6th June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 John 3v4-10)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Christians are not without sin and if you have read 1 John then you understand this statement. However, when a Christian sins they are grieved by it and run quickly to the Lord in repentance. Why does a Christian respond in this manner? Because the child of God understands the depravity, rottenness and utter sinfulness of sin. It is an affront to a holy God and so when a Christian falls into sin, they are moved to seek Christ without delay. Can a Christian sin so much that they lose their salvation? By no means. The true Christian will never be allowed to slip through the fingers of Jesus.


Nevertheless, there are those in our churches, workplaces and towns who have no interest in the things of God. These men and women can accurately be described as "children of the devil" (v10). This sounds incredibly harsh. We are confident that Hitler was a child of the devil but my next door neighbour too? No way! Brothers and sisters, those who are without Christ are against Him and as they make a practice of sinning, they show themselves to be of the devil (v7).


When an individual has not been born again and has no regard for the things of God, all that remains is sin and lawlessness (v4). The man next door might be a gentleman who makes sure your bins are brought in, but he is without Jesus and he is dead in his sin. Not everyone is as sinful as they could be and not everyone sins in the same way or scale. Your neighbour is certainly not Hitler, but your neighbour is still on the side of Satan and in dire need of the Gospel.


Satan has been sinning from the beginning (v8) and the one who abides in the enemy keeps on sinning without any regard of their spiritual condition (v6). Even so, a day of reckoning is coming. Jesus came to earth to destroy the devil's works (v7) and his mission was accomplished at the cross. Satan is a defeated foe who continues to rage because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12v12). Tragically, those who unknowingly follow him making a practice of sin are bound for the place called hell.


Brothers and sisters, leave no room for arrogance over these things. When you sin (you certainly will) flee to Jesus. Strive for a closer walk with Christ seeking to daily practice righteousness and doing all you can to love your brother - by this it is evident that you are a child of God (v10).


For those who are somehow reading these words knowing that you are without Christ - my friend, you must be born again. Repent of your sin, trust in Christ and you will be saved. Do this without delay for you do not know what a day will bring.


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.
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5th June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 14:15-31 focus v21-25)


Message (Alan Burke)


The Lord was at work in the Exodus for his own glory. His people in the midst of it though I doubt understood that and the passage makes it clear that they didn’t see it like that but the Lord was at work in all that was unfolding for his glory. He was with them in the pillar of cloud and fire, his presence never left his people. Moses does what he was commanded by the Lord, stretches out his hand over the sea and the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind. There is nothing here to suggest anything other than a miracle of the Lord God as he maintains walls of water on either side of the escape route. 


The Israelites walked through the red see with walls of water, they would have been able to see the fish through the water, the light from the pillar of cloud shining forth. The Israelites crossed the red sea to escape from the Egyptians, looking back, looking forward, hearing the people, the noise, seeing the fish even travel along side you as they went, this was like nothing that has been seen since and the Lord was with them in the midst of it all. The Israelites moved forward through the sea and the pillar of cloud and fire was at their rear, the Lord gave light to his people and darkness to the Egyptians who pursued. Although why would they pursue, after all they had seen the plagues first hand and these walls off water along with the cloud of darkness where you couldn’t even see the enemy you were pursuing I’d be a deserter, I’d be shooting myself in the foot so I couldn’t walk but then again the problem with sin is just how deceptive it is. 


Sin is such that things that might be very clear for us to see those who find themselves in the midst of it can’t see what they are doing, the danger, the danger that it brings. For all of us sin is deceptive, the baby lion might look lovely when it is little, but when it grows up it’s is still a lion and would eat you for breakfast given half the chance. Sin is so deceptive, it likes you to think it’s ok but when it can destroy you in an instant. 


They Egyptians pursue them but by the last watch of the night somewhere between 2am and 6am the Lord brings his judgement upon the Egyptians. First comes confusion, then the wheels come of the chariots, they were stuck at the bottom of the Red Sea with walls of water on either side, unable to go forward, unable to go back. They finally realise what has been happening all along, as they say v25 “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”


The Lord was Saviour to his people and Judge to the Egyptians, The Lord Is Saviour And The Lord Is Judge. This is one of those things that we all need to hear, know and understand. The Lord is saviour and the Lord is judge. We will either know the Lord as our saviour as the Israelites that day knew him or you will know him as your judge, there is no middle ground, we are either one of his people or we are among his enemies. What is necessary is faith in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, to escape the judgement that comes, let us look to him and how he has redeemed us not from slavery to Egyptian masters but sin which is so deceptive. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q57 Which is the fourth commandment?
A. 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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4th June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 John 3v1-3)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


The late great Jim Croce once sang about carrying the same name as his daddy did. We could all sing that song for good or for ill. You may have few fond memories of your father but like it or not you probably carry or once carried his name. Although the name "Woodburn" means "a stream that runs through a wood" I also bear the name of Christ upon my life. I received Jesus by faith in my teens and since that day I can accurately be described as Christian.


What happened when I trusted Christ? I was adopted into the family of God. John understood this and spoke of God's extraordinary love in this way "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (v1). It is hard to comprehend that the great king of the universe has set His love upon a multitude of rebellious sinners. He forgives us but goes further still, He welcomes us into His family and gives us a room in His home.


The world does not see this or understand it because those who are still in their sins do not know God (v1b). But for those who have received Christ we have been adopted into the Lord's family. The Larger Catechism explains adoption in this manner "What is adoption? Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory."


Your earthly father perhaps gave you his name but never his love, by faith in Christ your heavenly Father has given you both. Adoption is of great benefit to the Christian - we have the Holy Spirit, God's constant care and access to the Father's throne. In this life and the next adoption is a magnificent blessing. How will we benefit in the life to come? When Christ returns we will be made like Him (v2). This does not mean that we will become "gods", instead we will be raised like Christ, we will be sinless like Christ and we will never know the sting of death ever again.


In response we desire and pursue holiness just as our Saviour is holy (v3). If adoption doesn't inspire this pursuit then perhaps you have not understood adoption. Hear John once more and rejoice "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (v1). Thanks be to God!


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.
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3rd June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 14:15-31 focus v15-20)


Message (Alan Burke)


As we come to this passage the Lord we have to remember that the Lord had put his people in this situation, they were crying out because the Lord had brought this upon them. He didn’t do it because he had some vindictive sense of humour, giving with one hand and taking with the other, no, he was doing it for his glory and their good. Back in v10 the people cried out to the Lord because of the situation that they were in and now the Lord responds to Moses and says, “why are you crying out to me”. It was the people who cried out to the Lord not Moses.


Moses though was the peoples representative before the Lord, he was acting as their mediator. How we should understand this is that the Lord saying to Moses “why are you crying out to me” is not direct at Moses and his actions but is directed to him as the peoples representative. The Lord is saying to the people' “like seriously, have you lot not got with the programme yet, have you not understood who I am, I’m right there with you, see that big pillar of cloud that turns into fire at night, remember the plagues in Egypt, how you’re now freed from that”. I could add much more that is being conveyed with the words “why are you crying out to me” but you I’m sure get the idea.


The Lord has heard his peoples cries, they didn’t need to cry out to him, in a sense it was the right response but it was needless, what they needed to do more than cry out to him in those moments was to trust in him. But they had taken their eyes off the Lord and were filled with fear. A fear that what lies ahead of them was too great and they lost sight of the greatness of their Lord. There are some preachers who will promise you that if you put your faith in Christ then the Lord will spare you hardship, you will have healing, that you will have happiness but that wasn’t what had happened here for the Israelites. In fact the Lord today places trials, testing and suffering in our path not to harm us, to trip us up but for our best, to refine us, to help us so that we would persevere. Now this is for some of us a wee bit uncomfortable to hear but that is because we live this life where we see that trials, testing, and suffering is something that we try to avoid at all costs.

Here the Lord was going to use what his people faced to bring himself Glory. How the Lord would have the glory we will see but right at that moment the Israelites were oblivious to what the Lord was doing, how the Lord was going to work, if indeed how he would work. While fear consumed them in that moment as what they faced seemed bigger than God, God is bigger than anything that faced and he was working out what was unfolding for his glory. It is the same for us, none of us know what lies ahead, how he uses those trials, temptations, sufferings for his glory but he does. We do not know what the future will bring, we may not understand but the Lord is at work in all that is unfolding for his own glory. His glory is the reason why the Lord made all that is, why he created the heavens and the earth and it is the reason why he saved the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt and it is the reason why he saves us from sin, it is for his glory. The Lord knows what ways is best, he never leaves us, he brings glory to himself through us and the Lord delivers his people.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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

1st June 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 John 2v28-29)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


If I ever find myself in East Belfast then inevitably I will head for Bloomfield and drive round the streets where I grew up. I don't stop, I just drive slowly past my old home and allow myself to reminisce about the good and bad of my childhood. To some this may seem like a sentimental waste of time but I have always found it to centre me and remind me of who I am and where I was forged.


It has been twenty-five years since I left home but it doesn't matter how long I've been a Christian, I can never leave my Saviour behind. John stressed the need for abiding in Christ. What does this look like in practice? I think David hit the nail on the head when he wrote "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103v2). I put it to you that abiding in Christ is that attitude of the heart which daily calls to mind the beauty and benefits of Jesus. Such an attitude will provoke praise and prayer in equal measure and see the individual willingly and joyously walking after Christ in thankful obedience.


The one who abides in Christ has no need to shrink back in shame when Jesus returns (v28b). On that great and terrible day the Christian will be vindicated publicly and hear the words "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25v33).


Therefore dear brothers and sisters - abide in Christ. Jesus is righteous and as you strive to practice righteousness in your life, you can be sure that you are born again (v29). Take time today to put everything aside spending a few moments recalling the glory of Christ - His miraculous birth, perfect obedience, victorious death and extraordinary resurrection. Your Saviour is no paper champion, He is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing in Him you may have life in His name. All of this is true and so once more, child of God - abide in Christ.


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, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works.