Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things
that have been fulfilled among us just as they were handed down to us by those
who from the first were eye-witnesses. Therefore, since I myself have carefully
investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write
an orderly account for you. Because you see I had the rather enviable pleasure of attending the whole week of holy festivities that
we have come to know and love – our annual four12 confer… [cough, splutter]
Sorry, I still can’t bring myself to say that word. What a spiritual delight! A
feast for the soul! A joyful reunion of tjommies from around the planet! We
were like kids at a carnival.
Close your eyes and imagine a… (oh gosh, you cant read with
your eyes closed can you?) Imagine a hall jam packed full of people. So full
you can’t even raise your hands in worship. Then imagine the first chords are
struck and Chad ’s
voice begins a familiar anthem which is promptly drowned out by the full
throated roar of passionate praise from the throng of eager worshippers. While
you worship your mind reels off an image of how you imagine worship will
be in heaven one day, and how it must surely feel something like this.
I would summarise the message from the week like this – how
do I measure success? Whether it be a church that I help lead or my own life.
What is a successful Christian? There is a subtle and dangerous tendency to
believe that an influential Christian is an effective one. But we were reminded
this week that according to this definition, Jesus’ life was a dismal failure!
He only had about 120 disciples immediately after his resurrection. According
to this logic the pastoral team in my church is more successful than Jesus!
We were reminded this week that God blesses what is god-like.
If whatever we are doing does not look like Christ then no matter how
impressive it may look to others, it does not bring joy to God’s heart.
Scripture tells us plainly that when our works are tested by fire only that
which is founded on Christ himself will endure. God wants purity in his bride –
sincere hearts, genuine love, undivided devotion to Christ himself. In our
innermost being we know that all the affirmation we need is from God our Father
but it is so dastardly tempting to seek the much more immediate approval and
praise from our peers.
I was reminded that God loves generous hearts. Where we
invest our treasure is where our hearts will inevitably follow. Where am I
investing my treasure? In reality that is probably where my heart is. God
blesses generous hearts because it reflects his own GINORMOUSLY generous heart.
He who did not spare his only Son instantly recognizes and delights in a child
who generously gives to where he is giving.
When I love those that my heart secretly despises (Because
they make flou jokes. Or they talk so much I need to interrupt to ask a
question which I don’t really want them to answer anyway. Or maybe they bear
the unfortunate resemblance of someone who used to bully me in school) it
pleases God hugely because it’s the kind of thing God does all the time, when
he loves me despite that I sometimes, secretly think I could do a better job
than him.
If we are faithful with little, God will give us much, but
here’s a question that gave me pause, what do I do when he gives me much??? I
need to be faithful with the much as though it were still little because the
“little” in God’s eyes are the little people that he himself gets on his knees
to serve with a basin and a towel. It’s those little ones that he makes daily
intercession for before the father. And they will always be precious to him no
matter how little they are. This is righteousness in God’s eyes and it is his
definition of success. We never graduate from righteousness, as though it were
a step on the stairway to success. Sacrificial love is an end in itself and it
is what pleases God.
Which sounds easy enough, even noble and admirable, but this
is still not the whole story. Christ was
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