Anxious about Brexit?
Or America, Russia, North Korea?
Or are your concerns closer to home, who will win on your favourite TV show or whether you can really afford that thing you just bought?
There are more important things. Our families’ health and wellbeing for example.
But none of the above feel quite as secure as we would like.
True, Jesus tells His followers not to worry about lesser things. Our loving Father in heaven has us covered. But some recent Gospel readings have me looking at things from another perspective altogether.
‘Seek first the kingdom of God,’ says Jesus. This is the most important thing.
He tells a vivid parable of grain and weeds growing together until harvest when the grain is gathered and the weeds burned. (Matthew 3 v 24-30 and 36-43)
‘The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels…The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’
There will be a day of Judgement when that which is not saved will be destroyed. Jesus spoke of it in no uncertain terms!
‘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 body and soul in hell!’ (Matthew 10 v 28)
He balances these stern warnings with reassurance for His followers:
‘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 hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows!’ (Matthew 10 v 29-31)
The Church’s unfinished commission is to reach the remaining two billion people on this planet who haven’t yet heard of the love of our Master!
Our privilege and responsibility in our fellowships large or small is to celebrate and share the grace of our Lord in a fruitful, compelling way, with the prayer that more and more people may come to know and trust Him.
This is to be our number one priority! Nothing else should concern us nearly as much.
This Sunday our congregations in North Donegal Ireland will join with many thousands of Christians worldwide to sing the hymn ‘Jesus shall reign’ and pray for His kingdom to come for all peoples everywhere.
Or America, Russia, North Korea?
Or are your concerns closer to home, who will win on your favourite TV show or whether you can really afford that thing you just bought?
There are more important things. Our families’ health and wellbeing for example.
But none of the above feel quite as secure as we would like.
True, Jesus tells His followers not to worry about lesser things. Our loving Father in heaven has us covered. But some recent Gospel readings have me looking at things from another perspective altogether.
‘Seek first the kingdom of God,’ says Jesus. This is the most important thing.
He tells a vivid parable of grain and weeds growing together until harvest when the grain is gathered and the weeds burned. (Matthew 3 v 24-30 and 36-43)
‘The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels…The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’
There will be a day of Judgement when that which is not saved will be destroyed. Jesus spoke of it in no uncertain terms!
‘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 body and soul in hell!’ (Matthew 10 v 28)
He balances these stern warnings with reassurance for His followers:
‘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 hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows!’ (Matthew 10 v 29-31)
The Church’s unfinished commission is to reach the remaining two billion people on this planet who haven’t yet heard of the love of our Master!
Our privilege and responsibility in our fellowships large or small is to celebrate and share the grace of our Lord in a fruitful, compelling way, with the prayer that more and more people may come to know and trust Him.
This is to be our number one priority! Nothing else should concern us nearly as much.
This Sunday our congregations in North Donegal Ireland will join with many thousands of Christians worldwide to sing the hymn ‘Jesus shall reign’ and pray for His kingdom to come for all peoples everywhere.
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