Matthew 18

 I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  These are the words of Jesus as He makes His way to the Cross.  He has met with His Apostles and asks them who they say He is.  They tell Him various names but Peter responded by saying ‘you are the Christ, the Son of the living God’.  Jesus

is thrilled by this answer and said on that statement He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

 When Jesus used the word ‘Church’, He was referring to an assembly of believers meeting together in worship.  The Church has a special place in the plan of God, and we have to know how we are to live and function within that plan

 Having delegated first to Peter and the Apostles to continue the work He had begun, Jesus now passes the responsibility down to us in our age to continue to preach the gospel, and every Christian has the duty to play their part in the spread of the gospel.   

 Every Christian who values and loves their Church must at times feel depressed at the level of attendances at Church, unless of course a baptism or wedding is desired, when people feel the Church can be useful and offer them something.  I accept that numbers are not the be all and end all of Church worship, or a verdict on any particular Church, but there must always be a need for every Church to consider whether the worship offered is as worthy as it ought to be.  In many cases I do not think it is. 

 There is much that can and should be done to make a Church appeal to non-members.  The building itself should look smart and be clean looking, which is not always so.  Selected men and women, recognised for their engaging personalities, need to be appointed to greet people attending, so that visitors feel we are glad to see them and make them feel welcome.  Regular members too need to be encouraged to speak and be friendly with visitors, rather than look at them as if intruders. 

 In Anglican Churches the services can be confusing to strangers as there are so many alternatives offered.  I have officiated at numerous Churches and not found the same service exactly at any two Churches, so an offer to help and guide may be appreciated. Having changed the worship of the Prayer Book to the Common Worship Book, which had meaningful forms of service, we now have Common Worship in which the formulators couldn’t make their minds up as to which Eucharistic prayer should be used. I used to advise my Church stewards to try and introduce a stranger to someone of like age and sex to make them feel more comfortable.  When leaving after the service, the Minister(s) should always be at the exit to meet people. 

 However, the most important part is that between the coming and leaving.  Services should be bright with tuneful hymns, perhaps altering tunes to hymns that are felt necessary, if the set one is of the mournful type.  I was at a service where for ten minutes a choral rendition of Purcell’s ‘Rejoice in the Lord’ was sung, followed later by Stanford’s ‘Te deum’, which is fine for the right place, but an ordinary parish Communion is not my idea of the right place. 

 I don’t think it is generally recognised how important music is in a service. Music stirs the mind and moves the heart.  In every Crusade, from Sankey and Moody, the Welsh revival, and most notably the great Billy Graham Crusades, the singing of hymns and spiritual songs has been a dominant feature to complement the inspirational preaching. The Evangelical Churches mostly pursue this format, which needs to be introduced into more Churches, and dispense with the philosophy that seems to pervade that as long we put something on it will suffice.

 The sermon has been relegated in importance,where once it was a central feature.  Sermons are there for a purpose, namely to tell the good news about Jesus Christ.  How can people be taught to believe the good news of the gospel if the Church fails to tell?  This is our business first and foremost.  The pulpit is there for the declaration of the gospel, and any Church which fails to respond cannot justify its reason for being there.  Ministers are to be messengers from God, bringing God message to congregations.

 Sermons often lack sound teaching however, with preachers watering down the message to provide spiritual potions, which will make people feel happy and guiltless.  One Vicar tells me regularly, sermons need to be nice and friendly so people won’t be upset.  This always amuses me, for Billy Graham use to preach to audiences of up to 80 thousands and beyond regularly, and tell them they were all a lot of sinners who would go to hell if they didn’t repent, and people flocked to hear him. 

 If a Church is a welcoming one, offers a well constructed service with tuneful hymns and an inspiring message, it will surely attract members.

 In the Church of England we have softened our messages, had all sorts of changes, all sorts of gimmicks, and we are still losing members. One Vicar was quoted in the (London) Daily Mail as telling people on Easter Sunday to stay in bed, eat chocolate and have sex. Don’t bother attending a stuffy building, it’s not cool or funky.  When you have men like that who needs the devil.  In any well organised institution that man would be looking for alternative employment. The statement was not only spiritually irresponsible; it was morally irresponsible for it was directed to people generally.

 Surely we need to rationalise our number of Churches.  At one time every village and neighbourhood had its own parish Church (in addition to Catholic and Free Churches) and congregations were strong enough to maintain them.  This is no longer the case, yet we are still trying to keep that system going.  To do so we have Vicars fleeing from one Church to another offering a token service which does no one any good, or a local preacher  who however well intentioned often has not been properly trained and rides his/her own hobby horse rather than preaching the Bible.

 It would be far more sensible and realistic to prune the number of Churches.  We have seen evangelical Churches drawing people from a wide area and offering inspiring worship, and similarly High Churches offering beautifully conducted and meaningful worship.  People find no difficulty travelling to supermarkets which are not on their doorstep, and with some innovative transport offers the Church could be in a like position.  

 The Bible states attending Church is not optional.  The Bible assumes people who are believers are connected to a local Church where they live out their faith. Individual or independent Christianity cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. Whilst Jesus is present bodily in heaven with believers, He is also present on earth by His Spirit so that when people are gathered  Jesus is amongst us just as surely as when He was present with His Apostles. 

 A problem has arisen of late; the once great Methodist Church provided a solid evangelical service in the image of its founders, yet now it has surrendered to the activist culture and approved same sex ‘marriages’, as other denominations have. I cannot tell you what the Church of England believes now, it is a mixture of ideas dependent on where you live.  Any true Bible based Christian must surely act in accordance with their conscience; in the words of Martin Luther, the great protestant revivalist, . If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God’s word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me! Amen.

 The Bible uses several terms to describe the Church, the most powerful being a family, consisting of people of different backgrounds, experiences, class, ages and gender.  This family extends right across the world, so that wherever you go you can have fellowship with other believers. 

 I lived in Kenya for two years, into which came missionaries of different denominations from various countries, yet we could meet and enjoy each others company in a way no other group of people could.  There is a uniqueness about the Church, was we are separated from the world’s standards and from the others of society.

 But of course the Church does not exactly encourage people, when it is seen to be unable to resolve theological and procedural problems quickly and quietly.  For a long period the Labour party was unable to attain office, because the public saw them squabbling and unable to determine what they stood for.  Then the Conservative party followed the same path, and they remained unpopular with the public.  So indicating clearly, that people have no respect for any body which cannot state positively what it believes in and stands for. 

 This is the situation relating to (at least) the Anglican Church, dominated by people with personal ambitions and desires which they are intent on pursuing irrespective of what damage is done to the Church at large.

 It has to be faced there are men with a personal agenda, who seem determined to undermine the Church.  The Leaders of the Church have firmly opposed ‘gay marriage’, yet, what is loosely called senior clergy, are challenging in a disloyal, irresponsible and shameful way, with no respect for unity within the Church or for Bible teaching.  This and other issues are liable to split the Church of England within, but separate it from the universal Church which includes Catholic and Orthodox Churches. 

 It would be less damaging if we followed the example of  the Anglican Church of North America and formed a new Anglican Church of Great Britain based on the same foundations as of our American friends.

 In the meantime each Church should strive to be true to its calling with vows honoured, and work independently of the national scene.  I firmly believe that if a Church is a welcoming one, offers a well-constructed service, with tuneful hymns and an inspiring message, it will surely attract members.

 Sunday last marked a new year in the Church Lectionary. May more individual Churches turn back to firm Bible teaching, and put forward nothing which is contrary to the teaching and commands of our Lord.

 

Luke 21   v 25/38

Today 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.

In this passage, Jesus foretells of His coming. Having warned of the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, he tells of the consummation of all things on His return. The powers of heaven will be shaken, there will be changes in the skies which will indicate heaven shaking. There is positive hope of redemption at the time of His coming, where mortality turns to immortality. There will be redemption of the body taking place.

The analogy of the fig tree is a sign that the return of Jesus is at hand. There is also reality to which the fig tree analogy of the second coming is pointed to.   Jesus emphasises the permanence, certainty and truth of His words.

 Jesus stated that only God knows when that time will be. He compared life in the days of Noah to those relating to what will be happening when He returns to earth.

You remember the story of Noah. A lot of people laugh and scoff at it, but archaeologists say there is plenty of  evidence that a flood did exist at one time over a certain portion of the world, the portion that Noah lived in.  In addition, archaeologists found an ark in Africa.

Noah tried to warn his fellowmen of coming judgement, but there was a sceptical unbelieving and casual unconcern.  The more Noah preached the more they laughed at him. God said man was too evil, so He was going to make it rain for forty days and destroy the earth.  But God saw Noah was a good man of moral integrity who worshipped God faithfully. 

God told Noah how to build a ship, and when Noah did so everybody laughed at this crazy guy building a ship out in the desert.  Today you would have television crews from around the world taking pictures.  But then the rains came and how they must have wished they had listened to Noah.  

Jesus said as it was then, so it will be in the day of the coming of the Son of man. There are several things said about that day. First, it was a world in which marriage and home were abused. People were obsessed with sex. Emphasis was on immorality. Look at our world today; we are living in the same way as in the days of Noah. We see the same conditions today. Pick up a newspaper.

The Telegraph and Mail newspapers often feature religious articles on their websites, and a lot of comments are made in response which are quite vitriolic; not just disagreement, but open hatred of religion.  People do not like to hear their way of living is seen to be immoral by others.  They want to live their lives without reference to God or biblical values. 

One journalist wrote an article in response to a speech by an ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, who had suggested the Church faced extinction.  He stated the Church could not expect younger people (especially) to reject same sex relationships, or couples sleeping together outside of marriage, or the doctrines of the Church such as a Virgin Birth and resurrection, which SOME churches still do preach.  He was in fact implying that the Church should drastically change its stance on such issues, although I think many within the Church have done so in thought and practice.

At the next meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England, a whole host of members have called for same sex marriage to be debated, some already calling for it to be approved and calling for the LGBT lobby to be congratulated.

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 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. An Archbishop actually stated the climate change issue was more important than the Nazi regime, offending Jews who lost six million In Nazi gas chambers.

 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.  There  are Bishops actively calling for same sex marriages to be allowed in Churches, and an American bishop in such a union was appointed in one diocese.  

  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 .

When we turn to the gospel  we find Jesus had been talking to His Apostles on the Mount of Olives, who asked Him what the signs are of His coming back at the end of the age. Jesus answered 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.   Super powers are massing arms and fearful weaponry.  China, Russia, America are considering future action and partnerships and we have a virus circulating  the world.

In the United States, the virtual leader of the free world. There is a President who appears to be in a world of his own, and the sooner he is replaced the safer we will all be relieved. We have a Prime Minister who is losing the confidence of the population day by day.  Europe has a man who imagines he is a replica of Napoleon, unfortunately not with the same ability. What a collection!

A situation of utmost gravity exists in the Middle East where Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map, and world leaders seem to be deluded into thinking they can trust Iran, whereas Israel is more ready to face reality. They in turn are ready to attack Iran, and bearing in mind that the Bible prophesises the world will end in Jerusalem, we should all be concerned.   The Bible states God will protect His ancient chosen people.

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

We see famines in Africa, earthquakes and typhoons of unprecedented strength, with one island which rarely has rain having had large parts destroyed by storms.

Amidst such worldwide uncertainty, the main Churches are more concerned with following the agenda of the homosexuality lobby rather than the purpose God created them for.

False teaching aplenty is given in our Churches, 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 Saviour, 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.

We are expected to spread the gospel message, particularly to our families and friends, for we will never have warning.  The Bible states now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation

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.

 You see 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. SCRIPTURES REFERENCED

Lastly, we see how certain it is that our Lord’s words will. be fulfilled. Jesus peaks as if He saw the unbelief and weakness of people, and knew they would shrug off His words, and say the world will go on as it always has.

Luke ends with two warnings from Jesus.  One was to be ready and faithful for the day He comes with His Kingdom in all its fulness. The other warning a call to be spiritually ready by praying, so that the believer would avoid being harmed by the tumultuous scenes and circumstances of His return.

Keep the faith, and do not lose heart.

 

2 Chronicles 7 v 14

For the past two years the Christian Church adopted a variety of means to continue worshipping services, using in many cases technology, which reached people who appreciated hearing that of which they had not previously heard.

 It is therefore of paramount importance now restrictions have been removed, to present a united message based on the teaching of the Apostles, as passed down by our Lord Himself, and for God’s sake (literally) stop all the liberal nonsense that has poisoned the true gospel.

In last week’s sermon, I wrote about the evil in the world, and in the days between the situation has only got worse. In every part of the world there is little peace, goodness or Christian teaching.  I suggested ways in which the Church should respond, but the Church in the main denominations just gets further away from God and His teaching.

A great blow was struck when the Methodist Church, once a strong Church in the evangelical tradition, chose to allow same sex ‘marriages’(a contradiction in terms) to be performed in its Churches. They failed two years ago, so this time members were not given the chance to vote, so ensuring the motion passed.

In addition, a tragic incident resulted in it being revealed the Church of England was baptising (illegal) immigrants to give them the name of Christian, so enabling them avoid deportation. This particularly referred to Liverpool Cathedral, who seem to consider it a satisfactory, despite one ‘convert’ trying to blow up a Women’s Maternity Hospital with a self- made bomb.

 

This week, I give you God’s answer to what Christians should do. Turn with me to 2 Chronicles Chapter 7, verse 14.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 Here is a God given chance for there to be a renewal where the lost will be found, and the weak would be made strong.  Here is God promising us He will respond, if we will answer and fulfil His invitation.  This is such a profound offer we cannot afford to accept.

In 960BC Israel was in moral and spiritual decline, with people failing to worship God.  Solomon pleaded with God to forgive the nation of their sins, and God answered that if they humbled themselves, prayed, sought His face, and turned from their wicked ways, He would heal their land.

We are faced with a like situation as Solomon then faced, but when he prayed to God he was given an answer, which is still as valid to- day, as it was all those years ago.

All around us storm clouds are falling on a world so different from what many of us knew. The foundations on which we were raised have largely been destroyed, to such an extent that there are now no moral absolutes, all is relative and one does one’s own thing. Our children are being brainwashed into ways of life which would never have been mentioned in the most liberal places.

What hope does the Bible give us?  Listen to God.

IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME

This verse is directed to particular people, limited to those who know the Lord. God’s people are those who worship Him, who  He has called to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, who profess Christ and own up to doing so.  They are people who regularly attend Church to worship Him week by week, not only those who have a nodding acquaintance with Him at Christmas time. Remember, Jesus said ‘I am the only way to God, NO one comes to the Father except through me’

In all our Churches in this country, there are people who devotedly come week by week to join in worship. They will try to live according to the way God has spelled out that, all the Scriptures are profitable for training in righteousness that the man/woman of God may be equipped for good work.

The majority of people will tell you they believe in God, but it is a tenuous belief which has no

credibility. No matter what kind of life a person has led, at the funeral service it is firmly believed the person is going to heaven. God is seen as a benevolent old man, always ready to unconditionally receive us and answer all we ask for. 

When you go to visit another country, you need a passport to prove your worthiness as a law abiding person, a health certificate to show you are a fit person, and a booking to confirm a reservation.  In the minds of most people, you have no need to prove anything about yourself, God would never send anyone to hell, the only alternative to heaven, and that is right, God never would consign anyone to hell, He lets the person make the choice for him(her)self here on earth. Jesus said to unworthy people, ‘get away from me I never knew you. get away from me you who broke God’s laws’

IF THEY WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES

 Both individually and as a Church there is need for repentance.  There are far too many people who consider themselves as being Christians, attending Churches on Sundays where they sing praise to God, listen to Hi Word being read, and often preached upon, but not always, and confessing sins they have pre-determined are not going to relinquish. 

A person is (relatively) free to live as they wish in a free country, they can excess in alcohol, gaming and sexual relationships, but they do not have the same right to call themselves as Christians. Sin can be defined as any activity which has been condemned in Scripture; this relates not only to sexual activity, but to theft, adultery, jealousy, envy, malice, hatred, and deceit by telling lies.       

 IF MY PEOPLE WILL PRAY 

Jesus told us to pray without ceasing and gave examples of desperate prayer. In one story a   family had gone to bed when they were disturbed by a neighbour pounding on their door. The homeowner looked out and was asked for some bread by the neighbour to feed his guest. The homeowner refused, but the neighbour kept on knocking until the homeowner gave what he wanted. The moral of the story was perseverance, it was desperation which won the day. Jesus said, ‘keep on asking and you will receive. Keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and the door will be opened up to you.’ If we want revival we must pray in desperation.

You may well ask, ‘how can we a small suburban church with not a huge congregation, many of whom are perhaps older in years, do very much?’ Hudson Taylor who founded the China Inland Mission was once asked why God had chosen him. Taylor replied `because God wanted someone small.' When God acts it is not in big cathedrals, it is in the lives of ordinary Christian people. Consider who God chose to be the mother of His Son, a humble young Jewish village girl, now treasured in the history of the Church, and adored in honour of motherhood.

An American Christian programme, following the September 11th attack on its country, asked all its listeners to pray for fifteen minutes a day for fifty days for a revival, and to phone in and say where they were from. A coloured pin was then placed on a wall map of the United States at their location. Within days the map was covered as people responded. Most of them were small churches, perhaps even smaller than yours,  but they reported new life and new people.

Neither is age a relevance. When the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites, Moses and Aaron were too old to fight, but as the younger men fought, they prayed, and every time they did so, the Israelites advanced. Older people can play a vital role in revival.

.  IF PEOPLE WILL SEEK MY FACE

God wants us to enter into a relationship with Him. Not to see Him, as someone to go to when we want something, but as sons and daughters who want to respect and love their own father.

 The Bible tells us that God communed with the man and woman. He who made man in the Garden of Eden, communes with us now through His Word, the Bible. Unfortunately so many people at all levels within the Church want to pick out those parts which suit their preference. The Church of England Articles stress the authority of Scripture as that to which we should pay heed.

   The Church, rather than speaking and standing firm on the teaching of God, has colluded with activists who wish to see a form of immorality accepted, and bishops are sympathetic rather than conform to the Bible teaching, as it may offend those having  different view(who never even attend Church). No seeking of God’s face there.

 But make no mistake, there will be a price to be paid. No one gets away with violating God and His Word. There are rules for life which God has laid down, but too often they become merely a basis for negotiation.

IF MY PEOPLE TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAY

There is a need for examination of our lives to root out those ways which are not worthy of us as Christians. Things which the Bible clearly defines as wrong, yet which are still practised by people who call themselves Christians. The church as God's voice has failed to speak out in condemnation of such ways, for fear of upsetting the liberal tendency and being branded narrow, often preferring to align itself with society's standards. 'If you can't beat them join them' mentality. Can you imagine how little the Christian Church would have progressed if Paul had been so timid? Scripture alone should be our guide.

 Sometimes we have real unpleasantness in our churches. This is because some people see them as places to exercise a power they could not do so elsewhere. They become argumentative, rebellious, self-centred, and enjoy causing disruption.

I was talking to a lady who told me how her Vicar made same slight changes to try and introduce new people to the church. She said the congregation became so divided it was like war. What sort of Christianity is that? Certainly not the kind Jesus had in mind when He said, ‘love one another.’

We are told the disciples were all of one mind at Pentecost, and look what happened

   I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND HEAL THEIR LAND

God has promised to respond by healing our land.  God loves all people, and wants all to be saved.  But He is a righteous God who hates sin, and He will not deal with people who neglect, disobey and do not honour Him. However unpleasant to admit, the Church in this country has acted shamefully, it has disregarded the teaching God laid down in His Word, and which Jesus commanded to be followed.  Individually, Christians have not always been worthy of Him. But God has stated He will heal, and whilst people may not be relied on to keep a promise, God will.

 

In this sermon I have used the word IF numerous times. This is a very big word. There are churches which would dread any revival, preferring to keep things nice and quiet in a holy huddle. If a stranger should enter they say 'what is she doing here.' Some older people take a philosophical line, and think ‘I won't be here in a number of years.’ So they don't let things concern them.

We need all of us to have a passion for revival, and we are poor Christians if we don't feel a concern for the future of the Church. We must forget ourselves and our own desires for the sake of the Lord's Church. If we really believe Christianity is the only hope and answer for a fallen world, then let us earnestly pray and work for revival and make sure we, are living as God intended.  Revival begins with Gods people, but the power of God is so strong it soon spreads to all society

   God acted when a Minister went to the small island of Lewis in the  Hebrides, and the people there prayed that God would bless them. Evan Roberts a Minister in South Wales prayed and started the Welsh Revival. There are many examples of answered prayer for revival.

After Jesus had risen from the dead, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem, until they were endued with power from on high. Although their lives were in danger, they gathered in that Upper Room and waited patiently for the promise of the Father. Then when the day finally came, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and were converted to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The same God who visited His people in Jerusalem is ready to visit His Church in England. He has promised to hear His people and answer from heaven.

Let us seek His blessing for own parishes

 When the foundations are being destroyed, what shall the righteous do?  (Psalm 11, verse 3)

The reason I have chosen to speak on this verse is lest we forget or overlook the way, our faith is being marginalised, restricted, and attempts being made to drive it out of public life.  To remind you that traditional teaching and principles of Christianity, are being stealthily abandoned that will threaten our way of life. 

The foundations that are spoken of are the foundations of justice and order that support a society and prevent it from crumbling, the social, moral, ethical, political and religious foundations.  Without much effort, we can see those foundations are slowly falling apart.

When such foundations are destroyed, it becomes hard for many people, and they fall apart.  They feel the world has come to an end.   They fall into deep despair and depression. 

A foundation of this country was a morality based upon the word of God, but since we have rejected the word of God, one person’s concept of what is right and wrong depends on what they wish to be.  When such a situation exists, there is no consensus for determining what is right or wrong other than what is decided upon by a majority, or by those who wield the most political power. 

When this Psalm 11 was written, David was passing through a bad time, when all he believed in seemed to be falling apart.  David faced total disorder all around and saw only corruption and disorder.  Something similar one might say to what is happening here now.

We are facing exactly the same situation that David was facing.  We are witnessing an all-out assault to remove the foundations on which this country was founded. 

There is false teaching being put out which is readily being accepted rather than the factual one, that one only has to be a nice honest person to attain a future place in heaven. There is also a marked reluctance to preach the need for repentance and personal acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Saviour

The bedrock foundation of any society is a strong family, which is recognised by left-wing political activists, who encourage the break-up of centuries of traditional family life, consisting of a man and wife,( male and female, and children. We have reached a stage where to publicly state marriage is confined to one man and a woman is considered homophobic, and preachers who have quoted Scripture in the public arena, have been forcibly arrested by police and detained for long periods.

Marriage, as laid down in the Bible, which has been the practice since the world was created, is now frowned upon, with bishops calling for it to be abandoned, and is now of no more formal recognition than any other relationship. We are not supposed to define male and female as him and her.

Men are allowed to self-define themselves as women, with free access to women’s personal facilities, which inevitably has caused women to be sexually assaulted, and younger women to be terrified.  

In our politically correct society, it seems the power of evil is so great that decent people are afraid, even in danger, if they voice criticism.  They are accused of bigotry and all kinds of phobia     Dark clouds are descending on our culture.  Our children and grandchildren are growing up in a world so very different from the previous generations.  We all know this to be true, yet we feel powerless to stop the slide into the abyss.  

Christianity has been the faith of this country for over 1500 years, which  has brought and kept this nation as one, Christianity is being wrecked and the ensuing collapse of Christian values has led to an unstable society, in which family life is being destroyed, and a moral and spiritual vacuum has been created. Now Christianity is being phased out of public life by politically motivated people, ideologues in the government and civil service, who betray the culture which nurtured them.

Our families are being destroyed because the Biblical concepts of children being raised by one biological father and mother, are no longer followed,    and been replaced by a definition which is totally offensive to the biblical concept of a family. Those who believe they cannot in religious conscience accept this legal change, have even been legally denied the right to do so.

No longer is the Cross respected and permitted to be freely worn in public places as a symbol of faith, yet other faiths can wear and display what they will.   Laws have been enacted in order to placate 1% of the population, and prevent even Scriptural quotation from the other 99%.

What then do the followers of Jesus Christ do?

This is a very important question, because Christians are the only people who have the answer.    In our politically correct society, it appears the power of evil is so great that people are afraid, even in danger, if they voice criticism; the righteous are not expected to speak, and if they do they are accused of some kind of phobia or bigotry.

Just because the world is crumbling and the social order is deteriorating, does not absolve us of our responsibility to do all that we can to right the wrongs,  to stand for the standards men and women fought and died for, and rebuild the foundations. 

Sadly, unlike the United States, our Governments doesn’t let Christian beliefs and faith enter the political arena, so there is no support from them.  Indeed, laws are promoted where young children of age five and upwards are given explicit teaching on all forms of sexuality, and being asked if they feel they are in the same sex as they would like to be, and told of the process of trans-gendering.  Parents are not given the right to withdraw their own children from such lessons.

 It is tempting in these days to give up on the world and everyone in it.    Nevertheless, we must continue to teach and spread the word of God in a world that is hostile to it.  We must live in such a way as to show others how right it is to live according to God’s word.    Even if the judicial system becomes corrupt, and we have seen that Christians have little chance when it comes to claiming the right to express our beliefs, we have a responsibility to try to live according to the law of God.   The world may follow the devil, but we still have the responsibility to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.   

The Church is the only answer to this secular assault.  The Lord stated he would build the Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  At times it seems as though some within the Church are saying and we will pull it down. Main denominations are now actually supporting same sex marriages to be performed in the churches. This is a distinct violation of Bible teaching, supported at the highest echelons of the Churches.

The Church is a wonderful organisation, which has many members around the world, without distinction between rich/poor, young/old, race, colour or sex.  Never minimize the power of the Church, it may be in decline in Britain and the West, but in Africa, South America and the East, it is immensely strong because they have not been dismantling the Bible.  We can draw inspiration from them.

The Church however needs to get its act in order; to wake up and speak up, and to do so with one voice. The faith and belief of the Church are built on two essential doctrines; salvation by grace through faith, and the full authority of Scripture.  They may not be important to some, but they are fundamental to real Christians.

We are saved by the grace of God when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid it all for us on the Cross, we owe everything to Him.  He is the only means of salvation; no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

The religious fashion now is multi-faith.  Whilst all peoples must have the right to follow their own religion, we cannot join in worship with those who deny the uniqueness of Christ, and His being the Son of God.

God chose 40 men to write His Word, His thoughts and commands.  It is a divinely inspired Word, and members of the Church should stop taking it apart to fit in with modern ideas and morality.  

Such were the themes to Charles and John Wesley.  Listen to the words of John Wesley. ‘I want to know one thing, the way to heaven, how to land on that happy shore.  God has condescended to teach the way, He was written it down I a book.  Give me that book at any price give me that book’.

 I fear both Wesley brothers would find a lot of preaching these days not to their liking.  The current leaders have betrayed their founders, and promoted what they forcefully condemned, how could they be so unfaithful. Even the manner in which it was decided upon, left much to be desired.

Many Churches do not have Bible available for people to follow the readings, or sermon.  In one Church I visited to take the service there wasn’t even a Bible to read the Lessons. All Christians need to read regularly so as to be able to discern false teaching. 

You will never hear a Muslim saying the Koran must be re-interpreted to please society, or that it is in any part in error. When people turn away from what is written, they lose their spiritual moorings and just drift ashore into the secular wilderness.

All Christians should be concerned at the way events are going.  If Christianity is pushed out, the spiritual vacuum is likely to be filled with something far worse. The Bible states that Jesus is the only way to God, the only means of salvation because of His death on the Cross.  We should not be fearful of saying this, otherwise people will not fully appreciate what we are here for, and to make this proclamation is the only reason for our existence; we must stand and say boldly, and not be afraid to do so even if it upsets some false teachers.    Sadly, there are too many within the Church, more anxious to promote their own ambitions and desires than to promote the gospel.

The Lord calls on each one of us to be steadfast in the faith, to remain true to His teaching and promises to Him; this applies to every Christian. Nowhere in the Bible do we find a particular standard for some Christians, and a different one for others.  Some may find the negative influences around us make it hard to live consistently for the Lord, but we are called to be steadfast and contend for the faith.  Christianity is not just a philosophy you hear on Sundays, it has to be lived out daily.  I fear some members have not just given up; they have given in and are following society’s ways rather than God’s.  Society has developed a standard of morality which we cannot share. 

Charles Wesley once stated that the manner of living, as well as attending Church was important.  I held a service in honour of this great man, and the research I made caused me to realise how far the Church (in general) has moved from the ideals of Methodism, which once had such a profound effect on the spiritual health of the nation.

If there was ever a day when Christians need to know what they believe it is now. Unless we are sure as to what we believe, and why we must live that way, we will not be able to defeat the spreads of secularism and the cultural trends, which challenge our faith and the foundations on which this nation was built. 

 The great Methodist preacher of the last century, W E Sangster once said, ‘ preaching is in the darkness, the world doesn’t believe in it’ and this is more true now than when it was first said.  The Church itself does not value preaching, it is not seen as important although it can be a source of learning.  How can we get the gospel out if it is not taught?

When a new bishop was introduced recently, he stated his priority would be to tackle poverty, which is an amazing statement but so typical of to-day’s Church thinking, where bishops are acting like unelected politicians. Priority of all clergy should be Church growth. 

Christians have often found themselves in those places where there is much hostility, but they have not given up.  They continue to struggle, to fight, to overcome in the name of Christ, and are still doing so bravely against immense provocation in non Christian lands, where they find their Churches burned down, their homes attacked and themselves persecuted, beaten and even murdered.     

What can the righteous do?  They can do what that little band of Christians in the upper room did 2,000 years ago.  They can turn the world upside down. There is hope if all members realise the time has passed when we sit back and say ‘God will provide’; we must remember He needs a little help from His friends.  Let us proclaim the truth, however inconvenient it may prove to some people.