Luke 10 v.25/38

The bible passage for this week is one which has become part of religious folklore, the story of the Good Samaritan.

The word ‘love’ is one which many Church people like to hear, something soothing rather than worry about whether what they are doing is acceptable to God. In the secular world, thousands of songs about love have been written over the years, yet there seems to be a shortage of it in real life.

If anyone has the courage to speak out and make an adverse comment on one of the several minority factions, there is uproar and shouts of bigotry, but it is open season on mocking Christians.

We see violent barbarism perpetrated in the name of religion in the Middle East, and in our own nation and others in the Western way, there are broken homes, bitter divorces by men and women, who at one time professed much love for each other.

Jesus often faced people who wanted to catch Him out, just of course as we experience in Christian ministry. Oprah Winfrey once asked a leading American evangelist for his opinion on same sex marriage, hoping no doubt to lead him into a controversial debate. Wisely he answered that he didn’t have an opinion, it was his duty to tell what the Bible stated.

Such a sensitive question was once put to Martin Luther when he was asked what God was doing before He made the world, and Luther replied, ‘he was making hell for people who asked stupid questions’.

A lawyer asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life, but was only trying to justify himself. Eternal life was meant to mean entering the Kingdom of God. Jesus saw the Old Testament as the unerring standard of faith and practice, so asked the man what did the Law state. When the man answered, Jesus told him to do what it said; namely loving God with all the heart mind and strength and one’s neighbour as oneself. In other words, having faith in God and seeking to please Him in all things with deep conviction and total devotion, and having concern for those in need.

The lawyer asked him ‘who is my neighbour’, merely to justify himself for ignoring some people, and Jesus went on to tell the parable of a man travelling through hostile countryside where robbers hid and attacked travellers. The man was badly injured and was passed on the road first by a priest and then a member of the tribe of Levi who both ignored what was thought to be a dead man, for anyone who touched a dead boy was considered unclean for seven days. There was also the possibility of it being a trap for people to stop.

A Samaritan man passed and saw the dead man (a Jew) lying there. Bearing it in mind the Jews and Samaritans hated other, and the Jews stated the only good Samaritan was a dead one, yet he got off his horse picked up the man and took him to an inn, and paid for his stay.

God looks upon us with the same compassion as the Samaritan did to the Jew. He sees us with filled with spiritual sickness unable to help ourselves, and as we lie impotent like the Jew and despite casting aide how He wants us to live according to His Word, He sent Jesus to the Cross and by the blood Jesus shed there, we are healed and cared for.

We are reminded that we live in a very evil world, where the vast majority are only concerned with themselves, ready to exploit by any means fair or foul, ways to obtain money. Television advertising is filled with lawyers tempting people to seek compensation on the back of the slightest mistake made by some business or a service, to a ready public with eyes blurred by £ or $ signs. And of course, lawyers to make money for themselves.

Christianity is often likened to utopian socialism, and whilst Christianity does have what might be described as the perfect theory for living, in the practical application people fail to uphold its creed. In fact, the professional socialists often prove to be more, or at least as, capitalistic as those they criticise.

The parable was told in response to a question from a lawyer as to how to obtain eternal life. Like many people he was confident he could earn his passport to heaven, and the moral of the story is that such is not possible. Jesus made it clear He was the only way to God, who is not interested in how successful we were in life, or how rich or influential we became, God just wants us to acknowledge we need to accept His Son as our Saviour and way to eternal life.

The question who is my neighbour, should be, ‘how do I become a neighbour’?

We all live busy lives, but this story calls on us to reflect if there is some person close to us, either in our family or circle of friends who is in need of some care or attention.

Especially we need to reflect on whether there is anyone in our Church with whom we may have a tense relationship. If there is, the words of Jesus to the lawyer apply, ‘go and do likewise’.

Romans 1
One of the outstanding passages, and perhaps one of the most encouraging, is that in the first chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans.

‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: the righteous shall live by faith’.

Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, the mightiest city of the day, a city full of learning yet also full of immorality, where Christianity would not be appreciated, and he was ready and eager to go and preach the gospel no matter what the cost even though Christians were in danger of persecution; a sort of London of the day. We need to look at particular words in the passage.

Paul says he was not ashamed, in fact he glorified in the gospel and that is what all Christians should do. But sadly I fear we all do not. How many Church members are embarrassed when asked if they believe? Indeed how many are ready to acknowledge they attend Church? How would we answer is asked to give our opinion on moral questions? If you are not ashamed you are ready to speak out about your faith. Some people are fearful of their friends finding out they attend Church in case they get mocked, or because it might restrict the way they want to behave. Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.

Preachers should be prepared to tell the Bible as it is written, telling people what need to hear rather than what they might like to hear. Preachers can however be intimidated and be frightened of upsetting modern susceptibilities. To preach fundamental truth will inevitably cause some upset. But let us take heart from Paul who faced all that could be put against him, and so caused Christianity to spread throughout the ancient world.

I have been to three service in recent times when there has been a child being baptised, with people who have not been to Church for a long time if ever. What an opportunity of preaching the gospel, yet there has been a nebulous sermon meaning absolutely nothing.

Then look at what is meant by the gospel. How many Christians I wonder would be able to answer if asked what the gospel is? The gospel is a simple story of a baby born to a young Jewish girl by virginal conception, who lived a sinless life until God called Him to die on a Cross, so that all who truly believe in Him and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, will have all their wrongdoings forgiven, so that one day they will live for ever with Him in heaven.

There is false teaching being given from within the Church that all will go to heaven. It is said that God would not send anyone to hell, and that is right, but people choose to go there by there own neglect. To believe as some do and preach that everyone will go to heaven is nowhere stated, nor can be found in the Bible.

We Ministers are constantly meeting bereaved people who sincerely believe their loved ones are bound for heaven despite never having a religious thought or action in their lives. We are too compassionate to make any comment in such a situation but it is a terribly sad feeling and situation to be in when you know the Bible’s teaching.



The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ who gave Himself to be crucified for our sins in order to reconcile us to God. Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story? We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable. But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of.

Righteousness. We cannot make ourselves righteous before God, but we can be through Jesus’ atoning death. Jesus acts as a bridge between God and us, putting us in good standing in God’s eyes, making it thus possible for us to be acceptable to God. This is God’s powerful way of bringing all who believe to heaven. We are saved by grace (Great Riches At Christ’s Expense) through faith. The gospel is the power that gives us salvation. But the gospel is bad news for non believers, for it offers no future hope.

Faith. You must have faith and believe. We are prepared to place our faith in many people, but reluctant to trust in God. We travel by plane and put our faith that the pilot knows what he is doing although we know nothing about him. If you go to the doctor for some illness and he gives you a prescription, you then get dispensed and take, trusting the doctor and the chemist, but you don’t just leave it in a cupboard if you want to get better. So with the gospel. There is no point in just seeking a spiritual prescription; you have to take that by faith which means reaching out to God and accepting the gospel.

For all who believe. This power is for everyone who believes. This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that; believing means making a commitment. Too many say they believe but do nothing, which is why regular preaching of the gospel is important so that people may come to live by the Scripture. .

They are religious and even show some outward inclinations toward Christianity. They come from a Christian background. They think that Jesus was a great religious figure. But they have not believed in Christ. Though the gospel is God's power for salvation, because they have not believed, they have not experienced this power nor have they known the gospel for what it truly is.

The reason so many people are not willing to accept the Bible is because the message is too simple. We know there are many people who are not prepared to accept the Bible story as they find it too incredible to believe. They are more ready to listen to the strident outpourings of nauseating, insulting, self indulgent secularists. For others accepting the gospel would mean a change of hedonistic lifestyle. It means accepting a standard of morality they are not prepared to accept.

You will find theologians complicating matters by having all kind of discussions on who wrote this and that, and it is all very well for academics sitting in their common rooms to do this for their amusement, but it sends out a wrong message to the masses.

Martin Luther was so inspired by this passage it caused him to start the Protestant Reformation and if all preachers were inspired similarly there would be less empty seats in Churches.

Let us proceed by faith and never ever be ashamed

GALATIANS 5, v13/215
In Paul’s Letters he adopts the pattern of setting out doctrine in the first part before going on to illustrate practical application.

He has set out in Galatians the danger of listening to false teachers who tried to impose the need for new Christians first to accept the restrictions of Jewish Law and practice. Now in this last half of the Letter he is warning that freedom, if not properly applied, can turn into licence. Christian freedom given to us in Christ, demands self control. This passage is full of the mention of the Holy Spirit,

When I first entered Christian ministry I was inspired and influenced by a Baptist pastor who taught faithfully and fearlessly, and in simple terms, through a Bible passage. I have tried to emulate that style, but it can be difficult at these times when thee is so much liberal Christianity, and I have found there is nothing so illiberal as a liberal; they do not allow a contrary view or opinion, and tend to infer some kind of phobia or allegation of intolerance on anyone trying just to interpret Scripture as (I believe) God intended.

In this passage Paul is calling on us to obey the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that we will not offend God by following less than proper actions. When we follow our own inclinations we often engage in such actions as eagerness for our own pleasure, impurity of some kind by word or deed, jealousy, envy, hatred or pride.

When we are led by the Holy Spirit our lives will reveal love, joy, pace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness and self-control. Paul calls on us let the Holy Spirit lead us in every part of our lives.
The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is well known. The doctor, who was a respected London surgeon, had discovered a drug which caused him to change his nature and so do shameful things. When he came out from under its influence, he was ashamed of himself, but the drug was too strong to resist and in mental torment he killed himself.

There are two sides to all our natures, and often life is a struggle as to which one prevails. In the Christian life two forces between flesh and the Spirit compete. In the flesh, what we are by nature and fallen condition, but when under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we become the kind of person of which Jesus would approve. In the flesh, what we are by birth; and in the Spirit when we are born anew.

This is where baptism needs to be understood sensibly and theologically. In the baptism service in some denominations it is declared ‘that this child has been born anew (or again)’. It is both nonsensical and irresponsible to say a new born child, or a child of most ages, knows what being born again means in the spiritual sense. Before a person can claim to be born again, there has to be repentance from sin, and a confession of faith.

Christians will often face an internal struggle intensely as their own nature dearly wishes to follow a course of life which their spiritual conscience tells them is wrong, and the Holy Spirit will not let them feel comfortable with it. He will convict us by reminding us why Jesus died on the Cross.

The Church is often reluctant to speak frankly on parts of the Bible as many within, both lay and clergy do not subscribe fully to what is written, and often fall down on more than one sin.
It is still a fact that most of us who attend Church strive to live in the way we are called to do so, and to a great degree succeed. When we do fall we know Christ is waiting to pick us up, having given His life on the Cross to put us right with God.

For all those people who mock and ridicule Christians and the Bible, a time of reality will one day come when they will wish they had taken our way of life.

The Bible states ‘heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide enough for all the multitude who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow and only a few ever find it.

Make sure you choose the right road.

BE AT CHURCH ON SUNDAY.

‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’.
(Joshua 24 v.15)
Joshua was nearing the end of his life, so one day he called the leaders of the people together at Shechem to deliver a final message. This was a most important place in Jewish history. Abraham had first settled there, Jacob bought land, and Joseph was buried there

Joshua was a great military leader who had served under Moses for forty years and when Moses died he became leader for a further twenty five years. At this time Israel had come to a crucial point in its history. They had faced tyranny in Egypt but God had saved and rescued them, God had given them the land of Canaan a good land flowing with milk and honey, and continually blessed them, and led them where they had been able to settle down, but problems had arisen.

As peoples throughout time have behaved, once the hard times were over, they began to fall away from and forget God. History is full of instances where people have turned to God for His help in times of difficulty, but when He has answered, His usefulness to them has been laid aside. In this case, the Israelites began to fraternise with other peoples so betraying God, and even started to worship idols. Joshua warned them they were guilty of idolatry told them the faced the wrath of God.

We all have to make a choice in this life. Joshua was quite clear he had made one and for Him it was quite definite, he and his family would serve the Lord. The choice we make will decide our eternal future, so we should think deeply.

Joshua’s words have a resonance for us today. We too have to reflect on our lives and face the choice God gives to us, He gives us free will. Everyone has to decide whether to serve God, or the gods of our time. Life is constantly calling on us to make choices, and God allows us to say either yes or no, but we must face the consequences if we make the wrong decision,. Many people do not wish to consider, but will one day regret not doing so. Fundamentally it is a case of serving the Lord or His adversary the devil, and so many people are quite happy to serve the latter.

We may not have the same idols as gods as did the Jews, but we have our own modern day gods. Whilst many people today may not even have heard of the Ten Commandments, one reminds God said we should have no other gods but Him.

People believe they can do without God. They live as if there was no tomorrow. We see gluttony, alcohol and drug abuse, and unrestricted sex everywhere.

Following God is a personal decision you must make for yourself, no one else can make it for you. It has to be accepted however that it may mean personal sacrifices have to be made, we must remain faithful to Him, and give up doing things which are wrong in His sight. So we must consider our priorities.

We are facing a time of ungodliness. On every front there is an anti-Christian bias. Discord and discouragement is being sown in the lives of Christian people. We have to resist on every front so as to maintain a Christian faith and presence.
In our schools and universities, and in intellectual circles the Bible is seen as some form of hate literature, and religious studies have to include other faiths in as much, if not more so, than Christianity.

The BBC has appointed people of other faiths to be directors of Christian programmes, and the Church accepts it. You can be assured they would never appoint a Christian to direct Islamic or Hindu programmes. But that is just the BBC anti Christian bias.

The Courts favour those who challenge Christian expression in every case taken before them and reflect no credit on the judiciary who seem determined to eradicate Christian faith from public life.

We constantly read and hear reports of young people between the ages of 7 and teenage years terrifying whole neighbourhoods. They abuse, assault, vandalise and rob at will, and if anyone should remonstrate with them that person runs the risk of stabbing or serious injury.

On so many occasions, broken homes have been a cause of such behaviour, with a mother unable to control or showing an utterly irresponsible line.

‘A nation is only as strong as its homes’, said Abraham Lincoln, and today our homes are reflecting the state of the our nation, which is in the deteriorating state of moral and social decay, which should make us fear for the future of our children and grandchildren.

The home now doesn’t mean as much today as it used to do.
We have so much unhappiness and trouble in the home today because we've got away from God's laws, rules. He said if you want to have a happy home, obey these rules. If you want to have trouble, disobey them.

The Bible says listen to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. We can learn so much from Jewish parenthood. Father’s teaching to his children of the Ten Commandments, one for each of the ten fingers, and the history of the Jewish people from the Old Testament, and the mother controlling behaviour. I have never known nor heard of a Jewish child being involved in violent disorder or crime. When I have sought an answer, I have been told it is because of the Jewish Mama in the home.

Mothers can indeed have a great effect on children. I was often required to be away from the home for long hours, and it is a great tribute to my wife that two of my sons became ordained, and have proved to be very wonderful and successful Ministers

Far too many children are left to their own devices. How can teenagers roam the streets drunk and threatening people, stabbing other teenagers, and forming life threatening other gangs, without the parents knowing of it. So why don’t they do something about it

Christian standards have gone from many homes. Everywhere, people search for happiness from the wrong things and wrong places. Many criminals have come from homes where there has been no peace, no discipline nor Christian values or teaching. The biggest cause of young criminals is due to marital breakdown and separation

If any country is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. Marriage and the home are firmly part of those roots. When the founding principles are eroded, and the morality and biblical fundamentals are taken away, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing and we are seeing some of the consequences developing.

The average person sees the Church as out of date and the Christian message as irrelevant, even though they never go near a Church to establish that, which is why they live as they do without reference to God or eternity. This is just sardonic self justification. Our message then needs to be positive with no uncertain sound.

As Christians, we have a commitment to serve God. Just as Joshua reminded the Jews of all God had done for them, so must we reflect on all that which God has done for us, and respond accordingly. God speaks to us from the past, to show us the sins His people committed in order to help us decide. God is still speaking. We can either listen or ignore.

Joshua made his choice, let us make ours, and say, ‘we will serve the Lord

The Epistle readings this month are from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians.

Following the death of Jesus, the Church began to teach that people did not have to become Jews to be Christians or follow the Mosaic Law. The gospel taught was that we are justified by faith alone, not obedience to a set of rules.

The Church at Galatia was founded by Paul’s proclamation of that gospel but within a short space of time once Paul had left, the Church was infected by false teachers who taught a more acceptable message for many people, in which they were given freedom to act as they wished. This pleased, as it does now, when people who should be teaching others how to live according to Scripture are encouraging them to go their own way, and doing so themselves.

These false teachers were also insisting that it was necessary for men to be circumcised according to Jewish custom and to fully obey Jewish Law. Some Galatians were accepting such teaching, but Paul felt he had to act before the situation became hopeless. He wrote this Letter to rebuke such behaviour and encourage the people back to the authentic gospel message.

The Letter conveys the doctrine of justification by faith through grace, and in Chapter 6 will contain Paul’s emphasis of the work of Jesus on the Cross. Paul stated those well known words, ‘but far from me to boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.’

So many people believe that by performing good deeds heaven is assured for them and the Church has allowed such thinking to go largely unchallenged, preferring to do so rather than preach the truth. Christ died for us sinners on the Cross and so conveys unpalatable truths, such as we are all sinners who have offended God and we by ourselves cannot put that right. People become highly offended by being told they are sinners, who they see as immoral, or untrustworthy, or anti-social.

Christ bore our sin because that is the only way of being accepted by God. (No one comes to the Father except by me, said Jesus)
Peter stated, ‘salvation is found under no other name under heaven by which men may be saved’. So next time you see the Cross, remember Jesus gave His life there that you may be saved through His sacrifice, and be accepted by God.

Paul's great passion was to make people Christians. We all need to pray that all Church Ministers of every kind of Office from Archbishop's down to the lowly pastor may have such passion as Paul. Especially Bishops who write letters about climate change and foodbanks may turn to writing letters deploring the lack of Christian commitment generally, and as far as Britain and America are concerned, for their leaders to stop promoting anti Christian legislation.

Turning with me now to the 2nd Letter of Paul to Timothy.

If anyone holds a Bible study group, the Pastoral Epistles of Paul are a most useful and interesting study.

This is the last letter Paul wrote; he is now an old man in chains in a Roman prison and wants to pass on the ministry he has pursued and considers Timothy the man best to do so. But Timothy is likely to be overawed by the opposition.

Paul had lived for the gospel and does not want to see it banished. His primary desire was to make more people Christian, and strove bravely to do this, anything else was supplementary. His action was similar to the Apostles, described in Acts where they stated their mission was to minister the Word and leave social work to others. The Church now in a lot of places prefers it the other way around.

How wonderful it would be if all the leaders of our Churches and all the Ministers had such earnest desires to make more Christians.

Paul is writing to encourage Timothy to persevere in what he has learned and believed and to pass on the gospel of Christ and the teaching of the Apostles, and the letter calls on us to do the same.

But Timothy is facing a difficult task for the Church was facing much opposition. The Church had grown after Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, but as that generation were being followed by a younger one, which Paul refers to later in the Letter, who would be unholy and self concerned. In addition false teachers were giving teaching, which was a different gospel that allowed people to live as they wished.

Further, the Romans did not like Christianity as it claimed to worship the one true God, and they preferred there to be pluralism with many gods, which is very much the preferred option of authorities today. You may be getting to see how much we have in common with that which Timothy faced.

For anyone who is a committed Christian, and anyone who holds the Church dear, this can only be a depressing time. Attendances at Churches are falling dramatically as the older members die or become unable to attend. The younger generations have no interest in the Church unless they want an attractive background for a baptism or wedding.

A very recent survey in this country revealed that almost half the nation has no interest in religion. When you consider that the other half includes Islam which has millions of followers, some other beliefs, and nominal Christians, it does not leave many true believers. This situation filters down to the local Church and we see congregations not what they were. We are fast becoming a secular state.

Our religious freedom is indeed at risk as bullies in government enact legislation which is in conflict with the Bible, and then try to tell us what can do and say and threaten punitive action if we express an opinion against it.

Christians are not being allowed a conscience clause in the law. In fact, to express any opinion may lead to an accusation of hate crime. Christian men and women have lost their career and appointments for just expressing a sincerely held belief, or indeed for wearing a Cross. I haven’t the time to go into detail of the many cases but some are set out in the addendum to this sermon.

Other faiths however can express their faith by dress and say words that any Christian Minister dare not.

Paul knew hard and difficult times would increase which caused him to write to Timothy.The problems he faced are the same as now have; falling attendance; interference by the government; pluralism; so this Letter is for us.

The Letter begins with Paul asserting his Apostleship, which he stressed was by the will of God; in other words he was specially chosen to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and was always keen to assert this specially given authority so that what he stated could be accepted as approved by the Lord.

He shows his affection for Timothy and remembers how Timothy was brought up in the faith by his mother and grandmother leading to his ordination by Paul and calls on him to keep that faith in mind and practice. Something children miss out nowadays, and are deprived of a good foundation.

We are reminded that God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but one of power and there is no greater strength than the power of God. This should encourage us to be as vocal in proclaiming our faith as other faiths do. Muslims vigorously reveal their faith and to their credit.

Then we come to one of three significant words of this passage in v8, ‘we must not be ashamed to speak of the gospel.’ This is a call to all Christians, for we have nothing to be ashamed of. Our faith is not something someone has made up, it is factually based on historical grounds.

I know it can be hard when you are the only person in your work place or amongst friends to be a Christian. Criticism can be harsh, even vitriolic so that there is reluctance to take a stand. Be encouraged by remembering our Lord went through so much more for us, so we must stand up for Him.

More importantly there is a tendency by some preachers to be ashamed of preaching a true gospel, so they talk vaguely and avoid being positive; others speak a false gospel.

Preachers are terrified of being criticised as being bigoted or of having some sort of phobia. A bible based ministry is likely to make you unpopular or mocked, (believe me). When therefore you are in a minority you have to decide whether to keep quiet and say nothing; go with the flow, or stand up and fight.

It is the duty of the Church to teach the gospel and not budge from doing so. Paul tells Timothy to keep sound teaching, which he learned from the teaching of the Apostles. Paul will repeat this call in Chapter 4 when he commands Timothy to ‘preach the word’, and to be urgent in doing so.

We are not to be blown away by every new spiritual wind that causes us to drift from our moorings. We are not to be superficial believers, but to hold fast to the gospel given by the Apostles who were themselves taught by our Lord Himself

Unless we know what we believe and why we will not defeat the creeping spread of secularism and the cultural trends which challenge our faith, and we must resists the tendency to allow society to impose itself upon our teaching, or we are in danger of sentencing the Church to a very small part of our national life. When we reject Apostolic teaching we fall into error.

It is irresponsible and shows ignorance when someone tells you all religions are the same and all lead to the same God. Islam for instance teaches that God has no son and their God is Allah. We worship a God who has a Son and who is the God of Israel, and we claim no one comes to the Father (GOD that is) except through Jesus Christ.

The second significant words come when Paul writes; ‘join with me in suffering for the gospel.’ There are many ways we may suffer, but be sure you will experience one when you state what you believe. Some people will try to avoid you, you may miss out on promotion in your work as many of us have experienced, and you will surely be subject to innuendo, but what man denies us God recompenses. Christianity was never meant to be a bed of roses. It is not easy to stand for Christ; people have received death threats even for doing so. We have to decide if we stand for Jesus or Caesar.

Looking at v.9, Paul is pointing out the gospel that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; God saves us by His grace, not because of anything we have done. We are put into a right relationship with God when we repent of past sins and accept Jesus Christ as Saviour, who died on the Cross for our transgressions that we may have life with Him in heaven when our days here are over. The Bible states Jesus is the only way to salvation. I know it is hard to say this without someone saying, ‘oh you must not say that’, but we need to ignore such comment because that is an essential element of our message

Paul describes himself as having suffered many beatings, deprivation, hardship, now prison and soon death. In spite of all this he knows WHOM he has believed; not what or in whom, but whom, Jesus Christ Himself. But he is not ashamed of being where he is.

In the last verse, Paul tells Timothy to guard the gospel, with the help of the Holy Spirit. This means we teach and believe that for a person to be in a right relationship with God, it means repenting of past sin; believing Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of all sin, and each must accept that death was on their behalf and claim Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

We live at a time of theological and moral confusion. The Church itself is confused and divided as to what it stands for and for what is its purpose. One part believes the Bible is the infallible Word of God which should be respected and obeyed, whilst the other sees it as a sort of guide to be adopted to suit the occasion. Jesus warned any kingdom or house divided among itself will fall.

We see the moral boundaries have been swept away to such an extent that there are now no absolutes, all is relative and you just do your own thing and make up your own standards, so causing the collapse of Christian values, leading to an unstable society in which family life is being destroyed.

If the Churches and people of this great nation do not return to Biblical foundations, Christianity which has been the faith of this country for over 1500 years and has brought and kept this nation as one, will be fazed out of public life by ideologues in public service, who want to take Christianity right out of public life and are now aided by a corrupt anti-Christian European body.

The first Church grew rapidly because the people listened to the teaching of the Apostles and God added to their numbers. He is not going to add to any Church which accepts the morality of a decadent society. There are Church members who choose to adopt State law, which justified them acting a way God’s law does not

Now more than ever, this is a requirement for all Christians to remember the sacrifices made by martyrs who gave their very lives that we may have Bibles to freely read.

Our brothers and sister in Christ, living in Islamic countries, daily face horrific persecution, even death, with Churches and houses being burned down. We have seen horrendous scenes on television of them being beheaded, just because they declared themselves followers of Christ. In some countries even having a bible in your possession is enough to incur the wrath of the authorities.

God has made us custodians of His Word; never may the Church and its members fail Him. But if we are negligent and indifferent we will find another faith will take our place

I pray that you will only hear the gospel boldly and faithfully preached in this Church.

Addendum
Cameron has refused to consider having a conscience clause to accommodate Christians. Indeed, he sent a government lawyer to the European Court to argue that a Cross was not an essential symbol of Christianity.

A Christian woman spoke of her faith to Muslim colleagues, some of whom were open about their support for Islamist terrorism, and was dismissed from her employment despite a petition from other staff. The Supreme Court has refused her right to appeal.

A foster couple had two young brothers removed from their care by social workers who were hostile to the couple because of their commitment to Christian faith.

The Mayor of London allows a homosexual lobby group to advertise on London buses, but denies a Christian group the same opportunity.

Having received an agreement from her employers that she need not work on Sundays because of her faith, a woman was eventually sacked, yet members of other faiths are allowed to do so on their holy day.

A Christian children’s worker was sacked after a Muslim colleague initiated a discussion on faith with her, and then complained to the management, who sacked the Christian.

A street preacher was arrested for quoting verses from the Bible, convicted in Court, and ordered to pay a total of £1,200 in costs and £250 in compensation to a homosexual man for ‘emotional pain’. The complainant was not in such emotional pain to prevent him running to the police.

A long serving Magistrate was reprimanded and sent on a course in equality training, just because he stated in a private discussion that a child was better brought up by a man and a woman.

And we have the well publicised case of the Belfast bakery set up by a gay activist who ordered a cake with the slogan ‘support gay marriage’, to be placed on top of the cake with models of two men. In view of their deep Christian beliefs the bakery could not agree to put those words on a cake. Although such marriage is illegal in Northern Ireland, the Equality Commission could not wait to get the bakery to Court, where they were made to pay £500 to the man for, again, ‘emotional pain’. This was an outrageous decision; there was no discrimination being made against the man, nor was a cake declined to be made, only the offending words were objected to. The bakery was entitled to promote their faith as the man was his cause.

How people live and act is entirely a decision for them, and few would challenge their right to do so; but that does not mean other people are forced to act against their faith and conscience.


Let us then go further and consider what is happening in this country. Christians are not permitted to wear a cross whilst at work under threat of dismissal; sympathetic nurses who are trying to make patients feel better by suggesting they say a prayer are dismissed; a registrar who declined to officiate at civil unions because of religious belief, although having colleagues step in for her, is sacked because of her views; a psychotherapist is dismissed for refusing to give sexual advice to same sex people; quite significantly a Christian woman was forced from her employment because she pressed for time off on Sundays to attend worship even though other colleagues volunteered to change shifts with her, yet a Muslim woman was given free time to attend her Mosque.

Preachers voicing their faith in public places have been arrested, and in one case in Perth a Minister was arrested on the grounds that he was disturbing the peace with his shouting, whilst at the same time a street busker was playing amplified music without any action being taken against him.

In another case a Police Sergeant sought public assistance in obtaining evidence against a street preacher in Taunton to support a prosecution, yet a Muslim preacher had Police protection when preaching in a London street.

To-day is Aldersgate Sunday, and each year on this date, or a Sunday close to it, we remember this day especially because it shaped the ministry of John Wesley, when he had a spiritual conversion three days after his brother Charles had a similar experience.
John had been to minister in America and it had been a dismal failure so had returned to England. On this date he had gone to a small chapel in Aldersgate in London when there was a discourse on Luther’s Letter to the Romans, when his spirit was strangely warmed and moved. He then understood that forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God was a free gift from God, and there was nothing we can do on our own to make us acceptable in God’s sight; this was all accomplished by God through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

We are called to believe that we too can have the biblical doctrine of assurance, that we can by God’s grace and through faith know our sins will be forgiven and be assured that by His death on the Cross Christ has given us eternal salvation.

For some people there is indeed a dramatic experience such as Paul had on the Damascus Road, whilst for others there is a growing in grace. Charles and John Wesley, who are in our minds at this time, experienced the Holy Spirit in special ways, too. Both were ordained into the Church and ministered as such for some years, yet both had deep spiritual experiences which changed their lives in May 1738, and went on to do greater things as a result.

Charles wrote his most loved and famous hymns afterwards, and experienced a ‘strange palpitation of heart,’ and just a few days later John felt his heart ‘strangely warmed.’ From that time on, the Wesleys were used powerfully by God to spread the news of salvation.
For others there is just a steady grow in grace. We may take as an analogy two situations from life. A man and woman may meet at a social occasion and such is the chemistry between them they fall in immediate love and marry soon after, which may or may not last. Another couple may meet, find they enjoy being with each other, and gradually become totally dependent upon each other and spend the rest of their life together without ever being able to determine exactly when that came about.

Thousands attended the great Billy Graham Crusades in the 1960s/80s and were immediately affected by the atmosphere of massed choirs leading joyous praise with so many people, and hearing the preaching of the most successful preacher in all Church history. They rushed forward to the altar call, committing their lives to the Lord, but on returning to their local parish Church found 1662 Matins with chants of canticles and indifferent preaching were disillusioned. Others just grow in grace to love the Lord.
We each come as the Lord calls us, but should know when there was that moment we understood what the gospel was all about. For me, it was being at a Pentecostal meeting in Mombasa in Kenya.

I have always felt the greatness of Charles Wesley has been overlooked. It was in fact Charles who began the Methodist Church but John developed it, and John has always been given much more praise and attention. However millions now many years later still think of and remember the words of Charles’ hymns, but one needs to research to find the words of John.
Christianity owes so much to these two brothers, and it is tragic that what was once a great evangelical outreaching Church has lost so much of the fervour of these two men. I believe if they could know what is being preached in some of the Churches, and the beliefs of members that they can live in accordance with society’s standard rather than those preached by them, they would be horrified. One of Charles’ standard beliefs was, ‘that the value of a person’s life was to be measured by their faith and manner of living and not only by Church attendance.’
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A previous sermon on Charles Wesley follows

Charles was born on 18th December 1707, and even at an early age was found to be academically brilliant. In 1716 he was enrolled at Westminster school London and showed awesome talent in Greek grammar which earned him a scholarship to Oxford. He went up to Oxford, where he gained an M.A in 1732.

Whilst at Oxford he and some friends formed what became known as the Holy Club, and they would meet for the purposes of joining in worship, and also to visit the sick and imprisoned. Because of their methodical actions they were named ‘Methodists’. This group was started by Charles, so earning him the right to be called the first Methodist. This is contrary to general thinking which believes John to be the founder of Methodism, and indeed would be a surprise for many Methodist Church members to learn. John later joined the group and became the leader, and indeed developed it.

Following graduation, Charles became a college tutor before being ordained into the Church of England in 1735. Shortly after ordination he sailed with John to America, but there they disliked him and he disliked them, so causing him to return to England after only six months.

On Pentecost Sunday, 21st May 1738, a momentous event took place in his life. He was being spiritually influenced by his sister and at the same time reading Luther’s commentary on Galatians, when he had a profound spiritual awakening. He wrote the first of his 6,000hymns ‘where shall my wandering soul begin’. The illness which had been debilitating him left.

Three days later John had a conversion experience whilst listening to Luther’s commentary on Romans. Charles then wrote that hymn so beloved down the ages, the one Billy Graham described as his favourite, ‘and can it be’ which described all Charles’ feelings. ‘My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose got up and followed thee.’

Exactly a year later on the anniversary of his renewal, he wrote the hymn which was always number one in every edition of the Methodist hymn book until the 1983 edition, ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing’

Charles Wesley's new spiritual life was transformed. He then began as curate without license from a bishop, at St Mary's in Islington. The Wardens however objected to his preaching and the Vicar was obliged to stop him preaching, causing him to leave after just a few months.

In 1739 with John he began to preach at open air meetings, joined by George Whitefield, an Anglican priest who had been expelled from the Church of England Crowds of up to 25,000 people were reached. This offended many clergy who refused him access to their pulpits, and even led to him being driven from towns.

In 1745 at the age of 40, he visited Wales to preach and there met the 20 years old daughter of the local Squire, Sally Gwynne whom he soon married. This was a happy marriage, and Sally accompanied him on some evangelistic meetings.

In 1756, he gave up the itinerant ministry, tired of wandering around the country, and settled in Bristol for a period with the Methodist Societies

In 1771 Charles resumed preaching when he returned to London

Having looked at the biographical details of his life, I want to speak about the ministry of Charles. Whilst they were close as brothers there were inevitably strong differences of opinion between such prominent characters. Charles was seen to be the stronger minded character, and more decisive in controversial issues.

For instance, Charles took exception to the woman Grace Murray, whom John intended to marry, and when John proposed to marry Charles out rode him to York to prevent the marriage taking place.

Charles and John were still Anglican priests and wished to remain so, but few clergy sided with them for fear of the consequences from the Church, so more and more lay preachers were enrolled. Charles found them to have little depth
He displayed his more Anglican mind when he showed his dislike when he wrote, ‘Such a preacher I have never heard, and hope I never shall again. It was beyond description. I cannot say he preached false doctrine, or true, or any doctrine at all, but pure, unmixed nonsense. Not one sentence did he utter that could do the least good to any one’. If he were alive today, I think he would repeat that often, about preachers in general. On another occasion he stated, ‘John has made a preacher out of a tailor but I shall make him a tailor again.’

They differed over fees, when Charles felt he was entitled to receive fees for preaching, which John opposed.

Charles did not like the Methodist movement proposing to have an ordained ministry outside of the Anglican Episcopal structure, which was in direct opposition to John’s views. Soon after his death what he always feared occurred when Methodists separated from the Church of England.

Whenever people hear or think of Methodism, it is inevitably of John that comes to mind, and indeed many internet sites label John as the founder of Methodism. Possibly that is because in the writing of the history of Methodism, John has been portrayed more fully, whilst Charles has been seen to be just a hymn writer however prolific a one.

It has been suggested that Charles’ fondness for the Church of England caused the legacy of what he achieved in his writings, views and preaching, to be minimised and indeed covered up, and history made to record that Methodism was seen to be exclusively around John. One commentator described Charles as ‘the forgotten Wesley’. Charles was however just as involved and instrumental in spreading and sustaining the Methodist movement as his brother.

Few people still read John’s sermons, but the beautiful hymns of Charles are an enduring legacy. He may not have been the dominant figure of Methodism, but it was the practical theology of his hymns which drew many people to the Methodist Church. Also, in fact, many people reacted quite emotionally to his preaching.

No one can deny that the Wesleys, and the Methodist Movement, had an effect on Britain at this time. Historians generally agree that the evangelical revival had a profound effect on stemming a revolutionary tide in the country. Conditions were improved by changing the hearts of the people; many of the wealthy became more caring towards the workers, and the artisan working classes acted more respectfully and civilised. On one occasion in Wales a group of theatrical people protested that Methodist preaching was proving too much of an attraction and was threatening their business.

The legacy of Charles Wesley will live on wherever people gather to sing praise to the Lord, for it is difficult to select hymns for any occasion without seeing his name as one of the writers.

Let us always see Charles as the one who wrote as he thought and saw the importance of conversion and a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. He became vividly convinced of the message of salvation, and saw clearer than ever before how faith in Jesus Christ could change a person’s life. This was the message he would take to as many people as he could, particularly to the poorer classes. He preached that the value of a person’s life was to be measured by their faith and manner of living and not only by Church attendance.

In some of his hymns, the words reveal what one may think a distinct High Church theology. His aim was always renewal and never division; the unity of Christians not the separation. Whilst his heart was devoted to Methodism, he wanted this to be within the Church of England

The Methodist Church in Great Britain, like all other Churches has been in decline, but in many other parts of the world is growing so that future Christians will like us be able to pay tribute and homage to this great man and his brother John.
He died on the 29th March 1788. Just before his death, he sent for the Rector of the Church of St Marylebone in Islington, John Harley, and said ‘sir, whatever the world may say of me, I have lived and I die a member of the Church of England. I pray you to bury me in your Churchyard’.

He was buried in the churchyard at Marylebone Parish Church, against his brother's wishes, with eight clergymen of the Church of England as pallbearers. A memorial stone stands close by in
Marylebone High Street.