The Future's In Us

The Future’s in Us.

Acts 11v1-18.

At morning services, just before election.

The title for this morning’s sermon is stolen! Stolen from one of the candidates for our election in Luton South this coming Thursday.

I am not going to tell you which candidate - you will have to find that out yourself, if you don’t already know - or even if I will be voting for them or not (that’s between me and the ballot box). I am definitely not canvassing for them this morning - I don’t think a Vicar’s job is to tell you who to vote for, that is for each church member to prayerfully consider. Only I do think it is a Christian responsibility to vote. Don’t forget!

But I like a phrase from this particular candidate’s manifesto, and hope they don’t mind me nicking it! It says, ‘I believe in Luton. The future’s in us.’

1. Believe in Luton.

I also believe in Luton. It has been interesting to see Luton South on the telly quite a lot in the last few days election coverage. I really believe Luton is a great place. We run it down too much. Of course, it has its problems, and no straight-talking Lutonian would ever pretend it is perfect. But it is a great, stimulating, interesting, vibrant place to live. Let’s believe in it!

I think the Bible encourages us to believe in Luton. Leviticus 65v3 says ‘Verily, thou shalt believe in Luton, Bedfordshire.’

Well, actually it doesn’t! But the passage we read today from Acts 11 does - in effect! It challenges Peter to reconsider his perspective.

It’s actually about what he considers unclean and impure. He is given a vision of what Jewish people consider impure animals -about which he shudders with revulsion as he pictures them. Horrible!

But God says, v9, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’. Now God is not primarily talking about food here - of course he is challenging the preoccupation with dietary laws that Peter, as an observant Jew, followed - but the main focus is on people. He is challenging Peter to accept uncircumcised, non-Jewish people, to mix with them, value them and see them as recipients of God’s grace too.

Many people consider Luton to be unclean. Something they had trodden in. Something to despise, and avoid like the plague. Even people who live in Luton sometimes run it down. And within the town some despise other people who are different from them, people of different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities and religions. This is just like people of old, considering others impure or unclean.

Verse 9 again: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’. God has made Luton, and all the diverse people within it, clean by his Son dying for Luton on the cross. That is how God showed his incredible love for all, including all Lutonians. No one is beyond God’s love, no-one is impure or unclean. Of course we need to receive that love personally, to know that we are truly clean and pure and precious, to receive our sins being forgiven. God makes all clean.

So, come today to God and receive that assurance of his eternal love deep in your hearts. Don’t write yourself off. Ask God to make it real in your heart that you are a precious child of God. Believe in yourself. God does.

And don’t write off Luton. Believe in Luton! God does!

Particularly, this week use your vote for Luton. Vote for what you believe is best for our town. Believe in Luton. God does.

And don’t write off any community in our town. That was Peter’s error. God loves all the diverse people of our community. Believe in all God’s children in Luton. God does.

‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’

So believe in Luton.

2. Also, the Future’s in us.

Acts 11 also says the future is in us. Not just because we are all special unique precious individuals, made in God’s image - which you all are. But because God Himself comes within us to enable us be God’s people, to be the future. Look at v16, ‘You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit’

What an incredible promise! You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit of God.

Now, you may be thinking at this moment, ‘David, that is lovely. Isn’t it nice that especially holy people will be full of the Spirit. Lovely!’

It doesn’t say that! Remember Peter is just discovering that smelly Gentiles like us are being baptised in the Spirit. The scum of the earth - and God’s Spirit has fallen on them!

God does not discriminate!

• He doesn’t give His Spirit just to holy people.
• He doesn’t just give his Spirit to clever people.
• He doesn’t just give his Spirit to one particular type of person.
• He gives it to you! He gives it to all!

• The future’s in us, because we all have a part to play, and something to offer.
• The future’s in us, because God wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit.
• The future’s in us because that Spirit gives us the resources to change the world.
• The future’s in us, because God’s agenda for the future is the Spirit working in frail human flesh like yours and mine.

It is for everyone. As we move towards Pentecost let us each open ourselves anew to the Spirit of God who changes us. Are you open? Are you asking for the Spirit. He will come to all who sincerely ask. ‘You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit’.

The election is here. Who will you vote for?

I believe in Luton. Cast your vote for the good of all the people of Luton - God’s love is for us all. Let’s believe in ourselves, as God believes in us. Let us believe in God, who entrusts himself to us.

The future’s in us. We are all special with a part to play. The Spirit is offered to us all. Will you receive it? Who will you choose? Whoever you choose in this human election, let us crucially choose and receive the Spirit within.

Then, the future’s truly in us!