Within Reach

January Preach 2010

2010-02-07T19:17:00.002Z

Preached at Glen Aros Church on Sunday 31st January 2010

1 Corinthians 3:1-8

1Co 3:1 And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now.
3 For you are yet carnal. For in that there is among you envyings and strife and divisions, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to men?
4 For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even to each the Lord gave?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he who plants anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 So he planting, and he watering, are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Look at verse 8

8 So he planting, and he watering, are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

The apostle Paul cautions us about a dangerous snare when he tells us not to ‘Glory in Men’ (verse 21). That is exactly where the Corinthian church was trapped.

They gloried in their leaders’ abilities, and this brought divisions.

When will we learn that the best of men are but the best of men and the best of women are but the best of women?

These Corinthian Christians were dividing themselves by saying, ‘I believe Paul’ or ‘I believe Apollos.’

Paul said, ‘Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord Jesus gave to every man?’ (verse 5).
Paul warned the Corinthians, and he warns us in our own day, against aligning ourselves with certain personalities within Christ’s church, those who pit themselves against each other.

We will always have leaders to instruct us in spiritual matters. But let us remember that we belong to Jesus Christ and Jesus belongs to God.

Father of our Lord Jesus teach me that to make people an idol, even in the church is a demonstration of my carnal Christian life.

Last time we looked at hope and Patience

What do we do now in the light of them?

2 Corinthians 4: 14-18

2Co 4:13 and since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things, which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen. For the things, which are, seen are temporary, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal.

Verse 15

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

· May cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

How do we do such a thing?

Look at verse 18

18 while we do not look at the things, which are seen, but at the things, which are not seen. For the things, which are, seen are temporary, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal.

· We do not look at the things which are seen
· We look at the things which are not seen
Why do we do this?

· The things which are seen are temporary
· The things which are not seen are eternal

Look again at verse 15

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

· That grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

When grace is spread around through many, the result is thanksgiving abounding to the glory of God.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-36

1Ch 16:8 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,
17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,"
19 When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20 When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."
23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
25 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.
28 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.
29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
35 And say, "Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise."
36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD.

Verse 28

28 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.

Look at verse 29

29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

· Give to the LORD the glory due His name
· Bring an offering
· Come before Him.
· Oh, worship the LORD
· In the beauty of holiness

Jeremiah 15: 15- 21

Jer 15:15 O LORD, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?
19 Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," says the LORD.
21 "I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible."

As an aside look at the last part of verse 18

Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?

Here is the questioning of a man of faith!

· LORD are you to be to me like me an unreliable stream?
· LORD are you to be to me like waters that fail?

The answer of course is no!

Jesus is the most reliable stream you can drink from, he is a source of living waters, which do not fail.

Hallelujah!

Lets go on…………………

Look at verse 19

19 Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.
21 "I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible."

· If you return
· Then I will bring you back
· You shall stand before Me
· If you take out the precious from the vile
· You shall be as My mouth
· Let them return to you
· But you must not return to them

If you take out the precious from the vile.

What are the precious things?

What are the vile things, which we need to separate out?

Let’s look at James 3:13-18

Jas 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Look at verse 17

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

· The Wisdom that is from above is first Pure,
· The Wisdom that is from above is then peaceable,
· The Wisdom that is from above is gentle,
· The Wisdom that is from above is willing to yield,
· The Wisdom that is from above is full of mercy
· The Wisdom that is from above is full of good fruits,
· The Wisdom that is from above is without partiality
· The Wisdom that is from above is without hypocrisy.

Wisdom from above is first of all pure.

Turn to 1 John 3:1

1Jo 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

Look at verse 3

3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

· Everyone who has this hope in him
· Purifies himself
· Even as that One is pure

What hope do we have with in us

Last part of verse 2

…But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

You know that you shall one day be fully like Jesus

One day you shall see Jesus as he fully is.

That is our hope!

Read the book of Revelation to see what is before you.

Re 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Jesus will be the light of the city to come, and the glory of God will lighten it.

2 Timothy 2:19-21

2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Look at verse 21

Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

· If anyone cleanses himself from the later
· He will be a vessel for honor
· Sanctified and useful for the Master
· Prepared for every good work.

You are called to glorify God.

1Corinthians 6:20 would tell us this.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

How do we glorify God?

· Have hope and patience
· We do not look at the things which are seen
· We look at the things which are not seen
· Love
· Joy
· Peace
· Gentleness
· Patience
· Meekness
· Self control
· Faith
· We separate the vile things from the precious things
· If anyone cleanses himself for the vile things he shall be
· A vessel unto honor
· Useful in the master’s hand.

Go forth and glorify God in your body and Spirit.

Simple Words

2009-11-13T22:48:00.003Z

I have been in Hospital and at home over October and these are a few of the thoughts which have come from these days.

June 2009

• Revelation 17:17 For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God will be fulfilled.

July 2009

• Matthew 5:1-12

Mt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain. And when He had sat down, His disciples came to Him.
2 And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God.
10 Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
11 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake.
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Blessed:
• Poor in Spirit
• Thoes who mourn
• Are the meek
• Thoes who hunger and thirst after righteousness
• The Mercifull
• The Pure in Heart
• The Peace makers
• The persecuted for righteousness sake

Psalm 37

Verse 3

Ps 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; you shall dwell in the land, and you shall be fed on truth.

• Trust in the Lord and do good
• Dwell in the land and feed on his faithfulness

Verse 4

Ps 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

• Delight yourself in the Lord
• And He shall give you the desires of your heart

Verse 5

Ps 37:5 Roll your way on the LORD; trust also in Him, and He will work.

• Roll your way on the Lord
• Trust also in Him
• He will work

Verse7

Ps 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of him who practices wickedness.

• Rest in the Lord
• Wait patiently for Him
• Do not fret yourself
• Because of him who prospers in his way
• Because of him who practices wickedness

Verse 8

Ps 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret yourself to do evil.

• Cease from anger
• Forsake wrath
• Do not fret yourself to do evil

Verse 16

Ps 37:16 A little to the righteous is better than the riches of many wicked.

• A little to the righteous is better than the riches of many wicked.

Verse 17

Ps 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but the LORD upholds the righteous.

• For the arms of the wicked shall be broken
• But the Lord Upholds the righteous

Verse 18

Ps 37:18 The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever.

• The Lord knows the days of the upright
• Their inheritance shall be forever

Verse 19

Ps 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

• They shall not be ashamed in the evil time
• In the days of famine they shall be satisfied

Verse 21

Ps 37:21 The wicked borrows, and never pays again; but the righteous shows mercy, and gives.

• The wicked borrows and never pays again
• But the righteous shows mercy

Verse 22

Ps 37:22 For His blessed ones shall inherit the earth; and those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

• For His blessed ones shall inherit the earth
• Those cursed by Him shall be cut off

Verse 23

Ps 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD; and He delights in his way.

• The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
• He delights in his way

Verse 24

Ps 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast down; for the LORD upholds his hand.

• Though he fall
• He shall not be cast down
• For the Lord upholds his hand

Verse25

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging bread.

• I have been young
• I am old
• Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
• Or his seed begging bread

Verse 26

Ps 37:26 All the day long he deals graciously, and lends; and his seed is blessed.

• All the day long he deals graciously
• And lends
• And his seed is blessed

Verse 27

Ps 37:27 Depart from evil and do good; and live forevermore.

• Depart from evil
• Do good
• And live forevermore

Verse 28

Ps 37:28 For the LORD loves judgment and does not forsake His saints; they are kept forever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

• For the Lord loves judgment and does not forsake His saints
• They are kept forever
• The seed of the wicked shall be cut off

Verse 29

Ps 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.

• The righteous shall inherit the land
• And dwell in it forever

Verse 30

Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.

• The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom
• His tongue talks of judgment

Verse 31

Ps 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

• The law of his god is in his heart
• None of his steps shall slide

Verse 34

Ps 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall lift you up to inherit the earth; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

• Wait on the Lord
• Keep His ways
• He shall lift you up to inherit the earth
• When the wicked are cut off
• You shall see it

Verse 37

Ps 37:37 Watch the perfect and behold the upright one; for the end of that man is peace.

• Watch the perfect
• And behold the upright one
• For the end of that man is peace

Verse 39

Ps 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.

• The salvation of the righteous is form the Lord
• He is their strength
• In the time of trouble

Verse 40

Ps 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.

• The Lord shall help them
• And deliver them
• He shall deliver them from the wicked
• And save them
• Because the trust in Him

Because they trust in Him

Trusting in Jesus

October 2009

• Duty and Stewardship are long term
• There has been a drift of Ethics

Acts 2:18

‘And on My servants and on mine handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit: and they shall prophecy’.

[Prophecy builds the church 1 Corinthians 14: Paul/God/ Jesus all point out the gift of Prophecy from the other gifts as The gift which edifies/comforts/exhorts men, and builds up the church.]

Acts 2:17 ‘…your sons and daughters shall prophecy’.

Follow me, feed My lambs, feed My Sheep.

2009-09-20T23:11:00.000+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 20th September 2009

Let’s look at John 21: 15-25

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more that these?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My Lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My seep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “ Do you love Me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
18 “Most assuredly, I say to you when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
20 The Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Look at the second part of verse 19

19 “…And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

• When Jesus had spoken this
• He said to Peter
• Follow me

Life is all about following Jesus. When John was preaching last week he spoke about the individual nature of God’s Call. You don’t follow me, you don’t walk my call, you follow Jesus, and you walk your own call.

Your call is to follow Jesus.

Look at verse 20

20 The Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

• Peter turns away from Jesus
• Looks to his fellow disciple
• A disciple that Peter knows Jesus loves
• The same disciple who leaned on Jesus breast at supper
• Do you remember that occasion?

Peter sees this other disciple following Jesus, Peter knows that this disciple is loved by Jesus.

He sees this other disciple and remembers that this disciple is the one who could ask Jesus Important questions. He just seems to be so close!

Peter realises that this is the very disciple who had asked Jesus the Question that Peter felt he could not ask Jesus directly.

Peter is hesitating to follow Jesus.

In his hesitation he gets distracted.

How easy it is to get distracted!

Look at verse 21

21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

• But Lord, what about this man?

You can be so concerned about another disciple
That they become a distraction to you following Jesus

There’s a thought!

You want to follow Jesus; there is no doubt about that.

But like Peter you look at another disciple, that you are convinced Is loved by Jesus, a disciple who is in love with Jesus, a disciple you would go to and say:

You ask him for me, you have more clout! Go on; just put a good word in for me.

Jesus has just had breakfast with Peter

They have talked about love and Peter’s relationship with Him.

Three times Jesus tried to get through to Peter.

Follow me Peter and feed my lambs, feed my sheep!

V15

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more that these?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My Lambs.”

• Do you love me more than these disciples?

V 16

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My seep.”

• Simon son of Jonah!
• Do you love Me?

V17

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “ Do you love Me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

• Simon son of Jonah!
• Do you love Me?

Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him a third time

Do you love me Peter?

Lord, you know all things!

You know that I love you!

Jesus says

Well, Peter if you do love Me feed My sheep

Yes, Peter, we know that Jesus knows all things!

But Peter do you not get the point of this after Breakfast talk!

Peter the point is that you need to know that Jesus Loves You!

Jesus knows that you Love Him!

He has all knowledge!

But Peter you have to have your own revelation that JESUS LOVES YOU!

You need to know that Jesus loves you!

And you need to know this regardless of all the other disciples around you.

Peter, you need to so know his love that you will come to Him yourself.

Look at verse 19

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

• FOLLOW ME!

Follow me Peter, regardless!

There are groups of people who still to this day base their lives on Peter, and the way he did things.

They go to someone else to get to Jesus!

Holy Disciples, who are perceived to be closer to Jesus than You, God bless them and open their eyes to see what the New Covenant says.

Listen carefully!

Jesus says to Peter and to you and I this morning

You, Follow me, Peter.

Look at verse 20

20 The Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

• Peter turns around, away from Jesus and gets distracted by another disciple!

Peter stop turning about to other disciples, will you leave them to me?

Verse 21

21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

• Lord, what about this man?

Peter, it’s none of your business.

Peter follow me

Demonstrate your love to me to Me by being a shepherd who feeds the lambs, and the sheep!

Peter, James and John were close to one another!

One of them, John, was closer than all the rest.

Peter had got himself into a position of asking Jesus questions through John,

That’s no problem!

For a season that’s ok, But Peter Jesus wants you to grow up move on and start feeding My Lambs and Sheep.

This after breakfast talk with Peter is about preparing him for what is to come.

It is sure, that Jesus knows everything about everything there is to know!

The hard lesson which Peter is learning is preparation for his future.

Peter you have to start following me for yourself. Not through another HOLY DISCIPLE!

Its called in the New Testament GROWING UP!

Every child has to grow up.

Every child has to stand, apart from his parents who love him, knowing that he in his own right is loved.

Every student once taught must take their place in mature practice of their profession.

Each one has to grow up into independence!

Jesus know that you love him

But he wants you to know that love for yourself.

Not through another!

He wants you to know that you can come into his presecnce and ask him anything, any time.

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

John 21:15

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more that these?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My Lambs.”

Jesus eats breakfast and speaks to Peter.

It’s ok to have breakfast!

You can end up being too spiritual and neglect the ordinary things of life.

What happens if Jesus is going to speak to you at Breakfast, and you’re not there?

Husbands/ wives/ visitors/ strangers!

And you are too busy!

Jesus wanted to speak to Peter after breakfast!

I’ll just catch a bite on the move!

Be assured there is a place and a time where Jesus wants to speak to you personally.

Jesus wants a meeting with you.

He wants’ to catch up with you, and have a chat.

I had a heart full of joy to share with you at breakfast, and you were missing from the table!

I so wanted to tell you what would soon be happening in my great Kingdom this week.

I was looking forward to telling you how much I love you.

I just wanted to have some quality time with you over the porridge!!

You were not there Peter!

Feed my lambs; feed my sheep, wont you?

Ok! Lord, Jesus, we will catch up some time?

Will you Peter?

But what about King David?

He was not at the meal when Samuel arrived to anoint him?

What was David doing?

He was shepherding his father’s sheep!

Peter will you feed my lambs my sheep?

Peter will you follow me?

Can you see that Jesus is a shepherd who is feeding his father’s lambs and sheep?

Jesus is following his father to the letter!

If you love me Peter feed my lambs my sheep

Lets look at 1 Samuel 16:11

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. Fro we will not sit down till he comes here.”

Amazing everything is held up because David is not at the feast!!
Can you see this?

If you take up the challenge to mature in your relationship with Jesus, you will start feeding His lambs and sheep.

You will be called to the table, and at the right time you will start to function like the King that you really are.

Take David as an example of an obedient son who goes and looks after his father’s lambs and sheep.

Don’t you worry that you are not on the front line with your brothers, remember they were following Saul, and you know the out come of all that.

The house of Saul was growing steadily weaker while the house of David was growing steadily stronger.

Your kingship, Peter has to mature in your hands, and what brings it about it that you know that Jesus love you.

Follow me, feed my lambs, My sheep and you will be following in the footsteps of Jesus himself, the one who is the chief shepherd.

Jesus has called you.

Yes, he knows all things!

And, he wants you to know how much he loves you

Those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits!

Peter you can come into my presence and go out to feed my lambs and sheep with what I show you over breakfast.

Ok! That’s enough!

Its breakfast time in the kingdom of god this morning, Jesus is here, I want you to respond to Jesus.

Jesus is saying feed my lambs, feed my sheep

Jesus is saying follow me!
You are here at the table, are you going to be distracted by your fellow disciples or are you going to respond to the call?

Let me clarify the call?

Jesus wants you to feed his lambs, his sheep.

Jesus wants you to follow him.

Your response is simply to stand where you are.

This clip makes you proud to be Scottish

2009-08-21T09:32:00.005+01:00

Therefore if anyone purges himself from these

2009-08-17T16:35:00.002+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 16th August 2009

Let’s Look at 2 Timothy 2:24-26

2Ti 2:24 But the servant of the Lord must not strive, but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient,
25 in meekness instructing those who oppose, if perhaps God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,
26 and that they awake out of the snare of the Devil, having been taken captive by him, so as to do the will of that one.

Look at verse 24

But the servant of the Lord must not strive, but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient,

• Are you a servant of the Lord?
• Then you must not strive
• You must be gentle to all
• You must have an aptitude for teaching
• And you must have Patience

Look at verse 25

25 in meekness instructing those who oppose, if perhaps God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,

• In meekness instructing those who oppose themselves
• If perhaps God will give them repentance
• To the acknowledging of the truth

Let me exhort you this morning

• To go about upholding the faithful Word
• To do it by sound doctrine
• To exhort and convince everyone you meet
• Be gentle to everyone who engages you with their hearts.
• Teach them what you know. Show them and help them to purge their vessel.

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 6:11-16

1Ti 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,
15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

Look at verse 11

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

• You, O man of God,
• There are things you have to Flee from
• There are things you have to follow after and pursue
• Righteousness
• Godliness
• Faith
• Love
• Patience
• Gentleness

How wonderful that this body of God’s people would be following after these things.

This body of God’s people have loved me with an everlasting love

When I failed, they with great patience help on to me.

There gentleness towards me has brought me to greatness.

Look how much they love one another.

I have not seen such faith, in all of the land

They wear their righteousness as a garment gifted to them.

Look at verse 9 and 10

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

• Do you desire to be rich? Is that your hearts desire above all else?
• Be careful you could easily into temptation and a snare
• Ending up with many foolish and harmful lusts which
• drown men in destruction and perdition
• For the love of money
• Is a root
• Of all kinds of evil
• Some have strayed from the faith
• In their greediness
• And pierced themselves through
• With many sorrow

Proverbs 11:28 says; ‘he that trusteth in his riches shall fail: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch’.

Verse 11
But you, O man of God flee these things…

And pursue, follow after…

• Righteousness
• Godliness
• Faith
• Love
• Patience
• Gentleness

In fact it’s my old hobby horse!

It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God.

Love
Joy
Peace
Long suffering
Gentleness
Goodness
Meekness
Self control
Faith

2Ti 2:15

Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
16 But shun profane, vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat like gangrene; among whom are Hymeneus and Philetus,
18 who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and who overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: "The Lord knew those who are His." And, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity!"
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 But flee youthful lusts, and follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Look at verse 19

Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: "The Lord knew those who are His." And, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity!"

That last part - Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity!

Look at verse 22

22 But flee youthful lusts, and follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

• You are to flee youthful lusts
• You are to follow righteousness
• You are to follow Faith
• You are to follow Love
• You are to follow Peace
• You are to be among those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart

Wonderful!

There are things to flee as a Christian

There are those things which we are to follow after.

Look at verse 21

21 Therefore if anyone purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

• If anyone purges himself from these, from what?

Let me remind you.

Youthful, profane lusts

The desire to be rich

Greediness

Iniquity

Striving

Profane and vain Babblings

Proverbs 16:8 ‘better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right’.

• If you will purge yourself from these
• You shall be a vessel to honor
• A vessel that is sanctified
• You shall be a vessel that is useful to the Master
• A vessel that is prepared for every good work

These are the last words which Paul chose to leave with Timothy before he died!

Sobering words to any budding Christian!

Sobering words to us today

There is a fleeing from and a following after in the Christian life.

Romans 6:18 says: ‘now that you have been set free from sin, you have become a servant of righteousness’.

Most of you as vessels of the kingdom, only need a wipe with good soap and water on a daily basis.

You may be a vessel who needs more work; you need the brillo pad, and a good soak, and advice and help from a loving brother of sister!

Wonder of Wonders if the necessary purging is carried out the vessel

• You shall be a vessel to honor
• You shall be a vessel that is sanctified
• You shall be a vessel that is useful to the Master
• You shall be a vessel that is prepared for every good work

There is much good work laid out for those who are part of this body of God’s people.

Now is the time to do the purging.

Jesus left us a gift to enable us to do the work required, he has put us in a body with all the gifts any of us could ever need.

The Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you in to all the truth of it.
Follow him, be led by him, and become useful in his service.

Isaiah 3:10 ‘say to the Righteous that it shall be well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings’.

I say to you righteous, ‘it shall be well with you – you shall eat of the fruit of your doings’.

2Ti 2:24 the servant of the Lord must not strive, but to be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient,
25 in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, if perhaps God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,
26 and that they awake out of the snare of the Devil, having been taken captive by him, so as to do the will of that one.

Philippians 4:8 ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things’.

God bless you.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

2009-07-19T23:39:00.000+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 19th July 2009

Let’s read Galatians 5:16-26

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Look at verse 16

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

• I Say, then
• Walk in the Spirit
• And you shall not
• Fulfil the lusts of the flesh

Wonderful!

We have a means by which we shall not bring to fulfilment the lusts of the Flesh.

Look at verse 17

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish

• The flesh lusts against the Spirit
• The Spirit lusts against the Flesh
• These, the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another
• This is the reason that you do not do the things that you wish to do

I say to you choose to walk in the Spirit and you shall not bring to fulfilment the lusts of the flesh!

Wonderful!

Amazing!

So simple!

Let’s look a little closer.

The flesh and the Spirit are contrary/ obstinate / opposing/ to one another.

You do not do the things you wish to do because of this obstinate nature of the flesh and the Spirit.

The flesh and the Spirit are repugnant to one another!

Disgusting
Revolting
Nauseating
Repulsive
Hideous
Abominable
Distasteful

Look at verse 21 the last bit of the verse

Envy, murders drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

• Let there be no misunderstanding
• I tell you, as I have said to you before
• They who do such things
• Shall not inherit the kingdom of God

Are you expecting to enter into the inheritance which Jesus death paid for?

Let me tell you

You who do such things listed here in verses 19-21 will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

It does not matter who you are. It will not happen.

Look at verse 21 again.

Envy, murders drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

You think I am being too hard?

Let’s look at what Jesus has to say about one of these things.

Matthew 5: 27 and 28

You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus makes it very hard!

Galatians 5:18

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

• If you are led by the Spirit
• You are not under the law.

Verse 16

16 I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

• I say, then,
• Walk in the Spirit
• And you shall not fulfil
• The lusts of the flesh

If I choose to walk in the Spirit what shall be the result?

Look at verse 22 and 23

The fruit of the Spirit is

Love

Joy

Peace

Longsuffering

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

I say, then, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh!

Amazing!

How simple

Look at verse 23

Against such there is no law.

Walking in the Spirit keeps you free from being under the law.

Look at verse 24

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
You among us who are Christ’s, you who belong to Jesus, who believe that Jesus is the Anointed one of God, the very Son of God; you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Hallelujah!

Amazing!

Praise his holy name

For his goodness to us the sons of men!

The answer to the flesh, Crucifixion!

Verse 16

I say, then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

There is more

Let’s look at verse 25

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

• If we live in the Spirit
• Let us also walk in the Spirit

Turn to Romans 8:1-11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Let’s turn to Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

• Those of you who live according to the flesh set your minds on the things of the flesh
• Those of you who live according to the Spirit set your minds on the things of the Spirit.

Where is your mind setting itself?

Is your mind setting itself on the things of the flesh, or the things of the Spirit?

Let’s look at Romans 12:1 and 2

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

• I beseech you there for brethren, by the mercies of God, that you be transformed by the renewing of your mind

I say, then, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Change your mind with regard to walking in the Spirit!

Go back to Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

• Are you in Christ, do you believe that Jesus is the anointed one
• The Son of God?
• Then there is no condemnation upon you.

Continue to walk in the Spirit

Look at verse 8

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

• You want to please God
• Stop walking in the flesh
• Change your mind
• Walk in the Spirit

Look at verse 9

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

If the Spirit of God dwells in you
Here is raised a doubt as to whether the Spirit of God dwells in these Romans!

And in the same verse he says how you can know?

If any one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

If you belong to Jesus Christ, you have the Spirit with in you.

And if you have the Spirit dwelling in you, you are not in the flesh

Look at verse 14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Sons of God need to change their mind, and be different from the world, by being:

Led by the Spirit

Live in the Spirit

Walk in the spirit

Let me read to you what God is about to do here in the Glen Aros Family.

Haggai 1:12-15

Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared before the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the message of LORD to the people, saying, I am with you, says the LORD.
14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
15 in the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king

Look at verse 13
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the Lord’.

And verse 14

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the sprit of Joshua the son of Jehzadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of he people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.

In the New Testament the onus is upon you to stir up your spirit with in you, so that you may be led by him, live in him, and walk in him.

Its time to be stirred up in your Spirit for the building of the house of God, prepare your heart, and experience the fruit of walking in the Spirit

God bless you as you meditate upon these verses.

Slaves or Friends which is it?

2009-06-15T01:07:00.001+01:00

Preached at the Abernethy Trust
Barcaple on
Wednesday 10th May 2009-06-10

Turn to John 15:15

John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

• A relationship change is about to take place for some of you tonight
• You are going to move from slavery to friendship
• In that new friendship Jesus is going to reveal to you
• All the things which he has heard from His Father.

I would like three people to stand up where they are and pray for us.

Stand up, look around, and pray for us.

Who’s first?

You see we are servants in action and friends in relationship.

We serve one another as servants.

But in relationship we are friends.

Let’s read at 1 Kings 17

1Ki 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word.
2 And the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
3 Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, you shall drink of the brook. And I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. For he went and lived by the torrent Cherith, before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent.
7 And it happened after a while, the torrent dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
9 Arise, go to Zarephath which belongs to Sidon, and live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow to keep you there.
10 And he arose and went to Zarephath, and came in to the entrance of the city, and, behold, the widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Please, bring me a little water in a vessel so that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Please, bring me a piece of bread in your hand.
12 And she said, As the LORD your God lives, I do not have a cake, but only a handful of meal in a pitcher and a little oil in a jar. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, so that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.
13 And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go. Do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it, and bring it to me. And then make for you and for your son.
14 For so says the LORD God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be emptied, nor shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah. And she and he and her house ate many days;
16 the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the jar of oil did not fail, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
17 And it happened after these things the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick. And his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said to Elijah, What do I have to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to call my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?
19 And he said to her, Give me your son. And he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into a loft, where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.
20 And he cried to the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, have You also brought evil on the widow with whom I am staying, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, please let this child's soul come to him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he lived.
23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, See! Your son lives!
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know this, that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.

Look at verse 1

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the sojourners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word.

• As The LORD God of Israel lives
• Before whom I stand
• There shall not be dew nor rain these years
• Except according to my word

What a great place to be standing before the LORD God of Israel, the one who is the living God.

There shall not be dew nor rain according to the word of Elijah.

Here is a marvellous thing!
When Elijah the Tishbite stands before the living God he proclaims that there will be neither dew nor rain according to Elijah!

He does not say that it is according to God’s word! But according to the word of Elijah!

Let’s look at James 5:

Jas 5:1 Come now, rich ones, weep and howl for your hardships coming on.
2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their poison will be a witness against you, and will eat your flesh as fire. You heaped treasure in the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the laborers reaping your fields cry out, being kept back by you. And the cries of those who have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth, and lived wantonly. You have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and murdered the just; he does not resist you.
7 Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and the latter rain.
8 You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of your Lord draws near.
9 Do not grudge against one another, brothers, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge stands before the door.
10 My brothers, take the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering ill, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count blessed those who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.
12 But before all things, my brothers, do not swear; neither by the heaven nor by the earth, nor any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and your no, no, lest you fall into condemnation.
13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will cure the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.
17 Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.
19 Brothers, if anyone among you err from the truth, and if anyone turns him back,
20 know that he who turns back the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Look at verse 16

16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.
17 Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.

• The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.
• Elijah was a man of like passion as we are.
• He prayed earnestly
• That it might not rain
• It did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months
• And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain.
• And the earth caused its fruit to sprout

Praying effectually, fervently, and earnestly!

Elijah was a man of like passion!

What does it mean to be effective, fervent, and earnest in your prayers?

Let’s read from Luke 11:1-13

Lu 11:1 And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.
2 And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
5 And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has come from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he answering from inside may say, Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are in bed with me. I cannot rise and give to you.
8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needs.
9 And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives. And he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks it shall be opened.
11 For what father of you, if the son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake for a fish?
12 Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

Look at verse 1

Lu 11:1 And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.

• Jesus is praying in a certain place
• When he ceased praying
• One of his disciples said unto Him
• Lord, teach us to pray.
• As John also taught His disciples

An unknown disciple observes Jesus praying and asks to be taught to pray.

The meaning of the words ‘teach us to pray’, come across like this, ‘lord teach us to pray more earnestly’.

This disciple lived in a land where they learned to pray from birth, it was part of the culture of Israel.

But this unknown disciple sees in Jesus prayers intensity which he desires, and asks Jesus to teach him how to ‘pray more earnestly’.

Let’s read Luke 3:21

Luke is telling accurately, the events surrounding John the Baptist’s, baptising of the people in the Jordan River.

21 And it happened in the baptizing of all the people, Jesus also being baptized, and praying, and the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven, which said, You are My Son, the Beloved; I am delighted in You

• Jesus is standing in the water being baptized
• Jesus is praying,
• The heavens open!
• The Holy Spirit comes down in a bodily shape
• Like a Dove upon Him
• A voice comes from Heaven
• You are My son
• You are my Beloved
• I am delighted in You

Here again the understanding of the phrase ‘Jesus is praying’, suggests ‘Jesus is praying earnestly’.

Look at the results of earnest prayer! Wow

Let’s go back to Luke 11

Look at verse five through eight.

5 And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has come from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he answering from inside may say, Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are in bed with me. I cannot rise and give to you.
8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needs.

Look at verse eight

• I say unto you
• Though he will not rise and give to him
• Because he is his friend
• Yet because of his importunity
• He will arise and give him as many as he needs

The word importunity has to do with impudence!

You are so impudent!

You are so cheeky!

You are impertinent boy!

You are too mouthy, you!

In the context of the passage the friend is going against the position that his friend has taken up!

Look at verse nine

9 And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives. And he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks it shall be opened.
11 For what father of you, if the son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake for a fish?
12 Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

• Jesus, one who prays with importunity, himself
• Says, Ask and it shall be given
• Seek and you shall find
• Knock and it shall be opened to you.
• Those who ask
• Receive
• Those who seek
• Find
• Those who knock
• Find it open

Look at verse 13

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

• Look at the willingness of your own father to give to you good gifts
• How much more willing is your Heavenly Father, to give his greatest gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Let’s turn to Luke 18;1-8

Lu 18:1 And He also spoke a parable to them to teach it is always right to pray, and not to faint,
2 saying, A certain judge was in a certain city, not fearing God, nor respecting man.
3 And a widow was in that city. And she came to Him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary.
4 And he would not do so for a time. But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, that she not wear me down in the end.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.
7 And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He has been long-suffering over them?
8 I say to you that He will avenge them speedily. Yet when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?

Look at verse six

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.

• Though I do not fear God
• Though I do not regard man
• Yet because this widow troubles me,
• I will avenge her, that she not wear me down in the end

This is a great illustration of importunity, of what it means to be effective, fervent, and earnest in your prayers.

The woman with the issue of blood would be another example.
Mt 9:20 And behold, a woman, who had a flow of blood for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment.
21 For she said within herself, If only I shall touch His robe, I will be whole.
22 But turning and seeing her, Jesus said, Daughter, be comforted; your faith has saved you. And the woman was saved from that hour.

• Jesus said to her power has gone out from me
• Many others in the crowd were touching Jesus
• Only this woman touched the hem of his garment.
• The meaning of her touching is ‘she earnestly desired to touch the hem of his garment.

She is another example of what it means to be effective, fervent and earnest in your prayers.

When Jesus said Power has gone out of him.

You could put it this way

Dynamic power has gone out of me towards you

Dynamite has gone off in me towards you

A dynamo has started up and its power is working on your need right now.

Elijah is an example of all these things and worthy of reading, and more so, of practicing them!

1 John 5:13-16

1Jo 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sin a sin not to death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for those that do not sin to death. There is a sin to death, I do not say that he shall pray for it.

Look at verse 14

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

If people are set free to pray is there not a danger that they will pray for all sorts of things?

Don’t we give people a licence to pray anything?

If God’s people are encouraged and released to pray with effective, fervent and earnest prayer, they might pray for the wrong thing!

Well, religious leaders will say that!

They said it in Jesus’ day.

Paul taught that where sin abounds grace does much more abound. The Pharisees and scribes said you can’t preach that Paul; that gives a licence to sin. Paul’s reply was will you stop the preaching of the fullness of God’s grace because, some hypothetically, will sin more in order that grace may abound? Of course not, God’s wisdom is to preach the fullness of Grace in order that the fullness of What Jesus can do may be manifest among us.

Here is a marvellous thing that when you pray effectively, fervently, and earnestly in your prayers you, like Elijah, standing before God, in the righteousness of Jesus, touch Him in such a way that the dynamic, dynamite of his power is released through you.

Released to pray you become a servant in the hands of a creative God, friends who love one another and effectively, fervently and earnestly desire the best for your community here at Barcaple. Your leaders become Godly, wise and faithful servants among you because you pray for them. Your families are transformed because Jesus has taught you to pray more earnestly, to knock, to ask, to seek, more effectively.

Right!
Now that you know how it’s done, I would like three of you to stand, with open eyes, look around and pray for us.

Jesus gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit the day you were saved, but you may need hands laid on you to release the power of the spirit You may need a friend to lay hands on you for that release.

There is a release of the Holy Spirit, which some of you may not have experienced, and if you need that release. There are those here who will lay hands on you and see you released, a friend, a brother, a sister, whatever.

God bless you

Oh that I were in....

2009-06-15T00:51:00.001+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 14th June 2009

Let’s go to the book of Job and look at a man who lived in the land of Uz on the borders of Idumaea.

Let’s look at chapter 29:1-25

1 And Job continued the lifting up of his speech, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;
3 when His lamp shone on my head; I walked through darkness by His light;
4 as I was in the days of my harvest, when the secret of God was on my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me;
6 when I washed my steps with curds, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me;
7 when I went out to the gate by the city; when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves; and the aged arose and stood up.
9 The rulers held back from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The noble's voice was subdued, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouth.
11 For the ear heard and blessed me. And the eye saw me and witnessed to me.
12 For I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 The blessing of the perishing came on me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was like a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I did not know, I searched out.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days like the sand.
19 My root was open to the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 They listened to me, and waited, and kept silent at my counsel.
22 After my words they did not go on; and my speech dropped on them.
23 And they waited for me like the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 I smiled kindly on them when they did not believe; and they did not make the light of my face fall.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief; and I lived like a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

Job is enlarging upon what He has lost.

By doing this it aggravates his present calamities!

Like Naomi, who said, ‘I went out full’, and ‘I am come home again empty’.

Most people who lose something will speak more of the comforts that they have lost, than what is still theirs. Their past prosperity often becomes one of the most pleasing subjects of their thoughts and talk.

Job is looking back to a time when God watched over him, or when God preserved his going in and his going out.

Why is The LORD not watching over him now?

Why was The LORD not preserving him now?

Look at verse 2

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;

• Oh that I were as in the months past!
• Oh that I were in the days when God watched over me!

Hang on Job; has The LORD suddenly stopped watching over you? Just because some of the things of the past have been stripped away, does that now change the character of The LORD?

Oh that I were as in the months past!
Oh that I were in the days when God watched over me! When The LORD preserved me!

Things have changed Job, that’s for sure?

But the question is; does that change the nature of God, and his plans for his life?

Look at verse 3

3 when His lamp shone on my head; I walked through darkness by His light;

• Oh for the days when the lamp shone on my head
• Oh for the days when by His light I walked through darkness.

There was a day when the lamp of God was upon Job’s head, like the light upon Moses’ face, after being up the mountain. Through this light Job was able to walk straight through darkness.

Psalm 23:4

Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Let’s read the whole psalm

Ps 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Let’s go back to John 29

Look at verse 4

4 as I was in the days of my harvest, when the secret of God was on my tent;

• In the days of Job’s harvest!
• Is this the days of Job, youth when he had discovered the joys of children.
• The secret of God was on his tent.
• His family tent, his dwelling place?
• The tent of his body?
• In any case the secret of God is upon it.
•
Look at verse 5

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me;

• When the Almighty was yet with me
• Look at this Job currently has no inward or outward evidence that would lead him to think that the Almighty was with him.

Look at the second part of verse 5

• Oh for the time when my children were around me
• Oh when my family were around me.

Job lost all his children in one day!

How difficult it is to suffer loss and still believe that the Almighty is yet with you!

Look at verse 6

6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

• When I washed my steps with butter
• To be able to was his steps in butter he would have been very prosperous.

Look at the second part of verse 6
Oh for the days when the rock poured me out rivers of oil

• The rock poured out rivers of oil for Job

Look at verse 12

12 For I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.

• Job delivered the poor who cried for help
• Job delivered the fatherless who had not to help him

He did well to those around him

Look at verse 8

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves; and the aged arose and stood up.

• When young men saw Job, they hid themselves
• When the aged men saw Job they arose and stood up

He was respected and honoured by all around him.

Look at verse 25

25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief; and I lived like a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

• Job was one who sat as a chief, as a commander
• Job was one who lived like a king in the army
• Job was one who comforts the mourners

Job was a man who ruled not only in the city, but also in the nation.
This reminds me of the man in Matthew 8:9

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go! And he goes; and to another, Come! And he comes; and to my servant, Do this! And he does it.
10 When Jesus heard, He marvelled and said to those who followed, Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.

• I am a man under authority
• I am a man having soldiers under me
• I say to this one go and he goes
• I way to another come and he comes
• I say to my servant do this and he does it

When Jesus heard this

• He marvelled
• Saying to those who were following him
• Truly I say to you
• I have not found such a great faith
• No, not in Israel!

This is marvellous!

Here is Job, displaying all the characteristics which Jesus commands and more!

Let’s look at Job chapter one

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.
2 And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
3 And his possessions were seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4 And his sons went and feasted in the house of each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.
6 And a day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD. And Satan also came among them.
7 And the LORD said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered the LORD and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said to Satan, Have you set your heart against My servant Job, because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil?
9 And Satan answered the LORD and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land.
11 But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face.
12 And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
13 And a day came when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.
14 And there came a messenger to Job and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them.
15 And the Sabeans fell on and took them away. Yea, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
16 While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and destroyed them. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
17 While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands and swooped down upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
18 While he was still speaking, there also came another and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.
19 And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
20 And Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said, I came naked out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.
22 In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly.

Look at verse one

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and turned aside from evil.

• Job was perfect
• Job was upright
• Job feared God
• Job turned aside from evil

What a marvellous man!

Look what happened to Job

12-19

Read it out.

How is Job going to respond to all this loss?

Look at verse 20-22

Job 1:20 And Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said, I came naked out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.
22 In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly.

• Job tore his robe, his outward garment!
• Job shaved his head,
• Job fell down upon the ground and worshiped
• Job said Naked I came out of my mothers womb
• Job said Naked shall I return there
• The LORD gave
• The LORD has taken away
• Blessed be the name of the LORD
• Job in all this did not sin!
• Job in all this did not charge God foolishly

What a Marvellous man!

Let’s look at James 5:7

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Look at verse 11

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

• You have heard of the patience of Job
• You have seen the end of the LORD
• You have seen that the LORD is very pitiful
• You have seen that the LORD is of tender mercy

James has just condemned the rich lords in the first few verses and now exhorts the brethren.

Look at Verse 7
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waited for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

• Be patient Brethren until the coming of the LORD

Verse 8

8 Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh

• Be you also patient
• Take time to establish your hearts
• Why?
• The coming of the LORD draws near
•
Verse 9

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

• Grudge not one against another
• Least you end up being condemned
• The judge stands ready before the door.

Verse 10

Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

• Take as your example brethren
• The prophets who have spoken in the name of the LORD
• Take them as examples of
• Suffering affliction
• Take them as examples of Patience

Verse 11

Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

• Behold
• We count them happy who endure
• Those who by the lamp of God upon their head walk on through the darkness
• You have head of the patience of Job
• You have seen the end of the LORD with regard Job
• How the LORD was very pitiful
• How the LORD was of tender mercy

What a marvellous man.

Like Naomi, who said, ‘I went out full’, and ‘I am come home again empty’.

She like Job encountered many changes in her life, with great loss, and yet through it all Naomi came to fear God in a deeper way.

It is through loss, sometimes great loss that we learn deeply

It is through change and great change in our lives that we learn deeply

Ahead of us all is great change, and it may involve loss.

A sheep needing sheared of its winter wool and goes through much change in the process of sheering, but after the experience the sheep is grateful for the shepherd’s tender care. When the summer heat arrives how freely it can move and skip and enjoy what the shepherd has expertly prepared for.

Let me finish with this passage from Mark 8

Jesus is opening up his message to his disciples and introducing them to things they have never even thought of up to this point in their relationship with him.

Mr 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And He spoke that saying openly. And Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him.
33 But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Go behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.
34 And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
35 For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 Therefore whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man shall also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Look at verse 35

35 For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it.

• If you try and save your life
• You will lose it
• But if you are willing to lose your life for Jesus sake
• And for the Gospel’s you will save it.

Be willing to suffer lose and you will get it back

Look at verse 34

34 And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

• If you want to come after Jesus
• You will have to deny yourself
• You will have to take up your cross
• And follow Him.

Look at verse 33

33 But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Go behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.

• Jesus says to Peter
• Go behind Me, Satan!
• What was Peter doing
• Something very simple you would think
• He did not mind the things of God
• Instead you mind the things of Man

Peter was simply finding more tasty, the things of Men!

Let the things of God become tastier to you.

Pray for repentance in our Nation.

2009-06-09T00:57:00.001+01:00

this is a marvellous thing, that you do not know from where He is, and He has opened my eyes.

2009-05-10T22:10:00.002+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 10th May 2009

Let’s look at John chapter nine

John 9:1 and passing by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, has this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God might be revealed in him.
4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day. Night comes when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
6 And when He had spoken these things, He spat on the ground and made clay from the spittle. And He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
7 And He said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which translated is Sent). Therefore he went and washed and came seeing.
8 Then the neighbors and those who had seen him before, that he was blind, said, Is this not he who was sitting and begging?
9 Some said, This is he. Others said, He is like him. He said, I am he.
10 Then they said to him, How were your eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, Go to the pool of Siloam and wash. And going and washing, I received sight.
12 Then they said to him, Where is he? He said, I do not know.
13 They brought him who once was blind to the Pharisees.
14 And it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said to them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see.
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath. Others said, How can a man, a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 They said to the blind man again, What do you say about him, for he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him having received sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.
21 But by what means he now sees, we do not know. Or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age, ask him. He will speak for himself.
22 His parents spoke these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore his parents said, He is of age, ask him.
24 Then a second time they called the man who was blind and said to him, Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that being blind, now I see.
26 Then they said to him again, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also desire to be His disciples?
28 Then they reviled him and said, You are his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know from where this man is.
30 The man answered and said to them, Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know from where He is, and He has opened my eyes.
31 But we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
32 From everlasting it was not heard that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
33 If this One were not of God, He could do nothing.
34 They answered and said to him, You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, He said to him, Do you believe on the Son of God?
36 And he answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?
37 And Jesus said to him, You have both seen Him, and it is He who is speaking with you.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him.
39 And Jesus said, I have come into this world for judgment, that they who do not see might see, and that they who see might be made blind.
40 And those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, Are we also blind?
41 Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, we see. Therefore your sin remains.
To quote the beggar who was blind from birth in Verse 30

30 The man answered and said to them, why, this is a marvellous thing, that you do not know from where He is, and He has opened my eyes.

• Why, this is a marvellous thing
• You do not know from where He is
• And He has opened my eyes

This is indeed a marvellous thing, and as we explore this passage together we will see how marvellous this thing is.

I have counted eight ‘Knows’ and four ‘believes’ in this passage.

Verse 12

Then they said to him, Where is he? He said, I do not know.

The blind beggar says he does not know where Jesus is.

Verse 20

His parents answered them and said, we know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

His parents said they know that this is our son

His parents know that he was born blind

Verse 21

But by what means he now sees, we do not know. Or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age, ask him. He will speak for himself.

His parents do not know by what means he now sees!

Verse 24

24 Then a second time they called the man who was blind and said to him, Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.

The Pharisees know that Jesus is a sinner

Verse 25
25 He answered and said, Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that being blind, now I see

The man born blind replies that he does not know if Jesus is a sinner

The man does know one thing – I once was blind now I see.

Verse 29

29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know from where this man is.

The Pharisees know that God spoke to Moses

The Pharisees do not know from where Jesus comes from!

Verse 30

30 The man answered and said to them, Why, this is a marvellous thing, that you do not know from where He is, and He has opened my eyes.

The blind beggar says this is a marvellous thing

You do not know from where Jesus comes from

And yet Jesus has opened my eyes

Verse 31

31 But we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

The Pharisees know that God does not hear sinners

Then Jesus comes on the scene.

In Verse 35

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, He said to him, do you believe on the Son of God?

Jesus asks the beggar a question

Do you believe on the Son of God?

Here is the word ‘believe’.

Verse 36

And he answered and said, who is He, Lord that I might believe on Him?

The beggar too, uses the world Believe.

The Pharisees want to know things, but Jesus wants us to believe.

Let’s look at Verse 25

He answered and said, Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that being blind, now I see.

• one thing I do know
• that being blind
• now I see.

Verse 29

We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know from where this man is.
• We know that God spoke to Moses

Big deal, it did not help them.

In Luke 16:29

Abraham said to him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
30 And he said, No, father Abraham, but if one should go to them from the dead, they would repent.
31 And he said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead.

You have to mix faith with what you hear.

The Rich man thought if Lazarus went back from the dead to his five brothers they would repent.

No said Abraham, if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets they will not be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead.

These Pharisees know that God spoke to Moses, but what good did it do them?

They needed to come to the place where they believed what they heard.

Verse 29

They do not know where Jesus is from!

Here is a marvellous thing

You do not know where Jesus is from

And yet Jesus has opened my eyes

Verse 31 tickles me

But we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

The blind beggar, hears Jesus, believes Jesus is the Son of God, and falls down and worships him.

The very thing the Pharisees are saying should happen, the blind beggar fulfils.

This is a marvellous thing!

Verse 35

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, He said to him, Do you believe on the Son of God?

• Here is something marvellous”
• Jesus hears that the beggar is cast out
• And he seeks him out and finds him
• Saying so you believe on the Son of God?

I ask you the same question. Do you believe on the Son of God?

Not that you know about him like the Pharisees and Jews – they knew him, they had first hand contact with Jesus, he walked among them, they saw the fruit of His ministry.

A man born blind is given sight, this had never happened before since the foundation of the world. No wonder the beggar said ‘this is a marvellous thing’.

Down at their root they did not Know that he was from heaven. Peter had to have a revelation of the Father, to know that Jesus was the son of the living God. Do you have that revelation of the Father?

Who is Jesus to you?

A man called Jesus

A prophet

The Son of the living God

Flesh and blood did not tell you that, my Father in heaven revealed that to you.

Along with the beggar who was blind from birth we too can say this is a marvellous thing.

A man born blind, has his eyes opened and yet there is a point where he does not know that Jesus is the Son of God. The opening of the eyes did not give him the revelation. He stands before Jesus with his natural eyes open, and still he does not know that the one standing before him is the Son of God, the anointed one, the messiah!

Seeing him made no difference!

Hearing his words made no difference!

Jesus walked with the two on the road to Emmaus

Jesus had to open there eyes and hearts to understand the scriptures about him.

The beggar replied

Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him

Believe what?

The Words of Jesus!

The Pharisees and Jews had their own knowledge source from Moses the law.

It is the words that the Father speaks through Jesus which reveal his Sonship.

This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent.

For a Jew to be cast out of the synagogue was an awful thing. He becomes an outsider, a heathen, cast out of his religious family, becomes an outcast.

Once Jesus hears that this seeing blind beggar has been cast out, he comes to him and leads him into a deeper revelation of him self.

Previously this beggar had known Jesus as a man, then he knew him as a prophet, and now Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God!

Jesus goes to one who is cast out and reveals himself, asking only that they believe.

John 6:29 says

This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Verse 36

And he answered and said, who is He, Lord that I might believe on Him?

• The beggar asks
• Who is he Lord, that I might believe on Him

Verse 37

37 And Jesus said to him, you have both seen Him, and it is He who is speaking with you.

• You have both seen him
• It is he who is speaking with you.

The beggar mixes faith with what he is hearing and the result

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him.

This man was put out of his world

Jesus found him

He believes in his heart

Confesses with his mouth

Verse 22

His parents spoke these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

• The Jews had agreed that if any one confessed
• That Jesus was the anointed on, the messiah
• He should be put out of the synagogue

Verse 24

Then a second time they called the man who was blind and said to him, Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.

• Give God the glory
• We know that this man is a sinner

How do the Pharisees know that Jesus is a sinner?

Because he has broken their traditions, by healing and anointing eyes on the Sabbath day, which they say is breaking Gods law, when in fact thy are only the traditions of men.

Verse 15 and 16

The Pharisees declared that Jesus had broken the Sabbath, when in fact it was not a violation of the law but of their own tradition.

Verse 28

Then they reviled him and said, You are his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.

• They declared the man to be a disciple of Jesus
• They declared themselves to be disciples of Moses

The Law comes through Moses

Grace and truth comes through Jesus!

Even our enemies declare that we are disciples of Jesus, and walk in grace and truth.

Being under the law the Pharisees could not see.

Remember Paul, who was a Pharisee,

The scales had to fall from his eyes in order for him to see.

Remember Nicodemus, a Pharisee

He had to be born again!

2009-04-20T23:21:00.002+01:00

2009-04-20T23:05:00.001+01:00

2009-04-19T18:00:00.003+01:00

Wait on the Lord and trust in Him...

2009-04-19T13:51:00.002+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 19th April 2009

Let’s look at Ester 5:1-3

Es 5:1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, across from the king's house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.
2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favour in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 And the king said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you-up to half the kingdom!"

Look at verse 3

3 And the king said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you-up to half the kingdom!"

• What is your request Ester
• It shall be grated to you
• What is your request?
• Even to the half of my kingdom
• It shall be performed to you.

It is the custom among kings to give the favoured whatever they might ask.

What then did Ester request?

Look at Ester 7:3 + 4

Es 7:3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, "If I have found favour in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
4 "For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss."

• If I have found favour/grace
• If it please the king
• Let my life be given to me
• For I and my people have been sold
• To be destroyed
• To be killed
• To be annihilated

Easter asks for her life!

What are you asking of the king of kings and lord of lords?

Let’s turn to 2 Samuel 14:1-22

2Sa 14:1 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was concerned about Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead.
3 "Go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, "Help, O king!"
5 Then the king said to her, "What troubles you?" And she answered, "Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead.
6 "Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
7 "And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, 'Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.' So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth."
8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you."
9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, let the iniquity be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his throne be guiltless."
10 So the king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore."
11 Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, and do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son." And he said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."
12 Therefore the woman said, "Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."
13 So the woman said: "Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring his banished one home again.
14 "For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.
15 "Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, 'I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant.
16 'For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God.'
17 "Your maidservant said, 'The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.'"
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you." And the woman said, "Please, let my lord the king speak."
19 So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman answered and said, "As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant.
20 "To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth."
21 And the king said to Joab, "All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom."
22 Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant."

Look at verse 22

22 Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant."

• Joab knows that he has found favour
• In the sight of the king
• The king has fulfilled his request.

There is a knowing that comes to us by seeing the fulfilment of our requests.

Joab says he has found favour, it is the same as finding grace in his sight.

The wonder of knowing that your request has been fulfilled!

Ester and Joab find favour with the king.

It is a wonderful thing when you find favour, or grace in the sight of the king.

Let’s look at Matthew 14:1 -12

Mt 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus
2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."
3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
4 Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.
7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.
8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."
9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.
10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.
11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

What are you requesting from God the Father?

He has bound all his promises with an oath and is bound to perform what is requested of him.

Ester asks for life for her and her people.

Joab, what does he request?

The return of Absolom.

1 Chronicles 10:1-14

1Ch 10:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died.
6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.
7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people.
10 Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 And when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.
14 But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

Look at verse 14

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.
14 But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

• Saul died for his unfaithfulness
• Which he committed against the lord
• He did not keep the word of the LORD
• Saul died because he consulted a medium for guidance
• Saul died because he did not inquire of the LORD
• Therefore he killed him
• And he turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse

What about Moses?

He struck the rock and was not allowed to enter the Promised Land!

1 Samuel 13:1-14

1Sa 13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"
4 Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering.
10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
12 "then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering."
13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

Look at verse 12

12 "then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering."

• I felt compelled

Saul has been told to wait on Samuel

I felt compelled because he feared that the Philistines would come down on him

Because I saw that the people were scattered, I was compelled to do something.

Do you remember when David’s might men had found a way into Jerusalem through Hezekiah tunnel?

They have come up into the city and are in a position to take it.

Joab says ‘we need to call for David to come to the head of the army and take the city so that it will be in his name.

We can take the city thanks very much.

No lets call for David, then it will be the city of David.

Wait on Samuel Saul.

You don’t understand, I have to do something. I can’t just stand around and wait!!

Martha with her hands on her hips, ‘Lord don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve’.

No Martha. Mary has chosen that one good thing with is required.

Sit at his feet and wait.

Let’s look at Hebrews 4:

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,'" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";
5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Look at verse 11

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

• Be diligent to enter that rest
• Don’t fall according to the same example of disobedience

Look at verse 2

2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

• The word which they head did not profit them
• They did not mix it with faith.

Only believe, mix faith with the word, and request of God life for yourself and those whom you love.

Moses at the red sea!

Stand still and see what I will do!

You don’t understand?

I must do something!

I was compelled

When Moses stood still he was told

After today you will not see your enimies!

In life people can become scattered, and you feel compelled to do something.

The hopes and dreams you have seem to be delayed

The enemy has gathered to such a pich all around you, you feel compelled to do something

Let me tell you its all been done!

Everything that is required in every situration you face today has been done, completed, finished!

Hebrews 11:13ff

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

It has to be through faith, and your resting in the finished work!

Verse 13

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

• They all died in faith
• Not having received the promises
• They saw them afar off
• They were assured of them
• They embraced them
• They confessed that they were strangers
• They confessed they were pilgrims on the earth

You are a pilgrim if you don’t get what you request keep the faith
You are a pilgrim if you don’t get what you hope for keep the faith

It is a finished work on the Cross where Jesus died.

There is a perfection of that work of the cross coming our way.

Verse 40

40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

We are going to gather with other faithful men and women from across the generation and form across the globe, and be perfected.

2 timothy 4:4

2Ti 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Look at verse 4

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

• There will still be those who turn away from the truth.

A deliberate turning away!

2 timothy 3:1-5
2Ti 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Be led by the Holy Spirit

Walking by the indwelling Holy Spirit

Waiting on the Lord, like Ester, asking for life for herself and others

Saul did not wait on the Lord

Pray for all in authority

2009-03-25T17:25:00.003Z

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 15th March 2009

Let’s look at Ezra 6:1-12

Ezr 6:1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that was in the province of the Medes, a scroll. And in it was a record written thus:
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. The height of it shall be sixty cubits, and the breadth of it shall be sixty cubits,
4 with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple at Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be given back and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, to their place, and place them in the house of God.
6 And Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-boznai, and your companions, the officials Beyond the River, keep away from there.
7 Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
8 Also I make a decree as to what you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God, that at once expense be given to these men from the king's goods, from the tax Beyond the River, so that they may not have to stop.
9 And that which they have need of, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the choice of the priests at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
10 so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 Also I have made a decree that whoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house and be set up, and let him be hanged on it. And let his house be made a dunghill for this.
12 And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there destroy all kings and people who shall put their hand to alter or to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made a decree. Let it be done with speed.

Look at verse 10

10 That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

• Offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven
• Pray for the life of the king
• Pray for the life of the kings sons

Jeremiah 29:1-14

Jer 29:1 And these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 (After Jeconiah the king, and the queen mother, and the eunuchs, the rulers of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem.)
3 The letter came by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah the king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4 So says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I caused to be exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit.
6 Take wives and father sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be multiplied there and not become few.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and pray to the LORD for it. For in its peace you shall have peace.
8 For so says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your fortune-tellers in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you dream.
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.
10 For so says the LORD, When according to My word seventy years have been fulfilled for Babylon, I will visit you and confirm My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
11 For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says the LORD; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found by you, says the LORD; and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD. And I will bring you again into the place from where I caused you to be exiled.

Look at verse 7

7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and pray to the LORD for it. For in its peace you shall have peace.

• Seek the peace of the city
• Where I have caused you to be exiled
• Pray to the LORD for it.
• For in its peace you shall have peace

Look at verse 8

8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

• Thus says the LORD the God of Israel
• Let not your prophets deceive you
• Let no your diviners deceive you
• Do not hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Look at verse 9

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD.

• For they prophesy falsely unto you
• In my name
• I have not sent them
• Says the LORD

Beware of false prophesies

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 2:1-8

1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
7 To this I am ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie), a teacher of the nations, in faith and truth.
8 Therefore, I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Look at verse 1

1Ti 2:1 first of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

• I exhort that first of all
• Supplications
• Prayers
• Intercessions
• And giving of thanks
• Be made for all men

Look at verse 2

2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

• For kings
• For all that are in authority
• That we may lead a quiet life
• That we may live a peaceable life
• That we may lead our lives in godliness
• That we may lead our lives in honesty

Look at verse 8

8 Therefore, I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

• I will therefore that men pray every where
• I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands
• I will that men pray every where without wrath
• I will that men pray every where without doubting.

What are supplications?

Lu 1:13 But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Lu 2:37 And she was a widow of eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, serving God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Ac 1:14 these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

What are prayers?

Mt 17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Mt 21:13 And He said to them, It is written, "My house shall be called the house of prayer"; but you have made it a den of thieves.

Lu 6:12 And it happened in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and He was spending the night in prayer to God.

What are intercessions?

It has the idea of an interview. You are going before God and laying out before him certain items in order and detail, where you have been, what you have done, what you are doing now. You may do this on behalf of another.

What is giving of thanks?

Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Col 3:17 And everything, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

Heb 13:15 By Him, then, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Romans 31:1-6

Ro 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Look at verse 13

Ro 13:1 let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

• Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers
• For there is no power but of God
• The powers that be are ordained of God

Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Charles, prince of Wales
Prince Harry
Prince William

Gordon Brown
Baraka Obama

Look at Proverbs 8:15

Pr 8:15 By Me king’s reign and princes decree justice
16 Princes rule by Me, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

• By Me kings reign
• By Me princes decree justice
• Princes rule by Me
• Nobles rule by Me
• Judges of the earth rule by Me

Look at Daniel 2:20 - 23

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
10 A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Look at verse 21

21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

• He changes the times
• He changes the seasons
• He removes kings
• He sets up Kings
• He gives wisdom to the wise
• He gives knowledge to those who have understanding

Look at titus

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, not being quarrelsome, but forbearing, showing all meekness to all men.
3 For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, slaving for various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 Faithful is the Word, and as to these things, I desire that you strongly affirm that those believing God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
9 But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions, and strivings about the Law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
10 After the first and second warning, reject a man of heresy,
11 knowing that he who is such has been perverted, and sins, being self-condemned.

Look at verse 1

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, not being quarrelsome, but forbearing, showing all meekness to all men.

• Put them in mind to be subject to rulers
• Put them in mind to be subject to authorities
• Put them in mind to be obedient
• Put them in mind to be ready to every good work
• Put them in mind to speak no evil of anyone
• Put them in mind not to be quarrelsome
• Put them in mind to forbear
• Put them in mind to show all meekness to all men.

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Look at verse 13, 14

13 Then be in obedience to every ordinance of men, because of the Lord, whether to a king as supreme,
14 or to governors as sent by Him for vengeance on evildoers, but for praise on well-doers.

• Be in obedience to every ordinance of men
• Because of the Lord
• Whether to the king as supreme
• Or to governors as sent by Him for vengeance on evildoers
• But for praise on well doers

What then is a tonic?

2009-03-25T17:21:00.005Z

Preached at Ken Bridge Hotel, New Galloway, Scotland
Monday March 16th 7.30 pm

I trust that this word tonight will be to each one of you a tonic.

What then is a tonic? The word tonic has a number of meanings.

Tonight it will be to you two things:

• a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
• Something which will impart vitality and energy; "a bracing mountain air"

Let’s look at John 2:1 -12

John 2:1 - 12
Joh 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. And the mother of Jesus was there.
2 And Jesus and His disciples were both invited to the marriage.
3 And when they lacked wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus said to her, Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.
5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.
6 And there were six stone water pots there, according to the purification of the Jews, each containing two or three measures.
7 Jesus said to them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And He said to them, Now draw out and carry it to the master of the feast. And they carried it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine (and did not know where it was from, but the servants who drew the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. And it revealed His glory. And His disciples believed on Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples. And they did not stay there many days.

Look at verse 10

10 And he said to him, Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now.

• Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine
• When men have drunk well then that which is worse
• You have kept the good wine until now.

Jesus brought forth the good wine.

Jesus keeps the good wine until now

Let’s look at Ezekiel 37

Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and brought me by the Spirit of the LORD, and made me rest in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones.
2 And He made me pass among them all around. And behold, very many were on the face of the valley. And lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, You know.
4 Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 So says the Lord Jehovah to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
6 And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking! And the bones came near, a bone to its bone.
8 And I watched. And behold! The sinews and the flesh came up on them, and the skin covered them above. But there was no breath in them.
9 And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the Spirit came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves.
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your graves.
14 And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I the LORD have spoken and have done it, says the LORD.

Let’s look at verse 11

11 And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves.

• He said to me
• Son of man
• These bones are the whole house of Israel
• Behold they say
• Our bones are dried
• Our hope is lost
• We are cut off by ourselves

This is what Gods people, Israel, are saying

Look at what God is saying in Verse 12

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel.

• Therefore prophesy and say to them
• So says the Lord Jehovah
• Behold, O My people
• I will open your graves
• I will cause you to come up out of your graves
• I will bring you into the land of Israel

To bring them into the land of Israel is to bring them into the inheritance which is truly there’s.

Who are you going to believe O Israel, my people?

What you are saying of yourself?

Our bones are dried
Our Hope is lost
We are cut off by ourselves

What God is saying of you?

Behold, O My people
I will open your graves
I will cause you to come up out of your graves
I will bring you into the land of Israel

What will you believe?

Let’s look at Hebrews 4

Heb 4:1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For also the gospel was preached to us, as well as to them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested the seventh day from all His works."
5 And in this place again, "They shall not enter into My rest."
6 Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief,
7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 So then there remains a rest to the people of God.
10 For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
14 Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.
16 Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(MKJV)

Look at verse 6

6 Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief,

• Since then it remains that some must enter into it
• Since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief

Entering into what Jesus has for you is all to do with your believing it.

Who are you going to believe?

Let’s look at the Gospel of Luke 10:38 – 42.

Lu 10:38 And as they went, it happened that He entered into a certain village. And a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she came to Him and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.
42 But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Look at verse 42

42 But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
• One thing is needful
• Mary has chosen that good part
• Which shall not be taken away from her

What did Mary chose?

To sit at his feet, having ceased from her own works

Martha explodes into the room and say to the lord of all glory, ‘ Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.

Before I say more let me just show you the fruit of both these lives.

Let’s look at John 11:1 – 36

Joh 11:1 And there was a certain sick one, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Then his sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.
4 When Jesus heard, He said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be glorified by it.
5 And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 Therefore, when He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained two days in the place where He was.
7 Then after that He said to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again.
8 The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews lately have sought to stone You, and do You go there again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of the world.
10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because there is no light in him.
11 He said these things; and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps. But I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep.
12 Then His disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.
13 But Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him.
16 Then Thomas (he being called Twin) said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him.
17 Then when Jesus came, He found him already being held in the tomb four days.
18 And Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen stadia away.
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.
23 Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.
24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
27 She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.
28 And saying these things, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher has come and calls you.
29 As soon as she heard, she arose quickly and came to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.
32 Then when Mary had come where Jesus was, seeing Him, Mary fell down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
33 Then when He saw her weeping, and also the Jews who came with her weeping, Jesus groaned in the spirit and troubled Himself.
34 And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, Behold how He loved him!

Look at verse 20

20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.

• When Martha heard that Jesus was coming
• She met Him
• But Mary was sitting in the house.

Expound this bit

Look at verse 28

28 And saying these things, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher has come and calls you.

• She went away and called Mary her sister secretly
• Saying the teacher has come and calls you

Expound this bit

Look at 31

31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.

• The Jews who were with her in the house and comforted her
• When they saw Mary rose up hastily and went out
• They followed her, saying, she is going to the tomb to weep there

Where is Mary going?

She is going to Jesus.

The Jews followed Mary

The Jews did not follow Martha

Now let’s look at Martha’s conversation outside of the town with Jesus.

Look at verse 21

21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

• Martha said to Jesus
• Lord If You had been here
• My brother would not have died

22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.

• I know that even now whatever You will ask of God
• God will give You

23 Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.

• Jesus said to her
• Your brother shall rise again

24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

• Martha said to Him
• I know that he shall rise again
• In the resurrection at the last day
Martha is putting what Jesus wants to do for her into the future her knowing, hoping, and desire to see resurrection in her live into the future

Jesus wants to do a work today, tonight, but Martha puts it into the future

Look at verse 25

25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
27 She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.

Do you believe this?

Do you believe that there is new wine for you tonight?

• Behold, O My people
• I will open your graves
• I will cause you to come up out of your graves
• I will bring you into the land of Israel

I want us to believe this and receive it tonight.

Dumfries Walk 2009

2009-02-27T23:09:00.023Z

Dumfries Walk 2009
‘…in the footsteps of the martyrs…’

The name Dumfries is said to be formed by two Gaelic terms ‘a castle, in ‘the copse’ or ‘brushwood’. It is more than probable that the nucleus of the town was a castle in brushwood.

It is argued by some that Dumfries was around at the time of the Romans. The evidence for this is tenacious. There are distinct traces of Dumfries’s existence in the Eleventh century. Around 1019 a Breton legend mentions Arthur and calls him king of the Britons. There is some dispute about this legend and its date, but we can say that Dumfries was around at that time.

The apostle Paul claimed rank and privilege as a Roman citizen on account of his birth at Tarsus; and it is a curious fact that the Caledonian tribes in the south of Scotland were invested with the same rights by an edict of Antoninus Pius.

In the middle of the Thirteenth century Lady Devorgilla comes to Dumfries. The population at that time being around 2,000. As a ready means of communication across the River Nith, Lady Devorgilla commissioned a bridge for the town which she was to take a considerable interest in.

The Lady Devorgilla belonged to one of the most opulent families in Europe: she was large-hearted and liberal-minded up to the full measure of her wealth; and no greater boon could she have conferred on the Dumfriesians of that and many after-generations than by linking together the two sides of Nithsdale.

The bed of the river is still essentially the same; but, down till the reign of William the Lion, its margin next the town had little natural and no artificial embankment. As a consequence, the upper sand beds, or Green-sands, and the lower sand beds, or White-sands, were seriously encroached upon; and a watery dominion, more or less wide, was established over the Dock Meadow as far down as the other stronghold of the Comyns at Castledykes – the high rock on which the fortress stood at this point giving the encroaching element a westward curve, till the river fringed an ancient mound on the Troqueer side, the mote-hill from which Devorgilla forefathers, as Lords of Galloway, must often have administered brehon law to their vassals.

She was full of spiritual fervour; and, quite in accordance with the practice of her family and of the age, her piety expressed itself in the erection of religious houses and the endowment of monastic fraternities. The vast extent of her wealth, and her desire, as she fondly thought, to store up a portion of it in heaven, were proved to the world, when a convent at Dundee – with which town she was connected through the Comyns – another at Wigtown, and Greyfriars’ Monastery at Dumfries, and, last of all, Newabbey in Kirkcudbrightshire, grew up at her command. Baliol died in 1269; and we are inclined to think that all these religious houses were erected after this date. Her affection for him seems to have been abounded: perhaps she sought, by the building of such expensive fanes, to promote the eternal well-being of her departed husband.

The Monastery that The Lady Devorgilla built in around 1230 was in what is called the Friars Vennel. The buildings no longer exist. This building work and ministry brought in, from all over Europe, foreign builders and educated monks. some of them spoke Norman-French, others the soft Italian tongue – in curious contrast to their rough attire, which consisted of a coarse grey grown having a hood of the same stuff, and fastened at the waist with a hempen cord by way of girdle. These grotesque-looking strangers were the original Grey Friars, the primitive tenants of the Monastery in the Vennel. Afterwards they would be joined by numerous recluses from the neighbourhood; and, when the foreign friars had acquired some knowledge of the native dialect, the order would enter upon its duties, which, as summarily expressed in the rules of its founder, were – “To live to preach, and beg to live.”

During the troubled times of the 17th Century Covenanters gathered and lived in the Vennel area of the town, while those of the kings men, the opposite came, gathered and lived in the Lochmaben Gate, now English Street.

The gentle lady who brought the brethren to Dumfries did not wish them to interpret these words too literally: she fancied that a fixed income would be an acceptable addition to precarious doles given by the charitable; and, accordingly, the house was endowed by her with the customs extracted at the bridge.

The bridge was a colossal one, of nine arches, having no equal at that time in Scotland Built in 1432. Some of the workmen, who literally left their mark on the monastery, would probably be employed in its construction also. Three years were spent, fully five centuries afterwards, in erecting the new bridge over the Nith; and we may reasonably suppose that the building of the old bridge would occupy a still longer period. This latter structure helped to make Dumfries: it was thereby brought into a close relationship with Galloway, and became an important station on the leading highway between England and Scotland. This bridge has been rebuilt many times. The currant one from the 1800’s shortened from the east, and still usable today. Many pilgrims on their way to Whithorn, an early Christian site in Scotland, would ford the river at this point. The building of Devorgilla’s bridge in 1230-1260 would have been a major boon.

In 1282, Devorgilla gave yet another proof of her extraordinary munificence by establishing Balliol College, in the University of Oxford, so called in memory of her deceased husband, who was rarely absent from her thought. [The original building has long since disappeared, and in the existing College there is nothing earlier than the middle of the Fifteenth century. The foundation at present comprises a master, twelve fellows, and fourteen scholars, besides exhibitioners.

Devorgilla breathed her last at Barnard Castle in 1289. Her husband, John Baliol died at the same place twenty-one years before, and was buried there – all except the heart: which symbol of our emotional nature the sorrowful widow caused to be embalmed, and placed in a little ivory casket, and kept beside her as a daily companion.

The Lady Devorgilla is important in Dumfries and Scotland because her son John became King John the 1st of Scotland, being crowned at Scone Palace in Perthshire on 30th November 1292.

This bridge upon which you stand marks the spot of the original thirteenth century bridge built by The Lady Devorgilla, who changed Dumfries and Scotland through the life she lived.

Dumfries was founded as a Royal Burgh in 1186 on the east side of the lowest crossing point of the River Nith.

Nine women were burned to death for witchcraft in the town in 1659, and two centuries later in 1868, Dumfries was the site of Scotland's last public hanging.

Dumfries Cattle market would supply Beef to the Kings of England in London.

Robert the Bruce

King Robert the Bruce I was born at Lochmaben Castle in 1274. He was Knight and Overlord of Annandale. In 1306 he was crowned King of Scotland and henceforth tried to free Scotland from the English enemy.
After being defeated at a battle, Bruce escaped and found a hideout in a cave. Hiding in a cave for three months, Bruce was at the lowest point of his life. He thought about leaving the country and never coming back.
While waiting, he watched a spider building a web in the cave's entrance. The spider fell down time after time, but finally he succeeded with his web. So Bruce decided also to retry his fight and told his men: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again".

The Covenanters

Simply stated, the Covenanters were those people in Scotland who signed the National Covenant in 1638. They signed this Covenant to confirm their opposition to the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The Stuart kings harboured the belief of the Divine Right of the Monarch. Not only did they believe that God wished them to be the infallible rulers of their kingdom - they also believed that they were the spiritual heads of the Church of Scotland. This latter belief could not be accepted by the Scots. No man, not even a king, could be spiritual head of their church. Only Jesus Christ could be spiritual head of a Christian church.

There followed a period of very severe repression. Ministers with Covenanting sympathies were "outed" from their churches by the authorities, and had to leave their parishes. Many continued to preach at "conventicles" in the open air or in barns and houses. This became an offence punishable by death. Citizens who did not attend their local churches (which were now in the charge of Episcopalian "curates") could be heavily fined, and such offenders were regarded as rebels, who could be questioned, even under torture. They could be asked to take various oaths, which not only declared loyalty to the king, but also to accept his as head of the church. Failure to take such an oath could result in summary execution by the muskets of the dragoons, who were scouring the districts looking for rebels.

Dumfries was strongly Presbyterian and Covenanting, and when King Charles II was restored to the throne the covenanter of Dumfries expected great things from him because he had, as a young man, signed the National Covenant in Scone. They were to be disappointed.

As Charles took hold of Scotland, Dumfries councillors hat to swear increasingly comprehensive and binding oaths to be the king’s men. The minutes of the Council meetings in the 1600’s show a broken hearted leadership surrendered and conformed to the kings wishes.

There is one occasion where vigour and zeal was restored to the town’s people when the council tried, (unsuccessfully), to get an order to display the heads of two covenanters on the Bridge Gate reversed.

Families fled Dumfries to England, Ireland, and Holland during the thirty years of Savage persecution from 1660-1688.

James Kirko

James Kirko was apprehended on the 12th March 1685 on these White Sands. James was a laird from the parish of Dunscore, a town not far from Dumfries. James was shot on sight for being part of The Pentland Rising and event which had taken place 20 years previously. Such was the zeal of their persecutors.

Rev Blackadder

John Blackadder was one of the most zealous and popular of the Covenanter`s field preachers and preached at many conventicles, often in the companionship of John Welch of Irongray, the great grandson of John Knox.
John Blackadder was born in December 1615 and educated at Glasgow University where his uncle, the Rev Dr Strang, was the Principal. He spent many years travelling the country preaching and was thirty seven years old when he was ordained minister of the parish of Troqueer in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbrightshire in 1652. He had 7 children of whom his eldest son, Dr Blackadder and his second son suffered imprisonment several times.
He preached wherever and whenever opportunity afforded itself, whether in houses or fields for some twenty years. He ranged far afield to Fifeshire, the Lothians, Lanarkshire, in Carrick and Cunningham in Ayrshire and among the hills of Galloway. During this time he preached at Fenwick in January 1669 where there had been no Presbyterian teaching since the Pentland Rising three years before. He established a new congregation at Bo`ness and had a crowd of 1200 hanging on his every word at Paisley.. At Dunscore in the midst of deep snow it is said that he sat on a chair in the open and preached to the populace who pulled up lumps of heather on which to sit and listen.
Blackadder preached with the outed John Welch of Irongray on several occasions, notably so in 1678 at what have been called the Communion Stones at Skeoch Hill near Irongray . Here rows of stones in an ampitheatre in the hills are a natural setting, surrounded by high hills from which look outs could keep watch for the troopers.. At Skeoch some 14,000 people attended over a period of three days and 3,000 took Communion.

A memorial plague in Troqueer parish church bears the following inscription:
To the Glory of God in memory of
The Reverend John Blackader
Born 1615
Ordained minister of the Parish of Troqueer 1653
Extruded 1662. Outlawed for preaching in the fields 1674
Imprisoned on the Bass Rock 1681
Died after a cruel confinement 1685
“ Faithful unto death “
Erected AD 1902.

The Pentland Rising

On 13 November 1666 soldiers from the garrison at Dalry were searching for Covenanters and came upon an old man of the name Grier, who had defaulted in payment of a fine. They were mistreating him in the village and were about to brand him with a hot iron when the villagers rose up against the soldiers, freeing Grier. The leader in the rising was John MacLellan of Barscobe Castle (NX 660806), who wounded Corporal George Deanes by shooting fragments of a clay pipe at his leg. The Covenanters later stormed the local garrison, killing one of the soldiers. Over 200 Covenanters then rode or marched to Dumfries where they kidnapped Sir James Turner, on 15 November.

The Covenanters returned to Galloway by way of Glencairn and Dalry, before heading north through Carsphairn to Ayr. From there they marched through Cumnock and Lanark towards Edinburgh. On 28 November at Rullion Green, on the edge of the Pentland Hills, the Covenanter force of around 900 were met by around 3,000 soldiers. A battle ensued in which 100 Covenanters were reported killed on the field, and a further 300 as they tried to escape. Around 120 Covenanters were taken prisoner and sentenced to death. Many were executed in Edinburgh, but a number were sentenced to hang back in south-west Scotland as a warning to others against future risings. Accordingly, seven Covenanters were hanged in Ayr, including James Smith, John Short and John Graham, who belonged to Dalry.
http://www.covenanter.org.uk/ 26/02/09

The Pentland Rising and the Battle of Rullion Green is an important event in Covenanter history because it was the first time the Covenanters had come together as a substantial force to protest the constraints upon their religion since the Restoration of King Charles II. Significantly it arose not from any great machinations of rebellion, but was a spontaneous event; the protest of downtrodden people against taskmasters whose cruelties had become insufferable .From its sudden inception until its bloody close only two weeks elapsed.

Rullion Green lies about 8 miles south of Edinburgh on the slopes of the Pentland Hills and was, as now, prime sheep country. On the fringe of a small wood there is a railed enclosure containing a single headstone commemorating the events of 1666. In April, 2000, the inscriptions on the solitary stone were almost indecipherable and badly in need of cleaning.
Pressure had been building on the Covenanter ministers from 1662, when about 400 were ejected from their churches, and in 1664 more rules were introduced which prohibited any ejected minister living within 20 miles of his former church. Severe penalties were imposed on parishioners who failed to attend church services conducted by curates appointed by the government. The curates were required to furnish names of absentees from church to local military commanders for enforcement of fines. The military were frequently cruel and would be quartered on a a defaulter until the fine was paid, in the meantime eating him out of house and home and stealing his goods, chattels and livestock.
The spark to the march on Edinburgh occurred on November 13, 1666, at St. John's Dalry in Kirkcudbrightshire. An elderly man by the name of John Grier was unable to pay a fine for not attending church and was beaten severely by some of Sir James Turner's soldiers. A group of four local Covenanters led by MacLellan of Barscobe happened to be in the village . They went to the rescue and entreated the soldiers to let the old man go. However, swords were drawn and a pistol shot (loaded with a piece of clay pipe in the absence of a ball) wounded one of the soldiers, a Corporal George Deane. The Covenanters were joined by other villagers who helped disarm the soldiers.
A crowd of about ninety people gathered including a local landlord, John Neilson of Corsock. Reckoning that they would be severely punished by other soldiers in the vicinity, they resolved to take them prisoner. Knowing also, that they would receive little mercy from Sir James Turner, they decided to march on Dumfries where he was based. On their way they repeated their deed in Balmaclellan where they took 16 soldiers prisoner, killing one. So it happened that a band, now grown to about 250, marched to Baillie Finnie`s house in Dumfries between eight and nine in the morning of 15 November 1666. Here they took prisoner their zealous persecutor and local military commander, Sir James Turner - still in his nightclothes. They relieved him of monies sent from Edinburgh for paying his soldiers, and also fines that they had collected. His troops, of which there were only a dozen or so in the town, were disarmed with one soldier wounded. A curious incident then followed when the monies they had seized was entrusted to a Captain Gray, who promptly decamped with it the following night - never to be seen again.

http://www.thereformation.info/index.htm 26/02/09

The Lollards’

The Lollards’ reasons for opposing Romish practice were similar to the arguments made throughout the Scottish Reformation by John Knox and Andrew Melville (1545-1622). The Lollards condemned the doctrine of transubstantiation (the belief that bread and wine change into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ during the Communion ceremony), the use of images in churches, pilgrimages, the rite of the mass, the use of holy water, the sacrament of penance, the veneration of relics, and prayers for intercession. Perhaps the most heinous act in Romish eyes was the fact that the Lollards preached in English and proclaimed that the faithful need only the Scriptures to gain salvation. This destroyed the mysticism of the Bible and exposed the priests who had hitherto been the only means of interpreting and delivering the Word of God - in whatever manner, or cost, they felt appropriate.

Now we will walk to Dumfries Museum and see in more detail the history of Christianity in the South West of Scotland.

Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott a novel entitled ‘Old Mortality’ the story of Robert Patterson, a stone mason who after conversion took it upon himself to repair and restore the crumbling remains of tomb stones and markers of the fall men of faith who became martyrs in the 1600’s.

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots came to Dumfries on a number of occasions in the mid 1500’s to do business with the Maxwell’s.

Christian Jane Fergusson

Born in Dumfries in 1876, Chris studied at the Glasgow School of Art under the renowned tutelage of Fra Newberry, and at the Art School in Crystal Palace, London. She attended Art School when it was unusual for women to pursue a career, particularly in Art, but she was a working painter all of her life. She married and brought up three children with her husband, a Dumfries Solicitor. With fellow artists EA Taylor and Jessie M King she helped to establish the Dumfries and Galloway Fine Arts Society whose first exhibition was staged in Dumfries in 1922.

Chris was particularly talented in watercolour that she used to great effect to capture local scenes, displaying and selling her work to an appreciative audience Scotland-wide. Gracefield staged a retrospective of her work in 1999 with over 120 of her paintings on show and the work was as vibrant then as it had been when painted over 60 years before. Many of the older people commented on how local landmarks had or had not changed over the years.

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones helped establish the traditions of courage and professionalism that the United States Navy proudly maintains today.
In life and battle he exemplified a hero's determination and upheld America's ideals of liberty and independence from tyranny.
Jones was born 6 July 1747 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland to John Paul, gardener at Arbigland, Kirkbean,and mother of MacDuff Clan. His birth was not registered.
In 1759 he apprenticed aboard "Friendship" to Fredricksburg, VA. Between 1764 and 1773 he worked on slave ships, first as third mate and later as first mate. He was accused of murder while he pledged on self defense. Avoiding court of justice he flees to America. In 1774 he arrives back in Fredericksburg, VA
Jones writes to Joseph Hewes, John Morris, Thomas Jefferson requesting naval appointment.In December 1775 Jones received his lieutenant's commission from the Continental Congress for its navy. On 3 December 1775, as first lieutenant of Alfred, he hoisted the Grand Union flag for the first time on a Continental warship. The flag's Union Jack in the upper left canton and thirteen red and white stripes represented a united resistance to tyranny but loyalty to the British King.
On 6 July 1997 the Navy commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Paul Jones. The man whom Thomas Jefferson later described as "the principal hope of America's future efforts on the ocean"

William Paterson

William Paterson was born in his parent's farmhouse of Skipmyre in Tinwald, Scotland, and lived with them until he was seventeen, when he emigrated first (briefly) to Bristol and then to the Bahamas. It was here that he first conceived the Darién scheme, his plan to create a colony on the Isthmus of Panama, facilitating trade with the Far East. He later founded the Bank of England.

Duncan, Dr Henry

(1774 - 1846), led to the founding of a great banking movement.
If one were looking for a man out of Scotland's past to serve as an object lesson for her present he wouldn't be Burns, or even Robert Bruce. He would be someone like Henry Duncan ... who typifies the Scots in one of his greatest epochs.
In 1810 Dr Duncan opened the world's first commercial savings bank, paying interest on its investors' modest savings.
Of all his skills and interests, geology and science were his passions. He is best remembered by today's geologists as the man who identified the first fossil footprints in Britain. He presented a paper to the Royal Society in Edinburgh on the discovery of the footprints at Cornockle Quarry, near Lochmaben.
Dr Duncan was minister of the parish church in Ruthwell for nearly 50 years. He became a moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, as well as a leading light in the Disruption of the Church in 1843. He also restored the magnificent Ruthwell Cross in 1818, which arguably is the most discussed mediaeval monument in the world.
The above extract has been taken from the leaflet:
Savings Banks Museum, Ruthwell, Dr Henry Duncan 1774-1846, The Father of Savings Banks

Peter Pan

Scottish playwright, journalist and author Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) left a considerable literary legacy.
Born in Kirriemuir, James Matthew Barrie moved to Dumfries in 1873 at the age of 13 to attend the town's academy.
He quickly became friends with the two boys who lived at Moat Brae House, which was owned by a prominent local solicitor.
In his memoirs published in 1904 Barrie wrote of Peter Pan: "Our escapades in a certain Dumfries garden which was an enchanted land to me was certainly the genesis of this work."
Barrie spent five years studying at Dumfries Academy, where he immersed himself in student life, founding the Dumfries Dramatic Club and joining the debating society and football team.

He went on to serve as chancellor of Edinburgh University and rector of St Andrews University before his death in 1937 at the age of 7
In 1929, Barrie announced that the copyright of his literary success, Peter Pan, would go to Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. Barrie's copyright gift has made a significant and lasting financial legacy to the hospital's work.

Robert Burns

Robert's grave was so insignificant that when no less than Dorothy and William Wordsworth visited Dumfries in 1803 they had difficulty finding it.

John Laurie

John Laurie (1897 - 1980) was an actor who's most famous role was Private Frazer in 'Dad's Army'.
Born in Dumfries on 25th March 1897, John's parents were William Laurie and Jesse Anne Brown.

Understand and Remember

2009-02-15T17:11:00.003Z

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
on Sunday 15th February 2009

Every time we gather together we are like the children of Israel gathered by the shores of the River Jordan. The Promised Land was before them. By night fall they would be in the land promised. Every time we gather it is an opportunity for you to possess what Jesus has promised. As they are gathered they hear words which will prepare them.

Lets join God’s people, beside the river Jordan and see what we can learn as a Fellowship in Dumfries who are about to take possession of what Jesus has promised. To the children of Israel, it was a Land of Promise; to us it is the receiving of a Kingdom, the very kingdom of God.

Having a promise is a great thing, but possessing that which is promised, is the fulfilment of all hope.

Listen, and hear Jesus. He is calling you to cross over into all the promises. I wonder if you will possess your promises today. I trust that as you listen you will mix faith with what you hear.

Remember that these words were spoken to God’s people before they took possession and were given in order that they might be prepared for what was to come. As we remember may we understand?

Let’s look at Deuteronomy 9:1-7

Hear, O, Israel! You are to pass over Jordan today, to go in to expel nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
2 a people great and tall, the sons of the giants, whom you know and have heard it said, Who can stand before the sons of Anak!
3 Therefore, understand today that the LORD your God is He who goes over before you. Like a consuming fire, He shall destroy them, and He shall bring them down before your face. So you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the LORD has said to you.
4 Do not speak in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out from before you, saying: For my righteousness, the LORD has brought me in to possess this land. But for the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you.
5 Not for your righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you go to possess their land. But for the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God drives them out from before you, so that He may perform the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6 Therefore, understand that the LORD your God does not give you this good land, to possess it, for your righteousness. For you are a stiff-necked people.
7 Remember, and do not forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you departed out of the land of Egypt, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.

Here we have God’s people gathered together before entering into the Promised Land. All that is left for them to do, is cross the Jordan River, and the Promised Land is there’s.

But why this delay, why this gathering?

Look at verse 1

Hear, O, Israel! You are to pass over Jordan today, to go in to expel nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

• Go in to expel nations greater and mightier than you.
• Go in and possess great cities which are fenced up to heaven.

What a great call upon God’s people!
Hear, O, Israel! You are to pass over Jordan today, to go in to expel nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fenced up to heaven.

In normal circumstances, without the instruction of the living God, with out his call upon His people you would be no match for the people already in the land; these people are greater and mightier than you. You are to cast them out and take possession.

You are to go in and possess their cities, great cities

The land promised to you is occupied by people who are greater and mightier than you. It’s your land your, inheritance, your possession, but it is occupied!

Look at verse 2

2 a people great and tall, the sons of the giants, whom you know and have heard it said, who can stand before the sons of Anak!

• These people are great and tall, they are the sons of the giants!
• You know, and have heard it said
• Who can stand before the sons of Anak!

God’s people have heard of these sons of the giants, they have heard it said – Who can stand before the sons of Anak!

These Sons of Anak have a reputation, and Gods people are listening to what has been said about them.

Who are you listening to? In Jesus all Giants and all fenced cities are dealt with.

Hear, O, Israel, the call of your God to go forward in spite of the fact that there is in the land of your inheritance, great and tall sons of the giants!

How are we ever going to take possession of a Promised Land in the hands of Giants?

I wonder if this currant generation of God’s people are remembering the defeat of their Fathers. They two had the opportunity to possess the Promised Land, and were confronted by giants and walled cities?

Some things never change when it comes to taking possession of the promises!

The Israelites had a land of promise, but today the believer has a kingdom to receive.

The question is not do you have a promise, or what is the promise, but have you possessed what has been promised you.

There is only one way to deal with giants.

There is only one way to possess fenced cities.

It is Jesus who goes before you, having laid low all obstacles.

He has sent you the Holy Spirit who leads you right into the heart of your Promised Land.

Let’s look at verse 3

Therefore, understand today that the LORD your God is He who goes over before you. Like a consuming fire, He shall destroy them, and He shall bring them down before your face. So you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the LORD has said to you.

• Understand today that the LORD your God is He who goes over before you.
• He is going up before us like a consuming fire!
• He shall destroy them
• He shall bring them down before your face
• You shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the LORD has said to you.

God’s people are told to understand it this day, before they cross over.

Today we have to understand that it is Jesus that goes before us, and brings you up to receive your kingdom.

God always has a reason behind what he does, and understanding what God the Father is doing and why He is doing something is a sure place of safety.

A son is always safest when he is doing his fathers will. It was so for Jesus and is so for us.

Let’s look at Verse 4

Do not speak in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out from before you, saying: For my righteousness, the LORD has brought me in to possess this land. But for the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you.

• When the LORD your God has cast out the tall, giant, sons of Anak.
• Do not speak in your heart saying…
• For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.
• The LORD drives out the tall giant sons of Anak before you because of the wickedness of these nations.

You are coming into the land flowing with milk and honey, and the tall giant sons of Anak are cast out because their iniquity in the land has come up to such a pitch they are no longer worthy to dwell in it.

Some of you who stand here today have not possessed the promises given to you, you have not pressed into the kingdom of God. You have done this because you have found it difficult to possess things which you have not laboured for.

You have the thinking of the world. I can only have what I deserve or have what I have worked for.

See, if you can glimpse what God did here in verse 5.

God’s people were coming into their promised land by God’s grace towards them. The people already in the land were operating in such wickedness that God said enough is enough. He hands it over to His own people not because they are worthy, but because he has made a previous promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It is the same with you today. He is giving you what he has promised, simply because He has promised it. He is doing it because his character demands it. Jesus is the promise of the Father, and what He has promised in His son is coming to pass in you, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You are the inheritor of a kingdom. It is yours to receive.

Look at verse 5

Not for your righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you go to possess their land. But for the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God drives them out from before you, so that He may perform the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

• Not for your righteousness
• Not for the uprightness of your heart
• Do you go in to possess their land
• But for the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God drives them out before you
• And because he has sworn a promise to your fathers to do so.
• A promise to Abraham
• A promise to Isaac
• A promise to Jacob

It’s got nothing to do with you; it’s all got to do with The God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ keeping his promises which he has sworn.

Hallelujah! Our God keeps his promises and brings us into a Kingdom where all his promises are kept.

Just where you stand, add faith to what you are hearing, and step across into what God the Father has promised you in the kingdom of Jesus Christ His Son.

He brings us to receive his kingdom so that He may fulfil his promises in us.

The Father fulfils what is promised, the Son fulfils what is promised, and the Holy Spirit fulfils what is promised.

Our God is an awesome God.

Can you see that there are things that we must understand, with clarity, in our hearts, not the understanding of the mind, but of the heart, taught by the Holy Spirit, add faith to what you are hearing, and you will see it?

Look at verse 6

Therefore, understand that the LORD your God does not give you this good land, to possess it, for your righteousness. For you are a stiff-necked people.

• Understand that the LORD your God does not give you this good land, to possess it, for your righteousness

Nothing you have done, and nothing you will ever do will bring you receive the Kingdom. Not works of righteousness which we have done.

You see even if you do not understand or know your own condition, there is one who does know you. He knows you altogether,

Look what he says of your very nature?

• You are a stiff-necked people.

You are not getting into the land of promise because of your own righteousness!

You are not going to receive the Kingdom because of what you have done.

In your heart, born of Adam, you are stiff-necked!

And yet here is a miracle that a stiff-necked people are brought into His to the point where they are ready to receive a Kingdom, and it is in order to fulfil what he has sworn.

But this is not the whole story.

Look at verse 7

7 Remember, and do not forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you departed out of the land of Egypt, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.

• Remember and do not forget
• How you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness
• From the day you departed out of the land of Egypt
• Until you came to this place
• You have been rebellious against the LORD

Look at that!

Until you came to this place

Where was this place?

It was on the border of the Promised Land!

Gods people were about to cross over and they had to understand the true reason why they were going in to possess the land, in order that when they crossed over, they would not walk in their own righteousness, but in the righteousness of God.

We today walk in the Righteousness of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

They were to remember and not forget how they provoked the LORD to wrath in the wilderness.

Do not forget where you have come from.

Understand with clarity

Remember with clarity

Let’s turn to Deut 4:7-12

De 4:7 For who is a great nation whose God is coming near to them, as Jehovah our God is, in all our calling on him?
8 And who is a great nation whose statutes and judgments are so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?
9 Only take heed to yourself and keep your soul carefully, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. But teach them to your sons, and your sons' sons.
10 Remember the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and they may teach their sons.
11 And you came near and stood under the mountain. And the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
12 And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but saw no likeness, only a voice.

Look at verse 10

10 Remember the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, Gather the people to Me, and I will make them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and they may teach their sons.

• Remember the day that you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb
• When the LORD said
• Gather the people to Me
• I will make them hear My words
• So that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth.

God’s people are on the border of the Promised Land and are gathered together and God is asking them to remember an earlier occasion at Horeb when He made them hear his words, so that they may learn to fear Him all the days that they shall live upon the earth.

Looking back, remembering, understanding, all help us to go in to possess that which is before us, if we will add faith to what we hear.

Here is another day, at Horeb, where God’s people are gathered together to prepare them for what is to come, and that they may have clarity.

God’s people are on the border of the Promised Land and are gathered together and god is going to make them hear his words, so that they may learn to fear Him all the days that they shall live upon the earth.

Here in Glen Aros you stand as one called to inherit the promises. As you stand add your faith to what you are hearing. .

He has gathered us together that we might understand and remember before we receive this kingdom before us.

It was a special day when God was to speak to them out of the thick darkness. The people of the old covenant could not handle God speaking to them directly.

But It is much different for us.

Let’s look at Hebrews 12:18-29

Heb 12:18 For you have not come to the mountain that might be touched and that burned with fire, nor to blackness and darkness and tempest,
19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words (which voice they who heard begged that the word should not be spoken to them any more,
20 for they could not endure the thing commanded, "And if so much as a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart,"
21 and so fearful was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake).
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape, those who refused him that spoke on earth, much more we shall not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven,
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will not only shake the earth, but also the heavens."
27 And this word, "Yet once more," signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,
29 for also, "Our God is a consuming fire."

Look at verse 28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,

• Let us have grace
• By which we may serve God acceptably
• With reverence and godly fear.

They inherited a land.

We receive a kingdom!

Hallelujah!

Add faith to your promises and let us see them fulfilled among us.

Look up, lift up your head, your redemption draws near...

2009-01-18T16:04:00.006Z

Preached in Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
Sunday 18th January 2009

Let me read from the book “Waiting on God” by Andrew Murray.

‘…You think, too, you know the reason (why things are the way they are). There is too much trust in men and money; there is too much formality and self-indulgence; there is too little faith and prayer; too little love and humility; too little of the spirit of the crucified Jesus.

At times you feel as if things were hopeless; nothing will help…’

‘…let the spirit of the prophet come into you, as you value his words and set yourself to wait on God, on behalf of His erring children…’ ‘…realise your call to wait on God. If others fail in doing it, give yourself doubly too it…’

‘…the greater the self-confidence around you, that knows not that it is poor and wretched and blind, the more urgent the call upon you who profess to see the evil and to have access to Him who alone can help, to be at your post waiting upon God.’

Andrew Murray exhorts:

When we see these things in others, ‘if others fail in doing what is required, give yourself doubly to what is required, to waiting on God, to be ever watchful. When you see all the self-confidence around you, don’t complain. Be more urgent to call upon Jesus who alone can help. Make sure you are found at your post waiting upon God.

Lu 21:28

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Your protection says Jesus in these days is to look up.

Now is the time to develop urgently a habit of looking up, and lifting up your heads

The reason?

Your redemption is drawing near. Hallelujah!

Let’s look at Psalm 138:1-8

Ps 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Look at verse three.

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

• When I cried out
• You answered me
• You made be Bold
• With strength in my soul.

As you stand at your post, looking up, lifting up your head, crying out, Jesus will hear you and Make you bold with strength in your soul.

Hallelujah!

Look at verse seven

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

• Though I walk in the midst of trouble
• He will revive you
• He will stretch out His hand against the wrath of your enemies
• His right hand will save you.

Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father ready to save you.

Hallelujah!

Look at verse eight

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

• The LORD will perfect that which concerns you
• His mercy continues forever towards you.
• He will not forsake the works of his hand.

The mercy that you experience today is an everlasting mercy. It will never end, it will never change, it is yours to day and will be forever!

You are the work of His hand. You were made by Jesus, and for Jesus, and through Jesus, and you are never going to be forsaken.

Hallelujah!

Back to Andrew Murray again for a moment.

‘…What He asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire, and trust, is all comprised in this one word:

‘…Waiting for Him, waiting for His salvation.’

‘… it combines the deep sense of our entire helplessness of ourselves to work what is divinely good, and our perfect confidence that our God will work it all in His divine power.’

• Your inability
• His ability

Focus on Jesus, Look up, lift up your head, be on duty

When you look up and lift up your head you adjust your vision to heavenly things. Your vision is no longer focused on the things of earth.

You focus on your redemption to come.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Let’s see if you can see something else

Back in the 1900’s, Lillias Trotter penned a Christian tract called Focused.

Let me tell you a little about Lillias. (Photo up)

Lilias was born to Alexander and Isabella Trotter in the heart of the Victorian era in London. Her father died when she was twelve years old.

When Lilias was 23, in 1876 she travelled with her mother to Venice together in 1876, quoting a letter from famous art critic John Ruskin:
When I was at Venice in 1876—it is about the only thing that makes me now content in having gone there—two English ladies, mother and daughter, were staying at the same hotel, the “Europa.” One day the mother sent me a pretty little note asking if I would look at the young lady’s drawings.
On my somewhat sulky permission, a few were sent, in which I saw there was extremely right-minded and careful work, almost totally without knowledge. I sent back a request that the young lady might be allowed to come out sketching with me. She seemed to learn everything the instant she was shown it, and ever so much more than she was taught.
John Ruskin didn't believe that ladies could paint before he met Lilias, he changed his mind after he met her, and believed that if she would give her life to painting she could become the greatest painter of the nineteenth century. Ruskin believed that if she would devote herself to art “she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal.”--he was unhappy that she was spending so much time on the streets of London, helping with the YWCA when he thought she ought to be painting. (Photos of her paintings)
Lilias, however, decided to give up her career in art in order to serve God. She always remained a good friend of Ruskin's though, and they wrote many letters when she was in Algeria.
About this decision Lilias wrote many years later: Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the “good” hiding the “best.”
It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God. . . and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His glory.
Almost a hundred years ago, a lady called Helen Lemmel was a gifted singer and voice teacher. The daughter of a Methodist minister, her family immigrated to America when she was twelve. After music training in Europe, she eventually became a vocal music teacher at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

In 1918, when she was 54 years old, she saw a missionary tract entitled "Focused" by Lillian Trotter who wrote, "So then, turn your eyes upon HIM. Look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange, new dimness. “Based on these words, Helen immediately penned the chorus along with the music and within a week had completed the stanzas

This is the Hymn ‘turn your eyes upon Jesus’

Let me read you some lines:
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
Refrain
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Refrain
This is an historical testimony of what I want you to see.
It is important where your focus is.
Andrew Murray
Lillias Trotter
Helen Lemmel
All being used of God to give us the word of the Lord, to stay focused.
Lets come up to date now.
Francis McFaul
Ronald McNabb
I am thankful to the Lord Jesus for keeping me focused on Him. Yet I have been frustrated that often I would give something out into the body, and think it had got stuck in the liver, and maybe after a long season it would be found and it would be useful.
I sense that there is a change in the body here.
I had some words the other day and John suggested I pass them on the Francis, saying ‘I got a song back in a week’. Wow! That’s amazing.
At Glen Aros Prayer meeting at the beginning of the month John asked me if I had given Francis the words.
I dutifully gave the words to him, and would you believe it, with in a few minutes the verses were added, the song taught and we all sung it together.
I want to encourage you to give into the body those gifts you have, even though for a season you have thought no one wants to know, give them for I believe this is your time, and you will see quick fruit from your gifting.
God bless you.

Be steadfast until the end...

2008-11-09T22:20:00.002Z

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 9th November 2008

Let’s look at Jeremiah 45:1-5

Jer 45:1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:
3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."'
4 "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.
5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'"

The prophecy we have in this chapter concerns Baruch,

Look at verse 3

3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."'

Baruch has been saying

• Woe is me now
• The LORD has added grief to my sorrow
• I fainted in my sighing
• I find no rest

But even though it is about Baruch this passage can be for the support and encouragement of all the Lord's people that serve him faithfully and keep closely to him in difficult trying times.

Unlike Baruch!

Look at verse 5
5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'"

• And do you seek great things for yourself?
• Do not seek for them
• Behold I will bring adversity on all flesh
• Says the LORD
• But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.

God will give to all who remain faithful to him in adversity, their lives as a prize.

Even though you have been given your life as a prize still you have a responsibility to keep it.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1Co 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

• One receives the prize
• Run in such a way that you may obtain it
• Everyone who competed for the prize is temperate in all things
• I discipline my body and bring it into subjection
• Least I myself should become disqualified.

Let’s go back to Jeremiah 39:17-18

Jer 39:17 "But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.
18 "For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"

• I will deliver you in that day says the LORD
• You shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid
• For I will surely deliver you
• You shall not fall by the sward
• Your life shall be as a prize to you

Why is this going to happen?

Because you have put your trust in me says the LORD

Jeremiah 43:2-7

Jer 43:1 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words,
2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'
3 "But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon."
4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven-
6 men, women, children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7 So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.

Look at verse one

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words,

• The LORD their God had sent Jeremiah with all the words he had been speaking

Look at verse two

2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'

• Notice what the proud men speak of Jeremiah
• You speak falsely!
• The LORD our God has not sent you to say…

God sends Jeremiah to speak words and the proud men among the listeners say that he is speaking falsely, and that the LORD has not sent him to say these things.

Look at Jeremiah 44:15-19

Jer 44:15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!
17 "But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
18 "But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."
19 The women also said, "And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands' permission?"

Look at verse 15

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:

• A group of men who Knew what was going on with their wives
• And they answered Jeremiah saying…

Look at verse 16

16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!

• The word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD
• We will not listen to you.

Proud men who say Jeremiah is not speaking the words of the LORD

Now the men who know what is going on do not believe Jeremiah and take up a position of refusing to listen to Him.

The danger of going from pride in your heart, not believing the words you hear from Jesus, and then going on to not listen to the words.

Jeremiah 42:20-22

Jer 42:20 "For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.'
21 "And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.
22 "Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell."

Look at verse 20

"For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.'

• You were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God
• Saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God
• According to all that the LORD your God Says
• So declare to us and we will do it.

Verse 21

21 "And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.

• This day I have declared it to you
• But you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God
• Or anything which He has sent you by me.

There is a great danger of becoming familiar with the word being spoken here on a Sunday morning and hearing the clear voice of God week by week and then becoming a hypocrite in your heart.

These proud men, who knew what was going on had even come to Jeremiah to ask him to seek the LORD on their behalf, saying they would do all that came through him, and yet when it was given, they said it was not from God, and refused to hear him any longer. Pride in the heart, left the word unheard even though it was spoken!

Turn to Jeremiah 23:18-24

Jer 23:18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury-A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
21 "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
23 "Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

Look at verse 18

For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?

• Who has stood in the counsel of the LORD?
• Who has perceived and heard His word?
• Who has marked His word and heard it?

Jeremiah of course

But the proud of heart would not listen to him

Verse 20b

In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.

There is always a day when the true prophet is understood!

You may my brother have to live and stand in the counsel of the LORD in your generation, perceive and hear his word and speak it among your brethren, and still it will not he understood.

Praise God, Glory to God in the highest, there will come a day that it will be perfectly understood what you have been saying.

Just you be faithful!

Look at verse 21

"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

• There are prophets who were not sent by our LORD Jesus
• Yet they ran
• Jesus has not spoken to them
• Yet they continue to prophesy.

Brothers and sisters do not be among them.

Look at verse 22

But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.

• I you will stand in the counsel of Jesus, right in His presence.
• This will cause you to hear His words.
• I you will stand in his counsel men will turn from their evil ways
• And from the evil things they do.

This is the Old Testament, and it is a clear call to stand in God’s presence.

In the New Testament

2Peter 1:19

2Pe 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Men of God moved by whom?

The Holy Spirit

We have in these last days the prophetic word confirmed, hallelujah!

Men of proud heart, even though they know what is going on will always have there private interpretations.

Remember, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.

You need the Holy Spirit to hear it receive it and believe it.

The word of God has been spoken, and the Holy Spirit keeps you listening to it.

Let’s look at Hebrews 3:1-6

Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.
3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honour than the house.
4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Look at verse 1

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

• Partakers of the heavenly calling
• The calling you are under is what?

Heavenly,

Hallelujah it is so!

What do those who are called to this heavenly calling do.

The consider the apostle and high priest of our confession

Jesus Christ.

We are partakers of this great heavenly calling of looking and considering Jesus Christ!

Take note that you are Holy brethren.

Look at verse 2

who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

• Jesus was faithful to God

Verse five

And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

• Moses was faithful

Will you be faithful in this calling which is heavenly in nature?

I wonder?

Look at verse 6

But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

• Here we have it
• If we hold fast
• The confidence
• And the rejoicing
• Of the hope
• Firm until the end

Confidently with rejoicing holding faithful in our hope until the end

Hebrews 3:7-15

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.'
11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Vese 13

But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

• Exhort one another daily
• While it is called today
• Otherwise you may become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin

Verse 14

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

• For we have become partakers of Christ
• If we hold the beginning of our confidence
• Steadfast to the end

Verse 6

But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

We just read in verse 6 that he is Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast

You see we are a house of sons, and Christ as THE SON over the house.

But look we are to hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end!

Verse 15

15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

• The LORD is still speaking today, as in Jeremiahs day
• If you will hear His voice
• Do not harden your hearts

Those in Jeremiah’s day had the word preached to them, but because of pride in their hearts they refused to listen.

Here in the rebellion, referring to Moses time, they heard the voice of God but rebelled.

Look at verse 16

Heb 3:16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?

• Interesting question mark here
• Who was it that rebelled?
• Well it turns out that it was ALL who came out of Egypt!

Verse 17

Heb 3:17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

• Yes it was?

Verse 18

Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?

It was those who did not obey that that did not enter His rest!

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Can you see that they could not enter in because of unbelief?

Hebrews 4:1

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

• There is a promise remaining today of entering His rest
• It is possible that some of you may come short of it.

Verse 2

Heb 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

• The gospel was preached to us
• The gospel was preached to them
• The difference?
• The word which they heard did not profit them
• Why?
• They did not mix it with faith when they heard it.

How important it is that you mix faith with the words which Jesus speaks though the minister here in Glen Aros.

The preaching can go on and on year in year out.

You must mix it with faith, or it will be come to you of no profit.

Look at verse 7

Heb 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."

• Today if you will hear His voice
• Do not harden your hearts

Verse 9—13

Heb 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Verse 14-15

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God

Let us hold fast our confession

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace

"God is not asking you to do something that He has not done..."

2008-10-07T09:34:00.005+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on Sunday 6th October 2008

God is not asking you to do something that He has not done, nor be something He is not.

Let’s look at Romans 15:1-14

Ro 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name."
10 And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!"
11 And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!"
12 And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."
Ro 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look at verse 4

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
• Whatever things were written before were written for you learning
• That you through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope

Hallelujah! Through patience and comfort we might have hope

Look at verse 13

Ro 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Now may the God of hope
• Fill you with all joy
• In believing
• That you may abound in hope
• By the Holy Spirit.

Can you see the exhortation of God to be patient and be comforted by the Scriptures, and out of that will be hope?

Then in verse 13 may the God of Hope.

You see God is not asking you to produce something that he is not.

He is a God of hope and he exhorts you to have hope.

He asks us to be patient and steadfast and full of comfort, which produces hope because He is full of patience, steadfastness, and comfort

He is not just exhorting you with words written on the pages of Scripture, He is these things, and when he speaks these words in the Scriptures and you believe them, and put them into practice, - I.e. You choose to be patient, and let the comfort of the Scriptures bring you hope – you have the substance of the Father in you, which is in him, already!

As a believer his words become substance in you, because they are true in Him!

Blessed be God, whose words, are substance in Him, and by the Holy Spirit become, substance in you. Hallelujah!

We read in 2 Corinthians 1:3

2Co 1:3 blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort

He is the God of all comfort

He is the Father of mercies

I spoke a few months ago from Acts27:27

Ac 27:27 Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

The sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land…”

They sensed this before it arrived, and they sensed it at the darkest hour of the night.

As Paul and the Sailors were being driven up and down the Adriatic Sea the fourteenth night had come.

What did they do with this sense of land approaching?

Verse 28

Ac 27:28 And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

They took some soundings

What can the Christian do, what does it mean to take a sounding when you sense something approaching you?

That’s easy!

More Prayer

More Fellowship

More Reading of the Word

Speak to Jesus who lives in the deep things of God

Speak to fellow sailors who are onboard with you.

Tell them of the sense you have of things to come.

Read more of his Word and seek out into the limitless ocean of his word until you reach the ocean floor where your sense of things approaching is confirmed, on the solid foundation of his Character and promises!

The Sailors did not take one sounding, and said ‘I told you so’!

They took another sounding and interestingly with the passage of time they found the ocean floor was closer than the first sounding.

You take the exhortations of Scripture, and through patience, and comfort in the promises, you begin to walk in hope. Even though you may be going through your darkest hour, even though it is midnight for you, trust that your dry land is fast approaching.

Look at Psalm 101:1-8

I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbour, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

There was a day when I did not posses the substance of these; they were but a hope ahead of me.

But as I have been led by the Holy Spirit of the living God I find myself through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, to be even this day see the possessing of the things I have hoped for.

Let’s look at Malachi 3:16-18

Mal 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.
17 "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
18 Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Look at verse 16

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

• Those who feared the LORD spoke to one another
• The LORD listened to them
• The LORD heard them
• A Book of remembrance was written before Him
• A Book that listed those who feared the LORD
• A book that listed those who meditated on His name.

There is a book in heaven with all the details.

The Lord Jesus is not deceived

Look at verse 18

18 Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him

• Jesus knows the one who serves God
• Jesus knows the one who does not serve Him

The righteous and the wicked are discernable. They can be separated out.

Jesus instructs the owner of the field to let the tares and the corn grow together until the harvest. He knows, and has patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, and hope that all that the Father has promised will come to pass.

Jesus exhorts you to do the same.

4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Can you see – the God of hope fill you – with all joy and peace in believing.

Why?

That you may abound in hope – what a great thing – to abound in hope

And notice it is all done by the Holy Spirit!

Let’s look at Titus 2:11-15

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Look at verse 14

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

• Jesus gave Himself for us
• Jesus desires to redeem us from every lawless deed
• Jesus desires for Himself His own special people
• Jesus desires a people zealous for good works

The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us some wonderful things in verse 12 and 13

• Deny ungodliness
• Deny worldly lusts
• Live soberly
• Live righteously
• Live godly in this present age
• Look for the blessed hope, that is to come
• Look for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savour Jesus Christ

Let’s look at 1 Peter 2:4-10

1Pe 2:4 coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Look at verse 9

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;

• You are a chosen generation
• You are a royal priesthood
• You are a holy nation
• You are His own special people
• You may, If you want to, proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light

God does not ask you to do or to be what he is not!

Titus 2:14

Who gave himself for us
Redeemed us from every lawless deed
Purified for Himself his own special people
Zealous for good works

What has He not done for us?

Hebrews 1:1-3

Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Look at verse 3

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

• When He had by Himself purged our sins

Your sins have been purged

1John 1:5-10

1Jo 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Look at verse 7

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

• If you walk in the light
• In the same way that Jesus is in the light
• You and I have fellowship with one another
• And the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus has cleansed us from all sin

You must walk in the light in the same way Jesus walks in the light

He walks in the light so that we may walk in the light

He does not call us to do what he has not done

Walk in the light

Because Jesus walks in the light

When we walk in the light like Jesus, there is the place, where we have fellowship with one another

Exodus 15:11-18

11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.
14 "The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 "The LORD shall reign forever and ever."

Look at verse 16
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.

• Fear will fall upon them
• Dread will fall upon them
• By the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone
• Until Your people pass over
• O LORD, till the people pass over whom You have purchased

You are the people whom the Lord Jesus has purchased with his blood

You are called to pass over

Your enemies are full of dread

Your enemies are full of fear

Your enemies have become still as a stone until you have passed over.

Look at verse 17

You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

• It is God’s desire to bring his people in and plant them in the mountain of His inheritance
• It is Jesus desire to bring you into the place which He has made for His own dwelling
• Jesus desires you come into the sanctuary which His hands have established.

Your call is not this side of the Vale!

Your call is through the Vale, in the Sanctuary!

Jesus has gone before you. To bring you into your call.

Psalm 138:1-8

Ps 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your loving kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Look at verse 3

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

• Have you cried out?
• Has Jesus answered you?
• Has Jesus made you Bold?
• Has Jesus put strength in your soul?

Look at verse 7

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.

• Thou you walk in the midst of trouble
• Jesus will revive you
• Jesus will stretch out His hand against the wrath of your enemies
• Jesus will save you by His right hand

Look at verse 8

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

• The Lord will perfect that which concerns you
• Jesus’ mercy towards you endures forever
• Jesus will not forsake you; you are the work of His hands.

So, cry out to him that he might perform it for you! Let Jesus bring you into your calling and election, that which is beyond the Vale.

Let me quote from Andrew Murray who is speaking about waiting on God. This is what Andrew Murray says:

‘What Jesus asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire and trust, is all comprised in this one word, ‘Waiting on Him, waiting for His Salvation’.

This statement, ‘waiting on Him, waiting for His Salvation’ combines two things

• The deep sense of our entire helplessness in ourselves to work what is divinely good.
• And our perfect confidence that our God will work it all in His divine power.

That is why we must …Through patience and comfort of the Scriptures to have hope!

Ephesians 5:1-7

Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Look at verse 1

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

• Jesus was an imitator of God, or as the Greek says, ‘a follower’.

God does not ask us to do or be anything that He himself is not already in being and action!

Look at verse 2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

• Walk in love
• Because Jesus has love us
• Because Jesus became an offering and a sacrifice to God and a sweet smelling aroma

Jesus was always obedient to the Father

When Jesus was a child he said I must be about my Fathers business!

There is a story of a man who struggled to follow in his fathers footsteps, following in the family business.

Constantly he had this inner desire to go to sea and be a captain of a great ship.

As he looked into his family history he discovered he was not the son of the father who brought him up. He was an adopted son, and his real father was a captain of a great ship, and was descended from a long line of seafarers.

I want to say to you this morning that you are an adopted son

You are form a long line of peculiar people, called to do the work of the sanctuary; you are called to walk in the calling which is in your Spirit.

The call of God is in your Spirit

Now is the time for you to be up and be about your Fathers business.

Eph 5:14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

Jesus does not call you to do what He does not do himself

Jesus is the very essence of the Father; He by the Holy Spirit lives in you.

He rises from the dead

And says to you; 'Rise from the dead'!

He walks in the light of His Father

And says to you, 'Walk in the light as he is in the light'

The light of Jesus causes you to arise and sleep no more!

'...is your home a house of prayer?'

2008-08-17T18:46:00.003+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 17th August 2008

Acts 13:28-41

Ac 13:28 "And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.
29 "Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
30 "But God raised Him from the dead
31 "He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people
32 "And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers.
33 "God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'
34 "And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'
35 "Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'
36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
37 "but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.
38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;
39 "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 "Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 "Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.'"

Look at verse 36

36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;

• For David after he had served his own generation
• By the will of God
• Fell asleep
• Was buried with his fathers
• And saw corruption

Are you serving your own generation by the will of God?

David lived, and like us all here in this room, fell asleep, was buried, with his fathers, and saw corruption!

Whatever things were written about David in times past were written for our learning in order that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4).

David falls asleep and sees corruption!

Look at Verse 37

"But He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

• But He whom God raised up
• Saw no corruption

But Jesus, Hallelujah, God raised up, and he saw no corruption!

Jesus saw no corruption! Hallelujah!

In the same way that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and saw no corruption, we should walk in the newness of life that he has given us.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11).

He will raise you up and you will see no corruption! Hallelujah!

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Acts 10: 19-33

Ac 10:19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.
20 "Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"
22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."
23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man."
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.
28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 "Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"
30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 "and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'
33 "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

Look at verse 30

30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

• I was fasting until this hour
• At the ninth hour I prayed in my house
• Behold a man stood before me
• In bright clothing

Here is a man called Cornelius praying in his own house

His name means ‘The beam of the sun’!

He is a converted Roman centurion.

He is a devout man

Here is a man who prays in his own house.

How many of you can say that you pray within the walls of your own house?

Is your house a house of prayer?

Jesus said of his house it was to be a house of Prayer! (Matthew 21:13)

But you have made it a den of thieves!

What goes on in your house?

Not do you say the odd prayer here and there now and again.

Could it be said of your house it has become a house of Prayer?

Into this house of Cornelius, the house which had become a house of prayer, a man stood before him in bright clothing.

Look at verse 2 of this chapter,

Ac 10:2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Cornelius was:

• A devout man
• He feared God
• All his household feared God
• He gave generously to the people
• He prayed to God always

This ‘beam of the sun’, did not have a home where prayer was now and again. It was a place where prayer to God was always going on.

Wow! How about you? Is your home a house of prayer?

An angel appears in his house of prayer. He describes it as a man.

But look it was standing in his house. Wow!

An angel standing in the front room!

There’s something!

An angel standing in your front room and telling you to find a man called Peter who will tell you words by which you and your entire household will be saved. Hallelujah!

The power of God to save a household, your household

Look at acts 11

Here is Peter explaining himself for going into a gentile house, when it was not allowed for a Jew to do so.

Look at verse 4

Ac 11:4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:

Verse 5

5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.

• Peter was in the city of Joppa
• Praying

Peter is praying

Cornelius is praying, and each is hearing from the living God as to the very details of their respective lives.

The wonder of words used in prayer, said in our own houses, bringing the very words of God to our ears, in vision and angelic visitation.

I ask you again ‘Is your house a house of prayer?’

Let’s move on and look at Job 16: 1-5

Where we find lots of words!

Job 16:1 Then Job answered and said:
2 "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Look at verse 2

"I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!

• Job has heard many of the things being pointed out by his comforters
• Job calls all of them Miserable comforters.

Here Job calls those who come to him with words ‘miserable comforters’

Verse 4

I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;

• Job could speak as his comforters were doing
• If his comforters were in the place that job’s soul was
• Job could heap up words against them
• Job could shake his head at them

Have you ever had someone come to you and all they do is heap up words against you?

Miserable councillors!

Look at Job 42:7

Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

• My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends
• For you have not spoken of Me what is right
• As My servant Job has

These miserable councillors have not spoken right things about God! Yes they piled up words for him in his trouble, but all there words which they spoke were not right.

Look at Job 19:2

Job 19:2 "How long will you torment my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

• How long will you torment my soul?
• How long will you break me in pieces with words?

It is so easy to torment the soul of another with words, so easy to break in pieces another with words.

The power of the use of words

Cornelius ‘the beam of the sun’, used words in his prayer, His home was a house of prayer.

Peter whom Jesus called ‘Rocky’ used words in Prayer.

Words used in prayer!

Let’s go to Psalm 34:1-22

Ps 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Look at verse 7

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

• The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him
• The angel of the LORD delivers them

Amen!

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

• Come you children
• Listen to me
• I will teach you the fear of the LORD

Hear is something you all can do

Come and listen to the LORD

Look at verse 12

Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?

• Who is the man who desires life
• Who is the man who loves many days
• Who is the man who wants to see good.

Look at verse 13

13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.

• Keep your tongue from evil
• Keep your lips from speaking deceit

Look at verse 4

14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

• Depart from evil
• Do good
• Seek peace
• Pursue peace

Turn to Psalm 66:8-20

Ps 66:8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfilment.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

Look at verse 12

You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfilment.

• You have caused men to ride over our heads
• We went through fire
• We went through water
• But you brought us out into rich fulfilment.

Verse 16

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.

• Come and hear
• all you who fear God
• I will declare What He has done for my soul

Verse 17

17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.

• I cried to him with my mouth ( in prayer)
• He was extolled with my tongue

Verse 18

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

• If I regard iniquity in my heart
• The LORD will not hear

Verse 19

19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

• God has heard me!
• He has attendee to the voice of my prayer

We have no iniquity within our hearts because of Jesus.

Verse 20

Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

• Blessed be God
• Blessed be God
• Who has not turned away my prayer!
• Blessed be God
• Blessed be God
• Who has not turned His mercy from me!

He has answered my prayers in my house, he has had mercy on me for all my past.

Blessed be God
Blessed Be God
Blessed be God

Turn to Psalm 68:33-35

Ps 68:32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

Look at verse 35

35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

• O God
• Your are more awesome than Your holy places

We are a holy place for you O LORD,

But you are more awesome than this place.

Glen Aros has become a holy place for his people

But you O LORD are more awesome than this place

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Can you say with me!

Blessed be God

Who has given us words to speak that our homes may become houses of prayer? Remembering that even our homes of prayer are less awesome that God himself.

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!

Psalm 69:16

Hear me, O LORD, for Your loving kindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

• Hear me O LORD
• Your loving kindness is good
• Turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies

Romans 9:16

Ro 9:16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

• Not of him who wills
• Not of him who runs
• But on God who shows mercy

Verse 18

Ro 9:18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

• He has mercy on whom he wills
• He hardens him whom he wills

Romans 9:23

And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

• That he might make known the riches of his glory
• On the vessels of mercy
• Which he had prepared beforehand for glory

Blessed be God for his mercy

Blessed be God

Blessed be God.

‘The will of the Lord be done’

2008-07-22T00:11:00.002+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 20th July 2008

Let’s collect some thoughts together and see what we find

Let’s look at John 6:22-27

John 6:22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone--
23 however, other boats came from Tiberius, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks--
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"
26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
27 "Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Look at verse 27

"Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

• Do not labour for the food which perishes
• Labour for the food which endures to everlasting life
• Which the Son of Man will give you
• Because God the Father has set His seal on Him

Turn to Matthew 6:19-24

Mt 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Look at verses 19-21

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth
• Where moth and rust destroy
• Where thieves break in and steal
• Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
• Where neither moth nor rust destroys
• Where thieves do not break in and steal
• For where your treasure is
• There your heart will be also

Turn to John 4:11-15

John 4:11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Look at verse 14

"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

• Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him
• Will never thirst.
• The water that I shall give him will become
• In him a fountain of water
• Springing up into everlasting life

So what have we gathered?

• Labour for the food which endures to everlasting life

• Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
• Where neither moth nor rust destroys
• Where thieves do not break in and steal

• The water that I shall give him will become
• In him a fountain of water
• Springing up into everlasting life

Turn John 6:28-29

John 6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Look at verse 29

• Jesus answered and said to them
• This is the work of God
• That you believe
• In Him in whom
• He has sent

Here we have it!

Believing in Him, in Jesus, is the work of God
By believing all these things come to you by grace.

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Turn to 2 Kings 17:7-15

2Ki 17:7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,
8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger,
12 for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."
14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them.

Look at verse 13

13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."

• The Lord testified against Israel and Judah
• By all His prophets
• By every seer
• Saying
• Turn from your evil ways
• Keep my commandments
• Keep my statutes
• According to all the law which I commanded your fathers
• Which I sent to you by My servants the prophets

The LORD has spoken to Israel, His people, by prophets, telling the people to keep his commandments.

The prophets are simply saying to the people

‘You fathers before you were told the same thing’.

The prophet looks back to what has already been spoken.

No need to update the message of an unchanging God to His people. His message is the same. The prophets simply repeat what has already been said before.

Now this is only possibly because God whom we serve is unchangeable.

Last time I spoke of the need for the gift of prophecy to be released among us, and I hold to that emphatically.

However prophecy has its difficulties.

Let’s look at Acts 20:1-38

Ac 20:17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
19 "serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20 "how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 "And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,
23 "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
26 "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33 "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
34 "Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35 "I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,
38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Look at verse 21

Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Testifying to Jews
• Testifying to Greeks
• Repentance toward God
• Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ

Look at verse 23

Ac 20:23 "except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

• The Holy Spirit testifies
• In every city
• Saying that chains
• And tribulation
• Await me

Look at verse 24

Ac 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• None of these things move me
• I do not count my life dear to myself
• So that I may finish my race
• With joy
• And the ministry which I received
• From the Lord Jesus
• To testify to the gospel of the grace of God

Paul is not moved by chains or tribulation!

He does not value his life.

He takes no account of it.

Turn to Acts 21:8-14

Ac 21:8 On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Look at verse 12

12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

• Both we and those from that place pleaded with him
• Do not to go up to Jerusalem

The church held Paul’s life dear to them!

The want to stop him going up to Jerusalem

Paul is convinced that death is not a problem. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Paul has the revelation of the resurrection!

He knows that death is not the end!

Paul is wiling to die at Jerusalem if necessary!

Look at verse 16

Ac 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

• He is hurrying to be at Jerusalem

He does not worry that bonds and afflictions or death awaits him In Jerusalem!

He is hurrying to Jerusalem even if it means his death.

What great motivation – Paul has no fear of death, because there is no fear in love, and Paul has a ministry to discharge from the King of Love.

Here is Paul travelling towards Jerusalem. Certainly, chains and affliction awaits him, and possibly death.

He is in a hurry to get there; he wants to be there for Pentecost.

The church does not want Paul to go to Jerusalem! But he is determined to reach his goal.

Now we know that Paul does not die at Jerusalem.

Can you see that God has plans for Paul to accomplish before his death which he has not yet seen?

Can you see that God has plans for you to accomplish before your death, which you have not yet seen?

Already you are heading to that moment of your death. Very soon your life will be over.

Remember Paul’s message? Acts 20:21

Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Repentance towards God

And faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ

God is looking for repentance and Jesus is looking for faith

Saying will I find faith when I return!

Have you repented of your sin?

Will Jesus find faith in you when he returns?

Turn to Acts 20:24

Ac 20:24 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• None of these things move me
• I do not count my life dear to myself
• So that I may finish my race
• With joy
• And the ministry which I received
• From the Lord Jesus
• To testify to the gospel of the grace of God

Can you see that Paul wants to finish the race with joy?

Paul wants to finish his ministry with Joy!

What a great ministry Paul has

To testify to the gospel, the good news about the grace of God

There it is the moulding force in Paul’s life – to testify to the good news of the grace of God.

Paul has been given the ‘grace message’ to announce!

He’s in a hurry to accomplish all that this ministry requires of him, and to do it with joy

Even if in the church, it seems he is rushing towards chains and affliction for doing so, and possibly death, he still presses on.

What gives our Apostle Paul, , and yourself such confidence to hurry along to fulfil the ministry?

They all have the confidence that the prophetic voice they have heard in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, is repeating what God has said already in every generation. There is a ministry to finish, a Jerusalem to reach and chains and afflictions to endure; and a death to die still doing the work of the Lord.

This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent."

This is always the work of God, the message of the prophets of all generations past present and to come.

Believe in Jesus and follow him to your Jerusalem.

Paul presses on to what could be his death.

But we know that when He arrives in Jerusalem, the chains and affliction only lead him into the extension of his ministry to the Gentile world. A world of ministry that Paul and the church were unaware of.

Even the prophet could only see the bonds and afflictions.

Even Paul could only see that his hurry was to Pentecost!

All our vision, Prophetic or other wise is limited, and it needs to be carefully weighed in Light of Jesus Christ.

Praise God that, Jesus can see all that He has in store for us if we will look death in the face and press on through all the chains and affliction that are ahead of us.

We to will see a door of effectual ministry opened up to us all which Jesus will ensure we finish with Joy.

Paul ends up in Rome!

What does he do when he gets there?

There is only one ministry that Paul puts his heart into it.

He testifies of the good news of God’s grace!

What about you?

Chains, affliction, and death!

Are you willing to hurry towards them, regardless of Prophets who confirm it, and the church which opposes it?

Your future is clear!

You must repent before God

Have faith before our Lord Jesus Christ

Continue in the ministry which you have received from him

You must press on and finish race with Joy.

What was Paul’s race?

Why was he hurrying?

He had to testify to the good news about the grace of God.

Paul had the ‘grace message’ firmly fixed in his mind and all else was irrelevant

What else can I say?

Hurry to Jerusalem, you might end up in Rome!

Let’s look at Acts 21:1- 7

Ac 21:1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.
3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.
4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.
6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

Look at verse 4

And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

• Finding disciples
• Paul stayed seven days
• They told Paul
• Through the Spirit
• Not to go up to Jerusalem

Look at verse 11

Ac 21:11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

• Agabus took Paul’s belt
• Bound his own hands and feet
• And said
• Thus says the Holy Spirit
• So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt
• And deliver him into the hands of the gentiles

Verse four – disciples say do not go up, said by the Holy Spirit.

Verse eleven – Agabus prophesies what will happen, said by the Spirit.

Verse twelve – the church says Paul must not go up to Jerusalem.

What is the Holy Spirit saying?

Paul says in verse 13
Ac 21:13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

Paul is ready to die!

How many of us are willing to die for the sake of the lord Jesus?

How many of you are willing to die, to see the ministry finished with joy?

Look at verse 14

Ac 21:14 so when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Sometimes when there is only one thing to do.

Come to the place of humble silence, and say

‘The will of the Lord be done’

Acceptance of the prohpet and the message

2008-06-29T16:02:00.003+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 29th June 2008

Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 20:1-37

2Ch 20:1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
7 "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
8 "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
9 'If disaster comes upon us-sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'
10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir-whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-
11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
12 "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 'Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17 'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever."
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the LORD.
29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
31 So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.
33 Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.
36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

Here we have a great gathering and the king rises to speak and great is what he says

Look at Verse 5

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

• Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem
• In the house of the LORD
• Before the new court

King Jehoshaphat stands in the great assembly in the midst of the house of the LORD before the new court and he speaks.

In verse seven He declares

"Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

• Are You not our God
• Are you not the one who drove out the inhabitants of this land before us
• Are you not the one who gave this land to the descendant of Abraham
• Are you not the one who has Abraham as your friend forever?

In Verse eight the king declares

8 "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

• this day your people dwell in this land which has been given to them
• In this land your people have built a sanctuary in this land for your name.

In Verse nine the king continues to declare that God’s people have said

'If disaster comes upon us-sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'

• If disaster comes upon us
• Sword
• Judgment
• Pestilence
• Famine
• We will stand before this temple
• We will stand in your presence
• (for your name is in this temple
• If we cry out to You in our affliction
• You will hear and save us

Wonderful! Sword judgment pestilence and famine are considered in Jehoshaphat’s day to be afflictions, which God can deal with if his people will stand before this temple and stand in his presence and cry out, He will hear and save them. Hallelujah!

You have to open your spiritual eyes when you read your Bible or you will miss the message.

Breathe on this great gathering of your people and let them see your face as they listen.

King Jehoshaphat declares in verse 10 and 11 the problem that has arisen for the people of his day

10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir-whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-
11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

• The people of Ammon
• The people of Moab
• The people of Mount Seir
• Here they are
• Coming to throw us out of Your possession
• Which you have given us to inherit

Notice in verse ten that the king not only states what the situation is, but declares that it is God’s fault that this is happening!

• You would not let Israel invade Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.
• When we came out of Egypt
• Your people turned from them and did not destroy them.

Yes the king is coming to the temple in the presence of God and in the presence of all the people.

Yes the king is crying out to The Lord.

But in his heart he is saying if your had let us deal with the Ammonites the Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir we would not find this people coming up and trying to throw us out of Your possession, and Your inheritance.

That’s right Jehoshaphat, blame God.

Look at verse twelve for here is the cry of the king’s heart to his God.

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

• O our God will You not judge these people of Ammon,
• O our God will You not judge these people of Moab
• O our God will You not judge these people of Mount Seir
• We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us
• We do not know what to do
• But our eyes are on You.

No power against this multitude
Not knowing what to do
But our eyes are on you

What a great place the king and the people of God are in. they are what I would call God dependent!

If God does not move the king and his people are stuffed!

They will be thrown out of God’s possession and inheritance for them!

They are God dependant! Praise God for his people when only God can break through for them.

Look what happens next verse 14

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

• The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Jahaziel
• The Spirit of the LORD speaks through him

You can read what he said and the wonder of the encouragement that comes from God’s spirit to the people later when you go home, but for now concentrate upon the wonder of what is happening.

Here is a king blaming God for his their predicament, declaring their lack of power and their lack of knowledge of what to do. Yet still looking and crying out to him, and keeping their eyes upon Him.

Hallelujah! For A people who will continue to cry out to God and keep their eyes on Him because of what the word states is true, that the promise of a Godly inheritance and possession will be there’s, because God will fulfil it for them!

A man speaks in the presence of the king and in the presence of all the people!

Why?

Because the Spirit of the LORD has come upon him!

I make no apology for encouraging you here in Glen Aros Christian fellowship in the presence of his people and in the presence of Jesus to speak out when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you! Do it, speak out. Some times you will get it wrong, some times you will get it spot on, but do not wait until your are perfect until you bring forth the word, take the risk and speak it out. The king needed the word!

He had no power of his own to stop the multitude throwing out the people of their possession and inheritance.

The leadership at Glen Aros need to here the prophetic word come forth in the midst of the body!

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 14:26

How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, and has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

• Whenever you come together
• Each of your has a psalm
• Each of you has a teaching
• Each of you has a revelation
• Each of you has an interpretation
• Let all things be done for edification

What every you bring forth is to be for the edification of the people. That means to build up.

The spirit of The Lord when he comes upon you will come upon you in order to build up those around you.

Let’s go back to our king, his people and the words being spoken through Jahaziel in 2 Chronicles 20:17

'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."

• You will not need to fight in this battle
• Position yourselves
• Stand still
• And see the salvation of the lord
• Who is with you
• Do not fear
• Do not be dismayed
• Tomorrow go out against them
• For the LORD is with you

Hallelujah!

But look at verse 18

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

• Jehoshaphat bowed his head
• With his face toward the ground
• All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
• Bowed before the LORD
• Worshiping the LORD

As we learn to bring forth the word of the Holy Spirit in Glen Aros, we will see much more of this great humility in this place.

People in authority will come into this place.

They will have no power against their enemies, they will not know what to do, they will be crying out to God, and God will speak through you in the midst of his people and in his very presence and they will humble themselves before almighty God, fall on their faces, and worship him.

Look what the king did in verse 20

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

• The king and the people went out early in the morning
• Hear me
• O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem
• Believe in the LORD your God
• And you shall be established
• Believe in his prophets
• And you shall prosper

What can I say, this passage is full to overflowing for those who are God dependent, whose eyes are on him.

From prayer by the king

To prophecy from the Spirit of the LORD

To action and direction

The enemy was coming against them being established in the land

The enemy was coming against them prospering in the land

Look at verse 11

11 "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

• Here they are
• Rewarding us
• By coming to throw us out of Your possession
• Which You have given us to inherit

The king thought if the people of God had only been allowed to destroy ammonites, Moabites and the inhabitants of Mount Seir.

We can all say why did God not allow us to deal with our enemies, and give us victory sooner than now?

Theses enemies come and try to dispossess us now.

We must never blame God; He has the perfect plan, because He is the perfect one.

Who brought you here?

What are you doing here?

Why are you still here?

Job 2:8 says

Those who cling to worthless idols, forfeit the grace that could be theirs

You have to read the whole chapter

They did not fight the battle

They only collected the spoil

They did a lot of rejoicing

The fear of the LORD was upon all those around them

The realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for God gave him rest all around.

May Glen Aros Christian Fellowship be full of rejoicing, have rest all around, and collect the spoil of the battle they never fought.
For in the New Testament we too collect the spoil form the great battle accomplished on the Cross at Calvary.

You are Glen Aros, the spoil of a war you never fought; a war fought on your behalf with a love stronger than death its self.

What better reason for the whole house to be full of rejoicing.

Let’s look at Acts 9:26-31

Ac 9:26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.
29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.
30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Look at verse 31

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
• Had peace
• Were edified
• Walking in the fear of the LORD
• Walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit
• They were multiplied

You see it is the same today as it was in King Jehoshaphat’s day.

Because we serve an unchanging God.

Do you see that it is important that you accept the Brother who has a newer/fresher/different message than you!

Yes, you have to test the spirits to see if they be of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1John 4:1)

But once the message has been tested you have the responsibility to love and accept the brother who is delivering it.

You test it not against your opinion but by the Word of God.

Look at verse 26
And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

• They were afraid of Paul
• They did not believe that Paul was a disciple

It was fear and unbelief that stopped them receiving Paul and his message.

It was not because they had checked it out in Bible, for them the O.T.

No, they were fearful of Paul and did not believe that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Brothers, God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind so that you can make sound judgment according to the Scriptures.

If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no truth in them.

Brothers and sisters watch were your judgement is coming from.

Tradition?

Self?

The flesh?

The world?

Your favourite teaching?

Whatever

Jesus said that it is the words that he speaks that will judge you on that day.

So let the prophets speak forth one by one with newer/ fresher/different words and let the others judge with love and acceptance of the one bringing the message.

Look at Verse 31

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• Peace
• Edified
• Walking in the fear of the LORD
• Walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit
• The church was multiplied

Hallelujah! God bless you as you collect the spoil of a battle you never had to fight.
Just like Jehoshaphat and Paul and many like them.

That will do for now.

Hardness of Heart

2008-06-07T22:14:00.002+01:00

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
Sunday 1st June 2008

Let’s look at

Exodus 7:8-13

Ex 7:8 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Show a miracle for yourselves,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.'"
10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

Look at verse 11

11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

• They did in like manner with their enchantments

The world can repeat all that can be done, with the exception of the resurrection from the dead.

Pharaoh’s son is to die!

God’s son is to rise from the dead

Jesus lives today, Hallelujah!

Look at verse 13

13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

• Pharaoh’s heart grew hard
• He did not heed them
• As the Lord had said

Pharaoh had a hard heart, because God had made it hard.

Let’s look at

Genesis 47: 13

Ge 47:13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed."

Look at verse 15

15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed."

• When the money failed
• All the Egyptians came to Joseph
• Give us bread
• For the money has failed

All the Egyptians came to Joseph

Because the money system which they relied on had failed, ask yourself what system are you relying on?

Look at Mark 7:1-13

Mr 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"
6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
10 "For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
11 "But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God),
12 "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
13 "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

Look at verse 6, 7

6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

Jesus refers back to Isaiah when He prophesy’s

• He calls them Hypocrites, actors!
• Who honour Him with their lips
• But their heart is far from Jesus
• Their worship is vain
• Teaching as doctrine
• The commandments of men]

Look at verse 8

Mr 7:8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."

• Laying aside the commandment of God
• You hold the tradition of men
• The washing of pitchers
• The washing of cups
• And many other such things you do.

Look at verse 9

9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

• All to well
• You reject the commandment of God
• That you may keep your tradition

Are you any better than Pharaoh who’s heart was hardened, because his trust was not in the living God who brings to us the resurrection from the dead?

Let’s look at

1 Corinthians 7:23

1Co 7:17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.
22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

Look at verse 23

23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

• You were bought at a price
• Do not become slaves of men

God’s call on your life is to serve Him, in His Kingdom, which is a Kingdom to come, of which you will be a citizen for ever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Mark 6:52

Mr 6:45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.
46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.
48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;
50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.
54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.
56 Wherever He entered into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Look at verse 52

52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

• They had not understood about the loaves
• Because their heart was hardened

Not understanding what Jesus is saying because of a hardened heart

Matthew 16:5-12

Mt 16:5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?
9 "Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?
10 "Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?
11 "How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? --but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Is there a Dr in the house? This is a case of Hardness of heart!

Pharaohs’ problem, He’s the one who does not believe in resurrection!

Let’s look at

Mark 8: 13-21

Mr 8:10 (Jesus) immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18 "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve."
20 "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."
21 So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"

Look at verse 15

15 Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

• Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees
• Beware of the leaven of Herod

Look at verse 17, and 18

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

• They reasoned among themselves
• It is because we have no bread
• Jesus being aware of it said to them
• Why do you reason because you have no bread?
• Do you not yet perceive
• Do you not understand?
• Is your heart sill hardened?

This is a case of hardened hearts!!!

Let’s look at Isaiah 63:15-19

Isa 63:15 Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained?
16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants' sake, The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name.

Look at verse 17

17 O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants' sake, The tribes of Your inheritance.

• Why have you made us stray from your ways
• Why have you hardened our hearts from your fear?
• Return for your servant’s sake, the tribes of Your inheritance

God’s people get themselves into such a state, and yet God is on their case!
Hardness of heart is nothing to God!

Lets look at Mark 3:1-6

Mark 3:1-6

Mr 3:1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.
2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."
4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent.
5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

This is God’s people!

Look at verse 5

5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

• He looked around at them with anger
• Being grieved by the hardness of their hearts

Let’s look at

Mark 16:14-20

Mr 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Look at verse 14

Mr 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen

• He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
• Because they did not believe those who had seen him after He had risen

The world cannot reproduce the resurrection. The Law cannot bring forth life. The Law is simply a schoolmaster to lead to Jesus who is the Christ, the one who raises from the dead.

Even with unbelief and hardness of heart Jesus sends them out into all the world to preach the gospel to every Creature!

This is amazing!

Jesus leaves His eleven disciples, and goes to Heaven to receive his Kingdom. The disciples have unbelief and hardness of heart, and struggle with the resurrection from the dead, and they are told get out there and get on with it.

A teaching so different from the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!

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Numbers 17:1-12

Nu 17:1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father's house, all their leaders according to their fathers' houses-twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.
3 "And you shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father's house.
4 "Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.
5 "And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you."
6 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7 And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
9 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 And the LORD said to Moses, "Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die."
11 Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Surely we die, we perish, we all perish!
13 "Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?"

Look at verse 5

5 "And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you."

• The rod of the man whom I choose will blossom
• In this way I will rid myself of the complaint of the children of Israel which you make against you

Look at verse 10

10 And the LORD said to Moses, "Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die."

• Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony
• To be kept as a sign against the rebels
• That you may put their complaints away form Me
• Least they die

Take note that Rebels die!

You may have unbelief, you may have a heard heart which stops you understanding what Jesus is saying to you.

But let me tell you that in the same way as Aaron’s rod that budded is before the people to silence the Rebels, and complainers. Jesus is our eternal testimony in Heaven before the Father.

The only reason we are not consumed is because of the eternal testimony of Jesus resurrection!

Of all the rods which could have budded, it was Aarons.

Of all men, it is Jesus, that God has chosen to be the fruitful vine!

Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and he is the rod which stands as a testimony in heaven.

You are not killed

You are not condemned

Because of Jesus

He is our High Priest in heaven

Look at verse 11, 12, and 13

11 Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Surely we die, we perish, we all perish!
13 "Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?"

• Surely we die
• Surely we perish
• Surely we all perish
• Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord must die
• Shall we all utterly die?

They cried out that they would all die if they came near the tabernacle, but because of their rebellious, unbelieving, hardened heart they did not understand what was being done or said.

Because of the rod that budded the rod whom God had chosen, it is entirely safe for you to come rear to God.

Yes our rebellion,

Our unbelieving

Our hardened heart

Our complaining

Our murmuring

Will condemn us all

Only because of the resurrection of Jesus can we come near to God

He is the rod of Authority alone which provides the fruit of the Spirit of God.

You can come near to God this morning because of Jesus.

If this were not so you would all be condemned to die.

Numbers 18:1-7

Nu 18:1 Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.
2 "Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.
3 "They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die-they and you also.
4 "They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.
5 "And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there may be no more wrath on the children of Israel.
6 "Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
7 "Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."

Look at verse 1

1 Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.

Look at verse 4

4 "They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.

You have the privilege of ministering in this tabernacle of Glen Aros Christian Fellowship. This temporary dwelling place of the Son of God
You have the privilege of meeting with God here in this place

Verse 4 says ‘…for all the work of the tabernacle’.

Look at verse 6

6 "Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

• Some called Levites taken from among the people of God to minister in the meeting place of God.
• They are a gift to you
• Given by the Lord
• To do the work of the tabernacle of meeting

Hallelujah!

A group of God’s people take from among God’s people to minster of things beyond the Vail!

Hallelujah!

Verse 7

7 "Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."

• This is a ministry at the altar
• This is a ministry behind the veil

Are you still ministering this side of the veil?

Dealing with doctrines of men, Pharisees, Sadducees, the teachings of Herod?

Paul says he bears in his Body the sufferings of Jesus!

There is a ministry at the altar, behind the veil, for you.

There is a calling to the ministry of God’s Heavenly kingdom, of the true tabernacle, which is not of this world, and the call is to you.

John 12: 37- 50

Joh 12:37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"
39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."
41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
49 "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50 "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

I had the privilege twenty years ago to drive a mini bus full of believers to the lake District. The journey was of interest to me. Comments on my driving skills were on the addenda. Some of the comments hurt, others were very witty, but they were all at my expense.

On the return journey my friend Andrew drove, and would you believe it, not a single comments! Later I discussed the journey with Andrew. I told him how I felt about all the comments being made at my expense.

Ronald, he replied, they just felt more comfortable around you, and are willing to say what they like. You don’t criticize them or try and change them. You just love them as they are, they seem to know that you want them to change, and know that they have to do it for themselves. I do, I replied!

Yes, replied Andrew, (and added, very honestly), I suppose they know that if they say anything out of line, I will put them right.

That little incident astounded me! I was thinking I was in the wrong and should be more like my friend Andrew, whom I respected and admired, and here’s Andrew, aspiring to be more like me!

You see when Jesus is present, we feel more comfortable, love is in the air, we say.

The presence of the perfect one among us, the one full of perfect love has come, and perfect love cast’s out all fear.

When Jesus is present, the fullness of love; and the heart is exposed, some hearts will cast stones some hearts will pronounce blessings.

When Jesus is present hard hearts are softened,

Old hearts are replaced with new ones

Unbelievers, believe again

The gifts of God are given freely without effort on your part.

Stand if you are ready to do the work of the ministry of God beyond the veil.

Pray

God bless you as you are led by the Father into His future for you.

His Kingdom come

His will be done

Amen

This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

2008-03-16T15:29:00.002Z

Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
Sunday 16th March 2008

Let’s look at

Mark 9:1-29

Mr 9:1 And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.
3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" --
6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"
8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
11 And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
12 Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
13 "But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.
15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."
19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"
26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Look at verse 17

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.

Here is a father who brings his son to Jesus

• Teacher, I brought You my son.

Notice he is bringing his son to Jesus.

Jesus was up the mountain when he arrived with his son.

Look at verse 18

18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."

• I spoke to your disciples
• That they should cast it out
• But they could not

Here is a father speaking to Jesus about his son.

The boy has a mute spirit.

Whenever it seizes his son, this mute spirit, throws him down, he foams at the mouth, gashes his teeth, and becomes rigid!

Wow!

Notice that the problems being encountered by the son are not part of his make up.

No! They are the direct result of a mute spirit with needs to be cast out; otherwise the son will continue to manifest these problems.

Seeing you were not here I spoke with your disciples, and asked them to cast out this mute spirit.

The result – they could not cast it out!

Here is a father in need for his son to have a spirit cast out of him, and the disciples of Jesus could not cast it out.

Because they were known as the disciples of Jesus, the father rightly thought that his son would be delivered by those who are followers of Jesus. Not so!

Jesus replies to this Father

19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

• O faithless generation
• How long shall I bear with you?
• How long shall I bear with you?
• Bring him to Me

Look at verse 18

…I spoke to Your disciples…

Well says the father I spoke to Your disciples!

Look at verse 28

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

• His disciples asked Him privately
• Why could we not cast it out?

Wonderful, the disciples were not content with failure; they kept on asking Jesus the reason for their failure.

What a great position to be in!

In the midst of failure, Jesus is with them, full of answers to all their questions.

What a glorious position to be in.

Look at verse 29

So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

• He said to them
• This kind can come out by nothing
• But prayer
• And fasting

The glorious, and compassionate ministry of Jesus to his Disciples even when they fail to perform what is required.

Even when they act like the faithless generation around them

Jesus answers every question they ask.

How long must I bear with you.

Don’t you see, don’t you understand

This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

The tone of Jesus words here is this:

Nothing but lots and lots and lots of prayer and fasting will shift these things!

It’s not about unbelief

It’s not about having faith

Yes, you must not be in Unbelief.

Yes, you must have faith!

But in essence it’s all about your relationship with Jesus.

Jesus has to be at the centre of your doing.

If the fathers of this land, who are burdened for their sons, are to see deliverance from your hands, you need to be in much prayer and fasting.

Setting the sons of this land free, is more involved that you think.

It is an intimate, and time consuming relationship between Jesus and you.

It will require your very life.

Let’s look at James 5:12 -20

Jas 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Look at verse 16

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

• Confess your trespasses to one another
• Pray for one another
• That you may be healed
• The effective
• Fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Confession and praying for one another

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Effective fervent prayer …avails much!

What is a righteous man like?

Here is a small glimpse

Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.

• His mouth speaks wisdom
• His tongue talks of justice

Pr 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

• His mouth is a well of life

Pr 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

• She opens her mouth with wisdom
• On her tongue is the law of kindness

Mal 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity.

• His mouth is full of the law of truth
• Injustice is not found on his lips
• He walks with God in peace and equity

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

• He is not forsaken
• His descendants never beg for bread

Are you a righteous man?

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Let’s look at Matthew 22:23-33

Mt 22:23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
25 "Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.
26 "Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.
27 "Last of all the woman died also.
28 "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her."
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
31 "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Look at verse 24

24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

• Moses said that if a man dies
• Having no children
• His brother shall marry his wife
• And raise up offspring for his brother

This is amazing!

The work of a brother is stopped in its tracks because of the death of his brother.

He has to put his own life on hold while he tends to the wife of his brother.

The righteous man is one who pleases his neighbour for his good

The righteous man is one who pursues things by which one may edify another.

The righteous man is one who bears with the scruples of the weak and does not please himself

Let’s look at Romans 15:1-6

Ro 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 1+2

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.

• We then who are strong
• Ought to bear with the scruples of the weak
• And not please ourselves
• Let each one please his neighbour
• For his good
• Leading to edification

Let’s look at Romans 14:1-23

Ro 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Look at verse 19

19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

• Let us pursue the things which make for peace
• And the things by which one may edify another

Look at verse 21

21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

• It is good neither to eat meat
• Nor drink wine
• Nor do anything
• By which your brother stumbles
• Or is offended or is made weak

Here we are again.

My meat eating, my wine drinking, in fact anything I want to do is put on hold in order that my brother does not stumble, or is offended, or is made weak!

My liberty restricted for the sake of my bother.

Look at verse 22

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

• Do you have faith?
• Have it to yourself before God
• Happy is he who does not condemn himself
• In what he approves

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Let’s look at Deuteronomy 20:1

De 20:1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies

Here we have laws concerning readiness to go into battle

Look at verse 6

De 20:6 'Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

• What man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it?
• Let him go and return to his house
• Least he die in the battle
• And another man eats of it.
1 Corinthians 9:7

7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

This idea of planting a vineyard and not eating of its fruit

I know that some of you desire to be in the forefront of the fight.

But do remember that a righteous man is content to go from the battle and enjoy the fruits of his own vineyard.

Let’s look at Exodus 31:12-18

Ex 31:12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
14 'You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
15 'Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"
18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Look at verse 17

17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

• On the seventh day
• He rested
• And was refreshed

This is amazing

God rested, and God was refreshed

You do not always have to be working, you also need your rest, in order that you are refreshed.

You help the war effort of the kingdom, by resting, by going home to your vineyard, by being a righteous man who walks in peace and righteousness.

Let’s look at Mark 3:13-21

Mr 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";
18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

Look at verse 13

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.

• He went up on the mountain
• He called to him those he himself wanted
• And they came to him

Has Jesus called you?

Then come to him now!

Don’t come to me as an elder
Don’t come to John as pastor
Don’t come to John Fisher as worship leader
Don’t come to George as elder

Don’t bring your problem son to the disciples

Bring them to Jesus

When you come to Jesus you will be supported by those appointed to you, but you must come to Jesus first.

Jesus is the one who works through us

Jesus speaks with authority, and as disciples we too should do the same. Sometimes we don’t produce the goods.

Recently I was at an understanding abuse class. In our discussions about what is abuse, most people were talking of the need for an authority to guide and direct them in their decisions making.

We all wanted to have a point of reference.

As believers our point of reference is Jesus.

Mark 6:2 says this

Mr 6:2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Look at verse 6

6 And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

• He marvelled because of their unbelief

Does Jesus marvel at your unbelief today?

Do fathers bring their sons to you for deliverance?

Jesus said to the father who brought his son…

23… "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

What was the response of the father?

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

In your failure to do the works of Jesus……Go to the father in fervent prayer, even with fasting…

Jas 5:16 confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Allow the Holy Spirit to cry out with tears, through you:

Ga 4:6 …because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Ro 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Have the courage to allow the Spirit of Jesus to cry out in your heart - Abba Father!

God bless you as you do so!

"...Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble...."

2008-02-17T19:32:00.004Z

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship on
Sunday 17th February 2008

Matthew 26:31-34

Mt 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
32 "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."
33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."
34 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny you!" and so said all the disciples.

Look at verse 31

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,

• All will be made to stumble.

Look at verse 33

33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."

• Even if all men are made to stumble
• I will never be made to stumble

Peter says:

• I will never be made to stumble,
• never,
• never,
• Never!
• Three times Peter!

Verse 31

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

• All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night! Why?
• Because it is written
• I will strike the Shepherd, and the flock will be scattered

They were all made to stumble because of the Cross.
You see in the plan of God it is the Cross that causes all men to stumble!

The Cross of Jesus is a scandalous event, it offends men.

Peter is always shown as the great example of being offended by the Cross; he is the classic example!

But look at verse 35

And so said all the disciples…

Peter got it in the neck, he was pulled out from the crowd, but in reality all the disciples were offended and stumbled at this scandal of The Crucifixion of the Son of God.

Look at Verse 35

35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny you!" and so said all the disciples.

I will, I will, I will, not deny you!

That is what they all said.

Matthew 16:21-28

Mt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
28 "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Look at verse 23

Jesus says:

• Get behind Me, Satan!
• You are an offense to Me,
• for you are not mindful of the things of God,
• But the things of men.

The words ‘made to stumble’ have within them the idea of ‘caused to take offence at’

The Crucifixion of Jesus ‘causes all men to stumble’

All men are ‘caused to take offence’ with the Crucifixion of Jesus

Here is Peter being told that He has become an offence to Jesus. Not that Peter will be offended, but that Peter has now become an offence himself. How could this be?

V23

• you are not mindful of the things of God
• You are mindful of the things of men

This word stumble, offence, is the word skandolon, scandalous!

Are you mindful of the things of God?
Are you mindful of the things of man?

To be mindful of the things of man, is to begin to act as Satan would

Peter is speaking the words of Satan, and Jesus says to him…Get behind me Satan.

Peter said:

I Will Never be made to stumble, or be offended by you Lord Jesus.

Remember the context is of the coming crucifixion.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

1Co 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

Look at verse 23

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

• We preach Christ crucified
• To the Jews a stumbling block
• To the Greeks foolishness

We preach a scandals thing, a foolish thing

1 John 2:10

1Jo 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Look at verse 10

10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

• He who loves his brother
• Abides in the light
• There is no cause for stumbling in Him

There is no stumbling in him, no offence at the cross, which is why he abides in the light and actively loves his brother.

The author of this old Hymn, captured sight of that great truth in these words

At the Cross at the Cross where I first saw the light and burden of my sin rolled away. It was there by grace I received my sight and now I am happy all the day.

Remember Peter is speaking on behalf of Satan, by simply being mindful of the things of man.

Isaiah 14:12-15

Isa 14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Look at verse 13

• You have said in your heart
• I will ascend into heaven
• I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
• I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north

Look at verse 14

• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
• I will be like the Most High

Peter says:
I will never stumble.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

2Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Look at verse 3 and 4

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

• The man of sin is revealed
• The son of perdition
• Who opposes
• Who exhalts himself above all that is called God
• Exalts himself above all that is worshiped,
• He sits in the temple of God

Look at verse 9

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

• The coming of the lawless on is according to
• The working of Satan
• With all power
• With all signs
• And with lying wonders

Look at verse 10

10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

• Coming with all unrighteous deception
• Among all those who perish
• Because they did not receive the love of the truth
• That they might be saved

Look at verse 16 and 17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

• May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
• And our God and Father
• Who has loved us
• And given us everlasting consolation
• And given us good hope
• By grace
• Comfort your hearts
• Establish you in every good word
• Establish you in every good work

Exodus 9:13-17

Ex 9:13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me,
14 "for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth.
15 "Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.
16 "But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
17 "As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.

Look at verse 16

"But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

• I have raised you up
• That I may show My power in you
• That My name may be declared in all the earth
• As yet you exalt yourself against My people
• That you will not let go

John declared that God will not go beyond, nor fall short of what He has put in this book

You can see here that God’s people are restrained by the hand of Pharaoh

God’s hand is behind the restraining of God’s people. He used Pharaoh to work his purpose

Genesis 55:15-21

Ge 50:15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying,
17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Look at verse 19

Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

• Do not be afraid
• For am I in the place of God?

Satan tries to take the place of God in the hearts of men.

Peter started to act like Satan as he says I will, I will, I will.

Look at verse 20

"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

• You meant evil against me
• But God meant it for good
• In order to bring it about as it is this day
• To save many people alive

God says I have brought you to this place and to these set of circumstances, in order that good will come forth, and that many people will be saved alive.

Do not do the work of Satan saying I will, I will, I will.

Go out and preach how the Crucifixion of Jesus brings live to all who believe.

Go out and preach the gospel and collect the spoil

Mark 1:16

Mr 1:16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Jesus never chooses an apostle from among the religious people.

The twelve disciples were ordinary folk.

One of the common problems in religious folk is they trust in themselves

They think God will use them because of their great holiness or spiritual abilities

Peter said: I will, and all the disciples said a loud Amen!

We have already read that God has chosen the foolish things of this world

God is constantly searching for someone who recognizes he is nothing so that he can do something through him

Instead of thinking of your responsibility, will you respond more to his great ability?

Ok, let’s sum up if we can.

Genesis 22:1-3

Ge 22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Look at verse 2

Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

• Take you son

Abraham was learning to walk by faith

He was learning to be mindful of the things of God, and not the things of men.

It is astounding how we can know, by faith, that something is right before God

But we find excuses for not doing it now

As a human being you must carry out God’s will now.

Look at verse 3

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Thanks Father Abraham

When God spoke you did not confer with flesh and blood (Gal 1:16), your own thoughts, nor did you lean to your own understanding

You did not choose what the sacrifice would be.

The death of the Son Is God’s choice not yours!

Brothers and sisters guard yourself against self-chosen sacrifice for God

Peter said: I will

Peter was calling the shots, telling the son of God there was no way Jesus was going near any Roman Cross

Peter was saying what should and should not be done by the Son of God.

Dangerous, very dangerous!

Look at verse 3

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

• Abraham rose early in the morning
• Saddled his donkey
• Took his young men with him
• And Isaac his son
• He split the wood for the burn offering
• Arose and went to the place which God had told him

God bless you as you do the same by faith!