A Basic Lesson in Theology

"The New England Primer was the first textbook printed in America and it taught the letters of the alphabet by short poems. Here's the first, teaching the letter A:

In Adam's fall,
We sinned all."

Tim Bayly, Daddy Tried: Overcoming the Failures of Fatherhood (Warhorn Media, 2016) p26 

Acts 10:34-43 Easter Sunday Handout

Because everyone wants a 5 point sermon for Easter Sunday, not just merry japes with chocolate eggs.

RESURRECTION REVERSAL:

THE EASTER COMEBACK PROCLAIMED

Acts 10:34-43 (p1104)

The greatest comeback in history?

A remarkable reversal

Guest preacher: The Apostle Peter – the denier transformed!

Summary:

“The good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (v36)

(1) What Jesus did: Jesus the Messiah did good and healed (vv37-38)

(2) What the people did: they killed Jesus on a cross (v39)

(3) What God did: raised him from the dead and caused him to be seen (v40)

(4) What the Apostles are doing: proclaiming and testifying as eye-witnesses (v41-42)

The New Testament message Jesus commanded the apostles to preach (v42):

The Old Testament message of the prophets (v43):

(5) What all people must do: believe in Jesus (v43)

Cups in the Bible

At this year's Maundy Thursday Communion, I am hoping to tell the story of Easter as the tale of two cups: the cup of God's wrath which Jesus accepts in the Garden and the cup of salvation and blessing which Jesus offers his disciples in the Upper Room.

In addition to these two passages, here is some of the biblical data on "cups" which contributes to the background:

Negatively:

Ps 75:8 – The Lord makes the wicked drink a cup of foaming wine mixed with spices down to the very dregs

Is 51:17-23 – Jerusalem is told that she has drunk to the dregs from the cup of God’s wrath and been made drunk, and caused to stagger, and now God will give this cup to their oppressors

Jer 25:15-29 – The cup of God’s wrath that makes people stagger.

The nations are going to be forced to drink from it so much that they vomit and fall to rise no more.

Lam 4:21 – Edom and Uz will be passed the cup and be drunk and stripped naked

Ez 23:31-34 – God’s people will be made to drink a large and deep cup which holds so much that it brings scorn and derision, drunkenness, ruin, sorrow and desolation.

And positively:  

Ps 16:5 – The Lord himself is the Psalmist's pleasant portion and cup.

In Psalm 23, the Lord prepares a feast for his servant and his cup overflows. (v5)

In Psalm 116, in gratitude for his deliverance, the Psalmist says:

“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (v13)

In 1 Cor 10, Paul speaks of the cup of blessing which we bless in the Communion service as a participation in the blood of Christ. (v16)

Parish Magazine Item

From The Rectory

Obviously, I would like you to come to your parish church, well, pretty much every week, unless you are really infectious or otherwise unavoidably prevented from doing so. But if you do miss a week, you can normally catch up on sermons on the Warbleton Church website, here: warbletonchurch.org.uk/sermons-talks

A poor substitute would be to read a little summary or a copy of the handout in the parish magazine, but in case you missed this particular week and haven’t caught up online, or as a helpful reminder, here are some jottings on Psalm 126, which was the Psalm appointed for Sunday 7^th April (today as I write), The Fifth Sunday of Lent, in the Church of England’s Lectionary.

Psalm 126 (page 623 in the Bibles in the pews at church)

Sorrow & Singing

[To get maximum benefit from this, you should now read Psalm 126 and keep it open before you. I suggest The New International Version, which we use in church and which you can easily find online but there are lots of other good modern translations available]

How do you feel? Really? Almost always there are reasons for both sadness (v1, vv4-6) and / or happiness (vv2-3, vv5-6), which we can also see in the Psalm.

(1) REMEMBER with gratitude that God restored his people in the past (vv1-3)

Verses 1 and 4 speak maybe of a captivity (literal or metaphorical?) or of some other kind of restoration. It is as if God saved the people while they were asleep! He did it for them without their help. They awoke from their nightmare and had to pinch themselves. It was like a dream come true!

Likely the Psalmist is looking back to The Exodus when the people stood and watched as God saved them from slavery in Egypt. Possibly he is thinking of the return from exile in Babylon. We would think of the death and resurrection of Jesus, when he redeemed and set free all who trust in him.

AND SO, because of what God has done in the past, we should:

(2) PRAY with confidence that God would restore his people in the future (vv4-6)

The “Negev” (v4) means “dry” / “barren”. It was the southern desert region towards Sinai. When heavy rains fell in the mountains, streams would appear in the Negev. Although a natural phenomenon, this seemed like a sudden “act of God”, like a miracle. The waters brought new life and dramatic transformation, sometimes overnight. We have probably seen that kind of thing on nature programmes on the telly, as the desert blooms.

Sowing (vv5-6) is a bit different. It involves planning and investment, hard work and slow long-term hope. God could of course restore us suddenly and without us doing a thing. But he may want us to pray and act. Although the people of Israel did not save themselves from slavery in Egypt and never could, they did at least have to walk through the waters as the Red Sea parted.

We should commit our fortunes, and those of our family, community, nation, world and church to the Lord. But this Psalm finds its ultimate fulfilment in the resurrection hope of heaven and The New Creation. Our lives may involve many sadnesses and tears, but we can know that the end of the story is a joyful harvest. Jesus is like the first fruits of the resurrection. Or the first bluebell of spring. Jesus Christ is risen indeed! And so the resurrection is coming! That is a solid basis for gratitude and confidence.

The Revd Marc Lloyd

Psalm 126 - various outlines / headings

Motyer, Psalms by the Day:

Tension. Now and not yet: laughter and tears

Joy: what Yahweh has done (vv1-3)

Longing: what Yahweh will yet do – prayer and answer (vv4-6)

* * *

Motyer, Journey: Psalms for Pilgrim People

 Instant coffee and stalactites: Living with God’s tensions

Satan, the idealist

Past and present

A1 (v1) Restoration

(a) The work of the Lord

(b) His sole work, without human contribution

B1 (v2) Voices in response

(a) The vocal joy of the recipients

(b) The observing world

A2 (vv3-4) Restoration

(a) Joy in what the Lord has done (v3)

(b) Prayer for more of the same (v4)

B2 (vv5-6) Another voice: A promise doubled

(a) Tears and joy, sorrow and reaping

(b) Weeping and joy, seed and sheaves

Miracle and providence

Praying for more

Waiting for miracle, living with providence

Instant coffee and stalactites

* * *

Kidner:

“It was like a dream!”

Joy re-lived (vv1-3)

Joy re-claimed (vv4-6)

* * *

Wilcock:

Something clear (restoration, vv1, 4), something obscure (but how are the two halves of the Psalm related?)

Something quick (flood), something slow (farming)

* * *

Goldingay,

Weeping and Laughter

Vv1-3, The recollection

Vv4-6, The prayer built on the recollection

* * *

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary:

The restoration is here!

Joy of God’s people (vv1-2a)

Proclamation among the nations (v2b)

Thanksgiving (v3)

Prayer (v4)

Assurance of prayer answered (vv5-6)

* * *

Spurgeon,

Leading captivity captive

A narrative (vv1-2)

A song (v3)

A prayer (v4)

A promise (v5)

Psalm 126 - a handout

 Psalm 126 (page 623)

Sorrow & Singing

How do you feel?

Sadness (v1, vv4-6) and / or Happiness? (vv2-3, vv5-6)

(1) REMEMBER with gratitude that God restored his people in the past (vv1-3)

Vv1, 4 – captivity (literal or metaphorical?)? / restoration?

V1 – It is as if God did it (for us) while we were asleep!

We had to pinch ourselves! It was like a dream come true!

The Exodus – the people stood and watched as God saved them!

The return from exile in Babylon?

The death and resurrection of Jesus

The logical connection between (1) and (2): AND SO…

(2) PRAY with confidence that God would restore his people in the future (vv4-6)

The “Negev” (v4) – means “dry” / “barren” – the southern desert region towards Sinai

“streams in the Negev” (v4) – a sudden “act of God”, like a miracle, new life, dramatic transformation

Sowing (vv5-6) – hard work, slow long-term hope

The resurrection hope of heaven and The New Creation