From time to time I put sermons I give up here. Not because I think they are particularly good, even less that they are model sermons. I can't even guarantee that I agree with everything I said then - I am (of course) learning all the time. But someone may be interested.
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There is no greater privilege in the world than being a Christian.
That is no over-statement.
Many people think that you are best off if you manage to own you own home, or if you have a good job, or if you have a good family. The reality is that none of those things comes a patch on being a follower of Jesus Christ.
Last week, a friend of mine who lives in central London posted some advice on his Twitter account: If you see someone in London looking confused at a map, offer to help them. It is, he suggested, not rocket science, but basic etiquette with being a host city for the Olympics.
Not rocket science. It seems so obvious. And yet it needs to be said, because it’s not a very London way to live. London is very much a city in which it’s each man and woman for himself. Sadly, such basic etiquette does need to be said.
What is the most precious thing that you would give up for someone?
In some ways, that’s a measure of love, isn’t it? The more you love someone, the more you would sacrifice for them.
That’s one of the problems with our society today. We are reluctant to give things up. Our attitude is that if I’m entitled to it, then I’m entitled to it. And yet love doesn’t try and claim my rights, but freely gives up my rights.
When I was at school, the question was about your last Rolo. The one at the end of the packet. You’d only give that to a very good friend.
Picture the scene. You’ve taken the bus into Sevenoaks, and you’re waiting at the bus station for a bus to bring you back to Kemsing. The timetable says that the last bus of the day is due to leave in two minutes. There’s no sign. So you wait until the appointed time. And there’s still no sign. At which point, you start to wonder whether the bus timetable was a cruel joke. Perhaps the bus will never come.
I’m sure you’ve often heard it said that the it’s not worth being a Christian. After all, the church is full of hypocrites.
And, of course, the second half of that is certainly true. The church is full of hypocrites. And what a good thing that is – otherwise there wouldn’t be space for someone like me.
This morning we continue reading the story of Abraham.
Those of you who were here last week will remember that I said God is holding out to us the most amazing offer. He offers not just to be a God, but to be our God.
I also said that this amazing offer comes to us only through Jesus.
What I didn’t do was elaborate on what that means. Why is it so special to have God as our God? What difference does it make? What does it look like? What blessings come from it?
Basically: Why would anyone want to be a Christian? And what’s so good about being one if you are?
It’s comforting to know that there’s someone looking out for us, isn’t it?
It’s even better if we know that someone has made it their special business to take care of us. They’ve taken us under their wing. There’s what the Americans call a “special relationship”.
Lots of men in the world are fathers. Only one of them is my father. Lots of women in the world are wives. Only one of them is my wife.
There’s the world of difference between know that someone is a father, and knowing that they are my father.
What do you do when bad things happen?
I was speaking to someone last week, and we were reflecting on some of the sad things that have happened. Surely, he said, at a time like that, the most natural thing is to give up on God. What good has God done?
And he’s right, isn’t he? If God’s promised to look after us, what use is he if he doesn’t deliver?
Bad things don’t happen all the time. But we all know the frustration of seeing good things that God has promised fail to materialise. He’s promised to answer my prayers, but he didn’t answer that one.
Who can you trust?
That’s the question we are thinking about this morning. Who can you trust?
One problem with the Christian faith is that it’s largely about trusting in some promises that we can’t see. You can’t see God. You can’t see heaven. You can’t see sin or the forgiveness of sin. Which can make it all seem a bit “up in the clouds”. A bit unreal. Like the Christian faith isn’t in the real world.