Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden

Sermon notes from 27 March 2017

Matthew 11 verses 20 - 30

"Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

 I suppose as we read through these chapters there are a number of things mentioned.  Verses 20 and 21 speak of the repentance and responsibility that falls on men and women when they hear the gospel.  To those who have never repented a great judgment will fall on them.  Verses 25 and 27 speak of revelation.  Whenever it comes to the gospel message we seek to reveal Jesus as the only Saviour that others might see who he is.  Jesus was not just a man but God manifested in the flesh.  In verses 28 to 30 there is the great thought of rest.  This is one of many invitations throughout scripture.  It doesn`t come from a man but from the God of heaven - the Lord Jesus.  "Come unto me" that is where we are to come to.  One of many invitations - 700 in scripture.  Genesis 7 God speaking out of a finished work - "come thou and all thy house into the ark".  He is invited to come into a finished work.  The last one is found in Revelation 22 as Jesus brings the pages of scripture to a close - verse 17 gives an invitation "let him that has a great thirst come" "let him that heareth say, come."  The God of heaven wants to save you.  That is why the invitation goes out.  The gospel has come out, perhaps around the doors to come to the mission.  Invitation has gone out because men need to come to Christ.  The scriptures say we need to come unto God because he invites us to come, longs for us to come.  There is no point in coming to any other - "neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved". (Acts 4 verse 12) We need to come to him.  John 14 verse 6 "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me."  The scriptures tell us to come to Christ.  Also because of the seriousness of sin.  Sin is a very serious problem because it has affected the very heart of God.  It separates man from God.  It will keep us eternally separated from God.  It cost his son - God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. (Habakkuk 1 verse 13)  As God looked down from heaven before destroying the world with a flood he realised man`s heart was only evil continually.  He is a God of love and mercy.  He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked yet he promises the soul that sins it shall die because of his holiness and righteousness.  God hates sin but he loves the sinner. Sin is the things we do wrong, breaking the laws and commandments of the God of heaven.  The severity of the sentence is horrendous.  Sometimes when children do wrong we tell them to go and sit on the naughty step by way of punishment.  Whenever we think of men and women committing horrendous crimes and are sent to prison for 20/30 years, yes some deserve to be there but it is nothing because at the end of their time they will get out.  The punishment and seriousness of punishment.  It is an eternal punishment to finish in an awful place called hell where the fire will never be quenched, there will be continual burning but nothing shall ever be consumed, where the worm dieth not. (Mark 10 verse 43, 46, 48)  In that place there is weeping and wailing and knashing of teeth.  After 10,000 years we will realise we are only beginning to suffer.  Tonight we have a soul that will last for the lifetime of God.  Either finish enjoying all the pleasures of heaven or finish in the pits of hell suffering eternally.  A place of eternal suffering and darkness.  We need to come to Christ because of the simplicity of salvation.  He wants to save you.  "Come unto me and I will - tremendous promise.  He will indeed save you though the Bible tells us because of the person of Christ and because of the price paid to purchase it.  It was the Lord who had to go all the way to Calvary.  We are not redeemed with corruptible things but with a Lamb without blemish and spot.  You can have your sins forgiven. (1 Peter 1 verse 13)  Acts 13 verse 38 "through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins."  The man who receives Christ has his sins forgiven.  It doesn`t have to be worked for.  He paid for it all.  Completely finished.  Not only do people need to come to Christ but thank God you can come because of this great invitation.  Those who have rejected Christ are still invited.  Maybe done that in weeks, months, years gone past because of his love.  The invitation comes again.  He is longsuffering and merciful.  God has still extended the day of salvation, gives you another opportunity.  Regardless of your culture or nationality.  There are no limits to it.  John 10 verse 9 "if any man enter in, he shall he saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture."  2 Corinthians 5 verse 17 "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new."  We can only come on Christ`s terms.  Reading here of the thought of repentance.  One of the great terms that Christ will save you under.  You have to repent of your sin.  Repentance is doing an about turn.  Facing a different direction.  Facing God again.  Not just being sorry for your sin.  Sorry enough to leave them behind.  Mark 1 verse 15 the Lord said "repent and believe the gospel."  Luke 13 verse 5 "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  Remember how on the great day of Pentecost when Peter got up and preached "repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3 verse 19)  One of the terms of repentance but also faith.  "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11 verse 6)  "Lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2 verse 9)  Faith has got to be exercised.  If you think about it, believe in your heart, when you put your faith and trust in Christ,  the moment we come to Christ and put all in his hands.  He is the one who does the saving and keeping.  Only come on Christ`s terms and in Christ`s time.  When we read the scriptures it is always with the word "now".  "Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation". (2 Corinthians 6 verse 2)  God may have spoken to you yesterday, maybe spoke to you today but he says "my spirit shall not always strive with man." (2 Corinthians 6 verse 2) "Boast now thyself of tomorrow for you do not know what a day will bring forth." (Proverbs 27 verse 1)  You have an opportunity tonight to repent of your sin and to come unto Christ.  "Come now let us reason together says the Lord" (Isaiah 1 verse 18)  In Job 22 verse 21 we read "acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace."  Cannot promise opportunity tomorrow but you have the opportunity tonight because God is here.  The invitation goes out "him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6 verse 37)  You can come tonight.  Will you come?  Not only in Christ`s timing and in Christ`s terms.  You can only come because of Christ`s triumph.  Think of all he has accomplished at Calvary.  A personal work only Jesus could do.  "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him." (Isaiah 53 verse 5)  We will never understand how deep the wounds were and how dark that night was when God laid on him the sins of the world.  He entered into darkness alone, experienced all the pain and suffering alone.  He was forsaken of God, left alone that you and I might not be alone.  It was a personal work.  It was a priestly work.  Hebrews 10 verse 12 "after he had offered a sacrifice for sin forever."  The great high priest in the Old Testament went in once a year but never without blood.  It is a permanent work, once for all sacrifice never needs to be repeated.  It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.  That is the great truth of the gospel.  Christ Jesus died for the sin of the world.  The just for the unjust to bring us to God.  The invitation goes out to you.  As God will plead with you.  Not everyone will come to Christ.  John 4 verse 40 "ye will not come to me that ye might have life."  The gospel is very clearly preached across our land.  The invitation is clearly given.  Thought of responsibility comes on us.  The moment you hear the opportunity or invitation then you have to make a decision.  The responsibility falls on your shoulders.  The decision is yours tonight.  The invitation has gone out in the gospel tonight.  "The light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light for their deeds are evil." (John 3 verse 19)  People need to come to Christ because of the seriousness of sin.  The severity of the gospel.  He will not cast you out.  It doesn`t matter what you have done in life.  We can give you the opportunity, the invitation to come.  God`s desire is that you will come and that you will be with him at the end of life`s journey.  The promise is I will give you rest.  Not might but he will.  Come in genuine repentance and faith and trust in him.

Who then can be saved?

Sermon notes from 27 March 2017

Mark 10 verses 17 - 27

"Who then can be saved?"

Amazing this question was asked by the disciples.  We are thinking of this young man who came to Christ.  He had everything going his way.  Morality, youth on his side, a ruler, a little bit of religion mixed in.  He had everything as far as the world was concerned.  One thing he was missing.  He wants to put a notch on his belt.  "Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  Jesus replied "why callest thou me good, there is none good but one, that is God."  We read of many different biographies of individuals saved by the grace and mercy of God.  Rich and poor men from all kinds of backgrounds.  Can read in Luke 19 of Zacchaeus a man who had plenty of wealth, or in Acts 16 of a rich woman by the name of Lydia a seller of purple yet gets saved.  Religious men getting saved - Nicodemus how he is challenged and born again of the spirit of God.  The apostle Paul a wicked man who wanted nothing to do with God yet on the Damascus road his life and name is transformed and goes out to preach the gospel.  In Mark 5 we read of a demonic man living amongst the tombs, couldn`t be controlled, tore the chains asunder yet when he meets with Christ his life is changed.  People like Stephen who must have been 35 years of age when he was martyred.  When it comes to this man he doesn`t get saved this time.  The disciples are surprised and asked "who then can be saved".  

There is certain criteria to be saved - he recognised first of all that he is a sinner.  This young man asked the right question and was told there was no God but one.  He refused to recognise he is a sinner.  Jesus points to the commandments - "all these have I observed from my youth."  He was full of pride.  He doesn`t realise he is a sinner.  "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" the Bible tells us (Romans 3 verse 23).  Taking alcohol, gambling, stealing from neighbours doesn`t make you a sinner.  We are all sinners, born in sin.  You might be a church goer, pay 100 pence in the pound, you can even look back to when you helped everyone, helped this charity or that, all these things are good and right, might even read little bits of the bible.  The bible says you are a sinner.  The God of heaven says that we need to recognise we are sinners.  Stephen admitted he had sin and had done wrong things. (Acts 6 and 7)  Think of the prodigal son.  He spent his father`s money on riotous living.  One day he decided to go back home and tell him he had sinned.  You might have offended your neighbour or others.  David when he had committed sin with Bathsheba repented of his sin "against thee and thee only have I sinned". (Psalm 51 verse 14) David confessed his sin.  The prodigal son confessed  his sin.  The publican confessed his sin before the Pharisee, wouldn`t even lift up his eyes unto heaven and said "Lord be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18 verse 13)

The removing of all hindrances.  Many things hinder us from getting saved.  For this young man he was proud of all his achievements.  He had plenty of possessions.  There are some times when it will cost us when it comes to salvation.  Salvation is absolutely free.  Paid for and paid in full.  There is nothing to pay to get salvation.  Still there might be a cost for you.  Can you imagine telling a Muslim you can get saved and everything will be rosy.  For the early Christians to trust the Lord meant they could be put in the arena with the lions.  There was a cost.  No matter what cost it will be worth it all.  Might cost you your favourite sin, the thing you enjoy the most in life.  You might have to turn your back on it.  The biggest hindrance to people getting saved is not just possessions.  People can also be a hindrance.  If God were to speak suddenly the fear of man takes over.  What would the person next door think of me.  The fear of man becomes a hindrance.

A need to rely on Christ alone.  He says to take up the cross and follow him.  He was asked to sell everything he had not to get salvation but to rely on Christ and Christ alone.  It has got to be that way.  In grace alone.  In faith alone in Christ.  Not Christ plus going to church.  It is Christ alone who keeps.  To rely on Christ is simply to trust him with everything I have, to put everything in his hands.  "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (2 Timothy 1 verse 12)  Christ made the ultimate sacrifice.  Salvation is about Christ from beginning to end.  Those who receive Christ have salvation, trusting in him.  The price paid reflected the debt that is owed.  It took the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary`s cross to save us for all eternity.  It is taking up the cross daily and following him.  God sometimes speaks quietly with that still small voice.  Speaking, tugging at our very hearts.  Sense it in our meeting.  Feel him striving with you.  Some times God speaks loudly.  God speaks because he loves you, wants you to be saved, to trust him.  Sometimes people will say "if I wanted to get saved I could get saved any time."  A man will only get saved when the spirit of God speaks into his life.  No man cometh unto the father unless the spirit draws him.  You can only get saved when the spirit of God is striving.  If you are willing no matter what the cost you can be saved.  We need to depend on God.  "Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6 verse 2)  Maybe this is the criteria for you tonight.

Recognise you are a sinner

Remove anything that will hinder you from getting saved

Go for God out and out, trust Christ, rely on Christ alone.  If God is seeking that is the time to get saved.  God is love.  God is mercy.  He pleads with you tonight.  He longs that you might come and trust him.  Are you willing to respond to his voice.  God wants to save you.  He has done everything he can to save you.  John 3 verse 16

The last great court case

Sermon notes from 29 March 2017

Revelation 20 verses 11 - 15

The last ever court case.  Many of you have seen court cases on the television when the defendant is asked the question - `guilty or not guilty`.  At this court case there is no making of a plea.  You will receive a punishment however.  What happens after you die?  "It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment." (Hebrews 9 verse 27)  To live without Christ is dangerous, to die without Christ is disastrous.  "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth."  (Hebrews 12 verse 6) Judgment for the saints - does it consist of wood, hay and stubble - because if it does it will be burned up. (1 Corinthians 3 verses 12 and 13)  The great white judgment.  For those who have never received Christ as Saviour will be gathered around the throne.  What sort of day will it be - a day of recollection.  The books will be opened and things will be brought to mind.  Reminded of times in your life when God has drawn near, God has spoken into your life, when you have been in trials and troubles.  When disease devastated you.  You called out to God, you asked for him to help you and he did but somehow you forgot all about it when things changed for the better.  Those times will be recalled on that day.  There were days when you faced operations in hospitals and you called for someone to come and pray with you, that God might help you.  You promised great and wonderful things when all this was over but you forgot about God.  Times when God helped you, heard you or maybe even held you.  Somehow miraculously God came and restored a measure of health and strength.  You are here tonight in the land of the living.  This day will be a day of recollection.  Rememberance - when God will point to days when tears were shed for you.  When the scriptures spoke to you, God came down and you heard his voice.  You will remember times when people encouraged you to come to the gospel mission.  When they knocked on your door giving you an invitation.  All will be remembered at the white throne.  May mean nothing to you now but this meeting is being recorded for eternity.  You have heard the gospel message in times past, when the Spirit of God was tugging at your heart, pleading for you to be saved.  Day of recollection but also day of reverence.  There will be reverence for the God of heaven sitting on the throne.  This is an age when God`s scripture is ridiculed.  Men are trying to disprove the scriptures.  We are living in an age when God`s servants are mocked, despised and ridiculed.  We are living in a day when God`s day is desecrated.  God only asks for one day in 7 but man doesn`t give it to him.  Man is at enmity with God.  It will be recalled on that day.  A young man said to his pastor `I often hear my granny crying for me in the place of prayer and I am still not saved.`  The Pastor looked at him and thought for a few moments, then he said "if your granny`s prayers don`t get you into heaven they will scald you in hell."  Fortunately that young man was led to Christ a few months later and he regretted all that he had said against his granny.  Men and women are being remembered in prayer every day but it means nothing to them.  You might say `I am my own person, no one will ever tell me what to do.`  Either you are a child of the Father in heaven or a child of the devil.  There is coming a day at that great white throne when your heart will be filled with reverance.  Look back to the days of Noah when the ark was being prepared.  The Spirit of God was moving amongst the people.  "Noah found grace in the eyes of God."  He was moved by fear to build the ark.  If we are ever going to see revival in our land we need a reverence for God.  The Spirit of God moved in Noah`s generation at that time.  They refused to listen.  Can see them as Noah was building the ark.  He told them the judgment and wrath of God would be poured out on men because of sin.  Noah was warning the people.  Can see the people laughing at him.  There came a day when the doors of the ark were closed.  The dark clouds gathered and the rains came down.  There was no more laughing.  Judgment had fallen on this world.  There is coming a day when God will wipe the smirk of this world`s face.  They will cry for the rocks to cover them.  "As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24 verse 37)  Not trying to scare you.  The scriptures teach there is a great white throne.  Those who rejected Christ will be there at that throne.  There is a warning for you from God`s word to be a believer.  It takes a man or woman with conviction to trust Christ as Saviour.  To turn their back on the world.  If you have received Christ you will never be at this great white throne.  The Bible tells us of the straight and narrow way and few there are that find it.  God can change you from the inside out.  Many shall say on that day "Lord Lord open unto us" and the Lord will say "depart from me." (Matthew 25 verses 11 and 12) It will also be a day of remorse.  The one sitting on the throne is the one who died on Calvary.  In Acts 17 we read that God had already appointed a judge for that day.  He despised the shame.  When the soldiers set him at nought, when his back was lashed like a ploughed field, when they nailed him to the cross, with all its brutality, lifted up, knocked into the ground, every bone in his body was knocked out of joint.  We can never imagine the sufferings he had at Calvary.  He despised the shame for you and me.  Do you understand how much God loves you?  If you don`t realise now, when it comes to that scene it will be too late.  God loved the world of sinners lost.  Sin ruins lives.  Drink ruins lives.  Gambling, adultery, smoking - sin will take you further than you ever want to go.  Sin will cost you far more than you ever want to pay.  Sin will leave you in a hopeless and helpless state unless Christ comes into your life and changes you.  You will never be any different.  He despised the shame for you.  He took the blame for you.  He took your sins on his own body.  You need to understand you have a debt you cannot pay.  You might have a few pence in your pocket, even have 10 million pounds in the bank but you could never be delivered from your sin.  You cannot get to heaven by praying, going to church, living a good and perfect life or by doing good works.  If you can get to heaven by any of these things Jesus would never have needed to die on Calvary for you.  He suffered the wrath and judgment of God.  He was "wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." (Isaiah 53)  He hung on Calvary`s tree for those hours for our sin.  He endured the pain.  There was a thirst at Calvary.  Hell is an awful thirst.  Luke 16 rich man opened his eyes in hell and asked "send Lazarus that he might dip his finger in water and bring it to me."  Calvary was darkness for 3 hours.  A place of abandonment.  Christ went through the very pits of hell for me.  He endured all the pain at Calvary`s cross to save you, to make you fit for heaven.  Do not dismiss Calvary lightly.  It will be a day of remorse, you will have rejected his love, his mercy, his offer of salvation.  He paid the price for your sin and on the third day he rose again.  He is the one who comes to live within you when you receive him as your Saviour.  He takes up residence there.  A Christian is someone who relies completely on Christ.  The Spirit of God comes to live within them.  "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 5 verse 14)  It will be a day of revenge.  I could have preached from John 3 verse 16 or from the Psalm "he lifted me out of the miry clay, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a song in my heart." (Psalm 40 verses 2 and 3)  I could have told you all about the great price of heaven, the vengeance of God that will fall on that day.  If you don`t want to receive Christ now God will not allow you to receive him then.  Why would Christ want to receive you?  He has done it all.  What you are turning away from is Christ himself.  When he has opened the door of heaven, invites you to come, pleads for you to come.  There will come a day of revenge.  God will pour out his wrath on that day on people who have rejected Christ.  See the pain as the tears fall down his face as he prays - "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."  The devil is not worried that you are listening to the preacher or concerned that you will leave tonight the way you came in.  He will be happy if he can keep you on that religious pathway you are on.  You will finish at this great white throne.  He doesn`t want you to be saved.  God wants you to be saved.  The devil wants to take you to that place called hell.  God has done everything he can to stop you from perishing.  Maybe the devil has your mind a million miles from here.  He doesn`t care you are perishing.  If we are not saved we will perish and for all eternity.  We will all spend eternity somewhere.  Heaven will be filled with sinners saved by grace.  There will be no more mercy at this judgment throne.  The day of opportunity will be long gone.  A day without mercy.  A day of vengeance.  You don`t have to be found at this great white throne.  The sacrifice has been made.  All you have to do is trust him, take a leap of faith.  The invitation is still going out tonight.  If you were to come and trust him you could be saved.  You could go out that door tonight and have Christ with you because he has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

What shall the end of them be that obey not the gospel?

Sermon notes from 30 March 2017

1 Peter 4 verses 16 - 19

"What shall the end of them be that obey not the gospel of God?"

There are many texts that ask questions in scriptures.  Some are answered in the same verse, some in the same passage and others have to be delved deeper.  Some questions are asked in scripture - "what is your life?", "how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"  What a message of the word of God because it is about God from God from heaven itself.  The night Jesus was born the angels declared "unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2 verse 11) The gospel message is all about a Saviour - the regalness about the message.  "Worship his majesty, the king of all kings."  In Matthew chapter 1 we read of his inherrant right to be king.  He was from the lineage of David and scripture comes right through to Christ himself.  In chapter 2 when they asked the question "where is he that is born king of the Jews" that was his prophetic right to be king.  Turns us back to Micah 5 verse 2 "out of Bethlehem shall he come forth"  In Matthew 3 we read of John the Baptist baptising at the side of the River Jordan when the sky suddenly opens and a dove comes down declaring "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."  His divine right to be king.  In every chapter of Matthew you can read of his right to be king.  Matthew 4 speaks of his moral right - he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and after 40 days the devil came and told him to turn stones into bread.  He was not going to bow to the devil.  In chapter 27 he is declared to be the king - when they put him on the cross Pilate wrote that sign "this is Jesus King of the Jews."  He is my king, my Saviour, my Lord.  Thank God this message of the gospel is all about the person of the Lord.  Without Christ there is no salvation.  He is the sovereign king.  It is also a very simple message that even a child can understand it yet the greatest mind in the world could never explain it.  Why the Son of God could ever love us - John 3 verse 16.  Simply believe and be saved.  There is nothing complicated about that simple message.  Salvation is not in a place but in a person, not in a message but in a man.  "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name give among men whereby you must be saved." (Acts 4 verse 12) God has made it simple for you to be saved.  Doesn`t say you have to work for it, that only the able bodied could only be saved, that only educators could be saved.  I cannot make it any simpler.  There is a way God has made for us - John 14 verse 6.  "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6 verse 37)  Jesus said "come".  He knows your name, every problem you have, the trials you will facc.  He simply says come - "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden." (Matthew 11 verse 28)  The promise is  "I will give you rest".  "Come and let us reason together." (Isaiah 1 verse 18)  "Come for all things are now ready". (Luke 14 verse 17)  Come not to the preacher, not to the church but unto Christ.  That is where salvation is.  John 6 verse 37 "him that cometh unto me I will in on wise cast out."  If you come he will not cast you out.  He will take you in, receive you the way you are.  The message is simple - come or call.  Romans 10 vese 13 "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  He is listening and he calls.  Blind Bartimaeus was sitting at the side of the street in Jericho when Jesus of Nazareth passed by.  He begins to shout and cry out "Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me."  The people  try to make him be quiet but he is not interested in people.  He has a need in his heart and life.  He shouts even louder "Thou Son of David have mercy on me." (Mark 10 verse 48  He was crying from the depths of his heart.  His faith had made him whole,  It means his sins were all gone simply because he called on the name of the Lord.  You can be in this meeting and Christ asks you to come.  Christ asks you to call.  You can also collect tonight.  When it comes to salvation we read "the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 3 verse 23)  It is a free gift.  God is reaching out from Calvary, accept his free gift.  "To as many as receive him them gave he the right to become sons of God." (John 1 verse 12)  

This is a simple gospel messge.  It is also a sufficient gospel.  It is able to meet every need of man`s heart.  "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1 verse 16)  "The vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives."  It could not be more sufficient.  Enough in Christ to save every man, woman, boy and girl in this world.  It is only sufficient to those who believe.  "There is no other argument, there is no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me."  A sovereign gospel, a sufficient gospel.  It is also a sure gospel.  Before the foundation of the world there was provision made.  Even before Adam sinned the sacrifice was made.  You could have peace with God through the sacrifice of the lamb.  The gospel is for all who believe, all are justified from all things.  Just as if never sinned.  It is a sure gospel, able to set men and woman free from the penalty of sin.  Imagine a prisoner breaking out of prison thinking to himself `I am free`.  He is not because every day for the rest of his life he is looking over his shoulder.  The bible says "him who the son sets free is free indeed." (John 8 verse 36)  Free from the penalty and punishment of sin.  "Cursed by the law, grace has redeemed us once and for all."  It was planned by the God of heaven, purchased by his own son at Calvary and presented to us as the message of the gospel.  

What a message but what a mistake to not obey the gospel.  The greatest mistake a man could ever make is to reject the gospel.  In Acts 24 we read of Felix who Paul takes time to reason with concerning faith and righteousness and judgment of Christ.  Felix trembled.  He told Paul "when I have a more convenient season I will call on thee again."  What a mistake to reject the one who paid that tremendous price at Calvary.  To end up in a lost eternity simply because you rejected Christ.  Sometimes we make mistakes but are not able to rectifiy it.  God is a God of mercy.  He is pleading with you to trust him.  He is willing to forgive you your mistake.  There is a line that cannot be crossed.  "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." (Genesis 6 verse 3)  The mistake you make if God takes that as your final decision.  A mistake not of God`s making.  God has provided the way, paid the price on Calvary.  He ever pleads with you.  "Come let us reason together." (Isaiah 1 verse 18)  The invitation goes out night after night.  He wants to forgive the mistakes of the past.  Don`t make the mistake of disobeying the gospel of God.  Hebrews 4  "For unto us was the gospel is preached as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4 verse 2)  It didn`t profit them because it was not mixed with faith.  You might never have believed the gospel, the biggest mistake you or anyone could ever make.  What a mistake to obey not the gospel.  What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  What a multitude of men and woman rejecting the gospel.  They have heard the gospel and have been challenged with the gospel.  Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14 "broad is the way that leadeth to destruction".  There are 7.5 to 8 billion people in this world.  There are a vast number saved, redeemed but there is a multitude out there who are without God and without hope, heading to a lost eternity.  Maybe you are on that broad road that leads to destruction.  You can get up a good speed on the broad road.  There is a slow lane and a fast lane on it.  We think of the broad road as the dirty side and the clean side.  There are people living on the clean side of the broad road.  They never do anyone any harm, they go to church most Sundays, paying their 100 pence in the pound, but still on the broad road because have never repented of their sin.  They are still headed for destruction.  The other side of the broad road has a bit more speed, enthusiastic, busy road.  Temptations of all kinds on it.  You could be sailing down that road, enjoying all the pleasures of sin.  The devil will also throw you bites of encouragement to come down that road but further down that broad road he would love to get you off to the end, to drop out over the precipice.  Tempt you with all kinds.  It is a broad road.  it is a banished way.  There is pleasure in sin but there is a penalty to be paid at the end of life`s journey.  As you stand before a holy God - "what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"  What a message, what a mistake, what a multitude, what a motivation.  Something to think about - what will your end by?  Deuteronomy 32 verse 29 "consider your latter end."  You have got to consider it - to be wise.  When you consider you are going out into a lost eternity - why  will you not think about it? 2 Thessalonians 1 verses 8 and 9 shows what the end will be - "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord."  Mark 1 verse 15 "repent and believe the gospel." All who believe are justified from all things.  Saved or lost?  There is a column in heaven tonight, those who are saved and those who are not - "whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."  Which column are you in tonight?  Very simply trust the Lord.  The end of those who obey not the gospel will be under the vengeance of God when he comes with his angels.

It is appointed unto men once to die ...

Sermon notes from Friday 31 March 2017

Hebrews 9 verses 27 and 28

I want to speak to you of an awful appointment.  It is not a subject people like to talk about.  "It is appointed unto man once to die".  It has often been said that death is the king of terrors and the terror of kings.  I once seen a poster outside a church which read "If you were born once you will die twice, if you were born twice you will only die once."  If a man is born physically he will die physically.  Revelation 20 verse 6 talks about the second death that will have to be faced as well.  A man who is saved by the grace of God might never die.  Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 16 "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord"  The Lord could come at any moment.  Those of us saved will never pass through the tomb.  If the Lord tarries and spares, if I have to go through the valley of the shadow of death I will have nothing to fear.  For the Christian the Lord will go with us.  His rod and his staff will comfort us.  Christians are not dwellers on death.  Christians are people who are lovers of life because the God of heaven has given us life with a capital L, something worth living for.  "He makes the path grow brighter every passing day, he makes the burden lighter all along the way."  The scriptures say "it is appointed unto man once to die." (Hebrews 9 verse 27)  Here in this verse we have a constant reminder that death is all around us.  It seems to be endless.  There are many funerals day and daily.  Statistics tells us that 265 people die every minute of every day.  You read the death columns -- some papers it takes 3 pages of those columns and they change daily.  New names, new situations.  Many can look back to a moment when they settled the old account, trusted the Lord as their own and personal Saviour.  John 3 verse 16.  Ephesians 5 verses 25 "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it."  That is precious.  Galatians 2 verse 20 "He loved me and gave himself for me."  That is personal.  If I had been the only one in the whole world Jesus would still have died for me.  You can know the Lord as your own and personal Saviour.  I love the Lord because He first loved me.  He is the one worth living for.  Death is no respecter of persons.  Some die suddenly, some die slowly.  We can be sure of it.  Adam, the first man died and Methuselah, the oldest man to ever lived died.  Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived also died.  Whether we are wise or meek or the oldest man in the world it is still going to come.  A constant reminder.  Death still comes as a shock.  Death is the last enemy to be defeated in every life.  Some times it comes unexpected, some times it comes unexplained.  It is also a reality.  We are living in a world that constantly reminds us that death is coming.  I do not know what you are depending on for eternity but maybe it is a denomination.  Is that all you have for eternity?  It doesn`t matter where you hang your heart on a Sunday morning.  Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a very religious man.  Jesus told him his religion was not going to make it.  Jesus told him his reading of the scriptures was not going to help him make it.  Jesus told him his fasting and praying and giving of tithes were not going to help him make it.  "You must be born again or you will never see the kingdom of heaven."(John 3 verses 5 and 6)  There is an appointment we have to keep.  It is a continual reminder and reality - "after this the judgment."  Death is not the end.  An old soldier during the war had done some mighty deed for which he was awarded the George Cross was asked "do you not fear death?"  The soldier replied that he had faced death many times on the battle field but what he feared more was what came after death.  If there is no judgment there would have been no point in Jesus dying on the cross.  You could live and get away with whatever you wanted to.  This book says "after this the judgement".  You have heard of Richard Dawkins and the different debates he has held.  Recently he placed a banner on the London buses that said "There is probably no God."  He had to put the word "probably" in just in case it would offend other world religions.  What does God say about Mr Dawkins?  He is a "fool". (Psalm 14 verse 1)  The world would love you to believe that if there was no God then there was no judgment.  If there is no judgment you are not accountable for anything you have done.   Your conscience would tell you that after this there is a judgment.  People would say they have got away with it down here but one day they will have to face God.  Adolf Hitler didn`t die in a bunker, one day we are told the "dead small and great", men of all standards and walks of life will appear before that great judgment throne. (Revelation 20 verse 12)  Sin will be accounted for.  Sin collects its wages.  If your sin was not dealt with on Calvary`s cross it will be dealt with at the judgment throne.  Many have heard this gospel message time and time again for years and have put it off to another night saying they will not put their lives in Christ`s hands.  You have the best intentions of not standing at the judgment throne of Christ.  The men who have a desire to get saved at 11.30 pm normally die at 10.30 pm.  You could be hearing God`s voice speaking to you but still miss God`s offer of mercy.  I read the story of a man who went to the Niagara Falls.  He watched everything that was going on.  Then he looked away up river and could see a block of ice coming down towards the falls.  An eagle was swooping down onto the ice block.  There on the block was the carcas of a lamb.  The eagle started to feed on the lamb but every so often he lifted his head to see how near the fall of river was.  It got closer and closer.  Suddenly the eagle thought it was time to flee.  He opened his huge wings but his feet were now encased in the ice block.  He could not get away and he went over the edge with the block of ice.  That is a picture of sin.  Men and women are feeding on sin and every so often they lift their heads to check everything is still OK.  They will enjoy life for now but want to think of sin another time.  They can leave it just too late.  "My spirit shall not always strive with man." (Genesis 6 verse 3)  God speaks and you can understand there is a judgment coming.  You are just playing with your sin.  Let it go.  Run from it.  Do not finish up in a lost eternity because of your sin.  The pleasures of sin.  When W P Nicholson preached he made it clear - a spade was a spade in his eyes.  He pulled no punches.  One time he looked down from the pulpit and shouted downards as if into the pit of hell "Judas are you there?"  The cry came back "I am here".  W P Nicholson said "let me shake your hand for you sold the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, more than any man did sell the Lord.  There are men in this meeting who have sold themselves for a lot less."  What are you selling your soul for?  After death is judgment but maybe not just because of sin.  Maybe because you are fearful.  Revealtion 21 verse 8 tells us who will never be in heaven and the first in the list are the fearful.  "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom". (Proverbs 9 verse 10)  "The fear of man brings a snare."  (Proverbs 29 verse 25)  Many are afraid of what their friends might say to them.  They might laugh at them.  You could be here tonight and if I were to make an appeal you would start to worry.  You would be worrying about what the person next door would say.  Maybe it is because of neglect.  "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"  You keep putting it off.  You want to be sure but keep putting it off.  It is like the story of the man in the New Testament who prepared a great feast and asked his servants to invite people in to share it with him.  People began to make excuses why they couldn`t come.  They were neglecting the offer.

Verse 2 "  This is where the picture changes.  We have a compassionate redeemer.  "Christ was once offered."  There is one who loves you that he left the splendour of heaven and went to Calvary`s cross and laid down his life.  "Greater love hath no man that this that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15 verse 13)  There is no love like the love of God.  If there was no judgment there was no need for Christ to go to Calvary to lay down his life.  The Lord believed in judgment.  He spoke more of hell and judgment than of heaven.  For every time he spoke of heaven he also spoke 13 times more of hell.  There is a punishment that needs to be embraced.  Calvary is not just about nailing him to the tree, thrashing his back until it was like a ploughed field, having his head pierced with thorns but for 3 hours God laid my sin on him.  He "endured the cross, despising the shame". (Hebrews 12 verse 2)  He laid down his life for me.  "He was wounded for my transgressions, he was bruised for our  iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed."

There is a coming revelation - verse 28 "unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."  "What a day that shall be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon his face."  A day to be ready for.  In this meeting there is a division.  There are those looking for Christ`s return and others looking for everything else but Christ.  Some day Christ is going to come again. He will appear in the clouds and call us out.  George Mueller was a great man of prayer.  When he pulled the curtains at night he would say "perhaps tonight Lord" and he repeated it every morning "perhaps today Lord."  Are we living for Christ`s return.  PThe day is short when no man can work."   When Christ comes again there will be no need for labourers in the mission field. He is coming for those who believe.  A brethren preacher used to tell the story of 2 boys who ran about the streets of London together at 12/13 years of age.  One day they saw an advertisement of a gospel mission taking place in Hyde Park by the preacher RA Torrey.  They decided to go to it on the Sunday evening just for a laugh.  When they arrived there were 300 people packed into that meeting.  R A Torrey began to preach but he stopped right in the middle of his message.  He said "there is someone in this meeting and God has told me that this your last opportunity to get saved".  One of the boys, George Cole was afraid and was about to get up.  George Bell his friend told him not to go forward because all preachers did this to scare people.  Torrey repeated the words and George Cole jumped up from his seat and shouted "it`s me Sir".  Torrey told him how to pray to God and George Cole knew when he sat down he was saved.  His friend was very angry with him.  The next day at school George Bell did not turn up.  George Cole went to his house after school and knocked on the door.  His mum opened the door and she was white as a sheet.  She told George Cole that his friend had meningitis and the doctor was working with him at that moment.  George Cole asked if he could go and see him, he would not talk to him, he just wanted to see him.  When he went into the bedroom there was a big net around the bed and George Bell`s head was rocking from side to side as a result of the pain he was suffering.  George Bell looked at his friend and said "it wa me last night, I should have got saved".  With those words he fell into a deep sleep.  His mum told George Cole that it was the fever and he didn`t know what he was saying.  A few short hours later George Bell went out into eternity and George Cole never forgot the words of his best friend.  God could speak to you for the very last time.  Don`t miss salvation.  What if this was your last opportunity?

Ye will not come to me that ye might have life

Sermon notes from 24 March 2017

John 4 verses 24 - 26, 39 - 40, 46 - 47

"Ye will not come to me that ye might have life."

An absence of life.  Jesus was speaking to men who were offended by Christ - verse 18.  They were out to kill him.  They were very much alive physically but spiritually dead in their trespasses and sin.  We are all different in nature.  When you see a child running about we say he is full of life.  Physically that is.  Spiritually we are all born dead in sin, can do nothing to deliver ourselves.  Paul in Ephesians 2 says "and you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this word, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."  John 3 verse 36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that beleilveth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  The difference between saved and not.  Those who have receied Christ as Saviour hath life but if you have not Christ you are dead spiritually before God.  2 Corinthians 5 verse 15 "And that he died for all that they which live shold not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again."  The word dead means separation from God and without hope.  "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59 verse 2  We are not on that road to heaven.  Without spiritual life no-one can get into heaven.  Heaven`s door will be closed.  Never been born of the Spirit of God, will never walk those streets of heaven, in that place where there will be no more sickness.  I`m sure everyone of us wants to be in heaven at the end of life`s journey.  You need to have life.  "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3 verse 3)  We do not know when we are going to leave this world, called out of the world - "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man will come." (Matthew 24 verse 44)  Our position at the end of life will mean we finish up separated from God and in hell itself.  In Luke 16 we read of the rich man who finished up in a lost eternity.  He had all his feelings about him and he had his memories.  He could remember he had 5 brothers and that Lazarus lay at his gate every day.  He could remember a few verses of scripture, he remembered Abraham, knew something of prayer and that he didn`t have life eternal.  Do you have life in the full sense?  The life of Christ within your heart.  I`m not asking if you go to church, say a prayer, never have done anyone any harm but you are without this life.  "ye will not come to me that ye might have life."  He wants to give you life and invites you to come to him.

The availability of life.  It was available to these people in the person of Christ.  Life is not found in a place, not found in a church, not found in a message but found in a man Christ Jesus.  John 14 verse 6 "I am the way, the truth and the life."  Life is found in the person of the Lord Jesus.  He is not just a mere man.  He is God manifested in the flesh.  From verses 19 to the end of the chapter we read the words of Christ.  He is declaring himself to be equal with God.  He is witnessed by the Spirit, then of John, then of his works and finally the Father and the scriptures.  Eternal life is found in a person.  "I am come that ye might have life and you might have life abundantly." (John 10 verse 10)  He is not out to spoil your life.  He is come to give you life worth living for.  "There is none other name given among men whereby we might be saved." (Acts 4 verse 12)  It is given through life.  You have to have something to put your faith in.  There are people who have faith in a church.  Others have faith in their own efforts.  Good faith.  It is not the amount of faith you have but who your faith is in.  Faith must have an object.  Saving faith is found in the person of the Lord.  "I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him." (2 Timothy 1 verse 12)  Faith has to be exercised.  It is one thing to believe in the heart but another to believe it in the mind.  You might sit here believing in your heart that Jesus is able to save, that he wants to save but have you ever trusted?  Have you ever put your life into his hands?  He is the potter and we are the clay.  He didn`t discard me, he moulded me and continually moulds my life every day.  Faith has got to be exercised.  We have got to have an object.  This faith is available because of a finished work.  It is only because of what Christ has accomplished on Calavary.  The price has been paid and paid in full.  "It is finished".  That is what it means.  He was able to cry those words on Calavary because the price has been paid and paid in full.  The invitation goes out "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11 verse 28)  Life is available because of a finished work and a person.  Life is available to all.  "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  The invitation is for the whosoever.  It is free and it is found through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary.

The assurance of life.  You can have everlasting life, something that is real and can be possesssed the moment you trust the Lord.  It is given to you by the Spirit of God.  "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5 verses 12 and 13  God says it in his word and I stand on the promises of his word alone.  God says if I receive his son I will receive life.  When God says something he means it.  You can rely on it.  Jesus says you believe man but you still do not believe God.  We can believe friends and neighbours but yet when it comes to spiritual things we question God.  Is God`s word not enough for you?  You can have assurance of life, depending on the word of Jesus Christ.  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlsting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5 verse 24.  The moment you believe you pass from death unto life.  That is the whole idea of the gospel - believing on the Lord.

The abandoning of life.  It is quite possible there are those God is reaching out in love to, I want to give you life, to bless you, make you ready for heaven.  He is offering you life in all its fulness but maybe you are going out saying no.  That is abandoning life.  These men were offered the same opportunity.  They were being afforded these things.  We know if we come to the Lord we would have life in all its fulness.  God has given us opportunity after opportunity.  Opportunities come and go.  It needs to be grasped.  God has extended the day of grace.  Given you another opportunity. Will you accept life from his hands.  Romans 6 verse 23 "the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life."  God asks you to come and receive it.

A pardon that is granted

Sermon notes from 21 March 2017

Isaiah 55 verses 1 – 3, 6 – 8

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

God would love to grant us a pardon tonight but maybe you are not willing to turn your back on your sin.  Who is it that requires the pardon?  Those who are guilty are the ones who need a pardon.  God has examined the hearts of all mankind, the heart of the righteous man, the heart of the Christian man, the Greeks, the Romans and all the rest.  “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3 verse 12)  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3 verse 23)  “He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3 verse 18)  When a man or woman hears the gospel there is a responsibility on his shoulders to respond or reject Christ.  Often you have turned your back on him and you are condemned already. 

The reach of the pardon.  God will abundantly pardon.  He forgiveth all the iniquities, both great and small.  You will read of men in the scriptures in all kinds of wicked situations.  God is a great God and he forgave them.  His pardon reached out to all the world.  “Ho every one that thirsteth” the invitation comes out to all the world.  God wants you to turn your back on sin, to cast your sin away and give you a pardon.  John 3 verse 16.  “Whosoever shall on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10 verse 13)  God is not willing that any should perish.  It is a pardon that reaches out all men.

The roots of the pardon.  This pardon is rooted in Calvary’s cross.  Without the cross there can be no pardon.  God is holy and just.  For God to be holy the pardon had to be paid.  When he died on Calvary he laid down his life.  He paid the price of my sin and because of that he is free to pardon me.  Someone took my place.  When Christ was being tried Pilate asked the crowd who they would want to be released, either Christ or Barabbas.  The crowd roared for Barabbas.  Barabbas was sitting in the prison cell, he could hear the jailer coming down the stones and hear the key turning in the door.  Barabbas was told he was free to go.  How can this be?  Another has been found to take your place.  The roots of the pardon are found in Calvary’s cross.  Someone has taken the place.  It was the shedding of his own precious blood.  The roots of the pardon is also repentance, returning unto the Lord.  Repentance is not just changing your mind, it is a complete about turn. Turning from your sin and turning unto God.  Repentance can be seen in these verses.  Leave your sin behind and turn unto the Lord.  There is also faith in these verses.  No man can come unto God unless he believes he exists and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11 verse 6)  If you believe in God, that he wants to save you, repent and trust Christ.

The refusal of the pardon.  It can either be accepted or refused.  That is where you have a choice – will you accept the pardon he is offering, a free, full offering.  The blood of Jesus, God’s son will cleanse from all sin but what will you do with this pardon?  It does not say he might have mercy but rather he will have mercy for he will abundantly pardon – the choice lies in your hands.