Hi everyone, it’s Mick here and welcome to Monday’s Podcast at STC. As a church family, our Vision 2020 is ‘Join Us for the Better Life’ – to become people who actively seek this Better Life that Jesus came to bring us and become his committed people who can bring Godly change to our society one  kindness, one generous act at a time.

REFLECTION:

Last week, my colleague Tom began  our reflections in Paul’s letter to the Colossians and I do so hope they encouraged you as much as they did me. This week’s reflections pose this question ‘Is it possible to change?’ Our reading today is Col 1:24 – 29 and the focus verse is v27 ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’

Here at STC we often ask the question ‘How is life’ on a scale 1 – 10? It’s a good check and balance test and a way to take stock where we are with God.

John Lennon said: ‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.’  What are we looking for in life? Many people are looking for more than just acquiring more stuff! Perhaps best described by the word  ‘hope’?

The word ‘hope’ in the New Testament means ‘trust’ or ‘confidence’ – being absolutely certain that something promised will take place. Christians believe our ‘hope’ is found in Jesus Christ; he gives real meaning to our lives. The former Chief Cashier of the Bank of England, Graham Kentfield once said, ‘I am clear that the meaning of life can only be properly understood in the context of our relationship with God.’

Many years ago, when I was exploring Christianity, friends took Tricia and I to their church. I heard the preacher say this in his sermon ‘There is a Christ shaped hole within us; there will always be an emptiness in your life until it is filled by Christ living within you – will you receive Christ this day?’.

This was the invitation always given after he’d  preached by the great evangelist Billy Graham who died two years ago aged 99′.  ‘Will you receive Christ this day?’ When we do, he fills that hole in the soul and brings you hope, peace, joy and faith. In that moment you know ‘Christ in you the hope of glory’ and you experience ‘the glorious riches of this mystery’ (v.27).

Paul is in prison writing this letter (1:24). He has a clear calling, to speak of  the mystery that was kept hidden but is now revealed (v.26). This passage highlights how Paul’s thinking and preaching, indeed his whole life are focussed on Jesus Christ and making him known. Is mine?

So, Is it possible to change? As Christians we believe the answer is yes; we change when we personally receive Jesus Christ into our lives – in that moment, life transformation begins.

‘Will you receive Christ this day’? I answered that preacher’s call all those years ago and became a Christian. However, I have to answer that call every day of my life – every day I receive Jesus Christ afresh. I am now becoming more like him as every day I receive him afresh – it’s a lifetime journey, one small step at a time.

This evening at STC we will be hosting the largest Alpha course our church has ever done – indeed, it may be the largest Alpha course any single Northern church has hosted. We are praying for 500 on this course; we are praying that many will receive Jesus into their lives for the first time and many others will find their faith powerfully renewed.

So, how is life today, on a scale of 1 – 10? Some days I feel so ill equipped to face the challenges of life but then God reminds me ‘Mick, remember, Christ in you, the hope of glory’ –  I am then reminded of this great truth (v29) that I face the challenges of life with ‘all his energy, which so powerfully works in me’.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank you for you invitation to live your life every day. Thank you that it is possible because you live in me. I receive you into my life this day.

Welcome to Friday’s Podcast.  Thank you for listening this week – next week Mick, our Team Leader will continue our series throughout Colossians.

Today our reading is Colossians 1: 21-23.  Today we’ll focus on verse 22:

 ‘But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…’

REFLECTION:

I’ve said this before, but one of the reasons my Dad came to faith is the witness of a fellow apprentice who was a Christian.  At the age of 75 my Dad still remembers this guy.  Why?  He was different.  E.g. He didn’t swear – this was in 1960 – when my Dad started his apprenticeship.  He didn’t drink to excess.  Even though he was ribbed for his faith – he didn’t react.  He was different.  It made an impact.

Relevance connects but it’s our difference that impacts.

When we’re around other people – it’s easy to conform.  I’m genuinely surprised by how many Christians swear these days.  Personally I think dropping the ‘F-bomb’ is pretty foul mouthed and it’s something Paul addresses in his letters (not the F bomb exactly) but you know what I mean.  That’s one tiny example.

As the old adage goes: we are called to be in the world but not of the world.  You see it’s easy to acquiesce to the culture around us.  But conversely it’s hugely tempting to withdraw from culture; not hang out with people who are different and just wag our disapproving finger at people.  That’s not helpful either.

So, genuinely – how do we remain in the world but not of the world?

Paul’s answer – to some degree – is to recognise that in Jesus we have been ‘made right with God’ and presented ‘holy in his sight’.

Some people define holiness as ‘being set apart’ – a life lived devoted to God.  The point Paul is making in today’s short passage is that conversion to Christianity isn’t a one time thing.  It’s not a moment – it’s an on-going process.  The word often used is sanctification.   To live a life of holiness – and to quote, Sandy Millar (again) the former vicar of HTB – Holiness is a choice we make.  It’s God who makes us holy – through Jesus – but it’s our choice as to whether to submit to the Spirit of God who wants to make us more Christ like.

Paul, throughout the first chapter of Colossians, is at pains to spell out who we are in Christ.  What our real and true identity really is.  When we’re under extreme pressure – as the Colossians are – specifically from the culture around them which doesn’t share their values, doesn’t understand their beliefs, and celebrates things in opposition to they we stand for – if we live from a place of fear – in the face of such opposition we can acquiesce or capitulate.  I think this is a very real challenge for the church today.  The things we stand for – culture doesn’t.  It’s not about arguing or fighting for our rights as Christians – it’s about a deeper awareness of where the belief systems around us are infiltrating what we believe.

I read something recently that has stayed with me.  In 1874 the Rector of St Aldate’s Church in Oxford (Canon Christopher) held a conference titled ‘the promotion of scriptural holiness’.  What really struck me was that at the time the nation was going through serious changes – culturally & economically.  It’s said this conference was so significant – 1500 people gathered, the following year in Brighton another conference on holiness attracted 8000 people and revivals in Wales, East Africa and the Keswick Convention all started when some people desired passionately to live a holy life.  The Lord used it powerfully.

Whenever we’re tempted to think “how can we make a difference?”  Remember it’s our relevance that connects but it’s our difference that impacts.   A holy life makes an impact.

PRAYER:

Father may we walk in greater holiness this day!   Amen.

Welcome to Thursday’s Podcast.  Our reading today is Colossians 1: 15-20.  Today we’ll focus on verse 15-16:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

REFLECTION:

We have a framed picture of a newspaper article from USA today – the headline says ‘Obama Wins’.  The subheading reads like this:  ‘shattering a racial barrier, senator from Illinois is voted president; Democrats register gains in House and Senate’.  That’s from November 5, 2008.  An African American man in the White House: What a truly remarkable thing.  It very much felt like a season of optimism – where society was changing – culture moving forward.

12 years later – 2020 has arrived and it’s a very different political landscape both sides of the pond.  We have left the EU and now begin endless renegotiations of Britain’s place in the new world order.  Whether Brexit day was a cause for celebration or a cause for lament – things are certainly changing and the future is uncertain.

Over the past years I’ve found that a lot of conversations with neighbours and those at the school gates have touched on Brexit and to be honest, rarely positive.  The optimism of the late 90s and 00’s has been very much replaced by distrust, frustration and angst.

How do we not breathe that in?  I grew up within the home of a smoker.  When you passive smoke – it really affects you – you can’t avoid it.

As disciples we are, to some degree, going to be affected by the cultural angst around us – the passive smoke – it shapes conversations and attitudes.  But we need to be wise to not allow it to define us…

The good news is that today’s passages have something to say.  The Colossian Christians were up against a number of challenges – too many to process now in this podcast.  But the effect of the pervading culture; the confusion in the church about Christian teaching, left the Colossian church on the back foot.

When one is on the back foot – it’s a really insecure feeling.  We have two options – the temptation is to ‘sort it’ ourselves – or to choose to trust God.  We don’t know the precise details of the specific challenges facing the Colossian church – we can only work it out from Paul’s comments and inferences in his letter.

Colossian Christians were very aware of evil; the devil and his demonic powers. There was also a real and genuine belief in angels – and their role within the lives of Christians and their activity in the world around us.   All good stuff…  however, confusion had crept into the church – and the main effect of the confusion was to leave the Colossian believers questioning – just how powerful is Jesus really?

While people in this new decade in Sheffield may not be asking about angels and demons, they may be looking at rising violent crime, societal breakdown, climate change – changing weather systems, Brexit, American politics, Coronavirus – and ask ‘is there anyone pulling the strings behind all this stuff?’

Paul’s confident statement to the Colossians & to therefore to us is this:  Jesus is the ‘The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.’

For the apostle Paul – Jesus is pulling the strings.  He’s on the throne.  While there may be weird stuff happening all around us – Jesus is doing his thing.  For Paul, he reminds the Colossians – hey, Jesus spoke the whole of creation into being.  He was there at the very start.  He created the earth and the heavens and is working to renew all things.

Firstly,

Welcome to Wednesday’s Podcast.  Our reading today is Colossians 1: 9-14.  Today we’ll read verse 9:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives

REFLECTION:

Circumstances change.  For example you may have very small children and life can feel confined to the house.  That can be hugely frustrating.  And when we hear people ‘you can make a huge difference for God’ you may well think – yeah, great, but how?

Perhaps finances are tight.  You’re experiencing sickness – all things that seem to confine & contain life.  

Paul is writing to the Colossian church from prison and what strikes me from is this:

Paul’s does not let the circumstance of confinement contain him. 

In other words while he cannot be with the Colossian church in person he can write to them – he can use the form of communication of the day and as he states in Verse 9 says ‘since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.’

It’s tempting to think – I can’t make a difference until my circumstances change.  We can all pray.  Prayer makes a difference.

The circumstances of the Colossian church were pretty dire.  There was a lot of opposition and oppression.  There was intense spiritual warfare and some parts of the church were coming under the influence of false teaching and heresy – being drawn away from Jesus.  Paul doesn’t offer counsel to avoid the circumstances but that the fledgling Christians would stand firm in the midst of battle so that the Colossian church wouldn’t become confined by the culture but that they would ‘walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord’ – ‘bearing fruit in every good work…’  (vs. 10)

Sandy Millar the former Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (for home of the Alpha Course) would often say in the most beautifully understated way ‘there’s a war on, don’t you know…’ It was a wonderful gentle reminder that Christians are born into a spiritual battle and as the apostle Paul demonstrates – we have a great weapon – prayer!

So, why pray?

Throughout the scriptures we see that men and women have talked to God in prayer.  And Jesus shows us a model of prayer – he talks to God; he prays with others but also withdraws to pray alone with God.

The beauty of prayer is that we get to speak to God himself – face to face.  We don’t need someone to pray on our behalf – like a priest of old testament-  but little old me, you can talk directly to God.

I was reminded of this recently.  Our son, Theo, has never (for some reason) being a great sleeper.  He can often wake in the middle of the night.  Sometimes, he’ll barge into our bedroom – at some very unearthly hour and ask for help.  Mostly for something silly – he can’t find his blue Mini or he can’t find soft toy, bunny.  He just walks right in and starts talking – doesn’t matter what time it is.

Timothy Keller, US pastor and theologian says this:

‘The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.’

And the truth is that Prayer is access to God.  As my Son walks into our bedroom in the middle of the night – so too – we can barge into the throne room of heaven and ask God for His help and intervention.

The French monk Brother Lawrence taught that he can be as close to God as he washed up pots and pans as he could be in the chapel.  That we can talk to God – bring to Him our concerns, our hopes, our hurts – everything – at anytime.  When we’re walking to work;  after we’ve dropped the kids off at school as we go for a run.  It’s in all of these times that we can talk to God.

Irrespective of our circumstance – we can pray, we can talk to Jesus.

My Mom told a story recently of a little old lady – she’s housebound but decided not to g...

Welcome to Tuesday’s Podcast.  Our reading today is Colossians 1: 1-8.  Today we’ll focus on verse 6:

‘In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.’

REFLECTION:

Do you ever feel discouragement?

A few years ago, in my previous church, I was feeling really quite discouraged.  One day I saw that someone had shared an Alpha Testimony on YouTube.  I watched it.  It was so encouraging.  I felt a surge of encouragement.   I was so surprised.  I totally believe God can do anything he wants but the sense of discouragement I was feeling was pulling me down.  I think I must have watched loads and loads of Alpha testimonies during that season life.  I shared them with people.  I played them in our church at the time.  Some people loved them.

I learned a bit of a painful lesson in those days.  Bill Johnson, the American Pastor of Bethel Church, puts it like this – ‘I’m only a few steps away from discouragement – it’s my job to stay encouraged’.

Staying encouraged is really important.  It’s really vital – for life as well as faith.

Today I’d love to explore this:

Encouragement evaporates:  Store it, steward it and share it.

Today we start our journey in the book of Colossians.  One of Paul’s letters.  It’s written to a small church going through a tough time.  The church, planted by a man called Epaphras was one of Paul’s disciples in Ephesus.  He’s been sent to Colossae and has planted his church.  However, it’s a huge challenge.  He’s been to visit Paul – to seek advice from his old mentor and this letter offers much wisdom to the Colossian church.

There are 3 things that we should remember in the face of discouragement:

* Store it

If someone encourages you – store it.  Don’t be English about it.  Save it.  Celebrate it.  Reflect on it.  I know of a person who keeps an encouragement box.  Any letters, cards or notes – he stores.  Save positive emails, texts or DM messages.  Why?  Because it’s human nature – Psychologists tell us this – to reflect on the negative.  To let the discouragement define.  No, Store encouragement.  The apostle Paul’s message to the Colossian church is that he’s so thankful for them (vs 3); he prays for them (vs 3) and he has heard good things – of their faith – and love for people (vs 4).  This is a written record to be read out to the church.  It’s so tempting to remember the negative feedback; to be blighted by the difficult last job you left but encouragement evaporates.

* Steward it

I found a box of thank you cards from student worker days in London recently.  The devil will always try and tell you haven’t made a difference or you’ve wasted your time.  Steward the encouragement.  It’s proof that you haven’t.  Read the cards or letters.  It’s not indulgent when you read it with a thankful heart for God’s wonderful grace in your life.   Use it to encourage your soul.  In verse 6 Paul talks about faith, hope and love – he’s referring to the total change in the lives of the Colossian Christians.  He’s calling it out – he’s saying the gospel works.  Jesus changes lives.

* Share it

As we talked in yesterday’s Paul is a great advocate of being thankful.  A heart of gratitude is often a  heart the grace of God.  Much of verses 1-14 is Paul sharing thanksgiving.  The truth is that if our hearts are encouraged – of which we must take some responsibility for – then our encouragement levels then inevitable that will overflow to people around us.

Let’s pray that today, Tuesday, is a day of encouragement.  That we speak out blessing and life to a people weighed down by discouragement.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father we pray for loads of opportunities today to speak encouragement and life to those around us.

Amen

Welcome to Monday’s Podcast.  This week I’ll pick up the baton from Helen Ward and we’ll continue to make our way through Paul’s letters. Today, Monday, brings us to the very end of Philippians – Chapter 4, verses 14-23

Today we’ll focus on verse 14-15:

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;

REFLECTION:

As a parent it feels like we are regularly facing an uphill task with trying to instil in our kids ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’.  A few days after Christmas we were in the city centre – at a well-known department store.  I was with our children – our youngest in the pushchair – so it meant we were navigating a very crowded store full of very focused bargain hunters. Because it was so busy and I was pushing a pushchair and herding 2 kids, I was constantly stopping & starting.  Swerving.  Braking and telling the kids to get out of the way of the hordeing shoppers.   As my irritation levels began to rise I knew it was an opportunity to model to our children saying ‘please and thank you’.

On one of the many times we waited to let shoppers clutching loads of bags get past us in the crowded spaces – I said to my eldest – ‘notice how many people don’t say thank you’.   She noticed two things (kids are so observant) – everyone was rushing; only a very few slowed down enough to thank us for allowing them to pass.  The point wasn’t to sit in judgment on the stressed out shoppers but highlight that saying ‘thank you’ acknowledges people. It recognises they have done something for you.  Even if it’s to allow someone to walk past – there’s something deeply honouring about saying thank you.

As we conclude our journey through Philippians – these final verses reveal Paul’s heart on the subject of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Paul thanks the Philippians for their generosity.  Specifically their financial support – which far exceeds (according to him) any other support he’s received on his missionary journeys.  Paul sees this financial contribution as more than money in the missionary coffers.  He sees it as partnership. It’s him on the ground – it’s him doing the battle – the very fact that the Philippians have his back financially – it encourages him so much as he views it as they are in it together.  That’s a really significant point.  Financial support – or putting it another way, financial partnership – is a fundamental part of missionary work.  It can so tempting to think – I ‘only give’ – well to Paul, financial giving is an integral part of the work.   For Paul you’re shoulder to shoulder in the mission field.

It’s an understatement to say he’s thankful.  But in these final words gratitude overflows in the form of honour.

If you have been around STC for a while you’ll have picked up we place value on thanksgiving.  For good reason – gratitude is a fruit of God’s grace in our lives.

Saying thank you as Paul does here is really powerful.

Mick, our church leader, has taught a lot on the power of saying thank you and it’s something I want to borrow for a moment.

Thanksgiving or saying ‘thank you’ acknowledges a person’s actions.  I’m not saying when we say ‘cheers’ or ‘thanks for that’ or a GIF or emoji.  I’m talking about when we stop, slow down and genuinely look someone in the eye or take the time to send a message ‘thank you for doing X – I am so grateful to you’.  And tell them why.

Saying thank you acknowledges others’ contributions.  A habit of saying thank you reveals a heart of gratitude, which is honouring to God and to people.

Only the other day I received an email – out of the blue – from a man I had helped in my previous church.  I haven’t heard from him in around 6 years.

Welcome to our final podcast of the week, and indeed the month.

Next week Tom Finnemore will be taking us through the final verses of Philippians, and then launching the new month with a new book of the Bible.

But for now we are still in January.

REFLECTION:

January is long and difficult, and has the dubious accolade of having Blue Monday in it….the 3rd Monday of the month, claimed to be the most depressing day of the year.

One of the reasons that January is such a tough month for so many people is the huge gap between pay packets.  Everyone gets paid early for Christmas and then has to eke out every last penny until the January pay day.

This has been the story of our January with an unexpected garage bill on top of the planned MOT, and then 2 trips to the vet with our cat.  Like thousands of other people we celebrated pay day on the 28th; but the celebration was buying bread, milk and toilet roll!

A cursory glance through social media over the last 7 days tells me that we are not alone.  A friend of mine posted on Facebook bemoaning the fact that January seemed like a 50 day month, and someone else wrote, “Will this month never end?!”

I say these things not to concern you about our bank balance, but because how we feel about our finances in January links very nicely to the Bible verse that we are going to look at today.

The passage is Philippians Chapter 4 vs10-13, and we are going to focus on verse 12 where Paul writes:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

The word contentment only appears 7 times in the Bible, and 6 of them are in relation to money.

In Philippians, Paul says that he has learnt the secret of contentment, and what it means to be content in plenty and content in need.

Many of us I am sure would love to learn this secret too.  How can we be content with our financial and material situation? Contentment is undoubtedly a marker of the better life that Jesus promises us……..so how did Paul learn the way to achieve this?

The first part of the answer is that he learnt it by following the example set by Jesus.

About 50% of Jesus’ teaching is on money.  He clearly knew that it was a big issue for us, otherwise he wouldn’t have talked so much about it.

However, in all he says about money, Jesus’ attitude is totally consistent – money in itself is neutral, and Jesus is therefore content in plenty and content in need.

Jesus is content in plenty.  He neither praises nor condemns the rich or people having money.  He spent time with those who were affluent and privileged.  The disciples were fishermen – the businessmen of their age – and they owned property.  Jesus did not object to being anointed with very, very expensive perfume.  In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus says that it is fine to invest in things and make money.

And yet at the same time Jesus is also content in need.  He ate with the poor and the marginalised, those who were beggars and those who were prostitutes. When he sent the disciples out, Jesus specifically said that they could not take any gold, silver or copper with them, nor could they take spare clothes.  And in the Gospels we see frequent examples of people leaving jobs, fields and families, and selling everything in order to follow Jesus.

So Jesus is totally content in both environments.

However, what Jesus is not content with, and what he always challenges, is our attitude and relationship with and to money.

If we want to learn the secret of contentment, then we need to learn to keep money in a place of neutrality, rather than letting it affect our heart and our mind.

So do we do this?  Or is money a master over our actions and feelings?

Welcome to the STC Sheffield podcast.  It’s Thursday 30th January, and our Bible reading is Philippians Chapter 4 vs2-9.  Today we are going to focus on verse 4:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”

REFLECTION:

Depending on your age, the type of English language lessons that you had in school will vary greatly.  Some of you will remember lesson after lesson of English grammar, and know exactly what coordinating conjunctions, modal verbs and subordinate clauses are.  Others of you will not have a clue.

I mainly fall into the latter category, but I was forced by my mother to take Latin for GCSE, and one of the things that I do remember from those lessons is the imperative clause.

Imperative clauses are used to tell people to do – or not to do – something.  Thinking back to your school days again, when your teacher told you to “Sit down!” or “Be quiet!” they were using the imperative.  In the written word, it is normally indicated by an exclamation mark.

And so, in vs4, when Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!” this is a command or instruction; it is not a polite and gentle request.

Interestingly, this is exactly the same instruction that Paul gave in verse 1 of Chapter 3.  Plus in the book of Philippians as a whole, the need to rejoice is mentioned 16 times.  So we get the picture that Paul considers rejoicing to be a particularly important imperative to follow.

So, what does it mean to rejoice?

The Oxford Dictionary says that rejoice means ‘to be glad’ or ‘to take delight in.’

However, a key thing to remember about rejoicing is that it is something that you do, not something that you feel.

We might feel angry, happy, sad or frustrated.  We might feel hungry, tired or lonely.

But we don’t feel rejoicing.

We have to choose to rejoice.

And our feelings should not impact upon or alter our response to this command.

For a whole variety of reasons – illness, pressure at work, tensions in relationships – we may not feel like rejoicing.  But in these situations, it is even more important that we choose to rejoice.

Because the decision to rejoice is not about us; it is about God.

We take delight in who God is and we are glad because of what he has done for us, and this is why we can rejoice always.  Rejoicing is not about our feelings; it is about God’s glory and his sacrifice.

Secondly, because rejoicing is something that we do, it means that it has an outward focus.  Other people can notice it, see it and respond to it.

This, again, is in contrast to a feeling that can just be internalised and not shared with anyone.

We find great examples of this in the parables of Jesus.

– the shepherd calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

– the woman who has 10 silver coins does the exact same thing, and her words are also the same – “Rejoice with me!”

– and then there is the story of the prodigal son.  The father rejoices as his son returns home, and his rejoicing has an impact on others, as he invites everyone to join a huge feast with singing and dancing.  The elder son is not happy, as we know, but the father’s words to him are “we had to celebrate.”  Rejoicing in this situation was imperative.

The conscious decision to rejoice being linked to or having an impact on others is seen as Paul moves from verse 4 to verse 5.  After he has given the instruction to rejoice, he goes on to say that our gentleness should be evident to all.

I like how the Message translation expresses these two verses:

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”

Welcome to Wednesday’s podcast.  I hope that you are having a good week.

Today our Bible passage is Philippians Chapter 3 vs18 through to Chapter 4 vs1; and we’re going to be focus on verse 20 which says,

“But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

REFLECTION:

In a strange twist of fate my podcast weeks in the last term have fallen on the original Brexit day – 31st October 2019, the General Election, and then this coming Friday on the actual Brexit day – 31st January 2020.

Discussions about citizenship, immigration and national identity are never far from the front pages, and it’s not just Brexit related.  There’s the Windrush scandal, the desire for Scottish independence, and even the media frenzy about Harry and Meghan spending half the year in Canada.

In the UK at the moment, our views on citizenship are being strongly shaped by the political and social context that we find ourselves in.  The same was true of those in Philippi at the time Paul was writing to them.

Philippi was a Roman colony in Northern Greece.  Thousands of Roman soldiers had been given land and positions there.  And then alongside this were the original Greek families, who were not all that thrilled about the way in which their town had just been taken over and colonised by these Italian immigrants.

And so it is into this context that Paul writes the words, “But our citizenship is in heaven.”  He wants to cut across political debates and social divisions with Godly truth.  And the Bible has the same power and authority to do that into our own 21st century context and situation as well.

Now, both in Roman history and British history, colonisation has been used to justify some dreadful behaviours and attitudes, which I am obviously not supporting.  But the language and imagery of colony and colonisation is important to understand in order to see the godly image of citizenship that Paul is trying to paint here.

Firstly, the point of being a colonist is to bring your culture, your influence and your way of life to the place in which you live.

And so when Paul says “our citizenship is in heaven” he is not saying, “Don’t worry, just look forward to when you can leave and go and live somewhere better.”

What he is actually saying is, “Remember that you are citizens of heaven and, as the church in Philippi, you are a colony of heaven.  Your role is to bring heaven’s culture, heaven’s influence, and heaven’s way of life to the place in which you live.”

As citizens of heaven, we are part of God’s plan – he is going to use us – to help bring transformation into the lives of the citizens of earth who don’t yet know Jesus.

So, how are we helping to bring heaven’s culture to our workplace?  How are we heaven’s influence on our street?  How do we encourage heaven’s way of life in our families?

The second thing about being a colonist is that it takes perseverance, commitment and determination.

Paul acknowledges that the Christians in Philippi are finding it hard to keep going as representatives of heaven in this Roman colony; surrounded by its hedonistic culture, the worship of pagan idols, and endemic political corruption.

This is why yesterday we saw him write the words “press on”, “strain forward”, and today we hear him say “stand firm.”

And we need to hold onto those words, just as much as the Christians in Philippi did.  The distraction of earthly things and the pull of a culture that does not follow the ideals of heaven – and in fact stands in complete defiance of them – is exactly the same for us today.

Where do we need to stand firm in our calling to be a citizen of heaven?  Do we need to say no to that extra pint when out with friends?  Do we need to stop dating non-Christians?  Do we need to challenge a friend over what they are sharing online?

Thanks for downloading the STC Sheffield podcast today.  Whether you’re listening whilst eating a bowl of cornflakes, or reading in a quiet moment before bed, I hope that these words will be an encouragement to you in your walk with Jesus.

REFLECTION:

In the 1840s, thousands of men, women and children deserted their homes in the Eastern United States, leaving everything they knew behind, and started on a dangerous journey across land that was totally unknown to them.  It was called ‘The Great Migration’ and in the space of just 11 years, approximately 55,000 people travelled west.

The most common route to take was the Oregon Trail.  It was popular but also infamous.  One traveller wrote, “You could not possibly mistake the trail because it was littered at intervals of only 30 yards or so with rusting wagon shafts, skeletons of mules and oxen, and the corpses of humans.”

It is hard to imagine what those pioneers must have felt as they slowly and treacherously pressed on along the track set before them.  I am sure many of them thought about the life they had left behind and whether this journey was worth it.

Those early trailblazers faced sandstorms, rain, hunger and thirst, quicksands, swollen rivers, stampeding buffalo and disease…….and yet still they strained on forward.  Their determination would be rewarded with the prize of new, rich farm lands, a fresh start, and the promise of a better life.

In around 62 AD, thousands of years before the Great Migration, the apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Philippi:

“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

These are verses 13 and 14 of Philippians Chapter 3, and there are two things I think that God wants us to reflect on from these verses today.

Firstly, knowing Christ or gaining Christ (as we looked at in yesterday’s podcast), does not mean that all the difficulties in our lives will suddenly stop or disappear.  If that were the case, Paul wouldn’t use phrases such as ‘straining forward’ or ‘press on.’  These words inherently imply that we will encounter things that cause us to struggle, and there will be occasions when we come up against resistance.

We may feel that since we made the decision to leave our old life behind and follow Christ, our journey resembles the Oregon Trail.  People we love have got sick and died, managing our finances is a bit like being in quicksand as we could go under at any moment, and the spiritual attack that we have faced feels like we are being stampeded by a herd of buffalo.

When the journey is difficult, it can be hard not to just sit down at the side of the road and give up.  But this is why it is so important to be part of a Christian community that can walk alongside us, help us to take the strain, encourage us to keep pressing on, and cheer every step forward that we make.

The American pioneers didn’t head out West alone in single wagons.  They travelled in great wagon trails – extended families, whole communities – on a mission together.  If we are going to complete the journey of faith, we need to do the same.

Secondly, all of us are called to be pioneers.

Now you may be thinking “Well she’s got that wrong.  I am definitely not a pioneer.  I know I could never just quit my job and leave everything behind.  And I have no desire to trek off in a wagon.”

But that’s not what I mean.

The dictionary says that a pioneer is “a person who begins or helps develop something new and prepares the way for others to follow.”

As Christians we are all called to begin something new – and that is to live a new life which has Jesus at the centre.  And we need to invest in, or develop, this new life.  As Paul says in verse 12, we are not to think that we are already perfect and have obtained all that Christ intends for us.