M A T T H E W  11 V28/20

 I wonder if there is anyone in this congregation can stand up and say, ‘I have no worries in my life?’  If there is, would you like to stand up so we can all admire you?

     There must be very few Christians or non- Christians who have not experienced some worry, some anxiety.

     We need hardly ask whether worry harms,

it causes us to lose sleep, takes the joy out of living,

causes our hair to fall out or turn grey even leads to an early grave.

     There are so many fears in modern life, young people facing life away from home for the first time,

the man in his 40s fearing redundancy, young managers worried at having to achieve ridiculously high targets, the business man working such hours he hardly has little time to see his family, the fear of marriage breakdown, of serious illness, fear of losing someone dear.  These are all perils faced by people every single day.

     As Christians we need to ask, ‘what is life all about’?  So many people, especially the young, have no meaningful purpose.  They have a hard outlook of, ‘live life to excess, get what you can out of it by any means whatever’.

     What is the answer for the growing number of older people frightened to venture out of their homes?  The one parent abandoned by their husband /wife.  Wherever you look you find sadness and heartache and despair.

     The Bible says the answer is that life has no meaning apart from God, but for many God is unreal. 

     The Bible says that God is separated from us by sin.  Sin is not just immorality; it is an attitude of rebellion and independence, saying ‘I go my own way’.  The Prodigal Son went his own way to be free and independent, but failed to find any true purpose in life, and found he was cut off from the only person who really loved him.  Yet this is a common situation.

     God is willing to pour His grace upon you so that you no longer need to fear if you repent of any sin and turn to Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

     You can’t however come to God except through Jesus Christ.  Not by Mohammed, Buddha, or anyone else. Jesus came, sent from God with the sole purpose of bringing us into a living relationship with Himself.

     Christ came to seek and to save the lost, the fearful and the lonely, the worried and the broken hearted.   

     To all who are worried, afraid or anxious, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light’

     It is said that these are the most wonderful words spoken by our Lord, the very heart of Christianity.  They speak of the failure of men and women to solve the problems of the world.

     Come, just as you are; He is waiting. Jesus has said, ‘Here I am. I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me’. But the door handle is only on the inside, and it has to be opened from within, you are the one who can turn it, in faith. 

     In the East to receive an invitation to eat with someone was considered to be a most generous, honoured and favoured act.   Jesus is ready to be faithful to His Word; we come at His invitation in a spirit of simple trust.  Jesus was brought up in the East, and there the greatest act of friendship is to dine with someone.  Jesus is offering to dine with anyone who invites Him.

     So who can come?   All those who are weary and heavy laden with care.  This is a selective invitation.  There has to be recognised a need and be prepared to admit it.  The problem may not be despair, it may be something quite different.  All who are weighed down, to all these Jesus speaks.

     The Bible says, ‘there is no distinction since all have fallen short of the glory of God’.  It doesn’t matter what the past has been, if you repent and turn to Christ, God is ready to blot out your sins and give you a clean sheet. 

     We have all broken God’s laws but if we are prepared to admit this, then Christ’s invitation is for us.

     What happens if you come?  Jesus said, ‘I will give you rest’.  These are words spoken by someone who fulfils His promises.  So many people make promises they either cannot, or have no intention, of fulfilling.     You can change your job or house, find new friends, but if there is no inner peace, all the changes in the world will make no difference.  On the other hand, if heart and mind are at rest, that is a priceless feeling.  It is constant peace that Jesus is offering.  He says, ‘I can set you free for I am the Way, the truth, and the life. He is able to do all He promises, and is faithful and willing to do what He promises

     The Bible tells of men who went to Him blind, sick and poor.  Jesus gave them sight and riches beyond measure, releasing them from restlessness enabling them to face the future.

      Jesus said, ‘take my yoke upon you and learn from me’.  A yoke was a wooden frame used to put over a pair of animals to enable a load to be shared.  Jesus is saying ‘let me help you carry your burden. Instead of going your own way turn around and come with me’.

     The moment you come to Him is the time a lasting and new relationship begins.  But it is not just mouthing words.  It is truly believing Jesus died on that Cross for your personal sins, and because of that alone, you can be forgiven totally by God and earn your place in heaven.

     It means putting Him as a priority.  If we give preference to some other activity, we are putting God in second place, and in the Commandments, He tells us He is a jealous God and will not be relegated.

     Jesus will welcome all, pardon any failures, cleanse your heart and relieve your anxieties and cares, because of the promise He made in John’s gospel, that whoever comes to Him will never be turned away. 

     The Bible tells us that the love of Christ goes far beyond human understanding, to break every barrier down.  Only pride, fear or doubt can hold us back

     You see it is not just being religious or even coming to Church that brings peace and rest, or indeed makes you a full Christian.  A person can be baptised, confirmed and be regular at Church and not be a true Christian.  Many Church people are really unpleasant, arrogant and very un-Christian.  Coming to Church should be a delight like sons and daughters coming to meet their (heavenly)Father in complete harmony, as children go their earthly parents home  In far too many of our Churches there are dominant personalities who, instead of looking for the good, want to put their own interpretation on matters, such interpretation not always being favourable.  In such cases it is because their own personal life is unhappy, disturbed or there is something lacking.

     It may be someone’s life is in a mess, it may be God seems far away, it may be after long time searching there is still a reluctance to commit.

There are lessons for us to learn from these verses We should be careful not to be proud in any form; pride of intellect, wealth or goodness. Nothing is more likely to keep a person from heaven, and stop them of seeing Christ, Try to seek humility, One of the requests we can make is, Lord what would you have me do?

Secondly we see all power is bestowed on Christ by His Father, and we see a perfect union. From these words we find that everything in our soul’s interests. is placed in Jesus’ hands.

Thirdly,  we see the breadth and fulness of the invitations of Christ’s gospel. For two thousand years they have been a blessing to the world There is a refuge for the weary, a rest of conscience and heart, a rest flowing from peace with God. Jesus makes a simple statement, Come unto me. We see how lowly He rates Himself as being meek and lowly of heart.

This invitation is for our acceptance. If there sins to be forgiven, griefs to be removed, consciences to be healed, here is this offer from Christ.

In the words of that great hymn sung at every Billy Graham Crusade, come just as you are

ACTS 1

The Chapter is often glossed over, yet has profound teaching which we can now consider.

Jesus had been crucified and had risen, and then appeared to His Apostles in the Upper Room where He greeted them with the words, ‘peace be with you, receive the Holy Spirit’.  Whilst Jesus had breathed on them imparting the Holy Spirit, they were not then able to use it.

 Some years ago this country was changed from the use of coal gas to natural gas, and preparations were made by installing the necessary pipes across the nation so that we would be ready to receive the new gas in due course, but the power was not in place for use until the authorities turned on.  Thus the Apostles had the Holy Spirit, but not the power of the Spirit. 

 Jesus continued to spend six weeks teaching them, and giving guidance for them to continue His work after He had left them.  Now we come to the stage in our reading when He is about to ascend to His Father in heaven, and give the Apostles His final instructions.   

 The Apostles were told to stay in Jerusalem and wait.  Jesus pointed out they would have to wait for God to give them the gift that had always been promised.  John had baptised with water, but the time would come when they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit, but it was a case of waiting, this gift could not be accessed by them. They had to wait, for they couldn’t act effectively to accomplish what Jesus had wanted them to do without this work of the Holy Spirit within them.  All they could do was pray, which we later read they did.

 They could however wait with confidence, for this gift had been promised for Jesus in His ministry said they would be baptised with the Spirit.  The power the Apostles needed would come as a result of that baptism. which would be a special event in all history. 

 Throughout His ministry, Jesus laboured under a great disadvantage.  The heart of His message was the Kingdom of God, but those to whom He preached had a different understanding to what Jesus had.  The Jews were always conscious of the fact that they were God’s chosen people, which in their minds meant world domination.  But being a small country much like the size of Wales, they were overrun by several nations before Rome occupied their land.

 The Apostles saw Jesus as a means of getting rid of the Roman occupation forces and so restore the kingdom to Israel, forcing Jesus to tell them they had the wrong priorities.  He told them they would be baptised with the Spirit, which would enable them to be His witnesses first in Jerusalem, and then Judea, Samaria and ultimately the whole world. 

 Jesus then ascended into heaven and left them, but they did not just wait mindlessly doing nothing, they met in prayer and preparation for receiving what Jesus had promised.Imagine how the apostles felt as they waited. 

For three years they had been following the most unique person in all history. They had witnessed miracles, and heard wonderful teaching from the greatest of teachers. They had suffered the sorrow of seeing Him die. but had been re-vitalised by His return. This powerful figure around whom their lives had been built for so long, was now gone and they were alone.

 He had told them to go to Jerusalem and to wait.  But would they be able to cope without Him by their side?   Eventually after ten days the day dawned. What happened at Pentecost was a transforming event. On that day God came down in power, and changed the lives of them and so many others They were overwhelmed because God had taken over.  The Church carried on the life of Christ, and we see it was empowered to do so by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Let us apply the situation to ourselves.

 How would we react if we were one of the Apostles?  Waiting is against our culture.  We all have credit cards so that we can obtain things instantly for we view waiting as a nuisance.  Those of us in the older generation know the rewards of waiting, the saving up to get married, and looking forward to being able to buy what we wanted, which gave us a sense of achievement and joy.   Waiting however can be hard at times; waiting for the result of an examination; for the result of an operation; for news of a loved one.

 We have now no need however to wait for the Holy Spirit, it is freely available to all who choose to follow Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives. We receive the Holy Spirit when our faith comes alive, but there may be a period before we have the power of the Spirit.  If God makes us wait there must be a reason, so giving us time to meditate and seek His will for us. Just as the Apostles had to realise their dependence on Jesus, so we Christians need to realise we too need His power. 

 The Apostles received the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, but they had to wait a further two months before the power came when they were baptised by the Spirit. 

 Following on from the events recorded in Acts, we find a confession of faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit happen together. Nowhere in the Bible is there a separation.   I believe this means that within Churches, we need to have a deeper understanding of baptism and confirmation.  Whilst I have often preached on baptism, I have never been at a service when this has been preached upon by others.

 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’.  This, however, is not a chronological order.  These are the essential components to becoming a Christian, but God can change the order in which they happen as was the case with Cornelius and the Ephesian believers.

 It is because Acts and the New Testament do not give a chronology that has lead the overwhelming majority of Christians,over the Church’s history to feel that it is right to baptize the children of Christian parents.  However, it is the fact that, in Acts, it is the normal order that has also led some equally sincere and committed Christians to refuse to baptize anyone not old enough to decide for themselves.

 This is a very interesting subject upon whom we all have views, but as I am a guest preacher it would be discourteous of me to express either view

Most of us, I think, can agree on the first three components of the Acts formula, but how many of us feel comfortable in saying that we, personally, have received the Spirit?  Received, that is, in a way that we know it to be true.

God comes to us in different ways as we seek to serve Jesus.  There is the infilling of the Spirit, which is for all believers.  There is the anointing of the Spirit, which is given to those who will fulfil a certain task, such as is given by the Bishop to a priest, and then the power of the Holy Spirit, which is for us to minister for the Lord. 

 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. 

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

We may take as an analogy two situations from life.  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.  (They may even have a diamond wedding)

 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. Others just grow in grace to love the Lord. We each come as the Lord calls us, but should 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 when also I first heard one of the lovely hymns you are about to sing. 

 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.

When Pentecost came it was a transforming happening when God took over and filled all gathered with His power.  God came down in power and the lives of all present were for ever changed.  Our lives will be changed whe we have that same power

Continuing to think on the matter of baptism.

Baptisms within Churches,  (except Baptist) are usually for infants, and this has always been a problem for me.  I have read, listened and pondered hard, and cannot bring myself to accept the case for baptising infants indiscriminately. 

 As an Anglican priest I was morally required to do so, although I believe when the Church first decided to baptise infants, it was meant to be for the parents of worshipping members.  This can be deduced by the fact that the Canon relating to the subject states, parents and godparents must fulfil their responsibility to bring up the child within the Church, and by their own example. 

 Whatever the practice was in past years, it is now the common practice to accept anyone who requests, without any requirement other than being told to attend on the relevant date. 

 The Church of England liturgy in Baptismal services asks the parents and godparents, if they turn to Christ as Saviour and submit to Christ as Lord, and are allowed to affirm without question.  Similarly, they vow to bring up the child in the life and worship of the Church, but the falsity of this is shown by the fact that Church congregations do not reflect these promises.  Further, to state ‘this child who has been born again’ is theological nonsense.

 Even however in the case of parents who are Church members, I feel it is stretching Scripture’s teaching.   I cannot trace any instance in the Bible where the baptising of infants can be proved, but at least it shows some respect for the service.

 Baptism is a most sacred act.  Within Scriptural terms, a person is baptized when he/she realises their life can be different and better if Jesus Christ is part of it; they therefore repent of past failures; believe that by His death on the Cross, Jesus Christ became their Saviour, and they promise to follow His teaching for their future life.  How such can be fulfilled by people who never have any intention to attend worship, never read a Bible, never contribute anything in effort or finance to the Church, or really seek to know the Lord, I have yet to understand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Matthew 13 v, 24---53

In to-day’s gospel reading, there are six parables included in this passage.  When Jesus was teaching He always took scenes from life which people could understand, and then He applied this to convey a message.  Jesus is teaching about God’s Kingdom of which He is the King.  The parables contain a spiritual meaning to explain the truth.

 In to-day’s gospel reading, there are six parables included in this passage.  When Jesus was teaching He always took scenes from life which people could understand and then He applied this to convey a message.  Jesus is teaching about God’s Kingdom of which he is the King.  The parables contain a spiritual meaning to explain the truth.

 When looking at a Bible passage it is helpful to consider three questions. What does it say; what does it mean; how does it relate to me?  I will take each of the parables to show what they are stating, and then apply the meaning.

The first parable is really a continuation of the parable of the Sower, which you heard last week.  I imagine it will cause some preachers more than a little difficulty in facing its teaching.

The farmer has sown wheat seeds, but an enemy came and sowed weeds amongst the wheat seed.   The weed was called darnel, a bitter poisonous weed which could cause serious consequences. When sown it so closely resembled wheat, that it could not be recognised and it was only when it began to grow that it became identified, and by that time the roots were intertwined so that to pull them up would disturb the good seed. Therefore it was not practicable to separate one without damaging the other, so the separation had to wait until harvest, when the reapers would gather and pick the bad seed out and use it as fuel to burn on the fire. That is the story.

The meaning is that the farmer is our Lord; the good seed are those who gladly acknowledge Him as their Lord and Saviour. The weeds are those who are not followers of Jesus. There is no in between, you are inevitably either on the Lord’s side or if not, on the side of the evil one.

The field is the world; the harvest is at the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels, who will gather Christ’s people and make the separation.

What then is the explanation that affects us?

We are reminded there is always the presence of hostile powers in the world seeking to destroy goodness.

This parable is not a discourse on farming, but rather the theme is that of separation and judgement. Jesus used imagery to deal with the reality of emphasising what can be for ever lost. Some people think that Jesus was just trying to frighten us, which raises the question is there something to be frightened of?

If you travel on major roads you will see signs warning of speed cameras, which infer a penalty if you drive over the limit. There are also signs telling of the number of accidents and fatalities due to careless driving. Yes, they are trying to frighten us, but they are also reminding us how close death can be, and any sensible person will heed the warnings.

Jesus is here warning of the consequences of what faces us if we reject Him, and showing His love and care for us through the death He suffered at the Cross. that we may be forgiven for all our wrongdoings..

Jesus always made it clear, that this life is a preparation for eternity, and we face a choice now. He taught there were two roads in life, a broad one leading to destruction which many take, a narrow one leading to eternal life. There are two masters, Jesus and the devil; two destinies, heaven and hell.

To suggest hell is for many people, including clergy, an anathema. There will be preachers this morning, putting a completely different interpretation on this parable. But if we are keeping to the Bible’s word, there is no room for personal opinion or sensitivity.

Verse 42 clearly states, referring to the evil ones, ‘they will be cast into the fiery furnace.’ Jesus used this term elsewhere also to signify hell

People have various views of what happens, so that when we die, we simply cease to exist; or a loving God would never send anyone to hell, everyone eventually ends up in heaven. It is true God will not send anyone to hell; people just make the choice for themselves by rejecting Jesus Christ.

In all the world, there is only one source of authoritative information about the afterlife, and that is the Bible. Outside of the Bible, everything else is only speculation and wishful thinking. If we want to know what God has to say on this important topic, it is to the Bible we must go.

Turning first to consider the reality of heaven on the night before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, where there were many mansions; the Bible states heaven is God’s dwelling place, where Christ is today and where Christians go when they die.

People don’t believe in it like we used to. They are all too busy making a living, to worry about what happens after we die. To the unbeliever, such words seem either sentimental or simply incredible. But to the one who accepts God’s Word at face value, they are nothing less than the sober truth

We don’t talk about it nowadays, because it isn’t popular to suggest that, unbelievers are tormented for all eternity for their sins. Yet the Bible teaches the eternal punishment of the wicked in many passages.

Those who fail to repent now and turn to Jesus, will find it will be too late for remorse, too late to give your heart to Jesus.
The day will be long past.

Since some people scoff at the notion of an afterlife, let’s pause for a moment and ask why the Bible reveals heaven and hell to us. What do we gain by knowing about these things, and why are they important to the Christian faith?

1. To right the wrongs of this life. So many crimes go unpunished,while the perpetrators are set free to hurt others. Hell must exist, if for no other reason than to balance the scales of justice.

2. To Reward those who serve the Lord.
Heaven must exist so that those who served Jesus faithfully, may enter their eternal reward.

3. To fulfil the promises God made to his people.

4. Redeem the suffering of this life.

The Bible states that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

We constantly hear of people whose suffering seems to be overwhelming. It may be cancer or some other disease, it may be a broken marriage, or a child in trouble, it may be financial disaster or trouble at work or at school. God’s people endure many hardships in this life. Most of the time, we can’t fully understand why God allows certain things to happen to us.

But we have this promise. When the books are opened and the scales are balanced, we will discover that the things we went through in this life are nothing compared with the glories of heaven.

It has been said, for the unbeliever, this life is the only heaven they will ever know. For the believer, this life is the only hell we will ever know.

Each person must make an intelligent and informed decision about heaven and hell. If what I have said is true, then you must do whatever it takes to make sure you go to heaven,and you must make sure at all costs that you do not go to hell.

Sometimes we are ready to think a person is a wonderful Christian,when in fact they may well not be, and on the other hand wrongly condemn someone. Judgement must wait for the harvest, when we will be judged not anyone aspect of our life, so much as our whole life.

It is often thought that the fact a person attended a Church and was accepted as a Christian, would automatically be at the Messianic banquet, but the Bible makes it clear that is not necessary so. Many Church people these days live lives which do not measure up to what the Bible expects. Indeed, there are preachers who are living and supporting, ways which are so totally against the teaching of Scripture. Judgement however is in the hands, and at the mercy of God, who alone knows the secrets of all our hearts.

Let’s go back one more time to the words of Jesus Christ. When Thomas asked him the way to heaven, Jesus gave this answer: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Those words are clear; it is not enough to have a casual approach to Christ, there has to be a firm commitment to believe and act according to His teaching.

The way to heaven is as narrow as the Cross. Only those who trust Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, will enter the gates of heaven. It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. By the same token, the road to heaven is paved with the blood of Christ. Let us all be assured we are on the right road. 

 In verses  31/53 there are five parables all relating to the activity of the Kingdom of God

 The mustard seed was then the smallest of all seeds, but could grow to 10 feet high. It has branches that spread out, in which birds could perch on.

 The Protestant Reformation was started by one man, but spread across the world This was a parable,which was one of the most personal. He had a small band of Apostles, but here we are 2023 years later preaching what they taught. Out of the smallest, the post powerful may come. The message taken by the Apostles in the small country of Israel 2000 years ago, and has for centuries spread across the world.

 Jesus spoke another parable. The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three ,easures of meal until the whole was leavened

 The parables of Jesus were from scenes and activities of everyday life, all of which were entirely familiar to those listening to Him. They featured a field a garden, the sea, the kitchen. In the parable of the leaven, He comes nearer home than in any other.

 In Palestine bread was baked in the home, three measures of meal was the average amount needed for a baking of loaf for a fairly large family. This was something He had seen His mother do. The leaven was a little piece of dough, which had been kept from a previous baking, and in keeping it had fermented, leaven was a piece of left over dough having fermented.

 The whole point of this parable was in one thing, the transforming power of the leaven, This changed the character of baking, for bread without leaven was hard, dry and not appetising; bread baked with leaven was soft, spongy, tasty and pleasant to eat. The introduction of leaven causes such a transformation.

 Christianity transforms life for the individual person, in four social ways. First,, for women.The Jew each morning, prayed thanking God that He had not made him a Gentile, a slave or a woman, Even in Greek culture,the woman lived a life of utter seclusion, with nothing to do but the household tasks, she was considered a nonentity. In Eastern lands on a journey, the man would be sitting on an ass, whilst the woman would be walking alongside, carrying a load. Christianity certainly improved life for a woman, and I found it ridiculous to read that educated women, were turning to Islam to be fully recognised, when in fact, Christianity respected and made life for women bearable.

 Christianity transformed life for the weak and ill, who were previously seen as a nuisance. A child was in places examined when born, and if it was fit, it was allowed to live, but if not ,was put to death on a mountain side.

 Christianity transformed the life for the aged, who like the sick, were treated as a nuisance. When they became too old to work, they were discarded on the rubbish heaps of life.

 Christianity transformed the life for the child. When a family broke down and the house was in peril, divorce was so prevalent it was not unusual, and a woman might have a different husband as much as each year. The child then became a nuisance and was abandoned, often left to die.

 Christianity undoubtedly transformed life on the whole of society.

We cannot see the leaven working in the dough, and similarly we cannot see the Kingdom working, and drawing men and women nearer to God.

 The next story is of hidden treasure. In the Bible days there were no banks, so people often buried treasurable items in the ground for safety.  Here, a man is tending to a field when he comes across hidden treasure during the course of his daily work.  He realises the value,so he went to the owner of the land and bought the  field, having  sold all he owned to do so.

 The story of the pearl is of a merchant in the jewellery business, who knows there is in existence a pearl of great beauty and value. One day he found it, and he too sold his possessions to have that pearl.

 People can find Jesus in their everyday life, often by accident. By a message on a Church noticeboard, in conversation with a Christian, or some other chance event.. Other people will search for a Bible teaching Church, a much harder way, but will persist,  and there find the treasure they were looking for. People can also find Jesus in a Bible at any time the wish. 

 In doing so, they find a new inspiration for life, and realise the value of the treasure of a changed life. The parables are telling the same truth, that the kingdom is of such value we should strive to gain it.

Lastly is the story of the net.  A net was dragged across the water, and collected different kinds of fish.  Those with scales on were classified as bad, and had to be separated from the rest. So the Church of God can contain people who are unworthy, as well as the true believer, and we cannot discriminate.  The Church is for the whole world, and God wants all to be saved.  But the Bible teaches a time will come, when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, the good from the bad.

you are invited to make comment

                  EPHESIANS 4 V 1-16

Paul opens this Letter to the Church at Ephesus with a call to unity, based on the truths of one God and one salvation.

Paul is in prison because of his preaching of the gospel, and he was prepared to be held in confinement for serving his Lord, and his call has much power. Christians have to live in a manner worthy of the fact they are called to show humility, patience, gentleness and holiness. Humility was regarded as distasteful in the pagan community, where pride was revered. The virtues of Christ formed His character, and were expected to be found in every Christian,  Peace was a state of reconciliation and love, so making a bond to unite Christians.

 A powerful message of this chapter is the statement, one God and Father who is over all and in all, which shows that Christianity is an exclusive faith, the true faith.

The significance of this, is that it is not preached as much as it should. There is too readiness to teach falsehoods, by saying many religions lead to eternal life; nor can we say there is more than one God. No other religion can save.

 In verse 5, the doctrinal truths which Christians confess are stated.  The God of Israel is the one true God, and the Bible is the true revealed revelation of God.. The Son of God is the Lord Jesus Christ,  other faiths deny God had a son, but not only is Jesus the Son of God, sinners can only be saved through Christ, who is the only way to God. People can only be saved from hell by the person and work of Christ. If Christ is rejected, there is no other way of salvation.

 The Bible states one God, one Lord Jesus Christ,  one gospel, one means of escaping hell. The Bible also states, you shall not follow any claim there are other gods. To state otherwise will anger God, and come under His wrath.

The doctrine of one Lord, one faith and one Spirit, one God, constitute a Trinitarian formula.

 There is only one baptism. Christians have not all agreed about the mode of baptizing, but the term one baptism refers to the agreed belief of the baptisms of believers. This takes place when a sinner repents, makes a confession of fsaith publicly, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit unites people across the lines of class, which would otherwise divide them.  The Holy Spirt cleanses and empowers, which does to convert at the conversion.

 Verse 6 uses the term over- all and in all, telling God is omnipotent. The Church is one body, and Christians can meet in congregations in any place throughout the world. We are one body, having the same faith, worshipping the same God and Savior, with people of every nation, both genders, race and color, of all ages. No other institution can make such a claim. And we are all brothers and sisters in one heavenly family

 I was once in a group of Christians in Mombasa Kenya, which is the doorway to many other countries of Africa. The city has a harbor, and as liners arrived from America and Europe, we would meet missionaries prior to them journeying away, and we could share faith and experiences with them, only because we were in the same heavenly family.

 In verses 7/10, Paul describes the gifts from the ascended Christ . There is mentioned grace. There are no levels of grace, but refers to an Office in the Church requires a calling, and serving in a responsible manner with personal respect.

 God is Father to all, and there is no room for any other  god. He is transcendent, and having created everything, dwells in the hearts of His people.

The wrath of God is revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness, and the sexual immorality of people in rejection of God, who has manifested Himself in His creation, and in the human heart when do not honor Him.

 In verse 11/13 there is a picture of the organization and administration of the early Church, and there is a list of Office bearers.  There were three kinds; the ones where authority spread across the whole Church by the Apostles; another kind was confined to one place, but were enabled to go wherever the Spirit moved them. There were prophets who foretold the will of |God, who wanted to give a message from the Holy Spirit. This caused them to go from Church to other Churches, proclaiming the Word of God, but before long they had vanished. As time passed, the local Church grew to have its own Minister. Local Ministers became the accepted practice.

 The final two verses, there is a turning to Christ.  There are people in most Churches who have to be protected; children who are at the mercy of false teachers; of those who are not fully believers. Popular fashions are sometimes put forward, often from people in ‘Administration’ Offices, which were so mind-blowingly ridiculous, and were in fact mere gimmicks. Throughout history, fashions did come and go as they sought popularity.  I once put forward a suggestion we try using the Bible to  help people, which was dismissed as cynical.

 Paul spoke of the mockery by people, but in fact there have been disingenuous ideas proposed in a serious manner, which were beyond belief. There is only one way to avoid the latest fashion, by living nearer to Christ and His teaching. Which means turning to the Bible where we do in fact find Jesus. The only way we can keep the whole Church healthy, is in an intimate and indissoluble connection with the head and directing mind of Christ.

 In consideration of this message, we need to consider how close the Church comes to following to accepting the teaching. We find it soon departs from it.

There is the constant departure from the teaching of the Bible, which is becoming a common practice.

 There is one baptism, but the Church makes provision for a second baptism with special liturgy, for those people who believe in trans gendering. The most eminent  medical  surgeons have stated that no matter how much mutilation of the body in trying to effect this, there cannot be a complete change. Men and women have different chromosomes which cannot be changed, but the physical, and mental consequences are affecting lives, with numerous suicides.

 It is clearly stated that only Christianity, through the sacrificial act of Jesus enablesa person to gain salvation, for Jesus is the only way to God.

The Bible, as we have seen, has a factual history, and so contains the truth of the mind of  the one God, and records the death of Jesus on the Cross to enable us to be forgiven and made righteous; only Christianity offers forgiveness for sin

There cannot be justification for multi-faith worship for other faiths do not recognize the divinity of Jesus and specify that they believe God had no son. Churches have been sharing services with Muslim believers, and we must respect their right to worship as they believe, and in some respect they have a strict moral code, which is superior to other faiths. Islamic clergy have criticized the saying of Muslim prayers in Christian Churches, and it is wrong for clergy trying to make some form of attention. It is unwelcome for both Churches to join in worship as we worship through Christ, and Islam has every right to pursue its own way.  

This the message of the Letter. There is one God-the Father; one Lord-Jesus Christ-; one body-the Church; one true faith-Christianity; one Savior-Jesus  Christ; one gospel-the Bible; one Spirit-the Holy Spirit; one baptism, one hope-of eternal life.

 

May God bless His Word to our hearts. And we to His service.

 

 

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.  Matthew 13 v 1/13 and 18/23

This is a major parable of the twenty three recorded in Matthew’s gospel, and it is recorded by Luke and Mark, The parables of Jesus make up a crucial part of the Bible, to convey spiritual truth.

 Here is a picture which people present with Jesus would understand. He had just left His house and got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people gathered on the shore in a sort of amphitheatre on the shore. It was common practice for a Rabbi to sit as he taught. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one.

A farmer went out to his field to scatter some seeds. The field would be divided into long narrows trips, and between the strips was a walking path of  way, and with constant walking would become hard by the feet of passers-by. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on the footpath, and the birds came and ate them.

 Other seeds fell on shallow soil only a few inches deep with underlying limestone rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.  But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 

 Other seeds it is told, fell on ground which was deceptive in that it might have looked good, but underneath lay roots of fibrous plants, and the seeds would mix with the weeds that grew up and choked out the tender plants, but the weeds flourished.

More seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

Jesus told them,, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.  To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 

Jesus was bearing in mind a prophecy of Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, who said  ‘for they look, but they don’t really see.  They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.  He was meaning they listened and saw him preaching, but would not turn to him.  This is so indicative of so many people now, they are prejudiced and don’t want to consider anything different to what they believe.

This is so prevalent in political circles, and among intolerant activists who want to criticise all who hold different views and beliefs to them, but resent any alternative opinion.  What individual people do and think is a personal matter for  them, but others have equal entitlement to differ.  The followers of Jesus were thought to be worthy of listening to him.

Jesus explained the parable. He stated there are those who hear the message and are like the seed sown on hard ground, it doesn’t have any effect on them. They don’t let it penetrate their mind or affect the way they choose to live. It can be a matter of pride causing a person to think there is no need to change their way of life, or there is a barrier to hear  something different to what they are used to.

The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, and they fail to think things out properly and quickly reject. We have minds and hearts, and we have an obligation to intelligently reason out the demands of Christianity, which is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility.

There are the hearers who have lives full of other interests in life, and let the important matters be crowded out. Just like the seed which falls on the ground and gets choked  by underlying thorns. The business man for whom all life beyond the end of the Sunday service is concentrated on business issues. Or be like a man who once told me how he loved coming to Church, but it was difficult on some Sundays as he had golf to play. They hear a message, but fall away to temptations.

But there are the people who are like good ground.  The seed falls and takes root in an open mind, willing to listen and react.  He listens to the Word of God instead of other people. Such people are like the seed which produces a rich harvest, who trust and obey.

The doors of Synagogues were closing on Jesus, and He was not having a  lot of success for they were trying to destroy Him. Some people were going to Jesus for what He could do to heal them, but then went away and forgot Him. How human nature never improves through the generations. The Apostles saved and believed implicitly in Jesus, but must have felt frustrated and even disappointed that people didn’t loyally follow Him.

This parable teaches that there is also the good seed and good people to produce a harvest, and we see proof of that in the fact that while some  Churches pretend to preach the gospel, there are those that really do so. This is a parable of encouragement.  Just as a Sower cannot foretell the results of his sowing, neither can a preacher know the immediate result of preaching, in fact may never know.

 I was on holiday at a place within reasonable distance from my home, and went into a shop where the owner stated he knew me.  He had once attended a service I had taken some time before, and heard things from the Bible which he had not previously understood. This helped him to believe and attend Church. We should never be proud, but it is good and acceptable to be encouraged to know one caused growth.

Jesus had to explain to His Apostles why He spoke in parables. He said to him who has much more would be given, but from the one who has not, what he  has will be taken away from him. It might have been expected to be the other way round, but what Jesus was referring to was truth,  We may hear and believe, but never act up to it.  Jesus was meaning that giving more will be given to those who  can produce results.

In the parable, Jesus referred to different soils and the corresponding reactions by different ways to the gospel. Some people can be deeply changed by something they heard, and there is a change in their life, whilst others whose minds are shallow and are never touched.

We who live here  are home to one of the great names in Christian history, John Bunyan. He wrote a a Christian book named Pilgrim’s Progress which attained world attention, and assisted millions of people.  He was a man of much Christian faith and integrity, who served twelve years imprisonment because he conducted services which were more forceful than the Church of England form, and refused to follow those the Church laid down.  His memory is as strong now as when he lived between 1628 and 1688.

Jesus said the only thing that has power to change the human heart is the Word of God. The parable teaches that this must be supported by people getting to see and hear we are an active Church ministry. There is need for us to try and invite unconverted people to services, and try to create an interest for Children, but without some of the gimmickry of some past ideas, where the emphasis has been on trivialities..

One essential necessity for any organisation, be it Church, Army, or business is strong leadership. A leader who is committed to the task with firm belief in what he is leading, solid discipline within the organisation to faithfully keep to the purpose stated, and have a clear plan of what is aimed for.  Such is very much lacking within main denominations where there is no clear indication of the purpose for which the Church exists, what it believes, what is unique and which only the Church can offer,

In fairness, the Articles of a a denomination are clearly stated at the time of its foundation, but people regularly read of senior Ministers not accepting the Word of God, and even trying to make an unholy alliance with the culture of society, and even opposition activists.

How God must weep when He sees the wonderful Church He created, and the final commission of our Lord to take the gospel to ALL nations, making disciples and obeying the commands He had given.  

This parable is itinually relevant wherever and whenever the gospel is preached; it described what happens within congregations.  The work of a preacher resembles that of the Sower;  good seed must be sown based on the Word of God (the Bible).  Sadly, despite having made vows before being authorized to preach only sound doctrine, such has not been adhered to.

The teaching of the Bible, which is God’s command, is being blatantly ignored by the highest Offices of the Church to the lowest ranking lay preachers.  We see the consequences in the number of empty seats in Churches.  Rather than spreading His commands, the ways of the world are being communicated.

The parable tells that there are different ways of hearing  the Word without any benefit.  I have heard people think it amusing to say all the things they think of during a sermon.  Such nonsense is not amusing, and just shows how much intelligence they haven’t got, and is shameful when it is borne in mind that they are present in Church to worship the God who gave His Son to die on a Cross for their forgiveness.  Anyone who has lost a son (or daughter) will know how painful such a loss is.  Truth has no more effect on such people than water poured over a stone.

Like the Sower, the preacher should use every opportunity to make the gospel prosper, as Paul stated at every opportunity. The preacher should not be discouraged  or give way, for to do so is to betray and dishonour one’s commission.  We can sow, but we cannot make it grow, only God can do that, and He would not bless some of the talk being given