The parable of the Lost Sheep

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

29 SEPTEMBER 2024 pm – DAVID BURKE

MATTHEW 18 VERSES 1 – 14

 

We have all heard the expression “human life is cheap”.  It is used at a time of war or conflict when countless lives are needlessly lost.  It is a phrase used of abortion – multitudes of precious lives slaughtered in the womb.  In the eyes of many people in the eyes of our government, human life is cheap, little value is placed on the lives of individuals.  That could never be said of God.  This parable teaches us of the worth of an individual soul to the Lord.  In verse 10 Christ is telling us how much we are to value and respect those who come to him in childlike faith – not only the tiniest and meekest child but any individual no matter their age.  Believe in childlike faith.  They are not much in the eyes of the world but highly regarded and precious by the Lord.  What does this mean to you tonight?

 

You are uniquely precious to the Lord.  Look at how many times he used the word “one”.  See the emphasis he puts on this word in verses 10, 12 and 14.  Jesus emphasises here in this parable the one, the single individual.  The impression we get here – every individual who trusts Christ is one inestimable value to him.  He sees them as uniquely precious.  The gospel is a unique message.  You are not one in the crowd as far as God is concerned.  The government considers the mass of people and is rarely interested in the individual.  God is concerned about you.  You are not just one in the crowd.  You are unique to him.  You are personally accountable to him.  He is personally interested in your situation.

 

You are also a lost soul.  The gospel is good news because there is some bad news.  This bad news concerns you as an individual.  What is the bad news?  That you are a lost soul.  Look what Christ says in verse 11 – “to save that which was lost.”  That is the word Christ uses – lost.  Christ tells us himself plain and clear as individuals we have gone astray and are lost.  Jesus uses a familiar scene to his listeners.  They were used to seeing shepherds on the mountains with their sheep.  It is always the nature of sheep to wander and go astray.  Farmers will put up sheep wire around their fields – why – because sheep will seek to push their way through the smallest of holes to wander off and go astray.  That is an illustration of us as individuals.  We keep wandering away from God.  Isaiah 53 verse 6.  Nothing could describe our condition as human beings better.  As sheep wandering off, going astray.  Think of a sheep gathering all into the fold, guarding them, protecting them.  That is how man was in the beginning.  There was a bond, a unity with the great shepherd, the creator.  A wonderful relationship of love an affection.  The shepherd would often lift the lamb into his arms and carry it.  Such was the love and affection between both the shepherd and the sheep.  That is how it was for Adam.  A wonderful close relationship with his creator enjoyed in the Garden.  That bond has now been broken.  We have wandered from God.  It happened in the garden when man rebelled against God.  That is when man started to wander from God.  Ever since then man has been wandering ever so far from God.  We are all following our own paths, our own pleasures.  What ever is pleasing to us.  We are like sheep on the mountain, wandering away from the protection of the shepherd.  Exposed to the dangers of the wild animals.  We have turned everyone to our own way.  Following the path we have chosen.  You might say “I haven’t wandered away.  I attend church, I try to keep the 10 commandments.”  Have we perfectly kept the law of God?  The 10 commandments shows us God’s perfect standard.  If you believe in God and believe that is sufficient, have you kept everyone of God’s commandments?  Have you obeyed them perfectly?  Have you not had jealous thoughts, shown anger, had a critical attitude toward other people?  Do you really love the Lord with all your soul, heart and mind?  That is how the 10 Commandments are summed up by Jesus himself.  Can you honestly say you have and to this moment you love and are loving the Lord with all that is in you and your neighbour as yourself?  We have to say we have failed in one way or another.  On the surface we can say we have not wandered from God but look down into the depth of your heart and see all the desires you have from day to day.  You will realise you have wandered from God in many things.  “For in many things we offend all.  If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3 verse 2.  We have all wandered away from God.  We have no shepherd to guide us, to defend us or protect us.  We are all lonely wanderers pursuing our own interests, gratifying our own sinful desires.  We are unprotected to all kinds of dangers.  We don’t know the blessing of God.  We have no shelter from God’s wrath still to come.  How terrible.  There is a coming storm, the storm of God’s wrath which is going to break our hearts.  Some day.  If you don’t flee to Christ you have no shelter from that storm.  How terrifying.  There will be no shelter from the coming storm of God’s wrath.  It will be hell for ever.  Look at the selfish schemes and plans of people.  See a true description of mankind here in this passage – sheep wandering from God.  They do their own way out on the mountain, exposed to all kinds of dangers.  Christ is emphasising here that you are lost as an individual.  Not merely lost with a crowd.  Some people think that is a good thing.  They are not the only one.  They take safety in that idea.  Some even say that of hell.  That they will not be the only one there.  Their friends, family and neighbours will be there too.  It can’t be that bad.  You are lost as an individual.  You may be with the crowd but you are lost as an individual.  When it comes to death it will not matter how many friends you have gathered around you.  On your deathbed you will die alone.  If you died without Christ you will find yourself in hell.  A place of utter darkness.  It will not matter if millions of others are in that place – you will be alone in that darkness as if you are the only one there.  You will face that wrath alone.  You are lost as if you are the only one.

 

Christ came to seek and to save you – verse 11.  Christ tells us why he came into this world.  Not to merely set a good example of how to live.  Many will say that he set a good example of how to live – by loving and forgiving others.  Think of the lost sheep out on the mountain – lost and alone.  What good would an example be to the lost sheep?  Wandering further and further away, no desire to come back to the fold?  A superficial view of man’s need and man’s problem.  The nature of a sheep is that it wants to go astray.  The human heart is so deprived by sin it doesn’t want to come to the fold of God.  It wants to keep on wandering.  Christ came into the world to save that which is lost.  Our greatest need is to be sought and to be found.  To be put on the shoulders of the good shepherd and carried back to the fold.  He did not give up until he found us.  He brought us back to the fold.  You may be nobody in the eyes of the world but let me assure you, you are precious to the Son of God.  He was willing to leave heaven to go into the wild mountains of this world to seek you, to find you, to save you.  How did he do it?  By climbing Calvary’s hill, by hanging on an old rugged cross.  He sought us, he found us and he saved us.  He lifted me up and brought me back to the fold of God.  He saves us by giving his life as a ransom for us.  He shed his blood for us.  John 10 verse 11 “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”  When you and I were wandering out there on the mountains Christ crossed those deep waters, went through Calvary, laid down his life to seek us, to find us.  He lifted us, he placed us on his shoulders and brought us back to the security of the fold.  Christ came to seek and to save us and he did so by dying for our lost souls.

 

The Lord doesn’t want you to perish – verses 12 and 13.  Think of what Christ is saying here.  A good shepherd would be so committed to the care of his sheep, he is willing to leave the remaining 90 and 9 and go after the one sheep that was lost.  To the darkest of places where the sheep has wandered away to.  To search for it and find it. He didn’t shrug his shoulders.  He was the good shepherd.  He would go after the one sheep until he found it.  That is the heart of the good shepherd.  Christ the good shepherd cares for you as an individual.  He does not want you to perish.  You may be perishing tonight, wandering far from him.  He doesn’t want you to perish, to be left alone to perish in the darkness for ever.  Verse 14.  “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3 verse 9  “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33 verse 11  That is the heart of the good shepherd toward you.  He does not want you to perish.  He has no pleasure in the death of even one sheep.  If you should die without Christ and find yourself in the eternal blackness of hell that would bring no pleasure to the heart of God.  There is only one thing that prevents you from being rescued and brought back to the fold of God – the stubborn refusal to allow the good shepherd to save you.  Turn to him, allow the good shepherd to seek for you, to lift you up, to bring you to his fold.  Will you trust him as your Lord and Saviour tonight?

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold–
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

2 "Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer: "This of mine
Has wandered away from me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep."

3 But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed thro'
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry–
So sick and helpless and ready to die;
So sick and helpless and ready to die.

4 "Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn,
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."

5 And all through the mountains, thunder-riven,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heaven,
"Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own,
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"

Pressing onwards and upwards!

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 – DAVID BURKE

PHILIPPIANS 3 VERSES 1 – 16

Paul in Philippians 3 is giving his testimony.  He began in verse 4 talking of his past, how he had reason to put confidence in his own good works.  He gives the religious conditions, he was a good Pharisee, zealous to keep the law in the past.  He put confidence in who he was and what he did to gain merit with God.  When he met Christ he abandoned all that confidence and trusted in Christ alone for salvation.  He now had a new priority in life.  Notice the words in verse 10 “that I may know him”.  Paul came to know Christ on the Damascus road when he met him that day and was converted.  The great purpose of his life now was to know Christ more intimately and personally, to grow in his knowledge of Christ, to become like Christ.  The great purpose of his life was to know that the end result of such knowledge and fellowship with Christ was to attain resurrection from the dead and receive salvation in its full and fullest form - verse 11 “if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”  The end result of his life long pursuit and purpose of getting to know Christ would be, to be resurrected one day from the dead and made perfectly like Christ.  When we read that verse it sounds like Paul is striving by his own power and efforts to accomplish his own resurrection, as if he is not sure if that will happen or not but that is not what he is saying here.  What he is saying is, because he has come to the sober realisation that something so grand and glorious as his resurrection in the future and all that that would mean - this would be done in him, one so unworthy, full of imperfections and weaknesses.  He questions - how can this be done in me a sinner?  If it was left to me it would never be achieved.  Paul knows that it is not through his own efforts but his union with Christ that he will one day be resurrected from the dead and to glorious life with Christ.  He had no doubt but confidence in his future resurrection.  Verses 20 and 21 states his absolute confidence after his life – “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”  Here in this word he has the goal and purpose of pursuing the knowledge of knowing Christ and at the end he would be resurrected and made perfectly like Christ.

 

There are 3 things as Paul goes on ...

 

Paul’s purpose – verse 12 “Not as though I had already attained; either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”  “Following after” means pursuing on, to run on, to flee, to catch a person or thing.  It is used of a sprinter running a race steadily running after something, pressing on towards the finishing line.  Picture a runner getting in his stride, pushing out his chest, pumping his arms, making his way to the finishing line.  Why would he do that?  It is important to know why you are running a race, what your goal and purpose is, why you want to get to the finishing line. If you are saved you are running the race of the Christian life.  The moment you were saved you entered the race of the Christian life and you are running in that race.  Do you know why you are running the Christian race?  The purpose and goal of this race.  What is the prize?  What is the purpose of Paul’s race?  To lay hold (that is what apprehend means).  T he great purpose and goal of Paul’s life was that he may lay hold of that for which Christ laid on him.  Christ had laid hold of him for a purpose.  Think of Paul on the Damascus road.  He was on his way to imprison Christians but Christ stopped him in his tracks.  He laid hold of him.  He was seized with the unbreakable hold of Christ.  Think of what he was before Christ.  A zealous Pharisee.  He thought if he would get hold of Christians and put them into prison he would be doing God a service.  He was so disillusioned.  What happened on that road?  Christ laid hold of him.  What a wonderful thought.  That is what happened to us when we got saved.  We can think of our salvation, our response to the gospel, to believe in Christ and repent of sin.  Never forget to acknowledge Christ, he laid hold of me.  I was bent on going my own way, pursuing my own goal.  Christ stopped me in my tracks and laid hold of me.  Paul was conscious of that in his own experience.  Why did Christ do that?  Paul knew that Christ had a purpose in laying hold of him.  Yes, he became a special messenger to the Gentiles, he knew his purpose.  Verse 10 “that I may know him”.  Christ laid hold of him, seized Paul in order to bring him into a close and intimate knowledge of himself.  This knowledge would only increase as he poured his whole life into the great pursuit.  Would terminate one day in the knowledge of Christ.  The goal awaited him was perfectly knowing Christ and being made perfectly like him.  Paul was deeply motivated to throw all his energies into the Christian race, to keep moving onwards to knowing Christ.  It is worth every hardship, every difficulty and struggle, knowing what awaits me at the finishing line.  He is not talking about striving to be perfect, to please God and win his favour.  Many Christians live in bondage thinking by their efforts they have to strive to win God’s favour and approval on their lives.  They feel they don’t match up to the mark.  They are conscious of their imperfections and weaknesses and live in their own bondage.  Paul is talking about the purpose for which Christ laid hold of him. That one day he might know him and enjoy him for who he is, for absolute perfection – verse 12 “Not as though I had already attained; either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”  Paul knew his knowledge of Christ was not yet perfect, he knew it would not be perfect in this life but it will be at the finishing line.  Why did Christ ever lay hold of you?  Do you see it today?  Why did he bring you to that point of realising you are a sinner, to the place where you gave up and all trusted in him, trusted in Christ alone.  The reason why Christ laid hold of you is not that you just keep living a selfish life, doing what is pleasing to you.  The reason why he laid hold of you is so that you might have the inestimable privilege of entering into sweet fellowship with him.  We need to pursue that knowledge all the days of our lives.  Getting to know him more every day, spending time in his word, obeying his word so that our knowledge of Christ may be increased.  To be drawn close to Christ, to knowing him in an intimate way. That is why Christ laid hold of him that day.  Day by day getting to know Christ more intimately and closely, then one day to stand before him perfectly enjoying Christ for ever.  Is that what you are pursuing with all your mind?  Are you conscious that your knowledge of Christ is not perfect?  Will never be in this life but one day will be?  Are you keeping the goal in mind?  Going for it with all your might?  Is that your goal and the purpose of your very existence?  A life of perfectly knowing Christ.

 

Paul’s pursuit – verses 13 and 14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  The wonder and glory of Christ laid hold of him for such a noble purpose.  It so captivated his heart that he couldn’t be passive or laid back about it.  If Christ laid hold of him for such a high purpose he could only respond by laying hold of it.  He could only seek that knowledge day by day.  What did he need to do?  He uses the illustration of a runner to answer that.  What must a runner do to succeed?  If a runner breaks off from the blocks poorly or makes a mistake just after starting the race can he be thinking of those things?  He has to take his mind of how he started, good or bad.  He has got to focus his mind on the finishing line completely if he is going to get from where he is to the finishing line.  He has to draw himself forward with everything his body can give, straining every muscle.  We have to live our lives in the same manner.  We can’t be looking back to our failures or successes that are past.  We have to keep our mind, our focus on the goal.  We have to keep that before us.  The finishing line.  The perfect knowledge of Christ.  When I am on the track to the finishing line that is our focus.  Our attention should be put on this – to know Christ more and more every day. This should be our pursuit day by day, to put whole effort into the race.  That goal, pursuit.  Talks here of the hill or upward calling of Christ.  The New Testament often uses this expression – “called one” - Romans 8 verse 30 “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”  Like the starting pistol sounding in the runners ears. The race had begun for that ultimate prize.  You don’t hear an audible voice like Paul did but the spirit of God brought that call through the word of God.  It was no less real as an audible voice.  Heavenly call in its origin and in its destiny.  Call from heaven to heaven when called upward in Christ.  There is so much in our world that can drag us downward not to spiritual things, to knowing Christ.  Our calling is upward from heaven to heaven.  Let that be our focus, to realise you have been called upward not downward.  Military service uses that term.  Authority comes with that call.  It is a call to forsake other and lesser things, to go and fight for the greater good of the nation.  God’s call comes to us with his authority.  There is something urgent important about it.  God is summoning us from heaven to enter into his presence, to stand before him in perfect knowledge of and likeness to his son.  What a calling and pursuit in life.  There is a prize for the race you are in.  Is the prize received at the end of the race or during it?  We know the answer – when we cross the finishing line.  We crave the prize.  We will one day be perfectly like Christ and our knowledge of him will be made perfect.  Let’s not be found merely shuffling down the track or taking it easy.  Let us be found sprinting towards that finishing line.   It is easy to become dissatisfied with progress and give up.  Paul said the ultimate goal of the Christian life is just simply to keep in the race.  Verse 13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”  Singleminded intent - “this one thing”, the one that shall make every other pursuit pale to insignificance.  To press toward the finishing line of Christ.  To be made perfect in God’s knowledge.

 

Paul’s plea – verses 15 and 16 “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”  In a race only one person can win.  In the Christian race everyone can win.  Paul makes a plea to his readers to make a wholehearted effort to run this race, to have this mind and mentality, doing it with all our might.  There is a need to press towards a prize.  Some of the believes had adopted an apathetic manner, they had stopped running with all their heart, they were not sprinting.  They had adopted a spectator mentality.  Have you developed that mentality?  There are many around us, including professing Christians and that is the mentality they have adopted.  They have lost the zeal of pressing towards the finishing line with everything they have got.  If God is putting his finger on your life, if you have become slack respond to him, get back into the race, give it all you have got.  We should examine our lives, see where we made progress in the past and develop the attitude in making that same progress today.  Whatever we did in the past apply it now.  In other words do all you can, use every motivation to run this race, make maximum progression.  Get to know Christ and know him more intimately.  Will we heed that plea today?  It is the reason why God laid hold of us.  Run this race.  Getting to the finishing line, attaining perfect knowledge of knowing Christ.  Let us get to know Christ more every day with all we have.

How are you?

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 – MR KEITH WILSON

NEHEMIAH 1 VERSES 1 – 11

“How are you?”  A question we often ask.  As Christians we are good at putting on a face.  We tell everyone we are doing brilliantly.  There is the other side of that too.  There are people who can only see the negative side of life.  You almost fear to ask them how they are.  They constantly fell they are under attack after attack.  In verse 2 Hanani one of his brethren came to where Nehemiah was and Nehemiah asked him “how are you?” Now remember Hanani was one of the people who came out of the captivity and were now back living in the promised land.  Nehemiah chapter 7 verse 6.  You would nearly think that this is a great situation - being taken away from the opposition of Babylon.   Remember God spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar and brought him to himself.  He was driven out into the wilderness, he lost his mind and became like a wild animal.  God humbled him.  You would nearly think that this is great getting rid of that opposition, going back to their own land.  That they would be determined to build up the land again.  Reading these prophets we see a parallel with the world we are in today.  “For lo I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation , which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.” (Habakkuk 1 verse 6)  Nehemiah is enquiring of his bothers and asks Hanani “how are you?”  He was given a response that everything was ok, he was given an honest response.  How we need to be honest with ourselves before God.  Verse 3 “And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”    Put yourself in their shoes.  Put your mind into that situation.  What were they saying?  The people were in great affliction and reproach.  The walls were broken down, the gates are burned with fire.  We are not doing that well.  He is being honest before Nehemiah and before God.  This drove the prophet Nehemiah to tears.  It is powerful how God got a grip on this man.  He was more interested in what was going on with God’s people.  How were they dealing with affliction they were in?  Verse 4 “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”  Now this was not mourning for 5 minutes.  We may be disturbed by an event but will we remember it in a number of days from now?  Probably not.  Nehemiah is mourning “certain days”.  He is doing this for days on end.  The state of God’s people and their discouragement.  Then he does what these prophets often do – he gets down to prayer.  He sat down.  He wept.  He mourned.  He fasted.  He prayed before the God of heaven.  What is your interpretation of fasting?  I know there are those who cannot fast for medical reasons.  Fasting is good for the body, it cleanses out toxins and bacteria.  God has ordained fasting.  It might not be food that we fast from but it might be taking a break from something we are involved in.  Nehemiah sat down and wept, mourned, fasted and prayed for the God of heaven.  As we see the sin of our nation, as we experience times of trial and difficulty, bitterness, despair, loneliness, rejection – many times we feel there is little we can do.  There are many times when we are wounded.  Perhaps we have been rejected by people.  We are lonely but are we honest with ourselves and God.  Do we address the issue that things are not good in our walk with God?  In our family?  In our business?  In our church?  Will we be a people that will weep before God?  Nehemiah was concerned how things were going.  Look at what he prays.  When these Old Testament prophets prayed they were serious in their prayers.  It was not a quick prayer.  They were digging deep with God.  Verse 6 “Let thine ear now be attentive and thin eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.”  He wasn’t saying “Lord this nation is in a state because of the sin of that Christian” or “it was that person’s sin that brought us into captivity.”  No he realised God had led them into captivity.  He asks God to listen to him, to hear his prayer and he admits that everyone has sinned.  Deep down from the bottom to the top, from the leaders to the servants.  It was an honest confession.  God made them go into captivity and he brought them back again.  God wanted them to build the temple again.  The foundations were laid.  In verse 11 he asks the Lord to hear his prayer again.  The people wanted to prosper but they could only do that be desiring God again.  It is good when we get to that stage in life where we realise the dangers of sin.  It is good to be honest before God if sin has crept in.  Sometimes people act as if they don’t sin and everything is rosy.  A person like that cannot weep over their sin.  They are not going to fast because of their sin.  They are not going to pray to God over their sin.  They are not going to find God breaking through.  But when we mourn over our sin and the state of our nation, when we look at ourselves and see how we have let God down we fin God is merciful. Psalm 119 verse 133 “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”  When you as a believer weep over your sin, when you mourn for your sin, when you fast and get real with God that is when God does the impossible.  Nehemiah loved his God.  He loved the people of God too.  He was no lording it over the people, not high and mighty, not more important than them.  Look at Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 1.  He was the king’s cupbearer.  Because he was serving the king, the king noticed him.  He noticed he was sad.  Then the king asked him a question.  Nehemiah asked the Lord a question and now before the king, the king asks him “how are you?”  Verse 3.  When we think of our land why should our countenance not be sad?  Are you saddened this morning?  Are you wanting to get the ear of God?  For God to be attentive to you?  Are you mourning over your sin?  Over the sin of the land?  Are you praying with earnest expectation for God, that he would come and break through?  This was before Calvary.  We have the Spirit of God living in us today, we have God living in us today.  Isn’t that amazing?  Back in the Old Testament times the Holy Spirit came on his people but now he is dwelling in us.  “All power is given unto me” Jesus said.  We are more than conquerors through Christ that loved us.  There is power in the blood today.  Christ has paid it all today.  The kin asks him what he wants – verse 5.  God was going to use this man Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem.  Nehemiah was given the start of that task – verse 7.  He asked first for letters to be given to the governors beyond the river to allow him to pass through the land.  Then he asked for one specific letter to Asaph for timber.  Today we don’t really understand who is living within us.  The hand of God, the one who created all things, sustains all things by the word of his power is living in us.  The good hand of God was upon Nehemiah.  The good hand of God is upon you today.  Nehemiah’s name means encouragement.  The Lord brought him to bless the people.  Nehemiah made his request to God.  He knew he was on his side.  Ephesians 3 verse 20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” The Lord is able to do great and mighty things with us today.  He is able do to those things way above anything we can ask or think.  Jeremiah had the same request for God – to do the things he knew not of.  All God wants us to do this day is to get real with him.  Nehemiah got the ear of God.  My challenge to you this week is to get alone with God, shut out all distractions and hear what God is saying to you.

The challenge of prayer

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 – MR PHILIP ROBINSON

LUKE 18 VERSES 1 – 8 AND 1 TIMOTHY 2 VERSES 8 - 15

Luke 18 verse 1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.”

1 Timothy 2 verse 1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all made.”

Prayer is a very hard subject to preach on.   I know a lot of people struggle with prayer.  Many a Christian could say they struggle with prayer.  When we think of prayer we define it as sitting with our eyes closed and arms folded.  To a Christian prayer is so much more.  Being able to spend time with God in prayer.  It is taking all our troubles and fears to God.  We can take all our worries to God in prayer.    J C Ryle wrote a book called “Challenging subjects for today’s Christians.”  “But this I do say that prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.  Prayer is the most important subject.  In practical religion all else is secondary. Nothing is so important as prayer.”  I want to bring a few simple thoughts on prayer. 

First, prayer is needful for the Christian.    When we eat or drink we are fueling our bodies.  Prayer is like oxygen for the Christian.  It keeps our spiritual life alive.  It is vital for the Christian.  We cannot stress how important that is for the Christian.  It can be quite challenging sometimes.  Sometimes you don’t know what to say to God in prayer but you know God understands what we are feeling at that time.  Many godly Christians spend time first thing in the morning in prayer.  Being continually in prayer.   We can pray to God at any time in any place.  We do not have to do it at a specific time of the day or time of the day.  We can pray to our heavenly father whether we are walking or sitting or relaxing.  That is why we pray.  As Christians we know that we asked the Lord into our hearts, we prayed that God would come into our life.  Prayer is needful for salvation.  Many say can get to heaven in different ways.  Giving money into your church will get you higher into heaven.  Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 tells us we can only get in by faith.  When we ask Christ to come into our lives, asking for forgiveness of sins.  John 14 verse 6.  We can only get into heaven by Jesus Christ.  Asking God for the forgiveness of sins.  We can only have faith through the Lord.  Many say they go to church but that will not get you into heaven.  Prayer is the communication line between us and God.  Think of those organisations that have a 24 hour help line – prayer is similar.  We can have access with God in prayer.  No matter what we are doing we can spend time with God in prayer.  We can pray to God at any time in any place.  When we think of our physical bodies eating and drinking makes us come alive and breath in life.  By praying to God we are giving by God that spiritual oxygen.  As human beings we must keep eating and drinking.  The same is true with prayer and bible reading, feeding ourselves on the word of God.  Many Christians struggle with prayer.  Pastors and ministers struggle with prayer.  There are times when we can go in and feel we can pray for hours and other times we can simply say “Lord help me.”  Many struggle with prayer

Secondly prayer is the surest mark of the Christian.  Luke 18 verse 1 shows us that prayer is a mark of the true Christian.  We should want to spend time with God in prayer.  If we have asked the Lord to come into our lives we should want to go to that place of prayer.  Angus Buchan’s testimony - all he wanted to do was spend time in prayer when he became a Christian.  It can be hard to pray in the busyness of life.  I am always reminded you can spend time driving in the car, walking or working outside.  Spending time with Christ with God in prayer.  Luke 18 verse 1 “Be in continual prayer.”  One of the beauties of being a Christian, people say I don’t know what to say to God, then all you can say is “Lord help me “.  You don’t need to have education or qualifications.  Just spending time in prayer with God is important.  It shows the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we pray.  There are many different things that can help us to pray – Prayermate is an app for example.  Pray with other people can help us in our prayer times.  Many people find it beneficial.  When we become Christians we are asking the Lord into our hearts putting our faith in Christ.  We didn’t know what prayer was up to that point.  As Christians is vital for us to grow in our lives as Christians.

Thirdly, the place of private prayer.  This is the point all of us struggle with.  This aspect is something we struggle with.  In the busyness of life it is hard.  Times when we struggle to pray.  Perhaps when we are going through a valley that we don’t understand what is going on.  The place of private prayer can become a challenge to the Christian.  The place of private prayer in our own quiet times is neglected for different reasons.  Lot of people “say you ministers have it easy you can sit and study you have no problem” but sometimes it is not easy.  You don’t know what to pray to God about.  As Christians, the Lord knows our thoughts.  He knows what is our minds. He knows the trials that you are going through.  We can pray on the mountain tops when the Lord is blessing us, we can give thanks to God.  Say this as a challenge to myself – how is our place of private prayer?  We can be challenged by how our private prayer is.  Something we don’t like to talk about often.  It is the hardest subject to talk about.  How can we find the private place for prayer?  Angus Buchan would have sat in his maze fields and prayed for hours.  We can find that quiet place to find time to pray.  Perhaps by a lake or at a beach.  A place where we can appreciate the creation of God.  We have people to pray for – family, work colleagues.  Someone might come to say “that man has something different in his life.”  There was a film a couple of years ago about a person who built a ‘war room’ in their house.  It was a closet in their hallway.  There they did business with God.  She spend hours in prayer for family and friends.  When they went to buy the house a pastor came in to look at the house.  He was able to say there was something different in this particular room.  He experienced the presence of God in that closet.  Sometimes we can find it difficult to find time to pray.  How much time do you spend with God in prayer?  Do you spend extra time each day in prayer?  Taking time early in the morning to pray to God. 

Fourthly, prayer is the greatest encouragement.  Prayer can be encouraging to us as Christians but also to others as we think of them.  We don’t often think of prayer as being encouragement.  Some regard it as a chore but we need to think instead of prayer as encouragement.  Being able to spend time with God in prayer.  We can take all our worries and fears to God in prayer.  Everything we are going through we can take it to God in prayer.  As we go through the trials of life it can be encouragement for us whatever we are going through.  We know we have a God who hears our cries.  Christ is the mediator between God and man.  Whenever we are praying Christ is taking our prayers to God.  If you have a cheque and if you have the person’s name on that cheque, if that person doesn’t sign the cheque or the name to whom it is written that paper is worthless.  It has lost its value. Not worth anything at all.  That piece of paper is worth more when the signature is put on it.  Whenever we pray Christ is taking our prayers to God.  What an encouragement to know God hears our prayers.  At times when we struggle we can know that the Lord understands what we are going through.  The Lord gives us many promises relating to prayer.  Matthew 7 verses 7 and 8.  If it is in God’s will he will answer our prayer.  Matthew 21 verse 22.  John 14 verses 13 and 14.  All of these passages on prayer should encourage us as Christians.  When we feel as though the Lord is not hearing or answering our prayers, we need to be reminded of what God has said in his word.  We need to pray for those who are sick or going through trials.  That can be an encouragement to them. 

Fifthly, a great source of happiness.  In a world were there is so much sorrow and sadness, we will find joy and peace in praying with God.  In a world against Christianity, the world we live in has forsaken God completely, when our own government does not obey the laws of God’s word.  In a world with so much war and sadness we can find as Christians joy in coming to God in prayer.  We can find peace in knowing God hears our prayers.  He understands the things we are going through.  Prayer is a great comfort and source of encouragement for the believer.  Taking time with God in prayer will help many.  Those who practice other religions throughout the world do not have the true happiness Christians have.  Spending time in prayer and reading God’s word.  The mindset of the world is how much fun you can have, how much money you can make, how much drink they can consume.  There is a short joy in this for a time and happiness for a time.  All will eventually pass away.  As Christians we can know true enjoyment today.  We know that Christ is always with us.  In all the trials of life we can pray and ask for God to continually be with us.  “I have got that joy, joy, joy down in my heart.”  As Christians we have that joy.  Being able to sit in the quiet place, being fed from the word of God.  Sometimes it is hard to find what God says in his word but spending time in prayer, asking for him to help us can give us true happiness.  I challenge those unsaved today - you need to put your faith in Christ to know that joy.  All that matters is if we have trusted in Christ.  As a Christian what priority does prayer have today in your life?

The Promise of His presence

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 – PASTOR DENIS LYLE

Exodus 33 verses 12 – 23

The Promise of His Presence

Years ago in the deep south in the United States of America a Baptist church was struggling with whether to allow an African man to become part of their congregation.  This brother had been the church caretaker for a number of years and he decided he wanted to be part of the church family.  There was a special vote of the congregation was called for.  Finally the decision was made and he lost his bid to become a member of that congregation.  Thinking on this fact of being rejected by the membership of the church he talked to God “I don’t understand those folks in that church, I wanted to join their family and they voted against me.”  The Lord seemed to speak to him and say “Don’t worry about it my child, I have been trying to get into that church for years, they won’t let me either.”  “The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of the God and the church is famishing for the want of his presence.” A W Tozer said.  Nothing is scarier in church in churches today that the absence of the presence of God.”  Yet is that not the thing Moses longed for.  The children of Israel were making their way to the Promised Land.  Sin had entered into the camp.  The Lord had indicating the loss of his presence – chapter 33 verse 3.  “I will not go up in the midst of thee.”  The loss of God’s presence.  What a sad state they were in.  A time of indifference to their leader.  "As for this man Moses we don’t know what has become of him.”  We don’t know where he is or what he is doing.  The implication is we don’t care.  You can tell a lot about a local church by their attitude towards the Lord’s man.  They were indifferent towards their leader, towards to God. They proposed that Aaron to make new gods to follow.  A time of idolatry -Aaron made a calf.  God was degraded to being a cow.  Whenever we give to anything the allegiance and devotion that belongs to God alone then we are guilty of idolatry.  A time of indulgence - naked Israelites dancing before a golden calf.  No much wonder God said “I will send an angel before thee.”  Are there many believers who really grieve over the loss of God’s presence and power today in the church?  As long as the church machinery keeps running.  Leaders are willing to overlook the absence of any spiritual power.  As long as our lives are comfortable, individual Christians are the same. A business as usual attitude will never bring the revival we need.  Moses understood this - do we?  In this passage we see great things in not great times.  In chapter 33 verses 7 – 11 we see a great preparation. In chapter 33 verses 12 – 13 we see a great prayer.  In chapter 33 verse 14 we see a great promise.  God knew what Moses was after – not the presence of angels but the presence of God for which Moses was pleading.  The Lord responds in verse 14 “My presence shall go with thee and I will give you rest.”  Notice 3 things about this promise.

The timing of it in the life of Moses.  When did this promise come?  The nation of Israel has sinned.  Moses is on the mountain receiving the commandments, the pattern for the tabernacle.  While he is on the mountain the people have turned aside quickly to idolatry.  They are dancing naked before the golden calf.  Moses comes back to the camp.  He sees the idol worship in progress, the tablets of God dropped from his trembling hands.  He sees the wretched image, he burns it in the fire, he grinds it to powder.  Moses is angry.   He is broken hearted.  It was in lovingkindness toward his heart broken servant that God gave this assurance.  Here was a promise given to a man with little help.  A lonely man – perhaps he was more lonely in the desert with 2 and a half million people than when he was with the flock at the backside of the desert.  Even Aaron his brother had let him down.  He was disillusioned.  The people on whom such high hopes had been set had proved faithless.  Tablets of law were broken.  The wrath of God burned against this stiff-necked people.  His disappointment was great.  Yet it was to this man God gave this comforting word.  “My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest.”  Am I speaking to some disappointed Christian? You started out with godly intentions and high hopes but experience has brought disillusionment.  Now you are disappointed with life.  There is perhaps an incurable dull ache in your heart.  Disappointed with the way things have turned out.  Perhaps you are disappointed with yourself, disappointed with Christian friends, disappointed with the circumstances of life, disappointed with other believers.  This promise is specifically for you “my presence shall go with you and I will give you rest.”  The Lord is really with you.  He is wanting to become so real to you.  Your disappointment will be transformed into triumph by his realised presence.  This promise was given to a man with little help, but also to a man with little heart.  A man whose great work for God seemed to be falling to pieces.  How discouraged and dispirited Moses must have been.  Not only have the people proved utterly independent and utterly perverted, 3000 Israelites has been slain by the sword, the tabernacle had been removed from the corrupted camp but God has indicated the withdrawal of his presence.  It was true that God had said an angel would lead the host but an angels presence without God himself means guidance without fellowship.  Dispirited, despondent, Moses comes before the Lord - verses 12 and 13.  Are you a discouraged servant today?  Why those falling tears? Maybe you are here and you have been jealous for the honour of your master and it seems that there is nothing but misunderstanding.  Maybe you have been faithfully witnessing for Christ and you have seen no souls come to the Saviour.  Maybe you have been seeking to win children for the master and they have been so unresponsive.  Maybe you have been seeking a deeper spiritual life and it hasn’t come.  Depression has taken hold of you.  Discouraged believer this promise is for you “my presence shall go with you and I shall give you rest.”  He wants to make his living presence a reality.  What a difference it makes if we travel in the conscious realisation of his presence.  Here was a promise given to a man with little hope, a man bending with the weight of great responsibility. He felt that his burden was greater than he could bear.  He was apprehensive about the future.  Did ever a man carry a heavier load than Moses? Imagine being responsible for 2½ million people to bring them out of the land of Egypt, to guide them through the wilderness and bring them into the promised land.  Is it any wonder Moses longed for the personal presence of God himself?  When God calls a man out for his service there is always a sense of responsibility but also a sense of loneliness.  He longed for the Lord’s personal presence with him.  Has God ever failed us?  To those who carry heavy burdens, to those who are lonely because of your ministry for Christ, here’s a promise for you.  Is this promise for you specifically.  You are here with little help, little heart, little hope because of your burden for the master – “my presence shall go with thee.”

The telling of it – what did this promise mean?  The Lord did relate to Moses in spoken words – verse 14 “and he said”.  What did God say? “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”  John Wesley’s death bed exaltation “the best of all that God is with us.”  What is this promise all about?  It is all about companionship.  The Lord is promising Moses, the Lord is promising us certain companionship.  “My presence shall go with thee.”  Dr Sydney Baxter said of this text“The divine assurances are never weakened by any suggestion of falteringness.  They are all yes and in him Amen.  They are doubly sure. He means without any perhaps, or peradventure he will be with you right through to the end.”  Certain companionship.  It is also about close companionship.  The word “my” pronoun gives the emphasis.  God’s promise to send an angel far from satisfying Moses, but now God tenderly yields to his servant.  The Greek translation of the Old Testament says “I myself will go with thee.” The pledge is the step-by-step, side by side, heart to heart fellowship with God through all our way.  This meant more than God guiding Moses from a distant heaven but ever close companionship of one sufficient to meet Moses’ need for guidance, for sustenance, for strength.  An unchanging friend who will sit with him in the tent, go with him in the fields of battle, stand with him in the counsels.  How can we be lonely with this everlasting friend has promised to travel with us down the desert road? Literally translated “my face shall go with thee.”  Suggests intimacy of fellowship.  God indicates his gracious favour.  The face of God, the smile of God, company of God. Certain companionship, close companionship, calm companionship.  “My presence shall go with you and give you rest.”  Many think this rest is rest in Canaan after battle.  There are 2 sorts of rest.  Rest after toil, the lying down of weary after the march.  The other is rest in toil, the liberty of rest while the battle is going on today.  God was promising this to Moses – rest in the battle.  The kind we need today.  Did you ever think you would live in a day of so much restlessness among believers?  How we need that soothing inner quiet that only God.  His rest grows out of the consciousness of God’s presence.  A rest, a peace that nothing else can give.  Rest from doubt, a rest fear for if God be with us who can be against us.  Rest from anxiety, rest about fear about the future.  “My presence shall go with thee and I will give you rest.”  Do you know this rest?  Do you need this rest?

The testing of it - where did this promise apply?  Can we doubt that Moses did not put this promise to the test.  He took it.  He discovered God was able to perform.  Imagine the comfort and assurance Moses experienced when Israel were brought out of Egypt came to the Red Sea they were in a cul-de-sac no way out.  The Egyptians were behind them.  The mountains around them.  The enemy couldn’t touch them because the angel of God protected them.  Angel of God stood between Pharaoh and the camp of Israelites.  In chapter 18 we read that the presence of God stood between Israel and Egypt.  Do we not need his protecting presence every day?  Do you not need his presence as you wrestle with the world, the flesh and the devil?  Here’s Moses the man of God taking this promise working it out in the warfare of God.  He is also working it out in the work of God.  God told him “my presence shall go with thee.”  David Livingstone said on his announcement of his return to Africa “Would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile, among a people whose language I could not understand, whose attitude towards me was always uncertain and often hostile?  It was ‘Lo I will be with you always even unto the end of the age.’  On those words I stake everything and they never fail.”  Will you prove this promise in the will of the Lord? God’s will is always blessing but is often baffling.  It seemed there was always a crisis when Moses was leading the Children of Israel.  There was a water crisis, a food crisis, crowd crisis.  He must have felt like he was stumbling from one crisis to the next.  Maybe that is what you are feeling today – like Jacob facing a family crisis?  Esau wanted to kill Jacob then God met Jacob at Bethel.  When he fled from Esau’s presence he saw the ladder going up to heaven and God promised him his presence.  Maybe you are facing a fiery crisis.  Nebuchadnezzar was trying to consolidate his empire, he knew the best way to unite people politically was to unite them religiously.  Have a common religion.  There are at least 3 attempts to instigate a world religion.  One was in the Tower of Babel.  Days of Daniel in the plain of Dura.  The final event will take place in the last days.  The image of Antichrist will be set up it the temple in Jerusalem.  There will be one world religion – ecumenism.  Here were 3 Hebrew children facing fiery crisis.  They wouldn’t bow and when they were threatened they wouldn’t budge.  Because of their faithfulness to God they were thrown in the fire.  They wouldn’t burn.  They would not alone in the fire, the Lord was with them. Are you facing a family crisis like Jacob, a fiery crisis like the 3 Hebrew children.  Like Paul maybe facing a friendship crisis in the Roman courtroom.  He could see no friendly face.  No man would stand with him.  “No man stood with me, all men forsake me” he wrote to Timothy.  “Not worth standing the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.”  Maybe you are facing a family crisis, or a fiery crisis or a friendship crisis.  Maybe you are here today and you are getting on a bit in life and you are anticipating the final crisis.  Somehow you feel that soon the Lord will take you home.  Don’t fear.  The Lord will never forsake you in death.  “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.  Why? The ultimate is my intimate as I go through the valley of the shadow of death.”  Times of walking away come to all of us.  We may find a loved one walk away in death, a friend may walk away in distance, a son/a daughter may walk away in marriage, a colleague may walk away in work, a servant of God may walk away in retirement but “my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest.”  When we know and love the Lord, we will never walk into the unknown future alone because God is with us.  We can step into the future with tremendous confidence. 

The timing of the promise - when did it come? 

The telling of the promise - what did it mean? 

The testing of the promise - where did it lie?  In the warfare of the Lord, in the work of the Lord, in the will of the Lord. 

What a promise - God’s presence with us.  “My presence shall go with thee and I will give you rest.”  God’s presence for the present, God’s rest for the future.  What more can we want?  He will be with us now and we with him then.  Take it home with you, take into this new week with you.  “My presence shall go with thee and give thee rest.”