Half-heartedness

Sermon notes from Sunday 19 July 2015

1 KINGS 19 VERSES 19 -21

Nobody gets really inspired by half-heartedness.  If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing well.  Being a Christian is relatively easy in this country that has let us become half-hearted in many ways.  There is nothing half-hearted about the gospel.  Jesus summed it up by saying in Luke 10 verse 27 “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and will all thy strength and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”  I challenge anyone to stand and look at the cross and say Jesus was half hearted.  He didn’t do anything that he wouldn’t ask us to do himself.  As he hung bearing the weight of my sin and the whole world he was the total opposite of half-heartedness.  Look at a man in the Old Testament who wasn’t half-hearted but wholly committed to the cause.

A sign.  Elijah comes walking along and finds the man God told him to anoint to follow after him as a prophet – Elisha.  He was ploughing in the field.  We are not sure if he knew who Elijah was but he comes along and puts his hand on his shoulders and then appears to walk on ahead.  It is strange but Elisha seems to know exactly what it means.  Later we find Elisha wearing the mantel that Elijah wore.  It seemed to mean everything.  I wonder am I speaking to someone who is going about their life as normal but something has changed in your life recently.  God has been calling you and people have said things to you and you wonder “how did he know to say that?”  You know deep down inside that God is speaking to you.  Was Elisha interested in God?  Maybe he had been praying asking the Lord to show him what to do.  Maybe he wanted something more from this life.  God sent him a sign.  I think that is why he ran.  Relieved, overjoyed.  Are you in the position that you feel there has to be more to life than what you have at present?  There is a greater plan to life indeed.  There is the possibility of life to the full, a purpose and plan for you found in Jesus and nowhere else.  Sometimes we use signs as excuses to not doing anything until we receive another.  Do not delay any longer.

A sacrifice.  Maybe it is a celebration, we don’t know for sure.  Elisha would have to leave home and maybe that was a time of sadness.  One thing for sure – God was in it.  Why else would he have sacrificed the oxen?  He knew God was in it.  In the book of Romans 12 we are told to put our lives on the altar as living sacrifices.  Elisha wanted to get everything together and he knew this separation would be difficult.  He wanted to celebrate with his own family to share what God had done or him.  Maybe you don’t want to sacrifice something in your life.  You cannot give something up and it is holding you back.  It is a solemn serious decision to make and it has eternal consequences.  Eternity in heaven with Christ or eternity in hell.  When you come to Jesus and say “I believe you died for me” you exchange the personality of your sin for the freedom o life in Christ.  It is a solemn thing and it has big consequences.  There might also be an element of sadness.  For Elisha he was leaving behind a way of living to pursue a different pathway.  When you give your life to God it will be a time of celebration.  Your debt would be paid and you will discover God has your best interests at heart.

A sell out.  Elisha was totally sold out for God.  He was not coming back.  He killed the oxen he was ploughing with, burned the yokes they were on and gave it all up.  He was going and not turning back.  That was a huge step or him to take.  He was ploughing with 12 yoke of oxen which suggests they were a wealthy family.  Elisha went back to say goodbye to his family.  He was leaving behind an inheritance.  Christianity is not something you can have a go at for a while and see how it turns out.  Luke 14 verse 25 “and there went great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple. For which o you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it.  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”  You have to be willing to give it up.  Elisha was going and not coming back.  If you are looking to be a disciple, to know Christ, to know peace in your heart you are going to have to be willing to give it all up.  I challenge you to look at Christ hanging there on Calvary, think of the whipping and scourging he took, the mocking as they spat on him, the thorns that were pushed onto his head and the nails driven into his hands.  Have you sold all out, willing to give all up like Elisha?

A servant.  Elisha leaves all behind to become a servant.  He went after Elijah and ministered unto him.  When you become a Christian it is all about being a disciple, following and serving Christ.  Every day is a new opportunity to learn more about His word, about God the Father, to serve God and others every day.  Elisha gave all he had to become a servant of Elijah.  It takes humility to serve.  We don’t read anything about Elisha until Elijah was taken up to heaven.  He had to spend time as an apprentice.  It takes patience to serve.

Elisha was given a sign – is God speaking tonight as he has on numerous occasions in the past?  When Elisha got his opportunity he took it and ran.  He didn’t wait for any more signs.

Elisha gave a sacrifice – what will you have to give up for Christ?

Elisha was a sell out – we need to be willing to give all not counting the cost.

Elisha became a servant – Michael Jordan a very famous basketball player said “I always believe you should put in work and the results with come.  I don’t do things half-heartedly because I know if I do that then I can expect half-hearted results.”

Elisha experienced great results.  He went whole hearted, committed to God.  You can go through life knowing about God but if it is half-hearted you can expect half-hearted results.  The call of the gospel is for everything.  If you have been half-hearted let this be the last night to come to Jesus, make a new beginning and pay the cost.  There will be a celebration among the angels tonight if you do this.

Running the Christian race

Sermon notes from Sunday 26 July 2015

Hebrews 12 verses 1 to 3

We are thinking this morning of the race that is set before us.  There are many races in this world – motorbike, car, athletics, duck.  Today we are however thinking of the spiritual race.  There are many shortcuts in races.  There are many who start races and give up half way through.  Racing always implies competitors, those who enter the race.  The writer in these verses says “let us” implying that he includes himself in the spiritual race.  Many believe it was Paul who wrote this letter but we cannot be sure.  One thing we do know is that the writer was referring only to those who have been saved by the grace and the mercy of God.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  You can run as hard as you like, attend as many church services, prayers meetings, mission outreaches but if you have never been born of the Spirit of God you will never see the finishing line.  In chapter 11 we see a number of individuals who ran the race, they believed in God and it was counted unto them for righteousness.  Racing also implies a course that cannot be altered.  The spiritual race starts at conversion and the finishing line is in glory one day.  There is also the crowd of spectators, referred here as the great cloud of witnesses.  Those who ran the race before.  There will always be spectators who stand at the side lines with opinions about the competitors.  In the midst of all the competitors there are a few supporters.  The world around us today looks at the Christian and can tell us how to run but they themselves are not in the race.  The supporters are there to help us.  In the race there is a controller or judge.  The one who enforces the rules.  You are either in or disqualified.  There is also a concentration of purpose – to get to the finishing line that we might glorify God and enjoy him forever.  We all have our own spectators in life, people we look up to and want to be like, spiritual witnesses, our idols.  They testify of God’s grace in our lives.  Someone we would like to be like.  The Old Testament is full of tremendous saints of God on whom we could build our lives.

Look at Enoch who walked with God.  In chapter 11 verses 5 and 6 we are told that “he pleased God”.  What a testimony to leave behind.  We all want something to leave behind in this life.  Enoch had a starting point – at 65 years of age it was when his child was born.  It was then that he started to walk with God for 300 years.  He walked right in to the presence of God.  We might say it was easy for Enoch because he didn’t have the sin and trials we have today.  Remember Enoch lived in a time when God looked down from heaven and saw that “the wickedness o man was great in the heart and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  Sin was still abounding on every hand yet in the midst of it all there was a man who pleased God not those around him.  Have you started on that race?  Have you heard the gospel preached clearly?  Have you made a decision that you will walk with God?

Look at Abraham who went with God.  In chapter 11 verses 8 to 17 we read “he obeyed God … not knowing whether he went.”  God called him out of Ur of the Chaldees to a life of separation.  We never read that Abraham went back.  The moment God called him out that is the separation.  Many do not like the word separation.  They don’t want to be separated from the world.  You never will fit in with the world around you if you are saved by God’s grace.  You will stand out as being different.  The world will never love you and Jesus explained why – because it never loved him.  You can try your best but as soon as you start to talk of Christ there will be a barrier drawn up.  Why?  Because it makes people feel guilty.  Abraham was out and out or God.  He set his eyes on things above.  For those saved we are heading for a city whose building and maker is God.  There has to be a life of salvation and separation.  The children of Israel let Egypt, they had a desire to go back but there was only one way to Canaan and it meant Egypt was left behind.  It was also a life of submission.  Abraham was completely committed to God.  We know about the sacrifice of Abraham of his son on the mountain.  He submitted himself to the will of God.  Just as he was about to kill Isaac God spoke from heaven and told him not to as he had already supplied a lamb in replacement for Isaac.  Abraham was a man of supplication or prayer.  He spent time in communion and submission to God.  We read about the city of Sodom and Gomorrah yet we also read of Abraham hearing word of God’s plan to destroy this city.  Abraham instead of saying they deserved it got on his knees before God of heaven and pleaded for the people of the city.  He asks God if there are 50 righteous people in the city surely he would not destroy it.  God agrees that if there were 50 he would not destroy it.  Abraham goes again and asks for 40 and he continues until he comes down to 10 righteous people surely God would not destroy it.  Why Abraham stopped there we do not know but we read that Lot and his family, Abraham’s own nephew was brought out of the city.  Abraham had spent time in prayer pleading for his family.  We can pray for our families that God would be merciful.  God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to him.  Abraham was also a man of service.

Look at Moses who worked for God.  He had everything as far as the world was concerned.  He had all the prestige and riches with living in Egypt.  He had it all, servants, riches, position and all that goes with living there.  The bible says “he chose”, that was his decision.  He had to make a choice between Christ and the world.  Maybe God can speak to someone the same way today – Christ or the world.  The pleasures of sin or the blessings of salvation.  Joshua said “choose you this day whom you will serve but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  A clear choice to be made.  As Christians we are told to lay up treasures in heaven.  It was a costly choice for Moses.  When you make that clear conscious decision the world would say you have made a mistake but the riches of Christ will last longer.  It was a wise choice.  As we look around us there are different paths to choose.  We would not choose the world of Sodom or its wickedness and abomination.  These are the various false cults that are in our world today.  A simple choice.  What about the world of pleasures and treasures – we have homes today that are bigger and better than ever and the same is true of the cars we drive.  Moses had a starting point.  When he came to an age he made a choice to choose Christ.

There is the influence of past runners.  There are the instructions for the race “let us run the race with patience.”  This is a different patience than what we are used to.  The word patience could be translated endurance to run.  God has not promised us an easy path or a bed of roses with skies ever blue.  There are trials and tests in life that we must get through.  They are all part of the Christian faith.  They might be financially, family or health.  Think of Job who had to attend 10 funerals in the one day.  In the midst of it all he was able to say “I know that my redeemer liveth and will stand on the earth.”  He had a living redeemer, a longed for Saviour and life everlasting promised to him.  It is easy to praise God on the mountain top when everything is going well but you need him when you go down into the valley of the shadow of death.  God has promised to never leave us.  There are also hindrances for the runners – “weights and sins”.  These imply something that is hindering us.  They might be good and genuine but if they hinder us in walking with and working for God it is wrong.  You need to lay it aside.  If it takes the place of God it is wrong.  “Sin that so easily besets us”.  That may be unbelief or doubt.  Different times when the problems increase around us.  The Children of Israel could not enter into the promised land because of their unbelief.  They were depending on themselves rather than on God.  We are to lay aside the sin of unbelief.  If we don’t it will trip us up and set us back.  Look at the incentive for running – verse 2 “looking onto Jesus.”  It is a look of amazement – that he could leave the splendours of heaven because of his great love for me.  He went all the way to Calvary.  “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend.”  We are filled with the thoughts of his person and his passion.  “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.”  We can never explain the love God has for us.  Think also of his position “set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  That is where he is today, interceding on our behalf.  There are also thoughts of his power – he is there on the throne and he does remember his own.  If we take our eyes off Christ we will fail – “he which has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

The gift of a child

Sermon notes from Sunday 24 May 2014

1 Samuel 1 verses 21 - 28

At this particular point of time in history, Israel was at a very dark point. Eli was the priest who God raised up to represent himself to the people and receive petitions from the people.  Chapter 2 verse 12 Eli’s sons were following a false God “they knew not the Lord” spiritually speaking. Today the same is true.  In verse 17 we see the people were coming with their offerings to the Lord, looking to the sons of Eli “for men abhored offering of the Lord”.  In verse 22 we see the great immoral plight on the nation of Israel but a tremendous thing happened when God did bring deliverance through a child.  What an encouragement to us today. Children need the Lord today. The Lord can reach down today and bring forth his own child. Remember Andrew.  As the people followed Jesus on the mountainside he was concerned about the people having nothing to eat whilst Philip was concerned that there would not be enough food. The only person Andrew found was a little boy. Look what it says in verse 24. Hannah speaking of Samuel "and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh and the child was young".

A precious child.  Every child is precious to the Lord. “but whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18 verse 6)  Remember the day Jesus met the woman and children coming out of the town. They were interested in bringing their children to see Christ. The disciples put up their hands said no more the Lord has no time for these but Jesus said “suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19 verse 14) Probably Samuel was about 8/9 years of age when he was taken up into the house of God. It is good to bring our children with us to the house of God. This little one here, for Hannah as she looked at him, this was answer to her prayer. She got before the God of heaven and prayed for this child, the deepest longing in her heart was that she would have a child. Not for a mansion, great wealth and health. She prays for a child. This was the longing of her heart. Is the longing of our heart to see our children saved? He was the most precious thing Hannah had. She is bringing him to the house of the Lord. She is now going to give him to the Lord. That is a sacrifice she had to make. She asked for him by prayer and said she would give him back to the Lord. Isaac the son of Abraham was loved deeply by Abraham but God asked Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice to the Lord. Abraham never thought anything about it. He said whatever you want Lord I will do. He was willing to place him on the altar as a sacrifice for God. That Hannah would take the most precious thing and give it to the Lord. Am I willing to give it to the Lord? Am I willing to give my time to the Lord? That is precious. So many things to clamour in to our days, so many people to see and do. Time is precious. Are we willing to say in the morning "my time is in your hands, my finances are in your hands, Lord if there is something you want from me am I willing to give it to you?  Hannah was willing to do it. Verse 27 "for this child I prayed." A challenge to us this morning. The children of our Sunday school are precious. The Lord has given that child to us that we might teach them the word of God. He sees something in Sunday school teachers, something he could trust. As a church we need to see the great preciousness of our children. Hannah saw the preciousness of this child and she prayed for this child. Jonah's attitude kept him from saving the people. The Lord called him to go to Ninevah but he got into a ship and decided to go another way. He hated the Ninevites with a passion. Jonah didn't see this people as the Lord saw them. He saw them as poor people, blinded people, ignorance spiritually on their hearts. Jonah didn't share the vision God had for Ninevah. He tried to go the other way. "What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" That is how precious the children are. Are you fulfilling what God has placed on your heart today?

A privileged child. To have a mother who loved him so much she would do everything she had to see him serving the Lord. What a privilege it is for us for a door to be opened.  Cornelius was told to send for Peter “for he will tell you words whereby you might be saved.” Samuel was a privileged child. The angel came to his mother and told her she would have a child, revealed God's plan for her life. Remember Manoah’s wife?  She was so excited by the news when she told her husband Manoah she would have a child. Manish realised his own inability and acknowledged it before the God of heaven, “he intreated the Lord and said “O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”. He wanted to hear the angels voice. God allowed His messenger to come again. They shared their inability and wanted to know how to raise this child. As parents what a responsibility we have. When we trust the Lord as Saviour that changes things again, there is a new dimension, we need to show them something of the life of Christ and what could do for them. Maybe like Manoah we can ask the Lord to help us to teach our children. Ephesians 6 verse 4 “fathers do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  Paul says. Do not only teach them but set the example to them. Samuel was prayed for, born into home where mother knew the Lord. Moses was also a privileged child. His parents feared the Lord. We need to do all we can to reach children with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They are at an age so important in their lives instrumental in moulding and shaping them. Some of them will grow up to hold good positions in society. Sadly some will get involved with the wrong company, end up in prison. We are teaching those little lives, we need to be sure we can reach them with the gospel.

This child was presented. Verse 22 what great patience and sacrifice that she came with that day. This was great day in any family, in the nation of Israel. Elkanah gathered up all the family to go to Jerusalem for the yearly sacrifice. Hannah went too. Back to the house of the Lord. The children's work takes patience, not easy. That is why need to pray for the Sunday School teachers and thank God for them. There is a lot of sacrifice involved in the work, time set aside in preparing the word of God. Sacrifice and patience is required. There will be many a time when things don't go as should, many disappointments. Time has to be taken to go out and bring them in, go out on the doors, sacrifice to set time aside to do all that. Hannah was prepared to take her child to the house of God.

A profitable child.  1 Samuel 2 verse 26 "and the child Samuel grew on and was in favour both with the Lord and also with man".  Hannah didn't know what would happen from the time she left him in the temple. God raised him up to be used to bring the nation back to God. We don't know who we are instructing. Moses lay in the basket until his mother and father could hide him no longer and pushed him out into the river bed. God drew the attention of Pharaohs daughter to the basket. As she looked at him something struck a chord in her heart. God had his hand on Moses' life, to be of use.  He had a role for this child. God has a hand on children we teach. God will use them to bring revival back to our province. David Livingstone was proof of that as was D L Moody.

Mistaken in our approach to Christ

Sermon notes from Sunday morning 15 June 2014

1 Samuel 4 verses 1 – 11

This was I suppose for Israel a tremendously dark day for them and it was going to get darker as the hours rolled by.  The battle with the Philistines intensified moment by moment so much so that Israel met with defeat at their hands.  There were certain mistakes Israel made in going out against the Philistine army.  In the same sense we make the same mistakes when we approach the gospel of Christ.  “And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle …”  Most commentators agree that this first phrase is tied in with the chapter before.  Was it because of Samuel’s word they were defeated – no it is because they wouldn’t listen to God’s word.

Here was a nation mistaken by their own abilities.  No doubt the Philistines came against Israel.  They invaded the land and Israel stood up for themselves.  They went out to meet the enemy with their own ability.  I’m sure they had their own battle plans, a strategy worked out together.  Soldiers to the forefront and to the rear.  It was something similar to Gideon when called out to deliver Israel.  The men following after him amounted to 32,000.  Could see this volume of people coming after him, thought it was very good then God stepped in and said “there are too many, don’t want them to be able to say it was us that won the battle.”  The gift of God is salvation through grace applied by faith “not of works less any man should boast.”  Gideon’s army was reduced to 300.  Many sitting in gospel services are depending upon their own ability to get them into heaven.  They feel content in their own strength.  The Israelites thought they could do battle against the Philistines but how wrong they were.  Remember the battle of Jericho.  Jericho was a city with great walls, guarded and protected.  Joshua came with the arm of Israel and without a shot being fired the walls ell flat and they went in to take the city for themselves.  The nation of Israel began to think how they did it in their own strength.  How they took that city by themselves.  Ai was only a little city.  The people said to Joshua “there is no point in sending up a whole army, let a few go up and take the city.”  Never for one moment did they seek after God of heaven.  They suffered a tremendous loss as a result.  They depended on their own ability and lost the battle that day.  There is a greater loss in that soul of yours.  Jesus said “fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather ear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” Matthew 10 verse 28.  Maybe you are trusting in your own ability to make your way to heaven.  Whenever Jesus spoke to those knocking on heaven’s door they were just too late, they had received every opportunity but spurned them time and time again.  The voice of heaven came from within.  “Why should I open this door and let you in?”  I’m sure there are good men standing at that door.  “We should be in heaven because we have preached in your name, have done so many good deeds in your name.”  The answer comes back from the Lord “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7 verse 22)  It is possible to be a good preacher, to eat and drink at the Lord’s table yet not be saved.  The most important thing is to face the fact that you are not saved.  You have not been saved by God’s mercy.  You are not on your way to heaven and home.  Am I trying in my own ability to get to heaven?

Here was a nation mistaken by their own argument.  “When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day.”  In other words “why did the Lord allow this to happen, allow this defeat to come to Israel.”  Why? Because they did not seek God.  The argument was now finished and they said “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”  They were content with the symbol of God’s presence rather than the presence of God himself.  Isaiah speaking on the same thing said “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call to Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55 verse 6)  He may not always be near but he can be found because he is near.  He has promised to be in such a place as this – where men and women are gathered together in His name. (Matthew 18 verse 20)  That is a promise from God himself.  The people felt that if they had the ark of the covenant with them everything would be alright.  They were looking for the symbol only.  Remember when the children of Israel were bitten by the snakes in the camp?  The Lord told them to take a brazen serpent and lift it up.  When anyone looked to it they would be healed.  Similarly when people look to Christ as their own and personal Saviour can be saved.  Many today though would rather have the symbols than the person.  Are you going for the symbol that cannot save?  “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11 verse 28)

Here was a nation mistaken by their action.  They went up to the house of the Lord, in to the holy place and the ark of the covenant was taken out and brought to the camp.  They thought it would deliver them.  In Joshua 7 we read of the defeat of Ai, that little city the people thought would be defeated easily.  Joshua after that defeat had to get before the ark of covenant and cry out to the God of heaven.  God came to him and told him to get up as there was sin in the camp that had to be dealt with.  Here were a people mistaken in their action.  They should have repented of their actions, come back to covenant relationship with God.  You must come to repentance and faith in the Lord.  Have you begun that journey?  Was there a moment you repented of your sin, you came and fell before the Lord, took him as Saviour and Lord?  “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.” (1 Corinthians 5 verse 17)  Here was a people mistaken in their action.  They blamed God.  They never repented.  In verse 5 we read they shouted before God.  They had confidence in their own ability.  Their whole faith was placed on the ark of the covenant.  How much do you put faith in symbolism? Many parents put their faith in the ritual of baptism, communion just to get them into heaven.  Many people have sat at the Lord’s communion table and believe that that is their salvation.  How mistaken they are.  The apostle Paul clung to his religion “concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3 verse 6)  It however never opened heaven’s door to him.

Here was a nation mistaken about their authority.  The people felt that once the ark of the covenant was before them they had authority to do what they wanted.  There were people in Peter and John’s day who questioned the healing of the lame man in Acts 3.  Peter pointed them to Christ who had made the man walk again.  Christ is the only name that can take away your sins and open heaven’s door.  Authority is not in a church.  “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4 verse 12)  One day “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2 verse 11)  We have nothing to offer Christ but can only trust him entirely.

Here was a nation mistaken in their answer.  The people of Israel felt that if the ark of the covenant was taken into battle with them it would deliver them.  30,000 men died that day because of that one mistake.  Wouldn’t it be awful to make that same mistake?  To think that you are on your way to heaven and home only to hear the awful words “I never knew you”.  Will you come to Christ, trust him as your Saviour and Lord or will you make the same mistakes Israel made facing the enemy before them so long ago?  We have an enemy right now before us – Satan himself and one day there will be an even greater enemy – death itself.

A Saviour who cares about our fellowship, feelings, faith and future

Luke 24 verses 13 – 35

“And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.”

Somehow it wouldn’t be the same leaving Easter without coming back to Luke’s gospel chapter 24.  It brings us back to 2 disciples walking on the Emmaus road who were downhearted, despondent and going through difficult times.  Here the Lord draws near to them.  Perhaps we are going through difficult times and feel no-one cares about us.  It is difficult to see and hear Christ working in our situation.  There is a saying “never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”  It is good not to judge someone until you take on board their situation.  Frank Graeff was a Methodist minister who lived in the late 1800’s.  He earned the nickname of the sunshine minister because he was always cheerful.  Frank was given to heavy bouts of depression.  One of the hymns he wrote was

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

We have a Saviour who cares for us today.  There is a thought today that God created this whole world, gave it a spin and then sat back and said to the human race “get on with it.”  Is that the thought you have of God today?  Are you despondent?  Thank God we can look to the Saviour who really cares.  For these 2 pilgrims Jesus was concerned about them.

Jesus is concerned about their fellowship.  “Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst.”  God is not interested in the hundreds but little assemblies where 2 or 3 people gather together in Jesus’ name.  If they do that which honours and glorifies him he is there in the midst of them.  He draws near to where you are today and has so much care for you. Jesus in verse 15 promised his very presence and not an angel.  He did much more though because he walked with them.  Was there a moment in your life when you made you way to the foot of the cross, bowed your knee and took the Lord as Saviour?  Was there a time when you began to think of the things of God?  That was God speaking to you.  Did you ever confess your sin?  Ask the Lord to come into your heart and save your soul?  Here were 2 despondent in their heart.  They were 2 Christians downhearted in their soul.  It took the Lord to draw alongside and walk with them.  He wants to come to your heart today, to draw alongside you and walk with you.  “Behold I stand at the door and knock, If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in.”  Jesus Christ has a concern about fellowship – verse 17.  He asks them “why are you so sad.”  Verse 19 “what things” he asks the disciples.  They began to tell Jesus about the things that had happened in Jerusalem.  Jesus was bringing them to the place where somehow their fellowship was broken.  That is what the Lord does with us.  We get out of touch with the Lord but he brings us to the place where our relationship was broken.  These 2 disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, the place of fellowship, to the place where the relationship needed to be mended.  Jesus was showing concern about them.  Fellowship is so important.  There was a story of a minister who was visiting his congregation.  One particular man hadn’t been attending the church for some time so the minister decided to call with him.  They sat together and talked about the man’s grievance with the church.  The man told the minister that as a result he was happy to stay in his house on a Sunday and have communion with the Lord there.  The minister lifted out a live coal from the fire and set it on the hearth.  Both men watched it getting colder and colder, blacker and blacker until the minister was able to reach out and lift it.  The minister then told the man “you feel ok today but every time you miss a meeting you get colder and colder.  Why?  Because you have no fellowship.”  It is only when it is in the middle of the fire that the coal burns bright and gives off heat.  Jesus is concerned about our fellowship.  John 10 verse 27 “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.”  In John 15 Jesus spoke of the vine and likened himself to the vine with his disciples being the branches.  The branches have a solid connection because they are drawing from the vine.  The branches are then bearing fruit.  Jesus was concerned about these 2 men and their fellowship.

Jesus was concerned about their feelings.  These 2 disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  Their heads were in their hearts, heavy.  What does Jesus see?  He sees them talking together but their heads were down.  He was interested in their feelings.  The Lord is interested in every bit of us.  He feels for us in our emotions.  Jesus knew all about them and wanted to know about their feelings.  Jesus was concerned about their sadness.  Isn’t it wonderful what we hold inside of us, all the sorrow, sadness he is concerned about it.  Does this feel like a God who would tell us “there you are, get on with everything”?  Hebrews 4 verse 15.  Jesus Christ is our High Priest and he knows about our sadness, sorrow, darkness and weakness.  There is not an emotion he doesn’t know about.  He wants you to bring it to him right now.  Is there something burdening you down?  The Lord knows about it already.  “Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.”  The Lord is concerned about it all.  He wants you to bring it to him.  1 Peter 5 verse 7.  He cares for you today.  No one proved those words more than Peter himself.  Before the cock crowed he denied Jesus three times but as the Lord rose again he told the women “go and tell my disciples and Peter.”  He did not want to leave him out.  In the parable of the sower Jesus told about the seed that grew amongst the weeds.  Jesus said the weeds represented the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches.  The seed and the weeds grew together but the weeds eventually choked the seed.  Cares will choke the word of God today.  The harm today is when we put too much emphasis on the things we worry about and do not listen to the word of God.  The Lord knows all about your cares.  He only wants to mould your life through them.  When the blacksmith puts the piece of iron in the furnace he knows the exact temperature it should be at and how long it should be put in the fire.  Sometimes when you and I go through a time of trial we feel it is too long.  The Lord knows the heat of the furnace and wants to make something beautiful out of that life of yours.

Jesus was concerned about their faith.  Jesus is bringing them to that place and reminding them of what they knew.  He said to them in verse 25 “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?”  The devil likes to take us away from the word of God.  The Lord seeks to strengthen them in their faith.  The Lord is concerned about your faith, the faith that you have in the finished work of Calvary.  The devil will do all in his power to take away that strength.  When I come to the Lord and he saves me I beginning a walk with him and I am kept by the power of God.  If the devil can get in and weaken that faith he will.  He will get you down and take you away.  “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Jesus is concerned about your faith.  Has it grown?  Has Jesus something to be concerned about?  Are you growing in the knowledge of saving grace?  The disciples were caught up in the changing circumstances.  What happens when circumstances change for us?  These 2 men were full of the idea that Jesus would deliver them from their enemies.  They had so much hope – verse 19 – but then the Jewish people rejected him and the Roman soldiers took him and crucified him.  These 2 men felt that Jesus had let them down.  Jesus took them back to the word of God.  Remember when Jesus and his disciples were in the boat when a storm rose up.  Jesus was sleeping but the disciples came to him afraid saying “carest thou not that we perish?”  Jesus’ reply was “why are ye so fearful have you no faith?”  Jesus is concerned about your faith or the lack of it.

Jesus was concerned about their future.  When they went into that house, sat at the table, broke bread then they realised who Jesus was.  They had a love and desire once again for that fellowship left behind in Jerusalem.  They went back and began to tell the disciples what had happened.  They were on fire for the Lord.  The Lord would love one person to open up their heart today and say to him “come and do what you did on the road to Emmaus.”  Is there a break in your fellowship with him today?  Have you been reminded of it?  Have you got to go back and restore it again?  Jesus is concerned about your feelings you know.  What about your faith – are you still growing in the Lord?  Is there a concern in your heart for the souls of others?  Thank God he is faithful and he doesn’t leave us in the depths of our despondency.

Can these bones live?

Sermon Notes from Sunday 15 March 2015

Ezekiel 37 verses 1 – 15

This is the nation of Israel that we read of in this chapter.  We can also take this chapter as a picture of the church of Jesus Christ.  Here we see a nation that has been trampled over, misplaced and a young man Ezekiel who was a prophet of God.  He has been separated, taken out into this valley full of dry bones which have been scattered as far as the eye can see.  He sees nothing but bones lying on the ground.  He must have been a tremendously humble young man.  The Lord said to Ezekiel “can these bones live.” And he replied “Lord thou knowest.” The God of heaven knows all about us.  He was a humble, obedient young man.  The Lord tells Ezekiel to preach or prophesy to these bones and that is what he did.  Can you imagine him standing there preaching?  I am thinking of a word that cropped up in the prayer meeting, that has been repeated time and time again.  It crept up again last Sunday in the context of those men who purchased this site some 28 years ago.  They saw beyond a field, beyond a place where they looked.  They saw a place of worship, where people could come together to worship in the beauty of holiness, where souls could be reached, where people could bring their families to hear the word of God, to be taught in the things of God.  The one word was vision.  Ezekiel is a very important portion of scripture.  As Ezekiel looked on that valley he saw something in his heart no-one else could see.  28 years ago men stood on the roadside out there and saw something no-one else could see.  They had a vision.  The challenge is not for 28 years ago.  The challenge is for you and I this morning.  Proverbs 29 verse 18 “without a vision the people perish”

The man of vision and power.  You see the opening phrase of this chapter is very important – “THE HAND of the Lord was upon me.”  Those first 2 words are very important because of the situation Ezekiel found himself in and the work God was setting up for him to do.  It speaks of identity, power and authority.  The man of God needs to have that special stamp upon him today, he needs the power of God.  We need the power of God working with us and through us.  Ezekiel was a man of God stamped with the authority of God.  When the Children of Israel were going through the wilderness they were on their way, travelling to the promised land.  We have been redeemed out of the world.  We are on our way to heaven.  When the spies came into Jericho on that particular day they went into Rahab’s house.  Her house was a hostelry, people would frequent it and Rahab heard what they talked about.  She had heard about the children of Israel walking through the wilderness.  She had heard so much about them, how the enemy had fallen before them.  Then she said “our hearts did melt.”  The people of God had a particular stamp on them.  They were redeemed out of Egypt with the mighty hand of God.  In Deuteronomy 6 Moses was giving instructions to the children of Israel.  He said it was important to teach your children, to hand down the gospel to the next generation.  Are we happy enough to sit back?  “Then shall ye say to thy son we were Pharaoh’s bondsmen in Egypt and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”  God redeemed them and brought them out of Egypt.  Duncan Campbell was preaching in the Hebrides.  He had been invited to a village that was so hard against the gospel.  There was a lad of 15 in the prayer meeting and Duncan invited him to pray.  The lad stood up and said one word “Father”, the moment he said that something happened in that meeting.  The hardness broke, men and woman began to get saved.  The lad had identified with the hand of God on him.

We see also the presence of God.  In verse 1 “and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord.”  Not only did he know the power of God but he was filled with the presence of God.  A man needs to be filled with the Spirit of God.  Paul told the Ephesian believers “do not be drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the spirit.”  The disciples were to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” but they needed to wait first for the power of God to fall on them.  Ezekiel was going out and he needed to be filled with the spirit of God.  In Acts 6 there were men needed for the furtherance of the work.  The old devil tried everything, persecution, violence, threats then he tried to sow a lie, the seed of discontentment.  Acts 6 verse 3 the advice given “wherefore brethren look ye among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business.” This situation required men filled with the Holy Ghost and they belonged to the church, people who had taken time to wait on God for the infilling and power of God.  We often quote about 1859 Revival of 4 men who went to pray in the school house at Kells.  Those people around the Ballymena area recognised something was different about the men than any other man.  They were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Ezekiel was a man of vision and he had the presence of God in his life.

Notice the man here and his placing.  He “set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.”  That is what God would have this man to be.  The man of God must be in the place where God can use him.  Not talking about physical place but a spiritual place.  Where are we spiritually?  Going on with God?  Do the things of God mean more to us than anything else or have they dropped in our priority?  Verse 2 “They caused me to pass by them.”  He had to have eyes to see them.  He looked around him.  Nothing could be seen but these dry bones.  The situation was dry matter.  Verse 3 not only had to look but he had to listen.  28 years ago when men looked at this field, the place where God would direct their eyes I’m sure they thought this is not a bad spot.  They had to get before God though and began to pray, make sure they were correct in their belief.  They had to be listening to the God of heaven who told them this is it.  In Acts 16 Paul was “forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia”.  He went on to Mysia and wanted to go into Bithynia and again “the spirit suffered them not”.  Paul then had the vision in the night time telling him where to go.  We have to be watching and listening for every opportunity if we want to lead the church forward.

The man of vision and his problem.  Ezekiel must have thought that there must somehow have been a battle here and this was the aftermath.  Ezekiel’s reply to God was “Lord thou knowest”.  28 years ago many problems faced the people who bought our piece of land.  Probably their biggest problem was finance.  What would they do about planning permission?  What would they do about support for the work?  “Thou knowest God all about it” when we look around us and see all the homes around the church and the problem of reaching them.  Remember when the disciples looked on the people who needed fed one day and saw thousands Philip asked “whence shall we buy bread that these may eat.”  Whenever we see these families we can only say “Lord thou knowest.”

The man of God and his proclaiming.  It sounded ridiculous to preach to dead bones but that was all he was asked to do.  That is all we are asked to do.  To take the gospel out and tell men and woman of the one who can lift them up, deliver them from shame, the one on came into the world to give them lie.  Ezekiel didn’t have any discussion with the Lord.  People around us are dead in sin and trespasses, there is a tremendous opportunity for us to reach them. That is the mission we need to reach them with the gospel.  We can make many excuses but we need to get our hearts to where God wants them to be.  They are going out into a Christless hell.  The man in Luke 16 carries to this very day.  He only wanted someone to dip their finger in cold water and place it on his tongue just to quench his thirst.  Is this where you want your family to be today, where you want your neighbours to be today?

The man of vision and prayer.  In verse 9 Ezekiel is still praying to the winds.  “Where there is no vision the people perish.”  Where there is no prayer the people perish.  We need to be people of prayer today.  We need to shake the apathy, idleness and get back to the place of prayer.  “Lord breath into these bones.”  God came and he can come again to save our family and friends today.

The man of vision and the promise – verse 14.  You pray and leave the rest with me.  Will we pick up the vision in the days ahead?  Will we pass it on to the church of tomorrow?

A faith that is personal and practical

Sermon notes from Sunday 29 March 2015

Daniel 6 verses 16 – 28

“because he believed in his God”

Handling Disappointments

Daniel believed in his God.  Many will have to cope with disappointments in life.  It doesn’t always go the way we want it to go.  Here’s a young man who had to face disappointments.  The lesson he learned could be applied to our lives.  We can trust in the loving God.  Daniel believed in his God.  This young man dealt with disappointments in his life.  He believed in his God and trusted in him.  We can have disappointments in our circumstances and in the people around us but not in the God we believe in.  David in 1 Samuel 29 was not allowed to go up with the Philistines and was told to go home.  They couldn’t trust him to be one of their number and were sending him home.  When David came back to Ziklag he found the enemy had come in, burned down all the homes and taken all the women captive.  The men with David were about to slay him, they ridiculed and criticized him but “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”  There comes a time in our lives when everything else fails and lets us down.  The only one we can turn to is the God of heaven.  Look at the example set before us of this young man Daniel – “because he believed in his God.”  Let’s put his faith under the microscope and not think of it as something that happened centuries ago.  If you have problems and circumstances that are getting you down at this moment in time look to the God of Daniel.  He is the same God today as the God of Daniel.  We often tell the children about faith – Forsaking All I Trust Him. 

A faith that is personal.  The word “he” is personal to Daniel himself, “believed” means he put his activity into it, “in” not on something or someone but God who is able to do far more exceedingly abundantly than he could ever ask or think.  Is your faith personal?  Have you placed your faith in the God of heaven today?  Not on someone else’s life.  Not on your father, mother or friend but on God himself.  No matter what happened this was Daniel’s motto.  As the stone was rolled away in front of the den imagine what must he have been thinking?  Here is a man who has prospered and is high up in the government but whose career is abruptly ended through deception and lies.  Can you imagine what it was like to come down to this level?  God hadn’t forsaken him.  He was right there in that situation.  Can you imagine as he went down into that den, into the place where the lions were kept all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart and head at that moment in time?  Psalm 23 “the Lord is my shepherd.”  You and I need to come to the cross ourselves, trust him for ourselves.  The result of not doing that will be that you will leave this life without Christ, reject him with your will and power and one day he will turn his back on you and cast you into hell.  If God was to turn his back on you what a tragedy that would be.  Daniel was a man of faith.  In chapter 1 he went through a harrowing experience in his young life.  He was taken from his family, from his country, set down in Babylon at the King’s table to eat and drink of the food set before him.  The King wanted a certain number of young people who could be trained in the Chaldean tongue and become great teachers.  He was set down at the King’s table and given the best food and drink offered.  Isn’t that what the devil is still doing today?  The devil takes our young people today out into his world, sets before them his food and drink and wants to make them his ambassadors.  It is however only for a season.  Daniel was brought to the king’s table and he turned to the eunich “Sir I cannot eat of this table.  In so doing I would defile myself, I would be rejecting the God of heaven.”  Daniel had a tremendous faith even as a young man.  That is why we have Sunday School, why we reach out to young people, to tell them of Christ and his love.  Daniel could not step out beyond his conscience.  In Daniel 2 when the King had a great dream he ordered the death of his wise men unless they could interpret the dream of coming empires.  Daniel is brought before the King of Babylon and pleads with the King for time that he might go into the presence of God and seek his face – verse 16.  My good works will never satisfy God and he knew that.  That is why he sent his son to save you from your sin and make you ready for heaven and home.

A faith that is practical.  There is one thing missing from this account.  It is the basic human instinct.  There is no fear in Daniel.  He just believed in his God.  He was flanked on either side by guards and marched to the den.  He is thrown into that den.  We don’t read one cry from Daniel.  He accepted and submitted himself to the God of heaven.  Daniel rested his soul, his life, his future to the hands of God.  Is that the faith we have?  “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe and tremble” (James 2 verse 19) What do we gauge our faith by?  Are we trusting in the God of heaven?  Have we a practical faith today?  Look at Daniel’s 3 friends when a great image was raised up.  They had to bow down when the music was played.  The 3 friends didn’t bow down and were threatened with all sorts.  The King gave them another opportunity to bow down.  The answer from the 3 men was “If it e so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel chapter 3 verses 17 and 18)  They were putting their all in the hands of God.  “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.”  What have I to fear?  I am leaning on the everlasting arms.  Have we a faith that is practical? 

Daniel had his faith secured in the very presence of God.  Down in the den he had a visitor from the very throne room of God himself, in the very depths of disappointment.  It must have been the most beautiful place to be in.  Imagine the various palaces around the province Daniel lived in, he would have been in them all, sat with kings and queens.  Try to think of Daniel here in this moment of time.  Must have been the most beautiful place to be in with the lions because he had a visitor at his side.  What a tremendous place to be in.  In the depths of despair we have a tremendous visitor – one who draws close to us.  God was there in the midst of it all.  “Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst.”  What a wonderful thought.  Elijah on Mount Carmel defied the prophets of Baal and then slipped in before the most wickedest king in Israel to bring God’s word against him.  In chapter 19 where is he?  He feared for his life and runs from the presence of God.  God didn’t desert him but sent him an angel to meet him at the point of his need.  He was lying under a juniper tree and the angel set before him food and drink to refresh his body.  The Lord will be with us in all sorts of trials and tests.  We may never be in the lions den but in a situation we do not know which way to turn in.

A faith than sees the power of God.  Daniel was a man of prayer.  He prayed 3 times a day, perhaps more.  The people all around him, his princes didn’t like the fact he prayed and Daniel knew that.  They conspired and made a law to forbid him from praying.  Even though he knew the law he got before the God of heaven and prayed.  Nothing hindered him in his prayer. He was thrown into the lions den and the lions lay down at his feet – why – because God was there.  Is our faith personal, practical?  Does it bring the presence of God?  Does it see the power of God?  Remember Jairus who came running to Jesus asking for help for his daughter.  When Jesus and Jairus arrived at his house they heard the news that his daughter had died.  Jesus turned to Jairus and told him to believe.  Jairus stepped into the house and saw the Lord go to his daughter, lift her up and tell everyone to bring her something to eat and drink.  When was the last time I saw the power of my faith in action?  In Jesus’ home city he could do not mighty works there because of the people’s unbelief (Matthew 13 verse 58).  Daniel believed in his God.

A faith that delivers praise to God.  When the King brought Daniel out of that den there was not a scratch on him.  He lifted his voice to God and praised God.  The King made a decree that the only one to be worshipped was Daniel’s God.  How is my faith?  Is it personal?  Is it practical?  Does it secure the presence of God?  Do I see the power of God in action and does my faith bring the praise of others?