do. And you can, because he is alive. I hope that’s why you’re part of All Saints’ by the way. I hope you don’t come here for a weekly top up of religion. If you do, I hope you’re profoundly disappointed.

I didn’t go into church leadership to give people a bit more religion in their lives. If anything, the opposite. I don’t really like religion. I find it annoying. It’s boring. But I would walk through fire to enable people to encounter Jesus.

When people go all religious their lives change; they become dull, unattractive and weird. When people meet with Jesus, their lives change too; they become interesting, attractive and fun. Lost people get found. Broken people get mended. Crabby people become nice to be with. Hating people become loving. Dysfunctional people get sorted out. Messed-up people get straightened out – when they encounter Jesus.

I have seen it again and again, I love it, and I want to see more of it; and that’s what the church is for.

So we’re going to be looking at people who met Jesus in the gospels and how that encounter changed their lives. He will change yours too if he hasn’t already and if you’ll let him.

Did He or Didn’t He?

Luke 7 introduces two main characters who, strangely enough, aren’t even named. One is a high-ranking Roman soldier, and the other is his personal assistant, a domestic servant. Not only are they unnamed, both of are off the stage altogether; we don’t even meet them at all, we just hear about them through intermediaries.

This is a bit confusing. Because in the parallel account in Matthew 8, Jesus clearly does meet the centurion. And he has a very similar conversation with him personally as he does with this delegation we come across in Luke 7. So did Jesus actually meet this centurion or not? Matthew seems to say yes, while Luke appears to say no.

When we do a bit of reconstruction we see that what probably happened is this;

1) The centurion hears that Jesus is in the vicinity and, not wanting to bother him unnecessarily, sends envoys with a hand-written message. Off they go and meet with Jesus.

2) They walk with Jesus along the way, tell him about the centurion, put in a few good words for him, and inform about his sick servant.

3) As they get nearer, some others pass on his message which essentially says “You don’t need to come to the house, you’ve got the authority to just say the word and that’ll do it. I give orders too. I get that.” Jesus is amazed by this expression of faith, sends the delegation back to the centurion’s house and continues his route. This is what Luke reports.

3) Moments later, the centurion sees Jesus with his entourage walking that way, perhaps thinking his message hasn’t got through, he comes out and repeats what he had said earlier, this time in person;. “Look, you don’t need to come to my house, I’m unworthy of it; you just need to say the word.”

4) As Jesus speaks with the centurion, the messengers arrive back at the house and see for themselves that the servant is already completely well. This is what Matthew reports.

This makes sense because Matthew was not part of that crowd walking into town. He didn’t start to follow Jesus until after this event (in chapter 9). He was a tax collector in that same town and he would have known the centurion well because a key job for the military in a town with a tax-office like Capernaum was to provide security around the tax booth.

So Matthew would likely have heard about the personal encounter between Jesus and the centurion, from the centurion himself, but not the earlier discussion on the way, so therefore that is what he reported.

This is why Luke writes about the earlier conversation and Matthew only includes the personal encounter shortly afterwards. Just in case that kind of thing keeps you awake at night, I thought I should just explain.

Setting the Scene

Anyway, let’s set the scene. Jesus has just been rejected and thrown out of his home town of Nazareth and he has made the small fishing town of Capernaum, population probably a few hundred people, his new base.

He has begun to preach, heal, cast out demons and work miracles in the neighbouring countryside. And his popularity is growing exponentially.

He has just had an action-packed day as usual and he is on his way back home when he is approached about some man in town who is dangerously ill, and about to die.

We don’t know his name, how old he is, where he’s from or what’s wrong with him. All we know is that the doctor has done everything he can. He’s on his death bed, nobody can cure him. The breathing is getting weaker and spaced further apart. The colour has already gone from his face. It’s just a matter of time. If you’ve ever seen someone dying you know what this looks like.

Luke knows exactly what this is. He’s a medical doctor, he’s seen people he can do nothing for, and he’s pronounced people dead before.

All we know about this sick man is that he is a personal assistant for a man of military rank stationed in that town, a commander of about 100 men, roughly equivalent to a sergeant-major.

We don’t know his name either but we do know a bit more about him than we know about his assistant.

Centurions were selected for their bravery; they led from the front, inspiring their troops by example, so they often suffered heavy casualties in battle. 

The Roman military manual Vegetius De Re Militari says this: “The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength and dexterity in throwing his missile weapons and for his skill in the use of his sword and shield; in short for his expertise in all the exercises. He is to be vigilant, temperate, active and readier to execute the orders he receives than he is to talk.”

This guy in our story ticked all those boxes. But he was very unusual in other ways.

Firstly, centurions in Jesus’ day were feared by their subordinates. But this centurion is different. His attitude to his personal assistant is different. He’s not just some kind of tool that is thrown away when it no longer works.

The centurion has real affection for his loyal servant. This is not just some nobody who carries out orders. He may have known him some time. This is a friend. It’s hard to escape the impression that this centurion is a great guy to work for. He cares personally and deeply about his staff.

Secondly, this centurion is different because he has a very unusual attitude towards the Jews and their faith.

The Roman army was famous for its utter contempt of all things Jewish. The locals hated them for their oppression and their open ridicule of Jews. Romans had little patience for this fanatical and obsessive religion as they saw it and they didn’t take kindly to being perceived as impure, unclean gentiles, forbidden to even Jewish homes without contaminating them.

Think of a gum-chewing, beer-drinking, hard-swearing, cocky American marine in a particularly fundamentalist corner of rural Afghanistan and you get a feel for the kind of dynamic that must have existed between Romans and Jews in those days.

But this centurion helped build their synagogue out of his own funds. The locals were poor so he gave a substantial gift out of his own pocket to enable the building to be built.

Some years ago, I went to Israel and spent about a week around Galilee and seeing the ruins of Capernaum’s synagogue. Most of the brickwork you see is limestone and dates to the 4^th century. But beneath the white stones are darker ones, cut from basalt; Roman architecture with Hebrew symbols worked into the stone; these are the very bricks donated by this centurion.

We are opening our gift fund for REACh today. I don’t know exactly how the Lord is going to provide £400,000 for this work we have agreed under God to undertake. I just know that he will.

I know that much of it will come from members here whose hearts have been touched. God has spoken to Kathie and me about how much we should give and we do so with glad and grateful hearts. Who knows how much of it might come from unlikely sources, like this centurion.

The Encounter

Anyway, notice this; the Jewish elders say in v4 that the centurion is worthy of Jesus healing his servant. “He deserves this” they say. Why does he deserve this? “Because” (v5) “he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

In other words, they go to Jesus and say, “Look what this great man has done; he’s paid for our church with his own money, he’s an upright, moral, good citizen, and he’s always nice to us even though he’s a Roman – so you owe this man a favour.”

This is how it always goes with religious people. The reasoning is as follows: when we do good works, we build up credit in the Bank of God so when we’re a bit short, God gives us what is rightfully ours.

That’s all wrong. It’s not the gospel. It’s not Christianity. It’s not what Jesus came to bring. It’s religion. It doesn’t work.

Thank God he doesn’t give me what I deserve! God doesn’t actually owe us anything; everything we have is pure grace. The elders should have gone to Jesus and said “Jesus, Master, would you graciously heal this man’s servant… please?” But no, they come to Jesus and say, “This man deserves to have you do this. After all he’s done, you owe him a favour.”

Nevertheless, Jesus, out of his overflowing compassion and unparalleled goodness, goes anyway. Maybe he has a hunch that, even though the elders say he is worthy, the centurion himself will know that he isn’t. And in v6 and v7 the hunch is proved right.

Not far from the house, messengers arrive with a note saying exactly that; “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof” he says. “Forget the money I spent on the synagogue and all that. I don’t consider myself worthy at all.” In other words, he thinks why would I presume to waste Jesus’ time? Jesus is important. He’s busy. I’m just a military officer. True, I’ve got a lot of money and a prestigious rank, 100 guys taking orders, staff running round me… but compared to Jesus I am nobody.”

And then the note says something else amazing. Verse 8. “I’m a leader. I give orders all day long. When I say to my guys “jump”, they jump. But I’m no big deal. Jesus, you only need to give the command that healing will occur and it is as good as done. You give sickness its marching orders “at the double, quick march” and off it goes.”

Twice in the Gospels it says that Jesus marvelled. He marvelled in Nazareth, at his own people, in his home town, people brought up in church, familiar with it all, he marvelled because of their unbelief.

But he marvels here at the amazing faith of a total outsider. He points out to the synagogue elders, to their embarrassment and shame, he says, “This guy has more faith than you!” What an encounter.

Let’s come in to land… Four things, quickly to end.

Firstly, the centurion let nothing stand in the way of his encounter with Jesus. He could have let any number of things stand in the way; his pride (I don’t want to look needy), his doubts (it won’t work for me), his money (well, I’ve got a nice home and a good pension, I’ll be all right), the language barrier (he wouldn’t understand me anyway), his rank (do you know who I am), his race (let’s not get too cosy with the riff raff) – but he put it all to one side. He let nothing stand in the way. What is keeping you from encountering Jesus?

Secondly, this centurion will have been in battle. I see a strong man with rough hands and scars on his face. He’s a warrior. Young men put their lives on the line for him. And he looks at Jesus and says, “You’re a real leader. You’re greater than I am.” Some contemporary worship songwriters need to get with the programme and so do we; Jesus is not your mate, and he is not your girlfriend; he is your commanding officer, awesome in power, invincible in battle and mighty to save. 

Thirdly, all authority comes from being under authority. The centurion knew that his entitlement to give orders was conditional on him being under orders from Caesar. That’s how he understood that Jesus’ authority came from being under the authority of his Father. I know some Christian leaders with a great testimony but who are nowhere in ministry because they are accountable to no one. I’ve had to learn this the hard way, but listen; God will increase your authority in ministry in proportion to your willingness to come under the authority of Christ and the leadership he has ordained for you. Do you need to come under authority today in order to grow in spiritual authority yourself?

And finally, some of you here today, are like the centurion’s servant. You’re out for the count. You’re low on hope. You’re sick. You need a miracle. Jesus is here. Will you have, like this centurion, the humility and faith to encounter him today?

Let’s stand to pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 30 April 2017

The Bridge Builder (2 Corinthians 5.18)

All Age Easter Talk in 3 Parts

Part 1 - Easter Crossword (from "Easter Cracked", Scripture Union)

Clue 1. Place of a Skull, 8 letters, (Matthew 27.33)

Clue 2. These were gambled for by those who crucified Jesus, 7 letters, (Matthew 27.35)

Clue 3. Jesus the _ _ _ _ of the Jews, 4 letters, (Matthew 27.37)

Clue 4. Jesus was nailed to this, 5 letters, (Matthew 27.31)

Clue 5. This covered the land for three hours, 8 letters, (Matthew 27.45)

Clue 6. The men who watched Jesus die, 8 letters, (Matthew 27.54)

Clue 7. The type of material wrapped around Jesus’ body, 5 letters, (Matthew 27.59)

Clue 8. The time of day when Jesus’ body was buried, 7 letters, (Matthew 27.57)

Clue 9. A messenger with good news, 5 letters, (Matthew 28.5)

And hidden in the crossword is what the good news is. Can anyone spot it?

Part 2 – Bridges and Gaps

A couple of years ago, I drove over this bridge near Millau, in southern France. Can anyone tell me why it is special?

- It’s the tallest bridge in the world. It’s nearly 350m high. This bridge is so high up, it’s often above the clouds as you can see.

What about this bridge? It’s the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China which opened six years ago. Why this one is special?

- It’s 102 kilometres long making it the longest bridge in the world.

What about this one? It’s on the road from Tiryns to Epidauros in Greece and it’s called the Arkadiko Bridge. It’s only 4m high so it’s not the tallest. It’s only 22m long so it’s not the longest. Can anyone guess why this one is special?

- It is the oldest bridge in the world that is still used today.

This is probably the ugliest bridge in the world.

And this is possibly the scariest bridge in the world. It looks a bit ropy doesn't it? 

When I was a boy, I used to jump across a 2 metre muddy ditch. ButI needed to run up to it very fast or I’d land in the mud.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest jump ever was by Mike Powell in 1991. People have tried for 26 years to jump longer than him and no one has managed to do it yet. The distance is from the glass door there to the edge of the stage here. (8.95m or 29ft, 4¼in).

That’s without the hop and the skip. That’s a different event. This is just the jump! Only once ever in all human history has someone jumped this far.

How easy would it be for anyone here this morning to break that record? Would anyone like to have a go? The prize is a golden egg. Kathie will pay for it (her money is safe, because no one can jump that far).

If we were to pick the fittest, most athletic, person here this morning (I know you’re thinking that must be me!) and even if we were to give me intense training and put me on a special diet, and design a super streamlined kit, and make some new high tech shoes, I could never jump that far.

None of us could. Even for the very best athletes alive today the gap is too big.

Ever since people first saw rivers or valleys or gaps that they couldn’t jump over, they have wanted to build bridges.

We need bridges because we want to be able to get to the other side of things.

Without bridges, how would we ever get to Ingleby Barwick? Life would be awful!

How far do you think it is between how good you are and how good God is? And what could you possibly ever do to close the gap?

Well that’s what Easter is all about – as we’re about to see in this two-minute film clip…

Part 3 – The Bridge to God

How far do you think it is between how good you are and how good God is? And what could you possibly ever do to close the gap?

This is a question that God is interested in. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God. That’s everybody.

Even Gillian - everyone has sinned and, like in the long jump, the gap is too big for us to jump across.

We saw pictures of the tallest, longest and oldest bridges in the world. But this is the tallest, the widest and the oldest chasm of all – it’s the gap between people and God.

Do you ever ask, “Why does God feel far away?” It’s because of this gap.

Even atheists know about this gap. The journalist Julian Barnes said recently, “I don’t believe in God, but I miss him.” This is what he’s talking about, this gap.

And so people try all kinds of things that they hope will bridge the gap from their side of the chasm. This is what all religions do.

You have to bathe in a particular river. You have to go on a pilgrimage to a particular place. You mustn’t eat certain food. Or you must wear special clothes. Or whatever.

The thing is, you never know when you’ve done enough.

In other words, all religions say you’ve got to DO something. That makes sense to us. We caused the gap. So we should fix it.

But Jesus is different to every religion on earth because at Easter he bridged the gap from God’s side.

He knew that we would never be able to do it, so he did. By dying on the cross and rising again, he built a bridge that spans the chasm forever. He made a way.

Because of Easter, it’s not DO, it’s DONE. It’s about what Jesus has done. He loved us so much, he took all of our wrongdoing on his shoulders, and he paid for it, so that we can be right with God.

All the leaders of the world’s religions had some good ideas. You can learn a lot of good things by reading what they say. But all of them are dead. You can visit their tombs and see where they’re buried.

Not Jesus though. He is alive today. That’s why, with respect, only Jesus can give you eternal life.

So how are you going to get right with God? Is it through all the things that you do? Or is it by believing and accepting what Jesus has done?

But there’s one more thing. The Bible says “God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

What does that mean? It means that Jesus has built a bridge between us and God. But not only that, it means that he gave us the job of building bridges between people.

·         People who hate each other can become friends – because of Jesus.

·         Broken marriages and families can be mended again – because of Jesus.

·         Enemies can start to live in peace again – because of Jesus.

What we’re going to do now is sing about the first Easter and how good it is that Jesus is alive.

And as we are singing, I’m going to invite you to walk over this bridge:

No one else can do this for you. This is a decision for you. Why should you walk on this bridge?

- if you believe for the very first time that Jesus died for you and is alive

- or if you have been away from God a bit and want to come back today

- or if God has spoken to you today and you want to say sorry to a particular person and make up with them, build a bridge

- or if you’re a Christian but you've been trying to bridge the gap with all that religious stuff that doesn’t work and today that stops

- or finally because you need to hold on to a promise from God. Jesus said “I will be with you always.” You can trust the promise of a man who came back from the dead. Walk over that bridge today to say you are taking that promise to the bank.

Come up and have the courage to walk over this bridge as we sing. Don’t hesitate. Just do it. Show God you mean business.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 16 April 2017 gratefully borrowing a few ideas from Bill Hybels

The Bottom Line (Ecclesiastes 12.9-14)

So we come to the end of our little trek through the strange little book of Ecclesiastes. For the last couple of months we’ve explored with Solomon the purpose of our fleeting life on earth.

Last year, the ferocious and terrifyingly condescending interviewer Jeremy Paxman commented on why he quit Newsnight a few years ago. Why did he do it? He was at the top of his game. “I‘m no longer interested in catching out politicians” he said. “I’m interested in the bigger questions. Is there a purpose? What do things mean? And what is the right way to live?”

That’s what we all want to know. What is my identity? What is the point of me being here? Solomon spent his whole life searching for answers to these questions that are so fundamental to all of us.  

When Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein comes to life, his dramatic first words are, “Who am I and from whence did I come?”

People go on quests, they go to India, they go backpacking all over the world to find... themselves. The American comedian Jarrod Kinsey wrote recently, “I google myself to find out what sort of a person I am.” He doesn’t have a clue who he is but he hopes that perhaps someone on the Internet will.

We’ve seen as we’ve looked at Ecclesiastes that we can waste a whole life, the only one we have, looking for meaning in all the wrong places.

We saw a couple of weeks ago that our lives take on an eternal significance only when God is at the centre of our personal universe instead of ourselves.

And now, having said that the key to living well is to remember God when we’re still young, Solomon wraps up his book with a bit of autobiographical information and a bottom line.

“The teacher was wise” he says in v9 “and he imparted knowledge to people.” Solomon was wise. He was blessed with something approaching analytical genius. People came to him with personal problems and logical conundrums – and he gave them inspired answers. People went away saying “Why didn’t I think of that, it’s brilliant!” Solomon had a mind that could unlock doors. People marvelled.

But as I said a few weeks ago, though Solomon had plenty of wisdom for other people he tragically never applied it to his own life. Ecclesiastes tells us how he forgot God, how he neglected prayer, how he drifted away from regular worship and got confused and lost and wasted his life.

“He pondered and searched out, and set in order many proverbs” says v9. That’s feels like an understatement. Solomon was really into collecting proverbs. We still live by proverbs today. Finish them off for me:

·         Too many cooks… spoil the broth.

·         A stitch in time… saves nine.

·         An apple a day… keeps the doctor away.

·         Many hands… make light work.

1 Kings 4.32 says Solomon collected three thousand witty and wise sayings like this. Three thousand! He gathered them. He studied them. He catalogued and classified them. He wrote new ones. V10 says “he searched to find just the right words.”

I can just imagine him at work. “A stitch done soon… No. A stitch today saves… dismay. No, that won’t do. Or a stitch early saves three. No. A stitch before saves four. Hmm, not quite right. A stitch… in time… saves nine. Yes! [punches the air] Nailed it!”

That’s not a hobby. That’s an obsession. Solomon was a proverb nerd. We’d say he needed to get out more.  

But he was the wisest person of his day. People came from all over to listen to him. He spoke truth into their lives. How much more do we need to let Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, speak liberating truth into our lives and shape them? “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” Jesus said.

“The words of the wise,” says Solomon in v11, “are like goads.” Cattle prods. He means that some words can be painful to hear, that’s true, but we still need to hear them. Sometimes, God says uncomfortable things, painful things – it’s to keep us from experiencing greater pain.

Wisdom can be difficult to hear, no doubt about it. The word of God tells the truth about human nature. It isn’t always flattering. We push it away. We resist it. But it is a gift of God, who loves us, to keep us from coming to grief.

A funny thing happened to me. I once shared an office with a colleague who said to me one day, “Do you mind if I just share something with you?” I said, “Of course, go ahead.” He then proceeded to bomb me verbally. I’m sure it was intended as constructive and no doubt it was lovingly said, but all I heard through my filter was “you’re a nice guy John but I hate your guts.” It took a while for me to see objectively the wisdom of his words. Sometimes God’s word comforts the afflicted. Sometimes it afflicts the comfortable.

Then Solomon says, v12, “Of the making of many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” Isn’t that a great verse for when you’re doing GCSEs or A-levels?

I’ve got literally hundreds of books on my shelves. Some of my books I have had for years and never even opened. I could spend the rest of my life reading everything and doing nothing.

Homer Simpson once said, “Books are useless! I only ever read one book, To Kill A Mockingbird, and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds!"

So here’s the bottom line from a man who, until Jesus came along, was considered the wisest person who had ever lived.

What pearl of wisdom will Solomon finish his book with? After all he’s said about meaninglessness, about life, about love, about existence, about the pursuit of happiness, what will he conclude to be the point of it all? What brilliant, quotable, timeless, clever epigram will he sign off with? Hold your breath… Here it comes…

Verse 13: “Fear God and keep his commandments.” That’s it.

Fear God and keep his commandments. We know about the commandments. Jesus said they boil down to just two. “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus said, “Do that and you will live.” All you need is love. That is the key to living well.

But what about fearing God? God says 365 times in the Bible “do not be afraid” but almost as many times we find this seemingly contradictory expression “fear the Lord.”

I once met a very intelligent woman who was in my Alpha course discussion group. She was quite interested in Jesus but, when someone mentioned the fear of the Lord, she completely shut down. She walked out. It turned out that she had a violent father and she grew up petrified of him and his violent mood swings. (She came back eventually and became a Christian by the way. It changed her life).

But God does not want us to be scared of him. The fear of the Lord is not dread. It’s not terror. It’s not cowering and hiding from a controlling, bullying psycho. I was never scared of my dad, growing up, but I did hate the thought of offending him.

If we do not fear the Lord, we will probably fear someone else instead. We will let someone else set the agenda, even if it’s not what God’s will for us. The counsellor and author Ed Welch says, “When we are in our teens, it is called peer pressure. When we are older, it is called “people-pleasing.”

Church leader Rick Warren was interviewed recently by Piers Morgan. And at one point in the interview Morgan cornered him and put him in a very uncomfortable position. It was an aggressive line of questioning over an area where western thinking is increasingly at odds with God’s word. Warren explained his position while the interviewer was interrupting and cutting in. In the end he just said, “Look. I fear God's disapproval more than I fear yours.”

I believe the fear of the Lord is an aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit that the church in our country has overlooked. I think this is something that the Holy Spirit wants to bring to greater prominence in our worship.

In Isaiah 11 it says of Jesus, “he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” To fear the Lord is delightful! To live in the fear of the Lord is to just revel in his mighty strength and his majestic grandeur. To live in the fear of the Lord is wonderful. You savour over and over again his breathtaking, awe-inspiring greatness.

The fear of the Lord does not mean that none of the things you are afraid of will ever happen to you. Whatever you fear might well happen to you. But because you fear the Lord what you fear, in the end, will turn out to be nothing to be afraid of.

Last week, I was reading Psalm 34 which mentions fears five times.

Think of the things that can raise your level of fear and worry. Money and debt. Heights. Blood test results. Flying. Job insecurity. Spiders (apparently this is the most common phobia of all, affecting four times as many women than men bizarrely). The threat of terrorism. Needles. Brexit – what’s going to happen? Fear of the dentist…

“I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” says Psalm 34.4. But three verses later it says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him” and “those who fear the Lord lack nothing.”

The fear of the Lord intensifies and magnifies his presence and power among us. When Peter, at the Lord’s command to throw the nets on the other side, pulled in the greatest catch of his life he didn’t say “Ah cool, loads of fish!” He knew he was in the presence of greatness. He was awed. His heart started to thump. His pulse began to race. He had a lump in his throat. The power of God was present! He said, “Go away from me, I’m a sinful man.” The fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord intensifies and magnifies his presence and power among us. When Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord’s glory filling the temple he was undone. It was overpowering. He didn’t say “Wow!” He said, “Woe!” It overwhelmed him. God’s presence was totally gripping. His knees went weak. His hands went sweaty. He said, “How can life be the same again? I’m a man of unclean lips and I’ve seen the Lord!”

We are about to go into a season, maybe a four-year period, where we will make significant changes to this building. The final outcome will be fantastic, I’m sure of it. In my mind I’ve seen it already and I am convinced it will be worth it. But it will be extremely demanding. It will take a lot of work. It will cost a lot of money.

But do you know what I fear? My biggest fear is that we will become so absorbed by bricks and mortar that we’ll forget that all this is about him and for him. My job is to ensure that our eyes are firmly fixed on Jesus all the way through and I am committed to doing that.

“Here’s the bottom line” says Solomon. This is what it all boils down to: “fear God.”

Or as it says in Joshua 3.5, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 2 April 2017