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Obey & Pray for Governing Authorities
Romans 13:1-5 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” One of the easiest ways we can all help “flatten the curve” (slow the spread of the virus) is to comply with government recommendations. Remember, we do this not in fear and self-preservation, but as an act of love to the vulnerable whom this sickness might kill. Also, remember to pray for them as well as everyone else in the world. Our government leaders will make major decisions in the days, weeks, and months ahead that will have profound impact on all our lives. They need God’s help. Meet the Needs Among us Galatians 6:9-10 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” The Corona virus appears to discriminate. Children (praise God!) aren’t being affected nearly as much as the elderly. Further, healthy people will most likely be fine, while the immunocompromised, pregnant or those with chronic health conditions are at greater risk. If you have any needs please contact Jordan King (0404 000 913). He will coordinate with the uni students and young professionals who are eager to serve in whatever way they can. Over the next few months our lives will be filled with the inconvenience of canceling cherished events—but it so happens that self-sacrificial love is always inconvenient. Love your Actual Neighbours Luke 10:36-37 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” In the summary of the Parable of the Good Samaritan we are charged to have mercy on those in need as a way to fulfil the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39). We’ve attached to this email a card you can print and give out to your neighbours. Cyprian, an Elder in Carthage, during the plague between AD 249- AD 262 urged the believers with the following: “There is nothing remarkable in cherishing merely our own people with the due attentions of love, but that one might become perfect who should do something more than heathen men or publicans, one who, overcoming evil with good, and practicing a merciful kindness like that of God, should love his enemies as well. . . . Thus the good was done to all men, not merely to the household of faith.” Serve the Healthcare Workers Colossians 4:14 “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.” There is little doubt that Luke must have helped Paul many times with his wounds from his frequent beatings and stoning’s, hence the use of the term of endearment “dear friend”. Paul clearly valued and honoured Luke for the service he provided as a Doctor & a disciple, we should do the same. Please remember to pray for and serve all those among us who work in the healthcare industry: Frans & Doret, Almayne, Pansey, Fiona, Pam, Jeab, Mia and Bunmi. Pam Lam will be helping to coordinate any help the above people may need during this time. Keep Connected Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Time and again, history has shown that our bodies don’t just need health; our souls need hope. The human capacity to endure in the harshest of circumstances is incredible—so long as there is hope. For Christians, this means reminding ourselves and one another that Jesus is our only hope in life and in death. Christian community is the primary place where we process our anxieties, and preach the good news of Jesus to each other. While now is a time where we absolutely must significantly alter the way we meet, we must not give up small and safe gatherings, even if that means we have to connect by digital means (call, text, fb message, skype, facetime, zoom, etc).
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James 1:2–4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you
face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Now that is a challenging thought: we should consider it pure joy when we face trials. No toilet paper? Pure joy! No work? Pure joy! Sick loved ones? Pure joy?!?! That is hard teaching. Oh how I’ve missed James! Always direct enough to defeat my defences. How do we get to where James reckons we should be? How can we find that joy in the midst of trials? As an introduction, consider “consider” (1:2). The word “consider” is literally: “add it all up” . Maths back then was done a bit different than today. Today, 1 we say 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Back in James’ day 3= 1 + 1 + 1. So James isn’t saying trials are in and of themselves pure joy. But he is saying that as his brothers and sisters (by extension then Jesus’ brothers and sisters) there is a way we can look at the trials of life and what happens during those times and then come to a conclusion that fills our heart with pure joy. So let’s take a closer look at James’ equation so we can get to the same place. 1. Trials Test our Faith Congrats to the Smith family—they’ve got the most popular surname in Australia (as well as in USA, UK and NZ). “The name comes from occupations that work with metal such as goldsmiths, silversmiths and blacksmiths. The type of furnace they use is called a forge or smithy, which is designed to reach superheated temperatures to allow metals to hit their melting points.” The 2 word translated “test” by James has the same idea behind it, metals being put into a furnace in order to be purified and shown to be genuine. If we are 3 honest with our selves, I think we all know our faith needs fiery trials. Thankfully, Jesus is also a Smith. In Malachi 3 we have a great prophecy about Jesus (as well as John the Baptist: compare Mal 3:1 with Matt 11:10). Looking closer at verse 3-5 of Malachi 3 we find this description of Jesus: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years." “So I will come to put you on trial.” We need Jesus the Smith. Our faith can’t be increased , 4 but it can be purified. So often our faith becomes polluted with lesser things: trusting in our health, wealth, and prosperity. Ironically, in our current time of trial, it is our health which has been shown to be weak, our wealth which has had the biggest one- day plunge ever and our prosperous homes which have now become 5 temporary prisons. Trials expose how foolish it is to put our faith in anything or anyone other than God. That’s why trials are often fertile ground for the gospel to grow. As Amos 4:10 reminds us, God sends plagues in order to send us back to Him. Let’s get our faith back in Him alone. 2. A Purified Faith Perseveres until Maturity In our text James heavily emphasises the importance of perseverance: “the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature...”. For James, perseverance is the first product of a purified faith and the ongoing character trait that moves us onto maturity. I like the ESV translation here which is steadfastness rather than perseverance. It brings to my mind the imagery of Jeremiah 17:7-8 “...blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” I love that image. No fear. No worries. And lots of fruit. That’s what we can be like when our faith is purified. We can become steadfast trees that no matter what the circumstances of life are like—heat or drought—we stand steadfast. It is then we really begin to standout, as AW Tozer once wrote: “A scared world needs a fearless church.” James’ final point in our text is that when we begin to live that steadfast life, with roots down deep into the stream, perseverance gets to work. Jesus, like all good Smiths, knows that the fiery trials must continue until He sees His own reflection in precious metals with which he works. This requires not just steadfastness but the dreaded “s” word, submission: “Let perseverance finish its work”. However, a purified faith that is persevering doesn’t need to shun submission because “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Ro 8:28). Once again, AW Tozer provides a helpful perspective: “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.” |