Responding to Criticism

Mar 7, 2025

In 2 Samuel 16:5-14 we see how David responds to the curses of Shimei, a Benjamite who was related to Saul.  As David is journeying, Shimei hurls insults and dirt and stones at him, calling him a murderer and bloodthirsty man who deserves everything that is happening to him with Absalom’s rebellion. Abishai, fiercely loyal to David, wants to kill Shimei (after all, David is still king and this outburst could be considered treason), but David refuses to allow this. He is able to see Shimei as God’s messenger, even when the message he is bringing is one that may not be wholly true and even when it is deeply hurtful personally. His response is ‘Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.’ (2 Sam 16:11-12)

David models for us what turning the other cheek looks like (see Matt 5:38-40). Ultimately, we see this response in Jesus (‘When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.’ 1 Pet 2:23) David is able to deal with Shimei without fury or thoughts of revenge because he is able to entrust himself to God, secure that God’s discipline includes mercy. Paul urges us to leave room for God rather than seeking revenge (Rom 12:17-21), which is at the heart of how to respond to criticism. Though exhausted and pained by betrayal and insults, David is still able to refresh himself. (2 Sam 16:14) We too must learn to draw near to God at times when things are not going our way; what defines us is not so much what happens to us, but how we respond to this. We cannot rely on others to lift us up (though we are blessed by those whom God gives us as encouragers and helpers), but must learn to draw near to God in prayer, singing praise to Him through the troubles. We do this ultimately because we know God is in sovereign control of our lives and is working for good in every difficulty (Rom 8:28). The outcome is not at this point in the narrative certain; David does not know if Absalom’s conspiracy will succeed and if he will remain king, but he is able to trust God to work it all out. His responses are not always right, but in this, in focussing on mercy instead of revenge and on humility instead of arrogance, he models for us how to respond to criticism and how to live with painful circumstances.

 

The Dangers of Hearsay

Mar 7, 2025

In 2 Samuel 16:1-4, David (still fleeing Jerusalem after Absalom has declared himself king in Hebron) meets up with Ziba, the steward looking after Mephibosheth’s interests (see 2 Samuel 9). Ziba has provisions to help David (two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine, along with donkeys to help him on his way) and must have been a welcome sight for David and his men. However, when David enquires after Mephibosheth, Ziba tells him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’” (2 Sam 16:3) Hurt, David hands over Mephibosheth’s wealth to Ziba and his family, never pausing to check whether Ziba’s statement is true or not.

As it turns out, Ziba has not been honest (see 2 Sam 19:24-30), and this shows us the dangers of presuming motives and listening to hearsay. Ziba ascribes motives to Mephibosheth (the restoration of the kingdom to himself) which are not true; we are reminded that sometimes we do well to hold our opinions to ourselves, because we cannot see people’s hearts. David, understandably fraught from Absalom’s conspiracy, is too willing to believe a report without any verification; there is no ‘benefit of the doubt’ here or presumption of innocence over guilty.

Relationships can be repaired through honest communication and the full set of facts, but this encounter reminds us that we do well to hear the full story and both sides of a story before we make judgments.

 

God’s Treasured Possession

Mar 2, 2025

At our Little Big Church service tonight, we looked at 1 Peter 2:9 and Ex 19:5 which tell us that we are God’s special or treasured possession. The children hunted for treasure chests which contained clues to a final chest of (fake!) jewels and then decorated their own chests with stickers to take home. We were reminded that God values us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, demonstrating that we are valuable and loved by God.

Archaeologists such as Howard Carter (who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922) or pirates searching for treasure from shipwrecks often have to show persistence and skill in finding the treasure they seek. It matters what treasure we value; Jesus reminded us that we should work towards treasure in heaven rather than on earth, as this is the only lasting treasure. (Matt 6:19-21) Just as God values us, so we should value God and put Him first in our lives.

Jesus told a parable about a merchant who dealt in pearls. (Matt 13:45-46) He was prepared to sell everything He had to get the ‘pearl of great price’, and this reminds us that if we are God’s treasured possession, He should be our treasured possession too. Knowing that we are so important to God gives us the confidence to live for Him and to treasure Him as He treasures us.

 

Harvest Time

Mar 2, 2025

Garry spoke this morning from Colossians 1:9-14 on the subject ‘Harvest Time.’ Paul prays in these verses that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and wisdom so that they could please Him by bearing fruit.
Repentance leads to a changed life (see Matt 3:7-9). Jesus spoke about the fruitfulness that comes from abiding in Him (John 15:1-8); our effectiveness comes from our connection to God (see Luke 13:6-9). If we refuse to produce fruit, this means we are rejecting what God is telling us (see Matt 21:42-44). To surrender to God is not easy, but constant dependence on God is the only thing that leads to lasting fruit. We are called to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, growing His fruit (Gal 5:22-3, Eph 5:8-9) which consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth. God affects our character and our behaviour.
One of the ways in which fruit is seen is through our witness to Jesus (see Luke 24:46-48, Acts 1:7-8). We can’t guarantee the results of our witness, but we can influence others as we are open in talking about who God is and what He has done for us. We should pray for opportunities to witness and be prepared to ‘speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.’ (1 Peter 3:15)
Being filled with the knowledge of God’s will and wisdom helps fruit to grow in us. It puts us in the right condition to produce characters and opportunities to tell what God has done for us and others. As we understand better who He is and what He is like, we are shaped and changed. As we live, we will have opportunities to tell others what God is doing, which will produce fruit in other people’s lives as well as our own.

Update From India

Feb 27, 2025

As a church we support Fredrick and Reeba, pastors in Bangalore, India. Fredrick used to be a student at Mattersey Hall near Doncaster and spent time in Goldthorpe then, and the contact has been maintained since he returned to India.
He has recently sent us photos of the official opening of a church in the North Karnataka village of Hulikunte, Challakere Taluk, Chitradurga District. This church is called Jesus Holy Temple.
Despite opposition from local officials and the police warning the church Pastor (Pastor Marappa) not to proceed with the building, the work has been completed and the building opened on 26 February.
Fredrick writes, “There is a great harvest of souls in these provinces, and this is the season of miracles. We were joined for the dedication event of this church by pastors and leaders from nearby villages. We also invited all of the village leaders and Hindhus to come see what the Lord was doing. Pastor Marappa and all the believers were in tears as we dedicated the church, thanking God for His unmerited favour & love.”
We are so glad to hear this news and also to see photos of Amshika, the disabled child in Bangalore whom we support through regular monthly donations.

Living Life God’s Way

Feb 25, 2025

Garry spoke tonight from Ephesians 4:17-32 – live the Christian faith in spite of opposition. Paul is most emphatic in this section in urging Christians to live in a completely different way to how they used to live before they knew Christ. It is not an ‘optional extra’, as far as he is concerned, not the special concern of a select few, but a necessity for mature living. To even consider living as we used to is ridiculous in his eyes, rather like remaining at the crawling stage of a toddler when you could be running like Usain Bolt!
Non-Christians live a darkened existence, not understanding God’s purposes for their lives. They are cut off from God, having hardened their hearts. Paul reminds us of things associated with this way of life, including anger and rage, lies, stealing and bitterness of speech. He reminds us of how we should live – with new attitudes because we have a new self, speaking truthfully and building others up through our speech. We are called to be kind and compassionate and forgiving. To live otherwise is to give the enemy a foothold, to allow him to breach our defences and find ways to trip us up. Instead, we should put on the armour of God (Eph 6:10-20) so that we are equipped for the battle ahead.
To ‘live the life’ is what we are called to do. God gives us the knowledge, tools and help we need to do this, but we must understand and live by the truth of God’s word (however uncomfortable this makes us feel.) The bottom line is to not live as we did, it’s to live as we can. Let’s commit to this and keep that commitment and not allow that commitment to fade as we leave. There will be problems. There will be difficulties. There will be opposition. There will be times when it is so much easier to not bother. Casting Crowns spoke about being one thing in here and another thing outside. They sang about the change between in church and outside, or as they put it: between the altar and the door. In fact, who we are in church should be the same as who we are outside the building. We need to live the life God has given us.