Sermon by Stephen Thornton, Minister of the United Reformed Church, Fleet

27/01/2008 by admin.

 SERMON AT ALL SAINTS ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 27TH BY STEPHEN THORNTON, MINISTER OF THE  UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, FLEET

Text : From the Gospel reading, Matthew 4.12-23, v.17. ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 

We must first work our what Jesus meant by ‘kingdom of heaven.’ There are various misconceptions, such as ‘we are building it,’ or, ’its where you go when you die.‘ Jesus declared that he has brought it; all we have to do is enter it, by being his friends - enter it and enjoy it. 

To enter it, we have to repent, which means turn round; change direction - a complete transformation. 

First in us as individuals. Some feel that being Christian is just being nice to one another. Jesus did not get crucified for telling us to be nice. He came and reversed the world’s values, with a mission to turn the world upside down. One summary of his teaching is the beatitudes, which tells us to put God first in our lives; to have a heart bleeding for the state of the world, and a commitment to raise heaven and earth until the world is changed. That’s the turn round called for in us each one - a new direction. If we were arrested for being Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict us? When were we persecuted for our faith and witness, for true followers will certainly meet stiff opposition. So, each one, repent, turn round and help turn the world upside down. 

Then the Church also needs to repent, turn round. The reading from the epistle, challenged the Corinthian church about its divisions. So we need to heal ours. In 1964, the Church of England, the Methodist Church, and the Churches which now make up the United Reformed Church, promised ourselves one, united church in England by Easter Day, 1980. I don’t think we are going to make it. Yet we desperately need each other. We all have the same issues - lack of resources, money, ministers - and we all have great gifts to share with each other. The United Reformed Church has much to share with you, and I know that you have much to share with us. So, repent, all of us; turn round; change direction and begin to be seen to be one. 

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, when we remember the horrors of the last world war. These horrors continue, in Kenya, Zimbabwe, the Middle East, and even in our own country, with barriers between people of different races, faiths and cultures. The world needs to turn round, and the church is called to help it. But the world looks on, and says, ‘physician, heal yourself - you can’t get on with each other, so how can you help us?’ We have a major task to build bridges between people’s here and everywhere, that the world will find its healing. So, the world needs to repent - turn round - and find a new and different future. 

The Kingdom is here, and we are called to enter it, now. So, we need, each one, to repent; our churches need to repent, and the world needs to change direction - we must not let God down.

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