Sermon preached at St.Luke's Church, Aylsham Road, Norwich. The subject is being a Christian in 2010.

1. ST.LUKE’S: YEAR OF FELLOWSHIP

2. BEING A CHRISTAIN IN 2010.

8. There’s probably no God… but I wish there was. I’ve got some things I need to ask him.’

9. Religion and war are like Ant and Dec; you never see them apart.

10. “ if there’s one thing worse than a murderous deity, it’s a scatterbrained murderous deity.”

11. BEING A CHRISTIAN IN 2010 MEANS A NEW KIND OF BIBLE READING.

12. 1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—- 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. 10 But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. 15 The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. 16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. . 20 Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.. The LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. 24 He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.

13. The Bible is written by poets, protesters, storytellers, activists, priests, mystics, doctors and other passionate people, (but NOT lawyers!)

14. Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? 8 As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish.

15. For the love of God and neighbor most of all.

16. BEING A CHRISTAIN IN 2010 MEANS RECOGNISING THAT “WE DON’T KNOW.”

17. Massive Earthquake Reveals Entire Island Civilization Called 'Haiti' January 25, 2010 |

18. "Of course, there have been rumors in the past about a Caribbean nation whose people struggle every day to survive, live in constant fear of a corrupt government, and endure such squalor and hunger that they have resorted to eating dirt. But never did we give them much thought." Added Oliver, "Had it not been for this earthquake, I doubt we would have ever noticed Haiti at all."

22. BEING A CHRISTIAN IN 2010 MEANS A NEW KIND OF COMMUNAL PRAYER & WORSHIP.

23. Acts 2 42 The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared life together. They broke bread and ate together. And they prayed. 43 Everyone felt that God was near. The apostles did many wonders and miraculous signs. 44 All the believers were together. They shared everything they had. 45 They sold what they owned. They gave each other everything they needed. 46 Every day they met together in the temple courtyard. In their homes they broke bread and ate together. Their hearts were glad and honest and true. 47 They praised God. They were respected by all the people. Every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

24. God we’ve seen the news reports God we need to know that you are there God we’ve read the newspapers God we need to know that you are there The world can be a very cruel place God we need to know that you are there The hungry and the hurting reach out God we need to know that you are there Our hearts long to believe God we need to know that you are there

25. But questions and doubts rise up like a raging river God we need to know that you are there Come into this place God we need to know that you are there We will open our hearts and souls God we need to know that you are there Show us your way God we need to know that you are there Amen.

26. BEING A CHRISTAIN IN 2010 MEANS MAKING OUR OWN CONTRIBUTION.

27. 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

28. Galatians 3 (The Message): 1 You crazy Galatians! Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! 5-6Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?

29. Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. 7-8Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed in you.”

30. The Bible is full of mystery. There is much about God that we don’t know. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’re not supposed to know. The Bible does not say that Christ is the answer to every occurrence and condition. It says He is the Truth. And truth waits to be discovered. The center of relationship with God is discovery. What gives faith new life & energy is the experience of finding something new about God I didn’t know yesterday.

32. Psalm 46 God is our safe tower God is our protector Ready to help when we call to him If the earth trembles If the mountains fall into the sea If the ocean waves shake the earth If rivers roar into the city God is already there

33. Leaders of nations may shout But when he lifts his voice, the earth is calm God ends war God melts the guns and silences the bombs God plants flowers & trees across the world God calls to us ‘Peace. Be Still.’ God is our safe place to hide.