As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” At once they left their nets and went with him.
Sermon for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Australia Day
| Text: Mark 1:16-18 As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” At once they left their nets and went with him. |
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Our country is a long way from everywhere
else, as many of you know when it comes to traveling to Europe or America. In
the early history of Australia there were those people who were determined to
cross the expanses of ocean and in some way bring our country closer to the rest
of the world.
On May 31, 1928, a three-engine Fokker
monoplane took off from San Francisco, to attempt the first crossing of the
Pacific Ocean by air. The pilot was Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew of 3
flew their plane the Southern Cross
to Sydney in 10 days.
What made this flight so amazing was the
equipment they had to navigate such a long distance.
Radar was unheard of at that time, the radio was very basic, and there
were very few air navigation instruments.
Most of the navigating was done with charts, compass, clock and sheer
reckoning. There was one piece of
important navigation equipment they had with them that was vital in their
navigating across vast expanses of ocean.
That was a ship’s sextant used for getting directions from the stars.
The problem with the sextant was this; for half of the journey the
navigator couldn’t see the stars as the
Southern Cross battled its way through violent storms.
During one of the longer legs of the
journey over the Pacific, Smithy decided to sacrifice precious fuel and climb
higher to seek better conditions.
With the driving rain coming into the open cockpit, he climbed slowly through
the inky darkness, flying in circles to avoid the worst of the weather.
Suddenly they burst through the clouds and there glittering above them
was the clear sky and the stars of the Southern Cross.
From this starry cross in the sky they were able to get their bearings
and confidently move forward in the right direction toward Australia.
Not only were they able to get their bearings but just as importantly,
that starry cross boosted their spirits and confidence enormously.
Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew were
very thankful that their plane the
Southern Cross was sturdy enough to endure the terrible storms across the
Pacific Ocean but they were just as thankful for the starry Southern Cross after
which their plane was named. It was
this cross that gave them direction and enabled them to find their way and in
the end safely land, firstly in Brisbane, and then in Sydney.
Without the Southern Cross it was possible for them to go way off course,
run out of fuel and ditch into the sea and maybe never be heard of again.
We have the stars of the Southern Cross on
our flag. This isn’t unique to Australia, in fact, the Southern Cross features
on the flags of four other countries including our closest neighbours, New
Zealand and Papua New Guinea. But since this is the Australia Day weekend let’s
narrow our focus to our country and our flag which boldly reminds us of the
Southern Cross which God has created in the sky above us.
Just as this cross in the sky has guided travellers, the cross of Jesus
guides us today as we journey in our everyday lives in Caboolture, Morayfield,
Wamuran, Brisbane, Sydney, Alice Springs, Eudunda, Walla Walla, Woolloomooloo or
wherever.
We have a saviour, a king who hung upon
that cross for us.
He hung there to show us the way to freedom from the storms of sin and death and
to give us a safe landing in heaven when our journey here has ended.
He hung there and then rose again from the dead to be our navigator through
life’s journey guiding us through turbulent times, being the wind under our
wings when we are certain to crash and burn, lifting us up above the storm
clouds to see the blue sky of his promises of hope and love and peace.
The cross is the symbol for us that reminds us that Jesus is never far away and
that even if we go off course for a bit, a glance at his cross reminds us that
he is near and will bring us back on course again.
Smithy and his companions were thrilled
when they caught sight of the stars of the Southern Cross above the storm
clouds. They no longer felt lost,
afraid, uncertain, and anxious about where they were heading.
The cross of Jesus holds the same joy for us because there on the cross
we find the one who conquered the vast distance between us and God, the one who
battled the storms for us, the one who gives us a certainty about the direction
we are heading. The cross of Jesus
is a happy symbol because it reminds us of God’s powerful love for us.
As Christians we can see the ‘spiritual’
significance of the Southern Cross especially on our flag when it’s set against
a sky blue background.
It reminds us of God the Creator who put the stars in the sky and created the
heavens.
It reminds us of God, our Saviour, who hung upon a cross because of his love for
all humanity.
The stars of the Southern Cross reflect light as they shine on us and remind us
of the Holy Spirit who reflects the light of God’s peace and joy and love into
our lives.
When I look at our flag I am reminded of
our history and the places where our flag has played an important role – in
battle, in sport, as symbol of hope and courage to those far from home.
But it also reminds me of God. He
is part of our nation as well.
He has made it with his own hands.
He has brought people to this land whether long ago or more recently.
He has filled it with so many beautiful and wonderful things – unique plants and
animals, mountains, deserts, fertile valleys, plains, cities, and surrounded it
with a magnificent coastline.
It reminds me that God loves this land and
also died for it. The cross shines
in our skies declaring that Jesus died for us Aussies as well.
He loves this land and people of all lands so much he went to extreme
measures to break down the barrier of sin and evil between us and himself and
allowed his Son to die on a cross.
There is no hidden ulterior motive for God
doing this. There is no catch.
He did it because of his intense love for his people.
He wants everyone to have eternal life in heaven.
He wants everyone to have happy, confident, peaceful lives here and now.
He wants everyone to know that they only need look at the cross and know that
they have the power of God on their side and he will help them through the
stormiest times.
He offers it all freely.
But do Australian know about the cross and
what it means for them?
Do they have any idea that God is waiting for them to take up his offer?
Are they happy to struggle along in every storm that comes their way never
knowing that above the storm there is a cross on a sky blue background?
Today we hear Jesus call Simon and Andrew
who were fishing by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus
said to them, “Come with me, and I will
teach you to catch people.”
When Jesus said these words it was a different time, a different place,
different circumstances and a completely different world compared to us here in
Australia in 2015. However, there
is one thing that isn’t different – the needs of people.
Whether we are talking about first century people or 21st
century people there is a commonality that we share – our need for the cross –
the good news of God’s love shown to us through the death and resurrection of
Jesus. The joy that comes from
knowing that God is an ever-present God and through his Son is a constant need
across all generations.
And so Jesus says to us today, “Come,
follow me, and I will teach you how to catch people”.
The people Jesus is talking about are
Australians who don’t know Jesus – who don’t know what it means to be loved in
such a powerful way, and who don’t know the joy and confidence that Jesus gives
even in the wildest storm and even in the face of death.
They are waiting for someone to show them the cross and how to use it to find
their way.
Just as Smithy and his crew were in danger of certain disaster but were guided
in the right direction when they saw the stars of the Southern Cross, our fellow
Australians are in the same danger and need someone to point them to Jesus and
the joy and safety he gives.
Make no mistake about it; God gives us
opportunities to point people to the greatest treasure that we have in this
world – Jesus. God opens windows of
opportunity for us to help people in some small way find the true peace and the
solid help that comes from knowing the Saviour we love who is also the Saviour
who loves them. Jesus calls us as
he called those first disciples,
“Come with
me, and point people to the cross.”
In 1935 Charles Kingsford Smith was
attempting to break the England to Australia speed record in the plane
Lady Southern Cross when he
disappeared. His body has never been recovered.
It was night time and we don’t know what went wrong but whatever happened
we might say the cross, Lady Southern
Cross, let him down.
You can never say that about Jesus’ cross.
Jesus stands by his word. He
is good and loving. He never gives
up. He will guide us and gives us
the lift we need to rise above rough weather. When
we have lost our way in the darkest of nights he will comfort us and navigate us
to brighter days and one day to eternal life.
Look for the Southern Cross and let it
remind you of the cross of Christ.
© Pastor Vince Gerhardy
25th January 2015
E-mail:
sermonsonthenet@outlook.com
