This is how Janys Scott QC opened her argument for the 27 Scottish church leaders who challenged the Scottish government over their forced closure of churches during the pandemic.

 

Janys Scott QC continued: "The primary purpose for worship is not for social or mental well-being. Public worship is a robust central aspect of the practice of the Christian both individually and as a church. It is important because it is no exaggeration to say that over the centuries Christians have died in the defence of the public worship in the church and Christians continue to die in the defence of the public worship in church.   Her argument prevailed. This week, Lord Braid in the Court of Session delivered a historic judgment stating that it was not for the Scottish government to "dictate to the petitioners or to the additional party, that, henceforth, or even for the duration of the pandemic, worship is to be conducted on-line. That might be an alternative to worship but it is not worship. At very best for the respondents, in modern parlance, it is worship-lite. (From Christian Concern, the website for all Christians) Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion… including the right to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.” Christian Concern supported the Ministers in their challenge

 

 

Mark 11  v 1/11

 On Sunday we remember the first Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to proclaim Himself as the Messiah and was greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches, the same crowds who a few days later would be crying ‘crucify Him’.  This is the beginning of Holy Week as we celebrate the events of 2,000 years ago and follow our Lord’s last days before His crucifixion, the heart of the Christian faith. All four gospel writers tell the story of that first momentous week

 The Chapter opens where Jesus is about to make the final stage of His life’s journey which will end at the Cross, and He has planned it with great detail. Jesus had been in Jericho and was now ready to go to Jerusalem on the last stage of His life’s journey.  He was going to walk the way many pilgrims had walked.

 On reaching Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead to the next village, telling them they would find a colt tied by the side of the road and they were to untie it and take it to Him.  If anyone should challenge them they were to say the Lord needs it.  We are not told how Jesus knew this, He may have had a prior arrangement with the owner or it could have been through means of His supernatural knowledge.

 So began the fateful journey down the Mount of Olives where He was joined by waiting crowds who greeted Him wildly, laying their cloaks on the road in front of Him and waving palm branches, and singing from Psalm 118 which was a psalm pilgrims sang as a hymn of praise to God.  Palm branches were used to signify joy and celebration

 Jesus would normally have slipped quietly into the city as He usually like to avoid attention, but on this occasion, although He knew a price was on His head, chose to ride in triumphantly.  All this was to fulfil the prophecy of Zechariah in the Old Testament made nearly 600 years earlier.  When the crowds hailed Him as the Son of David, the Messiah, He did not stop them.

 Jesus knew a demonstration would happen and further enrage the Jewish leaders, and in fact the Pharisees were annoyed, so making them more eager to plot against Him.  Jesus knew that God had a plan for Him, which made the Jews change their intentions. Jesus knew well what He was doing.    

 Jesus made it clear to the crowds that He was not the kind of Messiah of their dreams; He came in peace not as a conquering warrior.  They did not understand His intention and were following for the wrong motives.  These same adoring crowds would a few days later turn equally wildly against Him as He faced the Cross.

His works had become well known and the crowds greeted Him with shouts of Hosanna, which means ‘save us’, seeing Him as the one who would lead them to glory in world conquest.   When they realised this was not His mission, the same crowds would later in the week shout’ ‘crucify Him’. 

 As He entered the city Jesus paused on the hill overlooking it and we are told He wept because He knew that within a few years the city would be destroyed by the Romans.

 This was more than a journey into Jerusalem, it was a journey to the Cross, a journey Jesus could have avoided and left the world to perish, but He readily went on to a very brutal and cruel death to take our place on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins, a penalty we are unable to pay for ourselves.

 As with every Bible passage there is a meaning and a message for us to-day. We should consider how we react to this Palm Sunday story.  We may reject God’s Son as many did in Jerusalem.  We may treat with an amount of indifference seeing it as just another bible story.   As we study this story of our Lord’s journey to the Cross we see our forgiveness cost Jesus public mockery and the most cruel of deaths.   Jesus wanted the people to accept Him as God’s chosen Messiah, but their cheering was false and ultimately it would all lead to destruction.

 It is important for us to understand the lesson we can learn from this event. That action of our Lord demands a response, if we are to claim forgiveness. We all need to ask ourselves if I stood before God today and He asked me why I should be allowed into heaven, what would I say.

When we get to the last days Jesus is not going to say ‘Did you have nice thoughts about me?’  The question is, have we accepted He is the Son of God and Saviour of sinners, and trusted in Him alone for our salvation.

 The Bible is all about commitment. We are reminded of the superficiality of commitment in our own time. Less than 10% of people think God worthy of one hour per week to visit a Church. Yet if you were to ask people their religion, the vast majority would reply C of E and seriously consider themselves to be Christians. They would be mortally offended if you suggested otherwise. Yet very few people seem bothered by Jesus

Just as the Jews then rejected Jesus, so do so many people now.  But God allows us free will to make a decision to be with Jesus or not.  Even those who claim to be Christians can be lukewarm, and allow their commitment to grow cold. It is not enough to pay the odd visit to nod to the Almighty at Christmas, Easter or to a baptism service.  There is a little ditty,

‘each time I pass may parish Church I pay a little visit, so when at last I’m carried in,the Lord won’t say who is it’. 

 Muslims are Muslims in the full sense of the word, and they find difficulty in understanding how people who live in Christian lands reject their faith so completely. Why, on the Lord’s birthday so many get drunk and engage in orgies. They will fight and defend their faith, and the men will not feel embarrassed or ashamed to be seen going to worship. Put many Englishmen in a Church and they feel lost and disorientated.

 Everyone has to take responsibility for the way they respond to the Lord. As Christians we should ask ourselves are we following Him for the right reasons; do we realise the sacrifice He made for us personally?

.I read a story of a Minister counselling a couple with married difficulties.  At one point the husband said in anger to his wife, ‘I have given you a new home, new car , …and so the list went on.’  The wife answered, ‘yes that is true, you have given me everything but yourself.’  The greatest gift you can give for another is yourself, and that is what Jesus did, gave Himself. .

There is an American story about a young man who painted a portrait of his friend shortly before the friend died.  The young man took the portrait to his friend’s father, a rich man, who offered him a huge sum of money, which the young man refused.  Some time later the father died and all his priceless possessions were auctioned.  The first item up for auction was the portrait, which no one showed any interest in except the father’s old black servant.  He offered a few dollars, all he had, and got the painting.  The auctioneer to everyone's surprise closed the auction.  The father’s will said ‘he who accepts the son has everything’.  We can reject the Son as they did at Jerusalem all those years ago, or have everything God has for us. 

 The action of our Lord demands a response, and we all need to ask ourselves, if we stood before the Lord today and we were asked why we should be allowed into heaven, what would we say.  It is easy to say I am a Christian, 95% of the population believe as long as you are honest, kind and helpful to others you have a passport to heaven. 

 It can be very hard to be a Christian when so many organisations, government and public busybodies try to suppress your faith under pain of some sanction.  Any open expression of our faith is likely to lead to suspension or dismissal from work. The Bible is seen as old fashioned and its stories foolish. Children are denied the glory of being told of the stories of Jesus as no one is prepared to tell them.

 The government has sold out to the liberal lobby and has taken legal powers to prevent Christians from opting out of that which contravenes their beliefs. How Jesus would weep over Britain today as He did over Jerusalem, as He sees the obstacles put in our way.

There comes a time in life when you have to make a decision, one which can affect you for ever; such a time may be now for you.  Many people like to put awkward questions away, but this one is one you cannot.

 The Palm story is an outstanding event in world history. This triumphal entry was made into Jerusalem by a man branded an outlaw, but was ready to put himself in front of those who were out to arrest him.

 Jesus was fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy made by Zechariah 600 years earlier, which should indicate to all fair minded people how accurate the Bible is, and how much we can have faith in what the Bible states.

  Do you follow Christ, or reject Him like the Jews did all those years ago, with all the consequences for eternity, no one can wait forever. There comes a time when a decision must be made. Why not on this Palm Sunday morning, whether at Church or following a relayed service, hail him as your Lord.  And may God bless you.

 

John;s gospel in Chapter 12,verses 20-33. Turn with me to this passage which John alone tells.

 Jesus had entered Jerusalem for the Passover festival having just raised Lazarus from the dead, and was receiving an enthusiastic welcome from crowds of people gathered for the festival.  This was the major festival held annually to remember how God saved Israel.  But there were some who did not welcome Jesus, and indeed were plotting His death. 

 At such a time as this many Gentiles would go to the city and although not Jews would join in the celebrations.  Some Greeks were amongst the crowds who had heard of Jesus and were determined to meet Him.  They were from a settlement in the North of Galilee and went to Philip who came from near their area and said to him, ‘Sir, we want to see Jesus’.

 Having heard the stories of what Jesus had done they realised something was missing from their lives and wanted to receive from Him that something  So when they said they wanted to see Jesus, they were in fact seeking a meeting with Him.

 In many small evangelical churches in the United States, they have these words inscribed on the pulpit to remind the preacher that people have come to hear about Jesus Christ. .  I had the joy of preaching recently at a small Methodist Church which had the same words inscribed on the pulpit. It is a call to the preacher that he must only preach Jesus Christ and not engage in philosophy, politics, or be submissive to political correctness. These words were the theme of the preacher when I was ordained at Chester Cathedral, one of the godliest men you could possibly meet

 When Jesus was told of their request He was pleased and responded immediately.  He had not gone to Jerusalem to enter for the same purpose as the crowds had in mind, events were building up and were leading to the time of our Lord’s road to the Cross.   So when He heard a group of people were genuinely seeking Him, He said, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.

 The Jews would not have understood what Jesus meant.  For them the Son of Man conveyed an image of someone who would lead to world conquest and so attain glory, but Jesus meant it was time for Him to make the supreme sacrifice for the world by dying on the Cross so bringing glory to Him and to God

 He went on to say "Truly, truly, I say to you."   Whenever Jesus used those words, it meant that He was going to say something important. Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone."   He was pointing out that when a seed died it brought forth fruit, and death brings life through people. 

 As Christians were martyred for the faith, so the Church grew, and He was here meaning that He was like the grain of wheat and unless He went to the cross, His whole purpose in coming to earth will have been in vain. He knew what He had to face, and that He is going to be glorified through the sacrifice the cross, because by that cruel death the way to forgiveness for all believers was made possible.  If He had not made the sacrifice on the Cross, you and I and everybody else, could not have forgiveness. His death meant eternal life for all who believed in Him.

 When He met those Greeks it was as the first sign that the gospel was to go to all the world, and part of God’s plan to bring salvation to the Gentiles, the symbol of the great harvest for which He came.

 If He had not died we probably would not know any more about Him for He would have just been another figure of history, of no greater significance than any other great religious leader. Because of the cross, He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise.

 Jesus said the one loves their life will lose it.  He was referring to those who live solely for themselves and out to get as much as they can without thought for others.  Billy Graham received offers which would have made him a very rich man, but made clear his greatest desire was to preach the gospel for which he only took the salary of an ordinary Baptist Minister. 

 Christians generally are called to put service of the Lord first, and indeed there are many men and women who could have followed brilliant careers for rich rewards, but chose to go on mission fields far away from their homeland.

 We see the humanity of Jesus displayed when He expressed his fear at the thought of the Cross, but was ready to give obedience to God and suffer much pain which would ultimately lead to triumph.  God spoke to Jesus in His hour of torment, just as He did at His baptism and when on the Mount of Transfiguration.  God is always ready to give strength when we seek it for the tasks we face in His name and cause

 At the cross, Jesus underwent the judgement we deserve and paid our debt to God.  His death gives us hope of everlasting life with Him one day. He wants to give you that hope in your life today. He alone can give you that new life that can never fade, and you can find that new life by meeting Jesus.

 People in these high pressure days are so often weary and depressed and looking for that spiritual something.  People are looking for something beyond themselves, looking for a way that gets the most out of life, yet carrying a load of guilt, fear and worry.  Jesus said, ‘come unto me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest’

 A day is coming when we will all see Jesus. The Bible says everyone will assemble before Him as He sits on the judgement throne. Some will go one way with the goats, some the other way with the sheep.  We will have either joy in the after life with Jesus, or eternity with the lost. The criterion is how we respond whilst we are here on earth.  The bible says ‘now is the time of God’s favour, now is the time of salvation’.  It will be too late after we have died, and no amount of intercession will then save us.    

 May we ever be like the Greeks in our passage today and want to see Jesus and seek Him with all our hearts.

 Mothering Sunday, 14 March

On Sunday we celebrate Mothering Sunday which falls on the fourth Sunday of L ent this having been decreed in the 17th century when most people went to Church. People would walk to Church, often to the one where they had been baptised, and some would carry flags and banners. Girls in domestic service would be given time off by their employers to visit their mothers, and some would bake simnel cakes 

In the United States President Woodrow Wilson passed an Act of Congress in May 1914 that the 2nd Sunday in May would be known as ‘Mothers Day’ for the public expression of love and reverence for mothers. This term has been claimed in the United Kingdom, rather than our understanding which emphasises the religious significance.

So let us turn to the Bible as we acknowledge the love for our mothers and as you reflect now. you will have fond memories of your own dear mother however many years may have passed.

A Christian must accept that God knows best, and when he wanted man to have a companion He made a woman as the perfect answer, someone who could complement man in every way, physically and mentally in a way other men could not, and men throughout the ages have greatly appreciated and recognised this. God wanted to supply what was lacking in man’s life, and together they could have children and create the ideal family. God planned the human heart to love, marry and have children.

Motherhood is a special privilege and a sacred duty. Abraham Lincoln once remarked that no nation is greater than its mothers for they are the makers of men. The Rabbis have a saying, ‘God can’t be everywhere so He made mothers.’

A mother's love is special and unique, and God gave woman a special and caring nature for His purpose. 

Today, in Western countries there is a movement from the political left to break the family, and we have the ridiculous statement that two men are as capable of raising children as the traditional man and woman,  after some woman, known or unknown, has provided the child by some means. 

If God had thought so he would not have given women that special gift of care and compassion that most normal women have, and which we men can only admire An American psychologist stated a child will never come to full development psychologically without a mother in the home.   .  

The Bible is full of stories of prominent mothers,

Jochebed the mother of Moses who let an Egyptian princess bring up Moses rather than have him killed; and this morning I just want to look at other mothers who the Bible records 

Eve who was the first mother

Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth, all who waited for a miracle.

Hagar driven away and disowned.

Rebecca had to raise her children in another country

Rachel wept for her children,

Naomi and Ruth who rose above all the trials of life and turned hard situations into good.

Lois and Eunice , ready to share the love of Christ with their children

In our Old Testament reading we had the story of Hannah who hurt deeply because she desperately wanted to be a mother, and in her agony she cried out to God. He answered Hannah’s prayer and she literally leant her son back to God, and she made a commitment. Hannah trusted God, and taught Samuel to worship God, rejoicing in the Lord and His salvation. We dearly need mothers to day to teach their children to worship God, preferably by bringing them to Church.

At one time mothers would not only send their children to Church, they would take them, and the children would grow with a spiritual and moral foundation. It is more than coincidence that there was not so much social troubles, nor did we have the highest teenage pregnancies in Europe.

Our second mother from the Bible is of course Mary, a young Jewish girl from whom the emancipation of women began when there appeared to Mary a vision from heaven and she heard the angel’s annunciation of the news that of all the women on earth she was to be the mother of our Lord, the one woman ever to wear entwined the red rose of maternity with the white rose of virginity. Mary was ready and willing to be looked down upon by all who knew her, for it was shameful for an unmarried woman to have a child in those religious times. Jesus became a baby and grew up and accorded women with a new dignity, so that women like Mary have been loved and respected.

God intended them to be mothers and motherhood to be of the highest calling and endowed them with special gifts. It took the 2oth century in the so called name of progress and equality to pull women down to make them like men, and some to be of the coarsest of men

 When God made the world He intended man/woman to have different characters to fulfil different functions in life, equal in every respect but not the same.

An article in a newspaper once said that women were leaving Christianity for Islam because of the greater moral code. Whilst recognising the strict Islamic moral code, it is also a fact that no religion has greater respect for women than Christianity, and we do not enslave them in clothing or direct what they are allowed to do; the Christian code is as moral as any, it is just Christians do not adopt it.

A mother’s presence in the home is essential, and there has never been a more urgent time when good mothers are needed. I have worked in every social classes of society, but have never known a Jewish child get involved in anti-social behaviour or criminal activities. I once asked a Rabbi why he thought this was so, and he told me it was due to the control the Jewish mama has over her family.

When my two sons were growing up my then occupation required me to be away from the home for many long hours, and so much care fell upon my wife. It is to her credit that they both entered the Christian ministry after being youth leaders at their local Church.

Today they are successful Vicars at Churches of their own where they have been a powerful influence in the Churches they have served. They have also occupied positions of influence in society

Spiritual matters should be of concern to mothers. Promises are made at baptism services that children will be brought up in the fellowship of the Church, although few have ever any intention of honouring the promises made.

We need women who will lead their families back to more old style morality decency and purity. Children are being brought up without any religious knowledge, knowing nothing about Jesus or Biblical characters, even in the homes of whatever class of home.

An idealism prevails as to how children should behave, but it is often in modern phraseology, ‘cool’ for a child to be sexually aware. Explicit sex education is readily given, but a distinct aversion to Christian teaching. Schools play little part in educating children in religion or conduct unless the school is a private one.

Mothers continue to care and worry for their children even when they reach adulthood, and stand by them no matter what they do and even when that is not deserved. Salome the mother of James and John sought favour for them from Jesus, to whom she prayed that Jesus would show favour on her sons; and of course above all Mary the mother of Jesus. How many mothers now pray for their childrenI wonder.

The Bible calls on older women who have an honoured place in society, to play a major part in guiding younger women in the bringing up of children from their years of experience. We must have concern for women bringing up children in a world where all moral values are being eroded. Theirs is a big responsibility, especially when the nation’s broadcasting system gives out such foul talk and explicit scenes that cause weaker minds to think that is the natural way of life.

Sometimes women are asked on television or radio what their occupation is, and often the reply comes, ‘only a housewife and mother’. There is nothing only, such is an honourable occupation. 

At this point we ought to remember all those women who do not have children and may be feeling distress today when present of chocolates and etc are being passed. Some have chosen not to be mothers rather preferring to follow a career and contribute much to society. Other women through physical or medical reasons cannot be mothers and our prayers must be for them. We also grieve for mothers who have lost a child. Whilst we may cherish memories of our mothers some will not have such pleasant thoughts.

May God bless all mothers and those longing to be mothers.

I close my words to you by asking you join in mind with me in this prayer.
Loving God, we thank you for our mothers, for all they meant, for the love they showed and care given; for their patience understanding and kindness We thank you for the part they played in our lives and we ask that the Biblical mothers who we have thought of may be an encouragement for women everywhere.
We pray for those for whom this is a difficult time, one of heartache other than celebration; for those who long to be a mother, yet have no children of their own’; for those whose children have failed or abandoned them.

 

1 Corinthians 1 v18/25.
This morning I want to speak about the Cross, and have chosen a passage from Paul’s 1st Letter to the Church at Corinth.
Each religious faith has its own symbol. Muslims have the crescent moon; the Jews have the Star of David,  Buddhists have the lotus flower, but for Christians we have the Cross.
The early Christians had the sign of a fish which they inscribed on walls as indication of faith when the Romans were persecuting Christians.  They would make the cry, ‘Jesus is Lord’, but would not refer so much to the cross as it was a hateful thing.

Some Churches have a Cross outside and most also display the Cross inside. It is embossed upon our Bibles and prayer books and ladies particularly wear a gold cross.

Paul said he gloried in the Cross, and focused on the crucifixion of Jesus as the means of salvation. But it was the most horrific death ever devised by mankind. For many years it was never mentioned in polite company , and was only used to show when people were acting contrary to the power of the Cross.

When writing to the Galatian Church, Paul stated ‘God forbid that I should boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’, to indicate how much he prioritised the Cross.

Paul was a clever man, he could have boasted about his own intellect, his mastery of languages; he could have boasted about the unique birth of Christ or the miracles performed, even the resurrection, but he didn’t, only the Cross.

The bible tells that God loves all people and wants then to be saved, and the whole bible from cover to cover is about salvation. The Cross has always been the standard for God’s people and the Church.

Let me now turn to Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians Christians.

The Church at Corinth was having problems which caused Paul to write to them.  Corinth was a cosmopolitan city which has been described as the Soho of its day, full of corruption and immorality. It was a trading centre and there was much wealth and a style of living which did not match up to Christian standards. 

The Church, which had started with much power, was allowing some of the culture to invade the Church, and some members were influenced by the rhetoric of some preachers who were deviating from gospel, and this caused division and dissension within the Church. 

Whenever there is conflict in a Church it is inevitably because there is deviation fromtheBible.Paul wrote to give advice and admonishment to the people there because of the way they were acting. He is showing us in this passage how the Cross is so important for us as Christians, and how it is involved in human affairs and thinking.

We have a similar situation here where there are men/women, occupying the most prominent position in the Church, openly accepting and even encouraging Christians to adopt the morality of society, despite the fact that the Bible expressly condemns doing so.

Paul begins this passage by saying Christ sent him to preach the gospel, not with profound words and high-sounding ideas, for there is mighty power in the simple message of the Cross of Christ. I think sometimes that a more social message is preferred.

It is not often that a sermon on the Cross is heard in Churches today, if at all; I cannot remember when I last heard one.  Indeed, a lot of sermons have only a tenuous reference to the gospel.

If you see a restaurant advertising good class food and you enter, only to find you are served ‘junk’ food, you are not likely to visit again. People are now visiting churches expecting to hear spiritual messages, hearing what the bible states about the moral and spiritual issues of the day, and in too many places hear poor messages which are in direct contradiction of the bible, leaving them confused and dejected. We must tell the true meaning of Scripture so they can understand that which God wants them to know

In verse 18,for the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, which means not saved and no hope of getting to heaven for they have rejected Jesus, but to those of us who are saved and have accepted Jesus as Saviour, the gospel is the power of God.

Paul ‘s preaching focused on the crucifixion of Jesus as the means of salvation. A man crucified had nails driven through arms and legs and left hanging until he died, which could have lasted for days even.

Paul asks where is the wise man, where is the scholar, where is the philosopher of this age, has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world.  

Challenging them who think they can solve life’s problems.  Paul is speaking to those in the Church who claimed to be wise and proud of their wisdom, which they were using to divide the Church and to promote themselves by changing the message of the Cross to make it more acceptable. Paul is telling them it is worthless in the sight of God and will only destroy the Church.

The cultured Greek and the pious Jew could not understand Christianity, but Paul pointed out human wisdom is bound to be of no purpose and was  to be exposed by God telling of human helplessmess.

The Jews demanded miraculous signs and Greeks looked to wisdom. This was a stumbling block which could not be overcome by Jews or Gentiles, bu t to those who do believe it is a message of power. The Jews demanded that what Paul was teaching should be proved by some miraculous sign. Jews could not ever accept that the Messiah would be crucified; it was totally contradictory to their belief. The Greeks placed so much influence on human wisdom and intellectual ability to be the means of salvation.

God chose a way which ordinary people could understand. Abraham Lincoln once stated God must have loved ordinary people because He made so many of them. Paul gave them an ordinary and simple message, believe in Jesus Christ who gave His life to be crucified on the Cross and you will have eternal life. If we had to be very wise and academic, millions of people would never have come to know the Lord. Heaven would be only for the clever people.

The gospel message is the opposite of worldly wisdom and is hard for some to believe, but we do believe. But there are still people who want to see some proof for what we preach. The Bible states, by grace you shall be saved through faith’. If you have to see signs or other proof to believe, you don’t need faith. True faith means believing in what you cannot see.

God said, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate’.
The message of the world sees us as self-sufficient beings; there is no need of God. We have the ability to think and reason which will prove sufficient to eventually solve all of our problems.  Obviously, God doesn’t think so much of it.

Just where has all the wisdom of the so-called wise brought us? How well have we done in solving the world’s problems? Have we eradicated poverty? Has all our research and expertise in the fields of science and medicine rid our world of disease? Have we found a cure for cancer? There is more suffering now than history records.   With all the highly educated professional educators, how can we still have ignorant people wandering our streets, graduating from our schools and colleges not knowing basic maths or English?

Look at the enormous amount of hatred in the world with many of the Arab countries wanting to wipe Israel off the face of the map; the barbarity of Islamic militants. Paradoxically hatred has been introduced into our society by legislation. The (inequitable) Equality and Diversity Bill has caused considerable distress. Consider the hate mail and persecution experienced by Christians who do not wish to surrender their beliefs to society’s morality. The unfortunate reality is that for all our so-called sophistication, we have not been able to solve the basic problems of society–– problems that have been around since the beginning. Certainly, we have been able to see great advances technologically. We have great new gadgets. But on the really important issues of life, we don’t even have temporary solutions.

But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The Cross upon which Jesus died was not only a place where he bore the sins of humanity and paid the penalty for those sins, it is also a way for our lives by his power. It is saying that God became weak in order to save us. It says that when we surrender our lives, we truly find them. It is the very power of God, concealed from the so-called wise and sophisticated and revealed to those who come as a child, in simple faith and trust.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength

Today the cross of Christ is still a cause of offence. The message of the cross of Christ is still foolishness to those who are perishing. To them the cross is the weakest link. In the Cross, we see the power of God displayed. God was powerful enough to become weak.

Having looked at the message of this passage, let us consider the implications for us to-day.

Paul always taught there are two distinct points of view, two black or white absolutes that can never be reconciled, because they produce two different responses to the gospel. We all have to decide now which we believe.

We have a choice to make for our future when this life is over. Many people don’t want to think of that and dismiss it from their minds.  Many more believe there is no need to worry, as long as one leads a ‘good’ life we are all going to heaven. Apart from the fact ‘good’ has not been defined, how would we know when he had done enough?

I have taken hundreds of funeral services in the past forty odd years, and irrespective that the deceased never read a bible, attended church, and being totally unaware of belief, it was always thought the relatives of the deceased, the person was heaven bound.

Unless you accept the Cross and its meaning, you are not able to make an assessment of the future. The Cross is the pivotal point of Christianity.  If you tell people that all their efforts and achievements will not put them right with God, and the only way is to believe the death of Christ on the Cross, and we can do nothing to earn our salvation, they will think it ridiculous.

The Cross strikes at the heart of human pride. Just as the Jews could never accept that a man hanging on a Cross could save the world, so today people mock the idea. Those who are blind to the truth of the gospel are said to be ‘perishing’, which means unsaved, and are eternally lost. To them however, it is absurd, and they refuse to believe the Biblical teaching that states to achieve eternal salvation you have to believe that a man died on a Cross 2000 years ago, in a little country on the far side of the world, and did so that our sins may be forgiven.

The other reaction is that the Cross is the power of God to those of us who have accepted Christ’s death on the Cross as our means of salvation.  Why take a risk on your eternal future? If you were due to fly to America, and as you were boarding the plane you were told there was a 1% chance the plane would not make it across the Atlantic, would you still fly?

Paul said he understood how foolish it sounds to those who are lost when they heard that Jesus died to save them, but God had said He would destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be to men, even the most brilliant of them. He said ‘you come to me my way, or you do not come at all’.

If you wear a Cross you should ask yourself, why you are wearing it, what does it mean to you? Most people just see it as an item of jewellery, such an idea would have been horrifying, bearing in mind the tortuous death it carried; it would be like wearing a model of the gallows around the neck. It was so crude a death it was never mentioned in polite company.

There is one underlying message running right through this passage. ‘There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ’. God gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. We do not earn our right to heaven by all the good things we do, being saved is a gift from God, if we could earn it would not be free. God accepts us when we believe in Christ.   We need to humble ourselves in complete surrender to God. The good news is that God has given us his power.

The world doesn’t like the Cross, even though it can be the answer to all divisions pointing out the difference between truth and error. The crucifixion of  Jesus is a fact of history. He is the only means of salvation, and  we need a Saviour, meaning we follow God’s way or none.

When Jesus died on that Cross there were two men alongside him. One cried out to Jesus to save him and the other mocked. One of those men was saved, and the other died. We have to make a decision and do so whilst we are able, leaving it to a death bed may be too late.

The Bible states there are two alternatives in life, two roads, goats and sheep, tares and wheat, heaven and hell.  Jesus spoke about heaven many times, but he also warned of the alternative, which many people try to forget.

May the Cross always remind you of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for the salvation that can be yours. It is now the duty and responsibility of the Church to boldly proclaim this.