Stainglass window
Christmas 2011
3rd Dec Advent Party
12th Dec @ 2pm
Carol Service at Oak tree Court
16th Dec @ 2.30pm
Carol Service at Stratford Court
17th Dec @11am
Carol Singing outside Co-Op
18th Dec Nativity and Christingle Service and Carol Service
24th Dec @ 11pm (Service starts at 11.30pm
United Service at URC Etwall Rd
25th Dec @10am
Christmas Day Service
"Do Not Be Afraid"
Dear Friends,
Which command of Jesus is repeated most often in the Bible? You might image it's something stern: Behave yourself! Say your prayers! Worship God more whole heartedly! Give more money away!
You'd be wrong. The most repeated command of Jesus is, "Do not be afraid!" No command of Jesus seems more relevant at the moment. We live in a society, and in a world, which seems to be filled with fear. People are afraid of the future, afraid of what terrorists might do, afraid of crime, even afraid of life. And into that situation, time and again Jesus says, "Do not be afraid!"
A good example is in Matthews chapter10, verses 26-31, when he says it three times in a very short space of time. He's preparing his disciples for the mission he is sending them out on, but his words are just as relevant to us today.
Why shouldn't we be afraid, in a frightening world? Jesus gives his disciples two things to think about
1. THE JUDGMENT OF GOD
We should not be afraid, because the world is going somewhere, and one day God will put right all that is wrong with this world. That's how the Bible understands the idea of judgment, and that's why the Old Testament believers always seem to be looking forward to judgment day (there are a lot of examples in the Psalms)
Says Jesus, "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be known" (verse 26). In other words, truth will out, justice will prevail, and those who have lived with integrity will be vindicated.
In it is that context that Jesus says some rather surprising words: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body" (verse 28). In other words, if you're going to be afraid of anyone or anything, at least let it be someone who has real power, that is, God himself. The things that make us fear in this life are small compared to the power of God. As one of our hymns puts it,
Fear Him, you saints, and you will then
have nothing else to fear
make but his service your delight
your wants shall be his care
And that last line leads into the second reason Jesus gives for not being afraid:
2. THE LOVE OF GOD
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. and even the very hairs of your head are numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (verse 29 to 31). Here is one of Jesus's most striking illustrations for the detailed love and care of God to very one of his creatures.
Sometimes you hear worthy Christian preachers telling congregations off for imagining that it might be appropriate to pray for quite trivial things. Jesus would not agree with them. Of course there are far more important things to pray for in this world, and we should be sure we are doing that. But if God really does take note of every single sparrow in the sky, and every single hair of our heads, that means that, just as nothing is too great for him to do, so nothing is too small for him to care about it.
YOU are worth so much to God. So rest assured that he knows and cares about all the details of your life, the day to day problems and anxieties of your life. Jesus never promised us life without them. But we should learn that the One we serve is stronger than the strongest opponent we will ever meet, greater than the greatest problem we will ever face.
So do not be afraid.
Your friend and pastor,
Jonathan Calvert