Preached this recently at Inglewood.

A Christian view on the environment, nature and creation. Who does the earth belong to? How do we look after it?

Listen

At both our services as we launch our ‘Stand Out’ theme for the month.

Here is part of the starting thoughts….

I also think it is important because in the Bible, there is a vision about creation and how creation is a part of the glory of God, and this vision will take your breath away, and help you to love God more. It is a vision that badly needs to be heard by our world, and the church has to articulate it. I think we have often not done this well. So that is what we are going to talk in this talk. We’re not talking about the environment, environmentalism, ecology, human or political agendas, we’re talking about creation.

 

Should be challenging and interesting I hope at both our services…

This quote resonates with me. My story would say as much.

The arrogance of making experience into a theology that trumps Scripture is exceeded only by the arrogance of making lack of experience into a theology that trumps Scripture.

You can read more here.

The author is responding to John McArthur and his recent ‘Strange Fire’ conference. Why would you go to the bother of organising a massive conference to speak against something? Sheesh.

I am utterly convinced that God works with different people in different ways. We can put that down to personality type, degree of faith, circumstances.

And we can understand that sometimes God works with us in different ways for reasons unknown. However perhaps experience teaches us that as we journey with God we discover what His particular methodology is with us.

For me, it has become increasingly obvious that God looks to me to burn some bridges before He comes through with either provision or leading. I still don’t know what this means, but let me give you some illustrations.

Moving House

As Melinda and I planned and prayed about moving close to our Church community we looked for a house. We could not find one. It was not until one day Melinda said something like this. “Mark, God wants us there, we need to sell our house in faith” So sell our house we did. It took just over a week to sell. But that is not the amazing aspect. In the week after we sold it, we stumbled across the house Melinda loved, and it was not even for sale yet! The owner was someone we knew through a ministry of our church and through coincidence we found our she was going to sell. We bought it before it even went on the market. This was when the market was at its hotest and houses on the street were selling in hours. God made His point.

Moving Church

Not me moving from Church, but our Church moving to a new building. For years we as a church were looking at new facilities for our growing church community. Somewhere that our community could access and utilities and we could have programs suitable for our culture. It was not until we as a church had stated our intention to sell all our property, that a suitable building came up. When it did, we were ready to act.

Other Moves

There are other examples but they involve other people and situations which perhaps are best left private. But there are numerous other ways, some small, some significant, which match this pattern.

Why?

Do I know why God acts this way with me? No I don’t. And I am not really asking for insights particularly. But it is clear to me that He does not work this way with some other people. Some I am sure He does, but I have noticed with some people God shows the way, provides, before time. Maybe He likes to test me! I don’t know. Either way, journeying with God is never boring. Understanding how He has worked in my life has been significant for me.

You

Please do not take my thoughts here as application for you dear reader. Maybe you resonate with this, maybe you don’t. I have seen other mature Christians wait on God until it is clear He has led or provided. It amazes me how God places in some peoples paths the job, the leading, the provision. You need to find your own way, relationship and understanding of God’s work in your life.

A friend from South Geraltdon (not really) is writing about a vexed issue within contemporary Australian Churches, divorce.

You can read his wrestle here.

Its a worthy addition to the discussion.

Some people do not put much emphasis or priority on preaching in Church.

That is a discussion for another day.

What I do believe though is that preaching is not about the preacher. It is about the audience. Does it really matter how well exegeted the passage is, how well you have parsed the verbs? Does anyone really care how well you have researched the context? Don’t hear me dismissing any of that as unnecessary or irrelevant. It is just that it pales into insignificance compared to the main point.

The main point is transformation, change in the audience.

Information is only useful as it leads to transformation.

What this means is that you as a preacher are only important insofar as you bring the word, and the power of the word empowered by the Spirit.

As far as I will go publicly in critiquing other ministers, with no names, sometimes the more conservative elements of the Church are more concerned about feeding the fat flock. Presenting the gospel in interesting and theologically correct ways than they are with seeing those folk exhorted to get out there.

As much as the more conservative elements of Church like to criticize those who they see as ‘charismatic’ or ’emotional’ I want to say this. Jesus was emotional, prophetic and downright annoying. The crowds left because He called them to service. In fact I wonder if many in today’s Church would have left because ‘He was not feeding me enough”.

Effectiveness in ministry is no substitute for integrity.

Longevity is ministry is underrated

You can’t just continue to have failed relationship after failed relationship  and pretend everything is okay.

We need to think long and hard before we restore someone to leadership after a moral failure.

We all have feet of clay, we fail. God gives grace and forgiveness.