THE MAGAZINE OF THE
MESS AGE | 9 ISSUE 27 SPRING 201
INSIDE Special preview of Andy’s new book Meet our South Africa Urban Hero of the Year Teaching
From Colin Urquhart and Sam Ward
Higher than ever before Reporting back on months of Higher missions and hundreds of brand-new disciples
PLUS Message Academy stories • Latest news • How your regular support really makes a difference
ANDY’S RANT
Prayer and mission in tandem Dear friends, Each month we hold a prayer and vision day here at The Message where we gather the whole team from all over the nation – and more recently, the whole world – to pray into our vision, worship Jesus and be inspired by some great testimonies from across the movement. Our December 2018 prayer day came right on the back of our Higher mission in South Wales and it was so encouraging to hear stories of salvation from across the region (turn to page 6 to read all about it). What really stood out for me was when the team shared that there had been a real sense of things stepping up considerably during the last week of the three-week mission. There were more open doors, a greater sense of hunger among the young people and literally hundreds more coming to the outreach events and then making decisions for Christ. This was the very week we as a staff team had set aside for 24/7 prayer and I think that week we prayed specifically for Wales more than ever before. It felt like a perfect picture of prayer and mission in tandem, with the workers on the ground seeing fruit from the significant prayers of others. Please know that as you support us in prayer, you really are making a difference and are an absolutely vital part of the work of The Message. If you haven’t already, you can sign up to receive our daily prayer points by email or by post at message.org.uk/pray, and we’ve
included our February and March 2019 calendar with this edition of Flow magazine. God bless,
P.S. I’m excited to be releasing a new book – Here I Am in partnership with David C Cook. It’s designed to bless you and your church and comes with a suite of discussion resources. Turn to page 14 to read a special extract and find out more online by visiting HereIAmMovement.com.
The Message Trust is a registered data user and only uses personal data in connection with its charitable purposes. Registered Office: Lancaster House, Lancaster Campus, Harper Road, Sharston, Manchester, M22 4RG. The Message Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales No. 3961183 Registered Charity No. 1081467 VAT Registration No. GB 727 177616
IN THIS ISSUE
06 Cover story
Higher tours the nations with no sign of stopping
14 Special extract
Editor Simon Baker Associate Editor Ian Rowbottom Design & Illustration Simon Baker Hannah Beatrice Owens Bethan Wilson Matthew Varah Wilson
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Additional Photography Zeke Du Plessis Rachael Silvester James Thomas
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Giving E: giving@message.org.uk T: Tom Kinsey 0161 946 2335
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It is 100% TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) and is manufactured to ISO14001 standards.
Say hello to two of this year’s Academy students
mission by legendary Colin Urquhart
26 Don’t be a G.O.A.T. Sam Ward examines the
Flow Magazine The Message Trust Lancaster House Harper Road Sharston Manchester M22 4RG www.message.org.uk/flow
The paper used for Flow is manufactured using pulp sourced from sustainable sources from within Europe.
23 Charged up Be encouraged for
Subscription & Supporter Enquiries E: info@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT
The ex-gangster and South Africa hero who is grateful to be alive
21 Tolu and Aidan
Contributors Deborah Frawley Andy Hawthorne Colin Urquhart Sam Ward
Contact E: flow@message.org.uk T: 0161 946 2300
20 Meet Xola
Picture Editor Hannah Beatrice Owens
Be one of the first to read Andy’s new book Here I Am
‘least of all time’ in light of John the Baptist
30 Getting involved How you can stand with 30
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us in faith in 2019
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Developing a brand-new resource
We shot Andy delivering six exclusive teaching sessions for church small groups to use alongside his new book Here I Am. Turn to page 14 for a taster of the book, and visit HereIAmMovement.com to access the teaching resources and find out how you and your church can get involved.
BIG PICTURE
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NEWS
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Lifting Jesus higher in Cambridgeshire and South Wales 1–12 October, Cambridgeshire 01 Questions in school: Jon from SoulBox at St Peter’s Huntingdon 02 High five: BrightLine’s Daniel after a gig at St Mary’s Eaton Socon 03 Getting involved: Galactus Jack at Mildenhall Academy 04 BrightLine in action
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05 Excitement level: maximum at Ely Cathedral 06 Full of energy at Cromwell Community School 07 Handing out Bibles and connecting new Christians to local churches
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NEWS
Since our last edition, we’ve taken Higher to Cambridgeshire and South Wales, rounding out 2018 with four significant Higher missions and our biggest impact to date. In October we partnered with youth organisations in Cambridgeshire for Higher Cambs 2018, delivering a total of 34 school days and three evening gigs in Ely, St Neots and Cambridge. ‘We witnessed first-hand the blessing that God brings when his people work in unity,’ commented Alan McCormick, chair of the local delivery team and CEO of Mission Direct. ‘We know this is just the beginning. There’s an unprecedented hunger for
truth in our culture and it presents such a powerful opportunity for sharing the light of the gospel in dark places.’ In Cambridgeshire, we saw more than 13,000 young people face to face and gave away nearly 800 response packs to new Christians. There were 49 follow-up sessions in place across the region and stories of young people being set free from self-harm and negative behaviour in schools..
Message from a young person ‘I just got out of your show tonight at Ely Cathedral feeling that I’m loved. I’ve not had the best of lives, many times I’ve wanted to end it all right then and there, but you made me rethink my mistakes. I was crying, really touched by the words that were said. I seriously loved that night so much, it has changed me forever. When Jesus was put on the cross for us, so we don’t have to put the blade to our own skin, that changed me a lot. I don’t know how to thank you enough for tonight.’
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NEWS
Message from a young person
5–23 November, South Wales 01 Hands up with Nick from Vital Signs 02 A student joins the band with BrightLine’s Jacob 03 Performing on stage with Amongst Wolves at Bassaleg School 04 Sammy on stage at the All Nations Centre in Cardiff
‘You visited my school today and you have helped me so much. When I woke up this morning I didn’t want to get up – I have depression and I am suicidal. When you spoke about Jesus today I started to look at life a different way. I feel so much better about myself – I really do! I don’t feel like hurting myself for I can talk to God and he will help me through everything, no matter what. You have no idea how grateful I am that my life has been changed, literally.’
05 Fully engaged at a gig 06 Too cool for school: Ben from SoulBox
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November saw Higher in South Wales, with schools visited in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and The Valleys. Our teams Amongst Wolves, BrightLine, Enable, SoulBox and Vital Signs were joined by Social Beingz ( formerly TWELVE24) and Written in Kings, and worked tirelessly to engage school pupils during the day and share the gospel boldly at our evening gigs. Over the course of the mission, our teams were face to face with more than 17,000 young people in schools and youth groups. Of those, nearly 2,000 came to our gospel-centred gigs, and hundreds chose to commit their lives to Jesus. Across South Wales we had 62 follow-up discipleship groups hosted in local churches – that’s dozens of opportunities for those new Christians to root their faith in healthy, authentic church community.
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‘It was an incredible time,’ says Gary Smith, our UK Hubs Director. ‘We had the opportunity in partnership with the Bible Society to produce a special Welsh-language edition of
the Higher Bible, featuring our introductory content and the full text of Luke and Acts. It was so significant to be able to share the truth of the gospel without being limited by language – and it was such a blessing that a couple of people from our teams are native Welsh speakers. ‘There was one church leader who, in the build-up to the tour, was hesitant to get involved because they had no young people in their church community. For one of the mission weeks, one of our bands was based in his area and visiting local schools, so we asked if he would be able to put on food for one evening. Generously he offered to feed the team for the whole week – and when the young people in the local area heard that there was a band in town they started to get excited. ‘Fast forward to our Swansea gig – this guy was there with a minibus full of young people from his estate. He saw a number commit their lives to Jesus and now they’ve launched a youth group. Isn’t that amazing?’.
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NEWS
Next up for the Higher Tour is Yorkshire in March. We’re working hard behind the scenes building partnerships with schools, local churches and youth organisations to see as many young people as possible encounter the life-transforming message of Jesus. Beyond Yorkshire, we’re building up to a UK-wide Higher Tour in 2020 as part of Advance2020.
Please pray for our team in Yorkshire as they finalise our plans. Pray for continued open doors into schools and for the young people we meet to be receptive to the gospel. Above all, pray with us that we would see a generation of culture-shifting disciples raised to impact those around them.
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Simon and Jane Sullivan Oaks House Leaders
Could you refer someone to The Oaks?
‘My life changed forever when I was handed an Oaks application form’ Oaks resident
‘There is no better place for me to learn how to be more Christ-like’
A safe place to put down roots and grow
Places are available now for people looking for a fresh start in life. If you know someone who is part of your church community who could benefit from structured community living, get in touch today to refer them to us.
Oaks resident
Email info@message.org.uk or call 0161 946 2300 to request an application form.
Residents must demonstrate a clear commitment to the Christian faith, and a desire to live this out in day-today life as well as leaving behind any destructive patterns of behaviour. We cannot accept applicants who have either been drug-dependent in the last three months or are undertaking a drug withdrawal process. We can however provide details of other organisations who help people with drug dependency and drug rehabilitation. A typical week at The Oaks will involve a 7.15am start with devotions, followed by practical work, organised activities and some teaching until 5pm. Meals will be provided together with support for financial entitlements that an individual might qualify for.
NEWS
Advance takes flight at Lambeth Palace event In October 2018, we gathered with 100 evangelists and ministry leaders at Lambeth Palace to cast the vision for Advance2020.
October 2019 will see an Advance Celebration in Birmingham where up to 2,000 evangelists will be commissioned and released for 2020.
‘If together we multiply the gift of the evangelist through accountable groups and plan to proclaim the gospel to two million people in 2020, could we see our nation changed?’
Photo: @bpedmonton / Twitter
‘I want to challenge the next generation of evangelists to think big,’ says Andy. ‘Driving Advance2020 is this question: “What would it look like for us to step up for a year?”
Find out more about how you can get involved with Advance at advance2020.org
Schools work to kick off in Scotland This February we’ll be delivering a week of creative mission in high schools in Dunfermline, and inviting young people to an explosive evening gospel gig at local Harlem Nightclub. US-based Transform DJs (pictured) will perform in schools and on the Friday evening. ‘The beautiful thing about the project so far is the churches in Dunfermline are working together to bring creative
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mission to the area,’ said Alko Stoel, our Scotland schools manager. ‘It’s been great to see the unity between churches and I can’t wait to see what God will do through this project.’ Please pray for Alko and our team in Scotland as they finalise plans for the week. Pray for open doors into schools and for churches to be inspired.
NEWS
10/10 The number of secondary schools we visited in Jersey in September. That’s right – we were in all 10 of them!
Praying for Greater Manchester
18 Academy students on our 2018–19 course. Read more about two of them on pages 21–22.
100 young people attended each week of the 10:10 Project, our partnership with Youth Alpha in Scotland
In November, hundreds of Christians from across the region came together again to cry out to God for a move of his Spirit. We’re gathering again on Thursday 4 April and Thursday 27 June at 7.30pm at Audacious Church.
Mates on a mission Celebrating the remarkable people with us on the journey Rachel Hickson Rachel was featured on The Message Podcast in November sharing a message about shut and open doors. Listen now at message.org.uk/podcast. Sarah Small Sarah is our new Head of Eden UK. She’s been part of an Eden team in Merseybank, Greater Manchester, for the past six years with her husband Steve. Find out more about Eden at joineden.org. Colin Urquhart The pioneering leader and legend of the church renewal movement joined us for our staff prayer day in September. Turn to page 23 to read more. 13
Awakened
to the Call IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM HIS NEW BOOK HERE I AM, ANDY HAWTHORNE UNPACKS HOW WE CAN WAKE UP TO GOD’S CALL ON OUR LIVES Taken from Here I Am by Andy Hawthorne, published by David C Cook. All Rights Reserved. ISBN 9780830776535. RRP: £9.99.
FEATURE
‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.’ – Isaiah 6:1
then something enters our thoughts or our awareness, and we start to see him filling the temple again and coming near in a special way for a special reason.
e don’t know if this was a dream Isaiah had while lying in bed or a vision that came to him as he stood in the temple. But either way, I have to imagine that it came as a shock to Isaiah. There he was, having pleasant dreams or a nice day praying in the temple, and boom, God is there, throne and all, with a robe like a billowing cloud filling more and more of the space.
‘the problem isn’t that he’s not calling but that we’re not yet following’
So it is with us. Before we came to Christ, we probably operated more or less blissfully with almost no communication with – or even awareness of – God. We went our separate ways. But then we became aware of him somehow, and this eventually led to us believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths that he is Lord (Romans 10:9). First, we were unaware of his proximity to us, and then we became very aware of it, as happened with Isaiah. But this is also the sequence when we, as Christians already, begin to sense that God might be calling us to something else, to some higher or deeper work, in his service. We’d been going along happily, doing what we do, even serving the Lord to the best of our ability. And
It often occurs to us as a feeling of growing discontent. Not that we’re tiring of walking on the narrow way. It’s not greed or unhappiness but a sort of holy discontentment. The sense that God is up to something and it might possibly involve us, but when, oh when, will he reveal it to us? It’s a feeling you can’t shake that tells you something is wrong with the world that someone should do something about, and that maybe that someone should be you. You sense (or hope) that God has some new work that is yours to do, but you can’t quite reach it yet. God is really calling you. There is a deeper work he’s beckoning you into. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the problem isn’t that he’s not calling but that we’re not yet following.
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FEATURE
GETTING OUR EARS CHECKED I’m confident that God is calling you to a deeper work. I’m also certain that there’s a part of you that wants to do whatever he asks and whatever must be done to hear his call. The Lord, throne and all, is filling the temple of your heart. You’ve had your awakening and you’ve sensed that God has come near. Here are some ideas for making sure you can see and hear him fully. First, deal with any known sin in your life. Sin will keep us separated from the
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‘What has God called you to do? God invites every one of his children into his work’ voice of God and will cause our ‘sacrifices’ to become meaningless while it stands between ourselves and the Lord. Sin causes us to be cut off from the power of the vine. So ask his forgiveness! Why wait?
He is always pleased to give it to all who ask. Then we will see his robe filling the temple like a cloud.
thought that we’d soon be with Jesus for all eternity and we had a part to play in getting other people there. It’s a bit of a wake-up call for us, isn’t it? So as you listen for the voice of God, do so with an eye on Christ’s second coming, which – you never know – might happen a lot sooner than some people think (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Second, stay alert. The people of God should, as John Stott once said, have one eye on the Word and one eye on the world. We should come to the morning news headlines saying, ‘Lord, help me understand what’s going on from your perspective.’ If we do this, maybe God will build a greater expectancy in our hearts.
Third, identify what it is that made you start suspecting that God might be calling you to a new work or a new level of partnership with him. Isaiah was going along fine as a preacher before he had this encounter with God. His first inkling that God was about to change his direction was the vision and his sudden awareness that God was coming near.
‘many people long for a larger work that only God’s enabling will allow them to do’
What was your awakening to this change? Was it, indeed, a holy discontent with your current situation? Was it a trauma or crisis in your life or in the life of someone you love? Was it a setback or disappointment that showed you that your expectations were not in line with reality? Was it a word from God himself ? Identify this, because it will become part of your story when you tell people what caused you to make the big change I suspect you could be about to make.
What a good thing it would be for the people of God if we thought, ‘Wow, Jesus may just return very soon.’ I think it would change everything. It would affect the fact that we play games with sin. It would affect the way we spend our money. Maybe it would even affect our evangelism – if we
Fourth, take inventory of how the Lord has made and gifted you. There is a chance God might call you into an area in which you have virtually no natural 17
FEATURE
or spiritual ability, if only to cause you to rely exclusively upon his enabling. But it’s perhaps more likely that he will call you into work that makes use of your spiritual gifts, your personal passions, and your training and skills. He made you on purpose, after all. So make some lists. It’s not our job to winnow out the good works God has prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). That’s God’s department. But it doesn’t hurt to turn your mind to these characteristics of your life, because God often calls us to do further work in areas where he’s already had us honing our skills. Maybe, with your eyes scanning about in this way, you’ll more rapidly detect the manner in which he may be calling you. What has God called you to do? God invites every one of his children into his work. Did you know that? You don’t have to be a seminary-trained Bible scholar to be the very hands of Jesus on this earth.
‘How rarely do most of us enter into such a posture of willingness to be sent wherever to do whatever’ 18
‘Stop your activity, stop your thoughts, and dwell before the Lord. Ask him to come near’ There are many ways to answer the question of what God has called you to do. You can say that he’s called you to love and serve him, and that’s absolutely true. You can say that he’s called you to use your spiritual gifts in the local church, and that’s true. You can say you must bloom where you’re planted and shine your light wherever you are, which is surely so. You can say you must simply look around yourself and see what needs doing, or what Jesus would do, or where God is already working, and then do what your conscience compels you to do, and that would be brilliant. But many people long for a larger work, a calling that will demand everything of them and be much, much too big for them, that only God’s enabling will allow them to do. Is that you? Do you long to hear God saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ Are you electrified by the very prospect of volunteering – sight unseen – for whatever God might call you to do? How rarely do most of us enter into such a posture of willingness to be sent wherever
to do whatever! And when we are in that posture, how we yearn for God to instantly hand over to us our orders, our itinerary, and our plane tickets. Isaiah had a dramatic awakening to the nearness of God. It’s as if the veil grew thin and God’s form could be seen pressing against it and his voice could be heard. It was a moment when the holiest of holies in the temple suddenly enveloped Isaiah, and he was in God’s own fiery presence. What is your level of awareness of God’s nearness right now? Do you sense his closeness more than usual? Less than usual? About the same? Stop your activity, stop your thoughts, and dwell before the Lord. Ask him to come near. Ask for eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart wide open to his will. Plead for your own awakening. And just wait. Simply dwell in that stillness. Discipline your thoughts to be silent. Ignore the distractions. Sit. Wait. Abide. Listen.
FIND SMALL GROUP RESOURCES HereIAmMovement.com
Here I Am is available now at a special launch price from the Message Shop. £9.99 £7.99 message.org.uk/shop
STORIES
‘I grew up in a place called Samora Machel in the suburbs of Cape Town. I was the only man in my house and so I decided to live life outdoors, always spending time with my friends. ‘It was during this time that I started taking drugs. I dropped out of school, got involved with a gang and it wasn’t long before I ended up in prison.
‘People don’t believe I’m still alive’ Ex-gangster and South Africa Urban Hero of the Year Xola Dingiswayo shares his story
CATCH UP WITH OUR WORK IN SA message.org.za
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‘It’s said that there is no way out of gangsterism. But while I was in prison I found the way out. It’s Jesus. He broke all of the chains that were holding me. When I was released I trained as a barista and now I am working at the Mess Café. ‘People who know my background – that I was taking drugs, and involved in crime and gangsterism – don’t believe that I’m still alive. They ask, “How did you survive prison?” My job as a barista offers a platform now for me to share my story. I can share how God has completely transformed my life and how much working for and being supported by The Message has blessed me. ‘Being recognised at the Urban Hero Awards encouraged me to continue trusting God in the calling he has given me. I was reminded of the purpose God placed in my heart to work with young people in my community. Receiving the honour was like God reminding me that he is with me always, in everything that I am doing.’
South Africa’s first Urban Hero Awards were held on 1 November 2018 in Cape Town. Watch all of the winners’ stories over on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/ messagetrust
STORIES
Both originally from London, Tolu and Aidan moved to Manchester in September to join our Academy course. We caught up with them to find out more about their experience so far
WHY DID YOU APPLY TO JOIN MESSAGE ACADEMY? Tolu: I was working as a youth pastor in North West London and was blown away by everything I saw The Message doing – from the bus ministry to Lift events to Eden teams. I loved the idea of using music to reach young people and The Message has an amazing culture of excellence. I saw Academy as an opportunity to dive deeper into this culture, while receiving theological training and more youth work experience at the same time.
Aidan: When I lived in London to be honest I felt like I was drifting away from God and I didn’t have any Christian mates. For me, Message Academy was a way to kickstart a new lifestyle, with structured days that would help me develop my understanding of God. I spent a year raising the money I’d need to do the course. I’m passionate about working with young people and using my life experiences to help others.
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STORIES
WHAT HAS BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF THE COURSE SO FAR? Tolu: Spending time with the others on Academy has been a key highlight for me. We’re a group of creative people looking to grow in faith and skill and Academy allows us the space and time to do that. It’s great being able to go on a journey with other people who share a hunger for faith and growth, being able to be transparent with friends and sharpen each other. Another highlight has to be seeing the young people impacted through our mission placements. I’ve seen them step into their own gifts and begin to shine as they go further in their spiritual journey. Aidan: There are so many great things happening at The Message. I’ve really enjoyed working with ex-prisoners, hearing their amazing stories of transformation. I’ve also loved getting involved with youth work, especially teaching young people to play the drums. Seeing the students progress has been a great experience and seeing some of them having an interest in my faith and watching their behaviour be changed by it has been a highlight. I love music and so having the opportunity to perform on stage and spend time in a production studio, learning and improving has been my biggest highlight so far. I also really appreciate spending time with the other Academy students. We always have a laugh and I feel comfortable to be myself around them. Everyone’s willing to give support where and when it’s needed – it’s like one big family. We’re recruiting now for the 2019–20 Academy course. Find out more at message.org.uk/academy 22
Aidan
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS ONCE YOU’VE GRADUATED FROM ACADEMY? Tolu: After Academy, I hope to use the gifts I’ve been developing over this year in music and arts to get involved with The Message’s work across the UK. Aidan: After Academy, I hope to go somewhere with my music. That’s the plan. I’m just relying on God to take me to where I need to be.
Tolu
Legendary renewal leader Colin Urquhart reminds us that we’ve been given everything we need to play our part in seeing God move
TEACHING
Across my life I can look back on many years of fruitful ministry. There have been times when there was such a move of the Spirit that – even in this country – we’d see a thousand people come to the Lord every week, and consider it a bad meeting if there were fewer than 100 saved. At times it was commonplace to see major miracles happening daily. Yet, over all the years, I’m conscious of my complete inability to do anything myself. In Christ, I am all that he says I am – but of myself, I am nothing. We get ourselves into trouble when we get big ideas about ourselves because of how we see God moving, and perhaps even more so when we begin to congratulate ourselves for what we see God doing. He’s the only one to be congratulated, thanked and praised. He just lets us in on the action.
‘We’ve been fully equipped. Jesus’ blood has dealt with every negative and the Spirit gives us every positive’ So if that’s the case, who are we? Where do we find our identity? It’s always good to focus on Jesus. In him, we see the ultimate way to minister to people’s needs. Where did he find his identity when he was on Earth? It was in his Father, not himself.
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Philip asks Jesus in John 14:8, ‘Lord, show us the Father…’. Jesus’ reply: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’ What was he referring to? Throughout John’s gospel there’s a series of statements that Jesus makes about his relationship with the Father. On more than one occasion, speaking about himself, he says, ‘By myself I can do nothing’ (e.g. John 5:30). If that’s true of Jesus, then surely that’s true of all of us! When we think of the miracles we read about – water turned to wine, feeding five thousand, healing the blind, raising the dead – we think of them as Jesus’ miracles. But Jesus only saw them as the working of the Father. Even when he faces the cross, he prays in Gethsemane, ‘Not my will, but yours be done’ (Luke 22:42). Everything in Jesus’ ministry revealed and glorified the Father, exalting him and making him known. As far as he was concerned, in drawing people to himself he was drawing them to the Father. It’s in this that we see his complete selflessness – the selflessness that’s at the heart of what it means to lay down your life in love for others. So where does that leave us? I believe we’ve been given two things and, in a glorious way, all we need are those two things. Firstly, the blood of Jesus. I think we often miss the power of the blood of Jesus. We know that by his blood everyone’s sins are forgiven, but if you read Hebrews it tells us that through Jesus’ blood you can stand before God as if
‘God is the only one to be congratulated, thanked and praised. He just lets us in on the action’ Secondly, we are given his Holy Spirit. It’s the Spirit of holiness, and he’s called ‘Holy’ because he enables us to do the things Jesus did and greater things still. One of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen was at a conference where I was preaching in South Africa. This was during the time of apartheid and the conference saw 6,000 people of different races come together. At the end of my sermon, prayer flowed out and – this is no exaggeration – thousands of people who had been sitting down to listen jumped to their feet at the same second as the Holy Spirit fell. There are many ways the Spirit moves and for the rest of that week I could barely move for people telling me of the miracles that God did when the Spirit fell. We’ve been fully equipped. Jesus’ blood has dealt with every negative and the
Spirit gives us every positive. All that’s left for us is to imitate Jesus, living our lives as he lived his. I know I can’t do anything by myself so I trust him completely. Never does he leave us to our own devices. What a God! There’s never any failure except when we trust ourselves and not him. A great man called David Du Plessis used to refer to himself as ‘the Lord’s donkey.’ I like it: I’m just a donkey but I carry the Lord. What a lovely way to look at it.
This is an edited version of a talk given at our September 2018 staff prayer day. Listen to the full talk online: visit message.org.uk
TEACHING
you were Jesus himself standing there (Hebrews 4:16). That’s its power – it not only forgives but it breaks the power of sin. It removes from our lives everything that is not like Christ and makes us totally acceptable in his sight. We should remember this when we pray. We’ve been washed in the blood, so we can stand before the Father with the same confidence, faith and expectation as Jesus did.
TEACHING
Sam Ward looks at the words of John the Baptist in Luke 3 and explores the hope Jesus’ baptism offers
TEACHING
I once got a phone call at 11pm one night from a friend who said, ‘I need to be baptised.’ ‘Great,’ I replied, ‘call me back in the morning and we’ll work something out.’ ‘No,’ came the response, ‘I need to be baptised now!’ I was leading an Eden team in Openshaw at the time and we were meeting for church in a local hall. There was no baptistry there so the only option available at that time of night was the canal. I got up, got dressed and met him at the water’s edge along with my brother. My brother had brought his guitar so we sang some songs and then we climbed in. Knee-deep in silt we baptised my friend in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I was full of the joy of the Lord – it was the greatest night ever! Someone came round the corner and I shouted, ‘Hey! We’ve just baptised this guy!’ ‘Okay, well if you’re smoking something the cops are just around the corner.’
If you choose the way of righteousness, then Jesus wants in'
‘No, we’ve just baptised my friend in the canal!’ ‘Yeah, but if you’re smoking weed the police are just around the corner,’ he replied, before shuffling off with his dog. How exciting are baptisms? In Luke 3 John the Baptist is full of the presence of God and people are flocking to see him and to be baptised in the Jordan river. In verse 15, the people ‘were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah’. There is something of a revival kicking off. The people love his message and he speaks with power and authority. Could he be the one they’ve waited for? But John sets the record straight. ‘I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ (Luke 3:16). John was baptising people out of their past, but the one who is coming will baptise them into their future. We can learn a lot from John’s humility. His ministry was booming. His popularity was off the charts. Even Jesus says later, ‘I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John’ (Luke 7:28). Is there any higher praise? He’s the best in the business, and yet he considers himself unworthy to untie the straps of Jesus’ shoes. We live in a time when society tells us that success looks like so many things – money, fame, power, lifestyle, possessions – but John gives us a glimpse of the radical alternative of God’s kingdom.
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ESTHER SWAFFIELD-BRAY
RT REVD DR JILL DUFF
NATALIE WILLIAMS
SAM WARD
FRIDAY 10 – SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019 T H E M E S S A G E T R U S T, M A N C H E S T E R
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TEACHING
John was quick to remind his followers of his lowly position in relation to Jesus. But did you know that the lowest position wasn’t the servant who unties the sandals? There’s just one job that’s even lower than that. It’s the servant who washes feet.
John was baptising people out of their past, but the one who is coming will baptise them into their future' Just a few years after John’s ministry, Jesus the Messiah will take his few remaining friends to an upper room where he will share his final meal before he’s taken to be nailed to a cross. He’ll take the bread and say, ‘This is my body, broken for you.’ Then, he’ll take the cup of wine and say, ‘This is my blood that will be poured out. The old has gone and the new has come.’
knows that he’s not worthy of such a low position. He can’t say he’s the least when he knows the one who is to come is greater still. Jesus – the greatest of all time – is the least of all time. What I love most about what we read in Luke 3 – where the Messiah himself listens to John’s words, wades into the river and submits to his baptism – is that there was no need for him to do so. Even John tells him so (Matthew 3:14). He had no sin to be washed away. But Jesus wants in. He wants to be with us and he wants to be like us. He wants to be among people who choose redemption and walk in the way of righteousness. In so doing, he is redeeming what it means to be human. Be assured of this: Jesus wants to be with you. If you choose the way of righteousness, then Jesus wants in. If you choose to walk in holiness, then Jesus is with you. He calls us to imitate him, to live with humility, to be the least. What hope that brings. Choose it. Choose him.
Catch up with Sam’s exploration of the upside-down kingdom found in Luke’s gospel on the Message podcast: message.org.uk/podcast.
But before that, he’ll take off his outer garment, wrap a towel around his waist and kneel at the feet of his disciples to wash their feet. Throughout his life, Jesus says the most profound statements to describe the upside-down kingdom. He tells us that the one who is least will be the greatest, the first will be the last and that the greatest will be the one who washes feet. John 29
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