The conversion of Lydia

Sermon notes from Sunday 21 January 2018

Acts 16 verses 11 - 15

It tells us in verse 14 "a certain woman named Lydia".  This is the account of a conversion of a precious soul.  To see a man or woman converted by the power of God is a very precious thing.  A young woman trusting Christ as her own Saviour.  Here was Lydia in this city of Philippi, a keen business woman, seller of purple, very prosperous, sold to the rich and elite of that time.  It brought her much money as a result.  She was focused on it.  Her business had brought her to this part of the world.  Not only see a keen interest in her business but behind it all there is the unseen hand of God.  There is something that is mysterious in God`s salvation because there is the unseen hand of God.  It is God`s work and it is marvellous in our eyes.  It leaves a question - are you saved, born again of Spirit of God?  Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own and personal Saviour?  Notice what it says here in chapter 16 verse 14 "and a certain woman named Lydia."  That "she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul".  When you take a look at that phrase you can see the unseen hand of God as he opened her heart, as she received the Lord as her Saviour.  What were these things she attended unto by Paul?

These things were important.  She had come to a place of utmost importance.  As Lydia went down to the prayer meeting on that particular day she wasn`t saved.  She was a religious person and it was now the Sabbath day.  She had set aside her business.  There is only one place she wants to be - down at the river side with the woman folk to pray.  She was not saved.  She may have been religious, had an eye for God but not saved.  Isn`t it amazing how close you can be to God and yet not be saved.  She heard God speaking through his word, she began to think how she would like to be saved.  That is not salvation.  These were important things for her.  Remember Cornelius in Acts 10.  God had been working with him in his own home.  Maybe night after night lying there thinking about what would happen - he could be lost for all eternity.  He cried out from his heart in despair.  God sent his angel to tell him to send for Peter.  Why? Because whenever Peter came down he would tell him words whereby he might be saved.  The greatest need on his heart was that he might be saved.  With him personally, not a church or communion table.  Peter would speak to you of things more important that you have heard.  The responsibility as the preacher, as he addresses men and women.  Paul comes into this meeting, stands before these women folk, doesn`t take it lightly.  He opens up the word of God and begins to preach the word of God.  He realises he is standing before people whose souls are lying in the balance.  Perhaps never see these people again.  A s he looked down on these individual faces thought was perhaps when he would leave Philippi he might never see them again.  Might be people ushered out into God`s eternity.  Important thing was to tell those people about the Lord and the responsibility on their souls.  This is not something trivial.  As we look on people we have to realise they can be lost.  A preacher was asked to address the subject of why he preached the gospel to young Christians.  If I preach the gospel it is because of what man is, a fallen human being.  If I preach the gospel it is because of what God is, because God is holy, of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.  If I preach the gospel it is because of what the gospel is, the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.  If I preach the gospel it only matters because of who God is, the only mediator between God and man,.  If I preach the gospel it is because of what a Christian is, someone with Christ in their hearts and is reconciled to God.  The apostle Paul brings a message on that day that is of the utmost importance.  God reaches down into Lydia`s heart and opens up her heart and soul.  What were the things Paul preached about?  Sin.  When God finished off his creation he made man in his own image, in the likeness of God, perfect in that sense.  No doubt told how sin came into the world.  Man and woman gave in to the devil`s lies.  Maybe took them to the animals killed that day because of their rebellion and turning from God.  Took them through the sacrifices right up until that one final sacrifice on Calvary when Christ died for their sins.  God was reaching down into the heart of Lydia right at that moment.  

These things were not only important but imparted.  Faith cometh by hearing.  Paul explains the important role of the preacher.  Souls need to hear the gospel and the preacher has to face his responsibility.  Some of our modern day preachers fall short of their responsibility yet we shrug our shoulders and think what can we do.  When the preachers miss the mark men and women, your family, my loved ones are sliding into a lost Christless hell day by day.  Men and women have to hear they must be saved.  Romans 10 "how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"  Paul had the word of God in his heart but it had to be imparted.  I am sure there wre those on that particular day that did not want to hear it.  He was being faithful.  God had no other means "for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it please God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Corinthians 1 verse 21)  There is no other means.  It is these words, these things Paul was imparting that this woman was opening up her heart, listening to these things.  Have you been sitting under the ministry of God`s word,  when you have heard these things, God has been opening up your heart, showing you your great need of salvation?  An old experienced preacher used to say to new preachers - preach a full gospel - Christ and nothing less, preach a plain gospel - Christ and nothing more, preach a purer gospel - and nothing else.  Whenever Peter was summoned to the house of Cornelius, he was going to a man in deep spiritual need.  He bore the words in his heart that would see Cornelius saved.  He had to impart them.  The words of eternal life are no good in my heart.  They have to be imparted.  How can I be saved, coming as a sinner ready to repent of my sin, turn from my sin and take the Lord as my own personal Saviour?  Will you come tonight?  Will you trust Christ?  Peter was coming to Cornelius.  The responsibility of imparting the words whereby he could be saved.  She heeded unto those things which were spoken of by Paul.

These things were implanted into the very heart of Lydia to make her a new creature in Christ.  Paul knew that words were the things the Holy Spirit could use in the salvation of a soul.  The Holy Spirit can keep these words and implant it into the heart of men and women.  Lydia was a religious young woman but was never in a meeting like this before.  Peter stood in Acts 2 and said "ye men of Israel hear these words."  What words?  "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves alsoknow; Him, being deliveed by the determinate cousel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken adn b wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death." (Acts 2 verses 22 and 23)  When they heard this "they were pricked in their hearts."  The Holy Spirit takes the word of God and implants it into our hearts that we might be saved.  Maybe she had sat where many others had preached, never heard words like this.  When Peter came into the house of Cornelius the Holy Ghost fell on them who heard the word of God.  God opened her heart.  She received the word and was gloriously saved.

Be of good courage

Sermon notes from Sunday 21 January 2018

Judges 6 verses 1 - 16

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he will strengthen thine heart; wait I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27 verse 14

The first week we looked at this verse we looked at from the point of vew of finding our inspiration and encouragement.  That is only found in the Lord himself.  Then we looked at the instruction the Psalmist gave us - wait.  Waiting is difficult.  Is there something in your life at this moment that maybe the instruction of the Psalmist has to be applied to today?  Just as Moses waited for the cloud to move before the Israelites continues on their journey through the wilderness we have to wait on the Lord to find his timing.  We want to move onto the little phrase "be of good courage".  We are going to look at this incident in the life of Gideon to see how we can move on.  The children of Israel are now settled in the land of Canaan.  The generation of the Israelites that came out of Egypt have died and this generation know not the Lord.  This man Gideon was a man God would use.  What background did he have?  His father worshipped the gods of Baal so Gideon was influenced by this in the home.  He lived in a time of apathy, coldness and slackness.  Our time is really no different than the time Gideon was in.  Maybe God will lay his hand on you to be the representative for him in the year ahead.  Gideon lived in a time when there was no king in Israel, a time when every man did that which was right in their own eyes.  Here comes the God of heaven and he puts his hand on Gideon.  He tells him "I have a mighty task for you, you will lead Israel from the hand of Midianites."  After telling us to wait on him, the Lord now tells us to be of good courage.

The responsibility Gideon was ignorant of.  Gideon was unaware of what depended on this meeting.  He was sitting under the oak tree threshing.  The angel came to speak to him, instructed him on what he would do.  He did not know what depended on that meeting though.  It was a time of spiritual darkness in Israel.  They had forgotten about the belssings their forefathers had experienced.  Sometimes we think to backslide is a difficult thing but not so.  We might read and pray and do all sorts of things but we could be in a backslidden state.  Israel was like that.  They had forgotten about the blessings of God.  They had been delivered from the hand of the hard task masters in Egypt.  They had gone done to the Red Sea and God opened up a way for them to walk across on dry ground.  God delivered them into the land of Canaan but now we find the Midianites and children of the east had formed an allegiance to come down every year and destroy the crops in Israel.  Look at verses 1, 3 and 7.  Every year the crops were destroyed.  They got before the God of heaven and cried and repented.  God heard them.  That is what we need today.  Men and women getting on their knees before God to pray and plead for our land.  It is for people to catch a vision of what God can do.  God allows Israel to be overrun.  People were now praying.  Verse 8 God sends a prophet in verse 11.  God looks for a man, the person to send into Israel to deliver them from this state.  What a responsibility this man had.  He saw the apathy and the responsibility on his shoulder.  God was looking for a man.  Maybe that is what God is looking for today.  Maybe there is someone crying unto God of heaven and he has put his hand on you.  People are fed up with what happening around them.  Fed up with religiousity, there must be something more.  God is looking to you today.  Responsibility for your family, your workforce today because God is looking for someone.  Maybe like Esther of old.  A nation that would be annihilated, wiped out.  Mordecai told Esther she had to go in and speak to the king.  Yes she was married to the king but that would put her in a terrible position.  Before she could gain an audience with the king she had to wait on the sidelines.  Only when the king reached out the sceptre to her was she allowed to come in.  if he had taken a dislike to her at that moment of time she could have been put to death.  She was taking her life in her hands.  God was laying his hand on this young women out of all in the Persian empire at that time.  God was working behind the scenes all along.  Maybe there is someone crying on God of heaven today.  God is looking for a person to go and reach someone for him.  Maybe that person is you today.  Like the widoww woman of Elijah`s day.  She was gathering up a few sticks, going to bake a cake as that was she had left and then her and her son would die.  God told her to put him first.  He would bring a child of God to her and she was to look after him, feed him and if she did that the barrel of meal would never waste away.  The responsibliity was on her shoulders.  Jesus in his day pointed back to this story and said there were many widows in that time but only one was chosen of God.  As we come into the house of God today what a responsibility is on us.  Are our lives open to God today?

The recognition that was made.  Gideon has a view of Israel in this backslidden state.  The enemy is coming down every year and destroying the crops, the whole harvest - verse 11.  God shows this great example for us to learn from it.  Gideon was threshing, the enemy was attacking Israel but where were the people of Israel.  Think of the amount of work that went in every year in preparing for the crops and then the harvesting of it.  Every year at harvest time the Midianites and children of the east destroyed the crops.  Where was Gideon at the time of the harvest - under an oak tree threshing.  Where are the rest of the Israelites - verse 2 - hiding in caves, up in the mountain and in dens.  The enemy was having the upper hand.  Gideon was out taking what was left, salvaging something out of this great loss, doing what he could.  He may have been doing it secretly but he was doing what he could to provide for his famly and maybe even for his neighbours.  He was getting on with what he could do.  God saw it and God was going to use it for his glory.  Are we really standing against the enemy, fighting for what the devil has robbed people of?  The devil is on the move today, attacking our young people, attacking the generation to come.  The devil is not worried about the little church sitting under unsaved teachers or ministers, he is worried abou the place where the people hear they need to be saved.  We need to be battling against that enemy today.  The enemy will come in subtlely and dangeoursly and effectively.  We have got to be praying for our children and making sure we do for them all we can do.  The devil wants the next generation.

The reassurance he was given.  The Lord had already used Joshua in a previous generation and he had himself told the people to be of good courage.  The Lord had told Joshua he would be with him and would not forsake him and now he was promising the same to Gideon.  Verse 14 have not I sent thee?  Verse 16 I will be with thee.  We have that same reassurance.  When the apostle Paul said all men forsook me yet the Lord stood with me.  During the shipwreck Paul told everyone to believe on the Lord and tust in God alone to save them.

The resiliance he showed - verses 13 - 15.  The Lord reassures him from all the arguments against this job he had to do.  Before he goes he has to be of good courage.  He has to set those fears and failures and those things that became so big, to set them apart, to forget about them and go on with the Lord.  He had to keep his eyes on the Lord.  Perhaps there are doubts and fears in your life, perhaps even unbeliefs - what if God says put your eyes on me, wait on me but also be of good courage?

A miracle in your life

Sermon notes from Sunday evening 14 January 2018

Luke 5 verses 17 - 20

Here in this portion of scripture we see a man carried by 4 people on a stretcher.  He was carried beause he was unable to walk, unable to do anything for himself.  They brought him to where Jesus was ministering in a home, they opened up the roof and lowered him down.  He is gloriously healed and he is able to walk away.  We see a miracle of what God can really do.  Maybe you have never experienced that miracle in your life, never come to the Lord for mercy and help at his hand.  Maybe tonight this could be your night. 

Notice this story begins with an unselfish act.  It begins with 4 men who see their friend as not able to do anything for himself.  Deep down in their hearts they had a compassion for him.  They have talked with him in the past, in better days now struck down with palsy.  He was unable to walk, to move, he was in great pain every minute of the day.  These men looked on him and had compassion on him.  It says in Mark`s gospel "It was noised abroad that Jesus was in the house."   Jesus began to open up the word of God in a house and people started to gather around him.  These men heard he was there.  "The power of the Lord was present to heal them."  It is not the crowds that draw the Lord tonight.  He was in a house in Capernaum and it was noised abroad that Jesus was there.  These men heard that Jesus was there and he could do something for their friend.  They sacrificed their time and energy just to do this for their friend.  Think of Andrew when he found the Lord for himself.  The first thing he thought of was his brother.  His feet never stopped until he found his brother Peter.    Peter came and proved the Lord for himself.  The same day Philip found the Lord he went straight to find his friend Nathaniel.  It takes an unselfish act.  Maybe there are those in our family, in our neighbourhood, our community that we need to invite to a meeting.  When I think of the 4 corners of this stretcher, take each of them in turn.  The first relates to the doors being opened and the invitations given out.  Another corner is the testimony of a man saved by God`s grace.  Another corner is the singing of the hymns and the final corner is the message from God`s word being proclaimed.  What about that unselfish act of the Lord when he left heavens glory, he came down into the world to be born of the virgin Mary, took his abode in a little manger then to walk the streets of Jerusalem until taken into Pilate`s judgment hall and nailed to the cross, bleeding just for me.  An unselfish act.

An unusual approach.  These men found on their arrival a multitude of people and they could not get near the door.  The went around the house and climbed the staircase.  They uncovered the roof and lowered the man down through the roof.  This was an unusual approach.  Can almost imagine Jesus standing in that house watching this stretcher coming down.  This was an unusual approach.  nicodemus came to the Lord by night.  That was unusual for a man like Nicodemus.  At some time he heard the Lord preaching, seen the miracles done.  Something was stirring in his heart.  That is how God works, stirring our hearts, convicting us of our sin and showing us our need of salvation.  When we begin to think of our sin that is coming from the Holy Spirit himself.  Nicodemus was a wealthy man, an important man and it was a dangerous place to be on at night.  Think of Zacchaeus.  Jesus was coming to Jericho, passing through it, not stopping there but passing through on his way to Calvary.  Zacchaeus had to make his way down the streets that day, he had to climb up into a sycamore tree.  He was a rich man and he was running down the street then climbing up a tree.  A most unusual approach.  Jesus stopped at the very street he was in and called him down.  We don`t all come to Christ the same way.  There are different ways of bringing us to Christ.  Some are straightforward conversions.  They come to meetings and somehow God begins to stir their hearts and you get saved.  Others are just so unusual.  We all come in different manners to Christ.  Maybe you are thinking you are not like another man or women who reallly need to be saved but not you.  Maybe you are saying "I never miss church, always here, I love to hear the preaching, the singing, the testimonies" but you are not saved.  You are going to have to come from that very same place to salvation.

An unsympathetic attack.  In verse 20 this man was lowered down to the feet of Christ.  Jesus says to him "your sins are forgiven."  In verse 21 there was an unsympathetic attack.  The Pharisees and scribes and doctors of the law saw all this.  They saw this man and his friends eager to get to Christ then hear Christ saying your sins are forgiven.  They are opposed to what is happening.  They will bring Christ to account for what he has done.  They had no compassion on the man at all.  There are still Pharisees today in our society.  They look down their noses at you.  They will say there is no such a thing.  People will be quick to judge you.  You can be saved tonight but you will be talked about.  If you come forward tonight and think tomorrow it will be great think again.  There will be those who will be unsympathetic, even those in your family who might question why you got saved in the first place.

An unmistakeable atmosphere.  Things changed now.  Jesus told the man to take up his bed and walk.  When the Lord spoke to him he was able to stand.  Everyone looked at him, they knew he had been bedridden but now they see him standing at the command of the Lord.  The whole atmosphere changes.  The people are looking because they had never seen this before.  They began to glorify God.  There will be angels rejoicing in heaven tonight if you get saved.  The change in this man`s life brought great glory and honour to the Lord.  It tells us in vese 28 that the people were so amazed and that they glorified God and had great reverence for him.  A change in the atmosphere that very day in that house.  Are you saying no to the Lord tonight?  Is this now the night that you would forsake sin and trust Christ as your own and personal Saviour?  This mya be the final invitation.  Don`t turn your back on God tonight.

Wait patiently on the Lord

Sermonnotes from Sunday morning 14 January 2018

James 4 verses 1 - 10

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he will strengthen thine heart; wait I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27 verse 14

James speaks in his book about drawing near to God.  Think about David the Psalmist who bore the testimony of a man after God`s own heart.  We looked last week at the one on whom we are to wait on but today we want to look at the practice the Psalmist is pointing out to us.  This will help us in our relationship with God the Lord, with others around us.  The word "wait" means to rest, pause, to stop, to take notice of.  Isn`t it good to take notice today, isn`t it good to wait and rest on the Lord today? 

We are to wait patiently.  It is hard to wait on someone, the most difficult thing to do but here the Psalmist says we are to wait on the Lord.  "I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry". Are we waiting patiently for the Lord today?  Maybe David could have waited but he longed for the Lord to reach down into the miry clay and lift him out immediately.  The Psalmist is painting the picture of someone in great danger.  Day be day he was sinking down into the clay, very soon the situation may result in suffocation or drowning.  Do we not face days like that some times?  We live in a very high tech society.  We can take our mobile phones and text someone right away and the message in response comes equally quickly.  We can send emails and within seconds someone on the other side of the world can receive it.  We can now turn on the internet and get a telephone number straight away.  Somehow in the midst of all this we have forgotten about waiting.  Moses learned patience in Egypt.  He wanted to take the people of Israel out of bondage but he was 40 years too early.  He had to watch the sheep in the desert for 40 years and then when God called him to go in and speak to Pharaoh he had to wait on all the arguments to be worked out until eventually Pharaoh let the people go.  Then in the wilderness he had to wait on the cloud to move forward so that he knew when to move the Israelites.  He knew all about patience when despite there being a quicker way through the land of the Philistines God led them another way.  Maybe there is something we would love God to do for us right now but the Lord says wait.  Philip Keller`s book Lessons from a Sheepdog told the story of a dog he had.  The dog came to him late in life and had to be taught a lot of new things but he became one of the best assets he had on the farm.  The dog would have gone down into the deepest of thickets and briars to bring the sheep out.  There was one problem though - the dog had one problem when gathering in the sheep to a corner.  The dog was told to wait and not move but he couldn`t do it and all of a sudden the sheep were scattered.  The dog couldn`t wait.  God has a plan and purpose for your life but he is saying "wait".  Peter tells us in his book to build on our faith.  When you trusted Christ as Saviour that was just the beginning.  Have we been building ever since?  Peter tells us to add patience to our faith.  We have need of patience.  Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees but he hadn`t the patience needed.  He ended up in a land of famine.  Habbakuk in the watchtower saw the enemy coming in and overunning the land.  He asked God how long they would be in this situation.  The Lord told him that the vision he had shown him was not for now but an appointed time.  At the end of it, it shall come to pass, though it tarry wait for it for it will surely come.

This little word tells us also to wait prayerfully.  As we tarry we are not just to be slothful or haphazard.  We are to be active.  Abraham`s servant left Abraham`s house.  He was given a task to look for a wife for Isaac.  He laid it all before the Lord and left it there.  He came into the land and met Rebecca.  He was convinced she was the one God led him to.  "Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth I being in the way the Lord led me." (Genesis 24 verse 27)  That young man he didn`t just sit about, he went out to seek for it, dependent on the Lord to lead him and guide him.  He found Rebecca - "I being in the way the Lord led me."  Maybe this morning you are waiting on the Lord but we need to wait prayerfully.  We need to be active as we wait for the Lord.  The early disciples were told by the Lord he was going away back to heaven by the cross but he would not leave them comfortless as orphans in the world.  He would send the Holy Spirit.  What were they to do?  Wait in Jerusalem, wait for the promise of the Lord.  They waited and on that very day, the day of Pentecost when God would send the Holy Spirit, they were in that place and filled with the Holy Spirit.  They gathered, waited and God fulfilled his promise.  As we go into 2018 let us wait prayerfully.

We need to wait personally.  This is something for you today, something very difficult.  The disciples waiting for the Lord were waiting personally for that word into their hearts.  Job lost his family, his livelihood, his health, everything in one sweep.  Job 13 "even if he slay me I will wait patiently."  God takes us different ways today.  Day after day Job waited knowing God would take him in the right way.  Job knew he was coming from the furnace of suffering.  He knew when he went through it he would be the polished article.  Scholars say it was 2 or 3 years.  The Psalmist says to wait on the Lord.

We need to wait positively.  The Psalmist says "I waited patiently, prayerfully, crying on the Lord all the time, waiting expectantly but also positively."  I think of Elijah on Mount Carmel doing battle with the prophets of Baal.  Remember how he challenged them to build an altar, place a bullock on it then cry out to the god of Baal to send the fire.  When they were fnished Elijah would do the same to the God of heaven.  Elijah was sure of one thing - he waited patiently for God.  He watched the prophets doing all that work possible but no fire fell.  Eliah set the altar up, put the sacrifice on top then doused it with water so that it ran along the trench.  3 times he doused it with water.  He did everything in his power to put every obstacle before God because he had every confidence in God.  He knew God would do it.  God is able to meet what ever problems you might be facing today.  The prophets of Baal didn`t realise Elijah was in touch with the mighty God of heaven.  The Lord sent the fire, it came from the very splendours of heaven, licked up the very stones around the altar.  God was glorifed as a result.  We are to wait patiently, prayerfully, personally and positively because our God will not fail.  What is that difficulty in your life today?  Jacob wrestled with God before he met Esau.  Maybe today there will be a time of wrestling in this year that a mighty move of God will come.

Calling on the Lord for salvation

Sermon notes from Sunday 7 January 2018

Psalm 18 verses 1- 6

In coming to this Psalm tonight many of the New Year resolutions have been broken and forgotten about.  I want us however to think about a resolution one man made.  The Psalmist in verse 3 said "I will call upon the Lord".  That is what saves a man or woman.  As we come tonight it is good to search our souls just to make sure we are saved and have that assurance of being saved.  This call is a call between David and God.  It comes right into the very ears of God.  Verse 6 you can lift up your voice tonight, come to the cross of Calvary and your voice will reach into the ears of the Lord.

This is a personal call.  David vows "I will call" not looking around  him, not asking what the next person will do but speaks of himself in this situation.  Looking to himself and this is what he is going to do.  Joshua took over the leadership of Israel from Moses when he died.  Moses had brought the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness but he could not take them into the land of promise.  That was Joshua`s job.  Joshua separated the land and divided it amongst the various trbes.  When he was an old man he sets himself up as a challenge and example to all the people by saying "choose you this day whom you will serve."  The people were used to serving other idols but he brings them a special place in their lives, brings them to a place of challenge.  That is how important it is tonight - that you must make a choice.  God comes to you and he shows you your great need of salvation.  That we have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that we will never be in heaven.  God reveals the darkness of our hearts, the lostness of our souls, he lifts our eyes to Calvary, he shows his beloved son shedding his blood and dying for your sin and my sin.  It is the same God who moves in that convicting power.  Then he says "choose life or death."  We can turn our backs on the cross, never give it a second thought.  That is the choice we have to make tonight.  Joshua continued by saying "but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord."  There is one God - the God of heaven.  Joshua said I want to serve him with one heart, one soul and with all my strength.  It is personal tonight.  David is surrounded by his enemies, he has no hope within or out, no-one can do him any good.  That is the situation we are in.  Our hearts have been stained by sin.  No-one or nothing can do anything for us.  No church can lift that condemnation from us.  No minister could speak to us and bring us into heaven.  That is only by the shedding of Christ`s blood.  There is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved.  It is a personal choice what we do with Christ.  In the last chapter of John Jesus challenged Peter "lovest thou me"  Peter replied "you know how much I love you" then Jesus turned and said "follow me."  Peter turned and looked at John then asked "what will this man do?"  The Lord says "what is that to you?"  It does not matter what the next person will do.  How often we hear the challenge.  We look at others wondering if they will come, if only they got saved then I would get saved too.  What is that to you?  You come and trust Christ.  No-one can help, there is only one remedy for sin.  I could sit with you and go through the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, show you your great need of salvation but after that I can only close the book - it is a personal choice you have to make.

It is a planned call.  David says "I have made up my mind, I am going to call on the Lord.  It is amazing how many come in having their mind made up before that act.  David here at this point was surrounded by all the enemies of the day but he plans and he calls on the name of the Lord.  In Acts 17 the congregation gathering planned to be there to hear the apostle Paul, the setter forth of strange gods, a babbler.  There were men there who were interested in what he had to say.  Paul gets up and speaks of Christ coming into the world and brought them right through to the place of crucifixion.  Some mocked, some said "we will hear you again" but the third group said "we want to get saved tonight".  Have you planned God`s slavation?  It is not something we slip into.  That one morning we will wake up and be gloriously saved.  It is personal and planned.  God is working in your life, showing you your need of salvation and he is calling you out for himself.

It is a positive call. "I will call on the Lord."  David`s will was now surrendered to the will of God.  A half hearted call will not attract the ear of God.  Isn`t that what the prophet Jeremiah speaks of "you will seek for me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart."  Psalm 40 "I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me."  David meant business with the Lord.  It is a serious business to get saved.  It is not just  a matter of putting up hand or head nodding to the preacher.  It is more serious than that.  David took it seriously.  The Psalmist in Psalm 51 said "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God,  thou wilt not despise."  The Lord condemned the people in Isaiah`s day of bringing their sacrifices and burning them but their hearts were far from God.  God is looking for hearts weighed down by the burden of sin, a broken heart coming to him for salvation.  If we can put someone or something before God and his salvation we are in trouble.  If you are ever to be saved it will be from a broken heart.

It was a profitable call.  The Psalmist knew if he called he would be saved from his enemies.  if we call on the Lord we will be saved from the penalty of sin and from a lost sinners hell.  "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  There is an ear that listens to every conversation, is listening to the voice of the man or woman to call on the name of the Lord to be saved and thank God there is one able to do something about that.  His name is Jesus.  He can save to the uttermost all that come unto him.

Wait on the Lord

Sermon notes from Sunday 7 January 2018

Psalm 27

As we enter into 2018 another year lies before us and in so doing on this the first Sunday of the New Year we turn to our motton text in verse 14.  From the Psalmist`s pen today we receive a challenge as to what way this year will go.  The Psalmist says we are to wait on the Lord.  It is a challenge but also a commission.  To get our eyes on the Lord.  It is also a command coming from God`s word too.  To wait on the Lord.  It is also a great comfort also.  Where could you or I go for leadership in 2018 if not from the Lord?  Stepping out into a new year gives us tremendous advice.  It says here to wait.  If it only told us to wait there wouldn`t be much good to us.  The Psalmist clarifies it here - wait - by including the words - on the Lord.  Take a moment or 2 just to come to the one who you are going to wait on.  That is important today.  In this 2018 the great danger is we might miss out on him.  We do not want to lose sight of him as the creator, the sustainer who opens his hand and every living thing comes into being.  He is the same God as always.  Start this year by looking to the one we are to wait on.

He dispels our fears.  Look to him the Psalmist says in verse 1 - "the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear, the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid?"  He is my light, my salvation.  The pronouns keep coming on - I, my, me.  He is speaking of himself.  That is the confidence he has today.  The Psalmist does with so much confidence.  He doesn`t say he has a second hand faith but I have a faith that is mine.  In Psalm 23 he said "the Lord is my shepherd" and now he is saying "he is my light and my salvation."  I have proved God and this is how you can prove God today.  He is the one who dispels every fear you might have if you will bring it to him.  Look at Rehoboam, Solomon`s son.  When Solomon died he had to step into the shoes of the wisest man who ever sat on the throne.  He knew he needed advice and so went in the wrong direction for that advice.  It is possible that that problem or fear going through your mind, it is possible that you will take it to the wrong place for advice.  Rehoboam went to the old men of the kingdom and asked what he should do.  The old men said `we had the greatest respect for your father but we found he went wrong in various places, he laid heavy burdens on the children, if you were to lift the hand of chastisement now it would be good.`  Then he went to the people who he grew up with. They told him to double the taxes, increasing their burden and Rehoboam took their advice much to his shame.  There is no where we read of where he went to the Lord for advice.  He doesn`t go to the Lord for advice.  It is possible for us to go to the wrong place for advice.  In Isaiah 6 the prophet is going into the temple, into the house of God.  He heart is sorrowful and heavy  - why - because Uzziah his friend has died.  As he walked into the house of God he felt something that he never felt the same again.  The first look he took was upwards.  He saw the Lord and high lifted up.  He saw the glory of the Lord in that place.  As we go into the house of God are we looking to him?  Is there a problem so difficult as we go into 2018?  Many problems will arise in our families, in this fellowship, hurts in your life.  The thing is what will we do with them?  Will we look onto the one who dispels our fears?  If we look down there will be many problems or difficulties.  The Psalmist tells us we are to look to the one who dispels our fears.  Look to the author and finisher of our faith.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  David approaching Ziglag could see the smoke going up into the sky.  The enemy had come and raided everything.  Not a child played in the street.  All were carried away prisoner.  I am sure it was as if someone had plunged their hand into his bosom and ripped out his heart.  Those men wept until they could weep no more.  David`s own men then turned against him.  Maybe in the past year you have felt that same grievance in your heart.  It has hurt.  Get your eyes on the Lord.  David looked at Ziglag and then to his men, then he looked to the Lord "Lord shall we pursue here?"  The Lord said "yes because you will gain so much." Is that the cry of your heart today?  You feel as if you cannot go on another day.  You want to turn back, to give up, to throw in the towel but the Lord tells us to keep on going for the mark for the high calling of God.  God dispels our fears as he did for Gideon.  He was threshing a few sheaves of grain when the Lord spoke to him.  Jeremiah was afraid but God told him "be not afraid of their faces for I am with you."  Are we looking down or looking up today?  Taking in all the discouragemens or looking to the Lord of heaven.

Let`s look to the one who destroys our foes - verse 2.  Isaiah chapter 54 verse 17.  How many times have we seen nations rising up against Israel but God has not allowed them to succeed?  David is no stranger to anxiety, to care and concern of his own.  He knew all about overcoming.  Verse 13 "had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  He is not afraid to testify to it.  I would have almost fainted.  God will not fail me.  David tells us how he listened to his deceiving and deceptive heart.  Your heart will lead you down but God will not.  If we could get ourselves to the place David is pointing us to today what a wonderful place that would be.  We need to do one thing - get our eyes on the Lord today.  He is the one who destroys our foes.  Psalm 73 verse 2.  How close have we come to throwing in the towel?  We can put our brave face on but really underneath it we are suffering.  The Lord will not let us down.  David was going through dark places in his life, his enemies have risen against him, it was a hurtful time for him.  Verse 12.  I was in a position where I felt God had even forsaken him.  The year we are looking into we know nothing about it.  For false witnesses are risen up against me.  People saying all manner of awful things against him.  Was there a fear in his heart?  That even the Lord would desert him because of that but I never fainted.  I begn to think of the goodness of the Lord.  The Lord is good and gracious.  Every good and perfect gift comes from him.  Every living thing comes from God today.  Asaph said "my feet were almost gone until I went into the temple and saw the end of the wicked lies."  Get a clear picture of the God we adore and let us wait on him.  God will not let you down.  When I sat on the hillside and the lion came against me the Lord delivered me.  When the bear came to take a lamb the Lord delivered me.  He will deliver you too.

Wait on the one who defends his friends.  Psalm 91 "he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty."  The Psalmist thought of the barren land, the sun beat down but the shadow was beautiful.  He covereth us with his feathers - Psalm 34 verse 7. "The angels of the Lord encampeth around about them that fear him and delivereth them."  We may well ask `where is your angel today Lord?`  The answer comes back `I have set him to overshadow your path.`  The Lord is before you.  David knew when the bear and the lion came he was no match.  Hezekiah cowered behind the gates of Jerusalem.  He saw the enemy take every city and they were now at his gate.  The Lord sent his angel to watch over him.  Peter lying in the prison cell - what did God do?  He sent an angel to deliver him right from the enemy.  We do not know what a year will bring.  Maybe hospital visits, news that will break your heart.  The Lord defends his friends.  

We are to look to the one who delights in our fellowship verse 4.  David is looking to the presence of God.  "Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there am I in the midst."  Isn`t is amazing thing that if only 2 or 3 of us gathered today that the Lord will still come down and presence himself with us?  There are some speakers today who will only come and speak to hundreds.  The Lord is not looking to numbers but to you and I.  If it is good enough for the Lord it is good enough for us?  Where am I looking to today?  David wants to direct our focus today unto the almighty God.  What is the exercise we have to do - wait not blindly but upon the Lord.  As we go into 2018 as a family and a fellowship focus for the work of God lets not forget about the God of heaven.  Look up and see his face.

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift

Sermon notes from Sunday 17 December 2017

Matthew 1 verses 18 - 25, 2 Corinthians 9 verse 15

I want us to think tonight of this season for giving and receiving.  It is with love and gratitude that we both love to give and receive.  Paul was speaking about giving in 2 Corinthians 9.  He was asking them to do it without a grudge, with warmth and love in their heart.  He compares it with the God of heaven and what he has given.  Let`s thank God for his unspeakable gift.  That goes back to John 3 verse 16.  He looked on this sin cursed world, looked down on us in that plight, he loved us when there was no love coming from us.  He loved us while we were yet sinners, rebellious, going against his law day by day.  He sent his only begotten son into the world that we should not perish.  He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us.  We are looking at the most wonderful gift we could ever receive.  Paul says "thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."  It is as if he couldn`t find the words.  There are no words I can put in.  It is just an unspeakable gift - that God would do for us.  

Yes it is unspeakable because it is unequalled.  What God has done for you is unequal.  You may give little talent, time, finances, witness, all sorts of things but it is nothing in comparison to what God has done.  He has done something very special for us.  He took his only son and sent him down into the world.  On the cross of Calvary he redeemed your soul.  There was no hope for our souls.  When Adam and Eve in the days of creation were tempted sin entered into the world.  Every generation since then has been born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  God saw a world going far from himself.  Jeremiah said "run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broa places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it."(Jeremiah 5 verse 1)  Such a sin God looked down on, nothing I can do but send my son that he woud take every sinful act and placed it on his body.  There on Calvary to make a sacrific for it.  Can you imagine the love that was in the father`s heart when he saw the prodigal returning home.  He couldn`t wait until he got his father`s inheritance, he went out to the far country and spent it all until he was left lying at the pigs dregs.  He raised in his mind the thoughts of his father`s house.  Can you think of the love the Lord had for him.  He went out to meet him.  Unmerited love, unthought of.  He was not going to reject him, turn him away.  God will not turn you away.  This gift was unequalled.  

This gift is unspeakable because it is unmerited.  He could find no words of appreciation for it.  You and I did nothing to earn this gift.  There was nothing in man that could deserve such a gift.  Can you imagine God tonight, nothing we could ever do to seek the merit of God.  We have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Our own righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  That is the picture God paints of you and I today.  That is how God describes it. What God has done for us is unmerited.  He took every sin on his own body.  Your sin has been placed on the Lord.  As you come into the meeting tonight your sin has been placed on him.  He has died for you tonight but you must come and trust him tonight, accept his gift to you tonight.  Romans 5 verse 8 "God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners he died for us."  You have to ask for this salvation.  Many of us go without God`s salvation because we simply will not ask.  The only way we can receive him is to ask him for his salvation.

God`s gift is unmistakable.  This gift is so clear tonight.  His son has died to save you and me.  We can take up that red lin throughout all of scripture, back to Genesis and Adam and Eve snning in the Garden of Eden.  There God came down and searched for them.  He had to take those animals all around that day and kill them for their skins.  That is grace.  Think of the lamb Abel brought.  God received it and he was pleased.  His brother brought the first fruits but God was not pleased.  The lamb was sacrificed.  The Lord has paid it all.  It was so clear on the day when John the Baptist walking in the midst of the people saw Jesus coming towards him and he said "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world."  Where do you stand tonight?  We are talking about something very serious - your soul within your bosom.  It brought the Lord from heaven`s glory to the cross of shame to save you.

The gift of God is unreserved.  The gift God has given is complete.  There is nothing held back in this gift.  Christ gave it all.  In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed with great drops of sweat dropping from his forehead.  He prayed to his father in heaven "if this cup can pass from me let it be so, nevertheless not my will but thine be done."  He did not withdraw in Pilate`s hall, nor when he saw Peter walking afar off, or when the soldiers sat and beat him.  He did not hold back when he was nailed to the cross.  Here is a gift that is unspeakable.  Have you received that gift?  The God of heaven wants to give you a gift that is unspeakable.  He wants you to have his son tonight.  "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in and I will sup with him and he with me."  As we think of the Lord coming as a baby in the manger and dying on the cross of Calvary for us will you accept this gift tonight?

A celebration on the hillside

Sermon notes from Sunday 24 December 2017

Luke 2 verses 1 - 20

We here so much about celebration these days.  Here we find the shepherds celebration.  We often think of parties, meals and families getting together, gifts, the decorations we put them up as we celebrate.  As we look at what the shepherds had to celebrate I want us to look into our hearts and think of the celebration that could be there just like the shepherds long ago.  As they sat minding their sheep the angels filled the sky.  The shepherds were afraid.  Verse 20 they looked at what they had seen, listened to what they had heard and were now celebrating.  There is a cause here for their celebration.  Verse 11 the cause of this celebration.  Verse 17.  Look inwards tonight.  Have we found that celebration tonight?  If so we can go out and tell others of what we have seen and heard too.  Consider how they listened.  So much happened between verses 8 and 20.  Ths message was from heaven.  For their hearts would change their lives, direction.  Sometimes we listen but do not learn.  They learned of a Saviour who came into the world, how they left the hill side, left their sheep.  Far more important than their everyday lives.  This was more important for their own lives.  They walked into that manger and saw something glorious.  It changed them.  Our lives will never be the same until we look at Christ himself, not in the manger but on the cross itself.  Let us look at these shepherds as they left that hillside, went to Bethlehem, and others were left wondering at what they were told (verse 18).  "let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us."  They left wondering but returned worshipping.  Verse 20 "they returned glorifying God."  

First of all they had to pursue - verse 15 after the angels went away, after the sky dimmed down again, they began talk about this issue.  We are not going to understand this until we go to Bethlehem.  They had to pursue it.  The angels were gone.  They were sitting out on the hillside and began to ponder anew what this message was.  Unless they pursued it they would never find out for themselves.  We can bring that right down to our gospel meeting.  Men preached the word of God.  Men and woman gathered to hear the word of God.  As the music stops, the preachers voice is quiet, as darkness falls on the church, inside the hearts of men and women there is a battle - "what must I do then with Christ?"  That battle is taking place at this moment in time, in countless mission halls tonight.  Verse 15 "which the Lord hath made known unto us."  Here were these shepherds, the poorest of people, considered outcasts yet the angels are sent down right to where they were to show them their great need.  Verse 15 "to see this thing which the Lord hath made known unto us."  You cannot be saved until the Lord makes it known unto you.  The prophet wrote about the virgin conceiving and bearing a child.  Here were the angels coming to where this message needed to be heard.  If you are saved tonight thank God from the depth of your heart.  If you are not saved pray unto God from the depths of your heart.  Lydia sitting outside at the riverside - it says "God opened up her heart."  She gave concern to what Paul was preaching about (Acts 16 verse 14).  Is God showing you something of the atoning work of Calvary?  

They had not only to pursue but they had to prove the message was true.  They had to see with their own eyes, touch with their own hands that which had been told to them by the angels.  Like the Berean believers in Acts 17 who listened to the preachers.  Paul as he preached about Christ taking them right through from Genesis to Isaiah where the Saviour had to come for the peoples sin, he took them right to the cross of Calvary and the tomb, to when he rose again.  These Bereans didn`t just listen they went home and searched the scriptures to prove that what was said was true.  The shepherds didn`t just listen to what the angels had to say, they had to prove it for themselves.  One thing for sure was they kept on going, pursuing until proved for themselves.  He is not a Saviour until we find him.  There might have been more than one manger, more than one stable and they may have had to search and find the right one for themselves.  Do you know you are accepted in the beloved?  Ephesians 1 verse 7.  They pursued and they proved.

They celebrated by publishing abroad.  Now they had a story to tell.  That is the wonderful thing about it.  They left the hillside, went down to Bethlehem, found the manger and saw the baby in the manger.  They now had a story to tell.  They made sure others heard about it.  What a story to tell.  Have you got a story tonight?  Was there a time in your life when you could say "yes it was that very night, that very moment."  There was a time when you gazed savingly at the Lord, repented of your sins, cried to the Lord that you might receive his salvation.  The apostle Paul encourages every believer to confess that you believe in your heart but with your lips you tell it.  You have a story to tell when you gaze on the Saviour.

They celebrated by their praise.  We need to be careful tonight because we cannot do this without visiting the manger.  If they hadn`t left the hillside and visited the manger then they saw the baby.  Only they could praise the Saviour.  Can we go through the motions tonight but never been to Calvary?  Never looked on Christ.  This is the very celebration not the tinsel or decorations, turkey and stuffing but remember the one who gave his life that you might be saved and for eternity spend it with him.  Is that your hope tonight?  The blessed hope that you have at Christmas time?