7th December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 15v30-33) Message (Scott Woodburn) It might surprise you that even "spiritual giants" need to be prayed for regularly. Paul was no exception and despite the remarkable work done through him, the Apostle still urged the Romans to be united in praying for his work (v30). How were they to pray? In a threefold manner. Firstly, Paul appealed for the Romans to ask God to protect Paul from the unsaved in Judea (v31). Paul was going back to Jerusalem and into enemy territory. Once upon a time Paul's name was Saul and he was a devout and zealous Pharisee. He despised the church so much that he sought to arrest Christians, destroy churches and to do all he could to stamp out the Christian faith. By the time of Paul's letter to the Romans he couldn't have been more different and so in the eyes of many he was a traitor, a "lundy" and someone to be opposed at every turn. Luke tells us that when Paul eventually arrived in Jerusalem many sought to kill him and he was only saved by the quick actions of the Roman soldiers (Acts 21v27-36). Secondly, Paul asked for prayer so that his "service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints" (v31). This seems like an odd prayer. We can understand a request for safety but surely an Apostle arriving with a generous financial gift would be universally accepted by the church? Not so. Paul was a divisive figure even within the church with some seeing him as a "pretend" Apostle who didn't look the part or preach very well (2 Corinthians 10v10). Paul didn't want to cause any trouble in the Jerusalem church and he desired for his time among them to be a blessing to all. Thirdly, Paul asked that the Romans would pray for his eventual arrival in Rome (v32). He didn't want to come to them bitter and battle scarred but with joy so that he might know refreshment in the company of the church situated in the empire's capital city. In return Paul prayed that the God of peace would be with his friends in Rome (v33). As the Romans prayed, Paul prayed. As Paul prayed, the Romans prayed. It sounds so simple but it often escapes our fellowships. Brothers and sisters, why do we not pray? Why do we reject the gift of prayer? Why do we not call upon the Lord for everything - protection, welcome, refreshment? The church without prayer is a place being built in the strength and talents of those who labour. It might last for a time and it might even know success but unless the Lord builds the house, those who labour do so in vain (Psalm 127v1). Paul understood that his trip to Jerusalem was not a jaunt over the ocean which required no thought. He knew what he could face and so he appealed to the church for prayer. I ask the same for you and I. These are the dying days of 2023 and a new year approaches. What will this December be like? What events will the world see in 2024? What will shake our homes and churches over the next 365 days? I have no idea and so I pray. Join me? Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q9 What is the work of creation? The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
0 Comments
6th December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 21:9-15 Message Alan Burke When we are desperate we can make foolish decisions that otherwise we would not even dream of. David was desperate, he went to Nob got some food and Goliath’s sword and when it comes to idiocy David is now the shining example because in fleeing from Saul he leaves Israel and goes to their enemies to find refuge. Not only does David go to the Philistines he goes to Gath. Goliath who was a son of Gath, the champion of the Philistines was from Gath and David who was too young and too little to fight had beheaded him for good measure. David is now in Gath, his desperation has lead him to go to his enemy. His fame though had spread to the extent that even the people of Gath know of the song of the people of Isreal, they know that he is not just some random wonderer from Israel. (1 Sam 18:7). He may have thought he could simply slip in unnoticed, be a refuge among the people of Gath, an unknown refuge but his attempt failed, he was recognised immediately. Notice David’s response that comes in v12, David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. He printed to be insane, like a madman, marks on the doors and gates, saliva running down his beard. And Achish wants the pitiful disgusting creature out of his sight. One of the questions that comes in this is, what has happened to the shepherd boy of chapter 17? What I mean by that is in chapter 17 we had a David had such confidence in the Lord, he was willing to stand in the midst of such overwhelming odds, there we learnt of his character, not a young upstart but someone who was confident that the Lord would be with him, who believed that he would be delivered from the hand of the Philistines through God, he had confidence in the Lord his God and even facing Goliath head on did not cause him to fear but now on the run from Saul, he’s a shadow of his former self. We know that David becomes king, but here desperation had fled to Gath and was facing the consequences of his own failure, his decision in desperation had consequences and now he’s pretending to be a madman. There are situations that we may find ourselves in that our desperation drives us to make decisions that we look back on and think just how stupid that we have been, the payday loan that seemed like a good idea at the time or the loan shark, maybe self harm to someway escape the reality and feel in control, or self medicating with prescription drugs or alcohol just to put us to sleep so we can stop worrying. Rarely are the decisions that we make in desperation by ourselves the wise ones. While David didn’t volunteer for this situation, I’m pretty confident to say that if he had have been given the option in the midst of being hunted by Saul to avoid it all he would have chosen to be out with the sheep in the field with his ma and da back at home but God was at work in all of it. The LORD could have spared David all of this, he could have been left in the field with the sheep but the Lord instead throws him into the midst of turmoil and God was working in spite of David, providential at work in it all. We will all face trials, God doesn’t promise us an easy life, christianity that is nothing more than moralistic therapeutic deism will leave you lacking, you’re always going to be disappointed with God, you are never going to grow in our knowledge and love of him, you’re faith is always going to be rocked to its very core when life knocks you over and kicks you when you’re down. And we will face trials along the way. The Lord is at work in what we face, for his glory and our eternal good, David was being shaped into the man who would lead the people of God and we are being shaped into the people God wants us to be, the process is called sanctification, we are being made holy, transformed more into the likeness of our saviour. In 1 Peter, Peter reminds us that Christ suffered once for sins (3:18), Jesus suffered more than we do, more than David did and he uses unjust suffering for his glory, the most unjust suffering was the suffering Jesus expected for us. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q8 How doth God execute his decrees? God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence. 5th December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 15v25-29) Message (Scott Woodburn) Although Paul's travel plans included a visit to Rome on his way to Spain, he first had to complete another work. The Apostle was returning to Jerusalem to take aid to the Christians in that great city (v25). We know that a terrible famine had swept throughout the territory of Israel and in response the wider church sought to send relief (Acts 11v27-30). Despite the famine ending in the year 48, it seems that the Jerusalem church continued to struggle for many years after. Paul had urged the Corinthians to follow the example of other fellowships (v26) and to contribute to the need of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16v1-4 & 2 Corinthians 8-9) and now, with the collection gathered in, Paul sought to travel back to Jerusalem to pass the gift to the struggling church. We should note that Paul had every right as an Apostle to demand such a collection but it was certainly not forced. In 2 Corinthians 8v5 we read that the collection was "not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." This attitude should always mark our financial giving. We do not give to the local church only when we are happy with the hymns played nor do we withhold our financial giving until a better minister comes. Instead our giving (or lack of giving) is always "first to the Lord". We give cheerfully and generously to the Lord or we withhold our finances from Him - the choice is ours. The Gentile church had contributed generously and although Paul had not forced them to do so, he was aware that such giving was in some way owed (v27a). How so? Because the Gentiles had come to share in the spiritual blessings of the Jews. I've stated several times in these devotions some important things about the Jew/Gentile dynamic but please allow me to state a few things once more. Firstly, the Gospel is the same throughout history, if anyone has ever been saved it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Secondly, the Jewish people have been blessed in the history of salvation. Paul would say elsewhere "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." (Romans 9v4-5) Thirdly, the church of the Old Testament was primarily (but not exclusively) from a Jewish background whilst in the New Testament the church grew to be primarily (but not exclusively) from a Gentile background. Finally, despite the differences between Jew and Gentile, Christ has broken down the hostility between us and brought us together in the one church (Romans 11) by His precious blood (Ephesians 2v11-22). Paul's point was that in response to the spiritual blessings which find their origins in God's work among the Jews, Gentile Christians were to seek to share their material blessings with their struggling brothers and sisters in Jerusalem (v27b). When the collection was delivered it was Paul's intention to visit the Romans on his way to Spain (v28), knowing that when he arrived both he and the Romans would know the fullness of Christ's blessing upon them (v29). There is theology behind our financial giving. We don't give in order to be saved and "paying in" to a church will not improve our standing with God. We give because we have been saved and we respond to God with our finances. We give because the church is one and we have a Biblical duty to be concerned about our fellow Christians on the other side of the world. We give because we know that silver and gold will perish but the work of the Gospel is forever. We give because we love Christ and how we spend our money often shows who/what we truly love. Money is a thorny subject in any church and in my years at Ballynahinch I've preached about it only sparingly. Was I right in that approach? I do not know but let us finish today with my imperfect voice falling silent and the Word of God ringing out, He has said "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9v7) Amen. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q7 What are the decrees of God? The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. 4th December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 21:1-9 & Mark 2:23-28 Message Alan Burke Human need is a higher law than religious ritualism. That is the emphasis that Jesus makes when he uses what happens here in 1 Samuel to defend the actions of His disciples. What had happened in Mark which you have read is that the disciples were hungry and while going through a field of grain they pluck some heads of grain and eat it. Doesn’t sound that appetising but then we’re use to having the biscuit cupboard and crisp cupboard jammed packed with things that appeal to our desire for junk food. Anyway walking though they pick some heads of grain and eat. What happens in 1 Samuel is that David fled Saul and headed to Nob. What we learn as the passage continues is that David went to enquire of the Lord there (22:10,15). Remember at this stage there is still no Temple in Jerusalem and Nob had become the centre for worship after the sanctuary was destroyed in Shiloh. Nob was basically a priestly city Ahimelech is the great grandson of Eli the priest who oversaw things there. Now just on this, in Mark Jesus speaks of here occurred in the days of Abiathar the high priest, that is his lifetime his father Ahimelech was high priest as 1 Samuel makes clear. The reason why Jesus said Abiathar rather than Ahimelech is that Abiathar had a much more prominent part in what follows. With David’s arrival Ahimelech trembles and asks, why are you alone, why is no one with you? There was no reason for Ahimelech to fear unless he knew fine well of Saul’s hatred for David and that he was even a hunted man. Even speaking to David, Ahimelech was putting himself at risk, his actions would have been seen by the paranoid Saul as treason. In the conversion that comes between David and Ahimelech about the secret mission, the bread of the presence is really a fudge. What I mean by that is that David here is spinning a story for his own advantage, this is a blatant attempt to deceive Ahimelech. What you need to notice here and throughout this passage is that there is no moral judgement made by the text about David’s actions, there is silence. The question of David about the bread is one of those ones that wasn’t asked in ignorance, David would have known fine well that there was the bread of the presence that was only to be ate by the priest and his family (Lev 21). David is chancing his arm, and the priest plays his part, making the necessity of the men keeping themselves from women and being pure, in reality all of this is a nonsense. There is nothing in the letter of the law that allowed for the bread to be given to anyone else other than the priest. Jesus makes the same point in Mark 2 appealing to this passage when debating with the Pharisees. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the disciples actions, the law of Moses said that as long as you didn’t use a sickle you could take what you needed from the field (Deut 23:25). The Pharisees saw the disciples as harvesting a violation of the sabbath. To them these disciples of Jesus were not only taking liberty with the sabbath but they were breaking it, they were sinning publicly, in such a way that it cast Jesus in a poor light. The Pharisees had taken something good, that God had given for good and they had by their method of interpretation misused it. That’s what we see here, their sinful hearts. To this Jesus takes the Pharisees to this passage in 1 Samuel pointing to how it was the priests who were alone allowed to eat this bread, yet David ate (cf. Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5–9). Jesus uses this to remind the Pharisees that although the action of David was contrary to the law, he was not condemned. Jesus does not claim that the Sabbath law has not technically been broken by David but that such violations under certain conditions are warranted. “Human need is a higher law than religious ritualism”. David’s need that day for food was more important than ritualism, more important than the law. After receiving the bread he then enquired of a weapon. Again David knew fine well that the sword of Goliath was there and he was given it by Ahimelech. Human need is a higher law than religious ritualism. Our Confession of Faith makes this point when it comes to the Christian Sabbath and how it is to be kept holy unto the Lord except in regard to the duties of necessity and mercy (XXI.8). There are times that human need comes above God’s word but those times are a lot less frequent than we might imagine and are more than some are willing to recognise. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q6 How many persons are there in the Godhead? There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. (1 John 5:7, Matt. 28:19) 2nd December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read (Romans 15v22-24) Message (Scott Woodburn) Paul had long desired to visit the church in Rome but had been hindered from doing so (v22). What had put his plans on the shelf? His ongoing ministry to the Gentiles which had taken him from Jerusalem to Illyricum (v19). Paul's approach was not to swoop in and build on another's work, instead he knew and understood that his call was to take the Gospel to where it had not already been. Even so, by the final chapters of Romans, Paul is able to admit that his work in the aforementioned regions was now complete (v23) and therefore it was his hope to visit Rome and spend time amongst the Roman Christians (v23b). He desired their fellowship (v24b) and help as Paul's road took him to another virgin land (v24a). Where was Paul going to? The Apostle had set his sights on Spain. During Paul's lifetime the Roman empire stretched around the entire Mediterranean. If Paul had started in what is now modern day Morroco it would have been possible for him to travel through the entirety of North Africa, Israel, Turkey, the Balkans, Italy, France, Spain and even England without ever leaving the rule of Rome and so it was the Apostle's goal to preach Christ crucified in the land that many of us have visited on holiday. Did Paul ever reach Spain? There is no Biblical evidence to say that he did but some Christian writers did assert that Paul reached sunny Spain. Clement of Rome wrote that Paul reached Spain calling that land "the farthest limits of the west", the Muratorian Canon speaks of Paul's journey to Spain, Cyril of Jerusalem seemed certain that Paul preached in Spain and Chrysostom mentioned Paul's return to Spain. It isn't an issue to fight over and God did not intend for us to know but nevertheless I'm struck by Paul's passion for the lost and his confidence in the Gospel. Many of us struggle to cross the street to share our faith and even more believe that the church needs something more than the Word read and especially preached. Paul laboured in untouched territories with a simple aim to make Christ known. He preached Christ and Him crucified. Did Paul see Spanish converts? Only God knows but eternity will tell the tale. In response may we seek to help and encourage the bold among us who seek to take the Gospel where we would never dream of going. I thank God for these men and women and from Spain to the ends of the earth, may God give the increase. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q5 Are there more Gods than one? There is but one only, the living and true God. 1st December 2023
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 Samuel 20:23-42 Message Alan Burke The passage started with Jonathan doing all that he could to defend his father who was indefensible, as it continued we had David and Jonathan agreeing in effect to put Saul to the test to prove to Jonathan that David wasn’t spouting some nonsense and that his father really wanted to kill him. It’s now the time of the test with the new moon festival having arrived and their plan swung into motion and day one goes without a hitch, but then the second day comes and David is not there and Saul’s rage is evident. Jonathan received the full Saul’s anger, abusive, extreme, verging on the obscene. In the tongue lashing (30), Saul calls Jonathan “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!” that’s the nice way of putting, you can use your imagination and infer what is being said in everyday language. The literal truth was not that Jonathan was the son of a perverse woman, but a perverse rebellious man. He perceives that his son has chosen the son of Jesse, rather the Lord had chosen the son of Jesse, Jonathan may not have understood it fully covenanting himself to David but it seems that Saul knew. Still in a rage, Saul tried to take the life of his own son, the heir to the throne, for he identified Jonathan with David, now Jonathan knew what it was to fear his father, the fear David had experienced, he knew that Saul had determined to destroy David, it demonstrated his fathers hatred. While David was better to have stayed away we could have hardly expected the severity of the response that comes from Saul, the vile anger that flares up within in. The crux of all of this is that Saul was rebelling against the Lord and his anointed, he knew that as long as David lived his kingdom would fail as a result it wasn’t enough just to exile David he need to kill him. Jonathan had to choose between his father, his own legacy and the LORD and he chose the LORD. What is it for us, are we focused on securing our own kingdoms our own legacies, is it on making a name for ourselves or is it on the Lord, do we live as crown princes desiring to make our own way, living how we want, making our mark or do we seek to live the Lord’s way, living how he desires seeking to leave his mark on all that we do? It was a costly choice for Jonathan yet it was the right one, it was a liberating one, and for us it is a costly choice, between the LORD and the things of this life, (like a building or an organisation) yet it is the only one choice and it is a liberating one, life that does not consist in achieving our own goals or fulfilling our potential but living for the LORD God. In the closing scene is an emotional one. There are recorded the last words Jonathan speaks to David, telling him to go in peace seem almost laughable when Saul was seeking his life, but Jonathan was being sincere, for he is not claiming that there is pace for David that he will not meet danger on every hand, but that David can go because there is peace between the two of them. There is an anchor here between these men that they will hold fast to one another in the midst of all that will now transpire. Jesus told his followers “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33). For all those who know and love the Lord we do not have peace because things are peaceful but because we have peace with God. We have peace, peace between us and the LORD because of what Jesus Christ has done, we have security because of the covenant in his blood and know that no matter what unfolds in this life, today, tomorrow that through faith we will spend eternity with him. So what ever we face, we know that even though there is much to fear in our present world, there are real enemies, dangers, just like David and Jonathan we can look to the future to the kingdom that is coming. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q4 What is God? God is a Spirit, (John 4:24) infinite, (Job 11:7–9) eternal, (Ps. 90:2) and unchangeable, (James 1:17) in his being, (Exod. 3:14)wisdom, (Ps. 147:5) power, (Rev. 4:8) holiness, (Rev. 15:4) justice, goodness, and truth. (Exod. 34:6–7) |
Alan
|