Matthew 21 v 1 -11

Jesus had entered Jerusalem for the Passover festival having just raised Lazarus from the dead, and was receiving an enthusiastic welcome from crowds of people gathered for the event. This was the major festival held annually, to remember how God saved Israel. This was Jerusalem’s big annual religious festival: we might compare the Passover to our Christmas, when the Churches attract many people who attend not so much from a religious attitude, but see it as a social event.

At such a time as this, many non-Jews would go to the city to join in the celebrations. Great crowds of pilgrims had also gone to the city from the country for this Festival Feast, Many of the pilgrims had seen and heard Jesus when He was in Galilee, and wanted to welcome the opportunity to proclaim Him as the Messiah.

Matthew states the entrance of Jesus on a colt, fulfils the prophecy of Zechariah, and the presence of Jesus was an open declaration, that He was the Messiah as stated by David, and there as also a prophecy by Jacob who stated ‘your king is coming to you’ whose rule would extend over nations.

Jesus entered into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey.  Jerusalem is described in the Bible as the City of the great King (God), the centre of Israel’s religious life and Messianic expectations. Jesus referred to Himself as Lord, the Sovereign figure of the day. Matthew alone mentions a donkey and a colt, which may have been because the  moving in such a noisy entrance to the city, may have disturbed the colt so the donkey would add stability. In any event, Jesus had commanded His Apostles to fetch a donkey and colt.  

Cloaks had been spread over the ground to symbolize the crowds acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, and palm branches were also thrown to show Jewish nationalism, with a sign of victory and with the Festival of Tabernacles.

The phrase ‘daughter of Zion’, is a term for the people of Jerusalem. Son of David means that Jesus is the Messiah, spoken of by the great king of Israel who the crowds acknowledge.  The Jewish religious leaders were troubled that Jesus was being received so well, He might usurp their power.

This event was celebrated in a different way to that which Jesus normally acted. He usually preferred to keep out of notice, sometimes be in the wilderness, which meant He fulfilled the prophecy, that He should not strive, nor let His voice be heard in public. Here, Jesus appears to come out of His normal way, and chooses to seek public attention. He makes a very public entrance to the city, at the head of His Apostles,

He rides surrounded by many people who were calling Hosanna, like king David returning to his palace in triumph, as mentioned in the Book of Samuel. All this was at a time when lots of Jews were gathered from many lands, stretching out of  Jerusalem who had come to celebrate the Passover. It was certain every house in the city had known and talked about.

The events we are reading about are important in our Lord’s life, and are told in different parts of the Bible, and for centuries in the Church has been celebrated as Palm Sunday.  Junior Church young people would parade in streets on the way to and from the local Church, and I am sure in the religious cities of Europe and elsewhere will do so on Sunday.

Now n this country, our schools are more concerned to teach young people about sexual activities and gender change, and a lot of parents having no religious education themselves, cannot help them. Pam Sunday will not have any meaning to them, even if told what day it was.  How sad, most people of earlier generations were brought up with at least a basic religious teaching, which gave them a solid foundation for life.    

 We learn here how Jesus went into Jerusalem for one purpose, to die on this last journey. He had spent most of His life away from the city, but when the time came to give up His life for our sakes, He took care to tell the rulers, Jewish religious leaders, Scribes and Romans.

Jesus knew the greatest event in all the world’s history was about to happen, as He would suffer in the place of  sinful men and women, the momentous sacrifice for sin ever to be offered. He, the Passover Lamb about to be crucified as the principal priceful  atonement, for the world’s sin to be made. He ordered that His death be made public, so that all eyes be made on Him, and then He decided there would be many witnesses.

How sad, so many eyes will not see and many ears will no hear, the importance of the death or sayings of Jesus; of the things He taught, or try to follow His way of life, or learn of His coming back one day, when He will care for all those who accepted Him, and judge those who rejected Him. From his death, we have all our hopes, as we remember all He did for us.

Notice that when He rode into Jerusalem, it was not in a royal carriage with massed bands playing, and a host of servants like the kings (and Queens) of this world. He came on a colt, sitting on the coats of his Apostles, and without a saddle. He never had any riches or wealth, and would be buried in a borrowed tomb.

There is nothing dishonourable in being poor, through birth or other circumstances. There is nothing wrong in working in a low capacity. Always remember, many men adwomen are working to serve others, are as honourable in many ways, and far more so in many cases. I find it objectionable to see people in hotels, treating waiters and waitresses so casually, as people so inferior to themselves, when such people work for low payment, and are so often more acceptable in God’s eyes than those they are serving.

Let us do what we have to do, in the way God sees us, and not feel ashamed whatever that is, if we are acting honestly. The Savior of the World cares for all people, irrespective of their place in society.

Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel,  Praise to Christ our Savior.

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 M A T T H E W  24, V 36-44

Sunday is Advent Sunday and, for many Churches it is the start of the Church’s year.  For all Christians, it is a time when we think about the return of our Lord, although for so many people they have not recognised His first coming.  This is a very serious and important subject and should not be treated lightly. The teachings of the Bible are not acceptable to many folk within the Church, but they are quite clear.  Let us look at them together this morning.

The Bible tells us that God will one day bring an end to this world. 380 times in the New Testament the return of Jesus is mentioned, and the whole Bible promises His return. There is a call to be prepared to receive him when he returns, and a warning for those who fail to prepare.

Jesus warned ‘there would be wars and rumours of wars,  nations would fight nations,--- there would be famines, ----earthquakes,----Christians would be persecuted ----people would turn away from the faith. ----there would be false teaching,---evil--wickedness. 

Over the years since Jesus spoke these words, each generation has sought to apply them to their time, but I put it to you that no generation can claim more relevance to them than this generation. We have wars going on perpetually in Africa; there have been wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran promising to wipe Israel from the face of the earth---- famines of unprecedented scale.

Christians are being persecuted in some countries, with Churches being burned down, and barbaric action taken against them.  

People turning away from the faith, vitriolic attacks from atheists in the press, evil and wickedness in all the violence we see, and  politicians are telling us the greatest threat in the world is climate change. In addition, to all such events we have false teaching in the Church to placate the politically correct establishment.

No one appears shocked any more at any behaviour as we see, gay marriage legalised and people wanting the Church to practise, with few having any strong objection. Indeed, there are those within the Church who actively support the concept.

  We are called to live by the teachings of Jesus, and are warned there will be people who mock the faith.  They will do so in order to justify the sinful way in which they live.

People also scoff at any talk of Jesus returning or the suggestion of judgement, stating God will not intervene, and asking why He hasn’t done so.  They forget that one day to us is like a thousand years to God, who is giving time for more people to be saved.

They forget too, if they ever knew, that God did once destroy the earth and is saving up fire for when judgement comes.  This will be without warning, leaving no place or time for hiding.  The Bible calls for Christians to live pure and holy lives to avoid punishment that awaits the ungodly .

You don’t hear much preaching on this subject, the Church tends to avoid it.  The Church is remarkably quiet about anything which is likely to upset people’s tranquillity; there is reluctance in a politically correct obsessed society to suggest judgement or guilt.  But we are thinking here about the climax of world history, a point where any national psychopathic leader could, by pressing a button, unleash nuclear destruction on an unimaginable scale.  So we may be nearer to the end than many think or want to believe.

It is true, that such signs have been prevalent in each generation, but they increase in their likelihood as time goes by. If you look at present world events, there are grounds for concern. Wars and terrorism are occurring all over our world

False teaching aplenty is given in our Church’s, to justify and make acceptable modern moral behaviour. Christians are being forced out of Middle Eastern lands, where arson and murder reign against them, and they are treated barbarically. Jesus says all these kinds of things will happen in the last days,  that are before His return.

This is how it will be before Jesus returns to an unbelieving world, which will be living as they choose.  People laugh at this story and at today’s gospel; they call it a myth and fairy tale, but they will find out one day.   When Jesus returns, just as the flood brought sudden judgement, His return will do the same.  People will be caught unawares, as they will be unprepared through rejecting Christian teaching.  The world will be separated, even between families and friends as Jesus taught.  The Bible is clear – there was a beginning and there will be an end, when Christ comes again.  

Jesus stated two people will be together, one will be taken to be with Him, the other will be left.  A person who has accepted Jesus, who died on the Cross as their Savior, will be safe on Judgement day.  A person who has not will be left behind. There will be no chance to make a decision then, we have to be ready beforehand and decide we want to accept Him now.  The Bible states, ‘now is the day of salvation.’ God has given everybody a chance to decide and choose. These are Jesus’ words, not mine.

This is a very serious truth to consider, for the Bible teaches that the consequences are drastic, some will be saved for eternal life and the rest will be lost.  However much we might like to conclude there is a different ending, the Bible leaves us with no doubt.

There is a grossly mistaken notion, that as long as one is honest and a nice person one is assured of heaven.  That is not what the Bible teaches.  Many people who are atheists are honest, and nice people.  There has to be a personal commitment to Jesus.  The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved’.  Jesus said, ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’.  The Church has not always given sound teaching on this; indeed there are those who do not accept those words.

Whilst it may be comforting, to believe that we can all get to heaven regardless of one’s beliefs, and we like to please our fellow men and women, it is quite cruel to mislead if it is not true.  It is like telling a blind person standing on the foot walk of a busy road, it is safe for him to cross when ready.  Others say if you just follow your conscience you’ll be fine, but consciences become dulled and hardened.   We need to be prepared, just as any responsible householder will take care of their property against theft, for burglars do not give notice of their coming.   

This is why it is so important for each person to make his/her own decision whether to follow Jesus in His teaching, commands and demands He makes on us.

The Bible is all about commitment. We are reminded of the superficiality of commitment in our own time.  Less than 10% of people think God worthy of one hour per week to visit a Church.  Yet if you were to ask people their religion, the vast majority would reply C of E and seriously consider they were Christians.  They would be mortally offended if you suggested otherwise. Very few people seem it necessary to think of Jesus, even less to do anything about it.

Some Christians have sincerely gone to extremes to prepare for Jesus’ return.  Jesus never called us to do anything more than to   be faithful in all that we do, and always to do things to the best of our ability, and be ready to greet Him either here on earth or in heaven.

 

Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel, Paise the Lord Jesus our Savior

Matthew 18, verses 21 - 35

The gospel reading we are looking at this morning is all about forgiveness.

Turn with me to Matthew 18, verses 21/35, The Apostle Peter asks  Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who offends him, and suggests 7. Jesus answered him by saying he should be ready to forgive seventy times seven.

The Rabbis had laid down only 3 and no more, as God would forgive only 3 times, and man should not exceed God. So Peter probably thought he was being generous, and was shocked to be told by Jesus 490 times,. What in effect saying was, Keep forgiving. Jesus lays  down we ought to forgive to the uttermost.

Jesus then told the parable, Known as the unforgiving servant, a story about a man who  0wed his Master a vast amount of money, a sum amounting to twenty years of labor. When the man couldn’t pay, the Master ordered the man be sold with his wife and children, which was a practice in those times when a person was unable to pay his debts. However, the Master had a change of heart, took pity and released the man when he begged for mercy.

We then read a similar situation arose when the man released from his debt faced one of his servants who owed him, but could not settle, the servant was sent to be tortured.

 Bitterness and a desire for revenge can do so much damage to oneself; we get angry and raise the blood pressures of our body, even have a stroke or heart attack .There is also the advice, don’t get mad get even’  But Christians can get upset as much as anyone, we are indeed human. We come to Church and say the Lord’s Prayer, then go out and forget what we prayed.

I have seen people go to excess in forgiving. I had a colleague who lost his son through a drunken driver, and he made a great show of saying he had forgiven him. There are few who would take such a view, but I do not admire such, The man should never touch a car if been drinking alcohol. A young man’s life was lost, which is devastating for parents.

When Jesus told us to be ready to forgive, he never meant us to be bullied or walked on. He never meant we should overlook a criminal.

The message is for all Christians, who are expected to behave in a different way from those without belief. But Christians can be troublesome and create a war zone within the Church.

If you are finding it difficult to forgive because someone has wronged you, turn to God and seek his guidance.   A central point is, that if we do not forgive when such is justified, God will not forgive us, and if a person is unmerciful, they will not be granted salvation.

If we reflect on the years of our life, there will be many things we regret; thoughts , words and actions hurt, we have caused hurt to those we claim to love, all adding up to staggering debt.   Love doesn’t keep score, because love has a bad memory.

I think how sad it is to see two Christian people who once were good friends, fall out over some trivial action or word. How much goodness is there in doing so?   Two lives damaged and unnecessary waste of fellowship and pleasure. Then, I see men and women unable to fulfil their lives by disability; I am sure they would relish the chance to see and talk with.  How unbalanced is life.    Life is too short; I look back on my life and wonder where it has all gone.

God will forgive all who sincerely and truly believe, and accept the cruel death Jesus suffered on the Cross for sin, includes them. God in his amazing grace and rich in mercy, stated “I forgive all your sins. My Son has paid the debt. You owe me nothing.”

I have previously quoted as an example, the case of a mother who had children, but no food to give them. Determined not to let them be hungry she went to a supermarket and walked out with goods she had not paid for. She was arrested, taken to Court and fined a sum of money when she wept as she couldn’t pay  the alternative was prison.

The Magistrate realised her difficulty, made out a cheque in payment for her himself.  A man acting in a godly way. Just as Jesus does for us..

God gave us a beautiful world to live in, and gave His only Son Jesus, but the Jewish leaders hated Him because He exposed their evil, they plotted to murder him, creating false witnesses who told lies in order convict him. This was followed by Jesus being beaten by a leather belt, studded with pieces of steel, 39 times, then made to stagger to carry his own Cross, with a crown of thorns on his head.

A howling mob cheered as nails were hammered through his arms and legs to that Cross.  Jesus the Son of God, the One who knew no sin, the only truly innocent man who ever lived. As he died he cried “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” 

The Cross of Christ was substitution, Jesus standing there for us. But we have a part to play in responding to God’s call for repentance, which means more than ‘sorry about that’, but to turn around and start a new way of living, which is acceptable in God’ s sight. It is putting Jesus in the prime position in our lives.

What God expects from us to be reconciled to him, which relationship is broken when we sin.

Some people say I am good person, I do all I can to help everybody, I am honest, I believe in God, I even go to Church from time to time. Jesus will say, ‘I never knew you’

If anyone thinks all Church people are good and lovely people, they are living in a make believe world.  I have seen Ministers driven from their Churches by embittered people, who were upset at not being given the attention they thought they deserve.   The bible’s message is for all people, good and bad, for it says we have all come short of the glory of God, which means we have offended against him.

Salvation, which is the passport to heaven, is found in no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. It is more popular and cool to say all religions lead to God, which we mean the God of Israel, other faiths do not.  Islam states God has no Son, and worship Allah, and would not recognise the God of Israe.

 In Our faith. we worship a Jewish Savior, from a Holy Book written by Jewish men.  This would be totally rejected by another faith.  There is strong historical independent evidence, to support us.
Jesus Christ dying on the Cross held out two arms, one reaching out to us, and the other reaching out to God, to bring us close together. His message being, be reconciled to God. Even after we have become Christians, we will continue to offend God, and stand in constant need of forgiveness.

The Apostle Paul wrote,  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God has forgiven you.  Some of us have been deeply hurt by the things others have done to us. People have maligned us, ridiculed us, lied to us, and they have done it deliberately,.  As I strictly believe in the full authority of the Bible, and try to be faithful to God’s Word, I regularly get verbal abuse, written of course to avoid telling me face to face.

What a happy world it would be if the words of Jesus were obeyed  How miseries would cease but for stubborn tenacity Remember a fire cannot burn without fuel; remember God stated He would not forgive us if we do not forgive others.

I readily agree some people can be really objectionable, in which case ignore.  To get upset will only take time off your life. 

In conclusion, be forgiving and forgetting. You will only spoil your life and a friend’s life and for what purpose? One day we will appear before God and we will be judged according to how we kept tp His Word.  Bitterness, unkindness, can only lead to tragedy. 

The most exciting event of the year is drawing near. This should be a happy time for many, but for others it will be very sad, who will recall the lost partners.  Be kind to each  other; slow to anger quick to make up.

Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel.  Praise Jesus Christ  

 

 

 JOHN 6 v 22/70

Few passages of Scripture have confused people as the gospel reading. A sense has been put upon it which was never meant to be. The verses do not mean in a literal way, but mean more in a spiritual meaning.
Jesus had fed the five thousand by the Sea of Galilee, and to avoid facing the crowd that had gathered moved to Capernaum, where the crowd traced him. He knew they were following him for the food he could give them and no other cause.
He told them. ‘I am the bread of life, and whoever eats my body and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.’ The very idea of eating flesh and drinking blood would be revolting.
The bread Jesus is giving, relates to his death on the Cross, and those who believe in him are made righteous before God. Jesus meant life to be more than mere existence, he was speaking of a new life in a relationship with God, which is only possible by accepting Jesus into your life as Savior; without him no one can enter into a relationship with God. He is the bread, in the sense that he nourishes us spiritually, and satisfies the longing of our souls. Those who accept him into their lives will not therefore hunger, because their spiritual longing to know God will be known.

This chapter gives us a vision of Jesus, whereby we can relate to him not just as someone we read about, but rather as someone we can turn to, and both he and God become a friend, as the hymn states, ‘what a friend we have in Jesus’. This invitation is extended to all people, but there is a stubborn resistance which refuses the offer, so that what the heart is really searching for is lost. This is where the Jews lost out, they could not believe that someone who came from an ordinary home could possibly be a messenger from God.
When Jesus said he was the bread of life, he was saying he was essential for life, so to refuse to accept his offer means to lose eternal life in heaven. He was the mind and voice of God, who lived a human life among us and offers help to all who seek him. He spoke the words, ‘come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’.
Jesus said he was the living bread, in that all who believe in him shall have their spiritual longing filled. He went on to say, unless we ate the flesh and drank the blood, there would be no life within them. To eat the flesh means to believe in him, and to drink his blood means to accept his death on the Cross where he shed his blood.
We are reminded when we take Holy Communion of the sacrifice made which the body and blood is representing. The Roman Catholic Church did at one time, I do not know if it still applies, believed when the bell was tolled, the bread broken and wine blessed became the body and blood of Christ. And in the High Church Anglo-Catholic wing, parts maintained that belief.
In Jewish thought, blood stood for life, and when a body bleeds life flows out of it, and to a Jew blood belongs to God, which is why Jews will not eat meat unless it is has been completely drained of blood. Jesus wants us to take his life into the very center of our hearts and life.
Some people were thinking God did not choose them and Jesus would turn them away, but he promises anyone who turns to him will never be turned away. Jesus said no one can come to him unless God sent him/her, which implies that no one has the moral and spiritual ability to come to Christ unless God the Father draws them, that is gives the desire and inclination to do so. All of us who have turned to Jesus and accepted him into our hearts and lives, were inspired to do so when God touched our hearts and gave us the choice of accepting or rejecting Jesus. All who truly believe in Jesus will be saved and have eternal life, and on the day of judgement will be raised up to the fulness of eternal life.
You may have a precious book, which you never got down to reading it, just having left it in a bookcase. Eventually you do read it, it thrills, entertains and inspires you, and you are left wondering why you turned away from it from the start.

But people are still finding Christianity is a problem, and staying away from Church, and what increases their resistance, is the demand he makes on our lives; we are bound to accept him as the ultimate authority and accept moral standards of purity., sermons well before I preach them and never can rely on her presence.  

The reason the Church is falling apart, is that fewer and fewer within are accepting those demands. God is not going to bless a Church which is acting and preaching contrary to that which he has laid down. We are making accommodation in our teaching and liturgy, for what is unequivocally rejected by God in his Word, (the Bible). There needs to be strict teaching of the Gospel, as Jesus commanded, in which the Gospel is preached in simple terms.

Paul told Timothy, preach the Word; by that to tell what the Bible states, without any amendments or personal opinions. Unfortunately, there are preachers who feel the Bible needs to be made more relevant to modern culture, but their feelings are not a consideration, it is to be stated as written and God has commanded.

A lesson on the duties of Church Ministers is given. A Minister is not a mediator between God and man; no power to pardon sin or impart grace; cannot make soul serving; should teach the sufficiency of the Gospel in all maters; teach the adequacy of Christ to satisfy the necessities  of the world.

We need to seriously consider, what it means to be a follower of Jesus; it means you accept Christ as Savior, and follow all Christ teaches and demands. I was once asked to explain what a man in Songs of Praise meant when he said, he had attended church for years, but had just become a Christian. A Christian is someone more than just an attendee at Church; it is a man or woman who has offered their life to follow Jesus.

We see in this passage back-sliding. When Jesus explained what he meant by eating and drinking, from that time many went back and walked with him no more.

.Do not accept Jesus as just a character in a book, but someone to whom we can turn to as the final authority in life. The invitation is given to all people, but there remains a stubborn something which refuses the offer. The human heart defies God, but when we accept him the heart finds what it has been searching for.

As we come to the last verses in this chapter, we read that ‘many of his followers said this is very hard for us to understand, how can anyone accept it. Such followers were not true and genuine believers, but were following him for what he could do for them, such as healing and multiplying food.

Jesus knew there were some who were unsettled, and knew they would never accept the doctrines he expounded. Paul warned some people in the Church would not either, and would turn to those who were ready to say the things wanted to be heard, and how that is manifest in to-day’s Church.

There is much to be learned from this passage. People place too much emphasis on ceremonial procedure, but Christianity makes the state of the heart the principal matter. Flesh and blood means the atonement of Jesus, and eating and drinking means faith. Faith in the atonement of Jesus is of absolute necessity to salvation, and we are united with our Savior.

We see the hardness of people’s heart. Even when the preacher was Jesus, who Peter describes, as ‘the Holy One of God’,( that is the One set apart for service to God) yet was not accepted by so many. When Jesus spoke kindly and clearly, not all listened.

The true grace of God is an everlasting possession, and true followers do not fall away. But there is also fake and unreal religion in the Church, which is why some people do leave. Like the ground spoken of in the parable of the Sower, the stone is hard and nothing can take root there. Many words and resolutions are made, but they have not had the grace of God.

If Jesus experienced so much, well might we do so, but do not be discouraged; do not let your faith be threatened, there have always been failures in the Church who fail and want to take others with them; the remarks of Peter apply to us.  Casual Christianity is not enough to save our souls. Grace is needed to make a true believer, which will enable us to serve God in the most difficult times. Never rest until you have that grace properly established in the soul. The words of our Lord come to us when he states, ‘ask and it shall be given you’.

All Christians should by faithful and loyal to Jesus, and demonstrate this by not being hypocritical in their way of living, rather accepting and practising his commands.

Millions have been baptised, and such has been the mendacious meaningless procedure, that we have never seen them attending further. We live in an age of free thought and behavior, in which the sole aim is pursuit of self-pleasure. Those who deceive themselves they are heaven bound, because they consider they are so righteous on spurious grounds, will one day see their judgement overruled by divine judgement. Jesus said human effort accomplishes nothing,

When Jesus saw people walking away, he asked his Apostles were they going to leave him, and Peter who loved the Lord asked, ‘to whom shall we# go?’ Peter knew Jesus was the only way to God.

Never forget the old story of preaching Christ crucified.  It has not lost its power.  We must preach the true story of the bread of life which Christ provides,  Never let hose who mock and ridicule, nothing else in this evil world will do good; no minimizing the power of the Gospel. 

 

Give thanks to God for His Holy Gospel; and Christ be praised

 

THESSALONIANS 4 V 13 TO 5/V11

I want you to turn with me to Paul’s 1st Letter to the Thessalonian Church.

Chapter 3 is merely a personal short letter from Paul to a helper.
In this 4th Chapter, Paul answers a question most people have asked at some time of their life, more so as they get older. What happens to me when I die? Here, Paul is responding to that problem which is disturbing this young Church.

Paul had established this Church, and most of the members had come from worshipping idols, but had become committed and devoted Christians. Paul had only three weeks with them before he was driven out of the city by opposing Jews, so had not had time to fully explain as much as he would have liked. They had been told about the death of Jesus and His resurrection, and how He would one day return and claim all His believers, but they were afraid that some of their members would die before Jesus returned and so miss being with Him in heaven.
In this passage before us, Paul deals with this important doctrine of the Church, one which is mentioned 300 times in the New Testament. Whilst it is a vitally important message which non- believers should hear, it is also very desirable that Christians should hear and be reminded of, and reassured what the gospel states concerning our eternal future.
Paul begins by saying he does not wish us to be unaware of what happens to those who have fallen asleep. Here he is referring to Christians as asleep to make the point that they will awake from the grave when Christ returns. Paul states whilst we may grieve when we lose someone dear, which is in fact what Jesus did when His friend Lazarus died, we are not like unbelievers who have no future hope.
When the Bible speaks of ‘hope’, it is not the vague meaning we might have when we say I hope you have a good day; it is something more positive. Christians do have the belief and expectation that whilst there is parting, there will be reunion with those we have lost for a while.
We have been considering our future so far as believers; what can we say to unbelievers.
I have been using the word ‘Christians’ in the biblical sense. Most people would like to call themselves Christians if they are not atheists or members of another faith; that is not how the Bible sees it. A Christian in the truest sense is someone who believes Jesus died on the Cross, and rose again. His death was the price He paid that our sins may be forgiven so that our relationship with God can be restored. His risen state is to assure us that we too will rise with Him, provided we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, and commit ourselves to live as God has shown us how, that is to be in the words of the Bible.
So if unbelievers have no hope, what is the consequence? People scoff at talk of the return of Christ and of a Day of Judgement. Such talk becomes the butt of their jokes and is dismissed out of hand. Later in our passage Paul states they will suffer wrath because they will have rejected the only means of escape for any of us, and that is Jesus. This is a sombre warning for us all and should make us concerned for those members of our families who have rejected Christ. It should make us want to do all we can to persuade them to turn with us to a Saving Lord.
The Bible is very clear that there will be a Day of Judgement, a day of accountability, a day when all the books will be opened, a day when all the wrongs will be righted, a day when justice will be done.
Jesus always made two distinctions. He spoke of tares and wheat; of sheep and goats in today’s gospel reading; of two roads, one leading to eternal life and the other to destruction. He spoke of heaven and hell in equal measure.
For many people today hell is a forbidden word in the religious sense. I was at a clergy meeting and at the Church there was a mural which had faded and when I asked why it had not been restored I was told by a fellow Minister that it depicted sinners being consigned to hell and he added, but we don’t preach about hell now do we. I answered that I did and he looked at me with complete horror. But Jesus did too; you can read His words in this book.
Jesus used different terms in which to describe hell, but simply it means just being separated eternally from God. It is strange that whilst people dispute any notion of hell as ridiculous they use the word constantly for all kinds of things and in all situations.
One of the great questions that people have to the Christian faith is, how can a loving God send people to hell. It is not that God does or wants to send anyone to hell; it is rather people choose that course by ignoring God and all He stands for. It may be something you have felt, you can’t understand how the Bible can teach that there is such a place.
The Bible teaches quite clearly that there will be a final Day of Judgement, a final day when we will be held accountable, and Jesus left us with a clear message of the alternatives.
In verse 15, Paul mentions having had a word from the Lord, something which the Lord revealed to him personally, so we may be assured that what Paul is telling us can be relied upon. Those who die are in conscious fellowship with Christ in the first stage, and will rise with Christ with new bodies when He comes again.

I have never been to Hong Kong, but my friend can tell me about it, because he has lived there. There is only one person who has died, experienced life after death, and is able to tell us about it, and that is Jesus. What he says we can rely on. He speaks the truth. Paul is one of the chosen spokesmen for the risen and ascended Christ.
After a funeral service people offer words of comfort to the bereaved; Paul is saying here we should do so, but as Christians, not in the same way, we can comfort one another with the assurance of a further meeting with the deceased. Of course, we will grieve when those we love die and were separated from them, for now. But the nature of our grieving can and should be rather different from the hopeless grief of unbelieving people.
Having set out the future, Paul then answers the question of when this will happen, by 0pointing out that God in His wisdom does not reveal this. Therefore, there will be no time for preparation .He says it will be like a thief who comes in the night unannounced, or like a woman delivering a baby; both events come on suddenly and can be painful.
When Jesus returns it will be just the same, His coming will be sudden as who gets burgled, and has no insurance; he was intending to get cover but painful for those not having believed in Him. It will be like the householder just didn’t get around to doing so. Families will be divided, with one taken and one left, some destined to be with Him others not. Paul is not trying to frighten or threaten, he is actually reassuring believers who may be feeling insecure.
Paul talks about light and darkness, with believers being children of light; we don’t live recklessly as unbelievers do, but we stay sober and awake. He uses the metaphor of being drunk and fallen asleep, referring to unbelievers living in a dark world.
Drawing upon the Old Testament, where the Lord is portrayed as a warrior wearing armour, so the Christian puts on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation.
I realise this passage is one which can be a message which disturbs, and even distresses, but the doctrine of judgement is one of the basic and fundamental doctrines of the Church, and is put in the Bible to help and save us; it helps to explain some of the seeming unfairness in the world.
If there was no doctrine of judgement, it would mean that we live in an unfair world, one in which the evil and guilty would have prospered, where there would be no distinction between goodness by the countless millions who served the Lord faithfully, often in much hardship, and the barbarism of men like Hitler and others like him. Heaven and hell are clear demonstrations that God is a just God.
The passage ends with words of encouragement. The Christian Church is a community of mutual comfort, and Paul is urging them to give one another help in their anxieties, with the fundamental truths of the gospel, that the Jesus who is coming again is the very same person who died and rose again.
The supreme result of the death and resurrection of Jesus is to bring us into a personal union with Him, one which neither death, nor bereavement, nor judgement can ever destroy.
So let us be comforted by these words; and let us try to bring to know Christ, those nearest and dearest to us who have yet to find Him. We must let it be known no one is beyond redemption, and God will receive all who turn to Him who accept that Jesus died for them and their forgiveness.

 

Praise, God for His Glorious Gospel and Christ our Savior

 John 13

 

There are many people who will not live in a house which is numbered 13 and some roads omit the number, going from 11 to 11a or 15a.  The superstition originated from the story in this Chapter, not because of the number of the Chapter, but from the story contained in it.

This morning I want to speak on the uniqueness of Christ. This I fear is something the wider Church is not preaching on as firmly as it might.  There seems reluctance to state positively what our message is; that Christ was uniquely born; that His birth is still, (and the only one) universally known 2000 years later; and time is calculated from His birth. No other faith can make the claims we can make and we should be proud to say so.

Jesus entered the room with His 12 Apostles for the Last Supper, so making a total of 13, and within hours of doing so both He and Judas would be dead.  Judas would commit the greatest betrayal in history as he left the room to ‘go out into the night’ (darkness) to sell out Jesus.

Jesus knew what he was about to do and told him to do it quickly, and when Judas had left Jesus told the remaining Apostles that the time for Him to be glorified had come.  What Jesus meant by this was, this was the last time He would speak to them before He was to die.  His glory is that He is on His way to the Cross, His work on this earth is over and the crucifixion will also bring glory to the Father.

We have to remember the paintings we see of the Cross only show a man having a painful death, but what the Cross really means, is that our sins were being paid for.  Jesus regarded His death as the most glorious part of His work on earth.  He does not see death as a disgrace , punishment or humiliation, but a  glorious event, glorifying both Him and the Father.  We Christians then should also glory on the Cross.

Paul who had much to boast about, but wrote to the Galatians saying that only in the Cross did he boast.

Jesus then for the only time called His Apostles, ‘little children’; this  was obviously an endearing term of affection, like a father who is about to go away from his family.  Jesus noticeably waited until Judas had left before saying it.  It is the end of a close relationship of three years and time to say goodbye. Jesus tells them He is leaving them and they cannot go with Him, and that leaves them devastated.  They had only managed to stay together  through His unifying spirit, or  they would have parted.

He then gave them the command that they were to love one another, and by that He was calling on them to stay together and be faithful to each other, something all Christians should to show an example to the world.  So often, Christians are seen to be fighting with each other, due to some following a false line of teaching and not obeying Scripture, when they should be seen as a happy family.  This is a complete turn off to non-believers. 

 

Enormous damage has been caused to Christianity by the behaviour in Northern Ireland, where Catholics and Protestants have murdered and maimed in the name of religion, too often with the support of clergy on both sides.  Nor does Christianity benefit from men and women. who sing hymns in Church on Sunday and  act unworthily from Monday to Saturday.

Peter professes undying devotion, but Jesus graciously tells him He is going where Peter cannot then go, but indeed would one day follow.  When Peter said he would lay down his life for Jesus, our Lord knew perfectly well the weakness Peter would show. and told him kindly what would happen.  Whilst Peter betrayed Jesus, unlike Judas it was in a moment of weakness, rather than the cold blooded action of Judas.

Sometime people let us down and hurt us, and we get upset, perhaps even bitter.  If we could only remember that we all act contrary to our better nature at times of stress, and many tragic breaches of relationships could be avoided if we could forgive.

I can relate to the feeling of the Apostles when they heard Jesus was leaving them.  They had been in a three year intimate closeness to Jesus, and it is like the occasion when a Vicar gives notice he is leaving a parish, and both he and the members are sad.

Prior to coming to Bedford, I spent the happiest and most rewarding three years of my life in a Church on the Wirral, where I had such a marvellous time with the loveliest congregation possible.  When I gave notice I had to leave for family reasons, there were tears and much sadness, but I still have such wonderful memories of three golden years.  I am sure the Apostles had even more to grieve over

 

Give Praise to God for His Glorious Gospel

  

 

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                   1 Thessalonians 1          

 

In the coming weeks, I hope to base the midweek sermon to be on the Letters of Paul to the Thessalonian Church.  I am aware a sermon was given a few weeks past, but this series will be more detailed as what it might be called a description of a true Church.

There is a big difference between a religious person and a Christian. There are so many people who think if a person is not of another faith, or is an atheist, and if living in this country must be a Christian; this is more  so if they watch Songs of Praise on television.  This is a total myth, for a lot of nice and good living people are Muslims, or even atheists, and would be understandably offended to think they may be Christians.

There is a story about a man who attended one of the Billy Graham Crusades, and after the service was approached by a counsellor and asked, ‘are you a Christian sir?’  The man replied, ‘ I have been an Anglican all my life and I am not about to change now’

I was once asked by a lady, to explain that she had heard a man on television say he had attended a Church for years, but had only just become a Christian.  What did he mean?

 

Turn with me to Paul’s first Letter to the Thessalonian Church, This was a Church which Paul had founded and he was very fond of it. I have come to like this Letter as it is so relevant and helpful, especially to new Christians. Most of the believers had come to Christ from idol worshipping, and they had made a huge impact as new Christian members.

Here was a Church which started off with new people coming into our faith, and such was the commitment and enthusiasm, it made others wanting to join. This typical human nature of people seeing others having something  which they hadn’t, so don’t want to be left out. Such was the vibrancy of their faith, that it spread widely, and the people were speaking of their devotion, their past practices left behind them.  The believers shared their good news through the area, telling what a difference God had made on their lives.  Their friends and families began to ask questions about what happened to make such a change.

Research has proved that the most successful form of evangelism is hat of ordinary men and women Christians telling others of how Christianity has changed their lives.

 Paul commended them for the main element of a Christian life, faith and love.  For a faith which works, love which labours, and a hope which endures.  Faith is not merely belief, it is something that changes your thinking, making you turn from something that is wrong to something which is right; love which causes you to work for the gospel; and hope which makes you steadfast in the faith and enable you to endure.  This is he whole Christiam life, beginning in faith, continuing in love, and culminating in the hope of eternal life.

Paul tells the believers they had been chosen by God.  The Bible tells us that God knows the secret working of our hearts, and knows when we are ready to acknowledge Him through Christ, by whom alone we can come to God. He, by His amazing grace, chooses and calls us into His family.  God finds us before we find Him.

Two things must happen in order for a person to become a Christian; first from God’s side and then from the human side; but God side must always be the first. A Christian then is then one who responds to the gospel message.

Have you ever wondered why two people can hear the same message. yet respond in different ways? It happens because one hears words, while the other man hears a message.  It is the Holy Spirit who takes human preaching, and makes it alive inside the human heart.

These Thessalonian Christians we are told, accepted the Word of God and received it into heir hearts.  It is like someone sending you a present, you receive it when delivered to you and you accept and use it for the purpose given. So the early Christians accepted the Word of God to improve their lives.

The last words of our Lord to His Apostles were to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching the, to observe all that I have commanded.  Here in the words of our Lord is the purpose for which founded the Church.

The Apostles taught the truth about Jesus Christ; they taught 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 was to be worked out in the life of a believer.  They did not teach something  that they made up in their own minds, only things revealed to them by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had already made clear to them that their teaching was to be consistent with His. Our whole gospel message is based on the Apostles teaching, now enshrined in the New Testament.

As the years went by, the Apostles went all over the world teaching the truth. The Bible tells us people were cut to the heart, in other words, deeply convicted. The people devoted to the teaching, there was no coercion.  Throughout he ages. God has opened the hearts of people, to call them to Jesus.

This is Christianity in its purest form, stripped of all human influences and addition of false doctrines and ritual, which transformed the ancient world  This is how it was in the beginning and what makes a successful Church, as opposed to a religious club. United by common interest; it is a people chosen by God, receiving power through Jesus Christ, who demonstrate this in faith.  All Christians should consider how deep our commitment is to Jesus Christ.

What should occupy our minds is if the Church, is still preaching, and is it fit message of the Apostles and is it fit for the purpose Christ and the Apostles built it? If we are going to be honest, only to Independent Evangelical Churches, for we have seem how leaders in main denominations have wandered into creating false doctrines to meet society’s calling. The Church has cast aside the Bible and in so doing caused the country to lose its

Influence. Guidance and moral standards, with the consequence the young people are not able to distinguish between good and bad. Church has become disconnected from the Word of God. With no firm statement of belief, so is unable to fulfil our Lord’s command to teach the Bible.

Martin Luther wrote, the true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God. This is what the Church should be preaching, but to many people are  Concerned to follow an equality and diversity agenda, Which puts forward childish and silly remarks. This has become now an obsession.

Jesus gave strict commands on spiritual, moral. Ethical, and social matters, and all clergy vowed at ordination to honour the words of Scripture and banish false doctrine.

We live in an evil world, and when you read newspapers, it is hard to believe how barbaric humans can be to fellow humans. There is ill concealed lying by politicians .corruption, deceit, cheating and lusting to such an extent that women are at constant peril from all manner of sexual attacks.

We have to accept that the Church exists primarily to proclaim the gospel. If we restrict that then we have no claim to be here.  Today there are many attacks on Christianity. The liberal lobby have lost all sense of reality with their spurious devotion to a woke agenda

All Christians at this perilous time need to think what we can offer to God. Above all, we must not be ashamed of the gospel, nor reluctant to preach it without fear or favor. Come to Church prepared to feast on sound teaching. Do not listen to anyone tell you that you don’t matter or count, you count tremendously.  Glory in what you do for God, He expects us to be His ambassadors.

The greatest revival on the history of the Church in this country took place under the

Ministry of John and Charles Wesley.  The once great Methodist Church was built on a strong Biblical foundation.  Sadly, that greatness has been destroyed and the Church seems to be falling apart, as many of the devoted older members have been abandoned by the so-called progressives. I say this from much personal experience, as when Visiting to take services, I was regularly told how appreciated they were to have an older man with a strong biblical message, not a regular experience. The Wesley teaching that through Christ alone was salvation given, and the value of a person’s life was measured by their faith, by the manner in which they lived their lives, and the doctrine of Heaven and hell.

I 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 end He came down from heaven. He hath written  down in a book. Give me that book. At any price give me the Book of God

 

Give Praise to God for His Glorious Gospel.

 

 

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