31st May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 10:46-52 (Focus 48)


Message Alan Burke 


Here we have a man Bartimaeus, sitting at the side of the road, just another face for those travelling to Jerusalem or to Jericho, maybe even a regular fixture who people saw, mocked, avoided, a man who was depending on others to survive, listening for the footsteps of travellers asking for alms. Alms is an old word that has fallen out of use because in the UK as a welfare state we no longer need it but alms is a word that means food or money that is given to those in need. We’re not told whether he was blind from birth or it was something that had happened because of a degenerative condition or due to an accident, what matters is that he is blind. When he heard that Jesus was passing he cried out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”.


Bartimaeus knew that the only right response to the Messiah is to seek his mercy, to call on Jesus to have pity on him, to be merciful, to show him mercy in what he faced. At this stage while we are not told the reason for his call of mercy we can assume it was for his blindness but he needs more than mercy for his blindness, he needs the mercy of the Son of David the Messiah, the Christ for his sin. 


Notice though the response of the crowd towards Bartimaeus in v48, we are told that they rebuked, they tell him to be quiet. Basically they are telling him to shut up, the reason to why is a simple one, for he was a nobody, insignificant, an undesirable. While he sat on the side of the road he was to be pitted, he could easily be ignored but now that he was shouting they were being confronted with their failure to live as they should as God’s people. He was a no one, he was in need, and the disciples and the followers of Jesus were there among the crowed and instead of going to him there are those who simply rebuke him for making a nuisance of himself, they do not bring him to Jesus like those who brought the blind man at Bethsaida in chapter 8 to Jesus where there they begged Jesus to heal him, Bartimaeus instead is told be quite. 


While rebuked by the crowd, Bartimaeus in response shouted all the more.  “Son of David, have mercy on me!” There was no one and nothing that was going to stop his cry for Jesus. He was a man who knew that the only place of help was in Jesus Christ. Even though the crowds rebuked Bartimaeus, Jesus stops and said call him for the cry of the man, Son of David, have mercy on me had been heard by Jesus. 


If you think back to chapter 9 where the disciples were arguing among themselves of who is the greatest, Jesus teaches whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. Then the following account of the disciples stoping the man casting out evil spirts, someone who was on the outside stoped by the disciples and Jesus challenged their attitudes, then about the seriousness of causing the ordinary believer to sin. Chapter 10 when Jesus taught on divorce and how he challenges the hardness of heart because in a patriarchal society women especially vulnerable, then the little children who were being brought to Jesus and their parents were rebuked yet Jesus is indigent by this and he said the kingdom of God is for such as these. 


Now we come to this account of Bartimaeus who is insignificant, unimportant, the marginalised and again Jesus is challenging that perception among his followers by inviting the man to come. The church should be a place where those who are insignificant, unimportant, the marginalised are welcome, who are at home, it is a place of them. Ask yourself this, are we as a people interested in the insignificant, unimportant, the marginalised? God’s people should be those who welcome insignificant, unimportant, the marginalised, where they know that they are at home and that worship is a place of them. We need to be a place where the young, old, disabled as well as the abled are welcomed, our saviour called this man to himself.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q60 How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, (Exod. 20:8,10, Exod. 16:25–28) even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; (Neh. 13:15–19) and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’ s worship, (Luke 4:16, Acts 20:7, Ps. 92, Isa. 66:23) except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. (Matt. 12:1–31)
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30th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 21v18-22)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


The day after Jesus cleansed the temple He made His way back to Jerusalem and in a little glimpse of Christ's humanity, Matthew tells us that the Lord was hungry (v18). Jesus saw a fig tree that was in leaf and despite it not being the right time of the year for figs (Mark 11v13), when a fig tree was in leaf there should have been some fruit.


Nevertheless when the Lord examined the fig tree He found only leaves and nothing to fill a hungry belly (v19). The Lord's response at first glance strikes us as petulant frustration as He said “May no fruit ever come from you again!” (v19b). The fig tree responded to the Creator's voice by withering at once.


Is this a rare moment of weakness in Jesus? Did His hunger cause Him to lose control and condemn a poor fig tree to death? By no means! Call to mind what Jesus did the day before - He entered the glorious temple and cleared it out. Everything about the temple spoke of vibrancy and life, there were people, commerce, noise and sacrifice. The temple was in full bloom and yet bore no fruit. Christ's act of cursing the fig tree was hugely symbolic. It signified that a great change was coming to national Israel and the temple in Jerusalem.


The disciples marvelled at the actions of Christ and wondered “How did the fig tree wither at once?” (v20). It withered at once because Jesus was the One in whom and for whom the fig tree was created. Christ is the Lord of all creation and if He tells a fig tree to wither or a mountain to be moved, then it will be so. But remarkably Jesus told His disciples “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (v21-22).


These verses have known much controversy over the years. At first glance it seems that the Lord is teaching us that we too will exercise the mighty power of Jesus - we will be able to cause fig trees to wither and mountains to crumble into the sea. Is this what the victorious Christian life looks like? Have faith and all things will jump at your voice? No. Christ does not turn us into "little gods" who exercise a "word of faith" bending this world to our will.


Instead we remember the context of these verses. The fig tree points to national Israel and her temple which gave the impression of life but bore no fruit. How can "this mountain" be moved? Only by faith in Jesus. He causes the dead to be raised to spiritual life. He causes good fruit to grow where previously there was only pomp and ceremony. He speaks a word and suddenly our own problems don't seem so mountainous.


Brothers and sisters, prayer is not a means by which we get whatever we want, when we want it. Prayer is a means of grace whereby the Lord grows us up in the faith. It is the mark of a growing Christian who once produced no fruit but now flourishes by the grace of God. There are many obstacles to vibrant Christian life - spiritual deadness, apathy, division, dissension and many more. These mountains can only be moved by the one who calls upon the Lord by faith. May it be so, lest we be found spiritually dead when He comes.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q59 Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.
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29th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 10:46-52 (Focus 46-47)


Message Alan Burke 


I’ll start with a local history lesson today. You may or may not know that Crossgar was originally called ‘Everogues Bridge’ and grew from a hamlet of just a few houses into a village because of its location. Even though Kilmore village around a mile away predates Crossgar it was Crossgar that Kilmore that saw rapid growth in the 1800’s primarily because Crossgar lay on the main thoroughfare between Downpatrick and Ballynahinch. It was a way station, a stopping point on the journey in the days before the internal combustion engine when you walked unless you had a pound or two and had your own horse. The later arrival of the Railway line added to that growth. Jericho likewise in our passage today was a way station for travellers, a stopping point on the way and at the time that Jesus was journeying towards Jerusalem it would have been a hive of activity because of pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem for the passover, it’s main significance was that it was a thoroughfare to Jerusalem. 


Now before we move on it’s important to not that this isn’t the Old Testament Jericho whose walls fell, this is a new Jericho, same name different place that was built by Herod the Great and he had his winter palace there. Notice the things that Mark here tells us how Jesus came to Jericho and it seems that almost as suddenly as arriving he is leaving, for Mark wants the focus to be on what happens when he leaves. We are told Jesus, the disciples and a large crowd. Now this crowd is different than the crowds of people we are told about at the beginning of chapter ten as we are told again, crowds of people came to him and was his custom he taught them (10:1). There crowds were coming to him here that he together with a large crowd were leaving the city. 


Jesus was leaving Jericho because he was along with others making his way to Jerusalem going to the passover feast. The large crowd that is now with Jesus (46) in the main is made up of people who were making their way to Jerusalem. This would have been a festival like atmosphere, people singing, chanting on the way as they journeyed together, and on the way we are told of a blind man Bartimaeus. 


Bartimaeus was really just one of a multitude of faces that there would have been on this main tributary to Jerusalem, insignificant people who were at the side of the road, many who were too poor, sinful, diseased, those who were seen as unclean and unable to go to the passover. While the law of God had made provision for the the marginalised of society, for the weak, sick, for the injured but the problem is that while God’s word made provision, the deceitful human heart often does another thinking it knows best. This man, when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was in the crowd travelling past began to shout; “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”. The shout of Bartimaeus is that of, Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me. Son of David is a title of the Messiah, the Christ, the promised one of God. In his shout he is making it clear that he believes that Jesus is the promised one of God not just some mere travelling miracle worker. 


When you think back to the confession of Peter, that Jesus is the Christ in Mark 8 and how Jesus had warned the disciples ‘not to tell anyone about him’ (8:30) it makes the cry of this man even more striking. Even though the disciples had not told, even though Jesus had not openly revealed his messianic identity Bartimaeus knew, and he cried out, “have Mercy on me”. Bartimaeus knew that the only right response to the messiah is to seek his mercy, to call on Jesus to have pity on him, to be merciful, to show him mercy in what he faced. This is the only right response for all people, to call to Jesus to have mercy, for we are dependant on his mercy. It is what we are all dependant on daily, if you have cried out for mercy know that it has been given to you, you have been forgiven, your greatest need has been dealt with, your sin has been forgiven through Christ Jesus. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q58 What is required in the fourth commandment?
The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself. (Deut. 5:12–14)
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27th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 21v1)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


There is a fake Jesus that is incredibly popular in 2023. What does fake Jesus look like? The world has imagined a version of Christ who never judges, never says anything offensive and will certainly never turn anyone away from heaven. This Jesus is a fantasy and a fraud.


The true Christ said some incredibly difficult things and one day when He entered the temple, He was so outraged at what He saw that He overturned the tables of the money changers and drove out those who bought and sold in temple (v12). What was the Lord's problem? Jesus said “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (v13).


It wasn't that the activities going on were unnecessary. People came from near and far and needed to change their currency into money acceptable at the temple. Additionally various items were needed for the sacrifices that took place in the temple. It made sense that these financial services were offered for the benefit of worshippers. However Jesus wasn't being unreasonable. Instead of temple commerce taking place outside, it had become acceptable inside. In the place where the focus should have been on the worship of Almighty God, there was a constant noise of buying and selling.


Jesus' response came directly from Jeremiah 7v11 which also states in verse 4 "Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’". In Jeremiah's day the people couldn't imagine that the temple would soon be destroyed and that they would be carried off into exile. Their cry wasn't one of repentance but rather "The temple! The temple! The temple! We have the temple! What could possibly happen to us?"


Years later Christ would cleanse the temple not once but twice. Jesus was the promised Lord who would come to the temple like a refiner's fire (Malachi 3v1-4). His act of cleansing the temple wasn't just out of righteous anger but Jesus was showing Himself to be the Messiah and the true temple which would be torn down and rebuilt in three days. The Romans would destroy the temple in 70AD and it has never been rebuilt but Christ stands forevermore and will never be defeated.


The temple commerce was replaced by the healing of the blind and lame (v14). Did such an action cause the chief priests and scribes to search the Scriptures and question their ways? No. They saw what Christ had done and heard the children crying out “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (v15) and in response they were indignant. Not only had Jesus wrecked the place but He was willingly accepting praise which was only due to God.


“Do you hear what these are saying?” Christ's opponents asked (v16) to which Jesus replied “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (Psalm 8v2). I'm sure that the chief priests had read Psalm 8 but I'm equally sure that they were not prepared to apply the Psalm to Jesus.


His incredible act of cleansing the temple for the second time was once more a signpost to His identity and authority. True religion is not a business but it should always find it's chief concern in the person and work of Christ. We don't need robed choirs and professional presentations and endless challenges to "buy my book", instead the Lord has ordained praise from the mouths of little children. Our worship need not be complicated but it must be in spirit and in truth.


I'm sure that our fellowships could all do with Christ's cleansing zeal. May His voice thunder in our meeting houses and may He give us eyes to see and ears to hear. For Christ's sake. Amen.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q57 Which is the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
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26th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 10:41-45


Message Alan Burke 


How would you feel if you found one of your mates was trying to get one over on you, you were in for the same job or promotion and they slagged you off in their interview? Or how about you spotted a piece of furniture that you’d wanted for a long time, when the local furniture shop rang to tell you they had got one in but by the time you got there someone had beaten you to it only to find out the person you had told in excitement now had it as pride of place in their front room? We could think of different senecios but it’s not nice when your mates, trying or not get one over on you. Here we pick up and the rest of the disciples find out about what James and John had asked of Jesus and we are told they became indignant. 


We are not told of the reason, but I think it is pretty obvious and that is because they equally wanted greatness, that is what they were all aspiring to. None of them had grasped the fullness of what Jesus had come to do, none of them had grasped the wonder of what he had taught them already about greatness, and now with the request of James and John the question of greatness and what that means comes to the forefront once again. Again these disciples who had been taught by Jesus already about greatness still hadn’t understood, so Jesus gives them the example of the rulers of the Gentiles and how they lord it over them. Gentiles are those who are outside the people of God, ie this is the pagan view of greatness Jesus is teaching about, it is the view of greatness of this world. 


Look to the rich and the powerful of this world, the whose who and how did they get there and how do they treat others. While here we may have a democracy and so called free media if that was removed then we would see the sinful hearts of men and women seek to lord it over others. We see that in this world, powerful individuals who lord their power over others, but the Jesus model, the model of scripture is something completely different, because the model of this pagan world is not to be the model of the disciples and it is not to be our model as the church. For those who desire greatness are to serve, they are to be the servant of others, there is a large part of me and if we are honest everyone of us who doesn’t like this teaching of Jesus because we are all aspiring for greatness, we all want more, we all want power, wealth, maybe not the fame but we want greatness. 


Whereas Jesus explains what it is to be great, we must be a servant, we must be a slave, and Jesus in his life and death showed what it was to be a servant, let’s not miss that, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Phil 2:6), he took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection. While the disciples still did not understand the fullness of what Jesus was teaching, there would be one day in their not to distant future that they would indeed understand. For the Lord Jesus Christ paid the ransomed us from the wrath of God, that is those who have repented and believed. It means that we although we are by our nature his enemies need never fear his wrath, for the wrath of God was placed upon our saviour so that we might be the redeemed of God. And you know there is nothing that can reverse that salvation that we have been brought, it should lead us all the more to desire to turn from sin to live for our saviour Jesus Christ. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q56 What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. (1 Sam. 2:12,17,22,29, 1 Sam. 3:13, Deut. 28:58–59)
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25th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 21v1-11)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


It is said that when Joe Biden visited Northern Ireland it cost £7000 per minute in security costs alone. Can you imagine? The bill for one hour of President Biden's time was almost half a million pounds. That seems extraordinary but perhaps it is merely the price one must pay to be visited by such an important figure. The cost for Christ's visit to Jerusalem did not come close to Biden's total but needless to say Jesus paid a greater price that cannot be measured in silver or gold.


The Lord's week long journey to the cross began with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He sent two of His disciples into the village of Bethphage to retrieve a donkey and a colt (v2). If anyone challenged the disciples they were to say "The Lord needs them" (v3). The disciples did as they were commanded (v6) and soon Jesus was riding into the city (v7). As the Lord entered Jerusalem the crowd spread their cloaks upon the road and others cut branches from the trees and laid them on the road as well (v8). These actions showed that the crowd were greeting Jesus like a King. Just as Jehu's servants laid their cloaks before him (2 Kings 9v13) so the inhabitants of Jerusalem rolled out a carpet of cloaks and branches for King Jesus.  


Additionally they called out to Christ using the words of Psalm 118v25-26 shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (v9). Hosanna means "save us" or "rescue us" and so the people were calling on Jesus the Son of David to bring salvation. They pronounced a blessing upon Him and again cried out for salvation. As Jesus entered Jerusalem it was clear that the people were confident that Jesus was not only a prophet from Nazareth (v11) but also the Messiah King.


What the people could not have expected was the manner of Christ's kingship. He wouldn't enter Jerusalem as an all conquering hero, armed to the teeth and immediately destroying any Roman who stood in His way. Instead Jesus came riding humbly upon a donkey.


The Lord's entry into Jerusalem took place this way in order to fulfil what was written in Zechariah 9v9 which states "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."


President Biden arrived in Northern Ireland on Air Force One with endless security and fanfare. Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. I'm not trying to score cheap points at the expense of Joe Biden, I merely make the point that the Lord's ways are not the ways of the world.


Jesus came not to destroy the Romans and reestablish David's throne in Jerusalem - He came as God's righteous servant who would bring salvation by His death on the cross. The Lord's visit to Jerusalem cost nowhere near the amount of the President's visit to Northern Ireland but nevertheless Christ's impact on human history is unsurpassed by any other figure or event since the beginning of time. If your cry is "Hosanna! Save me!" then Jesus is the only one who can answer. So my friends rejoice greatly and shout aloud because righteous Jesus has come, riding a donkey and bringing salvation for all who will believe. Thanks be to God.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q55 What is forbidden in the third commandment? The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
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24th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 10:35-40


Message Alan Burke 


I’m going to ask you a question today as we begin, perchance are you slow on the uptake? Of course I know that you are wonderful and I do not mean in any way to offend you but I know from my own person experience and I am speaking of myself of course that I am often slow on the uptake. You’re likely one of those individuals who has a photographic memory, who can turn your hands to anything and you just breeze through life never getting anything wrong, I am not like that and neither were the disciples. These fellas were slow on the uptake, I just marvel at their failure to grasp simple teachings of Jesus but then again I find that a comfort for I am no different. Here we pick up just after Jesus had predicted his death for the second time to his disciples how he would be betrayed, sentenced to death, mocked, spat on, and flogged and only after facing all of this would he be executed. But his death would not be the end, instead he would be resurrected. 


As the scene moves on look to the question that comes, from James and John (35). Firstly it is like the question of a child when they want something and they don’t think that they will get it so they try to ask in a way that they can twist your arm, they ask Jesus to ‘do for us whatever we ask’. These are grown men, these are adults who have heard Jesus say he is going to face death and all they can think of is ‘me’, ‘me’, ‘me’. 


These two men are aspiring to their own greatness and are assuming that Jesus is going to inaugurate a new earthly kingdom, a new Davidic age, and they are seeking to get ahead of the rest of the disciples, although Jesus had already challenged their pre conceived ideas of what greatness is, how greatness is different in his kingdom, that the least must be served like the greatest, the penny hadn’t dropped with them. They look for a seat at the right and left of Jesus. They are looking for positions of power, in proximity to Jesus, if they had heard and understood any of what he had just said as he predicted his death, it may have been the hope of the resurrection that caused them to ask this, thinking that what Jesus faced would be only temporary.


Jesus to their request v38 makes it clear that they do not what they are asking off. The symbolism that is used here of the drinking of the cup and baptised with the baptism that Jesus would be baptised with. Both symbols of what Jesus would face on the cross, he would drink of the cup of the rash of God, he would be baptised with the baptism of the wrath of God and when Jesus asks them can they also drink and be baptised in this way they answer we can. What we miss in translation is that Jesus question to them ‘can you’, is not one that allows for a positive answer, it expects a negative answer. Like if I said “Can you scale the walls of the meetinghouse with only your little finger”. No of course you can’t. 


There answer, ‘we can’ shows yet again they did not understand the fullness of what Jesus had come to to, they thought they could do it, and in to them Jesus said they will indeed drink of the cup, be baptised with the baptism Jesus was baptised with. Not in the sense that they offered themselves for the forgiveness of sin, nor that they would experience the wrath of a Holy God against sinners, rather they would experience suffering, while John we suspect died of old age after being exiled he still suffered much in his life time for the cause of Christ, whereas James was killed for his faith (Acts 12:1). James and John didn’t understand what they were asking, and we know that there were indeed two others who were one on his right the other on his left in Mark’s gospel and that is at the cross, the only other time that these words are used in Mark (15:27). 


James and John were slow on the uptake, their question may seem ridiculous to us,  but none of us are immune to when it comes to the word of God even with that photographic memory of yours and how you can turn your hands to anything and you just breeze through life never getting anything wrong, we are often slow on the uptake. And I wonder what our own prayer life says about us, how different are we to these two disciples who were looking for their own greatness, how much of our time is spent looking to our own greatness in prayer, our own wants and needs rather than thankful acknowledgement of his mercies to us?


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q54 What is required in the third commandment?
The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’ s names, (Matt. 6:9, Deut. 28:58) titles, (Ps. 68:4) attributes, (Rev. 15:3–4) ordinances, (Mal. 1:11,14) Word, (Ps. 138:1–2) and works. (Job 36:24)
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23rd May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 20v20-34)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


One day the mother of James and John came to see Jesus. What did she want? Mrs Zebedee wanted her boys to have the best seats in the the kingdom of God (v21). Here we see a typical mummy wanting the very best for her beloved sons but her request missed the point of discipleship.


The Lord said to James and John “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” (v22). Christ used the image of a cup to describe His future suffering - He would drink the cup of God's wrath. The boys believed they certainly could drink the Lord's cup but they had little idea of what the statement actually meant. Christ said that they would indeed drink His cup - their future was a difficult one and they wouldn't live a life of peace but would be oppressed, rejected and scorned by the people they would try to reach.


However Christ was clear that it was entirely up to the Father as to who would sit at the right and left hand of Jesus (v23). James and John's request angered the rest of the disciples who no doubt had their own sense of entitlement (v24) and so Jesus gathered His disciples around Him once more to correct their self-glorifying ways.


The Lord reminded His followers that in the world around them there were many who lorded it over the people as they exercised their authority (v25), but it was not to be this way in the kingdom. The path of true greatness is not marked by pushing your way up the ladder to achieve the highest position but instead to become a servant. Jesus said if you would be great then you must become a servant to all, if you desire greatness then you must become like a slave to all (v27). Christ was the creator of the universe and yet did not come to be served but to serve (v28). He didn't demand His rights or His privileges but instead laid down His life as a ransom for many (v28b).


Christ's servanthood would be summarised this way by Paul "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2v5-8)


The Lord Jesus couldn't be further away from the selfish mindset that desires to be first at all costs. Our sinful hearts seek our own glory and we happily believe our own press which says that we are just wonderful. Tragically this attitude sometimes manifests itself in an unseemly and sinful rush to the front of the line regardless of who gets hurt. None of us are immune from such behaviour and all of us need Christ's sanctifying grace.


Sin is deceitful and it often closes our eyes to the reality of our true spiritual condition. Just as the Lord restored the sight of two blind men (v29-34) so too we need His touch to remove the sinful scales from our own eyes. May He keep us from sinful arrogance and pride. May He stop us from falling in love with ourselves. May He sanctify us and cause our hearts to delight in the path of servanthood.


"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalm 115v1)


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q53 Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
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22nd May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 10:32-34


Message Alan Burke 


Have you ever seen the look on someones face when they know what lies ahead and what they face isn’t going to be a nice experience? We’ve all seen it, people with that look, that weight on them, it can be before they go in for a life changing operation and not knowing what the outcome will bring or when the news has come with a loss of a loved one, or on the grooms face when the bride is three minutes late. Ok I jest with the last one, normally that happens when the bride is forty minutes late. Here in Mark we are not told of the face of Jesus but we are told of the reaction of the disciples who we are told are astonished and the followers of Jesus were afraid. 


Why, why are the disciples astonished, why are the followers afraid? Is it because of what Jesus has just taught about the cost of discipleship, is this what is going through their mind, filling them with astonishment and fear? You can look back to the engagement with the rich young man and what he had taught and see if that is it, although I think there is something much more going on here to cause this reaction in the disciples  and followers of Jesus as they are making their way to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way. 


The reason for my concussion is because of what awaited Jesus and that would have been written all over his face as he went before them, taking another step closer each time to the cross that awaited. Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 50 speaks of the coming of the Lord’s servant and there we are told… “But the Lord God helps me, therefore I have not been disgraced, therefore I have set my face like a flit and I know that I shall to be put to shame” (Is 50:7). 


With his face like flint, with a resolute determination, Jesus was going towards Jerusalem to die and it was written all over his face that something was up, that he was carrying a weight as he went ahead of them. The disciples and followers knew not why, but Jesus knew he was going to suffer willingly and this servant of the Lord would not suffer disgrace instead he would be resurrected, declaring him to be the sinless son of God. 


Jesus then predicts for the second time in Mark’s gospel his death to his disciples, telling them in much more detail what would happen, he would be betrayed, sentenced to death, mocked, spat on, and flogged and only after facing all of this would he be executed. But his death would not be the end, instead he would be resurrected. For while the disciples had not understood it yet this was the reason that Jesus had come. Why the son of Man had come was to die for the sins of many (10:45). Jesus was sentenced to death, mocked, spat on, and flogged and executed and while this was a horrible death it was no different to many others throughout the ages who died at the hands of the Romans, what makes the death of Jesus significant is what he bore on our behalf while on the cross. Jesus there became sin for us, he bore the full weight of the wrath of God for sin so that we never have to. No wonder the servant of the Lord’s face was like flit as described in Isaiah for he went to the cross to die for the sins of many, rising, defeating death so that we might be justified by faith in him, through what he has done for us.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’ s sovereignty over us, (Ps. 95:2–3) his propriety in us, (Ps. 45:11) and the zeal he hath to his own worship. (Exod. 34:13–14)
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20th May 2023


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 20v17-19)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Today's passage contains just three verses and in response I will attempt to keep my devotion deliberately short. That's not to say that these verses are unimportant - quite the opposite. These verses are full of the Gospel and I pray that you will feel their import anew.


Jesus was going up to Jerusalem and He took His disciples aside to tell them again what He was walking towards (v17). In a few words but in full detail, Jesus outlined the treatment that was waiting for Him in the great city. Jesus would be be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, they would condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Roman authorities who would take their opportunity to mock, flog and crucify the Lord. Even so, on the third day Jesus would rise again from the dead (v19).


I'd imagine that there is nothing new in these verses for the vast majority of you but I do hope that you will see once again the weight of the Gospel. Jesus was walking on a road that would lead to His humiliation and death. His execution would not be quick or painless but brutal, agonising and bloody. Jesus was walking on a road that would lead to nails driven into His body and even as He was dying the passers-by would mock and scorn. Jesus was walking on a road that would see Him descending into the sheer agony of hell, darkness would fall over the land and Christ would cry "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"


Jesus knew all of this was coming, His road would end at Calvary, His journey was marked by agony, His friends would flee, His crown was thorns and yet still He walked.


We deserve none of this and yet even when we hated Christ, He died for us. Consider this truth today and remind yourself that in all of your fears and failures, Christ died for you. You weren't a wee bit bad but totally depraved. You weren't drowning in sin, you were dead in sin. You were separated from Christ without hope and without God in the world.


Nevertheless, still He walked.


Knowing what was to come, still He walked.


Thanks be to God, still He walked.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q51 What is forbidden in the second commandment? The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.
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