Did you know that it was not until 1850 that the world population reached the one billion mark? By 1930 we reached two billion, and it took only thirty more years for the world's population to reach three billion. Now, less than 50 years later, we have arrived at 6.7 billion.
Until the year 1800 the top speed was twenty miles an hour as people travelled on horseback. With the arrival of the railway train, almost overnight we jumped to 100 miles per hour. By 1952 the first passenger jet could travel 500 miles an hour. By 1979 Concorde cruised at more than 1,200 miles an hour. But even back in 1961 the astronauts were orbiting the earth at 16,000 miles per hour.
Change over the past couple of hundred years has been more rapid that at any period in history, but no change has ever been as significant as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the growth of the early Church.
The readings from the Acts of the apostles (1:15-17,21-26) and the 1st letter of John (5:9-13) are very much concerned with this new Church. As we all know anything new takes time to work out properly, to work through the finer detail, to encourage wider participation and to make sure that the something new is something that is going to be good and useful. All those things were true of the early Church.
Think of the context first of all – in a relatively short space of time Jesus had begun his ministry, he had transformed lives through his speaking and through powers of healing and compassion. He had given teaching to people about things unheard of at the time – care for everyone, compassion, forgiveness, second chances, welcoming everyone – even those considered outcasts by society.
Then he had travelled to Jerusalem, and there he was condemned to death, executed, but 3 days later conquered death forever and appeared to his disciples and to many others. But now he had gone. He had ascended into heaven, but the followers of Jesus knew they were not alone. Jesus had promised that he would send them a helper – the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit would strengthen them, encourage them, help them to love more, help them to do the things they knew were impossible through their own power.
Confident and inspired they would go about being the body of Christ on earth, sharing his good news with everyone – many heard and again in a relatively short time the Church grew and grew.
In the reading from the Acts of the apostles we are told Peter stood up to speak to the believers, and we’re told that there were 120 of them – if there were more somewhere else, it probably wasn’t many, but the power of God, and the confidence of the faith of the early Church, was such that this small group was to grow into a Church that would literally change the world.
But again we think of the beginnings of that Church. We recall that following his betrayal of Jesus, Judas had killed himself, and it was decided that he should be replaced and so 2 names were put forward Joseph, called Barsabbas and Matthias. And as we read about the election of Judas’ successor our first thought will surely be how random it looks – there was no secret ballot, not even a show of hands – instead they prayed and they cast lots, and Matthias became the 12th apostle.
It’s quite unlikely that in any serious contest today we would just consider drawing lots to be a sensible option (although a penalty shoot out in a European Cup semi final is not far from that particularly when Cardiff Blues lose it!), but the early Church perhaps were equally happy with either man, or perhaps were happy just to leave it in God’s hands trusting that he would give them the right answer.
And so we’ve thought a little bit about the growth of the early Church, but the growth of the early Church remains equally important to us today, not for what it has ultimately become and as a way of looking back at our heritage, but as a way of learning some important lessons for today.
The first is that the inspiration that drove the members of the early Church must still be our inspiration today – Jesus, risen and ascended for us ! His life and his teaching must still be our motivation as we seek to share his good news. His courage and comfort must be our courage and comfort when we face problems in our lives, whatever they may be. His love must be the love that we respond to as we seek to share that love just as he does.
The second point is that we can also be inspired by what a small number of people can do with God’s help. 120 people built a Church that today numbers something over 2 billion members. Contrary to what many people like to say the Church is growing – here in this Parish and in many parts of the world.
We can be confident in the message of Jesus, because his is a message that can make the world a better place – it is about eternal salvation, but it is also about peace in the world and in the hearts of people everywhere today. Who can look around the world today and say that we don’t need a little more compassion, a little more love, a little more justice and peace, a little more hope, and the list of good things can go on and on… The gospel of Jesus doesn’t want us to have a little more of those things – he wants those things to reign within his kingdom which will cover the whole earth.
And the final point is that the selection of Matthias really does seem random, but the lesson it gives us is one of complete trust and faith in God. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a helper because he believed we couldn’t do the things he wants us to do by ourselves, and so we’re invited to trust him, and in accepting his life changing message we are to journey onwards knowing that in him we have truly met our Saviour. AMEN
Until the year 1800 the top speed was twenty miles an hour as people travelled on horseback. With the arrival of the railway train, almost overnight we jumped to 100 miles per hour. By 1952 the first passenger jet could travel 500 miles an hour. By 1979 Concorde cruised at more than 1,200 miles an hour. But even back in 1961 the astronauts were orbiting the earth at 16,000 miles per hour.
Change over the past couple of hundred years has been more rapid that at any period in history, but no change has ever been as significant as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the growth of the early Church.
The readings from the Acts of the apostles (1:15-17,21-26) and the 1st letter of John (5:9-13) are very much concerned with this new Church. As we all know anything new takes time to work out properly, to work through the finer detail, to encourage wider participation and to make sure that the something new is something that is going to be good and useful. All those things were true of the early Church.
Think of the context first of all – in a relatively short space of time Jesus had begun his ministry, he had transformed lives through his speaking and through powers of healing and compassion. He had given teaching to people about things unheard of at the time – care for everyone, compassion, forgiveness, second chances, welcoming everyone – even those considered outcasts by society.
Then he had travelled to Jerusalem, and there he was condemned to death, executed, but 3 days later conquered death forever and appeared to his disciples and to many others. But now he had gone. He had ascended into heaven, but the followers of Jesus knew they were not alone. Jesus had promised that he would send them a helper – the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit would strengthen them, encourage them, help them to love more, help them to do the things they knew were impossible through their own power.
Confident and inspired they would go about being the body of Christ on earth, sharing his good news with everyone – many heard and again in a relatively short time the Church grew and grew.
In the reading from the Acts of the apostles we are told Peter stood up to speak to the believers, and we’re told that there were 120 of them – if there were more somewhere else, it probably wasn’t many, but the power of God, and the confidence of the faith of the early Church, was such that this small group was to grow into a Church that would literally change the world.
But again we think of the beginnings of that Church. We recall that following his betrayal of Jesus, Judas had killed himself, and it was decided that he should be replaced and so 2 names were put forward Joseph, called Barsabbas and Matthias. And as we read about the election of Judas’ successor our first thought will surely be how random it looks – there was no secret ballot, not even a show of hands – instead they prayed and they cast lots, and Matthias became the 12th apostle.
It’s quite unlikely that in any serious contest today we would just consider drawing lots to be a sensible option (although a penalty shoot out in a European Cup semi final is not far from that particularly when Cardiff Blues lose it!), but the early Church perhaps were equally happy with either man, or perhaps were happy just to leave it in God’s hands trusting that he would give them the right answer.
And so we’ve thought a little bit about the growth of the early Church, but the growth of the early Church remains equally important to us today, not for what it has ultimately become and as a way of looking back at our heritage, but as a way of learning some important lessons for today.
The first is that the inspiration that drove the members of the early Church must still be our inspiration today – Jesus, risen and ascended for us ! His life and his teaching must still be our motivation as we seek to share his good news. His courage and comfort must be our courage and comfort when we face problems in our lives, whatever they may be. His love must be the love that we respond to as we seek to share that love just as he does.
The second point is that we can also be inspired by what a small number of people can do with God’s help. 120 people built a Church that today numbers something over 2 billion members. Contrary to what many people like to say the Church is growing – here in this Parish and in many parts of the world.
We can be confident in the message of Jesus, because his is a message that can make the world a better place – it is about eternal salvation, but it is also about peace in the world and in the hearts of people everywhere today. Who can look around the world today and say that we don’t need a little more compassion, a little more love, a little more justice and peace, a little more hope, and the list of good things can go on and on… The gospel of Jesus doesn’t want us to have a little more of those things – he wants those things to reign within his kingdom which will cover the whole earth.
And the final point is that the selection of Matthias really does seem random, but the lesson it gives us is one of complete trust and faith in God. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a helper because he believed we couldn’t do the things he wants us to do by ourselves, and so we’re invited to trust him, and in accepting his life changing message we are to journey onwards knowing that in him we have truly met our Saviour. AMEN
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