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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
(Revelation 1:8)

Recently I have been thinking about the words of Peter in 1 Peter 3:15 which say, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” There are many responses to this challenge, but for me, my hope is shaped by a firm belief that: (1) God is Creator and (2) God is Saviour, and also a strong faith in God who is Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and speaks of God and Jesus in scripture as the First and the Beginning of all creation. As Paul puts it, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17). Science did not just decide to put things into being and neither does luck sustain creation but rather it is God who is Alpha – the First, the Beginning and the Creator. This truth gives purpose and hope for not only creation itself, but for me. Despite being a speck in His creation, He created me carefully and meaningfully with days ordained before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16) – how awesome! But my hope in Jesus Christ also comes from a firm faith that Jesus is Omega. Not only the First and Beginning but the Last and the End. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). He speaks about this love but expressed it with His own death on the cross for us. This crucifixion gives us hope because in Him our end is not the end, our end is in His end which has no end! In Jesus, we have the promise and the prospect of everlasting life. Jesus described this end as the dwelling place of God among the people and where every tear will be wiped away, where there will be no more death, no more mourning or crying or pain as the old order of things pass away and He makes everything new. The Alpha and Omega says, “Look, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:12) so let’s take the opportunity of this new academic year to draw nearer to Jesus and be more deeply rooted in a relationship with Him.

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“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6)

I don’t know about you but I’ve become pretty reliant on the satellite navigation system. Even the simple, familiar routes are now accompanied by the technology in fear of getting my journey wrong! No sat nav can help us journey through life and reach our ultimate destination but Jesus clearly states that in Him we can find the way. Let us consider His three claims in John 14:6. First, He is the way. The One in whom we can find direction and guidance for not only our ultimate, eternal destination but the journey of life. With prayer, the reading of His word, listening and hearing His still small voice we can know the way. Second, He is truth. The One who does not mislead or lie, who has complete integrity and is 100% trustworthy. He is truth itself and will set us free (John 8:32). We must imitate Him, being people of the truth in a world where it is so lacking. Third, He is the life. This is why Jesus came, so that all who believe and trust in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Thanks to His death and resurrection, this life is available to us all for eternity! But also today, as the very presence of God lives within us as we walk this early life. Who is Jesus? Is He the way and the truth and the life? Is He the only way to the Father? Believe in Jesus as you also believe in God and may He lead us all to the way that is everlasting.

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“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:9-10)

Last week Tom continued the series of I Am Statements, looking at “I am the Light of the World”. Three main points were covered:
1) Jesus is the true light and through Him all light is given
2) No amount of darkness can extinguish the light – the light will prosper every time
3) We should be good witnesses of the light in all that we say and do

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says that we are the light of the world, that we, much like a town on a hill should not be hidden and that we should share that light with others too. We often live in a dark world, the news does not always portray the light but God calls us to be a light in that darkness and to be a witness of all that is great about the light of the world – our God. When we behave like we have that light in us, even in the darkest times – our light will prosper. Finally Tom asked who you’ve shined your light on this week, and who has shared their’s with you. Let’s be a church of light, a church of encouragement and let’s let each other know when we receive that light and what that means to us. Let’s be people who help the world recognise the true light of Jesus Christ.

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“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35)

Last Sunday we started our series on the I am statements of Jesus by looking at John 6:35 where Jesus says ‘I am the bread of life’.

We all get a stomach hunger when we haven’t eaten, and we need food to fill that. But the Bible tells us that we also all have a life hunger – a hunger for meaning, for peace and for love. This hunger for real life, the life God gives, cannot be filled with things, which is so often where we automatically turn. Jesus here is saying that it doesn’t matter what stuff we have or how successful our lives look because it is only Jesus who can fill our life hunger.

The challenge here is 2-fold – first of all we are called to come to Jesus in the good and the bad times and commit to work through life with Him. Secondly we are called to believe in Jesus. It’s by doing this we get to experience life to the fullest.

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“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:1)

For the last few weeks we’ve been exploring the Freedom of God, which is found in Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:1) and where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Holy Spirit helps the church to know this freedom with gifts distributed to the body of Christ according to His determination. Last Sunday, we explored the final three of nine spiritual gifts listed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, with the following explanations. 1. The ability to distinguish between spirits is useful when not only living in a physical but a spiritual world. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against dark powers and spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12) as the devil prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). 2. The ability to speak in different kinds of tongues is personally edifying, expressing our love and adoration to God but also when no human words can be found in our weakness (Romans 8:26). This gift is collectively edifying when; 3) we are given the gift of interpretation. The message of God is revealed, explained or expressed through a person as determined by the Holy Spirit. Throughout this series, I hope we have seen the importance and our need for these spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. They are good gifts, not to be afraid or grieved but eagerly desired for the edification of the body at CBC. Let’s not give up the journey but continue pressing into what God has for us as His church.

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“God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”
(1 Corinthians 12:28)

Last Sunday we looked at three specific gifts of the Spirit: Gifts of healings, miraculous powers and prophecy. 
1) God brings healing for many types of sickness whether physical, mental, relational or situational. 
2) The miraculous acts we read of in the Bible frequently met a great need on behalf of Christ’s body. Often it was to move some obstacle, whether human or otherwise and continue spreading the gospel. 
3) One theologian describes prophecy today as “a word from the Lord through a member of His body, inspired by His Spirit and given to build up the rest of the body.”

The three gifts we looked at are all gifts that each of us as members of Christ’s body can lay claim to. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:11 the gifts are “the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” and they are gifts we should desire. That means we can ask for them and if it is within His will then any of these gifts could be given to any of us. They may be given to us permanently or just for a particular time or situation. But if God gives us any of these gifts He will do so for one reason only and that is to build the body of His church. The gifts are there, they are available, and we worship a God who wants to use us. Let’s do all we can to seek these gifts for the building of His body, His Kingdom here in Canterbury and then who knows what we can achieve
in His name.

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 “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:11-12)

Paul reminds the Corinthian congregation that the church is the Body of Christ and cannot be reduced to human committee! Ultimately, God is in control apportioning gifts, both natural and super-natural, through the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The individual Christian is challenged to obediently seek and then exercise their God-given skills, talents and abilities as means of serving the church in its mission.

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“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7,11)

We’re on a journey of discovery at the moment, seeking to understand what the freedom of God is really all about. And for the next few weeks we’re going to explore more intentionally what the role of the Holy Spirit is in this – the spiritual gifts He distributes to the people of God (the church) according to his determination and for the common good. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Paul speaks to the church with a pagan background to understand that:

1. We should not be ignorant or led astray in Christian experience (1-2)
2. Have confidence in the Holy Spirit who proclaims, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (3)
3. Know that different gifts of the Holy Spirit are given by the same God (4-6, 11).

We’re going to explore the nine gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and last week it was the messages of wisdom (8), knowledge (8) and faith (9). During this series, let’s seek to better understand and eagerly desire them as we know freedom ourselves and be people through whom freedom comes to others.

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“As Jesus was praying heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit came upon him in bodily form like a dove and the Father said, ‘This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

Last Sunday, I spoke on the baptism of Jesus where three things took place; the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit was poured out and the Father spoke. In this, we see an open heaven, which gives freedom for God to bless. I long that there might be an open heaven over our nation. There are many words which describe the pouring out of the Holy Spirit from Acts; namely “baptised” in 1:5, “filled with” in 2:4, “receiving” in 8:14, “came upon” in 10:44 and “poured out” in 10:44-46.

The main challenge for us is that, to be “filled” means two things. Firstly it is repeatable, so let’s expect to be filled over and over again. Secondly, when we are filled, things happen; prophecy, healings, bold witnessing, deliverance from evil spirits. Remember the practical illustrations I shared, or remind yourself by listening to the sermon on the CBC website. And most importantly, remember that God wants to use all of us more than we think He does.