Pastoral Letter 223
Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,
Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Though God created everything good, pure and beautiful, but unfortunately our world is full of evil, and the people today face many challenges, life threatening situations, poverty, sickness, uncertainty, loss, pain and suffering. If we look around, we will see many people in similar situations struggling to survive and overcome those hardships. Many countries are in war situation and looking for peace and security. Others are going through critical crisis, be it financial or social. And naturally many are facing the danger of losing their loved ones. As I have said in my last week’s Pastoral Letter, that as Christians and sisters and brothers, it is our duty to remember them in our prayers and bring them to God, trusting and believing that all will be good, regardless of the outcomes. So, let us continue to pray for those who are in similar situations and need our prayers and support, especially for Virgina Frank and the family.
Also, I have a special request for prayer and remember the Executive Director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, Mr. Zaven Khanjian, whom some of you have met before. During the past few weeks, Zaven has been hospitalized for pneumonia. He was in and out of ICU and there were hopeful signs for his health improvement. Few days ago, his condition took a turn to the worse and it appears that his pneumonia has relapsed, and he is back in the ICU, and now on a respirator. We all are praying fervently and ardently to our Heavenly Father seeking His heavenly intervention and to show His mercy as the God of healing and restoration. The Armenian Evangelical and the AMAA community is asking us to pray for Mr. Khanjian.
We are just one week away from our traditional annual Market Morning, which will be held on Saturday 3 August 2023, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Market Morning banner is up at the corner of Rever Road and Kenneth Street and our sign board reminds and invites our local community and friends to the Market. It is also on the Community Noticeboard of the Christian Radio FM 103.2. If you want to check it click here:
https://hope1032.com.au/noticeboard/ and scroll down to 3 August. I am sure they will announce on air as well closer to date, probably during the week ahead.
Already different kinds of jams and pickles have been bottled, plants are being prepared, cakes and sweets will be baked during the week. It’s time to bring in our donations if we have more and let people around us know that we are happy to receive goods for Market Morning. Please be available if you can from Monday 29 July for setting up the hall. Our aim this year is “Everything Should Go!”.
The Documentary “The Golden Chain of Mercy” will be World Premiered in Sydney, in Event Cinemas, Top Ryde, on the Opening Gala Night of the Armenian Film Festival, Friday 16 August 2024 6:30 pm. If you want to be there, please secure your tickets as soon as possible by clicking to the link:
https://www.stickytickets.com.au/pf7wu/syd__opening_night_gala__the_golden_chain_of_mercy.aspx
The film will be rescreened, on Sunday 25 August 2024 3:00 pm. To buy your tickets click on the link:
If you are not able to join us tomorrow for worship, please light a candle and worship with us following to the attached Order of Service.
Here are some prayer points for this week:
- Pray for the sick, the poor, the homeless, refugees and those who feel lonely.
- Pray for those who are under the pressure of financial burdens and struggling to make ends meet.
- Pray for world peace, especially for the Middle East, Palestine and Israel.
- Pray for the days ahead and the guidance of the Presbytery leaders for the future of our church.
- Pray for the AMAA Executive Director Mr. Zaven Khanjian.
Best Regards
In Christ
Krikor
MESSAGE
Bible Olympics
1 Cor. 9:19-27
The Pais Olympics officially was opened on Friday 26 July, early Saturday Sydney time. Thousands of athletes gathered from 206 countries endeavour to do their best to win a prize, gold, silver or bronze medal. They are all well prepared, trained and physically fit athletes, who pursuit to the best. They also stimulate and excite us, the spectators, and the whole world. Their commitment and set of minds to face the challenge encourage us and at the same time help us to think about our abilities; may be as an athlete but most probably as God’s Olympians as part of Bible Olympics.
When we read the Bible carefully especially the words of Paul, there we meet believers who race for a prize. Paul says that the Christians are athletes too, who get ready for God’s Olympics, for whom the field is their life on the face of the earth and the target is the eternity that God gives through Jesus Christ.
At the time of Paul, the games were well up and running for many years; evidently, they have commenced 2500 years ago. Also, there is the idea that Paul did attend the games and probably that is the reason why he refers to them.
The texts today liken the Christian’s journey through life as a race we run with a goal in mind. And Heb. 12:1c says: “Let us run with endurance or perseverance the race marked out for us…”
The idea of the Christian life as a race takes on a new clarity when we understand the word as it is used in this context. The word translated for us as “race” is the Greek word “agon” which means “contest.” It is also the word from which we get the word “agony.” While most of life is a thing of absolute beauty, some of life can be very challenging, even agonizing. But we have the encouraging words of the apostle which says: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
Now that we are aware that we are in the race of a lifetime to live out our faith in anticipation of receiving what the Apostle Paul described as, “the prize – the crown of righteousness that the Lord will give all who look forward to his return.”
We are now aware that we are surrounded by a great crowd or cloud of witnesses who have completed their own races and are now cheering us as we run our events. We are also painfully aware that there are hindrances or friction factors that slow us down and even distressing sins that trip us up, that we need to strip off or lay aside in order to be the Spiritual Olympians God wants us to become.
This morning, we will explore the nature of the race toward the end and understanding it and responding to its challenge.
The first thing we need to understand is that we run.
A. Spiritual Olympians understand the necessity of making progress in the Christian life.
“And let us run…” Hebrews 12:1c
The phrase “let us run” connotes the idea of speeding along… The word run used here means to continue to run. The Christian life is about making progress… it is about moving forward. It is always about becoming more like Jesus Christ and getting nearer to the end of the race.
The second truth we lift from the text today is the Christian life is an endurance race. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
B. Spiritual Olympians understand that the Christian life is something you stick with when life is difficult.
“Let us run with endurance or perseverance” Heb. 12:1c
The words endurance and perseverance are translated from the Greek word “hupomone” which means patient continuance. Patient continuance is not expressed through frustration. It is expressed through endurance, which is patient, but not in a passive way. This kind of patient continuance does not just endure; it overcomes and continues to move even in the face of challenges to one’s faith.
In II Corinthians 4 the Apostle Paul wrote: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; stuck down, but not destroyed. II Cor. 4:7-9
Perhaps the most important insight into the Christian life is a race to be run with determination.
C. Spiritual Olympians understand that the race that stretches out before them is a “God” thing.
“Let us run with perseverance the race that God has set before us or marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1c
The word we read as “set before” refers to something that is laid out before. It is the word used to describe a racecourse.
The Bible says that God has laid out or set before us a course for life. While we may prefer that life be otherwise, at the very core of a Spiritual Olympian’s being is the understanding that he or she is living life in the place God wants.
We understand that we don’t make the plans or make the rules… We know that God is faithful and that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Spiritual Olympians are not unlike Athletic Olympians… though we cannot see every detail of the course that is laid out before us or even the finish line, we run with persistence the race that God has marked out for us.
As we look to the theme God’s Olympians let us consider the following points.
1. The race is for everybody
The numbers clearly show that the challenge is open for everyone. But only few get the prize. Yes, nations choose their best athletes to compete and win prizes. But the field of life and the struggle is open for everyone. Everyone can compete and at the same time watch the race run for God.
2. The way to win the prize
We have to be prepared well in every way for the Olympics organised by God to run the race. In this we have to throw off all the sins that entrap us and press forward. As the athlete has to put aside all the hindrances that could stand in his/her way we should also resign from all the iniquities, which push us away from God bringing forth enmity, to get the prize. Without a similar complete transformation, it is impossible to be God’s Olympians and win a prize. We should be ready to run the race that God has put before us with all humility, obedience, love, commitment and complete willingness. To do this our concentration should be on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; the one who strengthens our faith and pushes us for the race of God.
3. Complete commitment
With all our heart we need to worship our God and with all our heart, mind, strength and soul persevere in our advancement. We cannot be good athletes with faint hearts and win prizes. Therefore, to win the prize we need to have faithfulness, determination, diligence, dedication and specially commitment. Jesus teaches us that we cannot put our hands and the plough and turn our attention to something else. It is not possible to be God’s Olympians, face the challenge and run the race with half-heartedness and indifference. God demands complete commitment from his children.
4. Victory
At the end of the race all the winners receive their prizes, gold, silver and bronze. Victory is the desire of all, and with that desire all the athletes do their best to get the first, second or third prize. As the lyrics of a song says: “The winner takes it all”. What a joy and excitement this is for the winner. Yes, that’s the way in the athletic games. But for God’s Olympians the prize is for all without any distinction. The important thing is that all should have the mind set and the readiness and the commitment go into the race and leave the rest to God.
As our attention and as the attention of all those around us are turned to Paris Olympic games and the success of the athletes, let the Father help us that we also as His children turn our attention to Him and run the challenge or the race set before us with faith and dedication.
Let the games help us to think seriously about our lives and help us to accept His call and be His athletes with complete vigilance and run the race and try to win the prize of the eternal life set before us and say with the apostle: “I have fought the god fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Amen!