The Gospel at work

Sermon notes from Sunday 11 August 2019 pm

Colossians 1 verses 1 - 14

The Gospel at work

"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel"

In chapter 3 we notice how the gospel works in various relationships - husbands and wives, parents and children, in society.  The gospel has to work in our lives.  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation."  There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.  The gospel can do that for us.  The husband and wife relationship can be seen in the lives of Priscilla and Aquilla in Acts of the Apostles.  They were saved by the grace of God, they worked together, they listened to Apollos a renowned preacher but knew there was something lacking in his ministry.  They took him to one side and showed him the word of God more fully.  We think of the family relationship in the life of the Philippian jailer in Acts.  When he got saved he brought the preachers right into his home because he wanted his family changed too.  In society and in Zacchaeus` life we see him changed when he said to Jesus "Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." (Luke 19 verse 8)  As the gospel comes to you again how will it affect your home?  Some would say we can have too much gospel - they believe that because the Bible talks about election that God will save any way so we do not need so much preaching of the gospel.  Others would say we need more teaching and less preaching but before we can teach we need to see people saved.

The channel of the gospel.  How did this message come about in the town of Colosse?  A man called Epaphrus came into their presence (verse 7).  He came with a burden in his heart.  He had been saved by God`s grace, perhaps under the ministry of Paul in Ephesus.  He realised that he was a sinner and that sin could keep him from heaven one day.  He had a burden for the people in Colosse - chapter 4 verse 12 "Epaphras who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."  He was sold out for the gospel and he saw the need of others who were perishing.  Are you a channel for the gospel today - in your home and in your family?  Are you a channel in society, in the workplace?  You have been saved for a reason, for a purpose.  Jesus, when he gathered his disciples around him and told them he was going back to his Father in heaven, said "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  The gospel needs legs.  Think of the maid in the Old Testament who lived in Naaman`s house.  Naaman was a great soldier, he had won many battles but he was a leper.  There was no cure for him.  He could not be comforted.  He would perish through this leprosy.  Who did God place in his home for a remedy for his disease - a maid.  She told him that if he was prepared to go to the prophet in Jerusalem he would be cleansed of his leprosy.  Are we channels today?  Paul said in Romans 10 verse 14 "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?" 

The course of the gospel - verse 7.  As the gospel goes forward we read of the challenge and claims of it.  You are listening, taking in with your heart, then it comes to your mind.  There is a decision you need to make.  Acts 2 verse 37 - they were listening with their ears but something happened - "they were pricked in their hearts."  The same thing still happens today.  There is something happening in your heart today.  You must be aware that there is a response required.  The Holy Spirit takes the word to your heart and then it goes to your mind because you have to make a decision.  You will do one of 2 things - either reject Christ or accept Christ.  Acts 17 verse 4 tells us that "some of them believed" but it then goes on to say in verse 5 "the Jews which believed not."

The challenge that it brought.  Epaphras told of his own experience.  He took Jesus as his Saviour.  With the hearing comes the challenge.  In chapter 2 verse 13 these people were challenged about their death.  They heard they were dead in their trespasses, they did not realise there was a broken relationship between them and God.  They heard how Christ came to save them - verse 6 "they received Christ."  You have the seed of the living word of God in your heart but Satan will do all he can to rob you of that seed.  Think of Pilate as he stood before Jesus.  He was willing to release him that day.  He didn`t want anything to do with putting Christ to death.  He listened to his own conscience and said "I find no fault."  He then listened to his wife.  She told him "have nothing to do with this just man for I have suffered much by way of a dream about this man."  He loved his wife very much.  He also listened to the crowd.  Just as he was weighing up his evidence he asked "what shall I do then with Jesus?"  If you want to be saved you have to take Jesus as your Saviour and Lord.  The crowd told Pilate "if you let this man go free you are not a friend of Caesar."  Pilate couldn`t go back on his decision.  Wouldn`t it be sad if you made a decision that you could never go back on?  If God showed you your need of salvation and you said no?

There is the cost of the gospel.  The gospel is free yes but it cost Christ his life.  It cost him everything.  He was rejected, beaten, scourged, spat on, the hairs of his face were plucked off, then they crucified him on Calvary.  He hung sufffering, bleeding and dying for you and I.  The cost tonight is your all.  Will you take him as Saviour?  He will change your life, make you a child of the gospel, make you someone he can use.  Are you ready for that?  You cannot go off on your own agenda.  Making a commitment to Christ will involve everything you have.  The bible says of these Colossians "as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." (chapter 2 verse 6)  Are you prepared to take his invitation and trust him as your Saviour?  It is your invitation, will you come? 

A feast with Jesus

Notes from New Horizon on 8 August 2019 Tim Chester
Luke 9

Where should you go if you want to see God?  Where should you go if you want to see the power of God, if you want to see God at work.  Some people point to the natural world.  Some would say you are nearer to God in the garden.  Other people would invite you to some form of outreach, a worship concert where you feel something but is it God?  Other people want to lay hands on you and pray for healing.  Is there something we should do if we want to experience God`s power in the world?  A desire to see the kingdom of God, to see God at work is not new.  Verse 9 Herod asked "who then is this I hear so many things about?"  A desire to see him.  Herod wants to see Jesus, to check him out, to have a piece of the action but he cannot.  He doesn`t get to see Jesus.  Jesus is not hanging around in the corridors of power.  Only at the end of his life Herod gets to see Jesus.  Luke describes how when Jesus was arrested and Pilate finds out he was from Galilee that he farms him off to Herod.  Luke 23 when Herod saw Jesus he was pleased because he had wanted to see him for a long time.  He hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort, plied him with many questions but Jesus gave him no answer.  Nothing.  What does Herod see - nothing.  What does he hear - nothing.  Herod takes this as his chance to see the kingdom of God at work.  He gets nothing. 
Look at verses 10 and 11 when the disciples return he takes them with him, they withdraw to a town Bethsaida.  The crowd heard about it and followed.  He spoke to them, he "welcomed" them.  They have gatecrashed his session of rest and refreshment.  Herod wants to see Jesus but he cannot.  The crowds want to see Jesus and he welcomes them.  Verses 18 to 20 immediately after the feeding of 5000 Jesus asks his disciples "who do people say I am."  Then he turns it to them and asks "but what about you, who do you say I am?"  Peter answered "you are the Messiah." 
The disciples do see him, not just physical eyes but with spiritual insight.  Who is Jesus?  Is he the Messiah?  The word Messiah means the Anointed one.  It is a word used to describe Israel`s king.  The Jewish kings were anointed with oil, not crowned as such.  In Israel the expectation grew that one day God`s ultimate  king would come.  The Christ, the Messiah.  That is what the disciples see.  Why do they get it all of a sudden?  How is it that we can see that Jesus is the Messiah?  I want to see how it is that Luke answers that question. 
In verses 7 to 9 we get 3 possible answers to show who Jesus is.  Some said he was John the Baptist raised from the dead.  Others he was Elijah.  Remember Elijah didn`t die but gets taken up to heaven in a chariot.  Beause he had gone up to heaven without dying they thought that maybe one day he would come back again.  Maybe Jesus is Elijah come back.  Or perhaps Jesus is one of the prophets of old.  Moses said another prophet would come and replace him.  That is where this idea came from.  We get exactly the same 3 options immediately after the miracle of the feeding of 5000.  In the middle of these 2 discussions about who Jesus might be is the feeding of the 5000.  Why there?  Because this feeding is the priority, a vital clue to who God is.  What makes the different between Herod`s unanswered question and the disciples answered question is this party in the wilderness.  In Mark`s gospel Peter makes his confession after the healing of the blind man.  In Matthew`s gospel after Peter makes his confession Jesus said the Father had revealed it to him.  In Luke`s gospel Peter`s confession is revealed through a meal, through his hospitality.  He welcomes them.  verse 11 here is Jesus as the host.  The people sat reclined, it is the language of sitting down or lying down for a meal in that culture.  At this banquet  Jesus is the host.  Jesus is known through his catering. 
This story has 3 important echoes to the Old Testament.  They point us to God`s provision of manna.  Leading the people out of Egypt the people grumbled because of no food.  In that wilderness the bread comes down.  Jesus is a new Moses, leading a new Exodus to rescue his people from slavery of sin and death.  He will be transfigured later.  Moses and Elijah met with him in that time.  The people see Jesus as a new Moses about to rescue his people.  The feeding of the 5000 reminds them of another story.  Elisha replaced Elijah.  He tells his servant to feed a group of prophets with 20 loaves.  The servants asks "how can I set this before 100 people?"  Elisha tells him they would eat and have some left over.  The servant sets it before them, they eat and had some left over.  The parallel with the feeding of 5000. Jesus tells his disciples to feed a crowd of people, they protest but then do it and there is leftovers.  Elisha means God saves.  Jesus means the Lord saves.  Maybe he is the new Elisha come to save God`s people.  He is not just a new prophet for a new deliverance.  He is God, Messiah come to rescue God`s people.  The reason Peter can make this profession of faith. 
The feeding has another Old Testament echo.  The prophet Isaiah was given this promise in chapter 25 "on this mountain the Lord almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all the people, the best meats, the finest of wine,.  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the veil that is spread over all nations.  He will  swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will  wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth  for the Lord hath spoken it."  The price has already been paid through the blood of the Lord Jesus.  Isaiah issues an invitation in chapter 55 "come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye, buy and eat, yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that hwihc is good and let your soul delight itself in fatness."  We are invited to this great banquet.  You are invited to come without money.  No price because price is already paid.  Not only that - no-one will ever leave this feast.  In Isaiah 55 death is on the menu.  God will swallow up death so that the feast goes on for ever.  That is pictured here in this story, in the feeding of the 5000.  The disciples wanted to send the people away but Jesus makes it possible for them to stay.  No-one need leave.  At this feast hosted by the Lord there is more food at the end than there was at the beginning.  5 loaves and 2 fishes began with, but at the end they had 12 baskets full of leftovers.  There is one each for the disciples.  Jesus` gentle rebuke to them.  This is the picture of the feast that will last forever.  It is the messianic banquet.  He will defeat death, put the world to right for us and we will enjoy a meal in the presence of  God.  We are satisfied in the world yet to come.  The feeding of 5000 was just a glimpse of what was to come.  Jesus saw the crowd and welcomed them.  This is how we know who Jesus. is.  He welcomes us to God`s Messianic banquet.  Does it make any easier for us.  This sort of thing doesn`t happen in our world.  It is not part of my experience.  That is the point.  This sort of thing doesn`t happen in our world.  It is full of hunger, pain and want even in our neighbourhood.  We still live in want, still not satisfied, we long for fulfilment, for community, for purpose, for the world to be sorted out.  Jesus does not fit into our world.  Not because of what he did.  The feeding of the 5000 does not fit the standards of the world.  To judge it by your experiences miss the point.  It is a glimpse of a new world, made new.  This world we experience day by day is something created by ourselves.  The world is full of famine, war, injustice.  In the feeding of the 5000 we were given a glimpse of God`s coming world, a world ruled by God.  5000 hungry people were fed and satisfied.  This was not the real thing.  They would be hungry again.  It was a foretaste of the real thing.  The 12 baskets are a sign that this feast will continue into eternity.  There will always be another meal in this needy world.  We see a glimpse of God`s coming world.  In your local church as you gather together we see a glimpse of God`s coming world.  People come from different backgrounds, come together to be a family.  That is God at work.  Your local church is not what you hope it to be, it is not ideal but don`t let that blind you to the extraordinary reality as you meet.  The miracle as you meet.  It is the beginning, a sign of God`s coming world.  Our meals are a foretaste of the future.  Reveal the identity of Jesus still today.  They demonstrate God`s grace.  This is where you can see the kingdom of God.  Jesus provides for our future, a glimpse is given of that.
Also Jesus provides through the cross - verse 16 key description of the last supper "and Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body broken for you."  Taking, thanking, breaking, giving.  4 verbs.  The same 4 words in the same order.  Luke is tieing these 2 events together.  Jesus is the Messiah who provides for his people.  He hosts a messianic banquet.  Ultimately he provides for us by dying for us.  Welcomes us because he was abandoned on the cross.  He simply tells them that he must die at the end of the story.  He is Messiah not the Messiah they expect.  He provides for his people by dying in their place.  There will be judgment but it will fall on Jesus at the cross, that you and I can be welcomed to God`s great feast.  If we want to see the provision of God, to see a picture of that great banquet we need to look to the cross.  Jesus can do miracles today.  In practice that means looking to the Lord`s supper.  That is where we remember the cross more than anything.  This is the act Jesus gave us to help us remember the cross.  It is a meal. 
Remember we saw yesterday Jesus sits with tax collector Luke 7.  God sits with his enemies.  That is what happens at communion supper.  He is eating with his enemies.  He is inviting us to come and sit with him, to share a meal with him.  He is the host and we are the guests.  Eveyry communion meal is embodiment of God`s grace to us.  We hear his grace in words that we speak, we also see, touch and feel.  Grace in the breaking of the bread.  A miracle at that and you have that sense every time you take communion. God is communing with you, speaking of his grace.  Welcome and provision not just with words also with bread and wine. Jesus welcomes us just he did the crowds of Galilee.  He nourishes our souls just as he nourished the bodies of those in Galilee.  That is radical hospitality.  That is place where we see radical hospitality.  At every communion we come with nothing and we receive Christ himself and we get to do it week after week.  Appropriate sometimes in our communion meals that our minds are solemn as we lament our sin and ponder the price of our salvation.  Sometimes there should be exuberant moments as we anticipate the joy and plenty of the Messianic banquet pointing us back to the cross but also pointing forwards to great feast.  A foretaste of heaven itself.  Around the communion table Jesus provides for our future and provides the cross.
The final point - Jesus provides in our mission.  Jesus asks the disciples to do an impossible task, they feel totally unresourced.  Jesus takes those resources and satisfies 5000 people.  Luke not only sets it in the context of who Jesus is, he also sets it in the context of the disciples mission.  Verses 1 - 3 "take nothing for the journey."  He sends them out on mission not to take any bread.  Jesus asks them when they come back to provide bread for 5000 people.  Somehow they have got to rustle up bread from no-where for all the crowd of people.  Just after he has told them to take no bread with them.  In the other gospels the reference to how many people are in the crowd - 5000 comes at the end of the story to emphasise the ability of Jesus.  He has fed 5000 people.  Luke comes in the middle of the story just after he has told them to feed the crowd.  How are they going to do that?  Emphasis is on the inability of the disciples.  At the end of the chapter he talks about a day that is coming when he will give the disciples another impossible job.  It is a task he has given us - proclaiming repentance and forgiveness to all nations.  What can we do when faced with such a task?  The point of the story is that Jesus asks us to give him the resources we have and to have faith in him.  The disciples took home 12 basketfuls of bread.  Those 12 disciples are now 2 billion disciples and counting.  Remember how the people were given manna in the desert.  They were not allowed to take it for more than 1 day.  On the second day it stank you out.  You could only consume manna by trusting God to provide again and again.     Somehow this is true for the disciples - they thought the 5 loaves were finite resources that could not be shared.  Are you going to use the resources God has given you as if they are finite resources too?  As if God is a finite God.  If you do they will stink you out, they will be rotten in your hands.  Can you reach your neighbours with the gospel, tell your neighbours about Jesus, can you feed 5000 people with 5 loaves.  We couldn`t do that because we have no money, people or courage.  Jesus says give me what you have and trust me to provide.  Serve me in the present and trust me in the future.  You will find manna today, tomorrow and again and again.  You may even find basketfuls.  Do not set your heart on things, what you shall eat or drink, seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.  God`s kingdom is our priority.  Are you going to live as if God is a generous father.  Are you going to give as if Jesus gives more in return so that you will have a basketful of leftovers?  Are you going to seek first the kingdom of God, trusting that all things will be added to you?

Continue in prayer

Sermon notes from Sunday 11 August 2019 am

Colossians 4 verses 1 - 9

The apostle Paul closes this letter to Colosse with an instruction.  He is writing to a people of God, people who have come to a knowledge of saving grace.  They have trusted in Christ for salvation.  Their sins have been blotted out, are under the sea of God`s forgetfulness never to be remembered any more.  He writes to them and says "continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving."  After Paul left the road on his way to Damascus and Ananias was told to go and see him we read "for he is praying". (Acts 9 verse 11)  A desire was placed in his heart right at the outset to pray.  In this letter to the Colossians Paul covers subjects such as the person of Christ, the power of the blood of Christ, the cross, the believers standing in Christ, election, sanctification, justification, glorification.  He covers the principles of life in the home, in the workplace and in society.  Paul is at present in the prison house, locked up but is writing to encourage the believers to go on and go through with God.  He asks them to "pray that a door might be opened up."  It was a door of witness.  He was asking the Lord to use him even in the prison house.  Have we ever thought of that during times of sickness - to be used of God during such a time?  Perhaps when we are lonely, have we ever prayed for God to use us?  Last week we noticed the mission of Christ - "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."  He came to seek us.  We are not easy found.  The Lord saved us, gave us a new hope beyond this life.  Now we see the mission to many - we are not saved to take up a cosy seat but rather we are saved to serve.

Prayer is seen here as a priority.  Paul was in no doubt that the furtherance of the gospel goes hand in hand with prayer.  Is that how we are praying?  That a door of opportunity might be opened to us?  That somehow we might make known the mysteries of God to others?  John  Wesley said "God does nothing except in response to believing prayer."  Perhaps you know someone who you would love to see saved - have you prayed for them?  We are often told what to do and we dig our heels in and say we are not going to do it.  Paul is saying to them to continue in prayer.  False teachers had started to come into this church and they were drawing people away.  Paul had to write to them about their standing in the church and the work they were required to do.  Sometimes we can get weary in the work, it is a battle we are in.  When we are saved by God we have the greatest enemy, the devil himself.  He will oppose us.  We need to be praying for it is the only weapon we have against him.  The devil will want us to dig our heels in.  Paul says "here`s my advice to you, pray without ceasing, that God will open the door."  To Timothy he said "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men." (1 Timothy 2 verse 1)  In Acts 6 we read in the early church that there were murmurings so they called them together and decided "we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (verse 4)  Then in chapter 12 when Peter was kept in prison that "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." (verse 5)

The persistence of prayer.  Paul told the church members to continue in prayer.  There is a base meaning to it - be strong.  We need to be strong to continue in prayer.  We are battling in prayer.  It is easy to get up in the morning and say I will pray later but we need to persevere in prayer continually.  Paul is afraid of this peeople losing out on their faith.  In the midst of disputes in Acts 6 they continued in prayer.  In Acts 12 when everything seemed impossible, that Peter would be released from prison they continued without ceasing, without stopping.  It was possible that Peter would be sentenced to death the next day.  An impossible situation yet they continued in prayer.  We are reminded of Abraham in Genesis 18 when he prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.  He started of by asking if there were 50 righteous people found in these cities would God not spare them.  He persisted until he came right down to 10 righteous people and God said he would not destroy it.

Paul points to the preciseness of prayer.  Paul is looking for an open door.  The work must go on.  There are doors to be opened up, they cannot be opened by man`s ability.  See how serious Paul took the word of God.  John Wesley said "proceed with much prayer and your way will be made plain."  Is there a situation in my life where I feel this is something I can do nothing about?  The Lord says pray about it.  Be precise in your prayers.  In Acts 12 the people prayed for nothing else but Peter.  That is how precise they were.  The Lord moved in that situation.  He sent an angel down to where Peter was.  The angel tapped him on his shoulders, told him to arise, each gate opened up of its own accord and Peter found himself out on the street.  Peter realised that it was the Lord`s doing.  Pray for those people who you know are not saved.  Daniel prayed for wisdom to interpret a dream.

We need to be patient in prayer.  When I am asked to do something continually I should do it without giving up.  Do you feel like giving up today?  Is there someone or a situation I have been praying continually for and am seeing no answer to those prayers?  Do we feel like giving up?  We feel like we will never see them saved, coming into church, coming into the pews and hearing the word of God?  We ask ourselves "what`s the point?"  Continue in prayer.  It is very easy to give up.  It is easy to walk away when we look around us and never see any change.  Paul tells us to continue in prayer.  God will open the doors.  Daniel became the person to whom kings called on for advice in situations.  In Daniel 10 we read that for 21 days Daniel prayed.  Maybe he was praying for the people`s laziness.  He took time to pray and his prayers were answered - verse 10.  The angel told him "for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard and I am come for thy words."  Are we patient in prayer?  We live in a society where we want to see instant answers but it doesn`t happen like that.  Paul tells us to continue in prayer that a door would  be opened.  Will we pray?