Ministries that Matter: Service in the Shadows

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2026 – PASTOR HENRY CASKEY

2 Timothy 1 verses 8 to 18

The Apostle Paul here was writing to the young man Timothy. Paul is in a prison house. He's writing to Timothy. Timothy is going to take up the mantle and he's going to go forth to preach the gospel. And so Paul is writing to give him a little bit of instructions. Then as we come to the close of the chapter here, we find that Paul takes up another name and he speaks to Timothy in a very endearing way about this person.

There are many notable characters in the scriptures. Those notable characters that we often turn to just to read about them and study them in our own times. And we turn to them time after time. We think of Abraham whenever he got that call of God to bring them out of the land of the Chaldees. My, his ear was tuned in to God's word. That's a tremendous thing because there he was living in an idolatrous society if you like. But yet this was a man who had an ear for God. And you know in these days in which we're living, we need to have that ear for God, we need to be listening to God's word. We need to be listening for his direction. We need to be listening to what he has to say for us in these days. I think of Moses. Do you remember how Moses was born into that little humble Hebrew family? And there he found himself being reared in the palace of Pharaoh. Do you remember there how he was led then out into the wilderness and how he spent 40 years in the wilderness and at that little burning bush on that particular day he was challenged by God? God had a great purpose for him. He was to go down into Egypt. He was to bring the people the children of Israel out of Egypt from the under the bondage that they felt there. So we study these men. We think of the prophets like Elijah and Elisha and how the mighty deeds that they did through the Old Testament scriptures. We come to the New Testament. We think of the likes of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. We think of this man that we're reading about here, the apostle Paul. And so, these are all great and notable characters, and they're characters that we know well and we are able to name them. But you know, there's one character here, and it's to him that I want to turn to this morning just for a moment or two because I believe there's a character here that every fellowship really needs and needs perhaps many of them. We read about him here in in in the verse 16 Onesiphorus. We read about the type of character that he was. He's maybe not so well known. The name maybe just doesn't come to you day and day. It maybe just doesn't roll off the tongue like the others do.

The first thing I want to think of - see the concerns that this man had. Paul is writing to Timothy here and he's speaking about a situation that he finds himself in here. You might say Paul was in a bad place. Paul is in a Roman prison here, but more than that, look how he feels in verse number 15. It says, "Thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." That's the place that Paul finds himself and he's in a Roman prison. Yes. But he feels now that everybody has turned away from him. No other names are given here. These two seem to be the ring leaders. Phygellus and Hermogenes. They seem to be the ring leaders here. These two seem to be the worst. They are named here. Is the reason that they're named here? Maybe Paul thought more of them. Maybe Paul felt that these were two men had his back so to speak. Maybe Paul thought what you could go to at any time and find help with them and find comfort with them and find encouragement with them. But here they seem to have turned their backs and turned away. And Paul seems to have felt that everyone has turned away. Some of the commentators seem to think, well, Paul didn't mean all had turned away from him, but he meant those who he thought would have stood by him had turned away from him. And that's how Paul's feeling here at this moment in time. And that's what brings this man's name to him, Onesiphorus. That's why he's commending him now to Timothy. He wants to speak a word or two here about this man. And it's good for us to look at him here this morning. The concerns that this man had. This man had a concern in his heart for the apostle Paul. He was thinking about him and he had a concern for him. Perhaps maybe we can feel like that at times, don't we? Maybe we feel sometimes just the way the apostle Paul felt in this Roman prison. Maybe feeling that he's on his own. Maybe you feel that you're on your own this morning. Maybe you feel that others have let you down. Maybe you feel that others have failed you. Maybe you thought to yourself, "Well, someone should have stood up for me, but nobody has done that." And maybe like Paul, that's where you feel today. You're feeling that somebody should have stepped up and got behind you and supported you and said something, but they didn't do that. Paul is maybe speaking not just so much of this particular time, but he's maybe speaking about a time before that. Maybe he's alluding to a time in the past in Ephesus when he wrote to Timothy in chapter 4 in the verse 16. He says, "At my  first answer, no man stood with me. But all men," he's back to this again. He says, "But all men forsook me." That's a terrible state to be in, isn't it? To feel that you haven't anyone. Do you remember the psalmist said one day? He said he looked on his left hand then on his right hand and said, "No man cared for my soul." That's the way the psalmist felt. He says, "No man cared for my soul." Didn't matter where he was at, no man cared for him. But you know, at such a time here, the apostle Paul was encouraged because we read in 2 Timothy 4 and verse 17, after thinking that all had forsaken him, here's what Paul says. He says, "Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me. The Lord stood with me and he strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully known." You see, what was Paul saying? The Lord never lets us down. He never fails us. Paul was standing there before Nero, if you like, and my he looked around about him and he thought to himself, "Oh, someone will stand up and give a word of testimony for me." He looked to someone else, but they weren't there either. He says, "They've all forsaken me." But then he realized, but he says, "The Lord didn't forsake me. The Lord stood with me. The Lord strengthened me." And that's what we find, isn't it? Maybe sometimes when you go to the doctors and you get an examination and maybe it is not the word that you wanted to get and you have to come home and you have to break that news and there you're sitting in the corner and somehow you feel you're so isolated. The Lord stood by me, Paul says. And those are the times when the Lord stands by. Those times of difficulty, those times of trouble. Do you remember Daniel whenever he was cast into the lion's den? Do you remember how he was sitting praying? This is the very trap that the governors and the politicians and the rulers set for Daniel. They couldn't find anything against him, his character or anything else against him. And so they decided the only way that we'd get this this man is through his faith in God. And sure enough, by the end of the king and they said to the king, "Let's make a ruling that no one is allowed to pray to any other god except the king." See, they knew that Daniel wouldn't stand for that.

And so when they went into Daniel's room, what did they find? They found Daniel sitting on his knees praying. They lifted him. They arrested him. They took him to the king. They asked “did we not make a ruling on this?” And the king says, "Yes, we did.” It might have grieved the king, but he had to go through with it." And Daniel was taken and he was cast into the lion's den. But can you imagine Daniel for a moment or two? Can you imagine him just being lifted from that bedroom and taken there to the king and then been taken down to the lion's den. Maybe every step of the way he was waiting for the Lord to step in. But when the stone was rolled back and Daniel was dropped in, what did he find? He found it was there that the Lord stepped in. The Lord stepped in and he closed the lion's mouth at that very moment in time. Sometimes we have prayed on many occasions “Lord would you step in” and it doesn't happen but when you're right there in the very thick of the darkness that's when the Lord steps in to help out. Paul found that. Paul is pointing now to this man Onesiphorus. It's as if as Paul is saying to Timothy, he says, "Do you remember him whenever we were in Ephesus? Do you remember how he ministered to us in Ephesus?" Well, you know, he's still like that today. And he's writing here about him. This this man was often coming to the visit him. Look at verse number 18 "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well." Oh, this was a man of character. This man had a great concern. He didn't desert the apostle Paul in times of trouble. He was on his mind all the time. He was thinking of the apostle Paul. Then in verse number 17, it tells us "But when he was in Rome, he sought me out." Imagine Paul's feeling here. He's in a prison house and all men have forsaken me and then the prison door opens up and who steps in but this man Onesiphorus. He was so concerned about the Apostle Paul. You know, to me that's a great challenge this morning. Have I got that concern? Have you got that concern?  Maybe someone who used to frequent the church. Maybe someone who came along to the church faithfully and well and they've dropped off. Do we need to go and look for them again? Do we need to go and throw an arm around their shoulder? Do we need to go and apologize about something? Do we need to go and say, "I'm sorry here." Maybe sometimes that's what the Lord calls us to do. We need that concern for others. Concerned to think about them, concerned to pray for them, to let them know that they're in our thoughts. The concern this man had.

I want you to notice something else about this man. I want you to notice the challenge of this man, you see. The concern he had is now replaced by a challenge. This man is now saying to himself, "Well, what can I do about it?” Perhaps he hasn't heard of the apostle Paul for some time. Perhaps the apostle Paul is, if you like, has dropped off the radar. He's lost touch with him. He's lost contact with them. The last he heard was that he was down in Rome. And the last he heard that he was in a spot of trouble. And the last he heard maybe that he was in a prison house. But what about the challenge? The challenge comes this morning. What do we do about it? You see, you and I could sit here and we could be concerned about people, but what about the challenge? Are we ready to say to the Lord here this morning, Lord, is there something that I can do about this situation? Is there something that you can lead me to do to bring good out of this situation? I think of in Acts chapter 18. Do you remember whenever the apostle Paul comes to Corinth and there he meets a couple and they had to flee from their home. Do you remember Aquilla and Priscilla? They had to flee from their own their home under persecution and they came down to Corinth. They are just I suppose if you like, getting on with life but they weren't thinking about themselves, they weren't thinking about hard dumb by they were, no. The apostle Paul comes to Corinth and they're concerned about him. They are concerned about this evangelist that's come to Corinth to preach the word of God. But not only were they concerned, they were challenged because what can we do about this? How's he going to fend for himself? Where's he going to live? What's he going to do? And what did they do? They brought them into their own home. They shared their home with them. They shared their employment with them because the apostle Paul worked with them in those days. You see how they were so concerned but the concern came to a challenge. And we can be concerned. You see, Onesiphorus was concerned. Perhaps he hadn't heard from the apostle Paul for a while. But when this man now came to Rome, maybe he was in Rome on business. It tells us here in verse17, “but when he was in Rome”. That's where Paul was. He was in a prison house. He says, "When Onesiphorus was in Rome." He wasn't so busy that he couldn't look up Paul. And sometimes we can be so busy, can't we? But can we be so busy as not to look up people and seek people out? You see this man realized that he had an opportunity. He maybe came down to Rome on business. Maybe he was down visiting relatives. It doesn't tell us that. Paul just simply says, "When this man was in Rome.” What did he do? He looked me up. “He sought me out very diligently.” This man realized that he had an opportunity to do something for the Apostle Paul. You know, God saves us but what can we do this morning? What task can we do this morning? Do we use our opportunities? Have we wasted opportunities in this past week? Maybe God has brought someone to our mind this past week. Maybe God has brought into our thoughts someone that we used to know, but we have left that undone this morning. We didn't go to them. You know, it's one thing to sit in the prayer meeting and to pray about people, about the situation they are in. That's concern but then the challenge is in that same prayer to be saying to the Lord, “Lord, what can I do about it?” Can you lead me into a situation where I can help? Are we concerned enough? Are we challenged enough to reach out and just to make that little bit of an effort? It's not to preach a sermon. You have a word of testimony. It can be a very simple task. Matthew 20 verses 24 and 25 talks about the judging of the nations. You remember how the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to them? Remember he had the goats and he had the sheep. And you remember how he said there “I was a stranger and you didn't take me in, you left me out.” He says, "I was hungry and you didn't give me anything to eat." He says, "I was thirsty and you didn't give me anything to drink." He says, "I was in the prison and you didn't visit me." And the reply comes back “Lord, when did we see you in prison? When did we see you a stranger and leave you at the street? When did we see you hungry?” And the Lord says, "To the least of my followers, to the least of my disciples you didn't do it to them. You didn't do it to me." And then he turned to the sheep. He was welcoming them into the kingdom. He says, "You know, I was a stranger and you took me in." He says, "I was hungry and you fed me." He says, "I was thirsty and you gave me to drink." He says, "I was in prison and you came there and you visited me." And they were so surprised. They said, "Lord, when did we do all that?" He says, "Every time you did it to the least of one of my followers, you did it to me." But you remember how he said, "A cup of cold water given in my name shall not lose its reward." It's not always the big things, you know. It's not always the great things. What can I do? Is there something simple that I can do just for that person down the street? Just for that person around the corner, just for that person who used to sit in the prayer meeting? Just for that person who used to sit in front of me on a Sunday morning and they're no longer here now. Lord, what can I do about that?” Is there something that you have me to do? You see, that's the challenge. That's more than a concern now. That's the challenge this morning. You know, Bartimaeus that blind man in Jericho, he sat just on the highway begging. Sitting with his little bowl every day begging. The people walked past and the dust came into his face. He's sitting there. Such a pitiful sight. And then one day he hears the commotion just up the street but he can't see what's happening. He can hear it. And there's something different about this day. He cries out "What meaneth the noise?" And someone come over to him and says, "Bartimaeus, it's Jesus that's passing this way. He's on this route.” Imagine that person. He took time to come to this old beggar sitting in the street and to tell him the most wonderful news that ever would come to his ears. He says, "Jesus of Nazareth, he's on this route. He's coming right past you." That man, that woman, whoever it was, took time to come to Bartimaeus and to do that. It wasn't much. Sure, it wasn't. I think of the woman with the issue of blood and there for 12 years she suffered. For 12 years she suffered with every doctor and every physician that she could manage to find but they could do nothing for her whatsoever. And for 12 years she suffered. She was a total outcast. She was in poverty. She spent everything that she had but she was nothing better. And then she heard of Jesus. I wonder who told her? Just a simple little word. Maybe someone said to her, "You know, I've heard that he has done this for somebody. Why not come along?" And there she come in the street one day where Jesus was and the crowd was there, but she pushed through and she just touched the hem of his garment and right away she was healed of that plague. I wonder who told her, who spoke to her about Jesus?

I see something else about this this man. - I see something of the continuance of him. Look what it says in verse number 17 ”But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently.” The interpretation of the word “diligently” is eagerly. He searched me out eagerly. Now according to some of the commentators there were many prisons in Rome at this particular time. Can you imagine Paul been locked up in one of them? And don't forget what he has already said. “All men have forsaken me.” I wonder why they forsook him. Maybe perhaps they didn't like the stand that he was taking. Maybe they thought that his preaching was getting people in high places annoyed and they were afraid of being arrested. So they took a step back from the apostle Paul. They weren't just as to the forefront now and they stepped back from him. I couldn't  imagine that they're too eagerly coming forward to give this man any help as to where Paul was because they wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him. Onesiphorus had to go around the prisons. He had to go around the streets, if you like. It is going to take a continuous search. This wasn't just a one off here. He was going to have to keep at it. He was going to have to keep looking and keep pressing on and keep working. This man had to patiently tramp around the streets just inquiring perhaps in every prison and no doubt he was misled from time to time. I would think that about the guards at the prisons because I'm sure those guards at the prison, they would have expected maybe something in a financial reward just for any information they could give about the apostle Paul. I'm sure he was maybe misled from time to time. Maybe some maybe some guard would have said, "No, he's not in this prison. He's in the other one." And off he would go again to another prison. He would knock the door and ask “do you have this man” and the reply would come back “no we don't have him here.” No doubt this man had to continue tramping the streets. He would not give up. He continued on walking. He continued on searching. He continued on knocking. He continued on asking. He wasn't going to give up. We need that spirit, don't we? You and I need that. We need that spirit of continuance. That whenever we look into our family circles, that no matter how often we have invited them to meetings, how often we have sat and prayed for them, done so much for them and yet somehow we don't see any change. We need to keep at it. We need to continue. I'm sure prisons weren't a very healthy place to be visiting either. These guards would have been ruthless men, but we've got to keep at it. Just like Onesiphorus. He wasn't going to give in whatsoever. Do you remember how the Lord Jesus Christ spoke in Luke's gospel chapter 18? Can you imagine there that widow woman coming and who's she coming to? The Lord says she's coming to an unjust judge. He's going around the circuit and he's sorting out whatever bits of difficulty and problems there are. This lady comes with a problem and  somehow the unjust judge doesn't want to be bothered with it. But there she is time and time and time again, right where he sees her. And you remember what he says? He says, "Lest she weary me, I'll give in." But you remember the Lord says, "We don't come to an unjust judge." When you and I bow our knees to pray, when you and I lift up our loved ones to God this morning, we don't come to an unjust judge. We come to a loving heavenly Father who's waiting to hear our prayers and to answer them. Not sometimes in the way that we expected, but he answers prayer

The comfort here that he brought. You can almost feel the apostle Paul's heart here. He's speaking here to Timothy. "Timothy, you know the situation I'm in. I'm in prison here. You know the situation that the everyone has forsaken me. Everyone has turned away from me. But the other day, the prison door opened up and who was there? It was only Onesiphorus and he was allowed in to speak to me. And the encouragement that that brought me …” Do you remember the apostle Paul on one occasion he was concerned about the church in Corinth and we read 2 Corinthians 7 verse 6 “nevertheless God that comforts those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” Sometimes someone comes to our home and they sit down with us and they talk to us for a while and have a cup of tea or a cup of coffee or whatever the case may be. And, you know, they go away and you think to yourself, "Wasn't that wonderful? That was just a real a real lovely thing." I believe that's how Paul was feeling. He came in and he spoke to Paul. That's just what Paul needed. Maybe there's someone this week and perhaps they are not going to see too many this week. And maybe just for you to knock the door and to go in and sit with them for a while - maybe that's all they're looking for. Maybe that would bring great joy to them. It's a challenge, isn't it? The comfort that was brought to this man. Can you imagine the comfort that was brought to the widows in Tabitha's day? She had passed away and she was laid out upon the bed and the widows were all gathered around and they're all standing with the garments that this dear lady had prepared for them whenever she was living.  Maybe she felt it wasn't that much. But I tell you, it must have been a great deal to those widow women because there they were when she had passed away, standing around and the evidence of this woman's life was in their hands. The comfort that she brought. What about you and me today? Every fellowship needs an Onesiphorus. Every fellowship maybe needs one or two of them with those concerns, with that challenge, with that continuing spirit in their heart, with that comfort that they bring because they're not coming on their own. They are coming in the power of the Holy Spirit. And that's what we need this morning. Are we ready this morning? Are we ready to say, "Here  I am Lord." Not just to leave the building. Not just to say it was a good meeting, but to be ready this morning to say, "Lord, here am I. This is the morning that I've been challenged. This is the morning that I want to surrender my life, my all to you this morning.”

At their wits end

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2026 am – MR T ANDERSON

PSALM 107 VS 21 - 31 

The portion that we read tells of men who were in a desperate desperate situation and they cried onto God for help. Experienced sailors on the sea many times, merchant men taking goods from one port to another port. It was never a problem to them to go from port to port and deliver the goods. But on this particular occasion, things changed because these men found themselves in a situation that they had never experienced before. They were sailing across the ocean to the next port, the next haven to unload their cargo. And while they're out at sea, there's a mighty storm comes up. The storm is allowed by God. It says he lifts the winds. He causes the storm. And you know, sometimes God does those type of things to get our attention, doesn't he? He lifts the winds and the storms and they begin to hit us. And we weren't expecting it. And God says, "I'm trying to get your attention." And it's at those points that God definitely gets our attention. And we begin to think the situation these poor men were in was one of drowning, death. They were thinking, "We'll never make it home again. We'll never get back home. We'll never see our wives. We'll never see our children. We'll never see our parents if they're still alive." All these men could see was a watery grave. Because this storm is beyond their imagination. This storm is beyond their control. They can't control it. It's outside their comfort zone. You ever been there? It says in the scriptures here in verse 20 verse 27, they're at their wits end. They're at their wits end. You know, when you look around there's a lot of people at their wits end. It seems to be a lot of nations are at their wits end not knowing where to turn or who to turn to because it's just one thing after another that seems to happen. I've been thinking recently and again yesterday it became very obvious on our news about the people of Ukraine. The war has been going for four years and they've been showing this last couple of days that there was this ceasefire that is supposed to have taken place but what has happened. They're still being bombed. Lives are still being taken. Can you imagine what it would be like if you were living in the Ukraine today in a village or a city or a town and not knowing whether you are going to get hit? Is this the last day for us? Is this it? We live in our ceiled houses as the Bible talks about and we're comfortable. We went to bed last night and we put our head down and I'll be honest, when I put my head down last night on the pillow I went to sleep. I had a good night's sleep. Don't know about you, but I had a good night's sleep. I began to think of these people around our world at their wits end. These men are at their wits end. Don't know what to do. Everything's against them. The conditions are desperate. They're reeling to and fro like a drunken man. They're intoxicated by their circumstances. They can't think straight. They can't think right. They can't think logic. It's more than they can take. The situation's awful. The conditions are desperate. They begin to think, "What are we going to do? The motions of the ship is making us stagger around like drunken men." But the Bible says after these men began to realize that it appeared this was it, it's over. It says then they cried to the Lord. It's as if it was only when they came to the end of all their resources they began to realize that God could possibly help. And so the situation became the most sensible thing to do. It says in verse 28, "Then they cried unto the Lord." It wasn't until the point that they could go nowhere else and do nothing else that they realized we do have one last resort here. It's God. Maybe just if we cry to God that the God of heaven will hear and answer our prayers because no one else can help us. No one else can help us. When you get that phone call or that letter or from the doctor and it's not what you're expecting, everything changes. It's amazing what a day brings forth. It amazing. These men turned and they cried to the Lord. I looked up the dictionary definition for what it means to be at wit's end. To be at your wit's end means to feel so worried, confused, stressed, or annoyed that you no longer know what to do. You no longer know what to do next because every solution, every solution that you tried has failed. The core meaning of being at your wit's end is mental exhaustion. It describes a state where you have completely exhausted your ideas, your patience or your mental resources and you have nothing left to give. The common examples that can bring it about - one is a parent who has tried everything to soothe a constantly crying baby and the mother says ‘I'm at my wits end I don't know what to do.’ Secondly it is someone struggling for hours to fix a broken computer or an appliance to find the hours have been spent in vain and you're at your wits end with that particular piece of equipment. Three, a person dealing with ongoing financial work or family pressures can drive us to wits end. Now, those are not my sayings. Those are what I wrote down this morning when I looked it up. So, if you look it up on Google, you probably will get the very thing that I have just read out. You ever been there? You ever been into that place where you you've run out of resources? Well, if you have or will be, these men are the great example. They turned to God and prayed. The most sensible thing to do was to pray and said, "Then they cried unto the Lord." When all resources has failed, there's still one. Not all is the end. There's one that we often forget, and it's the one thing called prayer. Turn to God. As these men turned to the Lord, it says they cried unto the Lord. You know where there were those in the Bible who were at their wits end and they cried unto the Lord? Moses was at his wits end - Numbers chapter 20 verse 35. The Israelites were struggling. They had nothing to drink. They were out in the wilderness. And you know the story yourself, I'm sure. And God speaks to Moses and he says to Moses, "Moses, this is what you're going to do. You're going to speak to the rock. And when you speak to the rock, water will come from water will come forth. Then it says in verse 10, "And Aaron and Moses gathered the congregation together before the rock, where God said, speak to the rock. And he said unto them, "Now hear now, ye rebels." Moses can't take anymore. They're crying to the man. They're complaining to the man. “Must we fetch you water from this rock.” What did God say? Speak to it. What did Moses do? Moses lifts up his hand and with the rod he smote the rock. He did the very opposite to what God had told them. The man has so far gone against the people that were surrounding him. He just turned around and did the opposite and he struck the rock. Water came out of it, but it wasn't God's way of doing it. Man's at his wit's end. Hannah was at her wit's end. Hannah was a young woman who was married to a great a man of God. And Hannah didn't have any family. She desperately wanted a child. And it says in chapter one of 1 Samuel, “so Hannah rose up early. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh. And after they had drank, and Eli the priest sat at the on the seat of the post of the temple of the Lord. And Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and she cried. She prayed unto the Lord, and she wept sore.” You see, it appears that this dear woman can't become pregnant, and she's struggling because she wants a child. And she prays. She is at the end of her tether, at witts end corner. She cried to the Lord and she made a vow. She said, "Lord, give me a  manchild and I'll give him back to you." And what happened? God answers her prayer. God answers her prayer because she probably had tried and tried and tried and tried to have a family, but it wasn't happening. And then she goes to the temple to the house of God and she goes into that house of God and she gets down on her knees. In fact, Eli the priest thought that she was drinking and she'd been drunk because it appeared she was talking to herself. She was talking to God. She was in brokenness. She was at her wits end and she just said, "Lord, give me a boy child." And God answered her prayers. The end of her tether. I don't know what it is this morning, but maybe God is driving you to that place and driving me to that place where he gets our attention. He says, "You've tried all your resources, but you haven't prayed to me about this." The most sensible thing to do was to pray.

Lastly, God answers prayer. What a wonderful salvation these men experienced. Can you imagine being out on a ship being tossed to and fro? Overtaken by the very circumstances you no longer can control. Yes, these men knew what it was to control the ship. It never was like this before. But now they're on a situation where these men are experienced and should know what to do. But whatever they try, it doesn't work. And suddenly they realize, "We're goners. We're not going to make this. We're not going to get to the next port. We're not going to get there." And they came and they cried to God. And in verse 28, it says, "They cried to the Lord, and he brings them out of their distresses." They're at wits end. They don't know what to do. They're distressed. Then they cry to God and suddenly the sea becomes like a sheet of glass. And that old ship that they thought was going to break up and take them to a watery grave suddenly just glides along to their desired haven, to the next port that they were planning to go to. And they went sailing into that port and God brought them to the place that they wanted to go. You know, when we get sincere with God, when we get sincere about things and we get sincere in our asking, in our praying, what does God do? He answers our prayer. And he says, "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. I know what you're going through. I know the circumstances you're in. I know you've tried every resource but just talk to me about this. Just let me deal with this.” And suddenly the turmoil and the strife ceases and the boat goes gliding home. You know, one day for you and I who are saved by grace and all that we go through in this old world is as if, you know, let's just put it, we're on the gospel ship. It's not a cruise ship because it goes through turmoils, goes up and down and tosses around, but we're safe because Jesus is in it. He's the captain. And one day when we come to the end of life's journey here on earth, he's going to calm it all down and you and I are going to arrive at our heavenly port. We're going to arrive where God has planned us to go in the first place. To that place called heaven. And that's going to be a great day, isn't it, for us as believers when Jesus says, "All your struggles and fightings are over." And you're now safe on that heavenly shore. And so, let's keep our eyes on Jesus. Whether we look up or look down, whatever way you want to look at it this morning, from your heavenly position, and then look up to your heavenly goings, he will he will bring us home. He brought these men to their safe place of safety and he'll bring you and I to that place of safety. He'll calm everything down. He brought gladness to their hearts. Isn't it good to be happy in Jesus? He brought them safely home.

 

Let us not grow weary

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER 2026 – PASTOR HENRY CASKEY

Galatians Chapter 6 verses 1 to 11

Well, as I already said, the harvest time, of course, it is that wonderful time whenever you're driving along the country roads and you see the harvesters out in the field and they're at work and they're gathering into the barns. It's a wonderful wonderful time of the year all getting ready for those dark and dismal months  of the winter time. 

I want us to think here in this letter here this morning because the apostle Paul addresses a great principle in this passage. He turns to this passage and he's talking here about sowing and about reaping. But there's a great principle here in verse number nine and that's what I want to turn to this morning. It says, "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." If we're not sowing, there'll be no reaping. That's what Paul says. If we're not sowing, he says, there'll be no reaping. Just like the seeds that I bought, if I hadn't have taken them, I hadn't dug up the little plot, if I hadn't put them into the garden, there would have been no flowers the following year. And you know, for us this morning, the apostle Paul was writing to this little church here  in in Galatia and you remember how he writes there in chapter one in the introduction in verse number six, he says, "I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ onto another gospel." The Apostle Paul is writing to a little church here that's in danger of giving up, in danger of turning away, in danger of turning back into the old pathways. He says in chapter 3 verse one "Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” The Apostle Paul here writing to this little church wants to encourage them. He wants to lift them up. He wants to say to them, “listen, continue on in the battle because you are going to reap if you faint not." He's using the analogy here, of course, of the farmer. And the farmer goes out, as we've already said, he goes out perhaps in the early stages of the year when things are not just so favorable weatherwise. He has to battle on through the coldness and maybe through the wet and through the darkness of the of the days. He wants to do as much as he can in that little space of time that he has because he's looking forward to a harvest. And as the church this morning we want to look forward to a harvest, a harvest of precious souls. Wouldn't it be great this morning to see God move in such a mighty way again?  I want this morning to encourage us that we might be busy for the Lord, that we might be busy reaching the unsaved in the area using every possible means that we have. The message from the apostle Paul this morning is so clear. He says, "Keep at it. Keep at it." He says, "Don't be giving up." He says, "Keep at it." Because he says "Ye will in due season reap if you faint not." I want us to take a look here this morning at what I might consider the enemies in the work of God.

I want us to think first of all that there is a great enemy this morning. Now don't forget this morning you and I have this promise recorded for us here in the word of God that we shall reap if we faint not. What might prevent us here? What might hinder us here in the work of God? I thought first of all that the enemy of fear could make us faint. The enemy of fear could make us faint. The Bible says that the fear of man bringeth a snare. Fear could cause us this morning to draw back a little bit. Fear this morning of the future. Not sure of what the future holds and how things will work out. And sometimes then we draw back. Fear can make us hesitant. Fear can make us reluctant about going forth and taking the step. But if we do not sow that seed, then we'll not reap. We'll not see the soul saved. Jesus said in Luke's gospel chapter 9 verse 62 “no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” In Ecclesiastes 11 verse 4, Solomon says this "He that observeth the wind shall not sow. And he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." What's he talking about here? He's talking about the farmer going out And maybe the wind in that particular day is not favourable for him. Or maybe he looks out into the skies and he sees the clouds and he thinks to himself, "Well, you know, it's going to rain very shortly. I don't think I'll go out into the field today. I don't think I'll go out and do the work today. I'll leave it to another day.” And sometimes, you know, it's like that with us. Maybe the situation for going out to reach souls, it's not favourable for us. Maybe there's something more pressing in our lives. Maybe there's something that we need to attend to and we set aside the sowing of seeds to another day. And maybe we don't get that same opportunity again. We need to take the opportunities when they come. Sometimes we feel we don't have the right circumstances. We don't have the favourable conditions. It's too much of a risk. It's too much of a task and we don't venture out to do it. I think of Ananias in Acts of the Apostles chapter 9. Ananias had a wonderful testimony. He was well thought of in the community. And one day, God came to him and God says, "Ananias, I have a task for you." And Ananias, I'm sure, stopped in his tracks and I'm sure his ear turned to the word of God because he had a favourable testimony. He was a man who was doing God's work. God says to Ananias, he says, "I want you to go to a young man in Damascus, Saul of Tarsus is his name." He told him where he was at and he told him what he was doing. He says, "I want you to go to him and I want you to speak to him." At that moment, Ananias thought to himself, "This is not favourable." He said "Lord I've heard much about this man and he hates the very name of Jesus. I've heard about this man going around and he's following after those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's locking them up. He's putting them into prison. He's getting them beaten. He's getting them put to death." There was a reluctance about Ananias. Then the Lord said, "But Ananias, you go." And you know, Ananas went. But imagine if Ananias hadn't gone. There would have been no blessing in his soul. Sometimes we need to be very careful whenever maybe we feel as if the Lord's leading  us to someone or to a house or to a friend or to a family member or whatever to speak to them about their soul and we think of what happened in the past. We think “well I've tried to speak before” and you put it off and you don't get that opportunity and there's no blessing and there'll certainly be no harvest. Fear. Fear is a very real thing. Fear is maybe holding you back this morning and it's hindering you in the work of God, of going out onto the street, going out into the  to the doorsteps and speaking to your neighbour and speaking to your friends about the things of God. Fear can do that. Fear is a very real thing. Don't let that fear hinder you in your progress. Don't let that fear hinder you in your walk with God. Don't let that fear hinder you in speaking to men and woman or sowing the seed of the gospel.

Then I thought to myself, frustration can hinder as well. You know, frustration is a terrible thing as well. Paul to sort of know the feelings of the people. He says here in verse 9 "Let us not grow weary." Let us not grow weary in well doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Let's keep that promise to the fore this morning. Frustration can hinder us, can stop us, can make us draw back. Why? Sometimes you get to that stage. You know, we've prayed and we have prayed and we have prayed and we've invited and we've done this and we've done the other thing and nothing seems to be happening and frustration comes in and that frustration can make us throw up our hands and say, “well, you know, we have tried everything.” What does Paul says? "Let us not be weary in well doing." In other words, he says, "Keep at it." Isn't that the example that the Lord Jesus Christ himself gives us in Luke chapter 18? He speaks there about this little widow woman? She's been hard done by in society and she comes to this unjust judge. He is the one that you must come to somehow get a relief to the burden that she's carrying. He doesn't want any bother with this woman and every time he opens the tent door to wherever he is in whatever town or village or city he comes to, he finds that this woman is always there and she's bringing this complaint day after day after day. And he's thinking to himself, “this woman's going to wear me out. I'm going to have to stop and I'm going to have to listen to her. I'm going to have to do something for her.” He was an unjust judge that said that. But Jesus says, "We don't come to an unjust judge. We come to a loving heavenly father. And whenever you're praying, you're not coming to an unjust judge who doesn't want the bother of hearing you. You're coming to the one who said, "Call upon me and I will answer you." You're coming to the one who delights in seeing you coming, who delights in seeing you on bended knee, lifting your heart unto him. You see, without faith, it is impossible to please God. He loves to see you coming. And that's what Jesus said here. This woman didn't give up. God knows all about us. And just like this woman here, we dare not give up. William Carey the missionary to India before he went off he was saved by the grace of God. He had a tremendous battle even to get on the mission field because the fellowship that he belonged to didn't really believe in what he was doing. He was going out to preach the gospel, a gospel of grace. And you know, that's the gospel that saves. That's the gospel that you and I have. That was the gospel that William Carey was taking out there to India. It was the wonderful message of the Lord Jesus Christ coming into this world through the womb of the virgin Mary. It was a wonderful message that God looked upon us as sinners and we could do nothing for ourselves, that we were blinded by the God of this world, we were on our way out into a lost and Christless hell for all eternity because we had been born in sin, shame, and iniquity. And that sin separated us from God. To die in that condition, we will be separated for all eternity. That's the wonderful message that we have. And whenever you and I come this morning and trust the Lord Jesus Christ and say, "Lord, I have sinned. Lord, I realize this morning I'll never be in heaven without you. And I realize this morning that you love me and you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross of Calvary just for me. On that cross, he bore my burden. You placed every sin upon him.” That's what William Carey was taking out to India with him. When he got to India, he found it a problem because he had to translate the scriptures into their language. He had to suffer sickness. He even had to suffer death on a couple of occasions. But he kept at it. And he didn't even see a soul saved for some nine years apparently Time after time, I'm sure frustration could have entered into that man. But he didn't allow it. He stood firm and he preached the gospel. We read of a young man called Demas in the scriptures. Demas was a young man that followed after the apostle Paul and he preached with Paul. He prayed with Paul. Paul describes him as a labourer together with him. But there came a time in Demas's life when he started to think of an easier life. And Paul says, "Demas has forsaken me having loved this present world.” Imagine Demas had turned back. Demas had given up. He was out of the harvest field. No longer was he sowing the seed of the gospel. Are we still sowing that seed? Are we still sowing it? It's good to open the doors on a Sunday morning, on a Sunday evening, and a midweek prayer meeting, whatever the case may be. But listen, are we sowing the seed? Are we going out to reach the lost with the message of salvation? I think of the apostle Paul in Acts chapter 18. I'm sure the frustration entered into him. He came to Corinth and he went into the synagogue. Sabbath after Sabbath he preached the gospel to them and they stood up and they opposed him. They rejected what he was preaching and they didn't want to have anything to do with him. Paul got to that state of frustration. He was ready to go away. He said "I'll go to the Gentiles." But God came. He says, "No, Paul I have much people in this city. I want you to remain here, and I want you to preach the gospel in this city." Paul remained there for another year and a half preaching the gospel and souls were being saved. He didn't give up. Even whenever frustration entered in, I think of Elijah on his knees There was a promise of rain. There hadn't been rain now for some three and a half years. But Elijah got that promise in his heart that there was going to be rain and he got up on his knees and he began to pray and to seek the Lord God of heaven. He said to his servant, "Go and look out across the sea and see if there's any signs." The young man comes back. "There's nothing." Elijah kept praying and the young man kept going out and he said there's nothing 7 times. Then he come back to Elijah and he said "Elijah, there's a cloud. But it's just about the size of a man's hand." And Elijah says, "That's it." He kept at it. Frustration. Maybe this morning you're frustrated. You can get like that. You've gone to that loved one, that son, that daughter, that husband, that wife, that neighbour, that friend, that work colleague, and you've virtually pleaded with them time after time. ‘Would you not come with me to the gospel service?’ You've given them tracts after tract. Would you would you not consider getting saved? And now you're frustrated this morning and maybe at the point of saying “well I can do no more.” What does Paul say? He says “be not weary in well doing for we will reap if we faint not.” Imagine Moses way back in his day, whenever God came to him out there in the wilderness and said to him “I want you to go down to Egypt. I want you to bring out the people. I have a land for them and I want you to go down and bring them out and lead them into that land." You remember how Moses went in and he said to Pharaoh, "We want God's people to come out." And Pharaoh says, "Who is this Lord that I should obey him?" Then you remember how time after time the plagues came and Pharaoh would have come back to Moses and said “listen if you pray and this plague is lifted off the land and off the people then the people can go away”. And Moses would have prayed and God would have lifted the plague and then he went back to Pharaoh and Pharaoh would change his mind. He says, "Not at all. I'm not letting the people go." And time after time that happened. And Moses would go to Pharaoh and then he would come back to God and then he would go to Pharaoh. I'm sure there was times maybe he felt frustrated. Nothing happening. But he kept at it.

There's another reason as well and that is fatigue. Just that weariness, tiredness with it all. What does Paul say? “Let us not be weary.” Paul understood what this church was going through. God understands you this morning. He understands me. He understands those times whenever we get weary and we get we get tired. Elijah was so full of zeal. God said to him one time "Elijah, I want you to go to Ahab. I have a message for him." My Elijah was listening to God. He was going to take God's word into the palace. And so he goes in before Ahab. And Ahab was a very wicked man. And he says, “Ahab, I have a message from the Lord for you today. There's going to be no rain for some three and a half years upon this land.“ Elijah didn't fear. He came to the brook Cherith and then to the widow woman at Zarapeth. He was listening to the Lord all the time. Do you remember how on Mount Caramel he virtually brought the nation back? He brought the word of God to that nation. He says, "Why halt ye between two opinions?” He won a great victory on Carmel. But then what happens? He listens to the rumours of what Jezebel would do to him. And what happened? Fatigue sets in. He runs away. He ran away into the wilderness and he was tired. He was weary. He was hungry. And what did the Lord do? The Lord just put him down to sleep. And then he woke him up again and gave him a little food. And then he put him to sleep again. See, the Lord knows what you and I need this morning. If we're tired, if we're fatigued, the Lord knows all about it. And he knows what we need. And he knows how to revive us up again. But we've got to come to him and we've got to acknowledge that. God came to the cave where Elijah was. He asked him "Elijah, what dost thou here?" Do you remember Elijah's reply? He says, "Lord, I'm the only one left. I'm the only one standing for God." The Lord said "I have 7,000 that have never bowed the knee yet. You're not alone.” And sometimes we can feel alone, don't we? Sometimes we can be tired and sometimes fatigued. I think of the capture of Jericho. This was a high city. It was well walled up and manned with trained soldiers. And this was going to be the very first battle, if you like, that the children of Israel are going to face in the land of Canaan. They crossed over the Jordan and they faced this great city. But they were to face it in God's way. Whenever we face things in God's way, fatigue will not set in. God came to Joshua and said “I'm giving this city into your hand. Here's what you're going to do.” They were to walk around that city. The priests were to go. The ark was to go with them. The armed men were there. They were to walk around that city once every day in quietness. Can you imagine being one of the number that day? Can you imagine walking around that that that city? Can you imagine the soldiers standing looking down and they're thinking, "What are these boys up to?" Do you ever get that feeling whenever you're maybe going around the houses and you're giving out a few gospel tracts that the people are looking at you and saying, "What are these boys doing?" Well, that day they were following God's plan and they were walking around and they walked around on the first day and they came back to their camp and that was it. The second day they got up, they did the same again and they walked around and they came back to their camp. They did that for 6 days. And then on the seventh day, they walked around quietly for 7 times. And on the seventh time, they were to give the shout. And when they gave the shout on that seventh time, down came the walls. But you know maybe on day 2 or 3 there's a wee bit of fatigue set in. There was nothing to happen in day 2 or 3. There was nothing to happen in day 4 or 5. Not even on day 6. Day 7 was the promised day. When you do what God says, God says the walls will come down in day 7 and that's what they did. We are just at that labouring stage. You and I we are just sowing the seed. Oh, wouldn't it be lovely to see God break out in revival? But it's not yet. But Paul says the reaping will come if you faint not. And what does Paul end with here?

Well, he ends with a focus on the word of God. What does Paul say to them? He says "Learn this great lesson." And it is this - that in due season we shall reap if we faint not. You know the farmer, he faces many difficulties when he goes out into the field. Maybe his tractor breaks down. Maybe he has to send away for parts. Maybe the ground has been flooded. Maybe there's a lot of work in taking away all the weeds and the thistles and the nettles and whatnot. There's a lot of work involved. But you know, he doesn't give up. He keeps at it. And Paul says to you this morning ”let us not be weary in  well doing for we shall reap if we faint not.”

 

A great gulf fixed

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER 2026 pm – MR JASON CRUISE

Hebrews 2 verses 3 and 4

Luke 16 verse 19 to 31

In the passage that we have just read here tonight, the Lord does indeed confirm be beyond any doubt that there are two destinations in eternity. He tells us here about two men that lived here on earth. Two men who lived very different lives in life. These two men walked upon very different roads spiritually speaking. You see, one of these men walked upon the broad and the crowded road to a lost and a Christless eternity. The other man, he walked upon the narrow way, that way that leads to heaven and to home. As we consider these two men this evening, I want you to ask yourself, which one of these men resembles you tonight? Which one of these two men is a picture of the life that you're living? Which one of these two men tramp the same road that tonight you tramp? Tonight I put the question to you - are you on the broad road down to that awful place of destruction? Or are you on the narrow way to heaven and to home? You see, as we made our way to the gospel meeting we all came upon different roads. As some came from the east, some from the west, some from the north, perhaps some from the south. We're all traveling on different roads, but spiritually speaking, we're on one of two roads. You're either on the broad road or you're on the narrow road. This rich man here tonight lived a life that was very different to the beggar that we read about Lazarus. Look with me there at the verse 19 "There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day." Here's a man here, this rich man. He has plenty of money. He has plenty of food. He has the best of clothes. He was clothed in purple and fine linen. In the scriptures, of course, purple would remind us about royalty. Here's a man and he's living life just like a king. This man is living a lavish lifestyle. He's enjoying all that the world has to offer.  Maybe tonight you're enjoying all that the world can offer. But in the light of eternity, it is worth nothing. There will come a day whenever it will be taken from you. Just in an instant, you'll be taken from it and you'll leave the scene of time and you'll cross over the boundary line out into eternity. And I put the question to you this evening, where will your soul be in God's great eternity? Will you be in heaven with the Lord? Or will you be in hell without the Lord and eternally separated from the love of God? Here's a man and he's preoccupied with the temporal. He's taken up with the material. And this man has nothing for eternity. Perhaps this is just like you. You're just like this rich man and you're still in your sin. You have nothing at all for eternity. Perhaps you're shouting back at the preacher and you're saying "Preacher, I hope you're not saying that I'm a sinner. I'm just as good as the man next door. I'm just as good as the man down the street." I don't doubt that for one moment. I'm sure you're just as good as the man next door. But we can tell you on the authority of God's word that you're a sinner. We read in Romans chapter 3 verse 10, "There is none righteous, know not one." The apostle Paul reminds us there in Galatians 3 verse 22, “scripture hath concluded all under sin.” All of your good deeds that you do, all of your church attendance, all of your charitable works, it will never gain you access into God's heaven. The only way to enter heaven is by knowing God's son, the Lord Jesus, as your Saviour and your lord. Have you ever come in repentance and came to that place where you've put your faith and your trust in Christ and in his finished work? And you're resting upon what Christ has done upon the centre cross. You're saying, "It is enough for me." That Christ was willing to come to suffer, to bleed, and to die in my place. You're a repentant sinner and you're saved by God's grace. Could that be said of you? If you're relying upon your good deeds tonight, we remind ourselves that the word of God tells us in Isaiah 64 verse 6, “we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Your good deeds, your good works, your charitable works can never gain you access into heaven. But if that's what you're relying upon, you're a self-righteous sinner and you're on the broad road to a lost and a Christless eternity. Look again at verses 20 and 21 "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” Some would believe tonight that the Lord Jesus simply told this story as an illustration, that it's not really a life account, that these men didn't really live or exist. But we know that these men did indeed live. That these men did at one time live here upon earth. "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus." These men did indeed live. The Lord Jesus knew this man personally. He was able to say his name. Does God know you personally? Is your name recorded in the rule book of heaven, the Lamb's Book of Life? Do you know that joy of your sins forgiven? Do you know tonight the joy of being made clean from your sin and made right and ready for a home in heaven? The life that this rich man lived is in stark contrast to the life that Lazarus lived. Here's a man here now, Lazarus. And the word of God tells us that he was laid at the gate of the rich man. It says there, "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores." In the original Greek, he's actually not laid. He's actually cast at the gate of the rich man. Here's a man and he can't walk for himself and he can't work. He can't earn. And so now he has to beg. And we see this man as he lies at the gate of the rich man his body is covered in sores. And this man, as he lies there, he waits and hopes that the servants would bring the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. I wonder how many times the rich man's wife after passing by Lazarus she maybe came to her husband and she would say, "I've seen Lazarus again today lying at the gate. Perhaps we should take him something to eat.” I wonder how many times this rich man's five brethren made their way through the gates of their brother's house and they've went past Lazarus, I wonder did they say “we saw Lazarus again today lying at your gate and perhaps we should take him down something to eat.” I wonder did the rich man say “no but the servants will perhaps take him something later.” I wondered did his wife maybe at any time say perhaps we could bring Lazarus up to the house today. Perhaps we could give him a meal. I wonder did the rich man say “no he's been lying with the dogs all day. Oh, we don't want him in the house.” Picture this man. Picture him in his dilemma as he lies at the gate of this rich man. Oh, these two men, they are living very, very different lives and they're walking different roads spiritually. They're heading out to two very different destinations in eternity. Look at verses 22 and 23. It says, "And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham a far off and Lazarus in his bosom." You see here now that death has come for these two men. Death has come suddenly. It has come unwanted. It has come unannounced. These two men have been ushered out into God's great eternity. It doesn't matter tonight how rich you are. It doesn't matter how much of this world's goods you have accumulated. Each and every one of us has an appointment with death. Hebrews 9 verse 27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.” All that this rich man had gathered around him, all of his money, all of his lands he left it all behind. There will come that time when everything that you have accumulated, you'll leave it all behind. I think there of the French philosopher Voltaire. He was a very rich man. As he lay upon his deathbed, he said to his doctor, "If you could give me another year, I'll give you half my fortune." His doctor replied to him, "If you gave me all your fortune, I couldn't give you another hour." Whenever the time comes to leave this scene of time and go out into eternity, it is an appointment that you will keep. It's not an appointment that you have with the doctor or the dentist. You can simply phone up in the morning and put it off for another week. Put it off for 6 months. When your appointment with death comes you will be ushered out in to the great eternity. We read here about this man Lazarus. Notice there's no mention of a burial. In fact, it's highly likely that the body in fact would have been dumped. But concerning this rich man, he did indeed have a burial. I'm sure his funeral was a grand affair, a great farewell. All the high flyers of society, the rich and the famous, I'm sure they made their way along to the funeral service of this rich man. I am sure no doubt there was a Jewish priest and he stood and gave a great eulogy over this man's open grave. I am sure that he had much to say concerning this rich man. But it may well have been a grand send off. But I wonder what the arrival was like. Here's a man, he has left time and he has arrived in eternity. I wonder what the arrival was like. Five minutes after you die, where will your soul be? Will you be in heaven with the Lord? Or will you be in hell, eternally separated from the Lord? Here's a man now. He went out into eternity unprepared and unrepentant. The word of God tells us “in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments.” It's now too late. You see, there's no second chance. There's no rerun. He's out into eternity and he's there forever. I think I've told the story here before of the Sunday school teacher and teaching her Sunday school class one Sunday about eternity. One of the young boys in the class asked the teacher, "How long is eternity? How long does eternity go on for?" The Sunday school teacher took off her wedding ring and she handed it to the young boy and she said, "Find the end of the ring." The young boy turned the ring around in his hand and around and around and he said, "Miss, there is no end." She said, "Give it to your friend beside you." He handed the wedding ring to his friend and he began to turn it around in his hand and around and around and again he lifted it up and he said to the Sunday school teacher, "Miss, there is no end." She said, "That's just like eternity. No end." If we could tell you tonight that after a thousand years in hell you'd be released, then at least you'd have some hope. But I can tell you tonight that after 10,000 years in a Christless eternity, you'll have no less time to shed your tears than when first you entered there. Where do you stand before God tonight? Are you still in your sin? Or by God's grace, do you stand under the gaze of God, saved for time and for eternity? We read there in Mark's chapter 8 verse 36 “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” What an awful thing for a man who accumulated so much and yet whenever the time came to leave time and go out into eternity, the very thing that he needed, he didn't have it, salvation. Whenever you go out into eternity, the only thing that's going to matter is if you know Christ as your Lord and your Savior. The only thing that's going to matter is if you can look back to a time in your life's experience whenever you simply came as a repentant sinner and acknowledged before God that you have lived that life that has been an offense to the holiness of God. You simply come in repentance and accept Christ for what he has done upon the cross. You are resting upon him and what he has endured and what he has accomplished for you. We see here for this rich man the day of the banquets, the day of the feasting is now over. We read here in the scriptures that he fared sumptuously. This man lived life just like a king. He was clothed in purple and fine linen. Across our province there are many ruins of factories that were once involved in the linen production. Used to be a lot of linen produced around our province and there are many factories that are closed up and many of them now in ruins and they were once thriving businesses that were involved in the linen production. Linen is well known for keeping the body cool. They are only a distant memory now for here's a man for whom the flames of hell have laid hold upon his body, laid hold upon his soul.

Verse 24 "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." Throughout this man’s lifetime, this man wanted for nothing. But here he's only moments into eternity and now he cries out for a drop of water. I don't know how long this man has been in hell. But what I can tell you is that this man still cries out for a drop of water. Simply a little drop of water just to cool his tongue. Tonight he's still in a lost eternity and he still hasn't received that drop of water. This rich man also refers to Abraham as father Abraham. This man most likely was brought up in a religious Jewish home.

Can you look back to a time whenever you were brought up in a home where you were sent along on a Sunday morning to Sunday school? You were taken along on a Sunday morning to church. Each and every Sunday morning, you were found in your place in your pew. Each and every Sunday evening, you were brought along to the gospel meeting. and you've heard the gospel down through the years preached by various preachers and you know the word of God so well but sadly you do not know the God of the word and you've simply clothed yourself in a cloak of religiosity. There'll be many religious people in a lost eternity. We don't simply get into heaven by attending church. We get into heaven because we have accepted Christ as our Savior. Can you say that you've accepted him? Can you say with all assurance that you know that your name is recorded in the rule book of heaven? You are religious, but you're not redeemed. You are sympathetic to the gospel, but sadly you're not saved. You are just relying upon church attendance, relying upon your good works, relying upon what you've done for your neighbours. We read in the word of God in Titus chapter 3 ”Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us.” Salvation is all of God not of man. All of God. We read in Jonah chapter 2 verse 9 “Salvation is of the Lord.” It's nothing to do tonight with the preacher. It's nothing to do tonight with a church elder or a church oversight or any denomination. Salvation is of the Lord. Have you ever simply come in repentance and bowed the knee and asked Christ to be your Saviour.

Verses 25 and 26. “But Abraham said, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from.” We see here now these two men, they're out into eternity. We read here now about a great divide. The word of God says clearly, a great gulf that is fixed. If there's anything, as one preacher once put it, that could be written over the gates of hell, it would simply be, "Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here." There's no exit door and there's no excuse. We're still living in the day of grace. You could simply come in repentance and come and rest upon what Christ has done. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15 “it is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” There's 8.3 billion people around the world tonight. Each and every one of us are born with this sin problem. And because of this sin problem, you and I could never enter heaven. But the only one who can deal with your sin problem

is God's eternal son. Because of your sin, he died upon the centre cross so that you could be made right, made clean, and made ready for a home in heaven. Why would you sit with your back towards God in rebellion? Why would you not simply come and put your faith and your trust in him? Or will you go through the doors of the church another time, still a Christ rejector? There's a great divide here now between these two men. The word of God tells us here about a great gulf that is fixed. We read in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3 “How then shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” A great salvation that has been made available by the person of God's son, the Lord Jesus, the one who told this story, would one day make his way into Jerusalem. And those men would eventually bring him to Pontius Pilate who would condemn him to the death of crucifixion. They would tie him to the scourging pool and that Roman flagrum would come down upon his back time and time and time again. So that the words of the psalmist could be fulfilled. “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” Eventually they would lead Christ out through the city gate and he would ascend a hill towards Golgotha. There they would lay him down upon the cross, the eternal son of God. They would drive the nails through his hands and through his feet. They would raise that cross up into position and there between heaven and earth the sinless, spotless lamb of God. The Lord Jesus would hang in your place and in mine. And in the darkness, he bore all of your sin, your guilt, and your shame. So the divine judgment of a holy God would be satisfied with that once and for all forever sacrifice that was offered by the Lord Jesus, God's eternal son. because of what he has accomplished upon the cross. This great salvation is available for you tonight. Are you going to go out into eternity without the Saviour. to end up on the wrong side of this great gulf that is fixed?

Verses 27 and 28. “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would ascend him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” In this passage, we read about six brothers. One of these brothers is already in hell and the other five are making their way there. We see that this man has all of his senses. He has his memory. He has his feelings. He has his sight. He has his hearing. And friend, if you go out into a lost eternity, you'll have all of your senses as well. And you'll be able to look back to this night and remember how you sat and you sang the hymns and you heard the word of God read and preached from. And yet foolishly you left the church still in rebellion towards the Lord. We read now about this man praying. No mention of prayer when he was alive, but now he begins to pray. It's too late. If you were to enter into eternity tonight unprepared and unrepentant and to enter eternity without the Saviour there'll be absolutely no point in praying then. And more so, there'll be no point in anyone else praying for you. You see, this great gulf that is fixed, if you go out without the Saviour, you're going to end up on the wrong side. That's why we present to you a loving Saviour and one who is not only able to save but one tonight who is willing to save. We read in Hebrews 3 verse 15 “today if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart.” I wonder how many gospel meetings have you sat through and you've hardened your heart towards the voice of God. Think of all the head knowledge of the scriptures that you have. It'll count for nothing. The Lord Jesus told us while he walked this earth in John 14 verse 6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me." What are you relying upon for eternity? If it is not Christ, can I tell you it is futile? We don't know how long this man has been in eternity, but it's 2,000 years since the Lord Jesus himself told the story. And this man tonight still longs for a drop of water. The Lord Jesus tells us in John 4 verse 14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." You could have everlasting life if you would only come and taste and see that the Lord is good.

Finally verses 29 down to 31. “Abraham saith unto him, ‘they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.’ And he said unto him, ‘If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’" We present one to you in the gospel meeting who did indeed enter in to death and one who did indeed rise from the dead. God's eternal son, the Lord Jesus, the one who rose victorious from the grave, victorious over sin and over death and over hell. Why would you leave the gospel meeting still in rebellion towards him? He has opened up the way for you to come. Come from the dark paths of sin and come again into fellowship and communion with God. And you can know your sins forgiven. The Saviour who died upon the cross, the one who entered into death for you and for I rose victorious and now he lives in the power of an endless life. Tonight he sits at the Father's own right hand in glory. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Come tonight and have rest and come and receive this rest for your soul. Why? Because life is short and death is sure, judgment is certain, but eternity is long. A decision tonight is required. What will you will your decision be tonight? Will you leave the gospel meeting another time still rejecting the Saviour to go out into eternity and end up on the wrong side of the great gulf that is fixed? End up on the wrong side of the great divide. Or will you come in a veil of the great salvation that has been procured for you at that place called Calvary? I remind you again of the passage that we read in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” You could avoid going down into this awful place that the Bible calls hell if you'll only come to put your faith and your trust in the risen Christ tonight. The scriptures tell us, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." It doesn't say you might be saved. It doesn't say there's a possibility you'll be saved. It doesn't say if all ends well, you'll be saved. No the word of God says “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It's a sure and certain salvation. It's freely available for you. May you know God's help to come

 

Spiritual armour

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER 2026 – MR JASON CRUISE

EPHESIANS 6 VERSES 10 TO 19

When any country or nation sends its troops into the midst of a war they have an obligation to make sure that those in the army are suitably dressed for the battle. It would be detrimental to the outcome if they didn’t have the proper attire. The same can be said for you and I from the moment we give our lives to Christ. From that moment forward until Christ comes or calls we are involved in warfare with a very powerful enemy. Colossians 1 verse 13. What a blessing to be found in the family and fold of God. 1 John 3 verse 1. From that moment when we raised the flag of allegiance to Christ we are involved in a spiritual war and we have a great enemy. 1 Peter 5 verse 8. The devil is a great tactician. He is a great strategist. He is seeking to bring down the child of God. Ever since Eden he seeks the downfall of the child of God. But God has provided armour for you and I for the battle. To fail to apply that armour is to expect defeat before the battle has begun. The great Puritan John Owen who died in 1683 said “no one preaches his own sermon well to others if he does not preach it to himself first of all.” The apostle Paul speaking to believers at Ephesus and he is telling them to be empowered daily by the Lord. 

Verse 10 To live a successful Christian life here on earth, relying on your own strength and ability or capabilities would be futile. We do rely on the Lord. “Stand strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” We dare not step out to do a work for God relying upon our strength. We rely first and foremost on the Lord and his enabling power.

Verses 11 and 12 Notice that Paul doesn’t simply say “put on the armour of God” but rather in both verses 11 and 13 he emphasizes it is the “whole” armour. A few pieces of armour will not be sufficient for the task. You and I are in the spiritual battle today. We must put on the whole armour of God. This is the result of putting on the whole armour of God. We don’t want to be soldiers of the Lord who stand ashamed and embarrassed because of our paltry efforts. We want to stand strong and steadfast. In verse 13 we see the onus is on us to apply the armour. This is different than Isaiah 61 verse 10. God has covered us with the robe of imputed righteousness. Take unto you the whole armour of God. God has provided us with it and it is up to us to take it up day and daily. There are 6 items of armour to be considered.

The letter to the Ephesians is a prison epistle. It was written while Paul was in prison in Rome. Day and daily Paul would have seen the Roman soldiers as they walked about prepared for battle. He saw the garments they wore. He likens the armour we would put on to the armour the Roman soldier would have put on in preparation for battle. The tunic had space for head and arms. It was free flowing. The tunic was held in place by the belt. The belt helped the tunic from moving about. The soldier would be unencumbered. We can apply it to ourselves. The belt of truth. There is much false doctrine about today. Deception and many lies and half truths. Without the belt of truth so many can blow about after every doctrine. Ephesians 4 “that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro carried about with every word of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. The belt was applied to the soldier, it held the tunic in place. We must apply the belt of truth so we are unencumbered. Know the difference between false doctrine and lies and deception. “Having on the breastplate of righteousness”. The breastplate protected a vital part of the body. The upper part of the body from the neck to the torso. The thorax covering to put on the upper body and lower torso. Protecting the heart. We read of 3 types of righteousness – self-righteousness, imputed righteousness and practical righteousness. Self-righteousness means we believed we were good enough before we got saved, we could make our own way to heaven by our own efforts. Imputed righteousness was given at the moment of conversion, the day we put our faith and trust in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. We have received the imputed righteousness of God. The breastplate pictures 2 things – imputed and practical righteousness. John MacArthur once said “Imputed righteousness makes practical righteousness possible but only obedience to the Lord makes practical righteousness a reality.” Harry Ironside once said “If you want to win in this battle, you must practice righteousness. Your life must be clean. There must not be hidden sin or unholy thinking tolerated, no unrighteousness in your life covered up if you are to have victory in this conflict.” I wonder in our lives day and daily do we practice practical righteousness? Are we living right before God? When we are far from this assembly what is our testimony like before those we come into contact with? John 15 verses 10 and 11. The devil would want to take the joy we have through our salvation knowing we have been made right through the finished work of Christ. What a joy it is to know your sins forgiven. The devil would seek to take that joy away. The breastplate was the only one item to have received help from others to put it on. Every other piece would be put on by the soldier. To practice righteousness day and daily. To live a holy life in our community, families we need the help of the Holy Spirit to enable to demonstrate that practical righteousness, that holy living before those that we live among and before the Lord himself.

Verses 15 and 16 Have you got on your gospel boots today? I wonder in the week that lies ahead will our walk match the talk on a Sunday? The boots of the Roman soldier had spikes on the sole to enable the soldier to stand securely in the battle. Each and every day are we standing strong, steadfast and secure? Have we on our boots today? If a Roman soldier hadn’t these strong leather boots on and laced up around the shin to the knee he could have become hurt with the thorns and stones from the rough ground. If that happened of course it would affect his walk. It would affect his walk. The last thing any believer wants is to have their walk with God affected. Think of Enoch in Genesis 5 verse 24 “and Enoch walked with God.” Hebrews 10 verse 5 before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. Does our walk with God please God? How is your testimony today? Have we the boots on today? Are we standing secure in the battle? Are we swift to spread the gospel? Maybe never stand in the pulpit but walk among people tomorrow that the preacher will never see. Are you swift to spread the gospel among those you move among in the week ahead?

Verse 16 Shield of faith. The Roman soldier had 2 shields. A small shield of 2 feet in diameter which was strapped to his arm and used on close combat. Then there was the larger shield which was 2 and a half foot wide and 4 foot high. It was carried by the Roman soldier at the front of the battle. It was made of wood covered by leather and pieces of metal. It protected the soldier and those behind from the arrows. As they came toward the soldier the shield would have been put in place, each one lined up together. These shields were dipped in residue so that whenever the fiery arrows hit the shield, they were immediately extinguished. Think of the shield of faith. Paul talked about the shield that is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Doubt, fear and discouragement that the devil would fire at us each and every day. When we come under attack we can take refuge behind the shield of faith. John Patton the missionary to the South Sea Island preached the gospel to tribes but when he was translating the bible he could not find a word for faith. One of the tribesmen came into his home one day and sat down in a chair. He said “it is good to rest my whole weight upon this chair.” “That’s it” John Paton said. I translate faith like this. It’s just like resting your whole weight upon God. You and I shelter and take refuge behind the shield of faith.  Today, we're simply not trusting in our faith, but rather we're trusting in the one in whom our faith has been put. You and I today are trusting in the Lord. The one who will never leave us nor forsake us. The one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. My dear friends, the one that you and I rest or wait upon, he is infinitely powerful and he is absolutely dependable.

Verse 17 Paul says, "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God." This is the fifth piece of the armour. The purpose of the helmet was to protect the soldier's head in the battle. Whenever you and I think about the helmet of salvation, I think of how the devil would come at times and he would say to the believer, he would say, "Are you really saved at all?" He would say, "Are you really even a Christian at all?" He would seek to come and to plant those seeds of doubt about your salvation. We're thankful today for the helmet of salvation that protects against those seeds of doubt and discouragement. The devil comes along and he seeks to distract and distort and take away your confidence and make you doubt. You and I can take comfort from the words of the Lord himself in John chapter 10 verses 28 and 29 "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. My Father and I are one.” You're held securely today not only in the hand of the Lord himself but in the hand of the Lord. The apostle here finally he mentions the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. That word in verse 17 that is translated here “word” in the original is not as some people would think as they would translate it as being “logos” which is the written word but rather it is the word “remma” which means the spoken word the spoken word. Out of the six pieces of armour that the Apostle Paul mentions, five of them are defensive and one of them is offensive - the sword of the spirit. Whenever the Lord was in the wilderness and the devil comes along to tempt the Lord, you'll recall that Christ didn't quote the words of a hymn. He didn't quote the words of some Jewish rabbi and he didn't quote the words of some Greek scholar. He quoted the word of God. He quoted the inherent, infallible, indestructible, and inspired word of God. It's not simply enough to have the Bible in your hand but may it be absorbed into our very being so that whenever you and I would come under attack that we can quote the word of God. I wonder are you ready to wield the word of God? Do we have it in our very being? Have you set time aside not only to read the word of God but to study the word of God? Remember the words of Peter in 1 Peter 2 verse 2 “as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.” Did you set time aside to read the word of God to absorb it into your very being today? In the week that lies ahead, will each of us take time to come aside with the Lord, leaving aside all the cares and the worries of life and spend a little time with him and in his word to absorb his word into your very being. These six pieces of spiritual armour enable the believer to stand strong when under attack. They enable us to stand strong each and every day. Do you and I have on the whole armour of God today?

Finally, verse 18, Paul says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Are we men and women of prayer? Do we set time aside not only to read and to study the word of God, but do we set time aside for prayer? Have you came already to the Lord this morning and poured out your heart before him? Have you committed the day to him? Before we lift our feet off the floor in the evening to go to our bed, do we come again to the Lord in prayer, simply thanking him for who he is and for what he has done? You know, we're thankful whenever we come to him in prayer. We're not simply coming to one who hears us, but we're coming to one who hears and has the power to answer.

Have you on the whole armour of God? And are you men and woman of prayer?