I thought it was just me. But it’s not. Someone else has spotted it. See Sarah Barnett’s comments http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/culture/reading/harry_potter_and_the_deathly_hallows/.

If you’ve not read the book and you don’t want me to spoil it then don’t read on!

But I couldn’t believe the cheek of it. J.K. Rowling does Christianity. Without wishing to attract a law suit I’ll steer clear of accusations of plagiarism. And it might be a little strong to suggest that the final instalment of the unfolding Potter narrative is parasitical on another bestseller. But you can’t fail to spot that parallels with the Bible. In the wonderful final volume of her seven book series there are strong hints that Rowling is familiar with at least some of the dominant themes of the gospel. They’re never explicit but to those with more than a passing familiarity with the scriptures the illusions are as plain as the nose on your face. Choosing not to give the references she even quotes scripture on two occasions [Matthew 6:21 & 1 Corinthians 15:26].

Unconvinced? Consider this. The hopes of a world rest on an increasingly isolated young man. He obediently and willingly goes to his death. He leaves behind his faithful group of disciples. He must fight alone. His self sacrificial death ensures the defeat of his enemy. He dies but is resurrected back to life to redeem the world. The ultimate confrontation between good and evil, between love and death takes place at the end of his life. In his death he destroys his enemy once and for all. Yet he remains innocent of crime. He’s not responsible for the death of his opponent. The ‘happily ever after’ is the eradication of evil, the establishment of relational bonds and the enjoyment of a world free from wickedness.

You’ve got to ask, ‘does that remind you of anyone?’

I won’t pretend to have exhausted the complexities of the plot or to have understood every literary nuance. But, to my mind, the similarities are incontrovertible.

In case you’re wondering, I loved it!

Plot outline here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows 

I’m no luddite but it’d be fair to say that I’m not an ‘early adopter’ either [luddite = opponent of new technology]. I still have to give one of the young lads at church a call to get the DVD Recorder to work [Bruce if you’re reading this I need another tutorial – tried to record the cricket and got 45 minutes of ‘snow’]. The latest phenomenon that I’ve been slow to endorse is Facebook. I’ve only ever seen it once and when I visited the site I found a picture of me with the additional appendage of a redneck beard. The boys at Quirky Motion were clearly having a quiet week!

Facebook is the social networking tool that’s replaced MySpace as the ‘de rigeur’ site for virtual interaction and communication. It’s nothing less than a phenomenon. There are apparently 30 million registered users. Most of them are young adults. I’m no longer a young adult and so it’s not come into my purview until recently. But Facebook has now reached the tipping point. It’s gone from being ‘niche’ to becoming ‘mainstream’. People’s Dads are now registering! That’s why it’s come onto my radar.

Actually, it’s been buzzing around in the background of church life for a few months now. At first it seemed a brilliant way to facilitate what’s been described as ‘social networking’. And undoubtedly there are many positive things to be said about it. Andrew Lim, a fellow touch rugby player from my time at Moore Theological College Sydney, has listed the positives here and here. I’m inclined to agree with him. Like any relationship forming tool this has great potential for the gospel but I’m also aware that we’re in danger of uncritically accepting something of which we ought to be a little more cautious. There’s a need perhaps for discretion and discernment in our use of this tool.

None of my worries are determinative but let me express my reservations.

1. Facebook may be another distracting influence

On average people spend 19 minutes a day on Facebook. That’s not awful. But many Christians fail to find the time to open their Bibles and pray. I know that we’re not justified by the ‘quiet time’ but that can’t be right can it? Daisy Goodwin, writing in the Times, said ‘my habit is under control, but only just’. And that’s the point. It’s another tempting distraction that can quickly become addictive. If someone is poking us, leaving messages on the board, asking us to be our friend and so on it’s very easy to be checking our profile more often that our employers might like and more often that might be considered healthy!

2. Facebook encourages loveless interaction

Despite its name, its essentially faceless communication. That carries great dangers. Here are a few of the more obvious risks.

• Social convention means that if we’re in a group of people and one or more are being left out of the conversation we make every effort to include them. Online we don’t feel the same obligation to help those who are a little on the periphery.
• Whilst we’d never deliberately blank someone in real life, there’s no real issue in the virtual world. We just leave their advances unaddressed or we never even bother to include them.
• We can be misunderstood because human communication involves more than words. I remember being told that a ‘senior saint’ had tried to discourage a young church leader from his habit of writing strongly worded letters. His reason was, ‘letters can’t smile’. His point was simply that much of our communication is non verbal and we can soften what’s said or strengthen what’s said through the intonation of our voice, our mannerisms, the eyes and perhaps all manner of things that might be termed ‘body language’. We can’t do virtual body language. Not even those small yellow characters [emotions?] that smile and wink and so on can complement our communication to the degree that a raised eyebrow or a shrug of the shoulders can manage.

We need to be aware that, perhaps inadvertently, we can be neglectful of what might be described as ’social graces’. In all our social interaction we must love one another. I know that we know that, I just think it’s harder to do online.

3. Facebook can help us create a virtual Amish community

We mustn’t be naïve about the tendency amongst some evangelicals to want to retreat from the world into the safety of the Christian ghetto. It’s such a safe place to be. And let’s be honest, contrary to the world’s perception of church, it’s terrific. After all, it’s what the new creation will be like, except without the sin. Rather than interacting with the unbelieving and occasionally antagonistic world we can run for cover and seek refuge amongst those who already agree with us on most things. But Jesus wants his church to be outward orientated and I fear that social networking sites simply play to our inclination to want to mix with people like us. So if we’re using Facebook in an exclusive and introverted way then I’ve got issues. That’s especially the case when it’s used for church groups. Just as we should at church, so we have to make every effort online to invite and include absolutely everyone. Not everyone will want to sign up to Facebook. Perhaps they know that they’ll be tempted to waste time and so they’ll want to keep it arms’ length. I guess I fall into that category. If the alternative to working hard at the Greek text for a Sunday sermon is some playful banter via the internet it doesn’t take a professional psychologist to work out which one panders to my sinful nature! Therefore our invitations to parties, social gatherings and so on must not only be given via Facebook. Sure we can use e-mail and text but how about phoning people up and talking - just like the good old days!

I may be over reacting. This may be an unjustified rant. But I think I’ve got a point. Some may disagree. I just hope that someone tells me to my face!

I love them. Like a well worn pair of trainers I’m comfortable with them. They work. Usually, brilliantly. The families like the novelty of a witty Vicar who intertwines profound biblical teaching and comedy. That would be me! But the natives are growing restless. The congregational members who traipse the length and breadth of the country attending the weddings of friends are dying for some new material. So this post is more of a plea than anything. In exchange I offer the two funniest lines from recent weddings. I’d put them in the thigh slapping category.

The first was from the best man about the groom. The names have been changed to protect reputations! The best man said, ‘Bill’s first job was working in ASDA. So I went back to talk to his colleagues. I asked them what they thought he’d be when he left. They said, ‘…65′!

The second was from the father of the bride who up until the moment of this gag had been playing it safe. Speaking of his daughter’s marriage he said, ‘I look upon it not so much as losing a daughter as … gaining a bedroom!’

This one isn’t strictly a wedding gag but it’s just too good not to include. In our children’s slot yesterday we looked at Psalm 42:1 ‘As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you O God’. Someone  said they used to belong to a church where the preacher actually said, ‘this verse is telling us that in our spiritual life we need bigger stronger pants!’

In response to a recent doctrinal sermon on eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, the following question was put to me by e-mail.

In last week’s sermon you said that on the final days of judgment, when all things will come to light and no longer remain hidden, we shall all give an account for our lives. As already forgiven people, who will be face down before our Holy God claiming full responsibility for our lives and clinging to Christ as our only hope, will God again go through our forgiven sins asking for an explanation before everyone in heaven?

The question is essentially what will happen to believers on the day of judgement?

I’m cautious about speculating and going beyond what’s clear in scripture. And so to some of these questions I must respond ‘I don’t know’. We must also acknowledge that even though it’s wonderful to know that we’ll face Christ as a forgiven sinner many of us are understandably horrified at the prospect of our sins being displayed for all to see.

As I understand it, the scriptures assert the following three things

1. All the world will be held accountable

Every human being who has ever lived will have to appear before the final judgement seat of Christ. Consider the following passages.

• In Matthew 25:32 the gospel writer records that Jesus taught that all the nations will be gathered before him.
• In Romans 2:5&6 Paul explains that every man will be judged and recompensed for their works.
• Later in the same letter Paul asks a rhetorical question anticipating that his readers would accept that God will judge the world.
• In the judgement scene of Revelation 20:12&13 it’s clear that no one misses out on appearing before the throne of judgement.

It therefore seems fair to infer that if all men are to appear before the judgement seat of Christ this must include all believers. In fact the New Testament explicitly teaches this.

• In 2 Corinthians 5:10 Paul explains that we all appear before the judgement seat of Christ so that we may receive what’s due to us. He was writing to Christians.
• In Hebrews 10:30 the writer of the letter argues that the Lord will judge His people, namely the church.
• In Romans 14:10 Paul, in writing to the church in Rome, says that they will appear before the judgement seat of God.

Though Christians must appear before the judgement seat we have no need to be anxious. We must remember that, as Paul teaches in Romans 8:1, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ. But we cannot avoid the conclusion that the entire world will be judged.

2. All the things we’ve done will be assessed

The purpose of the final judgement is not investigative. We commonly assume that the purpose of the final judgement is to determine each person’s future destiny. But God knows that already! He does not need to examine our lives to find out who will be saved and who won’t. He is sovereign and He knows His elect [Ephesians 1:4]. However, for God the day of judgement God has other purposes

a. To display His own glory

The purpose of the final judgement is not investigative but declarative. The events of the judgement will declare the God’s glory in the destiny of each person. Until the last judgement the final destiny of each individual is hidden. At that event that destiny will be revealed. It will also bring to light whether an individual exercised faith, pursued good works and sought the glory of God. When these things are published God’s grace will be magnified as He saves His people and God’s justice will be magnified as He condemns His enemies. Therefore what’s central on the day of judgement is not the destiny of individuals but the magnificent, majestic glory of the sovereign Lord.

b. To reward His people

In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Paul implies that there will be degrees of reward for Christians depending on how they’ve faired in the judgement by Christ. The varying degrees of punishment or reward bestowed on individuals are related to the lives people have lived. What is given will be settled at the final judgement. I’ve written elsewhere on this http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2006/10/20/rewards-for-the-christian/.

c. To execute His judgment

God will assign to each person the place where they must spend eternity. Therefore, even though at the final judgement God does not investigate our lives to decide our eternal destiny, there will be an assessment. Paul is clear on this issue in 2 Corinthians 5:10 where he argues that we will be held accountable for everything we’ve done whilst ‘in the body’. We will be held responsible for the way we’ve lived. This will include our words [Matthew 12:36], our thoughts [1 Corinthians 4:5] and our deeds [Matthew 25:35-40, Revelation 20:12]. This is a massive motive for godliness. We see this idea again in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 where Paul defends his ministry against the accusations of his opponents. He answers his critics by saying that his principle concern was not the assessment that they had of his ministry but the Lord’s assessment at the end of time. This day will be one on which God will bring to light those things now hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of the heart. He was writing to Christians about Christian ministry. Some may try to escape the implications of these verses by taking refuge in the specific contextual issue of Christian ministry. But we mustn’t be reductionistic in our description of what is entailed by Christian ministry. Serving Christ is a far broader remit than simply explaining the Bible in a congregational setting. As Romans 12:1 suggests, our whole lives are Christian ministry motivated by love for the Lord who saved us.

3. All the things we’ve done will be revealed

The straightforward implication of Jesus’ words to his disciples in Luke 12:2&3 is hard to avoid. Jesus said, ‘Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known’. This appears to be the general principle from which a specific application for his disciples is then drawn. ‘Therefore what you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the rooftops’. To my mind, Jesus promises a wholesale unveiling of our secret sins. Does this make me uncomfortable? You can bet your life it does. But I assume, from the Bible’s doctrine of sin, that I’m not alone in my discomfort. We struggle to comprehend how it could be that the sins of believers could be mentioned on the Day of Judgement. Doesn’t the Bible reassure us that God has pardoned, blotted out and forgotten all our iniquity? We’d certainly prefer it not to be the case. However, Jesus’ words are pretty clear. There is nothing hidden which will not then be revealed. That’s a pretty comprehensive uncovering! It must therefore mean that the concept of God’s ‘forgetfulness’ of our sins refers not to His absent mindedness but His determination that they should not affect His attitude towards us. He has forgotten our sins in that He will not let them be an issue to come between us. Hoekema makes the point that if even our best works as believers are tainted with sin how could any of our works be brought into the open without some recognition of sin and their imperfection. That’s pretty persuasive. In other words even as God assesses and rewards our good works He can’t simply gloss over the sin that spoiled them [Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23, James 3:2].

Conclusion

The idea that we will be assessed is not supposed to provoke fear but provoke godliness. The Lord’s judgement of His own people indicates that we must never take His grace as permission to sin. The precise form the unveiling of our sins will take I do not know. We ought not to speculate. But I don’t think we can deny that it will happen. However, we can be certain that whatever happens, the Lord will do the right thing.

Further Reading

• ‘The Final Judgement’, The Bible and the Future, A. Hoekema, Eerdmans
• ‘The Final Judgement and Eternal Punishment’, Systematic Theology, W. Grudem, IVP
• ‘The Final State’, Know the Truth, B. Milne, IVP

Richard Turnbull’s appointment as the Principal at Wycliffe Hall has provoked some strong reactions.

This is an article by Stephen Bates http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2080361,00.html

Jonathan Petre in the Daily Telegrpah reports here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/14/ncollege114.xml

The text of the leaked letter from the former Principals, as well as extensive comments from every Tom, Dick and Harriet, can be found here http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002443.html

The Church Times weighed in here http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=39122

Another response was issued by Wycliffe College in support of Richard Turnbull http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=1682

This is a response by the former Government Minister and ex-student, Jonathan Aitken, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2118945,00.html

There’s an open letter in support of Richard Turnbull here http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=1789

Past and present Student Presidents express their support here http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=1744

There’s a BBC report on the issue here http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/sunday/archive/index.shtml?site=may2007

For a ‘live’ version try here http://www.christchurchbalham.org.uk/ccb/sermons.php

In 1999 Jonathan Aitken, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. It was a dramatic fall from a privileged position in the Cabinet. It must have been incredibly humiliating. It was certainly costly because through it he lost his wife, his career and his reputation. Responding to press allegations made against him by the Guardian newspaper Aitken resigned his post, held a press conference made this now notorious speech:

‘If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight. The fight against falsehood and those who peddle it. My fight begins today. Thank you and good afternoon’.

The accusations against him alleged that whilst he was Minister of State for Defence Procurement he violated ministerial rules by allowing an Arab businessman to pay for his stay in the Paris Ritz. The accusations were correct. He therefore failed in a libel action against his accusers and two years later was put away. During his time in prison he underwent a conversion experience. On leaving prison he studied theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford. He‘s subsequently begun a teaching ministry. Most notably he has made a contribution to the church through his public testimony and a growing volume of books written for the Christian audience or on Christian themes. His most recent book about John Newton is entitled ‘From Disgrace to Amazing Grace’. I wonder whether that could also be the title of his own life.

John closes his gospel by looking at Peter. And so we’re thinking this morning about another man who fell in humiliating fashion from high position but also was used by the Lord occupying a teaching role within his church.

In a sense John’s story is our story. We’re all guilty of the betrayal of our maker and yet God offers us in Christ the offer of restoration.

We’ve come to the end of our year long attempt to study the gospel of John. It falls to us this morning to wrap things up in John’s epilogue, chapter 21.

The chapter divides into two sections.

• In 1-14 John narrates a third resurrection appearance in which Jesus performed a miraculous catch of fish.
• In 15-25 John narrates a discussion in which Jesus publicly reinstated Peter to a position of responsibility.

The common link between the two episodes is the theme of feeding.

• 1-14 is a sign in which Jesus feeds his apostles from the miraculous catch of fish. A kind act in itself but as with Jesus’ other miracles it was an act with a deeper significance.
• 15-25 is the interpretation of that sign, its significance if you like. As Jesus had fed his disciples so they were to feed others.

21:1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

The incident goes something like this. A group of seven disciples were together recovering from the events of recent days by the lake. They had probably returned to Galilee in obedience to Jesus’ command recorded for us in Matthew 28:10 where he said to Mary, ‘do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’. Having arrived Peter decided to go out for a spot of fishing. I don’t think he had recreation on his mind. To my mind there’s nothing relaxing about a spot of early morning fishing in an industrial trawler. It seems as though in the interim period he just returned to his old occupation. As the unproductive band of brothers returned to the shore they were hailed by a distant figure. When his instructions proved fruitful John was first to connect the face to the voice and determine the identity of the unrecognised figure on the beach. Peter, ever the enthusiast decided it was inappropriate to meet Jesus in his y-fronts so put on his clothes and swam to shore. Jesus held the first ever Church Men’s Breakfast. He decided what these boys needed most was not a spot of fishing but a healthy cooked breakfast!

John understood this to be a sign. The point was that Jesus appeared to his disciples in order to feed them with fish so that they [and particularly Peter] might learn to feed others with teaching. In the exchange that follows it becomes clear that before he took on the responsibility of a teaching role in the church Peter had to learn three things.

1. Jesus reinstated Peter and taught him about the grace of God (15-17)

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

John records Jesus’ public commissioning of Peter to the role of teacher. Roman Catholic interpreters see in this passage evidence of Peter’s primacy over the other apostles. But nothing here suggests distinctive authority for Peter. These verses are not about his elevation to supremacy but his reinstatement to service.

There’s an element of déjà vu about this scene. We’ve seen the charcoal fire and the repeated questioning once before. That time Peter denied any association with Jesus whatsoever. He did so three times. That was his humiliating act of betrayal. But this time the outcome of the questioning is somewhat different.

Three times Jesus asked Peter the same question. There were minor differences in the way he phrased it. But Jesus in light of the great sacrifice he would go on to mention was asking Peter whether his love surpassed that demonstrated by his compatriots. Peter was under no illusions what he was being reminded of. With every repeat he was being brought face to face with his failure to live up to his profession. In Matthew 26:33 Peter’s great boast was, ‘Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away’. Jesus knew that impressive pledges of loyalty were no match for the integrity of the human heart. And with each repetition of the question it’s as though Jesus scratched further and further beneath the human façade to unearth what was genuine in Peter.

Let me suggest that there are three implications for us.

a. We need to love Christ

The aim of Jesus’ questioning was to elicit from Peter a confession of his love. Before commissioning him as a teacher Jesus wanted to be sure of his loyalty. All of us need to know that love for the Lord comes first, before even our responsibility to teach about him. The key thing that Jesus looks for in those who teach about him is not our ability but our affection for him.

b. We need to serve his church

In one sense we want to preserve the uniqueness of Peter’s calling. He was an apostle called to a specific role but there’s a significant lesson to be learned from this man’s life. Each time he asked the question and received Peter’s answer Jesus commissioned him to ministry in the church. Following Jesus therefore means taking responsibility for Jesus’ people. Commitment to Christ necessitates commitment to His church. Jesus is not a single person in that he comes to us without a significant other. He’s married and he comes with a bride. To be in relationship with him and yet ignore his bride is totally unacceptable behaviour. Imagine if at Al and Rebekah’s wedding yesterday I’d spoken only to him but blanked her. That would not only be profoundly rude to Rebekah but also unloving to Al. My commitment to him will be shown in my acceptance of his bride. Similarly, to love Christ means that we will serve his church.

Perhaps the most important implication is that

c. We need the grace of God

The reason that Jesus brought Peter face to face with his failure was not because he takes perverse pleasure in the failure of others but because he wanted this man to know his need of God’s grace. There could be no debate that he was a failure. But nevertheless Jesus took this sinner and graciously reinstated him. Though he had failed to be loyal to Christ in a time of testing Jesus forgave him, restored him and commissioned him to continue in his service. There will be few of us here this morning that are unfamiliar with public disloyalty to Christ. We need to know that Jesus is in the habit of dealing with failures and putting them back to work. He was doing this years before Jamie Oliver got the idea.

2. Jesus warned Peter and taught him about the cost of discipleship (18-19)

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus prepared Peter for the future by explaining what the outcome of his life would be. The expression ‘stretch out your hands’ was code for ‘crucifixion’ since the hands were stretched apart as they were tied to the horizontal crossbar. Jesus warned Peter that he would suffer the same fate as his master.

According to the church historian Clement of Rome, writing in AD 96, Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero. This probably took place some 30 years previously during the final years of Nero’s reign in AD 64-66. Though writing a good deal later, in AD 212 Tertullian asserted that Peter was in fact crucified.

Peter’s call to ministry would lead him to render great sacrifice for the Lord. But this would be the means by which he would bring glory to God. Presumably that’s because the Lord’s magnificence is seen in the sacrifices that His servants are willing to undertake on His behalf. We know what people value by what they’re prepared to give up for it. Let’s be clear that we’re not talking about the kind of self sacrifice rendered by Islamist terrorists. We’re talking about bearing the cost of serving people by teaching them His word. We all do that to one degree or another. Some of us may do that publicly from the front. Others may do it privately in small groups, with individuals or with our kids. All of us ought to do it in conversation with our friends. The call to belong to Christ and serve his church is the call to suffer with him in ministry.

Sacrifice is still rightly honoured in our society. And long may it remain so. The sacrifices made by people in the Armed Services in the two world wars of last century are remembered on Nov 11th. By those great sacrifices great things were accomplished but there’s no disguising that they came at great cost. People lost husbands, they lost sons and they lost fathers. Mothers, daughters and wives were irreplaceably taken by death. But their sacrifices were not in vain. They preserved Europe from the tyranny of the Nazi regime that threatened our freedom.

I wonder whether we’ve come to terms with the cost of discipleship.

It’s easy to take refuge behind the specificity of Peter’s calling. He was an apostle after all and aren’t we always being told that they were a select group of people set apart by Christ for a unique role. It’s surely inevitable that their experience of suffering and persecution will be unrepeatable. The trouble is that’s not what Jesus taught. He taught that those who wanted to follow him must take up their cross. He anticipated that the decision to follow him as a disciple would incur a cost, possibly unto death. There will be negative consequences to our decision to belong to Christ. It comes with the territory. Some of us may have already experienced great cost. There’s one young man in the evening congregation who has faced opposition and alienation from his family because of his conversion to Christ. Having made clear his profession of faith he’s been physically intimidated and threatened with being disowned by his Hindu family.

Jesus encourages us to anticipate that there will be times when we too will face the cost of belonging to him.

• Physically there’s likely to be a cost. Many of us are parents of young children and we seem to spend much of our time exhausted. Serving Christ will requires us to do things that will take it out of us. Praying for church activities, serving on a rota, befriending newcomers, investing in friendships, keeping the spiritual agenda high up our list of priorities in the home and so on all require effort. We could of course just opt for relaxation but that’s not what Jesus had in mind.
• Relationally there may well be a cost. Some of us may find ourselves alienated from family, friends and colleagues because of our loyalty to Christ. We could of course just opt to make ourselves indistinguishable from our peers and play down our Christian profession. We might not irritate so many people. But that’s not what Jesus had in mind.
• Financially there may well be a cost. The stark truth is that Church costs. We need to employ people, pay for hiring buildings, there are administration costs and so on. Clearly we don’t want to produce a professional elite known as the staff but there’s so much more that we could do as a church if we had more money. Theera re many who give sacrificially and generously to CCB and for that we’re all very grateful. We could of course opt to keep the pound in the pocket. But that’s not what Jesus had in mind.

3. Jesus rebuked Peter and taught him about the ministry of others (20-25)

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

The gospel concludes with a final exchange between Jesus and Peter concerning the beloved disciple.

After breakfast Jesus and Peter go for a walk but John is in earshot. Peter enquires about the destiny of Jesus’ favoured disciple. Though the rumour circulated that Jesus said that he’d remain alive until his return he said nothing of the sort. Jesus’ answer is in effect, ‘it’s none of your business!’ As it turns out John would serve Christ as the author of the book we’ve been studying all year.

It’s hard to know what lay behind Peter’s fascination with John’s role in the early church. But it’s clear that Jesus taught him to worry only about his own responsibility to follow and not to become preoccupied with the activity of others.

We need to learn that the sideways glance is not always the most helpful thing for us to engage in. Let the Lord worry about what roles He requires others to play in His church. The sideways glance rather than the upward look is rarely helpful because it distracts us from what we ought to be doing. Jesus’ concern is that we’re not distracted from the priority of following him. But it’s tempting isn’t it? Perhaps it’s especially tempting in a small congregation like ours to look around and wonder what everyone else is doing.

Some of us might think that we’re working very hard and that others aren’t pulling their weight. Let me say that there are usually reasons why people need a bit of slack in the system. They know why, often the leadership are aware of the issues and it doesn’t need to be known by others. We just need to get on with following Christ.

Some of us might feel under used and look with envy at those asked to take on responsibilities. Let me reassure you that if you’re feeling redundant there’s more than enough work to go around. If you’d like a piece of that then come and have a word.

Conclusion

I don’t know about you but I find the re-emergence of Jonathan Aitken profoundly encouraging. It’s wonderful that God could take a sinner just like us, transform him and put him to use for the encouragement of the church. Isn’t it terrific that God is a God of second chances? But perhaps we see that most clearly in Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter. And I’ve suggested that in this concluding episode of John’s Gospel there are three important lessons for us all to learn

• We need to learn our need of the grace of God
• We need to learn the cost of discipleship
• We need to learn the priority of ministry

Let’s pray.

I found Kostenberger’s Baker Commentary very helpful in the preparation of this talk. Much of his material is represented here. The RML John notes, Milne, Bruce, Carson and Barnett may also recognise their influence! It was a three sermon week and it’s fair to say that I stood fair and square on the shoulders of others!

2006 the AGM report after the irregular ordinations and subsequent ecclesiastical storm and inevitable and unwelcome media attention. The personal low point was my name being put under a photo of Richard Coekin in the Daily Telegraph. My mother commented that the furore had clearly aged me!

Dear Friends

One of the new ‘innovative’ features of cross channel ferries in the last few years has been the addition of the progress chart that crops up on the screens to inform you just how far you’ve travelled on your journey. They’re a bit like the ones you get on long flights but travelling at speeds of 20 knots (or thereabouts) means that the cursor movement is almost undetectable! However, at the end of the 3 hours that it’s taken to cross that stretch of water it’s reassuring to look out of the window and see we’re in Cherbourg and not Portsmouth.

This letter is an opportunity to do just that, to look out of the window and see where we are. It’s usually hard to spot any progress in church life week by week but over a 12-month period it’s so much easier to take stock. It’s possible for us to become despondent and discouraged about how little progress seems to be made. That’s especially true if we have very high standards or temperamentally we come out of the same box as Eeyore. But it’s also understandable because so much of what we do isn’t done as well as it could be. How could it? Most of us aren’t professionals we’re just willing volunteers with an enthusiasm for following Christ as best we can. But, under God, we’re about to discover that we’ve accomplished so much more for His glory than we ever would have imagined. Be encouraged and don’t be downcast! I hope that you find it as thrilling as I have done to look back and see where we were a year ago and then to realise what God has enabled us to achieve in the intervening period. But as we look back over the year I think there have been three dominant features to our congregational life.

1. It’s been a year in which we’ve had to endure suffering

We don’t have to look far in our congregations before our eyes alight on an individual, a couple or a family who’ve had to endure personal suffering of one kind or another. Some have lost loved ones this year. Some without the opportunity to form the relationships with children for which they’d hoped. Some continue to face the uncertainty of very serious illness that’s either life threatening or shows no signs of abating. Others deal with traumatic events from the past, ongoing hostility in relationships or alienation from family. And so we’re not a congregation with whom a ‘triumphalistic’ approach to life sits comfortably. It’s hard to speak of the positive side of suffering but there have undoubtedly been benefits arising from what the Lord has sent our way. In particular we’ve had to learn what really matters in church life. We could run the very impressive evangelistic programmes and our handling of the scriptures could be exegetically perfect but we would not be a church worthy of the name if we failed to provide the personal support that many of our number have needed this year. We’re a long way short of being the finished article in ‘bearing one another’s burdens’ but one of the things most frequently said by those ‘under the cosh’ has been how much they’ve appreciated the commitment and compassion of others in their suffering. Long may it remain the case.

2. It’s been a year in which we’ve had to contend for the faith

It’s not every year that a church like ours is a matter of discussion in the national newspapers or the church press, gets discussed on Radio 4 and becomes a hot topic on numerous web sites. There’s an unattractive love of notoriety that can develop in some of us but much of the stuff said about us has been less than complimentary. I’m not aware that any of us has enjoyed the attention. The cause of this disquiet was the declaration of ‘temporarily impaired communion’ by the Co-Mission Initiative Partnership with the Bishop of Southwark. This led to the ‘valid but irregular ordinations’ that took place subsequently. Mercifully we’ve copped very little of the flak that’s been flying around. Most of it has been directed towards Richard Coekin and we’re grateful to God for his courage and graciousness under hostile and provocative accusation. But some of us may have had to justify the actions of our elders and the Co-Mission Initiative to angry work colleagues, to concerned parents or to unbelieving friends. Some of us have not found that easy because we’re not by nature people who like a fight. In truth few of us are. The positive side to our act of principled disobedience has been that we’ve sought to obey the scriptures, trusted God, sought His vindication, prayed and in His kindness he saw fit to grant us victory. We’d be foolish to think that the battle has been won and the slide of our denomination into liberalism has been halted but hasn’t it been great to see God uphold us in our prayers and encourage us to go on taking decisions for the good of the gospel?

3. It’s been a year in which we’ve had to persevere in evangelism

Our great longing is to be a church whom God uses not only to build up Christians but also to reach the lost. And so this year we decided to ‘go it alone’ and run our own mission. In the past we’ve piggy backed on the Wimbledon events. In truth it never really worked for us and we weren’t hugely successful at persuading friends to make the journey to the Polka Theatre. We’ve also developed an increasing sense of identity in Balham and so we sought to capitalise on that. It’s hard to imagine how we could have been better prepared. We produced a comprehensive mission handbook, we had a series of instructive doctrine slots and the whole of the autumn term in Knowing God was spent training one another to explain the gospel. And so we went into the mission with high hopes. We had visitors at each of the evening events and a small Christianity Explored course was started soon afterwards. That’s terrific isn’t it? Of course we can do better but what a privilege from God to be used as an instrument in bringing the gospel to the nations on our doorstep. Rather ambitiously we sought to include the all age congregation and ran two morning events. It’s fair to say that these were not as successful as we would have wished with almost no unbelieving friends attending. But we prayed and we invited friends we weren’t sinfully disengaged from the opportunities. It’s just our friends ‘blew us out’. That might be because we didn’t sell it as strongly as we might but it’ll take a while for regulars to gain confidence in the quality of events that we seek to run. We need to remember that it’ll take time to build up friendships with neighbours and with acquaintances in local antenatal and toddler groups. And we rightly feel that we probably ought to invite them to supper before we invite them to church! The positive side of our experience of evangelism is that we’ve learnt to persevere. Even though it’s true that London has become increasingly hostile to the gospel and some people are willing to be vocal and antagonistic in their opposition we continue to meet people who are surprised and intrigued by the content of the gospel. That’s hugely encouraging to keep going.

Conclusion

I think church planting is a little bit like trying to ride a bike for the first time without stabilisers. I can’t find a Bible verse to justify that assertion but bear with me! There have been definite times this year where we’ve been making what can only be described as genuine progress but there’ve been one or two occasions where we’ve wobbled and perhaps fallen over. But the key thing in learning to ride a bike is not to quit but to get up and get going again. In establishing and growing the work of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ at Balham praise God that we’ve not proved quitters.

The other reports thus far

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2007-a-year-at-ccb/

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2005-a-year-at-ccb/

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2004-a-year-at-ccb/

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2003-a-year-at-ccb/

This was the 2005 version, a little less ‘angry’ than 2004! I’d obvisouly just had a great holiday!

Last month I had the privilege of talking to the Cornhill Training Course about the work of the Co-Mission Initiative and our own church planting in Balham. I hope it was fruitful, though I fear it wasn’t. It all seemed uncomfortably self-promotional and I went away completely dissatisfied with how the afternoon had gone. I’m therefore wary of making the same mistake as we reflect on the last year and consider our own church life. It would be very easy to be self-promotional about the work of the gospel in Balham because it seems to me that things have gone really well for us this year. That’s not to say that things have been easy. We’ve worked hard and some have had to do so as they’ve endured tough times. Nevertheless as we look back on the past year it’s hard not to feel anything but hugely encouraged by all that God has done for us, in us and through us. We established at the start of the year that our ongoing aim for congregational life at CCB would be to love God, love one another and love the lost. We can praise God for answering our prayers because…

1. God has increased our love for him

It’s hard to objectively measure our love for God though it ought to be evident in the obedience that it produces. But if we were to ask one another most of us would acknowledge that subjectively we feel that we know and love God better than we did a year ago. There’s no doubt that the Hebrews project has been instrumental in this. Setting our minds and hearts to learn from this magnificent book has been a demanding but rewarding venture for us all. However, God has richly rewarded us as our understanding of God’s work in Christ has been deepened. It’s also clear that studying Luke’s gospel in the morning congregation or in Knowing God has rekindled our love for Christ. As we’ve been confronted with Jesus’ activity during his incarnate existence we’ve been struck by the contemporary implications of his teaching and his gracious activity towards the undeserving.

2. God has increased our love for one another

If we were perhaps a little slow to get out of the blocks in our commitment to one another after the launch of CCB that’s no longer an accusation that could stick. God has answered our prayers about community life and it’s wonderful to see the ways in which small groups have come together, prayer triplets have formed and friendships have been established and strengthened. The ongoing personal care for those who’ve experienced testing times this year through things like serious illness, bereavement and childbirth are testimony to God’s work among us. In many small and unseen ways God has used us to care for and support one another. As CCB continues to grow and God brings new people to us we’ll need to keep asking him to help us open up our hearts, our diaries and our homes to these newcomers.

3. God has increased our love for the lost

As I reflected on the year I wondered whether in the busyness of an ever-expanding church programme we might have taken the foot off the evangelistic gas. Transfer growth of Christians from other congregations can deceive us that we’re growing the kingdom rather than just shifting Christians to a new venue! It’s certainly true that this year God has grown us as Christians have moved into the area and joined CCB from other churches. The truth is that we’re very grateful for the enthusiasm and encouragement that fellow workers often bring. But have we been guilty of freewheeling a little this year? Whilst individually we nearly always feel exposed and convicted by that question we can take great encouragement from our corporate evangelistic efforts. The Bedford Pub in Balham was played host to some of the most successful events that we’ve run in the last three years. Over 170 people heard a clear explanation of the gospel at the Carol Service. Inevitably the ‘Cracking the Code’ mission event that explored the claims of the Da Vinci Code was less well attended but nevertheless it was a great evening. And we’ve now held three quiz evenings at the Bedford that have sought to identify ‘The Brains of Balham’ and worked as social events at which gospel issues have been introduced. But perhaps the thrill of the year has been the launch of the new morning congregation. Our longing for this tiny little congregation is that God uses us to reach the lost families of the ‘Nappy Valley’ who materially have so much but spiritually are utterly impoverished. Despite being few in number this new gospel initiative appears to have a viable future. Though we feel vulnerable we’re confident in God’s goodness that he will prosper our efforts to teach our children, feed our adults and reach the community.

Therefore, I think it’s been a great year for us. Praise the Lord!

The other reports

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2007-a-year-at-ccb/

The 2004 appraisal for the annual Church AGM

On holiday, whilst constructing the sandcastle to outdo all competitors, I became aware that our progress was not all that it should be. Whilst we were building up the ramparts to withstand the incoming Atlantic tide a small Dutch boy decided to dig away at the foundations with a small plastic spade. I’ll admit to being a little frustrated that what I thought was developing all the magnificent qualities required wasn’t taking shape as quickly as I would have liked. In fairness to the little boy I don’t think he realised what he was doing. I’m also not convinced that Rufus showed the appropriate level of enthusiasm required of a sandcastle builder, but that’s a whinge for another time!

I think this snapshot of the Perkins family holiday provides us with a good analogy of where we are as a church at the moment. When I look back over the year and try and assess what God has accomplished among us we have to recognise that it’s been hard work for many of us and none of us is labouring under the misapprehension that church planting is a walk in the park. Nevertheless there are undoubtedly many things that have taken us forward, helped us to build momentum and created genuine gospel growth. But there have also been things that have hampered progress and we ought to be honest about those. God has been wonderfully generous to us this year with one of the most valuable resources he could give us, people. It doesn’t take long to think of 10 people who’ve made CCB their home in the last year. That has been great thing that God has done for us for the following reasons.

1. People bring their God given gifts and abilities, which we can put to use in the service of others. God has brought to us many able people who have contributed to congregational life in a variety of ways.

2. People bring their God given network of friends, which bring new opportunities for the gospel. God has provided people to join our Down2Earth groups who are eager to think about the implications of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

3. People bring their God given financial resources, which we’re happy to redirect into gospel ministry to others. God has increased our level of giving this year so that the notion of being self financing and indeed being generous in support of other gospel ventures is not as unlikely as it was.

All of these have combined to bring a sense of confidence in what we’re doing. People think that what we’re trying to do for the gospel is worth joining in and we should take great encouragement from that.

However, I suspect that there are a few ways in which we’ve been guilty of frustrating church growth. I’m not suggesting that any of us have deliberately sought to undermine the gospel. Our error is probably like that of our little Dutch excavator. I’m sure we’ve done so unwittingly. But it may be that we’ve not thought through the implications of our actions. These are two of the factors that have undermined our intention to grow a gospel church in Balham.

1. Consumerism

The ongoing influence of our sinful nature means that characteristically we are people who consume rather than contribute. Our decision making is shaped by this pervading influence. The area in which it became most obvious is in our attendance. Therefore our decision to turn up at church is often governed more by personal desire than by our obligation to serve others. I suspect many of us underestimate just how discouraging it is to others when we choose not to turn up at church. This is one area where we can each make a massive contribution to other people and the great thing about it is that it requires no great ability! Do not underestimate the significance of just being at church.

2. Conformity

We are under immense pressure to conform our decisions to the expectations of those who matter to us. When those that matter are not people whose thinking is shaped and nurtured by the Kingdom of God we’ll make worldly decisions. This is perhaps most prevalent in the decision making we make regarding career moves and in time the type of property that we’d like to live in. It has been absolutely thrilling to hear of people in our congregation who’ve made the decision to stay locally and help out with the work of the gospel at CCB. There are a number of people who’ve let the Kingdom of God shape their thinking and that is evidence of a great work of God among us.

In conclusion God is building his church through us and despite us. Let’s give him thanks for all that he’s accomplished. Let’s repent and ask forgiveness for standing in the way of progress. And let’s pray that next year we witness God doing even more wonderful things among his church in Balham.

The other reports

This was our first ever AGM report, in 2003, the grammar is awful and I’m not that I agree with everything I wrote back then. But hey, we learn. And who knows, there is also a slim possibility that I could also be wrong now!

Christ Church Balham (CCB) was officially launched in October 2003 under the leadership of Richard Perkins with a group of 25 committed individuals from Dundonald. We have been joined by a few who have relocated from The Bible Talks, Mayfair (TBT) and have been delighted to welcome them. Richard is employed by the Dundonald Churches Charitable Trust and therefore is accountable to the Senior Minister, Richard Coekin and the Dundonald Partnership. The priorities for this year have been attempting to maintain the high standard of Bible teaching that many had valued at Dundonald and TBT and to develop an evangelistic outlook. The intention has been to begin as we mean to go on and place these twin aims at the heart of congregational life.

As we look back over the last 9 months and reflect on what God has accomplished through us and what he has taught us I offer the following observations.

1. we’re beginning to form our own identity

Whilst we benefit enormously from being a ’networked congregation’ and the mutual resourcing that this arrangement makes possible, we have begun to attempt some things on our own. We have run two ‘Food for Thought’ courses [forerunner to Christianity Explored], we have a separate ‘Knowing God’ programme, we hold our own Prayer Meeting and we have had a couple of independent Men’s Breakfasts. Though the activities we run are smaller we have realised that we can be independent and we have begun to appreciate that we are church as the Bible describes it.

There are some areas where it will remain beneficial for us to work together with Dundonald. This is especially true in ministry training since it gives us access to a first rate trainer in Richard Coekin. For example, our apprentices have benefited enormously from his input in the Apprentice workshops on Wednesday mornings. In addition the Dundonald Apprenticeship Scheme has both financed Ben and Rat and provided them with practical experience and a broader variety of ministry opportunities than they would otherwise have had with an evening congregation. Richard has also run ‘Prepared to Serve’ where he has provided ministry training for some of our leaders.

God has richly rewarded us in our joint involvement with large-scale events such as Revive, the Dundonald Churches Bible Convention and ‘Cold Feet’, the mission events. The quality of such events is notably higher than anything we could contemplate at the moment and it has been a joy to labour in the gospel side by side with them. The challenge as we grow will be to find ways of encouraging those who have no previous contact with Dundonald to appreciate the spiritual benefits of our association with this mature and established congregation. Given their extraordinary generosity to us, both spiritually and financially, we have an obligation to them to encourage them and join together whenever that is possible.

2. we’re beginning to experience the cost of sacrifice

Initially we were fuelled by the thrill of starting a new venture and enjoying the challenge and excitement of anticipating what God might accomplish through our efforts. However, the realities of being few in number have begun to become more obvious in recent months. There are inevitably some things that are hard to do when we are small, the workload is shared between a committed but increasingly tired group and it can be discouraging to meet together when people are away. However, it is hard to think of God accomplishing anything of significance without the accompanying reality of sacrifice. In a triumphalistic age we perhaps do not think about this uncomfortable truth as often as would be helpful. The honeymoon, if there was one, is over and we are learning to trust God and depend upon him. This is no bad thing. It’s forcing us to express our dependency on our Father in prayer. There have been occasions where we have been very aware of our vulnerability as a congregation and it may have been tempting for many if us to look at other larger churches with envy. After all, the quality of almost everything that they do is greater whether it is their evangelistic events, their music or their active social scene. However, God has been very good to us and comforted us when we’ve needed it. There are clear benefits in being small. The quality of relationships continues to improve and our personal care for one another is a cause for rejoicing. We must remember that as we grow under God, the problems will not go away, they just may not be the same ones as we’re experiencing at the moment!

3. we’re beginning to see signs of growth

We have not experienced the wholesale relocation of young professionals who travel up to central London churches that some thought might occur. Growth has therefore had to come from personal invitations to friends to join us at guest events and ‘Food for Thought’. Evangelistic growth is often slower than transfer growth. However, it’s genuine growth because it’s not simply shifting Christian people around existing churches but through evangelism God adds people to his kingdom. This is after all one of the reasons we were planted in the first place! God has blessed us with good attendance at guest services, and a particular cause for thanks was the two Christmas Carol Events. We have had over a dozen people come for part of our ‘Food for Thought’ courses. There have also been large numbers of irregular visitors at our Sunday meetings.

One of the unexpected excitements this year has been identifying and training a new group of leaders for our various groups. It has been thrilling to see many of us grow in maturity, make significant leaps forward in our Christian lives and take on new responsibilities for Bible teaching, administrative duties and personal care. We ought to be aware that this may not have happened so quickly in a larger church. God really has equipped us for the tasks he has given to us.

I want to express my own personal joy at being able to lead this church and work side by side with fellow partners in the gospel. It has been a steep learning curve since leaving Oak Hill. No doubt I have made many mistakes. I thank you for your patience and your willingness to forgive my many errors.

Several people have been a great help this year but I feel it would be inappropriate not to single some out for special praise. Ruth has been a great help this year and as she rightly takes on the responsibilities of becoming Neil’s wife I want to thank for her immeasurable support in countless unseen administrative tasks. In addition I want to thank Ben and Rat for their tireless labour, their willing service and enthusiastic support. They have enjoyed the privileges of ministry and I suspect Corinne and Michelle have borne the costs so to them I ask your forgiveness and can promise that it may never change this side of glory! I look forward to the opportunity to celebrate, God willing, our first year together at our Church Dinner. It will be a delight to reflect on God’s goodness to us, his commitment to us and his guidance of us in our first faltering steps as a new young church. May God go on blessing us.

The other reports

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/05/2007-a-year-at-ccb/