Pastor's Blog

Romans 8:1-17

January 28th, 2010 at 10:44am

Fly….

As many of you will know, we have just begun a very exciting and important series of sermons in the church (check out the mbc website for details: www.mbc.org.uk). It has the potential to release so many of us from the chains – expectations, sin, lifestyle and culture – that keep us bound in beliefs and patterns of behavrious that are a direct denial of how Father God sees us, of who we are in Christ and the power we have in the Holy Spirit.

Over the past few weeks, we have built a strong and really exciting base from which we can stop “taxi-ing” and get “lift-off”.

We talked about the Father, and what it means that we are sons of God. Understanding that the Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man might become the sons of God means that many of us are increasingly realising and living out of experiental sonship and not just positional sonship.

We spent some time recognising that our openness to receiving the perfect love of our heavenly Father is directly related to the way in which we have been fathered. Many took very brave steps to actively forgive our dads and ask Father God to “daddy” us.

We also opened the scriptures to Colossians 3 and worked through what it means for you and I to be “in Christ”. It is mind-frying and heart-exciting to understand that Jesus actively decided to minister and operate solely out of his humanity (See Philippians 2). Every time he healed someone, every time he spoke with prophetic authority, he did so out of his humanity, under the authority of the Father and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Can it be true that we get to operate under the same authority – to have the same anointing and the same power? (See Ephesians 1:19-21)

We taught around “Flying with the Dove” and proposed that you and I will never fly unless ‘powered’. We just invited the Holy Spirit to come, asking the Father to give his good gift  (Luke 11) - and He came!

A few questions for you to think about:

  • What are the things that keep you grounded?
  • Are there ‘clothes’ that you wear that are incompatible with Jesus Christ in you?
  • What does operating out of Jesus’ anointing – the Father’s authority and the Holy Spirit’s power – look like practically for you?

- Karl

Romans – taking a break!

December 10th, 2009 at 9:51am

I’m taking  a break from blogging ’til after Christmas – more  to come in 2010!

A very happy Christmas to you all!

God bless!

- Karl

Romans – Day 51

December 8th, 2009 at 4:59pm

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. [Romans 6: 1-4]

Before we get into this incredible passage of scripture it would be wise for us to recap around the experience of the life of a believer in Christ.  This chapter of scripture is going to be really helpful in enabling us to live the good news.  And living the good news is so vital.

Many of us come to know Christ, get some good teaching and then are assured of our salvation; then we seek occasionally to tell other people about Jesus – often in stilted and unnatural conversations.  But then we wonder why we are not as successful as the early church in seeing people come to a saving, dynamic faith.

Perhaps it’s because it’s not so dynamic for us?

Paul has been teaching by using a number of concepts around the spiritual life:

JUSTIFICATION:  being set free from the penalty of sin

SANCTIFICATION:  being set free to live sin-free

GLORIFICATION:  being set free from sin all together – its effects – its power – it!

Now there are three problems as I see it.

Problem number 1

Christians who want to move from justification to glorification and bypass sanctification (this can happen,  but only God can do it; he does it by removing you from this earth early). These brothers and sisters miss out spiritual transformation, the deep inner work of the spirit of God who cleans us up, sorts us out, heals us, gifts us and produces wonderful fruit in us, propelling us into this busted world to be transformation for everyone and everything else.  These guys miss out,  big style! They may still have their ‘get out of hell free cards’ but they don’t really live.

Problem number 2

Christians who see these three events as linear and progressive:

I have been justified (that’s done – don’t have to worry about that anymore);

I am being sanctified (being transformed now) ;

One day I will be glorified (when I get to heaven).

I am not sure how helpful this is.  Whilst there is significant truth here, I would see these events as much more fluid and far more dynamic.  I have been justified – but I need to keep coming back to the cross, keep in the grace of Jesus, keep forgiving and being forgiven (this doesn’t in any way damage my trust in my salvation, but sees it as a necessary dynamic event – I am being saved -  it also deals seriously with sin).

I am being, have been, and will be sanctified –  in the same way,  I am being NOW glorified although it is only in part;  I am looking like Jesus, heaven is coming to earth, in Christ, in me.

Problem number 3

Christians who have been justified are being sanctified, will be glorified and know that this is the grace and activity of God, but act as if they are the ones doing it now.

“I have to justify myself – I need to clean my act up – I can somehow be good enough for glory.”

Or alternatively we see all this as a work of God,  lie back, bask in his grace and pray that soon he calls or comes.

Rather this is a divine work of co-operative grace:  his ability - your availability, his power –  your co-operation,  his spirit – your willingness to go with his promptings.

“Lord, change me and I will change” –- “Lord, send me and I will go” –- “Lord, speak to me and I will speak”

Get this right and he will transform you and you will be his incredible transforming agents in this world NOW.

- Karl

Romans – Day 50

December 7th, 2009 at 11:51am

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more  [Romans 5:20]

Today, here is an amazing verse. I think it is best understood thus – ‘when the law was introduced we realised just how awful our sin and rebellion and lives actually are – but where sin increased, grace increased in greater measure.’

I am sure the Bible teaches that this world we live in is going to get worse. We can see the fruit of this all around us – war, drugs, pandemics, environmental destruction, debt, depresssion….  (feel free to develop the list). Paul seems to suggest that as this happens, GRACE happens MORE. I think if we look carefully we can also see the fruit of this in our world. The Church is growing (think Africa, Asia, Latin America -  even some small pockets in Scotland). People are getting saved, communities are being influenced, miracles are happening … (once again you complete the list).  God is on the move and will increasingly be on the move. Does this excite you? Because it does me!

Today,  why don’t you go online and google growing churches or miracles and then pray that as a church we might move in the MORE GRACE and shine increasingly brightly in the developing darkness.

- Karl