Our opening session featured our host David Last. The Assembly this year is entitled Obeying God rather than men and David began by taking us to Luke 4 and Jesus's appearance in the synagogue in Nazareth. He spoke on the subject of expectations and how these can be very difficult. It is especially difficult with regard to the expectations of unbelievers. This what Jesus is facing in the passage. These people are full of expectation about what he can do for Nazareth. Jesus confronts them about the need for repentance. In this obey God rather than men moment he refuses to pander to their selfishness any more than he had pandered to selfishness when he was in the desert shortly before. The reaction to his bluntness is predictable. How dare he treat his own community in this way. They turn into a mob - a devilish mob. Like him they want to see if he can survive a long fall.
Having sketched the picture David made three helpful points.
1. The importance of humility. Like Jesus we need to put others first in genuine humility. This does not come naturally but the same Spirit who enabled him can enable us.
2. We need to be willing to cause upset. It is not always the tone needed but sometimes it is. Sometimes to obey God rather than men, we must go against expectations. It is most likely to happen with those nearest to you. That will no be easy. You will appear to be a failure and it will hurt.
3. We need to look to the hope set before us. In the midst of the tension and the difficulty there is this wonderful message from Isaiah about Messiah. There is an unstoppable plan as are those who serve in it - people like you and me. Jesus was taken to the very cliff edge but it was not his time. Even though they killed him in the end, he rose again. Nothing can ultimately go wrong for the believer. Life can only get better and better.
So a great start!
Having sketched the picture David made three helpful points.
1. The importance of humility. Like Jesus we need to put others first in genuine humility. This does not come naturally but the same Spirit who enabled him can enable us.
2. We need to be willing to cause upset. It is not always the tone needed but sometimes it is. Sometimes to obey God rather than men, we must go against expectations. It is most likely to happen with those nearest to you. That will no be easy. You will appear to be a failure and it will hurt.
3. We need to look to the hope set before us. In the midst of the tension and the difficulty there is this wonderful message from Isaiah about Messiah. There is an unstoppable plan as are those who serve in it - people like you and me. Jesus was taken to the very cliff edge but it was not his time. Even though they killed him in the end, he rose again. Nothing can ultimately go wrong for the believer. Life can only get better and better.
So a great start!
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