Mark Johnson of Grove Chapel, Camberwell, and the Opening Sermon of
the
Conference:
"To the Praise of His Glorious Grace." Ephesians 1:12
Out of the many contentious issues the church wrestles with is the question
of what is the church and why does she exists? She is in an identity
crisis. There are mission statements and many books suggesting various
answers. This verse provides us with God's purpose for his people and
his
work. This is the great goal God has set before us, and so it casts light
on such issues as worship and evangelism, and when we grasp it, all else
slots into place.
1. IT IS A MATTER OF BEING.
'In order that we might be . . . to the praise of his glory.' We are
God's
redeemed people and our basic needs are to be what God's purpose is for
us.
It is patently obvious that God cannot be glorified by the dead, the
darkened and the damned. That is our natural state according to this
epistle. There is something deeply flawed in our make-up as human beings.
It is not the problem of the 'id' but of original sin. There needs to
be
radical change in the depth of our being by the God whose name is I AM.
It
is that God who stamps his image on us creatures and many of them are
to
find that image restored. Our fundamental need is that that image be
restored in us. God is primarily glorified not in what you do but what
you
are.
2. IT IS A MATTER OF BELONGING.
That we . . . together . . . should be to the praise of his glory. All
who
belong to God should be to his glory. There is no place for rampant
individualism. A doctrine of salvation has so dominated things that the
doctrine of the church has been diminished. We are more than a group of
Christians who meet in a congregation. A church is not 'me and my Saviour'
meeting with other similar individuals. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:17 -
we
are new creations, and we function together as one new man. We belong
together in Christ. The church mirrors the character of God in heaven
in
its life on earth. There is diversity in God and heaven and so there should
be diversity in the congregation, and there should be a unity in the gospel
we serve.
3. IT IS A MATTER OF BECOMING.
The 'affairs of the church are at the best of times a sanctified mess,'
a
friend once said to me. Paul says of the church at Corinth with all its
problems was being changed from glory to glory. We are being transformed
to
a different plane. So often Paul turns to this theme, and the key to this
progress is to go on being filled with the Spirit. There never will be
a
day when the Ephesians can think they have achieved everything. Go on
being
filled with the Spirit. What hope it gives us, and how we expend our
energies. Our eyes are fixed on the glory of the world to come. As a body
together we press on to the final goal. This conference is not sanctified
escapism but one in which we are mutually encouraged by the Word of God.
That we might be to the praise of his glory. At the end of his letter
to
the Galatians he tells them that he is labouring in the pains of childbirth
until Christ is formed in them. It is not that we should rest in this
endeavour but that God will not rest until his work is done, and we are
to
the praise of his glory. 6.10.
JOHN MARSHALL. Closing Sermon of Conference.
I Samuel 17 contains the narrative of David and Goliath. There will
be
nothing original in what I have to say, but whatever I say, the message
will not be to go out and slay your enemies.
Goliath was as a dog, and dogs are at enmity to the Lord; 'Beware of
dogs!"
says Paul. In Revelation 22 we read that those who are outside the kingdom
of God are dogs. We are dealing with a dog here, slain in all his boasting.
These were evil times. There was immorality at the very heart of worship
in
the wickedness of the sons of Eli. The ark had been taken and then the
sons
of Eli were taken, and Eli dropped dead at the news. The sons of Samuel
took bribes. Saul was anointed as king, and was used by God and victories
were given him. But he was a man of misplaced zeal. He slew the Gibeonites
and would have killed his own son for taking a bit of honey in the midst
of
the battle. He was strong on other men's sins and yet weak and soft on
himself. Quick to see what was wrong in others but slow to see what was
wrong in himself.
The man Goliath came defying the people of Israel and the people of
God
were greatly afraid. Even Jonathan was afraid to do anything. Our day
is
characterised by the mockery of God and his laws, and we seem to be
powerless to do anything. Then David appeared, a man after God's own heart
who did all God's will. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. He was full
of
zeal for the honour of God - ready to die for his glory. He had zeal for
Jehovah's great name. He had destroyed a lion and a bear. Think of it!
In
an English Game Park John Marshall had failed to stare out a lioness on
the
other side of the windscreen - two feet away. Who would go into lion's
cage
at feeding time and try to take a joint of meat away? Would Jesse have
given up his son David to fight a lion, or a giant? But David was a
shepherd who would die for his sheep. He did not, but Jesus did, utterly
voluntarily. He did not resign from being a shepherd because there were
lions and bears about. He was not pusillanimous. He risked his life for
the
sheep so that his father had no loss.
Somewhere along the line David saw Goliath's weakness. Also he had learned
to sling stones. David had better get it right with the first stone or
he
is dead meat. It was a risky business. How do you oppose your enemies?
Are
we willing to suffer? Then we had better suffer. Often we are delivered,
but sometimes we are delivered to death, to the sentence of death in
ourselves. Do we look to kill our enemies? Of course God sometimes removes
them, but don't we also have to make war on our enemies. Think of Saul
of
Tarsus declaring war on the church, and stoning Stephen. Yet the Lord
Jesus
met with this dog, not with sling and stone but with divine gracious
salvation. Christ had mercy on him. Or think again of another dog - a
woman
of Canaan whose daughter was grievously possessed with a devil. She could
have been alienated from God because of what he had done to her daughter,
but no, she went to the Lord and though she were a Gentile dog she found
such sympathy, though at first he said nothing. She kept on asking him
for
mercy, but he seemed to dismiss her because she was a Gentile. He could
not
take the children's food and give it to dogs! He called her a dog. She
conceded she was a dog but pleaded for a crumb that inadvertently might
fall from the table. Jesus responded, "O woman, great is they faith."
All
Christ's sheep were all once dogs.
CONCLUSIONS.
God ordains the situation in which we find ourselves. With many of us
it is
all very small-scale, and we get restless and wonder whether we should
go
somewhere else and find another ministry. We get restless, but we must
accept God's chosen place for us.
God supplies our need. Whatever you are called to do God will enable
you to
do. I need to listen to the word of God as it should be listened to. The
Lord delivered him when no one knew anything about him, a shepherd in
the
deepest obscurity. Beware of ensnaring ambitions. God enables us to do
what
he requires us to do. Go back to your churches and serve God. On the day
of
judgment we must give account of our ministries - our small congregations
will be enough to answer for.
God is a God of mercy. Things may turn. Where the power of God is concerned
he can change the situation in a moment. At Pentecost thousands are
converted in an hour. If he does not change the situation we will continue
to serve him. God is able, and we are submissive to his will. Do you
believe in the mercy of God? Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to
every creature. Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus
Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation. The Lord keep you
faithful in doing his will. David was afraid but God strengthened him.
"Have I not commanded thee? . . . Be strong and of a good courage
. . . .
I will be with thee whithersoever thou goest."
