People Person

If I were to sum up the ministry of Jesus I would say that He was a people person who came to save us from our sins. He was always with people: Lived with the 12 disciples Ministering to their needs He talked to the crowds and to the individuals like Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman We were created for fellowship- God’s purpose was to make Adam to have fellowship with her and with himself- God took delight in all of his creation. When Jesus sent the disciples out into the countryside he sent them in pairs. We all need friends and everywhere you look you see people in groups of two three and more. When we are alone we feel less content and at ease- if you have ever eaten in a restaurant alone or even bought a cup of coffee alone you feel a little self- conscience. He reason is that we were never intended to be alone. Our modern society has driven us away from the collective community to the self- sufficient individual- today we have: Personal computers Personal stereos TVs in bedrooms Now you can even get a personal computerised tracking device so that you can never get lost Mobile telephones etc- all are great devices but they also make each of us independent of each other. BUT there are times when we clearly need each other- The football team needs 11, or more , players to win a game An army needs many men to fight the enemy Last Bank Holiday my wife and I did the marathon- we walked- it ended up 27 miles because of the diversion- we would not have managed it had we been on our own- we needed each other just to keep going. I was wearing the wrong footwear and my left foot was hurting from about 6 miles- by 17 miles I was wilting- it helped neither of us that one of the officials had told us that we had travelled 16 miles when it was more like 14 miles and there was no lucazade when we were expecting it I was struggling from 17-22 miles and neither gave up and Gillian was struggling from around 20 miles- if wee had been alone we would have given up but I was determined that she would not finish without me and she was determined likewise- it was determination and each other’s company which kept us going- then we were told- only round the corner and 500 meters to go!!! The end was in sight!! And at the end there was the medal- or so we thought- they had run out of medals and we are still waiting!!!! The lesson is that you need people you can depend on to support you and they need you also. Galatians 6:2ff Sometimes ministers and pastors are thought to be the special people or the professional people who have it all sewn up- not so- we are also vulnerable people who struggle with sin and who sometimes get it all wrong and we need the support of praying Christians. This Christian fellowship is very powerful. For over 250 years Christians have been at the front of change- in various parts of society Christians have been spurred on by their fellowships and by the teaching of the word of god to step forward and help to change the world- not a wee bit but a great deal- here are a few examples Lord Shaftsbury We have a square and a hospital named after him. Ashley Cooper, later Lord Shaftsbury, was moved by his Christian faith to work tirelessly for the rights of women and children and he had children banned from the mines and improved the conditions in the factories If you go to Piccadilly Circus in London you will see the statue of Eros- Eros was the Greek God of love- sexual love- the Romans called him cupid but actually it was intended to be about the agape love- the love of God for men- a love which moved people like Shaftsbury to act for the betterment of men. The problem was that the artist made him look like Eros and so the name stuck but it has nothing to do with Eros and is to commemorate the life of this Christian man. William Wilberforce was a member of the Clapham Sect in London who met to support each other and to work for change in society- they were spurred on by the word of God as taught by men like Charles Simeon who preached in Cambridge and influenced many important people not least the Cambridge Seven- such as C.T.Studd. Wilberforce worked tirelessly for the abolition of the Slave Trade in the UK And then there was Dr Barnardo who set up the children’s homes and still today. All these people and others have made a big difference for individuals and for all of our society- where are the leaders today in Northern Ireland, who will step into the breach and work for change, because of their faith in Christ? In the VE celebrations we know and you can remember the importance of a good strong united army- made up of ordinary people who will Pray for the church Who will encouraged those who are on the front line Who will give to the work We all have a part to play- here you know the advantages of being with other people and not staying alone in your room- so it is on the battlefield and in the boardroom and in the church of Christ- we are not alone.

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