It’s been said that owning your own home is the great Australian dream.

After all, people say it feels good to know they’ve got the stability and security of having full control of the roof over their head.

Yet it’s increasingly hard to afford a home, and even when a person does, there’s no guarantee that it will deliver the comfort they crave.

Plus, it doesn’t really matter how much a person owns on Earth if they don’t have Heaven sorted out.

That’s why Jesus’ famous words in John chapter 14 cut across the great Aussie dream. He said:

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)

The way we get a guaranteed booking in God’s house is to receive the key from Jesus, at his expense.

After all, Jesus said that he was going to that house in order to come back and take his followers to be with him.

This is the only sure-thing that we can rely upon, especially as we seek security in an ever-changing world.

In Jesus can we find the only, solid foundation for life in this world and the next.

And this will give us much more than the great Australian dream can ever promise.

For, if we don’t trust in Jesus, we won’t have the security, stability and safety of living in God’s heavenly house.

Where’s your home?

This week at the Synod meeting of the Sydney Anglican Church there was a lengthy discussion about the present debate on the redefinition of marriage.

During this discussion, we thanked the Archbishop’s Plebiscite Task Force for the work they had done in preparing a booklet to help educate people about the issue.

Whilst this booklet is still in draft format for review, it was reported on by the media, and its contents were quoted and discussed.

I am looking forward to distributing the final version of this booklet to you in the next few months.

But as a taste, here is a helpful section that tells us why that we are acting as good neighbours when we share the good and warn of the bad:

God’s plan for marriage brings positive things for children and society. Even for people who don’t believe marriage is a gift from God, the vast majority of Australians know that marriage brings good.

It’s not surprising that, if we abandon God’s good plan for marriage and define it another way, there will be consequences. And many of them may be negative. Christians have been way too silent on this. We can’t be good neighbours and stay silent on the damage that can be done if we change the meaning of marriage.

Because we’ve been largely silent until now, most Australians are simply unaware of the consequences of redefining marriage – the consequences for families and children, the consequences of removing gender difference from our societal structure and the consequences for freedom of speech.

Let’s look at those consequences and how we can talk about them with our neighbours – whether they’re believing people or not.

Let’s pray that this important discussion can be carried out with respect and love.

Let’s also pray that this discussion will glorify God and lead us to many gospel conversations.

On this National Police Remembrance Day, it’s worth knowing that God thinks that cops are tops.

In the book of Romans, chapter 13 verse 1, we read that everyone should “be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” 

God has given authority to the New South Wales Police Force, which means that when they carry out their duties, they are doing his work in his world.

Whether it’s cancelling a drunk driver’s licence, or protecting a vulnerable person from abuse, our police force are doing God’s work in his world.

Indeed, the next verse in the Bible shows just how much authority they have from God in their job.

The Bible says, “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

But as this verse reminds us, we live in a world that does not willingly accept authority, and so we should expect people to rebel against the authority that God has given the police.

And this comes from the fact that all humans are rebels against God, by nature.

But praise God that Jesus has sacrificed his life, taking the punishment we deserve, and giving us the forgiveness we don’t deserve.

And to take advantage of this, all a person needs to do is to say sorry for rebelling, and rely on God as loving ruler.

This is the greatest act of sacrifice, and also a great model for those who risk life and limb to protect and to serve.

And this day we honour the members of our police force, along with their family and friends, who together are involved in carrying out God’s authority in this world that he has created.

We know that Jesus has dealt with death, and yet we still have loved ones who grieve at the passing away of family and friends.

This is painful for us today, but for the first Christians, it was also confusing.

They had seen Jesus’ power over death when he raised Lazarus to life, and his empty tomb was evidence that he’d cured death by his own resurrection.

So what was happening to the believers in Jesus who were still experiencing death?

In 1 Thessalonians, we read words of wisdom and comfort for those who were confused and saddened by death.

The words were written so that they would not be “uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

And it turns out that whilst death is conquered, there is still a final chapter to be played out in the future:

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

Death has been conquered by Jesus, but we still await the final day when the present age will come to a close and when eternity will begin and never end.

This is a great source of encouragement, and something we must continue to remind each other. Do not give up hope, but keep waiting!

I am delighted to announce that Simon Chaplin has accepted my invitation to join our church as our new Assistant Minister at Oak Flats Anglican!

Simon is married to Amy, and they have three children: Liam (aged 8), Lily (aged 3), and Annabel (6 weeks). They will move into Oak Flats in the week before Christmas, and will begin with us two weeks after Christmas.

Simon has been serving at St Mark’s Malabar Anglican Church for nearly ten years, initially as a student minister, and then after that as the full-time assistant minister. During this time he’s done everything from youth and children’s ministry, occasional services, and ministry training, through to regular preaching.

After completing a science degree, Simon worked as an industrial chemist before doing a two-year MTS Ministry Training Apprenticeship at the University of New South Wales, prior to heading to Moore College for his four-year theology degree.

I first met Simon when he was a kid in the youth group I led in the 1990’s, and I hadn’t really caught up with him until the recent commissioning service of our CMS missionaries Adrian and Anita Lovell, who also happen to be their close friends.

Please pray for Simon, Amy, Liam, Lily and Annabel as they prepare for many farewells and changes in the coming months.

Particularly pray that as they move to our neighbourhood that they will have many opportunities to help us grow in our knowledge and love of God, and that Simon will help equip us for ministry with each other in our church and in our region.