|
18th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (1 John 4v13-17) Message (Scott Woodburn) Although it is true that only God knows the heart, there are marks by which we can recognise a true child of God. As we discussed last week, a Christian is someone who knows God's love (v16) and responds to it by loving fellow Christians. Such a person abides in God and God in him (v16b). Furthermore, a Christian is someone who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord (v13). It is impossible to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. When a sinner repents and comes to trust Jesus, they are blessed with God the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. It is the Spirit who calls sinners to Jesus and it is the Spirit who gifts Christians and sanctifies them. By this we can know that we are saved - we have the Holy Spirit. Equally, the Christian is not ashamed of the Gospel. We know that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of His people (v14). We understand the facts and truth of the Gospel and are more than happy to testify to the same. Indeed, whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, abides in God and God in him (v15). Brothers and sisters, it is a comfort to know that although our weaknesses are many, the Lord knows who belongs to Him and He has done and is doing a remarkable work in us. He has called us from darkness to light, He has blessed us with the Spirit, He has lead us to believe all truth and proclaim it fearlessly. God is love, He loves us and we love Him. Thanks be to God! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q68 What is required in the sixth commandment? The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
0 Comments
17th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (Exodus 15:22-27 focus v22-24) Message (Alan Burke) Fickle, someone who is fickle is characterised by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious. In means something is not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind; not firm in opinion or purpose; inconstant; capricious. Fickle is the human heart. You might disagree with me on that but look to what is happening here in the passage before us. It has now been three days since the people saw the Lord’s judgment on the army of the Egyptians, as they crossed through the Red Sea and the sea then consumed the army that followed them. Three days since they were filled with praise to the Lord their God for the salvation that he had brought them, praising the Lord for how he was their warrior, their saviour, how there was no one like him. Three days since they were fully and finally redeemed by the Lord their God from the tyranny of the Egyptians who had enslaved them for four hundred years. They were now a redeemed people, they no longer had to look over their shoulder, live with the fear that the Egyptians would come after them again for the Lord had taken care of that but now three days later they turn from praise to grumbling. It is one thing to sing praise to the Lord at his salvation it is another entirely to live in response to what he has done when the rubber hits the road. What we have before us in this passage is the first step on the journey as the people of God have experienced his salvation and now are learning to live for the Lord their God. They are moving from a people living under the cruel bondage of the Egyptians to serving the Lord whose yoke is easy and his burden is light (Mt 11:30). This new life wasn’t going to be an easy transition for they had lived their entire life as slaves but now they were being given a new existence, one where they were the Lord but that would come with its own challenges. In this passage we are reminded of the fickleness of the human heart, while we should live in gratitude of what the Lord has done as he has brought salvation to us we are often consumed with the challenges of living as the people of God in a fallen sinful world, a world where life is far from how we would want it or desire it to be. Here we are shown how to follow the Lord when things come our way that are difficult, when pain comes, when we face death, when hardships are experienced along the way and trials seem to come one after the other. Three days after they had been filled with praise to the Lord for what he had done they have turned to grumbling. We might think to ourselves that’d we’d grumble, we probably would, so what then is the issue here? The issue with their grumbling is that they were failing to trust in the Lord, they doubted his provision to him, what they should have done was to cry out to the Lord but instead they grumble against the Lord’s representative, don’t shoot the messenger springs to mind. What they needed to do was to trust that the Lord would provide for them, I’m not disputing the very real effects that dehydration had on them but they were quick to turn from praise to complaining. The truth whether we want to accept it or not is that we can be just the same, we can turn from praise to complaining, we sing praise to God, speak of his wonderful goodness and it doesn’t take us three days it just takes me going on an extra ten minutes this morning and most of you’d be at it. We can be quick to praise the Lord with our lips and if say something you don’t like there would be the grumbling. It happens in our lives, we move from giving thanks to the Lord to grumbling when it doesn’t go the way that we want it, when the rubber hits the road, when there is a bump in the road. We are quick to forget the goodness of God towards us, how he has shown us such great love, his grace and compassion and we find ourselves facing something unpleasant we wend up grumbling because the Lord hasn’t lived up to our expectations. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 67. Which is the sixth commandment? A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill. 15th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (1 John 4v7-12) Message (Scott Woodburn) Throughout this letter we have witnessed John stressing the need for Christians to love one another. This isn't an optional extra for a church but a Gospel imperative. What do I mean by such a phrase? An imperative is a command which must be followed and so, In light of the Gospel, we must love one another. The Gospel demands an initial response from us and that is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. But the Gospel goes further - if the love of God can be seen clearly in the person and work of Jesus (v9), if God loved us before we loved Him (v10) and if Jesus is the propitiation which is a sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (v10b), then we absolutely must without fail love one another in response (v11). No one has ever seen God but when His people love one another it is clear to the world that the Lord abides in us (v12). In an individualistic age the Christian church is joyously committed to loving relationships that show the love of God and how it is being perfected in us (v12). Once more this does not mean that God's love is lacking and we must improve or perfect it. When John speaks of God's love being perfected, he means that it is accomplishing its purpose. The Lord has set His love upon sinners, in time He calls them to salvation by His Word & Spirit, they willingly call upon Jesus and the work of sanctification begins in them. The Christian who loves his/her brothers and sisters is someone in whom the fruit of the Holy Spirit is evident. In this manner, God's love is accomplishing its purpose, it is being perfected. If love is lacking it is because God is not known (v8). Even so, where love is found there we find men and women who have been born of God and know God (v7b). In light of all of this - "beloved, let us love one another" (v7a). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q66 What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment? The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment. 14th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (Exodus 15:1-21 focus v13-18) Message (Alan Burke) In all that takes place in the book of Exodus the Lord God was making himself known, known to the Egyptians and known to his people the Israelites. In this he was redeeming a people for himself. Do we see what is going on here, the Lord has redeemed his people, he fought for them, for the Lord is warrior, the Lord is saviour and there is no one like the Lord and how he was leading them, the people he had redeemed from their slavery to something better. In the end their praise is prophetic for it is looking how the Lord would lead them to the promised land that he had sworn to their forefathers years before. And they sing with certainty of how it will happen, he is leading them to the promised land, to dwell with himself, leading them to himself. But more than that he was redeeming a people unto himself for all eternity. Today this is the wonderful truth of what the Lord has done for us, he saves us, he is warrior who has defeated our great foe, freeing us from the curse of sin, bringing salvation to us, for there is no one like him in heaven or on earth and he is leading us to himself to something better to a new heaven and a new earth, where we will dwell in the holy city, the new Jerusalem, that has come down out of heaven from God prepared as a bird adorned for her husband. He is leading us on a journey from this life that has been so marred by the fall to a place where we will dwell with our Lord, where we will be his people, where he will wipe every tear from our eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:1–4). This is what the Lord is doing today through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God. Why would he do this for any of us when he is holy, unable to look on sin? Well it is because of his v13 unfailing love as the NIV puts it, but the ESV translates it as steadfast, the word that is used is Hesed, the hesed love of the Lord. God’s love towards His people, is his his absolute loyalty to his people, and his faithfulness to his promise, it is a love that is not like our love, it is not conditional, it is not changeable, it doesn’t change from one day to the next, it is a hesed love, a steadfast love, a love that continues steadfastly, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. He had brought his people out of Egypt not because they were deserving but all because of his love taking them to somewhere better, leading his people to himself. And we know and experience this love all through Jesus Christ, who when to the cross because of His hesed love towards us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8). Jesus Christ went to the cross to die in our stead so that we who are gentiles by birth might know the surpassing riches of God in Him, even though we are sinful rebels, God’s hesed love is shown to us so that we could be clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ as if were our very own, as if we had lived this perfect righteousness ourselves. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment? A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations. 13th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (1 John 4v1-6) Message (Scott Woodburn) It is vitally important that you know what you believe and why you believe it. Why? Because many false prophets and lying spirits have gone out into the world (v1). We shouldn't be surprised that Christ is the supreme test of truth. Every spirit that says Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (v2) and conversely any spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God (v3a). There were those in John's day who taught that God would never take on flesh - they were false then and they are false now. Jesus Christ is God and He came in the flesh some two thousand years ago. To deny this is the spirit of the antichrist (v3b) which still abounds in our modern age. Anyone who is antichrist seeks to take the place of Jesus and rob Him of His glory. There are many antichrists in this world and there will be one final antichrist before the Lord's return. Islam may be growing in the western world but it is false because it denies Christ's divine nature. Mormons may be lovely people but they have believed falsely for they claim Christ was created not begotten. Brothers and sisters, be careful what you listen to and be careful what you believe. Thankfully you are not on your own. The Lord dwells within each believer by the Holy Spirit (v4). Our God is greater than any opponent and not least the great enemy Satan (v4b). Whilst the world listens to the world (v5), the Christian knows God and listens to His Apostles (v6). In this way we can discern the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error (v6b). If there is a worrying characteristic of the modern church I believe it to be its unteachability. Many modern Christians are drawn to famous teachers rather than the local unknown preacher, they'll happily sit through a week long conference but the thirty minute Sunday sermon bores us and they would never dream of going to a bible study but complain when they don't understand the things of God. Brothers and sisters, falsehood abounds and the spirit of the antichrist stalks this land. Cultivate a teachable spirit and by all the means of God's appointment be certain of what you believe and why you believe it. The Gospel is too serious a business to be distorted and trampled by liars. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q64 What is required in the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals. 12th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (Exodus 15:1-21 focus v11-12) Message (Alan Burke) The people have crossed the Red Sea, they have seen the judgment of the Lord upon the Egyptians and now they are singing God’s praise for the judgment that he brought on them. Now while that might not sit easy with you but the wrath of God is just and right, it is not out of proportion, capricious or uncontrolled, rather the Lord God always does what is just and right and his judgement is appropriate. Sin is such that we are deserving of nothing more than his wrath but he is also gracious and all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. For he is not like the gods of Egypt who were but the imaginations of men rather the Lord is the one true God who reigns over all. That is what is being conveyed here in v11 for the question that comes “who is like you, O Lord, among the gods” is a rhetorical device. It is mocking the foolishness of looking to other gods. Here in this praise to the Lord the Israelites were in their praise acknowledging that nothing compares and no one compares to the Lord God. The sad bit about this is that they might have come through the exodus, but when they entered the promised land they took the gods of the Egyptians with them - years later Joshua had to rebuke this redeemed people for their idolatry, Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. (Jos 24:14). They had not learnt the truth of how the Lord is God and none compare to him. Also notice that word that comes in v11 when they sing “Who is like you, majestic in holiness,” that word holiness is something that we read and hear but I doubt we take it in just what it means. The word holy can mean to be set apart, so something is separated from the common for the use of God. As God’s people are to be a holy people, called by God set apart for his purposes, but when we speak of the holiness of God how the Lord is holy we are speaking of his attributes, how he is holy. For by his nature God is holy. There is only one attribute of God that is ever repeated in this way and that is the holiness of God. Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” The Lord God is Holy Holy, Holy, for God his holy by his very nature, it is an essential to who he is, it means that he is distinct from all his creatures, he is holy in everything that reveals him, holy in his love, holy in his mercy, holy in his justice, holy in his wrath, it is most essential in God. Because of his holiness he is separated from evil and sin, he can as a result have no communion with sin (Job 34:10, Had 1:13) and the people are praising him for his holiness. The only way that we can come into his presence and worship him is through a substitute, the substitute of the people of Israel was the passover lamb which pointed to the true passover lamb Jesus Christ to what he would do for those who had faith in Moses’ day and those who come by faith today. Jesus makes us clean, he cleanses us by his sacrificial life and death on our behalf, it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from sin (1Jn 1:7) this is how we can body approach a holy God this day, because of the cleansing work of Jesus. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q63. Which is the fifth commandment? A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 11th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (1 John 3v19-24) Message (Scott Woodburn) Every human being has been created by God with something called a conscience. What is a conscience? Let us be clear that the conscience is not the voice of God. Instead it is that inner voice which sometimes calms and sometimes condemns. The law of God is written on the hearts of everyone who has ever lived and so the human conscience from Belfast to Bangalore tells us that it wrong to lie, murder or steal. The human conscience also bears the impact of sin and so we cannot say it is a perfect guide - it is a bad idea to follow your heart (Jeremiah 17v9)! Indeed, sin has corrupted some people to such an extent that their conscience never troubles them, but for many the conscience speaks and it often keeps us awake at night. It might surprise you that even Christians are sometimes troubled by their conscience. I know many saved men and women who struggle to believe that they are in right standing before the Lord. Some of them sinned long ago and have never been able to shake off the guilt, while others see every failure as just another reason why God cannot possible love them. John's wisdom in this regard still rings. He understood that the hearts of some Christians needed to be reassured before the Lord (v19) for it was not unusual for a Christian's heart to condemn (v20). Today we thank God for He is greater than our hearts and He is Lord over our imperfect conscience (v20). Indeed, if our conscience burns within us then we should remember that God knows everything (v20b). He is not ignorant of our sin and yet His forgiveness still remains. What is the best medicine for a sick conscience? The Gospel and a daily reminder of the power of the blood of Jesus. We should remember that nothing can pluck us from the hand of God and that there is no sin (except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) that cannot be forgiven. Such news calms our condemning conscience replacing it with confidence before God (v21). We can be confident that the Lord will give us what is best in response to our confident prayers (v22a). We can be confident that the Lord works within us as we seek to honour Him by our obedience (v22b). We can be confident that the Lord loves us as we love one another in response to the Gospel (v23). The Christian will never be immune from the impact of the conscience. Be clear that your conscience isn't the enemy and more often than not we would do well to listen to what it says. Even so, there are times the conscience cripples us and leads us to a deep well of doubt, anxiety and uncertainty. In such moments we should look more to Jesus than ourselves. Abide in Christ brothers and sisters (v24) and be assured that He is for you. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q62 What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment? The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day. 10th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (Exodus 15:1-21 focus v1-10) Message (Alan Burke) The concept that most people have in their heads of God is of a senile old Granda figure who still loves us even though we’ve set his garden shed on fire. I’ve used that one before but I don’t think it’s far from the truth for most people. But what is your concept of God, if you had to give me a word or a sentence what would you say? For those who are in the church maybe they would say shepherd, that is a good word, maybe it would be friend, saviour, loving. There are many words that we could use to describe God, good words, words that convey the truth of who he is. I wonder how many of us would have ‘Warrior’ to describe God? Here the people are singing praise to the Lord for he is a “warrior” as the NIV puts it, or “a man of war” as the ESV and KJV put it (v3). This imagery of the Lord as a warrior, a man of war is woven throughout this chapter because the people as they sing praise to the Lord their God were responding to what they had just seen. For the Lord was the one who fought for them, saved them from the formidable foe of the Egyptians, the super power of the known world. The people themselves were powerless before the Egyptians but the Lord fought for his people, he brought them redemption. For the Lord is a warrior fights for his people and he hurled the pursuing Egyptians into the sea, words and phrases are used to describe poetically what happened, like they sank to the depths like a stone, they were shattered, thrown down, consumed like stubble. Those who come against the Lord are powerless before him. And look at the image we are given in verse 8, how the Lord by the blast of his nostrils the waters piled up, stood firm like a wall. The Lord that we come before well the wind is his and it obeys his command just as easy it is for us to breath in and out through our nostrils, so much so that the impossible is possible to him, so that the waters soon firm like a wall. While the enemy boasted, the pursued the people, the Lord simply blew with his breath and the sea covered them, they sank like lead in the mighty waters. The Lord did this all because he is sovereign over all, his is sovereign over creation, sovereign over his creatures, he is the warrior and saviour. Warrior because of how he fought for his people and saviour for he brought them salvation. Notice how the people were praising the Lord for, it was his judgment that fell upon the Egyptians that experienced his wrath. When you think of it like that, that this is a celebration of the judgement of God on the Egyptians that might not sit well with us. A celebration of a defeated foe, of people consumed by the Lord’s wrath as the waters returned to their place. God’s wrath is not like ours, when our wrath is kindled it is often separate from any other emotion that we have, when the red mist descends we forget common sense, love, mercy, we loose it. The wrath of God is just and right, it is not out of proportion, capricious or uncontrolled, rather the Lord God always does what is just and right and his judgement is appropriate. The Lord Is warrior but he is also saviour, he was saviour for his people and scripture makes clear time and again that all who call on his name will be saved. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations. 8th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (1 John 3v11-18) Message (Scott Woodburn) At the birth of her first son Eve exclaimed “I have gotten[a] a man with the help of the Lord.” (Genesis 4v1). It seems like a strange thing to proclaim and probably not something you'd hear at the maternity ward of any local hospital. Even so, Eve's shout of joy was because she knew all too well about the fall and God's promise to send a child to crush the head of Satan. Was Cain the promised child? Tragically not. Cain had no regard for the Lord and when his offering was not accepted (Genesis 4v4), he rose up and murdered his younger brother Abel. Why was Cain so bitter? He hated his brother who by faith was counted as righteous in the sight of God (Hebrews 11v4). John interpreted this story by reminding his hearers that we should not be like Cain (v12). There can be no room for the Christian to hate his/her brother. If we are truly with Christ then we will love our brothers and sisters (v14). By this we can know that we have moved from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of life (v14a). Yet if we hate our brother then we are a murderer in the line of Cain and there is no eternal life in us (v15). Furthermore, John warned that we should never be surprised when the world hates everything about us (v13). The early chapters of Genesis chart the path of those who were in the line of Cain and those who were in the line of faith. Although Cain and Abel were brothers they couldn't have been more different. They both went to worship but one offered a bitter faithless sacrifice while Abel bowed before the Lord in faith. This story remains the same in our churches, homes, workplaces and towns. We are with Christ and so we should not be surprised when those around us hate us like Cain hated Abel. How should we respond? Not by meeting fire with fire but instead by loving our fellow Christians (v16). If Christ died for us then we should love our brothers and sisters in similar fashion. This love should not be in word only but also in deed and truth (v18). If our brother is in great need and we have the means to help, then we absolutely should (v17). In this manner the hateful world sees that God's love abides in us as we love each other unreservedly. There are two kingdoms around us. By faith in Christ we are members of the kingdom of God but by nature of our humanity we live, love and work in the kingdom of man. As children of God we are not to be seduced by the world where there are many "Cains" who rage against the church of Christ. Instead brothers and sisters, we are to love one another as we have been loved - this is the path mapped out by Christ and one we simply must follow. Jesus said "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13v34-35) May it be so for Christ's sake. Amen. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q60 How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. 7th June 2024
Pray (ACts) Read (Exodus 14:15-31 focus v26-31) Message (Alan Burke) The Lord had brought his people safely through the Red Sea and just as he had parted the waters as Moses stretched out his hands they now flow back. The Israelites had been brought salvation, the Lord brought salvation to his people that night from the Egyptians who pursued them and the Egyptians were swept into the sea. No more would they fear or be pursued, they were free, a redeemed people by the Lord God. What we may miss in this is that the Lord as he brought salvation to his people and judgement on the Egyptians was also judging the gods of Egypt, well in this the Lord is judging one of the gods of Egypt in particular and that was the god Ammon Ra. Their God Ra was the sun god, he rose in the east but he was powerless to save his people from the Lord God of the Israelites. God was doing this all for his own glory. This judgment of God on the sun god Ammon Ra and the Egyptians who died foreshadows what will happen to Satan In the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 18 we are told of the destruction of Babylon, the city of Satan and how it will be thrown into the sea never to be found again and it is for the glory of God for after comes the chorus of hallelujah. God’s people had crossed from death to life, the Lord was bringing himself the glory in all of this, for he is saviour and judge as he brought salvation to his people that night. The Lord saved the Israelites - the LORD saved them, the day before they had their backs to the water and faced the Egyptians, with no where to turn but to God and the Lord God brought salvation to them, they saw how he had worked, the strewn bodies of the Egyptians floating in the water and they praise the Lord. By the end they were moved from fear to faith. Why because they had come to see the power of the Lord. For us the question is have we lost belief in the power of the Lord. We might dismiss these miracles, think well that was then this is now, but the Lord has given us the gospel, the good news for all who will hear for it is as Romans 1:6 reminds us it is the power of salvation. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, if you know and love the Lord, if you have come to faith then God’s power has been shown in your life, you have been brought salvation, saved from your sin. In the midst of what the people of Israel faced that day all seemed as lost but the Lord was at work and using it for his glory, God was bringing glory to himself. In the church today things might seem like doom and gloom in places, we all know that the church is not like it once was but the Lord is at work in the midst of it all, he is building his church he will preserve his people. He can be trusted and he has throughout the ages has been at work, he will persevere his people even if it seems like our backs against the water, the Lord will preserve a people for himself. The crossing of the read sea, the salvation that the Lord brought his people, saving them ultimately foreshadowed what the Lord would do by sending his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not to save us from our foes here on this earth but from the bondage of sin and the final enemy which is death. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q59 Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? A. 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. |
Alan
|
RSS Feed