Professing What We Confess (Transcript of sermon St Oswald's Rugby 14th September 2021)

 

Sermon – St Oswald’s Tuesday Morning Worship

 

Mark 8:27-38

On our recent visit to the Isle of Wight one of the historical places we visited had a Breeches Bible.

In the Breeches Bible, Genesis Chapter III Verse 7 reads: "Then the eies of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed figge tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches." 

In the King James Version of 1611, "breeches" was changed to "aprons".

This is part of a story that is probably familiar to you. About how the first human couple chose the path of self determination instead of loving obedience to God.

How they knew shame first with each other, signifying the breakdown of human relationships, then secondly the breakdown in relationship to God as we hear of them hiding in the garden away from God.

 Genesis 3.10 He (that is Adam) answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Now contrast that hiding in shame with what we read in 1 John 2: 28

 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

The work of the first Adam that brought shame and broken relationships has now been put right through the work of the Second Adam.

Now we may continue in him, that is Jesus, and be confident and unashamed at the prospect of his second coming - but are we not sometimes ashamed to profess the faith we confess in our daily living.

Jesus’ challenges us on this as we heard in our Scripture reading…

³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

In our reading we heard Peter’s confession of faith, of which much could be said as it marks a pivotal point in Mark’s Gospel. 

Remembering that it has been suggested by some scholars that Mark is Peter’s recollections told to Mark acting as scribe and editor.

It is from this moment in the Gospel that we move first to the Transfiguration then down the mountain, down to Jerusalem, down to the cross and down to death. We see the dark clouds gathering and storm of the world’s sin about to break over Jesus’ head.

‘But you, he asked, who do you say that I am? Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’

But we know that Peter failed to profess what he confessed when challenged in the courtyard of the High Priest.

He bottled it – and can we blame him?

Jesus had laid it out very plainly what it would mean to follow him.

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Remember that this was at a time and place when they knew what this looked like, felt like and smelled like. It was a reality they would have known only too well. 

I recently heard it put like this, ‘the entrance fee into the Christian Faith is nothing but the subscription is everything.’

I know there have been times when I have bottled it – not professed the faith I confess.

I know that there are times when I have said and done things that if Jesus was there at the time would have made me ashamed.

Then, recognising that he was there and is there all the time.

I know that in reality there are areas in my life which are not fully surrendered, or of which I keep taking back control.  

Remembering the words of St Augustine who said, ‘that if Jesus is not of Lord of all he is not Lord at all.’

Finally, a question for us to take into the rest of the week ahead…

Are we confident to profess the faith we confess amongst our family and friends, amongst our neighbours and to those we may meet in our daily lives?

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15,

Or are we sometimes ashamed and fail to profess what we confess!

 

Meditation - Pope Benedict XV1

And only where God is seen does life truly begin.

Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is.

 We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution.

Each of us is the result of a thought of God.

Each of us is willed,

Each of us is loved,

Each of us is necessary.

 There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel,

By the encounter with Christ.

There is nothing more beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.