OT Sermons

This was election week. We got to vote for our MEPs. From time to time we have to choose our leaders. Members of Parliament. Councillors. Churches have to choose leaders – choosing the next vicar, who’s on the PCC, and so on.

Many of us also get to be leaders. Leaders at work. Leaders at home. Leaders in the church.

We all know that there are good and bad leaders.

1 Samuel chapter 31 brings to a close the story of the first king of Israel, King Saul. And what we see here is that it’s disastrous for people if they have a leader like him.

Where would you like to be 5 years from now? Next question: If I had asked you that 5 years ago, is this where you thought you’d be?

They’re great job interview questions. But they’re also great questions to ask ourselves about our whole lives.

Some people here are just starting out as Christians. Those 4 who were confirmed a few weeks back. And a number of others. Where will your life be in 5 years’ time?

In our day and age you’re allowed to talk about Jesus. But what you’re not allowed to do is talk about him in any kind of exclusive way. To suggest other religions are wrong. To suggest he’s the only way to God. Those kinds of claims really stick in people’s throats today. They’re too hard to swallow.

A couple of weeks back I was talking to someone who doesn’t come to church. She explained that all religions are basically the same. They’re just wearing different clothes.

I guess that’s what a lot of people think today.

Would you say you’re close to God, or distant from him? Is he close to you, or is he somewhere far away.

This matters. Assuming there is a God. He’s powerful. He’s personal. He can do anything he chooses. You’d want to know him. Be close to him. Know that you’re in his good books.

And to be sure of that, we have to know what he’s like.

I want us to steer a path between two very common misconceptions of God.