Third Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12 or Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

God comes to us with grace and power. Let us rejoice in His faithfulness.

This is a divine Story, carried forward by God’s grace and power.

God’s very great promises (Genesis 12:1-3) find their ultimate fulfilment in the coming of God’s eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21:10).

We have not reached our heavenly destination. We are still caught in the tension between obedience (Genesis 12:4) and disobedience (Genesis 12:11-13).

We are conscious of our human failure, yet we rejoice in the divine faithfulness.

We read of Abraham’s sin (Genesis 12:10-20), yet we look beyond this to God’s salvation.

This is not simply the story of Abraham. It is the Story of Abraham’s God.

This becomes clear in the change of name.

Abram (‘exalted father’) draws attention to the man. Abraham (‘Father of Many’) points to God’s purpose (Genesis 17:5).

Like Abraham, we are to worship God (Genesis 12:7-8). We are to say, ‘He is exalted.’ We are to say, ‘Christ must increase, and I must decrease’ (John 3:30).

We have plenty of good reasons for rejoicing in the Lord.

‘Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous’ (Psalm 33:1).

We have plenty of good reasons for rejoicing in the Lord.

* He opens His heart to us, making known ‘the thoughts of His heart to all generations’ (Psalm 33:11).

* In His heart, there is love for us - ‘the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord’ (Psalm 33:5).

* He speaks to us of His love. Listening to His voice of love, our joy increases as we learn to trust in His Word - ‘the Word of the Lord is right and true’- and rest in His faithfulness - ‘He is faithful in all He does’ (Psalm 33:4).

We have good cause to say, ‘Our heart is glad in Him’ (Psalm 33:20).

Think of God’s love - His heart of love, His purpose of love, His Word of love.

Let His love touch your heart and change your life. May His love cause each of us to pray from the heart: ‘May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord’ (Psalm 33:22).

We rejoice in the Lord’s wonderful love. Let us love Him with a ‘steadfast love.’

We are to leave the old way of sinful disobedience and follow the new way of faith and obedience: ‘Come, let us return to the Lord… Let us press on to know the Lord’.

As we return to the Lord, pressing on to know Him, His blessing returns to us. He leads us in the way of fruitfulness: ‘He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth’ (Hosea 6:1, 3).

We must not be like those who react to God’s Word with ‘pride’: ‘They do not return to the Lord their God’. God longs to ‘redeem’ them, yet they ‘rebel against’ Him: ‘They do not turn to the Most High God’ (Hosea 7:10, 13, 16).

Our ‘love’ for God is not to be ‘like the early dew that disappears’. Let us ‘acknowledge our guilt and seek His face’. Let us love Him with a ‘steadfast love’ (Hosea 5:15; 6:4, 6).

God comes to us. He speaks to us. Treasure His presence. Listen to His voice.

‘Our God comes, He does not keep silence’ (Psalm 50:3).

God does not keep His distance. He comes near to us. He does not keep His silence. He speaks to us - ‘God the Lord speaks’ (Psalm 50:1).

* How does God come near to us? How does He speak to us?

He comes near to us in Jesus Christ. He speaks to us through Jesus Christ.

In John 1:1, we have this tremendous description of Jesus Christ: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Jesus Christ is the Word. God is speaking to us through Jesus Christ.

* How does God speak to us through Jesus Christ?

He speaks to us by drawing near to us - ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’. Jesus Christ is God’s Word. He is God, speaking to us. He is God, coming near to us. He is God, ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14).

We come to God’s throne of grace. We give thanks for the Word of His grace.

Salvation is not a ‘reward’ to be ‘earned.’ It is God’s ‘gift’ (Romans 4:4-5). Salvation comes from the Lord.

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son’ (John 3:16): Without the love of God, the gift of God, the Son of God, there can be no salvation. The way of salvation does not begin with the word ‘I.’ Jesus Christ is the Way. He is the Saviour. Salvation is in Him (John 14:6; Matthew 1:21; Acts 4:12).

Looking to ‘Jesus our Lord’, crucified and raised for our salvation, we are saved and we give ‘glory to God’ (Romans 4:20-25). We rejoice in ‘God our Saviour’ - ‘He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of His own mercy…’ (Titus 3:4-7).

Looking away from ourselves to Christ, we learn the truth of God’s Word: ‘it is on the basis of faith that it may rest on grace’ (Romans 4:16). This is Good News!

The Lord has done great things for us. Let us do great things for Him.

Christ demonstrates His power over nature (Matthew 8:23), demons (Matthew 8:28-34) and sickness (Matthew 9:1-8).

Following such mighty works of power, the next verse seems so ordinary - Jesus said, ‘Follow me’. Matthew ‘rose and followed Him’ (Matthew 9:9).

Matthew’s conversion may seem so unspectacular, but it is no less a mighty work of God than the great miracles which preceded it.

Where does the desire to follow Christ come from? Does it come from our own sinful hearts? No! It comes from the Word of Christ, spoken in power and love - ‘He drew me and I followed on, charmed to confess the Voice Divine’ (Mission Praise, 499).

In the human heart there is resistance - we say, ‘I am “righteous.” “I have no need”of a Saviour’ (Matthew 9:12-13). This resistance is broken down by Christ when ‘new wine is put into fresh wineskins’ (Matthew 9:17).

In Jesus’ miracles, we see His triumph over sin, death and hell.

As well as healing, there is forgiveness (Matthew 9:5-6), the raising of the dead (Matthew 9:18, 24-25) and the casting out of demons (Matthew 9:33).

The Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) did not like what was happening, and they came up with their own explanation - ‘He casts out demons by the prince of demons’ (Matthew 9:34).

Jesus gives us another, better, explanation: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…’ (Luke 4:18-19).

Jesus was sent to preach the Gospel. We are to bring the Gospel to other people.

Jesus was ‘teaching… preaching… and healing’ (Matthew 9:35).

What opportunities there are to bring the healing power of Christ into many hearts and homes! These opportunities will be missed if ‘the labourers’ remain ‘few’ (Matthew 9:37). Many are ‘harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd’ (Matthew 9:36). We must not fail them!

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

Second Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19; Psalm 46 or Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28; Psalm 31:1-5, 19-24; Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-28 (29-31); Matthew 7:21-29

The one way of salvation: Learning from the ark, looking to Christ

To view the Genesis flood exclusively in terms of judgment is to see only one side of what God was doing.

As well as judging, He was also saving - ‘In this ship a few people - eight in all - were saved by water’ (1 Peter 3:20).

The ark points forward to Christ ‘who came back from death to life’, Christ who ‘saves’ us (1 Peter 3:21).

God was working out His purpose of salvation.

In Noah’s day, the remnant of faith was very small, yet the promise of God’s love was given to them - ‘I will establish My covenant with you’ (Genesis 6:18).

Even when wickedness threatens to overwhelm us, we still have God’s promise of love, ‘the new covenant in Christ’s blood’ (1 Corinthians 11:25). ‘The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin’(1 John 1:7).

Knowing that Christ loved us and died for us, we are to be like Noah (Genesis 6:22). We are to walk with the Lord and serve Him.

‘The Lord closed the door behind them’ (Genesis 7:16).

What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark.

What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? - The Lord.

What is it that makes Jesus Christ the Source of our salvation? - God has given Him the Name that is above every name, the Name of our salvation (Philippians 2:9-11; Acts 4:12).

From the ark, we learn of

(a) the one way of salvation - The ark had only one door. Jesus is ‘the Door’ which leads to salvation (John 10:9);

(b) the eternal security of salvation - All were safe inside the ark. In Christ there is eternal security (John 10:28);

(c) the absolute necessity of salvation - Outside of the ark, there was certain death. Refusal to come to Christ for salvation leads to judgment: ‘How shall we escape…?’(Hebrews 2:3).

Following the flood, we have this simple yet striking declaration: ‘the ground was dry’ (Genesis 8:13).

Safe from judgment! This is the message which comes to us from the Cross: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

The judgment has fallen upon Christ. We are no longer swept away in the judgment. We can stand on solid ground: ‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand’ (Church Hymnary, 411). He is our Support in ‘the whelming flood’.

God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ship’ (Genesis 8:15).

We are in Christ. He is the Source of our salvation. God has brought us into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30).

He does not bring us into Christ solely for our own benefit. We are sent out to be fruitful (Genesis 8:17; John 15:16).

We are to ‘abide in Christ’. This is the way of fruitfulness (John 15:4-5).

We are not sent out alone. Strengthened in ‘the ship’ (in Christ), we step out with Christ and for Him.

God’s Word brings peace. Let us share His Word with joy.

‘Be still, and know that I am God…Shout to God with loud songs of joy’ (Psalms 46:10; 47:2).

In our worship, there is to be both quiet trust and loud praise.

We read the great words: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1).

* God’s Word brings peace - ‘in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength’.

* We must not keep God’s blessing to ourselves. We must share it with joy - ‘Sing to the Lord…let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands’ (Isaiah 30:15; 42:10-12).

The Lord is to be ‘exalted among the nations’. He is not only ‘our King’. He is ‘the King of all the earth’ (Psalm 46:10; 47:6-7).

‘Father (Jesus/Spirit), we love You. We worship and adore You. Glorify Your Name in all the earth’ (Mission Praise, 142).

We are blessed by the Lord when we walk with him in the pathway of obedience.

God is at work among His people, teaching them many lessons.

Through His precious promises and strong warnings, He leads us in the way of obedience and blessing (Deuteronomy 11:31-32).

If we are to enjoy the Lord’s blessing, we need the whole Word of God - the warnings as well as the promises.

Obedience to God - This is the most important thing in the life of faith. Obedience demonstrates the reality of faith. By our obedience, we show our ‘love’ for the Lord. We rejoice in ‘all the great work of the Lord’. By ‘His mighty hand’, He has provided for us a great salvation. Our enjoyment of His salvation increases as we live in obedience to Him (Deuteronomy 11:8-15). Without obedience, there can be no blessing (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). Teach others to obey God - especially the ‘children’ (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

God is good. He loves us (Deuteronomy 11:22-25). Obey Him. Choose blessing (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

Walking in the pathway of obedience, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

‘Into Thy hand, I commit my spirit’ (Psalm 31:5).

These words were spoken by Christ as, in death, He gave Himself for our sins (Luke 23:46).

For Christ, there was suffering - ‘I am the scorn of all my adversaries’ (Psalm 31:11).

His suffering was followed by rejoicing, the joy of the resurrection - ‘I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place’ (Psalm 31:7-8).

God answered the prayer of His Son - He brought Him into the ‘spacious place’ of the resurrection, the ‘spacious place’ which is, for us, ‘eternal salvation’ (Hebrews 5:7-9).

We look to the crucified Christ and we say, ‘Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me’ (Psalm 31:21).

In the risen Christ, we are ‘strong and our hearts take courage’ (Psalm 31:24).

Christ has saved us. Let us rejoice in our Saviour.

‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith’ (Romans 1:16).

Do you think it was easy for Paul to maintain such commitment to Christ, such confidence in Christ? What kind of world did he live in? - A world of ‘ungodliness and wickedness’ (Romans 1:18-31). Many times, Paul could have given up in despair - ‘There is too much ungodliness and wickedness all around me. How can I go on?’

When you feel like giving up, when everything seems to be so difficult, remember Paul. Remember his longing to ‘impart some spiritual gift’, his desire to ‘reap some harvest’his eagerness to ‘preach the gospel’ (Romans 1:12-15).

Let us say, with Paul, ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14). Let us be ‘set apart for the gospel of God’ (Romans 1:1).

We are sinners - every single one of us. There are no exceptions - ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. When we see ourselves as we really are - sinners - , we come to see that there is no way for us to earn God’s love. We will never deserve to be loved by God. His love is always ‘a gift’- ‘the redemption which is in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:23-24).

Through ‘faith’ we look away from ourselves to Christ. We rejoice that ‘His blood’ was shed for us. We receive from Him the forgiveness of our sins. This is the love of God. This is His gift. He gave His Son to be our Saviour. He gives salvation to all who trust the Saviour. ‘By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God’ (Ephesians 2:8).

No ‘boasting’ (Romans 3:27) - Rejoice in your Saviour!

Christ has saved us. Let us build our lives on Him.

Whenever we are seeking to follow Christ, there will be dangers - false prophets (Matthew 7:15-20), empty profession (Matthew 7:21-23).

Clearly, our faith must be grounded in the Son of God and the Word of God. This is the point of Jesus’ parable of the two builders and the two houses (Matthew 7:24-27). We must build upon Christ. We must build on the Word of God.

Jesus’ ‘sermon’ ends in verse 27, and is followed - in verses 28-29 - by a statement of its effect upon His hearers.

Down through the centuries, Jesus’ teaching continues to make this impression on people.

His words come to us with authority, addressing us with remarkable relevance.

We imagine that our time is very different from Jesus’ time, yet Jesus’ words make it very clear - things are not so different after all.

Still, we hear Him speaking as One who has authority. His Word is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable.

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

Trinity Sunday (First Sunday after Pentecost): Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

Getting our priorities right: God, His Word, His Spirit - at the centre of our life

The Bible’s opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right.

(a) The priority of God (Genesis 1:1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there.

(b) The priority of God’s Word (Genesis 1:3). God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord.

(c) The priority of God’s Spirit (Genesis 1:2). All was ‘empty’, all was ‘darkness’, yet the ‘Spirit of God’ was at work, and transformation was set in motion.

Here, we have God’s priorities, set out in the Bible’s first three verses.

Putting God first and listening to His Word, we are to pray for the moving of God’s Spirit, ‘hovering over’ our lives to transform them.

For those who make God’s priorities their own, there is a promise of great blessing (Psalm 1:1-2).

It is the great blessing of knowing Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23).

God speaks, and it is done (Genesis 1:3, 6-7, 11).

God is pleased with what He has done (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12).

This is the pattern of God’s original creation. It is to be the pattern of our life as a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God speaks to us and we say, ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10).

We say, ‘let it be to me according to Your Word’ (Luke 1:38).

God looks on such obedience, this ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16,22-23), and He sees that it is ‘good’ (Micah 6:8).

In Genesis 1:4-13, we read of the separation of the light and the darkness, the separation of the waters and the dry land, and the fruitfulness of God’s creation.

There are lessons for us here. We are to ‘walk in the light’ (1 John 1:7).

We are to let the Spirit’s ‘living water’ flow in us (John 7:39-39).

Walking in the light, letting the living water flow - this is the way of fruitfulness.

The Bible’s opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11).

Nothing can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship.

The creation of the ‘lights’ makes no reference to the sun and the moon. These were worshipped by neighbouring peoples. They are not gods. They are simply ‘lights’. Our worship is to be given to God alone.

The waters teemed with living creatures. The land produced living creatures. Here, we have a picture of life. There is life where the living water of the Spirit is flowing freely among God’s people (Ezekiel 47:5-9). This water brings life to the land (Ezekiel 47:12). Moving with the flow of God’s Spirit, we are to pray that ‘the water of life’ will flow freely ‘for the healing of the nations’ (Revelation 22:2).

The creation of humanity is described in a distinctive way - created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

We are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over ‘all the earth’ and ‘every living creature’ (Genesis 1:26, 28).

We are different from God. He is the Creator. We are His creation.

Created in God’s image, we have been created by Him and for Him. Though we have sinned (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23), now - in Jesus Christ - we have begun to live as a new creation (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).

The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and that ‘all things were created by Him and for Him’ (Colossians 1:16).

This is the Saviour who is at work in us, enabling us to live as a new creation! Creation has been ‘completed’ (Genesis 2:1). Salvation will be completed (Philippians 1:6)!

The Priority of Worship: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – “Glorify Your Name”

The Lord is ‘majestic’ (Psalm 8:1, 9).

He does not remain remote. He does not keep His distance. He shows us His greatness, the greatness of His love.

We feel forgotten. He remembers us. We feel unloved. He cares for us (Psalm 8:4). We are tempted. He will ‘still the enemy’ (Psalm 8:2).

We look beyond our creation (Psalm 8:5- to our salvation - ‘we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone…that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil’ (Hebrews 2:8-9, 14).

This is ‘Majesty’- ‘Jesus, who died, now glorified, King of all kings’. The Name of the Lord is majestic ‘in all the earth’ (Psalm 8:1, 9).

To God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - we pray, ‘Glorify Your Name in all the earth’ (Mission Praise. 454, 142).

In our worship, let us seek the blessing of God.

‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all’ (2 Corinthians 13:14).

We have often heard these words spoken. Here, we are reading them in the Word of God. How often do we think about these words? What do they mean?

These are life-changing words. Through ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ’, we become ‘rich’- ‘blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing’ (2 Corinthians 8:9, Ephesians 1:3). ‘In love God has destined us to be His sons through Jesus Christ’(Ephesians 1:5).

How do these blessings become ours? How do we become God’s children?

We hear the Word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation. We believe in Christ. We are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

Such great blessing - ‘the Spirit is poured upon us from on high (Isaiah 32:15)!

Blessed by the Lord, let us share His blessing with others.

Why is it so important that we ‘make disciples’ (Matthew 28:19)?

There is a devil, and he is doing his utmost to hinder the progress of God’s truth. He spreads lies about Christ - ‘to this day’ he is still sowing seeds of unbelief (Matthew 28:11-15). We must combat the enemy of Christ - with words of truth, with the believing declaration, ‘He has risen’ (Matthew 28:6-7).

Satan failed to halt the progress of the Gospel. Christ’s disciples rose to the challenge, and so must we: ‘Rise up, you champions of God… We’ll reach this generation… Go forth! Jesus loves them. Go forth! Take the Gospel. Go forth! The time is now. The harvest is ripening; Go forth! Feel now the burden of the Lord. Feel how He longs to save them. Feel now for those who never heard… Now is the time’ (Songs of Fellowship,486).

‘All authority… has been given to Me… I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:18-20).

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

The Preaching of John Wesley (3): Sermon I of his “Forty-Four Sermons”

This sermon is entitled “Salvation by Faith” It is based on the text - “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph, ii.8).

At the head of the sermon, we read, “Preached at St Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, on June 18, 1738″, There is, however, a footnote which reads, “Wesley put June 18; but he was then in Holland. See Journal . It was delivered on June 11.”

Early in this sermon, Wesley speaks of the grace of God in both creation and salvation - “It was free grace that ‘formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him a living soul,’  and stamped on that soul the image of God, and ‘put all things under his feet.’ The same free grace continues to us, at this day, life, and breath, and all things. … Wherewithal then shall a sinful man atone for any the least of his sins? With his own works? No, … If then sinful men find favour with God, it is ‘grace upon grace!’” (John Wesley’ Forty-Four Sermons, Epworth Press, 1977, pp. 1-2).

Creation and salvation - This is grace upon grace!

The interesting way in which Wesley begins this sermon on “salvation by faith”  helps us to see the unity of the work of God in creation and salvation.

Underlining the vital connection between creation and salvation, G. C. Berkouwer uses the words, “friction” and “fiction” in a rather interesting way. He emphasizes that any friction between creation and salvation must be recognized as “unbiblical fiction” (General Revelation, p. 133).

A. W. Tozer has provided us with a helpful analysis of the creational and redemptive aspects of divine revelation.

Emphasizing the integral relation between faith in creational revelation and faith in biblical revelation, Tozer writes, “The Bible will never be a living Book to us until we are convinced that God is articulate in His universe” ” (The Pursuit of God,  1961, p. 81 / also The Best of Tozer, 1978,p. 25). He maintains that the separation of creational and biblical revelation is destructive if faith in the reality of divine revelation: “To jump from a dead, impersonal world to a dogmatic Bible is too much for most people. They may admit that they should accept  the Bible as the Word of God, and they try to think of it as such, but they find it impossible to believe that the words there on the page are actually for them” (p. 81 / p. 26).

Tozer insists that we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into “a divided psychology” which “tries to think of God as mute everywhere else and vocal only in a book” (p. 81 / p. 26). He maintains that “much of our religious unbelief is due to a wrong conception of and a wrong feeling for the Scriptures of Truth. A silent God suddenly began tto speak in a book and when the book was finished lapsed back into silence for ever. Now we read tthe book as the record of what God said when He was for a brief time in a speaking mood. With notions like that in our heads how can we believe?” (pp. 81-82 / p. 26).

Looking beyond biblical revelation to creational revelation , Tozer writes, “His speaking Voice, antedates the Bible by uncounted centuries …. (since) that Voice … has not been silent since the dawn of creation” (p. 75 / p. 21).

Applying the idea that God is “by His nature continuously active” (p. 73 / p. 20) to our understanding of biblical revelation, Tozer insists that the Bible is “not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking” (p. 82 / p. 26). Emphasizing that “a word from God once spoken continues to be spoken” (p. 82 / p. 26), Tozer maintains that our thinking about divine revelation should be expressed thus: “Not God spoke, but God is speaking” (p. 73 / p. 20).

Tozer’s insists that, in our understanding of divine revelation, we should seek to ensure that the present significance of redemptive revelation is not distorted because of a failure to emphasize properly the reality of creational revelation.

In these words, we hear an echo of Wesley’s emphasis on creation and salvation as “grace upon grace.”

When we build upon the “grace upon grace” perspective, as it has been emphasized by Wesley and developed by Tozer,  we are able to emphasize, with Berkouwer, that “the authority of God’s Word … is (known) in the way of the Spirit, which leads man to obedience and draws him in his full existence to the gospel” (Holy Scripture, p.349, emphasis mine). Understanding the relation between the Spirit, the Saviour and the Scriptures in this way, we are able to avoid the divided psychology of a “Bible-only mentality (which) virtually equates spiritual reality with the text of Scripture itself” (B. Ramm, “Is ‘Scripture Alone’ the Essence of Christianity?” in J. Rogers (ed.), Biblical Authority, 1977, p. 116).

Commenting on the value of this “grace upon grace” for our understanding of divine revelation, we draw a careful distinction between (a) the idea that the spiritual significance of creational revelation is properly understood through the redemptive revelation recorded in Scripture; and (b) the tendency to think of Scripture as the entirety of divine revelation.

Biblical authority requires to be affirmed within the context of the affirmation of the unity of revealed reality if there is to be a proper understanding of the nature of Scripture and its authority: “Scripture is not the totality of all God has said and done in this world. Scripture is that part of revelation and history specially chosen for the life of the people of God through centuries” (B. Ramm, p. 117, emphasis mine).

Thus, Scripture is the means by which man comes to understand the true character of revealed reality without itself being the entirety of that revealed reality

This approach to the role of Scripture in divine revelation avoids the charge of a purely formal book-religion. Discussing the authority of Holy Scripture in the modern world, Berkouwer writes, “The confession of the authority of the Word of God can never be isolated from the saving content of the Word of God” (Modern Uncertainty and Christian Faith, 1953, p. 14, emphasis mine). In confessing that the Bible is the Word of God, the believer confesses that God is speaking to him through the Bible concerning salvation.

With thie perspective on Scripture, Berkouwer insists that “Christianity is a book- religion, but not a book-religion in the formal sense of the word” (p. 14).

What he means is this:

(i) The confession, “The Bible is the Word of God”, emphasizes the importance of the Bible for Christianity. In this sense, Christianity is a book-religion.

(ii) Alongside the emphasis on the importance of the Bible for Christianity, there is the rejection of the formal conception of Christianity  as a book-religion. This is intended to emphasize the present activity of the Spirit who uses the words of Scripture to point sinners to the Saviour. This way of understanding the relation between the Spirit, the Scriptures and the Saviour “opens up a perspective that is not locked in the past” (Holy Scripture, p. 344).

We began with Wesley’s sermon on “Salvation by Faith”, noting the interesting way in which he began with creation before turning his attention to salvation. He emphasized the “grace upon grace” character of the relation between creation and salvation.

I hope that the thoughts I have shared, from the  writings of Tozer and Berkouwer,  are a helpful way of emphasizing this first point of Wesley’s sermon.  We speak of creation. We speak of salvation. We speak of grace. It is creation by grace. It is salvation by grace. It is creation and salvation. It is grace upon grace!

Looking beyond the place where we worship to the God whom we worship

Not long ago, my wife and I spent a few days “south of the border”. No! We weren’t “down Mexico way”! We were much nearer home. We were in England. We were based in Southport. We enjoyed our time there. We also visited Chester. What an interesting place Chester is! There are plenty of modern shops. There’s nothing unique about that! We didn’t go straight to the shops. We took a walk around the city walls. These walls have an interesting history. The walls were there long before the shops. The story of the walls is told on a series of plaques. We read the history of Chester as we walked around its walls. The walls are now a tourist attraction. At one time, however, they were very important for a different reason. They protected the people of the city from their enemies.

In the Old Testament, we read about the walls of Jerusalem. There was a time when the walls had been “broken down”. It was a time of “great trouble and shame” (Nehemiah 1:3). Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the walls were rebuilt. The work of rebuilding was completed. It was a time of great celebration. “The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem” was a memorable occasion. There was much “rejoicing”. The people sang praise to the Lord. They gave thanks to Him (Nehemiah 12:27).

After our walk along the walls, we visited the shops. We were struck by the attractive combination of the old and the new. If we are wise, we will continue to “ask for the ancient paths” (Jeremiah 6:16). We are to learn from the past without being locked in the past. As well as asking for the ancient paths, we must pray that God will do His “new thing” among us (Isaiah 43:19).

In recent years, we have heard about a “Church Without Walls”. We sing, “We love the place, O God …” We need, however, to be reminded that the place isn’t everything. Beyond the place where we worship, there is the God whom we worship – “I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You …” Beyond the walls of the place where we worship, there are the walls of God’s salvation (MissionPraise, 731, 287; Isaiah 26:1). Coming to the place where we worship is only a first step. Our lives are to be shaped by God’s salvation. This will mean more than being in the place where He is worshipped. It will mean being changed as we worship Him. “Following Jesus today”, “Worship that changes lives”, “Transforming the local congregation”, “Building church round the gifts of the people” – these are titles in a series of “Church Without Walls” booklets. They challenge us to welcome God’s “new thing”. We do this when we follow the “ancient paths”: looking to Christ, learning from Christ and loving Christ.

Chester still has its walls. Today’s Chester is, however, very different from the Chester of a few centuries ago. The old and the new – we need both. We look back to Jesus Christ. He comes to us from the distant past. We move forward with Jesus Christ. He is the living Lord. He leads us on to His future. I began by telling you about Chester. I end by speaking to you about Christ. You may never go to Chester. Make sure that you come to Christ. Chester has changed. The world has changed. We wonder, “Is it a better world than it used to be?” It will be a better world – and we will be better people! – if, “with salvation’s walls surrounded”, we continue to confess our faith in Christ: “Grace which, like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age”. We had a good look around Chester – the old and the new. Look to Christ and “see the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love”. He comes to us from eternal love. Let Him lead you on to eternal life (Mission Praise, 173).

Let us look to Christ for a better and brighter future.

The Boundaries of the Church?

When we speak of “The Boundaries of the Church“, we should speak with caution.  The boundaries are known to  God  -  “The Lord knows those who are His.”
We should also speak with urgency regarding the human response to the Lord.

Our responsibility is to call people to turn from sin - “Let all who name the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Our calling is not to attempt to give a definitive answer to the question, “Where does the church end and the world begin?”

Rather, it is to give a faithful proclamation of the Gospel.
We proclaim this message: (a) We are all sinners (b) Christ died for sinners (c) Sinners are called to come to the Saviour (d) Returning sinners are given the Lord’s promise - “He who comes to Me, I will never cast out.”
We move beyond this proclamation when we attempt to identify which of our hearers belong to the Lord and which do not.

Recognizing that every heart is known only to God, we continue to urge people to “make their calling and election sure.”
Some may say that by refusing to move from “God is love” to universalism, we are being narrow.

I say that we are following Him who spoke of “the narrow door” and “the narrow way.”

We do not say, “Everyone will be saved.” We do say “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”
Along with the call to conversion, we point also to the breadth of His wonderful grace - “He who comes to Me I will never cast out.”

Here, there is breadth. It is not the facile adoption of the concept of “the broad church” with the consequent lack of an urgent call for conversion.

It is the breadth of the grace of God which is constantly calling sinners to come to the Saviour.
When we think about the boundaries of the Church, we must preach the Gospel with a view to keeping the door of Gospel opportunity open, inviting sinners to come to the Saviour and be welcomed by Him.

This is quite different from preaching that gives the impression that we are trying to close the door before too many people manage to get through it!
Here, I can identify a great deal with Spurgeon who had such an urgent desire to win men and women for the Saviour. I can also see the same urgency in Finney!

We note also that God greatly blessed the ministry of both men.

I would suggest that Finney, like Arminius, was not so lacking in God-centredness as his Calvinist critics  suggest. He may have been more ready to emphasize our human response than many Calvinists have done.It is, however, questionable, whether he has done this in blatant disregard of the Scriptures.

Here are some of his thoughts on the Bible doctrine of election.

What the Bible doctrine of election is not.

The Bible doctrine of election is not that any are chosen to salvation, in such a sense, that they will or can be saved without repentance, faith, and sanctification.

What the Bible doctrine of election is.

It is, that all of Adam’s race, who are or ever will be saved, were from eternity chosen by God to eternal salvation, through the sanctification of their hearts by faith in Christ. In other words, they are chosen to salvation by means of sanctification. Their salvation is the end—their sanctification is a means. Both the end and the means are elected, appointed, chosen; the means as really as the end, and for the sake of the end.

How we may ascertain our own election.

If any one fears that he is one of the non-elect, let him at once renounce his unbelief, and, cease to reject salvation, and the ground of fear and complaint instantly falls away … mercy waits; the Spirit strives; Jesus stands at the door and knocks.

(Charles G. Finney, Lectures on Systematic Theology, Lecture 43: “Election”)

The Last Word: Read right on to the end of the Book!

Here are some “famous last words” – words which will change your life!

* God speaks to us, with honesty, about our sinful shame – “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). He speaks to us, with hope, about His marvellous mercy and glorious grace – “the Lord answered the prayers for the land …” (2 Samuel 24:25).

* We come into His presence – “The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). We come with praise – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord …” (Psalm 150:6). We come with prayer - “Remember me, O my God, for good” (Nehemiah 13:31).

* We gather to worship the Lord – “they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:53). We learn to walk with Him – The ways of the Lord are right. The righteous walk in them …” (Hosea 14:9). We are sent out to witness for Him – “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them …” (Mark 16:20).

* We “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” We say “To Him be glory both now and ever” (2 Peter 3:18).

The grace of God reaches into our lives – He “is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24).

The grace of God reaches out from our lives – “Whoever turns a sinner away from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

* We hear the words – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ … be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). We say, “To the only God our Saviour be glory … now and forevermore” (Jude 25).

* Strengthened by the grace of God and determined to give glory to God, we move forward with His promise – “Surely I am coming quickly” and our prayer – “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Here’s the very last word: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (Revelation 22:21). Jesus Christ is the living Word of God: the Word from the beginning – “In the beginning was the Word …” (John 1:1), the Word at the end – “the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). He’s the last Word. He’s the best Word!

The Preaching of John Wesley (2): The Preface to his “Forty-Four Sermons”

“Every serious man who peruses these will … see, in the clearest manner what these doctrines are which I embrace and teach as the essentials of true religion. But I am thoroughly sensible, these are not proposed in such a manner as some may expect. Nothing here appears in an elaborate, elegant, or oratorical dress … I design plain truth for plain people: therefore, of set purpose, I abstain from all nice and philiosophical speculations; from all perplexed and intricate reasonings; and, as far as possible, from even the show of learning … I labour to avoid all words which are not easy to be understood … Yet, I am not assured, that I do not sometimes slide into them unawares; it is so extremely natural to imagine, that a word which is familiar to ourselves is so to all the world … I want to know one thing - the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore … I have accordingly set down in the following sermons what I find in the Bible concerning the way to heaven; with a view to distinguish this way of God from all those which are the inventions of men. I have endeavoured to describe the true, the scriptural., experimental religion, so as to omit nothing which is a real part thereof, and to add nothing thereto which is not … some may say, I have mistaken the way myself, although I take upon me to teach it to others. It is probable many will think this; and it is very possible that I have. But I trust, whereinsoever I have mistaken, my mind is open to conviction. I sincerely desire to be better informed. I say to God and man, ‘What I know not, teach thou me!’ Are you persuaded you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may … Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have been accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear” (pp. v-vii).

Wesley’s words come to us from 1746. They are words from which we can learn much.

* He calls us to get to the heart of the matter. He calls us to stick to the things that our hearers most need to hear. He calls us to make the message clear. His words are timely words. We can learn so much from him. He teaches us that good preaching will always be grounded in the prayer that our preaching will do the people good. It will help them to find Christ and to grow in Him.

* He does not speak as a “know-it-all”. He speaks as one who is on a journey. He speaks as one who knows that he still has so much more to learn.

By reminding us of the importance of  concentrating on the basics of the Gospel,  he is calling us to rediscover “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

There is a sense in which, when we embrace the wonderful truth enshrined in the simple words, “Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells so”, we know all that we really need to know. Everything else is an exploration of the meaning of these simple words. Everything else is our journey of discovery in which we are led by God, our heavenly Father, when we pray from the heart, “More about Jesus would I know … “

When we pray this prayer, we soon discover  how very little we  really understand of “the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

The modern theologian, Karl Rahner, writes in a way that is very different from John Wesley. Rahner’s writings are often difficult to understand. Nevertheless, Rahner said something very   important, something that is very humbling to our spiritual pride, when he compared our limited understanding to “a small island in a vast sea that has not been travelled … a floating island … (which) may be more familiar to us than the sea, but ultimately it is borne by the sea and only because it is can we be borne by it” (Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity, (1978; German edition, 1976).

This reminder that God is always greater than our understanding of Him has been expressed very well by Charles Wesley in his great hymn: “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood?”

“‘Tis mercy all”, “‘Tis mystery all” - Charles Wesley sets these two expressions alongside each other.

We rejoice in the mercy that lies at the heart of the Gospel. In our rejoicing in this great discovery, we soon realize that there is mystery at the heart of the Gospel.

Charles Wesley brings the mercy and the mystery together in his great words, “Amazing love! how can it be that Thou, my God shouldst die for me!”

The mystery does not deprive us of our joy in the Lord.  We rejoice in the clarity with which the Gospel speaks to us of the great love of God, through which we have received eternal salvation in our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The more we think of this great love, the more we become aware of how amazing it is that the God of perfect holiness should choose to love and provide salvation for guilty sinners.

This is the mystery of the Gospel. It is not a mystery that leaves us lost in utter confusion. It is the mystery of love finds lost sinners. It is the mystery of the love by which we are saved. It is the mystery of the love which fills our hearts with grateful worship.

Charles Wesley’s hymn reminds us that we can never hope to be able to understand fully “the depths of love divine.”

In our understanding of the Gospel, there must always be the realization that  “Now we see but a poor reflection … Now I know in part … ” (1 Corinthians  13:12).

In our preaching of the Gospel, we must echo the words of Jesus, “we speak of what we know” (John 3:11).

As we reflect on “the depths of the Gospel”, we must never forget that there  are “secret things” that “belong to the Lord our God”. As we proclaim the  message of the Gospel, we must speak, with boldness, of the  “revealed things” which “belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

God’s Word is spoken to us so that we might be changed by it.  Faith in the Word of the Lord leads to walking with the Lord.

In speaking of our experience of God’s love, we must confess the limitation of our understanding. There are things concerning which we must say, with humility, “I don’t know.” There are also things concerning which we must give our word of testimony, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see”.

Acknowledging that we do not see everything clearly, we must never forget that “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Walking by faith, we speak of our great Saviour, Jesus Christ. Rejoicing in the Lord our God “has made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”, let us say, with Paul, “I believed; therefore I have spoken” (2 Corinthians 4:6, 13).

Commenting on the relationship between our experience and our understanding, the modern theologian, John Macquarrie, encourages us to avoid the dangers of an intellectualism in which theology, forgetting “its roots in experience … becomes a mere scholasticism.” Recognizing the need to maintain “a fine balance … a way between … dangerous extremes”, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining  “a proper balance … between … experience and revelation” without “try(ing) to be modern for the sake of modernity, … (without) accommodat(ing) the revelation to the mood of the time”  (Principles of Christian Theology, (1966), pp. 5-6, 13, 7).

We may ask, “How do we achieve this fine balance in the work of preaching?”

The words of Ian Pitt-Watson may be helpful here. Underlining the integral relation between doctrine and preaching, he writes, “The question must always be asked, ‘What doctrine does this sermon seek to present and illuminate?’ If no clear answer can be given to that question the subject matter of the sermon must be suspect. all preaching should be doctrinal preaching. Of course this does not mean that it should be ‘academic’ or ‘theological’ in the narrow technical sense of that word. The bigger the truth we try to speak the smaller the words we should use, and the shorter the sentences” (A Kind of Folly: Toward a Practical Theology of Preaching, (1976), pp. 11-12).

From 1746, John Wesley encourages to be bold in our proclamation of the Gospel while remaining careful that we do not overstep ourselves by becoming so academic or technical that our message becomes unclear , bringing no real blessing to our hearers.

In the work of communicating the Gospel of Christ, may God help us to see more clearly how we are to speak and how we are not to speak.

The Preaching of John Wesley (1): Introduction

This series of posts is based on “John Wesley’s Forty-Four Sermons” (published by the Epworth Press in 1944: I’m quoting from the 1977 edition).

As may be expected of sermons which were first published, as four volumes, in 1746, 1748, 1750 and 1760, the language will seem, to the modern reader, to be very old-fashioned.

There is, however, a great deal, in what Wesley says, that we need to hear today.

My basic observations in reading theses sermons is this: Here is preaching which is centred on Jesus Christ, who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

When Wesley speaks of our sin, he speaks with great directness. When he speaks of God’s grace, he speaks with great warmth.

This is preaching which is centred on our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Wesley shows us that we are sinners who need the Saviour. He shows us that the Saviour is always ready to receive sinners.

In this series of posts, I intend to draw attention to the Preface and twenty of the Forty-Four Sermons.

Day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21 or Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21; John 20:19-23 or 7:37-39

Speaking the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord”except by the Holy Spirit’(1 Corinthians 12:3).

‘In Jerusalem’, on ‘the day of Pentecost’, there are ‘Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven’ (Acts 2:1, 5). They are ‘amazed’ at what they hear - ‘we hear them telling in our own tongue the mighty works of God’ (Acts 2:7-11).

The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ (John 16:14). ‘To God be the glory! Great things He hath done!’(Church Hymnary, 374).

Speaking ‘as the Spirit gave them utterance’, the apostles pave the way for Peter’s bold proclamation: ‘God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified’ (Acts 2:36).

Empowered ‘by the Holy Spirit’, this message - ‘Jesus is Lord’ - is still God’s way of bringing people to Himself.

When the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied (Numbers 11:25): Preaching Christ and praying for the Spirit’s power, let us look to God for His blessing.

The Holy Spirit leads us to worship the Lord.

‘I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live’ (Psalm 104:33).

Do you feel like giving up? Other things are becoming more important to you. Worshipping the Lord is being pushed out to the edge of your life. Wrong attitudes are creeping in.

It starts with the idea, ‘Worship’s just an hour on a Sunday’. Then, it becomes, ‘I’ll worship the Lord when I feel like it’. It soon becomes, ‘I’ll worship the Lord when I’ve nothing better to do’. Before long, all desire for worshipping the Lord has gone! Little-by-little, you are drifting away from the Lord.

It’s time to start thinking about what’s happening. It’s time for a new beginning. It’s time for an ‘all my life’ commitment to worshipping the Lord - not just on a Sunday, not only when I feel like it, not only ‘when there’s nothing better to do’!

The Holy Spirit leads us to serve the Lord.

Paul speaks about ‘gifts of the Spirit.’ They are ‘given for the common good’ (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

We’re not ‘to show off’: ‘Look at me. The Church can’t do without me’.

When we draw attention to ourselves rather than Christ, we are not living ‘by the Spirit of God.’

He moves us to say, with our whole heart, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (1 Corinthians 12:3). We live in fellowship with one another: ‘the body does not consist of one member but of many’ (1 Corinthians 12:14).

‘I’m happy - as long as I’m getting my own way’: We can do without this kind of attitude! What about ‘the common good’?

Sometimes, things don’t go according to my plan. Perhaps, my plan needs revising - to take account of ‘the common good.’

When self raises its ugly head - ‘It’s my way or no way at all’ - let’s not forget the ‘still more excellent way’ (1 Corinthians 12:3).

It is the way of love - Christ’s love!

The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus.

* In Jesus, we see the presence of the Spirit.

‘Rivers of living water’ were flowing out of Jesus’ heart. ‘No man ever spoke like this man’! ‘The Spirit’ was speaking through Him with power (John 7:37-39).

* From Jesus, we receive the gift of the Spirit.

The disciples are filled with ‘fear.’ Jesus comes to them. He gives them His ‘peace’ and ‘joy.’ From Jesus, they receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:19-20, 23).

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

Seventh Sunday of Easter: Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 or Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 21:1-7; 1 Peter 4:12-14 and 5:6-11; John 17:1-11

Waiting on the Lord, we renew our strength.

Jesus tells His apostles, ‘the Holy Spirit’ will ‘come upon you’ (Acts 1:11, 8).

He gives them His Word of promise: ‘I send the promise of my Father upon you’.

He gives them His Word of command: ‘stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49).

They wait upon the coming of the Holy Spirit. They cannot fill themselves with the Spirit. They can only ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18).

Waiting for the Spirit, the apostles ‘devote themselves to prayer’ (Acts 1:14).

They do not earn the Holy Spirit as a reward for spending much time in prayer. Waiting on God, their strength is renewed as they receive God’s gift (Isaiah 40:31; Luke 11:13).

From the Lord, we receive salvation.

God is ‘our salvation’. He is the ‘God of salvation’ (Psalm 68:19-20).

God’s salvation covers our past, present and future.

(a) You have been saved. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have received the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 5:1).

(b) You are being saved. God is at work in our lives, making us the kind of people He wants us to be (Romans 5:3-5).

(c) You will be saved. We look forward to ‘sharing the glory of God’, being with the Lord forever (Romans 5:2, 9-10).

From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God. He has forgiven our sins. He is making us like Christ. He will lead us on to heaven.

Our God is great. His salvation is great.

Let us ‘be joyful’. Let us worship the Lord ‘with joy’ (Psalm 68:3).

Let us give all the glory to God - ‘Blessed be God!’(Psalm 68:35).

The Lord strengthens us with His salvation.

‘I am the Lord… I will strengthen you’ (Isaiah 45:5).

How does the Lord strengthen us?

He strengthens us with salvation.

He comes to us as our ‘God and Saviour.’

He calls us to come to Him and receive salvation: ‘Turn to Me and be saved…’ Through faith in Christ, we are ‘saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation’ (Isaiah 45:15, 17, 21-22).

We are strengthened with ‘everlasting salvation’.

We look ahead to Christ’s Return ‘in power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30). On that Day, the glory of our Saviour will be fully revealed: ‘At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’

Jesus is our Saviour. His ‘Name is above every name’. Our ‘strength’ comes from Him (Isaiah 45:23-24; Philippians 2:10-11).

The Lord saves us with His strong and powerful love.

‘We boast of the Name of the Lord our God…Through the steadfast love of the Most High’ we ‘shall not be moved’ (Psalms 20:7; 21:7).

We do not trust in things that ‘collapse and fall’. We build on ‘the Rock’ (Psalm 20:8; Matthew 7:24-27; Psalms 18:1-3; 62:5-7).

We ‘rejoice’ in our God. He has made us ‘most blessed for ever’ (Psalm 21:1,6; Ephesians 1:3).

Think of Jesus Christ your Saviour. He is absolutely trustworthy. He is completely dependable. His love is an ‘unfailing love’ (Psalm 21:7).

In Him, there is salvation. In Him, there is joy.

With His strong and powerful love, He has saved us.

He has given us ‘a new song’ to sing, ‘a song of praise to our God’ (Psalm 40:1-3). Let us lift our hearts and voices to Him in praise and worship: ‘Be exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength! We will sing and praise Thy power’ (Psalm 21:13).

Renewed by God’s salvation, we are strengthened for service.

In all the service we offer to God, there is to be the offering of worship: ‘To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever’ (1 Peter 4:11; 5:11).

We will not learn to serve God unless we are learning to worship Him.

There is a ‘form of religion’ which ‘denies the power’ of God - ‘These people honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me’ (2 Timothy 3:5; Matthew 15:8). They go through the motions - but their hearts are not in it!

We must pray that God will deliver us from this kind of thing: ‘O for a heart to praise my God! A heart from sin set free; A heart that always feels Thy blood, so freely shed for me’ (Church Hymnary, 85).

‘Religion’ is about respectability. Salvation is about renewal: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10).

God’s salvation comes to us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus prays for you. Jesus prays for me. We have come to faith in Him through the written Word of His apostles (John 17:20).

The story of the Cross (John 17:1-5), the story of the first disciples (John 17:6-19) is an ongoing story.

It continues in us. The saving effects of Christ’s death are still being felt today. The written Word of His apostles is still exerting its powerful influence on today’s world. Jesus is still praying for us (Hebrews 7:25).

He prayed for His first disciples - ‘that they may be one’ (John 17:11). He prays the same prayer for us (John 17:20-23).

Among His first disciples, there was Judas Iscariot, ‘the one who chose to be lost’ (John 17:12).

If we are to ‘maintain the unity of the Spirit’, we must take account of ‘the Judas factor’ - ‘take notice of those who create dissensions… avoid them’ (Ephesians 4:3; Jude 4; 1 John 2:18-19; Romans 16:17-18).

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

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Ascension of the Lord: Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47 or 93 or Daniel 7:9-14; Psalm 24:7-10; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

Jesus is taken up into heaven. The Holy Spirit is given to us.

We read, in John 7:39, that ‘the Spirit’ would not be ‘given’ until Jesus was ‘glorified.’

Now, as Jesus was about to be ‘taken up… into heaven’, He tells His apostles, ‘the Holy Spirit’ will ‘come upon you’ (Acts 1:11, 8).

He gives them His Word of promise: ‘I send the promise of my Father upon you’.

He gives them His Word of command: ‘stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49).

They wait upon the coming of the Holy Spirit. They cannot fill themselves with the Spirit. They can only ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18).

Waiting for the Spirit, the apostles ‘devote themselves to prayer’ (Acts 1:14).

They do not earn the Holy Spirit as a reward for spending much time in prayer. Waiting on God, their strength is renewed as they receive God’s gift (Isaiah 40:31; Luke 11:13).

Jesus is taken up into heaven. May His Name be exalted in all the earth.

‘Be still, and know that I am God … Shout to God with loud songs of joy’ (Psalms 46:10; 47:2). In our worship, there is to be both quiet trust and loud praise.

We read the great words: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1). God’s Word brings peace - ‘in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength’.

We must not keep God’s blessing to ourselves. We must share it with joy - ‘Sing to the Lord…let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands’ (Isaiah 30:15; 42:10-12).

The Lord is to be ‘exalted among the nations’. He is not only ‘our King’. He is ‘the King of all the earth’ (Psalms 46:10; 47:6-7). ‘Father (Jesus/Spirit), we love You. We worship and adore You. Glorify Your Name in all the earth’ (Mission Praise, 142).

‘You, O Lord, are exalted for ever… The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty…’ (Psalms 92:8; 93:1-2).

The Lord is ‘exalted’. We are to exalt Him in our worship. He is not exalted because we exalt Him. We exalt Him because He is exalted. He is ‘exalted far above all gods’. That is why we sing, ‘I exalt Thee, O Lord’.

‘He is exalted, the King is exalted on high’ - This is the truth concerning the Lord.

‘I will praise Him’- This is our response to His truth.

We sing, ‘Jesus, we enthrone You, we proclaim You our King’.

This is our response to the eternal truth concerning our Saviour: ‘The Lord is enthroned as King for ever’.

‘From all eternity’, the Lord is ‘robed in majesty’. Let us respond to His majesty. Let us ‘magnify’ the Lord - ‘O Lord our God, how majestic is Thy Name’ (Psalms 97:9; 29:10; Mission Praise, 158, 217, 388, 507).

Jesus is taken up into heaven. He will come again with power and great glory.

‘There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven… His Kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’ (Daniel 7:13-14).

These words point us to Christ’s description of His Second Coming, the Coming of His Kingdom: ‘They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30).

In Revelation 1:7, we have another echo of Daniel’s ‘vision’: ‘Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him’. ‘Lo! He comes, with clouds descending… Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee, high on Thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the Kingdom for Thine own. O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly! Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!’(Church Hymnary, 316).

Jesus is taken up into heaven. In Him, we will dwell in God’s house for ever.

For God’s people, there is a glorious eternal destiny: ‘I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever’ (Psalm 23:6). We ‘receive this blessing from the Lord, …the God of our salvation’ (Psalm 24:5).

There is only one answer to the question, ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?’: Jesus Christ ‘shall stand in His holy place’.

No one else has ‘clean hands and a pure heart’ - no one else but Jesus. He is the One who receives ‘blessing’ from the Lord - and He gives it to us (Psalm 24:3-5)!

How do we receive His blessing? - We must open our hearts ‘that the King of glory may come in’ (Psalm 24:7, 9).

How can ‘the Lord, strong and mighty’ live in me? How can I receive His resurrection power?

Jesus says, ‘I stand at the door and knock, if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in’ (Psalm 24:8; Ephesians 1:19-20; Revelation 3:20).

Jesus is taken up into heaven. Saved by Him, let us live for Him.

Raised from the dead, Jesus Christ now sits at God’s right in the heavenly places. He is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named (Ephesians 1:20:21).

His Name is the Name of our salvation. Through Him, we rejoice in God’s wonderful grace: ‘By grace you have been saved through faith… for good works’ (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Saved by the Lord, we are to live for Him.

God calls us to live a ‘holy’ life. We cannot make ourselves holy. We are spiritually ‘dead’. We need to be ‘made alive’- by God.

Holiness does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord. Long before we ever thought of loving Him - He loved us. Our love for Him is so changeable. His love for us is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. It is eternal. He loved us ‘before the foundation of the world’. He will love us ‘in the world to come’. This is the love of God, the love which inspires us and enables us to live a ‘holy’ life (Ephesians 2:1; 1:4; 2:7).

When we realize the truth concerning ourselves - ‘nothing good dwells within me’ (Romans 7:1 - and God - He is ‘rich in mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4) - , we will ‘praise His glorious grace’ (Ephesians 1:6).

Jesus is taken up into heaven. Let us preach Him to all nations.

‘In all the Scriptures’, Jesus teaches ‘the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:27). Do ‘our hearts burn within us… while He opens to us the Scriptures?’ (Luke 24:32).

He calls us to be His ‘witnesses’, to preach His message of salvation ‘to all nations’ (Luke 24:47-48).

Before we can preach, we must listen to Him.

Before we can proclaim His resurrection, we must consider His suffering for us: ‘See my hands and my feet’ (Luke 24:39) - even after His resurrection, they still bear ‘the mark of the nails’ (John 20:25).

Listen to Christ. Consider His suffering for you. Be ‘clothed with power from on high. Let the Lord ‘bless’ you, strengthening your worship and filling you ‘with great joy’.

With all this going on in your lives, we will consider it not only our responsibility but our joyful privilege to be His ‘witnesses’ (Luke 24:48-53)!

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.