There's a better way

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"

Luke 24:5b-6a

I read this recently as I’ve been reflecting on the approaching Easter reason:

“How many times have I looked for life in places where only dead men live? I’ve peered into the tombs of fame and wealth, stepped into caverns where the powerful and popular preside, and carried my offerings to the pleasures of this world, looking for life. And then the whisper that cuts with the tip of a sword slices through: Why are you looking for life here? Look for Jesus. No life is life except the life he gives.”

In Luke 24, when Mary is first at the empty tomb, she encounters 2 angels who say to her “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

We often look for something that will give us true life, in things that are inherently dead.

How often have we looked to our job or education to offer a sense of purpose, credibility, and identity?

How often have we looked to a relationship, travel, or adventure to fulfill us?

How often have we looked to money or other resources to supply all our needs?

How often have we looked to the latest binge-worthy show to provide us with the rest that our bodies and minds crave?

How often have we looked to someone else to satisfy us and give us hope for the future?

These things, in and of themselves, cannot give us the life that we long for…

But a ‘why’ question implies there’s an alternative, another way, a whole other way of living…the hope that somewhere, something, or someone does give life! Jesus said that he came to 'give life and life to the full’ (John 10:10), so that we would ‘reign in life’ (Romans 5:17), both in this life and the life to come (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Why do we look for life among things that are inherently dead? There’s a better way...

Are You One of the Pancake People?!

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Psalm 19:7

Pancakes, anyone?!

I was speaking to a friend recently who has worked as a producer and editor at the ABC, working on shows like Foreign Correspondent and 4 Corners. He was lamenting the fact that in a digital and on-demand age, watching news content at a certain time each week, especially long-form journalism, is no longer palatable. One of their news shows has dropped from a weekly viewership of 750K to 300K in 3 years, with the average age of viewers in their mid 70s!

(Firstly, apologies if I’ve got some of the words and terms in the above paragraph incorrect…it’s not a world I’m particularly au fait with!)

As I listened to his lament and did my best to empathise with the decline of his chosen profession, I was also acutely aware that I’m part of the problem. I consume my news through headlines, snippets, synopsis, infotainment, or indirectly (through social media, online conversation, documentaries etc). I rarely consume news in long-form, and if I do it’s only because it’s a topic of particular interest to me at the time.

Many of us are Pancake People…if you google that term you’ll see that Macmillan Dictionary describes Pancake People as "people who read widely but superficially on the web. We'll become “pancake people,” with wide access to information but no intellectual depth, because there's little need to contain information within our heads when it's so easy to find with a mouse click or two."

In essence, Pancake People are flat, spread thin by bits of information, with no depth. We have more information available to us than ever before, but is that proliferation of information making us wiser people? It would seem not.

There is a big difference between information and wisdom. What we are overwhelmed with is information…what we fail to do is stop and dwell long enough on anything to develop wisdom.

As Sam shared with us recently, the Bible encourages us to meditate on God's Word. To stop and think in silence long enough for it to seep deeply into our hearts and change our behaviour.

Perhaps like me you often feel you don’t have the time…well, I need to remind myself that I make time for things that are important, and growing in wisdom is surely one of those things.

Take some time today to sit and read quietly, to think and reflect deeply...because no matter how much you like hotcakes for breakfast, none of us really want to be described as a Pancake Person.

Why get baptised?!

“...And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptised and wash your sins away, calling on His name."

Acts 22:16

We’re looking forward to gathering at the south end of Balmoral Beach on Sunday straight after church to see some of our church family get baptised!

But what is baptism and why do we do it?

In order to know what something is, sometimes it’s helpful to know what it isn’t:

- Baptism doesn’t save you – believing in Jesus, repenting of your sins, confessing that Jesus is Lord and having faith in His death and resurrection does.

- Baptism doesn’t get you into heaven – Christ’s imputed righteousness onto you does that.

- Getting baptised doesn’t mean you’re any closer to God or that He loves you anymore – God’s love is unconditional, meaning that He cannot love you more, and He will not love you less.

So if it doesn’t save you, get you into heaven, or make you closer to God, why do we do it?

Jesus did it

The Bible says he went all the way under and came all the way back up (Matt 3:13-17). So very simply, as Christ’s examples we follow His example.

New Testament model and command

Jesus told us to be baptised (Matt 28:19, Mark 16:16). The disciples were baptised people (John 4:1), Peter said we should be baptised (Acts 2:38). Peter and John expected that all new believers would be baptised (Acts 8:16). Paul was baptised (Acts 8:16). Paul often referenced baptism in his theological writings (Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 1:13-17, 1 Cor 10:2, 1 Cor 12:13, 1 Cor 15:29, Gal 3:27).

Jesus calls us to believe, repent and be baptised. It’s an opportunity to exercise obedience as well as being a wonderful rite given to mark our initiation into the worldwide church.

Symbol or a Sign

Baptism is a little like a wedding ring; you wear a ring to let people know you’ve made a commitment to your partner. If you take your ring off, you don’t stop being married...it’s a symbol of your marriage.

Baptism is similar, it is a way to tell others you believe and belong to Christ.

It is a sign that you’re united with Christ in His death (Rom 6:3 – symbolised by going under the water), burial and resurrection to new life (Rom 6:4 – symbolised by being pulled back up again).

Baptism is an outward proclamation of an inward conversion...or to say it another way, an outward sign of internal salvation.