Acts 19:1-7:
 ¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
   They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
 ³ So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
   "John's baptism," they replied.
 ⁴ Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

Mark 1:4-11:
 ⁴ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
 ⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

PRAY

Today the Church celebrates the baptism of Christ - the formal commencement of our Lord's earthly ministry. It was a new beginning, for him and for those who chose to follow him. Baptism signifies just that - it's the outward sign of an invisible change inside a person, a public declaration that life will never be the same again, as a disciple of Jesus.

We know from scripture that John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance. And if we have been baptised as adults or had a conversion experience we will know what this means on a personal level. Repent and believe the good news. But it's confusing with regard to Jesus. Why should Jesus, who lived a perfect life, need to repent? Why did he have to be baptised, you might think? Well, of course, he did not. But Jesus as God in human flesh identifies with fallen humanity in his very act of being baptised, and his Father in heaven pronounces his verdict and his affirmation. 'You are my Son... with you I am well pleased.'

If you've been baptised as an adult or have ever given a testimony as a committed Christian, you will be aware of God acting in your life. You probably don't feel the need for a public declaration every time something significant happens. You just know that God is at work. However, it is good to take stock every now and then, of how and where God has been moving, working and challenging us. Stopping and reflecting gives us space to monitor our spiritual growth, our self-awareness and our willingness to let God use us in his kingdom work. We are not called to tread water in the Christian life. We are not meant to stand still. We are pilgrims on a journey towards perfection: therefore, expect to see some changes as the Holy Spirit works in your life and mine.

Since I was a very young Christian in my 30s, I have found it helpful at regular intervals to review my progress as a Christian. All of us are called to grow in discipleship; to grow in maturity as Christians; and such a regular assessment can be constructive.

We're not at school any more so thankfully we don't get an end of year report from the teacher. But who will give us an honest assessment of our performance? The best place to start is with ourselves. It's important to be completely honest and ask a few key questions on a regular basis. New Year is a good time for such reflection; traditionally, it's a time for looking back and looking forward, assessing what has happened, looking to see whether we have changed, or whether our circumstances have changed. It's a time for resolutions, for fresh starts. As we look back, we sometimes see hopes or plans that have been dashed, or have come to nought. Or times of great trial such as bereavement or redundancy. How did we handle the crisis? How might we do it differently?

At other times it's a great joy to look back with thanksgiving for all that God has been doing. Did we remember to say thank you at the time?

Reflection can be painful; it can also be wonderful. In both, it is always an opportunity to thank God that he has carried us through, and to look at how we have reacted and what we have learned in the process.

And this new year, I want to encourage you to do just that. To set aside a time of answering some tough questions about where you are with God and setting some spiritual objectives for the year ahead. This discipline is just as valid at the end of an old year as it is at the start of a new one. We learn more in reflecting on the year just gone rather than anticipating what might lie ahead. As Canadian writer Marshall McLuhan said, "We look at the present through a rear view mirror; we walk backwards into the future".

This is precisely how some cultures view life. And it makes sense. Looking back is a fine way of making sense of what has been happening and predicting what might happen in the future. Otherwise we walk blindfolded into the great unknown, which tends to be the western approach. This society encourages children to look ahead all the time to the next great adventure, rather than learning from the past.

So we look back and reflect, but we also set ourselves spiritual objectives for the year ahead. This is an important part of a spiritual MOT. Also important are honesty and vulnerability.

Vulnerability to God and to one another is crucial if we are serious about growing as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus showed us how to be completely vulnerable, and he calls us to be imitators of him.

Why do we need to be vulnerable to one another? Perhaps you don't have anyone that you talk to about spiritual matters. Perhaps you would rather keep these things private. But if we are to grow and mature as a community of believers, it is important to be able to trust each other. Because we need to trust people in order to be vulnerable with them. Jesus tells us not to judge one another. And his brother James teaches us to confess our sins to one another.

This is a challenge for the church in general because most of us do not tend to talk very much about the deep things of God. When was the last time you had a conversation about spiritual things with anyone? That's a good MOT question! Maybe one thing God wants us to do this year is identify someone we can be accountable to. That means, finding someone we can trust who will ask us the tough questions: how is your prayer life? How is your walk with Jesus? Who are you praying for?

I'm talking about starting afresh in 2012. I'm not talking about making new year's resolutions. A few years ago, my new year's resolution was to stop making new year's resolutions! What sort of things do we regularly resolve to do?

Get fit?
Eat/spend/drink less?
Stop obsessing or worrying about things?
Start saving for things instead of using credit?
Spend our time and money more wisely?

These are not real resolutions, rather an expression of good intentions - and as the saying goes 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.' What I'm talking about today is far more important than a few half-hearted hopes to quit smoking. I'm talking about your spiritual growth - to maturity in Christ.

It's only possible to track your own spiritual journey if you keep some kind of record. A prayer journal is useful for this. I tend to flick back through my journal at the past 12 months and see what's been happening. As an obsessive diary writer of the Bridget Jones variety for many years, it was an obvious thing to do to keep a prayer journal. But doing a spiritual audit or MOT was not an obvious thing to do. It has become a spiritual discipline for me, on an annual basis.

One of my favourite Christian books is the classic 'My Utmost for His highest' by Os Chambers.

He writes this: 'Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don't try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.'

I hope it's the intention of all of us to continue on with more devotion, rather than turn back as a deserter. But how do we do this?
What can we learn from Jesus about such things? When he was asked which was the greatest commandment, he told us to love God and love our neighbour.

Have you ever considered that if we truly obeyed those two commandments, there would be no need for any others?

If we loved God, we would not worship idols.
If we loved God, we would not covet other people's possessions.
If we loved God, we would never offend the Spirit of truth by telling lies.

If we loved our neighbour, we would not steal from them or be jealous of them.
If we loved our neighbour, we would not embark on affairs with their partners.
If we loved our neighbour, we would not kill them, in thought, word or deed.

An honest assessment of these two commandments can throw up a whole realm of things that need addressing. I know I've just said that it would be good to give up new year's resolutions, but maybe for some of us this is the year to make a resolution about ending something, once and for all.

It could be ending an unhealthy attachment to money or possessions.
It could be ending that habit of being economical with the truth at work.
It could be time to end that unwise relationship - a friendship perhaps that draws you away from God; or an apparently harmless flirtation with someone in the office; (or that person at school who is always getting you into trouble!)

It's time for it to stop! You know what it is, and you need to tell God. And when you've done that, you might find it helpful to find someone you trust who will hold you accountable.

My own experience has been that going deeper in one's faith is rewarding and painful in equal measure. Perhaps that's what puts some people off - but I would say that with some of the pain there has also been tremendous healing. It is helpful to find a bible verse to use as a personal motto for the year; memorise it and let it speak to your soul. I suggest looking through Proverbs or the epistles for something that will both challenge and encourage you. My personal motto for this coming year is to strengthen my prayer life: Mike will be very familiar with this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18. 'Be joyful always. Pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.'

And I give you permission to remind me when you see me anxious about things to ask me if I've prayed about the situation - to ask me what has happened to my joyful and thankful heart. In this way, we encourage one another in the faith.

Now you will have picked up a handout to take away with you but I want to encourage you to see this exercise as both practical and spiritual. It could take you only a couple of hours to do carry out the MOT - or like a real MOT, it could take a day. The important thing is to set aside some time when you won't get interrupted. Before you start, pray for God to speak to you through his Holy Spirit. Reflect on the words of Jesus: to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.

AND DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP. FORGIVE YOURSELF.

Remember the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

So once you've reflected on the past, move on from it, having heard what the Lord has said. And remember, you can have a fresh start every day because of Jesus! You don't have to wait for a new year.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen.


Julia Murphy
A SPIRITUAL MOT

For reflection:
How have I grown as a Christian over the last year?
Major events of the year and how I responded
Identify areas of personal growth or for personal growth
What state is my prayer life in?
Reviewing my giving. Do I notice it, does it hurt?
Who have I shared the gospel with recently?
Friends to pray for
Friends to encourage and walk with
Friends to give thanks for

For the new year:
What am I aiming for?
How can I best serve God?
What areas of my life should change?

Some Practical Tips

• Identify the things that keep you from God
• Keep a journal
• Go on a conference or retreat
• Identify unbelieving friends/family/colleagues to pray for throughout the year

Some Spiritual Tips

• Prayer – like brushing teeth: first thing in the morning, last thing at night.
• Join a prayer triplet or accountability group.
• Read the bible regularly – join a home group, get hold of bible notes, read the bible in a year, commit to doing a Lent course.
• Make a covenant with God – commit to regular worship, meeting with others to pray and worship together.
• Arrange to come to the church prayer meeting with someone else, or to go on a diocesan training course together. Encourage one another daily.

Previous Sermons

Advent Sunday 2011