Wilderness Wanderings

A daily Christian devotional for the wandering journey of the Christian life. New devotionals every weekday, created by the pastors of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church of Hamilton: Anthony Elenbaas and Michael Bootsma. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Let Me Go! 04/20/2025

Game Over 04/18/2025

Let there Be Darkness 04/13/2025

Can God Thirst? 04/06/2025

Hide-N-Seek 03/30/2025

Blood Ties 03/23/2025

Will Jesus Remember? 03/16/2025

Eavesdropping on the Trinity 03/09/2025

Doxology 03/04/2025

Doxology Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) Doxology is a fitting place to end this season of Wilderness Wanderings. This will be the last of the devotions for a while—and certainly the last of mine (Pastor Anthony). Perhaps Wilderness Wanderings will continue in time, but before turning to the season of Lent tomorrow, we simply give thanks to God for this good season of a unique ministry of daily devotions. Doxology is a word that means “word of glory,” and in our usage as Christians, generally means we are giving those words of glory to God. In the letter of Ephesians, this doxology circles us back to the beginning of the letter. But doxologies are scattered liberally throughout the New Testament. The word glory is scattered throughout the scriptures even more abundantly. To name a few, we hear that God is a God of glory (Ephesians 1:17), his glory reveals who he is (John 1:14), God gives glory to Christ (1 Peter 1:21) and his people (Romans 2:10); Christians are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18); we are to do everything for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) and give glory back to God (Ephesians 1:6). The new creation will reveal even more glory (Romans 8:18). “Glory” is one of those words that encompasses the whole of Christianity. No doubt this is why the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says “man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Today is the “fat Tuesday” before Lent—a day of feasting before the fasting that has more or less turned in popular culture to a day of glorifying ourselves and our worst desires. Today is also the day of tariffs (or at least that’s still how the news reads now)—a day when our attention is sucked up into politics and business as we struggle to understand just why exactly friendly neighbours need to be punching one another. Today is also the final Wilderness Wanderings for a time—a marking of an ending of a season of ministry. But here’s the thing: no matter the day, no matter the news, no matter the grief, introspection, or self-glorification—each and every day is a day for doxology. Why? Because everything that Paul has written in the first three chapters remains true. Despite American tariffs, is it still true that Christ has ultimately destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between peoples through his cross in his church? Yes. Despite our sorrows in parting, has God still blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ? Yes. Despite any self-glorification, is it still true that the most important thing about us is that we belong to God, having been created and redeemed to the praise not of our, but of his glory? Yes. The fact of Christ Jesus and his church, carrying on down through all the generations faithful and sure no matter what personal or global events raged—this fact is evidence enough of the power of God our Father, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Join me then today—and every day—in giving glory to God. In the good times and the bad, in plenty or in want, in life and in death—may God be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations. Forever and ever. Amen. For the last time, go now with his blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35522950

Knowing Love 03/03/2025

Knowing Love And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17b-19). What roots and establishes us in love? As was said yesterday, it is Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith by the gift and power of the Spirit. This is our rooting and establishing in love. It is Christ’s love that grounds us, embeds us firmly in the soil of God’s reality, enabling us to grow. Established in the love of Christ, the journey of our lives now follows the trajectory of Paul’s prayer: discovering more deeply what God has already given, namely, this love of Christ. This discovery is empowered only by the Triune God in the context of the Christian community. At times it is said, in rather trite ways, that it’s all about love. Just love. Yet, trite though it may seem—it is also true. The love of God in Christ is everything. Discipleship is a work of discovering this love more fully. It is a work of knowing Christ’s love. Knowing not in a head-knowledge sort of way. Paul askes that we know the love of Christ in an intimate sort of way—the kind of knowing that comes through an unconditionally loving, committed, long-term relationship, like a good marriage. The task of Christian discipleship is to tangibly experience Christ’s way of keeping this relationship of love with us, through things like his forgiveness for our failures, his commitment to us despite our foibles, his bearing with us in all situations, and his limitless gifts. Of course, our knowing this love doesn’t come only from our experience of relationship with Christ. It comes also through the “manifold wisdom of God” that places us in a church—a church full of diverse, divided, disagreeable folks—people from all walks of life, all different ethnicities, all different personalities, all different opinions, and social classes. To fully grasp the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love—we must know that he also loves all these people; forgives them; is committed to them and gives his gifts also to them. Even though we may not see how to be reconciled with some of these gangly Christians—we must confront the fact that they too are rooted and established in Christ’s love. We must confront the fact that they too have been reconciled to God and to us in the church! There are no longer any dividing walls that separate us, for Jesus removed them all in his cross. To grasp the expansive love of Christ, we must face the reality of Christ’s love for those Christians we deem unlovable. This recognition demands of us a deepening conversion to Christ: an ever deeper knowing of his infinitely expansive, unconditional agape love. Paul leaves us with a paradox here: he prays for a knowledge that surpasses knowledge. He asks that we might know something that is ultimately unknowable, or at least ungraspable by us finite human creatures. Yet in this journey of seeking to know the love of Christ that holds us and the church, the fullness of God slowly fills us up as we discover how truly established and enfolded in love we really are. For that, we need this doxology: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21). /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35483590

Farewell Sermon - 2 Samuel 7: Revelation 03/02/2025

That Christ Might Dwell 02/28/2025

That Christ Might Dwell I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:16-17). The letter to the Ephesians is steeped in prayer. Paul begins with prayer, ends by calling the church to join him in prayer, and here in the middle, prays. As we discovered yesterday, Paul is on his knees in this prayer. It’s a posture of humility, recognizing that God is both the giver of every good gift, and the most consequential actor and authority in any of our lives. Today we begin to discover what Paul is praying for. All these big themes have been coursing through the letter about God’s grace in Christ that creates the world, saves us, and reconciles us as a disparate humanity into a single, diverse, yet unified church. Now Paul prays quite simply that we will have the faith to believe it’s true. That we will have the power, not to do great things for God, but simply to hold space in our hearts for Christ to dwell there. Paul is on to something. This is indeed the very hardest of things to do. It is easy to do great deeds for God. Go on a mission trip, fund a building campaign, make a big and vocal stand on principle, start an organization, or make pilgrimage to a big Christian site, rally, conference, or retreat. The extreme things are all pretty easy to do—we just go flat out, push ourselves to the end, and voila, there we are. What is much harder to do is to simply believe. Our inner beings are often not strong enough to hold space for this Christ and this faith. Our innermost being is most often filled with anxiety for the future, our children, our health, our work, the church, our country, and the state of the world. Fear, cynicism, mistrust, jealousy, fears, ambivalence, regret, and despondency are far more often what lines the walls of our inner being than the strength of the Spirit and faith in Christ. So many of the things we hear or watch seem to suggest that this world and our lives are quite beyond hope or salvation. How then can we rest in any assurance that all these good words Paul has preached thus far can be true? Left to ourselves, we can’t. Faith is a gift of God. Paul knows this and so he cuts his proofs and proclamations short to get down on his knees and pray that the God who has begun this good work in Christ will see it through to completion in us. He prays that our inner being might be strengthened by God himself through the power of the Spirit, that our hearts might be made ready to house a true faith in Christ. Even more: to house Christ himself. Today as we read these words of Ephesians 3—we join that prayer. May God indeed dispel the shadows of fear and mistrust within us, strengthening us instead to be people of faith in whom Christ makes his home. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35472995

Imagination and Prayer 02/27/2025

Imagination and Prayer For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name (Ephesians 3:14-15). Concerning prayer, there are two questions or complaints that come my way regularly: “I don’t know what to pray for” and “My prayers are short, I think they should be longer.” My response to the second complaint is to shrug my shoulders saying, “Don’t worry about it.” Then I quote Jesus who specifically said, “God is not impressed by long prayers” (that’s my paraphrase of Matthew 6:7). There are a few longish prayers in the Bible; most, like the one our text is from, are quite short. In answer to the second complaint, I point people towards the Bible: read the prayers in the Bible as your own. Offer them to God. If you ponder them, they will fuel your imagination. Consider with me our text which begins “For this reason…” If you have jumped in halfway through this letter, this is your invitation to start at the beginning to discover what Paul is referencing. He has been exploring the great cosmic scope of God’s redemption plan in Christ. Often, we limit this to human souls, suggesting that God offers Jesus as an escape route from this world. But Paul will have none of that. In the cross, God reconciles all people into a new community which we know as the church. This fellowship is the show piece of God’s saving work, demonstrating his wisdom before all the powers of the world. Here are reasons for praise and adoration, for thanksgiving and delight, for petition and pleading. Then he says, “I kneel before the father”. Thus, kneeling in prayer has a good Biblical foundation. Of course, it is not the only posture given in scripture. Laying face down gets more press. But the actual posture is not of greatest import. What matters is the posture of the soul, heart and mind. We can start praying with any number of postures: anger, frustration, boredom. Yet, if we are paying attention to what we are doing, namely, addressing God, somehow prayer always brings us to our knees, the work of the Spirit, no doubt. When we address God, we tend to relax into submission. From this place of submission, we discover ourselves on our father’s lap. He cares for us. He loves us. It matters to him that we are angry, or frustrated, or bored. He holds us until we come to that place of trust and rest again. We discover that despite the negative postures with which we have entered prayer, attitudes which often bring shame, our father has held on to us. He has not turned away from us. Soon, we discover that we are not the only ones he is concerned about. He loves all his people. So, we look around and see some rejoicing and we share our father’s joy. We see others in pain, having been abused, bodies riddled with disease, carrying the brokenness their own sins have caused. We find ourselves grieving right along with our father. And we pray for them. We see his church hands raised in adoration, broken by division, puffed up with pride, indifferent to the mission given, and in other places carrying it out gracefully. Some of his children resisting the reconciliation of the cross. We feel his sorrow for these children. We petition and plead for the Spirit to sanctify; to descend in power; to do his work. We see friends and family running away from our father or indifferent to his invitations. From our place of submission, prayers for them leak out of us. That they would head his entreaties, that they would stop running. Before the father, we discover there is so much to pray for. And we conclude with, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21). /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35443615

Restoration of Prayer 02/26/2025

Restoration of Prayer In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:12-13) Today we come back to earth from the cosmic scope of the heavenly realms. We are to understand that God’s power is both displayed and is sovereign over the heavenly realms. That is enough. The rest of the story is here—in the manifold wisdom of God’s grace displayed in the church by the mystery of the cross. The church that God has made is not a flat uniformity where everyone is crushed into sameness, no—it is a manifold wisdom we see here: a unity in and of diversity. This is the “peace” that has been made through Christ in the Church. No one is flattened, everyone is reconciled. Given all this—the fact of God’s Sovereign rule over everything, including the heavenly realms, the fact of the cross of Christ that breaks down dividing walls and reconciles a disparate and diverse humanity into a single, colourful church, and given the fact that in Christ there is now peace between God and humanity and the possibility of peace between people as well—given all this, we can pray. That’s a lot of great and grand things to rattle off only to tell us that we can pray. Was it really worth all the fuss? That’s a lot of planning and heavy lifting on God’s part over thousands of years. Is the point of it all just to get a conversation going? Maybe it is that way. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, there was nothing—all was empty and formless. Then God spoke. And when God spoke—all of creation burst forth into life and colour, substance and form, noise and light. When God spoke: creation responded. A conversation began. The word of the King had its effect and did not return to him empty. At least, not until Adam and Eve broke the conversation. Since that day—humanity has not always or even often responded to the words that God speaks. Creation likewise has become tongue-tied and no longer responds with the vitality and goodness that it once did. But God was not content to leave the conversation broken nor the relationship forsaken. God spoke his clearest word in the conversation through Jesus—in human form. He took all our ill responses, barbs, criticisms, jeers, and violence on himself and put them to death. In his new life, a fresh start begins. In our own experience we know that the simple everyday stuff of relationships and conversations can be the very hardest things to navigate. We respond with hurtful words and actions, or ingest hurtful words and actions from others. We puzzle about how to respond. Mistrust, bitterness, cynicism, distance, and even violence form. These are precisely the sorts of sins and breakings of shalom that Jesus took on himself and put to death so that forgiveness and reconciliation might result. Paul, likewise as a minister of this good news of Jesus, takes these sins and sufferings on himself—putting them to death in the death of Christ he bears so that forgiveness, grace, and the good news of Christ might be seen and heard through him. As recipients of this grace, we are called to the same. This is our glory: to enter the conversation with God in freedom and confidence because of Jesus, receiving the power of his death and life that reconciles us to him and others. When we give or receive hurts or barbs in our relationships and conversations with others, we put them to death in his death so that we might speak a word of confession or forgiveness in his name. Slowly, the conversation begins afresh. Humanity and creation begin to respond to the Creator in freedom and confidence, and to one another again too. Prayer is that foundational to our reality. How will you respond today? God has spoken to you. Will you respond? Will you come before him in freedom and confidence today? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35429275

The Heavenly Rulers 02/25/2025

The Heavenly Rulers His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10-11). For many of us, when we think of Christ’s work of salvation, we think of individual souls being saved. We think of personal conversion stories. But when Paul writes about the mystery of the gospel, he expounds on the church. The result of the preaching of Christ’s unsearchable riches and mystery is the birth and growth of the church. Gentiles and Jews embraced the gospel, were converted, and found themselves joint members of the family of God and the body of Christ. The church is central to the redemption project of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was happening as Paul wrote. The mystery that God revealed to him was taking concrete shape before people’s eyes. And in this new community, this new multi-racial humanity, the wisdom of God was being displayed. People could see it with their eyes. Indeed, the coming into existence of the church as a community of saved and reconciled people is a public demonstration of God’s power, grace, and wisdom. God’s mighty resurrection power, his immeasurable grace and kindness, and his manifold wisdom were on display as people once separated by language, custom, politics and religion were forged into a new community through the anvil of the cross. The word for manifold means many-coloured, and was used to describe flowers, crowns, embroidered clothe and woven carpets. The church as a multi-racial, multi-cultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colourful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique. It is God’s new society. And the many-coloured fellowship of the church reflects the many-coloured wisdom of God. So then, as the gospel spreads throughout the world, this new and variegated Christian community blossoms. It is as if a great drama is being enacted. History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene the story continues to unfold. But where is the audience? The audience are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities, and powers in the heavenly places. We are to think of them as spectators of the drama of salvation. Thus, the history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for these spiritual beings. Beyond this we cannot say much about what these spiritual beings are. We just don’t know. As the creation reveals God’s glory to humans, the church reveals God’s glory to these beings. We cannot see them, but they can see us. They watch fascinated as they see Gentiles and Jews being incorporated in the new society as equals. Indeed, they learn from the composition of the church not only the manifold wisdom of God but also his eternal purposes. This purpose he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in the arena of history, through his death and resurrection, the gift of His Spirit, the preaching of the gospel and the emergence of the church. Who these beings are is not important. What is important is that we understand what God is doing. We must recon with the truth that the church is central to God’s grand design for history. God has a purpose for the church, she is the showpiece through which he reveals his power, grace, and wisdom. And all who believe in Jesus Christ become part of this great intergalactic drama. It may not always appear that there is much power, grace, or wisdom in the church. But know this, God has no other plan. And he will work until all those rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms have bent the knee before the Son and declared him, Lord. Then this doxology will be complete: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21). /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35409020

Enlisted by Grace 02/24/2025

Enlisted by Grace I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things (Ephesians 3:7-9). This passage undermines a common misunderstanding of grace in the Christian church. In fact, it reveals, that we have shrunk grace down to something that we can manage. But it does not belong to us. It belongs to God. So we must allow him to define what grace is, what it means, and what it does. For many Christians, we understand grace simply and only as something that we receive from God. It is limited to the forgiveness of sins and the “get out of jail free” card that permits us to escape this world into heaven someday. Its like grandmother’s fine china: as a precious possession, it remains locked up in the china cabinet for display and safe keeping. But rarely does it take up a place at the dinner table where life happens. God’s grace is much more than that. It enlists us. Paul was made a servant because of “the gift of God’s grace.” The gift obligates and equips. Grace in this verse does not relate to Paul’s salvation, but to his ministry. Through grace he became a servant of the gospel. Grace connects us to Christ and to each other, but it also enlists and empowers us in the ministry of Christ. Grace always brings responsibility. Paul alluded to this earlier, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (2:8a,10). In our text, we are told how it worked in Paul’s life. Paul viewed himself as a steward of the grace given him. His ministry to the Gentiles was unique, but all Christians are to be stewards of grace. All who have received grace should extend it to others. This becomes the main theme in chapter 4, where Paul writes, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (4:7). Peter puts it rather bluntly, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). To receive grace is to be taken into its service. Grace connects, enlists, and empowers. It will not allow us to be passive, for it is God’s power at work in us. Do we think ourselves not good enough or worthy enough to serve in this way? Paul anticipates the objection. “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me…” Paul says. He perhaps felt he should have been rejected because he persecuted the church, but God chose him anyway—a choice not based on his ability, but on God’s grace. Anything he accomplished was a result of the power of God at work in him. What is the stewarding service that God’s grace enlists you in today? The answer is the same as the answer to the question of what you will do or did do today. Nothing in this world moves or works without God’s gracious gifts, provisions, and salvations animating it—these being “the boundless riches of Christ.” The breath we breathe is the breath of God. The skills, know-how, curiosities, and passion we deploy in our work, home, volunteering, and schooling are gifts of God. The world in which we live is his creation. In other words: everything you do is already knee deep in the world of God’s grace. The only question is how will your life today reveal a God-attentive stewardship of all that grace? How will the grace you’ve received serve his glory? The fine china is already on the table: God put it there—use it! As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35377170

Who Gets Home First? 02/23/2025

The Mystery of Christ 02/21/2025

The Mystery of Christ For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:1-6). Most Bible scholars believe that, with verse 1, Paul intended to begin his prayer which concludes the chapter. But he interrupts himself to write about the role he’s been given in God’s great work of redemption. Because of this role, he has become a prisoner in a Roman jail. Imprisonment is no big deal for him, it simply offers a different venue by which to carry out the mission he has been given. Paul’s role of administering God’s grace is his concern in these verses. He calls it “the mystery of Christ.” This mystery is what all those saints in the litany of faith from Hebrews 11 were looking forward to. It is something that used to be hidden, but which now in Christ has been revealed. This ‘mystery of Christ’ has to do with these Gentiles (non-Israelites). What God has revealed is that in Christ these Gentiles are now included in God’s great work of redemption. That is, the work begun in and through Israel as recorded in the Old Testament. To know what God is doing in Christ, we need to be familiar with that story. But, of course, the fact that the Gentiles were going to benefit was already known long ago. God had promised Abraham, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). So, what new thing did Paul learn? The very same thing that all of us learn at the heart of the Christian faith: that in the cross of Christ, all things are reconciled, including Jews and Gentiles. When Paul says the word “mystery,” he very often means “the cross of Christ.” When Christ tore down the “dividing wall of hostility” through his cross—he not only took the penalty for our sin and defeated death—he also joined once disparate peoples together. In his cross, he overcame great divisions. The people of God is now composed of both Abraham’s descendants and everyone else who believes. They all become “the church” together. In an age in which division perforates the church, it is important for us to hear this message of the gospel. The divisions we feel are not primarily about Jews and Gentiles (though that has recently arisen again as a point of contention)—but about politics, ethics, and national identities. But no matter ones’ politics, ethics, or national identities—all those who come to Christ in faith are nevertheless made into one body. Through the gospel of the cross of Christ, we all become “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” We are, therefore, to live unity. We are not asked to like other Christians, to be like them, or agree with them—but simply to recognize that humbling fact that we are one with them as sharers of the same Lord and the same benefits. This is indeed a great mystery. But it is the mystery of the cross, the mystery we have been given. May God’s kingdom come and will be done—even in this, on earth as it is in heaven. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35370860

Building Materials 02/20/2025

Building Materials In Christ Jesus the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘church’? For many, it’s a building, such as the one at 61 Mohawk Road West, Hamilton, where the Immanuel congregation, which I pastor, gathers to worship God on Sundays, where we go for mid-week ministries and meetings. After all, we often refer to such a building as ‘our church’. We invest ourselves into that building and the things that happen there. Time, money, talents are all committed to ensure that things continue to run as smoothly as possible. For others, the word church summons up images of people. The ones who sit around us on Sundays. Those that we have become friends with over the years, maybe some we grew up with. Some have walked with us in tough times. Others were our teachers in spiritual things. They nurtured our faith; they helped us grow as Christians. Yet for others, church conjures up difficult images. Disappointment from being neglected in a time of need. Rejected because we walked away at one time. Shame for not measuring up. Or deep hurt from being used or abused by those in authority. Though it may seem all put together on the outside, often the church has dark stains hiding underneath the carpet. Such are the things that the word church suggests to us. Yet in today’s text we are invited to view the church from a different perspective. To see what lies behind the building, beyond the people, deeper than the dark stains that deeply damage the church’s witness. We are often tempted to believe that our time, talent, and treasure are what hold the church together and keeps her going. As useful and necessary as these are, it is Christ Jesus that binds and sustains the church. It is not primarily the preachers that bring in the people, it is Jesus. It is Jesus who builds his church. Even though we will continue to say, ‘my church’, and ‘your church’, we must recognize that these phrases are inaccurate. The church, the congregation, does not belong to us, nor to the pastors. People may come and go from our fellowship and church buildings will continue to be built and sold for other purposes. Despite the apparent transitory nature of things, Christ holds his church together. In our text, notice that we Christians are not doing anything. All the action belongs to Christ, and to God. The church is not primarily what we do, but what God does to us and for us, she is the grand work of God. Five passive verbs are used to tell us how we get included in the action: we are brought near (13), the Spirit gives us access (18), we are built upon the foundation (20), we are joined together (21), we are built together (22). When we are pulled into the action, it is God who pulls us in. Already now, despite all our imperfections and distorted power plays and wrangling over the most minor issues, we are being gathered as the temple of God; the Holy Spirit already lives within the church. The church is much more than what meets the eye, it is more than the building and more than the people. It is the work of Christ, who is ‘growing up’ a people who worship him, a people who are learning to follow his Word and Spirit, a people who increasingly live under the sway of his kingdom. People who are not static, but people who are maturing, who begin as acorns and grow to be oak trees. It is not our actions but God’s that are most important in the church. There is far more to the church then what we see. Like an iceberg, we only see the tip. We see the people, the buildings, the programs, but underneath, far larger and for more important and influential is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church is not a building. Rather, we are the building material Christ is using to build his church. It is the place where God welcomes us home. Next time you hear the word church, imagine that. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21). /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35350145

Who are You? 02/19/2025

Who are You? Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:19-20) If you recall from last week, Paul reminded these gentiles in Ephesus of how they were once defined by all the things they were not: “Not-Jews” “Uncircumcised.” “Separate from Christ.” “Excluded from citizenship.” “Foreigners to the covenants of the promise.” “Without hope.” “Without God in the world.” Seven negative identity markers covering all the things that the Ephesians were not. How many of us define ourselves this way—by our deficiencies, by what we are not or by what we do not have? “Not skinny enough.” “Excluded from the property market of our peers.” “Not part of the group.” “Don’t belong.” “Not enough money.” “Not what she has.” “Not what he can do.” “Not happy.” “Without the right job.” Many of us do this. It is much easier to see what’s lacking in our lives than to see all the things we do, in fact, have. How many of us define our experience of church the same way? By what it isn’t? “Not welcoming enough.” “Not my style.” “Not progressive enough.” “Not conservative enough.” “Not loving enough.” “Not serving enough.” “Not enough money.” “Not enough volunteers.” “Not the right programs.” “Not diverse enough.” “Not doing enough.” “Without all the people who used to attend.” “Without hope.” Our eyes get good at seeing the things we pay attention to. And what we human people tend to pay the most attention to are all the things that aren’t there. The things that should be better, fuller, faster, more pleasing, and more aligned to our values, but aren’t. As Christians, this simply is the wrong way to see the world. It is an immature way of using our capacity of attention. Paul will have none of it. In Jesus Christ, neither we nor the church are defined any longer by what we are not, but instead, by what we are. We are defined by what he has made us to be. So Paul now begins rattling off the positive identities we have received in Christ through the peace and salvation he has given. We are “fellow citizens.” “With God’s people.” “Members of his household.” “Built on the foundation of those faithful ones who have gone before throughout the generations, including Jesus Christ himself.” We are to train our attention on the unseen things, yes. But not the unseen things that are missing. Our eyes are to be trained for the unseen things that are there: reality as it really is. Like a Holy Spirit stirring about, forming Christ in us. A God who has always provided and will continue to do so out of his Creation of abundance. A living Lord who beckons us to see his gifts that are abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine. If we are to live Christian lives, we need to know who and what we are, not what we aren’t. And we need to know what the church is too, rather than what it isn’t. The church is the place where we citizens of God’s household and Kingdom gather to train our eyes to see the unseen reality of a living God at work, making us ever more fully into who we already are in Jesus Christ: giving us every good gift with which to bless this world along the way. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35336750

Let Peace Roll 02/18/2025

Let Peace Roll He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:17-18). Jesus is our peace. He has done it. He has destroyed the barriers and dividing walls of hostility, putting them to death in his cross. And not only the barriers that stand between us people who are often harboring hostile feelings toward one another—but also the barriers between us and God. In his flesh, he has forged all of us into one single, new humanity, and reconciled us to God through the cross. Through our Prince of Peace, we have been brought near both to God and to one another—no matter the diversity or hostility that might still separate us. Foreigners and citizens, Catholics and Protestants, estranged family members, folks with differing political leanings—no matter: all who are in Christ have been made one and the most significant word about our relationships is spoken by him— “Peace.” This peace is a grace God has worked into us. Our calling is to work it out in our daily living. That is why later we read about lifestyle, words and actions—working this peace into our lives till it becomes natural. Jesus does not force us into this peace. He comes and preaches it. Offers it. And like a Sunday sermon—no one is obligated to take it, agree, or do anything with it. Jesus will not coerce us into working out what he has worked in by his grace. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be grace, just another form of slavery. Remember that Jesus did not create peace in Jerusalem by overthrowing the Roman occupiers and taking control of the city, enforcing his kingdom and its peace on the population. Rather, he created peace by taking all their violence and hostilities upon himself as they cursed, condemned, whipped, and crucified him. In Luke’s telling, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, saying “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Lk 19:42). But note what Jesus did do: he came to Jerusalem and preached his kingdom of peace. They rejected it and killed him. But peace was made all the same—it happened through the cross, through the putting to death of these hostilities. And on the other side—the possibility for a new, peace-laden resurrection life. Jesus again came and preached his kingdom of peace, even to those who had betrayed and abandoned him. Jesus continues to come preaching peace to all, both far away and near, offering his new life. The peace of Christ is on offer. Will you accept it? If we receive and believe that Jesus really has accomplished a peace between God and us and everyone else—then by the Spirit, the working out of this peace that has been worked in will transform us and all our relationships. And, because the source of this peace is in Christ, it is an inexhaustible gift. It continually flows from his life into our lives through the power of the Spirit, and from us into the lives of others—enough of it always, to cover every new hostility and division. As Isaiah puts it in some of our favourite Advent verses: “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). Hard to believe. Certainly. But listen: God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG). /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35286430

Speaking Peace 02/14/2025

Speaking Peace For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:14-16) Can Christians claim to be people of peace? Some say that Christians are the problem, having created many conflicts. From the crusades to colonial campaigns, from the bloody religious wars during the reformation to residential schools in recent memory—we Christians have little track record to draw on when it comes to peace. It’s true that in many places and times, Christians have not been agents of peace and reconciliation. Not even in our own lives. Today is Valentine’s Day. Even for many Jesus’ followers, it’s a bitter and lonely day. Broken relationships and divorce litter our families too. How often have you or I not added bricks to the walls of hostility that divide us from others? Even our efforts at good produce unintended harms more often than we would like. Can we say anything when it comes to peace? Are we just as much part of the problem as the next person? But if we, followers of the Prince of Peace, cannot talk about peace, who can? It is an important question. Violence continues to erupt all around us, embodied in wars in Gaza, Ukraine and many other places. Can we speak peace into these situations, tainted though our actions have been? Can we speak a word of reconciliation—of forgiveness or confession—among relationships that are broken and breaking, even though we ourselves have helped fortify walls of hostility? When it comes to these questions, Paul helps us out. At the beginning of this chapter, he reminds us that left to ourselves, we are dead in our transgressions. Our history is littered with sin, discord, and division. Thankfully however, peace does not begin with us. It begins with God. Christ accomplishes it. He is our peace. He is the one who tears down the dividing walls of hostility and destroys the barriers. He is the one who unites deeply divided ethnic groups into one new humanity within his church. And he does it through his cross where all the hostilities we can muster are put to death—whether the hostilities of our past, present, or future. All of them die in the death of Christ on the cross. His victory over human hostility is total. None of it survives, such that what remains, is peace. The peace he gives, he gives freely to all, as a gift of this new resurrection life. This is the reality in Christ which will be seen fully at his second coming. For now, though, amidst the continuing hostilities of our lives and world, take heart that we Christians can still speak of peace. The way we do it is not by pointing to ourselves, but to Jesus—reminding ourselves and others that “he is our peace.” Of course, we must do so with humility. Confession and repentance are also requirements. For if Christians will not humble themselves in confession and repentance, who will? Where Jesus’ resurrection life is present among us, glimpses of that peace shine through. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35273890

Brought Near 02/13/2025

Brought Near Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-13) Wilderness Wanderings will be wrapping up soon as I (Pastor Anthony) take a call to Orillia. So: in these final installments, we will be reflecting on the letter to the Ephesians—particularly those verses that lead us into Paul’s prayer from the end of chapter 3. In some ways, the verses from today’s text are a repeat of the verses that began the chapter where Paul wrote “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Paul begins with the past tense in both places to heighten the contrast: because in Christ, things look a lot different! The point Paul was making at the beginning of the chapter was about death and life, sin and salvation. But now he begins to work his way into the implications—what does it mean to practice this resurrection life we’ve been given? Firstly, it means working out the grace that God has worked into us. That’s what the verses before this describe. But it also comes with a change in status and relationship. Here Paul comes with a litany of things that the Ephesians were and weren’t before Jesus entered the picture: “Gentiles.” “Uncircumcised.” “Separate from Christ.” “Excluded from citizenship.” “Foreigners to the covenants of the promise.” “Without hope.” “Without God in the world.” Of course, what one realizes is that this list only makes sense from the point of view of an insider to all these things, that is, a Jewish person. Pious Jews were accustomed to praying a daily prayer of thanks to God for not being created as a gentile. The Temple courts, likewise, were divided into inner and outer courts. One for gentiles on the outside, and one for Jews on the inside. Gentiles could not pass through the dividing wall on the penalty of death. Warnings were posted in Greek and Latin to make sure they knew. Hostilities ran hot between insiders and outsiders. As they did at some level between many different ethnic groups. But here’s the thing—Jesus tears down all these ethnic hostilities and barriers. He strips these believing gentiles of all their former disqualifications. Not only that, he has the audacity to bring these gentiles who were once far away—not just into the inner court, but into the very presence of God! He tears the veil to the Holy of Holies and by his own blood, invites them right in! This is not merely an interesting point of ancient history or Biblical research. It is emblematic of something much deeper. In his cross, Jesus shatters all ethnic and national boundaries inside his church. Not just then, but also today. And not firstly by giving courses on EDI or anti-racism to tell us of our biases or how to treat one another. No, it begins more subversively than that. Jesus begins simply by bringing those who were once far away, near. Near enough that we all have to encounter one another and contend with the fact that we’re all now siblings of the same saved family on the same basis: faith in Jesus. Together in the presence of Jesus, stuck now with hated enemies, immigrants, and foreign outcasts who have become our sisters and brothers: this is where transformation into the life of resurrection begins. Will you submit to the encounter? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35260510

For the Joy 02/12/2025

For the Joy For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2b-3). What images come to mind when you hear (or read) the name ‘Jesus’? A little lad hanging onto his mother’s leg in the marketplace, unnerved by all the noise, smells and people? A teen learning trades from his father? A dusty-footed traveller wandering the paths of Judea and Galilee followed by a gaggle of uncomprehending disciples? A preacher sitting in a boat? A feeder of thousands? A healer of the sick? A shepherd of his flock? An innocent person, arrested, tried and crucified? Or resurrected appearing to his bewildered disciples who in hiding? All valid images. All valid portraits of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. But coming towards the end of his letter, our author wants us to see something different, to focus our attention not on Jesus’ humiliation, but on his glory. Not because his humiliation was not important, nor because it doesn’t have great value for our faith and life and contemplation. He draws our attention to the truth that Jesus was able to endure all these humiliations because he knew that at the end of the race there was joy. What joy? The joy of redemption of course, not his own but ours. In Luke 10, Jesus sees Satan fall from heaven and is filled with joy, while in Luke 15, when Jesus tells stories of the lost being found, the finders are all filled with joy. Those finders represent God in the parables. Jesus was willing to endure the agony of humiliation, suffering and death because he knew that this was the road to bring us and the entire cosmos back into communion with God. And because he finished his race, shouldering the humiliation, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. It is this final image of Jesus in his glory and power that our author draws to our attention now. Jesus is the firstfruits of the new creation, he is the guarantee that we will be glorified too. We have a whole crowd of witnesses cheering us on, but it is not to them that we should look. No, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the prize. We see him, there, on the throne, nail scarred hands, sword pierced body, the crown of glory not hiding where the thorns pierced him. In his encouragement to us not to grow weary or lose heart, our author does not point us to the great cloud of witnesses, but rather to this one. But it is not his battle wounds that draw our attention, its his joy. The joy that radiates from his face draws us on. Today, we might struggle. Today, we might be weary of the bills that need paying. Today, we might be weary of the brokenness we feel in our hearts and see in the lives of others. Today, we might be burdened with the endless slaughter of innocents in our world. Today, we are called to self-denial and humility, to sacrifice, to resisting the world and self even unto death. Dying is the way of the disciple. Jesus would not have us ignore all that. But his joy draws us forward, it keeps us in the fight. It keeps us doing the right thing in the right way, just like Jesus did. His joy enables us to suffer for his cause today. His joy tells us that someday, we will be enveloped in that joy. Someday, all of creation will be filled to overflowing with that joy. For now, we look at Him, we hear him speak, we do what he says, we follow where He leads, we trust he will provide. Looking to him and his love, till our hearts burn with it. We see him beckoning us on. His eyes are fixed on us, radiating joy, delighting in us. He is drawing us to himself, leading and perfecting our faith, changing us into his likeness from glory to glory. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter: Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35243150

Run with Perseverence 02/11/2025

Run with Perseverence Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a) Peer pressure is a thing. So is personal determination. The author of Hebrews draws on both, cheering us on to faith in the race of life. Of course, peer pressure and personal determination can also undercut faith when they run the wrong way. For instance, while there are many benefits of strong Christian institutions—there can also be drawbacks. A common story in the Christian schools is one where a group of friends pushes the limits of acceptable behaviour when it comes to bullying or partying. They look around at one another and encourage one another on: I won’t tell if you don’t tell. We’re all good Christians here, and aren’t Christians permitted to be strong, have fun, etc.? As one group begins to push the boundaries of what constitutes acceptable Christian character and behavior, others follow suit. This is a negative form of Christian witness: a witness that erodes character, perseverance, and faith among the community of believers. I ought to add that it does not just happen at school. Our personal determination can also flag. It is exhausting to fight for the good against the wrong, to take personal stands of integrity against issues, whether big or mundane, not to mention the quieter internal battles against sin and despair. Our resolve can be cut short in a thousand ways: some of us have strong internal critics that hamper our confidence in stepping forward in faith, others of us are worn out, grieving, or discouraged, others still are impacted by the seasonal blues. Great athletes tell us that endurance and perseverance in a long race is ultimately about the mental resolve to keep going and push through. There are many reasons that’s hard to do, even more so when the peer pressure we feel invites us to consider giving up. Enter the book of Hebrews. Over chapter 11, we have been reminded that our lives participate in a much longer and larger story: the story of God in, through, and among his people. It is the story of Creation. The story of Able, Noah, and Abraham. The story of Sarah and Rahab. It is ultimately the story that culminates in the good news of Jesus—his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We await the end of the story at Jesus’ second coming to set all things right and make all things new. But until then we participate in the story by living our own lives of faith. As we do, the writer invites us to listen to the cheers of those who have gone before us. We have a larger community than just those who surround us at school, work, or in our friend group. It is none less than Abraham and Sarah cheering us on from the crowd, together with all sorts of lesser known saints—perhaps even some of those that you have known from this life. Those dearly loved ones of ours who ran the race before them—faults, foibles, and faith all wrapped together. They cheer us on, encourage us, and continue to speak to us through their example of how to fight the good fight and finish the race. That’s the kind of peer pressure we need—a positive pressure that carries us forward through hard times and hard choices of personal character and integrity that keeps Jesus ever in the fore. We are not to look at how difficult the race is, how loud the voices to give up and give in are, nor how limited our own resources and desire to keep going. Instead, we are to keep our head up and our eyes trained on Jesus. This, we are told, is enough. Because Jesus is not just the one we run to. No: he also run this race and by his help we are enabled to run it to. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35231700

The Promise 02/10/2025

The Promise These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40). The whole book of Hebrews has been heading towards the conclusion of this chapter. The Old Testament saints had something, but we have something better. They received a promise, but we have received what God promised to them. They received some small promises, such as the land God promised to Abraham and descendants too many to count. But the main promise they did not receive. But to fully grasp our author’s intent, we need peek ahead. After this we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (12:1, 4). Its about our struggle against sin. The letter begins with Jesus, who “after he had provided purification for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). This great promise of Jesus Christ, his redemption and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the better promises of the better covenant, the saints of old did not receive. They died in faith, not having received the promises, only seeing them from afar. Yet, in faith they struggled against sin. But our resources for that struggle are far superior. Our author uses two words to describe the new covenant in Christ: better and perfect. The word “better” occurs 13 times in this letter. Jesus has inherited a better name; he has brought us a better hope; he is the deposit of a better covenant presented in better promises sealed with his blood; in Him we have the better country, a heavenly one. To them God spoke through the prophets; to us through his Son. To them he offered the rest of Canaan; to us the rest of God. Their high priest was a man who died; ours is a priest for.ever. Their sanctuary was on earth; ours is the true sanctuary in heaven. Their sacrifices did not bring cleansing; the sacrifice of Jesus makes our hearts new by the Spirit; even our consciences are cleansed. They worshipped before an earthly tent; we have access into the very presence and love of the Father. God has indeed provided something better for us: the blood of Jesus and his continuing presence through the Holy Spirit. The better thing God has provided is summarized in the word perfection; a term used 14 times. It comes from the ancient Greek term for "purpose" or "end." It does not mean sinless, even though that is on the horizon. It refers to God's ultimate plan and purpose for us which is accomplished in Christ. Paul offers us this, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Christ], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross…But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish…” (Colossians 1:19-20, 22). In Christ, we are being made holy through the Spirit’s power. We have many more resources for the struggle against sin than the saints who lived before Jesus. Therefore, keep up the struggle. Don’t give up. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be faithless. God is perfecting us in Christ. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter: Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35197365

Sunday Sermon - The Return of the King 02/09/2025

The World was Not Worthy of Them 02/07/2025

The World was Not Worthy of Them Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. (Hebrews 11:35-38) Pastor Michael referred to the first half of this long paragraph yesterday—the part where everything goes really pretty well. Kingdoms are conquered, justice is administered, swords are sheathed, women receive back their dead, resurrected. Faith gives witness to God’s strength in the midst of our weakness, and what incredible things he can do! But now the paragraph turns. The story of faith is not always a story of triumph in the near term. Sometimes it looks a lot more like God’s silence or human sadness, hardship, and death. We heard yesterday of women who received back their dead: like the widow at Zarephath whose son was raised by Elijah (1 Kgs 17:17–24), or the Shunemite woman, whose son was raised by Elisha (2 Kgs 4:18–37). Now we hear of those who were tortured and refused release--those who ultimately died a martyrs death so that they might receive “an even better resurrection” (2 Maccabees 7). Not a resurrection within this life, like the sons of the women mentioned above received. Those young men would die again at the end of their natural lives. But a better resurrection—the resurrection from the dead when Jesus returns and death is no more. A resurrection after the end of our mortal lives. This is the better resurrection. We desire and often think the life of faith should be one of fighting and winning our battles in the strength of the Lord right here and now. Despite all the well marketed books, podcasts, social media content, and lovely contemporary Christian Music anthems to that effect—the Bible simply doesn’t substantiate a faith that finds its victory in this life. The victory is a faith that holds on to God, even if it doesn’t come with a shred of earthly benefit. Faith holds on to God, trusting that God alone is enough. The victory is his business, not ours. He himself will bring the final victory over sin, death and evil—in his time—whether in this life or the next. As CS Lewis once put it in The Screwtape Letters on the pen of a senior demon writing to a younger one: “Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” These people of faith in God alone who trust and obey despite all else—they, the ones who go about “in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated,” they are the ones of whom it is said: “the world was not worthy of them.” By the grace of God, may we be found in their number. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35182555

Faith at Work 02/06/2025

Faith at Work And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. (Hebrews 11:32-35a). As Jericho’s walls fell, the first period of Israel’s history closes. Its time to speed up the story. Our author rattles off a few prominent names of judges, kings, and prophets, recalling what faith both produced and suffered. He wants us to see that under and behind and within all the outward events recorded, there lived faith in God. History is the record of what God has done through and for those who trusted Him. Notice how much faith accomplished: kingdoms conquered, justice established, lions quieted, flames stilled, swords sheathed. See also that among those mentioned in these verses, few are remembered for their strong faith. Their faith was faltering and feeble. Maybe Jesus was thinking of them when he told his disciples that with faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah were hardly shining examples of godly folk. Yet, they make the list. How encouraging for us who have a faltering faith. We see that God does not promise the faithful a life free from difficulty and danger. Rather, faith is called into exercise when human resources are exhausted and danger looms. We would never learn to know either God or ourselves as His children through a life of ease. Trials can accomplish two things. They give us the opportunity of honouring God by waiting for him in trust and they give God the opportunity of showing how faithful He is in watching over His children, working for and in us. In difficult times our hearts are drawn towards our heavenly father, in dependence and humility and trust. When we face hardship God can reveal in our open heart all the tenderness and all the saving power of His love. Suffering is the school of faith; it is the place where Christians grow spiritually. It is also true that selfishness is the death of faith. When we seek to be strong in faith, for the sake of our own comfort and goodness and power, we will fail. Gideon and Barak, David and Samuel, were all people who lived for their nation and God’s cause in it. They were God’s chosen instruments for doing His redeeming work in His people. Likewise, when in our weakness, we give ourselves to God and others, we have the right to claim God’s mighty help. Faith is not so that we can reap benefits for ourselves from God. Rather, it is for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom and the building up of his church. What a work there is to be done! Our involvement in God’s church, in his mission beyond it, in our fight against injustice in society and the workplace, in promoting the welfare of all in our schools and public spaces, in our struggle against sin in our own hearts, faith is needed. In all those places and more, weak Christians become heroes of faith as we learn to trust in God to subdue kingdoms, to work righteousness, to obtain promises! Let us offer ourselves to God for the struggle. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35163620

The Disobedient and the Faithful 02/05/2025

The Disobedient and the Faithful By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31) As pastor Michael pointed out yesterday, we’ve skipped over 40 years in the wilderness between the Red Sea and Jericho. Or at least—that section of time is skipped over here in chapter 11’s litany of faith. But the time of wilderness testing did figure earlier in the book of Hebrews, quite prominently in fact. So why doesn’t it show up here? Because the writer considers the wilderness to have been a time not of faith, but of disobedience. This is what we read in chapter 3: “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was [the Lord] angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:16-19) The author uses the same word—disobedient—in our verse today: Rahab, the woman of faith is contrasted with “those who were disobedient.” We presume that the “disobedient” must refer to the other inhabitants of Jericho who died. Maybe. But if we remember back to the book of Joshua—there were also disobedient Israelites killed in the Jericho affair. If Joshua, chapter 6 told the story of Rahab’s faith that literally stood out amid the crumbling walls of Jericho, chapter 7 tells us of the disobedience of Achan who grabbed plunder from Jericho’s fallen ruins in direct defiance of God’s command. Achan held on to Jericho rather than God and perished. Rahab held onto God rather than Jericho and lived. We can often presume that the faithful are the ones inside the church and people of God. The Bible rarely sees it that way. Very often the wicked and disobedient are mixed up within the people of God and it’s the foreigners and sinners like Rahab the Prostitute who witness to God’s people about what it means to be people of faith. This is the story here. The distinction between outsiders and insiders is obliterated like the walls of Jericho. What matters is not whether you were born to Abraham or within the church—what matters is the faith of Abraham and the faith of the church. All of us are “the disobedient,” and whether in the church or out of it, we remain so UNLESS we place our faith in God. This is the distinction that matters. Will you let go of all other forms of wealth and security and hold on to nothing but God, in faith that he alone will save? Rahab had such a faith, and was saved. It happened right there in the very moment of Jericho’s fall: her life was held secure even as all else crumbled around her. God made a way for her where there was no way, just like he did for Israel as they crossed the sea. He still does the same today for all who cling to him in faith. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors. /episode/index/show/icrchww/id/35156800

Wilderness Wanderings

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