The Scope of Salvation

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2026 pm – MR JASON CRUISE

JOHN 3 VERSES 1 TO 17 – THE SCOPE OF SALVATION

The third chapter of John's gospel is one of the best known chapters in all of the Bible. It contains most likely the best known verse of scripture in all of the world. John chapter 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” These words came from the lips of the Lord Jesus to this man Nicodemus. John is the only one of the gospel writers who mentions this man Nicodemus. We read about him here in John chapter 3. We also read him in about him in John chapter 7 and then finally in John chapter 19 whenever Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea lay the body of the Lord Jesus in the tomb. We see here that this man Nicodemus, the word of God tells us that he was a Pharisee. That word Pharisee in the original Greek means separated one. The Pharisees were known to be men that were proud and legalistic. They were men who sought to observe the law, sought to observe the commandments. They could quote the Pentateuch or the Torah. The Pentateuch is the Greek name whereas the Torah is the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Bible. That word "pent" means 5 and "teuch" means scroll. These men had a great knowledge of the scriptures, masters at memorizing scripture but they were known to be very very legalistic. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews. He was in the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin. He was one of the rulers, one of the decision makers of Judaism. This man held a high position within Jewish society. This man most likely sought to live a morally right and upright life. This was an educated man and a man of influence. But this would never give this man entrance into heaven. This man would have to come to faith in the Lord Jesus. He would have to come to rest upon Christ in order to enter God's heaven. Maybe you're a little bit like Nicodemus. You have climbed the social ladder and you're a law abiding person. All your business dealings are fair and above board. You pay your taxes and you think that makes you good enough for a home in heaven. Y fall short of heaven's demands. We read there in Romans chapter 3 and verse 23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." You, just like Nicodemus fall short of the demands that God places upon you and I. You and I could never enter into heaven in and of ourselves. Because we can tell you in the authority of God's word that you're a sinner. Sin has entered into the world through one act of disobedience by Adam in the garden and through that one wilful act of disobedience by Adam in the garden, sin entered in to the line of humanity and it has come down through that line right up until this evening. You fall short because of your sin. Have you ever came to realize that you will never enter heaven in the state in which you are tonight? If you're still a Christ rejector will you come and put your faith and your trust in the risen Christ, to know him as your Savior and your lord. Perhaps you are saying “preacher, you don't know the good life that I have lived. You don't know the good things that I do for all of my neighbours and all of my friends. Oh tonight you can do all of the good acts that you want. You can do all of those good acts for your friends, your neighbours, all of your charitable acts, and you can mount them all up, but they will never give you access into heaven because tonight you're a sinner still in your sin. We read in Romans chapter 3 verse 10 "There is none righteous. No, not one.” There's not one tonight around the world that in and of themselves is good enough in order to enter heaven. Even one sin is enough to keep us out of heaven tonight. Your sin must be dealt with. The only one who can deal with your sin is God's eternal son, the Lord Jesus. Isaiah 64 verse six says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." You can mount up all of your righteous deeds, all of your righteous acts, but in and through them, you will never enter into God's heaven.

John's gospel chapter 3 verse two. “The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God. For no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.” This man Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. 

I may have told the story here before of the Sunday school teacher and one Sunday morning she was teaching her Sunday school class and she was telling them the story of Nicodemus and how he came to Jesus by night. She asked her Sunday school class, "Why do you think that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night?" One little boy put up his hand and he said, "Miss, I think that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he didn't want his friends to see him coming to Jesus and if he'd have came during the day, perhaps some of his friends would have seen him so he came at night.” The Sunday school teacher said, "That's very good. Perhaps you're right." Then she asked the question again, "Why do you think that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night?" Another little boy in the class put up his hand and he said, "Miss, I believe that the man came to Jesus at night because he was too busy during the day so he came at night.” The Sunday school teacher said, "That's very good. Perhaps you're right." She asked the question a final time and a little girl in the class put up her hand. She said, "Miss, I believe that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because the matter was so important it couldn't wait until the morning." 

The matter of your soul's salvation is so important, you dare not wait until the morning. Make sure that you come to close in with the message of the gospel and come to put your faith and your trust in Christ. Come to rest upon him and upon his finished work that he has done for you upon the centre cross at Calvary.

Notice here also in the verse 2 that Nicodemus says, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God." This man Nicodemus believed in the existence of God. Nicodemus was a religious man. Is that just like you? Maybe you're a religious man. You're probably found each and every Sunday morning in church. There's a pew somewhere in some church and you're very rarely missing on a Sunday morning. Each and every Sunday morning sees you in your place. You see, you're a religious man. You can perhaps take us tonight to your old book and there we could read your name on the church register. You can look back to a time whenever you were baptized and whenever you were confirmed and tonight you're catechized and you know the scriptures. Tonight you know about God, but you cannot call him your father. You know about Christ, but you've never confessed him as your Savior. You know about heaven but you cannot call it home. It's only whenever you come and put your faith and your trust in the finished work of Christ and rest upon him, come to him in repentance, acknowledging before him that you're born in sin and you're shapen in iniquity and acknowledging before him that your sin has mounted up and it will keep you out of heaven. Only whenever you come and you rest upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus will you be made right and made ready for a home in heaven. You're sympathetic to the gospel, but you're not saved. You are still on the broad road to a lost and a Christless eternity. Perhaps you're saying tonight, “preacher, I'm not yet saved tonight. But I'm going to get saved some night, just not tonight.” If you and I could lift back the cover on hell this evening, there's a multitude of people there. They said those very same words, "Not tonight, but some night I'll get saved." But that night never came. And just in an instant, death came and they were ushered out into eternity. Those people are in a lost eternity tonight. If they had all of this world's goods at their disposal, they would give it all up to sit in the very seat in which you sit. And they would not leave the gospel meeting until they came in repentance and put their faith and their trust in Christ.

Look at verses 3 and 7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then verse 7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.” Notice here that the Lord Jesus as he speaks to this man Nicodemus, he doesn't say it would be good for you if you were born again. He doesn't say it'll end better for you if you were born again. No he says ye must be born again. Ye must be born again. There is no other way. But unless you're born again of the spirit of God, unless you have came to put your faith and your trust in the in God's eternal son you're on that broad road. You'll never enter heaven. Ye must be born again. The Bible tells us in Jonah chapter 2 and verse 9, “Salvation is of the Lord.” The Lord is the source of salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Whatever else you're trusting in it is futile. Unless it is Christ, unless you come to put your trust in him, heaven will never be your home. Look at verse 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Now the Lord Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus here about that brazen serpent that was lifted up upon the pole in the wilderness that we read about there in Numbers 21. The children of God had complained in the wilderness about the manna and so the Lord sent out the fiery serpents which bit the people so that they would die. But now the people they come to Moses who speaks to the Lord to take away the serpents from them. "And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole. And it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when they looketh upon it shall live." And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole. And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Here we see now that in the wilderness God provided a remedy for those that were bitten by the serpents. But they had to come as individuals and look upon the brazen serpent. God had provided a way but each one had to come as an individual. The brazen serpent of course upon that pole it's a type of Christ and as we think about everyone there coming as an individual and looking upon the brazen serpent. Each and every one must come as an individual to the cross. It's got not good enough tonight that your father is saved. It's not good enough tonight that your mother is saved or your grandfather is saved or your brother or your sister is saved. Each and every one must come as an individual and come to the cross. Each and every one of us has this problem of sin and because of sin, we have that appointment with death. We read in Hebrews, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” We have that appointment with death because of sin. Paul tells us in Romans 6 verse 23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Just as God had provided the remedy there in the wilderness through the brazen serpent, he has provided the remedy in the person of his dear son, the Lord Jesus. And it's only whenever you come to the cross and come in repentance to put your faith and your trust in the finished work of Christ that you'll know salvation full and free. Would you not come and put your faith and your trust in him? We think of the hymn writer how they were able to say

The cross of Christ is all my boast

His blood my only plea.

My passport to the realms of bliss

Is Jesus died for me.

Have you ever came to realize that Christ died for you? That the sinless, spotless lamb of God hung upon a Roman cross, not for any sin or any wrongdoing of his own, but that he hung there for your sin and for mine.

Look at verse 16, the best known verse in all of the world. It says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Here we see the gospel wrapped up in a verse.

Henry Moorehouse was a young evangelist and one day he met with DL Moody in Dublin whenever D L Moody was preaching there. Young Henry Moorehouse spoke to D L Moody and he asked D L Moody if he could preach in Moody's church in Chicago in America. D L Moody agreed that he could come and preach there. But to be honest, D L Moody never ever believed that Henry Moorehouse would make his way to America. But you know, shortly after that, Henry Moorehouse did indeed make his way to America. He posted a letter to D L Moody informing him that he was there that he would like to come and preach in Moody's church. So Moody agreed. Moody was out of the city for a week and Henry Moorehouse preached each night throughout the week. Each night he preached upon the same text - John chapter 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world.” DL Moody came back from his travels on the last day. Henry Moorehouse was due to preach his final sermon that night. D L Moody asked his wife, "How is the man doing that has come along to preach Henry Moorehouse?" His wife said “he's doing very well, but he doesn't preach like you. He preaches about a God who loves sinners. He has preached each night from John chapter 3 verse 16.”

D L Moody made his way along to the church that evening and he sat at the front and he watched as Henry Moorehouse made his way up into the pulpit. He said to the congregation there, "I have searched the scriptures all day for a new text for tonight, but I'm afraid that I love this message so much. We're going to turn again tonight to John chapter 3 and verse 16.” Even whenever Henry Moorehouse lay upon his deathbed as a young man of only 40 years of age, Henry Moorehouse said, "If God were to raise me up again, I would love to preach on that great text John 3 verse 16. ”For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This the gospel wrapped up in a verse. 25 words, 12 about God and 12 about man and the son in the centre. The son of God is central to the gospel message. Without the son of God, there is indeed no gospel. But it's only in and through him and through his finished work that salvation is available. We notice here the source of salvation. It says “For God so loved the world.” You see a salvation began in the mind of God. He saw the need of humanity in eternity past and so he had this great plan of salvation where his son would die upon the cross for your sin and for mine. The source of salvation, God has provided it. Then we see the scope of salvation. It says “that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “Whosoever.” It doesn't matter tonight how rich you are or how poor you are. It doesn't matter tonight where you are in the social ladder. It doesn't matter tonight what you have achieved in life. You are included in this word whosoever. You could take out this word whosoever and put your name in here and you could enjoy this great gift of salvation that the Lord has freely provided for you. The source of salvation, the scope of salvation. And then we see the sureness of salvation. The verse says “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.” You can have it tonight. If you would simply come in repentance and come and acknowledge before the Lord that you're a sinner in need of his great gift of salvation. You could know that joy of sins forgiven. You could know that assurance of your name recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life and know the assurance of a home in heaven. This verse tells us about the love of God for a world of sinners lost and ruined by the fall. I often think about that little word “so”. I believe that the greatest minds, the smartest people in the world and the greatest universities could not explain to you and I the love of God that is wrapped up in this little word. How great is the love of God for a sinner like you and I that he would send his son to die upon a Roman cross as a sacrifice for your sin and mine. Maybe you're saying “preacher, is there no alternative?” Oh yes there is. There is an alternative. We find it here in the verse – “perish.” If you don't come and put your faith and your trust in Christ, you'll perish. Whatever else you're resting upon tonight, some idol, some good work, something that you or someone else has done, it is futile. You will perish. But God's gift of salvation is made available through the death of his son upon the cross. This man who spoke with Nicodemus, the eternal son of God, the Lord Jesus, one night as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, evil men came and they led him away and they brought him eventually to the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate condemned him to the death of crucifixion. He had been tied to the scourging pole and the Roman flagrum came down upon the back of the Saviour 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.” Then they led the Savior out through the city streets of Jerusalem, and they led him up to Calvary's hill and there they laid him down upon the cross, and they put the Roman nails through his hands and through his feet. There the son of God was raised between heaven and earth. The one who endured the whip, the thorn, the nail. He hung there for your sin and mine. In the darkness, the demands of a holy and righteous God were met for you and for I so that we could come and know this great gift of salvation. There in the darkness, my Saviour, the Lord Jesus, suffered agonies untold so that I can stand a sinner saved by grace.

We read about this man Nicodemus finally in John chapter 19 “And there came also Nicodemus which at first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds weight. Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linen cloths with the spices as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden. And in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid, there laid they Jesus. Therefore, because of the Jews preparation day, for the sabbath was nigh at hand.” Nicodemus has now come to know Christ as Saviour. He is identified with the people of God. It would be a great night for you if you would come like Nicodemus to rest upon Christ and to know him as your Saviour and your Lord.

I am thankful that the one who Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea laid in the tomb, the eternal son of God, he is no longer in the tomb. The scriptures tell us that after 3 days he arose again. He rose victorious over sin, over death, and over hell. And tonight, God's son, the Lord Jesus, is seated in heaven at the Father's own right hand. He calls unto you, “come onto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” There's enough in the death of Christ to save a world of sinners. There's enough in the death of Christ to save you tonight. Would you not come to him tonight? His word still declares to us, “ye must be born again.” I trust that you will be born again of the Spirit of God and know that assurance of sins forgiven.

 

Joseph in the house of Potiphar

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2026 – MR JASON CRUISE

GENESIS 39 VERSES 1 TO 15

JOSEPH IN THE HOUSE OF POTIPHAR

Back in chapter 37 of the book of Genesis we saw the relationship that Joseph had there with his father. Joseph was obedient to his father. We can see the love that Jacob had for Joseph. And of course, we see in the life of Joseph many pictures and similarities of the life of Christ. Jacob sent Joseph to seek his brethren to see how they were doing as they were looking after the flock. Joseph made his way to Shechem, but his brethren weren't there. They had went on ahead to Dothan. Joseph in obedience to his father goes on ahead to see about his brothers. He makes his way to Dothan. He goes all the way to seek the welfare of his brothers. Joseph was despised and hated and then betrayed by those that were close to him. They sold him for 20 pieces of silver. That reminds us of Judas and how the Lord Jesus was betrayed by those that were close to him. Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas had a great love for the material, a great love for the temporal. He betrayed the eternal son of God, the Lord Jesus, into the hands of wicked men. By the end of chapter 37, we read how that Joseph has been sold and he's brought down into Egypt there by these Midianite tradesmen. I often think about Joseph as he's making his way from Dothan down into Egypt, being taken away captive. He would have made his way south and out on his right hand side would have been the Mediterranean Sea and over to his left there would have came a time whenever he would have saw the mountains of Hebron and he would have known that over there is my father. I'm sure that Joseph's heart was breaking as he recalled those times of fellowship and the times of communion that he had with his father. You know, as I thought about that just last night, I thought about the words of the Lord Jesus in his high priestly prayer there in John 17. In John 17, the Lord Jesus says, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, and now, oh father, glorify thou me, with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." I am sure Joseph could recall the days that he had spent with his father over in Hebron. In John 17, the Lord Jesus is recalling those days whenever the eternal son was with the eternal father before the formation of the world.

Here is Joseph now being taken down by these Ishmaelite traders down into the land of Egypt. And he's eventually going to end up here in the house of Potiphar. We read in verse number one “and Joseph was brought down to Egypt.” As you and I read this passage of scripture this morning, it'll be very easy for you and I to say that the whole thing is now out of control. The whole thing has now changed greatly. We think of the life that Joseph had enjoyed. That time whenever he wore the coat of many colours, whenever he enjoyed the love of the father back in Hebron. But here now he's down in Egypt and you and I could say the whole thing, it is now out of control. How is this thing ever going to end up? But you know, if we were to fast forward and come into Genesis 45, we would read there the words of Joseph to his brethren after he reveals himself to them. Genesis 45 verse 5, “now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that he sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Joseph goes on to say in verse seven "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance." You see, Joseph is saying here, "For God sent me before you."  In the background, God is sovereign and God is in full and absolute control. If you and I were to look on and we left what little Bible knowledge we had to the side, we would say the whole thing is now out of control, that it's a desperate situation. But no, my friends, God is in full and absolute sovereign control. And here he has had Joseph delivered down into Egypt for the welfare of his  brethren in a day to come. I think about these Ishmaelite traders as they came along. I wonder how long they had slept the night before. God has them in exactly the right place at the right time. They're just like the ram caught in the thicket in Genesis 22. They're just like young David in the valley of Elah. They're just like Esther in the palace of Ahasuerus.  They're just in the exact place where God needs them at the exact time whenever they are required. Now they take Joseph down into the land of Egypt and Joseph is there really part of God's divine plan and purpose.

Look at verses two and three. "And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian, and his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand." Four times in this chapter, chapter 39, we read this little phrase, "The Lord was with Joseph." Joseph is far away from all that he knew, all that he enjoyed, far away from family, far away from friends, and he's now in a land of idol worshippers. Eventually, he would even be cast into prison but even there the Lord was with him. The Lord doesn't say to Joseph, "Joseph, the thing is now so far out of hand. It has become so dark and so difficult that I no longer can be with you. You're now on your own. The thing is so far out of control." No the Lord never forsakes Joseph, but he's with him. continually. In the week that lies ahead, perhaps you have a doctor's appointment. Perhaps you've got an appointment in the post where you have to attend the hospital. Perhaps in the week that lies ahead, you have a problem. It's a health problem, a family problem, a financial problem. Can I tell you this morning, you're not alone. But that the God who inhabits eternity, the God of love and compassion, he is there already and he will be there with you. He will never forsake you. But you will know his presence with you day and daily. No matter what storm may come in upon you in life. We think of the words of the hymm writer

I trust in God for in the lion's den

On battlefield or in the prison pen

through praise or blame through flood or flame

my heavenly Father watches over me.

No matter what lies ahead for you and I in the week ahead, you and I can take comfort that we're not alone. The Lord is with us. We have that friend today that sticketh closer than a brother. We think of those words of Hebrews 13 and verse number five. “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” The God that you and I worship, he never leaves. He never fails. He never forsakes, but he's with us day and daily. Think of the words of the Lord to Joshua as the people of Israel are about to cross over the Jordan. Joshua chapter 1 verse number five, “as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” In verse nine of Joshua 1, the Lord goes on to say, "Have not I commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thy goest.” If Joseph was to go down into Egypt, if he was to go into the prison, the Lord was going to be with him.  We serve a God today who will never leave us nor forsake us. Through every trial, through every battle, through every difficulty, the Lord will be with you.

Not only was the Lord with Joseph, but those around him knew it. Look at the verse three. "And his master saw that the Lord was with him." His master saw that the Lord was with him.” I wonder, tomorrow whenever we're far away from the church and we're far away from other brothers and sisters, other believers, when we're far away from church elders, church oversight, with those that we come into contact with, whether it be down the street, whether it be in the school, the university, the office, the workplace, will those around about us know that there's something special about us? Will they know that the Lord is with us? Will they know that you and I are a child of God? I trust that those that we come into contact with day and daily, by our conduct and by and by our conversation, I trust that they will know that you and I are a child of God. Just like the master here knew that Joseph was a child of God, just as he knew that God was with him day and daily. I'm sure as this man looked on at Joseph, he would have said to himself, "There's something very different about this man. There's something very different about Joseph. Many slaves have been bought and brought to come into my home. Many slaves have worked for me, but none of them have been like this man. He's so different from all of the rest." Whenever we think about Joseph here in the house of Potiphar, what a change in circumstances from those that he enjoyed at Hebron with his father and the love and the compassion that he experienced there from Jacob. Philippians chapter 2 "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” What a change in Joseph's life. Oh, but what a change in circumstances for the eternal son of God. The one who left the heavenly glory. The one who did condescend. The one who came down and veiled his glory in human flesh and tabernacled amongst us. Why? So that he would go all the way to the cross of Calvary and there suffer agony untold. So that you and I could be redeemed, made right, and made ready for a home in heaven. What a change in the life of Joseph. What a stoop that Christ did take, leaving the glory and the splendour of heaven and coming down into the sin cursed world. Joseph was different to all those around about him. But I also think there of the words of Peter in chapter 2 and verse nine "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." We are to be ambassadors for Christ. How are we serving our Saviour? Do those around about us know that there's something different about us?

Here we see Joseph and he pleases Potiphar well. In verse six it says "And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand." Potiphar is well pleased here as he looks upon Joseph. But you know, Potiphar's wife also looks upon Joseph, and her look is very different from that of her husband. For here, Potiphar's wife now comes to try and seduce Joseph, to tempt him into sin. Look at verses 7 down to verse 10 "And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, ‘lie with me.’ But he refused and said unto his master's wife, "Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater

in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me, but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day that he h

hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her.” Here now we see Joseph and Potiphar's wife comes not on one occasion but continually to try to seduce and to entice Joseph into sin. But we see here that Joseph, he stood strong. He stood steadfast. We read in verse nine. “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” Each time that this woman came along, Joseph knew that to commit this vile act would have been great wickedness and would have been morally wrong. But ultimately, he knew that it would have been sin against God. One of the ways that the devil tries to bring down the believer is through what we call the eye gate, what we look upon. It's one of the most effective ways that Satan would try to bring down the child of God. We think of Genesis 3 and verse six “the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes.” We also read in Joshua chapter 7 and verse 21 concerning Achan "When I saw among the spoils a goodly garment and 200 shekels of silver and a wage of gold of 50 shekels weight. Then I coveted them and took them.” Quite often the devil tries to bring the believer down through the eye. We must be careful, but we cannot be careful on our own strength, but we must come day and daily and seek the help of God. Christ himself gives us great advice. The Lord Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 26 verse 41 "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” That little word there, “watch” in the original Greek means to be alert. To have the alertness of a guard on the night watch. To be continually aware and spiritually alert. We must come day and daily to seek the help of God in order to stand strong in the times of temptation. Joseph says “how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” That word sin in the original Hebrew means to fall short, to miss the mark. Without the help of God, you and I would fall so far short. We must come day and daily and seek the help of God.

Potiphar’s wife doesn't get her evil way. So she goes further. Look at verse 12. "And she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘lie with me.’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out.”He left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out. Joseph takes himself out of the situation, takes himself far away. He removes himself. How many testimonies have been tarnished, marred because a believer lingered whenever they should have fled? Joseph's actions here are in stark contrast to that of his brother Judah back in chapter 38. Judah yielded to temptation and wilfully committed sin when deceived by Tamar. But here, Joseph fled from the presence of sin. James 4 verse seven, “submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” I trust that each and every day you and I submit ourselves to the Lord. That we would come and surrender to his will. That we would come seeking his authority and his guidance and his direction. Back up in verse four, we read how Joseph found grace and the eyes of Potiphar. But he found grief in the eyes of Potiphar's wife.

Now the young Joseph is cast into prison. Look at verses 20 and 23. "And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison. And whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand because the Lord was with him and that which he did the Lord made it to prosper.” Potiphar is described in verse one as the captain of the guard and because he had that role of captain of the guard, many Bible scholars and Bible commentators would believe that he was also the chief executioner. Potiphar very easily could have had Joseph executed. But many would believe in fact that Potiphar actually believe Joseph and didn't believe his own wife. He now has Joseph taken and thrown into the prison. Even there in the prison, Joseph excels and he finds favour with those around about him, including the prison keeper himself. Just like Potiphar back in verse three here, we see that this prison keeper sees that there's something very special about this man, this young Joseph. I trust that you and I will never be in prison. But that we will indeed be like Joseph, that whoever we come into contact with in the days that lie ahead, that they would all realize that there's something very special about us. And it is because we are a child of God.

We read here in this chapter about hands, no less than nine times. We read about the hands of the Ishmaelites once, the hands of Potiphar's wife twice and the hands of Joseph six times. The Ishmaelites were using their hands for their own financial gain. Potiphar's wife was using her hands to satisfy her own selfish desires. Whenever we think about the hands of Joseph, we see he was using his hands for the help and for the benefit of others. No matter who Joseph came into contact with, he was a blessing to all of those around him. I wonder is that like you and I? Are we a blessing to everyone around about us? How are you using your hands? Could it be said that we're using our hands like the Ishmaelite traders - that we are using our hands for our own financial gain? Could it be said that we're like Potiphar's wife - that we're using our hands for our own selfish desires? I trust this morning that it could be said of us that we are using our hands for the help and for the benefit of others and that we are using our hands for the Lord and for the extension of his kingdom.

 

We read in verse three, “and his master saw that the Lord was with him.” I trust that tomorrow that those that we come into contact with would realize that the Lord is with us.

 

The lame man at the gate Beautiful

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2026 pm – PASTOR HENRY CASKEY

Acts 3 verses 1 to 12

 

I want us this evening to consider this man, this man who's sitting at the gates of the temple there in Jerusalem, the beautiful gates as they're known as. I want you just to simply think tonight of a day in the life of this man because this was going to be a very different day from any other day because this was going to be the day that he would meet with two men that would point him to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a wonderful thing tonight. He was going to have a living encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ himself. I wonder, can you imagine this man just for a moment or two with me this evening? Can you imagine what his home life must have been like? Here's a man, and the Bible tells us that he he was lame from his mother's womb. It tells us that in verse number two, “a certain man”, it doesn't give us his name, it just says he was lame from his mother's womb and he was carried daily at the gate of the temple. So, can you imagine this man for a moment or two? This man was born in such a manner that he couldn't walk. He couldn't walk from the day and hour that he was born. And in chapter 4, we realize because we're told there that he was a man now of about 40 years of age. So for 40 years, he suffered this fate. For 40 years, he couldn't put one foot past the other.  Can you imagine perhaps maybe an elderly mother now by this time or an elderly father in the house and they're caring for this young man and maybe they have to wash and dress this young man. There are many in our province tonight that have been reared in this country under Christian mums and dads. They have done so much for them but still they're not saved. Maybe this man's friends were thought of highly because they would maybe have come each morning before they went off to work themselves and would have lifted him up and carried him down to where he was at the temple gates because he wanted to sit there and he wanted to beg. He had a little bowling bowl in his hand and he would just beg for some coppers as the rich men would pass by and enter into the temple. Again, there are many young men and they've got many, many young friends. Sometimes we always say “we have to watch our friends because our friends can bring them down.” But here's a situation perhaps where these friends were doing everything for this young man. And there are many tonight who are inviting their young friends to gospel meetings and missions and they're sitting under the sound of the gospel but still not saved. Maybe you've been invited to gospel meetings. Maybe you know someone at the university or maybe someone at the high school, maybe someone in the workplace and they've been inviting you to go along to a gospel meeting and maybe you've been going and you've been hearing that great news of the Lord Jesus Christ and how he come into this world, how he came to seek and to save and my as you sat and as you listened to that word, you're unmoved. You're moved in the gospel. And a young man has invited you or a young girl has invited you to hear the gospel. What a privilege that has been. But still, you're not saved. I want us to think tonight about this day in the life of this man.

The first thing I want you to think about with me this evening is the place where he sat. He sat at the gate of the temple.  There he sat with his little begging bowl for money. But this was going to be the very place where he would receive healing and he would receive conversion. It was the very place that he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you remember how when Peter and John came down? Do you remember how he looked on them so differently and he asked for alms and Peter turned around to him and said, "Look at us." And you can see this man from the dust of the ground. and he lifts his eyes and he looks up. He just gets Peter in his view and this is the day that he's going to be totally transformed. What a place this was for this young man. I wonder tonight, have you got a place where we can look back and say, "That was the place where I was saved. That's the place where I met with God." I think of Zacchaeus. If you could go to him tonight and say, "Where were you saved?" He would take you out of his front door. He would take you down the main street and  to that little tree just at the end of the street and he would say, "That's where I was saved." He would never ever forget that tree in all of his days. This man at the beautiful gates, he could take you back to that place where he was sitting on this particular occasion when he met two men and these two men pointed him to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was there that he was healed. It was there that he was converted. It was there that he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He could point to it. Isn't it good to have a place tonight where we might point? Zacchaeus could point to that little tree. He could say, "I was sitting up there in the foliage whenever the Lord Jesus Christ passed by." And he stopped just at the bottom of the tree and he called out my name. He didn't have to be introduced to him. He called out my name and he said “make haste and come down.” I come down the tree and I went with him. And that was the day that I was converted.  Zacchaeus would never forget that tree. It's hard to forget the place you were converted, isn't it? It's hard to forget. You might know some people who forget about the dates and times and others who when they get up to testify they can tell you the date and the very time. I had a good friend who was saved and he was saved at 5 to 12. He was standing in his bathroom shaving. As he looked into the mirror, he come under great conviction. He felt that if he took a step over the threshold of that door that somehow he'd be taken out into eternity. He stopped where he was and he called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save him. I think of John chapter 4. Do you remember that woman Jesus met. The Lord Jesus Christ came through that place where that woman was. If you went to that woman and said, "Can you remember where you were saved?" She could take you by the hand and bring you to this place, this well, and she could tell you all about how when she come out that day and brought her vessel to fill it up with water. "I met the most wonderful man. He was the Messiah. He was the Saviour. As he spoke to me, he told me all about this living water that he would give to me that I would need not thirst again. I surrendered my life to him there and then.” She could point to that well. I think of Bartimaeus. If you were to ask Bartimaeus, “Bartimaeus,  where did you meet the Lord?” Bartimaeus could tell you, “I was sitting in the dust. I was sitting here. He could take you up the main street just out of Jericho. And he could say, “I was sitting there. That's the very spot when I heard the noise. And I heard what was happening up the way. And I asked someone ‘What's the meaning of this noise?’ And they told me ‘it's Jesus of Nazareth and he's passing by.’ I began to cry out ‘Lord have mercy upon me.’ They tried to silence me you know, they tried to tell me to be quiet but he said I shouted the more and just as Jesus was passing by he stopped and he called me to him. He said ‘what would you have me to do for you?’  I told him that I might receive my sight. And Jesus says, "Thy faith has saved you." Isn't it wonderful to have a place tonight that you can look back upon and say, "It was there that I was saved. It was there that I met the Lord Jesus Christ." Do you remember the testimony of the last person to be saved through the ministry of John Harper on the Titanic? If we could ask him, "Where were you at?” He can say “I was floating just on a little board when someone asked me, ‘Are you saved?’ It's wonderful tonight to have a place that you can look back to. I wonder tonight can we look back to that place? Does it bring a smile to our face?

There was the people that he met. For this man, it was just a day like any other. He was carried down. His friends brought him down to the temple gates and they got him positioned. They got him seated there. And this was the place. This was the main entry for the temple and all the Pharisees and religious leaders and everyone would come in through this way. This man knew where to sit and he was begging. He was looking for money. He's watching the crowds pass by. The Pharisees go in, the religious leaders, the scribes, and they look at him and they have no more concern about him. Never give him a second thought. He’s only a burden on society. But you know, to the Lord Jesus Christ, he was a lost soul. For any one of us tonight, that's how the Lord looked on us. We were just a lost soul. My we might have been a burden to society. We might not have been worth much to anybody else, but to the Lord Jesus Christ, we were worth something because he came into this world to save your precious soul. He came into this world via the womb of the virgin Mary. And there he grew up amongst men and when he came to adulthood, he was rejected of the religious leaders. He was rejected of men. And there he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, taken before the religious leaders, transported over to Pilate's judgment hall, beaten and tortured there, and then taken out and hung upon an old rugged cross at Calvary. And he was doing it all for you. Imagine that tonight. He was doing that for you tonight because you had sinned and I had sinned and we had come short of the glory of God. And all we like sheep had strayed. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ who knew no sin, he was made sin for us. He took your sin and my sin. He placed it upon his own body. And there on the cross of Calvary, he made that supreme sacrifice. The Bible tells us it pleased the Lord to bruise him there at Calvary for you and for me tonight. What a wonderful Saviour we have this evening. This man is watching the Pharisees pass by. He's watching the scribes pass by. And then something happens. He sees these two men coming, Peter and John. He sees them walking down the way. And somehow as he looks upon them, they're not like the Pharisees. They're not like the scribes. There's something just different about them. These two men were going to be signposts that God had brought before this man to point not to themselves, not to the temple, but to point this man to the one who could heal his body and convert his soul. They were going to tell him the wonderful news of grace. Isn't it wonderful the people that God brings across our pathway? You remember whenever you weren't saved and you look back on it now, you thought at the time ‘that man's mad or that woman's mad.’ You thought about it that way. Now when you look back upon it, you know that was just one of the links in the chain. That was just one of the little steps that that God brought someone across your pathway and my pathway. If you're saved in the meeting tonight, or maybe if you're watching online, maybe this very service is someone that God has brought across your pathway to hear the glorious message of the gospel. You see, these two men came across his pathway. The people that we met. I think of Philomen's young slave in the Bible. He went down into Rome and he got himself into a bit of bother there and he was cast into prison but whenever the prison cell door was open and there someone was sitting in the corner and who was it? Only the apostle Paul and Paul had the great joy of pointing him to Christ. The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish. God has people to meet us. This man met these two men on this particular occasion. You remember the eunuch in Acts chapter 8. He was traveling up from Jerusalem. He'd been down there worshiping and my he had the word of God open before him. He had the word of God open before him and he was reading it. He was studying it but he couldn't understand it and in his dilemma he lifted his head and Philip was standing at the very chariot where he was. Philip says “do you understand what you read?” He replied "How can I except some man would come and explain it to me?" And Philip got up and he opened up at the very same scriptures and he began to preach onto him Jesus and he saw that man gloriously saved. That man met Philip that particular day Do you remember Pilate? There he was standing with the Lord Jesus Christ before him and the door opens. The door opens and in comes his wife. The wife says, "Listen, have nothing to do with this just man. I have suffered much by the way of a dream about this man." Pilate was confronted with someone who brought the message of Jesus Christ to him. How many times have you been confronted with the claims of the gospel and God has brought people before you time after time after time and still you're not saved.

Notice with me here the poverty that he faces in verse number three. Look what the man does. He's sitting there in the dust and has his little begging bowls out. He sees Peter and John coming down and he's asking for alms. And then it says in verse number four, “and Peter fastening his eyes upon them with John said, ‘look on us.’ And he lifted up his eyes and he gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them. Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none." He expected to receive money from them. You can almost imagine them flapping their pockets and saying, "We don't have any." This man must have felt disappointed. He thought to himself, "Here are two men that are so different." But now he found that they were of no help to him whatsoever because they said “‘silver and gold have I none.” The man himself was in total poverty. He was sitting begging and he thought here was the help that he needed. But sadly he was left again in limbo. He finds that Peter and John have no money either. But they would give him something which was far better. Peter has something more to give him. We realize the poverty that we are in. We realize our greatest need and that salvation can only be found in none other name other than the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where we come to. That's where this man came to. This man was looking something special of Peter and John. But Peter and John says, "Listen, we can't do anything for you. We don't have anything." And this man perhaps was disappointed. Peter spoke to this man about the Lord Jesus Christ. And this man placed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That was far better. That was far better than any monetary gift that Peter could give. It wasn't faith in Peter that healed this man, but in Christ and in Christ alone. Salvation is in none other name. “For there is no other name given amongst men under heaven whereby we must be saved.”  

There's the power now that he experiences. It tells us now in verse number seven it says “Peter said ‘silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk.’ And Peter reached down and he took him by the right hand and he lifted him up and immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.” This man put his hand in Peter's hand and Peter lifted him up. The help that this man needed didn't come from Peter or for John. In this world, we have been separated from God with our sin tonight. We were born in sin. We were shapen in iniquity. We were separated from God and heaven would never be our home. To die in our sin tonight would mean that we would go into a lost and Christless hell for all eternity.

An old preacher told the story one time of a man who was dying in hospital. The old preacher was asked by this man’s friend to call up and see him. So they went up to see the friend. They went in and the man in the bed is very weak and very ill. He just looked at him and said, "I'm glad to see you. I have been a church member all my days. I was born into that church, christened, confirmed, baptized. I've come now to the end of my days, and what have I found? I have found that the church has failed me. I sat at the Lord's table. I took communion, and now he says, I'm at the end of my life's journey. And the Lord's table has failed me. I've supported my minister and ministers all down through the years. And my ministers have failed me. Now you have come along. I'm glad you've come." And the old preacher looked at him in the bed and he says, "You've depended on so many things and they have failed you." He says, "That's right." And the old preacher said to “Well I'm sorry. I can do nothing for you." And with that, the man began to sob and cry on the bed. He said, "But I had heard so much about you, and I thought that you were the answer. I thought that you would come along and I would find help in you." The preacher said "I'm sorry I can do nothing for you, but I can show you one who can." He opened up the scriptures and took the man through the scriptures and showed him how he could be gloriously saved. That evening, lying on that bed, he realized the power of God coming into his life and saving his precious soul. Thank God.

We finish tonight with the praise that is rendered. Whenever this man got to his feet, what did he do? He went worshipping. He went praising. He went leaping. He went singing. He went into the house of God to give God the glory. And tonight if we're saved by the grace of God, we give him all the praise and all the glory because there's nothing of us. This man could say the very same thing as he sat there with legs that wouldn't support him. He could say, "To God be the glory, great things he hath done." He could do nothing for himself. But thank God that day, a day in the life of this man, a day that saw him being carried as any other day, but a day that saw him walking home to his mum and his dad. Can you imagine what it must have been like whenever he come home? Can you imagine the people seeing him walking down the street? What a testimony. Oh, this man offered all praise to God.

 

Five Little Stones

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2026 – PASTOR HENRY CASKEY

1 SAMUEL 17 VERSES 32 TO 50

 

Many years ago in Limavady, I did a wee bit of a study on the stones that we find in the Bible.  And this is one particular stone that I want to look at this morning. It's the stone that David picked up and it's the stone that David used to put into his little sling and to bring this great giant down. We think of that monument that was set up whenever the children of Israel came to the Jordan River and the Jordan River was flowing as banks. It was harvest time and it flowed as banks at that particular period of time. And you remember how God in that on that particular day he dried up the Jordan River and they walked across on dry land. You remember there how they were told to take a stone a leader of every tribe of the nation of Israel was to go down into the dry bed of the river Jordan and to pick up a stone, place it upon his shoulder and carry it onto the bank of the river and set it there until there was the 12 stones. And then you'll remember how Moses said to the people, there'll come a day whenever God will or the children will come to you and say, "What meaneth the stones?" And then you'll be able to give them a clear direction in life. What these stones meant, these stones meant in a time whenever God moved in a mighty way. This is a remembrance of how God brought us across the Jordan River, a river that was flowing in all of its fullness and brought us into the land of Canaan. This is the monument for it. Have we stones like that in our lives? Whenever our children or grandchildren ask us about certain aspects of our life, can we look back and say, "Well, that's what God did for us there and that's what God did for us at that particular juncture in our life." Do you remember whenever Samuel pointed to the stone there? He says, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." This was a stone of a protection. the people could point to this stone and they remembered the stone so well that was that was named ‘hitherto have the Lord helped us.’ Is there a stone that you can look back to this morning? Is there a stone, a particular part of your life where you can look back and say you know it was there that the Lord really stepped in and the Lord really helped me through that particular occasion, he helped us as a little family, he helped us as a couple, was good to us? Or what about the stone whenever the woman folk came that morning to anoint the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and why when they were making their approach to the tomb that was the thought in their mind. The stone that was over the mouth of the tomb, how would they ever roll it away? It took Roman soldiers, those big strong men to roll it there in the first place. How are we ever going to roll it away? And when they came, they found that the stone was already rolled away. Sometimes there's storms in our lives, you know, that we wonder at times how we're ever going to manage. And then somehow when we get to that particular point in our lives, we find that we've nothing to worry about because the stone has been rolled away.

I want to take up this little stone here this morning and I want to think about it. Think first of the setting of the stone. This great big giant Goliath was coming out and he was fighting against the nation of Israel. All of its elite army. were so afraid of him that they were hiding behind hedges and the rocks and in the caves. They wouldn't come out to meet this man at all. Every time he come out and he proclaimed his victorious life to these Jews. Why? They fled from him until one day David come down. And David was standing there and maybe knew nothing about this situation at all until he heard the shouts and the ridicules and the cursings and slanders of this great big giant standing up on the top of the hill. And he says to Saul, “What's all this about?" And Saul explains the situation. And David says, "I'll take him on." I'm sure Saul had maybe a wee bit of a smile on his face. David says, "I'll take him on. Don't be afraid. I'll take him on." And Saul says, "How are you going to take him on? You're only a youth. This man, he's been trained in the skills of fighting even from he was a youth. and you're going to go out and you're going to stand against him?” Some of the elite forces of Israel at that time wouldn't even go near this man. But David says, "I’ll take him on." And then you can imagine David, he gets into that suit of armour that Saul puts upon him, but he can't wear that. He says, "Not at all." And off he goes. You can see him, can't you? This we strappling of a lad. And he's going out. And my you can almost imagine the elite soldiers and they're peering over the rocks and they're looking through the holes and the hedges to see what's happening. This wee boy, he's heading out to meet this great big giant. And he goes down into the brook. And as he goes down into the brook, he lifts out five little stones. He puts them into his shepherd's bag and he keeps them. And then he goes up to where the giant is. And the giant comes down as he's done so often before and he frowns upon David and he curses David and he curses the gods of David. And then David takes the little stone out of his bag and he puts it into the sling and you know the rest. It goes into the giant's head and down he goes. Just the one little stone. It's wonderful what God can do with these little things. I want us to think first of all that this little stone, it was carried by the river's current. The current of this little brook carried the stones that David selected for the purpose he had in mind. That little brook brought those stones right down to the very place where David stepped in. Imagine that for a moment. The very place where David was going to cross that little brook. The very place where he looked down into that brook and he picked out five little stones. These were the stones that God in his providence had brought down to where David was. You know, God makes no mistakes. Some of the things we look back on and think to ourselves at times, you know, I could have done this that way. I could have done this the other way. But God makes no mistakes. Do you remember whenever the apostle Paul he came to minister in Corinth and there he was coming to preach the gospel. Who did he find in Corinth? He found Priscilla and he found Aquilla a man and his wife and they were there because of persecution in Rome. They were there because of where they were living at that particular time. The Christians had to flee. And Aquilla and Priscilla, they fled here to Corinth. They were there in Corinth for a very special purpose because whenever the Apostle Paul got there, it was them who took Paul under their wing, brought him into their very home and fed him and encouraged him and helped him in the days to come. As a matter of fact, Paul could say about the same pair in the book of Romans "They would have laid down their necks for me." In other words, they had given their life for me. But you know, it was no mistake that they were there. They were there because of persecution. They were there because of trouble that was taking place. They were there because of threats. And you know, maybe God can use you and me in some way that we would never think. And because something has happened, that's how God's going to use us in the days to come. Perhaps there were times whenever that little stone, the very stone that was in the sling of David, can you imagine where it started off at and it was washed down day after day, week after week, month after month, just to the very place where David would pick it up. It all started off somewhere else, but it was tumbled down that little stream. Maybe there were times whenever there was a real strong current that lifted that little stone and smashed it up against others and smashed it up against corners and brought it down. Maybe there was times whenever it just trickled down. Maybe there were times that it was stuck in the same place for a long time before it ever moved. Sometimes we're like that, aren't we? Sometimes we go through the real rough and tumble of life. But you know the edges of that little stone, every time it moved and every time the water flowed over it, what was happening? The water was making that little stone the smoother every time. There were edges on it. There were rough edges on it that had to be taken off. And sometimes that's what God has to do with us. And we have to come through the rough and tumble of certain situations that we thought we would rather do without. Do you remember the Apostle Paul? The Lord gave him a thorn in the flesh and he says he prayed thrice about this thorn in the flesh, but he says it wouldn't go away. But Paul realized through that infirmity, through that weakness, that weakness was turned into strength because Paul could say, "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me." And sometimes, you know, you and I, well, there's little edges that have to be taken off. For this little stone that is what was happening at all the time. Perhaps times we go through troubles and maybe like this stream, there are times when our lives are upside down. Or maybe there's a time when nothing's happening. Maybe there's a time when everything's just sitting as it were and calm and still and somehow there's nothing happening. Those are the quiet times that God's bringing you and I through that he might use us further down the line. Isn't that what James says? "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith workketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." How patient the lesson is that we see before us. You know, we don't know how long the little stones were lying there just under the surface but those stones were going to be used mightily. I think of Moses. You remember Moses? He was sent down to Egypt to bring out the children of Israel. But you remember he had to spend 40 years in the wilderness. He had to spend 40 years leading the sheep out to pastures and bringing them back in again. He had to spend 40 years listening to someone else telling him what to do, looking at the little sheep, making sure that they were all right, making sure they were healthy. 40 years, day in day out, he had to walk that desert pathway. And he was out there perhaps alone every day, but he had to be like that 40 years. And then God takes him up one day. He says, "Moses, it's time. It's time for you now to go back into Egypt. It's time for you to lead my people out. I think of Joseph.  He was sent out to meet with his brethren. His brethren hated him. His brothers hated him. They put him in an old an old dry well. They picked him out of that well and they sold him down into Egypt. He went into a a market yard in Egypt and Potiphar looked at him and thought, "What a what a handsome young man. What a strong young man. I'll purchase him. Joseph had to stand there in the market yard. And then he was brought into Potiphar’s house. He was accused falsely. He was put into prison. He had to sit in a prison cell. And he had to sit there for some two years before he was brought out again and would stand before Pharaoh. Before he would become the second in command. I think of Acts chapter 8 and the persecuted church there in Jerusalem. Do you remember how the disciples had to flee? It was Philip that came to Samaria. And what did he do when he came to Samaria? He began to preach the gospel. And men and women began to hear the gospel in in a real a real new light as it were. And they were listening to the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, his death, his resurrection, and the new life that they could have in him. And the Bible tells us there was great joy in the city. Persecution. Sometimes we don't know how God will use us. Sometimes we don't know how God will prepare us to be used. And that's important. We see that stone carried by the river's current.

But then I want you to see here the caution of the selection. You see, it tells us here in verse number 40 "He took a staff in his hand, and he chose him five smooth stones out of the brook." He chose these out of the brook. Just at the time David comes to the brook, the little stone is there. Maybe in the eyes of the world in Israel, I'm sure David looked very, very foolish. How would he ever face and defeat this great giant in all of his armour, in all of his power and all of his wisdom and all of his might, standing here before David, trained in all of his military combat with a sword and little David, what's he doing? He's standing with a shepherd staff. He's standing with a little sling. David didn't just lift these stones as he went across the wilderness. He waited till he was in the brook. He waited till he could see the right stones and he chose them out. He knew the importance of the task. So he chose that which he knew he would be successful in. He was careful in his choice. If he had picked up an ordinary stone that was lying just on the highway, you see, there may be edges on it, there maybe been a roughness on it that would hindered it leaving the sling that he was going to use. It wouldn't have bedded right into the leather of the sling. If there had been a rough edge on it whenever David was about to fling it, then maybe it would have went off in a different direction altogether. So, he had to have the right stone in this little leather pouch to face this enemy. And God needs his right tools. Maybe you're that right tool this morning. Oh yes, you've come through difficult times and hard times, but maybe God now wants to take you up and he wants to use you. Do you remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 1? "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." Goliath standing there in all of his armour. He's standing there with a with a spear. He's standing there with a great big sword. David stands with a we stone and a sling. And he's going to bring this great big giant down. Perhaps God has David stopped at this little brook. David peers down in to the brook to see what he can use. Maybe God looks down into this assembly this morning. He looks down into this assembly this morning to see who he can use. Would we be like the prophet of old? Would we be willing to say this morning, "Here am I Lord?" Or would you be the first to say, "Well, you know, Lord, I would love to do that, but maybe there's somebody else. Maybe there's somebody else could do that. Somebody else far better qualified than me for that.” But God's looking down this morning and he's looking into this little fellowship and he wants someone now this morning for a particular task in life to take you into the battle. You may feel you don't have much. Maybe you feel you're not up to whatever God says this morning, but there's a work to be done. And God this morning is laying his hand upon you to do it this morning. It's a good time for it, isn't it? Because we're going now into what we call the winter work. and the children's work will be starting up again, the Sunday school, the the Lifeliners, the youth meeting, whatever the case may be. And maybe God's saying to you this morning “now it's time that I'm going to use you and I'm going to use you in this season. Are you prepared to give me a season?” That's what God is saying this morning. David looked down into the little brook and he could see the stones that he was looking for. He could still do this. He could see the stones that he could use. He could see that that little flat stone, that smooth stone. He knew that's the stone that would fit well into that little sling. That's what God is saying this morning. He's got a little place for you this morning. And he wants you to step out this morning. Now, what will you say to God this morning? Will you say, "Yes, Lord. I'll do that?” In Acts chapter 13 we read of the little church there in Antioch. God comes there and he says "Separate, unto me Saul and Barnabas for the work that I have called them to do." The Bible tells us there that they are ministering unto the Lord and they're praying and they're fasting. And then God comes. He says to Saul and Barnabas, "I want you to separate." He says to the elders, "Separate them for me. I have a work for them to do and they have to be sent forth." Remember Gideon? Gideon said "I'm from the weakest tribe. I'm from the smallest of all the families." And yet God came to him and God says, "I'm going to use you to deliver Israel." They were under the oppressive hand of the enemy at that particular time. And God says to Gideon, he says, "Gideon, I'm going to use you." Gideon says, "Lord I'm from the smallest of families. I'm from the smallest of tribes. How could you ever use me?" God tells him to surrender his life to him because he is going to use him. Whenever Gideon went out he mustered up 30,000 of an army. He thought to himself, "We're not bad here." And he gets to the front of the army and then the Lord comes and tells him "You have far too many." The Lord begins to wind them down until he gets to 300. Poor Gideon he's back to where he started again, isn't he? He's thinking about the weakest tribe and the weakest family. But that's what God was going to use to defeat the enemy and to deliver Israel. Maybe this morning you feel you don't have much.

Notice something else here. Not only was this little stone carried, not only was it cautious in its selection, but I want you to see how it was concealed from view. Notice what David does with this little stone once he picks it up in verse number 40. It says he puts them into his shepherd's bag. This little stone was going to be concealed until the time it was needed. I love the story of Esther. It's a wonderful story about one young Jewish woman. A beautiful young woman. She was selected to be the queen. The nation of Israel was under tremendous persecution and pressure. There was a man called Haman who was going to destroy the whole nation. It didn't matter whether they were young, middle age or old. He was so determined that he was going to wipe all out on a certain day. Mordecai had reared Esther and now she was being brought into the king's court to be his wife. He told Esther "Maybe it's for this very reason that you've been brought to the kingdom.” He didn't want her to miss it because God could use somebody else. Don't miss it. If God is calling you morning, this is maybe why you were brought to the kingdom for this very purpose. Allow God to use you. Remember how Moses was concealed as he worked as a shepherd? He was reared in Pharaoh's house, the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He was educated in all the ways of of Egypt. And then he tried to rush things. He was down there for a purpose. And God was educating him there. But then he tried to rush things. He tried to lead the children of Israel out his way, but it was too soon. And God had to conceal him for 40 years there in the wilderness until the time appointed. When God met with him there at the burning bush he had to decide to go back down to Egypt. Maybe God has been concealing you. Maybe God has been just keeping his hand upon you. Maybe God has been, yes, knocking off those edges, bringing you through certain things, and you're concealed until the time that he wants to use you. Are we ready to be used of God? That's the most important thing. Are we prepared this morning? Joseph was concealed as well. He was kept out of sight. Even David himself was concealed for a long time. Do you remember how he was out keeping the sheep whenever Samuel come down to his father's house to choose out a king? All of Jesse's sons passed before him and Samuel says “there's none of these chosen. Have you any more sons?” Jesse said “there's one more. But he is out in the field keeping the sheep.” Samuel says “bring him in.” Whenever Samuel saw him, he realized God was saying this is the one. But he was concealed. Samuel didn't know anything about him. Maybe you feel overlooked in a sense today. God doesn't really know much about you. But maybe it's just a case that you've been concealed for that very special time.

I want you to notice now how David conquered through this one little stone. David took up five little stones and he put them into his bag. And five is the number of grace. And you remember what God's word says, "My grace is sufficient for you.” David didn't have to exhaust the five. He only took one. He put his hand into the bag. He lifted out one little stone. He put it into the sling. And David was a marksman. Isn't it wonderful to be in the hand of the one who can do so much for us? You see, that little stone picked up could do nothing of itself but once that little stone was in the sling and in the hand of David, it was mighty. Do you think this morning that your life means nothing? That your witness means nothing? When your life and your witness is in the hand of the one who created us that's a mighty thing. It might only be in the shop tomorrow. It might only be saying hello to someone, it might be only bringing them down something they can't get out to do, but that's mighty. When you and I commit ourselves to the Lord God of heaven, my, he can do great things for us. Maybe this morning we could be that little stone, the little stone that David picked up. Maybe you could be that little stone that God reaches down this morning and says, "Listen, I want to use you." You know, that little stone was only used once. I don't know whether David picked it up again or not. Maybe you might only be used the once in all your Christian experience. But don't miss that once. Whether it comes at the beginning of your Christian life or whether it comes at the end. You remember how Wesley said as the people looked around his deathbed, “our people die well.” You can be that witness this morning

 

Why?

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 30 AUGUST 2026 – PASTOR DENIS LYLE

JOB CHAPTER 1 

I want to deal with the question why? Or why suffering? Job is the oldest book in the bible. He lived during the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Outside of our Lord no man suffered like Job.

The sound was deafening. Although no one was near enough to hear it, ultimately it echoed around the world. None of the passengers in the DC-4 ever knew what happened—they died instantly. That was 15th February 1947, when the Avianca Airline flight bound for Quito, Ecuador, crashed into the 4,267 metre high peak of El Tablazo not far from Bogota, then dropped—a flaming mass of metal—into a ravine far below.

One of the victims was a young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers, who had planned to begin a ministry with the “Voice of the Andes.”

Before leaving the Miami airport earlier that day, Chambers had written a note to his mother on a piece of paper he picked up in the terminal. The paper was a piece of an advertisement with the single word “WHY?” sprawled across the centre. In a hurry and preoccupied, he scribbled his note around that word, folded it, and stuffed it into an envelope addressed to his mother.

The note arrived after the news of his death. When his mother received it, there, staring up at her was that haunting question: WHY?

Mrs Chambers stopped asking Why? when she saw the Who? behind the scene.

All other sounds are muffled when we claim His absolute sovereignty. Even the deafening sound of a crashing DC-4.

There is no question so tremendous as why. Why would God allow tragedy to come to his children? Why should the innocent child be physically and mentally handicapped? 

Early on the morning of 28th March, Mr. James McMullan was ambushed by four terrorists as he was driving his lorry to work. The attack took place about three and a half miles to the north-east of Toomebridge in County Antrim. Mr. McMullan drove through the ambush but was chased by the men who fired at him from their car. Although the lorry was hit a number of times and Mr. McMullan was cut by flying glass, he was able to escape into a neighbour's house. The gunmen then switched their attack to the home of Mr. McMullan's parents in Crosskeys. They fired indiscriminately into the house, killing Mrs. Hester McMullan

Why did that happen? Why do the righteous suffer? Where is God when tragedy strikes? How can he allow human suffering? Does God care? Is the Lord worthy of our worship in the difficult times? These are difficult questions.

“Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards.” Job 5 verse 7

No-one is exempt from wrestling with the problem of suffering. Suffering for Christ may come from 4 directions – 

Through the hand of the Lord. Hebrews 12 verse 6 “he whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” This kind of suffering is not a denial of the Father’s love. It is evidence of the Father’s love. 

It may come through the hands of the world. Peter wrote about “suffering for righteousness sake.” (1 Peter 3 verse 14) “In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” (John 16 verse 33)

It may come through our own hands. The Lord himself said “if thy hand offend thee cut it off.” (Matthew 5 verse 30) Self-imposed discipline. 

It may come through Satan. Were Job’s sufferings and trials not the activity of the devil?

Job lived in North Arabia, South East of the Dead Sea. He didn’t suffer because he did nothing wrong. He suffered in spite of doing right. He was a man upright who feared God. He had a great faith. He had a great family. Verse 2 tells us he was the greatest of all men of old. He was esteemed. He was held in great favour. He ministered to the poor continually. One day he went from hero to helpless. He lost everything. Job learned first hand what it is when life is not fair. No-one except our Lord suffered like Job. We learn from him lessons that will help us stand in life. To realise that life is not always fair. 3 words I want to use this morning to direct your thoughts to – trouble, test and triumph.

Trouble

I want you to see first of all the trouble. What God did to Job. Chapter 2 verse 13. In one day he lost his fortune and then he lost his family. The people he loved. Things he loved. He lost his fitness. He lost his friends. “My kinsmen have failed me.” He went from sunshine to rain. From joy to pain. From blessing to brokenness. From happiness to heartache. Before we can investigate the how of it we must recognise it was activated by Satan. In chapter 1 verse 8 we learn something interesting things of the devil. Satan doesn’t have the presence of God. He is not omnipresent. He doesn’t have the perception of God. God knew Job’s heart but Satan didn’t. Only God knows your heart. In verse 9 we see the power of God. How did Satan know God put a hedge around Job? He was protected by the Lord. As a Christian believer the devil and demons in hell can attack you but not without the permission of the Lord. In the midst of that Satan asked God a question – verse 9 “doth Job fear God for nought?” What was he was saying? Satan’s accusation was no-one is good without reason. God saved Job. You have blessed him financially, materially, physically, agriculturally, domestically. Take away everything then see if he will serve you. Is the Lord to be worshipped today because of who he is or because of the things he gives? Even if he doesn’t bless us materially and spiritually and practically? I have to ask myself – if the Lord did not bless me would I still be as excited as worshipping the Lord, serving the Saviour, seeking the lost? Do you serve the Lord because you want him to bless you? Would you serve him if there was nothing in it for you? 

A mother was exasperated with her 5 year old boy. He gave her trouble all afternoon. She asked if he couldn’t be good to which the boy replied “I would be good if you gave me 5 dollars.” The mother responded “why can’t you be good for nothing like your dad.”

The reason Satan attacked Job was to prove he was good for nothing. He was only serving God because of what he could get from God. He has to worship you because of what you have done in his life. Job’s troubles were activated by Satan. They were allowed by a sovereign Father. God allowed Satan to attack Job’s possessions, then his person. “Behold he is in your hand save his life.” Ultimately it was God who allowed bad things to happen to good people. Severe chastening was allowed to make him better. Fundamental reason to silence the accusations of Satan. He would honour God even though he had lost everything sovereignty of God. Not promised them in this book. This is a book about God. God controls Satan’s power. He will do as he pleased without consulting his critics. He did it for our good and his glory. Where is God when tragedy strikes? He is on the throne working out his purpose for his glory and our good. The righteous suffer because God chooses them to suffer. Beyond it all the Lord’s glories are evident. In chapter 2 verse 10 evil can be translated as adversity. Job’s God was not some heavenly Christmas Santa Claus dropping little gifts from heaven hoping to make us happy. What brings glory to himself. God afflicted the comfortable. Not so much interested in our happiness but more interested in his holiness. Though he lost a lot, thought his soul was crushed in through that experience he gained more. He became stronger, a more mature believer. Are there not times we just to have to rest on the faithfulness of God? Knowing it is too wise to make mistakes. One of the greatest hymnwriters was William Cowper. He suffered tremendously in his life. In 1744 he composed the great hymn 

God moves in a mysterious way

  His wonders to perform:

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

  And rides upon the storm.

2

Deep in unfathomable mines

  Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,

  And works His sovereign will.

The trouble – what God did to Job.

Secondly, the test

What God did in Job. Every trial and trouble is a test. He knoweth the way I take. Every trial, tribulation, trouble that comes into your life will you continue to trust me? Obey me? “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. “ ( 1 Peter 1 verse 7) The faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. Unless faith is put to the test it can never be shared. What you call faith is it really faith? It is only by testing that we can determine the character of our faith. Job’s faith was tested in 2 ways. First by his friends – chapter 2 verse 11. Times of adversity bring out people who want to be your friends. These friends came to sympathise but actually stayed to scrutinize and stayed to sermonise. We know what your problem is – there is sin in your life. They believed in a health and wealth gospel. That theology taught suffering is a result of sin. If you are not rich it is because you are not right. If you are a child of God you will suffer. David suffered. He committed sin with Bathsheba and carried it around for 12 months. Psalm 51 David suffered spiritually, emotionally, physically. If you are bound to sin you are bound to suffer. Every suffering is not always caused by sin. The Lord never sinned yet he suffered more than anyone else in history. Job caused it. He was right with God. He wasn’t a sinner but sanctified man. You suffer because of sin in your life, transgression in your life. Although the Lord does discipline us through affliction it is never our business to tell that person that sort of reasoning, that is God’s business. 

A preacher in the west of America came home from holiday. An elder picked him up at the airport. “Well how are things at home” he asked. “Terrible” came the reply. “A tornado came through the town, it wiped out my house.” The pastor responded “I am not surprised I have been warning you about the way you have been living.” “Ah but it also destroyed your house too.” The pastor responded “did you know the ways of the Lord are past finding out?”

Job’s faith was tested by his frustrations. Have you sinned? Why what have I done? You will find the question time and time again – “why” in the book of Job. God never answered his question. Frustrated by God’s silence. “I will speak to the almighty, reason with God.” God was talking to Job. He does not need to explain for anything he does. When we hurt deeply we do not need an explanation from God but a revelation of God. The Lord could have told all that would have happened. I want to know. I will take care of you. You will get double of all you have. Job was written to help us understand. We don’t always have to understand. There are some things that are going to happen in our lives we will never understand this side of glory. We don’t have to understand what he is doing. You can trust him to do always that which is right. He did not need his family, flocks, fortune. He already had those. What God wanted was his faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. You will never know what real faith is until you have nothing else.  Real faith is believing God may hear you and praise him anyway. If you only praise and worship when things are good your praise is not worth anything to him. 3 men were cast into the fiery furnace – “our God is able to deliver us but if not. “ Have you faith prepared to worship and serve God even when things don’t turn out the way they should? Job had God to help him when he said “thou he slay me yet I will trust in him.

Triumph

What God did for Job through this trial. God did some things for Job that he wouldn’t otherwise have done. He learned things he wouldn’t have learned. For 37 chapters God is silent throughout. God is silent and then he begins to give Job reason. He reminds Job of his presence. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Job I created everything. I can do all things in and through it. Reminded him of his pre-eminence and his person. “I know that thou canst do anything.” God can do what he likes. When God finishes talking with Job, he said “I have heard what you have said, wherefore I repent in dust and ashes. “ He was an imperfect man. He has no right to question the motives and method of God. Just because doesn’t mean I am less God. Created, controlled, conducts it all and completes it all. Then God renewed his fellowship. God accepts Job. Marked by righteousness. God restored Job to the joy of his salvation. He rebuked his friends. People cannot fight silence. The greatest way to handle criticism is not to handle it at all. Let God handle it. He restored his fellowship. He restored his fortune. Chapter 42 The Lord gave twice as much as he had before. God often digs out the wells of sorrow that sends wells, eventually whether here on earth or up in glory. All will end well for the child of God. 

I may never know the reason why but when I cannot trace God’s hand I can trace God’s heart. 

Treasure Island was written by Rober Louis Stevenson. His father was chief engineer and inspected lighthouses up and down England. Often he would take his boy out. One day they went out into the water and encountered a storm. They fought a storm for 24 hours with no food. During the storm the father made his way to the deck of the ship. Only one man was on the deck, the captain. He had taken a rope and tied it to the mast in case he would be swept overboard. He took a look at the captain of the ship.  The son asked him “are we going to drown?” The father replied “no. “ “Why not? “ “Because I looked into the face of the captain and everything is fine. “ Job did that in the face of his suffering and he knew God knew what he was doing.