19th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 13v13) Message (Scott Woodburn) It was once a staple of parenting that mothers and fathers would advise their child on how to stand, sit and speak. Standing and sitting were both to be done "up straight" and speaking was to say "three" not "free". I often received such advice but I can't recall if my mother ever corrected my walking. Probably walking wisdom would mirror that of standing and sitting, walk up straight and don't slouch but I'll leave that for you to decide. Like a concerned parent the Apostle once offered the Romans advice about their "walk" saying "Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy." (v13). The walk in this instance is our Christian walk and once more Paul is clear that the Christian belongs to the daytime and not the night. We should certainly not walk in the path of orgies and drunkenness. When I visited Italy during the summer I had the privilege of spending two days in the town of Pompeii which was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 79. To say that the ancient Romans were obsessed with sexual intercourse would be an understatement. The image of the penis is everywhere in Pompeii and brothels were an accepted and common part of the town. Walking rightly before the Lord was the same in Paul's day as ours. We are not to become like the prevailing culture which promotes sexual immorality and sensuality. In the same manner the Christian should walk rightly by fleeing from drunkenness. In my late teens I drank alcohol regularly and yet I never knew my limit. One drink at the match would turn into one too many and I would be bouncing off walls as I tried to walk home. I was a fool and I allowed alcohol to become my master. If you currently know such foolishness then the Apostle warns that drunkenness should not define a Christian. So far so good you might say - you do not struggle with sexual immorality or drunkenness. If so, then praise God, but as this verse ends Paul speaks to characteristics which all too often define us and tragically our churches. The Christian walk should not know either quarrelling or jealousy. How often do we fight and argue over foolish issues? How many churches have been torn apart because one faction wants one thing and is prepared to fight to get it? Even now, how many of us harbour jealousy because a fellow Christian seems to get more attention than we do? Brothers and sisters, if any of this resonates then may we quickly seek to repent. We belong to Jesus and are therefore children of the daytime. May our daily walk bring glory to the Lord who brought us out of darkness and into His marvellous light. "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you. To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6v8) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q74 What is required in the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
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18th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 15:24-35 (focus v24-29) Message Alan Burke Sorry seems to be the hardest word, that’s what Elton John thinks and there is an element of truth in it but as we pick up in effect Saul had said sorry, finally he had admitted his transgression, his sin and now things would be different. They would wouldn’t they, sure admitting our guilt and saying sorry fixes everything doesn’t it, just like a sticky plaster when you’ve got a wee cut when you’re a wain or a kiss to make it better. Well when I say that Saul said he was sorry, that he admitted his transgression and his sin he still hadn’t got it, he was only saying these things as a get out of jail free card because he got caught (not that any of you would ever do that). Yet Saul is not really sorry, he does what Adam did in the garden and plays the blame game, I was afraid of the people, it wasn’t really his fault, it was them. Also notice that in all of this Saul is more concerned of his own honour, for he begs Samuel to come back with him so that he would worship the Lord (v25). Again Saul is showing that just as he had admitted that he was afraid of the people that he is mearly concerned with loosing the acclaim of the people. While we may be tempted to accept Saul’s confession as real Samuel doesn’t. His confession was all about excusing his own behaviour and saving face. He’s like a child saying sorry because they know that will appease there grown up quicker than if they deny it, Saul in all of this wants to pretend that it’s business as usual, he might have sinned but he wanted to pretend that everything was ok, so that no one would know that God had rejected him. The crux of the matter (27-29) in all of this is that Saul for all that he was saying was unrepentant. Saul had been rebuked but had been unmoved and instead of being filled with sorry for his sin he had tried to excuse it. Saul had rejected God’s word and his rule and he was being rejected, as Samuel turns to leave Saul grasp out, he tears his robe. To this Samuel uses what Saul has done by grasping and tearing his robe to what has happened him, makes the consequences for his action, clear. Saul was being rejected and God’s decision was final for as verse 29 reminds us; 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” (1 Sa 15:29). Look back to verse 11 and forward to verse 35, in verse 11 we are told that the Lord was ‘grieved’ and in verse 35 we are told again that the Lord was ‘grieved’. Some of you will read the word regret if you are using the ESV or the KJV, the Hebrew word is better conveyed by regret. When we think of regret, we are sorrowful over something that has happened. We are told that the Lord regretted making Saul king, also in Genesis 6 that we thought about briefly last week that the Lord regretted making mankind. Some would use such passages and argue that God does change his mind, using such passages to try and discredit the reliability of scripture, claiming that these are contradictory passages that show the bible is nothing more than a fallible book and that while we have an infallible God the bible is the fallible word of man. What do we make of this, how do we understand it, is this really contradictory, is God like a fickle parent that makes one decision and then changes his mind making another. Well no, scripture is clear about the immutable character of God, that he is unchanging, so then what is going on here in 1 Samuel. God has not changed but Saul his and his sin has continued, just as in Genesis 6 when God regretted it was because of the sin of the people, when the Lord regrets it points that God feels sorrow for contemplating the sin before him. In this instance it was Saul, he regretted Saul’s sin, and when the Lord regrets it is a final pronouncement, he will not relent from the judgement that he has made. Let us be those who learn from Saul, a superficial repentance wont work, we must repent of our sin and trust in the Saviour completely, using sorry as a get out of jail free card doesn’t cut it, it didn’t for Saul and it wont for us. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q73 Which is the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal. (Exod. 20:15) 17th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 13v11-12) Message (Scott Woodburn) I have incredibly fond memories of my childhood and especially the few weeks in the run up to Christmas. I can recall the Christmas tree over beside the bay window, I remember the homemade decorations and I call to mind how the month of December seemed to last forever. Not so anymore. These days I find that I wake up on Boxing Day morning and wonder how the past three months have gone in the blink of an eye. Time is strange like that. For some it goes slowly and for others every day is like a vapour. Regardless of how you feel about the passing of time, Christians are to respond to the Gospel with a unified opinion of the day that we are in - we know the time and the hour has come for us to wake (v11). Human history is rapidly moving to a conclusion and as far as Paul was concerned, we are closer to the day of salvation than when we first believed (v11b). As Christians we believe that the next great event in human history will be the return of Jesus with His arrival ushering in the end of this present evil age. Christ will come in power and take His place on the judgement seat. Everyone who has ever lived will stand before Him and He will separate His people from those who rejected the Gospel. Brothers and sisters, it is not hyperbole to say that we are living in the last days or as Paul would say "the night is far gone; the day is at hand." (v12) The difference between night and day is often used in Scripture to compare the Christian life from the path of wickedness. Paul would tell the Thessalonians "For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5v5-8) The image of the night reminds us of the wicked deeds that go with it, but as we consider the times we find ourselves in, we are to respond by casting off the works of darkness (v12). Paul would explain elsewhere the nature of these works saying "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5v19-21) Knowing then that time is short, we are to strive to leave no room for such works in our lives or fellowships. Alternatively, the Christian is to be awake and dressed in the armour of light (v12). This armour is well described in Ephesians 6v13-18 and the Apostle's imagery is clear. The child of God belongs in the light of day well dressed to stand for Christ in this wicked age. Brothers and sisters, it doesn't matter how you perceive the passing of time, we can agree that time is short and the day of salvation draws near. "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24v44) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. 16th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 15:24-35 (focus v24) Message Alan Burke How good are you at saying sorry? I’ll not mention names here but I know individuals who never say sorry and avoid making any recognition that they are culpable in any way and if there is someone at fault it’s not them. They are like Mary Poppins, practically prefect in every way! You might be reading this and suspect that I’m talking about you and you might be right but here is not the forum to have conversations like that although some really wise people seem to air everything in the open. Anyway how good are you at saying sorry? I suspect even if you think you are good at it you’re not, we don’t like having to say it and we are very good at saying that word which we don’t really even when we don’t mean it just to get ourselves out of some stick wicket. As we return to 1 Samuel once more we pick up just after another failure of Saul, he had once more failed to obey the Lord and instead of holding his hands up and saying sorry he protests his innocence, blaming everyone else but not accepting the responsibility that lay firmly upon his shoulders. It is not as if he had been given a particularly complicated task by the Lord, he was simply to devote everything to destruction and Saul couldn’t even do that. Saul had used detail, self justification but he missed the point entirely, what the Lord required was faithful obedience, his actions may have been sincere in but they were misguided for he failed to obey, he had been disobedient to the Lord and his word. His actions had shown that he had disobeyed the Lord that he had rejected his rule in his life and because of this, the Lord had reacted Saul as his king. Samuel makes plain the justice of God's verdict. These verses that focus on Saul confront us of the need for genuine repentance for the Lord knows all. The heart of the matter can tell a different story to the words that we speak. To Samuel’s rebuke that comes in v22-23 Saul finally seems to get it, he for the first time it seems confesses his sin and says in v24 'I have sinned, I have violated’. That’s how it is translated in the NIV, the ESV and the KJV have something fairly similar, they say “I have sinned, I have transgressed”. While the differences in these words is subtle after all the word violated means to break, to fail to comply the word transgressed means to go beyond. The Hebrew word is better conveyed by the word transgress, for Saul by his actions by his inactions in thought and word and deed had yes broken, he had violated, but it was more than that for he had gone well beyond what he should have, he knew better. He confesses to Samuel that he had transgressed the Lord’s ‘commands’ as well as Samuel’s instructions as he goes on to say in verse 24. Look at the reason to why he transgressed the Lord’s commands and Samuels instructions, because this is tragic especially when you consider that Saul was to lead the people, he transgressed the law of God because in his words, it was because he feared the people, he listened to their voice. Saul was afraid of the people. Saul was a people pleaser, he was the one who was supposed to lead the people of God, he was to fear the Lord not the people. The fear of people is an entirely different thing than fearing the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a filial fear, it is as the book of Proverbs reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, fearing the Lord is right and appropriate for he is the creator God who is far greater than we can even begin to imagine. Fear here though speaks not of terror but of filial fear, that of a child to their parent, they fear offending, fear rejection, fear causing hurt or pain by their actions. Saul’s heart was not the Lord’s he cared more about others opinions than he did the Lord and it is tragic. Do you fear people more than God, Jesus said Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Mt 10:28–31). We should be those who fear God and not man. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q71 What is required in the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour’ s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior. (1 Cor. 7:2–3,5,34,36, Col. 4:6, 1 Pet. 3:2) 14th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 13v8-10 & Galatians 3) Message (Scott Woodburn) In my last devotion we considered that the Christian owes a debt of love to his/her neighbour and should strive for a life of obedience to Gods' moral law. This law is seen in the Ten Commandments but can be summarised by the "Golden Rule" to love God and to love your neighbour. It is not my goal to offer "another Gospel" in these devotions. No one can be saved by observing the law. How is anyone saved? It is not by human work but instead by an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit. Salvation does not happen unless the Spirit works and raises a spiritually dead individual to life. That individual is born again and with a new will freely chooses Christ as Saviour. Salvation is all of God and all of grace. Individuals who seek salvation by the works of the law may be sincere but they are sincerely wrong. Indeed the Scriptures say that such a person is under a curse (Galatians 3v10). What is this curse? If you walk the path of law observance then you must do everything required by the Law every single day (Galatians 3v12). Imagine that burden. Imagine every waking moment striving to keep the Law of God. Imagine having to watch every action, every word and every thought. Salvation by works is impossible. No one can be justified before God by the law (Galatians 3v11). The righteous shall live by faith. But there was One who kept the Law fully. Jesus actively obeyed the Law's demands and Jesus passively received the Law's punishments. Jesus became a curse for us in fulfilment of Scripture by being hanged upon a tree (Galatians 3v13). It is by Christ that the promise made to Abraham has been fulfilled. Jew and Gentile alike must be saved and it is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. The Covenant of Grace was proclaimed in Genesis 3 and later reiterated to Abraham. This Covenant was in place long before the Law was republished at Mount Sinai (Galatians 3v17). Paul's point is that the blessings to Abraham and his offspring were given by a promise not by works (Galatians 3v18). The Law did not annul the Covenant of Grace or add to it (Galatians 3v15). The Gospel is all of grace. So what is the purpose of God's law? It has a threefold use in the Christian's life. Paul stated that the law was added because of transgressions (Galatians 3v19). In other words, the law shows us our sin and in turn it displays the holiness of God. The law is not evil or contrary to the promises of God (Galatians 3v21). It acts as a restraint of sin and it instructs us in what is good and pleasing to Almighty God. Finally, the law acted like a guardian until the arrival of Abraham's offspring who is Christ (Galatians 3v24). The law makes us realise our inability to please God and it causes us to run to Jesus. As Christians we should seek to know God's law and love it. We remain bound by the demands of God's moral law but we must never allow ourselves or others to add law observance to the Gospel of grace. Now that faith has come we are not under the guardianship of the law (Galatians 3v25) for in Christ we are sons and daughters of God by faith (Galatians 3v26). It doesn't matter who you are or your background. Jews, Greeks, slaves, free, male and female can only be saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. The righteous shall live by faith and they are made one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3v28). Abraham was not given a gospel of works for that would be no gospel at all. Instead father Abraham heard the good news that a Saviour would come and meet the law's demands. Christ is that Saviour and He has set us free from the curse of the law. If you are tired of trying to save yourself and if you are well aware of your inability to keep the law of God then remind yourself of the good news. Christ has done it all. As you have received Him as your Saviour, rest in His finished work and respond to it every day by loving your neighbour. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q70 What is the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery. 13th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 8:20-9:19 Message Alan Burke No matter how bad things look out there our God has graciously promised that as long as the earth endures there will be seedtime and harvest, God has kept his promises and each one of us are proof of that. This should be a great comfort, comfort in the knowledge that how in the midst of seedtime and harvest being threatened, in the midst of plague, famine, where there have been years of plenty and years of scarcity, some of abundance and other of want seedtime has come and so has the harvest otherwise none of us would be here. God’s promise here guarantees the continuation of humanity for as long as the earth endures. After this promise the Lord made a covenant with Noah, to his offspring after him, to every living creature and the sign that is given for this that never shall be all flesh cut off by water of the flood, the Lord has set his bow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant of God. The sign that God has given is that of the beauty of a rainbow that hangs in the sky. The word that is used for bow in these verse from 13-16 is the word for a bow that is used in battle, like an archers bow. The Lord as the great God, who is like a mighty warrior (Jer 20:11) who has hung up his weapon after the flood. While he still thunders from heaven, shots arrows as the psalmist reminds us (18:13-14) the Lord has hung up his bow, he has made a truce for the time being in spite of how every inclination of our hearts are but evil so that as long as the earth endures that he will not send a universal flood, the presence of the rain clouds in the sky when the sun shines there will be a visible reminder of God’s grace towards us. God’s promise to us is written in the clouds, though the heavens open the rainbow is a reminder of the grace of our God to his creation, that he keeps his promises, it is a sign of his faithfulness. While there will not again be a flood to destroy the earth, there will one day be a judgment of all the earth and its inhabitants, then the earth will be burned up and renewed, creation restored. While Noah was a righteous man in all of this before the Lord, while he was saved from the flood the engulfed the earth, Noah was still a sinful man with a heart that was inclined to do evil all the time. He was saved by faith alone, faith in God and what God would do though the promised one to come. Noah’s salvation was not because he built a boat, it was because he believed in the promises of God, knowing that his salvation was not by his own actions but reliant on the divine solution that the Lord would provide. For the Lord God has sent his Son, so that not only can we can be confident in the midst of this life that seedtime and harvest will remain we can be confident facing death that the divine solution has provided a means that we might be saved from the evil inclinations of our hearts through the sacrifice that was made for us, that we are righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. We may face local disasters, changes in climate, hotter summers, colder winters, but the cycle of seasons, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease, the earth will revolve around the sun, the stars will remain in the sky, the bow of the Lord has been hung in the sky and his promises are trustworthy and true. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q69 What is forbidden in the sixth commandment? The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. (Acts 16:28, Gen. 9:6) 12th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 13v8-10) Message (Scott Woodburn) In response to the Gospel the Christian is to ensure that taxes are paid and debts are fulfilled but, with that said, we owe a constant debt to one another. What is that debt? Love. Paul states in verse eight "owe no one anything, except to love each other" and at a stroke he teaches us what our ongoing relationships should be like. You may have paid back the money you borrowed but you are never free from the debt of owed love. The importance of this is realised when we consider Paul's wisdom that whoever loves has fulfilled the law (v8). For some any discussion of "law" provokes an immediate negative reaction. They reason that the law is an Old Testament concept and it has no lasting authority over the Christian, they say "The Old has gone and the New is all about grace". I'll tackle this attitude next time but we must understand that the moral law is binding upon the Christian. Let us stress that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we cannot be saved by law observance! Nevertheless, the Christian should have a love for God's law and strive to keep the moral law in response to the Gospel. What is the moral law? Paul offers us a reminder with some of the commandments “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” (v9) These are but four of the famous "Ten Commandments" that you can find in Exodus 20 and these commandments are still of much relevance to the Christian. We don't try to keep them in order to be saved but we do try to keep them because we have been saved. This life of obedience can be summed up by doing our best to love our neighbour as we love ourselves (v9). Often, this idea has been called "the golden rule" in an attempt to describe its importance and Paul explains it by saying "Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (v10). So what does practical Christian living in light of the Gospel look like? Your neighbour may treat you badly but you are to love him in response. The money you borrowed from your neighbour should be returned. The gossip currently doing the rounds which casts your neighbour in a poor light should be ignored. I could give another ten examples but a repetition of Paul will suffice - love does no wrong to a neighbour. I suspect none of us truly grasp the size and scale of God's love for us. It was displayed for all to see at Calvary where the Lord Jesus died so that we might be forgiven. If we have been loved in this extraordinary manner and we bear the name Christian upon our lives, let us love God and love our neighbour. 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. 11th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 8:20-9:19 Message Alan Burke We left off on Monday after being confronted with God’s verdict of how every inclination of the human heart was only evil all the time (Gen 6:5-6) in his wrath in the flood there was a reversal of creation, un-creation if you will. The rains fall and the flood comes but because Noah was found righteous before the Lord he and his family were spared. Noah wasn’t spared because of his goodness but on the grace of God, Noah could not save himself, only the Lord could keep him from judgement in the flood, because of the Lord’s grace Noah was saved. In chapter 8 which we focus on the flood has receded and Noah makes a sacrifice to the Lord and the Lord we are told v21 smelled the pleasing aroma. It’s what comes next in this world of darkness that should give us confidence of what lies ahead because as he smelled the pleasing aroma the Lord said in his heart “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (8:21). The flood and the un-creation and recreation as the flood waters subsided didn’t chance the human heart. Every inclination of his heart is evil all the time. Now we might recoil from this and think somehow we are good but again God is Holy Holy Holy and in him there is no sin, he cannot look upon sin and the pervasiveness of sin means that even our best efforts, what we see as good has so been tainted by sin that it is not good before a Holy God. Surely Noah was saved so he must have been good, must it not be that Noah as good? No, every inclination of Noah’s heart was only evil all the time the only reason why he was spared is that he had a righteousness that comes by faith in God, in his hope of the promises of God, he was spared by God’s grace. Then God made a covenant with Noah, encompassed in the covenant of grace that was first given to Adam and Eve about the one who would come to crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). Notice as we come to these verses in Genesis 8 how the Lord prefaces the covenant he makes, it comes there at the end of verse 21 “…never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”. While the Lord has brought his judgement, destroying all living creatures by the flood, this is a promise to Noah that the Lord would never again destroy all living creatures by a flood. The reason why is that the judgment of God in Noah’d day did not banish sin from the face of the earth, instead it acts as a lesson to the pervasiveness of sin for us, it teaches us about the mercy of God in his forbearance that he would wait and show mercy throughout the ages. Sins curse is such is that every inclination of our hearts are only evil all the time. So what do we learn from this promise of God here in v22 and what comfort can we take of the promise of how as long as the earth endures seedtime and harvest and what it means for us that ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease’. Well that until the final judgment comes and the Lord Jesus Christ returns and separates the sheep from the goats, those who believe and those who don’t the seasons will continue, seedtime and harvest will come, cold and winter, day and night these things will never cease. ‘As long as the earth endures there will be regularity in God’s world and its cycles. You want proof? Look in the mirror and you’ll see it. Despite occasional extremes of hot and cold weather, unseasonable occurrences, the seasons come and go, a cold summer, a mild winter, these things will continue throughout the ages, they will remain, just as day and night. We are so confident that tomorrow will come we make plans, we have food in our freezer, we wash the clothes for their next wear, we have a rhythm to life that has been given by God. Seedtime and harvest we are dependant on even though they may pass us by, the cold and heat, the summer and winter and the day and night we experience and they will never cease, this is God’s promise and his word is truth. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q67 Which is the sixth commandment? The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill. (Exod. 20:13) 10th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 13v6-7) Message (Scott Woodburn) The next time your pay slip arrives in your letter box, take a wee look at the amount of tax you have paid this year. It might surprise you just how much of your hard earned money leaves your account each month and makes it way to His Majesty's government. I've never met anyone who enjoys sending money to the taxman and yet as we consider Romans we must do business with Paul's high view of the authorities and the much hated taxation. The Apostle states "because of this" we pay taxes. Because of what? Because the Lord has instituted the authorities who rule over us (v1), because we are not to resist the authorities (v2), because authorities should promote and defend good in society (v3), because we want to avoid God's righteous anger (v5a) and because we want to maintain a good conscience (v5b). For all of these reasons we are to pay our taxes. Remarkably, Paul calls the authorities who collect our taxes "ministers of God" Have you ever referred to the taxman in this way? Government authorities aren't ministers in the sense of preaching the Word but in some manner they perform a God ordained function and whether they know it or not, they serve the Lord as they seek to rule justly. In response to this extraordinary truth we are to live honourably as we await the return of Christ. We should never blindly follow the government's every wish. The Lord doesn't require us to sin just because the government says so. We can and we should protest sinful government decisions and lobby our elected representatives so that our viewpoint is heard in the corridors of power. With that said, we are to pay taxes to whom we owe taxes and revenue to whom we owe revenue (v7a). Tax avoidance is not a spiritual gift. Equally respect and honour is owed to our civil authorities (v6b) even if we didn't vote for them or don't agree with them. I'm old enough to remember 1997 when then Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Connswater Shopping Centre in East Belfast. I was working in the NPO shop at the time and we were made aware that the Prime Minister's visit might see him making his way to the top of the centre and potentially our shop. Instead his visit lasted only minutes as he was confronted by an irate crowd at the entrance. The Prime Minister was booed and heckled and as the crowd pushed forward his security detail made the decision to call an end to the visit. I'm fairly certain one old man even put a clothes peg on his nose to show his disgust at Mr. Blair. Was this the right response in light of this passage? I humbly suggest no. I am no fan of Tony Blair just as I'm no fan of Rishi Sunak but my attitude must be governed not by my temper but by the Word of God. Here is what he commands "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2v1-4) 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. 9th October 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 8:20-9:19 Message Alan Burke The leaves are falling and my wee wooly hat collection is soon to get an outing once again, the autumn is definitely upon us even though September was the warmest on record and October so far has been quite clement although there is an old saying that I have heard warning that if the weather is fine in October then we are in for a harsh winter although that remains to be see. It is at this time of year that we give thanks to God for the provision that he as made for us in the harvest as the ground has produced. In the not too distant past the harvest festival was a significant event in the life of the people for we would have been connected to the land not only for our livelihood and our very lives, by the time we entered the twenty-first century agriculture made up 2.4% in 2000 of the economy and less than 5% of the population were dependant on the land. Today milk comes from the carton, potatoes come in a bag, meat in some kind of plastic and there are plenty of meat alternatives which your guess is as good as mine as how they are made. This coming Lord’s day we thank God for his provision to us as we do week in week out and this week we are mindful of the harvest and we look to a passage that comes after God’s judgement on the earth and for all of us it should be an incredible comfort in the midst of an age that is promoting a narrative to the contrary, God in his word promises us that “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Gen 8:23). Today in the main I will set the scene to help us understand the significance of this covenant that God made with Noah. Let’s start with the context, what led up to this. While of course most of us are familiar with the context of this chapter, we know what has come before, we know that this covenant made with Noah comers immediately after the Lord judged the earth because of the wickedness that he saw upon the earth. If we take a step back we know what happened, how the earth became such a state, it was because of the fall. In the beginning (Gen 2) God had entered into a covenant of works with Adam and while that may be unfamiliar to some of you it is an important one to understand. It is called the covenant of works, well because it was a covenant, an agreement that God made with Adam that was dependant on his works, what Adam did, hence the name covenant of works. If Adam ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he would die, but the reverse is also true, that if Adam did not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then he would live. God willingly entered into this covenant of works, promising Adam the blessings of eternal life if he remained obedient to his word. Adam didn’t keep the covenant of works and we never will because sin entered into the world as a result of his first sin. Yet in the midst of the fall God entered into a covenant of Grace, one that wasn’t dependant on our ability to obey but dependant on his grace as he promised the seed of the woman who would come and defeat the serpent (Gen 3:15). The solution to sin was going to come about by God’s grace not by mans works. Things went from bad to worse after the fall, turning from God following our sin sees a spiral in the wickedness of the earth. It is because of mans wickedness that God brought the flood because how every inclination of the human heart was only evil all the time (Gen 6:5-6). We might be tempted to say surely the human race wasn’t that bad, surly in the earth in the days of Noah that there were people who were caring for their granny and the wains, surly God had got it wrong. But God wasn’t wrong, sin had corrupted everything, God took action, in his wrath we have a reversal of creation, un-creation if you will. The rains fall and the flood comes but because Noah was found righteous before the Lord he and his family were spared. Noah wasn’t spared because of his goodness but on the grace of God, Noah could not save himself only the Lord could keep him from judgement in the flood because of the Lord’s grace Noah was saved. Likewise if you are a Christian it is only because of the Lord’s grace that you are saved, not though your goodness but by the grace of God in his son Jesus Christ who died for your salvation, it should lead us to rejoice in what God has done for us. We’ll stop there for today and pick it up again on Wednesday. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q65 What is forbidden in the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any thing against, the honor and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations. (Matt. 15:4–6, Ezek. 34:2–4, Rom. 13:8) |
Alan
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