For I am not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It is the power of God at work saving anyone who  believes- the Jew first and also the Gentile . This good news tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, it is through faith that a righteous person has life. Romans 1 v 16/17

In 1517 Martin Luther influenced by the corrupt Church of the day, studied the Scriptures whilst teaching the Bible at a University in Germany.  In the Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Roman Church He came to find in Chapter One in verses 16/17, words which changed the Church, and swept across the world.  This will be the subject of the sermon Sunday week.

Luther based his subject on Faith. Grace, and Scripture which is the sermon of this coming Sunday.  Bible Sunday, the day in the year when we celebrate and thank God for giving  us His Word and teaching.

A Minister is entitled to appoint Bible Sunday, on a date of his  choice from the established day, and I have done so in order that on the following Sunday we can more fully celebrate Reformation Sunday, such a memorable day for the Church.

There are many Churches where Bible Sunday will not be recognised, for their Ministers treat the day as just another Sunday, and I have been told by Ministers they will not recognise Reformation Sunday, for they don’t agree it was necessary. Such a statement indicates an ignorance of Church history.  Until Luther intervened, the Church was corrupt, especially with calling for payment to be paid for access to heaven.   We have to face the fact, however viewed it is, that the bible is not given the recognition it merits, based on the fact the Bible is the heart of the service, and should be recognised as such. 

The Bible has in fact been cast aside, in places where it is preferred to bow to modern culture, so that we have leaders in the Church calling for the bible’s teaching of morality to be ruled as unacceptable.   Allied to this, is the fact that the Bible has become less relevant, to even many people within the Church, including those whose duty is to teach the Scriptures.  Thereby, whereas once people might have thought twice before acting, in consideration of what the Bible taught, there is now less restraint.

The Church has to recognise and face the fact the world with people who are biblically illiterate, this include people attending and within he Church whose only contact with the Bible is listening to lessons being read. Yet, on the other side there are people longing to hear the Scripture  and learn the teaching and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are hungry and starving, for the stories and  lives of the great men and women of the Bible

For those of us who love the Church and want to see it grow, the present state is a matter for concern.  Congregations are generally falling, due to members dying or becoming too unwell to attend, or just becoming disenchanted at the way the Church has departed from its origins.    The Church of England, the established Church of the nation, has less than a million members out of a nation of 66 million, and is losing members at a rate of 1,000 a week.  The Methodist Church is closing Churches by the week.

The Bible also states, ‘guard the gospel’. Jesus Christ created the Church, and gave command to his Apostles to take into the world all He had taught and commanded them to do. We exist for that purpose, and anything else is superfluous. The Church now, is showing signs of corrupt teaching.  Bible illiteracy is at an all -time high because people are not being encouraged, I have heard preachers stating the Bible shouldn’t be treated too literally; that any preacher who preachers that marriage is between a man and a woman is hate speech(the Archbishop of Canterbury thinks so).  People have been discouraged from listening to real evangelical preachers. 

 How can the Church act in direct contradiction of Scripture, and make provision to do so. A petition was called, asking for the Archbishop to ban the allowing of explicit sex teaching, by an activist organisation to be given in Church schools to children of a tender age. How can a Church hold services in support of same sex marriage, and  second service of baptism to accommodate a change of gender.

Gone are the days when children attended Sunday Schools and learned parts of the Bible and a foundation was created which would grow and lead to a more pure and honest character. Gone too are the assemblies in state schools, where hymns were sung with bible stories. Our children are being taught subjects which many adults would resent, taught by people who have no interest in normal ways of life. What kind of future is there for them?

How can a Church allow  its leaders to actively campaign for the Bible to be set aside.  If people wish to follow anti-Christian teaching that is a personal decision they are free to make, but the Church cannot justify just to be popular. The Church is not here to be popular, it is to be voice of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When writing to the Galatian Church, Paul stated he said “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel, not that there is another one.

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

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

 God took the initiative, because we are all sinners who cannot save ourselves and Jesus died on the cross, so that we could be saved. He died and laid on himself God’s judgement for all the sins of those who would believe on Him.  He is the only way to God. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

 When we accept that sacrifice, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and changes us from within.   This is the gospel we should be guarding and proclaiming. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which must constantly be guarded. We have the responsibility to make sure that the message of the cross, continues to go forth.    This tells us our faith is not like that which someone has made up, but rather comes from God.  

 Furthermore, it was given with the understanding that nothing needs to be added, amended or subtracted from.  Anyone who does so is a false teacher.   God will not ignore false teaching, and will pass judgement on such people.   When Christians lose the beliefs that have kept the Church together, they begin to fall apart and disintegrate.  It is fatuous and irrational to suggest that biblical injunctions which do not conform to modern requirements can be re-written.  If people are to be saved, they must know the truth.

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

 The  same teaching as they received, it is called the ‘New Testament  and every reason we attend Church on Sunday is to learn about God, to grow closer to Him and know how we can have a relationship with Him, all else is secondary. Knowing Christ, becoming like Christ, is what we are here for and knowing what God wants us to believe, and do what God thinks.

The larger attendances we find on easter and Christmas or special events indicates how people are still ready to attend if they find true bible passages taught accompanied by tuneful hymns.

 If ever the Word of God was needed in its original unadulterated form, it is never more so than now.  We need to call people to turn back to God who is ready and able to meet the needs of everyone who turns to Him.    People are right to expect that the church will declare the Word of God as it was given, even if they choose to reject it.  People have the right to hear the true Scripture when coming to Church.

There is a desperate need for a Church which will speak above culture, which is not obsessed with issues of gender and sexuality. The   Church has to  define God’s order of creation,  as gender being, male and female; which proclaims the Bible’s definition of marriage as heterosexual between a man and a woman.  A Church where the men and women in the pulpits, are prepared to put God’s Laws above human law; where those men and women are not prepared to be afraid to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, and teach the gospel he delivered; and ready to confront the bullies who desire to silence them, even those within their own church.    People need to know there are still Ministers, who really do believe what we say, and are not all hypocrites, making our own rules as we go along.

 The Bible in v 16 states, ‘do not be ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation’. But the Church from the very highest level is ashamed; it leaves a group of Muslim mothers to protest at the sexual indoctrination of young children, a process being ordered by the government, without parents being allowed to object loud and vigorously.

We believe the gospel, was the power of God for salvation.  The gospel tells us how God makes us as being righteous in his sight, through faith; it is through faith that this occurs.  Jesus didn’t deserve to die, but did so for us; we don’t deserve to live, but can because of Jesus. He voluntarily went to the Cross, knowing the suffering He would have to face, by the most horrific form of execution, but He went just to save our lives by forgiving our sins.  What a Savior. Only Jesus was a Church leader to make such a sacrifice; Only Jesus can save people; Only Jesus rose from death; Only Jesus was the Son of the true living God.

Remembering that cruel suffering, and the shed blood, that we may be made righteous in God’s sight, we should never forget that it is our duty to consider how we can serve and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Inclusion, I earnestly ask all true Christians especially, but also anyone else. to join a Church where there is solid Bible teaching being given. The Bible is of much importance in that it guides people in to  what is right or wrong and helps in everyday living .

The words of John Wesley said, ‘I want to know one thing; the ay to heaven, how to land on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; He hath written it down in a book. Give me that book, at any price give me that book’.