Colossians Chapter 1

                                                                  

In the Epistle from Colossians.  False teachers had infiltrated the Church just as we experience today, and when there is false teaching there is inevitably division and ill feeling.  We do not know what the trouble was in Colossae, but it was serious enough for Paul to write and admonish them.

Paul describes Christ as the first born of all creation; pre-eminent over all creation; the One who holds all things together; and the head of the Church. All these statements are to emphasize the deity of Christ and His having Supremacy over all in heaven and earth.

It is in Jesus’ position as head of the Church which I am concentrating on this morning.   Jesus is the one that builds His church, so all His servants need to be careful to follow all He directed. Whilst all His followers should respond to Him, there is a special duty placed on all holding Office within the Church to lead by example.

The last words of Jesus before His ascension were to His Apostles:  ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  AND teaching them to observe all that I have commanded.   Here in the words of our Lord is the purpose for which He founded the Church.

The church began on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, and the first Church was founded on the teaching of the Apostles who took the gospel around the ancient world, and that church was a model from which we might do well to follow as the Bible states the people were devoted to such teaching.

The Apostles taught the truth about Jesus Christ. They taught about the way in which he fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures in order to bring people to salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection. They also taught how salvation in Jesus Christ was to be worked out in the life of the believer. They are not teaching something that they have made up in their own minds, but only things which have been revealed to them by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus had already made it clear to them that their teaching was to be consistent with His.

What should occupy our minds is to consider if the Church is still preaching the message of the Apostles, and is it fit for the purpose Christ and His Apostles built it?  That is a hard question to answer; in places yes, especially the Pentecostal Churches; but in the main denominational Churches, only to a limited extent. In order to justify that let us reflect.

Jesus gave strict commands on spiritual, moral, ethical and social matters.  Paul warned that there would be those who would not wish to here sound doctrine and would seek false teachers who would say what they wanted to hear and there are plenty of them in the Church today. Never forget, the church does not belong to men (or women) it is Christ’s church and he builds it through the teaching of the men who were His Apostles.

When we hear their teaching on a regular basis, not only does our faith grow, but also our ability to defend and help others to understand, especially those most closest and dearest to us who are not yet followers of our Lord.  We may not remember all we hear, but will be inspired by the power of what has been preached.  We will learn to be guided by the Scriptures and will come to know more about God and His Son and how we should live according to His commands.

Charles Wesley taught that the value of a person’s life was to be measured by their faith, so we need to get our way of life in order to justify our faith.

I am sure that many Church members do not realize the danger our faith and Church face.  There are forces out to annihilate Christianity from the public arena and silence biblical quotations on moral and ethical issues.

Paul taught it would never be an easy task for us, that opposition would be met, but said we do not have a spirit of timidity, be strong. We should show no fear or favour and never ever be ashamed of our faith. But that is exactly what is happening in some of our Churches, especially in the Church of England.  We are bound to preach what people need to hear rather than what some might prefer to be taught.

If we are to be the witnesses for Jesus, we must first be sure we have experienced His presence, and secondly tell positively what Jesus stated and commanded. It is not enough to say we know about Him, even the devil could say that, we must have accepted Him as Savior and believed in all He did and commanded. We cannot amend or put on an application which He obviously would not have approved.  Being a witness is something that falls to all Christians to be and it doesn’t mean theological knowledge required, or being intrusive, we can be a most effective witness by just letting it be known we attend Church, which tends to show we are followers of Christ. If the Church is to survive in any meaningful way it is down to the ordinary Church members as there is now no one on the national scene with any notable charisma.

The responsibility for teaching falls principally on the clergy, and the Bible states a preacher is given a solemn task to preach in the name of God and Jesus Christ, and will one day have to answer as to how faithfully we carried out that privilege.

We have to tell our faith is not something someone made up. There is testimony from people alive at the time of Jesus’ life on earth, and not only from His followers but from literary men of the time, and it has been recorded. 

The Bible has many prophecies in the Old Testament made many years earlier which most have come true.  There are so many interlinked stories none of which have been contradicted, and not even the most sophisticated computer could excel. 

Our Gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.  This, which was an early Christian confession, give us the heart of the gospel and show that the resurrection is an integral part of the gospel. The reality can be verified by the Scriptures and historical evidence as the empty tomb and the eye witnesses

Only Christianity has a Cross at the center of its faith. Only Jesus suffered an horrific death on the Cross, a death made for criminals who were made to parade through the streets with a crown on his head beaten 39 times with a leather belt fitted with metal studs to cut the skin, stripped of clothes and nailed through His hands and feet on the cross, and all for the sake of paying the penalty for the sins you and I commit.

He could have refused to go there, but went willingly so we could be forgiven and put back in to a relationship with God and made us fit for heaven, where we will live on day with Him.  God said this is what man has shown and done to my Son; this is what I have done, and showed by raising Him to life again.

Our Gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.  This, which was an early Christian confession, give us the heart of the gospel and show that the resurrection is an integral part of the gospel. The reality can be verified by the Scriptures and historical evidence as the empty tomb and the eye witnesses

Only Christianity has a Cross at the center of its faith. Only Jesus suffered an horrific death on the Cross, a death made for criminals who were made to parade through the streets with a crown on his head beaten 39 times with a leather belt fitted with metal studs to cut the skin, stripped of clothes and nailed through His hands and feet on the cross, and all for the sake of paying the penalty for the sins you and I commit.

He could have refused to go there, but went willingly so we could be forgiven and put back in to a relationship with God and made us fit for heaven, where we will live on day with Him.  God said this is what man has shown and done to my Son; this is what I have done, and showed by raising Him to life again.

 

Let me close with the words of John Wesley, 

I want to know one thing, the way to heaven: how to land safe on that happy  shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book! O give me that  book! At any price, give me the Book of God!  I have it: here is knowledge enough for me.

 We thank God for His Holy Gospel, 

 

LUKE 10 V 1 /20

This Chapter is a story of Jesus sending out some of His followers on an evangelistic mission, ahead of His visiting the towns He intended to visit.

Jesus sent out seventy two disciples in two’s, into Gentile territory where He Himself was planning to go. Two people working together can be most useful as they can complement each other, and this is in fact a practice from the Old Testament.

     Jesus calls for prayer for those He is sending out. Like to-day there was much to do, and few to do it.  The Bible states the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective, and whilst a lot of people are not able to perform much physical work because of age and infirmity, they can pray for those physically able.

     The Bible tells how Moses and Aaron were physically restricted at one time so engaged in prayer, and when they did so the Israelites were successful.

     Jesus warned the men He was sending forth of the dangers they faced, saying they were like lambs going amongst wolves, meaning wolves eat lambs Jesus never called on anyone to act under false pretenses, but rather pointed out the possible cost.  He knew they faced danger, and so many in Christian ministries do today.  Churches in Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and even Canada, suffer attacks, and in numerous Eastern hemisphere nations are imprisoned, arrested and charged with offences, and murders too take place.  Not a lot of people want to hear of these brave men and women who face such ordeals in the service of teaching about Jesus.  They are often brilliant minded people, fully able to earn lucrative salaries in other occupations, but commit themselves willingly to serve the Lord.

     Jesus further stressed the need of devotion to their mission. This message is applicable to the Church at large, and whilst primarily to Ministers, applies to all Christians.  Jesus wanted them to concentrate on the purpose for which He was sending them, that is to preach the gospel.

     In modern times it has become fashionable to engage in profound theological debate, sometime questioning the veracity of Bible teaching, which is unlikely to win one soul for Christ.  All that is needed is simple and plain statements clearly and convincingly made, by people who truly believe in what they are teaching.  Simple gospel truths, leaving the Holy Spirit to complete the work.

     There next follows three things for the disciples to avoid. They are to travel light, must not be cluttered up with material natters.  It appears there is now a temptation for preachers to get involved with political and social issues, a craze to talk about climate change, or government schemes, especially by bishops who criticize without offering any alternative. These have no place in pulpits, especially as they tend to divide Christian worship.  The issues of the world should not transcend spiritual matters.

     The disciples are not to be over concerned for comfort, but place their trust in God to provide. We are all entitled to enjoy the luxuries of life, but not to become predominant. Since their business was urgent, they were mot to waste times in greetings, but concentrate on the task they were sent on.

     In eastern countries, the custom was to have long conversations on greeting someone, resulting in lost opportunity for what they were sent out for. This did not mean they were to be discourteous, nor seek attention, but that they should not linger when there was so much to be accomplished.

     Thirdly, the preacher should not seek personal gain from his Ministry, or other benefit. At that time it was ruled if a prophet stayed in one place without working for three days, he was a false prophet.  The laborer was worthy of his hire, but cannot be seeker of gain. It has to be faced, there are those in Christian ministry today more interested in enhancing their c.v. and promoting themselves, than promoting the gospel.

     I remember a wedding shown on television, where the Vicar after performing the ceremony, saying to the congregation, ‘let’s dance’, and then she led in what more resembled rather wild body shaking than dancing, with some of the congregation  standing on the pews to do so.  Whether intended or not, it enabled the Vicar to start on a television career, gathering her a collection of fans,- or the alternative. (N.b. The service is called, the Solemnization of Matrimony’)

     Jesus stated stay faithful, even in the face of rejection, warning His workers they would be rejected, something most Ministers have experienced. Since Jesus was Himself rejected, we should not be surprised. It has become more a badge of honor to be criticized or rejected, but experience has shown me the people who do complain are usually bullies who shy away when confronted and challenged. I remember one Vicar saying in frustrated tones to me after having had a hard time,’ well at least they can’t crucify me’

     Jesus makes clear in verse 16, what it means when His messages are rejected. He said, ‘he who rejects me, rejects the One who sent me’. He is warning those who do so, will be in great trouble. A person will be judged by what they had a chance to know. It is a terrible thing to reject God’s invitation, for it can lead to eternal condemnation.  God will not force Himself on anyone, We all have the freedom to respond or reject Him, and judgement will one day be meted out accordingly.  This is why coming to Church is a serious business, for every time we hear God’s Word we face the choice to heed or ignore.

     Jesus told His disciples to wipe the dust off their feet if they faced rejection, a symbolic action to signify the place is standing before God.  This becomes hard when those rejecting God’s Word are those closest to us personally. We long for them to accept Jesus as their Savior, and shed tears at the thought of their eternal destiny.

     The Bible clearly states, as indeed Jesus clearly expresses here, that we have the chance and should take it before it is too late. We should therefore do all we can to make sure they hear the message, but we cannot believe for them.

     When the seventy two returned, Jesus told them to stay humble. Some were so excited with triumphs in winning people for Jesus. He warned them against pride and realized things fall away constantly.  When Billy Graham, conducted his Crusades in the years he was in England, many people attended and offered themselves to Christ, inspired by  glorious singing by massed choirs, and hearing the greatest and most successful preacher in Christian history. But when they returned to their local parishes, they often found indifference from Vicars who probably disliked Billy, and they showed little interest. People were so disillusioned they fell away,

     The Bible sees a world in open defiance against God, and those who stand for God will be mocked and harassed.  The Bible calls for a different society, one which responds to the cry of a loving Savior who wants people to turn to Him in repentance and faith.

The world is divided between those who choose the Kingdom of God and the light of Christ, and the other world of darkness led by evil, which will seek to destroy all that is good and holy. We each have to decide which side we are on.

     Some years past, one of the finest liners ever built, the Queen Mary, was taken out of active service, and was taken to Long Beach in California as a tourist attraction. She was as luxuriously made as could be, but during the 1939 war was converted into a troopship. She is now a museum. 

     Today, it seems that the Church is following a similar course; it sees itself in peacetime conditions, when in fact it is under sustained attack on all sides.  We expect the Christian life to be painless and easy, whereas the Bible teaches us that we are called upon to expect wartime conditions. The prospect is that the Church will become a museum as attendances are falling, and writers are already forecasting its demise within ten years.

     Jesus always made it clear that following Him would never be easy.  Indeed, He taught it would be very hard.  Jesus warned that we need to count the cost, before committing oneself as it meant carrying a cross and placing Him first in all considerations, above all else.

     We are in fact engaged in a war, and called upon to be soldiers of Christ.  Regrettably there are many within the Church, both lay and ordained, who wish to avoid all militaristic references and terms. We have the word soldier removed, and Onward Christian soldiers, one of the greatest hymns written, has now become in some Churches as  the ridiculous Onward Christian pilgrims, so vandalising such a beautiful hymn. Anyone so weak-minded, should avoid the hymn altogether if cannot accept the writer’s words.

     The fact is that the Bible often uses the term soldiers, and we sing Soldiers of Christ arise, and Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the Cross, the Apostle Paul used the term as an analogy, but it all seems to be an irrelevance to those who eulogise the word ‘love.’  We have to face reality, there is so much unlovely things and people, in this world. Turn to your Bible, you will see it speaks of God’s wrath, and you have to go into many Chapters before we start talking about love. We are engaged in a bitter war, with the world being a battlefield with aggressive activists, not a playground. 

     Our opponents do not believe Jesus is the only way to God; the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross; the definition of marriage; God’s Order of Creation, to mention just a sample of doctrine, which they challenge at every opportunity, and have campaigners within the Church aiding them.

     Jesus called for decisiveness and radical self-discipline and commitment.  This is in contrast to the readiness on some Christians part, to accept all that is hurled against them. 

In the previous chapter, Jesus had sent out His Apostles with specific instructions.  Here Jesus sends out 72, widening the net to indicate He is sending out His followers to all parts of the earth.  We can see what He expects from us. 

     All Christians should try and spread the gospel, and often this can be done in an easy manner by bringing your local Church to people’s notice. For many people, as we know to our own experiences, God is an irrelevance until they have a personal problem, there is no such human being who is a true atheist.

     We are called to be steadfast in our faith, and be assured God has given us all an individual gift that we can use for His purpose, it just takes time to realise what that gift is. The Bible spells out clearly there are so many gifts we can use in serving Him. One lady in my Church took  on the task of arranging the flowers which are placed in position each week, and her work was cherished by members who got so much pleasure and comfort as the meditated prior to and during the service. (probably a relief during some sermons) There are other similar tasks, think about yourself, may make Church more important to you personally and inspire others

.

We thank God for His Holy Gospel and pray He guide us in our service                                                                                         

    

LUKE  15  v 1-10

I am turning to the gospel of Luke, in Chapter 15. This is a very well-known passage which contains a message for people of all ages.

First, there is the shepherd who loses one of his sheep, so he leaves the flock  of the other ninety nine whilst he searches for the lost one. He finds, and is so delighted he carries the sheep with joy, back to his friends and neighbors, finding the one who went astray

Secondly, there is the woman who loses one of ten coins from her head-dress, so sweeps the home until she finds the coin, and after finding the lost, calls in her friends to rejoice with her. Although not worth a lot moneywise, it was equal to a day’s wage. It was not difficult to lose a coin but difficult to find. The house would be small with an earth floor covered with reeds and rushes, and there would be a small round window to give little light.

Trying to find a coin in such conditions was hard, and despite s weeping the floor it looked totally lost. It was a matter of desperation to the woman, and she could not give in. These people needed food and were living on the edge, and without finding the coin there would be no food.  But there was also a romantic reason

In Palestine, the mask of a married woman, was a head-dress of ten silver coins linked together to form a chain. For years a girl would save up to collect the coins for her head-dress, which was like the equivalent of our wedding ring. When she had it, it was a treasure and could not be taken away. This may be the reason for which she was so disturbed over, and longed to find. She searched so hard, as a woman today would for a lost ring. She did in the end find it and clutched it in her hand, full of joy and finding it.    God said Jesus is like that, filled with joy when one sinner returns to him, and angels in heaven rejoice.

Jesus came down to earth to give His life on a Cross, to pay the price for forgiveness for all who return to Him. He did so to be the ‘good shepherd’. Always searching for the lost. Jesus always showed concern, He never just wrote a person off.  Parables were the way Jesus wanted to teach people how to lead their life in a Christian manner.   Here, Jesus was giving a lesson in forgiveness.

An American story, is of their great President Lincoln, who was asked after the Southerners were defeated in the Civil War, if he would claim vengeance, but Lincoln replied, I will treat them as if they had never been away.  God treats us like that.  If you repent after offending God or Jesus, remember God will forgive you. 

We see the testimony shown by our Lord towards his enemies.  The Jewish leaders criticised Him as mixing with sinners.  Not everyone is so charitable as Jesus, but if there has not been any severe harm caused, life is too short to bear grudges.

This chapter contains two parables told by Jesus, and in each parable there is a story of something lost, but then found. In to-day’s world, which moves so fast, in which knowledge advances in almost every year.  In fact, it moves so fast, many people cannot keep pace. Just as in the passage, people are lost. They want all the good things that life now produces in the technological sphere, but are not able to afford, and they wander disgruntled. Much pleasure in life will be lost if you have no purpose  or plan for which to strive for.  If you carefully decide on you’re the career, plan your future.

In our present way, we wish we had thought and acted in in the past, like our recent manner. Many people I am sure, look back on life and how they acted, and think if I could only have acted as I feel able to now, how better life would be. I readily admit I think of my early ministry years, and think how I did things, and wish I had time to make good. I think of the offers I had but never took.. Like lot of people, we realize the way we have learned and improved. Christ is willing to understand, and will graciously pardon us freely, and offer eternal life. Do not hold back in asking to be forgiven, and saved.

Difficult times come when students come to the time of going to University, and that inevitably means living away from home and family. Most young people here, look forward to what they think life will be, free to do what they like, which is a disastrous attitude.  Things are not all that wonderful in a strange city, for temptations are everywhere, and young people cannot resist the lure of alcohol, and the more deadly drugs which are so prevalent in the cities of our country.  

When the age of 19/20 is reached, girls are more ready to have a steady boyfriend, and some boys  take advantage of this, and girls are likely to face a difficult future as the boys run off and leave them. I have felt very sorry for the situation girls are left in. but the hardest word to use in any language is ‘No’.  Don’t be afraid to use it.

Billy Graham, was an American evangelist and the greatest preacher in Christian history, preaching regularly across the world ,to congregations of 80 thousands or more, once to 250,000. He spoke to a young persons’ service and advised that young people should not engage in sexual activity in order to get a quick marriage. If you are a Christian boy or girl, God will find a suitable partner for you. Many scoffed, but I liked Billy and took him seriously, and I had the most wonderful girl any man could have, and we met at a Church club and started to see each other, and were together for many years until God took her back.

 One of my Church ladies described her as one of God’s special daughters, for she was loved by all who knew her.  I wish everyone of you young people hearing this sermon will be blessed by God as I was.

I beseech you, don’t act in haste in any circumstances, think carefully of how you will be best dealing with the consequences.    Find a Church, one where the Pastor preaches from the Bible, not all the preachers do so in Churches. Remember Jesus died, giving his life on a Cross in a most cruel death, and he did so, in order that you and I will be forgiven our sins. God said there is no one who is truly righteous, and he sent Jesus to die for us, so that his death would pay the penalty for sin. God is a God of justice, and like the judges in civil Courts has to give a penalty for wrongdoing. In those cases, the offender has to pay himself, but when we sin God is so upset, only Jesus could pay our penalty.  So if Jesus gave his life for us, we should give him our presence at worship in Church. 

I wish you all every ,blessing, and to any young people, hope you enjoy your time together, and pray that you will as you go through your lives, follow Jesus, and have his presence in your life as I did in mine     May God bless you and may your lives be blessed with love and happiness.

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This chapter is well-known to Bible Readers. In these verses we see the response of The Scribes and Pharisees who mocked scornfully at Jesus for receiving sinners and publicans, even eating with them. Their remarks were used by Jesus to show He received such people  in order to pardon them.

The Jews would not understand a preacher mixing with sinners.  The very saying was meant for reproach, but was adopted by Jesus as a true description of His mission, and it led to Him telling parables,

The description by the Pharisees were literally true, but Jesus does care for sinners, he receives to prepare them for salvation. For this reason He came into this world, not just for the righteous, but sinners for repentance. He is at the hand of God, and will be to all eternity. He is really the sinners friend.

If we have committed sin, is there guilt or fear of God’s anger?  Sometimes as we recount our past lives, er may regret and feel ashamed. Christ will receive us gracefully and pardon us freely, and still grant eternal life.

We note in the verses, the remarkable figures which Jesus describes His own love to sinners, We read that in reply to the mocking remark of His enemies. He spoke parables of the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and a third parable which is not with this passage. They each show Christ’s willingness to save sinners

The love of Christ is an active working love,  Just as the woman would not stand still until her lost money was found, and the shepherd would not rest, until he found the lost sheep, they both are meant to   show the same truth, so our Lord did not stand still in heaven having pity on sinners.  He left the glory which He had with the Father, and humbled Himself to be made in the likeness of of man.  He came down into the world to seek and save that which was lost. And never rested until He made atonement for our transgressions, brought into

Everlasting righteousness, provided eternal redemption, and opened a door of life to all who are willing to be saved.

The love of Christ is a self-denying love.  The shepherd brought the lost sheep home on his shoulders rather than leave it in the wilderness. The woman lighted a candle and swept the house, searching carefully until she found the lost money.  So did Christ not spare Himself, when undertook to save sinners.  He went to the Cross, was despised and beaten, and laid won His life for His friends.

The love of Christ  is deep and mighty. It is a pleasing thing to stop people from going to hell,  He is far more ready to save sinners than they are to be sought.

Lastly, we see the encouragement which Jesus holds out to repentance.  Oy shall be shown in heaven when a sinner repents.  If a person is too ashamed to repent, they should cast shame aside.  What shall it profit us to know Christ os love if we don’t use it.

 

  We thank God for His Holy Gospel and pray He be Glorified                                     

  

 

M A T T H E W  16 V13-19

 

Jesus said, I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

These are well known verses for the Gospel reading on Sunday next, when we celebrate the worship in memory of the Apostles Paul and Peter.

Jesus went with His Apostles to Caesarea Philippi, a city 25 miles from Galilee. He asked His Apostles, who do people say I am. They answered Him saying. some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.

He then asked, but who do you say I am? Peter replied, you are the Christ. The Son of the living God.  Jesus answered him, Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I told you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven; and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

Tge responses to the question of Jesus are in line with the popular messianic expectations held in Israel from a string of Old Testament Prophets about the great man to come.

Peter had spoken for the group. Christ meant, Messianic or Anointed One, Son of the living God, who is alive.  Blessed in this sense, meant acknowledging Peter’s condition from God’s revelation.  Bar Jonah means son of Jonah.

This passage has been the cause of disunity between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Denominations.  The words of Jesus to Peter-thou art Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church, are interpreted differently.  Does it mean that Peter himself is the foundation, on which the Church will be built? This has been seen as improbable.  Above all reason, it can be given why the Lord should not have said, I will build my Church on you, if such had been His meaning instead of on this rock.

The true meaning of rock in this passage, is to be the truth of the Lord’s Messianic and divinity which Peter confessed.  It is as if the Lord had said, you are rightly called by the name you have confessed, that mighty proof as on a rock I will build my Church,

The real meaning of the promise made to Peter appears to be, he was going to have the privilege of first opening the door to salvation to both Jews and Gentiles

Peter preached to the Jews at Pentecost, and visited Cornelius, a Gentile at his home and opened the door of faith.  He said, God has made choices among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the words of the Gospel,

There is the statement that Peter was given power, to decide on sinners whether to forbid or permit;  his is surely for Jesus alone has authority from God.  The Apostles had been given authority to teach the way  to salvation and  were specially inspired to lay down rules for the guidance of the Church in disputed questions.  

Whatever sense Jesus uses the words, they do not have reference tothe Church in Rome.  It should be remembered that the leader of the Church at this time was James, and the Bible states that the disciple Jesus loved was the Apostle John. (John 13 v23)

Finally,  we read the  glorious promises to which our Lord made to His Church. He says the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,  The meaning of this is that the power  of Satan shall never destroy the people of Christ.  He that brought sin and death into the first creation, by tempting Eve, shall never again bring ruin on the new creation by overthrowing believers.

The mystical body of Christ shall never perish or decay,   In spite of falls, failures and short-comings; on spite of the world, the devil, the flesh,- no member of the Church will be cast away.

 

We praise God for His Holy Gospel. May He be Glorified

 

 

                             P e t e r  and  Paul

 

This coming Sunday, is when the Church remembers these two great Apostles, whose writings filled fifteen books of the New Testament. There are two Epistles, one for each Apostle.

THE EPISTLE FOR PETER  1 Peter 2 v15-19

The Letter that Peter wrote, was intended for circulation over a great part of the Church. To understand what he had in mind, there were sixty million slaves in the Roman Empire, consisting not only one class of society, but even professional people such as doctors and teachers.

Peter was saying there should be a relationship between man and man, and the Christian must be better than any other man.

 

There was always the danger that the dignity which Christianity created, would make a slave rebel and seek to abolish slavery, for it had been noticed that no Christian writer had called for the abolition.  The reason was, if anyone encouraged the slaves to rise,  it would be a disaster with severe punishment.

 The Christian clearly sees and remember, that it is the teaching of the New Testament that he must fulfil his obligation as a citizen of his country; and must also see, whereas the conditions of the state, he could fulfil that obligation by submission and obedience to the state.  The Christian had a higher obligation than anyone else. Peter stated you must live as freemen, not using your freedom as a cloak for evil, but as a slave of God.

The great truth is Christianity is community, and a Christian is not a isolated unit. Only in Christ is a man freed from self and sin, and freedom comes when a man receives Christ as Lord of his life.

Peter wanted all men to have honor; to love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king (Jesus) When Peter wrote this Letter, this was something new.  There was the great number of slaves who were counted as things. Peter was pointing out that there was still room for people to be treated properly.

The message was that every man is precious to God,  with the good news that God loves all people. Problems arose, when both master and man were Christians; there were fears the slave might try to take advantage of that.  There are still people who  trade on the goodwill and sympathy of the master,  But Peter makes it clear, the relationship between Christian and Christian, does not abolish the relationship between man and a man.

Peter turned to the domestic and family problems, which Christianity introduced. It happened that a member of a family might become a Christian, but be the only one. This is still the situation, as parents often disapprove their child should be interested in becoming a Christian.

Peter gave advice in greater length regarding husband and wife.

If a husband became a Christian and his wife was not a believer, he could keep his wife. But, if a wife became a Christian and the husband was not, as is the case in many homes yet,  he could if he so wished leave her. I have seen several very sad cases when a man finds his wife wants to just go to Church, or is a committed believer, gives an ultimatum to stop doing so, or there will be a divorce with the husband taking custody of the children.

Peter took the same decision as Paul.

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THE EPISTLE FOR PAUL  2 TIMOTHY 4

Paul is imprisoned in Rome on false charges, levelled against him by the Jewish Church leaders, and he knows his death is imminent. He is at the end of his life and he wants his devoted service to be continued, and he has chosen Timothy as the one to carry on, so he writes offering guidance and words of encouragement.

He wanted stability, and such can only happen when the Ministry of the Church is faithfully committed to following the Holy commands of Jesus.  Paul was committed to preaching the Word of God as it was given to the men God chose to write.

In this passage Paul begins by warning Timothy that there will be those who will not accept the true teaching, but will be driven by their desire to go their own way and make their own choices.

He calls on Timothy to be an evangelist, that is to proclaim the gospel especially to those who do not know it’s message.  He wants Timothy to keep a clear mind, and never be afraid of suffering, as it will inevitably come to all who are preaching the good news of the Lord.

He calls on Timothy to remain calm and steady, not to fall for anything sensational, and to keep to the truth and not engage in myths.

Paul the turns to his own condition, seeing his life has been like a sacrificial drink offering. In other words, he is forecasting the end of his life which he laid down for the good of the gospel, and is now bound for execution and entry to eternal salvation. God is calling him home, which makes it so important to guide and advise Timothy.

He has fought a good fight against evil, false teaching, and served Jesus devotedly planting numerous Churches in different lands over which he cared and nurtured. He uses the image of an athlete who has successfully run a race and has reached the finishing line, he having completed  all that God sent him to do. He now he claims the prize promised to him by God, through earning by the price paid by Jesus. and which is also for all who remain faithful and set their hearts on the return of Jesus.

Luke meticulously recorded the events and travels, which we find listed in Acts of the Apostles.

The above is the explanation of the passage, we now have to consider what we can learn from it.

There is a call to all Christians, lay or ordained, to make the true gospel known to those who do not know. There is no need for theological training, a simple few words, or even just telling of your Church attendance.

There is a very great need for stability in the Church, for all to speak with one voice.

. We should never betray our faith by denying the teaching of our Holy Bible, as too many in high Office delight in doing. It is a sad fact that the Western Church has in many places become decadent.

Every new fashion and whim of society is adopted, rather than following Paul who called for protection of the gospel without timidity, proclaiming as God directed.  Paul was a great man of God, Who when speaking, was the voice of God.

Paul sets a wonderful example for all. Faithful, reliable, dependable, true to the end.

 

We praise God for His Holy Gospel and Glorify His Holy Name

                    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