The Lord is not slack concerning his promise ...

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 11 JUNE 2023

2 Peter 3 verses 1 – 10

The world awaits the greatest experience and event that man has ever known.  It could take place at any moment.  That is the second coming of Jesus Christ.  When he came the first time every prophecy of the Old Testament was fulfilled.  Guided us to the town he would be born in.  There is one scripture still to be fulfilled – the day the Lord will leave his Father’s side and come to the air with the shout and trump and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Will we rise or be left behind?  Peter spoke of the doctrine of Christ’s coming again.  There was great ridicule, scoffers claimed God has forgotten about his promise.  Today many point to the many sermons they have heard, that many films and books have been written about this second coming yet nothing has changed, everything continues as it were.  Verse 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to usward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

 

Recognise a problem man has.  He is not willing that any should perish.  Man is a perishing soul.  A universal problem we can do nothing about it.  Man will perish.  The apostle Paul said “for the preaching of the cross is foolishness.”  As I preach about the Lord who forsook heaven and came down into the world to die on the cross to some it is foolish.  To the Jews it is a stumbling black.  Jesus told the story don’t be concerned about man who can kill the body but be concerned about those who can kill the soul.  In Luke 13 a couple of tragedies had taken place locally – Pilate mingled the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices.  The people thought they were terrible sinners.  When we compare ourselves to this man we think we are not so badly off.  The Galileans were religious, upright and had a sense of God.  Consider another tragedy – a tower fell and crushed 18 people.  The Lord asked are you coming to me to see if they were terrible sinners and he responded “except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.”  It is a problem that man has – there is confusion around it.  Why would this holy God turn me, the one who tries his best, why would he turn me into a lost sinners hell?  People get confused about the message they hear.  When God created man Adam and Eve he placed the in the Garden of Eden.  Sin entered into the situation.  God didn’t forget about them.  God came right down to where they were hiding.  They didn’t want to face up to God because of the sin in their hearts.  You have a problem tonight – you are going to perish.

 

The planning God made.  God accepts man’s problem.  He didn’t turn a blind eye.  He created man with certain qualities above the animals.  He was made from the dust of the ground, breathed into him and he became a living soul.  With that came a will to do what he wanted.  God has a plan for you to come to him tonight.  He has sent his son to die on Calvary to make a way back to God.  You have a will tonight.  You can do whatever you want or you can say no.  God accepts that.  God gave man the ability to made decisions, a free will to make those decisions.  Of every tree in the garden you may eat of abundantly but do not eat of the tree in the centre because if you do you will experience death.  Eve looked at the fruit and took of it and gave it to Adam.  Sin entered into the world.  Every man has sin in his heart.  God made provision for the effects of sin.  God had a plan.  He took the skins of animals and put them together to make a covering for their sin.  God has a plan and that plan was from the foundation of the world.  That is the remedy for your sin.  You see that plan materialise through the scriptures.  Exodus 12 tells us all the firstborn were to die.  Here’s the plan – take the lamb and sacrifice it, then take the blood and put it into a basin and apply it to every doorpost. “When I see the blood I will pass over.”  Whenever Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him, he had the knife ready to come down on his son.  God told Abraham to turn around and he saw a lamb caught in the thicket.  That lamb became the substitute for Isaac.  “The soul that sinneth shall die.”  God is not willing that you should perish.  The only plan is the plan of Calvary.  The Lord gave his life, shedding his blood for you.  He waits tonight for you to come and accept what has been done.  Jesus was the last one to be sacrificed for sin.

 

The passion that God reserves.  God is not willing that any should perish.  It is marvellous to turn that around.  If he is not willing that any should perish that means all could be saved tonight.  You can come to the Lord where you are tonight, trust him as your Saviour.  The great passion he had.  Some writers say this verse proves that God will not turn anyone into hell because his love is greater.  He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  Will you come in repentance?  When Jesus spoke of the great supper every aspect was catered for.  The invitation was sent out “come now for all things are now ready.”  Remember the excuses started to roll in – someone got the invitation and turned it down.  One by one with one consent they all began to make excuses.  The master of the house was angry.  Bring in the deaf, the maimed, halt and blind.  He didn’t want anything to fail.  This servant said “there is yet still room.”  He was told to go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come.  Jesus’ only mission was to see souls saved.  For the blindness to be taken from their eyes.  The man took time to send out invitations only for them to be refused.

 

The patience God shows.  Why has Jesus not come yet?  He is not willing that any should perish.  Perhaps you are not saved. He doesn’t want you to perish.  He is giving you another opportunity to come.  The patience God has.  Revelation 3 verse 20.  God is standing knocking.  We have a remedy - to let him in.  He is still pleading, asking to come into your life.  There will come a day when God will close the door.  He did it in Noah’s day.  One day all the pleadings were stopped.  The access was impossible.  It is possible to be saved tonight.  Maybe tomorrow God might have closed the door.

A day to remember

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 26 JUNE 2023 PM

ACTS 3 VERSES 1 TO 11

A DAY TO REMEMBER

 

I am sure this was the most amazing day in this man’s life.  Is there a day in our lives we can go back to, where we heard the gospel message?  That we were sinners going out to a lost Christless hell.  Someone explained to us that God’s Son came into the world and on that middle cross he died for the atonement of our sin.  A tremendous day in the life of any man or woman.  Think of that woman with the issue of blood.  For 12 years she had suffered.  She tried everything but was none the better, just worse.  One day she pushed through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak.  It was a day of healing for her.  Or think of the woman who entered into the synagogue on the sabbath day.  She was bowed down, couldn’t straighten herself.  Jesus called her out and released her from the bondage of Satan.  Was there a day like that for you?  Here was a day that began like any other.  People would bring this man to the gate of the temple, and he would sit with his begging bowl.  He was ready to gain from those who passed by.  It was just like any other day but this day he would meet with Christ.  No longer carried home but walking home.  Imagine the excitement of those who knew him, who had carried him every day, of those who watched him sitting there every day.

 

Notice the place that he came to.  Verse 52.  At the gate of the temple.  The place where he was set down every day.  This incident is recorded for us for a reason.  Why?  That we might see it for ourselves.  He was lame from his mother’s womb, knew no strength in his ankle bones.  He could not depend on his legs to carry him any distance.  Just another day for this man.  We read later on that he was 40 years of age.  All those years never able to walk.  Such was the situation he found himself in.  He was left in a strategic place.  No doubt thinking of those who would pass by.  A day-to-day existence.  That is how sinners live – day to day with no real hope within or without.  Without God they have no hope in their lives.  Sometimes people will say “is it important what church you go to?”  The bible says, “where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst.”  It is very important. Imagine gathering not in the name of Christ.  He will not be there to bring saving power to them.  It is important to be in under the sound of God’s word.  Jesus said, “if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.”  Many are endeavouring to lift up Christ’s name tonight.  Jesus came into the world to die for your sins.  This man was brought to the gate of the temple by his friends.  The best place.  The most strategic place.  He never thought he would have a life changing experience.  There are places in scripture that some people will never forget. For this man he would never forget sitting where he was when Peter and John passed by.  This was where he met with Jesus, and he was no longer lame.  Think of the tree in Jericho where Zacchaeus met with Christ.  Can we say that tonight?  Was there a place where you met with Christ?  Not churchianity or religiosity but a definite experience of saving grace.  When you realised you were a sinner in need of a Saviour?  That Jesus was that Saviour?  You needed to come to him.  To have him come into your life, forgive you of your sin.  This is a day to remember.  There is a place in Samaria, a well in Sychar where the woman came to draw water one day.  She wanted to fill her waterpot and return home again.  It was a day that changed her life forever.  The well became very important to her.  She realised in talking to Jesus he was the Messiah, that he was the sacrifice for her sin, and she was saved that day – a special place for her.

 

The people that he met.  There are those who come into our lives that act as signposts.  They point us to Christ.  John the Baptist was one of them.  He called the attention of men and women and pointed to Christ – “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”  This man was simply begging.  He was lifting up his eyes and sees 2 men coming in a distance.  Maybe he recognised them or perhaps he knew there was something special about them, that stood out for them.  Men following Christ and preaching Christ.  They were 2 signposts for this man.  Maybe he heard them preaching not far from where he was.  Isn’t it wonderful to meet those people who have been a great influence on our lives, to bring us to Christ.  That is all these 2 men had on their minds – to point men and women to Christ.  They were walking down through the crowd.  This man spotted them.  Influenced him for God.  Think of the men of Samaria coming out of the city.  They met a woman who told them “Come with me and I will show you all things he told me today. Is this not the Christ?”  Is there someone in your life or someone you can be a signpost to?  Are you pointing men to Christ or pointing them away from Christ?  Think of the man in Acts 8 sitting   in his chariot.  He was coming from worshipping in Jerusalem.  A devout, religious man.  He heard something in Jerusalem.  He was opening up the scriptures at Isaiah and was very confused.  He was not sure what this message was all about.  Then he lifts his head and sees Philip standing there in the chariot.  He knew God had led him there.  He asked Philip to come up and explain the scriptures to him.  He began to preach Christ and he responded to the message.  In Acts 16 Lydia was found in that place where prayer was want to be made.  When she came and heard Paul’s words she believed on Christ.  Who have you influenced today?

 

The poverty that is presented.  This man depended on others to carry him about, to put the begging bowl in his hand, to carry him home at the end of the day.  He realised he never could do anything for himself.  He was dependent on everyone else.  His situation was hopeless.  Peter and John couldn’t help him either.  The man was looking for that which would help him to live the next day.  The man learned he was stuck in poverty when Peter said those words.  What a predicament to be in – that no man cared for my soul.  There was one who left heavens glory, took on himself the sin of the world.  It was hopeless – nothing could be done for him.

 

The presentation that is made.  He recognised there was nothing Peter and John could for him, but they presented the one who could – the Lord himself.  Only he could do anything for him.

 

The power that is shared.  Peter begins to share – “silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I unto thee.”  He began to speak of the power and authority in Christ.  The Holy Spirit begins to stir his heart.  If ever you are to be saved it will not be through the church or the preacher, it is the Holy Spirit taking your eyes to the middle cross of Calvary.  The man trusted in what Peter said.  Peter reached down and grasped his hand, and he got up to his feet.  He went into the temple rejoicing.  This was a day indelibly marked in his life.  Faith in Christ alone.  That resurrected this man, gave him strength for his life.  Only the Holy Spirit can bring that conviction.  “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.”  Jesus said, “you must be born again”.  You cannot get into heaven without it.  Repent of your sin and trust in the Lord.  As this man did that, sitting at the gate called Beautiful he stood on his feet and followed after Christ.

The message of the gospel brought to a Gentile

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2023

Acts 10 verses 34 – 48

 

Peter is called on to go into the house of Cornelius.  Not to a multitude of people, just 1 man.  We could liken him to Gideon – one man raised up by God.  He knew he had to be up and doing for God.  There is a great account of soul winning in this chapter and preaching the word of God.  What happened prior to this? Cornelius was in his own home, sitting with his head in his hands.  Something is happening deep within his soul.  He is pleading and praying with God.  He knows he is a good man, that others had great respect for him.  He helped men and he revered God.  He was good in so many ways but not saved.  He did not know the application of the blood of Christ in his life for the forgiveness of sin.  God uses Peter to go in to see this man.  God says to Cornelius “send for Peter … he will give you words whereby you might be saved.”  In Acts 10 we see the other side of the story.  Peter was on the rooftop when God came to him.  He had a vision of a sheet from heaven with all manner of beasts on it.  The Lord told him to kill and eat.  Peter refused.  Why did he refuse to do that?  As a Jewish man he knew to eat from them he would be defiled.  The Lord said “don’t call that unclean which I am instructing you of.  God was showing him that he had to widen his vision of what God could do.  He was opening the door for soul winning for Peter.  Verse 44 “while Peter yet spake these words”. 

 

The faithfulness of Peter’s preaching.  These words were the words of God.  They did not sit well with Peter.  In Peter’s life there was a battle going on.  The battle is not when you become one of God’s children but rather afterwards.  Philip was a similar situation.  He was seeing miraculous things happening in Samaria, the blessings were falling.  God came to him and said “I want you to leave this all behind.” God could lead us on a road that we don’t know of and lead us into a strange work.  That takes obedience.  Gideon was threshing a little wheat when the angel came to him.  He addressed him as a mighty man of valour, the Lord was with him.  Gideon replied, “if that is so why is all this happening around us?”  Things like that happen.  Sometimes we have our backs into a corner and then Satan comes and says, “this wouldn’t be coming on you if you are a child of God.”  Gideon was convinced God had left his people.  Cornelius had to step out of the comfort zone and depend on God.  Peter was faced with the decision to go into Cornelius’ house.  He was a Jew, and he shouldn’t have been in a Gentile’s house.  He was obedient though to the word of God.  Saul had to learn a difficult lesson as king of Israel.  He was given the task to take his army and battle with Amalek.  He was to do it in such a way that God would have the victory, but nothing was to be left alive.  Saul however didn’t obey.  Samuel found out that he had brought back the best of the flocks to sacrifice them to God.  That was just an excuse.  Saul blamed the people for the decision he made.  The Lord said through Samuel “hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice.”  It doesn’t matter how many sacrifices you present; it is your obedience that matters.  When God looked into the church at Antioch he said, “separate me Barnabas and Saul for the task I would have them to do.”  It must have been great to have 2 such men in the church but they had to obey God’s voice.  Many people today have a problem with authority. They don’t like leadership; they want to do things they are not called to do.  That is why there are so many protests – “this is my body, why should you tell me what to do.”

 

The focus in his preaching.  His only focus was Christ – verse 38.  If we are to be soul winners, the subject and focus on our preaching must be Christ.  Similarly, when we meet with people and talk to them our focus must be preaching Christ.  Peter speaks of Jesus’ death in verse 39, then his resurrection in verse 40 and then in verse 42 the judgment of the quick and dead.  One day everyone will stand as a sinner or saint before God.  He will be the judge on that day.  “He sent me to preach” Peter says – “not with wisdom of words less the preaching of Christ be foolishness”.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  It is no good to say I am saved through my church or pastor; you need to be saved by the power of God.

 

His preaching was about the forgiveness of God.  When we realise, we have sin in our heart and that heaven’s door is closed to us.  This man knew he was not right with God.  He had lived a religious life, he had respect to all, but he was crying out for something special – to be right with God.  Acts 10 verse 43.  Cornelius’ problem.  His heart was black from sin.  He was separated from God.  Here was the wonderful message Peter gave – “whosoever believes in Christ receives the remission, the forgiveness of sin.”  John 6 “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”  No matter who it is – Cornelius, blind Bartimaeus, the thief on the cross.

 

He preached on the favour of God – verses 34 and 35.  Peter’s introduction to the message he has come with.  “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”  Cornelius was a good man; he did many good deeds, but he was not saved.  God told him “When Peter comes, he will tell you words whereby you might be saved.”  He was not saved already.  The message sent by the angel of God was clear – he was not saved.  There was a young man in scriptures who did everything he could but when he came to Jesus he asked, “what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?”  He had kept the commandments, believed in God but was not saved.  When Peter preached to Cornelius the Holy Spirit fell.

 

See what fellowship it brought – the man wanted Peter to tarry.

How to cope with fear

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 25 JUNE 2023

ISAIAH 12

In past weeks we have been looking at Gideon.  God set a task before him.  The Midianites and the armies of the east came up to camp against Israel.  He told Gideon he would bring a great victory with only 300 men and little armoury.  I am sure he was gripped with a great fear.  Peter faced a great challenge when he was told to go into the house of Cornelius.  Someone who he would never have gone near before.  I am sure he was gripped with fear as he faced this challenge.  D L Moody called with a young man and his wife who had sought the Lord in one of his meetings.  They were both quite lively for the Lord and would give out tracts and attended various meetings.  The young man was excited with what he had found in the bible.  He opened up Psalm 56 verse 3 “what time I am afraid I will trust in thee.”  He was so encouraged by this verse, it comforted him.  The Bible is a real, living word and can be used at different times in our lives to bring real comfort.  God sees and comes with a word appropriate for the occasion we face.  That is what this young man found when he discovered the verse in Psalm 56.  D L Moody asked if he could show him another verse that was even better.  He turned to Isaiah 12 verse 2 “Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.”  How to cope with fear.  When Isaiah said “behold” it means to stop and have a second look.  John the Baptist said of Jesus “behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”  Lift your eyes to Jesus today.  “Behold God is my salvation” signifies what was happening on the inside while the response “I will trust and not be afraid shows the outward response.

 

The reality of fear.  Isaiah shows the reality and honesty of his fear.  He knew it was real.  It is an emotion that crops up in all our lives at times.  Fear is not of God.  Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1 verse 7 “God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  Be thou not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.”  Paul could see something in Timothy – fear creeping in.  Fear is not of the Lord, it has its origin in the Garden of Eden.  It came about as a result of man’s disobedience to God.  Fear can be traced to the fact that it will keep us down.  Eve was deceived by the devil but Adam made a choice to follow after the leading of his wife.  Sin entered into the world at that point.  In those early chapters of Genesis we see the mighty creation of God behind everything that was created.  When God was done he said everything was very good.  He spoke and everything came into being.  Then God took the dust of the ground and made man, he breathed into man and he became a living soul.  He thought it was not right that man should be alone.  God put Adam to sleep and took a rib from his side to create Eve his wife.  They both were now man and wife.  When Adam took that fruit and ran away from God, God came down and found him.  Adam said “I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid.”  The first mention of fear is after man’s disobedience of God and fear entered into the world.  Man was afraid because he knew he was in disobedience to God.  Remember Nehemiah and the atmosphere of fear that surrounded him as the people built the walls of Jerusalem.  He was ridiculed and criticised.  Nehemiah was able to say “the enemy made us afraid.”  Fear does come.

 

There is a restriction in fear.  Once fear grips us it will restrict us in doing what God asks us to do.  Many an unsaved man or woman is restricted when God calls them and they start to think about what people would think of them turning to Christ.  The writer to the Proverbs said “the fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be saved.”  Isaiah was the prophet who brought God’s word to the nation.  Think of Pilot when Jesus stood before him.  He was convinced in his own mind that Jesus was innocent.  He listened to so many – his wife, his counsellors, the crowd.  Pilate sent Jesus back to Herod who could also find no fault in him so he went back to Pilate.  Pilate told the crowd he was going to release him.  The people shouted that if he did that he was no friend of Caesar.  Pilate was gripped by fear that he decided to have Jesus crucified.  Remember Moses at the burning bush.  God was going to change the direction of his life.  He wanted Moses to go back to Egypt and bring the Israelites out.  Fear gripped him.  Someone once said Moses was 40 years in Pharaoh’s house learning to be something and 40 years in the wilderness learning to be a nobody.  Fear was restricting Moses at the burning bush.  Maybe God is about to change your life and take it in a different direction.  Remember how the disciples were when they first met together alone.  They closed and locked all the doors.  Fear had gripped their hearts.  They were afraid of being killed just as Jesus had been.  Fear restricted their duty.

 

The remedy for fear that cannot fail.  “I will trust”.  Peter failed when he lifted his eyes off the Lord.  He had stepped out of the boat and was walking on water to Jesus.  He got his eyes off the Lord.  The Psalmist could say “I will lift up mine eyes unto the Lord from whence doth come mine aid.”  We need not look to man made things to help us but rather to stick closely to the Lord.  Isaiah had to prove to himself that he was in touch with God.  When the forces of Assyria came down and stood at the gates of the palace Hezekiah, he sent for Isaiah.  2 Kings 19 verse 16 “Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.  Behold, I will send a blast upon him and he shall hear a rumour and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”  Isaiah was trusting in the Lord and he was not afraid.  Hezekiah was afraid and his counsellors and army was afraid.  That night God sent 1 angel, not an army, down to Jerusalem and the next morning there were 185,000 soldiers lying dead as corpses.  Today we need not be afraid.  God’s word will never fail us.  We must trust, stand firm and put God first.

 

A resolve in this fear to be faithful.  “I will trust and not be afraid”  Whenever that sudden fear comes I will not look away but rather trust and not be afraid to put God first.  Remember the resolve of Joshua “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  It doesn’t matter what we face, the Lord will be first in everything we seek to do.  There may be niggling doubts but we must get the Lord in full focus.

What God can do with the little

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 11 JUNE 2023

JUDGES 7 VERSES 7 – 15

Gideon was a man raised up in a time of darkness.  God was going to use him in a mighty way in the land in which he lived.  If I was to put a title on this passage it would be “what God can do with the little.”  Last week we left Gideon revaluing the situation.  He had rallied the troops behind him, recognised where the enemy was coming from, was prepared to advance then he had to revaluate.  God steps in at that moment.  The battle is changed, it become more tense.  Gideon begins to think everything is falling apart.  God is about to change things.  The army that was before him numbered 135,000 and he only had 32,000 behind him.  Notice the description of the enemy – verse 12 “like grasshoppers”.  They were ready to do battle.  Now God says “you have too many men, I can’t allow you to have the victory with such.”  When God takes away our supports what do we lean on?  Equipping for the battle.  Nearly think God was showing a sense of humour.  I am sure Gideon spent a sleepless night knowing he had to face this vast number before him.  I am sure he pondered, re-evaluated.  Maybe when things go wrong for us we start to think are we in the place God would have us to be in?

 

The problem Gideon now faced.  What does Gideon offer to God – his surrendered will.  Remember when the angel came to Gideon the first time he was threshing wheat.  The angel told him he was a man of valour and the Lord was with him.  Gideon argued back – how can God be for us if all these things are happening to us?  Gideon had destroyed the idol in his own home.  He tested God by placing a fleece and asking for it to be wet the following morning while the ground was dry.  Then he asked for the ground to be wet and the fleece dry and it was so.  Total dependence on God and what he had to say to him.  God had put a finger on the problem – once that was dealt with then he was ready to move.  His will was surrendered to God.  We cannot move in life until our will is surrendered to God.  He will not fight against you.  He wants you to surrender your all to him.  How different it was for Jonah.  When God came to him and told him to go to Nineveh and preach there Jonah refused.  Why?  Because he knew if they heard the truth they would be saved and he didn’t want that.  Jonah ran from the word of God.  God gives us a word in season, points out the sin in our heart and then shows the remedy for that sin.  He sent his son into the world to go to Calvary so that we might be saved yet we say ‘no Lord’.  Maybe God knows about the situation in our lives.  You cannot let it go.  You cannot trust the Lord.  He needs our surrendered will.  God was dealing with Gideon’s fears.  If I was to allow you to go down with those men they would say we did it ourselves.  The Lord said to Gideon ‘there are too many in number’.  Uzziah the King was a young man when he came to the throne of Israel.  He turned the people back to God and raised up a mighty army, dug many wells but then he got to a stage where he was strong, his heart was lifted up to distraction.

 

The plans God made.  God said to Gideon ‘let those go who are afraid’ verse 3.  Remember the spies sent out into the promised land.  They returned and were afraid.  Here were a people delivered out of Egypt, trusted God for what he said, he would bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey.  By the time they got to the brink of the promised land they began to be discouraged.  They sent out spies and when those spies came back they all gave a report of it being a good land but the enemies – well they just would not be able to overcome them.  God said I am giving you this land, all you have to do is possess it.  They said no the enemy is too mighty, too strong.  Do you feel like that, with a task God gives you to do.  You say you couldn’t talk to people, you couldn’t do this or that.  The enemy was working against the people.  The people decided to choose leaders to take them back to Egypt again.  They were even going to stone Joshua and Caleb.  These 2 men brought back a report that stated God would give the victory.  A fearful spirit crept in and took over.  What did Gideon do?  God saw those who were fearful and he told them to go home – 22,000 men left.  Jesus says in John 15 “I am the vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”  Some have to be taken away.  We get too comfortable at times.  We look around and see churches full up but then something happens and the numbers dwindle away.  What is God doing?  Something for the future.  God was always looking to the future.  Time after time God told Israel not to lean on other nations for support but on him.  God takes us when we are least expecting him to.  Remember Elijah and the widow woman – Ahab was told by Elijah that he had a word from God for him.  God told Elijah when he gave this word he had prepared a place for him by the brook Cherith.  The ravens will come with meat every day.  There would be no rain for 3½ years.  Elijah would sit at the brook every day and one day he noticed that the brook had dried up. The Lord came to him again and told him “I have commanded a widow woman to keep you sustained.”  As he made his way to her house he met her picking up some sticks.  She was going to make a meal for herself and her son but that was all they had.  I wonder did God speak to her before this, to tell her of the task he had for her?  She surrendered to him and his word before Elijah came.  God showed her what she could do with what little she had.  Gideon is left with an army of 10,000.  God tells him there are still too many.  I am sure he is scratching his head to see what would happen next.  God said “let the men go down to the water to drink and those who lap are to go with you but the others will depart from you.”  He finished with 300 men.  The enemy was still the same.  Gideon’s number is dwindling day by day.  I wonder what the enemy thought as they saw this.  All the time God was strengthening Gideon and the army for the battle.  Gideon watched how they drank.  Is there a lesson here?  As the men were drinking Gideon was watching them.  People are watching you every day, how you act or react.  Think of Joseph in the prison house.  A lot has happened in his life.  There were 2 other men with him – the butler and the baker from Pharaoh’s own palace.  Maybe he got to know them.  One day he noticed that they were sad.  He took time to listen to them and interpret their dreams.  2 years later we find Joseph standing in the house of Pharaoh interpreting a dream like the dreams of the 2 men in prison.

 

There was a specific purpose behind the battle – all for the glory of God.  If you are seeking glory for anything else all will be lost.  Are you on the victorious side today?

Little is much when God is in it

 LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 4 JUNE 2023

JUDGES 7 VERSES 1 – 8

We see here in these verses something of the preparation for the battle in Gideon’s heart and mind and the preparation of the people.  In verse 9 we also see the plan for this battle.  Surely that is what God is doing for us today – he is preparing us.  He has a plan and purpose in it all.  On the outward we can see little but remember – little is much when God is in it.  The secret is keeping the Lord before us, keeping our eyes fixed firmly on him.  So much has taken place in Gideon’s life up to now.  He had spent 7 years battling this enemy.  The enemy had brought hunger, starvation, humiliation, oppression.  His own father was an idolatrous man.  He had an image of Baal in his home.  The people around him worshipped false gods.  For 7 years they had been under the oppressive hand of the enemy.  God was working this out.  Now we come to this challenging event.  Preparation was needed for the battle.

 

Gideon regroups the forces.  In verse 1 we see that he had been given a new name.  The day he had torn down the altar to Baal in his father’s house he was given this new name.  In verse 1 we read “and all the people were with him.”  Sometimes we can get to a point where we think no-one is with us.  Elijah felt that.  In verse 3 we read that there were 32,000 people ready to fight.  The people had to be regrouped.  The people were behind him with their allegiance and trust.  Joshua 1 verse 17.  The people in Joshua’s day were looking for a man they knew God was with, who was walking with God.  They had hearkened unto Moses – that was their testimony but now they were prepared to hearken unto Joshua only.  Here in this chapter, there were a people who were ready to stand up and be counted.  They were small in number compared to the enemy, but God was with them.  That is the assurance we have.   In Isaiah 43 we read “when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (verse 2)  There is a battle to be fought and won.  There is a victory to gain.  The Christian life is not easy.  When we come to trust the Lord as Saviour, we get a great enemy.  When the Lord speaks to us, he shows us our need of salvation.  Without him we would die in our sin and go to hell.  To know eternity will span out before us without any relief.  The day and hour you come to know the Lord you take the greatest friend.  He will be with you throughout life and then in death will take you by the hand and present you to his father in heaven with joy.  Is that what you are looking forward to today?  There is a work to be done.  There is a victory to be gained.  Gideon is encouraging the troops to get behind him and they were ready to follow after Gideon.  He couldn’t look back to the life of Deborah and Barak because now they were in turmoil.  We cannot live in the past.  We cannot live in the blessings of others.  We need that blessing for ourselves.  Gideon now must place his hand into the hand of God.  He was going out against the enemy.  The little things sometimes scare us.  Think of the little boy in the crowd with his lunch. So little but God was in it.  He handed his lunch over to Jesus.  The widow woman with 2 mites, it was all she had but Jesus recognised that.  Remember the widow woman in the book of Kings.  All she had was enough to make one last meal.  When she put it into Elijah’s hands it never failed.  She had sufficient to live on.  Maybe we need to place all into Jesus’ hands today.  Maybe we haven’t given him our all.  The battle is the Lord’s today not ours.  Daniel had to learn to do that when he was put into the lion’s den.  He trusted the Lord to close the lions’ mouths.  Gideon provided the leadership in his own home when he put down the Baal image.  We need to give a similar clear testimony in our homes.  Moses’ father and mother knew the command of the king, but they hid their son for 3 months.  When they could hide him no more, they put him into the river.  They did everything possible for their child.  Are we doing everything possible for the children around us today?  Moses grew up in the lap of luxury in the palace, but his mother was there to teach him the things of God.  Moses made the choice later in his life to walk away from the home of Pharaoh’s daughter and take up the leadership of God’s people.  He was able to make that decision because of God’s word.

 

The recognition of the enemy.  Gideon got into the position of seeing the enemy.  As Christians we should recognise the enemy today.  Paul in Ephesians 6 took great pains to identify the enemy and show some of his tactics.  “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers in high places.”  Our enemy is invisible, but he is crafty and cunning.  We need to be on our guard.  What do I do when he comes to attack me?  I put on the whole armour of God.  Not just a little part of it but all of it.  Take time to put it on, make sure you are trusting in that armour.  Gideon was looking down on the enemy and there were some 135,000 fighting men gathered against the Israelites.  When Ezra and Nehemiah in their day were building the walls and the temple, the enemy wanted to get in to the very heart of the work.  They came to Ezra and asked to build with him.  He looked at them and said “ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God.” (Ezra 4 verse 3)  Sometimes we have to be careful.  Change was on the way.  God was at work in this story.  God told Gideon that the number he had were too many.  Sometimes when we see a great movement, we think God is at work but perhaps not.  Yes, God is at work behind the scenes.  He was working in Joash’s home to raise up his son Gideon.  Think of the story of David.  Samuel was told to go down to Jesse’s house and he didn’t know which son God had picked out.  Or think of Moses – God was working in that home to bring about a great deliverance from Egypt.  Or think of the story of Mordecai and Esther.  Just when that decree went out that would have destroyed the Jews, God was raising up Esther “for such a time as this”.  In the days of Nehemiah, he was ridiculed and slandered.  The enemy tried to hinder the work and the walls being built.  The enemy sent word asking him to meet with them, but Nehemiah refused.  We have to be careful that we recognise the enemy.  The enemy would love to get into the life of your home, your church and your community.  He will try to bring you down.  Don’t let him in.  Recognise him.  With Jesus we can arise and go forward with God’s help.