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Published on Leave a comment on 1 Corinthians 9 sermon – part five

Continued from here.

Where do we draw the line though?  Is Paul infinitely flexible? Just a chameleon with no integrity?  No, look at those brackets in v21:

21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

Paul is not just all spin and no substance. Even when Paul enters deeply into another culture there is still something ruling Paul.  He says he’s not free from God’s law but he uses a wonderful phrase to describe his relationship to Christ.  He is in-lawed by Christ.  Not that Christ is like the in-laws – that would not be good!  But it’s the idea of Paul kind of sunk down into Christ who is Paul’s law.  Christ Himself is the ruling authority in Paul’s life – Christ has en-law-ed Paul.  So Paul has not just cast off every rule and authority “Hey – all things to all men – whatever man!”  Instead he is ruled, he has a centre, he has integrity.  It’s Jesus.  It’s the Jesus who hung out with prostitutes and publicans and sinners.  But it’s the Jesus who never sinned in those circumstances.

Which means Paul could never say ‘I became a drug dealer in order to win drug dealers.’   ‘I became a drug user to win drug users.’  Or ‘I became sex worker to win sex workers.’  But it will mean some people saying ‘I hang out with drug dealers and drug users to win drug dealers and drug users.’  ‘I hang out with sex workers to win sex workers.’

There’s flexibility, but there’s also faithfulness.

But why Paul?  Why go through all of this??  It’s so much easier to stick with people like us.

We’re not even aware of how strongly we just gravitate towards people like us.  When we’ve walked into a room we’ve assessed the people there in a nanosecond and we gravitate immediately to people like us.  Without even thinking about it, we strike up a conversation with people our age, our race, our tax bracket, our sense of humour, our fashion sense.  We’ve made those calculations at the speed of thought, and we slot into cliques with ‘people like us’.  Because – we crave acceptance, we deeply want to belong and it’s exhausting crossing social and cultural boundaries.

So how does Paul do it?

23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I read another translation of this verse which I think is a bit better.  “That I may be a CO-sharer in the gospel.” Paul shares in the blessings of the gospel.  He has the right to be God’s child.  But he doesn’t want to enjoy this blessing on his own.  He wants other CO-sharers.  He wants other children around him.

And that’s the prize he speaks about in v24.  In v25 he calls it ‘the crown’ – we might call it the gold medal.  The prize Paul is interested in is having MANY other people share in the gospel blessings with him.  In Philippians (4:1) Paul calls his fellow believers his joy and crown.  And in 1 Thessalonians (2:19) he says this:

[SLIDE]

19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul’s vision of the future is not just sitting down at the great feast with Jesus and no-one else.  His vision is sitting down at the feast in the new creation enjoying the presence of Jesus WITH the Philippians and the Thessalonians and the Corinthians and with as many other people as possible.  That’s a crown worth working for.  That’s a prize that can get you excited.  And so Paul tells us how this prize motivates him.

 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Do you know how much training it takes to run a marathon?  Frankly I don’t want to know.  Cos it aint happening?  I’m out of breath just brushing my teeth.  But I looked up a few training regimes this week.  And they seem to vary between 14 and 23 weeks.  And at some point you’re running 75 miles in a week.  Even if I did nothing else, there are not enough days in a week for me to run 75 miles.  Where do they find the time?  I read one 14 week regime it said: Week one, day one: Run 6 miles.  I need a 14 week regime just to get me to that!  By day 7 of week one it said: Run 13-15 miles.  You’re running a half-marathon by the end of your first week.  I thought ‘That’s a bit extreme’ and then I realised that this was the training regime for someone who wants to run the marathon in under 3 hours. 

But actually this is the kind of regime that Paul’s talking about because, v24, we run in such a way as to get the prize.  In v24, Paul’s not saying ‘There’s only one spot in heaven, I’ll race you!’  He’s saying the way we seek to win others for Christ is not like a fun run.  It’s not a saunter in the park.  It’s a competitive sub-3 hour marathon regime.  And when you’re on this regime you watch your diet like a hawk, you eliminate virtually everything else from your diary and your life is taken over by running. 

But you know what?  If you are obsessed enough about running a sub-3 hour marathon, your whole life will be brought into line.  If the crown is in mind, if the medal is in mind, if the finishing line is in mind, you’ll find that you have the most amazing self-discipline.  Unnecessary stuff gets squeezed out and you’ll do it with zeal because you’re looking to the prize.

Read verses 22-23 again:

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Paul wants to sit down with Christ in the new creation.  And next to him is that Philippian jailor he converted.  And the Jewish business woman Lydia.  And that demon possessed slave girl he met.  When Paul was in Philippi he was flexible enough to reach all of them – you can read about it in Acts 16.  But there they’ll be the Jail warden, the well-to-do Jewish business woman and the demon possessed slave girl.  (Ex-demon possessed).  They’ll all be feasting together.  What a prize!  And opposite Paul will be the very religious Jews he met at the synagogue and across from them the very clever Greek philosophers he converted in Athens, and next to them will be some Corinthians who chapter 6 told us were once sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers.  They’ll all be there because the Gospel is big enough to meet and change all of them – and Paul was Christ-like enough to be flexible.

Who do you want to sit down with on that day?  Jesus’ blood has paid for every tribe, language, people and tongue.  Who’s going to reach them?  Who’s going to reach Eastbourne?  Well – we are.  That is, if we abandon our entitlement spirit.  If we stop insisting on hoarding time and money and comfort?  If we stop sauntering along like a fun run, or like a shadow boxer.  There is a race to run and a prize to win.  Thank Jesus that we can partake in this great work.  And ask Him now for help to sacrifice what needs to be sacrificed so we can run well.

PRAY

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Published on Leave a comment on 1 Corinthians 9 sermon – part four

...Continued from here.

Let me ask you a question: What does an evangelical look like?

‘Evangelical’ is just a label that bible believing Christians like us use for ourselves. It’s taken from the word ‘evangel’ which means ‘gospel’. An evangelical just means a ‘gospel person.’ So what does an evangelical look like?

The scandal is – everyone knows what an evangelical looks like.

Ned Flanders

Ned Flanders. We know it. The world knows it. Evangelicals look like white, middle-class, suburban, university educated, irritating, sanctimonious nerds.

Did you know that most of the world is not white, middle-class, suburban, university educated and nerdy? So what would an evangelical look like then?

hijab

Would you look like a Muslim to win Muslims?

Biker

Would you become a biker to win bikers?

evangelicalcassock

Robed to win the robe lovers?

chav

A chav to win chavs?

porn show demonstrator

Here is a protestor outside the strip clubs of New Orleans.  Is this the evangelical position towards the sex trade?

What about...

inside the porn show

Here's XXXchurch handing out 'Jesus Loves Porn Stars' Bibles.  They distribute thousands of New Testaments with this cover to pornographers and enthusiasts at porn shows across America.

All things to all people that by all possible means we might save some.

Here's the point:  If evangelicalism starts to be visibly identifiable as a certain cultural / religious movement it’s actually betrayed the evangel – the gospel – that supposedly shapes it.

That is the stunning implication of 1 Corinthians 9

To be continued...

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Published on Leave a comment on 1 Corinthians 9 sermon – part two

Continued from here.

What does it mean to give up our rights for the sake of the Gospel?  What does that even mean?  What is the gospel?  Let me summarize it for you:

‘Gospel’ is a word that just means good news.  And here is the good news that the bible tells us: 

[SLIDE - the Gospel]

Jesus Christ has all the rights in the universe.  Jesus Christ is the LORD.  He’s the King.  He is the Son of God.  He made the world.  He owns everything.  He’s got rights.  Ultimate, supreme, absolute, unimpeachable rights.

On the other hand we...   We think WE are Lord.  If I ask you ‘Who’s got the right to tell you what to do...?’  Your heart, if it’s anything like mine, answers: ‘No-one!  No-one’s got the right to tell me what to do.’  Well... what have I just said about Jesus.  He does have the right to tell you what to do.  So when we say ‘No-one’s got the right’.  That’s blasphemy, mutiny, an utter rejection of Christ.  It’s what the bible calls sin.

Now how does Jesus respond?  He has every right to crush our little rebellion.  But here’s what He does.  He gives up His rights.  He who was rich became poor.  He came into our world as a penniless preacher.  He who was free became our slave.  He stooped and served and washed our feet.  He who was powerful became weak.  He could have called on 12 armies of angels to save Him from death, but instead He walked alone to His execution.  He who was righteous, became sin.  You see on the cross Jesus stepped into our guilty shoes and He took the punishment due to us.  Have you ever seen a Man more stripped of His rights than Jesus Christ on the cross?  Next time you find yourself bitterly lamenting how you’ve been wronged, think of your LORD, Jesus Christ.  Next time your entitlement spirit surges up within you and you cry out ‘It’s not fair’, think of the cross.  There is the King of the Heavens, the LORD of the earth betrayed by a close friend, deserted by the disciples, wronged outrageously in the courts, mocked and abused by the soldiers, nailed to a piece of wood and jeered at by those He came to save.  But He gave up His rights and took our punishment.  So that we, who were due His punishment can have His rights. 

[SLIDE - John 1:12]

John’s gospel chapter 1 says ‘To all who receive Jesus, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become a child of God.”  Jesus has the right to be a child of God – He’s the eternal Son of God.  If you receive Him, you get His rights – you’re adopted into the family.  This offer is for free and it’s for everyone.

[SLIDE - For free, For everyone]

There are only two kinds of people in this room.  Those who insist on their own rights to run life their own way.  And those who’ve given that up and received Jesus instead.  In Him they’ve received the right to be a child of God. Which are you?

If you’re not yet a Christian, if you’re still insisting on your own rights to run life your own way, stop!  Tonight, stop insisting on your rights.  Receive Jesus and by receiving Him receive the right to be a child of God.  That’s the only right worth getting excited about.

If you have received Jesus, do you realize the nature of this gospel?  This gospel is an offer.  And if you receive the offer, it claims you so you pass it on.  The gospel doesn’t just save you – it claims you.  It’s not just a message you once trusted – it’s a way of being that has wrapped its arms around you.  We’re like someone who has received the torrent flowing down the hill, and we are swept along to offer it to others.  So as we pass it on to others we will pass it on for free and for everyone.

You know what that means though, don't you?  It’ll be costly. Not costly to pay off God – all that’s dealt with. We’re children now. Kids don’t pay back their parents, they just receive. But of course kids grow up and have other kids. And that’s costly. Same with us. We don’t pay back God, but it will be costly as we pass the gospel on to others. It was costly for Jesus to offer us a free salvation. It was costly for Paul to offer the Corinthians free gospel ministry. It will be costly for us to freely offer the gospel in Eastbourne.

In the first 18 verses, Paul has outlined the time and money cost.  It put tremendous pressure on Paul’s diary and his wallet to serve the Corinthians like this.  Gospel ministry costs time and money.  And that’s a huge sacrifice.  Are we prepared to sacrifice time and money?  But more than this, from v19, Paul talks about another sacrifice that is just as costly. 

From v19 we see Paul sacrificing his personal comfort.  It shows him moving out of cultural comfort zones and into other cultures and religions and socio-economic groups to win them.  But to offer the gospel for free and for everyone that's precisely what needs to happen.

To be continued...

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Published on Leave a comment on 1 Corinthians 9 sermon

I haven't posted any sermons for ages.  Part of the reason is that they've had trouble recording them at church the last couple of months.  So I don't have any mp3s, but here's the text of Sunday's sermon if you're interested...

Previously on 1 Corinthians, we asked the vital question: Can I eat this kebab??

 kebab

In a culture where the meat comes from ritual sacrifices in idols temples, Christians with a weak conscience couldn’t eat it without thinking they were part of idol worship.  Others with a strong conscience thought, "It’s just a kebab, it’s not demon meat."  And Paul says to the strong, ‘You’re right – you can eat.  But that doesn’t mean you should eat.  Because if you eat in front of a weak Christian, they will be scandalized, or they’ll be tempted to eat themselves against their conscience.  And that will tear them apart.'  So Paul says ‘Yes your right to eat is real.  But you should relinquish your rights for the sake of others.’ 

And that’s a theme Paul will continue through chapter 9 as well.

[SLIDE]

Rights are real.  But rights are to be relinquished.

The Corinthians were full of rights.  They were saying: ‘I’ve got the right.  I’m free.  The law’s on my side.  I know the right answer, so I’m untouchable.  No-one can take my rights from me.’

That’s just like us.  We are a rights based society

Children learn the phrase ‘That’s unfair’ very early.  It’s pretty much the only phrase teenagers ever say – to adults that is.  ‘So unfair.’  It’s deep within us.

We have an enormous ‘entitlement spirit’ within us.  Someone steps on our toes, someone dares to infringe upon our sphere of protected personal space, puts demands on our money or time, intrudes into our wallet or our diary – we are incensed.  You might not think you’re particularly bothered by your rights.  But I guarantee, when you are wronged you feel it.  We know our rights and we stand on them. 

What’s amazing is: We fight for our rights so we can stand on them.  Paul asserts his rights so he can give them up.

But that’s what he does in the first 14 verses – he asserts that he does actually have rights.  But only so he can tell you he’s relinquished them.

And so from verse 1 Paul discusses one major right he has as an apostle.  He has the right to get paid. 

Now Paul wasn’t paid by the Cornithians.  Paul worked a second job to pay for his ministry.  He made tents for a living.  And on Sunday he never passed the plate, he never took a collection from the church.  He never asked the Corinthians for a penny while he worked among them.  Paul relinquished his right to payment.  But first he’s going to show them that he had every right to claim payment from them.  Do you see v4 and 5 – ‘Don’t we have the right... Don’t we have the right...’  He’s establishing the right of gospel workers to be paid.  From verse 7 he gives some examples:

 7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?

Can you imagine that?  A soldier having to work a second job just to afford his own bullets?  "The enemy’s coming – quick I’d better re-mortgage the house."  Ridiculous.  Soldiers have a right to payment.

Then in v7 he gives the example of farmers.  Who would object to a farmer eating the food he’s grown?  Every farmer has the right to say: “My soil, my labour, I’m gonna have some.” 

Then in verses 8-10 he tells them that even Oxen were treated better in the OT than Paul has been treated in Corinth.  The OT law gives even oxen the right to eat on the job, to profit from their own labours.  But Paul has effectively muzzled himself, refusing to take anything from the Corinthians.  Even though he had the right.

Then in v13  he gives the example of OT priests,  they got paid.  And if Paul hasn’t yet convinced the Corinthians of his rights, he cites Jesus Himself, v14:

14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

In Matt 10 and Luke 10 Jesus said the gospel worker is worth his keep.  Jesus says ‘Pay your gospel workers.’  So Paul has proved it: His right was real. But he relinquishes it.

Isn’t that a challenge?  Would you be prepared to do what Paul does?  Paul has been like a soldier working a second job, like a farmer not eating his own food, like an OT priest passing up the sacrifices, like an ox muzzling himself so he can’t eat what he’s entitled to.  And even when Jesus says he CAN, Paul says: I know, but I won’t.  Paul’s approach to his rights is SO unlike our own.  If anyone else infringed on Paul’s rights like this Amnesty International would be sending in the Human Rights Lawyers.  But Paul treats himself like this. Why?

Well it’s all over the chapter.  Look at the second half of v12:

BUT we did not use this right.  On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Or look again at v18:

18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.

Or again v23:

 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

It’s for the sake of the gospel.  Taking a collection was going to hinder the gospel going out in Corinth.  People would get the wrong idea, as though he’s just a con-man interested in a quick buck.  Well then the gospel would get a bad name.  So when the right to payment clashes with the cause of the gospel – the gospel always wins. 

And Paul wants us to think the same way.  What wins with us?  Our rights or the cause of the gospel?

To be continued...

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12

Published on 12 Comments on Comedy and Christianity – draft 4

...And so idolatry is not the way back to paradise, and neither is worldly success and neither even is biblical religion. All those ways are ridiculous. Here is the way back to paradise - it's the LORD Jesus Himself.And this is the very deepest irony of the bible - the very deepest irony of the universe. Jesus Himself is the way back to God.

Every other way to God assumes that humanity has to work salvation before a silent, watching, helpless god. And when you think that you tie yourself up in ridiculous knots and the bible laughs at you. But Jesus shockingly shifts our perspective. In Jesus it is God who works salvation before a silent, watching, helpless humanity. This is the ultimate shocking shift of perspective - we don't work our way to Him. He comes to us. It's not about us performing for Him. He performs FOR US. In our place. On our behalf. The LORD lives the life we should live. And then He dies the death we should die.

Jesus so enters into OUR predicament, He even takes on our suffering, our curse, our judgement, our death.

Think about the cross for a second. It is THE most serious thing ever and it is comedic. Thoroughly comedic.

There is Jesus, the Man who claimed to be God, nailed to a piece of wood. The Jewish authorities considered Him a blasphemer. The Romans executed Him as a common criminal. His friends and followers have abandoned Him. Even God His Father has abandoned Him on the cross. All is darkness as this Man in the prime of His life is cut off. And you know what His last words were? "I did it!" "I did it!" You could translate Jesus' last words as "Finished! Paid! Completed! Done!" Jesus' last words, dying a godforsaken death, were "I did it!"

What did He do? How does the cross accomplish anything? Friends, don't you get it? You can't climb into heaven to be with Him - and you only look ridiculous when you try. You don't climb up to heaven. He climbed down to be with you. He came and met us where we are - in the depths of darkness and wickedness and curse. So the LORD who cries out "I did it!" in the depths of our tragedy - He is the LORD who's done EVERYTHING to bring you into His presence. He's gone to hell and back to work your salvation. And He offers it to you right now - IN all your darkness. IN all your ridiculous idolatry, IN all your trying to make a success of yourself, IN all your attempts to be very religious. IN all your laughable stupidity and wilful evil - Jesus says "HERE, I've done it. I'VE done it." Will you stop your striving and receive it? Will you just get it? Don't you get it?

When Jesus rose three days later it was the ultimate shock, the ultimate Custard Pie in the face of humanity's greatest enemy. Death was dethroned. Which means Christians can now taunt death - where's your victory grave, where's your sting death? Jesus death swallowed up death.

It's the ultimate irony. Jesus wins us heaven, by going to hell. He kills death, by dying. He judges evil, by being judged. He gains victory through total surrender. He enters our tragedy - and through the most tragic event of all, brings a comedy. Isn't that ironic?! It's the deepest of all ironies. But when you get it, you'll have a shocking shift in perception. You'll see Jesus differently, yourself differently, life, death and eternity differently. It will be the most happy realization. It's what Christians call "faith", but really it just means getting the joke. Getting this central joke that unlocks all reality - How can Jesus the LORD die but in doing so shout out "I did it!"?

Do you get it? Do you get what Jesus did? If you don't get it, don't stop pestering every Christian you know until you get it. Don't stop coming to church, keep coming. Pick up a bible and read Jesus' life stories, pray that God would help you to get it. Because when you do, you'll rejoice, the angels in heaven will rejoice - there will be laughter all round when you get it.

If you don't get it - every laugh you'll ever have will ultimately be hollow.

You know my big problem with "The Life of Brian". It's not that it satirizes Christians - Jesus was a lot harsher to the religious of His own day. It's not even that it satirizes the Christian story - I don't expect non-Christians to reverence what we reverence. Here's my problem with "The Life of Brian" - the ending.

You see it's actually not a comedy - not in the classical sense. Actually, technically, the film is a tragedy. It ends with the hero crucified and there's no triumph, there's no "I did it!" - there's only failure and death in the end. And all they can do is whistle a wry little ditty as they choke to death on the cross. "Life is quite absurd and death's the final word." Now it's a fine film. A funny film. But in the end it's gallows humour. In the end, it's just a tragedy. The problem with the Life of Brian is not that it is a comedy. The problem is it's not a comedy. Without the victory of Jesus, without the resurrection of Jesus, the Life of Brian is just one more tragedy sprinkled with gallows humour. And if you don't get the Good News of Jesus, you may laugh, you may laugh loud - but you won't laugh long. If death's the final word then all your humour will be gallows humour. Only Christ can give you true comedy, joyful comedy, lasting comedy.
Comedy is serious. Christianity is comedic.

 

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Published on Leave a comment on Comedy and Christianity – draft 3

As I close let me highlight three ways the bible says we try to get back to paradise, all of which the bible ridicules.

First is we redefine God. It happened as soon as Adam and Eve disbelieved the LORD. The devil said ‘Are you really going to let the LORD be God?' And we constantly say no, and so we start to construct our own gods. The bible calls this idolatry and in many cultures it has meant literally chopping down a piece of wood and carving an idol. But we do it ourselves every day. If you've ever said "I like to think of god like this..." You've carved your own idol. If you've ever said "I'm not sure about this Jesus stuff, I think what's really important is..." You've carved your own idol. If you've ever thought "I know what the bible says, but this is really what I'm living for..." you've carved your own idol. And you worship and serve that thing. And it has the power of life or death over you. Because when that thing comes through it'll feel like life, when it fails, it'll feel like death. You've got your own god, your own heaven, your own hell. And the bible is constantly ridiculing this do-it-yourself way of life.

There's a hilarious passage in Isaiah 44 where the prophet is ridiculing idol makers who cut down a piece of wood and have the tremendous insight required to discern which end of the tree trunk is best for firewood and which is best to be worshipped as a deity. This bit - firewood. This bit - mt lord, my god, my all in all. How arbitrary! But that's how ridiculous it is to reject the living God and to live for anything else.

Or in 1 Kings 18 there is a wonderful passage where the prophet Elijah goes head to head with the prophets of the false god - Baal. Elijah says, you set up a sacrifice to your god, I'll set up a sacrifice to the LORD - the God who sends fire down on the sacrifice - He is really God.

26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no-one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or travelling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention.

Isn't that tragic? Isn't it comic? You see Comedy is serious. And Christianity is comedic. But this is so common in the bible. People are always living for things that are not god. And we dance and we shout and we cut ourselves and we bleed for these things hoping they'll deliver - but there's no-one there. Baal's not there for you. All human religion has busy people working for a helpless god. It's tragic and it's comic. But Comedy is serious and Christianity is comedic.

So idolatry - re-defining God - is one response humanity has to being cast from the LORD's presence. A second, very much related, response is seeking to get out and make it in the world. Make the most of now. Be a success.

Jesus met a guy like this. The Gospels call him a rich young ruler. He was wealthy, he was powerful. By his own admission he was upright and moral. He was a success in the world and everyone present thought that this man was on the fast-track to eternal life. If anyone could earn entrance to the kingdom, this guy had it in the bag. He races up to Jesus to ask whether he's done enough to merit paradise. In response to this man Jesus utters some very famous and very funny words. He says "It'd be easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven." That is a seriously shocking thing to say. Everyone thought this successful rich, upright man was on heaven's A-list. Jesus says "That guy will be in heaven the day you get a camel through the eye of a needle." Jesus goes on to say - it's impossible. It is humanly impossible for any human being to be rich enough, successful enough, popular enough, upright enough to get into heaven. It's just that Jesus chose to say it in a funny way. Camel through the eye of a needle is ridiculous. Even if you grease the camel and push. Even with a blender - this is impossible. Jesus uses some serious comedy here because Christianity is serious.

The third way humanity tries to get back into the LORD's presence is of course religion. And you might think, well this is the right answer surely. Don't make up false gods, don't rely on wealth or success to get you in - but be religious. Join the right religious group - upright, biblical religion - follow the rules and work your way back into God's good books. Right? Wrong. And this might shock you but the bible ridicules the religious more than any other group. More than the idolaters, more than the worldly people - it ridicules bible-based, moral-looking religious types.

We often think that when comedians mock Christians they're being godless. I think often when comedians mock Christians they're being Christ-like. Jesus went after the bible-based, moral looking religious types more than any other group. There was a religious group in Jesus' day called the Pharisees. And Jesus went after them with unrelenting and devastating satire. And the people in Jesus' day were shocked.

-- Don't the Pharisees radiate purity Jesus?
-- Oh yeah - they dazzle like a white-washed tomb" Said Jesus, "Brilliant on the outside - rotting death on the inside."

Talk about corruscating wit!

Jesus never stopped ridiculing the religious types of His day. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, the most sustained teaching that we have from Jesus in the bible, Jesus constantly refers to these hypocrites. He doesn't just tell His people the way of the kingdom, He engages in savage observational comedy about the hypocrites. When He speaks of how we should give He says: "Don't be like the hypocrites, they commission a trumpet fanfare [ta da!] "I'm giving." And when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites. They love to stand on street corners, so they get two lots of people to see them saying "I'm praying!" And when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites. They actually disfigure their faces. They walk around looking like they're sucking chilli off a thistle so people say ‘what's wrong'? "I'm fasting!" Jesus ridicules the religious.

He notices how judgemental they are. He says they're always pointing out the speck in other people's eyes - all the while they've got a tree trunk lodged in their own. That is a funny image. But it taps into the hypocrisy we all have. We all like pointing out the faults of others. We all feel better about ourselves by judging others - we all get a sense of moral high-ground by taking others down a peg or two. As George Carlin said - when you're driving, everyone who's slower than you is an idiot, everyone faster than you is a maniac. We're constantly justifying ourselves - pointing out the specks in other people's eyes. Jesus says You've got a plank of four by two protruding from your eye socket. Stop judging others to justify yourself. In fact - just stop justifying yourself. It's hypocrisy.

Because do you notice how similar the religious are to the idolaters? The idolaters were very busy working for a passive, silent, helpless god. Actually the bible guys were doing the same. They became very busy, very melodramatic supposedly working for the LORD - but actually their whole way of life was assuming that the LORD is a passive, silent, helpless god who needs us to perform.

Jesus came into the world to tell us He's not like that. He's the LORD who works salvation FOR US.

And so idolatry is not the way back to paradise, and neither is worldly success and neither even is biblical religion - all those ways are ridiculous. Here is the way back to paradise - it's the LORD Jesus Himself.

And this is the very deepest irony of the bible - the very deepest irony of the universe. Jesus Himself is the way back to God...

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Final installment here.

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Published on Leave a comment on Comedy and Christianity – draft 2

Here's my central contention:

Comedy is serious. And Christianity is comedic.

Now maybe that's a shocking shift in perception for you - in some ways I hope it is. But that's my contention: Comedy is serious. And Christianity is comedic. The bible is comedic. The Christian message is comedic:

I mean that in two senses.

In the classical sense the bible is a comedy. It is a comedy as opposed to a tragedy. In the classical use of the word, comedy refers to a certain genre of story in which people or cultures struggle and collide and through that struggle and collision you have a eu-catastrophe - a good catastrophe. A clash that resolves into a happy ending.

A modern example of the classic comedy genre would be the movie Shrek. Even if you haven't seen the film you'll recognize the happy ending - basically the good guys win, the bad guys gets their just deserts, there's a wedding and you finish with a song. That's the age-old recipe for a comedy. And the bible is the archetypal comedy. If you want to read the ultimate comedy ending, read Revelation 19 when you get home. There you see Jesus Christ riding into town on a white horse - the Victor over sin, death and every evil. You see the bad guys, the forces of darkness, the devil and all who follow him cast into the pit. You see the ultimate wedding - the wedding to which all other weddings point: the joyful union between Jesus and His people. And you see singing - the Hallelujah chorus is taken straight out of Revelation 19. Hallelujah. In biblical language even the rocks will cry out and the trees of the field will clap their hands. The whole creation will be released into noisy, joyful praise. The plotline of all history according to the bible is a comedy. Not everyone will get it. Nonetheless the Christian story is a comedy. It's called the Gospel which literally means GOOD NEWS. Christianity is the announcement of Good News - Jesus has triumphed, the bad guys lose, history is heading to praise and joyful relationship - Good News. Christianity is a comedy.

e.g. of Life of Brian - it topped channel 4's poll of the hundred greatest comedy films.  And it's very funny.  I've used clips from the first half of the film in sermons to illustrate many ridiculous truths about Christians.  The film does an excellent job of sending up religious people - not as good a job as Jesus does of sending up religious people.  But it's a pretty good effort.  My problem is the ending - it's actually not a comedy, it's a tragedy.  The finale has its hero whistling a wry ditty on the cross.  "Life is quite absurd and death's the final word."  Now it's a fine film.  A funny film.  But in the end it's gallows humour.  In the end, it's just a tragedy.  The problem with the Life of Brian is not that it is a comedy.  The problem is it's not a comedy. Without the resurrection truth of Christianity, the Life of Brian is just one more tragedy sprinkled with gallows humour.  And that's a pretty depressing prospect to be honest.

And Christian faith means hearing the Good News and getting it. Just like you get a joke, you need to get the Good News about Jesus. And faith is what happens when a person understands the Good News as Good News. They have a shocking shift in perceptions and they start to see Jesus in a different light, God in a different light, themselves in a different light, the world, the future, life and death in a different light. It's a shocking shift.

And so, in the bible the call to become a Christian is the word "repent." And literally the word repent means "change of mind". It is this shocking shift that happens when you GET the Good News. And the bible says whenever that happens the angels in heaven rejoice. There's laughter all round when people get the Good News. Christianity is comedic.

So the overall plotline of the bible is comedic. But what I want to do with our remaining time is show you how the bible tells this comedic story in a thoroughly comedic way.

Because some of you will be thinking - alright so laughter's allowed at the end, with the happily ever after. But what about now in our broken world full of death and wickedness. Is comedy really a spiritual, godly thing now? Yes. Absolutely.

We'll begin with the garden of Eden and the story of how all this death and wickedness came about. Christians call this event the Fall and it was the greatest Fall from grace there's ever been. Humanity fell away from God and were cast out of His presence. It was a dreadful event, the worst and most serious in human history. And yet - it is described in richly comedic terms.

Remember comedy is serious - there's no such thing as ‘only joking' and ‘laughing matters' are no less ‘serious matters' for all that. But the biblical story of the Fall is comedic.

You have Adam and Eve - before they disobey the LORD they are naked and feel no shame. Harmony, bliss, openness, beauty, freedom, satisfaction, joy. And Satan slides up to Eve and says "Can you believe the LORD, all these trees and He's forbidden you to eat from any of them!" And Eve says ‘No we can eat from any tree in the world - there's only one tree that's off limits.' The devil says ‘What a kill-joy! Are you really going to let this Miser tell you what to do?'

We hear this temptation from this side of the Fall and so it doesn't seem so ridiculous to us. But really that should seem like the most ridiculous suggestion ever put. Of course we should trust God to tell us what's what. Of course we should let Him set the agenda. Of course we should believe His words - He's the LORD. But we hear this temptation on this side of the Fall. And it's a mark of how deeply the Fall has settled into all our hearts that we understand Adam and Eve's sin. We commit it every day. It's the cry of every sinful human heart. If I were to ask you "Who's got the right to tell you what to do? Who's got the right to tell you what's what?" We naturally reply - No-one! No-one's going to forbid me what I want - not even you LORD. It's ridiculous, but it's exactly what Adam and Eve do. And immediately upon believing a ridiculous truth, they become ridiculous people. As soon as they eat the forbidden fruit they become fearful and ashamed. And they sew fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. An hour ago they had walked around paradise like kings and queens, naked and loving it. Now - fig leaves, sewn together. How the mighty have fallen. But of course the fall of the mighty is rich ground for comedy. And so Genesis tells this tragic story in deeply comedic terms.

The next thing that happens, the LORD God Himself comes to walk with His favourite couple in the cool of the day. And the bible says "They hid from the LORD God among the trees." They HID from the LORD God, behind some trees. It's tragic, but you can laugh, because comedy is also serious. And the LORD confronts Adam. Adam says "This woman you put here made me do it." This is brilliant comedy. Adam manages to blame both the LORD and the woman in a single sentence and we say "How ridiculous" and "How typical". And that's great comedy. Makes you laugh, makes you think. We laugh at him but we also see ourselves in him. Same with Eve. She gives the age old excuse "The devil made me do it." Again - ridiculous and typical. So Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent and then the serpent doesn't have a leg to stand on. (boom, boom).

But here is the worst event in human history and the bible portrays it in thoroughly comedic terms. Comedy is serious. And Christianity is comedic. Because when people become ridiculous it is right to ridicule them.

Which is what the bible does from cover to cover. The bible takes the Fall seriously - which means it sees humanity as the ridiculous bundle of contradictions that we are. We have rejected the LORD who loves us. We're like a drowning cat clawing and scratching its Owner who's only trying to rescue it. We've been estranged from the LORD our Maker and all our efforts to get back to paradise are laughable...

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