Evening Celebration - Keswick at Portstewart - Thursday 10 July 2025 - Dai Hankey

 EVENING CELEBRATION KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

THURSDAY 10 JULY 2025 - DAI HANKEY

GALATIANS 4 VERSES 4 TO 7

These verses start with the word "but" - I would love to write a book on the best "buts" in the bible. That little word means something comes in and changes the trajectory of what has been written. Paul is writing to the church in Galatia. They have been saved by grace but somehow the bad habit of trying to bring religion into their Christianity. Circumcision for instance should be included in Christianity. Peter even got caught up in this. Paul was writing to tell them to stop adding things to what Jesus has already done. In chapters 3 and 4 Paul is saying that Jesus has done everything for you to be forgiven and accepted, that they are on their way to heaven. Why are they now going back to the old way of doing things? Religion is not the exclusive domain of religious people. People wanted rules, laws, what you should and not doing, a tick box system. Not much has changed - we ask ourselves 'am I doing everything right, am I wearing the right clothes, have I attended my church this week, do people see how generous I am?' There is nothing wrong with that but we add things in. I want us to look into the passage as Paul tries to correct this thinking. We do things to impress God. Paul wants to put an end to that. The good news is not about what we do or not do but rather what God has done in Christ by sending his Son and Holy Spirit. Galatians 4 verse 4 and 5 - when, how, what, where and how. 

Verse 4 "But when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Jesus came at just the right time. It was no accident he arrived. He came at the right time. He not only came at the right time. Remember when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and they ran out of wine. His mother came asking for Jesus' help  and he told her "my time has not yet come." Jesus was working to a divine agenda. So the when is God's perfect timing.

The who is the Father sending the Son. The gospel is all about Jesus. He is the answer. The gospel is not about you nor me, never any human being. The good news revolves around Jesus. He was sent forth to save those who couldn't be saved. Why would Jesus come if we could save ourselves. we are incapable of fixing our broken lives, saving our souls. The gospel starts and finishes with God. He decided how to save us and when to save us. "Born of woman, born under the law." Jesus came as a human being into this world. We cannot say you don't understand it. All the pressures and strains I have God understands. He came in the person of Jesus. He understands. he came as a man, as a human, as you and I are. Jesus knows what it is like to sweat, struggle, tired, toil, to be surrounded by people who do feel pressures. There is no other God who can relate like us. He is able to comprehend what we are going through. He was also born under the law. God gave the law in the Old Testament to show us this is his standard. When we look in the mirror we say to ourselves how righteous and good we are. We compare ourselves with other people. If we want to get to heaven on our own merits it is very simple - be perfect. We are in trouble under the law. Jesus was born under the same standard. It applies to him as to us. He passed though with flying colours. It was important to him to prove he would be the representative we need.

The what of the gospel. I find the gospel so exciting. Verse 5 "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." What does that mean? Turn to Galatians 2 verse 16 "yet who know that a man is not justified[a] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified." Paul is saying none of us will get to heaven. We fall short. We can argue with who is better than who but we fall short. Look at chapter 3 verse 10 " For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” If we want to try and get to heaven without Jesus it is not possible. Since Adam sinned in Genesis 3 everything that is messed up in this world is because of that sin. The curse of the law hands on all of us. Galatians 3 verse 13 " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree” This is the epicentre of what Christ came to do. He did some amazing stuff but none of his miracles, walking on water, changing water into people, bringing people back from the dead - none of that. It .was to save those who are under the curse. To be our representative. To hang on a tree. Chapter 3 verse13 and 14 " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”—that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Look at 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." God the Father made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The way Jesus redeems us is by bearing our sin so that we might become righteous. As Jesus hung on the cross he became sin. Jesus absorbs all the sin of those he was going to save into himself. The punishment we deserve Jesus takes it all on our behalf. Christ became sin. He uploaded all of your stuff and said 'I will pay the price' so that we might be redeemed. Isn't it amazing God's forgiveness of sin. The other half of the gospel is this - Jesus then takes and uploads his righteousness into us. The beautiful thing is - we get forgiveness. Every last bit of our sins was future paid. He also gives us his righteousness as a gift. If you put your faith in Christ he does not see all your mistakes any more. Faith in Christ. He sees his son's reflection in you. He accepts you with the exact same love as his son. It is finished, paid in full. The miracle - he takes me not from innocent in his sight but to the righteousness in his son. God loves you and accepts you. However bad we have been, whatever thoughts you have about how bad you are as a Christian, God loves you because you are in Christ. Romans 8 verses 1 to 4 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[a] he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Set free from the power of sin. The penalty God accepts - as if fulfilled the righteousness required by the law. Galatians 4 verse 5 "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Jesus did that because he wants us to receive something - the gift of adoption. One of the beautiful things in the bible is love - it is a choice, not a decision. God chose to adopt us, to cleanse us, forgive us, to bring us into his family. Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 3 " And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." By nature everyone of us was born a child of wrath deserving God's just judgment for our sin. That is who we are. All by nature. In Galatians we read God wants to add these children of wrath into the family of God. Incredible - God says 'I know what you are like and I still want you.' What does he want us as - adoption as sons. The sons are the ones who have got the inheritance. When the bible speaks of our adoption it means he wants to share all he has with us.  He has invited us into that. John 17 - Jesus wanted his disciples to share in the glory we have shared in eternity past. He is keeping his end of the deal. I have stuff with you, I want to bring you into my family. God sends the Son. The Son came to redeem us from the curse of the law, to make us his Sons. Verse 6 "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Because God has accept you, adopted you, so that you share his resources God has sent another gift - the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Notice how much of the Trinity is involved in these verses. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts. He takes up his residence in God's people. He comes in and says 'right then what is wrong here?' Yes he does convict us of sin, commits to make us learn more of Jesus and show us how to be obedient. We see there is one more specific thing in this passage - we can cry Abba Father. That is who we truly are - children of God.    

Bible Reading - Keswick at Portstewart - Wednesday 9 July 202'5 - Mr Sam Allberry

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

BIBLE READING - WEDNESDAY 9 JULY 2025 - MR SAM ALLBERRY

JONAH 2

Jonah 2 finishes with the crescendo "salvation belongs to the Lord." It is a passage about the Lord and his salvation. At last we come to the big fish. We are not told it is a whale, we have made that assumption but it begs the question - do we believe this? Or do we put it into the box that Jack and the Beanstalk belongs in? We find this part of the story hard to swallow. There are people who try to get around it by saying it is a parable and not a history story. There is one school of thought that thinks maybe he was rescued by a boat called "Tthe great fish." Others have trawled the history books and found the story of James Bartley who in 1891 was swallowed by a sperm whale he was trying to capture. When the whale was opened up James was alive but unconscious. People then say "it can happen". This story is written as a piece of historical fact rather than a fantasy. These are real historical people and real historical places. Jesus draws the comparison to Jonah's story and his 3 days in the grave. If we struggle with this story then we will struggle with his story. This has been recorded for us to teach us about salvation. In chapter 1 we see Jonah thrown into the sea because of a historical storm. Jonah should have died. Why? Because the wages of sin is death and Jonah's sins were all piling up in chapter 1. Jonah should have drowned. But when we read to the end of chapter 2 Jonah is safely on dry land. 

Chapter 2 is a story of rescue. Jonah's cry goes to the Lord who appoints a great fish to rescue Jonah and it is the same God who in verse 10 speaks to the fish to deposit Jonah on dry land. As we think of this salvation we want to consider 4 points:

The need for salvation

The act of salvation

The response to that salvation

The means of that salvation

The need for salvation. Jonah is praying throughout chapter 2. He recounts the predicament from which he was saved. There is 2 dimensions to it - firstly physical. Verse 2 " And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice."  This is not mere inconvenience, this was dramatic. On the boat he had been asleep in the middle of the storm. The captain questioned why he was sleeping. Here now he is conscious and troubled. He is in the realm of the dead. As far as he was concerned he is a dead man. This is it. It is all over. There is no way out of it. In the next verse he describes the experience of the trial - "For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me." As we said yesterday we see this idea of going down further and further. Now we see him going down to the very roots of the ground. In verse 6 we see Jonah is at literal rock bottom. There is no where further for him to go. And there is no reason for him to come back up. He is entangled by seaweed. In verse 6 we see the idea of bars locking him in.  It is like the walls closing in around him. There is no apparent way out. He is overwhelmed, trapped, it is hopeless. It may well that that is how some of us may feel today. Maybe we find ourselves in seasons unable to think of a way through it. Maybe the worst thing has happened and it is even worse than we imagined. Jonah does not talk about it in terms of physical experience but he speaks of physical realities. He is aware the hand of God is behind it. The sailors had cast him down but Jonah acknowledges it was actually God who cast him down - "thy waves passed over me." It was an awful physical experience. He knows the Lord is behind this. Verse 4 "Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple." Jonah believes himself that God turned his face away from him. We may think 'Jonah isn't that what you wanted?" In chapter 1 Jonah had been desperate to get away from God. 3 times we are told he is fleeing from God's presence. He is longing to be off his radar. Now he cannot believe he is getting what he wanted. Sometimes we think if we could airbrush God out of our reality life would be so much better. In Jonah chapter 2 Jonah is discovering God is love, God is light, God is life. When we take God out of the equation we find ourselves alone, in darkness, in death. That is precisely where Jonah is. He is getting a taste of judgment in life. Jonah gets a pretty severe taste of it. Here he is stating his greatest predicament is not the water but God. Our biggest problem is not sin but what it leads to - God turning from us. It is a destiny of all of us apart from Christ. We all need salvation, all of us are careening headlong into destiny without God which seems preferable but it is unbearable.

The act of  of salvation. The bible never leaves us without the provision of salvation. Jonah prays - "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice." In chapter 1 he wouldn't pray when he was told to. When he was thrown into the storm the only thing he could do was flee to God. He prays more than once. Verse 1 in the fish's belly, verse 2 refers to a previous prayer and reflects on how God had answered that earlier prayer. He found God did 2 things which he did not deserve. Firstly God listened. He did not deserve to be heard. In verse 4 he believes he is out of God's sight but not out of his hearing - verses 2 and 7. That prayer made its way to God himself. He was crying out of the belly of hell itself yet God heard him. If there was anywhere out of range of prayer it would be the belly or the grave itself yet even there the prayer rises to heaven itself. God heard his prayer but he also lifted him. God lifts us out of his grace. Jonah is now lifted up. Previously we noted that there were a series of downward movements, now he is lifted up. Verse 6 "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God." A buoyancy to the grace of God that canters the heaviness of all our sinful nature. When we know the grace of God is available to us there is no mathematical way we can stay down. We are lifted. No sin is too heavy to receive the grace of God. There is no place too far where God cannot hear him. There is no place too deep that God cannot reach. Whenever you feel yourself sinking too low it is not too much for Jesus. He is not intimidated by your sin. Our God is ready to hear and ready to lift. John 1 verse 16 "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." We have all received grace upon grace. 

The response to salvation. Jonah has been replaying his need for prayer and his response to it. Verse 8 "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love." Nothing can replace God. The sailors learned that in chapter 1. Jonah is beginning to realise this more fully himself. If the prophet of God is learning idols will not save us how much more we need to learn it. It may be a god in our lives that becomes gradually the centre of our lives. Something we start to live for. It is good for us to search our own hearts to see what we are trusting in apart from the Lord. It is like it is the morning and we are standing in front of the mirror asking 'what do I need to have in my life to be able to stand here and say I am OK.'  It might be a particular relationship, an achievement, popularity, status, children. Whatever it is we need it to be ok in our life. That may be things in and of themselves. Good things but when we make them the centre of our lives they may become empty things. They cannot save us nor bear the full weight of our lives. That realisation leads to resolution in verse 9 "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." The sailors already learned that in chapter 1 verse 16. Jonah is now caught up to that place and doing the same thing himself. There will be a Jonah chapter 3. He will go to Nineveh. The word of the Lord will eventually find its way to Nineveh. He responds to that salvation with obedience. We are saved from God and his wrath. We are saved by God and his grace. We are saved for God. We are saved from his judgment. We are not saved by ourselves but for him.

The means of salvation. Jonah 2 raises questions - how is God able to save him? Did his sin matter? How can God say it is OK, I will lift you up and it will be a good outcome? Jonah does not die. The first clue is in verse 1 - "Jonah prayed to the Lord his God." After all the rebellion of chapter 1, of running away from God, of ignoring God, the Lord is still his God, the God of heaven. Jonah described God in chapter 1 as God who is able to make himself known but also make himself ours. God is still the Lord our God. How that can be the case is indeed seen in the next clue in verse 4. He mentions the temple in this verse and again in verse 7. The temple of course is the means by which God could be present with his people. He would dwell among sinful people, receive their prayers and cries of his people. He would meet with his people. Sacrifice and atonement could be made for their sin. That temple now represents Jonah's hope. In John 2 Jesus says the real temple is his body, the physical temple in Jerusalem pointed to the real body of Jesus himself. What Jesus was about to do, that would become the means by which we can become close to God. That we can be redeemed for sin. Jesus is the ultimate temple. In Matthew 12 Jesus refers to the story of Jonah. He is the only minor prophet Jesus named. Verses 40 and 41 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." Jesus is saying 2 things. Like Jonah there are parallels and he is greater than Jonah. He surpasses him. He is like Jonah. Just as Jonah went into the depths so too did Jesus. Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He was overwhelmed with God's wrath itself. Jonah felt driven away from God's sight. Jesus really was - "my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus was lifted up from the depths. Jonah was figuratively lifted up from death. "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power." 1 Corinthians 6 verse 14. Jonah was delivered up from death after 3 days. Jonah was raised up from death figuratively. He was a prophet. His testing was greater than death. Romans 1 verse 4 "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" Jesus is like Jonah. He went down into the depths. He was lifted up from depths. He surpassed Jonah. Jesus far eclipses Jonah. Jonah was correct when he said "salvation belongeth to the Lord." He didn't really experience real salvation. it only changed him on the outside. We are going to see that in chapters 3 and 4. The salvation Jesus brings changes us inside. He was saved from the consequences of death, not made new. It didn't change his heart. He went from disobedient to be obedient with a bad heart. He went from being the young son in the parable of the prodigal son's story to be the resentful older son.  He went 3 days and Jesus died too. We can say with more conviction that we have hope, profound joy - "salvation belongs to the Lord."

Bible Reading at Keswick Portstewart 8 July 2025 - Jonah 1 verses 7 to 17

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

BIBLE READING - TUESDAY 8 JULY 2025 - SAM ALLBERRY

JONAH CHAPTER 1 verses 7 - 17

Life doesn't always go as we expect it to. Jesus said to people who were trusting in religiosity that tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom ahead of them. Some times it is people we don't expect who going into the kingdom of God. In our reading we see a faithless man of God and pagans who trust God.

First we see a man of God who seems to lack faith in God. We see a number of features of Jonah's faithfulness. First his prayerless. He doesn't pray. The captain told him to "arise". It is the same word God said to him in verse 2. There was not much chance of him doing that. It was not a word he responded to even though his life is at risk. The captain asks him to call out to his God. His life is on the line. He does not pray for his own sake or for others. He might have grudgingly said "I know I have issues but think of these other people who need prayer." Jonah doesn't pray. It was apparent to the sailors that this was no natural storm but something supernatural. Verse 7. They recognized some supernatural force behind this storm. It was as insurance forms put it "an act of God". Something unpredictable and unpreventable. These people are thinking more along the lines of God having hurled this storm at the ship. They recognized that it was very uncanny. It seems to be hurled directly at them. Something is going on here. This must be of a supernatural nature. They started to ask "who has been offended?" They decided to cast lots. It was the only thing they could do in the circumstances. Who is to blame? Then they could work out what to do about it. The lot was cast on Jonah. It may have been some coloured stones that were used each representing a different person on the ship. It might have kept coming back as Jonah. The God who is able to counter weather storms is also able to counter the details of who is to blame. Jonah comes up each time. He may not have been entirely surprised. He had been asleep when everyone was desperately trying to save their lives. There was something unusual about this man. It is no surprise that he is the problem. They pepper him with questions. Verse 8. "What's your occupation? Where are you from? Who are you? Why has this happened?" They could have decided immediately to throw him overboard but they wanted to get their facts straight. It is not the only time we see them being deliberate and careful whereas Jonah was impulsive and reckless. We actually see for the first time Jonah talking. 

Verse 9. "I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land." We see Jonah's identity, how he perceives himself. Now he says "I am a Hebrew". This is uppermost in his consciousness. This is the way he thinks. Jonah is mentioned in the book of 2 Kings and chapter 14. We hear about the reign of Jeroboam the second. He was not Israel's finest king. He was bad spiritually but militarily very successful. Under his reign Israel's borders were pushed backwards and expanded. We read at the heart was Jonah's preaching and ministry. That became his identity but here he says "I am a Hebrew." It may well be that in the case of Jonah allegiance to his country and to his God had been confused. Maybe we begin to see his loyalty to his nation is ending before his loyalty to God. Was it because he was told to preach to his enemies and that is why he is fleeing? Is he a prop[het of the Lord first and a Hebrew second or is he a Hebrew first and a prophet second?

Now we see Jonah's theology. Jonah then says "I fear the Lord, the God of heaven which hath made the sea and the dry land." Finally he speaks of God. The irony is - this is the very thing he had been trying to avoid, speaking to pagans about God. He is now forced to do the thing he didn't want to. "I fear the Lord". He uses the personal name for God. The name God gave his people so they could know him. It identified the covenant relationship with God. He describes him as being God of heaven. He is not like the pagan gods who have limited domains. For some pagans they have the domain of a particular god but if you travelled outside of that domain you came under a new domain of another god. The God I believe in is the God of heaven, he is the God of everything. He made the sea and the dry land. Maybe these are significant emotions. He refers first to God who made the ocean that is about to kill them. Jonah knows the God who sent this storm, that is threatening their lives. Jonah said "I fear this God". He is being sincere. This is the God I am trying to get away from. Jonah has ticked all the correct theoretical boxes and has had a fruitful ministry, When God's way clashes with how he thinks things ought to be he will not back down. This passage reminds me of Peter when he confesses Christ. You remember Jesus asked his disciples "whom do men say that I am?" The reply came back "some say John the Baptist, others one of the prophets." Jesus said "but who do you say I am?" Peter immediately replied "you are the Christ." Peter confesses Jesus is the Anointed One, the Messiah. Then the very first thing he does is correct his Messiah. He rebukes him. I know that you are the Christ but let me explain what you are supposed to do. We see the same in Jonah, "you are God but you are not doing what I want you to do." We have a tendency to think we are more theoretically correct than God is. Jonah does not believe God is doing his job properly.  Jonah does not see himself as contradicting the God he fears, the one he should be obeying. He made the sea and land. He is using the sea to escape from his commission to a different land. He was prophesying faith while failing to obey. In James chapter 2 James talks about people who profess faith and says "you believe that there is one God; you do well, the devils also believe and tremble." None of us can see ourselves fully therefore all of us need other people to help us see what we are not seeing - in ourselves and in our walk with God. God made us so that we cannot see our whole selves physically speaking. The same is true spiritually. Which is why we need honest Christian friends. We need people who we can be honest with. About the parts of our lives we cannot see. We see a man of God being faithless, living in profound contradiction of belief and obedience. At the same time the one who is faithful to God is failing to repent and pray. There is a danger for us too. We all have Jonah within us. The very faith he is professing is being used as a cover up for a lack of faith. Sometimes we too profess faith and yet do not trust God fully.

The pagans who trusted in God. They did not have an apparent background to faith in God but we see them responding in increasing spiritually and faith. Jonah has become hardened to that faith. In verse 10 we see they are exceedingly afraid. The men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord because Jonah told them. No wonder they are afraid. They asked Jonah "what have you done that God doesn't like?" Verse 11 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought and was tempestuous." The whole sea is getting wilder and wilder, becoming tempestuous. They asked Jonah "what can we do to get us out of this? You have got us into this mess, is there something we can do that will get us out of this storm?" Verse 12 "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you." Jonah told them "you have been throwing cargo overboard, now throw me overboard." Immediately when they did that the sea calmed. Jonah is at least acknowledging that it is his own sin against the Lord, his own disobedience that has caused these problems for other people. Our sin often does offend the people around us. Jonah suggests that they throw him overboard. We might think he is being compassionate. This is being done for himself. He didn't want to drag others in. He wanted to take one for the team. Throw me over the ship. Jonah has no other options. He does but he would rather die than repent. He could repent, humble himself before the Lord. Instead Jonah feels defeated. It is a choice he has to make. It is the only option available other than obedience. Psalm 32 verses 3 and 4 "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." There is a sense of profound exhaustion. I have nothing left in me. It seems to be where Jonah is right now. The only option seems to be to be thrown into the water. Here we see something of the character of the pagan sailors. Verse 13 " Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them." The sailors would do anything to avoid harming Jonah. They were trying to find something to do that doesn't involve turning Jonah into the sea. They know it is his fault but they want to help him out of this mess. You cannot out row God. Verse 14 "Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee." They were moved from compassion to prayer. Earlier in the chapter we had been told they were praying to their gods - verse 5. They had their own portfolio of different gods. Now they pray not to their generic gods but to God himself. The very god Jonah has described, the personal covenant God of Israel. What they pray is prayed in view of what Jonah has already said about his God. His words are fruitful. They recognized the sovereign God who has power over their lives. Their perishing or not is in their hands. "You have done as it pleased you" - recognizing God's sovereignty. This God cannot be frustrated. They also recognized moral authority - "let us not perish for this man's life." They know they have to do what has been suggested by Jonah - to pick him up and hurl him into the sea. The sea ceased from its raging, supernaturally and suddenly as it began God now stopped a big storm that normally takes days to blow out. If the God who can hurl a storm at a boat he can also stop it. Verse 16 "Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows." The result is fear not relief. The men fear the Lord exceedingly. Jonah claims to fear the Lord, these men actually did. They are more fearful of one who can stop a storm than the storm itself. That fear now leads them to worship. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. They are worshipping this God. They had feared him, prayed to him and now make offerings to him. They are expressing their faith in this God they don't know. They fear the Lord because of his power and offering sacrifices and make vows to him. James 2 verse 18 "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Faith is something that is meant to be visible. With these sailors we see the evidence of faith. In Mark 2 and the healing of the paralytic it was the faith of his friends that led Jesus to say to the man "your sins are forgiven." These sailors worshipped God. They were in the grip of death when Jonah was thrown into the sea. They went immediately to peace and calm. It is the pagan sailors not the prophet of God who ends up showing true fear of the Lord. What do we do with our own lack of faith? The message of Jonah is not don't be like Jonah but we are like Jonah in our hearts. There are certain things of the Lord that we are determined to run away from. Yesterday we talked about the parallel of Jesus in a boat and how like it is to Jonah's story. Jesus himself said "one greater than Jonah is here." Jonah is the only prophet he compares himself to. Jesus was thrown into the ultimate spiritual storm to bring us peace. When Jonah was thrown into the sea it was for his guilt. Jesus was thrown into the ocean of God's wrath for you and me that we might have peace with God. One of the features of Jonah fleeing from God is the concept of going down. Verse 3 he was going down to Joppa. In verse 5 he was going down into the lower part of the ship. Verse 15 he was now cast down into the depth of the ocean. In verse 17 he was going down into the belly of the fish. Jesus went down for us but he went further into the very depths of hell for us so we would never have to. There is grace for the ignorant pagans like these sailors. For faithless rebellious people of God like us. Grace for those who should have known better.

 

Sent - Keswick at Portstewart - Sunday 6 July 2025 - Rick Hill

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

SUNDAY 6 JULY 2025 - RICK HILL

ACTS 8

It is so easy to hold a limited view of what mission is. People will see "Jesus is a nice person, he did good things and it is our job to tell others so they avoid hell." But mission is more expansive than that. Mission is found in the whole sweep of scripture. In Genesis we read of God calling a man, Abraham who would bring blessing to everyone around him. From him he would be turned into a tribe and a nation to be a light to the Gentiles, a blessing to all peoples. To be God's light and his image to those from other nations around him who don't know God or follow him. God has always been looking for people who are marked by allegiance to him. Jesus declared he was the light of the world. Similarities of what Jesus said to ancient calling to the people of God. They often failed to be the light. They lost sight of that calling. Jesus sent his son, the perfect representation. Jesus was fulfilling to Abraham his promise. He didn't just bless all kinds of people, he made his way for all kinds of people to be reconciled to the Father. One being sent to represent God the Father on earth. He crosses the ultimate boundary from heaven to earth. He opened a way for all people to know God. Jesus told his disciples who they were to be. Now you are the light of the world. He looked them in the eye and told them they could represent him to the people around them, in the world around them. An invitation, calling remains for all followers today to be the light of God to those around us.  He leads the responsibility of carrying a mission in his very ordinary followers. Acts shows how it was expanded through one community to include all peoples, Gentiles. That means you tonight. He opened up the way to know the Father. Not accidental plan of God but fulfilled plan made to Abraham - God would bless him through the nations. Jesus explained how they would be witnesses not just in Jerusalem or Judea but also Samaria and then to ends of the earth. This gospel will find itself into eternity at the end of the world. He will gather his children to worship as one. Jesus did not come to make people nice and keep them out of hell. He wants to redeem the whole of creation so that one day every person would worship around the throne. As the disciples witnessed, Peter preached in their own language it all sounds so good. It sounds like it went so well. The believers are hounded by the authorities to stop speaking. Some were put in prison, one of their leaders was killed. Mission is never straightforward, not easy. It is full of disruption. Things have now reached a critical point here in Acts 8. One godly man is killed, Stephen and Saul began to destroy the church. Don't miss the seriousness of the moment. This was a huge disruption for the church. The danger the disciples were in. People flee for their lives for their faith. But the apostles were left behind. All except the apostles were scattered. They had been leading the church, teaching the believers but this persecution disrupted that. Maybe some wonder is it all over for the church. It had all gone so well but was that it? Was it time to go home and hunker down? What would our response be in those days?

The sovereignty of God and his perfect plan
The scattering of God's people is essential for the spread of his gospel
The surprising places and people who responded to the gospel

The sovereignty of God and his perfect plan. God's purposes are fulfilled even in the midst of all disruption. What appears to be loss can be turned to victory in an instant. God can and does turn events into victory. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his one and only son yet he had been told he would be the father of nations. Joseph was in a pit and a prison before he reigned in a palace. David had to fight Goliath before he became King of Israel. Jesus had to face Good Friday before he triumphed on resurrection Sunday. Have you ever considered how the early church was birthed? In time of great destruction and loss, not in perfection. Persecution scatters the church. That is the way people were in far off places. The gospel causes the believers to relocate throughout Judea and Samaria. In verse 5 we read that they preached the word wherever they went. There are 2 significant shifts - the people moved out of Jerusalem except the apostles. Many believe in the message through them, not the apostles. It was not just the apostles doing mission and preaching but amateur, unprofessional believers. They probably only came to faith on the day of Pentecost yet they are already sharing their faith. What an impossible situation. They are carrying the missional mindset, they took that message on the road with them. The best evangelists are the newest converts. Unbridled passion for the Lord. Are they so aware of what God has done? Impacting people, seeing challenge of what God has done. Geographically changing shift within a few verses. Philip is already proclaiming Christ in Samaria - verse 14. They sent Peter and John there. It only took one chapter for the story to go from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. What was the trigger - persecution.  The strategy - a scattering. God uses the persecution to be the very way Christ can fulfil his strategy. Saul is seeking to destroy Christians. The authorities tried to get rid of the church in Jerusalem. What appears to be a loss the Lord turns into victory. The one destroying the church meets Jesus on the road to Damascus and writes the rest of the New Testament. It reminds us of what Joseph said "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good." The church grows in seasons of difficulty and disruption. Perhaps you need to hear that tonight. Seasons of decline can cause us to be despondent. What if this season of the church caused us to be more dependent? If it was true for the early church it can be true for ourselves today. Not everything will go smoothly. You can trust and rest in the perfect plan of God as he guides by his sovereign hand. David Livingstone wanted to go to China but God sent him to Africa. William Carey wanted to go to Polynesia but God sent him to India. Maybe you don't plan for anything that has happened in your life but he wants to unfold his purposes in your life. You don't get off a train when it is in a tunnel, we trust the driver to get us through and stay on the train. Different circumstances actually create the conditions to depend more on God and for our faith to be strengthened.

The scattering of God's people is essential for the spread of his gospel. Their witness was to start in Jerusalem. Before they went global they had to start local, where they are. Mission starts where we are. We need to have vision to serve God in places we are already in. As much as that is true we cannot ignore the fact that while Jesus wanted them to witness in Jerusalem he called them to an expansive mission. People who were unreachable and their enemies. While they began to fulfil his command they are still in Jerusalem. Acts 7 shows that. They had to spread out. They hadn't gone out to where Jesus called them. It changes in Acts 8. Unknown believers including Philip. Verse 5 - maybe it is hard to perceive the boldness he took in proclaiming the gospel to the Samaritans. They were despised by the Jews. They were considered second rate people. Across cultural divides the gospel is spread. Many respond to the word. People from every background need to hear and many are open. It requires the scattering of God's people. Not to stay together as we do on Sunday. For the rest of the week he wants us to be scattered to the world and the communities around us. Different political persuasion, ethnicity, world view of people considered to be hard. We are not to stay safe but to be scattered and sent to places that are unreachable. What boundaries could you cross? Would you be prepared to chose a church not because it is the best around for you but for missional needs because you see a need there. Scattering is vital for the spreading of the mission. God could take you anywhere - never underestimate what God could do when your heart is surrendered to him. We need to be open to the leading of God.

The surprising places and people who responded to the gospel. In Acts 8 Philip is suddenly commanded by an angel to go South to the desert road from Gaza to Jerusalem. It is a surprising command for him to receive. He had just been preaching in Samaria and many came to faith. He had a thriving ministry. Philip has to leave the success of an exciting ministry to go to a desolate road. He could have objected to this new direction but he trusted in God's plan to go to a new place he wanted him to go to. Would we be prepared to follow God? Are we being called to serve God in the desert? Sometimes it is the mountaintop. Sometimes we see God doing all kinds of things among us. Some times it involves seasons in the desert. We might find him leading us to surprising places. And it might be surprising how he is using us in those seasons. Philip found God was already at work on the desert road. An Ethiopian eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship and was on his way home. He is reading Isaiah the prophet. A high ranking office. Because of who he was he would not have made it past the Gentile court. Culture dictated he could not worship in Jerusalem yet God worked it so that he was reading God's word in his chariot. This is evidence of the gospel's reach. Social, ethnic and national boundaries. God has already been at work before people arrived. The Ethiopian had already begun to read the bible without Philip's help and before he got there. God goes ahead of us in surprising ways. We could not beleive the Ethiopian needed something, needed someone sent by God to come alongside and explain it. Verses 30 and 31 - he was someone already reading the bible. He was open to the story of God but he needed someone to explain it to him. We need to be prepared to being sent but prepared also to speak to people. To sit with them. We might not expect someone to read the gospel but they need someone to explain it to them. To ask someone "would you like to read the bible with me?" That is happening in all kinds of ways and through people. Romans 10 verse 14 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" God continues to look for people who are sent to speak, to cross boundaries to bring good news of great joy to those who need to hear. God will bring good news to those who need to hear. God wants you to go to where you are needed. The believers had to leave Jerusalem to go to Judea and Samaria. Philip needed to go down the desert road for a man to understand a passage of scripture. It is even better when we scatter. Is there a place, a person that is coming to your mind, that God might want you to go? If not ask God to impress someone and somewhere on your heart tonight.  

 

Jonah - a surprising book, a surprising call and a surprising response

KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

MONDAY 7 JULY 2025 - BIBLE READING WITH SAM ALLBERRY

JONAH 1 VERSES 1 TO 6

Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger".
"That is because you are older, little one" answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

― C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

Jonah is designed to give us a bigger sense of God's mercy. It needs no introduction. Jonah himself forms the bulk of the narrative but the real feature is God's mercy. In most areas of life we go from dependence to increasingly independence. We learn to do something, it starts by needing someone to show you the ropes, then gradually you become OK by yourself until you think you have it all worked out. We begin by needing God to govern us but then we grow in our Christian life until we need God less. But what we tend to find in the Christian life is we need God more not needing him less. The message of the book of Jonah isn't 'stop being like Jonah', the message is 'we are like Jonah' which is why we need to look at Jesus for he came to people like us. The more we realise God has mercy the more we need it more. 

Think of 3 things ...

Jonah is a surprising book 

Jonah's surprising call

Jonah's surprising response

First - Jonah is a surprising book. Jonah is one of the minor prophets. It is called that because it is one of the smaller books of the Old Testament. Jonah is similar in length to the other minor prophets but it is a different kind of book. Normally we start with an introduction to the prophet and how the word came to that prophet. Then the rest of the book is the actual words God was saying to his people. Jonah starts with who the book is about and who his father was. The rest of the book is narrative not prophecy, a story. Not only that but a bizarre story. Not because he gets swallowed by a fish and is in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights. No the most bizarre part of the book is the prophet is not for God but against him. Normally when a prophet proclaims God's word the wicked pagans are quick to respond. Here we have a man of God who has tantrums. A lot of people wonder if this book is real. They ask "do you think this actually happened?" People wonder if they should take it historically or is it a kind of parable. It certainly is a story of an oddball prophet whose life we can learn from. The book is not written as an obvious fantasy or fiction. It does not begin "once upon a time". No it starts with "the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai." These are real historical people and places. Jonah is not a made up character. He really lived. 2 Kings 14 mentions Jonah. That he was a real prophet, an actual person, the place was real. He was the same as any other named person in the bible. Nineveh is not made up. Jonah is told to go there. What do we know about this city? It was an influential city. A large city in the ancient world, in Assyria. In these verses it is described as a "great city".  You can read about it in the history books. It is not written as fiction, it is real history. Real people and places. If you think it is too fantastic to read you will have real problems with the rest of the bible. Jesus mentions Jonah and draws the parallel between Jonah being in the fish for 3 days and Jesus being in the grave for 3 days. If you find that difficult how about someone emerging from death after 3 days. Jesus is moving from something miraculous to something more miraculous. If we struggle with that we will struggle in believing Jesus. It is unconventional and unexpected ant that is because God is unconventional and unexpected. His ways are not our ways. The gospel message is profoundly counter intuitive. It is very hard when you are tuned with one thing to do it the other way around. We have similar issues when we come to the grace of God. It goes against every fleshly instance inside of us. The way of the Lord is not our way of thinking. We need to remind ourselves of God's mercy because we forget it. The strangeness of God. 

C S Lewis said "it is a religion you couldn't have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up." 

It continues to surprise us. If we are not surprised by the bible maybe we don't understand it. God does not treat us as we should.

Second - a surprising call. Verse 1. We begin with the word of the Lord before Jonah is mentioned. It is the starting point of everything. His speaking is not incidental. It is how he relates one word with one day and that word would become flesh. That same word comes to Jonah. The scene is now set. Everything is going to convention. The word of the Lord comes to Jonah. As a prophet that is expected of such. Here's the word and this is who it has to to. The word of God comes to Jonah. A surprising call because of where Jonah is to go. Verse 2 "arise, go to Nineveh". That is strange. Normally prophets were sent to minister to God's people, to stay in the land of God's people as opposed to going to the land of the enemy. Nineveh was the key city in Assyria. It was phenomenally brutal. Records of them skinning people and worse have been recorded of the Assyrians. They revelled in that brutality. They gloried in it. This is not Jonah's normal stamping ground. That is the point. God is assuming in verse 2 that every nation is accountable to him. God is not just the God of those who recognise him but those who don't know him too. Every city, every nation, every empire is morally accountable to God. He has the right to judge the sins of Nineveh. The God of the bible is the God of the whole world, whether people acknowledge him or not. Some people divide the world up - this is the Christian part, then there is the Muslim part in south Asia and you have Buddhism in eastern Asia. They mentally carve it up like that. All the world belongs to God. God has the right to bring his word to anywhere on this planet earth. Nowhere is the word that you should go there. There is no place that is categorically set apart for Jesus' message not to go. God is God of all the world. That does not mean we have no need for wisdom but everywhere and everyone comes under the scope of God. He has the right to judge every individual life. How many bristle against God judging the whole world but we need to. He will not tolerate evil. John 1 verse 2 reminds us there is such a thing as evil, not just in our own eyes but in God's eyes. It comes up before him and he will judge. God has the right to tell him to go to Nineveh. Jesus exercises that same right when he comes to us, to make disciples of all nations. All peoples need to hear the message of the gospel. It is not a surprising call and it is an appropriate one. God has the right to judge Nineveh.

Thirdly - a surprising response. The scene is set, the prophet is commissioned. We expect him to listen and obey. Jonah does arise but he goes in the opposite direction. Nineveh was out to the east, it is present day Iraq. He flees to Tarshish, the south coast of Spain. He goes as far as he can in the other direction. Tarshish was as far as anyone knew about in Jonah's day. Jonah is doing the opposite of what God is telling him to do. He is fleeing. He headed down to the port of Joppa and gets on a boat to Tarshish. He pays the fare and off he goes. Instead of preaching in hostile Nineveh he is on a cruise. What is going on? Why does he have such an allergic reaction to the place? He has been commissioned by God. What is going on? Why does he flee? Why is he running away? We don't find out the full answer until chapter 4. Jonah thought 'if I go as far as possible in the opposite direction, God will have to send someone else. If I make myself unavailable God will have to send some other prophet.' Jonah is not just trying to get away from the job but God himself - verse 10 "from the presence of the Lord." He knows his theology, he knows God is sovereign - Psalm 139. Jonah knows this stuff. Even if you have a space shape you cannot get away from the presence of the Lord. It is an example of good theology but a bad heart. He is trying to flee from God relationally and personally. Jonah is saying "I don't want a relationship with God any more." He is fleeing from God's presence. Jonah is a reflection of us. The more I have been looking at this book the more I see Jonah is a mirror of ourselves, Mark 8 verse 34 Jesus says he has the right to every single part of your life and mine. You are to deny self, yield you are to him, hand it over and take up your cross and follow him. What I love about Jesus is this - he does not bury something in the small print. Jesus puts it up front. Before people start following him you have to give him everything, all of your life belongs to Christ. That raises the question - what is off limits in your life to God? What are you keeping back from God? What are you not willing to give to him? Many will say "I have been a Christian for many years, of course God has got most of my life." Jonah would have said the same thing. He was a mature believer, he had a proven ministry. When God touched a particular nerve he was off. I have seen this happen to many people - something happens and they immediately abandon the Lord. Something is always being held back. In all of us we want something for ourselves.  For Jonah he flees from God. God has found the non-negotiable in his life. Amazingly God pursues Jonah. A boat just happens to be available. It is possible to flee God and it looks like doors are opening for you. We see God pursuing Jonah. God in his mercy is following him. Verse 4. God can throw entire weather systems into chaos. He caused the biggest storm on the sea. The ship is about to split apart. Verse 5 - the mariners did this for a living and they are now afraid. Seasoned professionals are terrified. It gets so extreme that it causes them to panic. Their lives are at risk. When it is the choice of the cargo or me I am throwing the cargo overboard. Where is Jonah? He had gone down to the lower most part of the ship and lay down and slept. He was unaware, had checked out of reality. He can sleep through the storm. The captain of the ship is thinking 'maybe your God is better at the sea thing than ours is.' Even now Jonah does not pray. He cannot bear to look God in the eye. Still God pursues him. Isn't that amazing?

To finish I want to draw our attention to the life of Jesus and an event that resembles the life of Jonah. It is found in Mark 4 and another storm, another boat and Jesus lying asleep. There are so many parallels to Jonah's story. They are out on a boat with others. A sudden extremely violent storm comes up. The boat is in risk of sinking. The mariners on both are in fear of their lives. Jesus and Jonah are both sleeping. In both cases they are challenged about sleeping in the storm. The storms are supernaturally calmed. Every one is left in greater fear than when the storm was at its height. The calming makes the people more fearful than the storm had been. So many parallels that we are meant to note. The difference though - Jesus was not there fleeing God. He came onto planet earth because he was heeding God's call. When God called him to do the improbable, to take the cup of wrath we deserve Jesus' response was not to flee. His response was "not my will but yours be done." He chose to take the punishment we deserved. Jonah turned from the presence of the Lord in disobedience. Jesus was turned from the presence of God out of his love for us so that we might be invited into the presence of God. Even though we react and resent what God says to us at times, he has pursued us. We don't bear the consequences of our sin, he has borne them for us on our behalf. He does not provide mercy to match our sin, he provides mercy out of all proportion to our sin. He has more mercy than you need. Maybe some of us are thinking 'I know this true for every one in this room but I am too far gone for Jesus. I have messed up so bad. There is too much sin in my life.' I have to say "you are not that special"! There is more grace in Jesus. No matter how we might find ourselves - fleeing from Jesus - he continues to pursue us.

A scaffolding to trust God's plan for our lives

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 6 JULY 2025 - MR COLIN STRIP

PSALM 37 VERSES 1 TO 9

It wasn't until recently that I found out that bamboo is the fastest growing plant. There are certain species in Asia which grow up to 35 inches in a day or 1 1/2 inches per hour. Bamboo is used for so much. It is actually very strong, stronger than steel. It is an incredible and diverse plant. When I was in India I saw scaffolding built with bamboo. They don't use metal or iron scaffolding but rather bamboo tied with rope. It is incredible to witness people walking on this scaffolding with their bare feet. They build it up and of course there are many fatalities as well. 

Psalm 37 can be described as a scaffold. Each verse helps us as Christians to trust God's plan for our lives. The writer of this psalm is of course David. We know that he had many experiences in his life and he did wondrous works which the Lord allowed him to do. He also had problems and trials. David went through some very difficult heartbreaking trials - of family, of sin, of temptation - yet we find here that Psalm 37 is written by David as he was under inspiration of God. We can use these 9 verses as a scaffold to help us to build our trust in God. For any scaffold you need to make sure it is secure, safe and strong because you would not want to climb up onto it and start to feel it sway. Psalm 37 gives you and I that security, safety and strength in regards to our testimony, our walk and work with God.

The distinction in view. We see in verses 1 and 2 when David starts he does so with an encouragement to the believer - "fret not". He goes straight to the heart. Whenever circumstances get on top of us, whether they are spiritual or circumstantial we can begin to fret. Maybe you are fretting and no-one else know about it. Maybe you have had a warm handshake and a smile on your face but inside you are fretting. The inference here in this word in the Hebrew "fret" is translated in various places using different words. It is the idea of being angry or glowing warm. It means to kindle, the idea of being grieved. Maybe you are here today and you are grieved. Just maybe there is something kindling inside of you. Whatever is fretting today remember it is God's problem. You need to leave it with God. In the circumstances of life we try to figure it all out. It is only God who can look after that situation and you have to leave it. The distinction in view is to fret not. What are we to do - verse 3 "trust". If you are fretting then trust. Trust in the Lord and do good. It is easy to say to trust, take that step of faith and to embrace our Saviour. He will look after the circumstances that are making you fret. When you are at the centre of the fretting it is difficult but you and I still have to trust. that is what David is teaching here in regards to this distinction. The distinction is fretting and trusting. The trusting is the balance that helps us, calms us. If you look at this verse 3 "dwell in the land and be fed." We need to remember that it was David who wore this Psalm. Before he was king of Israel he was also a shepherd. The inference here is of a shepherd who makes sure his sheep are fed. Maybe something within makes us grieve. Here we are to trust in the Lord. He will feed us like the shepherd, the good shepherd, the great shepherd and the chief shepherd does. He will draw alongside us as that shepherd and he will help us when we trust him. What are we to graze on? His faithfulness. Are we trusting? This is the first part of the scaffolding - trusting God for his plan of our lives. It is so important when we are up 30/40 feet up - there is a distinction between fretting and trusting. May we put our trust in him and may he feed us as our shepherd as we put our faithfulness in him. We know he is faithful. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Trust him. The distinction in view - fret not and trust. 

The devotion to value - verses 4 and 5. We are told at the next level of the scaffold to delight in him. This might seem elementary and basic but how many times have we not had to go back to the basics because we are a forgetful people. David reminds us to "delight thyself also in the Lord." It is important as that scaffold extends to delight in the Lord. It is said in terms of a personal approach. It has the sense of a request from God. Ask him to deal with the fretting situation. Ask him to help you to trust him. You might be saying "I am struggling today". Just ask him. He has saved you, kept you all these years - will he leave you now? Certainly not. Ask him. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart. Matthew 6 verse 33. Jeremiah 33 verse 3 "call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." God will answer thee. we are to delight. Not only to delight but in verse 5 we are to "commit". David is telling us we are to delight and we are to commit. What does that entail? The word "commit" is translated once in the Hebrew bible as this but 900 other times in English as "roll". Roll thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass. Bible commentators use the English word commit it all to him. We are to roll, we are to do it. If there is something wearing you down, something troubling you then roll it unto him. The word "trust" is mentioned again. We are to trust him as we roll our way to him. What is on your mind today? Are you rolling that weight to him? What gives a good balance to that - 1 Peter 5 verse 7 "casting all your care upon him for he careth for you." It is the same meaning. That word cast has the inference of throwing. It is not an ordinary throw though. You are carrying a weight that is heavy and it is making you weak with its weight. You think you are not going to make it. In a split second throw it. That is the sense of 1 Peter 5 verse 7 - casting or throwing all your care that is weighing you down. Casting it upon him for he careth for you. Roll that weight to him. What devotion there is when we roll through that weight. There might be something against us or someone against us, perhaps a family issue or whatever. It might be the Lord is there to carry that weight. We are to roll it and cast it.

The discipline that we are to render - verse 7. Resting in the Lord is not easy in the context of fretting and being under pressure. David here tells us to rest in the Lord. This is not an easy task. Resting literally means being silent before the Lord. Not to complain. That is not easy. We are to be silent. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. There is also the thought also of being still, waiting before him - Psalm 46 verse 10 "be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." This discipline - being silent and waiting patiently. This has the sense of submission. It is not easy being silent before the Lord. Waiting, being submissive. It is not submissive in the petulant way as a child. Simply submissive, obedient to the Lord that in his providence, in his sovereignty he has you where he has you, in the circumstances you are in and you bow to it. There are times when dark providences crosses our path and we can know that we are in the centre of God's hand. We are to be silent and also submissive to him. It is an interesting thought - the word to wait here in the original verb in Hebrew is to writhe in pain. The Spirit of God has used that in this context in the idea of resting and waiting. The original word is to writhe. It is not easy to rest and wait on God. It is not easy as you wait, as you trust, as you believe, as you obey but it is needful.

The declaration to release - verse 8 and 9. "Cease" The Holy Spirit is teaching us to cease from anger and forsake wrath. It is like releasing the laces of a shoe. Loose it and let it go. You are to roll it to the Lord, to cast it upon him. All the anger and the wrath. Notice here in this verse "fret not" is mentioned again. To kindle, to begin to set on fire. 3 times these words are mentioned and we are reminded of the verse "a three fold cord is not easily broken" Ecclesiastes 4 verse 12. The Lord understands that when someone has done something on you, you begin to kindle, to get angry but the Lord is saying "cease from anger and forsake wrath." Let it go, let the Lord deal with it. Someone said "forgiveness is a lovely idea until you are the one that has something to forgive. What is the biblical warrant - forgiveness. The Lord knows every context - we are to cease from anger, let it go. In the Lord's prayer we are told "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  It is a command from the Lord - "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Psalm 37 is like a scaffold to help you and me with regards to trusting God's plan for our lives.

A distinction in view - fret not and trust

A devotion to value - delight and commit

A discipline to render - rest and wait

A declaration to release - cease and forsake

Signs of the Lord's Return

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2026

SIGNS OF THE LORD'S RETURN - PASTOR DENIS LYLE

Matthew 16 verses 1 - 4

Many years there was a father who had to go on a long journey. Before he left home his little 3 year old boy clambered up onto his knee and asked him when he would be back again. The father knew he would not be back until the middle/end of September. There was no use talking about times or dates or seasons for he would not understand. He said to his little boy "when you see the leaves on the trees turning red and brown and beginning to fall to the ground, then you can be sure that daddy is coming very soon." The next day the father left home to go on his long business trip. During that business trip the little boy went on walks with his nurse, during which he talked of his absent daddy. Slowly the weeks passed by and September came around. The little boy did not realise the leaves on the trees were turning red and brown or falling to the ground.  Then one evening there was a tremendous storm and millions of leaves fell to the footpath.  The next day when he was out walking with his nurse and seeing the leaves fall to the ground the little boy began to kick the leaves sky high shouting "hurray, daddy is coming soon."

All over the world today there is an expectation, an anticipation, the leaves are beginning to turn brown and red and starting to fall to the ground.  Corruption, immorality, apostasy, lawlessness, wealth war are the order of the day. Jesus said  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21 verse 28) The second advent of our Lord Jesus will take place in 2 phases or stages - the rapture, the catching away of the bride of the church of Jesus Christ. Those born again will be caught away to meet the Lord in the air. Then there is the revelation, the coming of our Lord Jesus in power and in great glory. In rapture he comes to the air, in the revelation he comes to the earth. The rapture seems to involve the church primarily. The revelation seems to involve Israel and the Gentile nations. The rapture seems to be a signless, an unannounced event. That is God has given us no indication when it may come. Unexpectedly, suddenly, momentarily, in the twinkling of a eye the trumpet will sound the dead shall be raised, the living shall be raptured. Living and dead will go forth to meet the Lord in the air. Strictly speaking there are no signs connected with the rapture of the church, the first phase of the return of Christ. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for his saints is always proposed in the New Testament as the eminent hope of Christ. Signs have only to do with his return in power and great glory. Surely such signs are visibly shaping themselves before our eyes and telling us his return is not far off. As a result the rapture must be that much closer.

It's later tonight than it has ever been before in the history of the church. His coming is not far away. Are there such signs? By a sign we mean a mark by which a coming event might be recognised or anticipated. We can tell by signs in nature that spring is coming, that summer is coming, that autumn is coming and winter is coming. We can see signs on the earth that our Lord is coming very soon.

First sign - the moral sign. Our generation has been described as the "permissive society." We prefer to let people do what they want to do rather than conform to old fashioned standards. Jesus said "iniquity shall abound." Did you know that Noah lived in an age of permissiveness, one that was ripening fast for judgment? Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to the days of Noah as a blueprint for the days of his return: "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24 verse 37) That shoul invest the days of Noah with special interest for us. Genesis 4, 5 and 6 describe those days. 2 things mark the days of Noah. The vice of that day. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." It was a society marked by polygamy - more than one wife. Back in Noah's day there was a breakdown in the primeval law of marriage. Lamech the arch enemy of God had introduced polygamy into society. It was a society in which women were increasingly prominent. There seems to have been a strong feminist movement in Canaanite society. In Genesis 4 we have the line of Cain. In Genesis 5 we have the line of Seth. In Seth's line, the godly line, no women are mentioned. In Cain's line 3 women are named - Adah, Zillah and Naamah.  Adah's name means ornamental beauty. Zillah's name means shade or seductress. Naamah name means pleasure or lovely. What do their names suggest? Prominence because of outward beauty or attractiveness? Was there a strong prominent feminine movement in the society? Is there any difference today? The strong feminine movement in today's day is seeking to reverse the role of husband and wife. A society marked also by immorality. "The thoughts of his heart were only evil continually." Thought patterns expressing itself in perverseness of the worst kind. The doctrine of permissiveness is seen everywhere today. Anything goes. Pornography, marriage break down, an age of ex-rated movie, dial a porn, sodomy. An age marked by homosexuality - certainly in the days of Lot. Is this not the way in which we live? Major denominations in our land are at loggerheads - should homosexuals be ordained to the ministry. The sinfulness, the shamefulness that marked this present age. People are simply animals. What about the depravity in your heart and my heart? Have you seen yourself as a lost sinner? As God sees you -Seen yourself as sinful, lost, depraved and undone, separated from God and bound for hell. Think of the days of Noah - the violence of that day. "The earth was corrupt before God." One man behind this upsurge in violence was Lamech. The seventh from Adam in the godless line of Cain. Lamech murdered 2 men then he threw down the gauntlet to God in a daring poem of challenge. People did their own thing. Society opposed no restraint on crime. We have entered the age of violence. Anarchy and terrorism is on the rise today. It is unsafe to walk the streets of our city after dark. A world of violent crime. The Lord said "but as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be." Is his return not near?

The military sign. The Lord said that the end times would be an era of convulsions - "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:" (Matthew 24 verse 6) There have been been approximately 15,000 wars in recorded human history, but the 20th century has been particularly far bloodier than ever, far more people have died in wars in the past 100 years than all the centuries before. Jesus said "behold the fig tree. "When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near." Is the reference to the fig tree and the budding not a reference to the budding of new nations. The new nations from former Soviet Union and Yugoslavian branch. Look at Luke 21 verse 25 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." While this refers to events just prior to his return, in power and great glory, we can see this situation existing today. National leaders are full of fear and perplexity, they stumble from one crisis to another. The military signs - passenger jets being shot out of the sky, a crisis in Ukraine, in Iran, in Syria, in Gaza, in Israel, in Russia just to name a few. Where in the world is peace? This age is marked by unending turmoil but also by unceasing talks. After World War 1 the League of Nations was formed to preserve world peace. After Word War 2 the United Nations came into being with the determination that there would never be another World War. Yet politicians engage in shuttle diplomacy, they are helping to solve hostilities and they are discussing disarmament and the control of destructive weapons. Today it is one thing and tomorrow another. Despite all of this peace still eludes our world. Paul said "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them" (1 Thessalonians 5 verse 3). There will never be any lasting peace until the Prince of Peace puts his feet on the Mount of Olives, until he proclaims the earth which is his. What about you? Are you at peace with God? Have you come to trust Christ? Have you been declared righteous through his blood before God tonight? Have you stood at the cross and seen yourself as a lost sinner? Have you been redeemed with the precious blood o Christ? Has the righteousness of Christ been imputed to you? Do you know peace with God?

The merger sign. The bible informs us that a sign of the last day will be efforts to unite the religions of this world. End time prophecy makes it clear that there will be a one world government. John speaking of the anti-Christ in Revelation 13 said "and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." This man will have global control. He will unite the world with a one world government. Alongside that one world government there will be a one world church and it will be controlled by a man known as the false prophet. He is the agent of the beast, the anti-christ. He works on his behalf. Just as much as it is the ministry of Holy Spirit to exalt Christ so it is his job of the false prophet to exalt the anti-christ.  "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast," The worker of worship, the controller of commerce. For a while the hoar, the false church of Revelation 17 will dominate the beast but then the beast, the anti-christ, probably in the middle of Daniel's seventieth week, in the middle of that 7 year tribulation he will turn and destroy the hoar. This final movement begins with an apostacy from the Christian faith. Paul said "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2 verse 3) Those words "falling away" comes from the Greek word which gives us apostacy in our English language. It means to turn away from the truth, to turn from the faith. Paul said to Timothy "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (1 Timothy 4 verse 1) What about the sign of universal apostacy? This falling away from the faith. In these last days there has been a departure from the truth. Ministers, pastors, so called theological students, professors denying the virgin birth of Christ, the virtuous life of Christ, the deity of Christ, the sinlessness of Christ, the atoning death of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ. Many of the great movements which in the past were true to the word of God now repudiate the authority of scripture. The Lord said "I am the way the truth and the life you cannot come to the Father but by me." How can I be saved - the Lord says "I am the way". How can I be sure - "I am the truth" How can I be satisfied - the Lord says "I am the light." In Christ you can be saved, sure and satisfied. There is the sign of spiritual adultery. In the opening book of our New Testament we are confronted with 1 church, in the closing book we are confronted with 2 churches. One church at the beginning of church history, 2 churches at the conclusion of church history. Is it possible to identify the false church? John in Revelation 17 refers to her as mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, the abominations of the earth. John said "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." Some 50 million were slain by the Roman Catholic Church. The best men who ever walked on this earth were burnt at the stake because they refused to compromise on the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. A mixture of Catholicism and pagan Protestanism. The ecumenical movement has not gone away and we need to stand on God's word. The bible challenges us "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 18 verse 4) "Can two walk together unless they be agreed"? (Amos 3 verse 3) Do the signs not all say his coming is not far away?

The market sign - referring to the selling and buying of goods and services when unrestrained by political or social considerations. Do we not have such a system today in the European Economic community? Remember Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon given that dream by God of a huge statue with 4 types of metal. The head was of gold, the chest and arms were of silver, the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs were of iron, the feet were part iron and clay. The old king was confused and they brought in Daniel the man, the prophet and servant of God. He said to Nebuchadnezzar  "Thou art this head of gold." The head of gold was Babylon, the chest and arms of silver are the Medes and Persia, the belly and thighs of brass were Greece, the legs and feet were Rome. There was something historic but also prophetic in this image. Rome was the last kingdom to fall in 476 AD but what about the statues feet and toes? They represent a form of the Roman empire that has not appeared on history's scene yet. What about the stone that pulvarizes the image and fills the whole mountain - how and when is that to be fulfilled? According to Daniel the 10 toes are symbolic of 10 kings. John speaks in Revelation of a world federation of nations that has 10 horns and they are 10 kings. There has been no other world empire since the Romans. Where are we in tonight in God's prophetic plan? Daniels image spoke of something that is prophetic but also realistic. I wonder what we have in Daniel 2 - is it foreshadowed in the European Common Market? The European Common Market came into existence by the Treatment of Rome in 1957, the number of members fluctuates but the important thing to note is that at the end of time there will be some kind of coalition, some kind of military, political or economic union of European powers that will revive the Roman empire and some kind of Gentile final world power depicted in Daniel 2. The EEC may herald the near fulfilment of scripture. Are you getting the signs?

The miracle sign - apply to the nation of Israel. "If you want to know about the coming of the Lord keep one eye on heaven and the other eye on the Jew." This is the one that indicates it is coming soon. The Jew. Christ said "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:" (Matthew 24 verse 32). The fig tree is Israel. When you see startling developments in the life of the nation of the Jews it is taken as the closeness of his return. God is for Israel. That does not mean that everything Israel does is divine. God said to Abraham in Genesis 12 "Those who bless you I will bless, those who curse you I will curse." God's hand is on the Jew. The Jewish nation were ravished. Jesus said "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21 verse 24) In AD 70 Titus and his Roman armies came into Jerusalem, they sacked the temple, set it on fire, destroyed the city, they scattered the Jews into hundreds of countries around the world. For 2000 years there was this exile. The Jews were scattered. There is the wandering Jew. They wandered through all the nations of the world. They were ravished. They will be restored. Jeremiah prophesied of this: "For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." (Jeremiah 30 verse 3) "Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock." (Jeremiah 31 verse 10) Ezekiel confirmed it: "For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land." (Ezekiel 36 verse 24) The Jewish nation cannot be assimilated and they cannot be eliminated. Where are the Babylonians, the Hittites, Assyrians, Amalekites, Philistines - they are no more but the Jew still stands. The world and the devil have tried but to the amazement of both the most important date in the twentieth century came to pass on 14 May 1948. The most important event in 20th century took place - a nation was born in a day. A nation that was dead and dormant for 2000 years was raised to life - how do you explain that? God. An invisible hand is on these people. The hand of God. Israel tonight is at present laid aside and it is only until the fulness of Gentiles comes, when the church is completed and the Lord comes to take his people home. At that time God will resume his dealings with his chosen people. The veil of blindness will be taken from their eyes and they shall look on him on whom they have pierced. Her heart will be softened towards Jesus, an entire nation will be saved physically and spiritually - Paul said "so all Israel shall be saved."  (Romans 11 verse 26)

When you look at the moral sign, the military sign, the moral sign, the market sign and the miracle sign do the signs not say tonight his coming is not far away? Signs of the times are everywhere.

There is a brand new feeling in the air. 

Just turn your eye upon the eastern sky.

 Lift up your  head redemption draweth nigh

A man was invited by a friend to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah. Although the man was an avid friend of Handel he had never heard of this classic work before. In fact he went to this concert and he knew very little about music. He patiently sat through the performance and finally said to his friend "how long does this thing go on for?" "Just a few more minutes" the reply came back. "But how do you know there is just a few minutes left." "I have read the script". We have read the scriptures and Jesus said "when these things come to pass lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh." Are you ready for the coming of the Lord? As you drive into Moira this sign greets you "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh" Are you ready tonight? As a Christian what will you meet him with? Will you be unashamed before his coming? Will you stand before him empty handed, not one soul with which to greet him. Or will you say "Lord here am I, here's the children you have given me, the souls that have been saved through my ministry." If he should come tonight and we stand at the judgement seat of God will my service be like gold and silver and precious stones or will it be burned up?  All the labours of our lifetime burned up in a minute, not lost or anything like that , but my service was done for the wrong motives, in the wrong spirit, for the wrong reason. When I stand before him will I see that smile, hear those words of benediction, commendation "well done, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord", May we live in tip toe expectancy, for I can almost hear his footfall on the threshold of the door and my heart, my heart is longing to be with him forevermore.