Mark 8 v31/38

 Jesus is with his Apostles making his way to Jerusalem and the Cross. He shocks them by saying he must suffer, be killed and rise again.  He meant this was necessary to fulfil the purpose for which God sent him into the world; it was necessary for him to make atonement for man’s sin, for without his blood being shed there could not be any remission.  Without the Cross God’s holy law could not be satisfied.  Jesus must die that we might live

 This is at the heart of Christian faith and we must always be aware of the truth. This was the message Jesus taught his Apostles and they took it to the world as the foundation of our faith.

 Peter had shortly before made the famous confession of Jesus as Lord, for which Jesus blessed him, but now he faces the wrath of Jesus.  Peter did not mean to offend Jesus, he was just shocked that Jesus had to suffer so much and die, but Jesus suggested Peter had been influenced by the devil in one of the greatest recorded rebukes.

 Jesus then spelled out what being one of his followers would mean. He always made clear that there would be a cost involved, and never offered cheap grace.  Salvation is all of grace, offered to sinners who repent freely; by grace we are saved through faith, but all who want salvation must demonstrate the sincerity of their faith by carrying a cross.

 There will inevitably be suffering when you decide to follow Jesus.  You will lose friends, be mocked, frozen from groups, treated as going through some strange illness. You could indulge the world’s pleasures and be thought a grand person, get involved in any form of morality, but if you are seen as religious or read the bible, you become a person no one wants to be with.  Yet bizarrely such perverse attitude does not apply to followers of the ethnic faiths.

 All Christians need to realise the challenge we face.  We must see we are engaged on a battlefield not a playground as we meet an evil world which wants to force us into a private sect.

 Jesus called the crowd to him and told them whoever loved his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ and the gospel’s sake would save it.  He meant that the one who lives a self centred life focused on this world will not find eternal life with God, but if you give up worldly pleasures and a life of self rebellion against God for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, will find everlasting communion with God.

 Our bodies have a soul or spirit within, and the soul is the image of God, which in turn means eternal life, for when we  the body becomes detached from the soul, which lives on in either heaven or hell.  So many people go to great length to protect their body, take all sorts of measures to make sure it is cared for, but ignore the soul.  They never look at the bible for guidance, and ignore God, who has no place in their hearts or minds.

 We all have souls for which we will have to give account to God; it is an awful thought when we consider how little attention is given to anything except this world.

 We can all lose it in many ways, by loving sin and cleaving to the world; poison it by choosing a religion of lies; believing man made superstitions; neglecting all means of grace and refusing to believe the gospel.  Whichever way is chosen, the responsibility falls to each person. Of all foolish and unprofitable bargains one can make,the biggest is to give up the soul for the present world.

 People are claiming to be Christians, attending Church, even preaching within them, but living unworthy lives in complete defiance of what God has laid down in His Word.

 Jesus taught there were two roads in life and each of us must travel on one; one is broad and most people are inclined to follow that road with all worldly goods and thrills, whilst the other road is narrow and fewer take that one, for it means living a godly way of life with restrictions on how you journey.

 There is now much reluctance to accepting belief in a hell, although most everyone accepts there is a heaven, to which all believe they are heading irrespective of how they lived their lives. There is going to be such disappointment one day.  Jesus in his parables made clear two roads, two destinies, sheep and goats, tares and wheat.  All Christians should make sure those nearest and dearest to them are aware of this.  Whenever Jesus spoke of heaven, he also referred to the alternative as hell.

 I have stated so many times I think it shameful as well as cruel, for the Churches to let people live under such a delusion and create liturgy which virtually assures people that a person can separate themselves from God, have no association with him, and yet still receive salvation. To say such is to flagrantly teach false doctrine, for the bible is quite unequivocal and patently clear, it means accepting Jesus death on the Cross was the price he paid for their sins.  The Bible states, salvation is found under no other name under heaven than Jesus.

 Jesus pictured a field with the good seed representing his gospel, and the tares were the seeds of the devil, and a lot of people are prepared to sell their souls to follow a hedonistic lifestyle.  But God is long suffering and wants all people to be saved, which is why He calls on all to repent and turn to Jesus.  Everyone has to make a decisive decision, remembering hell is total separation from God.  The alternative is to spend eternity with Jesus, who makes the final judgement on death when we will be called to account for our life before him.

 Let these words of our Lord sink deep into our hearts, yet words are inadequate to express their importance;  remember them when temptation present itself and the matter of the soul seems of no importance.

 The final call of Paul in our passage is for people never to be ashamed of the gospel. How many Church members are embarrassed when asked if they believe?  Indeed how many are ready to acknowledge they attend Church?  How reluctant to answer if asked to give our opinion on moral questions?   If you are not ashamed, you are ready to speak out about your faith. 

Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.

 We may offer what is hard for sceptics to believe, but that should not stop us telling it.  When we tell how God took a young Jewish girl and caused her to conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit; that when this child became man He performed miraculous deeds and eventually gave His life by a cruel death on a Cross, in order that God would forgive people of their sins: that three days late would rise from the dead as a sign that one day all who believe in Him and accept Him as Saviour, would live eventually with Him in heaven.

 The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to be crucified for our sins in order to reconcile us to God.  Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story?  We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable.  But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of. 

 The reason he is not ashamed is,-- because the gospel is the power of God leading to salvation for all who believe.

 Always bear in mind that only Christianity has a Cross at the centre of its faith. Only Jesus suffered an horrific death on the Cross as a Saviour.

 Let us all pray for faith and courage to confess Christ before the world and never be ashamed of him who died for us on the Cross.

 

 God said, (to Israel), ‘for you are a people holy to the Lord your God.  The Lord your God has chosen you out of  all the earth to be His people’.  (Deuteronomy 7 v6)

 It is being reported that Israel is the world’s most successful nation in dealing with the virus. Having produced its own vaccine, which only requires one jab, is cheap and they can supply the needs of the world. The country’s population has been vaccinated, and rules are being enforced in what has been described as ‘draconian’, or to put it more realistically, the population is being made to understand its responsibility.  

 Why is it so many people dislike and attack Jews and Israel without having any clear idea why they do so, and obviously know little or nothing about either, How many of the followers of Labour know one of the major influences of Socialism was a Jew?

 There is constant criticism of Israel’s attitude to the Palestinians by Labour politicians, but they fail to tell, that many Palestinian workers are employed by Jewish traders and would be without means of living,  if otherwise unemployed.

 A Vicar in the Church of England did for a number of years, carry out a very anti-Jewish campaign on his social media site.  At one time he overstretched himself by going too  far, by alleging that Jews were somewhere complicit in the 9/11 attacks in America. He openly supported those groups opposed to Israel. 

 I cannot understand why any ordained priest (or Minister of other Christian faiths) can attack Israel, especially one who claims to be evangelical.  We worship the God if Israel; we worship a Jewish Saviour, and preach from a book written by Jews.

Last month the world remembered the Holocaust and the 76^th anniversary of the freeing of Auschwitz, with the recalling of the horrors and scenes of heartbreaking emotions.  It is almost impossible to imagine any human committing such atrocities against another human simply because one was a Jew.

 History has been amended or erased from people’s minds, that in 1938 the American President Roosevelt called an International Conference in Geneva to discuss what action could be taken to save the Jewish people from persecution in Germany.  Of the 82 nations attending, only the Dominican Republic offered to help Jews into their country.  This was seen by the Nazis as a free hand being given, and Hitler boasted that the Jews would disappear. 

In 1948 as the Jews began to return to the land of their inheritance in Israel, despite opposition, they faced a land which Mark Twain once described as a wasteland.  The country was swamp filled with malaria rampant, which the new Jewish settlers wiped out without using chemicals, and planted vineyards, growing citrus fruits, creating cherry tomatoes and special shed to protect products from the climate. 

 Over the years Jews have dominated in major professions.  In the world of medicine pioneering cancer treatment, creating vaccines, restoring sight with the bionic eye, treatment for diabetes with insulin, and aspirin for pain.

In the world of science and technology, produced chips for telephones, keyboards; Einstein discovered the theory of relativity, and won more Nobel peace prizes than any other nation.In the world of arts and banking they have excelled.

 In all these fields they have been ready to share their knowledge with other nations.

Consider that Jewish medical teams were treating Syrian civil war victims, and when a British Minister directed foreign funds to help, she was dismissed from her Office. In fact, Israel sends medical teams out regularly into African nations to help them.

 It is the only real democracy in the Middle East, and the only nation where Christians can display their faith without arrest or persecution.

Despite this being so, the nation does not appear to have many friends beyond America. and even there, the present President does not seem to have the same commitment to Israel as his predecessor.

 The former President (Trump) did much to try and bring stability to the area by encouraging and initiating dialogue with other Arab nations to such extent diplomatic relations were restored. I don’t foresee anything from the present President happening.

 In Britain, during the repeated clashes between Palestine and Israel, the BBC has been less than impartial as prominence has been given to showing the damage caused by Israeli forces, without mentioning this was in response to attacks on its territory.  Palestinian spokesmen have rightly been given air time to state their case, which has been subject to less severe interviewing than to the more measured tones of the Israeli spokesman,

 They were God’s chosen people from the first Biblical times, and God promised that as long as the earth existed He would never abandon them, and history has shown when world leaders rejected Israel, they were not leaders for very long after. 

We are now seeing a new wave of anti Semitism spreading across Europe the old Juden frei is replaced by Zionist frei.  Protests are being organised to boycott Jewish shops, and in Leicester (England), references were made of Israeli impurity, and several places have refused to stock products made in Israel.  The irony is that is that the factories in Israel employ Arab labour so giving employment to many who would otherwise have none.

 Sadly people are being led astray by zealots who have some unjustifiable hatred of Jews without a corresponding reason for that feeling.

 As a consequence of such hostility and personal abuse on individual Jewish people by mindless people in this ‘me too’ generation, who just have to latch on to any craze of the moment, many Jews are preparing to leave this country of their birth which is regrettable and totally heartless. What kind of person throws eggs from a passing car at a Jewish woman, walking quietly along a street in Manchest?

Jewish children are being bombarded with unpleasant comments; imagine the uproar if this happened to Muslim children, which would have been equally offensive.

 Israel, like any other nation is not perfect and when attacked can be very aggressive in retaliation, but invariably it is another nation which first starts aggression.  If Scottish Nationalists started lobbing rockets on to England, as some of them it would seem would like to do, there is no doubt we would start lobbing them back.

 In 1993 Israel ceded the territory of Gaza to the Palestine National Assembly following an agreement in Oslo, which was seen as a gesture of the desire for peace in the region.  Sadly that has failed in the intention for there has been constant stri,

 When territorial and other disputes surface, our government rather tends to not support Israel.  However, a fascinating fact of history is that numerous British Prime Ministers who took sides against Israel, all subsequently suffered political defeat.  Is that purely coincidental?

 We must all desire to live alongside each other irrespective of part. When rouble breaks out as it frequently does between Palestine and Israel, it is always the Jews who get the bad press, especially from the blinkered BBC. But it is not normally Israel who starts it by lobbing rockets over civilians, and by tempting Israel’s known culture of severe response, the nations whose stated aim is to wipe Israel off the map is self- defeating.  

If there is a feeling of self- righteousness amongst anti Israelis and such a feeling of hostility to Israel, why not take part in discussion instead of aggressive protests when Pro Israel meetings are held.

 We must pray that both nations will strive to maintain a peace accord, but this can never happen if one party seeks to eliminate the other.  It is in the interests of each nation’s population to accept each other’s right to exist, even if they find it hard to be amicable about it.  How can life be pleasant for either nation if the threat of more violence is let loose on innocent people of each country?

 

                     Mark 4 v 26-34

I would like you to turn with me to the 4^th Chapter of Mark’s gospel beginning at verse 26.  Here we have one of two parables from today’s gospel reading. 

Whenever Jesus was giving a sermon He used a parable with a topical illustration and taught simply. He would use nature subjects such as birds, trees, flowers.  This first parable is all about growth. 

A farmer will sow seed and then go away and leave it to grow on its own, the secret of growth lying within the seed, which will develop under its own power.  The farmer will return to collect the harvest, when he will separate the good produce from the weeds. 

 Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like this.  The term ‘Kingdom of God’, is where God’s will is perfectly done.  Each parable does of course have a spiritual meaning.  Just as the farmer cannot make the seed grow, we cannot make the Kingdom of God grow on our own.  God has given us His Word, the Bible, and as we study and meditate on it we will then be able to play our part in making it grow.

We need to follow the farmer analogy as we consider Church growth.  We should first let the Word of God be preached and then allow time for it to root and grow. There is no point in trying to rush things.   

The Bible contains the very presence of Christ Himself There is something inside the Bible that when it is planted into a person’s heart, the interest in Christ begins to grow.   The Bible has a mysterious power.  That is why it is so essential that preachers should faithfully prepare and preach that Word. 

I have been able to listen to some wonderful preachers from across the world and it is uplifting to come from hearing them.  Sadly, I too often listen to preachers who waffle on about all manner of things, and seem to be preachers for their own glorification. 

Just as nature’s growth is so powerful, so is Gods’ Word to change lives.  This is why coming to Church is so important.   Most people have not recognised the treasure which is the Christian gospel. The vast majority of people have not got their priorities right.

People have great excuses not to come to church. They tell me that you do not have to go to church to be a Christian, but they are not at home on a Sunday morning doing bible study by themselves. They are not involved in serving God. They have chosen that other things are more important. Usually they have made a choice that other things, not spiritual things, are more important to them.
They make a choice for themselves, sadly they also make a choice for their families too. The choice has an effect which rebounds down the generations.

 When people stop attending church and op taking  children to church, they have effectively stopped their grandchildren and great grandchildren going to church as well. So that today we have several decades of people who have not had any contact with Christians teaching whatsoever, and that means no spiritual grounding in their lives at all. And that is where we are as a country, with people largely adrift in terms of a spiritual anchor to inform their ethical, moral and life decisions.

 A university chaplain was speaking and saying that the students he deals with have absolutely no Christian 

background whatsoever. They know nothing of the

 Bible or the Christian stories.

Each church has to play their part to encourage and welcome to church those who feel that it is not for them. Some of them might have a good reason to think we don’t want them. They might have had an unfortunate contact with a vicar or a churchgoer, who put them off and they thought, well if that is what being a Christians is like, I don’t want to know.
The second parable in verses in 30/34 where Jesus said the Kingdom of God was like a mustard seed.  His listeners would recognise this as a saying, ‘small as a mustard seed.’  That seed was so small that if it blew out of your hand you would not be able to find it. But it grew, Jesus said, to be a tree which housed the birds. 

A tree was used in Biblical terms to mean an empire, and birds to be nations which were part of that empire.  So Jesus was saying that there was no limit to which the Kingdom could grow reaching many nations. 

From that small band of Apostles working from part of a land no bigger than Wales, grew a religion which now embraces the world, with two billion followers.  We must never feel our efforts are too small to start working for the Lord.  Never be put off by small beginnings.  We start off small, but when the effort is repeated, the effect can be big.    

     This parable is speaking to us directly about the Church which began so small.  As Christianity spread across the world, without any radio, television, newspapers, or any of the aids we have, so it can do so again.

I have often said I am so fond of the American Church.  They use every advertising method available.  We have just been through an election and candidates have been delivering literature telling us all about their Party and all the wonderful things they can offer us. President Obama won a landslide election by regular communication by emails to great effect.  Churches could use such a method.

     I don’t think personal visits from Minsters or their representatives is effective these days, but certainly letting people know of the Church by letters, or when possible by e-mail, would be beneficial and indeed produce results.

   I have just written an article for another village magazine in which I stress the need for people to return to Church and be part of restoring Christian values which this country so badly needs.  Sometimes we need to be like the farmer plant a seed of faith into someone’s mind casually and let it develop. 

A Vicar told me how he was invited to preach at a village Church some distance from his own Church.  He said he felt demoralised after doing so, it all seemed so lifeless.  Some years later he passed through the same village and stopped at the village shop.  The keeper told him how the word he preached that night made him turn back to Church and become a devoted servant, who in turn brought others to know the Lord.. I still get letters from people up North who were in the Churches I served and it  makes everything so worthwhile and so satisfying in a humble way.

You may say you haven’t the talent. But that is just the point you don’t have to have much ability, you just allow God to use you.  He has given us much more than we could ever imagine  If God is all that we claim Him to be how can we limit His power.

     A teacher once wrote of a pupil in his class and said, this boy is no scholar and has failed twice in his grade.  He has a stubborn streak and is rebellious. He seems at times perverse in his ability to learn. He has not made the most of his opportunities and never will.  That man wrote great works of history and became our greatest Prime Minister of all time (Winston Churchill)

     Don’t be like the chairman of a PCC who opened the meeting with the prayer,’’ ‘almighty and omnipotent God, etc’, and then addressed the members with the words, the situation here is utterly hopeless.

      What you can do as a church might seem small. It may seem insignificant but of course the message of the parables which we have heard this morning is that it might seem small, you might not even notice the effect, but this is how the kingdom is grown.

     A village would seem normally to be an ideal setting to start a Church return, but realistically these days it is not practical in most cases.  A permanent Minister is vital so that there is consistent style of teaching, which so rarely happens.  In addition, the Minister needs to be someone ready and willing to evangelise.

     Mark is telling us God is at much work today as He ever was sowing by His Word into our hearts and lives and we must be ready to serve Him when the opportunity arises.

 

 

 

              2 Corinthians 5 v 20.to 6 v 10

 In this Epistle, the words of Paul are particularly relevant, be reconciled to God.’

The passage begins telling us we are ambassadors for Christ, and an ambassador is someone who represents their Sovereign in a foreign nation. As Christians, we are citizens of two nations; our national one in which we observe our country’s rules, but also in the Kingdom of God whose rules we are committed to obey. Wherever we reside, we are to represent God faithfully and devotedly, living according to his Word, and being a credit to himWe have the awesome duty of bringing people back into a living relationship with God; that is what we are here for, to lead people to God.  We are the hands, feet and mouth of God on earth.  Jesus said He would build His Church and He meant He would do this throurgh his followers.

 We are living in a world which is hostile to Christians, materialism and hedonism are big factors in people’s lives, and God is seen as a restrictive force. But there is a need for a spiritual dimension in every person’s life, and the Church is the only body which can provide that need.

When God looks at our world He sees the hurt in people's lives, the misery they are going through. He sees all the hatred, violence and bitterness.

This is a troubled world; so many people with problems, financial, moral, domestic, spiritual, and breakdowns.  There are people in our towns and cities living lives isolated from family and friends, victims of broken marriages or romances, or just lonely people.  Some have become prisoners of alcohol, drugs, or some other addiction and long to break free from that addiction and find freedom.  The Bible gives a simple answer, turn to God

There can only be liberty and freedom when the Holy Spirit is present, and that means turning to God.  There is a need for them, and indeed for all of us to turn to God.

There is a very widely held belief that everyone, irrespective of lifestyle, will end up in heaven when their life here is over.   I have taken many hundreds of funerals over many years and I imagine barely 100 have been Church members.  Yet in everyone, relatives have assured me their deceased will be in heaven.  One lady told me her niece didn’t believe in God, but was a lovely Christian girl.  (I am still trying to work that one out)  Another asked me not to make the service too religious.

The Bible states that people turn away from God at their peril, and the greatest need to day is for reconciliation with God. Jesus Christ died on the Cross for that.  He held out two arms, one reaching out to us, and the other reaching out to God to bring us closer together.  His message was that all could be reconciled to God.

God seeks reconciliation, bringing together those separated for any reason.  It is because we have turned away from God and decided to our own way that so many have become separated from Him.  Nothing could be sadder than to be estranged from God who made us; but we have the assurance that God has found a means of reconciliation and it is our duty to declare it to those willing to hear.

In the Epistle today, Paul writes, ‘God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them’. This does not mean that God is not concerned about our sins; He knows that we cannot be free until something is done about them.

The Bible states we have all fallen short of the glory of God because we are sinners, but what God wants us clearly to understand is that our sins do not keep us from coming to him. We can come to God knowing we will be received and forgiven.

The New Testament never speaks of man seeking reconciliation with God, God is the One who takes the initiative and provides the means by which we can be reconciled by sending Jesus to the Cross to accept the punishment we deserve, so restoring our relationship with Him.  That means that the cross of Jesus Christ was substitution. Christ stood in our in order that our sins were placed upon the head of Christ.

But we have a part to play. We have to respond to God’s call for repentance, which means to turn around and adopt a new way of living.  It means putting God and Jesus first in our lives, to let God be God and not be forced out by other things.  We may have to admit we have fallen short of what God expects from us.    Only when we have submitted ourselves to Him will God grant us forgiveness and we will be reconciled to God. 

The apostle Paul was very anxious that the truth of what God has done in reconciling us, His people unto Himself, through the work of Christ, be declared through preachers. This great fact, he says, must be proclaimed.

God has called on His Church to witness that He has reconciled the world to Himself and given us the privilege and responsibility to proclaim the gospel and it is important we do so because of the eternal consequences that depend on what we say; and let it be known that all who hear it may be drawn to Him because of the work of Christ upon the Cross.

 The Church is the body of Christ and belief in the Church is essential.   The doctrine of the Church however must be based on the teaching of the Apostles which has been passed down to us in the New Testament. 

Many of us here will remember when the Church was held in much greater respect that it commands today.  It was seen as a place set apart from the ways of the world; a place seen as holy with something special to offer, something spiritual and supernatural.  This is no longer the case, which means our task is much harder.   We can only truly perform the task God has set us when we preach the doctrine handed down to us by the Apostles, and we have to be careful that we do not wander away from the true gospel in order to achieve the approval of society..

 The Church at large in the Western nations has not been united in proclaiming the gospel as handed down by the Apostles, partly because it is something people do not want to hear, and partly because many preachers don’t want to tell it, fearing unpopularity, if in fact they really believe it themselves.  I doubt you will hear many messages in the pulpits of our land such as you hearing

Some may say I am a good Church going person and this call to be reconciled is really for other people.  If anyone thinks all Church going people are good, they are living in a world of make believe.  People go to Church for various reasons, not all worthy; business advantage, giving a false appearance of being holy.  I have seen Ministers driven from their Church by embittered people who were upset at not being given the attention they felt they deserved.

Charles and John Wesley were religious men, Ministers of the Church, but it was some years later when first Charles and a few days later John, after a meeting realised there had to be a complete realisation of salvation in Christ alone.

This is not just a call for so-called ‘bad people’.  The Epistle calls on us all to come to God with all our hearts. But all this is done through the action of Jesus on the Cross.

The Bible states, ‘salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved’.  Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.’ 

These are not welcome statements to make these days being seen as politically incorrect. It is more popular to say all religions lead to God and there is only one God, both of which are incorrect.  They are false statements and not biblically correct.  We worship the God of Israel, other faiths do not.  Islam states God has no son, and worships Allah and would not recognise any God of Israel.  So whilst we must accept other faiths and the fact that some good moral precepts are held, we cannot depart from Apostolic teaching.  There is only one way to God.

The Bible states, ‘ by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God’ God is His gracious spirit had mercy on us and gave His Son as a sacrifice, so that all who believe on Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  We have to accept there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; we have to depend on Jesus for that.  Our only hope of salvation is based on a total and whole hearted faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

The Cross is at the very heart of our faith, but not of any other faith, and it is all about judgement on human life which many may not like, but that should not stop us from preaching about it. There is a reluctance to speak of judgement; of heaven or hell, yet Jesus spoke about such 46 times.

The Cross makes a judgement upon human life. Jesus taught this when He gave the parables of the sheep and goats; the tares and wheat; of  two roads, giving warning of our eternal future.

We cannot preach any credible message without the Cross being at the centre, it has been the standard for God’s people and the Church.  The Cross is displayed outside and inside Churches to remind people of its importance.

There are people in our Churches who are dissatisfied with life and don’t know why this is.  The reason is they are trying to please God and mankind, to serve God and the world at the same time. Their conscience tells them what they should do, but their mind is calling them to do something different.

Today is the first day of Lent, many people will say we have to give up something no matter how trivial. As good Christian people, maintaining our difference in life to the non believer. and rather than concentrating on giving up, do our duty as ambassadors and give out,--the gospel.

 Mark 8 v31/38

Jesus is with his Apostles making his way to Jerusalem and the Cross. He shocks them by saying he must suffer, be killed and rise again. He meant this was necessary to fulfil the purpose for which God sent him into the world; it was necessary for him to make atonement for man’s sin, for without his blood being shed there could not be any remission. Without the Cross God’s holy law could not be satisfied. Jesus must die that we might live

This is at the heart of Christian faith and we must always be aware of the truth. This was the message Jesus taught his Apostles and they took it to the world as the foundation of our faith.

Peter had shortly before made the famous confession of Jesus as Lord, for which Jesus blessed him, but now he faces the wrath of Jesus. Peter did not mean to offend Jesus, he was just shocked that Jesus had to suffer so much and die, but Jesus suggested Peter had been influenced by the devil in one of the greatest recorded rebukes.

Jesus then spelled out what being one of his followers would mean. He always made clear that there would be a cost involved, and never offered cheap grace. Salvation is all of grace, offered to sinners who repent freely; by grace we are saved through faith, but all who want salvation must demonstrate the sincerity of their faith by carrying a cross.

There will inevitably be suffering when you decide to follow Jesus. You will lose friends, be mocked, frozen from groups, treated as going through some strange illness. You could indulge the world’s pleasures and be thought a grand person, get involved in any form of morality, but if you are seen as religious or read the bible, you become a person no one wants to be with. Yet bizarrely, such perverse attitude does not apply to followers of the ethnic faiths.

All Christians need to realise the challenge we face. We must see we are engaged on a battlefield, not a playground as we meet an evil world, which wants to force us into a private sect.

Jesus called the crowd to him, and told them whoever loved his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ and the gospel’s sake would save it. He meant that the one who lives a self centred life focused on this world, will not find eternal life with God, but if you give up worldly pleasures and a life of self rebellion against God for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, will find everlasting communion with God.

Our bodies have a soul or spirit within, and the soul is the image of God, which in turn means eternal life,  the body becomes detached from the soul, which lives on in either heaven or hell. So many people go to great length to protect their body, take all sorts of measures to make sure it is cared for, but ignore the soul. They never look at the bible for guidance, and ignore God, who has no place in their hearts or minds.

We all have souls for which we will have to give account to God; it is an awful thought when we consider how little attention is given to anything except this world.

We can all lose it in many ways, by loving sin and cleaving to the world; poison it be choosing a religion of lies; believing man made superstitions; neglecting all means of grace and refusing to believe the gospel. Whichever way is chosen, the responsibility falls to each person. Of all foolish and unprofitable bargains one can make, is to give up the soul for the present world.

People are claiming to be Christians, attending Church, even preaching within them, but living unworthy lives in complete defiance of what God has laid down in His Word.

Jesus taught there were two roads in life and each of us must travel on one; one is broad and most people are inclined to follow that road with all worldly goods and thrills, whilst the other road is narrow and fewer take that one, for it means living a godly way of life with restrictions on how you journey.

There is now much reluctance to accepting belief in a hell, although most everyone accepts there is a heaven, to which all believe they are heading, irrespective of how they lived their lives. There is going to be such disappointment one day. Jesus in his parables made clear two roads, two destinies, sheep and goats, tares and wheat. All Christians should make sure those nearest and dearest to them are aware of this. Whenever Jesus spoke of heaven, he also referred to the alternative as hell.

I have stated so many times I think it shameful as well as cruel, for the Churches to let people live under such a delusion, and create liturgy which virtually assures people that a person can separate themselves from God, have no association with him, and yet still receive salvation. To say such is to flagrantly teach false doctrine, for the bible is quite unequivocal and patently clear, it means accepting Jesus death on the Cross was the price he paid for their sins. The Bible states, salvation is found under no other name under heaven than Jesus.

Jesus pictured a field with the good seed representing his gospel, and the tares were the seeds of the devil, and a lot of people are prepared to sell their souls to follow a hedonistic lifestyle. But God is long suffering and wants all people to be saved, which is why He calls on all to repent and turn to Jesus. Everyone has to make a decisive decision, remembering hell is total separation from God. The alternative is to spend eternity with Jesus, who makes the final judgement on death when we will be called to account for our life before him.

Let these words of our Lord sink deep into our hearts, yet words are inadequate to express their importance; remember them when temptation present itself and the matter of the soul seems of no importance.

The final call of Paul in our passage is for people never to be ashamed of the gospel.

How many Church members are embarrassed when asked if they believe? Indeed how many are ready to acknowledge they attend Church? How reluctant to answer if asked to give our opinion on moral questions? If you are not ashamed, you are ready to speak out about your faith.
Remember the words of Jesus, ‘for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of the Father’.

We may offer what is hard for sceptics to believe, but that should not stop us telling it. When we tell how God took a young Jewish girl and caused her to conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit; that when this child became man He performed miraculous deeds and eventually gave His life by a cruel death on a Cross, in order that God would forgive people of their sins: that three days late would rise from the dead as a sign that one day all who believe in Him and accept Him as Saviour, would live eventually with Him in heaven.

The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to be crucified for our sins in order to reconcile us to God. Why should anyone be ashamed to tell that story? We all no doubt are ashamed of things we have done in our lives, and the things we have said but wished we hadn’t, and that is understandable. But we allow ourselves to become ashamed of something for which there is no need to be ashamed of.

The reason he is not ashamed is,-- because the gospel is the power of God leading to salvation for all who believe.

Always bear in mind that only Christianity has a Cross at the centre of its faith. Only Jesus suffered an horrific death on the Cross as a Saviour.

Let us all pray for faith and courage to confess Christ before the world and never be ashamed of him who died for us on the Cross.

   Jude v.3

This week I ask you to turn with me to  verse 3 in the Letter from Jude. ‘I appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints’.

This was of course referring to the words of Jesus to his Apostles, to go out into all the world making disciples of all nations and teaching all he had commanded.  The Apostles obeyed Jesus and the gospel spread around the ancient world.

This calls for all Christians wherever you live to contend for the faith. To contend means you fight and challenge all opposition. Our commitment to the gospel must be as vigorous as our opponents are to theirs.  Jesus never held back against those against him, and neither must we.

 So what are we to contend for? Well, we are to contend for the faith. That is the gospel, the body of truths that make up the exclusive Christian gospel ;  It is that God sent his own Son to teach us his Word, and ultimately gave his life on the Cross so that we can be forgiven for all our sins. We teach that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to be accepted by God.

And that faith, says Jude, has been entrusted to the saints once for all. Now notice that little word once. It’s easy to miss but it is extremely important. And here the passing of the gospel to the saints is of the gospel truth is a once for all act. It is a finished work. The defending isn’t finished, and the entrusting is passed on to us. In other words there is nothing more to be added, no updates needed. That gospel truth that was passed on by the apostles, is set. We cannot change it or take anything away or add anything. Anyone who tries to alter that gospel truth is a false teacher.

The saints is used in the biblical understanding that a saint is a person who embraces the teaching of Jesus Christ.  This is how we should accept rather than that of the Roman Catholic practice in calling people ‘Saints’ because of service to the Church.

This verse tells us our faith is not which someone has made up, but rather comes from God.  Jude indicates that God will not ignore false teaching, and later in the Letter points out the judgement God passes on such people.  We must prioritize the truth and proclaim the true Gospel as it originated with Jesus Christ and was delivered through the Apostles.

Let us now consider the implications for us, and our duty and responsibility to guard that gospel in a very hostile world.

I cannot think of any words more necessary to deliver to Christians than this calling from Jude. The enemies we face are well armed, having the backing of powerful companies from Silicone Valley, California; the immensely popular social media, which poisons many intolerant minds; and a press which restricts mentioning the Church, except when a member of the clergy does something foolish. Sadly this occurs too often, as when currently an idealistic Curate brings shame and disgrace upon the whole Church due to a bigoted and ignorant remark which shocked an awful lot of people.

Many have lost employments and college places because someone found a statement they made sometime previously, which didn’t fit in with modern woke culture, and was relayed to their current employer who did not have the courage to ignore.

I have been reading of the worldwide attack on the Christian Church, which needs to be urgently confronted.  Authorities and Governments are imposing restrictions in almost every nation, and we have the added burden in that thousands of people who have been prohibited from attending Churches because of the deadly virus circulating the world, may not return.

The church of Jesus Christ is under severe attack in a manner not previously seen, due to modern technology. Forces are striking from the outside, seeking to undermine our existence, but more insidious , as we in recent times have shamefully watched, men/women holding high Office in the Church are betraying God’s Word.  How prophetic it was of Jude.     The world sees the Church standing for values it should have condemned.

 These are dark days for the Church. We live in a society which largely rejects God, and regards Church and Christianity as totally irrelevant to their lives.  The message of the world is that morality, which was once based on Christian principles, is now what you make it as long as you are sincere.  All the boundaries have been swept away and the spiritual moorings have been eroded.  Every so often someone pops up calling for a back to basics campaign, but no one knows what the basics are. 

I wonder how many Christians appreciate how much the Christian Church and faith are in fact under sustained attack from so many sources. Apart from activists in humanistic and sexual causes, we have governments activating and encouraging activities which exceed moral boundaries and oppose all Christian teaching.

In the United Kingdom the government are encouraging and even supplying the means for women to receive home abortion pills which has caused some women to die.  A total of 223 thousand  abortions were performed, according to the last records issued in 2019, so we can expect even more for 2020. 

Most reasonable people would sympathise when a woman’s health was at risk, when a deformed baby would be born, or if the woman had been assaulted, but inmost of the cases it was just another form of contraception.

In Scotland, a ‘hate crime’ bill is being discussed, which indicates how Scotland has drifted under the present leadership. It is being proposed to prevent by law, all speech or writing criticising sexual behaviour, and even extending into private homes.  One group wanted all sermons to be examined  before being delivered.  The First Minister has closed all Churches, an act now being legally challenged.   

If we look around the world, the once most Christian committed country, under the new President is not so much the land of the free, and is adopting the (im)moral  proposals of the Obama Administration, abandoning all the advances made by the former President, who many people believe should still be in Office. Imagine a newly elected President rushing to issue an Executive Order stating boys or men who self-declare themselves to be feminine must be allowed in female facilities and take part in female sports. It is beyond most people’s intelligence to comprehend. (and some have the effrontery to complain about President Trump who promoted true American values)

But across the world, in countries from China, Russia North Korea, Malaysia, Egypt and Muslim lands, Christians are put  in peril. In Victoria, Australia they are trying to prevent any biblical ethical teaching on sex, or gender change.  Europe has long given up on Christianity, especially since the European Union was created.

However, even more insidious is the fact our Church leaders don’t always offer support. They will write letters to the press on social and political issues, especially against Brexit, but there is rarely, if ever in relation to moral matters.  One bishop has just bemoaned the cancellation of a city’s gay pride march, which he thought was so sad.

The Church of England produced a promotional video  called Living in Love and Faith, which is highly controversial, giving guidance for the Church to move forward on sexual matters and marriage (I thought the Bible had done that). 

There was a call forfor mutual understanding, with the intentionto learn and listen on LGBT issues..  This was

uploaded  on to ‘you tube’ where a representative from 

Christian Concern did in fact defend the Bible’s teaching on 

sexual ethics.  The learning and listening soon proved to be a 

lost cause, when a transgender Minister of the United Reform 

Church heard it and reported the speaker for a hate crime  to 

North Yorkshire Police.

Why the Church of England should have produced such a video is beyond understanding.  We are supposed to defend the Scriptures, nothing else. How people live is a matter for them to decide, and they will answer one day, as we all will, but this indicates how the Church is failing to defend and promote the Bible , which all we clergy promise and vow to do when ordained. 

Billy Graham in so many meetings used as his theme, ‘sin’. That is now a word to be frowned upon, even the Church does not fully believe in sin. People think sin relates exclusively to sexual acts, but it also relates to malice, greed, envy, jealousy, lies, and crime. A reading of the newspapers show how much evil there is in the world. In the UK teenagers are shooting each other and stabbing, and one boy of only fourteen years was killed in major city of Birmingham.

It is more than coincidence that things have got so bad since religion has been pushed into the background, when schools do not have assemblies, as is required but not pursued, under law unless it is a private school.

In conclusion, in consideration of the facts stated above, none of which have been exaggerated, you may, and will if truly a committed Christian see the need to heed the words of Jude and contend for the faith, The Church has been sloth (also a sin) in not speaking out aggressively and forcefully as some of the ethnic Churches have, notably the black Evangelical Churches.

My wife has been disabled for a long time, and had Carers to help her, most of which have been black ladies, and each of those ladies has been in possession of a Bible, and not carried as an accessory. I asked one lady, who has been a great inspiration to me personally, why she thought this was so different to white ladies. She told me that black people did not always get appreciated by people, but always have been by God.

Every person and organisation has the right of free speech, but that includes the Church. Any one group have no right to claim  exception to another opinion, as some activists protest strongly when people do not only support but expect approval. I give credit on some organisations who have ordered their agenda so  to gain influence in the major bodies in society, such as schools, the judiciary, and television.  It should not be beyond the Church’s ability to do the same, bearing in mind an awful lot of people have admiration and sympathy for the Church, even if they do not attend.

Remember the words of Paul, don’t be ashamed of your faith, do not have a spirit of timidity, and the words of Jesus, ‘I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME’.  And he words of Peter. ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we may be saved.’

Let us boldly proclaim this, and may God be with you and bless you.