Vicaring - A sermon resource for all those involved in Christian ministry

First preached              Trinity 3     27th June 2004

Gal 5.1 & 13 -25           :        Luke 9.51-62

Reading the last bit of this passage – v24 you might think that Paul believed that Christians had all achieved some sot  of miraculous  state of sinless perfection.

Far from it! He was writing this letter because people were acting stupidly, perversely and aggressively. Paul is very much aware of the weakness of human nature, but the question is how do you deal with it.

Paul’s opponents would have given a very clear answer. The way to behave is written in God’s Law the Torah (Gen – Deut). ‘Do that and you shall live.’ In fact they may well have implied that by leaving out this tradition Paul was inviting moral anarchy among his converts and bringing about their ruin. At the least they would say he was failing in his duty to provide moral guidance, making his people Christians without spelling out what that meant.

But to Paul their argument is all part of the denial of the sufficiency of Christ. As he is sufficient to save, without the Jewish ceremonies, so he is sufficient to direct, by his Spirit poured into our hearts

That of course is the problem. We do not let it. We turn back to the flesh. On the one hand we are still prone to its urges and desires which lead us into sin. On the other hand, when it comes to running our life we rely on a package of rules and regulations and what we are inclined to call ‘Good old common sense.’ This is all pretty wishy-washy, a lot less rigorous than the 630 regulations which the Rabbi’s identified in the Torah. We do not strive for anything higher.

But Paul says opting for Christ is opting for a higher way. ( Remember Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 5.20) You do not after all become a Christian, because you think that your life is all right, but you need to get out more and the Church seems a better club than the stamp collecting society. You become a Christian, because you want life the Jesus way. Because at root you know that the way it is going at present is going nowhere.

With that decision for Jesus, that response to his love for you, comes the gift and a portion of Christ’s Spirit whereby we call God ‘Abba, Father’.. Paul beautifully describes the Christ-like character in just nine words: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control.

The point is that they are not laws and do’s and don’ts they are characteristics and pointers. They point us out beyond ourselves, to what is constructive, what builds relationships and affirms people.

There seems to be an idea that these things are natural. I heard the Bishop of Oxford this week saying Christianity is just a way of being human. Well it is, but so is being an Al Quaeda operative, a drug  pusher, or a football hooligan. They are all there as options. Christianity is about being Christ like. It is humanity with the sinful bits left out and the Holy Spirit grafted in.

To aspire to something higher is not natural, it is super-natural.

What Paul says is we have that super-natural force, within us because we have called on Christ to give us that aid. Let us call upon it. Let us not disappoint our Heavenly Father. Above all let us not despise this precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Rather  let us explore what he can really do for us if we but give him the chance.

• Proper 8 C

Sermon: St Paul’s : 21st June 1998  :Trinity 2  :Galatians 2

Galatians Map

Probably to the south whence just returned with Barnabas from his first Missionary Journey.

In Acts Before Ch 15 the Jerusalem conference precipitated by Galatians

It is therefore about a dispute among Christians, not the first (Acts 5 & 6) nor the last. Christianity is an open ended religion not a prescribed set of laws. We move forward under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But his message is  subject to interference; our presuppositions, wishes, and private agendas.

The row is about going forward. Paul is out ahead, so far that he is almost out of sight. But it is a row between Christians. We are guilty of an anachronism if we set Christianity and Judaism at opposite poles. Christianity is emerging from Judaism. Paul, Peter Barnabas are Jews. So is a good chunk of the Church at Antioch, so are Paul’s opponents. But they are all – yes even the opponents Christians. That is they believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They all believe that the promises of the O.T. are fulfilled in Jesus.

And they are agree that those promises are mean that the Gentiles will come into the people of God (Isa 49.6 55.5 56.3 etc.) they will become children of Abraham. For the promise to Abraham is “In you shall all the nations of the world be blessed Gen 18.18

There is no argument that Gentiles can become Christians be baptised into the name of Jesus. Paul’s opponents have no problem with that The Church has accepted that at the point at which Peter baptised Cornelius. Jesus is the way for Jew and Gentile alike.

But a way to what? Paul’s opponents  would say, into Judaism. A new reformed, Jesus Led, Judaism, the final righteous remnant of the people of God, prepared for His great and final victory. Their great and natural fear was that with the inflow of Gentile coverts this would be lost. Christianity would loose its rots and become something different for its origins. Worse still it would slide into the moral morass of the declining Roman Empire.

But Paul would say., “It is something different. It is not Judaism it is greater than that, for it embraces all nations. But it is not Gentile because that would make it pagan It is something new. And the sign of that new thing is that Jews and Gentiles sat together in particular ate the Lords supper together – Just as Jesus ate and drank with all and sundry. On this Peter most dramatically reneges.

But to do so is to abandon the vital core of Christianity.  – what that core is Paul will go on to explain but in  essence it is -New Life in Jesus.

Whatever might be said about the law – its divine origin its moral rectitude its superiority over debased paganism – it is exactly not this it is in fact the old life. For the law is a system in itself and it does not need Christ. Law and Jesus actually means LAW & Jesus. It reduces him from the engine to the bonnet badge. If the Law has the power to save it does not need Jesus

But Jesus is the power of this new Thing. What is it?

Being born again Paul actually says “I have died and I live again”

How do I live in Jesus? In a new state

This state has the title righteousness. That means simply being able to stand unashamedly before God.

But precisely because it is new it is the death of the old.

The Jew leaves behind the law, the Gentile leaves behind lawlessness. Paul really expects that. This cannot be a change which makes no difference.

For in this state we are free to let Jesus live through us “I no longer live but Christ lives in me” He lives in me by his Spirit – More next week.
But now the question, ‘Do you know what Paul is talking about?’

• Proper 6 C