Well, good morning again. It's lovely to be here. Sorry for my complete lack of grace
in failing to congratulate anyone from South Africa. I'm going to be speaking to a very
dear friend who's South African tomorrow, so I'm kind of, I'm stealing myself for his
gloating. So anyway, we're going to be talking a little today then about this idea of the
restoration of humanity. And that might be, it might even seem like a strange idea that
when we're talking about the Christian faith then, we're not talking about something that
causes us to escape from reality or escape from creation, but rather it's about the restoration
of it. C.S. Lewis, the author, once said something that I find deeply moving. He said that if we met
now a human person untainted by sin, an unfallen human person, they would be so glorious that we
would be tempted to fall down and worship them. But of course, we're not unfallen. There are so
many things that are broken and that are twisted. We are what another author referred to as glorious
ruins. And as a way of thinking about who we are as human persons, it's very helpful.
We're glorious ruins. There's still so much that is beautiful that we can see in every person.
The idea of every person being created in God's image confers dignity and respect. It means that
there are no little or insignificant people. Everybody has value, and that's a beautiful thing.
But also that everybody is infected by this same problem that we described yesterday, this idea of being
curved in upon ourselves, where we're created to love God and to love others. Instead, we curve in
and use our relationships to get what we can. I'm going to say more about that in just a minute or two.
We looked at a bit of a framework for thinking about the Bible's bigger picture, creation. And we looked
forward, though, to new creation as well. And the importance of that is that when you look at the
creation account, do we just feel nostalgic because it's not like that now? But the Bible tells us how
things conclude, how things come to their fantastic conclusion, where things are restored, where God
restores things to be the way they're supposed to be. So it's not just a nostalgia for what's lost,
but it's a longing for how things will be also. Things in the meantime, though, are not the way they're
supposed to be. We don't need to look very hard to see that. And what God's in the business of doing
in the meantime, then, is to restore and renew and to redeem, instead of being curved in on ourselves to
turn us outward from ourselves. We talked a lot yesterday about the rejection of creatureliness
in the account of the temptation in the Garden of Eden. The temptation is, you will take this fruit,
then you will be like God. A rejection of creatureliness and the right ordering of our relationships.
But also in that original temptation, there's the doubt about God's goodness.
Is God good enough that I can trust him that what he says is actually good for me?
And of course, that's exactly the temptation for all of us every moment of every day.
Did God really say, is he really trustworthy? Is he good? Does he want my best? Or is he somebody
who just wants to constrain and restrict, to cramp us, to make us somehow less than fully human instead
of fully human? And that's the reason for choosing that title today, the restoration of humanity.
Because one of the big lies out there, and many of us are tempted to believe it, I'm sure,
is that God's law, God's commands, God's ways for us are in fact those which constrain, constrict,
reduce us, diminish our humanity. Whereas in actual fact, the message of the Bible is good news
that what God says is good for us, is best for us. So that's what we're going to be thinking about,
is how then does this get reversed, this assertion of autonomy? The idea of autonomy is that I am in
charge, and that life and the purpose of life, the meaning of life is that I should try to arrange
all my circumstances and my relationships and my possessions and use my gifts and opportunities,
and all of that stuff there exists in order to make me happy and to make me contented and to make me
secure and to fulfill my life. It puts me at the center. And of course, when it's ramped up in our
current culture, it goes beyond just, if you like, the idea that I can use what's around me to make me
better, to make me happier, it goes beyond that even to, and I actually get to decide what's right
and wrong in the world on the basis of how I feel. I get to decide what's true and false on the basis of
how I feel internally. And of course, our culture right now has perhaps promoted and normalized this
more than any culture in human history. This idea of autonomy, it's almost reflexive. We think of
ourselves, a good friend of mine has worked a great deal in Eastern Europe and in the East, and he
asks people always a question, how do you think about yourself? And he notes, he observes that in the West,
for most folks like us here, our instinctive response is to answer, I, whereas there are cultures in the
world where people's responses, we, which is fascinating, very, very different. So a culture
that normalizes autonomy, I'm in charge. Into that culture, directly confronting it comes the words
that were read, Jesus' words. And Jesus' call to discipleship. Those words were, if anyone would come
after me, let them deny themselves, take up the cross daily and follow me. That call to deny self,
take up cross and follow, it confronts, it clashes head on with this idea of autonomy. And what I'm
wanting to say and what I want to argue and commend to you is this, that that call to deny self,
take up cross and follow, far from being a diminishment, a restriction or constraint,
is a merciful call from the one who made us and knows us better than we know ourselves,
who loves us more than we love ourselves, cares for us more than we care for ourselves,
wants what's best and can do what's best for us. It's that one who says, deny self,
take up cross and follow. And that's a liberation from the corrosive, the poisonous effects of autonomy.
That's what Jesus' call is. And that's what I want us to focus in on. And we'll just go through
bit by bit. There's the text up there. One of the things that I want to just point out,
and it's just a little thing for how we read the Bible for when you're reading it yourself.
This little passage that we read, of course, is in a context. And its context is it's sandwiched between
the beginning of Luke chapter 9, Jesus sends out 12. Beginning of chapter 10 of Luke, Jesus sends out 72.
And he sends them out to do Jesus' stuff. To do the stuff that Jesus has been doing in the world.
To go and to preach good news of kingdom. To heal people. To drive out demons. To do Jesus' stuff.
He sends them out, and then he sends even more out at the beginning of chapter 10.
And the idea of what does it take for people to be prepared to be the kind of people who can go and
do Jesus' stuff in the world is right in the middle of the chapter. Deny self, take a cross,
and follow, says Jesus. And then you're going and you're doing Jesus' stuff in the world. A world that
desperately needs that. To put it more technically, discipleship and mission are so intimately related
and inseparable. Those who follow Jesus are those who do Jesus' stuff in the world, if you like.
Let's think about this business of denying self. Because we probably hear that as quite a negative
thing. We may associate that with the sort of false asceticism, perhaps. Like, you know, give up
chocolate for Lent or whatever. These rather trivial things. But much more fundamentally, this question of
deny self is a question that addresses who is in charge. One of the ways that I find helpful to think
about this is to imagine a throne or a seat of authority in our lives. And who's sitting on it,
giving the instructions and the directions? Is it me that's sitting on that seat of authority?
Or is it God who's sitting on that seat of authority? And this battle that enrages for many of us as we're
constantly tempted, as we doubt whether God really is good enough to trust to sort of push aside and to
get back onto that seat. So that's really the question that's being asked is, who is in charge?
Who's the one who calls the shots? Is it myself? Am I in charge and basically trying to use God to get
what I want and use all my other relationships to get what I want? There's a direction that follows
from this. If I put myself in charge, then I have to get very busy making life work for me.
And that's going to involve making my relationships work to provide me with what I think I need.
It's going to involve defending myself against things that might threaten me. It's going to involve
using everything at my disposal to try to make me secure and happy and content. And Jesus says, no, that's
not actually the way. And we'll come to this in a minute or two. Not only is that not the way, that guarantees
that you won't get the things that you're looking for. It's actually counterproductive.
This question of who's in charge could also be framed in terms of ownership. Who owns us? Who's the one
who actually has claim of ownership over us? That's why we started with the idea of creation yesterday.
Because actually there is one who said, I made it all and it's mine. And therefore you are accountable to me.
This idea of ownership then is about rightly ordered relationships rather than disordered relationships.
Paul talks about this, the Apostle Paul talks about this in other different ways.
I was reflecting on this and it was nice that it was mentioned in the kids session
earlier in the service,
where part of Ephesians 2, 1 to 10 was quoted, verse 8, about it's by grace you've been saved and through faith.
But that passage is fascinating
because Paul describes
people like you and me
as being dead in our sins
and our transgressions.
And the idea
and the picture is of helplessness,
of hopelessness.
He describes us as being, by nature,
children of wrath.
And he then says,
but God,
but God has done something amazing about this.
That God has reached in,
has come to us
in our helplessness
and in our hopelessness.
And Paul goes on to say,
he's then made us alive
together with Christ.
He's raised us from the grave
together with Christ
and seated us together
with Christ
in the heavenlies.
By grace,
you're saved,
he says.
And it's not just that he's
made us alive
and raised and seated us.
He's done this,
Paul goes on to say,
so that we might walk
in the good works
that God's prepared
for us to do in advance.
It's another way of saying
the same thing.
Deny self is
is a transfer of ownership.
And here in Ephesians,
Paul is talking about
a transfer of ownership
and actually a transfer
from death to life
and life that is united
to Jesus Christ.
And that's the good news
that he unites us
by grace
out of pure kindness
and gift
to Christ
to give us the gift
of new life
and transformed relationships
as a result.
The basis for transformation,
and this is so key
when we're reading
the Gospels,
when we're reading
any part of the Bible,
is not go and sort yourself out
and try a bit harder.
That's not good news
to go and sort yourself out,
try a bit harder,
tidy up your act,
and try and look
like you're a bit better
than you actually are.
The good news is
that this is gift
and it's a gift
of new life
to be united
with Jesus,
to deny self,
the ownership
to be transferred,
the Christ being
on the throne
of the life
of our lives
instead of ourselves
sitting on it.
All these different ways
of saying the same thing.
That's the basis then
for receiving this gift
of new life
that's transformative.
It leads to a whole set
of new heart attitudes.
But maybe you're sitting
and you're thinking,
well, what about my rights?
What about me?
If I deny self,
if someone else owns me,
then what about my rights?
And that's what Jesus
goes on to say.
It's not just deny self.
He says,
deny self,
take up cross,
take up your cross daily
and follow.
What does that mean?
This idea of taking up
the cross and following
is a pattern
that's repeated
all over the New Testament.
The idea of this
taking up the cross
is to reflect
on the pattern
of what Jesus does
in going to the cross.
And when Jesus
goes to the cross,
it's actually
demonstrating
God's love to us.
It's a love then
that is willing
to give
to others.
It's a love
that doesn't
defend itself
but in fact
gives all that it has
for the blessing
and the benefit
of others.
Even if that
seems to involve
suffering
or pain
or loss.
So to take up
the cross
and follow
is to recognize
that there's a cross-shaped
pattern
for life
that Jesus
calls people
to walk in.
A pattern
of life
that involves
understanding
that all we are
and all we have
is actually not
given to us
for ourselves
but actually
for the blessing
and benefit
of others.
We're designed
if you like
not so much
to be receptacles
of what God gives
but channels of it
to others.
And that's this picture
of cross-shaped living.
We've already mentioned
Ephesians
so we might as well
mention a bit more
of Ephesians
but the beginning
of chapter 5
in Ephesians
is just one of the
many places
in the New Testament
that gives us
exactly this pattern.
Paul there says
therefore
be imitators
of God.
It's a startling statement.
How do we imitate God?
We can't create worlds
and sustain them
but Paul goes on
to define exactly
what imitation of God
actually means.
He says
as beloved children
walk in love
as Christ loved us
and gave himself
for us.
Let's think about
that pattern
a bit further.
Deny self
take up cross
and here's this pattern.
Paul says
be imitators
and first thing
he says
is be imitators
as beloved children.
You don't
be imitators
in order
to become
loved children.
That's crucial.
That's the point
I was making
just a second
or two ago.
It's as beloved children
who've already
received love
from God
and received it
not because
we are special people
who've particularly
managed to clean up
our act
try harder
or look nice
or be nice
but received
gift
from God.
This idea
of gift
is so fundamental
to the way
that the Bible
speaks about
God's relationship
with us
and part of
the twisting
out of shape
that we see
so much
is that we
reject gift
and we want
to do it
ourselves
in all kinds
of different ways.
As beloved
children though
those who receive
God's love
with open hands
this gift
and that idea
of open hands
I think
is a really
helpful way
of thinking
about what
faith is.
Earlier
in Ephesians
in the passage
that was referred
to
salvation
is described
as being by grace
and through faith.
Again
we hear the word
faith
and we think
about it
as an intellectual
thing
agreeing with
certain things
that are true.
Much
much better
is to think
about it
as the open
hands that receive
and of course
if hands are
to be open
to receive
gift from God
they've got to
let go of all
the other stuff
that they're
holding on to
in the meantime.
All the things
that I want
to hold on to
to make life work
and as long
as that's the case
I can't receive
this gift
and I have to
let them go.
It's a similar
picture to getting
off that seat
off that throne
denying self
and having
Christ alone
as the one
who's in charge
and calling
the shots.
So as beloved
children then
those who've
received gift
how are we
then to live?
And Paul says
our imitation
of God
is to imitate
the pattern
of Christ's
love
which is
a loving
sacrifice.
He gave himself
a fragrant
offering
and a sacrifice
to God
so that our
imitation
as loved
children
is to love
as Christ loved
to understand
that all we
are and have
is given
to love
and bless
others.
To recognize
that there is
nothing that we
have
that is just
for ourselves.
To recognize
that our very
purpose in life
is to love
and to bless
others
and that this
pattern of being
a child of God
receiving from
God
is then to
pour out from
what we receive
to others.
That's the picture
that I guess
I'm trying
to wrestle
with.
This idea
then of
receiving from
God so that
we are filled
from what
he gives us
as gift
freely
and abundantly
and lavishly
so that
we are then
pouring the
same out
towards others.
The people
we live with
our workmates
our schoolmates
university friends
our family
whoever it is
we are receiving
from God
himself
in order
to pour
out love
towards others.
It's a beautiful
picture
of what
we are designed
to do.
The contrast
though
and it's important
to point it out
the contrast
is that
instead of
receiving
and being
loved
children
instead of
that it's
this idea
of saying
I am empty
and lacking
and deficient
and I need
to get
what I can.
It's the contrast
in other words
between
receiving
and giving
and grasping
and getting.
We could say
that the essence
of sin
because if sin
is the opposite
of loving people
then what sin
is
is using
people.
It's getting
what we can
from other people
it's manipulating
them
it's trying
to use
that relationship
to get something
that makes me
feel better
about me.
It's exactly
the opposite
of receive
and give.
it's grasping
and keeping
and think
about the number
of relationships
maybe you're
smarting from
the pain of that
of being treated
that way.
Maybe you can
think of ways
that you
do that yourself
but that's
the fundamental
contrast
deny self
take up
cross
is to receive
as a loved
child
and give
rather than
grasping
to get
what I can
or desperately
defending myself
against perceived
threat.
And right at the
heart of that
then
if that's
to change
from grasping
and getting
to receiving
and giving
is being a
beloved
child of God
someone who's
denied self
takes up
cross
and follows.
This then
creates
and sets
out for us
a pattern
for restored
image.
This is what
the restored
image looks
like
because
Christ is the
one who
supremely
images God
who shows us
what God
is like
and to
be restored
in that image
is to become
more like
Jesus
to do
Jesus
stuff
if you like
in Jesus
ways
and that
is to
love
as
Jesus
loved.
It's about
a revolution
in relationships.
I've totally
lost track
of time.
What time
do you want
me just to
stop right
now?
Keep going.
Stop.
Soon.
Alright.
Okay.
I totally
have a very
distant relationship
to the concept
of time
and I'm
encouraged
by the fact
that punctuality
is not really
a biblical
concept
that I can
find.
My wife
doesn't buy
this one
at all.
Right.
Okay.
Now,
some of you
are going
to be
thinking,
okay,
that sounds
great in
theory,
receiving,
giving,
not protecting
myself,
not using
others to
get what I
need,
but what
about me?
What's
going to
happen to
me?
Am I
just going
to be
trampled
all over?
Am I
going to
be a
doormat
in every
relationship
that I'm
in?
Is this
a charter
for abusers?
And the
answer to
that is
absolutely
and categorically
no,
that is
not a
charter
for abusers.
Not least
because each
of us is
responsible to
deny self,
take up
cross,
to love
people in
this kind
of way.
And of
course,
one of
those ways
of loving
people is
at times
going to
mean saying
no to
those who
would abuse
and misuse.
But more
fundamentally,
what's going
to happen
if I'm
just giving
myself?
Do I
just empty
out and
burn out?
And the
key really
is not
just in
this idea
of receiving,
obviously,
as beloved
children,
but the
key is in
these words
that Jesus
gives us,
this paradox
at the
heart of
reality.
Jesus
says,
deny self,
take up
cross and
follow,
for whoever
would save
his life
will lose
it.
And whoever
loses his
life for
my sake
will save
it.
And he
goes on,
whoever is
ashamed of
my words,
of him will
the Son of
Man be
ashamed when
he comes.
This is
this amazing
paradox at
the heart
of reality.
This paradox
that if you
try to look
after number
one, look
after self,
then what
Jesus says
is you
actually lose
your life.
This is the
word soul
or tsuke
there.
You lose
your very
self.
If you
try and
protect
yourself by
living
differently,
by avoiding
this pattern,
then actually
it is
inherently
counterproductive
and self-destructive.
It will
never
work.
And think
about, I mean
that's so
obviously true,
isn't it?
Think about
the people
you know
who are
self-centered,
who arrange
life entirely
around their
own pleasures
or their
own fulfillment.
I have,
I can think
of numbers
of people
who swim
across my
eyes
as I think
about that.
Family members,
for example.
And they're the
most miserable
people.
They're proof
of what Jesus
says.
That when
you put
yourself
first in
this kind
of way,
it's
counterproductive.
It doesn't
work anyway.
And Jesus
says, and
whoever loses
his life,
that is,
denies self
and takes
up cross,
lives this
pattern.
That's how
you save.
That's how
you gain.
That's actually
the good
life.
That's fullness
of life.
So that
inherent to
this call
of Jesus
is also
this promise
grounded in
the very
nature of
reality itself
that as
human persons,
this is the
way to
life as
we long
for it
to be.
And it
starts with
getting off
that throne
at the
center.
You are
not God.
You're a
creature.
And you need
to be
reconciled to
that God.
And that
means he
needs to
be the
one in
charge.
And he
needs to
be the
one whose
gift of
new life
we have
received
with open
hands having
let go of
all the rest
of it.
And unless
and until
we do
that,
we are
simply
destroying
ourselves
as we
go about
trying to
make life
work.
What does
a society
look like
that puts
self at the
center in
this kind
of way?
Just look
outside.
Just look
around us.
It's not
turning out
well.
It really
isn't.
There's a
warning in
here as
well though
just to
close with.
Whoever is
ashamed of
me and
my words.
Now remember
that's the
context is
deny
self,
take up
cross and
follow.
And Jesus
it seems
to me is
saying this.
If you
try to
avoid
this,
if you
are too
ashamed of
humbling
yourself enough
to just
give yourself
to others
the way
that I
am
demonstrating
to you,
if you
try and
do it
any other
way,
says Jesus,
I'll be
ashamed of
you.
You're
turning your
back on
me,
says Jesus.
It's a
very,
very sobering
warning.
We might
put it this
way and it
was on a
slide earlier
on.
We can't
do Jesus
work in
non-Jesus
ways.
We can't
go about
following
Jesus.
In ways
that aren't
prescribed and
demonstrated by
Jesus.
That seems
dead obvious,
doesn't it?
But one of
the things we
see over and
over again,
and it's what
gives the
church a
really bad
name.
It's given
the church a
really bad
name,
is that
instead of
following this
example of
Jesus,
deny self,
take up,
cross,
and follow,
we thought we
can surely
do it better
than that.
There's a
parallel passage
in Mark
chapter 8 that
recounts exactly
the same
words.
The difference
in Mark
8 is that
Jesus has
just revealed
his identity,
who he
really is,
and the
apostle Peter
then confesses
Jesus'
identity.
And Jesus
says,
this means
my identity,
my power,
everything about
that,
that means I'm
going to go
and be rejected,
suffer,
and die in
Jerusalem.
and Peter
says,
there's got to
be an easier
way of doing
things.
I've just
seen you have
the power to
calm a storm
and to heal
the sick and
to cleanse
lepers and to
do all these
amazing things.
How does that
fit with
suffering and
death?
No,
no,
no.
Use your
power differently.
Use it to
get what you
want and to
do what you
want.
And Jesus
responds to
that,
that temptation
to say,
there's got to
be an easier
way than
deny self,
take up
cross and
follow.
There's got to
be a more
efficient way
of getting
the work
done.
Jesus'
response to
Peter is,
get behind
me,
Satan.
And that's
still Jesus'
response when
you and I
come to him
and say,
there's got to
be an easier
way,
a more
efficient way.
We can do
this work
much better
than the way
of the cross.
There's much
easier ways of
doing it,
there's much
more pleasant,
less painful
ways of doing
it,
and Jesus
says,
get behind
me.
Because this
is the way.
If you try
to save your
life by avoiding
this cross-shaped
living,
you will lose
it,
you will destroy
everything,
and you'll
destroy those
around you as
well.
Deny self,
take up
cross and
follow,
and there
is life,
there is
beauty.
C.S. Lewis
puts it like
this,
and I think
it's a really
helpful way
of putting it.
When God
talks of
their losing
themselves,
he means
only abandoning
the clamor
of self-will.
Once they've
done that,
he really
gives them
back all
their personality
and boasts
that when
they are
wholly his,
they will
be more
themselves
than ever.
self-fulfillment
come through
self-denial
or through
self-indulgence.
It comes
through self-giving
with Christ
on the throne
of our lives.
I had some
questions.
I'm just going
to leave them
up there.
You can look
at them if you
want.
But one of
the things
I'd love you
to do is a
little imaginative
exercise as I
just go and
sit down.
Imagine,
just think
about your
own life,
your own
relationships,
perhaps your
family,
your workplace.
Think maybe
more broadly,
your community,
your neighbourhood,
this country.
What would
it look like
with Jesus'
will,
with Jesus'
pattern of
living?
What would
it look like
for Jesus
to have
his way
in your
family?
For fathers
to take
seriously what
it means to
deny self,
take up
cross and
follow,
and to
seek to
serve
their
children
and their
wives
instead of
dominate and
use them?
What would
that look
like?
Wouldn't
that be
great?
What would
it look
like in
the workplace
for people
to understand
that what
they've been
given is
for the
blessing and
benefit of
others and
not a
means of
exploiting and
dominating
others?
What might
society more
widely look
like?
And how
would that
happen unless
people like
you and
me say,
yes,
Lord,
I receive
this gift
of being a
beloved child
and let me
just show
that same
love to
others in
every
interaction.
God
will
love to
God
let's
pray together
as we
pray that
the Lord
would have
mercy on
us,
enable us
to be
channels of
this blessing
to those
around us.
Our
Father,
thank you.
Thank you.
None of
this depends
upon us
being clever
people who
sort
ourselves out
and try
ever harder
to fix
things for
ourselves.
Thank you,
Lord,
for that
liberating
call to
abandon
the throne,
to joyfully
welcome
Jesus as
our Lord,
as the
one who's
in charge.
Lord,
please would
for each
one of us
sitting here
today,
would we
have either
for the
first time
or a
renewed
sense that
we are
loved
children of
the living
God,
and Lord,
might we
then pour
out that
love in
all of our
relationships
with those
around about
us.
Let it be
so,
Lord.
Have mercy
on us,
we pray,
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.