Exodus 20:12. Attacks on police during the Troubles has evolved into attacks against anyone in a uniform, such as paramedics or firefighters, or even nurses in hospital. Anyone in a uniform is seen by some as an authority figure, and a legitimate target. Teachers in school are often afraid in front of their classes, since they don’t have the respect and obedience that should be expected from children. On the streets of Belfast, as in many towns and cities in Ireland and Britain, pensioners live in fear of even going out of their homes to do the shopping, because of the intimidation, verbal or physical abuse that they get from teenagers in their street or on their estate. And in the home, many parents don’t know what to do with their teenagers, they can’t control them. “What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?” Plato, 4th Century BC (almost a millennium and a half ago). “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint”. Hesiod, 8th century BC (about 1200 years ago). The world is passing through troubling times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. From a sermon preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274 (about 700-800 years ago). This problem is not new, as the quotations above show. It was also one that Moses faced long ago. This is why God gave us the fifth commandment: Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12, NLT) Moses (about 3500 years ago). When it comes to obeying those in authority (provided they are using their positions of authority legitimately, for the public good, as Paul outlines as the sole criteria for their mandate in Romans 13), the problem generally starts with disobedience in the home. Children need to obey their parents (as long as they are not telling them to do wrong), and parents should not misuse their position in the family (see Ephesians 6:1-4). But we all fail to do as we ought to. Thankfully, Jesus is our example, as he was obedient not only to Joseph and Mary, but also to his heavenly Father. More than that, his righteousness through his obedience is offered to everyone who will place their faith in him as Lord and Saviour. He suffered and died on the cross, taking our sin on himself, so that we could be declared righteous by simply placing our faith in him (instead of trying to be better ourselves, or become more religious, in the hope that these would impress God the Father). And by his Spirit, he now enables his followers to do the good works, the obedience, that comes from faith, which pleases the Father. Praise God for such great salvation. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8–10, NLT)

Theft, robbery, fraud… these are common in our world today. But most people aren’t thieves. They think that this commandment doesn’t apply to them, or at least that they haven’t broken it. But is that really the case? Have we not got something in the past by dubious or wrongful means? But even if we haven’t committed theft, is that all that this commandment entails? Is there more to keeping this commandment than simply not stealing? Practically, how can we keep the 8th commandment, when there are so many financial pressures, shopping temptations, and particularly at the moment so many people struggling with making ends meet? Don't take... The basic outlook that is behind theft is that of taking for oneself what is not rightfully ours. This can be plain theft, or theft with violence (robbery), or fraud. It can be confiscation, e.g. by employers not paying employees their due overtime etc. It can be obtaining something by deception, e.g. misleading elderly relatives to change their will under dubious circumstances. It can occur by individuals, communities, companies, or governments. It takes various forms. Examples include shoplifting, taking sick leave from work when not sick, fuel laundering, mis-selling on eBay, fiddling expense claims at work, tax evasion,, benefit fraud, government benefit cutbacks, false insurance claims, and much more. But taking from others what is not legitimately ours does not satisfy in the long term. Being a taker does not bless us in the way that our selfish desires anticipate. [While many look at the Old Testament and see harsh punishments for certain crimes under the Law of Moses, it was actually much fairer in its context than many suppose. The principle of an eye for an eye is often misused to promote vengeance. However, the principle was simply that the punishment should fit the crime, in contrast to the laws of other countries at that time where the punishment was often far, far more severe than the crime warranted. The Old Testament law instituted fairness and justice, as well as mercy and forgiveness.] Don't just receive either But it's not enough to simply not take what is not legitimately ours. We can still have a self-centred outlook, by being a receiver. At Christmastime, are we more concerned with the presents we look forward to receiving, or are we more concerned with giving to others instead? The absence of theft does not necessarily mean that we are doing what is right. Be a giver! Instead of taking, or receiving, we should give to others. We should love our neighbour as ourselves: For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:9 NLT) The key to becoming a giver is not wealth, but generosity. The key is not external, but internal. The key to becoming a giver is in our hearts and minds, not in our bank balances. If we want to become givers, we should not wait until we have a big enough surplus of cash or income before we start to give to others or be generous. We can be generous even when we don’t have a lot. Jesus shows this principle by highlighting the poor widow who had little, but gave more than she needed to: “While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” ” (Luke 21:1–4, NLT) An example of encouraging giving is where school-children contribute towards shoebox gifts to others at Christmastime, such as www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk . Or, by giving to www.tearfund.org to help those in need around the world. Be rich in Christ Whatever our bank balance or level of income may be, we can be rich through Christ: “Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? ” (James 2:5, NLT) Praise God that we can be givers, instead of takers or just receivers, by having turned to God through faith in Jesus, and receiving his Holy Spirit, who enables us to be kind and generous: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NLT)

Exodus 20:8–11. We must Keep Sunday special, not only because we need a day of rest each week, but because it is the Lord’s Day, and because we look forward to our eternal rest.

People want to have community, family, friends, and feel loved and feel safe. But too many people today don’t know who they can trust – even family isn’t as caring as it ought to be for many people. And good neighbours and good friends are very hard to come by. But at a wider level, we need community, not just isolated friends. While there are many great communities, there is no community that is perfect. In fact, most communities are so imperfect that we want to find authentic community. For the Apostle Paul, this can only be found in Christian community. Not imperfect, still sinning, Christians – but Christian community when it is living as it ought to before God. While we can can know this community life to some extent here and now, we must wait until we go to be with the Lord to experience it perfectly, in the world to come. Considering what life should be like within Christian community, Paul encourages believers to live as they ought to before God in Romans 12:9-16. He exhorts his readers, and us, to a high moral standard of living, giving very practical commands how to do this. But when we sin, we still have the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus, and the sure knowledge that we are reconciled with the Father. That is, if we are truly believers, who persevere in holiness…

Continuing the theme of ‘Under New Management’, and following on from the sermon two weeks ago on the Church’s role in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), this week we consider in more detail the individual’s role in the building up of the Church.

As individual believers, how do each one of us fit into the overall plan of God for the Church in the world? In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus has commissioned the Church as a whole to go into the world and make disciples from all nations. One questions is; how does our church or fellowship fit into this overall plan? A second question is how each believer support or fit into their church or fellowship’s role? The first question is; have we become disciples ourselves? Are each one of us believers firstly? Unless we have trusted in Jesus for full forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father in Heaven, we cannot have a role in the Church’s mission. In other words, if we are not part of the Church, we cannot have a part in the Church’s mission. If we are believers, are we being discipled? Are we actively obedient to the all the commands that the Lord Jesus has given us? If we are true disciples of the Lord, what part do we play, actively, in making disciples of others? What is our spiritual gifting which is given for the building up of the Church? What is our fellowship doing to make disciples? The Church is given the power of the Holy Spirit to go in the Lord’s name. We cannot do it in our own strength, but we can in the Spirit’s strength. And we are not on our own. The Lord promises to be with us always, to the very end. (Matt 28:20)

What should Christians look like? What should ‘Church’ look like? According to the Bible’s understanding of ‘Church’, it is not a denominational or organisational structure, a hierarchy of power, or even a building. It is people. If we want to see what ‘Church’ ought to look like, we should look to see what ‘Christians’ should look like. In Colossians 3:12-17, Paul shows us what Christians ought to look like on the outside, how they should be on the inside, and how they should do everything. Outside Christians should put on, like clothing, the qualities of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). Also, forgiveness (Colossians 3:13). And above all, love (Colossians 3:14). Inside In our hearts, Christians ought to be filled with peace, and thankfulness to God (Colossians 3:15). Also, the Word of God (the Bible) should fill our hearts, as should praise through singing spiritual songs and hymns (Colossians 3:16). All around And in all situations, Christians should do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means not just tagging on the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to the end of prayers, but depending on Jesus for strength to cope and do everything that he calls us to do, giving him the glory for whatever good we do, and asking forgiveness for our sins because of his atonement for our sins on the cross. These are challenging standards, but ones that are possible, when relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit instead of ourselves, and trusting in the atonement of Jesus for our sins when we fail to do what we ought to (1 John 1:7-9).

The Apostle Paul In the Bible, Paul speaks of enduring as a Christian, and compares it to finishing the race, referring to the marathon race, but meaning that we persevere to the end of this life, as God wants us to do. ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.’ (2 Timothy 4:7–8, NLT) William Carey William Carey went to India as one of the first missionaries in recent centuries – he is the father of the modern missionary movement which started in the late 18th century, that spread across the world. He was not a dynamic person by any means. But he could persevere for the long haul. “I can plod. That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.” He translated the Bible into Sanskrit, Bengali, and other languages in India. But one day all his work went up in smoke in a house fire. Years of hard laborious work was lost. What did he do? He started again – he persevered despite such a serious setback. Just like a marathon runner perseveres to the end of the race, just like the apostle Paul encourages us to persevere in the Christian life, just like persevering examples such as William Carey, we ought to persevere in our daily walk with the Lord, no matter what setbacks we might face. No matter what happens, we ought to carry on carrying on. Believers in Christ But we cannot run this race on our own. In fact, we cannot officially enter into this race without first having trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. While there are many people trying to deserve a reward from God after their life is over, the heavenly prize that is on offer from God is only available to those who have trusted in Jesus. Believers must carry on, not looking back, not being burdened by sins that have already been forgiven, nor resting on their laurels or past glory, but looking forward to the finishing line. When the going gets tough, too, those trusting in Christ have the unlimited power of God to strengthen them: ‘Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.’ (Ephesians 3:20–21, NLT) Carry on carrying on!

Forgiveness is not primarily a self-centred activity for our own psychological well-being. It is so that we can be reconciled with others, and so that we can be obedient to God. The fact that being obedient to God, and loving to others has a beneficial impact on how we think and on our outlook on life, is really a secondary matter. The fact that we are blessed when we forgive should not be the primary reason to forgive. It is not meant to be a self-centred activity, but one that is focused on the other person. We should be forgiving people “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37–38, NIV-84) “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9–13, NLT) “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”” (Mark 11:25, NLT) The NT Greek word most often translated ‘forgive’ means more literally ‘to let go’ or ‘to leave behind’. Forgiveness is ‘letting go’ of something. There is something about having a forgiving heart which resonates with the heart of God. He so loved the world that he did all that it took to forgive people – Jesus death on the cross… ““For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT) “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.” (1 John 3:16, NLT) We ought to forgive others, at a personal level. We can do so without worrying that truth and justice will be compromised, because these are the proper responsibilities of the civil authorities, church leadership, and ultimately God on the judgment day. Those authorities have the responsibility to ensure that truth is uncovered and justice is applied, with church discipline being a special case where fellowship is based on Jesus having taken the sinner's punishment - if they are repentant, they can be reconciled to the fellowship of God's people. Individuals don't have the proper responsibility to seek justice on their own, and are therefore free to forgive personally, to let matters go, and trust that civil or church authorities will deal with them appropriately, and that ultimately God will provide eternal justice - or forgiveness, if people accept that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, meeting the demands of justice there.

In the same way that a new management structure can transform an unethical company from being selfishly profit-based, without much of a care towards workers and customers, etc., into an ethical company, so too the Lord turns around the hearts of his followers from being selfish towards being his servants and living by higher standards. Where does your heart lie? Is it in unethical, selfish gain? Or is it towards the values and benefit of God’s kingdom? Jesus doesn’t ask us to answer that question by replying with a nicely phrased set of words. Instead, he asks us to answer that question by looking at our actions – what do we treasure? What do our actions say about us? Do we treasure the things of this world, or the things of the kingdom of God?