Ephesians 4 v.1/16

In the 4^th Chapter of Ephesians Paul writes forcibly on the theme of unity.  He saw the Church as the family of brothers and sisters in Christ, and like earthly families wanting to meet together in their Father’s house. 

    

When a person joins a society or institution, one is expected to embrace the aims of that body and to act in a way which will never bring discredit. Paul always wanted the Church to be one that brought credit on Christianity.  Paul wanted us to act as he understood what Christ expected from the Church. 

When writing this Letter, he is in prison for the sake of the gospel and is pleading for Christians to live in a manner worthy of the unity and holiness to which they were called.       

He laid down some basics of the Christian faith. 

Humility, which means setting one’s life beside the example of Christ Himself. 

  

Gentleness, which means being angry for the right purposes, and not ever seeking to cause dissension. 

    

Peace, in that we seek to have good relationships with each other. 

Love, which is not the emotional kind, but that of a caring person, and withholding bitterness.

We are to hold one another up, to sustain and support each other, and to live according to the way God has spelled out in His Holy Word, holding to those principles. 

Paul laid out the ground rules for unity.  There is one body, Jesus being the head of the body.   

There is one Spirit, or we may call it breath.  If there is no breath the body will not function and the vitalising breath of the Church is the Spirit of Christ.  It is the work o the Spirit which keeps it alive.

There is one hope. We should all be striving towards the same goal or aim; such is the secret of unity. Oneness is essential in the Church.   Individual presentations may vary, but all should lead to the one purpose of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.  

There is one Lord. The ancient creed was ‘Jesus is Lord’ and it was the dream of God that a day would come when all would confess Jesus as that Lord, The word was understood to indicate a person as Master, and Christians were united in the possession and service of one master.  Paul had wonderful visions of a world turning to Christ with one baptism as acceptance of repentance and the confession of Jesus as Lord in the one faith. 

There is one faith. In the Bible faith means the complete trust and surrender of the Christian to Jesus and the following of his commands.  We are bound together in one because all have made a common act of complete surrender to the love of Christ.  We may well have a different act of worship, but there has to be one basis common to all.

There is one baptism. Paul saw the world turning to Christ with one baptism as an act of repentance and the confession of Jesus as Lord in one faith. In the early Church it was adult baptism because people made a confession publicly of faith. There was none of the practice of calling a Minister and saying a christening was wanted and then being told to turn up at a Church at a stated time and date when false promises would be made and accepted.  There was only one way to enter the Church, the way of public confession of Christ.

There is one God in whom we believe; whilst our God is King and Judge, he is also Father.  He is always in control no matter what things may look like; guiding, directing, loving, sustaining, up holding.  Yet people still fail to acknowledge God’s constant presence.  To some he is just meant to be a benevolent giver of all their desires, or someone to blame when things go wrong, although they cannot spare one hour in the week to worship him.

In 1984 there was a man created a bishop who denied the resurrection of our Lord in the most offensive and sneering terms. He was to be consecrated at York Minster much to the disgust of evangelical Christians.

On the night of that consecration York Minster went up in flames. There had been renovation work carried out and a new lightning conductor had been installed to protect the millions of pounds the renovation cost.  In addition, smoke detectors had been fitted around the building.

During the night a meteorological map showed the whole of Yorkshire had been clear, except for a very small cloud which should have produced only a few drops of rain which hovered over the Minster. Out of that cloud was a bolt of a million volt lightning without any thunder, and blew out the entire lightning system and smoke detectors.  The architect and sixteen meteorologists, none of them known to be believers all said that was God acting.

The Archbishop of York at that time commented that it not only was not God, it could not have been because God would never do such a thing; this showed he either did not know his Bible or chose to ignore it.

       

In verses 9/10 Jesus refers to Jesus descending and ascending. He meant Christ came into the world at our earthly level, and then ascended back to heaven here his presence can be given to so many more people than he could when here on earth.  

Paul lists the gifts Jesus gave for his Church, so we have a picture of the early Church.

The Apostles had authority through put the Church and their ministry was not confined to one place.  There was never more than twelve, but they began to die out, for to be an Apostle a man had seen Jesus and had witnessed the resurrection.  This is why Paul had to fight to maintain his claim to be an Apostle; which he based on having met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus.

The prophets were wanderers throughout the Church, proclaiming the will of God and forth telling his purpose.

The evangelists too were wanderers. They did not have the authority or prestige of Apostles; they were like itinerant preachers, or those who lead modern Crusade meetings.

Finally, there were the pastors, who like the present-day Ministers. cared for the people of their town or place.

Paul went on to speak of what could be expected of members of the Church, especially those who held some form of minor office. Paul emphasised that all members should use their personal gifts for the benefit of the Church.  Every gift we possess is in itself a gift from God.  Each person is unique in oneself, and what we are given is meant to be for the benefit of all.

We have people giving false teaching and we should all be prepared to test what is taught by searching the Scriptures, for false teaching will destroy the Church. Liberalism has entered the Church in Western nations with its trendy social issues, and is causing the Church to fall apart.  Confusion is caused as to what a person should believe, as activists are trying to replace the gospel on moral and social matters to comply with society’s standards.

Paul finally warned that there will always be those who need to be entertained with novelty.  This is so often extended to practices which frankly make the faith look and sound ridiculous.  God wants you to come to a place where there is stability and you will not be tossed around by every trendy wind.  Too many Christians are unstable because they have had no solid basis of doctrine and just don’t know what to believe or why.

The Church was built on the sure foundation of the teaching of the Apostles who were told by our Lord to go and teach all he had commanded.

We are called to worship the Lord with reverence and awe, and we do this by joyful praise and solid biblical preaching. We tell people God loves them and wants them all to be saved, for which purpose he sent Jesus to die on the Cross that their sins may be forgiven, which is the only way they can be saved and made fit for heaven; and we set examples by living respectable and decent lives and show ourselves to be worthy men and women followers of Jesus Christ

When we come together, we are expected to share those qualities Paul laid out.  There should never be disharmony amongst Christians, nationally or locally.

Anyone who has been in the Church for some time knows that no Church is perfect; there is usually one person who is a storm centre, who is not happy until total disruption is caused.  The Church can be a place of joy, but also one of heartache and pain.      

I have often been struck by the hypocrisy of weeks of Christian unity and I stopped attending years ago.  I am happy and always ready to join in worship with any fellow Christians in any Church.  When I first became a Christian, it was with a group of Christians in Kenya, where the members were from all different denominations and countries, of various ages and sex never having previously met, yet all one in Christ Jesus, enjoying and benefiting from being together. 

But now at gatherings in so called Christian unity weeks, each denomination tends to stay together and there is a refusal by some to have full Communion with other Christians.  If we are really sincere about unity, we have to be prepared to let it happen without reservation or conditions; which are not always practiced.

Paul thanked God for the Church, and that is something we should all do.  Our calling is to follow the example given by Paul so that we stand out in our communities. 

Let us all seek to have a Church, even if it just be our own local one, where the true gospel is taught as God intended; ready to support each other in times of trouble, ready to welcome strangers who come into our midst, and who are never reluctant to confess they are Christians.

This Sunday we celebrate as Bible Sunday; the day Churches thank God for His Word, and this year we also celebrate the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation which was 502 years ago on Thursday.

Martin Luther was a law student walking home when a violent thunderstorm took place and frightened him so much, he prayed that if delivered safe he would become a monk.  This he did and became a bible tutor at Wittenberg University in Germany.

The Roman Church at that time was using indulgences as it was held when a person died, they went to a place called purgatory whilst their ultimate fate was decided, but if you paid a sum of money to the Church, your soul would be released and go straight to heaven. It was even extended so that you could pay an indulgence for someone close, and further extended so you could pay for any sins you may commit in the future.  Then one day whilst studying Romans 1 he came to verse 16/17 where we are called not to be ashamed of the gospel. 

The Bible states, ‘do not be ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation’. But the Church from the very highest level is ashamed; it leaves a group of Muslim mothers to protest at the indoctrination of young children, a process being ordered by the government without parents being allowed to object. It is the church which should be protesting loud and vigorously.

The Gospel is that Jesus died on the Cross in order that we may be forgiven of our sins, he taking the penalty for us in order that God would accept us God as a righteous God hates sin, which separates us from him. We believe the gospel was the power of God for salvation.

The gospel tells us how God makes us as being righteous in his sight, through faith; it is through faith that this occurs.  Jesus didn’t deserve to die but did so for us; we don’t deserve to live, but can because of Jesus.

When Luther read this, he realized the corruption in the Church’s message, for one could be saved by just believing in Jesus Christ.  He then posted a list of 95 theses on the door of the Cathedral in which this was explained, and then had to be protected by retreating to a castle where they ensured his safety.

He was called before the Pope and Church leaders and told he must recant, but said the epic words, ‘my conscience is taken captive by the Word of God, I cannot recant so help me God.  Here I stand I can do no other.’ How wonderful if all clergy could say likewise when we are called to compromise on our preaching.  

Luther’s courage and brilliance of mind caused seismic reaction throughout the Church in Europe and across eventually the world, and still has effects today.  How dearly there is a need for a new Reformation in the Church today, which has capitulated to outside forces obsessed with causes which are abhorrent to Scripture, yet are readily accepted by the highest echelons of the Church.  How God must weep when he sees how his Church has let him down and betrayed him. This why we cannot expect God to bless the Church when it colludes with a decadent society.

There are multiple Churches where today will not be so recognized Bible Sunday, for their Ministers treat the day as just another Sunday.

We have to face the fact, however deplorable it is, that the bible is not given the recognition it merits, based on the fact the Bible is the heart of the service. The Bible has in fact been cast aside in places where it is preferred to bow to modern culture, so that we have leaders in the Church calling for the bible’s teaching of morality to be ruled as unacceptable.

Allied to this is the fact that the Bible has become less relevant, to even many people within the Church, including those whose duty is to teach the Scriptures.  Thereby, whereas once people might have thought twice before acting in consideration of what the Bible taught, there is less restraint.

For those of us who love the Church and want to see it grow, the present state is a matter for concern.  Congregations are generally falling due to members dying or becoming too unwell to attend, or just becoming disenchanted at the way the Church has departed from its origins.

The Church of England has less than a million members out of a nation of 66 million, and is losing members at a rate of 1,000 a week.  The Methodist Church is closing Churches by the week.

The Bible also states, ‘guard the gospel’. Jesus Christ created the Church and gave command to his Apostles to take into the world all he had taught and commanded them to do. We exist for that purpose and anything else is superfluous. Bible illiteracy is at an all -time high.

We may use the words of Paul when writing to the Galatian Church. “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God who called you to himself through the living mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the gospel but is not the gospel at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or an angel from heaven who preaches a different gospel than the one we preached to you”.

Paul told Timothy he is to preach in and out of season, meaning Timothy should use every opportunity of getting the gospel message out to people. Paul realised this would not be easy, for there were those who would not wish to hear anything which did not fit in with their way of thinking and more especially with their way of living.

There were preachers willing and desiring to give that teaching, they are called false preachers. This is so to-day which is why some are trying desperately hard to re-interpret the Bible to make it more acceptable.

The message we have for the world is centred upon the person of Jesus Christ and provides for a stable and well-balanced society.  In God’s plan the people who have been touched by the gospel have a role in influencing the world, to be as salt and light. God gave Himself in Christ for us.

God took the initiative because we are all sinners who cannot save ourselves and Jesus died on the cross, so that we could be saved. He died and laid on himself God’s judgement for all the sins of those who would believe on Him.

He is the only way. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. When we accept that sacrifice, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and changes us from within.

This is the gospel we should be guarding and proclaiming. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which must constantly be guarded. We have the responsibility to make sure that the message of the cross continues to go forth.

This tells us our faith is not like that which someone has made up, but rather comes from God.  Furthermore, it was given with the understanding that nothing needs to be added, amended or subtracted from.  Anyone who does so is a false teacher.   God will not ignore false teaching, and will pass judgement on such people.

When Christians lose the beliefs that have kept the Church together, they begin to fall apart and disintegrate.  It is fatuous and irrational to suggest that biblical injunctions which do not conform to modern requirements can be re-written.  If people are to be saved, they must know the truth.

But there is a basic question that we should all ask ourselves from time to time: Why do we go to church? Is it just to sing hymns or to meet other people, both of which are commendable?  But when you go to Church what do you hope to hear?  Is the sermon something you find boring and wish there was none? Or do you look forward to hearing an exposition of God’s Word’.  

The first Christian Church met for the purpose of hearing the teaching of the Apostles, for fellowship with other Christians, the partaking of Holy Communion.  This is a good example to follow.  We have that same teaching as they received, it is called the ‘New Testament’

The primary reason we attend Church on Sunday is to learn about God, to grow closer to Him and know how we can have a relationship with Him, all else is secondary. Knowing Christ, becoming like Christ, is what we are here for.    Knowing what God wants us to believe and do what God thinks.

If ever the Word of God was needed in its original unadulterated form, it is never more so than now.  We need to call people to turn back to God who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him. 

People are right to expect that the church will declare the Word of God as it was given, even if they choose to reject it. People have a right to hear the Word of God when they come to Church, but there is a reluctance to preach true Scripture.

There is a desperate need for a Church which will speak above culture, which is obsessed with issues of gender and sexuality; a Church which defines God’s order of creation as gender as being male and female; which proclaims the Bible’s definition of marriage as heterosexual between a man and a woman.

 A Church where the men and women in the pulpits are prepared to put God’s Laws above human law; where those men and women are not prepared to be afraid to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ and teach the gospel he delivered; and ready to confront the bullies who desire to silence them, even those within their own church.

People need to know there are still Ministers we really do believe what we say, and are not all hypocrites making our own rules as we go along.

We saw in the US recently how same-sex marriage is being used to clobber traditional marriage supporters and smash basic freedoms of speech and conscience. At an ‘LGBTQ Town Hall’ event broadcast by CNN, presidential hopefuls were falling over themselves to flash their ‘progressive’ credentials. Candidate Beto O’Rourke unflinchingly declared that churches, colleges and charities should lose their tax-exempt status if they opposed same-sex marriage: “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organisation in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.” One of the biggest cheers of the evening came when candidate Elizabeth Warren mocked believers in traditional marriage. Asked how she would respond to a supporter who approached her to say their faith teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman, she quipped: “Well, I’m going to assume it’s a guy who said that and I’m going to say, ‘Then just marry one woman. I’m cool with that – assuming you can find one.’” Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined in, tweeting her approval of the mean-spirited put-down. As we so often see, tolerance only goes one way as far as self-styled ‘progressives’ are concerned. Equality and anti-discrimination legislation is being weaponised against those who hold to the traditional definition of marriage. Leaders need to remember that human rights and basic liberties are for everyone, including those who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. If the Democrats should win the PRESIDENTIAL Election I would imagine we would be saying God Help America rather than God bless.  From Nancy Pelosi downwards the Democrats seem to oppose traditional values, and in an unpleasant way.

The Epistle for this Sunday is taken from 2 Timothy 3v.16 to 4 v.5

All Scripture is inspired by God. The important word is all. There are so many people within the Church, clerical and lay, who are prepared to settle for less.  Moral values clearly laid out in the Bible are set aside to cater for indulging or condoning in behaviour and ways which are contradictory to Scriptural teaching.

     When you buy something, which is under guarantee or warranty, you are given a manual which instructs how you are to look after and care for that article.  If you do not conform to the terms the person who made the article is not obliged to do anything to help and you have no rights about which to protest.

     The maker of the world has laid down the terms in His manual and if people do not conform to those terms, they can have no reason to complain when turmoil occurs.   

      Such a scene is like that which obtains in our society to-day and  is described  in the opening verses of this chapter, and reflects the situation taking place in many Western countries now, where people have become lovers of pleasure, with God having no place in their lives, living as if God did not exist.  But when we give God up, He gives us up, and that should be a matter of concern.  A recent poll suggested we were the most godless nation in the world after Japan

      It is not a coincidence, it is fact, that as the Bible has become so irrelevant to so many people, life has become so much more coarse and immoral, and we have a breakdown in society.  There seems to be no sense of shame on the part of many people, even those in the public eye.  Allied to this is the fact that the Bible has become less relevant even to many people within the Church, including those whose duty is to teach the Scriptures.  Thereby, where as once people might have thought twice before acting in consideration of what the Bible taught, there is less restraint.

     Timothy had been taught the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother, and whilst this was from the Old Testament, in addition had been given teaching by Peter and Paul who between them had written most of the New, so Timothy had most of our Bible available to him.

     Paul advises Timothy of the importance of all Scripture. We are told God inspired and guided forty men, using their different characters and occupations, to write the Scriptures which would be His message to the world.  We can reasonably presume that if God gave us these words, He would not have done so just to fill pages, but meant us to take note of all that was given.  The modern idea of pick and mix, as if one is choosing sweets and cast aside that which is not pleasant to one’s taste, is not acceptable.

     Timothy is called upon to reprove, rebuke and exhort, which in fact is the task of all preachers. In other words, we have to be concerned with mind, will and emotions by correcting wrong thinking, pointing out what is wrong in behaviour and attitudes, and encouraging those depressed.  This has to be done with caring, but positive words.

     When I was first ordained my Vicar asked me to attend various house groups where bible studies were being held.  I was amazed at the lack of knowledge and understanding of the Bible.   Over the years I have come to realise how few people, even within the Church, have only a limited knowledge of the Bible.  Inevitably one must conclude that biblical ministry is failing.  Indeed, I have been to services and wonder what the purpose of the service was.  I have heard a summary of the Vicar’s reading material, or some personal experiences. This is not what sermons are for.

     But there is a basic question that we should all ask ourselves from time to time: Why do we go to church? Is it just to sing hymns or to meet other people, both of which are commendable?  But when you go to Church what do you hope to hear?  Is the sermon something you find boring and wish there was none? Or do you look forward to hearing an exposition of God’s Word’. 
      The first Christian Church met for the purpose of hearing the teaching of the Apostles, for fellowship with other Christians, the partaking of Holy Communion.  This is a good example to follow.  We have that same teaching as they received, it is called the ‘New Testament’

     The primary reason we attend Church on Sunday is to learn about God, to grow closer to Him and know how we can have a relationship with Him, all else is secondary. Knowing Christ, becoming like Christ, is what we are here for.    Knowing what God wants us to believe and do what God thinks.

     The only contact the majority of people who attend our Churches have with the Bible is hearing it read in the lessons at the service.  This means that there is added compulsion placed on preachers to fully explain the Scriptures.

     I have heard preachers begin their sermons by stating ‘I was considering what to preach this morning’.  In the first words of Chapter 4 of his letter to Timothy, Paul gives a clue.  He states, ‘preach the Word’.  By this he explains he means sound doctrine, in other words telling people not what they want to hear but what they need to hear.

     Sound doctrine means teaching what God has laid down in Scripture, which is often forsaken in order to avoid telling people what they don’t want to hear and substituting it for what they want to hear, something that makes them feel happy and relieving them of guilty consciences and making them feel comfortable with their way of living.  Sound doctrine aims to correct faulty belief and calls for faithfulness to God’s Word.  There are people who expect the Church to be like a spiritual dispensary giving out soothing words. 

     There is a reluctance by clergy to speak out for fear of being labelled as a bigot or being discriminatory.   It is  true to say Christian preachers tend to modify teaching of traditional values to appeal to contemporary thinking, and for fear of offending one of the many discrimination laws promoted equally vigorously by vociferous minorities, so falling foul of the law, which is not enforced against other faiths with the same enthusiasm as against Christian preachers.

     All this causes a problem for parish priests, and especially for visiting preachers.  We face a problem and none more so than those of us who want to be true to Scripture, when not everyone is prepared to accept what is written

    It is hard to quote the Bible without someone saying ‘Oh you shouldn’t say that.’  The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no other name under heaven except Jesus Christ’.  The Bible states’ Jesus said no one can come to the Father except through me’, yet many preachers are dodging quoting this.  If we avoid telling these verses how are people ever to come to know the gospel. We should not heed such warnings.

     This tells us our faith is not like other faiths which someone has made up, but rather comes from God.  Furthermore, it was given with the understanding that nothing needs to be added, amended or subtracted from.  Anyone who does so is a false teacher.   God will not ignore false teaching, and will pass judgement on such people.

     By telling Timothy he is to preach in and out of season, he is meaning Timothy should use every opportunity of getting the gospel message out to people. Paul realised this would not be easy, for there were those who would not wish to hear anything which did not fit in with their way of thinking and more especially with their way of living. There were preachers willing and desiring to give that teaching, they are called ‘false preachers’. This is so to-day which is why some are tying desperately hard to re-interpret the Bible to make it more acceptable.

     If ever the Word of God was needed in its original unadulterated form, it is never more so than now.  We need to call to people to turn back to God who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him. People are right to expect that the church will declare the Word of God as it was given, even if they choose to reject it.. They need to know that we really do believe what we say we believe and are not a lot of hypocrites making our own rules as we go along.

     The message we have for the world is centred upon the person of Jesus Christ and provides for a stable and well balanced society.  In God’s plan the people who have been touched by the gospel have a role in influencing the world, to be as salt and light. 

      When I was ordained as a priest in the Church of England, I was asked to affirm that I believed the Bible contained all doctrine require for salvation and I would teach only that in Scripture  and banish doctrines contrary to God’s Word.  The Bishop then gave me authority ‘to preach the Word of God’.  Why do so many renege on their vow?  I heard a Vicar state from the pulpit that she didn’t think the Bible should be taken literally.  What happened to her ordination vows?  Can you imagine a Muslim preacher challenging the authority of the Koran?   We need the Bible to have a relationship with God and it brings us into the presence of God. 

     When Christians lose the beliefs that have kept the Church together, they begin to fall apart and disintegrate.  It is fatuous and irrational to suggest that biblical injunctions which do not conform to modern requirements can be re-written.  If people are to be saved they must know the truth.   

     Preachers must give a strong but simple message, and congregations must be prepared to listen and not expect to be just entertained. Paul is indicating that all sermons should be expositions of the Bible and not on other topics or personal meanderings. If we fail to do this, we lose our right to be here, for we then become no different from any other social organisation. 

     The world’s greatest need is to hear about Jesus Christ. The bible must be the supreme court of the church, the final authority in all matters, and contains all we need to fulfil that need. If we are to face the challenges of our time, the Church and all Christians have to be people of the Bible.

.

All Scripture is inspired by God. The important word is all. There are so many people within the Church, clerical and lay, who are prepared to settle for less.  Moral values clearly laid out in the Bible are set aside to cater for indulging or condoning in behaviour and ways which are contradictory to Scriptural teaching.

     When you buy something, which is under guarantee or warranty, you are given a manual which instructs how you are to look after and care for that article.  If you do not conform to the terms the person who made the article is not obliged to do anything to help and you have no rights about which to protest.

     The maker of the world has laid down the terms in His manual and if people do not conform to those terms, they can have no reason to complain when turmoil occurs.   

      Such a scene is like that which obtains in our society to-day and  is described  in the opening verses of this chapter, and reflects the situation taking place in many Western countries now, where people have become lovers of pleasure, with God having no place in their lives, living as if God did not exist.  But when we give God up, He gives us up, and that should be a matter of concern.  A recent poll suggested we were the most godless nation in the world after Japan

      It is not a coincidence, it is fact, that as the Bible has become so irrelevant to so many people, life has become so much more coarse and immoral, and we have a breakdown in society.  There seems to be no sense of shame on the part of many people, even those in the public eye.  Allied to this is the fact that the Bible has become less relevant even to many people within the Church, including those whose duty is to teach the Scriptures.  Thereby, where as once people might have thought twice before acting in consideration of what the Bible taught, there is less restraint.

     Timothy had been taught the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother, and whilst this was from the Old Testament, in addition had been given teaching by Peter and Paul who between them had written most of the New, so Timothy had most of our Bible available to him.

     Paul advises Timothy of the importance of all Scripture. We are told God inspired and guided forty men, using their different characters and occupations, to write the Scriptures which would be His message to the world.  We can reasonably presume that if God gave us these words, He would not have done so just to fill pages, but meant us to take note of all that was given.  The modern idea of pick and mix, as if one is choosing sweets and cast aside that which is not pleasant to one’s taste, is not acceptable.

     Timothy is called upon to reprove, rebuke and exhort, which in fact is the task of all preachers. In other words, we have to be concerned with mind, will and emotions by correcting wrong thinking, pointing out what is wrong in behaviour and attitudes, and encouraging those depressed.  This has to be done with caring, but positive words.

     When I was first ordained my Vicar asked me to attend various house groups where bible studies were being held.  I was amazed at the lack of knowledge and understanding of the Bible.   Over the years I have come to realise how few people, even within the Church, have only a limited knowledge of the Bible.  Inevitably one must conclude that biblical ministry is failing.  Indeed, I have been to services and wonder what the purpose of the service was.  I have heard a summary of the Vicar’s reading material, or some personal experiences. This is not what sermons are for.

     But there is a basic question that we should all ask ourselves from time to time: Why do we go to church? Is it just to sing hymns or to meet other people, both of which are commendable?  But when you go to Church what do you hope to hear?  Is the sermon something you find boring and wish there was none? Or do you look forward to hearing an exposition of God’s Word’. 
      The first Christian Church met for the purpose of hearing the teaching of the Apostles, for fellowship with other Christians, the partaking of Holy Communion.  This is a good example to follow.  We have that same teaching as they received, it is called the ‘New Testament’

     The primary reason we attend Church on Sunday is to learn about God, to grow closer to Him and know how we can have a relationship with Him, all else is secondary. Knowing Christ, becoming like Christ, is what we are here for.    Knowing what God wants us to believe and do what God thinks.

     The only contact the majority of people who attend our Churches have with the Bible is hearing it read in the lessons at the service.  This means that there is added compulsion placed on preachers to fully explain the Scriptures.

     I have heard preachers begin their sermons by stating ‘I was considering what to preach this morning’.  In the first words of Chapter 4 of his letter to Timothy, Paul gives a clue.  He states, ‘preach the Word’.  By this he explains he means sound doctrine, in other words telling people not what they want to hear but what they need to hear.

     Sound doctrine means teaching what God has laid down in Scripture, which is often forsaken in order to avoid telling people what they don’t want to hear and substituting it for what they want to hear, something that makes them feel happy and relieving them of guilty consciences and making them feel comfortable with their way of living.  Sound doctrine aims to correct faulty belief and calls for faithfulness to God’s Word.  There are people who expect the Church to be like a spiritual dispensary giving out soothing words. 

     There is a reluctance by clergy to speak out for fear of being labelled as a bigot or being discriminatory.   It is  true to say Christian preachers tend to modify teaching of traditional values to appeal to contemporary thinking, and for fear of offending one of the many discrimination laws promoted equally vigorously by vociferous minorities, so falling foul of the law, which is not enforced against other faiths with the same enthusiasm as against Christian preachers.

     All this causes a problem for parish priests, and especially for visiting preachers.  We face a problem and none more so than those of us who want to be true to Scripture, when not everyone is prepared to accept what is written

    It is hard to quote the Bible without someone saying ‘Oh you shouldn’t say that.’  The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no other name under heaven except Jesus Christ’.  The Bible states’ Jesus said no one can come to the Father except through me’, yet many preachers are dodging quoting this.  If we avoid telling these verses how are people ever to come to know the gospel. We should not heed such warnings.

     This tells us our faith is not like other faiths which someone has made up, but rather comes from God.  Furthermore, it was given with the understanding that nothing needs to be added, amended or subtracted from.  Anyone who does so is a false teacher.   God will not ignore false teaching, and will pass judgement on such people.

     By telling Timothy he is to preach in and out of season, he is meaning Timothy should use every opportunity of getting the gospel message out to people. Paul realised this would not be easy, for there were those who would not wish to hear anything which did not fit in with their way of thinking and more especially with their way of living. There were preachers willing and desiring to give that teaching, they are called ‘false preachers’. This is so to-day which is why some are tying desperately hard to re-interpret the Bible to make it more acceptable.

     If ever the Word of God was needed in its original unadulterated form, it is never more so than now.  We need to call to people to turn back to God who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him. People are right to expect that the church will declare the Word of God as it was given, even if they choose to reject it.. They need to know that we really do believe what we say we believe and are not a lot of hypocrites making our own rules as we go along.

     The message we have for the world is centred upon the person of Jesus Christ and provides for a stable and well balanced society.  In God’s plan the people who have been touched by the gospel have a role in influencing the world, to be as salt and light. 

      When I was ordained as a priest in the Church of England, I was asked to affirm that I believed the Bible contained all doctrine require for salvation and I would teach only that in Scripture  and banish doctrines contrary to God’s Word.  The Bishop then gave me authority ‘to preach the Word of God’.  Why do so many renege on their vow?  I heard a Vicar state from the pulpit that she didn’t think the Bible should be taken literally.  What happened to her ordination vows?  Can you imagine a Muslim preacher challenging the authority of the Koran?   We need the Bible to have a relationship with God and it brings us into the presence of God. 

     When Christians lose the beliefs that have kept the Church together, they begin to fall apart and disintegrate.  It is fatuous and irrational to suggest that biblical injunctions which do not conform to modern requirements can be re-written.  If people are to be saved they must know the truth.   

     Preachers must give a strong but simple message, and congregations must be prepared to listen and not expect to be just entertained. Paul is indicating that all sermons should be expositions of the Bible and not on other topics or personal meanderings. If we fail to do this, we lose our right to be here, for we then become no different from any other social organisation. 

     The world’s greatest need is to hear about Jesus Christ. The bible must be the supreme court of the church, the final authority in all matters, and contains all we need to fulfil that need. If we are to face the challenges of our time, the Church and all Christians have to be people of the Bible.

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Home. Marriage. Family

‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’.
(Joshua 24 v.15)
Joshua was nearing the end of his life, so one day he called the leaders of the people together at Shechem to deliver a final message. This was a most important place in Jewish history. Abraham had first settled there, Jacob bought land, and Joseph was buried there

Joshua was a great military leader who had served under Moses for forty years and when Moses died he became leader for a further twenty five years. At this time Israel had come to a crucial point in its history. They had faced tyranny in Egypt but God had saved and rescued them, God had given them the land of Canaan a good land flowing with milk and honey, and continually blessed them, and led them where they had been able to settle down, but problems had arisen.

As peoples throughout time have behaved, once the hard times were over, they began to fall away from and forget God. History is full of instances where people have turned to God for His help in times of difficulty, but when He has answered, His usefulness to them has been laid aside. In this case, the Israelites began to fraternise with other peoples so betraying God, and even started to worship idols. Joshua warned them they were guilty of idolatry told them the faced the wrath of God.

We all have to make a choice in this life. Joshua was quite clear he had made one and for Him it was quite definite, he and his family would serve the Lord. The choice we make will decide our eternal future, so we should think deeply.

Joshua’s words have a resonance for us today. We too have to reflect on our lives and face the choice God gives to us, He gives us free will. Everyone has to decide whether to serve God, or the gods of our time. Life is constantly calling on us to make choices, and God allows us to say either yes or no, but we must face the consequences if we make the wrong decision,. Many people do not wish to consider, but will one day regret not doing so. Fundamentally it is a case of serving the Lord or His adversary the devil, and so many people are quite happy to serve the latter.

We may not have the same idols as gods as did the Jews, but we have our own modern day gods. Whilst many people today may not even have heard of the Ten Commandments, one reminds God said we should have no other gods but Him.

People believe they can do without God. They live as if there was no tomorrow. Following God is a personal decision you must make for yourself, no one else can make it for you. It has to be accepted however that it may mean personal sacrifices have to be made, we must remain faithful to Him, and give up doing things which are wrong in His sight. So we must consider our priorities.

We are facing a time of ungodliness. On every front there is an anti-Christian bias. Discord and discouragement is being sown in the lives of Christian people. We have to resist on every front so as to maintain a Christian faith and presence.

n our schools and universities, and in intellectual circles the Bible is seen as some form of hate literature, and religious studies have to include other faiths in as much, if not more so, than Christianity.

The Courts favour those who challenge Christian expression in every case taken before them and reflect no credit on the judiciary who seem determined to eradicate Christian faith from public life.

‘A nation is only as strong as its homes’, said Abraham Lincoln, and today our homes are reflecting the state of the our nation, which is in the deteriorating state of moral and social decay, which should make us fear for the future of our children and grandchildren.

The home now doesn’t mean as much today as it used to do, and to so many people the idea of two people (of different sex) being married as the ideal is old fashioned and rather stupid. .

Marriage was built on the foundations of the Bible, but one Prime Minister forced through the legislation which re-defined marriage to include people of the same sex. He now states he did not realise the furore it would cause and regrets having done so, which only goes to reveal how stupid and out of touch with normal people he is.

We have so much unhappiness and trouble in the home today because we've got away from God's laws, rules, and regulations governing marriage, When God performed the first marriage, He laid down the rules, and He said if you want to have a happy home, obey these rules. If you want to have trouble, disobey them.

The Bible says listen to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. We can learn so much from Jewish parenthood. Father’s teaching to his children of the Ten Commandments, one for each of the ten fingers, and the history of the Jewish people from the Old Testament, and the mother controlling behaviour. I have never known nor heard of a Jewish child being involved in violent disorder or crime. When I have sought an answer, I have been told it is because of the Jewish Mama in the home.

Mothers can indeed have a great effect on children. I was often required to be away from the home for long hours, and it is a great tribute to my wife that two of my sons became ordained, and have proved to be very wonderful and successful Ministers

Far too many children are left to their own devices. How can teenagers roam the streets drunk and threatening people, stabbing other teenagers, and forming life threatening other gangs, without the parents knowing of it. So why don’t they do something about it

Christian standards have gone from many homes. Everywhere, people search for happiness from the wrong things and wrong places. Many criminals have come from homes where there has been no peace, no discipline nor Christian values or teaching. The biggest cause of young criminals is due to marital breakdown and separation

If any country is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted. Marriage and the home are firmly part of those roots. When the founding principles are eroded, and the morality and biblical fundamentals are taken away, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing and we are seeing some of the consequences developing.

As Christians, we have a commitment to serve God. Just as Joshua reminded the Jews of all God had done for them, so must we reflect on all that which God has done for us, and respond accordingly. God speaks to us from the past, to show us the sins His people committed in order to help us decide. God is still speaking. We can either listen or ignore.

Joshua made his choice, let us make ours, and say, ‘we will serve the Lord

C

United Kingdom speech suppression (2)

Please read this story of what is actually happening in England today. Such is worthy in any totalitarian State and one can only wonder why such teachers are not investigated for child cruelty. Two young children taken from their classroom and made to sit alone for five hours then banned from the school for five days because they did not want to hear teaching of homosexuality, and were called a disgrace by the headteacher.

Kaysey and Farrell were in Year 5 at Heavers Farm school. During yet another LGBT-themed lesson, they asked to be excused. A conversation with their teacher about LGBT issues followed. From there things escalated. The children were labelled 'a disgrace to the school' by the headteacher in front of the class, then interrogated in separate rooms, made to sit in isolation for five hours, and later excluded for five days - a punishment usually reserved for pupils who have assaulted a teacher. That is a lot to bear when you are just ten years old. And it's a lot to bear if you are a parent of a ten-year-old. It is a stark picture of the times we're living in. But with the sexualisation agenda sweeping through schools, and the government introducing compulsory Relationships Education in primary schools from next year, this could be just the beginning. Children need to be taught the alternative - God's beautiful pattern for marriage and family. And we need to be ready to stand with the next Kaysey and Farrell, and their families, in their time of need.  Christian Concern Legal Team are helping Kaysey and Farrell's families challenge the decision to exclude them, and over the summer have been hard at work to make sure that these precious children have safe places to continue their education, away from this intolerant agenda. Kaysey explained how far the school went - even showing pupils a video of an 11-year-old boy having surgery to 'become a girl': "The teacher was teaching us that if you don’t feel comfortable of the way you are, you could always change yourself." Kaysey described how upset and disturbed the children were by the video and explained that the teacher had to turn it off. After her exclusion she explained: "I’m not a bad child. I’m trying to speak up for what is right because I think what my headteacher is doing is wrong." But Kaysey's school is not alone - sexual chaos is being taught at other schools too. For example, hundreds of schools are using material that teaches six-year-olds about 'self-stimulation'. This is the view of the world that children are being presented with.