John 3 v/1/16
The gospel this morning is one of the outstanding passages in the whole Bible. In it, Jesus is calling for an inner change in your life. So often we seek change in relationships or in other people, here Jesus seeks a change in us.

In verse 1, we read of Nicodemus. Here was a man who recognized that he needed a change and wanted to go deeper, he wanted what Jesus offered. Sometimes it may be difficult to admit this, but Nicodemus was ready to face up to it.

He was an important man in the community. He was a Pharisee, one of an elite company never more than 6,000, who took a pledge to spend all their lives observing every details of the Jewish Law. To a Jew, that Law was the most sacred thing in the world. He was also on the ruling council called the Sanhedrin, a Court of 70 members, the Supreme Court of the Jews. All the people looked up to Nicodemus, for he was a teacher and answered questions. He tithed a tenth of all his income, fasted and prayed for two hours each day. He was a man many Churches would welcome. He had religion, but not Christ.

One night he went to see Jesus, which meant he was taking a great risk, for if found doing so it would have meant losing his position, so he had to avoid being seen. No one need to be afraid of seeking Jesus, He will take you however you come. There are people now who don’t like to acknowledge that they are identified with the Church of Jesus for fear of embarrassment through being mocked and want to live a secret faith. So many people now who do not want to be seen associating with the Church; I was regularly asked by men in hospitals not to visit them, especially if I was dressed as a clergyman

It might be however that Nicodemus wanted to speak at length with Jesus so that if he went by day,  crowds would be there and make personal contact impossible. Here was a Jewish aristocrat speaking with a carpenter, for who he must have had respect for Nicodemus called Jesus Rabbi, when Jesus had not had any Rabbinic training. In addition, Nicodemus would (sometime later), speak out to the Jewish leaders to listen to Jesus explanation before condemning him, (John 7.v30) He would also help Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus after the crucifixion when his own disciples had left him.

So, beneath a moonlit sky, on a hill overlooking Jerusalem when it was dark, Nicodemus went to find and speak to Jesus and say, no one could help but be impressed by what Jesus had achieved. Jesus replied that it was not the acts that were important, but it was the effects on a life that mattered.

The religion of Nicodemus was that of doing good works. The problem with a religion of good deeds is that we can never know when we have done enough, but that is the basic religion of the world. 95% of the population today, believes that as long as you are honest, kind and helpful to others and do no harm, you are a fully-fledged Christian with a passport to heaven. What we need to ask ourselves is, if I stood before God to day and He asked me why I should be allowed into heaven, what would I say?

Jesus saw that Nicodemus had in his heart a great need, for he could see the effect Jesus was having on the crowds and he wanted that experience. He sincerely believed he was doing what he thought God wanted from him, yet he realised something more was necessary; it was that feeling which led him to Jesus and risk incurring the wrath of his people.

Jesus answered him with that phrase, which has been immortalized by evangelical preachers,  Jesus said, ‘truly, truly I tell you no one enters the Kingdom of God unless they are born again’. Jesus was not saying   ‘you must think about it’ or ‘you must consider it’. He said ‘you MUST be born again.’ This verse is so difficult for many within the Church to accept, for it means a change in their way of living; in other words, it condemns them.

Nicodemus took Jesus’ words literally and asked ‘how can a man be born when he is old. Surely, he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb. Jesus was of course speaking figuratively.

If you think of a birth, the body exists before birth and can move and feel, but knows nothing of this world. It cannot see nor communicate yet the world is all around it. At the moment of birth, the embryo comes in to the world and can see, breathe and make contact. The baby is born of the flesh.

Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again, that means being to be changed in such a way that can only be described as a re-creation. To be born of the Spirit means to have Jesus Christ living inside of you, and you are ready to believe that Jesus Christ was Lord, and is the Saviour of the World.

Jesus answered, ‘very truly I say to you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit. Water is a symbol of cleansing, a spirit is a symbol of power. 

At this time John had been baptizing and it was a sensational event. Many people now superstitiously think that if they have their babies baptized that will ensure their entrance into heaven, a sort of once and for life matter irrespective of a life in between, which is pure superstition. Water may cleanse and may make you smell nicer, but that is not enough in God’s eyes. What it stands for is important, but you have to grasp the full meaning, which is repentance for sin, and the start of a new way of living.

When we are born of the Spirit, we have a new power within us. It may be asked how do I get it? When born in the flesh we adopt the ways of the world, but when we accept Jesus as saviour, we are filled with his spirit and cleansed of all sin because Jesus paid our debts on the Cross.

What Jesus calls for is a complete transformation in our lives. To lead a life in which we submit all willingly to the will of God. This means in our thoughts, words and actions. It is like demolishing your present house, to build a new one where that previous one was, a whole new beginning.

A true Christian cannot live by society’s standards from Monday to Saturday and think a token statement of repentance on Sunday will be acceptable. Nor is infrequent attendance at Church, and/or a casual attitude to faith during the rest of the week

Like many people today, Nicodemus felt he was too old to change, to set in his ways, but we can begin anew at any age. So many people are desperately unhappy and unsatisfied because they are missing out in their lives. They seek refuge in alcohol or drugs or gambling or whatever. The thought of seeking spiritual help is beyond their ability to think of such a move.

Jesus reminded Nicodemus he was a teacher of Israel and should know these things. Nicodemus would know in Deuteronomy 30, and in Jeremiah 31, and Ezekiel 36, a kind of new birth is described there, whereby a person changing from a Gentile is baptised by cleansing in water, and in Ezekiel 37, God said, ‘I will sprinkle you with water and you shall be clean’.

When Jesus taught, he did so in simple terms, using images from Jewish culture which all would understand and be able to relate to.  Jesus told Nicodemus if he couldn’t understand the meaning of earthly things, he couldn’t expect to grasp heavenly things.

The problem with so many people is that they think they are quite satisfactory and don’t need to change or do anything. They like a certain amount of religion, but not too much; having to attend Church is an unnecessary thing for them to do. Now people are fooled into thinking if their morality is in line with State law, they have a way of easing their conscience, failing to appreciate God’s law overrides State law.

But there is also a lesson and warning for many within the Church. It may be entertaining and give one a feeling of self-importance and learning, to justify writing books and taking part in profound discussions in academic circles, but all that is useless in practical terms, if unable to communicate the simple message of Christianity to ordinary people. The Apostles of Jesus were ordinary men without a degree among them. Well has it been said, ‘the Church is falling apart by degrees’.

If you go into hospital you don’t want the surgeon to give a lecture on the workings of the human body, you just want him to make you well. Christianity is something we accept by faith; we do not need a theological treatise.

People come to a point in life when they feel that they are going through the motion of religion, of having the ritual without there being any sense of the real thing. If you come to that point in your relationship with God, and it happens to people all the time, you need to come before Jesus and ask Him to come into your life and give you that new life.

Most people don’t want to admit there is anything to repent of, they are perfectly good and God should recognize that. A Vicar put a notice outside his Church which read, ‘this church is here for sinners.’ The next week two thirds of his congregation was absent.

Jesus used the wind to illustrate the effect of the Holy Spirit. When the wind blows, we can hear and feel the effect and often see the result it has caused around us. We haven’t been able to visually see it, but we fully recognise its presence. When a person accepts Jesus as Saviour, their life is blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot see anything with our eyes, but it reveals God’s teaching, guards and guides our lives, supports and intercedes for us. Jesus stated when he left this earth, he would send the Holy Spirit who would be our helper.

Many thousands of people went to the Billy Graham Crusades in the latter half of the last century. Touched by rousing hymns, massed choirs, and sermons by the world’s greatest preacher, they immediately had a Damascus road conversion. Quite a lot of men became clergy and even bishops, others went back to their parishes and in the more mundane atmosphere of 1662 Matins, poorly put together services and indifferent preaching, fell away; whilst others with regular worship and a desire to know the Lord just grew in grace over time.

Jesus used the term ‘Son of man’ as a title referring to himself, and claimed he must be lifted up. This was a reference to a time when in the Old Testament the people of Israel were wandering in the wilderness and complained to Moses who was leading them, that they regretted leaving the captivity of Egypt. God sent as punishment serpents. The Jews believed this when they saw God as being ready to punish them for breaking the law

 God told Moses to make an image of a serpent and put it on a pole, and all who looked at it would be saved and healed.  The story became part of |Jewish history, as a sign that the healing lay not in the serpent, but of God’s healing power. All who look up to Jesus as a call for healing, would be heard.

We are to believe in Jesus with all our hearts, that he is who God declared him to be, and that Jesus and God love and care for us, and want to forgive us.  All who look to Jesus, who was lifted up on the Cross would be saved.  The Cross was God’s judgement for himself and was the supreme exaltation of Jesus.  He would draw people from every nationality and race.

We have the whole message of the gospel in verse 16.  Christianity is defined in this most famous verse. It was the truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation.

 ‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Just as a mother suffers to give us physical birth, so Jesus suffered on the Cross that we should have spiritual birth.

This is a very well-known verse.  Salvation is all of God. God sent his Son because he wants to love all people of every nationality and race and status.  God is acting for us, not himself.  This verse tells of the love of God for the world.   Augustine said, ‘ God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love’

2nd Letter of Paul to Timothy Chapter 2.

This chapter is a call from Paul to Timothy to have endurance in his ministry, emphasizing he should follow the training Paul had given. He thought of the suffering he had endured and warns Timothy he will face the same.

Being a Christian may lead to a satisfying and worthy life, but it is not an easy life in some instances. This is more so for a man I think than a woman, because many men, and I mean many, see religion as more a woman’s cause and not consistent with man’s more macho style. A lot of men become disorientated when coming into a Church, and the idea of praying to an anonymous being in the sky is ridiculous, from a book of fiction written by men 2,00 years ago is beyond their limited intelligence.

Paul used analogies to help explain his teaching, and one was that of a soldier, which calls for service, facing danger, obeying orders, and includes dedication. These commitments face Christians, and William Booth forming what he called ‘the Salvation Army’ was an inspired action, and that organisation has won the hearts and admiration of millions. So let us apply the different calls of Paul, to the Christian life.

Commitment is an essential quality which a Christian man/woman should have. People generally like to have Churches, even though they do not attend very often; if you doubt what I say, try closing a village Church and wait for the outrage from the non-attenders. Where would they have the pointless baptisms, the fancy weddings, quintessential English village scene.

Regular members too often fail to realise, being a Christian is more than just attending Church on a Sunday for a brief hour; it is a way of life, a way set out by God in Holy Scripture. It is fully believing that Jesus Christ died on a Cross in a very painful way, after having been beaten many times with a leather steel studded belt. His death was so that all people who accepted that he died for them, and followed his teaching, would be forgiven by God for their sins and be granted eternal life with him in heaven.

This will incur some suffering, depending on a person’s character. You may find people you thought were your friends now keep a distance, you are omitted from get togethers, you are mocked and ridiculed. But you can be consoled, that Jesus went through so much more for you. Life like a soldier’s, can be one of discomfort as well as being exciting.

A solider has to fight. Whilst we see adverts for people to join the Armed Forces, backed by promises of world travel and exciting life style, fancy uniforms and dinner parties In some foreign exotic scenery, the real life is in some barracks in a foreign backwater with basic facilities.

We have to fight, the good fight of faith. There are such a lot of people who will want to turn you away from your beliefs, vicious activists, and the many silly people with phobias will be ready to make complaints to employers, or heads of colleges, that you made a remark some years previously and they have seen it and become offended, and the employer or head teacher will be so woke minded and righteous to himself, that he will suspend or dismiss you. Such activists have their own beliefs, which we properly believe they can hold, even though we might not agree with, but such is their intolerance they do not believe we should hold different thoughts than they hold, which you are expected to approve and accept.

Preachers consequently face three choices when they come to preach, especially if the subject is a controversial one. There are an increasing number of people, usually in he younger age range who are constantly searching for things to complain about, it seems to be part of being in the ‘cool’ crowd.

This presents a challenge to all preachers. Some are men/women of gentle nature are reluctant to face conflict, and are left with three choices. One can change the Bible passage so that you don’t need to address the issue, or you can go with flow and say what you think will not be questioned, or do the right and honourable thing by telling the bible truth. Paul told Timothy to stand firm.

As the hymn states, Stand up! stand up for Jesus! Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss: From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.

And Christ is Lord indeed. Never be afraid to state so.

Paul was a strong Christian for whom there were fundamental truths, no grey areas. And that is how it should be, and if a preacher speaks the truth kindly, there is no cause to be reluctant to do so. The Bible calls on us to ‘preach the Word’, without fear or Favour; and if anyone challenges you, ask them to explain their reason.(that usually ends the conversation)

The soldier is fitted out with equipment, and Paul took the image of a Roman soldier and applied it to a Christian, he saw a belt around the waist, which was symbolic of that described by Isaiah with his view of the Messiah, as wearing a belt as an indication of binding himself to truth, with a breastplate of righteousness, sandals fitted with readiness to speak the gospel of peace, a shield to protect shots from the enemy, a sword of the spirit reminding that the battle is spiritual and must be fought in God’s strength, depending on the Word of God, and the helmet to protect the soldier from unexpected blows, enabling his being saved.

Soldiers of Christ, arise, And put your armour on, Strong in the strength which God supplies, Through His eternal Son.
Stand then in His great might, With all His strength endued;
And take, to arm you for the fight, The panoply of God.

A soldier however is forced to obey rules and regulations and lead a way of life different to a civilian, and a Christian has to live a way of life different from a non-Christian, and obey the rules of a Godly life as laid down in the Bible.

A noble feature of a soldier’s life is loyalty to the country he serves, and obey the orders of his Commander in Chief to the letter. He must never communicate with the opposing forces, and very few soldiers would dare doing so. Such is the discipline of an Army that any failure to obey Orders is subject to facing judgement by a senior Officer.

A Christian should obey the Orders of his/her Commander, and follow the teaching given by the Commander to his Apostles once and for all time. Sadly, the Church does not have a code of loyalty or discipline. We have poor leadership with the Officers regularly advocating ignoring the teaching of Scripture, collaborating with those who want to change our way of life.

A great example of this is at present circulating the air waves with people amazed at the circumstances. Students at a private school advertising a Christian ethos were being taught teaching by an activist from the LGBT , who calls for people ‘to smash’ hetero- moralitivity. A student asked the chaplain if they were to accept such teaching, and his reply in his address to the class is included at the end of this post.

Someone complained to the head teacher, who astoundingly reported the Chaplain to the Police ANTI TERRORIST unit, and then suspended him. The Police obviously rejected as not applicable, and subsequently the Chaplain was dismissed from his post. Can you possibly imagine the fear that the Chaplain (and his family) must have had at hearing he was being branded a possible terrorist?

Christian Concern is a legal defence team of Christian lawyers, who are continually defending Christians in the Courts, funded by private donations, against allegations made against them. In the majority of cases there are successful outcomes, although sometimes a magistrate is blind to life in the world outside the law Courts. This team are worthy of your support, and are always there to protect and defend oppressed Christians..

Christian Concern will represent Rev. Dr Randall at a future Court hearing, and asked the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishop of Derby, in whose Diocese this took place, to give their support to the Chaplain, and they each declined. How is that for loyalty to one’s fellow Christian? I am only surprised they expected support. I can only think such is shameful, but it suggests what they believe.

Dr Randall was dismissed for preaching Christian tolerance; how to be warm to one’s neighbour in a cold climate; how to live in love and faith with someone with whom one disagrees fundamentally." Here is his statement

So, all in all, if you are at ease with “all this LGBT stuff,” you’re entitled to keep to those ideas; if you are not comfortable with it, for the various especially religious reasons, you should not feel required to change. Whichever side of this conflict of ideas you come down on, or even if you are unsure of some of it, the most important thing is to remember that loving your neighbour as yourself does not mean agreeing with everything he or she says; it means that when we have these discussions there is no excuse for personal attacks or abusive language. We should all respect that people on each side of the debate have deep and strongly held convictions. And because, unlike Brexit, this is not a debate which is subject to a vote, it is an ongoing process, so there should be a shared effort to find out what real truth looks like, and to respect that that effort is made honestly and sincerely by all people, even if not everybody comes up with the same answers  

 

On Sunday we are celebrate Pentecost, when Peter made that dramatic sermon which led to the conversion of three thousands of people. That was a great day in the history of the Church, for it was then that the Holy Spirit came on the Church in a very special way. The Holy Spirit was the source of all guidance for the Apostles, bestowing power and courage, and was that which Jesus had promised.

This was one of three great Jewish festivals which every Jew who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem was obliged to attend, and was also known as the festival of weeks, because Pentecost fell on the fiftieth day after the Passover festival.

We are told they were all together in the one place, which was the Temple Courts, when suddenly a sound like a blowing wind and fire filled the whole place. A breath of wind was understood to be a symbol of the Spirit of God, and they able to speak, and fire his holiness which destroys all impurity.

The Apostles were able to speak in other languages of all the people present. The list of nations represented covered most of the area where the Jews had dispersed.

When people are confronted by something they cannot understand they generally respond in one of two ways; either by trying to work out what was meant, or by dismissing with contempt. The crowd accused the disciples of being drunk, which was dismissed by Peter as it was at nine o’clock in the morning.

Peter who had taken over leadership of the Apostles, stood and preached his sermon. The pattern and theme he followed was common in the early Church; an explanation of events followed by relating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This was accompanied by a call to repentance and to be baptised.

The people who heard Peter were cut to the heart, meaning they were deeply convicted. They began to realise God was involved in their daily lives.

The doctrine of baptism is a sacred one, it is admission into the Church as a Christian person, and should be undertaken in a serious manner, and not seen as a ritual to proceed a party, in which any appreciation of Christianity is not even vaguely recognised.

No Christian doctrine has been so abused as that of baptism. Everywhere in the New Testament before baptism has been administered there has been a declaration of faith and a commitment made.

To be sincere in the act of baptism, it should be given when a person, having been touched by God, realises the death of Jesus on the Cross was for the forgiveness of all sin, and realises their life needs to be changed to live as Jesus commanded

Looking at the events recorded in Acts, the normal pattern to becoming a Christian is that someone ‘repents, believes, is baptized, and then receives the Holy Spirit’.

 An overwhelming majority of Christians over the Church’s history have felt that it is right to baptize the Children of Christian parents. Some equally sincere and committed Christians refuse to baptize anyone not old enough to decide for themselves.  I do not want to debate the issue here, but from a purely logical view, if the Bible states a person should repent, believe and make a confession of faith, it is impossible for infants to this, and further, for an unbelieving parent to state on his/her behalf, is ludicrous.

Repent is a word generally misunderstood. Most people think it just means saying sorry. The word biblically means to change your way of living and acting. You accept Jesus was not just a great teacher and social worker, but was the Son of God. You turn your way of living to be worthy of being a follower of Jesus.

To believe in God means more than just hearing and something  meekly accepting, the devil knows God exists and works against God.  In the biblical sense, believe means, you are convinced that 2000 years ago Jesus Christ died on a Cross, and on the third Day God raised him from the dead. You accept Jesus did it for us, he died in our place, taking our punishment for us, and because of this God forgives and sees us as being righteous.

 Having made a confession of faith that you accept Jesus died for you, and you accept Him as Saviour, you have repented and believed and can now be baptized.

I quote from John Wesley in his sermon on ‘the way to the kingdom’,  Now cast thyself on the Lamb of God, with all thy sins, how many soever they be; and "an entrance shall" now "be ministered unto thee, into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

 During the early years of the Church the practice of baptising infants of practising parent believers, who would bring up their children within the family of the Church. As the years passed the practice has developed, where outside of the Baptist denomination, someone telephones the local Vicar or Minister to arrange a baptism and are told to be at the Church at a time and date. Vows and promises are made, which everyone present knows will not be honoured. 

Having seen the discord caused by those attending, who invariably take over the Church with little or no regard for the rest of the service, I find myself not attending such services, and would certainly not take one of these indiscriminate baptisms.

I love the Church, which has been the major part of my life, and I hate to see it so abused. It was in fact on Wesley day (May 24) that I first began ministry at a small Methodist Chapel in Cheshire.  

God comes to us in different ways as we seek to serve Jesus.  It may be we see a poster outside a Church with a message, which immediately touches us; others through friends telling them of the Church and their own experience. But most are brought to Christ through biblical preaching, which is why it is so important for all preaching to be thoroughly bible based.

For some people there is indeed a dramatic experience, such as Paul had on the Damascus Road, whilst for others there is a growing in grace. A man and woman may meet at a social occasion, and such is the chemistry between them they fall in immediate love and marry soon after, which may or may not last. Another couple may meet, find they enjoy being with each other, and gradually become totally dependent upon each other and spend the rest of their life together without ever being able to determine exactly when that came about.

Thousands attended the great Billy Graham Crusades in the 1960s/80s, and were immediately affected by the atmosphere of massed choirs leading joyous praise with so many people, and hearing the preaching of the most successful preacher in all Church history. They rushed forward to the altar call, committing their lives to the Lord, but on returning to their local parish Church, found 1662 Matins, with chants of canticles and indifferent preaching, were disillusioned. Their faith was not sincere enough to support them.

 Others just grow in grace to love the Lord by attending regular worship, without being able to identify when they reached the point they were committed.   We each come as the Lord calls us, and most people do know when there was that moment, we understood what the gospel was all about. For me, it was being at a Pentecostal meeting in Mombasa in Kenya.

Charles and John Wesley, who are in our minds at this time, experienced the Holy Spirit in special ways, too. Both were ordained into the Church and ministered as such for some years, yet both had deep spiritual experiences which changed their lives in May 1738, and went on to do greater things as a result. It was on Pentecost Sunday that Aldersgate Chapel in London, saw the conversion of one of the most greatest Christian servants in Church history.

 On this date John had gone to a small chapel in Aldersgate in London, when there was a discourse on Luther’s Letter to the Romans, when his spirit was strangely warmed and moved. He then understood that forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God was a free gift from God, and there was nothing we can do on our own to make us acceptable in God’s sight; this was all accomplished by God through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

We are called to believe that we too can have the biblical doctrine of assurance, that we can by God’s grace and through faith know our sins will be forgiven and be assured that by His death on the Cross Christ has given us eternal salvation.

Charles wrote his most loved and famous hymns afterwards, and experienced a ‘strange palpitation of heart,’ and just a few days later John felt his heart ‘strangely warmed.’ From that time on, the Wesley’s were used powerfully by God to spread the news of salvation.

Christianity owes so much to these two brothers, and it is tragic that what was once a great evangelical outreaching Church, has lost so much of the fervour of these two men. I believe if they could know what is being preached in some of the Churches, and the beliefs of members that they can live in accordance with society’s standard rather than those preached by them, they would be horrified. One of Charles’ standard beliefs was, ‘that the value of a person’s life was to be measured by their faith and manner of living and not only by Church attendance.’

The once great Methodist Church was built on a strong Biblical foundation. It was first started when Charles went to Oxford, and with some friends started a Holy club, in which they met to join in worship and visit the sick. Because of their methodical actions, they became known as Methodists.  The group was started by Charles so earning him the right to be called the first Methodist, which is contrary to general thinking, which attributes John to be the founder. He did become the leader and developed it.

 Many will remember the great evangelical preaching of yesteryear for which Methodism was known, but alas there is not much of that today.

 I led a service recently in a well-recognised Methodist Church, and later received an email from a retired Methodist Minister, accusing me of being a bigot, (despite the fact he had walked out of the Church, something I would never consider doing in the name of tolerance) because I didn’t give an alternative explanation of the resurrection, gender and marriage, to how the Bible defines those subjects. When I wrote ask him what are the alternative explanations, bearing in mind the resurrection is at the very heart of Christianity, he never had the courage or ability to answer.  Yet the resurrection is at the heart of the Christian faith and cannot possibly be amended to please the doubters

Jesus told the Apostles they were to be His witnesses and that duty has now been passed down to His Church and all its members. The Church can be His witness by faithful preaching of Scripture, as all its Ministers vow to do at their ordination, and offer people a credible and united teaching. Individual members can do so by their manner of living, reflecting the image of Christ rather than the ungracious kind we too often see.

The Bible goes on to tell us that the people converted to Christ on that first Pentecost Sunday continued to meet to listen to the teaching of the Apostles, and the Church grew. When the Church today preaches, and listens to the teaching of the Apostles, it too will grow.

 Why is the Church not preaching the Word of God, and all Jesus commanded?  Why do somany object to quoting the Bible? The reason is, they don’t truly believe, and are even ashamed of it.  I have suggested many times, there has to be faithful bible preaching. God is just not going to bless anywhere if there is wandering away from that Word

 There is a statement which should be proclaimed from every Church pulpit, ‘the true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God’.  Any other issue must be considered secondary, the gospel is central and anything which threatens to challenge the gospel, must be ignored.

 I close fittingly with the words of John Wesley, ‘“I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this end He came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. ... At any price give me the Book of God’.

 

          JOHN 17 v.6/17

    It is the night before the Crucifixion.  Jesus is with His Apostles at the Last Supper and is spending His last hours before going to the Cross.

 We begin today’s passage at verse 6 where Jesus says ‘I have revealed you to those whom you have given me’.  Jesus is here thinking of particularly of the Apostles with Him in the Upper Room; those who turned and followed Him in His ministry; those ‘kept the Word’, meaning they were obedient to the faith.  But this also equates to all who would one day follow Him.

He refers to God having given him out of the world.  People who turn to Christ are those who have been given to him by God. God touches a person’s heart to bring them to know Jesus, and that person has the choice of responding or rejecting. Those who respond, accept Jesus died for them on the Cross to give them forgiveness of sins, and will thereby one day join him in heaven.

An earthly father may have glorious plans for his child’s future, but the child rejects and prefers to follow his own way of life.  God our heavenly Father has a plan for all of us, but people make their own decision.  Jesus mentions those God gave him were faithful and obedient. (with the exception of course of Judas) 

Jesus reveals how his Apostles realised the closeness he had with God, which convinced them God had sent Jesus for a purpose. A disciple of Jesus is one who recognises he is God’s ambassador and when he speaks we hear the voice of God. So a follower of Jesus must accept and pay total obedience to Jesus’ teaching.  If anyone seeks independence, they cannot be a true follower of him.

 Then Jesus goes on to say He was not praying for the world, but for those who God had given Him.  Jesus is teaching us that we are rescued from the world.  The world means all who are opposed to God’s standards and way of life; those who live without reference to God.

This means there are two types of people in the world, which the gospel makes clear over and over again, those who are loyal and obedient to God and those who are not.   Jesus was always quite unequivocal, that we are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutrality or sitting on the fence. Jesus is firmly black or white in how you respond to Him.        

 For Jesus, life was life with a climax and that was the Cross.  When He spoke of the Cross as His glorification it had a deep significance.  It is one of the facts of history again and again, that it was in death that some people’s greatness was recognised and they would never ever know how they influenced others.

 Jesus sometimes felt he had made only small start, but had confidence in God.  We too can become daunted in our mission; we may never know how much we have influenced people.

 I once took a funeral of a young man who virtually gave up his life by the way he lived, suffering from acute depression and a feeling of achieving nothing.  Tributes were paid in the most sincere and outstanding words by men of his profession who went to considerable effort to do so, and it was sad to realise the young man never knew how much he was valued.  We see this in the life of religious figures and in the world of music and art

The Cross was the glory of Jesus because it was the completion of the work God had sent Him to do.  God had given Him authority over every man and woman on earth; He had come to show the love of God and what He was prepared to suffer for mankind.  In His glory He brings glory to God, and if He had not gone to the Cross, it would have meant His work was not completed; to stop short would have suggested there was a limit to that love.  Jesus showed there was nothing the love of God was not prepared to do and suffer for us. 

Jesus said, ‘have shown forth your name’.  The word name in Jewish culture means not just what one was called, but also one’s nature and character. The Jews saw the name of God so sacred they used four letters, IHWH; the Hebrew language did not have vowels, and God was seen as being remote to man.  Jesus was telling that now because of what he had done in the world, he had brought God close to men and women that they could use God’s name.

In verse 11 Jesus prays that God will leave His disciples in the world and will protect them from the evil one, because like Him, they do not act to the world’s standards.  He wants His disciples to be active in the world.  God will rescue us from people who in rebellion, are opposed to Him, but that does not mean we should gather in holy huddles out of contact from others, who need to hear about Jesus from us. 

There are of course, in religious orders that lock themselves away from the outside world.  They are truly dedicated men and women, who sincerely believe they are serving God.  That kind of Christianity however, which shuts itself off in a monastery or convent, would not have seemed to Jesus to be Christianity at all.  The kind of Christianity which finds the essence of the Christian life in prayer and meditation in a life secluded from the world, would have seemed to Jesus to be a sad version of the faith He died to bring to people. 

 It was Jesus insistence to be in the hurly burly of life, that we must live out our faith. Christianity was never meant to withdraw men and women from ordinary people.  It does not release us from problems, but equips us to deal with them.  It offers not always peace, but triumph. 

Jesus is saying He wants His people to be in the midst of the world, mixing with non believers.  Just as a lifeboat is of no use set permanently polished in a station, but is needed to go out and rescue people trapped in stormy seas, so we need to be rescuing those dear to us, trapped in the perils of life in this world.  Jesus was saying His people are not meant to be little ships which stay in harbour, although it is much safer, that is not what ships are for, they are meant to be on the high seas.

Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples, and that they would be one as He and His Father were one.  There can be no divisions between Christians.  If there are, the cause of Christianity is harmed and the prayer of Jesus is rejected.  Jesus never considered different denominations, which would be criticising one another, or considered one denomination could claim exclusive access.  Jesus prayed we would be one, and there is no prayer of Jesus which has been so hindered from being answered by Christians

Jesus warned us of the hostility we face from a hostile world which hates Christians.  If you find that hard to accept, just consider the violence, even murder, of Christians in Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. 

On a more subtle scale, in Australia and Canada; where Bible preaching is under threat and proposals have been made to ban parts of Scripture.

You may say well this is England it can’t happen here;  it is happening here. People are losing their jobs; made to act against their consciences; prevented from speaking engagements; deprived of being foster parents, all because of holding Christian beliefs. In Scotland the government actually closed the Churches, until a High Court overruled them.

The world hates biblical truth, and if you take a stand publicly for the truth of the gospel, you will not be popular and are likely to be called narrow minded at best, and a bigot at worst. 

Finally Jesus prayed that His people would be made holy by the truth, set apart for a purpose, and have the character necessary for he task. If we are Christians set apart through the death of Christ, we must go into the world with the Word of God.

Sometimes we feel buffeted by the storms of life, the stresses and strains, the problems of work and family, and personal relationships.  We ask will I be strong enough to do the work God wants me to do.  Jesus is praying here for all who believe in Him, and particularly for the difficulties to be faced. 

Remember Jesus words and be encouraged, for He has told us that we are supported by the Word of God which gives us the strength to be the kind of people He longs for us to be.

 

2 Timothy 1.

I like this Letter, it is my favourite book of the Bible, and have preached on it more than any other book of the Bible.  It is a very tender and moving letter from the great Apostle.

 The world famous London preacher John Stott stated how impressed by the timeliness for today by what this Apostle writes.  John is correct ,it could well be named as a Letter of Paul to the Western Church in the 21^st century.

  Paul, now an old man confined to  Roman prison dungeon, a tired and weary missionary who has served the Lord with great devotion and faithfulness, taking the gospel around the ancient world and planting Churches wherever he went. Suffered a lot, physically and mentally, yet never wavered in his commitment; now he is nearing his life’s end in the prison, where he had been detained after anti-Christian Jews had laid false charges against him, and he was held awaiting trial. 

He knows his days are over and is anxious that the all his labours would have been in vain if he is not succeeded by a true and honest man, and the gospel will not be passed down to future generations.

Some of us have unexpectedly faced death and God has preserved us,  Others know they face death and want to leave a message and so write a letter, which Paul is doing.

 He has chosen Timothy, a young man who served him on the missionary field and whom he had mentored, but Timothy is young, timid, and a  little in awe of what he is going to be called on to do. Hence Paul writes two Letters of guidance, advice and much encouragement  It contains much teaching which is still so relevant to us today.

 Paul begins by asserting his right to be called an Apostle, an office specially created by our Lord to a special group of men whom He wanted to represent Him and teach in His name.  It was a select group which was never to be added to.  There are no Apostles today.    

 Paul was specially and uniquely called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles, whilst also catering for the Jews, whom he never forgot. It has been accepted that when Paul spoke, he was speaking for God.  He could never forget his commissioning as the direct will of God, to be a prisoner for being a privileged Apostle of Christ.  

 He calls Timothy ‘my beloved child,’ a young and timid man who Paul had converted and for whom he has a special affection.  He felt Timothy had the right credentials to lead the Church, having come from a godly family where his mother and grandmother had brought him up teaching the Scriptures. 

 It is a sad fact that now the vast majority of children do not attend a Church meeting, and schools do not have assemblies where children can learn the Christian faith, unless of course a private school. A worrying number of State schools, encouraged by the body appointed to examine schools, have a deeper concern to teach the agenda of the homosexual lobby there.  Children for some years now have been deprived of being taught the slightest knowledge of the Bible, which could give them a strong foundation for their lives.

 Children are growing up in moral confusion, taking up pieces of bizarre lifestyle which they pick up from television programmes produced by depraved minds. When they are faced as teenagers with going away from home to Colleges, they are vulnerable to temptations.

 Then Paul turns to Timothy’s Christian character.  He was a  child of mixed parentage, his fater was a Greek and mother Jewish Christian who taught Timothy the Scriptures.  Paul acted as a spiritual father and took him on missions with him

After parents, it is our closest friends who influence us most.  Paul had converted Timothy and maintained contact with him. 

We all owe a debt to those who led us to Christ.  My own mother always encouraged me to go to Church from an early age, and by example attended as we went together to Liverpool Cathedral ever Sunday until I was called to military service. 

Like most fathers, mine was not interested in religion. But for deeper conviction, I owed much to a most devoted Christian when in Kenya, who worked tirelessly for Christ, far away in East Africa. 

We all may have been influenced  by someone who has stirred us and helped to make our faith stronger.  Those are the relationships which God establishes, and you remember things, from sermons and written notes which have become precious to you.    

Paul tells Timothy he was set apart through ordination. To some Timothy might have been a surprise choice to lead the Church being young and frail, but we see God often chooses someone seemingly insignificant , others would look for a person with a degree no matter how little common sense or how useless the degree. I am sure if the Apostles have had to appear before a Church selection board we wouldn’t have had them. God delights to say to someone, ‘you are the one for the task I want doing’.  Remember who God chose to bear His Son, just a beautiful young Jewish village girl.      

 The office of pastor, or minister, or priest, whatever term is used, is meant to be a gift of God’s grace, and those called upon owe a debt to God.  They should be selected by the Church only if they can show they have a commitment to Christ, rather than those looking for some imaginary status.

 Paul calls on Timothy to personal discipline and many in ministry today could learn from Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus. 

 There is the call not to be fearful of speaking the truth, of keeping to the teaching of the gospel as it is written.  Cowardliness has no place in Christian ministry.  The Bible states, ‘for God did not give us a spirit of timidity’.  We can be taught the Scriptures and be led to Jesus Christ, but it is up to us to use the gift God gave us, and apply ourselves in active discipline to inspire others, and so fulfil the ministry God has given us.  This has to be taken seriously, no toying with the gospel, or seeing the ministry as a soft option.

Paul begs Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel, and calls on him to guard it. It hurts when leaders in the Church attack the gospel, breaks trust with God and demoralises the faithful Christian. Altering is done to make the gospel more acceptable to modern man/woman, which means giving up the gospel instead of guarding it.

 I often hear that bishops are the direct descendants of the Apostles, that is offending the Apostles. Which Apostles of Christ would call for the bible to be abandoned just because it didn’t please one section of the community; or cast an ordained Minister out for trying to teach biblical morality; or order fellow Christians not to attend a meeting of a world famous evangelist because he was a solid bible teacher. Which Apostle would call for sections of our Lord’s teaching to be removed or replaced with a modern version.?  

 Those who are appointed to preach this gospel have a duty to devote themselves to faithful teaching. This is a call still to be heeded.  From the very start of the faith, essential truths have been under attack.  Truth does not change.  The manner of presentation may be adjusted, but to change and replace is not acceptable.

 Some of us were greatly encouraged by the visit some years ago by Pope Benedict, who used brave and bold words to tell the politicians to stop interfering with Christian beliefs, and called on all Christians to oppose the aggressive secularism which is trying to dominate our society.  This is a great challenge for we have no political party leader on our side.  Most members of Parliament are reticent as being identified as Christians, in total contrast to the more faithful members of the Congress of the United States who openly declare their faith to their honour, and even more so until recently had a President who was of like belief and ensured Christians in that great country were free to defend their belief in public.

 Any preacher who dares to speak in the public arena in the United Kingdom must be prepared to be arrested, for too often now someone will call the police, who will respond with the speed householders in need can only dream of, and snatch the preacher’s Bible and pull him down to convey to the nearest police station.  Invariably after the indignity of being processed the preacher will be released when it is realised they have erred.  All proof free speech is a myth, and stating marriage is between a man and a women a crime.

 However let us face up to the challenge and never ever be ashamed.  Paul says he was not ashamed, in fact he glorified in the gospel and that is what all Christians should do. But sadly I fear we all do not. 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.  How many Christians I wonder would be able to answer if asked what the gospel is?

 The gospel is the good news of salvation.  God wants everyone to be saved, so it is the duty of the Church to tell the story of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to communicate that news.

 

The word ‘saved’ often causes people to think of devoted charismatic enthusiasts asking, ‘are you saved brother/sister’. In simple terms it refers to a man or woman who has accepted that when Jesus died on the Cross, he did so that they personally would be forgiven by God for all their past wrongs in life, and when their life on this earth was over, the could have eternal life in heaven.

 

Jesus was 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 Paul is not ashamed is because the gospel is the power of God leading to salvation for all who believe. This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that. It is not enough to just hear and say you believe, it demands a response. God wants all people to turn to Him.

 The Church perpetuates the belief, sincerely held by many people unaware of Bible teaching,  that all you need to say is being honest and kind; discounting the need to attend Church, sing hymns, pray and read the bible. The funeral service liturgy states such a belief, which may be compassionate, but it is like telling a blind person they can cross a busy road whenever they feel like doing so.

 

Jesus sent His Apostle to the lost sheep of Israel, for as God’s people He wanted them to have salvation first. When they refused to listen to Him God directed the Gentiles should be

brought into the Kingdom. Let us remember, all but one writer of the Bible was a Jew; our Lord was Himself a Jew; and we worship the God of Israel, and we should pray for the mission to the Jews.

We are called to live holy lives, but we cannot do that If we are living in a way forbidden by Scripture, or if we encourage or appease others who are.

Paul refers to his suffering, which is because of his imprisonment and impending death. He knew what suffering was having been neaten, tortured, driven from towns, yet ever faithful to Christ.  Every pastor must be prepared to be verbally attacked, and I they are not I would suggest they are not truly preaching the gospel.  There is always someone you will be unfortunate to meet who will challenge you, which is why the sermon must be fully checked and one is ready to respond.

 

From personal experience, I suggest you ask them for their interpretation and how they reached that view, then you will find the conversation ends as they start walking.  To be attacked for quoting the Bible is like getting a badge of honour, it shows you are being faithful to the Lord.  

Timothy felt embarrassed at being young and having to deal with older people so receives encouragement from Paul. Dealing with people is an art which some of us who have been in the real world have learned from good and bad experiences. I have always thought since theological training, it would be wiser and more beneficial if some lesson in handling people was given in seminaries and theological colleges, instead of the subjects which we will never look at again or need.

Different ages need different reception.  Most Churches would like their pastor to be safely married preferably with children, not too young or old.  How wise was the person who said age was just a number, it is what the person’s ability and commitment to the true gospel is that matters.  

 

So the plea goes out to Timothy to guard what had been entrusted to Paul. But it also goes out to all Christians, and especially to all Church Ministers.  There is as much false teaching in our churches as speakers seek to align a message to relate to modern life, forgetting God didn’t speak for only the first century.

Christianity has been the faith of this country for over 1500 years which has brought and kept this nation as one, now Christianity is being wrecked and fazed out of public life by political bullies, ideologues in the government, civil service and secular activists who want to take Christianity right out of public life by using punitive measures, betraying the culture which nurtured them.

 

Remember the final words of our Lord to his Apostles, which they so faithfully carried out. ‘Go into all the world and make disciples; TEACHING THEM ALL I HAVE COMMANDED.