Tell me how proud you are, Sifu

Tai Lung was out for revenge. He had been locked up for twenty years. But it wasn’t the incarceration that drove him to madness. It was his master. Sifu.

I caught the last half-hour or so of Kung Fu Panda last weekend. That’s right. Kung Fu Panda. This was a cartoon meant for kids. And yet, with all the Jack Black jokes, with all the furry creatures doing kung fu, even with Jackie Chan voicing Monkey, this one scene stood out as unmistakably real - with its raw emotion, pathos and a darkness that seemed almost spiritual in nature.

* As Tai Lung beats his ageing master to a pulp, he lashes out at him in anger.

“I rotted in jail for twenty years because of your weakness.”

“Obeying your master isn't weakness!” Sifu replies.

“You knew I was the Dragon Warrior. You always knew. But, when Ugway said otherwise what did you do? What did you do?”

“Nothing!”

“You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior,” says Sifu. “That was not my fault!”

Sifu’s denial sends Tai Lung into a rage. “Not your fault? Who filled my head with dreams? Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?”

“Who denied me my destiny?” Tai Lung pins his master to the ground.

“All I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Sifu! Tell me! Tell me!”

His final blow sends Sifu flying across the room, landing in a heap at the foot of the stairs.

Tired, solemn and sad, Sifu replies, “I have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been proud of you. And it was my pride, that blinded me.”

“I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I was turning you into.”

“I'm sorry.”

With Tai Lung, it is obvious what the ill-effects of pride are - self-delusion, self-justification, self-importance. We tend to associate pride with the strong, the boastful and the arrogant.

But you see, Sifu confesses, that he, too, was blinded by that same illness called pride.

Though Sifu sincerely loved his pupil, Sifu’s pride kept him from admonishing him, from disciplining him and most importantly, from teaching him lessons of humility at an early age.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute… We have become, and are still, like the scum of the earth.”

But then he tells them the reason for addressing them in this way. “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” (1 Corinthians 4:10, 13, 14)

The wrong term for this is tough love. That’s not what this is. This is humble love. The only way to expose and deal with pride, without ourselves becoming proud and self-deluded, is with humility. “When reviled; we bless; when persecuted, we endure.” (1 Corinthians 4:12)

And there are times in life, when the only effective way to address the wise of this world, is for ourselves, to become fools.

*Source: Adapted from https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Panda

Defying the wisdom of our age

This is exactly Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 1. In the face of those who demand a decent argument or evidence - either one that is rationally satisfying (the Greeks) or one that is miraculously impressive (the Jews) - what we preach is a cross, a message that is palpably foolish and weak. And Paul did this quite deliberately, according to God's plan, so that the surpassing power of salvation might belong to God rather than to us.

The equivalently shocking message today would be to say something like: Americans seek freedom but we preach slavery; Australians seek prosperity but we preach poverty; Brits seek security but we preach danger. There is something unavoidably counter-cultural or counter-intuitive about the message of the cross. It defies the wisdom of our age, and shames the wise and the strong.

Excerpt from "Four Ways to God" by Tony Payne (pages 29-30 of "Let the Word do the work: Essays in honour of Phillip D. Jensen", published by Matthias Media)

Go for Gold (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Don’t you know?

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

1 Corinthians 9:24

Some are excited and can’t stop talking about it. Others can’t wait for it to be over and done with. Whichever camp you’re in, one thing is for sure: You can’t ignore the Olympics. Not if you are sports fan, and definitely not, if you’re living in the UK.

We are just six days away from the opening ceremony where 80,000 athletes, officials and spectators from all over the world will gather at the Olympic Stadium in London. The event has been choreographed by Danny Boyle, famous for his directorial work in movies like Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire. Four years went into the construction of the stadium alone and some twenty-four billion pounds have gone into sponsoring the games as a whole.

Speaking as someone who isn’t a big fan of sports (and who definitely isn’t a big fan of large crowds), it’s been hard to understand what the big fuss has been all about. To be honest, it has even been a cause for concern. The Summer Holiday Club, an annual camp for kids of primary school age, has as its theme this year, “Go for Gold”, and I have been rather cautious of its emphasis on competition and achievement. The theme seemed to suggest that we could achieve our salvation by sheer effort; that Jesus rewards eternal to those who try hard and finish first. It worried me that this ran against the grain of the bible’s teaching that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

But then I read this passage...

This passage from 1 Corinthians where the apostle Paul begins by saying, “Don’t you know...” And what he is doing is using the illustration of sports to bring home the message of salvation. “Don’t you know...” implies that his hearers, the Christians in the city of Corinth, did know what he was talking about. And if I am to take the bible seriously, I too, ought to try and understand what he was talking about.

Paul was referring to the Isthmian Games, a huge sporting event held every two years in the city of Corinth which attracted thousands of fans from all over the Roman Empire. When he talks about running, athletic training and boxing, Paul was describing key events from the games but used these sports as illustrations for the Christian life and moreover, for Christian ministry. And I think Paul would have had no qualms saying to us today, “Look at the Olympic athlete. Look at the Olympic games. Don’t you know? There is something in these games that teach us a great deal about how we are to live our lives significantly for the gospel; to live our lives purposefully for Jesus Christ.”

I want to highlight three points from this passage - three illustrations the bible takes from the sporting arena - and apply them our lives as Christians today.

(1) Running to win the prize

(2) Training to get a crown

(3) Preaching to win others, but also, preaching to ourselves

1. Running to win the prize

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24

What is troubling about this illustration is the contrast between the all and the one. All compete; all run; all take part in the race; but in the end, only one wins the gold. One guy gets “the prize,” as Paul puts it.

But that isn’t Paul’s point. The NIV slightly obscures this by saying, “Run in such a way as to get the prize,” but the word “prize” isn’t repeated in the original. Paul just says, “Run this way.” In fact, I think what he is saying is, “Keep on running this way.” It is a call to perseverance. It is a reminder to keep pressing on - to keep going on - until we reach the finish line. That’s the nature of prize he is describing. It is something that awaits us only at the end. It is an end goal that shapes the way we run the race.

To back this up, let me point you to what Paul says in Philippians.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

It is the same picture of the race. It is the same goal of winning the prize (Paul uses same word in Greek - “brabeion”). And it is the exact same attitude of pressing on and keeping on all the way to the end. Paul uses this picture of the runner straining towards the finish line to describe the life of someone who has been saved in Jesus Christ. That’s important. He is not talking about someone who is trying to save himself. He is not talking about someone who is more deserving to be saved. No, Paul is, rather paradoxically, describing someone who has already been saved. Notice how he says, “I’m not perfect, I’m not there yet, instead I’m pressing on take hold of this prize,” and then adds, “which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” What is he saying? He is saying that the prize is Jesus - he is trying to take hold of Jesus, but at the same time, Jesus has taken hold of him. Meaning Jesus has saved him. Meaning even, that Jesus regards the believer whom he has given his life for, as his prize.

If we understand that Jesus has taken hold of us; that Jesus has done everything in salvation to bring us to God; we will do everything in our lives to take hold of Jesus. Not to earn his love, but as a response to his love. To the outsider, it will look like a strain. To the spectator, the runner looks like he is out to get the gold. But for the Christian, his life and her life will be characterised by an ever-growing passion, an ever-deepening desire to seek God’s glory.

Eric Liddell was once asked how he won the 400m gold at the Olympics, and he said this:

“I run the first 200m as hard as I can. Then, for the second 200m, with God's help, I run harder.”

Paul says, “Run this way.” Some of us are in the first 200m of our lives. We still have a long way to go. Don’t give up.

Others are in the home stretch. You can see the finish line. You hear God calling you to himself. Paul is saying to you, Don’t waste it. Run even harder. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is your prize.

2. Training to get the crown

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:25

The second example Paul uses from the sports world is the strict training every athlete undergoes in preparation for the games. You can’t just turn up at the Olympics having had fish and chips and Snicker bars every day of the week for the entire year; walk up to Usain Bolt, and say to him, “You’re going down!” Everyone who competes goes into strict training, says Paul. The stuff you eat, the things you do, the places you hang out, even the time at which you go to sleep; everything in your life changes when you are in preparation mode for the games. Why? The athletes do it for a medal but Paul says we have something even better - a crown that will never perish or fade.

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes about this crown near the end of his life.

For I am ready to be poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

This is one of the reasons why I don’t think Paul was saying there was only one prize up for grabs for the Christian, because here he says that Jesus will award him a crown of righteousness, but not only for him, “but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” What is this crown? To be honest, I don’t know. It could be a way of describing salvation itself, or a kind of reward that comes with salvation. In the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to the seven churches but has special praise for two of those churches - Smyrna and Philadelphia - and to these two faithful churches, the risen Lord Jesus Christ promises the crown of life. It is his reward to Christians who have stuck with him through thick and thin. The sense that I do get here from Paul is that the crown that Jesus will reward us with will make the hard training worthwhile. The athlete’s glory with fade, ours won’t.

Training isn’t easy. Paul literally says that the athlete exercises self-control in all things (ESV). It means cutting out anything that is harmful or just plain unhelpful. In verse 27, he says, “I beat my body and make it my slave.” The Christian life is a struggle with selfish desires and sinful tendencies, and at times, it can seem as if you are at war with your own self. Even though Christ has done away with the penalty of death; there is therefore, now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1); and even though we have been set free from the law of sin and death and now live under grace, assured that all that needs to be done to effect our salvation has been achieved by Jesus on the cross; yet at the same time, the bible still urges us as Christians not to offer up ourselves up to sin. To the extent that John can even write of Christians, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” In this life, we will still struggle with our sinful nature. In this life, we will still have to turn back again and again to the cross and ask for forgiveness. In this life, we will still have to exercise self control in all things - money, relationships, work, sex, sport, food, TV, shopping, the Internet, politics, speech, thought, the stuff we do, the stuff we don’t do - everything single thing that comes our way. The athlete exercises self-control in all things. The Greek word for the athlete or competitor is agonizomai, where we get "agony"; exercising self-control can be painful. We agonise over our sin.

Where Paul says, “I beat my body,” he literally says, “I give it a black eye.” That’s pretty extreme language. Now notice, at this point, he isn’t just telling us what to do, he is talking about his own personal struggle, “This is what I do. This is my fight and I’m out to win.” Paul may have been an apostle. He was a leader in the church. He was personally called by Jesus to bring the gospel to the nations. But he still struggled with sin - his own sin, mind you - and he didn’t take chances. He knew that his sinful nature was always trying to take over. He knew the temptation of giving up and giving in.

What do you do when that happens? For each one of us, it might take different forms. Some of us struggle with sexual temptation - clicking on that Internet link, glancing at that ad on TV. Some of us struggle with anger - lashing out at our friends, taking out our frustrations behind the wheel. Some of us struggle with greed - that insatiable need for more; to make that quick extra buck on the side. Some of us struggle with approval - the number of likes on our Facebook post. What do you do? Do you even recognise it as a struggle? Or is it easier just to give in? Paul gives himself a black eye. When anger or lust or greed or vanity rises up in his heart, he recognises it for what it is - his sinful nature - and he takes it on. He enslaves it and brings it under his control.

3. Preaching to others, preaching to ourselves

Finally, Paul says to us, there is a point to this struggle. The point is, to paraphrase Paul, “So that I don’t fool myself; that I myself, will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

I find it is a scary thing, what Paul says here. He is saying that it is possible to preach the gospel to win the lost but still be ourselves, lost to the gospel. You see, this happens when we ourselves aren’t running in the race. This happens when all we are doing is coaching others to live for Jesus, but we aren’t living for Jesus. This happens when we tell others about their sin, but are blind to our own sinful nature. In other words, this happens when we are complacent. We don’t struggle. We take it easy and make it hard for other Christians. Paul says that if he did that, he would be disqualifying himself from the race.

What is it that would disqualify Paul from this race and from this prize? It is important to note, that Paul isn’t saying that he is worried he might commit some gross, despicable sin - though complacency of one’s sinful nature is one of the easiest ways for a Christian leader to fall prey to their temptations and the work of the devil. No, it isn’t even something as serious as that which would disqualify Paul. Rather, it is simply this: that he hasn’t lived his life fully for Jesus. That is enough to disqualify him from the prize.

He says, “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly.” What is he saying? He is saying that his life has one purpose and one goal: It is Jesus. “I do not fight like a man beating the air,” which means when he gets in the ring, he knows he has an opponent to defeat. In short, Paul is living a purpose-driven life. Not aimlessly, not whacking at nothingness; but focussed on Jesus, coming back again and again to Jesus for strength to fight his sin, consciously planning his life around what Jesus wants him to do, speaking and acting in such a way as to give Jesus all the glory every moment of his life. And in the end, the prize he looks forward to is getting Jesus.

The Summer Holiday Club poster says, “Life is a race, run for Jesus. Go for Gold.” I think that is a wonderful theme to get the gospel across to kids and adults alike, provided we make one important clarification. We don’t run to get the gold - to get something - from Jesus. Jesus is the gold. We run to get Jesus.

And for us who are helping out at this holiday club as song-leaders, classroom-teachers and assistants, organisers, cooks and helpers, the bible is saying to us, “Are you in the race? You who are preaching to others that they ought to give their lives to Jesus, are you living for him?” When the kids look at you and me, will they see us running, training, preparing, fighting, giving ourselves black-eyes, straining towards the finish line, longing for the crown of life, growing in our passion and devotion to Jesus? Will their parents?

Oh, they may only see the strain. They may think it’s one big struggle. That’s the perspective of some spectators who look on and puzzle themselves asking, “Why the big deal? Why bother with this race at all?” The athletes do it for a crown that perishes and fades, we as Christians know what lies in store for us is a crown that will never perish or fade. And when we tell them the gospel, we are telling them that Jesus is worth it. We are simply pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ has taken hold of me, in the hope that one day we will be able to say together with Paul, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only for me, but for all who have longed for his appearing.”

Life is a race. Run for Jesus. He is our Gold.

The most important thing (1 Corinthians 15:3-11)

“I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Most would say, “Give me the bad. This way, no matter how bad it is, at least I have the good news to look forward to. At least I have the good news to cushion the blow.”

Paul begins by saying, “Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel.” The word “gospel” simply means good news. But when Paul tells us what this good news is, it starts out sounding pretty bad. Jesus died. For our sins. But then he says, Jesus was raised. Bad news, good news: Jesus died, Jesus is alive. The problem is on a day like today, Easter Sunday, we go straight for the good news: Jesus is alive! That is great news, of course. Yet when we skip the bad news, many of us end up asking: So what if Jesus is alive? So what is the big deal about Easter?

The truth is many don’t see Easter as that big a deal. Not like Christmas. Everyone loves Christmas. Most people can tell you what Christmas is about: Jesus born as the baby in the manger; God becoming a man. Some might ask: Why can’t Easter be more like Christmas, with the festivities, the food and gifts? In an article which appeared in the Mail on Friday, Father Richie of All Saints Church was quoted as saying this:

The problem with the church is that we stay inside our building and occasionally come out and say “Why don’t you come to our church, it’s cool and funky”.

‘To be honest, it’s not.

Father Richie suggests that a good way of spending Easter Sunday, therefore, is simply to stay in. Eat chocolate.

In our passage today, the apostle Paul was writing to a church which didn’t think Easter was that big a deal. They thought spiritual gifts were a big deal - especially the impressive ones like speaking in tongues (see Chapters 12 to 14). They thought having a famous pastor preaching at their church on Sunday was a big deal (see Chapters 1 to 3). They thought studying theology, having fat heads and showing off to their weaker brothers and sisters in the congregation was a big deal (see Chapter 8). Yet near the end of his letter, Paul tells them what really is a big deal, what is of first importance.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Not that gifts aren’t important. Not that issues about marriage and love aren’t important (Chapters 7 and 13). Not that dealing with serious sin, responding in love, exercising discipline as a church family aren’t important things (Chapter 5). But Paul says, This is the most important thing: The gospel. The good news.

The surprising thing is, this good news initially sounds quite bad, it looks rather unimpressive, and worse, it doesn’t seem to change anything. That’s Easter according to the Mail article. It’s bad, it’s dull, it doesn’t make a difference whether you spend it in church or at home watching The Mummy.

Yet in today’s passage I want us to notice three things:

(1) It is the bad news that makes the good news good

(2) It is unimpressive people who carry a surprising message

(3) It is a difference that results not simply in a better life, but a changed life

Bad news that’s actually good. Unimpressive messengers with a surprising message. A difference that’s more than incremental, it’s totally radical.

1. It is the bad news which makes the good news good

In the same article, Bill Mcllroy from the Brighton and Hove Humanist Society had this to say about Easter, “For Christians it’s a glorious celebration but I think it’s terrible that they mark what is essentially a festival of blood and gore.” Despite the negativity, I was actually encouraged by that remark because here is someone who understands that Good Friday is central to Easter Sunday. The cross is central to the resurrection. He thinks it is terrible, of course, but at least he doesn’t dismiss it. The blood and gore - referring to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross - is not a side point. You can’t ignore it. You shouldn’t leave it out.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:3

To be clear, all four accounts of the gospel - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - which all focus on the violent death of Jesus as a criminal on the cross actually choose to leave out details of the “blood and gore”. Oh, it was absolutely horrible. Moreover, it was utterly humiliating for Jesus to hang on the cross, stripped of his dignity, mocked by the crowds, abandoned by his friends. But more than telling us how Jesus died on the cross, the bible wants us to know why. Paul tells us, “Christ died for our sins”.

That’s why it is called Good Friday. Jesus died so we didn’t have to. Jesus was abandoned, rejected, punished, died on the cross - not for his sins, but for ours. In another letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christians look at the cross, they see how awful their sin is but they also see how good God is. God takes our sin and puts it on Jesus. He takes our punishment for sin and pours it out on Jesus. Then he takes Jesus’ righteousness and covers us with it - his holiness, his love, his glory. A great exchange happens at the cross. A good exchange: My sin for his salvation.

In other words, it is the bad news that makes the good news good. The crucifixion prepares us for the resurrection.

2. It is the unimpressive witnesses carry a glorious message

Easter Sunday is about resurrection: Jesus Christ was raised from death. It is not reincarnation, where someone is born again and again, as one thing and then another in the next life. It is not the immortality of the soul either, where your body dies but your spirit lives, floating up to heaven, like Patrick Swayze in the movie Ghost. Resurrection according to the bible is about this body dying and this same body renewed with new life, no more death as part of a new creation.

Which is why Paul adds that detail, “he was buried”. All four gospels focus on the fact that Jesus’ body, his real physical body, was taken down from the cross and buried in the tomb inside the rock. There were eye-witnesses at the tomb. There were the guards at the tomb put there to make sure no one stole his body. The point is, this same body which Jesus was born with, the body that was beaten and spit on and tortured and nailed and speared - this same body was raised on the third day. Resurrection means this body dying and this same body raised to new life.

This is also why Paul then gives us a long list of people who saw Jesus after he was raised from the dead. They saw Jesus in the flesh.

And that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

1 Corinthians 15:5-8

This list includes people who knew Jesus best - Peter and the disciples, who hung out with him for three years prior to his death. It includes a crowd of five hundred, who all saw Jesus at the same time. Meaning you could actually interview one of these eye-witnesses yourself, who would say, “Yup, I was there. We were all there. We saw him, alright.”

The one I personally found interesting was the mention of James. Now James was Jesus’ younger brother (Galatians 1:19) and the bible tells us that none of Jesus’ brothers believed him while he was alive (John 7:5). They thought he was nuts. None of them were at the cross, not even to comfort their Mom in her grief. None of them stood up for Jesus while he was being beaten and tortured, none of them came to his defence to say, “Get your slimy hands off my brother!” Rather, some of them might have said, “See, he had it coming.”

Yet Paul tells us specifically, Jesus appeared to James, his brother. I wonder what it was like for James to see Jesus again after the cross, after the resurrection. “Hey, James, remember me? It’s your Tai Ko.” James had known Jesus all his life, before any of the disciples met him, before Paul, before even Peter. James would have known what kind of cornflakes Jesus had for breakfast every morning, how Jesus liked his coffee, which basketball team he followed. James would have recognised his brother simply from hearing his voice. But more than just speaking to him, Paul tells us, Jesus appeared to James. Jesus wanted his brother to know, and to see for himself that he was alive.

Do you know how James introduces himself in his letter? In the very first verse he writes, “James, a servant of God and of Jesus Christ.” The Greek word doulos is actually the word for slave. I am a slave of God; I am a slave of Jesus Christ. What would it take for James to address his brother as his master, as his God? It took the resurrection.

So Paul gives us a list of individuals who personally met Jesus, who could testify to having met Jesus in person, after the cross, after the resurrection. Yet a valid question to ask at this point would be: If Jesus appeared to them then, in Jerusalem, in front of five hundred people, why doesn’t he do so for us today, here in Cambridge? If Jesus could say, turn up at the Chinese Church this Sunday and show himself to all our friends and family - Wouldn’t that be undeniable proof he really rose from the dead? No, it wouldn’t, and the bible gives us two reasons why. The first comes from Jesus himself.

In a parable about heaven and hell, Jesus tells us of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. If you remember, Lazarus dies and is carried up to heaven but the rich man dies, descending into hell. In the story, the rich man pleads with Abraham, asking him to send Lazarus to his family to warn them about the reality of final judgement. Abraham says, No.

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16:31

“They will not be convinced,” Jesus tells us. Why? Because the resurrection isn’t standalone evidence. It rests on the evidence of the bible - Moses and the Prophets - which is a way of referring to the Old Testament. Notice how Paul makes the same point by telling us that Christ died “according to the Scriptures” and the Christ has been raised “according to the scriptures”. The evidence lies not simply in the event but more so in the explanation for the events of the cross and resurrection - it lies in the gospel. Paul writes to remind Christians of the gospel, which was a message he received, a message he passed on. This is the gospel we received, on which we have taken our stand (verse 1). By this gospel we are saved, if we hold firmly to this word (verse 2). What is Paul reminding us to take hold of and to trust fully in? The gospel. “Otherwise,” he adds, “you have believed in vain.” If we reject the gospel, what makes us think we will accept the resurrection? Isn’t that what Jesus is saying? “The will not be convinced.”

Which brings us to our second reason: The resurrection is itself evidence for the gospel. Much effort is spent today presenting evidence for the resurrection, arguing that it really did happen. But the resurrection itself is meant to be a kind of evidence. It is evidence that points us to, and authenticates the message of the gospel.

Often, we try to prove the resurrection, that Jesus really rose from the dead. We can and yes, we should, don’t get me wrong. There was the empty tomb. There were the eye-witnesses. But Paul wasn’t writing to non-Christians convincing them that the resurrection really did happen. He was writing to remind them of the gospel, and that the resurrection was proof for the gospel. It was proof that Christ really died for our sins. It was proof that Jesus was really who he said he was - the Christ, the Son of God. In a sermon recorded in Acts, Paul preached the resurrection at the Areopagus, a gathering of the most powerful and influential philosophers of his age. Yet, he didn’t mention the tomb. In fact, he didn’t even mention the cross (though, the author Luke was likely summarising the points Paul made. Even so, at least in this account, the key emphasis in Paul’s message was the resurrection). Rather, Paul says the resurrection itself is God’s proof of something else.

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.

Acts 17:31

The resurrection is proof that God will judge the world through Jesus Christ. You see, the resurrection itself is evidence of something bigger. Here, it is evidence for judgement. It is evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. If you go on to read the rest of 1 Corinthians 15, it is evidence that Jesus has conquered sin, death and the devil. It is evidence that Jesus’ words were truthful when he foretold the events of the cross and resurrection - hence the mention of to the “third day” in verse 4 (referencing Matthew 17:23 and 27:63). It is evidence that God himself gives of the identity of his own Son and the effectiveness of his work on the cross by raising Jesus from the dead.

The question for us is: as we consider the resurrection, have we considered Jesus? Remember how Jesus encountered Martha on the way to the tomb of her brother Lazarus. He tells her, “Your brother will rise again.” And she responds by saying, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha believes in the reality of the resurrection, even in her loss, even in this moment of intense grief. She holds on to the hope of the resurrection. But for Jesus, that is not enough.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

John 11:25-27

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that he really is who he says he is. He is the Messiah (the Jewish term for Anointed One, meaning King. The Greek equivalent is the Christ). He is the Son of God. And the purpose of considering the evidence of the resurrection is to consider the identity of Jesus: It is to place our trust fully in his work on the cross. It is to place our lives fully in his hands. Yes, Lord, as Martha says, I believe you are the Son of God. You are the resurrection and the life. What does Jesus go on to do next? He raises Lazarus from the dead. He does the miracle which authenticates his message, which proves his identity.

The miracle points us to a message. And the point is, you have this message of the gospel. Paul writes to remind us of the gospel and he calls us to hold on to the gospel. It is an amazing message of forgiveness and new life but it does come to us through rather unimpressive witnesses like Paul, Peter, James - men who rejected Jesus. It comes to us through the witness of the women at the empty tomb - who were afraid of what they saw and heard, who ran off in confusion. But it is nonetheless a message that points us to Jesus, to who he really is as the Son of God, to what he really did by dying for our sins on the cross. You have this message, it is here in the scriptures. You can trust in this message, it is here in the gospel. And yes, you, even you, can speak this message, that is the power of the gospel. It is power to save. It has power to change.

3. A changed life and a new life

It is interesting how three names are singled out in the list of witnesses: Peter, James and Paul. Peter abandoned Jesus in his hour of need. James rejected Jesus his own brother his entire life. Lastly, there is Paul who persecuted Christians (and by extension, he persecuted Christ, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” - Acts 9:5). When Jesus Christ died, he died for their sins. When Jesus rose again, he appeared to them.

For Paul, however, Jesus appeared to him as one “abnormally born” (verse 8). The Greek word ektroma refers to a stillbirth or an abortion. It was a term of insult and offence. And it was likely what the Christians themselves in Corinth were calling Paul, their pastor. They referred to him as a freak. We know from the earlier chapters of the letter, that the church in Corinth hated Paul. He wasn’t impressive enough for them. He wasn’t as eloquent as the other teachers and orators in Corinth. He wasn’t as big a deal as Peter, the leader of the original Twelve, or Apollos, the gifted apologist and bible theologian. In fact, Paul might not even have been as impressive as their own church members, some of whom could prophesy and speak in tongues. So, they made fun of Paul, talking behind his back, probably picking on his name Paulos which meant “small one”, saying, “You’re a freak. Why don’t you go evangelise the hobbits, instead of telling us what to do.”

Yet, notice how Paul responds here. He says, “You’re right, that is what I am. I am a freak.”

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

That’s an amazing thing that Paul is able to do. He is able to look back on his life and see it for what it is - to see all his mistakes, to confess all his sin, and yet, to recognise all of God’s grace. That’s the power of the gospel. It is power to change the sinful life. But moreover, it is power to renew that sinful life - to change it completely.

What Paul is doing is giving us a third witness to the resurrection. The first two were the reliability of the gospel and the witness of Christians. But the third is the witness of the changed life. Paul once rebelled against God. That is what sin is, it is rebelling against God as king and wanting to be our own king. But now, Paul submits to God as his king. Once, Paul lived for himself. Now, Paul lives by God’s grace. It is a visible grace, seen in the lives of Christians. The three names mentioned - Peter, James and Paul - were once men who lived their own lives without God. Now, they gave their lives preaching the message of the gospel, literally. All three eventually died because of their witness to Jesus as the crucified King, as the risen Son.

“Yes,” Paul says, “if you look back at my life, you will see my mistakes. I persecuted the church. I hated Jesus so much, I took the lives of those who followed him. But now that I am Christian, I can look back and see God’s grace working through me. I hope you can see that, too.” What does Paul want us to see? That he worked hard? That he found religion? That he saw the error of his ways? No, he wants us to see a gracious God. Grace means Paul was guilty. Grace means Paul deserved to be punished. But grace means Jesus Christ loved Paul and gave his life for Paul even while he was an enemy of God. And grace means, Jesus is now working in Paul to display the power of his resurrection in changing him to be more like his Saviour. That’s what Paul wants his opponents to see.

But that’s not all. Paul is unembarrassed to draw our attention to God’s grace working in his life but he doesn’t end there. He ends by bringing us back to the message of grace. He points back to the gospel.

Whether then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:11

He says, It doesn’t matter whether you heard it from me, or from one of those other pastors you consider better than me, I really don’t care. What I want you to get is the gospel. Jesus Christ died for your sins.

For those who say: Show me this Jesus, let me see him with my own eyes, then I’ll believe him. Paul points them to the gospel. Jesus died for our sins, he was buried. He is risen.

For those who point at their Christian friends: That guy’s a jerk. A freak. All you Christians are hypocrites. You guys are the real sinners. Paul says, Yes, I am a sinner but Jesus is my great saviour. And he points them right back to the same gospel.

The most important thing

Paul began with the gospel. He ends with the gospel. Each year at the Chinese Church we have a service on Easter Sunday and each year we have maybe ten people here at the English service. It is a long bank holiday so it is ideal for taking that trip with the family. It is out of term so the students are either all away or in their rooms studying for their exams. It is tempting therefore to try and jazz up the service, to make it a big deal, by having food, putting on a skit, having livelier music. After all, that’s what we do at Christmas, at Chinese New Year, at Mid-Autumn Festival - at some of our most successful events every year.

I am in favour of all of these approaches, especially if done out of love, especially if it gives us an opportunity to share our lives together, to encourage one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. But I do hope we continue doing the one thing we have been doing so far; the one thing Paul does right here in 1 Corinthians 15. He keeps coming back to the gospel. That’s the big deal. That’s our focus.

It is the bad news that makes the good news good: Jesus Christ died for our sins. It is unimpressive people speaking an impressive message: I am a sinner but I have a great Saviour. It is message that results not simply in a better life, but a changed life: Not I, but the grace of God working in me. That’s the message we preach. This is the gospel you believed.

I end simply by restating Paul’s opening verses: Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the wonderful simple truth of the gospel

That though we were sinners Christ died for us

And though we shall die, we shall rise again

If we continue trusting in this gospel

If we hold on to the word of our salvation

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

Wonder women (Judges 4)

The best stories are the ones that catch us by surprise. We love a good twist in the tale. When Neo takes the red pill and wakes up from the Matrix. When Melody Song reveals her shocking secret identity on Doctor Who. When Anakin Skywalker embraces the dark side and becomes Darth... (oh wait, maybe that last one wasn’t such a big surprise after all!)

Judges Chapter 4 is about God saving Israel in a surprising and unexpected way. In this passage, he uses two women - one, a prophetess and the other, a housewife - to bring salvation to the nation of Israel. Yet, it is important to see that God does this for his own glory. He uses extraordinary circumstances, even foolish situations, so that we will not boast in our own ability and strength, but in the God’s power to save.

The problem

After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

Judges 1:1-3

Every good story needs a bad guy. Lex Luthor. Voldemort. Megatron. Someone formidable. Someone menacing. The Israelites were oppressed for twenty years, verse 3 tells us, under the rule of Jabin, King of Canaan. But the real villian of Judges 4 is a five-star military general by the name of Sisera. Verse 3 tells us that Sisera commanded a vast army of nine hundred chariots - the ancient equivalent of German Panzer tanks. The Israelites were helpless in the face of the Canaanites’ advanced weaponry and military prowess.

Having said that, Israel had a much bigger problem: themselves.

Verse 1 begins by describing how the people of Israel “did evil in the eyes of the LORD”. As a result, God “sold them into the hands of Jabin”. The root of the problem had nothing to do with the Canaanites’ nine hundred chariots but with the Israelites’ own constant, repeated, foolish rebellion against God. Last week, we read of Ehud, the left-handed judge raised up by God to save the nation from yet another foreign superpower. When Ehud died however, the people sank back into their old ways - rebelling against God and practicing evil in his sight.

Again, they call out to God for help. Again, God responds with mercy and faithfulness.

Deborah

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

Judges 4:4-7

There are twelve judges featured in the book of Judges. Deborah is the only female judge. Unlike most of the other male judges - or indeed, the other men, in general found in this book - it is striking that nothing negative is said whatsoever about Deborah’s character or her leadership capabilities. Her authority is recognised by the Israelites who “came to her to have their disputes decided”. When she summons Barak, the chief military commander in Israel, he complies. Verse 1 reads: she was “leading Israel”, a phrase the footnotes in my NIV bible states can be also translated as “judging Israel”. Meaning: she was a judge, chosen by God and used by God to lead the nation back to God.

Yet we must not forget that Deborah was first introduced to us as a prophetess and a wife.

As a prophetess, her job was to speak God’s word. When she calls Barak to meet her, it wasn’t to pull rank. She was delivering a message from God himself. “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you,” she says. Not “I command you”. Furthermore, we should not misunderstand verse 7. When it says there, “I will lure Sisera... to the Kishon River,” these are not Deborah’s words but God’s. Deborah was nowhere near the Kishon River (as evident in verse 10, where Deborah is found alongside Barak).

Also, Deborah was married. We’re not sure if she had kids, but if so (and this was very possible) she may even have been a mom! What we do know for sure was that she had a husband, a man called Lappidoth (whom I can only assume she lovingly addressed as “Lappy” at home). She had a home, a husband, a family - and here, the bible thinks it important enough for us to know all of that about this woman.

So Debbie the judge, the mum and the prophetess, summons Barak and tells him that God will give Sisera into his hands. Barak, whose name means “lightning” in Hebrew, is to call on the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun for help, gathering ten thousand men for the fight. So the picture we have here is that of a seasoned army general, gathering a massive number of troops, assured by God that he will win the victory against a powerful foreign nation armed with the latest in technological weaponry.

Yet in front of this woman, Barak wimps out.

No glory

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honour will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

Judges 4:8-10

Barak insists that Deborah tags along. “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” In part, this may be a recognition of God’s presence with Deborah, a presence that Barak thinks he needs to have with him in order to win the battle. After all, Moses said something very similar to God in Exodus 33 - a sign of Moses’ humility and utter dependence on God. Deborah agrees to the request but she adds, “Because of the way you are going about this, the honour (The ESV uses the word “glory”) will not be yours.” God had given Barak the promise of his word, but Barak wanted instead the presence of a woman. Because of this, Barak would win the victory, but the glory of the battle would go to another. “The LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman,” Deborah foretells.

So in verse 10 we have a picture of a massive number of troops - ten thousand men assembled, ready for battle, led by the great General Barak. But also, one woman by his side. “Deborah also went with him”. She did prophesy that “a woman” would get the glory. Barak perhaps thought Deborah was referring to herself, and wanted to keep this woman close by.

All of a sudden, we are introduced to a seemingly random new character in the story - a man called Heber.

Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

Judges 4:11

We last met the Kenites in Judges Chapter 1 where they had settled down south in Judah. They were Moses’ in-laws. For some reason, Heber the Kenite decided not to stay with his tribe, but moved up north instead, pitching his tent near Kedesh, which was Barak’s hometown. But just as quickly as we are introduced to Heber the Kenite, the camera swiftly zooms back to the action.

Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?

When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

Judges 4:12-16

Sisera hears of Barak’s troop movements and assembles the entire Panzer division, all nine hundred of his iron armored chariots, leading them into battle up Mount Tabor. Except in order to ascend this mountain, he passes through the Kishon River.

Something happens at the Kishon River. Something peculiarly which causes Deborah turn to Barak and say, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands.” adding these curious words, “Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” What did she mean? What did she see?

We find the answer in Judges 5, a song which Deborah sang to commemorate the battle and the eventual victory Israel saw later that day.

From the heavens the stars fought,

from their courses they fought against Sisera.

The river Kishon swept them away,

the age-old river, the river Kishon.

March on, my soul; be strong!

Judges 5:20-21

The chariots were “swept away” by the river Kishon. It may simply have been that their wheels got stuck crossing the river bed, making them sitting ducks (Notice in Judges 4:15, Sisera “abandoning” his chariot). Or that a waters overcame the horses and a sudden rise in the levels drowned the Canaanite army as they crossed the river, not unlike what happened at the Red Sea with the Egyptians forces in Exodus 14. What Deborah does tell us clearly is that this was God’s doing. “From the heavens the stars fought... they fought against Sisera.” Or as she says to Barak here in Judges 4:14, “Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?”

Barak advanced against Sisera, followed by the his ten thousand troops, down Mount Tabor. Yet Judges adds, “At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots.” The battle was decisively won. “All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.”

But the story hasn’t ended. Sisera gets away. And Barak is hot in pursuit of his prize.

Desperate housewife

Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say ‘No.’” But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

Judges 4:17-21

Sisera flees the battle and seeks refuge in Heber’s home. It turns out that Heber is an ally, “there were friendly relations” between the Canaanite King Jabin and his family. Still, instead of hiding out in Heber’s garage, Sisera goes to the tent of Jael, Heber’s wife. We are not told why. Maybe he thought no one would look in a woman’s tent. Clearly he didn’t think Jael was a threat. She was so warm and welcoming, “Come, my lord, come right in,” she said. “Don’t be afraid,” probably implying that this five-star general was rather freaked out by the sudden defeat of his entire army.

“I’m thirsty,” Sisera says. He might as well as have added, “Mommy.” Like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory asking his neighbour Penny to sing Soft Kitty every time he falls sick.

“Soft Kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr.”

Jael offers him milk instead. How sweet. And notice how she keeps covering him up. Big strong menacing general Sisera comes into her tent, and Auntie Jael goes, “Come here sweety. Have a lie down. Did that big bully Barak smash all your shiny new tanks? Awww, you poor thing!” It’s ironic how Sisera tells Jael not to let anyone know he is hiding in her tent. Verse 20 literally reads, “If a man comes and asks, ‘Is there a man here?’ You say, ‘There is none.’” There is no man in this tent - a woman, yes, and a scared kid, maybe. But no man.

Sisera drinks his milk like a good little boy. Nice auntie Jill pulls the Star Wars sheets over him and kisses him good night. Then KeBAAAMMM!!!! He’s dead!

It’s like switching the channel in the middle of a CBBC kid’s programme to a late-night horror movie. In a split second, the sweet innocent house-wife turns into a serial killer! Jael takes a tent peg and hammer and “drove the peg through his temple into the ground”. As if to state the obvious, the author adds, “and he died.” Duh!

Meanwhile, Barak rides in with the cavalry, a little too late.

Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.

Judges 4:22

Deborah’s words were fulfilled. The victory may have been Barak’s, the battle won by the celebrated army general. But the glory went to a housewife.

But in actual fact, the glory went to God.

To God be the glory

On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.

Judges 4:23-24

As if to say “Oh, and by the way, God took care of King Jabin.” It is mentioned almost in passing. The whole chapter was focussed on this one battle - on Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael and the nine hundred chariots, not to mention the ten thousand men. But God took care of the problem in an instant, “On that day”. Almost to drive home the point: God doesn’t need to use a general like Barak. God doesn’t see Sisera and his tanks as a threat. But he uses people like Barak and he confronts his people Israel with seemingly insurmountable forces like Sisera (remembering it was God who gave Israel into the hands of the Canaan) to show them - and to remind us of - his glory. He is God.

Come to think of it, the whole of Judges Chapter 4 is filled with twists and turns. Deborah the female judge. Barak the hesitant military commander. The nine-hundred tanks defeated by a bit of water. The five-star general assassinated by a housewife. The subjugation of an enemy king mentioned not on the front page, but in small print near the classifieds.

And the question is: Why does God do this? Why does God save like this?

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

The death of Jesus on the cross is foolish. It doesn’t make sense. It is weak, illogical, nonsensical even. How can a peasant dying on the cross two thousand years be relevant to my life today, much less, promise me eternal life, forgiveness of sin, release from the judgement of hell and bring me into a relationship with God?

It is foolishness - says the bible - to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved it is power - the power of God! Why does God save through this strange and peculiar message of the cross - this message called the gospel? So that we will trust in him and not in our own abilities and strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:26-30

You see, Judges 4 is not about impressive women. Nor is it about irresponsible men. That’s not the main message of the book or the bible. You don’t become a Christian by cleaning up your act, by becoming a successful career-mom or even by defeating the forces of evil, but only by trusting in the message of the cross - that Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross as your substitute. When you come to Jesus, you cannot boast of your intellect, your A-level’s results or your XBOX achievement score. None of that impresses God.

The Christian’s only boast is Jesus. He is our wisdom: Our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Earlier on Deborah says to Barak, “This road you are on will lead not your glory - but to the glory of another.” The Christian hears this and says, “Hallelujah!” We thank God because this road leads us to Jesus.

Yet at the same time, all the glory that Jesus deserves as God’s Son, especially seen in his obedience on the cross, all that comes to us when we trust in him. He is our wisdom. Our righteousness. Our holiness. Our salvation.

Jesus is our glory.

In Christ alone will I glory

Though I could pride myself in battles won

For I’ve been blessed beyond measure

And by His strength alone I’ll overcome

Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands

But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone

I place my trust

And find my glory in the power of the cross

In every victory

Let it be said of me

My source of strength

My source of hope

Is Christ alone

(“In Christ Alone”, Brian Littrell)

God gives the growth

“My grandpa grows watermelons,” said a five-year old to me recently over lunch at a holiday club for kids, “but it takes sooo long for it to grow!”

“Well, how old are you?” I asked.

“I am five years old,” he answered.

I said to him, “You’ve taken this long to grow this big. And you’re still growing!”

I told him that it is God who makes things grow. We can plant the fruit and make sure it gets enough water. But in the end, God gives the growth.

It is a simple lesson the bible teaches us - not about plants - but about people. Specifically, Paul uses this picture to explain how God grows his church.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

I have been in Cambridge long enough to see some churches double and triple in size while some others have shrunken and now struggle to fill seats on Sundays.

At one time, the English congregation at the Chinese Church had a weekly attendance of four (including the speaker and the song-leader!). When a recent visitor remarked how much the ministry had grown since, I responded by recognising the faithfulness of the leaders back when times were lean that God was able to use to bless us now in times of plenty.

The point of these verses is not that we do nothing and wait for God to take care of everything. Indeed, what we can - and what we should - do is preach the gospel. Switching illustrations from planting to building, Paul says:

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11

Preaching the gospel gives God all the glory. The gospel lays the one foundation (there is no other) of Jesus Christ - crucified for our sins; risen for our justification. We are God’s workers. The church is God’s field. The message is God’s gospel.

When times are lean, we preach Jesus. When times are a plenty, we preach Jesus. We continue planting and we continue watering. It is God who makes things grow.

Even a five year-old can understand that.