Saturday, July 16, 2016

If I were a pastor in France tomorrow

-->
If I were a pastor in France tomorrow

On Bastille Day 2016 (July 14th) a man intentionally drove along the delightful promenade at Nice, intentionally killing people with his vehicle and with gunfire. This is the latest of several such events in France in recent times.

How could a pastor in France preach on Sunday 17th July?

Here’s how I’d do it:

·       Introduction
o   Rehearse the several recent terrorist attacks on French soil and ask the questions: what is going on? How can we understand this? What can we learn? How should we respond?

§  Note that such events are the normal material of life in the ebb and flow of a fallen world in which we and the whole creation groans as we await the return of Jesus to put all things right in his new creation (Matt 24:6-8; Rom 8:20-23).

o   Remind France of her Christian heritage. The 177 martyrdoms at Lyon are testimony to very early Christian beginnings, after which there has been a continuous Christian presence.

o   Observe that France is now one of the most secularised post-Christian nations, at the several levels of her intellectual, cultural and popular life.

o   As a nation that has had gospel light and chosen to walk in darkness, France does not deserve God’s kindness (Heb 6:4-8). Her only hope is in his gracious mercy.

·       Teaching

o   Point upwards to God working from a passage that displays the many-sided richness and depth of God’s being and deeds (eg: Ex 34:1-9; Ps 103).

o   Urge people to consider the kindness and sternness of God in the double-edged gospel (Rom 11:22). Salvation is offered to all and extended to all who believe in Jesus, but judgement is on all who refuse God (Jn 3:16-21).

o   Remind people that the present events are not outside of God’s control, are being used by him to achieve his big plan to unite all things in Christ (Eph 1:11) and are specifically being used for the good of his people who will never be separated from his love in Jesus (Rom 8:28-39).

·       Applications

o   Urge that people look to him for peace, comfort and meaning in these troubled times.

o   Call on hearers to reach out to their neighbours and strangers (especially those of different race, culture and religion) in the common nature that we share in God’s creation.

o   Call people to repentance and faith, resting on the overflowing faithfulness and mercy of God and calling on his gospel promises.

o   Urge all to readiness for their death through a living personal faith in Christ, because we too know not the day or hour when we return to the Lord or he returns to us (Matt 24:36-51).



No comments: