Roger's Postings

Friday, May 16, 2014


1 Peter 2:2-10.                                   Grow up!!!                                         18/5/14

 {2) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, {3} now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. {4} As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- {5} you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. {6} For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." {7} Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," {8} and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. {9} But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. {10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 As times get rougher and tougher for us as Christians who are seeking to be true to God and his Word, we are here called on to grow up in our salvation. Surely we here have tasted that the Lord is good: Jesus died on the cross for us and rose again for us; we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. That being the case; let us grow up! We have every reason now to stand up and get on with being the kind of people that God would have us be, despite the difficulties and hassles. Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted from that which is right and true. Let us not get bogged down and avoid being who we are as God’s people, simply because things are not going the way that we think they should and are given a hard time for it.

 Are we going to let every little sour word from someone, a difficulty, or even persecution get to us? Are we going to allow the world and its thinking out there to guide us in the way we think and act? Are we going to allow the devil, the world and our sinful selves to drag ourselves and our church down? Here I am thinking of myself as much as anyone else. We need to take careful note of the message that God is giving to his Church through Peter. Remember here Peter is writing to people who are being given a hard time. They are not yet being fed to the lions, but things are fast heading in that direction.

In the face of that God says to them and to us; ‘grow up.’ Grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. Face whatever is before you with confidence and certainty. Stand up and be the Christian that you are because of Jesus. Don’t let the world out there and rejection by other, or whatever, turn you into ‘wimps’ and grumpy people. Get on with being and doing what you were saved and called to do. As the Australian saying goes; ‘don’t let the b****s get you down.

 But here I am the first to acknowledge that this is easy to say, but not so easy to live. It is tough and rough when others have a go at us. The temptation and desire is to get even. We feel as though we have to make it right and not let them get away with it. We need to clear our good name. We want it to be seen that we are right and good. So how can we forget all that and be able to get on with things, without letting it get to us? How can we hold our heads up and keep on doing and being a good Christian without letting it get to us?

 Here it is interesting what he begins by saying to us in this regard. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. Don’t go looking for all kinds of strategies, knowledge and development of our human strength and character, or whatever to help us. He says, be like babies and rely on mother’s milk. In other words go back to the basics. Go back to relying on the one who gave us our life in the first place. Go back to recognising and holding before our eyes the fact that Jesus Christ has forgiven us and given us life and salvation.

 Hold firmly to those basic truths that God has given to us in his Word, the Bible. Accept what he has to say there as that which he wants us to know and hold to. Then we will be given the nourishment and strength that we need in order to go forward confidently and boldly. There we are continually reminded of the importance and centrality of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.

 Remember that no matter what we face we are now connected to him who was rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him. This Jesus died for our forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. He has ensured that no one and nothing can separate us from the love of God. So even if our reputation is smeared; so what? Even if we have been the cause of the problem, we can look to Jesus Christ with repentant hearts and know that we are forgiven and we can beg for forgiveness ourselves from the people we have offended.

 At the same time, we now recognise that Jesus himself was rejected and killed but he still became the ‘capstone’ which holds it all together. This Jesus also tells us, that as his followers, we too will be rejected and cast aside by many, even within the church. As we seek to do what is right, we too will offer spiritual sacrifices; being rejected by others, but used by God to bring about good. So through life we are simply encouraged to look to Jesus as the ‘capstone’ and seek to do what he wants and then leave the rest to him.

 Now as well as that, this reading reminds us that Jesus and our standing up for him will be; "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Many do not want to hear of Jesus and his death on the cross. They want to live for themselves and their wants and desires. So when Jesus Christ and death for our sin is held up, that will be an offence to them. They will reject the message and the person giving it. So too when we stand up for these key truths of his Word, people will be offended and offensive.

 Now it is quite remarkable then, that we actually grow up as we look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus and as we trust in him. Just as he was rejected and seen as not being of any use; in fact harmful to the cause, yet was, and through that rejection and death on the cross became, that which holds everything together, in so far as our Christian life is concerned.

 The same also, now, he says, will happen through you and me. Since we are built into his Church and as we too, hold to Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, we too will be rejected and yet be the avenue of good. The more we grow up into Jesus Christ, the more he will help us bear up under whatever circumstances we might face. In him we find all that is needed for this life and the next.

 In our difficult times we learn to rely on him first and foremost for our salvation, but also to get through those times knowing that our Lord is with us and will bring good out of the situation. We will then be given the confidence to have that certainty that he will get us through those times and ultimately take us to be with himself in heaven.

 It is then, in and through Jesus Christ that we, even with our weaknesses and frailties, are told that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.

 That last point is very interesting and important. Till Jesus came along in our lives, we were nobodies. Yes, that is all of us. In other words, none us can stand up and think we are OK and that people should take notice of us, if it were not for Jesus Christ and the salvation that he brings. None of us can stand in our own goodness. We all deserve to be given a hard time. Yet, now we have received mercy. Now God is at work in our lives and through what we say, do and go through; no matter how small and trivial or seemingly poorly we have done things. God himself is at work. He will bring good from our lives, despite.

 So now we can stand tall and confident, even though we are given a hard time, or even seemingly ignored. Because God is there and at work in our life as a congregation, we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Each of us and all of us together, are important and valuable; part of God’s Church at work in the world, bringing good in the midst of difficulty and hardship.

 Let us grow up into this; into Jesus and his Church; trusting in him and his mercy: Craving after this pure spiritual milk because we have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him. For it is there alone that we have that which is good and basic for our lives; and also that which enables us to stand up against all that is thrown at us. And when it is us who have inflicted difficulty on others by not holding to these basics, let us turn back with repentant hearts and seek his forgiveness and help to make things right again.

 
So be strong, and look to our Lord Jesus at all times and he will give you the help and strength that you need. To him be glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

Friday, May 09, 2014


John 10:1-10.                     Jesus Christ - only gate to life!!                                  11/5/14

 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 This morning we are given a picture to help us understand a very important message – an essential message to us in our day and age. But perhaps we need to modernise this picture to some extent firstly, for us to be able to comprehend more fully the seriousness of the point.

 The picture for us today would be the suburban house or apartment. This would be a good example because of the danger of crime and violence that we recognise is ever present there today. There is no way that we would want to leave our doors and windows wide open day and night. We know the dangers that are ever present in our suburbs these days.

 So we are fully aware of the fact that if someone is trying to sneak in through a window or the back door they are up to no good. They are most likely there to steal, kill, rape or destroy. So we are ever so aware of the need to take every precaution necessary to ensure our safety and the safety of our loved ones: Rightly so; because of the widespread dangers that are thereabouts.

 There is only one way that we let someone into our homes and that is through the front door. And even there we have our locks, security alarms and chain, and all the rest. We only allow the person in or go with them if we know who they are: if we know their voice and what they are like as people.

 This understanding and attitude is a very important thing for people living in suburbia to keep in mind. To live in this environment means one has to be very wary and careful. For us this picture is very clear and understandable. Essentially the door becomes central to the safety and security for one’s life and wellbeing. It is through the door that all the comings and goings must go. Anyone who tries to come through some other way is up to no good.

 Now just as importantly, and in fact, of greater concern, should this thinking be with regard to our spiritual lives. But sadly it seems, for many, here their doors and windows are wide open. Or perhaps more to the point, there many have locked and bolted the front door but have left every other access open for the perverted to enter freely. At the same time they are prepared to sit back in the lounge suite of their thinking and reason that all is well; we will never get caught out. Here I don't just need to point to those out there; for so often it seems that we ourselves do much the same thing. I mean, how safety conscious are we when it comes to our spiritual lives. How much thought do we put into our spiritual security.

 This reading reminds us very clearly that Jesus is the only gate – the only door to life. There is no other way. Nothing else is as important. Now this is a vital message for us today in our pluralistic and tolerant society: A society where it is considered that there are many and various ways to find peace, happiness and eternal life. Christianity is only one of many ways to find God. And even within Christianity there are different aspects that are important in our gaining eternal life.

 Here however it is again clearly stressed that there is only one way. If anyone tries get to us with anything else - any other thinking - other than that which centred on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, watch out. They are nothing but thieves and robbers who are out to destroy us. Sure on the surface they may seem quite innocent and harmless; but so do many a burglar and rapist.

 Here, let us look to how many have been caught out by opening their door to all kinds of movements that promise us health, wealth and prosperity. Even much that comes from within ‘Christianity’ itself, seemingly quite innocently. We only need to read books like the "Power of positive thinking" written by a so-called Christian – the importance of inner meditation – Ten steps to this that or the other, and many others.  Many of them seem to mix a little eastern philosophy, medicine, business and the like thinking, and suddenly we find ourselves in the soup.

 These days there is a great emphasis on an individual’s experience of Christianity and feelings   that lead innumerable numbers of people to despair because they don’t have those feelings. Also there is this thinking that if you think something is true then it is true for you, even if God’s word says otherwise. In fact this is probably one of the biggest concerns today. We have many saying, even in our own church, that the Bible is no longer God’s Word, but only contains God’s word. Therefore we have to decide what is and what isn’t God’s Word: despite the fact that the LCA says that it upholds the Bible as God’s divinely inspired and inerrant Word.
                                                    
Another area that danger abounds is the unlocking of the window that focuses excessively on good living and charity and on comparing ourselves with those around; and as a result of this thinking, that it is how good we are that will make us acceptable and get us to heaven.

 But for most of us, it is the leaving of the back door of apathy ajar that we run into our greatest danger. Our focus and commitment to our work, sport and leisure comes way before any thought of our Lord Jesus; and then we wonder why we run into so many difficulties and hassles in life and faith is stolen away from us.

 Jesus makes it quite clear that these are not the way to go. Any of these philosophies, thoughts and ideas and those who promote them, if they do not enter through the right door – Jesus Christ and his death on the cross - then watch out. They are not there for the good of our spiritual health: they are thieves and robbers that are out to steal, kill, rape or destroy. God’s Word is quite clear that if we do not believe in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, then we are going to hell. That is how important and serious this is.

 Jesus Christ alone is the way to a true and good life and salvation: His death on the cross for the sin of the world; everything that you and I are and have done wrong, is threshold of the door that we have to pass through. Only those thoughts, philosophies and works that can stand up to the test of Jesus Christ and the centrality of his death has any true basis for our spirituality.

 When someone comes to you then and says that you must have this or that experience and feeling within you in order to be acceptable: in order to be a true Christian – beware. When you feel like skipping church and spending time reading and praying, but instead go off and do something else instead:        quick lock the windows before you start losing something that is most valuable. When we do not hear of the seriousness of sin, then Jesus death on the cross is a nonsense, and our Christian faith will quickly become simply a feel good, do good religion.  Check everything that you hear of a spiritual nature to see that it is the voice of Jesus and that it leads you through him and his death and resurrection, to life.

 Here also remember that just because some quotes to you a verse or two from the bible doesn't mean that it is God speaking. Satan knows the Scriptures better than you and I; and he is the master of deception and lies.

 But as we constantly and vigilantly look to our Lord Jesus Christ and trust in him as the way of salvation – the door to life - as we continually go back to him we find the assurance that we are safe and secure, and that eternal life is ours. As we listen to him we find that he has already saved us and given us life in all of its fullness: everything that we really need for this life and the next.

That is very much the encouragement and warning that comes to us here today. At no other time in history is this message more important than it is to us today. There are many who unwaringly are being caught out by thieves and robbers, who often come as wolves in sheep’s clothing: who come looking very appealing on surface. If they do not hold Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection as central – beware.

 On the other hand, with the Lord Jesus and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins as the centre and focus of life then can have the security of knowing that we are safe and that true life and salvation is ours. As we continue to come and go with him, we will find that he is the door that leads to pastures and nourishments that we need to give us the fullness of life that he says is there for us. Remember at all times that Jesus is the only gate to this life.  To him then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish    

Friday, May 02, 2014


1 Peter 1:17-23.                                One Way Street - in Christ!!                                        4/5/14

 “ Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.  For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

 This reading here this morning reminds us again that Easter changes life for us. Life is not the same for us who believe in Jesus Christ and his death on cross for us, and his resurrection from the dead. Our lives have now taken on a whole new and positive direction in life. We have a better way to live now as people who have been saved by our Lord Jesus.

 At the same time we need to be very mindful of how Peter begins this reading. Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. How we live, or more to the point, how we don’t live our lives, has serious consequences. We need to have a good sense of reverent fear.

 We have been placed on a different road, which leads to life, hope, joy and oh so much more. We are now heading down a one-way street, from which surely there is no turning back - no deviating from the course that is in front of us.  We are on the freeway to heaven - through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The road is clear in front of us. By our belief – our trust in Jesus and his work of saving us and that his ways are good for us, we are on that road with a clear run all the way.

 We are now in a sense on a one-way street. That really an interesting analogy for us, and our Christian life: to think of life now as a one-way street, of freeway proportions, with sadly very little traffic on it.
With that in mind, what does it mean for our lives? Both in the good sense but also the tragic reality if we go against what is set before us. Let me relate this to a modern day issue to help us understand.

 Dad has just given you a brand new Mercedes Benz, sports car, which cost him everything that he had, so that you could travel down this freeway of life in freedom, ease and safety. Would you then jump straight out that car and get on a wild, unbroken horse, close your eyes, and take pot-luck on South Road, going in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic. That sounds rather suicidal and stupid doesn't it!  It would be madness to do that, wouldn't it?  Would any of you do that? Would any of you get on South Road at peak hour with that wild horse with all those cars and trucks whizzing by, with your eyes closed as well, after you have already been given a Mercedes? You wouldn't be so mad, would you?

 Well, listen to what our Lord is telling us through Peter here in this reading.  God through Jesus’ death and resurrection has saved us. He has saved you and me from the pits of Hell. He knew right from the very beginning how stupid we human beings are and would continue to be. He knew how time and time again we ignore God and how he wants us live, so that we can do and live as we please. We think we can wink at sin and it doesn't matter. A little wrong here and there is not all that important. That we can avoid church: avoid helping our neighbour who is in need of help and love: that we can criticize one another or whatever, and see it as not all that important. Now I am not pointing to anyone in particular here, but to every single one of us. We have all mucked up so badly that we are in big trouble.

 We are standing in the middle of South Road with a line of 40ton semi-trailers bearing down on us and no way out. We on our own are in trouble and on a one-way trip to destruction. It is into that kind of situation that Jesus comes and takes everything that you and I deserve on himself: facing the punishment that surely should be ours. Then in place of that gives us a brand new Mercedes so that we can speed on our way through life to the home God has prepared for us. He has freed us from the emptiness and futility of life that is so prevalent around us and has given us a reason and a purpose for living; something sure to hope in and look forward to; something good and worthwhile to do on the way.

That is where we are here today. We sit here assured that we have got everything going for us. We have been placed on the freeway to heaven - with a luxury ride all way. So now what are we going to do about it? Are we going to be so stupid as to jump out of our Mercedes and place our lives in great danger?

 Well, that is surely what we do every time we go along with many of the things that are going on in our society. That what we do when we think that we can continue to live as we please and do what we want to do, without consideration as what God has to say on the matter.

 Yes, when we place all our security and hope in life on our education, money, material possessions and the like we will find that ultimately they are nothing but empty hopes and dreams: just when we need them most of all they will leave us stranded and in great danger.

 When we go along with others in playing down the importance of Jesus Christ and the Christian way of life we are wandering all over the road and are placing our lives and the lives of others around us in great danger. If we are going to close our eyes to the reality of the importance of Jesus Christ for every aspect of our lives, then can we be surprised later in life when we come crashing down in a screaming heap. To veer off the track that is set before us is nothing else but dangerous, to ourselves, and others. We might like to think that we have got it all under control; like the drunk does when he gets behind the wheel. But it is too late when we have crashed and killed a whole carload of innocent travellers.

 And yes, to even sit still in life can be just as dangerous. Would you like to just stop your car in the centre lane of the freeway, in peak hour, and sit there? No of course not! Likewise, God has called us now to go forward and to live as he would have us live, and not just sit there in the midst of life and do nothing.

The road is ahead of us. But remember it is a one-way street.  So to turn back or to veer this way or that by trying to live as the rest of society does, is to place ourselves and others in great danger. Surely we can no longer ignore the Lord Jesus Christ and the whole message of Easter.

 It is he who has rescued us from absolute disaster and placed us on the freeway to heaven. He gave up his very life for us. He allowed himself to be punished in our place. Here we have before us and in our midst the very one who has done such a remarkable thing for us. He now is the one who made it possible for us have a new and better life. So now our lives are surely his. He is the one who is all-important to us.

 So surely we will now go forward and continue on the freeway to heaven.  We will keep looking to Jesus and his death on the cross, because the road ahead will not be without its distractions, dangers and difficulties. We will surely remember at all times that we are there on that road by the grace of God. It is his love for us that placed us there, and which keeps us going. So we will continually seek his help and guidance all along the way. We will look ahead to him so that we do not diverge off the track and run into danger.

That is very much our encouragement here today again. To keep our eyes, hearts and minds fixed on the Lord Jesus at all times. Yes, that means we will in some ways be stranger to many people around us who don't know and don't care about the Lord Jesus Christ and Christianity. It means a lot of what others see as important, will to us be rubbish.

So now instead of only thinking about ourselves first, last and only, we will considers others and care for them. Our security will be a certainty, because it is founded in heaven: in Jesus, and not something as fickle as money and material possessions, which we know all too readily, can be here today and gone tomorrow. Our security, hope, meaning and purpose is now all there for us in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection.  As a result, we will live as is fitting for one who has been saved by our Lord and Saviour.

 Now we can and will trust in him. We can and will look ahead to him and the salvation that he has given to us. In Christ, life is now a one-way street: a highway to heaven. So with Jesus; happy and safe traveling, in the days and years ahead. And to him alone be all glory and praise, now and always. AMEN.


Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish