Having looked at the unnecessary burdens we need to leave with God in exchange for His light and easy yoke (Matt 11:28-30), we continued looking at the idea that ‘the only weight we need to carry is the weight of God’s glory’ by exploring the idea of God’s glory.

‘Glory‘ is a difficult term to define, for it is largely an abstract concept for us and we find it much easier to deal with proper nouns that we can see and touch! That is why God so often gives us examples of abstract ideas (‘God is love’ is explained by John thus: ‘‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.’ (1 John 3:16) ) or uses metaphors (He is our Shepherd, our Rock etc.) Ps 19:1 talks about the heavens and skies declaring God’s glory and praise, reminding us of God’s magnificence. Is 43:7 reminds us that we are handmade people, made in God’s image and for His glory. Quite often, God’s glory is described using images we can understand, such as clouds or fire or dazzling light.

Ex 24:15-16 reminds us that when Moses received the Ten Commandments, a cloud descended on Mount Sinai and this was seen as a burning fire. (Heb 12:18) When Moses finished working on the Tabernacle – the symbol of God’s presence – a cloud descended (Ex 40:34-35); similarly, a cloud descended when Solomon finished praying over the dedication of the Temple. (2 Chron 7:1) The Hebrew word for ‘glory’ (‘chabod’) carries with it a sense of weight and heaviness (as when we talk about someone’s opinions being ‘weighty’, meaning important). The image of fire is seen in Isaiah 6 and of dazzling light in Is 60:1-3 and the Transfiguration of Jesus. (Matt 17:3-5) Every encounter with God’s glory, whether that is described in terms of clouds or fire or dazzling light, leaves an indelible impression on people. When we encounter God in this way, there is a weight imprinted on our souls, like the mark of footprints in the snow.

In 2 Cor 3:7-18, Paul contrasts Moses’s experience of God’s glory on Mount Sinai with our experience, contrasting the ‘old covenant’ with the new. ‘We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ (2 Cor 3:18), or as the Message version says ‘‘Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.’

As we dwell in God’s presence, as we seek to encounter Him and abide in Him and remain in Him, our lives will lose the unnecessary weight of dead burdens but will become heavier with the weight of God’s glory. Our lives will have more meaning, will leave a deeper impression, will make their mark on this world, because our faces will be shining with the brightness of God’s face. God’s presence, God’s glory, God’s nature… all we need. All other weights given up for the weight of God’s glory.

This morning’s sermon looked at the idea that ‘the only weight we need to carry is the weight of God’s glory.’ So often, we carry unnecessary burdens and weights which God never intended us to carry. Matt 11:28-30 reminds us that God’s yoke is easy and His burden is light, so we need to lay down the weights we carry. It’s not His intention that we are overloaded like a backpacking tourist:

Often the burdens we carry are those of worry, anxiety, fear, guilt and shame. Worry can easily consume our every waking moment, and is only resolved when we realise that God is our loving Father who cares for our daily needs and is able to provide for us. Anxiety is less specific, dwelling on hypothetical ‘What if…?’ scenarios where God’s grace cannot be found. Prov 3:25-26 reminds us that we need not fear sudden disaster, for God is with us; Ps 112:4 reminds us that even in darkness, God’s light shines for us to help us. When we are anxious, we have to choose to pray (see Phil 4:6-7), and God promises us His perfect peace.

Fear often arises from two false beliefs: the first, that God is not able to deliver us from situations (which is amply disproved by the Bible’s narratives of God’s miraculous interventions and deliverance) and secondly, that God does not love us enough or care enough to help us when we face difficulties. We strive for independence because we are not sure God is trustworthy, but that quickly leads us to chains which keep us bound, for we are simply not able to deal with every difficulty ourselves. Trust and love are the only things which dispel fear. (Ps 56:3, 1 John 4:18)

True guilt comes when we are convicted of our sin and leads us to repentance (2 Cor 7:10). As such , it is helpful, for we have all sinned and need the forgiveness only God can offer. (Rom 3:23, Rom 5:1-2). True guilt leads us towards God for forgiveness and salvation and focuses on the root issue of how our relationship with God is damaged every time we sin. False guilt, however, never feels that repentance is enough and leads us away from God because we believe the barrier to Him is insurmountable and that we are unworthy to be His children, so we continue to hide from God. We need to understand the power of the gospel: that we are forgiven, restored, accepted, welcomed before the throne of God (see Eph 1:4-6, Heb 4:16) and that our service arises from the acceptance we have already received, rather than from any desire to earn that acceptance. The enemy seeks to burden us with false guilt, telling us an awareness of sin is a sign of spiritual maturity, but God assures us that confession and repentance are our pathways to forgiveness (1 John 1:9); we do not have to live with a constant sense of guilt and shame which weigh us down.

The new Worship Central album ‘Set Apart’ is out now, and you can listen to the title track by clicking on the title below. Rom 12:1 urges us ‘in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.’  Heb 10:14 reminds us ‘For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy’ and Peter reminds us that since God is holy, we too are called to live holy lives. (1 Pet 1:15-16) Holiness means to be set apart for God, to be consecrated to Him and to live for His glory alone.

‘Set apart for our God above

Set apart for the One we love

Set apart for Your glory,

We are Yours.’ (‘Set Apart’, Worship Central)

Garry concluded his series ‘Looking For Heroes’ tonight, which has been looking at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. A hero is someone out of the ordinary, who deals with situations in ways others can’t and who are courageous or possess special abilities, but God is looking for heroes who will simply reflect His character. As the Kutless song Hero reflects, however, being a hero comes from the love God gives us which enables us to to ‘rise above the normal’, even when we are (in ourselves) weak and weary.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit are those who realise they have nothing of worth in themselves but need God, who understand that God has everything of value that we need and who reach out to God for all they need.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Mourning involves not just grief when we lose loved ones, but understanding that the world is not now as it was meant to be, for we have lost our fellowship with God through sin and we long to have that relationship restored. Matt 23:37 reminds us that God can restore our relationship with Him, comfort us and give us joy.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The world does not value meekness, equating it with weakness, but the word itself implies the taming of a wild stallion, someone who has been harnessed and brought under control. Meekness is the opposite of self-will, like an ointment that soothes wounds or gentle words which are well chosen. We need humility towards God and gentleness towards people, courage that is brought under control and is coupled with kindness.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

We need a deep and earnest desire for righteousness, even when we might find ourselves personally disadvantaged if we do the right thing.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

We all need to receive mercy and therefore we must all show mercy as well. Mercy is a reflection of God’s character, for He helps those who do not deserve to be helped. God’s chesed enables us to climb into someone else’s skin and relate to their situations and feelings; it is love without conditions, forgiveness that is offered to all freely.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

In ourselves, we are  not clean or pure at all (Prov 20:9, Rom 3:23), but God makes purity possible for all, since He purifies our hearts. (Heb 12:1, 2 Tim 2:22)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

God seeks peace and making peace is important. Rom 12:18 urges us to live at peace with people as far as it is possible for us to do so. No personal price is too high (think of the sacrifices made by those helping the Jews in the Second World War, for example.) God gave His everything to make peace and expects us to do the same.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We  will be persecuted when we live for Christ (Matt 24:9), for we are living in such a way that our values are different to the worlds. If we show these characteristics, however, we will be heroes, standing up for God’s values in the world.

Jesus said we are the salt and light of the world. We have a new nature; all God wants us to do is to live it. Be different. Don’t act like the world, but act as children of God. Then, when people ask us why we are behaving like this, we can witness to that divine nature within us. (see 1 Pet 3:15-16)

Kutless sing ‘You could be a hero.’ The question is, though: will we be a hero? The choice is ours.

We had another birthday to celebrate tonight: someone who positively wanted to get on the birthday box!

Dave spoke from John 4:39-42 on the power of the Samaritan woman’s testimony. Earlier in the year, he spoke from Prov 11:30, reminding us that he who wins souls is wise. In this passage in John 4, we see Jesus cutting through social conventions in travelling through Samaria  and addressing a woman, taking the initiative in reaching out to one who had been shunned by many for her colourful lifestyle. Jesus started the conversation by talking about something eminently practical (asking for a drink of water at a well), but through his personal knowledge of the woman’s situation, he went on to talk of spiritual matters and revealed His identity to her. The woman’s response was startling. Leaving the jar behind, she went back into the village to communicate with the people she had previously tried to avoid, to share with them the fact that this man she had just met ‘told me everything I did. Could this be the Messiah?’

Jesus is still in the business of seeking those who are lost and giving them a new life. Because she testified about Him, others came to Jesus to see for themselves. Personal testimony remains one of the most powerful forms of witness. When God is moving in our lives and the Holy Spirit is bringing people across our paths, we can be sure that our words will have an impact greater than we could ever imagine. We have to be willing to share our testimony, simply telling others about what God has done in our lives. It’s not all down to evangelists: God wants us to share with others so that they have the opportunity to come and see for themselves what God has done and can do.