The Sadducees

As we sit, let's bow our heads and pray together.

!

That we might receive your word, and your word would transform us to be the people you call us to be.

In Christ our Lord. Amen.

So Jesus said to this curious group that we meet in the New Testament,

these somewhat excoriating, harsh words.

You are in error because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.

I want to talk to you today, particularly those of you who feel, when you're being honest with yourself,

that you're not really making progress in your walk with God.

It feels like, if you think about it, and honestly ask yourself the question, you feel stuck.

And I want to try and explain to you the best way I know that you can get unstuck.

And one of the things that I have detected over the years with the people of God

is that we can be a little over-optimistic when we assess ourselves as to exactly where we are in our walk with God.

And to put it another way, I would say that many of us think we're doing better than we actually are.

And part of the reason for that is that we don't really give close enough scrutiny to our lives.

So, this is a word that I hope will help you, as the old hymn had it that I just quoted, help you wake up.

Because God knows the church in the Western world needs to wake up at the moment.

I haven't come here this morning to make you feel bad about your walk with God.

Your experience is entirely human, and there's a reason for that.

And the reason Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians is that we keep this treasure.

That is the gospel. We keep it in earthen vessels.

We have this great truth. Our souls are saved.

But we're still stuck with the temptations and the limitations of our bodies.

And very often, they win the battle in our wills for our behaviours.

In 1834, a man called Friedrich Schleiermacher died.

I don't know if you've ever heard of him.

In some ways, he isn't somebody who kind of figures big in the pages of theology or philosophy.

But he is somebody who I think was hugely influential.

And the ideas that he propagated at that time, before his death,

really, how we end up today with what we call the cultural elite.

The well-educated, often politicians, often people of influence in their workplace,

who brought this kind of liberal and progressive mindset to what they do.

Every week in our newspapers and on the television,

you will see stories of how this cultural elite,

which claims to want us all to be kinder to each other,

can be so difficult and so vindictive, especially if you do social media.

And the reason that Schleiermacher is somebody who could be credited with this change in society

is that Schleiermacher was a theologian.

Certainly, between the time of Jesus' death

and the time that Schleiermacher arrived on the scene,

by and large, we Christians all believed the same things,

or at least we said we did.

We all believed that Jesus came to earth.

We all believed that Jesus came to earth

to rescue us from the consequences of our sin.

We all believed in God, the Holy Trinity.

Okay, there were some aberrant movements that arose,

Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, people like that.

But by and large, Christians thought the same thing

until Schleiermacher and his like arrived on the scene.

And Schleiermacher, although he was the son of a pastor,

some say they're always the worst,

he was the son of a pastor,

he became very involved with a type of philosophy called skepticism.

That is, you don't believe that things are true.

And that thinking became more and more developed

until the moment when it came out like this,

that we will not accept anything,

that we can't square with our own rationality,

with our own thoughts.

See a lot of that, don't you, in society today.

Our education system, by and large,

in the last 80 years,

has been built on that kind of rational basis.

And it's this,

that if somebody can prove to me something is true

and can give me statements of proof

and through experiment can assure me

that what they're talking about is truth,

I will believe it.

We have a catchphrase for it

that we say,

seeing is believing.

You heard that?

Actually, the Bible asks you to do exactly the opposite.

The Bible actually says,

believing is seeing.

You start to trust in Christ

and the assumption is,

you will start to look at life differently,

your life and the life of the world around you.

And in a way, that's our problem.

Because what I can tell you is,

no one in this church has the inner strength

to do that on their own.

So Schleiermacher is not top of my Christmas card list,

but he's worthy of scrutiny

because he teaches us

why it is that the church is the way it is today.

Sleepy,

not really measuring the kind of things

that we ought to measure

if we were trying to assess our success as a church.

I think there's one thing

that matters more than anything.

Forget numbers,

forget money,

forget all these things.

One thing.

Are you,

am I,

becoming more like Jesus?

And I'm not going to shout out

your answer to that question,

but if I were a gambling man,

I would put some money on the likelihood

that many of you

have got a bit stuck

in that process.

The Bible's got a big word for it,

sanctification.

Becoming holy,

becoming more like Jesus.

And so we come

to the Sadducees.

The Sadducees

didn't believe

in the resurrection.

The Sadducees,

their Bible

was very short.

It was just the five,

first five books

of the Bible

known by scholars

as the Pentateuch.

And they were

a cultural elite.

A bit like

Schleiermacher

fashioned

in our society today.

They were

people who were

right at the sharp end,

the top end

of Judaism.

And they had

that slight inclination

that all of us have

if we feel ourselves

to be at the top end

of some kind of group

or company

or church.

If we feel ourselves

to be at the top end

of that,

the great danger

is what?

We look down

on other people.

The Sadducees

had a bit of that

about them

and they were

very,

very elite,

very,

very

influential.

If you look at

the period

of the Sadducees,

which isn't very long

in biblical history,

it all fell apart

in AD 70

when the temple

was destroyed

by the Romans.

And the reason

for that was

Sadducees

were really only

interested in

running the temple.

The focus

of the Jewish

religion,

although at the time

of Jesus

it was starting

to lose focus,

people were

moving out

of the synagogue

in the first

three centuries

of the Christian

church

and they were

going to

synagogues.

But while the

temple stood

for all Jews,

it would seem

to be the

primary expression

of God's

presence.

No wonder

there was a group

of them that

wanted to run it.

So you look

at the history

of the Sadducees,

they had more

people who were

high priests

in the key

person in

the temple.

They had more

of them with

Sadducees than

any other group.

So the Pharisees

didn't like them

that much.

The scribes

didn't like them

that much.

And so they

come to Jesus

with this

ridiculous question.

There was a

practice around

in the centuries

before Jesus

arrived called

Levirate

marriage.

church.

And it was

this, that

if a woman

died and

she didn't

have a son,

then her

former husband's

brother was

expected to

take on the

woman as his

wife.

It was a way

of kind of

giving social

care to those

who'd been dumped

with no income

and no anything

else.

And the

Sadducees, it

seemed, had got

hold of this

idea and they

came to Jesus

trying to

mock him.

So they're

talking about

this woman

who had

seven husbands,

every one of

them died,

every one of

them was

taken on by

her, by

her brother-in-law.

And so their

question was,

so who's

going to be a

husband when we

get to heaven?

And Jesus

just gives

this excoriating

response.

you don't

know the

scriptures or

the power of

God.

Let me say

that again.

You don't

know the

scriptures nor

the power of

God.

And then

Jesus tells

us that our

presence in

heaven, when

we receive our

resurrection

bodies, which

is not

immediately after

we die,

incidentally.

Your soul

lives on after

you die, if

you're a

believer, and

goes to be

with Jesus, but

you won't

receive your

resurrection

body until

the Lord

returns.

I'm rather

sad about that,

and the reason

I'm sad about

that is I've

got to look

in a mirror.

So, in

heaven, don't

worry about

this.

If, you know,

you're a

widow, and

you're worrying

about, will

I see my

Harry ever

again, don't

worry about

it, because

I think the

waste of

biblical evidence

would be that

though marriage

won't be

necessary in

heaven, I

think we

will recognize

one another,

maybe not

immediately.

You remember

when Jesus

was on the

road to

Emmaus, and

the disciples

started to

walk along,

they didn't

recognize him

at first,

because Jesus

had his

resurrection

body, and

it was only,

it's what

St. Luke

tells us,

when they

broke bread,

then suddenly

they recognized

it was

Jesus.

So,

I suspect

part of the

reason that

we get stuck

in our lives

is we do

not give

ourselves to

knowing the

scriptures,

and we

don't give

ourselves to

the power of

God.

Incidentally,

the power of

God is not

the kind of

power that

makes you

bigger in the

eyes of other

human beings.

Unfortunately,

worldly power

has gone a bit

that way.

It's used for

people, for

self-aggrandizement,

to make

themselves look

better than

they can.

That's why

people are so

desperate for

power.

You've probably

read it in

articles or

thought it

yourself that

you sometimes

look at our

political classes,

part of the

elite, and

think to

yourself,

these people

are just

desperate for

power, and

they'll say

anything.

They'll sort

out social

care, they'll

sort out this,

they'll sort

out that, and

there'll be free

sweets on

Thursdays.

And we

buy it.

Power, the

power of

God, is

not given

to you so

that you can

boss it.

No, the

power of God,

the power of

God's Holy

Spirit, according

to Galatians

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5, where

it talks about

the fruit of the

Spirit.

That is, what's

supposed to be

growing in your

life if you

are a follower

of Jesus?

Love, joy,

peace, patience,

kindness, self-control.

I would call

that the hard

yards of the

work of the

Holy Spirit in

my life, and

maybe in

yours.

Are we

becoming more

like Jesus?

today, I

think in

the church, and

I can only

primarily speak

about the

Church of

England, which

I've served

for goodness

knows how

many years

now.

But it

seems to

me there

is cynicism.

There is

cynicism about

the truth of

God's Word,

and there is

cynicism about

the power of

God.

God.

You realize

that in a

poll of

clergy, by

far the

greatest

majority of

them didn't

believe in

any way that

God could be

healed.

A smaller

majority of

them didn't

believe that

God raised

Jesus Christ

from the

death physically.

See, my

view is, how

can you take

the Bible

seriously and

come up with

that stuff?

And God, when

He saved

you, assuming

you are

saved, God,

when He saved

you, didn't

save you to

sit around

doing not

much and

just waiting

for heaven.

No, He has

a life for

you.

And you

learn about

that life in

the Scriptures.

The Scriptures

tell us how

we're meant

to live.

As Simon

pointed out in

his very first

message when

he preached

here, there

are some

things in

Scripture that

don't sound

quite right to

our 21st

century ears,

but are we

arrogant enough

to think that

our society

has got

everything right

at the

moment?

Things change,

thank God.

You know

neither the

Scriptures nor

the power of

God.

I mean,

the centrality,

the authority

of the

Scriptures

seems to

me to be

obvious

because if

we didn't

have the

Scriptures,

we would

know nothing

about Jesus

virtually.

Oh, we

might read

classical history,

Tacitus,

Pliny II,

Josephus,

people like

that, and

they would

mention Jesus

and they

would say

that a group

of Jews

believed that

they had

actually been

raised from

the dead.

But no

historian outside

of the Bible

tries in

any way to

explain why

Jesus died,

bearing shame

and scoffing

rude, in

my place

condemned

he stood,

sealed my

pardon with

his blood.

Hallelujah,

what a

Savior.

Bible's

important

because it

is the

primary way

that God

reveals himself

to us.

What would

we know

about God

if we

didn't have

the Bible?

What would

we know

about ourselves

if we

didn't have

the Bible?

And you

sit light

to the

Bible and

I promise

you the

true course

that God

has set

for your

life,

you will

wander.

And you

know that

because you

are a

world-class

classroom of

wanderers.

You know

neither the

scriptures nor

the power of

God.

Listen,

watch this.

These two

things are

not mutually

exclusive.

It's not like

some of you

can be really

diligent about

reading and

understanding the

Bible and

others can get

off on a

kind of

charismatic

wave of

celebrating

the Bible.

No.

It's both.

They're

connected.

John writes

in chapter

14,

John writes

this,

he says,

when he

comes,

the Holy

Spirit,

he will

teach you

all the

things I

commanded

and bring

to

remembrance

the things

I have

taught you.

You can

only have

your

memories

jogged

if you

know

stuff in

the first

place.

I mean,

my goodness,

I'm at

the age

where I

really get

that.

The Holy

Spirit

brings the

truth of

Scripture

home to

his people.

David

Watson had

it right,

didn't he?

He had this

little adage.

I mean,

incidentally,

David Watson

is mainly

known as a

very popular

preacher,

and indeed

he was,

and he was

a brilliant

preacher.

you need

to know

is this

guy's

ultra-bright,

you know,

got a

double-starred

first from

Cambridge,

really clever

guy,

who could

take the

grass and

put it where

the goats

could eat

it.

David Watson

used to say

this,

all word

and no

spirit

dry up.

I've been

around

conservative

churches

for a

very long

time,

and I

can tell

you,

some of

them are

as dry

as the

grass outside

today.

All word,

no spirit,

dry up.

All spirit,

no word,

blow up.

Spirit and

word grow

up.

Let me

say that

again.

Repeat it

after me.

All word

and no

spirit,

dry up.

All spirit

and no

word,

blow up.

Word and

spirit,

grow up.

Grow up.

If you want

to know what

passive-aggressive

looks like,

come and

stand here

right now.

So,

we need

both.

We need

to be,

if we are

to live the

life that

God has

for us,

we need

to know

the

scriptures,

and you

don't need

a doctor,

of course

not,

I'm just

talking about

knowing

what God

wants from

you.

And on

the other

hand,

we need

to know

the power

of God.

You see,

what we

can celebrate

today is

that God

doesn't leave

you alone

with this

life to

lead,

he sends

the Holy

Spirit to

help you,

to help

your character

to form in

the likeness

of Christ,

love, joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

humility,

and help

with how to

live your

life.

love.

I have

spent a

lot of

my life

talking to

people,

and I

mean,

I think you

would dispute

this,

but I try

and listen

to them

as well.

And I

hear a lot

of people,

particularly

like many

of you

seniors,

seniors,

who have

this haunted

feeling that

the life

they've

lived

wasn't the

life that

they were

intended to

live.

Paul Tillich,

the systematic

theologian,

put it like

this.

He said,

there is a

deep and

ineradicable

anxiety in

people.

Have we

got it

right?

Listen,

the Sadducees

in turn to

the kingdom

of God

were no

hopers.

And if

you're the

kind of

person who's

prepared to

acknowledge

today that

you're stuck,

that the

people who

love you

enough to

tell you

the truth,

if you

ask them,

am I

becoming more

like Jesus,

it might

not give

you the

answer you

would hope

for.

Does it

matter?

Yes.

Is it

irreversible?

Certainly

not.

Why?

Because God

is faithful.

Because God

has your

best interests

at heart,

even though

that's very

hard to

believe sometimes

when stuff

goes wrong

for you.

As Joshua

said,

you know,

as for me,

I will

trust the

Lord,

even when I

can't see

what's

happening.

I have

no idea

what Jesus

would say

if he were

to return

today and

write a

report

on the

state of

the church

in the

West.

Friends,

it wouldn't

surprise me

if he

might chastise

us and say

you don't

know the

scriptures

and you

don't know

the power

of God.

Knowing

about the

power of

God is a

very different

thing than

knowing the

power of

God.

God

calls you

to impossible

things,

but he

will also

give you the

resources to

get past

that.

David

prayed

earlier.

You're

sitting here

riddled

with guilt.

God can

help you

get past

that.

You're

sitting here

today stuck

with a

habit which

you're really

ashamed of

and you

keep meaning

to stop

it but

it's still

going on.

God can

help you

get past

that.

You've

got worries

about your

children,

about your

finances,

about all

this.

God can

help you

get past

that.

What a

tragedy.

If the

commentary on

Michael's

life was

you know

not the

scriptures nor

the power

of God.

Friends,

I don't

want to be

like that

and I

would hate

for any

of you

to be

like that

so as

we come

to an

end,

why don't

we just

pray together

and pray

that the

scripture and

the power

of God

will set

us free

to be

freer than

we have

ever known

in our

lives before.

Let's pray.

our

gracious

father,

we have

to be

honest

and admit

to you

that we

would love

our spiritual

development,

our desire

to grow

like Jesus

was a

straight line

in an

upward

direction

but lord

you know

we fail

and lord

we've not

come here

this morning

to be made

to feel

worse when

we leave

the church

than when

we arrive

because

the truth

of your

word

and the

power

of your

spirit

can bring

change

to any

and every

situation

in the

life we

have

and lord

it's never

too late

we need

to come

before you

and admit

our need

we need

lord to

understand

that your

bible is

your primary

way of

communicating

communicating

your

sovereignty

and your

power

and your

beauty

and lord

we need

to know

that

but also

your word

tells us

what we're

like

lord we

can be

on fire

today

and

extinguish

tomorrow

so lord

please

refill us

with a

desire to

know your

word

send us

the power

to be

diligent

in read

mark

learning

your

word

because

lord it's

your word

that

communicates

your

amazing

difference

to each

of us

lord

it's your

way of

communicating

your

infinite

quality

to our

finite

minds

so father

we pray

that you

would give

us the

strength

and the

grace

to leave

this place

this morning

not with

bowed heads

but with a

spring in

our step

knowing

that both

your word

and your

power

can save

us from

any

situation

that we

face right

now

and we

thank you

for that

in jesus

name and

the people

who agreed

said

together

amen