Harvest Time? Ants and Grasshoppers Luke 12

But what if it really said....

If you are nor dancing,

If you are not singing God's praises;

You are not really living at all.

So don't be fooled by the "wise"

• Your purpose is not "to survive".
• Your purpose is not "to be self sufficient"
• Your purpose is not "to leave a legacy".
• Your purpose is "to seek His Kingdom" Luke 12:21

How will you "seek His Kingdom"?

Some have rejected the received wisdom of the time in which they lived and determined to make things better.

This celebration of those who fought fascism in Spain reads "Better to die on your feet than to live forever on your knees." 

Robert Owen set up a new community at New Lanark to allow mill workers to escape the "dark satanic mills" that seemed essential for wealth creation. 

People can make things better if they seek the Kingdom of God - by which I mean - wherever God has his way and everything comes right.

Amen and Alleluia!

Look around you wherever you are and see what you can say "Amen!" to. Amen as in "I agree, I recognize that as being in harmony with God's kingdom, Lets have more or that!"

Look around and notice, really notice, anything that you cannot say "Amen " to, Its not in harmony with God's kingdom. Then ask what you can do to change it - and do something.

And when you see the Kingdom of God coming, as Jesus taught us always to pray, then say, shout, sing out "Alleluia!" as a witness to God's glory in that place.

For

If you are nor dancing,

If you are not singing God's praises;

You are not really living at all.

And when Jesus says "Seek his kingdom and these things will be given you as well", He means it.

Look out for the Amen and Alleluia this week.

Angry?

Mark 11:11-17 What's it all about? 

Mark 11:11-17New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Jesus curses a fig-tree and clears the temple courts

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree,‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers”

We are looking at 3 target areas to make our church more healthy.

Real Hospitality - New Housing Areas - Relevant Worship all to improve our Need Oriented Evangelism. We call them Heart, Home & Heaven. This is about the life of Heaven – Relevant Worship.

Figs and fiddlers.

Jesus being unfair? Jesus being angry? What's going on?

How relevant are these two stories if you don't like figs or do gardening or if you don't pay to get into the cathedral anyway?

But what if we ask about what you do with your anger?

Who are you angry with and why? 

What makes you angry?- really. Think about your last outburst- 

Losing things when in a rush. Kids being awkward or defiant. Being cut up or tailgated.

Someone not texting or turning up. Plastic wrapping that you can't undo. The boss. The taxman. Waiting for the NHS. These are not Jesus' issues.

Figs

No fruit. No sign of fruit. This is about using resources with no result. This is not the life of heaven. Not how the creator designed it. Jesus kills it. This is not punishment or retribution it is action to remedy a wrong.

Fiddlers

Corruption. Exploitation. Dishonesty. Power in the hands of the mercenary. Worship controlled by those who are not worshiping. Jesus drives them out of the temple. This is not punishment or retribution it is action to remedy a wrong.

The things that should make us angry are the things that made Jesus angry.

People and structures that use up resources with no positive results. Waste, whether it is leaking water mains or an endless cycle of military or economic repression. Regulation ostensibly to protect people's health which leads to food being destroyed at the end of the day rather than being given to those who are starving. Where can we cut out this waste as Jesus cut out the fruitless fig tree.

Worship is relevant when it allows us to bring as much as we know of ourselves to as much as we know of God.

Can anger be part of worship? If we look at something and think “No! That's not right!” then we are shining the light of heaven onto it. When we say “This has to change!” we are pronouncing heavens judgement. And when we say “This is how we will change it” then we are bringing in the kingdom of God. That is relevant worship.

We need to bring our anger to God and ask: does this make you angry too Lord? How do I respond in my righteous anger? Well Jesus didn't hang about- he acted.

“Do not let the sun go down on your anger” Act not for punishment or retribution but act to remedy a wrong. Then anger can be worship too.