God is Faithful – Let’s Hang on to That
This sermon can be listened to here
Psalm Psalm: 27
What I want to say:
explore the theme of God's faithfulness in the readings for this Sunday and what that might mean for us.
What I want to happen:
- how have we experienced God’s faithfulness over these last couple of years?
- how does that help us be thankful and live in more life giving ways?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Many years ago, Bonnie and I did the Bethel
Bible Study course
We spent two years working our way through the
Bible. The theme of the whole course was a summary of Genesis 12 – the first
time Abram and Sarai hear promise of children. They were to be blessed. They
and all their descendants were to be blessed to be a blessing to the whole of
creation. The course writers suggested that the
whole of the biblical story could be understood in light of that.
Blessed to be a blessing.
I am sure that has had a profound influence my
understanding biblical story. I have talked about it more than once. And it has
come though more sermons than I probably realised.
Blessed to be blessing.
It is the lens through which I understand our
reading today from Genesis 15, where again Abram hears the promise of children.
But this is not a version of the promise of
blessed to be a blessing we listen to very often. Well, every three years. But
it is a little gruesome with the carving animals in half. It is tempting to get
caught up in that and to miss what the story is really about.
This is an astoundingly important story in the
whole arc of the biblical story. It is a reaffirmation of the promise/covenant made
in Genesis 12.
This time it is less about the blessing,
although that is involved. And it is more about God.
This is much less about what is promised, and
much more about God’s faithfulness to the promise. God’s faithfulness is not dependant
on what Abram does. Abram does nothing. It is simply a statement that God will
be faithful to this promise no matter what.
God will be faithful to this promise no matter
what.
This divine faithfulness is at the centre of
everything else that happens in the biblical story.
It is at the heart of Paul’s theology which
sees Jesus as the ultimate expression of God’s faithfulness to this promise –
blessed to be a blessing
And God’s faithfulness is at the heart of how
the gospel writers construct the story of Jesus; both Jesus’ trust in God’s
faithfulness, and being the way we can trust God’s faithfulness.
2. Jesus
For example, last week we had the Lukan story of the
testing of Jesus in the wilderness. In each of those tests Jesus can be seen to trust God.
To trust God to supply his needs – so he doesn’t need to turn stones into
bread.
He trusts God’s faithfulness and doesn’t need to rely
on human power to be the beloved Son. That is not the way of God, and there is
not life that way. He trusts God in the way offered in the passage he read in
Nazareth from Isaiah.
He does not need the glory of being saved by angels
as he plummets from the temple. He trust’s God faithfulness but does not need to
prove it.
This week again Jesus trusts God’s faithfulness.
Even with these Pharisees, either with genuine concern, or in trickery – it can
be read either way and is, Jesus trusts.
And because he trusts he remains committed to the road
to Jerusalem, as he has since chapter 9 in this version of the story. And he remains committed to all that lies
ahead on this road. He trusts. God’s faithfulness is at the heart of this journey.
3.
Jerusalem
And we can hear God’s faithfulness in the
despair over Jerusalem. Jerusalem is more than a place here. It is the city
where heaven and earth kiss in the temple,
where God’s will is done on earth as in heaven.
It is a thin place symbolising God’s determined commitment to humanity, and God’s
faithfulness to the covenant with Abram and Sarai, where the people of God were
to live out “blessed to be a blessing”.
But it was also symbol of humanities deep
reluctance to desire for anything more than the blessing, which leads to
heartfelt lament
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
abuser of the messengers of God!
How often I've longed to gather your children,
gather your children like a hen,
Her brood safe under her wings—
but you refused and turned away!”
It had become a symbol both of the promise,
and what happens when we are unable to trust in God’s faithfulness, and as a
result choose different responses to each of the tests.
4.
final question
Last week I finished by inviting us to reflect
on
· what is it you give thanks for?
· what has been life giving for you
and us?
I want to add to those,
· how have we experienced God’s faithfulness
over these last couple of years?
· how does that help us be thankful and live in
more life giving ways?
I am going to finish with a video from the
diocese of Wellington that is part of our Lenten studies. It offers a way for
us to pay attention to how we experience God’s faithfulness and the ways we are
offered life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODTPgVGNAg
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