God in us?

stjohnstmarkchurchburySunday, January 14, 2018

Bible Text: John 1:43-51 | Preacher: Ralph Mallinson | Series: Epiphany

People sometimes say that Whitsunday, the story of the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit 50 days after Easter, is the Birthday of the Church.  I tend to think of it rather as the “coming of age of the church”. The day when the apostles and followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ were given the keys of the door i.e. the power and strength and authority to go out in Jesus’ name, to share with others the good news of Jesus. To bring people to know and to love him.

This story we’ve heard today, the 2 friends of John the Baptiser, Philip and Andrew meeting and talking with Our Lord Jesus Christ , is the true beginning of the story of the Church.
Come and See
For you and I, Christian people, are people who have in some way or other heard about Jesus. Perhaps from home. Perhaps from Sunday School, possibly even from day school, perhaps from a friend. And having heard, we have come to him to see for ourselves who he is.

Or at least have begun to see. For the full process of getting to know him and who he is takes a lifetime.  Like those two, we have taken time to be with him and we continue to take time – why else are we here today?
We are his hands
But also we, having come and seen, are expected to follow Christ and to invite others to come and see.  For God depends on the Church, on us, to make Jesus know in the world today through our life and witness.  For Christ has now no hands but our hands…

What a challenge this is to the Church!  So it’s worth reflecting, do our words and deeds bear witness to Our Lord? When/if we do get round to invite people to come, will they be able to ‘see’ God in us, in our congregation?  Will people be able to say, Yes, he lives here, is here. Yes, the Spirit that rested on Jesus is at work here, in the church of God that is in Seedfield, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints (taking up St Paul to the Corinthians).

OR: will they go away, still looking?

In many churches at the start of the new year this prayer was used by people wanting to renew and deepen their relationship with Our Lord. It’s a very good prayer to make our own today, and at any time of the year.