Naomi`s humility, honesty and hope

Sermon notes from Thursday 27 December 2018 Prayer Meeting

Ruth 1 verses 19 - 22

The leaving - departure from where God would have his people to be - verse 1.  God didn`t want them living in Moab, they turned their backs, they panicked, thought there was enough food in Moab.

The love - verse 2.  Their sons took wives of Moab.  A strange marriage.  Elimelech leaves where he should have been and moves to Moab.  His 2 sons marry women of Moab.

The loss - verse 3.  Elimelech died and then his 2 sons Mahlon and Chilion also die verse 5.  There is no-one to take care of Naomi.

The lesson - verse 6.  Naomi learns in Moab that God had visited his people in giving them bread.  The lesson is an invitation to return to the house of bread because God had visited his people.

The longing to return - verse 7.  She arose and went back to Bethlehem.

The lament - verse 20.  After 10 years of living in Moab she returns to Bethlehem.  In verse 20 when the people came out and saw Naomi they did not recognise her.  She asked to be called Marah for the Lord had dealt very bitterly with her.  Sweet to bitter.  Naomi has learned a hard lesson.  God has been good to her.  He sent word to her.  She had left the fellowship of God`s people, went down to a strange land.  God loved her and sent word that he had visited Bethlehem-Judah.

Notice Naomi`s humility - verse 20.  As she comes back to Bethlehem she asks not to be called Naomi for she had went out full and the Lord had brought her back again empty.  It is good to see this humility.  Without God we would have been nothing.  In verse 1 they had gone out full of plans, desires, aims and goals.  There was an anticipation that Moab would be the answer.  She had taken her eyes off the Lord.  She had focused on herself and her family.  She lost everything - her husband and sons.  Now she was coming home again empty.  Remember when Saul was chosen to be king of Israel.  He was told to go out and kill the Amalekites.  He didn`t kill them all.  He was so full of himself.  When Samuel arrived he was rebuked.  Saul didn`t want to lose face in front of the elders. (1 Samuel 15)  It is good to think of others but we must also come and give God the praise.  Remember the young prodigal.  He fed the pigs for so long that he was fed up with his way of living.  He thought of going back to his father.  He realised the goodness of his father back home.  He wanted to go home again. (Luke 15)    Let`s reflect back, cast our minds back, consider what God has done for us.

Naomi`s honesty.  10 years after leaving Bethlehem she realised her own pride was prevalent.  She thought she knew better, went against God himself.  Through utter dependence and humility and honesty she comes back to Bethlehem.

Naomi`s hope - verse 22.  She came back at the beginning of the barley harvest.  The Lord makes no mistakes.  She left in a time of famine and is now coming back in a time of feasting.  The barley harvest came in the early spring.  She could see that golden crop blowing in the wind.  She was coming back to a feast.  The Lord lifted us from the famine when we thought we had nothing else.  God "brought us into his banqueting house and his banner over us is love." (Song of Solomon 2 verse 4)  He supports us day after day.  She came back with humility, sat in the presence of the people with honesty in her heart.  She has ran away, left with nothing but returns to something that is full.

A man who wholly followed the Lord

Sermon notes from Thursday 3 January 2019 Prayer Meeting

Joshua 14 verses 10 - 14

Caleb is speaking in these verses, he is looking back on a number of years that have gone so quickly.  He is looking into the land of Canaan, he has not set his foot on it yet.  Similarly as we look at this new year we reflect on the past.  We have been through so much, done so much for the Lord.  Caleb and Joshua along with the 10 spies went out into the land of Canaan.  They were brought to the brink and the Lord showed them a land flowing with milk and honey.  He had brought them out of captivity into the land of blessing.  Sometimes we wander in the wilderness and fail to get into full blessing of the Lord.  Isn`t it amazing that God had promised this land yet he had to send out spies into the land to prove it to the people.  Sometimes we need to take the Lord by faith.  We have to go through the valley at times but God is with us.  40 days after they had set out the spies came back and told the people all about the land.  The but came however in that the spies told the people they would never be able to win it as the cities were fortified and the people so big.  Joshua and Caleb said no to this, if the Lord is with us we will succeed.  Numbers 14 verse 6 - 10.  Joshua and Caleb told the truth about the land.  After 40 years they were now back on the brink of the land of Canaan.  They could not enter in because of their unbelief.

In these chapters we notice his testimony - verse 9 he "wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."  He was a man that went through with God, he followed God with all his heart.  May that be our goal and aim tonight, whatever God would ask us to do we would surrender to him, that the Lord would go before us, that it might be said of us we "wholly followed the Lord."  It was said of Joseph when he was sold down into Egypt and Potiphar`s house that Potiphar did not have to worry about his house, he realised the Lord was with Joseph, all was taken care of.  Joseph could have been full of spite and bitterness and envy, sold from his land into a foreign land and to this man Potiphar, but he lived as God would have him live.  Then things turned sore again and he is cast into prison itself.  While there the prison officer sees something different about him and realises the Lord was with him.  Wherever he was his life did not change.  He was out and out for the Lord.  When his brothers came down he could have sought revenge on them but instead he said "you meant it for evil but the Lord meant it for good." (Genesis 50 verse 20) As we go into this year wouldn`t it be great to have the testimony that we "wholly followed the Lord."  Whether in the darkest days or days of sunshine?  Paul testifying in Acts 22 talked about Ananias and how he was sent to where Paul was.  Paul gave God the glory for him being there.  He was a "devout man", a religious man, there was something special about his life, was totally in the Lord`s hands. (verse 12)  Although Ananias heard so much of this man Saul of Tarsus, he was prepared to trust the Lord to take him to where Saul was.  He was an example to the other believers.  No wonder Paul loved to testify about him.  Wouldn`t it be great to be that example in the places we go and the things we do?  Like the woman of old who said of Elijah "surely this is a man of God" when he passed by her house continually. (2 Kings 4 verse 9)  It was others who would not go with Caleb to enter into the land.

Notice Caleb`s trial.  For some 45 years he never lost sight of the promise of God.  Jos      hua 14 verse 10.  He has held onto the Lord.  God`s word never mentions anything about giving up.  Caleb was going to go through with the Lord.  What was the promise the Lord gave to him in that day - Deuteronomy 1 verses 34 and 36.  Sometimes we take God`s promises and play about with them.  Here was a generation God would let go into the land of Canaan because they hadn`t the faith.  They would die in the wilderness as a result.  After 40 years he is still holding onto that promise that he would see this land.  There have been trials over these 40 years, times when he was downhearted.  He held onto the promise that God would one day fulfil this promise - "I will bring you into this land because you have wholly followed me."  The promise was as flesh to him each and every day.  Jairus had a daughter of 12 years of age.  She was at the point of death.  The man came out of the house and told him the girl was dead.  The Lord turned to Jairus and told him "be not afraid, only believe". (Mark 5 verse 36)  He held onto that promise.  There were certain disciples of Jesus who turned away from the Lord and Jesus asked the remaining disciples "will you go away as well?" (John 6 verse 67)  Sometimes there are things to come in and discourage us, that put up barriers.  We need to watch these do not happen.  Peter walked away from the Lord but he came back again.  Peter on one occasion was working on his nets.  Jesus spoke to him telling him to let down his nets and launch out into the deep.  Peter reminded him that they had fished all night but "nevertheless at thy word we will do it." (Luke 5 verse 5)  Let`s look above the things that discourage us and put our faith in Christ alone.  Caleb put every failure into the past and asked to be given this land promised to him.  He had to battle for everything.  He had God on his side.  We have that same testimony, that God will be with us throughout the coming year.

Caleb`s triumph - verse 14 "Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb."  Let`s stand tonight as Caleb did, standing on the promises that God will fulfil his word.  Let`s pray that God would make us the Caleb`s of 2019.

The fear, focus, following, faith, finding and fruit of the shepherds

Sermon notes from Sunday 16 December 2018 pm

I suppose one of the most beautiful accounts of the Christmas message is found here.  It is the scene of the shepherds on the hillside, the angels coming right to where they were to proclaim that there was born a Saviour.  A wonderful message.

Firstly the fear that gripped the shepherds hearts.  The first emotion that gripped their hearts and was evident on the hillside.  I don`t know whether fear came about because of the sudden appearance of the angels on the hillside.  They seemed to come out of nowhere.  How do we know their hearts were afraid?  Chapter 2 verse 9 "sore afraid".  The very first emotion on a person`s heart when they come face to face with the gospel message is a fear that grips the heart.  Have you experienced that?  Remember Isaiah the prophet in the house of God when the presence of God came down, he said "I am a man of unclean lips."  He realised what he was in the presence of God.  Peter said "depart from me for I am a sinful man."  Paul to the Romans in chapter 1 verse 17 said "for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith."  There should be no fear, no alarm.  They had a wonderful message about the Saviour.  When the Holy Spirit comes to our heart and we are not saved, when he applies it to our hearts there should be no fear.  The only fear we should have is the fear of the wrath of God.  The message is of saving grace that he sent his Son into the world to shed his blood and die for our sins on Calvary.  The wonderful message that one came to save me.  The Bible tells me of a mark that I have come short of.  The good news is that the Lord came that he might make us up to that mark, that one day we might enter into the portals of heaven with him.  When Adam heard the voice of God in the Garden of Eden his first reaction was to run away, to get as far from God as possible.   He had fallen short of what God expected of him. When God called out "Adam where art thou?" he tried to hide, to take cover because of his shame.  God had a wonderful message for him.  God came to bring redemption for him.  The good news is there is a Saviour for you if you will only trust him.  God is telling you to fear not.  Your heart may be gripped right now.  The wrath of God is abiding on you.  There is a Saviour though tonight.

The focus.  See the angels coming down to the hill with this message.  He doesn`t look for any fancy words.  The focus of his message was none other than Jesus.  Verse 11 pointing these shepherds to Bethlehem, to the one who left the realms of heaven to come down into this world.  Verse 20 the clarity of the message was evident.  The whole focus of the message was Jesus Christ.  Verse 16 they found Mary and Joseph and the baby.  The preacher must focus on the Lord.  If the preacher leaves out the fact that man needs a Saviour, the preacher has lost out completely.  You have gone away knowing you have lost a Saviour.  Man is losing tonight.  We were conceived in the womb as sinners, on your way to a lost and Christless hell for all eternity.  When he was born into the world, grew up amongst men, walked the streets of Galilee, time when rejected by men, that he bled and suffered and rejected - why - because we were cut off from God.  He came into the world to reconcile a lost mankind unto God.  The focus of the gospel message is the Lord himself.  We need to get focused on the Saviour tonight.  The old religious leaders and Pharisees tried to turn people away from recognising him as the Messiah, they didn`t recognise him as the Saviour of the world.

Notice the following.  The shepherds took in what was happening.  They saw the lights, the angels, heard the message and they decided when they heard that message to go and see what had happened.  Verse 15 the angels have descended again into heaven, the hillside has gone dark again but that is not the end.  The shepherds wanted to prove what the angels had said unto them.  They made their way into Bethlehem.  There is a beckoning for a response tonight.  They wanted to see if this thing is a reality.

The faith - "let us go and see this thing"  They exercised faith - verse 15.  Maybe you have never trusted Christ as Saviour, you have heard the message for yourself.  Revelation 3 verse 20.  That is your part tonight.  The Lord has done it all to satisfy his father in heaven.  God uses all sorts of things to catch your attention - sickness, pain, great joy - all to ask you to let him in.  He waits for you to open the door and to allow him to come in.  Paul preached to the people of Athens, he preached about the Lord, how he came into the world, died, was buried and raised the third day, now sitting at his Father`s right hand waiting to receive all who come to him.  When Paul finished "when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked."  They had never heard such nonsense before.  "Others said we will hear you again of this matter."  They couldn`t make up their minds there and then.  They didn`t close in with God`s offer of mercy.  What will be your response tonight?  The shepherds response was "let us go now."  They wanted to prove for themselves that this great Saviour they had heard about was actually born.  In Athens other people believed on that day.

There is the finding.  They made their way down and they found the baby as they were told - verse 16

The fruit that came from this.  The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them.  Verse 20.  God makes us a new creature, puts a new song in our mouths even praise unto our God.  Would you come like the shepherds?  They gazed on him.  They took him as Saviour and Lord.  Trust him fully tonight.  Will you come and make him yours tonight?

Joseph`s crisis, compassion, consideration, choices and clarity

Sermon notes from Sunday 16 December 2018

Matthew 1 verses 18 - 25

We can see before us the development of what God has for this world and for our own individual lives in bringing his Son into this world, that he would seek and save a lost mankind.  This whole world was lost in sin and separation because of what happened in the Garden of Eden.  The Lord had it all planned and purposed that you would come to a saving knowledge of God today.  Look at Mary and the type of person she was and the task she had been given.  Now look at Joseph and the type of character he was.   He went unnoticed.  He is seen in the scenes around Jesus` birth in different modes.

His crisis mode.  As the scripture opened up before us here is a young man planning marriage to his young wife, a great future lay before them.  All this was going through his mind.  No doubt he loved and served the Lord.  When the Lord comes to us, opens up a task for us doesn`t it demonstrate his trust and faith in us?  Joseph was honoured to carry it out.  Remember Abraham when he was told how Sodom would be judged for its sin.  God knew him and the task he had for him.  God knows you today.  If he has been speaking to you over the past days he has a task for you.  Joseph has this great future before him, he loves the Lord with all his heart.  His whole world is suddenly turned upside down.  The greatest challenge comes to his heart.  His heart has been plumeted into despair and crisis.  He cannot understand why this has happened to him.  Sometimes a crisis comes to our lives.  Sometimes God allows things into our lives, things we don`t understand and even things we do not like.  It is a test of our faith.  Our faith is tested not in the spiritual sunshine, not in the midst of great blessing but it is tested in our darkest days.  The crisis on this occasion was for the fulfilment and furtherance of God`s plan of salvation.  God was saying to Joseph "I have it under my control, this is for the furtherance of the gospel."  Paul lying in the prison in Philippi, his heart was rejoicing.  Although he was there in chains and in prison yet the word of God was going forth and people were coming to faith and others were waxing bolder in their faith.  "Paul, A servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God. (Which he hath promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures)" (Romans 1 verses 1 and 2)  It was promised back in the Old Testament scriptures.  He was saying this gospel I proclaim is concerning his Son.  "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."  He has fulfilled the gospel promised in bringing Jesus into the world.  Joseph was in a crisis.  Maybe you feel there is something in your ife, this is a real crisis but it might be for the furtherance of the Gospel.  Abraham who had a son in his old age was told by God one day to prove his love and take his son and sacrifice him.  Abraham`s faith was being challenged.  Joseph in the Old Testament scriptures came from a loving home.  He was betrayed by his brothers.  He knew the love of his father.  He had security in his home.  One day he went out to see his brothers.  They hated him, cast him into an old dirty well, sold as a slave into Egypt.  Why?  For the furtherance of the nation of Israel.  That is what eventually delivered Israel.  Maybe God is doing something in your life right now.

Joseph in his compassionate mode.  Verse 19 "then Joseph being a just man."  Joseph heard Mary was expecting and the only conclusion he could come to was she had been unfaithful to him.  He didn`t see the full picture.  Sometimes God challenges us.  We think it strange, don`t know why it is happening but God has it under control.  God doesn`t show us the full picture.  God only reveals to us one step at a time.  He doesn`t show the outcome.  Joseph didn`t know the outcome.  Even though Joseph was in a crisis, his heart was broken, he felt betrayed yet he would not allow Mary to be a public example.  In the eyes of the law she should have been stoned to death.  As far as the people of Nazareth were concerned she had committed adultery.  Joseph showed compassion.  Have we that compassion today?  The apostle Paul had that same compassion.  He wrote to Timothy about Alexander the silversmith.  Paul writing to Timothy knew that Alexander would oppose him.  2 Timothy 4 verse 14 "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil."  We are not told what Alexander did exactly but Paul went on to say "the Lord reward him according to his works."  I don`t have to worry about those who oppose me.  God is in charge, he will work that out.  Joseph had a compassionate nature.

Joseph in his considerate mode.  "But while he thought on these things."  Joseph didn`t act with haste.  He thought about things.  He didn`t take her to the priest and tell him what had happened not like the crowd who caught the woman in adultery and was brought to Jesus.  Joseph was giving some consideration.  It is good to think things through.  Joseph was considering the feelings of his wife Mary.  The Lord came just as Joseph pondered on these things.  Even when his life was turned upside down Joseph still thought of others.  In the Old Testament Joseph left home at 17 years of age.  He was sold as a slave into Egypt. was wrongly accused and cast into prison for something he didn`t do.  While Joseph was in prison he met the baker and the butler.  Then one day Joseph in this old prison house met these 2 men.  These 2 men were down and sad.  Genesis 40 verse 7 Joseph asked "wherefore look ye so sad today?"  Sometimes we let statements like that run off our lips.  This young man Joseph left his father`s house at 17 years of age, was wrongly accused, meets these 2 men 2 years later, not thinking of himself.  He looks into the face of these 2 men and asks them "why are ye troubled today?"  What a witness.  Sometimes we are too wrapped up in ourselves that we don`t see others.  Joseph of old considered these 2 men.  Joseph here in the New Testament considered his wife.  1 Corinthians 9 verses 19 - 23.

Joseph`s choices.  "While he thought on these things."  Something that wouldn`t leave his mind.  Can you imagine the hurt he felt.  He didn`t know what was happening.  While he thought on these things - he had compassion.  He wasn`t pondering or brooding on these things.  When we get into that mood it will poison us.  We should really take it to the Lord.  This is what Joseph was doing.  An angel came to him - verse 20.  Joseph was waiting on the Lord.  The Lord is opening up something in our lives, asking us to do something.  He doesn`t want us to run ahead of him.  We must wait on him.

Here is the clarity.  He was not to fear to take Mary as his wife - verse 21.

Joseph`s commitment - verses 24 and 25.

Worry and anxiety

Sermon notes from Sunday 2 Deember 2018 am

Matthew 6 verses 25 - 34

This portion of scripture is included within the Sermon on the Mount verses.  The Lord is dealing with the great problem of worry or anxiety, over anxiousness.  That was a problem in the Lord` s day as it is even today.  Verse 25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment?"  The response is simply put in verse 32 "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."  The Lord already had it under control.  If you know the Lord as your personal Saviour the devil will try to blot out your life, take you out.  He uses the tool of discouragement, brings that against us.  Then he also goes back in to the armoury again and will bring out the weapon of worry, anxiety, stress and strain to bring us down.

The danger of worry.  We all worry.  The Lord is asking us "what is the point of worrying, it cannot add to our stature."  He spoke of everyday things that concerned his disciples.  They had left everything behind to follow Jesus - their fishing nets and boats.  They left everything to follow Jesus.  There are many things in life that cause worry and concern.  The Lord is talking about an overanxiousness.  We worry about a visit to the doctors, about our employment, our future.  Sometimes we worry and we really cannot put a finger on what we worry about.  It is not easy.  The Lord deals with 2 things in this section - verses 19 - 24 are about the lust of money, the rich people who have so much money that they don`t know what to do with it, they are scared it will fall away.  In verses 25 - 34 Jesus talks about those who do not have enough money.  "For the love of money is the root of all evil" Paul said to Timothy. (1 Timothy 6 verse 10)  We can be as guilty of that as the person who is a multimillionaire.  This section of scripture is saying to us - what the Lord wants from us is our allegiance to him, to trust him more and more and more.  He tells us 3 times in this portion of scripture - verses 25, 31 and 34 "take no thought."  When you and I come to trust the Lord as Saviour we were adopted into the family of God and he looks after us.  To read that little phrase in Greek is stronger - it really means to stop the worry that has already begun.  How do I do that?  It is the feeling that something is beginning to get me down.  Bring it to the Lord.  Worry is a danger to our spiritual growth.  It is also a danger to our medical and mental state.  It is a danger to our wellbeing.  Elijah is a great example of this.  He stood before kings with no fear, confronted the prophets on Mount Carmel.  He called Israel to task "why halt ye between 2 opinions?" (1 Kings 18 verse 21)  He calls the Israelite nation back to God.  He took 400 prophets and puts them to death.  His eyes are on God, his heart is on God`s will yet he hears a voice from the palace that caused him to worry.  Jezebel the queen threatened to put him to death if she got hold of him.  The next verses in the portion of scripture are very important - "and when he saw that." (1 Kings 19 verse 3)  The anger of Jezebel caused Elijah to fear.  When fear grips your heart what do you do?  We run with it.  Elijah`s fear led him to run away, to dwell on it.  It didn`t matter how far he ran, he was still dwelling on what she said and threatened to do.  We find him in the wilderness.  His eyes are off the Lord and focusing on this problem.  He wasn`t looking after himself.  His body was weak and God met him in the wilderness.  Elijah was tired and weak.  He lacked food and sleep and was very anxious.  His mental ability was affected.  He asked to be left to die.  In Acts 16 the jailer in the prison was very anxious.  The next day he would lose his life as a result of the earthquake.  He got himself into such a state he was ready to take his own life.  We see that even today in our province, it is a sad reflection of society.  People see no way out and decide to take their own lives.

The distraction of worry.  Satan`s purpose is to bring you down.  If he cannot discourage you he will get something in your heart that will begin to form and worry.  Before long the devil has you where he wants you.  We have to keep our eyes on him when our minds are full of difficult siuations.  Elijah got his eyes off the Lord, off his plan and purpose.  He was out in the wilderness and wanted to die.  He had a lot of work to do.  The Lord had a purpose for him.  Elijah was able to go in and speak to kings and prophets, to call the nation back to the Lord but he is found sitting in a cave with his head between his knees.  He was no longer interested in the call and work of God because Jezebel the queen got his mind distracted.  Maybe you are worried about your health, your future or your family.  The devil has you focusing on it.  He will bring everything to bear on that situation, show you there is no way out of it.  Maybe no-one else sees that.  That is how you are feeling inside.  You are not where God would have you to be.  You have become distracted.  When Jesus came to the home of Mary and Martha, Mary fell down and began to listen to Jesus.  Martha was more concerned about getting food to Jesus.  She missed out on the very best, just to sit at the Lord`s feet.  She had one thought in her mind.  When Joshua called the people of Israel to cross over the Jordan they were to watch the priests stepping into the water carrying the ark of the covenant.  Joshua told them to keep their eyes on the ark.  Keep your eyes on the Lord today because we have an enemy who is subtle.  What did the writer to the Hebrews encourage them to do - "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12 verse 2)

The distress that worry brings.  Jesus wants you and I to have utter confidence in God.  He wanted his disciples not to worry where their food would come from.  He gave the example of the flowers of the field, they had no means of putting together fancy designs yet "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."  In the Old Testament Saul was sitting in the valley when 30,000 chariots came against him and gathered all around him in the hills.  They had pitched their tents to come against Saul.  The people in Saul`s camp began to run and hide.  Saul was waiting on Samuel to come.  Imagine him watching the time, every second and minute going by.  He then went and did something he shouldn`t have done.  He took one of the lambs out of the flock and sacrificed it.  As he did so Samuel arrived.  Saul feared the Lord had left him.  (1 Samuel 13)  Sometimes worry leads us to do things we shouldn`t.  We feel the Lord has left us.  We give up on waiting on God.  We fail to read his word.  Worry does that.  It takes us away from God`s word.  The devil gets our minds focused on things that are away from God.

The direction the Lord gives.   If you are worried today and it is something in your mind that is really starting to take over do not get anxious.  Bring the worry to the Lord.  All the worry for tomorrow it will not add anything to your situation.  Don`t worry about them today.  Leave the past behind.  You cannot change them.  Verse 33 contains a promise "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."  The Lord is not promising you riches but every day needs to be met.  Verse 34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  The apostle Paul himself said "be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplicatino with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4 verse 6)  Peter said "casting all your care upon him for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5 verse 7)  Take it all to the Lord.  Think of Daniel cast into the lions den.  There was the old king who signed the deed for him to be put there, he went home but he was the one who couldn`t sleep.  Daniel was not looking at the lions around him.  He was not afraid there in the den.  He knew the Lord had come and he had closed the mouths of the lions.  He was not anxious.  Peter in Acts 12 was lying in the cell knowing that the following day he would be taken out and killed.  The angel came in and showed him the way out of the prison to safety.  He had left it all to the Lord.  We too can lift our worries to the Lord who tells us not to worry.

A great war in Heaven - Revelation chapter 12

Sermon notes from Sunday 25 November 2018

Revelation 12

When we turn to chapter 12 I believe we are turning to an interesting chapter indeed.  In chapter 12 we see the conflict and conquest and confrontation that exists here.  From Satan`s downfall in heaven until his demise in the bottomless pit.  This most talented, gifted, created being - don`t forget he was like that.  The chief choir master in heaven, given the lead of praise around the throne of grace.  He fell from that position to where we find him.  Look here today and take comfort and encouragement from this passage.  The worse was to come during these 7 years. Get that into your mind.  The words Jesus said were - there was never a time like it before nor will there be again.  This is a slot of time.  There are a lot of souls blinded by the god of this world.  We need to tell them about the things of God, the things that matter most in life, need to tell them to escape from this way of life.  God gave divine protection for his people.  God will bring you out of that tribultation today.  As we look back on the passages of history remember it is his story.  This is a story of God today. 

In chapter 12 there is a panoramic view given by God.  It is the picture of the persons that are involved in this conquest and conflict going on.  Verse 1 "great wonder" or sign in heaven.  Imagine John on the Isle of Patmos, God is giving him this panoramic view of what will take place.  He sees as it were the heavens open and sees this great wonder.  "A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child cried travaling in birth and pain to be delivered."  The first thought comes to mind is who is this woman?  There was a woman called Mary Eady in the late 1800`s who started up a work in America known as Christian Science.  Mary Eady claimed to be the woman in Revelation chapter 12 and the child she would bring forth would be the child of Christian Scientism.  Roman Catholics believe this woman to be the Virgin Mary.  Others say the woman represents the church but that cannot be so because Jesus Christ brought forth the church not the other way around.  So who is this woman?  This to me is a picture of Israel.  If we went back to Genesis 37 and the story of Joseph we remember the dream he had on one occasion.  He saw the sun and moon and 11 stars bowing down before him.  The sun represented his father, the moon his mother and the 11 stars his brothers.  We find this same picture here in chapter 12 verse 1.  We find this woman clothed with the sun and the moon.  Joseph`s dream of the very nation of Israel itself.  God has great plans for Israel and he will take them up again here in chapter 12.  "He came to his own and his own received him not."  God will deal with Israel once more and his plans will be fulfilled.  It is through the nation of Israel we have received the Messiah, Christ himself.  In verses 3 and 4 we are introduced to "a great red dragon".  The world and its followers tell us today that there is no such a thing as the devil.  He is not a real person.  God`s word tells us in verse 9 "and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him."  People tell us today that there is an evil influence in the world but there is no such a thing as the devil.  They say that the idea of a devil was invented in the 16th Century to keep people in fear but today we are a more educated society and there is no such person as the devil.  The red term is very significant as it shows the viciousness and pain caused to the nation Israel.  This dragon has 7 heads.  In scripture the head speaks of wisdom and the number 7 is the number of perfection.  The head is symbolic of wisdom.  How clever this devil is.  He has perfect wisdom.  Ezekiel 28 verse 15 "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."  One day the devil will gather the nations to Armageddon.  The dragon has also 10 horns.  Horns speak of power.  There were also 7 crowns on his head.  Crowns represent dominion and authority.  The devil is perfect in his wisdom, has great authority and power.  He is not almighty though.  God is almighty.  The devil is mighty but not almighty.  He has a tail which speaks of strength.  It was not in his teeth or mouth.  "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth."  When Satan fell he tried to get above God, to get onto God`s throne and to get the angels to worship him.  He was cast out of heaven into heavenly throne and he took one third of heaven`s angels on that downward fall.  In verse 9 we see the red dragon is the devil himself, Satan.  These are the persons pictured here - the woman represents Israel and the red dragon represents Satan.

A picture of the programme.  Who is the child we see described in verse 4?  He is none other that Jesus Christ.  The devil was there in the Garden of Eden when he was first promised - Genesis 3 verse 15.  The promise of the Messiah was given.  He would one day be sent into the world, that he would live and die to destroy the works of Satan.  From that day Satan got his eyes on the Lord to prevent the Lord entering into this world.  He set about persecuting and bringing monarchs and regimes against Israel.  He did it with Cain and Abel but God brought forth Seth to redeem the family, to carry on the royal line.  Esau promised to kill Jacob but God protected Jacob and brought him back into his home land again.  He stirred up the heart of Pharaoh so that he might destroy the people of Israel living in the land of Egypt.  God raised up Moses and even had him brought up in Pharaoh`s palace.  In 2 Kings we read of Joash who had an evil grandmother.  She put to death all the royal seed for her own cause.  Joash`s aunt went in so quickly and picked him up before his grandmother put him to death.  She hid the child and cared for him.  He was the last link to the royal line.  If he had been put to death the Lord would never have come.  God used her to protect and raise up Joash to the throne again.  The devil with all his powers came against the woman even at the birth of Christ.  God stirred up the evil heart of Herod.  Remember when they came looking for Jesus when he was born.  Herod was so bitter and angry when he found out there was a new born king somewhere.  He sent out an order that all the babies should be put to death.  That was the devil`s hand.  The Lord raised up these people to do his task.  The apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians said "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities."  The devil can raise up people to say things against us, to discourage us.  Maybe this morning you are being discouraged about someone.  The devil is taking up that person.  He is the real enemy behind it all though.

Satan`s penalty - verse 7.  There was a war going on in heaven.  What we need to understand is that somewhere in the first 2 chapters of Genesis, there was a conflict and Satan was cast out of heaven, cast into the dark.  He is the prince of the power of the air.  We can feel his effects.  He has the power to infiltrate our minds, to bring us down and discourage us.  Then we read here in verse 7 of a war.  This is the war where Satan was cast out.  They are reigning at the moment in the atmosphere.  We are at the middle point of the 7 years of witness on this earth.  The devil is cast out onto the earth.  Think of that for a moment.  The devil is reigning and his angels are reigning too.  One day cast down onto earth - what a day that will be.

The persecution - verse 13.  There never has been a nation as persecuted as much as the nation of Israel.  Remember back in Exodus when they had been given the best of the land when they first went down into Egypt.  Pharaoh began to persecute the nation of Israel, they were used as slaves until Moses brought them out.  Then later they were under the Assyrian regime.  The Assyrians came right to the door of Jerusalem and carried them away for miles under Nebuchadnezzar`s reign in Babylon.  Under the Medes and Persians one man Haaman had a letter signed by the king that all Jews should be put to death.  God used Mordecai to bring Haaman down and he was eventually hanged on the gallows he himself had built.  God was in control.  Under the Roman empire and Caesar the Israelites were persecuted.  Sadaam Hussein declared that he would once more carry the Israelites into bondage before his death.

The protection this nation will have - verse 15.  The devil is going to influence the nations of the world against Israel.  The words used here for water is the same word used for the nations and peoples of the world.  The devil will raise up nations to come against the nation of Israel.  In verse 14 we see the woman was given 2 wings that she might flee into her place.  God has a place for her.  God will not forsake his people.  He has redeemed us and he will keep us.

The call to Samuel

Sermon notes from Sunday 25 November 2018

1 Samuel 3 verses 1 - 10

As I have said already the character of the boy Samuel is very profitable to study.  The time set out here in verse 1 is a very dark time in the land of Israel.  "The word of the Lord was precious" means God was not speaking through the prophets to the nation.  There was no open vision.  Eli the prophet had 2 sons who were very wicked.  Eli was not condemning what they were doing and not speaking out against them.  We find something very real and exciting in the bedroom of this child - verse 12.  God will raise him up and he will beome one of the mightiest prophets Israel has every known.  This is the same child that Hannah had brought to the temple.  She had prayed for him.  She had come to the temple and poured out her heart to the Lord.  She asked for a man child that she might give him back to the Lord.  She brought him back to the priest and gave him back to the Lord.  The lesson here for us is that we should bring our children into the house of God to hear the word of the Lord.  We live in a sinful day, the things of God are treated with lightness, very little reverence to the things of God.  There were days in our province when God swept through our land and men and women were gloriously saved.  If only God would do that again, come with that real freshness again.  Thank God there are ones coming to faith, genuine change, born again of the Spirit of God. 

The appeal God makes - verse 4.  It is firstly a private call.  It was an audible voice.  Samuel was lying in his bed.  The voice was audible enough for him to make Samuel think it was Eli.  God is still calling people tonight.  The Spirit of God is still speaking in meetings, showing us our great need of salvation, showing you God`s son, how he took your place on Calvary, dying in your place that you might never be lost.  He is trying to reveal to you what he has done for you, calling you to leave your sin behind.  Unless we are willing to repent of our sin he cannot save us.  "Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin."  You cannot take it with you.  The woman at the well left her water pot.  She had found the Messiah, Christ for herself.  She trusted him now for new birth.  He gave her water that she wold never thirst again.  He calls us, saves us, sets us free.  This was a very private appeal.  It happened in his bedroom.  Eli did not know what was happening.  God was speaking directly to Samuel.  He jumps out of his bed and runs to Eli`s room.  There is quietness in his bedroom, no noise around him.  Has God ever spoken to you like that?  As you lay down at night and you thought to yourself "what if I never wakened, lifted my head again, where will my soul be for all eternity?"  Elijah in the cave witnessed the earthquake, heard the great wind sweeping across the mountainside, saw the fire that came yet he realised God was not in the earthquake, wind or fire but that God was in the still small voice.  Sometimes God speaks quietly and privately.  There is no set of circumstances to bar God.  God knows no limitations.  In the Old Testament scriptures King Belshazzar threw a great party and invited 1000 of his lords.  He spread the table with the tastiest of things, brought the cups from the house of God.  There was great merriment all around that night then all of a sudden he could see a hand writing on the wall.  A private message for him and him alone.  You can be sitting in the biggest of congregations yet God could speak to you and you only.  Maybe he is speaking directly now.  You are weighed in the balances and you are found wanting.

It was a personal call.  The God of heaven knew Samuel`s very name.  He knew his heart.  Everything about him.  He knew why he was there.  He calls him by name.  God calls us by name.  God knows about it.  He knows whether you are saved or not.  He knows whether you have turned from your sin, accepted Christ as Saviour.  He knows whether your name is written in the Lamb`s book of life or not.  This is a personal call.  Saul of Tarsus was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus.  He was going with letters to persecute the church.  He was brought to his knees on that road.  He heard a voice calling him "Saul, Saul."  God knew all about him.  Zacchaeus was sitting in the sycamore tree when God stopped at the bottom and told him to come down.  He named him directly.  God is saying to you and calls you by name.  Would you be man or woman enough to surrender your life to Christ?  Could you look back in your life when you trusted Christ as Saviour and Lord?

A prolonged appeal.  We read in this chapter that God comes to him 3 times.  3 times he heard this voice and 3 times he made the trip to Eli.  It was a prolonged appeal.  One of the most solemn verses of scripture is where God is speaking - Genesis 6 "my Spirit shall not always strive with man."  Some day he will stop calling you.  The Spirit of God strives and works.  There comes a time when he leaves.  He doesn`t give up without a battle.  A prolonged appeal.  In the days of Peter he spoke of the longsuffering of God in the days of Noah.  He was a preacher of righteousness.  He was given the task of building the ark.  He followed the design of God.  He was living among a people who were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.  These people had never experienced rain before.  Noah invited, preached and pleaded with the people.  They would not go into the ark.  God suffered long but then it ceased.

The advice that was given - verse 7.  "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord neither was the word of the Lord revealed unto him."  There was something about that voice that made him run to Eli.  Eli himself couldn`t understand it.  There are many standing behind the sacred desk who are keeping people back from God`s salvation.  They never had that experience of saving faith.  They know the scriptures but they will tell people there is no call for salvation.  They will tell people "you are a good person, you go to church, you take communion."  The advice you receive can keep you back from the Lord himself.  Is there someone hindering you from getting saved?  Eli was able to explain at the last calling who Samuel heard.  He realised it was God speaking directly to Samuel.  He told him if he heard God calling again he was to say "Speak Lord for thy servant heareth."  Have you heard God speaking to you in other meetings, on other nights?

The answer that came.  Eli said "Samuel if you hear this voice, if God calls again say to him speak Lord."  What great advice to give.  See Philip standing beside the Ethiopian eunich`s chariot watching him pondering the scriptures.  Philip stepped up and opened the scriptures and preached Christ to that man.  This same eunich asked later on "what doth hinder me to be baptised?"  Philip asked him "do you believe with all your heart that Christ has died and risen again?"  He said yes and was baptised that day.  There is an appeal made by God himself.  There is advice given by Eli but the answer had to come from Samuel

There is an appeal from God.  God waits at this moment for an answer.  What will you answer be?  Perhaps it will be "yes Lord I would love to be saved, to know Jesus Christ as my Saviour, to have that assurance."  Is God speaking to you right now?