First Reading Isaiah 55.1-11
The LORD says this:
1Everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Psalm 19.7-14
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; ♦
the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart; ♦ the commandment of the Lord is pure and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever; ♦ the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, ♦ sweeter also than honey, dripping from the honeycomb.
11 By them also is your servant taught ♦
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often they offend? ♦
O cleanse me from my secret faults!
13 Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins
lest they get dominion over me; ♦ so shall I be undefiled, and innocent of great offence.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, ♦ O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Second Reading 2 Timothy 3.14-4.5
14Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
Gospel John 5.36b-47
Jesus said to the Jews: 36‘The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.
39You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41I do not accept glory from human beings. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?’
Sermon
Bible. Scripture. Word of God. Holy Writ. Old and New Testament. Authorized version. All words for the Bible.
Today = Bible Sunday. Christianity and Islam both People of the Book. What strikes you when you think of the Bible?
Old language
Readings in church and at school
Impenetrable language
Parables and stories
Genocide, cruelty, a vengeful God – out of step with modern times and even NT
Bible Sunday tells different story, paints different picture
Take today’s readings
This addressed to the Jews:
39You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.
This to Timothy from Paul:
14Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
Here are two different attitudes to the Bible.
Jews read the Law and Prophets
By following the law they seek the salvation of their souls
But Jesus says the scriptures testify to him – salvation comes through faith in him and not by anything we do or don’t do
Isaiah liked Scripture to food and drink. It’s water, wine, milk and bread in plenty to those who are hungry and thirsty:
6Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
These readings direct us to God’s Word – another name for the Bible
But interpreting Scripture is not always clear and understanding what we read is not always straightforward
Some passages are easy enough
Beatitudes
Passages about love, forgiveness, redemption
Others are harder – far more so than some Christians would have us believe
Can we be expected to follow rules laid down for human society 2 – 3,000 years ago?
To do so would give us a peculiar idea of God
A God stuck in the past who refuses to budge?
Surely God does not expect us to be stuck with rules that made sense to our ancestors, and not adapt them to the gospel
God is not a God of the past
God is our contemporary
In reading the Bible, God does not expect us to be a blank canvas on which he can write whatever he likes
No, God engages us in dialogue
Thoughts
Plans
Intentions, arguments, even.
We are made in God’s image
Mentally
And spiritually
The God of the Bible does not dominate
He does not intrude
He prods, suggests, and leads
He speaks in the sound of sheer silence – still, small voice”
The God of the Bible gives and receives
Not a one-way street
Sometimes we give, sometimes receive
How can we get to know this God?
Of course, by hearing his Word, and applying our God-given reason to interpreting what we hear
Maybe by reading, maybe through prayer, maybe through leading – doors opening and closing
Maybe by learning about Jesus, who is God incarnate
In all these, the Bible plays an important part
Buy a new one
TNIV Anglicised - £8 from Amazon - £10 leather
NRSV Anglicised - £6 from Amazon
Read it online
For example, search for the word baptize and you find 50 references
Many about baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist
But here’s a story relevant to today. It’s about an Ethiopian who was reading the Hebrew Scriptures and not understanding what he read. Philip cadged a lift in his chariot, and helped him understand the passage from Isaiah.
34 The Ethiopian asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 -37 As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?" 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Acts 8
So now that’s what we are going to do today – baptising Maddison Emily Bullivant. After the baptism, we will welcome her into membership of the community of faith. We will present her with a candle, symbolising the light of Christ in her life. Finally we will present her with her first Bible, in the hope it will be read to her. Then when she is of age, she will have the knowledge and understanding to make an informed decision of her own.
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