So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’  

 It doesn’t seem to change does it? We want to know when, how long, we want to know Gods timing in worldly events. 

We can hear the disciples longing for the spiritual and physical freedom of the Jewish people from the Roman empire.  It’s like children asking ‘Are we there yet?’ Jesus responds ‘it is not for you to know Gods timing’. Our preoccupation with times and seasons is Gods business not ours. We don’t need to know this instead we are to be on guard, keep awake, be ready. Put on the breastplate of hope and encourage each other. We are called to be patient, trust and wait! Focus on God, not on the timing of worldly events but to focus on your calling to be a witness to the Death and resurrection of Jesus. 

So we come to the crux, we are not to fixate on when Christ returns but to focus on God and what he calls us to do… ‘you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the world’ that speaks to me today.  What does it mean to be a witness for Jesus here in Stawell. 

I have started a zoom discussion group on the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer with others in our presbytery. In his life he grappled with what it meant to be a disciple. 

I am struck by his early conviction to be a theologian at 13 years old and the factors in his young life that lead him to that. He was born in Germany in 1906 in a large but very close family.  One of his elder brothers died in the WWI and this was a huge blow to his parents and siblings. He studies and gains his theological qualifications. We see that as he matures and turns his intelligence to the experiences gained when travelling, his understanding and thinking broadens. Before these experiences he finds it hard to separate his theology from his cultural background, initially supporting nationalism. After his time in Spain, Rome, N Africa, England and USA he was starting to see he could not be Christian and a nationalist.  

Bonhoeffer as he returned to Germany in the early 1930s, with his broader understanding, sees clearly the conflict facing the German Christian church as the third Reich rises in power. As much as Bonhoeffer can understand many Germans hope that the third reich will bring order and pride back to broken Germany, he also sees that to idolise a leader is dangerous. 

In 1933 as Hitler becomes Chancellor, Bonhoeffer gives a sermon at the same time as Hitler gives his first public address as the new chancellor. In his sermon, Bonhoeffer identifies the growing Christian nationalism in Germany and warns against it. 

In doing this he sets the path for a life of witnessing to Christ and the cross, a difficult and dangerous way in pre WWII Germany.  

What did witnessing mean to DB? His conviction grew that the German christian church was succumbing to the lies of the State, the third reich, and by doing so it was not keeping God as the focus of the church! Instead it put its hopes in the Fuhrer, and equated the Fuhrers way to Gods way. Bonhoeffer spoke out in sermons and many forums about this to alert people. With others, Bonhoeffer helped establish the confessing church which rejected the twisted theology of the german Christians which by this stage was implementing within the church, the anti semitic policies of the Nazis. Bonhoeffer communicated within the ecumenical movement what was really happening in Germany under Hitler. 

There is much more to Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s story but you can see that the author of ‘the cost of discipleship’ had thought very deeply about what discipleship meant and lived his life accordingly as a witness.  This resulted in persecution, imprisonment and his death.  

His writings and the writings about him have and continue to influence many. In 1998 Westminster Abbey unveiled ten statues of modern (20th century) martyrs above its Great Western Door. One was of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

Let me reread the Peter reading about suffering for being Christian 

1 Pt 4:12-14 

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 

1 Peter 5:6-11 

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 

I reflect on Bonhoeffers life and how over time his faith developed and was strengthened as he took to heart the suffering Christ walking with those who suffer.  We see it too in the life of the disciple Peter, as he grew from revolutionary fighter to suffering servant, becoming more Christlike in the process, suffering injustice for being obedient to the Lord. 

To be a witness means: 

• To withstand testing 

• Participate in the Suffering of Christ 

• Humble ourselves under Gods mighty hand 

• Cast our anxieties on him 

• Be alert and of sober mind 

• Resist evil 

• Stand firm in faith 

There is a very long history of Christian nationalism.  We see in our times, current regimes including the Trump government fostering Christian nationalism, promoting that the work of Trump is the work of Jesus. 

But as Bonhoeffer and others have called out over time, that when the Holy Spirit comes on disciples – you will be Gods church, not connected to state not to wield worldly power.   

For each of us to witness, start where you are and then spread out. So many people are under Gods kingdom but are not in the kingdom, they do not know the gospel. Use your own testimony, witness in word and deed. Know the gospel. Witness in the power of the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth. Be bold, humble, be prayerful.

The church will be faithful to witnessing. The revolution is to tell and live our lives to bring Gods kingdom by sacramental life of self-giving. The world is waiting for the church to wake up and be the church to call the world to its best and better self. 

Actions of Trump government in USA 

• Deportations and disappearing of people into prisons and camps outside USA 

• Corporations to bend to the white house 

• Roll back of human rights 

• Sexualisation of exec power 

• Closing and reducing funding for the poor 

• Impacts to the autonomy and funding of universities 

Impact of these actions on Christians: 

1. Thank God it’s not me, my job, my town – blanket fear that causes us to step away from what’s happening to my neighbour 

1. Temptation to be a defender of institutions that still have power, in the hope that they may leverage lenience 

1. Christian nationalism – 

Christian Nationalism 

Betraying Jesus and trying to pair the gospel with government as if God needs violence of the state.  

Damage to the church because it evacuates the gospel of God and replace it with political imagination. 

Christian nationalism comes up straight after the resurrection. 

Just before ascension, disciples don’t know whats coming, ask him Acts 1:6?  They didn’t have the spirit yet.  So they still thought that jesus would restore Israel. 

Mark 14 Pharasees schemes to arrest jesus, jesus enrage the roman (political) leaders. Judas betrays Jesus because of he thought Jesus was going to overthrow the romans.  Waste of money (used on narm), waste of time – too much talk not action when we need to act to fix the social wrongs. Jesus temptation by Satan – Here are all the kingdoms of the world – you could fix it all.  Why didn’t Jesus take the power of the nation to make these changes?   

But taking the power to fix stuff (left or right politics) tying Christian kingdom of God to nation state, is Christian nationalism.  Christians can’t be nationalist. 

Left form of Christian nationalism has been the establishment (until trump), subtle, sophisticated and educated. 

Acts 1:6-8  

When the Holy Spirit comes on the disciples – you will be Gods church, not connected to state not to wield worldly power.  

The church will be faithful to witnessing. Revolution to bring Gods kingdom. Sacramental life of self giving