John 10 v 1 to 21

 

The whole of Chapter 10, is about Jesus portraying Himself like a good shepherd taking care of his flock. In Jesus time, shepherds would know their sheep byname.  A group of shepherds would each put their sheep in a communal pen at night, and they would be looked after by one shepherd. who would not let anyone enter who did not belong there.  The next day, each shepherd would collect their own sheep who would recognize their keeper.

 Jesus uses this analogy, to show Himself having similar care for all who follow Him. The words of Jesus are so assuring, in that He knows each of us personally and was willing to die for us; He is a true pastor.  If you are trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are one of His flock.

 Jesus’ sheep listen to His voice and obey Him, they are not swayed by false teachers, and there are so many preaching in our Churches.  They tell you the Bible is outdated, and you have to live with the times, thereby accepting a lax moral code.  We hear Church leaders, calling for multi-faith worship, but true Christians cannot join in worship with those who deny the divinity of Jesus. Here in this chapter, Jesus says ‘I am the gate, no one enters except through me’.  Later in Chapter 14 He will say, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’.

 I know to be so exclusive is not popular, and in some Churches such statement is not welcomed, but to deny or refuse to state is to deny the Lord Himself.

 People can be like sheep, without minds of their own. Take for example the political scene. People were praising one leader to the skies, but when asked what his policies or beliefs were, they had no idea, they were following because they saw others and felt they had to go with crowd, even though balanced minded people knew he couldn’t be trusted with a word he said.

 This passage in the Bible, comes after three months had passed from the first part of the chapter.  Jesus was in the Temple when he was surrounded by Jews, who wanted to know if He claimed to be the Messiah, and wanted Him to say so plainly.  He replied that what he had done in God’s name was plain enough, and confirmed who He was, and the only reason they failed to understand was because they had not followed Him.

 The reason so many people doubted Jesus then and still do, is not because of lack of information; the problem is that they reject the evidence given.  Jesus referred to the works of healing He had done, but they selected what they wanted to believe.

 To distort facts and figures is common, we are seeing this as the country’s future is being debated as each side, widely differs from the other to support their claims. When public figures do this brazenly, it is not a good example to the rest of the population, yet this is what they done regarding the Bible. Most of the atheistic speakers, have never come to know Jesus or do much to learn, and have no personal knowledge on which to deny Him, or know what He did and why.

 Jesus said ‘I know my sheep and I take care of them.’  Brash people say they don’t need a crutch to prop them up, they feel quite adequate to take care of themselves and stand on their own two feet, provided in many cases they are propped up by drink or drugs.

 I have heard people say after being burgled, I was intending to get insurance cover, but never got around to doing it.  We all need security; how many people I wonder intended to go to Church and turn to Jesus, but never made it and now face eternal loss? Eternity is a long time.

 The modern-day philosophy, is to live life to the full and have a fantastic time, but it is a short sighted one.  Research in the United States, has shown that being a Christian and attending Church is good for you, spiritually and mentally and for your health generally.  Some people say I tried to find God, but nothing happened. We all need to humble ourselves and ask God to turn our hearts to Jesus, ask the Lord to ‘teach me the way.’

 When Jesus says my sheep hear my voice, the true believer listens to the voice of Jesus, and it encourages them and feeds them, and they try to live out that belief and faith.  It takes them to Church on a Sunday morning when others rush to supermarkets or golf courses, and although they have to rise early on weekdays, they are still ready to do so on Sundays. The pretend Christians attend Church when convenient, if at all, and even then, do not live out a Christian life.

 Jesus said, ‘my sheep follow me’. This means they obey Him, and do what He commands.  This does not mean they always do so without a struggle, all of us find it hard going at times, but we realize what Jesus gave up for us, and our attitude is then Lord whatever it costs I will do what you say. 

 Jesus said, ‘if anyone will come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.’  This is the mark of true sheep.

 Why do we gather here each Sunday, often exerting a lot of effort?  For most people the satisfaction of knowing Jesus would want them to do so, and they have a peace and joy and the feeling of inner security, and the sense of forgiveness and belonging.  Our friends, and indeed members of our families, may not be like us and instead are committed to a life that leads nowhere. Jesus said, ‘I give you eternal life.’

 If you were to be asked to state what quality you would like to see in a Minister, think for a moment how you would answer. I read of a survey carried out in the United States, and the favorite replies were, having a charismatic personality, showing a sense of humor, able to make one feel good.  What they certainly didn’t want was some old-time revivalist type, who made one feel a sense of guilt.

 Some years ago, in this country a new Archbishop of Canterbury had to be appointed, and one of the favorites among Church attenders was the then Bishop of London, who many of us wanted to see appointed, but we knew he stood little chance for he was positive, traditional, orthodox, a true bible man.  Instead, a very nice gentlemanly man who was known for sitting on the fence when faced with a decision, was appointed.  He proved the point however, that when you try to please everyone you end  pleasing no one.

 Those of us who try to maintain biblical integrity still have a problem. I cannot imagine any preacher of substance setting out to cause offence, but if one preached strictly in accordance with Scripture, the Churches would be emptier than they are now. Most people don’t want to hear truth, they want spiritual prescriptions to make happiness, as if the Church was a spiritual .

 You may have heard of the Vicar, who gave a literal exposition of the duties of husbands and wives, in the terms of Paul’s Letter to Ephesians in a wealthy area of the country, with the outcome being that numerous women left the Church taking their direct debits with them.  Preaching that passage of Scripture in modern times, needs very careful handling, so perhaps the Vicar was too literal, and didn’t enlarge on it.

A preacher has to decide whether to be faithful to the Bible, avoid all contentious issues, or go with the flow.

 There was a shameful and disgraceful example  recently when a leading bishop was asked the Church’s description of a ‘woman’. I know this is a ridiculous question to ask, but politicians of both sexes decline to answer, lest it upset a fraction of the community.

The answer the bishop gave was, the Church has no definition, it certainly has, but he never gave it. This shows, as I have stated many times, our Church leaders don’t fully believe the Bible.

 A woman is a biological female, created by God in His image as men were; simple. What an insult to women, when people in positions of authority, fail to recognize them as a distinct body; and fail to honor and recognize God’s creation order.  

 If any person is offended by a preacher, he/she should consider  why,  and then speak to the preacher after the service rather than walk away in a huff.  One preacher who was always fearless was our Lord Himself; remember, Jesus either saved or caused people to turn away from Him.

 A lot of people who call themselves intellectuals, think Christianity is for the poor and simple minded, but history records many clever and able men and women, some of them with brilliant minds and occupations, surrendered their way of life to travel far and wide in the service of Christ. People do not give up a lucrative lifestyle for a harsher life, without a lot of conviction.

 Abraham Lincoln, the great American President once stated God must like ordinary people, He made enough of them.

 There was a program on television, which asked if Christians were being discriminated against.  It was quite alarming, first to hear the vitriolic anti-Christian views, and secondly to hear so-called Christians, selecting passages and deliberately distorting to justify an immoral style of living specifically condemned by Scripture.

 But you cannot convince anyone, who is determined not to be convinced.  We may struggle, we may hurt, and go through times of darkness, deep depression and doubt, but we shall never perish if we have become part of Jesus flock, but we can be sure we will one day be with Him in glory.

 Paul recognized, that people had to be treated and  brought to know Christ by teaching and persuasion, never be forced or threatened. Only by prayer and with God’s grace.

 

 Thank God for His Holy Gospel, May He be Glorified.

 

JOHN 21.v 20-25

 

What would our live be like if our actions were in line with what we said?  How many people regularly sing and say words in Church and then go out into the world and behave in a contradictory way?  I know clergy who recite the Creed, but do not accept the Virgin Birth, or/and, the physical resurrection of our Lord.  How shameful is that? 

 When Paul was pleading his case before King Agrippa, the king said you persuade me almost to be a Christian.  I think there are many ‘almost Christians’ in today’s Church.  People profess, talk much, engage in obtuse theology in colleges, but are spiritually dead. There is no feeling, no love; God looks at the heart not the mouth.  You may not understand doctrine, but you will know if Jesus Christ means all he should to you.    Let no one therefore think ill of Peter, there is no one righteous, no not one.

  I like the story, of a Church where the congregation had just sang ‘stand up for Jesus’ and the Vicar had gone into the pulpit, when two men wearing black hoods walked in brandishing guns.  Who is going to stand up for Jesus now they asked.  The choir ran out, and best part of the congregation.  The men took off their masks, put down their guns and said, ‘carry on now Vicar; we have got rid of the hypocrites.’

 Jesus then had a personal meeting with Peter, something we should all seek, for it is good to talk privately with the Lord.  Three times Peter denied Jesus, and now here Jesus is asking Peter three times to declare whether he loved Jesus.  It is obvious, Jesus is pricking Peter’s conscience and to teach him a lesson, although Jesus never accused him of betrayal.

 The word love can be interpreted in two ways; either in the sense of feeling a deep commitment to another person, or a feeling of mere affection. Jesus, on the first two occasions is using the one which asks for commitment, whilst Peter responds with the one which means affection.  On the last occasion, Jesus asks if it is just affection, and is it more than the other Apostles offer.  Peter is restrained from professing deep commitment after the courtyard betrayal.  Jesus then shows forgiveness in commissioning Peter anew, to do the work of an Apostle, to feed his flock.

 You will notice uses three different commands to Peter; feed my lambs; take care of my sheep; feed my sheep. This suggests Jesus means, teach the children, help those who need, and watch over the older ones.

In using the term feed my sheep, Jesus wants Peter to teach them the Scriptures, something sorely needed to be done in our Churches today. In too many places, the attitude seems to be if you can’t change them join them, and we are doing what Paul warned against, when he spoke of people not wanting sound doctrine, and having false teachers ready to oblige them.

It is not too strong to say immorality is permeating into Churches.  We have bishops openly advocating the ignoring of the Bible, where it states behavior is sinful, and assuring the participants it is not.  People are not being taught the thoughts of God, but following blindly after the culture of society. The Bible states, ‘preach the Word’ and those whose responsibility is to do so, will one day have to account before the Lord for betrayal.

God’s purpose for the Church, is to lead people to salvation; to proclaim the gospel story to an unbelieving world. In order to help us. do this according to his wishes, God created spiritual boundaries and we should not wander beyond what the Bible sets out for us.  It is because preachers have extended their remit beyond God’s boundaries and gone off message, that the Church is falling apart in the West; people now are confused as to what the Church believes.  God wants us to preach his Word, not express our opinions or think we have a better idea.

It has always irritated me when people know a bishop or archbishop is to visit or speak, think he must be superior in the faith, when in fact it is more than likely the opposite. Bishops are vocally supporting immorality, and campaigning for same sex marriage without reserve. Whenever General Synod meets I dread reading the newspapers, and hope people forget I was a Vicar.

In the concluding verses of this Gospel, we find the future history of Christians in life and death are known by Christ. Jesus tells Peter a prediction of how he will die, and he was right when Peter died a martyr’s death for Christ’s sake. Peter in fact spent the rest of his life knowing he would one day die on a cross, and is said to have chosen to die upside down to glorify his Lord.  When Peter asks what about he future of John, with whom he had a close relationship, Jesus tells him virtually it is none of his business, but infers that John might live a long life.

 Peter was a man with a big heart, impetuous and without doubt loved Jesus, and served him well, always ready to make a grand gesture, first to enter the empty tomb on Easter Sunday although John got there first but didn’t go in. This tells us we should not try to compare ourselves, ,nor try to be the same; we may admire other Christians and wish we had their gifts, but God loves as we are, as long as we are faithful and loving him.

 John did in fact live a long life, the only Apostle to live and be able to give first hand account of life with Jesus, and he was always ready to speak of Jesus, and give a most accurate record of all he saw.

 In the final verse, John comments that whilst much has been included in his gospel regarding the life of Jesus, there was so much more could have been written to help the Church understand the all sufficiency of Christ and strengthen Christians in their faith.  It would in fact be impossible, for anyone to fully illustrate the work achieved by our Lord.

 The last verses of this gospel are part of a divine commission to go and make disciples of all nations. The United Kingdom and United States, were once the nations teaching the world the gospel, now we have the devoted Christians of the Eastern nations, showing and telling us how to spread the gospel.  If we are willing to be missionaries of Christ, we don’t need to travel any distance, the whole nation is in need of conversion, so we can start where we are.

 Jesus promises to be with us by his Spirit, and give us the strength and knowledge we need to speak for him, if we go in his name. As Jesus chose the fishermen of old to go catch men, may we emulate them that we may bring Jesus to them so they will accept him as their Lord.

 Now, just as the previous passage referred to Peter and  his place in the scheme of things, this passage assigns to John his place. People pointed out how Peter went away  shepherding his people, they wondered what was the function of John, who had lived on in Ephesus until he was told he was past all activity.

So we come at the end of this Gospel, with the two great men of the Church.  Peter was the shepherd of Christ, John was the witness of Christ. To each was given a function, and in the end to die for Jesus Christ.

 To this day, the Christian is the one who can say I know Jesus Christ, and all that is written in the pages of Scripture I believe to be true. John ends with the triumphs and the power and the limitless grace of Jesus.

 We have come to another conclusion, the end of the Easter season. I pray that you have been satisfied with the sermons you have received and found some help and blessing. We now face another new year.

I thank all who read the sermons and I look forward for the coming year.

 I wish you all a happy and blessed time with good health.

 

May God’s Holy Name be praised and He be glorified.

 

G

THE TRINITY

 

The Epistle comes from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthian Church. This is one of two of Paul’s Letters to that Church, which was situated in the heart of Corinth, a major trade centre and seaport where several cultures and religions met.

On Sunday, the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all    (2 Corinthians 13 v 14)

Paul has been writing to the Church in Corinth, and ends the Letter with the Trinitarian benediction. This verse has ever since has been read at Churches in every country, in most services each Sunday at some point.

The doctrine of the Trinity is an important doctrine, although is hard to understand and even harder to explain, which is why a lot of preachers try to avoid doing so. All our services begin with the words, ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and we often end with the same and baptize with those words.

We speak of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but the Bible states,’ hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one God’, who is present in all three.  God was fully God when He made the world. God was/is fully God living in the saving grace of Jesus. God is fully God when He lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. These are not three different Gods, but one, with three different qualities.    Let us look at each.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul wants us to know. when he speaks of the grace of Jesus, you and I achieve salvation because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the Cross, that gracious act of undeserved kindness ,who gave His life willingly, so that we are made right with God. Great Riches At Christ’s Expense. We are spared any punishment for our sins. This is why Jesus was sent by God for that purpose; this is the heart of the gospel message.

The love of God the Father.

When people speak of love generally, it is either an emotional feeling, or even more so something sensual. We are plagued with many songs, all about love, but the deepest and truest love stories are those which are mysterious and profound.

Paul wanted us to fully appreciate the love of God, which is beyond all understanding, and which cared for the world so much He sent His only Son to suffer such a cruel death on the Cross so we should not perish. God’s love is extended to all His children, just as an earthly father loves his own. But such love is for His own, just as an earthly father loves his own. We are God’s children only, when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Remember the words of the Bible, Jesus said.’ no one comes to the Father except through me’. This is why it is vitally important, for us to have those we love come to know the love of God by turning to Jesus; there is no other way.

God is a righteous and just God, and as such demands payment for sin, which has been met by Jesus on the Cross.

Imagine a Judge in a Court of law, who has before him a woman who has stolen food to feed her child, because she has no money to afford it. He imposes a fine, which the woman pleads she cannot pay, so the judge has to impose a penalty, but in pity writes a cheque and pays himself. Such is God’s action to us.

But Jesus stated clearly, when he prayed to the Father, that not all people were children of God, only those who turned to follow Jesus.  (John 17)

Paul then turns to the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit.

Paul is saying there is a fellowship all Christians enjoy, and experience through the Holy Spirit, and that that experience is what unites them. We are no longer out of relationship with God, we think of Him as a Father.

You and I as Christians, achieve salvation because of the sacrifice made on the Cross, that gracious act of Jesus enables us to know the love of God, through the gift of God the Holy Spirit. This must flow out over the whole Church, and there should never be any difficulty or hindrance in Christians being able to relate to each other, even if we have not previously met.

But the Church is not a social club, where we meet for an hour or so once a week. There has to be the truth of the Bible present in our heart and mind. We can meet as strangers and part as brothers and sisters.

We become Christians through the grace of Jesus; the love of God allows us to walk in that grace and the Holy Spirit brings us to be at one with each other, which can stop all in fighting and the rivalry which sometimes invades and infects a Church.

At one time I was living in East Africa in a city which was a port, and regularly ships would bring missionaries from other lands,  principally from America, and whilst Americans are generally friendly people, there were people, of different ages, colour, race yet we were able to become friends because we had the God, same Father, and the same Savior, same Spirit within us. No difference because of nationality, race or colour of skin.  Whilst we were with people we had never previously met, we were able to mix freely because we had the same God and Savior and he same gift of the Holy Spirit.  Christianity is the only common body in which this could happen.

The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is just one of the blessings of being in Christ, that we can know a bond which stretches across time and space, to unite us with many we have never met and barriers are broken down in the fellowship of believers.

May we experience that amazing grace in our lives, and be true disciples of Jesus. And may God bless His words to the learning of His love for us.

We Praise and thank God for His Holy Gospel, and Glorify His Holy Name.

 

J  O H N  3  v1-15

Jesus said, Truly, truly, I tell you the truth. Unless you are born again you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

If I were to go and ask people I met passing in the street, ‘are you a Christian, and if so why do you think so? I would in most cases get a reply such as, ‘of course,  I live in this country’ or ‘I am because I believe in God.’  Perhaps a variation on those two.

Billy Graham, relates how at one of his meetings a member of his team asked a man, ‘sir are you a Christian, and the man replied I have been a member of the Church of England all my life, and I am not changing now.

But not all people who attend Church, are in fact Christians in the biblical understanding, either by belief or living.  The gospel this morning is one of the outstanding passages in the whole Bible, and helps define the difference between a true Christian, and a make-believe one.  I hope our study of it, will help you whichever you are, and bring you to a close relationship with Jesus, which is what God wants from all of us. 

Jesus knew and understood all people, it was part of His divine omniscience, knowing the hearts of people.  He was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and many people were there who knew of the wonderful deeds, especially the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  He understood, how fickle people could be, so He took care they did not place Him in a disadvantage.

The Chapter begins by referring to Nicodemus. He was a member of the Jewish Government, a Pharisee, a Professor of Theology. Rich and religious, he tithed part of all his income, he was the sort of man many a Minister would welcome to be in his Church.

One evening under a mid-Eastern moonlit sky, he went to see Jesus. We are not told the reason for going at night. Perhaps he did not want to be seen, as it would have been an embarrassment for him, or perhaps the best time to be alone with the Lord.

He addressed Jesus as ‘Rabbi’, showing respect and courtesy to Jesus, for it was an honourable Office to Jews, and Jesus was not entitled to be called Rabbi, for He had not had any Rabbinical training.

 There are people now, who don’t like to acknowledge that they are identified with the Church of Jesus, for fear of embarrassment or through being mocked.  There are many who are too proud to seek Jesus. 

 Nicodemus spoke highly of the work of Jesus, and conceded that God must have been with Him in order to do what Jesus had done. There is no need for anyone fearing to see Jesus, He is there for any person to call on Him at any time.

 Nicodemus recognized that he needed a change in his life, and wanted to go deeper, he wanted what Jesus offered.  Sometimes it may be difficult to admit this, but Nicodemus was ready to face up to it. 

How many of you, might feel you are nice and friendly, honest and do your best to help others, you have attended Church most of your life, but apart from not attending Church, there are many people who have all those qualities who belong to other faiths, or are in fact atheists, more sincere than many Church members.

The religion of Nicodemus was that of doing good works.  The problem with a religion of good deeds is, that we can never know when we have done enough, but that is the basic religion of the world. 95% of the population today, believes that as long as you are honest, kind and helpful to others and do no harm, you are a fully fledged Christian with a passport to heaven. 

Of the hundreds of funerals I have taken over the years, there has never been any doubt that the deceased had gone to heaven. The sad and cruel factor is, the Church has encouraged people to believe so; if you doubt me, look at the liturgy in the funeral services.

Think for a moment, if you stood before Jesus to day and He asked you why should you be allowed into heaven, what would you say. Is there enough evidence in your life, to justify your admission?

Jesus sensed in Nicodemus, a deep hunger and emptiness.  He sincerely believed he was doing what he thought God wanted from him, yet he had an unsatisfied heart that led him to Jesus and risk incurring the wrath of his people. 

There are many lovely people now, I personally know some of them, who if only the Church would stop pandering to noisy activists, and got down to spell out in simple terms what Jesus and the Bible is calling for, would turn to Christ and be a valuable asset to the Church and Christian faith.

Jesus answered Nicodemus with that phrase, which has been immortalized by evangelical preachers, ‘you must be born again’.  Jesus didn’t say ‘you must think about it’ or ‘you must consider it’.  He said ‘you MUST be born again.’ 

Nicodemus took Jesus’ words literally, and asked ‘how can a man be born when he is old?’  Surely, he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb.  In his heart, there was a great longing.  He could see the effect Jesus was having on crowds, and longed to have that ability.  He knew it was beyond him.

Billy Graham tells the story of a lady on a bus in America sitting next to a Bishop.  She asked him, ‘have you been born again.’  The man answered, ‘I am a Bishop’.  The lady said, ‘I didn’t ask you that.  I asked if you were born again’.  The bishop later said he went home, read this chapter, and realized his life had been missing something real, and he realized what the lady meant.

I get so much pleasure and inspiration, from watching the services from American Churches, where the people seem to be so much more God centered than in this country, and when you see how the people are dressed, as if they were going to meet the Lord, and it is a joy to see them with Bibles in their hands and the joy in their faces. Christianity is a joyful faith, and we should enjoy praising the Lord and following Him in our Bibles.

Like many people today, Nicodemus felt he was too old to change, too set in his ways, but we can begin anew at any age.  So many people are desperately unhappy and unsatisfied, because they are missing out in their lives.  They seek refuge in alcohol or drugs, or gambling or whatever.  The thought of seeking spiritual help is beyond their minds.

If you think of a birth, the body exists before birth and can move and feel, but knows nothing of this world.  It cannot see nor communicate, yet the world is all around it.  At the moment of birth, the embryo comes in to the world and can see, breathe and make contact.  The baby is born of the flesh. Women go through agony to give birth, and enabling us to live, and continue to give care to their children after birth.

Jesus went through agony, being beaten 39 times with a leather studded belt, He collapsed after being made to carry his own Cross, to die on it after nails had been driven through his hands and feet; and still cares for his children of all ages still.

Jesus told Nicodemus, he needed an experience analogous to his physical birth.  To be born again, is to be changed in such a way, that can only be described as a re-creation. To be born of the Spirit, means to have the Spirit of Jesus Christ living inside of you. It means that God’s gracious love comes and lives inside of your heart, when you are ready to believe that Jesus Christ was Lord and is the Savior of the World. That He died to take upon Himself the sins we have committed, so that we may be forgiven and made righteous before God.

Jesus then said, ‘no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born of water and the spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’

The Kingdom of God, is a society in which the will of God is done on earth as it is in heaven.  To lead a life, in which we submit all willingly to the will of God. What Jesus calls for is a complete transformation in our lives.  This means in our thoughts, words and actions. Something which goes beyond irregular attendance at Church, and a casual attitude to faith during the rest of the week.

People come to a point in life, when they feel that they are going through the motion of religion, of having the ritual without there being any sense of the real thing.  If you come to that point in your relationship with God, and it happens to people all the time, you need to come before Jesus and ask Him to come into your life, and give you that new life.

At this time, John had been baptizing, and it was a sensational event.  Many people now superstitiously think, that if they have their babies baptized, that will ensure their entrance into heaven, a sort of once and for life matter, irrespective of a life in between, which is pure superstition.  Water may cleanse, and may make you smell nicer, but that is not enough in God’s eyes.  What it stands for is important, but you have to grasp the full symbolism, which is repentance for sin, and the start of a new way of living. 

Most people don’t want to admit there is anything to repent of, they are perfectly good, and God should recognize that. A Vicar put a notice outside his Church which read, ‘this church is here for sinners.’  The next week two thirds of his congregation were absent.

Jesus referred to the wind blowing, and being heard without it being seen or knowing where it came from, or where it was going.  When we are born again, we feel the Spirit of God inside us.  You don’t see God or control Him, but you see the effects when Jesus takes hold of your life.  You get that missing motivation; worship becomes more meaningful and necessary to you.  You don’t find so many excuses for not coming to Church.

When we are born of the Spirit, we have a new power within us which enables us to be what by ourselves, we could not be. We see what a mighty change our Lord declares, as being necessary for salvation. No one could be His disciples, unless the inner person be cleansed. The change is not a superficial one, it is a change of heart and character, it is a complete resurrection of being.

Jesus gave a good illustration by talking of wind. We may not know where it came from or where going to, but we feel it even though we could not see it, but we may see the effects of it.

Many thousands of people went to the Billy Graham Crusades in the latter half of the last century.  Touched by rousing hymns, massed choirs, sermon by the world’s greatest preacher, they immediately had a Damascus road conversion.  Quite a lot of men became clergy, and even bishops, other went back to their parishes and in the more mundane atmosphere of 1662 Matins, poorly put together services, and indifferent preaching, fell away; whilst others with regular worship and a desire to know the Lord just grew in grace over time.

A person may attend Church regularly, and love God and Jesus, but are deprived of the true gospel through  poor preaching by clergy, who are reluctant to be positive in their sermons lest they upset someone in the congregation. If a preacher does not receive a complaint these days, he/she should start to examine what they are preaching.   Having someone objecting to what you have said in  a sermon, is like having a badge of honor.

Some times, after a person has gone to Church for years regularly and felt nothing in particular, and then one day hears a word from the gospel, and it touched their heart, and all worship became more personal and profound.

I attended Church from school days, and it wasn’t until I was living in Mombasa in Kenya, and during a bible study, there learned what born in the Spirit means.  The essentials of the faith are not preached  for congregations to learn.

Jesus referred to an event in the Old Testament, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert, and complained about God, who in His wrath sent snakes which killed people.  When Moses prayed, the Lord told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole, and when anyone was attracted, they would be healed if they looked up at the pole.

God said, ‘my son will be lifted up on a cross, and those who look to Him will be saved from their sins’.

We have the whole message of the gospel in verse 16, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,     ’

If you have ever lost a son (or daughter), you will know the sense of loss and pain which goes with it. This is what was sacrificed for you and me.

Praise God for His Holy Gospel and pray He be Glorified

 

 

L U K E  16 19=31  THE parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

This parable has been named punishment of the man who, never noticed. First, there is the rich man named in the parable as Dives, which is Latin for rich. He lived in luxury, dressed in fine linen purple robe, fed on exotic dishes each day.  In the cause of one day, he broke the fourth Commandment by working on the Sabbath. He lived in palatial property.

In the country in which he lived, the common people were lucky to have one day on which to have a meal. In those times, they did not have cutlery, so had to eat with their hands.  In the wealthy quarters, they cleaned their hands by wiping with chunks of bread, which was then cast away.

The other man was named Lazarus, (not the one Jesus healed) the name was meant to say God is my help.  He was a poor man covered with sores, which were an attraction to dogs who gathered around him as he sat outside the gate to the rich man’s house, begging of anyone passing.  He was allowed to have the bread cast away as his food. The rich man thought it was practical and inevitable, that Lazarus should have pain and hunger, as he relished his own food in luxury.

He knew the name of Lazarus, so obviously would know all about his poor condition, yet he ignored him.

Eventually, both men died, and the poor man was carried by angels to the side of Abraham.  The rich man  died and was buried, and in hell was in torment.  He lifted his eyes and saw Lazarus  with Abraham, so he called out, ‘Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus  to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this  flame.  Abraham pointed out to him, how he had lived so well and had all the good things, and at that time Lazarus had nothing, so now he is being comforted and you are in anguish.  And beside, there is a great chasm separating us.  No one can cross over to you, and no one can cross over from there to us. Then the rich man said, please at least send someone to my brothers, for I have five, and I want them to be warned form the dead, so they don’t end up in this place.

Abraham said, Moses and the prophets have warned them, your brothers can read what they wrote.  The rich man replied, No Father Abraham, but if  someone from the dead warned them, they will repent of their sins to God.  Abraham said if they didn’t listen to the prophets they will not listen to someone from the dead.

 

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This parable, is the only one in the Bible which describes the feelings of the unconverted after dying.  For this reason, in addition to other, deserves special attention.  Books have been written by people, of stated trips to heaven and return, or to hell and back.  I view them with scepticism, and recall listening to a young boy, claiming alongside his  father on a television progamme, he had been to heaven and returned.  He was promoting a book he stated he had written, and if all was true, he must have been a genius to write in such a way at his young age.

 

The Lord Jesus tells of two men, one very rich quoted as Dives, and a very poor man named Lazarus. (This is not the same man that Jesus healed).  The rich man lives, dresses and eats, very well, whilst the poor man has no home, has was covered with sores, and for food he eats bread which has been mishandled. And had nothing to cal his own.  He had some grace, but the rich man was self-centered.   The rich man never thought of helping the poor man, yet obviously knew he suffered, and he himself died in sin.

There is a widespread belief that the ordinary[ER1]  man is inferior to a rich one, but after years in public life, I am convinced how wrong that belief is. There are esteemed men and women in each class of society, and the ordinary person often excels, because they know the realities of life.  Abraham Lincoln once stated, God must have loved the ordinary person, because He made so many of them. 

In his Letter to the Corinthians Church, the Apostle Paul stated, not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, let not the rich man glory in this. That he knoweth and understandeth me. Wealth is not a mark of God’s favor.  Poverty is not a sign of  God’s displeasure.  Those who God justifies and glorifies,  are seldom the rich of this world.  He should note  the men of God as he sees them, and value accordingly.

 Secondly, the parable states, death is the common end, which  all classes of society must come.  The trials of the beggar, and the sumptuous life of the rich man, alike are ceased at death.  The time came when both died.

Death is a great fact we all face, but fewer people like to think of it.  Some people seem to act as if they are going to live on this earth forever.  A true Christian should know this is not true.

Those who choose live on as long as they can, should remember an end must come.  People murmur and get disconsolate, some who are in poverty envy those with money.

The beggar died with having no possessions; the rich man died, and that ended his feasting.

 

Thirdly, the souls of believers are specially cared for by God in the hour of death.  The Lord Jesus tells us the beggar was carried by angels to Abraham.  We know little, if anything, of the state of feelings of the dead.  I believe that a person who has been very ill, and is a Christian, knows when their end is close.  I have heard a lady dying tell me, she knew the Lord was waiting for her.

When our last hour comes, and we lay down to die, we shall be like those who know they are going to an unknown country. For those who have followed Jesus, angels will carry them to be at rest with friends, and all who had faith.  Paul tells us they are with Jesus.

 

Fourthly, we learn from this parable, the reality of those who have gone to eternity in hell, tormented by fire. A fearful picture of the rich man ,crying out for someone to dip his finger in water.  There are facts to be faced, there is hell for the impenitent, in contrast to the believer in heaven. 

There is wrath for those who reject the Gospel.  If people are in torment, they will  find out they are too late to save themselves.  All those who mock Christians and the Church will realize the cost of rejecting to turn to God.  The Bible clearly states, God loves all people and wants them to be saved, but they must respond to His Word.

 Fifthly, we find the unconverted find the value of a soul after death.  The rich man who treated Lazarus so badly, is now desperate to have him go and tell his brothers, who are still alive, to save themselves from the torment he suffers, who probably neglected their souls and lived to their desires.

A bleak future for the unconverted is down to the failure to act wisely. They will have cast aside, the opportunity of an eternal future of peace, instead of nothing left.

Finally, we learn the greatest miracles  would have no effect on hearts, if they will not observe God’s Word   The rich man thought if someone went to his brothers they would repent.  The appearance of someone from another world, might make them search  Moses and the prophets.  The reply of Abraham disputed any search,

The principle laid down, and the words of Scripture, give all that is needed to save, and it was not necessary to have someone alive or dead, who could not do anything.

It is not more evidence that is wanted in order to bring repentance. The heart and will are all that is needed.  The dead could not tell  us more than the Bible does.  This is waiting, for something we have not.  

 Simple faith in the Bible, which all can now possess and read, leads to salvation.  This parable is bleak and forthright in its words.  Surely, a person who does not follow Christ, never attends to worship God, should seriously consider their position.  God will respond to anyone who seeks Him, irrespective of their past sins. There is always a number of people who  say they will think about  it despite the fact they may not have a choice.

Praise God for His Holy Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 [ER1]

 

2 Peter 1 v 16

This morning I want to turn with you to words of, Peter,. For we have not followed cleverly invented myths when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we gather here this morning, we reflect on the numbers of people who have come through these doors over the years. There was a time, when the church stood as a beacon of light in a dark world; a place where hope, inspiration and encouragement were given. Sadly, to-day’s world thinks it can provide such things for themselves without any help from the Almighty.

These are dark days for the Church in this country. We live in a society which largely rejects God, and regards Church and Christianity as totally irrelevant to their lives. 

Many of us here, grew up when it was the natural thing as a child to be sent to Sunday school, sing in the church choir, and accompany parents to Church. People may not have known the Bible thoroughly, but they knew the main stories and understood what the major festivals meant. 

The Church was held in general respect, and the Vicar was a prominent member of the community. Politicians were supportive of the Church and were Christian in belief. Now, that has all changed. Generations have grown up without having had any religious education, and know nothing about the Church or the faith. 

Politicians have enacted legislation which is offensive to Christian belief and teaching, and which is supported by all parties, .The judiciary seems intent on suppressing every expression of Christian faith by word or symbol.

What people fail to realize is, that if Christianity is erased from public life it will create a vacuum which will be filled by something else less pleasant. Our faith is mocked, as being fairy tale stuff, fantasy, pie in the sky, and these are just the polite epithets. 

But we do not follow myths of any kind. One day people will regret such attitudes. Jesus made it patently clear, that there will come a day of judgement, and in parable after parable warned that we face one of two destinies, one He called heaven, and the other hell. People say God would never send anyone to hell, and that is right; but people may choose for themselves by their lives.

Jesus came into the world to save, and we as His disciples must try to do His work for Him now. We are His voice and footsteps to carry His message on.

The greatest revival of Christianity in this country, came during the ministry of John/Charles Wesley. If they were alive today they would have much to say at the way the Church has failed to proclaim the message they left, that salvation was through Christ alone, the value of a person’s life was measured by their faith, and the doctrine of heaven and hell. They
would be horrified, that the Church they left acted against the Word of God..

For many preachers, these are forbidden subjects, fearing they may upset people, yet they are essential biblical doctrine, and were not forbidden by our Lord. Today people are being drawn away from the doctrines of the Bible as judgement is becoming a censored word.

It is hard to quote the Bible without someone saying ‘Oh you shouldn’t say that.’ The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no other name under heaven except Jesus Christ’. 

The Bible states’ Jesus said no one can come to the Father except through me’, yet many preachers are dodging quoting this. If we avoid telling these verses how are people ever to come to know the gospel. Our faith is not like other faiths, it comes from the living God.  

This is a startling declaration! It says that there is no other who can fulfil the place of being the cornerstone of authority in the world. No other name! None of the religious leaders, none of the political leaders of all time could possibly do this work. You take all the religious names of history -- Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, whoever and whatever. The most that can be said of these men and women is that they are moral teachers. The best we can say of them is, that they taught what they thought was right.

Today, no less than in any other age, it is intense biblical integrity that is needed. Fearless courage and conviction, to stand for the truth --that Jesus Christ is the only name that saves. It is only Jesus who died on a Cross to pay the penalty for all people in all years; only Jesus can provide salvation.

I have taken services in so many villages over the last few years, and see the same small congregations, which is so sad. Residents have so much to be thankful for; beautiful homes in idyllic surroundings, without any of the social ills of the towns and cities. We seem to have lost Middle England. 

Yet when I journey home I will pass a Church where they have to put on two services each Sunday because there is not enough room to accommodate at one. So things can happen if we are doing what is right by God.
We must all examine our witness and consider how we can get our message across. Most of all we need to look at our services. I have been to services, and rather than come out inspired, I am demoralized, and say to myself what was all that about. Sometimes it seems as if services are done because something has to be done, rather than create an exciting experience.  Often we find the sermon is a homily, to fill in up to ten minutes when it should be the focal point of the service to motivate and teach and inspire.

What however must be a major concern, is false teaching within the Church. Unfortunately, as society has turned its back on Biblical teaching, so an increasing number within the Church consider we should re-interpret the Bible to meet their modern ideas of morality. This suggests that God has got it wrong and He should be prepared to adjust to the age, so false doctrine is introduced.

When I was ordained as a priest in the Church of England, I was asked by my Bishop to affirm that I believed the Bible contained all doctrine required for salvation, and I would teach only that in Scripture and banish doctrines contrary to God’s Word. The Bishop then gave me authority ‘to preach the Word of God’. Why do so many preachers renege on their vow? I heard a Vicar state from the pulpit that she didn’t think the Bible should be taken literally. What happened to her ordination vows? Make no mistake, she is not alone. Can you imagine a Muslim preacher challenging the authority of the Koran?

A church which rejects the teaching of the bible, loses its authority. People have a right to expect, men speaking as Ministers of the Church to do so, based on the word of God and not expressing personal opinions or preferences. The bible must be the supreme court of the church, the final authority in deciding all controversies. Alas, in some Churches this is not so.

For years, first the Labor party and then the Conservatives, spent years in the political wilderness because they sent out mixed messages, and no one knew for certain what they really stood for. The Church by not adhering to Scripture, is doing the same, leaving people confused as to what we really believe and offer. here is a reluctance by clergy to speak out, for fear of being labelled as a bigot or being discriminatory. It is fair to say, 

Christian preachers tend to modify teaching of traditional values to appeal to contemporary thinking, and for fear of offending one of the many discrimination laws, promoted equally vigorously by vociferous minorities, so falling foul of the law, which is not enforced against other faiths with the same enthusiasm as against Christian preachers.

We have gone along, with the incredulous acceptance that marriage, that is man and woman, is no longer the bedrock of society, but is no more acceptable than any other relationship. Now we are to have marriage defined to include same sex unions, and will no longer be able to state ‘man and wife’. And this enacted by a (alleged)Conservative government) and by a Labor government, which would like to see such ‘marriages’ performed within all Churches,

If ever the Word of God was needed, it is never more so than now. It calls for people to turn back to God, who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him. The message we have for the world, is centred upon the person of Jesus Christ and provides for a stable and well balanced society.
The world’s greatest need is to hear about Jesus Christ. All Christians, not simply all ministers, are commanded in Scripture to share their faith. 

We put a lot of energy into fairs, fetes and garden parties, but treat them as just that without trying to reach out to the people who attend. We have parish magazines and newsletters, which mostly tell what HAS happened, and contains articles about gardening or other hobbies, pieces about where people have been, or of memories. There needs to be also a stimulating, provocative writing on a biblical theme. For 17 years I edited a parish magazine, which always included bible teaching, and I know it was read and appreciated, even when views differed. 
The country is in spiritual death throes, and in need of intensive care. This is why we must contend for the faith. How God must weep when He sees the Church singing His praise, pretending to be holy, whilst countenancing and failing to speak out on moral issues, and totally ignoring His written Word. 

My friends, it is the duty of the Church to teach the gospel and not to budge from it. We are not to be blown by every new spiritual wind, so that we drift from our moorings. We are not to be superficial believers. Hold fast to the gospel once given by the Apostles, who were taught by the Master Himself. One of the biggest problems the Church faces is apathy, which is why Christianity has fallen to such low level. It is so easy in the times we live in, to opt out, saying, ‘there is no point in fighting them.’ Can you imagine what would have happened, if Winston Churchill had have said in 1940, ‘there is no use in us fighting, the enemy is too powerful.’ We must stand firm by the Cross.

Let us remember, there are Christians being persecuted in non -Christian lands with violence, arson, and yes even murder. Hundreds have been killed in the last few months in Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia and Nigeria. Whole villages ransacked, yet they valiantly fight on for their Lord and Savior. We must show the same spirit.

Some people take the attitude, I am just one person, my voice won’t make any difference so it won’t count; do not take that line, and don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t count. You are equal in the sight of God to any other person, and your voice will count.
 

Give praise to God for His Holy Word.  Let Him be Glorified.