No Greater Love - Remembrance Sunday Talk 2016 (John 15:9-17)

Introduction

National Memorial Arboretum

• Two monuments:
• Armed Forces Memorial – opened by Queen in 2007.
• Honours those members of the Armed Forces who were killed since WW2.

 

• Shot at Dawn Memorial
• Commemorates the 306 British Army and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for desertion and other capital offences during World War I.
• Captain Julian Bickersteth – served as Chaplain During WW1, was mentioned twice in dispatches & awarded Military Cross in 1918 for “distinguished service in the Field". He wrote a moving letter to his mother about spending a night in a prison cell with a soldier who was going to be shot at dawn for desertion

He sat down heavily on a chair…. I took a chair and sat next to him. 'I am going to stay with you and do anything I can for you. If you'd like to talk, we will, but if you would rather not, we'll sit quiet.' … Suddenly I hear great heaving sobs and the prisoner breaks down and cries. In a second I lean over close to him, as he hides his face in his hands, and in a low voice I talk to him…. How can I reach his soul? I get out my Bible and read to him something from the Gospel. It leaves him unmoved. He is obviously uninterested and my attempt to talk a little about what I have read leaves him cold…. I get out an army prayer- book, which contains at the end about 130 hymns, and handing him the book, ask him to read through the part at the end, so that, if he can find a hymn he knows, I can read it to him. He hits on Rock of Ages and asks, not if I will read it to him, but if we can sing it… and we sat there and sang hymns together for three hours or more… Oh! how we sang — hymn after hymn…. All night I sat by his side…. At 3.00 a.m. I watched the first beginnings of dawn through the window. At 3.30 a.m. I heard the tramp tramp of the Firing Party marching down the road…. While his breakfast was being brought up, we knelt together in prayer. I commended him to God and we said together the Lord's Prayer… 'Is it time to go?' he said. `Yes, it is time. I will stay close to you.'… I held the prisoner's arm tight for sympathy's sake. Reaching the house, the police immediately hand-cuffed the man and the Doctor blindfolded him… I said a short prayer and led him the 10 or 12 paces out into the yard, where he was at once bound to a stake. I whispered in his ear `Safe in the arms of Jesus', and he repeated quite clearly 'Safe in the arms of Jesus'…. In three or four seconds the Firing Party had done their work. Poor lads — I was sorry for them. They felt it a good deal and I followed them out of the yard at once and spoke to them and handed them cigarettes… we took the body in a motor ambulance to the nearest cemetery, where I had a burial party waiting, and we gave his body Christian burial. (Taken from 'The Bickersteth Diaries 1914-1918')

• In 2007 the Armed Forces Act 2006 was passed, pardoning posthumously the 306 soldiers shot during WW1.

• These monuments, like war memorials up & down the country help us to remember the cost of war, and for us to not take for granted the freedoms we enjoy today.
• Remembering is important.
• When the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, God instructed Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, and take a stone from the Jordan River and put them down at the place where they were to spend the night. In order to serve as a sign.  So that

‘when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel for ever.”’ (Joshua 4:6-7)

• This pile of rocks, was to remind the people of Israel how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to freedom in the promised land.
• At the heart of the Christian faith stands an even greater, more powerful symbol of God’s love for us, and that is the cross.
• In our reading from John’s Gospel, Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
• That is what Jesus did for us, when he laid down his life for us on the cross.
• Apostle John wrote ‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10)
• Paul writes ‘God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8)
• Through his death on the cross & his resurrection Jesus has led us:
• from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ
• from darkness to light
• from despair to hope
• from alienation to reconciliation
• from death to life

As the words of the song Amazing Love, expresses it:

My Lord, what love is this That pays so dearly That I, the guilty one May go free!

Amazing love, O what sacrifice The Son of God given for me My debt He paid, and my death He died That I might live, that I might live That I might live!

How do we respond to such love?

• First of all we need to remain in God’s love.
• “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9)
• What does this mean exactly?
• First of all it is about knowing & loving God
• When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment of all, he answered. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.’ (Luke 10:27)
• You cannot love someone you don’t know, so knowing God should be our first priority, and the way we get to know someone is by spending time in their company. And with God we do this through study of His word, and through prayer & worship.
• But it doesn’t end there.
• Jesus makes it clear, to remain in his love is also about OBEDIENCE.
• “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love….  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:10, 12)
• Jesus commands us to love one another. That is why Jesus after saying we should love God, goes on to say love your neighbour as yourself.
• Love starts with God, but then moves out to those around us.
• The Apostle John said this:  ^‘If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.’ (1 John 4:20) 

Jesus Our Model 

• As Christian’s, we look to Jesus, who is our role model, and guide. Love each other AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.
• If we are serious about loving people like Jesus, it will be costly, because Jesus is the one who called us to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ (Matthew 5:44) And he is the one who laid down his life for us, out of love for us.

A Divided World 

• We live in a very divided society and divided world. We’ve seen this in this country following the Brexit vote, and in America with the presidential election, and the tension and fear that exists between different people.
• As God’s people, we are called to commit ourselves to the task of peace, in our church, in our community, amongst our family & friends and in the world at large.
• If we want to see peace in our lives & peace in our world, then we need to take seriously Jesus’ instruction to love one another.
• Mothering Theresa said 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.'
• There was an old man who used to walk along the beach every morning. Early one morning, walking along the beach after a big storm had passed, he found the beach littered with star fish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. Off in the distance the old man noticed a small boy who would bend down, pick up an object and throw it into the ea. As the boy came closer the old man called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto teach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves, and when the sun gets high, they will de unless I throw them back into the water.” The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t be able to make much of a difference.” The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. Then he turned and smiled and said “It made a difference to that one.”

How do we make a difference in the world?  Loving one person at a time.

So let us commit ourselves to responsible living and faithful service.

Let us strive for all that makes for peace.

Let us seek to heal the wounds of division.

Let us work for a just future for all humanity.

And let us do this, by following the example of our crucified saviour who calls us to love one another, as he has loved us, knowing as Julian reminded the soldier, that we are ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus’. 

The E100 Bible Reading Challenge: The Judges: Israel’s Disobedience (26)

Judges 2:6-3:6

Disobedience and Defeat

6After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres^b in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger 13because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14In his anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.15Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

16Then the Lord raised up judges,^c who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands. 18Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

20Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, 21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did.” 23TheLord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

1These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo^aHamath. 4They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

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ENDANGERED SPECIES

KEY THOUGHT

Christians experience ups and downs in their walk with God.

OVERVIEW

When Joshua and the leaders around him died (2.7), a depressing cycle in Israel’s history began (2.10-19). They turned away from God, worshiped idols and experienced disaster. Then, in desperation they cried to God and he raised up leaders (“Judges”) and saved them. But the cycle happens again and again. The good news is that, with God’s help, we can stop the cycles and grow stronger in our relationship with him as a result (James 1.2-4).

CHALLENGE

NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU’VE FALLEN AWAY, GOD WANTS TO MEET WITH YOU TODAY.

The E100 Bible Reading Challenge: The Law & The Land: The Fall Of Jericho (25)

Joshua 5:13-6:27

 Once when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?’ He replied, ‘Neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and he said to him, ‘What do you command your servant, my lord?’ The commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.

Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no one came out and no one went in. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers. You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days, with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and all the people shall charge straight ahead.’ So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.’ To the people he said, ‘Go forward and march around the city; have the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.’

As Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them.And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets; the rearguard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. To the people Joshua gave this command: ‘You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall you utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.’ So the ark of the Lord went around the city, circling it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord passed on, blowing the trumpets continually. The armed men went before them, and the rearguard came after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. On the second day they marched around the city once and then returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day they rose early, at dawn, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers we sent. As for you, keep away from the things devoted to destruction, so as not to covet and take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.’ So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, ‘Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman out of it and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.’ So the young men who had been spies went in and brought Rahab out, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her—they brought all her kindred out—and set them outside the camp of Israel. They burned down the city, and everything in it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. But Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, Joshua spared. Her family has lived in Israel ever since. For she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying,
‘Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries
   to build this city—this Jericho!
At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,
   and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!’

 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

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I Did It My Way?

KEY THOUGHT

The only way to do God’s work is God’s way!

OVERVIEW

Everyone knows the story about how the walls of Jericho came a-tumbling down. No doubt the Israelites had to endure some “trash talk” from the guards on the wall as they marched around the city. But God’s ways are not our ways and once again we are reminded of the need to listen to and obey God. Learning that lesson is key to growth and

effectiveness in the Christian life.

CHALLENGE

IMPROBABLE? IMPOSSIBLE? GREAT! YOU’RE READY TO SEE GOD WORK.

The E100 Bible Reading Challenge: The Law & The Land: Crossing The Jordan (24)

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.’To the priests Joshua said, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.’ So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people.

The Lord said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.” ’ Joshua then said to the Israelites, ‘Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.’ Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.’

When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing towards the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lordstood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lordsaid to Joshua: ‘Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them, “Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.” ’ Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them, ‘Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, “What do those stones mean to you?” then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial for ever.’

The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord told Joshua, carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. (Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.)

The priests who bore the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people crossed over in haste. As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the Lord, and the priests, crossed over in front of the people. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the Israelites, as Moses had ordered them. About forty thousand armed for war crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.

On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant to come up out of the Jordan.’ Joshua therefore commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’ When the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal, saying to the Israelites, ‘When your children ask their parents in time to come, “What do these stones mean?” then you shall let your children know, “Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.” For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God for ever.’

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KEY THOUGHT

Our lives can be symbols that point others to God.

OVERVIEW

These verses present some interesting symbols. For example, the stones from the river would be symbols that would “speak” to children and future generations of God’s powerful deliverance on behalf of his

people. What are the symbols in your Christian life? Is there a symbol you could use to remind you of the lesson God taught you? What “reminders” are you leaving for future generations?

CHALLENGE

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK FOR GOD–LOUD AND CLEAR.

The E100 Bible Reading Challenge: The Law & The Land: Joshua Succeeds Moses (23)

Joshua 1:1-18

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ‘Pass through the camp, and command the people: “Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.” ’

To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, ‘Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lordcommanded you, saying, “The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.” Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the warriors among you shall cross over armed before your kindred and shall help them, until the Lord gives rest to your kindred as well as to you, and they too take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of theLord gave you beyond the Jordan to the east.’

They answered Joshua: ‘All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your orders and disobeys your words, whatever you command, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.’

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KEY THOUGHT

Joshua is an example of effective Christian living.

OVERVIEW

God had been preparing Joshua for the challenge of following Moses. Joshua had witnessed Moses leading the Israelites (Exodus 32.17), and had seen from Moses how to develop a real, personal relationship with God (Ex. 32.17; 33.11). God promised to give Joshua land, success and a leadership platform like he gave Moses (1.3-6). Best of all, God promised to be with Joshua (1.5). In return, God asked only one thing. obedience (1.7). That’s key to an effective Christian life.

CHALLENGE

OBEYING GOD’S WORD IS THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING.