If God Made Everything Good How Come Its All Pants? Rom 8:18-25

Rom 8:18-25

If “All things were made by him and for him” – why is it all such a mess?

3 options – like when you order something from Amazon and it arrives in bits.....

1. It was rubbish in the first place
2. It was OK but someone spoilt it.
3. This is a kit! You have to make it yourself after all.

But these are wrong! God saw “It was good!” not “Watch some swine spoil it” OR “OOPS!” or “OK, so far so good – I wonder what happens next?”

So option d) It is all part of a bigger plan.

Simple Answer b)

God made it Good.

The Devil comes and spoils it (with our help)

Jesus comes to put everything right again.

“To every complex and difficult question there is a simple and straightforward answer – and it’s wrong!” . There are too many unanswered questions in this picture. If all things were made by him – where did the devil, or the rebelliousness in the spiritual being, come from? If Jesus merely returns things to their original state – a sort of heavenly “Restore” disc - is everything that happens since merely wiped out?

Beware the simple answer!

Complex answer d)

God made it good “Fit for Purpose” – What purpose?

Fit for the unveiling of “The Sons of God” – creatures who would bear the image of the invisible God in their hearts and minds and bodies.

Creative, Just, Loving, Open, Joyful, Merciful, Redeeming.

Paul’s view of creation is like the Dragonfly – a pure start – a rapacious development – a season of frustration – and a glorious liberation.

“the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it”. Creation was not allowed to develop without the children of God”

Somehow the process of rebellion, repentance, forgiveness and restoration are part of God’s plan, not just for us, but for all of creation. We are not colossae striding a stage, we are intricately connected to the rest of creation. When we care for it, we are caring for ourselves. When we destroy it, we are destroying ourselves. When we turn back to God in repentance and receive salvation, we are bringing salvation to God’s creation too. “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth” . Creation is the womb of the children of God and we, as part of it, share in that birthing experience as we await the redemption of our very bodies.

Do not be downhearted or dismayed – “trust in God. Trust also in me”. Jn 14.

Sin and the dirty jumper. Eph 4:17-end

Amos 2:6‘For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent.

They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.
8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge.
In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines

Eph 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. 26 ‘In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

What's So Bad About Sin?

An arrow missing the target is a “sin”. Missing the target. At least they tried?

What do we get so het up about? As last week it is about At-one-ment – being at one with God and with all his children.

Sins?

What are they? In Hosea sin= treating the poor as a sub-human resource to be exploited for personal advantage. When those who are troublesome to us become “them”. When we generalise unscrupulously - “They're all the same”. In Ephesus that greed shows up in immorality – it is treating other people as being there for our personal gratification. Churchyard bag snatch.This week a 90 year old lady had her bag snatched by a youth in our churchyard. How could anyone live with themself who did such a thing? 

In these cases Sin is not offending against some arbitrary deontological law. It is not a rebellion against God and His authority. It is the effect on those around us that matters, says the prophet.

Sins?

What's the effect? I don't mean the effect on those whom we sin against. I mean the effect on us who sin. Sin will harden hearts and darken understanding – Eph 4:18. We develop a loss of spiritual sensitivity. We become dominated by our appetite. Even Christians who have been set free from the law of sin and death are enslaving themselves again to sin when they succumb to its blandishments. There is a foolish moment when we, knowing that what we about to do is wrong, go ahead because we know deep down that we can be forgiven. Yes we can. But that sin has an effect upon us and our ability to maintain a close relationship with God. If you sleep awkwardly your arm will be uncomfortable and you will wake up. If not it will go dead – and then not hurt at all. When you wake it gradually come to life with pins and needles – painful. Maybe you wish it were numb again? Sin is like that. Painful to wake up to. Tempting to go back to. Deadening. Deadly.

Sinlessness: Christ is our norm. Eph 4:25-32 We are to know At-one-ness with Him.

You may not snatch anyone's bag. But what weakness or foible or character trait do we excuse in ourselves? Where have we given up the fight?

John B had a dirty jumpers. The curate's direct action. Here's a new jumper. Put it one and give me the old one. Its going in the bin! Have you got used to an old familiar dirty jumper.

Take off old ways - like a soiled jumper. You need an intention. You need to struggle. You need a new jumper! A renewed way of thinking.

A rule of thumb:

Old way                                     New way

appetite                                      God?

False                                          True.

Anger                                         Forgiveness.

Steal                                           Work.

Badmouth                                  Blessing.

Weigh every action and decision. Sin gives a hold to Satan – and he is tenacious.

Put on a new jumper!

At-one-ment. Hebrews 2

At-one-ment.
Identification? Heb 2

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
12 He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.’
13 And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’
And again he says, ‘Here am I, and the children God has given me.’
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death– that is, the devil 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.



125 if that is the answer – what is the question? (vox pop) (5*25), (no of times a man has to be asked to put the bins out), pairs of shoe under the average lady's bed....

ANS: Number of under 18's involved in All Saints Church!
“Look what God is doing and do it with Him”- the Jesus model of discipleship. If this is what God is doing – how are you doing it with Him? Prayer? Finance? Refreshments? Promotion? Participation? Leadership..... Gift Oriented Ministry. Good News M&M am – Muriel, Frank & Edwina. Who is God calling to be the church leader in the morning instead of me?
Do you identify with this? 

Identification?
Hello Mr Jones. Nice to see you as always. Regular as clockwork you are – every Thursday. How is Mrs Jones? Her lumbago? Will you be at the Whist Drive on Saturday? Good. How are the grandchildren...and Sophie? Gosh is she really 16 already. I remember her on her scooter! Right. Pension is it? I don't have to ask do I? Now – do you have 3 forms of identification....! It's more than knowing, or even proving, who you are.

Jesus Identifies With Us
What does it mean when you identify with someone? The Football Shirt. The Cross. The Nikab. The Turban. Not only that you want to advertise your beliefs and your belonging; but also that you accept whatever comes as a consequence of that – good and bad. Colours to the mast.
So on the Candlemas we remember that Jesus does this. He identifies with us. Heb 2:10 reminds us that God's plan is to bring “many sons and daughters to glory” “Many” here does not mean “quite a few” or even “a large number” it means the majority - everyone who will. Hoi polloi (Ancient Greek:οἱ πολλοί, hoi polloi, "the many"), is an expression from Greek that means the many or, in the strictest sense, the majority. In English, it means the working class, commoners, the masses or common people in a derogatory sense. Synonyms for hoi polloi which also express the same or similar contempt for such people include "the great unwashed", "theplebeians" or "plebs", "the rabble", "riffraff", "the herd", "the proles" and "peons" . He identifies with us “perfectly” by suffering the deepest separation for us so that we can know that God our heavenly Father is “in Christ reconciling the world to himself” 2 Cor 5:19. We are the same family (v11).

Jesus Shares All Our Humanity.
Here we have “sons and daughters” explicit – not just assumed. Here we have “children” not just adults explicit. He shares “flesh and blood” , the awareness of death and the debilitating power of it. Hebrews says He had to be made like us in every way so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Without this experiential knowledge he might not be merciful – losing patience with the weak. He might not be faithful – bailing out when the going gets tough or the fruit is uncertain.
Lets talk about children. Its not easy bringing them up. They are not all the same. We are not all perfect parents. We teach bad habits and are too lax or too severe (sometimes both at the same time!). Our children fill us with joy and pride – but also with despair and disgust (sometimes at the same time!). We should all understand. We've all been children even if we haven't been parents. But we are not always merciful – sometimes judgemental. Take care! And we are not always faithful – we can opt out. Take care! When we welcome children we are welcoming people who have just as much right to be here as adults – and just as much responsibility to act appropriately – not to the building, but to their own age and development. But we, as their family, are here to help them and their parents to know that they are loved and accepted - and protected and corrected by that family. We are all to “take care”. This is the common humanity that Jesus shares and elevates to heaven.

Jesus frees those who are powerless.
World views change. Its not that they are better, just different. Today in the affluent west we are desperate to hold onto the world view that says that we are in control – and its corollary, that we are responsible. Every action has a reaction. From homelessness following drugs and gambling to global warming following poor insulation – its all out own fault. Well, if not mine then yours. The old idea of sacrifice to pay for your sins is not so useful for us. The idea of some external spiritual enemy who is active for our harm is not so palatable. So how in this world view does someone make atonement for sin? At-one-ment. An action at great cost to one person that enables relationship between two others to be made whole again perhaps the “peace-maker” model. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.
When children and young people come into a church they bring a challenge. Perhaps not intentionally, but effectively. There are issues of content, of behaviour, of noise, of sensitivity. Can we look at them as human beings with whom Jesus identifies. Can we look at their parents and carers in that way? Can we ask what God is doing in their lives and seek to do that with Him? Then, as we try to help and support, to value and encourage, to teach and to celebrate then we will find by some alchemy of God's grace that we know that He is helping and supporting, valuing and encouraging, teaching and celebrating us too.


How do I do what God is doing here?
We have been given at-one-ment with God through Jesus. So we must try to help others to experience at-one-ment with us, in the community, with Jesus themselves. The more we give this away – the more we will have; in our church, our community, our hearts and minds.
Welcome. Befriend. Help. Enjoy. Encourage, Walk with. Guide. Share. Love.
Luke 6:38

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.’