Mission Impossible

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 pm – PASTOR LAWRENCE KENNEDY

ACTS 12 VERSE 1 TO 16

There was a film franchise called Mission Impossible a number of years ago. I think it was Tom Cruz who played the part of Ethan Hunt. They are action spy thrillers. The first one was way back in 1996. There's been eight in the series. There was Mission Impossible 1, Mission Impossible 2, Mission Impossible 3, and so on. The last one in 2025 was Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. This historic event recorded for us in Acts 12 is a thrilling story in its own right. It is indeed a mission impossible. James has been martyred verse two. And for Herod, it worked in the population. It worked well politically. It was a popular move. And Herod looked around for another candidate to execute to boost his approval ratings. And his eyes fell on Peter. Peter was outspoken when the rest of the majority would be silent. Peter was dynamic when the rest of the church seemed to be timid. Peter was passionate when the majority of the church seemed to be restrained. It could be that Herod had possibly heard of Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus at Galilee there in Matthew 14 and he heard of this amazing event that happened as it was spread and rumoured about that he had walked on the water. Maybe he had heard how Peter had used violence at the arrest of Jesus and had cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest there in John 18. And he thought, yes, Peter, Peter will be the next victim. If I can silence Peter, then I will silence the church. Peter was soon imprisoned. It was Passover time. And so rather than rush a court appearance, he holds Peter until after the Passover to execute him. But God amazingly, miraculously rescued him. It is a marvellous story. It's a mission impossible. And tonight it illustrates for us what God is able to do tonight in the life of an unsaved person. He is able to do mission impossible. And I was thinking in the prayer meeting and mentioned it in prayer how we find in the Bible so many impossible cases. Namaan the Syrian general was a leper and he seemed to be an impossible case. yet through a wee servant girl he was brought to faith in God Jehovah or we have Rahab the harlot who lived in Jericho on the walls and entertained the men. Who would have thought that not only would she come into the family of God but she would be listed in the genealogy of our Saviour. What a work of redemption. Or Ruth, the Moabite girl who lost her husband and her brother-in-law and her father-in-law, and yet decided she would travel with her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem. And she said, "Where thou goest, I will go. Thy God shall be my God. Thy people shall be my people. Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried." What an amazing trophy of grace. Here we have another one. Peter in prison. chained with two chains, sleeping between two Roman soldiers. I want you to notice a few things tonight as we summarize this narrative.

First of all, I want you to see the danger he faced. You see, it's bad enough being arrested, but it's worse whenever you're imprisoned and Peter understood the significance of being in prison. It was the James scenario all over again. This was a death sentence and Peter knew that. And so there he is in the prison with two chains and two soldiers making sure there was no sign of escape. I don't know if he scribbled down a will. I don't know if he wrote a final note to his family and supporters. He sits awaiting the mock trial and for the guards to take him from the cell to the place of execution, the danger he faced. Now I see a parallel because as I look over this congregation, as I look into the camera there at the back, I need to remind you that God says if you have not turned from sin, if you have not embraced the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for you, then you are in grave danger. You might be sitting in your own home or sitting in church tonight. You might not have two chains or two soldiers, one on either side of you, but the Bible tells us that if you know not Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are in grave danger. You're in bondage to the devil. You're condemned already. You're dead in your sins. And although you don't realize it, you're awaiting eternal execution and judgment. If Jesus Christ is not your Saviour, then by default he is your judge. If Jesus Christ is not your substitute, then he is your accuser. If Jesus Christ is not your sanctifier, then he is your condemner. And if you find yourself without Jesus Christ tonight, without knowing him personally as your Saviour, you are in grave danger. Because without Jesus Christ, you face suffering in hell. And we could spend time in Revelation thinking of the torment and the agony and the darkness and the weeping and the gnashing of teeth and the thirst and the eternal flame. And we go through a whole list of descriptions of what hell is like if you know not the Saviour. Not only the suffering of hell, we could think about the eternity of hell because it never ceases. There is no reprieve from it. There there's no way out. There's no light at the end of the tunnel. No. No. We could talk about the eternity of hell. We could if we wanted we could speak about the consciousness of him because you remember you remember meetings. You remember Sunday school days. You remember verses that were learned and choruses that were sung and maybe the prayers of a granny or mommy at the bedside. You remember those days of opportunity. Oh, the danger he faced.

The second thing I want you to notice is this. The prayer he attracted. Verse five tells us, "Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." The church was in a lockdown, a 247 prayer vigil. There they were on their knees, maybe lying prostrate and they were crying out to God. And there's only one topic of prayer. They were praying for Peter. Lord, move in this situation. Lord, we need you to move. We need you to bring Peter out of prison. We need him. We love him. We appreciate his ministry. And they were crying to God. I imagine tears in that prayer meeting. I visualize burdened, agonized prayers of saints broken with worry. Peter was being prayed for. And tonight, if you're not a Christian, I want you to understand that before the service tonight, we were praying for you. We zoom just in here, we were praying for you. Praying for those physically here, not saved. Praying for those tuning in online, not saved. Praying for family members not saved. My prayer list just seems to get longer and longer. People have promised to pray for and it takes a while getting through that prayer list. Some of you have been prayed for years. You know what I would love? I would love for some unsaved people to slip into our prayer room, slip into our prayer meeting that that you would hear people, Christians crying out to God to save your soul. I would love you to hear them praying with a choke in their voice and tears on their face as they cry to God for you. sometimes maybe mentioning you by name. I think you would be shocked. I think maybe you'd be embarrassed. I think maybe you'd be humbled to think that others care more about your eternal soul than you do. Lord, make it simple for them tonight. Lord, make it obvious to them tonight. Lord, make the gospel powerful tonight that they'll understand it. Lord, save them tonight. Give them the joy of forgiveness. You know, in in Acts chapter 12, there was some people in the prayer meeting praying, but they didn't really believe anything would happen. Because whenever Peter turned up at the door, they thought it was a ghost. And they didn't believe we wrote it. Whenever she went to the door and came back. You see, they were praying. They were sincere. They were they were passionate. Have no doubt. And they really knew that God was able. But somehow in the back of their mind, they didn't really believe that he would he would answer there and then. I'm a wee bit like that, you know. Pray and pray, but maybe if God answered, I'd be shocked. I'm a wee bit like the man who said to the Lord, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief." Dear friend, as we pray, I want you to know that God is able to answer. He's able to meet the need. He's able to answer in ways that we couldn't even imagine. And maybe even in the prayer meeting tonight as we prayed, maybe some of us just didn't believe that God would answer. But God answered in Acts chapter 12, God answered and he can answer tonight. The danger he faced Oh, it was it was fatal. And without Jesus Christ, you face a danger you can't even imagine. An eternity without God, an eternity of torment whenever God has provided an answer. Not only the danger he faced, but the prayer he attracted, the believers were praying and probably people at home looking in have no idea the number of people who are praying and holding on to God. Maybe a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, a child praying and praying that God would move. The prayer he attracted.

Notice thirdly, the rest that he enjoyed. Verse six tells us that Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison. Peter was sleeping in spite of the danger. In spite of the pending execution, Peter was asleep. I don't think it was that he felt he needed his beauty sleep. You see, Peter was content because he appreciated that all was well for eternity. He appreciated that God was in full control and he knew that he was not in Herod's hands. He was in his heavenly father's hands and he wouldn't need to lose a night's sleep because God was in control. My is this not a great message for us as we go into another week. We waken up tomorrow. We don't know what will come our way. We don't know what will happen. Maybe a phone call and our life has just turned upside down. Isn't it lovely to know that our times are in his hands? My God, I wish them there. Our hands are not in the hands of some dictator in Iran. Our times are in God's hands. Christians are unique because whenever we become Christians, we lose the fear of death. Now, we still fear illness and we get apprehensive about how and when and how death might come. That's a human instinct. We're only human at the end of the day. But we don't fear what lies beyond the grave. We don't fear eternity because we have the assurance from God that it will be far better. It it'll be better in every way. We will be so overcome with the glories and the wonders of Christ and the glories of heaven that the cares of this world will not even enter our thoughts. We have the assurance of God that all is well. We need not fear for Jesus Christ has already taken our judgment. We need not fear for Jesus Christ has already taken the wrath of his father. We need not fear because he's already taken my place. And I could bring you to the cross of Calvary in mind tonight. And we see there three crosses standing side by side of the broken law sign. Two for their own transgressions died. The middle one for mine. The blood of Jesus Christ shed for all takes away my fear and apprehension. The blood of Jesus Christ, the empty tomb, reminds me that all is well when my trust is in him. You know, there's another kind of sleep. There's a satanic spiritual sleep. That makes us oblivious to our danger. There's a sleep that makes us blaze to the cross. There's a there's a sleep that anesthetizes us to the danger of our sin. and we're just lulled to sleep and we speak to them every day. People who pass us by and if we were to talk to them, they say, "Okay, I'm all right now. I'm all right. I go to my church and I know the Bible and I'm good. I'm the best neighbour in the street and I do anything I'm needed to do. I'm all right there." And Satan has lulled them to sleep and have no idea of the danger that they face. no idea of the prayer that has been attracted on their behalf and they've been lulled asleep. But Peter is in a sleep of peace and contentment knowing that all is well. Peace in a troubled world. You know the story of a painting competition and the title of the competition was tranquillity. And so the artist went away and one painted a meadow scene and there was the sheep and the field and the cattle and a beautiful peaceful scene, beautiful tranquillity. Another artist he went in another track and he painted a wee harbour scene and the waters still as still could be and the sun going down and the wee boats in the harbour - tranquillity. The winner of the competition went on another track completely. He painted a roaring waterfall crashing down over the precipice and churning up underneath. And it you can nearly hear the sound of it and the crash of it and the noise of it. But if you look very closely at the painting, behind the waterfall was a wee branch. And on the branch was a wee bird singing his heart out. Peace, in spite of the roar of the waterfall, in spite of the chaos and the noise, peace in a troubled world. What a wonderful thing. And here's Peter asleep. Even though the waterfall of trouble is all around him, peace in a troubled world. Is that how you'll sleep tonight? Knowing that all is well. The danger he faced. Oh, the danger not knowing the Savior. The prayer he attracted. There's people praying for you, concerned about you. The rest he enjoyed.

But number four, the deliverance he experienced. Look at verse seven. “Behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison and he smote Peter in the side and raised him up saying, arise up quickly and the chains fell off from his hand.” He told him to get up and guard himself, bind on his sandals, cast his garment about him and follow him. What a wonderful illustration of the gospel. This is supernatural. This is divine. This is mission impossible. God intervenes. There he is asleep to his need. Asleep in the prison and God intervened. The light shone. Peter was raised up. The chains fell off. He was clothed. He followed. An illustration of what God does in salvation. God intervenes. The light of the gospel dawns on a soul into the darkness of the mind. The penny drops and suddenly it makes sense. It seems obvious. There's an awareness of sin. There's an appreciation of Jesus Christ. He took my place. Peter responds. He is raised up. I was thinking of Psalm 40 when the psalmist says, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit and out of the miry clay and he put a new song in my mouth. Even praise unto our God." When you respond to Jesus Christ, the chains fall off. You're clothed in God's righteousness. You follow the Saviour. Maybe tonight in cold rain, your chains are religious pride. Hard to break. You know, “I'm all right. I go to my church. I am as good as you.” Maybe your chains are self-righteousness. Maybe your chains are faulty theology or peer pressure or hurts and scars from the past. And you were hurt in church and you say, "I'm not going to be like one of them.” And God tonight is shining his light as he intervenes in your life. He commands that you respond by repentance and faith and trust. The chains will break. You'll be clothed in salvation and you follow him. Notice please that this was not initiated by Peter. No, this was initiated by God himself. Peter was unconscious. It was initiated by heaven. Was it um Haldor Lillenus who writing in the 1900s wrote that hymn?

Once I was bound in sins galling fetters
Chained as a slave, I struggled in vain.
But I received a glorious freedom
When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.
 
Freedom from all the carnal affections
Freedom from envy, hatred, and strife
Freedom from vain and worldly ambitions
Freedom from all that saddened my life
 
Freedom from fear with all of its torments
Freedom from care with all of its pain
Freedom in Christ my blessed redeemer
He who has rent my fetters in twain.
 
Glorious freedom wonderful freedom
No more in chains of sin I repine
Jesus the glorious emancipator
Now and forever. He shall be mine.
 

What a glorious deliverance. This can be your experience tonight. Maybe you've been asleep spiritually up to now. Maybe not even thinking about God and thinking about Jesus Christ and what he meant and what he did and what he accomplished. But God can intervene in your life. The danger you face, the prayer that is attracted for you. The rest that you can enjoy, the deliverance that can be experienced. Jesus died to take your place. Jesus died to take your punishment. Jesus died to be your substitute so that you can come to God through him and say, "I believe that I'm a sinner. I believe I can't save myself, but Jesus died for me. Jesus took my place. What a glorious truth. Let me finish. Not only the danger he faced, the prayer he attracted, the rest he enjoyed, the deliverance he experienced, but the rejoicing that he created. Verse 12 “And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, "Thou art mad." But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. And they said, "It is his angel." But Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the door, they saw him and they were astonished.” Who said there's no humour in the Bible? This is hilarious. The prayer meeting in Mary's house and there's a knock at the door and Rhoda comes and recognizes the voice. Instead of opening the door, she runs in to tell them in the prayer meeting that their prayers are answered and they don't believe her. Eventually they see him and they rejoice together. Our prayer is that we might rejoice together over souls in bondage set free and souls in danger delivered because of the danger you face and the prayer that is attracted. Maybe Satan has put on you just a sleep of death. The deliverance that you can enjoy. The rejoicing that we can have together over a sinner that comes and puts their trust in him.

Some of you will know I worked in the bank. That's where I started my career before going to Bible college. A young fella came to work in my department. Charlie was his name. Charlie was a bit of a rascal. You were always in Charlie's van to get work done. He seemed to be not too worried about banking. One day in my office, the phone went and it was for Charlie. And I called him in. “Charlie, that's for you.” I left the office to give him a bit of privacy. And the when the phone call was over, I said, "Charlie, is everybody okay? Everyone okay?" He says, "Lawrence, I need to speak to you. My mom and dad and my aunt and uncle are in Enniskillen on Lough Erne and on a cruiser and he says they've invited me up for the weekend. Could I get away early?” I told him “Charlie you get your work done and you can get away early.” Well I never saw him work as hard in all his life. He worked like a trooper and away Charlie went then to Enniskillen. Now the story goes like this. He parked the car. The cruiser was just off the jetty. Charlie thought that if he ran he could jump onto the cruiser. He ran and Charlie almost made it. Almost. He fell into the water. His foot got caught in something under the water. His uncle dived from the boat, got his arm, but couldn't release him. He had to come up for air and tried to duck dive and couldn't get low enough. And they got Charlie's body two days later at Lusty Beg. That was in 1982. He almost made it.

The greatest tragedy would be if you almost made it but are lost. To know the hymns, to know the verses, to know the Bible stories, to know about the cross, to know about Jesus, to know about his death, to know about the resurrection, and know it all in theory in the head and never do anything about it. And death comes and you're lost. You almost made it.  Come tonight and say, "Lord, I'm a sinner, but I believe that God loved me. Christ died for me. He died on the cross to take my punishment, to take my place. Tonight, I'm turning away from my old life. And I'm putting my trust and my confidence on him who died for me. The light will shine. The chains will fall. He will dress you in righteousness that are not your own but his and you'll be set free. Hallelujah. What a Saviour. May God help you to come tonight. What a wonderful passage. What a wonderful illustration and what God can do in the life of someone bound by sin. May God help you to come tonight.

 

 

 

Eternal Security With Christ

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 – PASTOR LAWRENCE KENNEDY

JOHN 10 VERSES 11 TO 29 

Security is an important issue today. A vital issue for everyone. We have home security – dead bolts, locks, alarms, hidden cameras. All to keep us secure. We have travel insurance for security on holiday. That means when we arrive at the airport 2 hours before our flight, when we get into that snake queue and go through the airport security we don’t feel guilty before we even sit on the plane. Some planes now have air marshalls for added security. We want to have financial security particularly in these days when the cost of living is ever rising. We not only have home security, financial security and travel security but there is national security. Now they are even talking about cyber security, they tell us we should change our computer passwords every month to keep ourselves safe. Even our late queen was vulnerable when someone broke into the palace and again in another incident in Windsor Castle involving a man with a cross bow. All of those fade into insignificance when we consider spiritual security or eternal security. This touches at the very core of what we are as human beings. Because even though we're maybe in good health at the moment, there will come a point when health will fade and we will finish our time here on earth and we will go out into eternity that will last forever. And so eternal security is at the very core of what we are as human beings. Making sure all is well for the great eternity. The preacher in Ecclesiastes spoke about that in Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11. He said that God has set the world or God has set eternity in our hearts. There's something in us that is eternal, is God breathed. And that's why this world with all its amazing beauty and opportunities can never really satisfy us at the deepest level. There's always something missing. That is the eternity that God has put in our souls. Down through the centuries, theologians and preachers have debated this profound issue of eternal security. Is it possible to be saved and know it and rest on it to such a degree that we have no fear for eternity? We know that all is well. Whenever it comes, whatever happens, whatever the circumstances, we know that all is well for the great eternity. This is life's ultimate question.

In the passage before us this morning in John 10, the Lord Jesus introduces himself as the good shepherd who gave his life for the sheep. And in these verses, he says a lot about his sheep. He deals with this profound issue of eternal security. To summarize these verses in front of us this morning, I want to use three simple headings. I want to talk about his promise to the sheep. I want to talk about the problem with his sheep and I want to talk about the proof of his sheep.

First of all, then the promise to the sheep. The Lord Jesus clearly states in verse 28 four words. He says “they shall never perish.” He said this to all his sheep without exception. They shall never perish. This is true of all his sheep regardless of church denomination. This is true of his sheep regardless of colour or culture or country or century, they shall never perish. This is true whatever their theological bent or whatever their theological preference,

this is true regardless of where they fit into the theological spectrum. It's true whether they're premillennialists or amillennialists, reformed, Pentecostal or high Anglican. They shall never perish. If you're a Christian this morning in Coleraine Evangelical, you should be shouting hallelujah inside because this is the promise that God gives you as one of his sheep. You shall never never never perish. Now notice, please, he did not say that you would never get sick and die.

He did not say that you would never get into difficulty and make mistakes. He did not say that you would never doubt or struggle. He didn't even say that you would never wander or backslide. He didn't even say that you would never get cold spiritually and become carnal. He didn't even say that you would never be disobedient or murmur and complain. But he did say this, "Ye shall never perish." They can be a work in progress. I put my hand up to that work in progress. Or that we could be a negative and critical. They can say stupid things and hurt other believers. And they can be stubborn, unloving, and ungracious. And very unlike the Lord Jesus who they claim to love, they can be all those things, but they shall never perish. This is a glorious truth. Engrave it indelibly upon your heart. If you can truly say, "The Lord is my shepherd," then God can say of us, "you will never perish." We have a golden ticket to glory. We have what this world cannot give. We have what money cannot buy. All because of God's amazing love. All because of God's mercy and grace that draws us to repentance and trust. We used to sing a wee hymn years ago. “With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm as we go sailing home.” Dear friend, in this shaky world with global uncertainty with Israel and Gaza and Iran and Ukraine and Russia and the Garvaghey Road and financial instability and politicians that really we wouldn't give much for, yet we have a bold confidence that for his sheep they shall never perish. Nobody can take it away. Doubt cannot erase it. Disease cannot remove it. Depression cannot abolish it. Dementia cannot dispel it. A demon cannot obliterate it. The devil can't detach it. Death can't take it away. Nothing can shake it. They shall never perish. Guaranteed by Almighty God. That's exactly what he promised in John 10 verse 28. “My sheep, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” You see, not only does God purchase his flock, he guides his flock, he feeds his flock, he defends his flock, and he secures his flock. That is the promise to the sheep. If you're a Christian here this morning, you can rest assured that in spite of the chaos around the world and in spite of all the problems that will beset us and the uncertainties that lie ahead, we can underline this because we are his sheep, we shall never, never, never perish. The promise to the sheep.

But the second thing I want you to notice is the problem with the sheep. The most vital question must be this morning. If his sheep shall never perish, who are the sheep? Who are the sheep? You see, the Bible makes it very, very clear that many think that they're one of the sheep, but they're not. The Bible makes it very clear that that people think all is well when all is not well. The Bible makes it clear that Satan's master tactic is deceiving people into thinking they're one of his sheep when they're not. And I could spend time this morning looking at different pastures. We could go to the sermon on the mount just north of Tiberias there and the slopes coming down to Galilee. And the Lord took his disciples out there to give him a sermon which was called the sermon on the mount. And there in Matthew 7, he says that “people will say to me in that day, we prophesied in your name and we cast out demons and we did many wondrous works. But the Lord will say to them, "I never knew you." Wow. They thought they were sheep. They did all the sheep things. They did all the things that sheep were expected to do. They prophesied in his name. They cast out demons. They did many wondrous works. There was the miraculous going on. And yet the Lord reveals not only he doesn't know them, he never knew them. There never was a moment when they were one of his sheep. Or I could go this to Paul writing to the church at Corinth. 2 Corinthians in chapter 13 verse 5. He's writing to sheep. He's writing to the church of Corinth. But he said to them, "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves." Paul was aware that some in Corinth maybe thought they were sheep, but they weren't. And he said to them in writing his epistle under inspiration, he says, "Examine yourself. Go around the foundations. Make sure you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Make sure it's real. Make sure it's genuine. Make sure it's not just your thinking and a lifestyle choice. Or we could go back to Matthew 7 whenever the Lord said to that group on the hillside, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. There'll be evidence." So scripture makes it very clear that it is possible to be sincere. It's possible to be earnest and honest, but in reality be self deceived.It's the problem with the sheep. This is the ultimate problem because hell is real and judgment for sin is sure. And so we have to be really really careful that that we are really one of the sheep. And I go about different churches every Sunday and people will say to me, "Well, I prayed the sinner's prayer." I wonder where they find that in the Bible. Not there. Or I filled in a decision card. That's not found in the Bible either. I'm involved in church and have a testimony. Is that what it is? I grew up in church. I knew the verses. I memorized verses because you got money when you memorize them and I wanted the money. But I wasn't one of God's sheep. I knew the language. I knew the hymns. I knew the verses. I knew the Bible stories. But I wasn't saved. I wasn't one of a sheep. And hell will be full of people who thought all was well when all wasn't well. You're with me so far. The promise to the sheep, they shall never perish. golden ticket. If you're one of his sheep, he gives you that promise. The problem with the sheep, the problem of self-deception.

Let me come on to the third one. The proof of his sheep. How does God define his sheep? How does he talk about his sheep? Because if he defines it, then we can tick the boxes and we'll know before we leave this morning whether or not  we're really one of his sheep. If you read John 10 carefully, I believe you'll discover four criteria that provide indelible proof that you're one of God's sheep. The first one is this. They believe in Jesus. That's obvious, isn't it?

So, it's basic. Now, now be careful because whenever you go to the Epistle of James chapter 2, you find that the devil believes in Jesus, and he's certainly not one of the sheep. No, but look at verse 24 that we read. “Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long dust thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not. The works that I do in my father's name, they bear witness of me, but ye believe not because you're not of my sheep. So the Lord is saying to them, you don't believe because you're not my sheep. Because by implication, he's saying, "My sheep believe me. My sheep believe what I tell them. They believe in their sinfulness and helplessness. They believe in who Jesus Christ is, the second person of the Holy Trinity, God's son, his perfect lamb, his perfect sacrifice. They believe the miracles. They believe in his purpose and plan of redemption. They believe in the cross work of Calvary, that atoning sacrifice and the resurrection. They believe in his love and mercy and grace to redeem a sinful man or woman or young person and they believe John 3 verse 3, “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” These beliefs are not dry liturgy. They're not just Protestant heritage. This is speaking about personal transforming encounter with the God of heaven. I believe him. I believe whatever he says. I believe that he is God's son. He is my rock. He is my foundation. He's my security. He's my substitute. There's no grey area. I believe it from verse one to the last verse in the Bible. From Genesis through to Revelation. I believe it with all my heart. It's personal. It's transforming. It's an encounter with the God of heaven. Did you tick the box? Did you say, "That's me. I believe in him. He's my Savior. I believe every word that's in the word of God. I embrace it. If I don't understand it, well that's because my knowledge is limited. But I still believe it. I believe it even when it doesn't seem to make sense to me at the moment. I believe it even though I can't rationalize it. I believe it because it's there. I believe.” Not only do they believe in Jesus, but criteria number two, they listen to Jesus. Verse 27, “my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.” They listen to Jesus. You can identify the genuine spiritual sheep because not only they genuinely believe in Jesus Christ, but they start to listen to Jesus Christ. “My sheep hear my voice.” Sometimes it comes like a whisper, like a still small voice whispering into the conscience. Remember Elijah when he made his journey to Horeb, the mount of God and God wasn't in the earthquake and he wasn't in the wind and the storm. No, he was in the still small voice. “What doest thou hear, Elijah?” Sometimes he comes with a roar like a lion roaring in your heart. That's how the prophet Amos got it. He was from Tekoa down in Judah and he was called to preach to the people up in Israel. And he says, "I'm not a prophet or the son of a prophet. I am a farmer and the keeper of fig trees. But one day the lion of Judah roared and I had to obey.” In my life, many a time it's the still small voice and other times it's like a megaphone from heaven. Tell me when last did you hear the voice of God? It frightens me that some believers, professing believers that I speak to, look at me as if have horns. They never hear the voice of God. I would be worried if a day went past and I didn't hear his voice. Text so and so. Contact so and so. Pray for so and so constantly. Not because I'm special, but I'm listening for his voice. And the number of times that I send a wee text message or I make contact and they're just waiting for someone to ring or someone to contact and I say, "Thank you, Lord, to for speaking into the circumstances.” We listen to Jesus. Sometimes it's a pang of guilt. Sometimes it's a balm to the soul. Sometimes it's an arm to strengthen. You start to listen to Jesus. You start to listen to what he says in discipleship. You start to listen to what he says on worship. You start to listen to what he says on holiness. You start to listen to what he says on baptism and fellowship and membership and money and marriage. What does the Lord say? I remember some years ago some of the young people used to go about with bracelets WWJD - What would Jesus do? Not a bad philosophy. Why? Because his sheep believe in Jesus and they listen to Jesus. Now, you might not do it perfectly. The best of Christians stumble and struggle at times, but you listen to him honestly, diligently, continually. You listen for his voice. As you read the word of God, it's not just to fill in a quiet time and say you've done it for the day, but you're listening for his voice. When last did you hear his voice? Do you remember Matthew 17, the mount of transfiguration? And Peter, James, and John are with the Lord on the mount. Do you remember? And the voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. Hear ye him.” Why? Because God's sheep not only believe in Jesus, they listen to Jesus. Something else. Criteria number four. You're ticking the wee boxes? They believe in Jesus. And not only believe in Jesus, but they listen to Jesus. Thirdly, they know Jesus. Look at verse 14. “I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine.” Spiritual sheep have instilled within them a desire to know Jesus better. The Apostle Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus before he got saved. He was on the Damascus road heading to Damascus to persecute the church and to incarcerate them. You'll read about his testimony in Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 22, and Galatians 1. Since that great conversion when he fell and met with the with Jesus Christ in resurrected glory, 30 years have come and gone. He has written most of our New Testament. He has planted churches throughout Asia taking the gospel to the Gentiles. He's a powerful theologian and yet he reveals after 30 years on the road with the Saviour, he reveals the longing of his heart. In Philippians 3 verse 10, he says, "That I might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death." You see, Paul is teaching us that the that longing to know God better, to know Jesus better, is one of the marks of a real spiritual sheep – “that I might know him.” Tell me, do you know him better in 2026 than you knew him in 2025? Do you know him better this Sunday than last Sunday? Not in a superficial bland way but personally, intimately, powerfully. In 1912 Charles Austin Miles wrote

I come to the garden alone.

While the dew is still on the roses

and the voice I hear falling on my ear,

the son of God discloses

 

And he walks with me and he talks with me

And he tells me that I am his own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

none other have ever known.

I can tell you honestly, I wish I knew Jesus better. I feel like the Apostle Paul. “Oh that I might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Just as a new baby cries out for food, so a new sheep, a new Christian has a hunger and a thirst for God. The promise of the sheep, they shall never perish. The problem with the sheep, the problem of self-deception. It's possible to think you're a sheep when you're not. And the north of Ireland is full of it. We have developed a Christianity light where you don't need repentance and you don't need commitment and you don't need to pray and you don't you just it's a lifestyle choice. It's from the pit of hell. The proof of his sheep. They believe in Jesus. They listen to Jesus. They want to know Jesus. Fourthly, they follow Jesus. Look at verse 4 “And he putteth forth his own sheep. He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” Verse 27, “my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.”

It is impossible to be a Christian and not a disciple. Every Christian, if they're genuine, will follow Jesus. And that's what a disciple is, a follower. It's not just a one-off event. It's not just ticking a box. It’s a life of following him and listening to him and knowing him and believing him. One of the characteristics of being a sheep is that they follow. Following Jesus takes priority and time. It takes priority and energy. It takes priority in finance and passion and prayer. W C Martin in the early 1900s wrote,

Where he may lead me, I will go,

For I have learned to trust him so

And I remember it was for me

That he was slain on Calvary.

Where he may lead me, I will go.

Followers, real sheep follow Jesus. Do you remember whenever the Lord Jesus was calling his disciples in Matthew 4 verse 19 he said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." And they left their nets and they followed him. Are you following him?

The promise to the sheep - they shall never never never never never perish.

The problem with the sheep - the problem of selfdeception.

The proof of the sheep, they believe in Christ. They hear Christ. They know Christ. And they follow Christ.

Easy? No. Boring? No. Costly? Yes. Is it worth it? And they shall never perish. One day faith will give way to sight. “And the lamb shall be all the glory in Emmanuel's land.”

And by and by when I look on his face

I'll wish I'd given him more more.

So much more more of my life

than I ever gave before.

By and by, when I look on his face,

I’ll wish I'd given them more.

Eternal security promise. Yeah. They shall never perish. Guaranteed. Even people I wouldn't agree with. Even people I wouldn't meet in a Sunday with. But if they're one of his sheep, then they have the promise. The problem with the sheep, self-deception. And we have a generation coming up who seem to be self-deceived. The proof of the sheep. They believe in Jesus. They hear Jesus. They know Jesus. And they follow Jesus.

 

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2026 – MR DAVID ANDERSON

LUKE 18 VERSES 9 TO 14

To set the context we need to look at Luke 17. Jesus has begun to make his way to the city of Jerusalem for the last time before coming to the cross. In verse 12 Jesus had entered into a village. We see 10 lepers coming out to meet him and calling out for mercy and Jesus healed them. Following after that he is met by some Pharisees – verse 20. They are constantly looking for fault in Jesus, for ways to trip him up. They asked a question “when shall the kingdom of God come?” He answered them – not by observation. Then he turns and talks to his disciples. He talks of the coming kingdom. A kingdom that was future for them. Some people take this passage to talk about the rapture of the church. Verses 34 to 36 "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one shall be taken, the other left. Two women grinding together, the one taken, the other left. Two men in the field, the one taken and the other left." Those verses are speaking of judgment. You can see the context of that in verses 26 to 29. It is all about coming judgment not those taken by the rapture. who are left are those who will not be part of the kingdom. It is actually beyond the rapture. Looking to the return of the Lord to the earth. Some people say they don’t want to talk about prophecy Well, Jesus talked about it. It is not a secondary subject. The Lord talked extensively about the fact that he would come again. I hope you believe that Jesus is coming again. We know that because he is coming again. A principle set for all of us to pray. In this passage immediately after this when we read verse 1 of chapter 18 it is easy to take it out of context. Many say it is talking about being prayerful people but rather we should be focused on the fact that Jesus is coming again. We should desire his coming again. That goes against the grain. We have a desire to preach the gospel, to see people saved. The greatest desire of the Christian is that we see Jesus our Saviour. Jesus continues on that theme with 2 parables. First the unjust judge contrasted with the judge of all the earth. That parable finishes in verse 8. "When the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth." Then he goes into the parable we read in verses 9 to 14. The second parable is not directed at the disciples. It's directed at those who were gathered around. We see that in verse 9 because he it says he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Some had gathered. Jesus had been sharing with his followers, with his disciples. Within that crowd of people as they've gathered together, there are some there who are sceptical about who he is, are sceptical about his teaching, and who are thinking themselves to be better than others. And perhaps it's the case that some of those who had gathered were Pharisees. He tells the parable of 2 men who went up to the temple to pray. A clear contrast between them. That is the contrast Jesus is emphasizing – those who enter the kingdom will be those of faith. Those who will not will be depending on themselves. The contrast between 2 men. 

First of all notice their contrasting reputations. Verse 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee and the other a publican." The one a Pharisee and the other a publican. So let's begin with the first description, the Pharisee. Jesus is telling this parable. The people he is speaking to may not have grasped that Jesus is speaking to them. They thought of the Pharisees in their own community and in the place of worship. They were considered to be those most upright of all the religious people. They kept the law in every aspect. They held everyone accountable to their interpretations. It was their own opinions that mattered. It put a sense of fear into the people. They determined if the people made the right sacrifices and whether they could enter into the temple. If you remember, Jesus went into the temple and he whipped the place and he overturned the tables and he put out the money changers. And what was going on there was that people were coming to the temple with their sacrifices. And the people, the Pharisees and the religious people were looking at them and saying, "They're not good enough, but we have sheep or we have lambs or we have doves here and you can purchase one of them." They would buy the sacrifice or the offering that the people had bought from them for a nominal value and they would sell them their own and they were making money. It was a money-making racket and that's what Jesus was condemning in the temple. The Pharisees were considered by the people of the community to be on a higher spiritual level. Many of the Pharisees thought that of themselves too. Jesus talks in this parable about a Pharisee and a Publican – what did he mean?  What does the word Publican mean? Who does he represent in this parable? The title is used in a negative sense. In the King James Version it often means tax collector. The tax collectors took employment of the occupying Roman government. They betrayed their own kinsmen. No-one liked them. They were the lowest in society as far as the Jewish people were concerned. The word that's translated as publican is only used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And there are at least two occasions where publicans are actually directly associated with sinners. In Matthew chapter 9 and verse 10, it says, "Many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples." The publicans and the sinners are grouped together. In that same chapter, it's the Pharisees who question why Jesus is eating with publicans and sinners. the Pharisees and the publicans, they're almost the complete opposite as far as the people are concerned. In Matthew chapter 21 verse 31, Jesus himself is making this point about what type of people the publicans were considered to be and he associates the publicans with the harlots. So we can see what people think about the publicans and we can see what the people think about the Pharisees.  2 men went up to the temple to pray – one a Pharisee and the other a Publican. The people would not have imagined that the publican would be in the temple because the Pharisees would not let them in. We see a really strange contrast being made. 2 very different types of people. The Pharisees are proud of who they are. The Publicans betrayed their heritage. The Pharisees tried to obey all the laws, pleasing God by their own efforts. The Publicans had no problem breaking laws in order to fill their pockets. They were godless, greedy for money. That is what caused them to betray their own people in the first place. 2 different type of people in view. Jesus knew who he was speaking to. Some of those in the crowd were in the heart a Pharisee. Perhaps as Jesus set the contrast there were those in the crowd who would have assumed that Jesus was about to praise the Pharisee and criticize or condemn the Publican. What does Jesus do? He contrasts their reputations.

Secondly we see contrasting prayers – verses 11 to 13. Notice how the Pharisee prayed “with himself”. It means within himself. "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess." His heart was not turned toward God. It was a prayer to be seen and heard. It was all for show. One bible commentator said this prayer never got beyond the ceiling. He was the only important one in this whole exercise as far as he was concerned. Notice how 5 times he praises himself: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” In his prayer here, as Jesus tells us about it, he believes that his religion is enough. He says, "I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. I'm not like others because of who I am. I'm a Pharisee. I have religion. He believes his character is enough. He isn't a sinner like everyone else. He prays and he lists off the sins and the characteristic of others. It is almost like he has a list and he is checking it off. A checklist in his head checking himself off against everyone else. So full of pride and upright character. He believes his works are enough. He goes above and beyond. Prideful works based religion. Thinks he is better than anyone else. Then he hears the prayer of the Publican. He is standing afar off. There is no pride in this man’s prayer. It is as if he is standing at the back out of the way. Not worthy to be there. The temple is a holy place. He felt there was nothing in him to allow him to be there. He knew his own worth. He wouldn’t lift up his eyes unto heaven. A contrast with the Pharisee. He was clearly full of pride. His head was lifted up. He was so self-righteous. The Publican smote his breast. Someone in anguish of soul. If you read this story the Publican is demonstrating his remorse because of sin. Jesus telling the parable created in minds this man doing something unusual. This would be considered unacceptable in the temple. It is a story of contrasts. “God be merciful to me a sinner.” 7 words. A sinner’s prayer. A recognition of his need, unworthiness before a holy God. Some of those listening to Jesus would have thought they were still good enough. They didn’t do the awful things this man did. They kept the moral laws. A contrast is being presented. People are falling on both sides of the line. Jesus brings home the real point of the story.

Their contrasting eternity – verse 14 "I tell you, this man, the publican, went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Many of the people gathered didn’t expect this ending. The Pharisee is relying upon himself. His own efforts. His own self righteousness. It was never enough. We are all as an unclean thing. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. If they are not dwelt with they will take us away from God. The Publican, the outcast, the one who no-one wanted to associate themselves with yet he knew what needed to be done. The evidence in his prayer. He acknowledged he was a sinner, that his sin had offended God and needed God’s mercy. Jesus says the Publican was justified, the Pharisee is condemned. One saved and one is not and it wasn’t the way people assumed it to be. The way of salvation is still the same. The way of salvation is for all who believe. Maybe you could be like the Pharisee and are depending our your own righteousness and efforts. Or maybe you are like the Publican. Someone living in open rebellion and everyone knows that. Whether you are like the Pharisee or the Publican the way of salvation is still the same – through Jesus and his work at the cross. Jesus came into the world to die for the unjust that he might bring us to God. We were born as sinners. If we never come and confess our sin to God we are heading on the broad road, to separation and hell. You need to come and acknowledge you are lost in your sin. Maybe you might be an upright individual who attends church. You don’t know Jesus as Saviour. Your are currently heading for a lost eternity. The best you can do is not enough. “There was no other good enough, to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in.” Pray the Publican’s prayer tonight – “God be merciful to me a sinner”, confess your sin, accept him as your Saviour. One day Christ will come again and take his church to be with him in heaven – are you ready for that day?

 

 

 

Standing Fast in the Lord

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2026 – DAVID ANDERSON

1 THESSALONIANS 3 – STANDING FAST IN THE LORD

 

Now, when you come to Paul's first epistle to the church of Thessalonica, First Thessalonians, one of the major themes that that flows through this whole epistle is the coming of the Lord. And you'll see that in each chapter, you'll see that Paul refers to the coming of the Lord right through the epistle. Chapter 1 verse 10, he talks about “waiting for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Chapter 2 and verse 19 “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” Chapter 3 verse 13 “At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” Chapter 4, it talks about the return of the Lord. There's that great section from verse 13 through to verse 18 about the coming of the Lord.  Then in chapter five again there is reference to the coming of the Lord in the opening verses of that chapter. So the whole way through 1 Thessalonians, there's an emphasis upon the coming of the Lord.

But whenever you come into this central chapter, chapter 3 of First Thessalonians, I think it's important to recognize not just that setting, not just that overriding theme that there is through First Thessalonians, but also how Paul structures the letter in a practical way to the believers. The coming of the Lord, there's a prophetic truth there. It's also practical because we're to live our lives in light of the coming of the Lord. But there's a practical structure to the letter. In chapter one, the emphasis is upon encouraging the church in Thessalonica. In chapter 2, there is a focus upon exhorting the church. And then in chapter 3, Paul returns to encouragement for the Thessalonian believers. And that's the chapter that we have read. We have read a chapter which focuses upon how they are to be encouraged and how he desires that they would be encouraged. It sort of flows out of the end of chapter 2. At the end of chapter 2 verse 18 and verse 19, Paul makes two very clear statements in those verses. in chapter 2 verse 18 and verse 19. First of all in chapter 2 verse 18 Paul reminds them that there is a spiritual enemy and that that spiritual enemy is powerful. He says “even I Paul once and again but Satan hindered us.” So there was a spiritual enemy and that enemy was able to hinder the apostle Paul. Even though Paul was being led by the Lord, the enemy had power certainly in one level to put obstacles in the way of the believer. And Paul's emphasizing that point that there's a spiritual enemy and that spiritual enemy has power. But then verse 19, as we've touched on, Paul deals with a second reality. And the second reality is this that as believers our hope is in the coming of the Lord. He says, "What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" What is Paul saying to the believers there in verse 19 of chapter 2? Paul is saying that his joy, his hope is bound up in the fact that when the Lord returns, the Lord will be taking Paul to be with himself. But he's also emphasizing this great joy that you, ye, the church in Thessalonica, you will be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. Paul would be there, but so would they. And that brought joy to the heart of the apostle. And so there's a point that's being made at the very start, I suppose, of what we're trying to say as we are flowing in then to chapter 3. And the point is this, that the apostle Paul had a heart for the church. Do we have a heart for the church? We all should have that heart for the church. Yes, there's a there's a personal element to the fact that we are redeemed and there's a personal element to the fact that the Lord is coming again and we will be with him. But the apostle Paul here as he's thinking about this great truth and thinking about the fact that the Lord will come and Paul will be with the Lord. But he then says, "For ye are our glory and joy." There's this joy that they would be there too. And so in light of that then that's where Paul brings us into chapter three where he starts then to encourage the believers.

Again, the two chapters are linked together by one word, and it's the opening word of chapter 3, the word “wherefore.” Why is that word there? Well, it's there to link chapter 2 and chapter 3 together. It's a conjunction. It’s linking what is about to be said with what has just been said. So we might say if we were thinking about this word “wherefore” if we were saying it today we might say “well because of this because of this truth this is what I'm going to say to you next.” It presents the reason for what is about to be said. Paul says in chapter 2 verse 20 “ye are our glory and joy wherefore when we could no longer forebear.” And so what Paul has at the very start here of chapter 3 and the end of chapter 2 is there's this positive message about how he feels for the church, how he has a desire for the church, how he has a joy about the church. He has encouraged them in chapter 2 to keep pressing on in their faith. He has encouraged them to hold on to God's word, the word of God that they had received. And Paul now continues as he has exhorted them and encouraged them to hold on to these things. He now continues to encourage them. And there's three things in these nine verses of chapter 3 that we can draw out of this which I hope will benefit you, which I hope will be a blessing to your heart and perhaps even encourage you to press on whether things are easy, whether things are difficult. And we don't always get it easy. Sure, we don't. Life's not always easy. Sometimes there's challenges, sometimes there's difficulties, there are trials. But the Bible tells us about that and the Bible encourages us that even in those times, even in those difficulties, that the Lord is there and that we can depend upon him and we can hold on to his promises. And that's what Paul is getting across here.

So the first thing we notice here in verse one and verse two of 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 is that there's an encouraging message for the believers. He says, "Wherefore, when we could no longer forebear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith." So notice here in this opening phrase that it's not just Paul who has this hard attitude towards the believers because Paul talks in the plural in verse one and I want you to see there's a we contrast here in this section whenever we read it and I'll point it out when we come to it. And in verse one, Paul says, "Wherefore, when we could no longer forebear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timoththeus, our brother and minister of God and our fellow labourer." So, it's not just Paul who has this hard attitude towards him. Paul is with Silas. Paul is with Timothy. And Paul and Silas and Timothy together, they're reflecting upon what's been happening in Thessalonica. They're reflecting upon their time there. Paul had been in Thessalonica after the church had been planted. He'd been there for at least 3 months teaching the believers and then he was run out of the region. He's now in the city of Corinth. And you read about his experiences in the city of Corinth in Acts 18. But here he speaks in the plural in verse one “when we could no longer forbear.” But run your eye down to verse five. And after Paul has outlined all of this, then he says, "For this cause when I could no longer forebear, I sent to know your faith." So there is the sense that Paul has this heart attitude towards him. But there is also the picture, the truth that it's not just Paul, but it's also those who are with him. It's Silas and it's Timothy in the city of Corinth. And they're concerned about the believers in Thessalonica. Paul had left the city of Berea. He had gone to Athens. Timothy and Silas had been with Paul, but they had remained in Berea for a short time. Paul had to leave Berea. He had to leave Macedonia because they were constantly harassing him. He was essentially forced to leave Macedonia. And he was a forced to leave Macedonia because of his devotion to the truth of God's gospel. So Paul has gone to Athens and then he sent for Silas and Timothy to leave Berea and to come to him in Athens and they've come to that place and there they are fellowshipping together and they are reflecting during that season of time upon the work that has been done in Macedonia and Thessalonica is one of the places that they were in in Macedonia. But then after a period of time, when you read in Acts chapter 17 and Acts chapter 18, you see that Paul sends Timothy and sends Silas away again. Scripture doesn't tell us explicitly where Silas was sent. Some commentators believe that he went to Philippi, but I can't see for certain that that's the case. So, I'm not going to say that he went to Philippi. We can't be definitive about it. What we do know is that Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica because that's what Paul tells us here in the letter in verse two. He says, "And sent Timotheus or Timothy our brother and minister of God." So Paul here has sent Timothy away. He sent him back to Thessalonica. Timothy could still come. There wasn't the same threat upon his life as there was in Paul. And so Paul has sent Timothy after their discussions and with their concern and with their heart towards the church. Timothy has come to Thessalonica. And Paul has reasons why Timothy has come. And those reasons are important. Paul's appetite for the gospel hasn't changed just because he's been run out of Macedonia and he's in Athens. You know the story in Acts chapter 17 where Paul goes up to Mars Hill and he has the debate with all the great minds and the thinkers in the city of Athens and he talks to them about the statue that they have to the unknown god and he talks there and he opens up the gospel  beginning right back at Moses and bringing it right through to the birth and the life and the death of Christ. And so Paul points the listeners to Christ alone. But while he's preaching the gospel in Athens, he still has a heart for the church in Thessalonica. He wasn't able to visit them. And because he wasn't able to visit them, he still could pray for them. He still could cons be concerned about them. Paul loved them. He loved the believers. He loved them wherever they were. And he was concerned for their growth. And he was concerned about the danger of no growth in their individual lives. And that is seen in these opening words when it says, "When we could no longer forebear," he couldn't hold it back any longer. Maybe Paul and Silas and Timothy had been discussing the different places that they visited in Macedonia. Maybe they were discussing how much of a difficulty had come whenever they were in Thessalonica. and as you read through Paul's ministry when he was in Thessalonica, there had been trouble from the synagogue in Thessalonica. But not only had there been trouble from the synagogue, within the city of Thessalonica, there was a cult. And that cult was involved in emperor worship. It was worshiping the emperor of Rome. And so therefore, that was really a big thing in the city of Thessalonica. So the church, a small church, a new church was operating and functioning in a place where there were difficulties, in a place where there were challenges, in a place where all around them there was opposition. And Paul really had this burden on his heart to know what the church was doing and how the church was doing. He wanted to know, are you continuing in your faith? Are you holding on to the faith? Are you holding on to the things that you've been taught? Do you remember the truth? And so because of this burden on his heart that they would grow in their hearts and in their lives, that they would grow to know that they were grounded upon Christ, Paul sends Timothy. Why did he send Timothy? He sent Timothy because he loved the church of Jesus Christ. He had a concern for their spiritual life. 3But in verse two here, we see who Timothy was. He says, "Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ." Paul knew all about Timothy. Timothy was his son in the faith. And Paul gives this wonderful description of who Timothy is. He's a brother. He's a minister of God. And he's our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ. Paul didn't see Timothy as a rival. Timothy was gifted, but Paul didn't see him as a rival. Paul didn't see Timothy as someone who was getting in his way in the ministry. Paul saw someone Timothy as someone who was a fellow labourer. And he sent Timothy because Timothy could still go to Thessalonica. And he sent him because he loved him and he loved the church. Timothy was willing to go. He was a servant of God. That's the implication of the word translated as minister there. The word is translated as minister of God. It literally means one who carries out the commands of another. So in Timothy's case, he was willing to go back to Thessalonica, a place where there was trouble, a place where there were challenges, a place where they had been run out of in the past. He was prepared to go there and he was prepared to serve God and serve the church. Paul sees Timothy as a fellow labourer. The word is synerg. It's where we get the word synergy from today. It's a joint labour working together for the sake of the gospel. Paul might not have been there, but Timothy knew when he went there that Paul would be praying for him. He knew that he would have him on his heart. He knew that he would have a concern for him and he'd be bringing him before the throne of grace and prayer because this labour was for the sake of the gospel. And as Paul has put this in the letter, Paul's encouraging the believers about labouring alongside one another. You see, there's a deeper meaning here than just the fact that Paul and Timothy were fellow labourers. The underlying point that Paul was making here was that in the work of God, in the church of God, as we work alongside one another, there ought not to be preference to one of the other, putting one above another, but there ought to be this sense of being fellow labourers, labouring alongside one another for the sake of the gospel. Yes, there is an order in the church. Yes, there is a structure for with regard to church government, but in terms of the everyday ministry and function and preaching of the gospel, there is a need to labour together for God. Timothy had two roles to fulfill. He was to establish them and he was to comfort them.  Paul had spent time teaching them and they were exceptional in their faith after such a short time. It's believed Paul was only there about 3 months so he only had 3 months of ministry teaching. They were a young church and it was small yet they were pressing on. As you read on through these verses and First Thessalonians, you'll see that they were pressing on. But the point that Paul is making or maybe it's better to say actually the point that God is making through his inspired word. Paul's a human author, but the Holy Spirit is the one who has authored the text. And if we want to get to the intent of the author, the point is this that the Christian life and being built up in the Christian life in our faith is an ongoing process. It wasn't enough that they had Paul there for 3 months and then that would do them for the rest of their lives. That wasn't what it was all about. They needed to keep growing. We all need to keep growing in our faith. What they needed now was stability in their walk. That's why Timothy was there - to be established, to be built up. Why? Because trouble's never far away. We live in a world that's full of trouble. We live in a world with many challenges. And we live in a world where things are getting darker and darker. We see the legislation that's being passed, the things that are being debated. Just this past week, we had this legislation about the conversion therapy and that's a cover up for putting pressure upon Christians and stopping the preaching of the gospel. And we've seen the legislation that thankfully last week in the houses of parliament, the assisted suicide bill was voted down, but not by much. We are in a country which once was blessed with the gospel, which once was blessed of God, which once had churches that were bunged. That's not the case anymore. Why? I wonder. Is it because the church wasn't built the way it should have been and believers weren't built and they weren't established in their faith and just went through the motions? Paul sends the church in Thessalonica, Timothy, why? To establish you, to build you up. Literally, the word means to set fast. I think if we want to look for a biblical example of this or a picture of this word in in Psalm 51 and verse 12. We know that great psalm of David where he confesses his sin. and he confesses his backsliding and he calls unto the Lord in Psalm 51 verse 12 and he says to the Lord, “Lord uphold me.” Well, that little phrase uphold me in Psalm 51 verse 12 is the Hebrew equivalent of this word to establish. In Exodus 17, there's another similar picture. Aaron and Hur are on either side of Moses and they hold up or they stay up Moses' hands. It's the same word. And if they hadn't have been upheld, do you remember what happened? Every time Moses' hands would have fallen, the enemy would have taken control of the battlefield. But when the hands were stayed up, the children of Israel, they had control and they would win the victory. They were in a battle. They needed that support. They needed to stand fast. They needed to be steadfast. Paul sends Timothy here to the church in Thessalonica. He's been sent to set fast their faith. How's he going to do that? Is he going to do that by all sorts of programs and activities? No. He's going to do that by teaching them the word of God. That's how our faith is set fast today. We ought to be people who love the word of God, who know the word of God. He's going to do that by praying for them, by leading them in prayer. He's going to uphold them before the throne of God because that is how our faith is set fast today. Are we a praying people? Timothy hadn't been sent back by Paul to set up a secret sensitive movement. He hadn't been sent by Paul to satisfy the world. He'd been sent by Paul to establish the church. And as the church is established in the church's power and as the church has power, then the gospel has power. He wasn't just to establish them, but he was to comfort them. Verse two, “concerning your faith. “This is a practical matter now. This is a practical need. He was assuring them of the reality of their faith. That's really the point here. He was really there to establish them in their faith and to comfort them, to assure them that what they believed was sure, what they believed was true. That what they believed would carry them through the difficulties that they would face. They were being persecuted. They were a small church in a large city, a major trading city. Thessalonica, now today known as Thessaloniki, sat right on the Thermaic Gulf. It was one of the major trade routes that ran from east to west across the world, the known world at that time. And Thessalonica sat right on that trade route. A major trading city, a melting pot of religions, a melting pot of sin. And here's this small church just established. Paul has sent Timothy to comfort them that even in their difficulties that God was with them. William McDonald, the commentator, says this was a critical time for this young church, Satan was probably dropping subtle suggestions that maybe they were wrong in becoming Christians. And perhaps to some of them as they looked around, it looked like the enemy had won. Think about this for a minute. Paul has come in, he's preached the gospel, Timothy and Silas have then come and they've been there and they've preached and people have believed and the church has started to be built up. Remember now in those early days that it was a house church. It was meeting in someone's home. But then Paul is chased out of the city and Silas and Timothy follow him and they wonder if there's power in this, why is this happening? And then at that time of doubt struggle, as they are pressing on here comes Timothy and he's come back with an assurance that God's gospel is true, that God's word has power and that God's Holy Spirit is present to bring them through everything. There was assurance here for them as the children of God. Whatever challenges we face, there is still assurance for us. There's encouragement for us to know that we can be established in our faith, that we can be comforted because of our faith because our faith is in a God who answers prayer. So the first thing was the encouraging message. 

Verse three through to verse 5. Paul maybe turns it around a little bit here because there's an encouraging message but then there is the expectation of suffering. “That no man should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass and ye know. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.” So in verse three and verse four, Paul really emphasizes the point that look, we told you there's going to be trouble. "It's not always going to be easy. You're not always going to get it your own way." As Paul was with them for those three months God was moving and souls were coming to faith in Christ and the church was being built numerically at least and there was growth and things looked good. Whenever those things were looking good then of course the enemy came and Paul had to leave. Following on from that Silas and Timothy had to leave and they've gone to Berea. And then they've gone on from there and the word will have come back from Berea that Paul has had to leave Macedonia. And maybe some of them are thinking to themselves, ‘well, if this is all happening, it doesn't matter about the short-term growth. Things are all going to fall apart now. We're not really on the winning side, are we?’ Maybe these thoughts are going through their mind. That's against this context that Paul is writing these words in verses 3 to 5. A context of affliction. But I want you to think about the main point in these three verses - that while there would be trouble, it's against the backdrop of that trouble that Paul has sent Timothy back to them. Timothy has come back with a message of hope and he's come back with a purpose and that purpose is to encourage them and to build them up. The language used in verse three paints a picture by one word. And there's one word that's translated here “as should be moved.” It's the word sino. It's only found this one time in the whole of the Bible. It speaks about the subtlety of the enemy. ‘That no man should be moved really by the subtlety of the enemy.’ The picture of this word is like a little dog wagging its tail. It's like a friend. It's like something that comes alongside and is very friendly. But in this context here, the picture is warning the Thessalonian believers of those who have come in with apparently innocent intent. They came in with the right words, flattering them, fawning over them, making them feel good about themselves. But their true intent really as time would go by would be to undermine the faith of the believers, to move them and to shake them. Maybe in the lives of some of the believers, their defences were down a little bit and maybe these enemies came in and said "Look, maybe we don't need to be so forthright. Maybe we don't need to stand on that. Maybe we can let this go a little bit. Maybe let's just take a softer approach. Let's be a wee bit quieter and keep our heads down." And Paul has sent Timothy to ensure that that doesn't happen, that no man should be moved by these afflictions. You know, afflictions sometimes come through being undermined. The reality is that trouble is always near in the Christian life. But the way that we respond to trouble and the way that we handle our troubles and our difficulties is by being established, by being comforted that even in trial our faith stands because our faith is in the God who's in control. Paul has experienced this. He's the one who's been chased out of the region. Remember who Paul was. Paul was one who had who had persecuted believers. Paul was one who had who had ravaged the church in the very early days. And then he'd met the risen Christ on the Damascus road and as he's met the risen Christ, then everything has changed in Paul's life. And now Paul's in a sense on the receiving end of what he used to do. He's been told to leave. and they're coming after him seeking his life. When Paul was in Thessalonica as verse 4 tells us, he told them to expect trouble. He told them to expect problems. But again, the heart of the apostle comes through in verse five when he says, "For this cause, because I know the trouble will come, because I know there'll be challenges. Because I know that you will face difficulties, you'll face tribulation. Because I know these things, when I could no longer forebear, I sent to know your faith.” And so Paul personally wanted to know how they were doing. He was anxious about them, anxious about their walk, anxious about their growth, anxious about their testimony. Isn't that a good thing to be anxious about? We can be anxious about many a thing, can't we? We can be worried and shaken and moved by all sorts of things that go on in this world and we can suffer from anxiety about all sorts of things. Here's what Paul was anxious about. He's anxious about believers that they're pressing on, that they're walking with the Lord and they're not being easily led astray by the tempter. Do you know there's a reference here about the devil. The word translated as “tempter” here in verse 5, “lest by some means the tempter have tempted you.” It's only used about the devil. It's only translated that way twice. You'll find it here and you find it in Matthew 4 verse 3 where the devil tempts Jesus in the wilderness. And he says, "When the tempter came to him," and Paul here says, "Lest by some means the tempter have tempted you." Do you know what that tells me? It tells me there's nothing that we go through that our Lord hasn't already been through. We can be tempted. Our Lord was tested. He was tested in the wilderness, but he was able to answer. How did Jesus answer the devil? He did it by the word of God. He did it by the word of God. That's where our ground is. That's what Paul wants us to know here. Paul knows all about the ways of the devil. Paul knows that the devil is the father of lies. Paul knows that he uses many snares and many nets to trap the believer and to cause them to fall and to cause him to slip and to cause him to step back and Paul was concerned here that if the trial came it would it would cause those who were walking with the Lord to fall back, to backslide, to lose hope. Not every trial comes from the devil. But some do. Whether they come directly from him, whether they come from another source, the believer's faith is not only tested, but the believer's faith is displayed for how we respond to trial. How we respond to trial shows us the depth of our walk with Jesus Christ. How deep is our faith in Christ today? There's the encouraging message and then there's the expectation of suffering.

Finally, verse 6 to verse 9, there's the expression of thankfulness. “But now, when Timothy came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that you have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you. Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all affliction and distress by your faith. For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you? For all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God.” What a blessing it must have been for Paul when Timothy reached him in the city of Corinth after having been back to Thessalonica. What's he saying here? Paul says, "I'm glad that you're not giving in. I'm glad you're pressing on. I'm glad you're seeking to stand for the Lord." In Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 25, we read these words  "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." That's exactly what Paul got here from Thessalonica. Good news from a far country. This report from Timothy would have brought that sort of experience to the apostle who had a love and a care and a concern for the church in Thessalonica. We all know what it's like to receive good news, to really receive that news that causes us to have joy, causes us to be happy. I was trying to think about the different things. It's a feeling of buying your first house, perhaps getting the keys in your hand, getting the keys for your first car. Maybe it's the joy or the blessing or good news of being successful in a job interview when you thought you had done terribly. Maybe it's a feeling that you hear about a birth of a new baby in the family. Maybe as believers, the great news is when we hear of someone coming to faith in Christ. That is news that's worth rejoicing about. There are many things that can bring good news, many things that can make us happy or joyful. The Apostle Paul had a heart for the gospel. He had a heart for those who had received the gospel. He had a heart for those in Thessalonica who he had ministered to for a short period of time, but he'd had to leave in a hurry. Yet, even after just a short time with them, he had them on his heart. Now, as he hears this news, it's a blessing to him. They were a burden to his heart. “But it was great to hear good tidings of your faith and charity, and that you have good remembrance of us always.” Do you know whenever you look down to verse eight here, you can see how Paul has moved from perhaps that concern in his heart for them towards this great truth in verse 8. “For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord.” You can see whenever you begin to look into those words what Paul meant, it was a bit of a burden on his heart because he wasn't sure how they were doing. And maybe he felt the weight of that because he was detached from them and away from them. Yet he wanted to know that things were going well with them. Now because he has heard this, he's comforted. It is a weight off the shoulders. Look back at chapter 2 verse 20. What does Paul say about the church in Thessalonica? “Ye are our glory and joy.” Now he knows that they're pressing on. Timothy has brought this amazing news, encouraging news, and it blessed Paul's heart as he reflected upon those people who he had been with, who he had seen come to faith in Christ, who he had taught the word of God, and they have taken the word of God to heart and have grounded their faith in Christ. But they have fond recollections of the man who's brought them truth. “Ye have good remembrance of us always.” There's an interesting position here that comes through at the end of verse two. There's almost like a contrast. Paul says that he had sent Timothy to comfort you. But now in verse 7, Paul says, "We were comforted over you." It's the same Greek word. It's the thought of being strengthened. It comes from the root word where we get the word comforter from paracelio. We know about the paraclete, the one who draws alongside the Holy Spirit. Jesus  told the disciples that he would send the comforter, the paraclete, the one who'll draw alongside. We know what that promise is for us today - when we struggle in our Christian life, we have the Holy Spirit who draws alongside. The Holy Spirit strengthens us. Paul here uses that same terminology to show how when he was in a season of affliction and distress, the news of their strength has strengthened him. That's the point he's making. Do we see here how as believers we can encourage one another? We can influence one another for good. We ought to have this heart towards one another. A heart to see that each one is pressing on. We ought to be those who seek to encourage each other in their faith by our faith. Sometimes our faith can help to encourage someone else. Sometimes just hearing that someone is pressing on is enough to lift a brother or sister. To know that they're pressing on in the faith and to know that they're depending upon the Lord perhaps in difficulty, perhaps in tribulation, just as these believers were facing the challenges of the world. Paul was in another godless place whenever he wrote this letter. He was in Corinth and he had met a lot of resistance in Corinth to the gospel. Whenever you read Paul's letters to the church in Corinth, 1 and 2 Corinthians, you can see that there were many difficulties in the church in Corinth that Paul was witnessing and Paul was ministering in. He had to issue many warnings and many admonishments to the church there. So it was a challenging place. But it's against that setting that Paul receives this encouragement through Timothy from the church in Thessalonica. Paul is thankful for what God has done in the lives of the Thessalonian believers. Paul has gone to them. He has been God's messenger for a season of time. But the establishment of their faith was not down to Paul. The establishment of their faith was down to the fact that God worked in them, that God had redeemed them. The joy that Paul felt was because God was working in them. Look what Paul says in verse 9. “For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God.” Who is he giving thanks to? He's not giving thanks primarily to the Thessalonian believers that they have held on to their faith. He's rendering thanks to God for them. It's the power of God working in them. Look at the emphasis of his joy. His worries, his anxiety about them, his concerns about them, the burden that he carried about them, it's all been turned into a deep joy.

Now, as we come to a finish here, I want us to pause and think just for a moment. How encouraging are we? How thankful are we for what God is doing in people's lives? Sometimes it's easy to focus upon the difficult things and sometimes it's easy to focus our attention upon those who we think aren't doing the right things and we are better than them and we are doing better than they are. But what about those who are pressing on? How are we encouraging them? Yes, we are to exhort others to press on in the faith. And yes, we are to admonish in times of failing. But what about the many blessings that God has given as we look around us at our brothers and sisters? Just as Paul has been blessed here. If we could see how God has blessed and if we would fix our minds upon that, then how much more thankful we would be towards the Lord and how much more thankful we would be for each other. There's an encouraging message here. It's set against a backdrop of suffering, but it concludes with an expression of thankfulness. That's a lesson to the church of Jesus Christ today. Everything that Paul's saying here is because these people have believed in Christ because they have come to faith in Jesus Christ. It's because salvation is of the Lord. It wasn't simply because of Paul's message. Paul preached the message, but the message was that salvation is through the work of Jesus Christ. And it's the same today. Maybe you're not saved this morning. You know, it doesn't matter how obedient you are to what other people tell you. It doesn't matter how good you are. It's salvation that you need. It's Christ. It's a recognition of your sin and a recognition that Christ died to save you. You need to come to Jesus. You need to be saved. Need to be cleansed by his precious blood. And then we can rejoice with you. And we can rejoice for you. And we can be thankful to God for what he has done in your life. Let's be encouraged that God is working in lives, even in our difficulties and even in our challenges that we can see God's hand at work in the lives of our brothers and sisters.