The Messiah’s Secret – Today’s unemployment in UK

Matthew 20: 1-16.

In the news last week the latest government unemployment figures were released, the Job less total fell by 52,000 to 1.64 million. Most people were expecting the unemployment to rise after Brexit, but it wasn’t the case.

On the BBC News website, I quote, “Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight said that the UK economy showed "impressive resilience in the run-up to the EU referendum and the immediate aftermath of the vote to leave".

“Hargreaves Lansdown economist Ben Brettell said  "The dramatic fall in confidence may not ultimately be borne out by activity, and today's claimant count number is a tentative sign that things might not turn out as bad as many predicted.”

We haven’t heard much about this news in the Media.

Unlike the news beginning of this year as a result of the Chinese economy slowing down, and flooded the world markets with steel. The Guardian Newspaper reported in May, “A spokesman for the European Community trade union said that unfairly traded Chinese steel was still hurting UK and European steel producers.”

The effects on the British Steel industry led to a thousand and fifty redundancies at Tata Steel Works in Wales.

Were redundancies occur it’s based on last in, first out, starting from the most recently employed person till the required number is reached.

We can liken these people in Wales to those in the parable who were in the Market place at 6am looking for work and were taken on as labourers in the Vineyard for a denarius a day. 

The hours of the day in the parable represent a person’s life time and the denarius represents salvation. Those who had repented and accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

At the Rawtenstall (CAP)Job club on Tuesday we had five people on the course three of them have been made redundant, and two others who were present also have experienced redundancy.

Redundancy affects the whole family, often with devastating consequences on a person’s self esteem and in the long term suffering hardship. Even if mum has a part time job, after the redundancy money runs out benefits don’t cover the costs to clothe and feed the family.

Some are dependent upon the Food Bank RAFT helping them out and I heard recently that the RAFT Food Bank were running out of food in Rossendale.  

Being unemployed and competing for jobs can be demoralising, this were the Job Club comes into its own. The work is supported by prayer and the commitment to help the poor in both spirit and need to help them overcome their lack of confidence and motivation and to bring Christ’s values into the Job Club Market Place.

The course’s aim is to bring to the fore the achievements, qualities and strengths. For example arranging a birthday party: choosing the venue, the choice of menu, the DJ. Making a list of who to invite and sending the invitations out. A person has to be organised, reliable, outgoing and enthusiastic. Meet a deadline, make decisions, planning ahead and write the invitations.

 Also it’s about building relationships within the group to support each other. I would like to thank those from our fellowship who help and those who present the sessions.

Like the Landowner in the parable who employed all who came into the Market place looking for work and so the Job Club is open to all comers and the good news Mr Ali who joined us on the second week of the course has now found employment, we shall miss him and will continue to hold him up in prayer.

The importance of finding an employer who doesn’t exploit their workforce: by cheap labour and bad working conditions. People who run companies like this reflect their own life choices, like that of the world, and as scriptures states, “The end of those things, “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6: 23.

Whereas, finding a good employer whose values on pay and conditions are reflected in this parable  Instead of deducting pay for the labourers who had worked for less than a day, he shows good faith towards them, investing in them giving them all the same wage.                                                       

But we understand some saw the Landowner as being unfair.

Values in Christ’s Vineyard, God was going to be generous to them and give them all  ‘the first and the last’ the same.

We see this worked out at the crucifixion were the thief on the cross,  whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Jesus.

He received the same pay a denarius, ‘salvation’ as the apostles.

Everyone who comes to the Job Club has a need to be loved for themselves, and behind the struggle to be part of the world values, there is a soul crying out to find the Saviour’s love, to be part of his workforce and the values we share. 

The  Messiah’s Secret Revealed – Jesus at Bethany

(The visual aid I set up on Saturday ready for the Sunday morning service.)

I explained to the congregation - The desert on the right has no water so things don’t grow  on the other side things grow really well because there is plenty of water.  (picture on right showing water rising up)

So how do seeds grow?

3 children held up pictures: sun, soil and water

I’ve put some soil in the cups, ready to sow some seeds.

what do they need now? Sun and water.

I planted seeds in the compost in the cup three weeks ago and they have grown. 

When we hear or read about Jesus, and take the words to heart, they begin to grow within us and we become like Jesus.

                                                                       Prayer Focal Point

In a similar way, words about Jesus are seeds of faith, in every seed is complete, it contains the wholeness of Jesus, especially his love revealed to us in laying down his life for the forgiveness of our sins. When we listen to those words they planted into our heart. The Father's Holy Spirit waters the seed and they begin to grow within us. And we become followers of Jesus.                                       

Isaiah 43: 16-21. John 12: 1-8  
Jesus spent 40 days alone in the wilderness where he was tempted to sin unlike the Israelites in the wilderness who sinned and as a result wandered in the desert, for forty years, but Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations.                                                                                        

During the season of Lent the church encourages us to spend time examining our walk in Christ. For some Christians who maybe who have gone or going through a difficult time they can relate to Mary and Martha they had gone through a wilderness experience when Lazarus was seriously ill and later died. 

They had expected Jesus to turn up straight away after they had sent word to him that Lazarus was seriously ill. But he did not come.                                                  

Last Sunday evening  

Revd Chris Casey spoke about the different reactions between the sisters, When Jesus arrived later, Martha had a calm conversation with Jesus, she believed that he would have healed Lazarus had he come before he died and ‘even now’ she said, God will give you whatever you ask.”                                                                                                                  

Mary was silent, her emotions caused her to go weeping to Jesus”   

Both reactions found fulfilment when Jesus wept with Mary and when Jesus, said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” 

God's greater plan for Lazarus
Jesus did not respond straight away to Mary and Martha’s plea because he had a greater plan – Lazarus’ resurrection.  

God’s greater plan for Jesus:  Annie Johnson Flint wrote: “If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross, his work had been incomplete. 
If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb, he had only known defeat. 
But the way of the cross never stops at the cross and the way of the tomb leads on, to victorious grace in the heavenly place where the risen Christ has gone."  

God’s greater plan for us.
So for us, like Mary and Martha  we learn to put our trust in the Lord for he has a plan for us. 

John draws our attention to the fact that the resurrected Lazarus was sat at the table.   
When Lazarus had been 4 days in the tomb his body was like the desert, nothing could bring back life to his body. But Jesus was able to bring new life into his body like the spring its water bringing life to the desert. As we can imagine people were amazed when they heard of this fantastic miracle that Jesus performed. John wrote later they waved the Palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David.!” John 11: 17,18                                  

Mary came and knelt at Jesus’ feet and began to wipe them with her hair, mingled with ointment and her tears of joy, the perfume filled the room.

Mary wanted to show her love, honour and gratitude to Jesus, for what he had done by raising her brother Lazarus from the dead and we notice that she had planned before hand to anoint Jesus regardless of what under Law would not allow a woman to do.                                                                                                              

God in Jesus was doing a new thing, “He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick.”  A change to the law, the law penalised a person for breaking the law. Under grace God looks at the motivation coming from the heart.  

Jesus healed on the Sabbath Day which was forbidden. When questioned he said that it was right to do good on the Sabbath Day.

The Messiah's Secret Revealed The Pharisees added extra laws to those given by God to Moses because they earned their righteousness by keeping the rules of the law."                                 .

Judas annoyed by Mary’s liberty tried to quench her spirit by saying the money she had spent could have been given to the poor. Having an appearance of concern for the poor, but John pointed out he was not sincere.  
Jesus upheld, did not quench Mary’s motivation and actions when he said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial.” The anointing was in connection with his burial.                                                                                     
Anointing in the Old Testament was to give the gifts of Holy Spirit to the person for a particular service. 

Mary anointed Jesus for his burial, his ministry in death. 
In the Common Prayer Book in the Creed we say ‘He descended into hell.’ Peter in his letter wrote, ”He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” during the time he was in the tomb he went and preached to those who had been held there, since before the flood. In God’s justice he gave all those who had lived in unbelief in God the opportunity to accept Jesus as their Saviour. 1 Peter 3: 18-22.                                                                                                              .                                                    

In our reading Jesus said, ‘The poor you will always have with you.” We know therefore, there will always be a ministry to the poor.

Christians Against Poverty 

Christians Against Poverty CAP based at Bradford is where there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and it is beginning to gain momentum it’s like a spring in the desert, the start of a river flowing turning desert into fertile soil.                                

They are helping people in various practical ways through managing debt, finding a job, release groups and learning life skills and more importantly showing them God’s love. People are becoming Christians and the Lord is turning there lives around.

Jesus in his love is weeping with those who find themselves poor in their circumstances.

We have a CAP Job Club Course that will start at the end of March, please pray that the people who come on the course will ask for a drink the life-giving water and through accepting Jesus into their heart, he will be their rock and hope for now and for eternity.