Tag: Grace

February 16th 2025: Mike Viccary

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Isaiah 26:1-11

Introduction: A tale of two cities.

This chapter falls in the centre of three chapters which present the gospel in a wonderful way. It is also preceded by a chapter which ends the section of prophecies for the whole world in which the city of confusion is judged. In these four chapters we see references to two cities:

The earth (universal judgement).Isaiah 24:1-23.The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none may go in.24:10.
In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction.24:12.
Praise for the Lord’s great work on “this mountain.”Isaiah 25:1-12.For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt.25:2.
Therefore the strong people will glorify You; the city of the terrible nations will fear You.25:3.
The song of the just and the fate of the wicked.Isaiah 26:1-21.In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.26:1.
For He brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust.26:5.
The end of Leviathan!Isaiah 27:1-13.Yet the fortified city will be desolate, the habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness; there the calf will feed, and there it will lie down And consume its branches.27:10.

Isaiah 25 speaks of the great sacrifice on Calvary informing us of the defeat of death and the flesh on “this mountain” in Zion.

Isaiah 27 speaks of the defeat of Satan (leviathan), further information about the gospel age and reference to the end of the age.

In Isaiah 26 we have the two cities contrasted.

What we have in our passage of Isaiah 26:1-11 is description of the entire world of men and their natures or characteristics.

There are 2 cities. One is strong (literally OZ!) the other is lofty (elevated – to lift oneself up – pride).

Scripture really only knows of two distinct types of people – the righteous and the wicked.

The righteous walk the path of the just, whilst the wicked journey on the road of destruction.

These two themes are ones we can see in many places in Scripture. Consider, for example, our Lord’s mention of the “broad” and “narrow” ways (Matthew 7:13).

The first reference to this theme of two types of people can be found in the book of Genesis and is illustrated by the two genealogical lists of Genesis 4 and 5. In one is the line of Cain and the outcome is pure worldliness as exemplified by the offspring of the godless Lamech. In the other is the line of Seth (the substitute for Abel killed by Cain) out of which comes the righteous Noah who would bring rest.  Here in our text in Isaiah we have the righteous and just contrasted with the wicked and the ways that each traverse. There is a natural break in the text. Verses 1 to 6 speak of these two cities. Verses 7 to 11 speak of the various inhabitants. We shall consider each city in turn both as to its main characteristics and as to its dwellers.

[1] The strong city.
[a] Characteristics of the strong city.
[b] The way of the just.

[2] The lofty city.
[a] Characteristics of the lofty city.
[b] The end of the wicked.


There will be 7 ideas from each heading and sub-heading.

[1] The strong city.
Note first that there is only this one description of the city of God in contrast the four descriptions of the city of this world:

  1. The city of confusion (24:10).
  2. The fortified city  (25:2; 27:10)
  3. The city of the terrible nations (25:3)
  4. The lofty city (26:5).

[a] Characteristics of the strong city.

There are 7 features to this strong city.

[i] All of grace.

עִיר עָז-לָנוּ Literally: “a city strong unto us”

Literally rendered it should read: “a strong city unto us” – highlights the fact that the strong city is in fact a gift and not something that has become strong by anything done or generated by its inhabitants.

[ii] A place of great joy where songs are sung.

[iii] Identified with God Himself. (Therefore strong).

The last part of verse 1: “God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks” is a rendering which seeks to deal with the Hebrew as best it can, but which hides something wonderfully exciting! Ought to be:

Salvation – [He] sets up – walls and ramparts (fortresses/bulwarks)

# יְשׁוּעָה יָשִׁית חוֹמוֹת וָחֵל Literally: Salvation – [He] sets up – walls and ramparts (fortresses/bulwarks)

The word “salvation” is significant. It comes first in this part of the sentence. BUT translators have assumed that God is the main character despite the fact that we do not read His name until verse 4. To make sense of the Hebrew the translators supply “God” at the start (which is why in the NKJV it is in italics suggesting that it is not in the original Hebrew). Salvation then assumed to be the outcome of God’s action in making a strong city with walls/ramparts.

BUT: “salvation” is yeshu’a – very close in sound and meaning to the name “Joshua” (yehoshe’a). We could then consider the word “salvation” as representing the Saviour.


In Isaiah 12:2,3 we have a very closely related statement. God is described directly as “salvation” in Isaiah. So “Salvation” (yeshu’a) is the one who is about to set up walls and ramparts for safety. Here then, we have a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ! The strong city, therefore, is God Himself who is also designated in our passage as Salvation. The city of God where the people of God dwell is none other than the Lord Himself, and this means that our dwelling place is not some visible structure but the invisible God. We are “in Christ” and He is the Head – we are the body (Acts 17:28). See also Psalm 48:12-14 and Psalm 87.

[iv] An open city – but only for the righteous.

The city of God is full of wonder and joy. Its very walls and ramparts are built for salvation. Now because it a safe and secure place it is possible for a “righteous nation” to come home.

Note two things: First, there is only one entrance, exclusively through the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Him alone is the only way of entering this strong city. Second, we need to highlight the truth that these gates are open. The way of salvation is open. This is a most wonderful thing because there is ready access. BUT only the “righteous nation” can enter.

How is it that the nation is described as being “righteous”?
In verse 4 we shall find that the Lord is the focus for faith. Being “in” the Lord means that no longer do the people have their own life apart from the Lord God. Righteousness is not inherent but imputed. The Lord Himself entered the city by right because His hands were clean and pure (He knew no sin) and so we may enter in after Him as though we are “in Him” because He passes this righteousness onto us (Romans 3:22; 4:11; 5:17; 10:6; 2Corinthians 5:21).
The righteous nation (righteous since “in” the Messiah), can come in because they “keep the truth.”

Holding to the truth is an essential part of being righteous.

[v] True to its name – a place of peace.

3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

It is not just peace but “peace [upon] peace.” That is, a lasting peace. The mind that rests or leans upon the Lord is the one who will experience peace.

[vi] A place where true faith is exercised.

4 Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

In these verses we have the beginning of this idea of an identity between the city and God’s saving presence. At the very heart of this passage we have the Lord mentioned, highlighting the need for us to make Him central in all we do. But there is more, for here in verse 4 we have the Lord’s name mentioned 3 times indicating the Holy Trinity (“Lord,” “Yah,” “Lord”). Further we have reference to the Lord as the “Rock.” Finally we have a reference to eternity. We are exhorted to trust Him forever, for He is the Rock of eternity (the eternal Rock).

In Isaiah 25 we have a prophecy of Christ’s victory at Calvary over death and over the flesh (Moab).

# Here we are taught repeatedly that in our experience the Lord (“He”) will bring down all that opposes His great goodness. This victory is demonstrated clearly in the NT (Colossians 2:14-15, Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8).

[b] The way of the just.

There are seven key characteristics of the just.

[i] Righteous.

Righteous by faith in Christ alone. They are just because of the justness and righteousness of God who is “Most Upright.” There is no shadow of turning and no variation or alteration in Him whatsoever. James 1:17. He is pure. He is light. Their way is “uprightness.” Holiness is essential. Without it we will never see God in heaven (Hebrews 12:14). These just ones dwell in “the land of uprightness.” That is they have influence and effect on those around them. They are salt and light.

[ii] Trained by Father.

The Lord is vitally involved with us in our life of righteousness. There is Fatherly concern about his child’s growth and development. Psalm 33:15 tells us that God fashions the hearts of people “individually” and that He considers all their works. Thus, God’s path for us is tailor made. We are destined to be more and more like Jesus. Recognise fully that the Lord is sovereign over all and He determines the steps we take.

[iii] Loving the Father.

What excites and energises the just is to know the will of the Lord? They seek to be guided by the Lord in all things.

[iv] Their boast is God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It is this desire that God be faithfully represented and declared which is uppermost in the heart and mind of the just. The way in which we stand for the glory of the Lord is vital. In Proverbs we learn that wisdom was stationed at the main meeting points of life, at the junctions in the highways, and there wisdom called aloud. We ought to be declaring truths about the Lord openly and publicly that all may see we truly love the Lord (Proverbs 8:1f).

[v] Resting exclusively on the Lord.

The fifth characteristic of the just is to rest and wait on the Lord completely in wholehearted worship and devotion. All our worth, all our treasure, all our sum and substance is to be found in Him. We may have a zeal for the honour of God but we must not strike out in our own strength as Peter did on the night before Christ died, for if we do, we may well be fighting against the very thing the Lord is working towards. Our desire is Christ! It is to know Him.

[vi] Compassion for the lost.

How is it that the Lord’s judgements are in the earth? The only way this can be true is if true believers are in the world demonstrating the fact. They do this by their lives which show how the Lord’s judgements and decisions work in practice. They also do this by speaking about the judgements of the Lord. Thus evangelism is an expression of concern for the lost. We seek to show forth the testimony of Jesus. The Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and we are commissioned to be His ambassadors showing to the world what the heavenly Kingdom is like.

NOTE: It is worth pausing for thought here concerning our nation. There have been many times when the gospel was widespread and well known. I do not think that that is the case today. Consider this fact for starters. Did you know that according to the office of national statistics, 697,852 children were born in the year 2015.[1] That amounts to 1,911 children born each day, or 1.3 children born every minute. Will these dear folk know of Christ and His great goodness? Sadly they will not. Their parents may never have heard about Christ so what chance have these new ones? Then also think of the tremendous changes there have been in our population through the later half of the twentieth and on into this century. Perhaps the multitudes who have come to our shores have been sent of the Lord so that they may hear the truth of the gospel? In the thunder and bluster of excessive immigration do we as believers stop to consider that this is a tremendous blessing? The Lord has brought the mission field to our door

[vii] Grace.

The seventh (final) feature of the just is one we may have expected to be put first. Only expressed in our text amongst the statements made concerning the wicked. But we remember that it was the first feature of the strong city for in verse 1 the text reads literally: “a strong city unto us.” It is not earned nor built by us but given. All that the just experience is a work of “grace.” Whatever we have, we have as a gift of God. May it never be that we forget this! We stand ONLY in grace – unmerited favour:

[] this grace in which we stand. (Romans 5:2).

[]  the true grace of God in which you stand. (1Peter 5:12).

I sometimes think that it is because we forget our true standing (in grace) that we fail so badly in our witness, our evangelism, our declaration of the great goodness of God and so on.

[2] The lofty city.

[a] Characteristics of the lofty city.

[i] High (for the moment) but only in this world.

These are the ones who live in the safe and secure places as far as this world is concerned – see Isaiah 2

[ii] Only of this earth.

They are ground and dust. Lord: Noah’s day who had thought only about the things of this earth.

[iii] Their progression is from bad to worse.

They start out as “lofty.” They are then laid “low.” Then they are brought “low to the ground.” Finally they are brought “down to the dust.” This downward progression is shown wonderfully in Daniel 2. The image of gold head, silver chest, bronze belly, iron legs, iron and clay feet which is obliterated to dust by the stone cut out without hands which then becomes a vast mountain that covers the whole earth.

Paul speaks about this downward progression in the world:

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  (2Timothy 3:13).

[iv] They are reaping the wages of sin. Their whole aim and drift is DEATH not LIFE.

The lofty city is earning its wages. The wages of sin is death. To dust (Genesis 3). Downward progression. The cursed life. Life cut off from God. Self-satisfied (Isaiah 2, Romans 1).

They are brought so low that they become one with “the dust.” Idea hints at creation of Adam who was made from the dust of the ground and so suggests an unmaking, or an ‘un-creating’ of the city. 

[v] The whole world is indicated by this “lofty city.”

We read that “He” (the Lord):

  1. Brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city;
  2. Lays it low,
  3. Lays it low to the ground,
  4. Brings it down to the dust.

Four times we are meant to understand this as covering the entire globe – the four corners of the world.

[vi] It is city defeated by the Lord.

He did this at calvary but it will be completed at His return. (See Isaiah 2).

[vii] It is a city over which we have victory.

6 The foot shall tread it down— the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy.”

How do we play a part in this defeat and victory? “The foot” – implying a single foot will tread down pride. “The feet” – implying many together by their steps – walk of life. Whom will do this? “The poor” “The needy.” The Lord humbles the proud.

[b] The end of the wicked .

[i] They are ungodly.

Even though they are shown grace: They “will not learn righteousness.” (Verse 10). They “will deal unjustly.” (Verse 10). They “will not behold the majesty of the Lord.” (Verse 10). The apostle Paul highlights this type of attitude in his letter to the Romans. He declares that the unrighteous suppress the truth.

[ii] They refuse to learn.

This is a problem when we consider the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Our main mission is to teach and make disciples. But the wicked will not learn righteousness. So, we need to be praying in earnest. Unless the Lord does a work within those we engage we will have no hope of seeing people saved or of declaring God’s goodness. If you plead for grace and you educate with passion, then if the Lord grants salvation, the result will be a new born believer!

We must teach with prayer – much prayer. We must seek the Lord for His help both to teach and for the saving of the souls we minister to. Let it never be said that teaching is not necessary, I believe that teaching is more vital today than it has been for a century. People (Christian people) do not know their Bibles and in not knowing their Bibles they show poor knowledge of the living God.

[iii] They will deal unjustly.

They will deal unjustly even amongst and in the land of uprightness. Such folk live and breathe with fewer and fewer restraints on their practices. The more the nation throws off the shackles that bind them, the more corrupt the nation and individuals become. A person is only truly “free” and at peace when they are “in Christ” and in obedience to His will/ways. We have been made to be in good and right relationship with the Lord. We need to rely on the Lord completely because we will face opposition from those who reject righteousness,  and the task of bringing people in will require much prayer.

[iv] Refusal to see Christ as He is.

Many years ago I was living in an area which had many humanists who were very vocal about their faith and very antagonistic about the Christian faith. I managed to get an article in the local newspaper in which I challenged the humanists to consider something key to their viewpoint. If they wanted to exalt the best in humanity as the ideal that should be followed, then why not start with the greatest human being that has ever lived? There can be no doubt whatsoever that Christ, the second and last Adam, was the greatest human being that ever lived.

[v] Refusal to see the truth/obvious.

The fifth characteristic of the wicked is their refusal to see things when they are plainly shown them. The Hand lifted up speaks of:

  1. Judgement. Both final and temporal.
  2. Christ as the right hand of God on Calvary (John 3:14-16).

When there are judgements or chastisements from the hand of God in the world, the world chooses not to see them for what they are. This is particularly true when it comes to the great flood.

[] A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

[] The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

[vi] Unsatisfied and envious.

The wicked exhibit envy and great dissatisfaction. Only the way of the just leads to satisfaction and delight. The way of the wicked always leads to envy and dissatisfaction. This stands to reason because if a person rejects the Lord who made them, and chooses some other deity (themselves, a partner, money, fame or whatever), they will always be unhappy. Such ‘gods’ cannot satisfy!

[vii] Shame and destruction.

There will come a day when the wicked will be made to see what they have done and what they have rejected. Our task is to make the wicked (unsaved, lost), see the truth by preaching and living the gospel. However, the day is coming when every eye will see and know what is true and right (Revelation 1:7).

 

October 27th 2024: Andrew Bowden

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

To view this service, click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/MZdHLv3K8Us?si=HeCnGlkPQIKLpM02

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31.

Our Lord encounters a barrage of questions from the religious establishment. Many are trite, trivial and show shear arrogance and impertinence of men questioning the second person of the Trinity. They have such a sceptical approach. The Bible begins with God questioning man and woman. Adam is asked, ‘Where are you in all this mess?’ There is nothing trivial about the question. We read the Lord will come to seek and save the lost. Christ will be the central figure in the answer, opening up the way in His sacrificial death. That is the gospel. He came to deal decisively with sin.

The second question is to Eve, ‘What is this you have done? Don’t you realise the ramifications?’ The answer from God is what He will do on the cross and Christ will say, “It is finished.”

In the setting here in Mark’s gospel There is formality and hypocrisy before all questions. They lost the essence of the law, which is love. There is a stark contrast of them being so hard-hearted and Jesus reaching out to all. We see grace personified in Jesus. The very one God raised up to be the mediator, in His very demeanour, is so approachable, tender and compassionate. Incredible!

A lawyer steps forward and says to Jesus, ‘Which is the greatest commandment?’ It is like saying, ‘Which of your children do you love the most?’ Jesus comes to the very heart of the law – love is the essence. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” We are looking at our love towards God and how we should love God. The word ‘love’ covers so many things. It is a love, first of all, which is personal – ‘love your God.’

The gospel is not about ritual and ceremony, rules, regulations and robes. The gospel is about a loving, living, dynamic relationship with God. God has made us and created us to respond to stimuli: a sunset, a meadow of spring flowers, crashing waves on a shore. We respond to beauty with awe. The whole earth is full of the glory of God. God is behind it all. If the dawn chorus only happened once a year, no one would go to bed! Yet the human heart does not respond to God with all, wonder and love. Yet we know we are made for something more. We are made to know God in a personal way. We should respond to Calvary and the cross. John 3:16. The love of God towards us, is demonstrated in a way which will stand for all eternity as a thing of wonder.

The response on our part is to take God at His word, (Isaac Watts, ‘When I Survey the wondrous cross). We should have a personal response of love and appreciation, where we love God above all. This is the first and greatest of all the commands, with all the intensity of our being. Is there anything greater than love? (1 Corinthians 13).

Love is not legalistic. Marriage can deteriorate to something functional, having all the passion of yesterday morning’s cornflakes! Remember when you first came to know the Lord, when the Lord’s day came round you came with joyful zeal. You had a passion for prayer, excitement of sharing everything with God. But the passion evaporates, There is no real fire. You have lost your first love. Where has it gone? Where is the love? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” We are to love with the entirety of our being because God has loved us, given His all for us. The only fitting response is our all – our talent, our time, our gifts, our resources – all used for His glory. Use everything to the glory of God and please Him above all else.

Paul addresses losing heart. The heart is all; it is where your deepest thinking goes on. The Christian life is not something imposed upon us. It is not outward but inward. Work out your salvation. It is God who is at work in you. When something is from the heart it is the driving force. How can anything material satisfy when there is a spiritual appetite for God and His word? Every breath we take is to make known the wonder of His Saviour. I praise my Maker while I have breath.

Live for Him. Breathe for Him with all your mind. Do you realise how heavenly a gift your mind is? Tozer writes, ‘There is an inner beauty in truth and a deliciousness in truth and she invites you, she beckons you into an enchanted world.’

We are so blessed with literature. There is so much available to us. We need to serve the lord with all our mind. Sing psalms and hymns which stretch us and our minds.

Love has another dimension. It is not just something that is vertical, it is horizontal. We are meant to be channels, conduits of the love of God, shown towards others. How can someone who has known such grace not, in turn, be gracious? How can somebody who has known such pardoning, such mercy, not in turn be merciful? How can someone who has come to adore the wonder and kindness of God not be good and kind in relating to others?

If we really love God we are meant to show the love of God. In the early church a people emerged who were wholesome, clean, attractive, principled and pure. That is what impacted the life of the early church. There was a spirit of love, compassion and grace.

March 19th 2021: Adrian Brake

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

To watch this service, click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/0TQwH5ZyGxY

Genesis 6

If someone asked you, who was Noah? What would you say? He lived long ago, he was married, had 3 sons and was a ship builder. But I want to look at the most important thing about Noah, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). That, in a sense, is Noah in a nutshell.

That’s the first time, in Genesis 6:8, that the word grace appears in the pages of scriptures. Grace is at the very heart of the message of the Bible. Grace is woven into the very fabric of scripture. The Bible is from the beginning to the end, the story of God’s grace towards human beings. The Bible is a story; one, unified, developing, growing story of God’s grace through Jesus Christ to human beings. If you’re a Christian, if you don’t get excited about grace, you need a renewing of your heart. Every hymn is a celebration of God’s grace. Every hymn is a response for us to God’s grace. Grace is the beating heart of the church’s hymnary.

What is grace?

First of all, grace is not an object. It’s an attitude. We don’t receive grace, we are shown grace. It describes the way somebody thinks about us, the way somebody relates to us and the way that somebody acts towards us. To receive grace from God means to receive something we don’t deserve, something we have no right expect. It is something we have no claim upon.  Grace is unmerited kindness, something which hasn’t been bought, something which hasn’t been worked for but has been gladly, freely, lavishly shown. That is how God dealt with Noah.

God gave Noah something he didn’t deserve, something he wasn’t entitled to, something that if God has acted purely in justice, he would never have received. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8).

God was gracious to Noah. We forget that Noah, by nature, was no different to other people that lived. We almost think here the world was in a terrible mess, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” (Genesis 8:5) but that Noah was a shining light whom God rewarded for his inherent godliness. It’s not that at all. Noah, by nature, deserved to perish with everyone in the flood, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). There’s no exception clause for Abraham, Moses, David and others. All those great men of the Bible were not great by nature. They were sinners by choice. Noah began life in the same boat as his contemporaries. He was under God’s condemnation.

How is it that Noah ended up on the ark? God was going to save Noah, “17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.”.  Genesis 6:17-18).

God marks Noah out. Why? What was there about Noah that led God to treat him in this remarkable way? Nothing! “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). There was nothing about Noah that he could bring before God and say, ‘Lord, you can’t do that to me.’ Noah found grace. He didn’t deserve it, he wasn’t entitled to it. He hadn’t bought it, he couldn’t claim it, he hadn’t worked for it, he was simply shown it.

God shows Noah grace. Why? Because He chose to. Because God, in His heart, provided a way of escape from His judgement, a way of rescue. Noah didn’t deserve it but God choose to be gracious and merciful, generous and kind to him. It’s a wonderful act of a large heart that God has.

“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9b). Perfect means blameless, he wasn’t guilty of great public sin. He was perfect in his generation and walked with God. Hang on! Noah was a godly man, so he did deserve a place on the ark. No. He didn’t begin like that. Noah found grace – that’s the foundation (verse 8). But in verse 9 we have the fruit of grace, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9b). Noah was what he was in verse 9 because God had first shown him grace.

God’s grace to Noah is seen in two things:

  1. Before the flood waters were ever mentioned, God was gracious to Noah and gave Noah a new heart. There became a point in Noah’s life when he became a different man. When other people were hating God, he began to love God. Once Noah had shown no interest in relating to God, now he wanted to walk with God. He reaches out to God. He looks to Him. He longs for Him. He listens and speaks to Him. He fellowships with Him. Why is he so different? “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8).

  2. God gave Noah what he didn’t deserve in the form of safety from judgement. Noah’s story was a story of receiving that to which he had no claim: a new nature and a Saviour.

We are dealing with historical facts here but what happened in those days was a warning, a warning given by God to the whole of the human race. What happened in Noah’s day was a foretaste, a glimpse of a day yet to come. The flood was an expression of God’s wrath against sin and against sinners. We see the consequences of sin, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5). The destruction that comes on the Earth is a settled, judicial response to man’s sin. “And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13). Because of sin, God is bringing this judgement, “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.” (Genesis 6:17). It was a deliberate, decisive, purposeful act of God – judgement upon Man’s sin.

God doesn’t always act in that cataclysmic way to deal with Man’s sin, but there are occasions in scripture where He does that. Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of a dramatic way in which God pours out His wrath upon sin. Sometimes, God needs to make an example of somebody, or a generation, as a warning for others.

On occasion, God, in His grace to us, shows us what sin will bring about if it is not dealt with, not repented of. The flood was God speaking to us today saying sin is serious, it’s not to be taken lightly. Sin grieves God, “And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Genesis 6:6). God was wounded to see His creation so reject Him. It’s almost as if He wept over Man’s rebellion against Him. It brings down God’s wrath. Paul tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

In grace, God issues warnings. The warning is that what happened in those days is a glimpse of the Day ahead, the Day of the Lord. This is the day when God’s wrath will be poured out. As sinners, we store up judgement for the day of God’s wrath. God acted in Noah’s day there and then to deal with their sins.

Generally, God holds off, He waits. He has already appointed a particular day in history, which hasn’t come yet, when He will call all men and women to account. We will have to appear before Him to answer for our rejection of Him. That day is coming. The judgement poured out on that day will make the flood waters seem like a bath, when we will be cut off from the presence of God forever. We will experience throughout eternity no trace of God’s mercy, no trace of God’s grace, no trace of God’s kindness, only his righteous wrath upon us.

That day is coming. God has appointed that day. He has appointed the judge. We are moving closer and closer to it. Through a chapter like this God, in His grace, comes to us today, comes to Roch today through you bringing the message out, saying the day is coming, flee from it.

If you are a Christian, like Noah, it’s a reminder that on that day when Christ returns, when judgement comes, you will have nothing to fear. Nothing. The flood would have been an horrific experience for the people, but Noah wouldn’t have been perturbed at all because God had already, in grace, provided a way of safety for him. The day of the Lord will be a terrifying day for those who have rejected the gracious offer of God in Jesus Christ. But the astonishing thing is that although it will be terrifying, for Christians it will not be terrifying at all. It will be a day of joy and celebration. It will be a day when we will go to be with Christ.

How will it be a very different day for you than for others? Will you not be judged because you don’t deserve to be judged because you decided to turn over a new leaf? No. You will have nothing to fear for one reason, and one reason only, because you will have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You don’t deserve that, you have no claim to it, but that will be you experience. Because just like with Noah, God graciously provided you with a way of escape in Jesus Christ, and God graciously, by His Spirit, provided you with a new nature.

Your story here today is that you are somebody who has found grace in the eyes of the Lord. People might ask, ‘Who are you? Tell me something about yourself.’ We think about where we were born, what we do for a job, what family we have, where we live and our hobbies. But friends, surely our first response should be, ‘I am somebody who has found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’ That is our story. That is who we are. Our epitaph includes our name, but it would be wonderful to have engraved, “He/She found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” What do you want people to know about you? What is your legacy? What is your testimony? It is that you found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

This is our story, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Sometimes, people tell us we need to forget the past, but sometimes, as believers, it is good to remember the past. It is good to remember where we came from, how we began. Then we marvel at where we are and who has brought us there. Paul says,”Let me remind you of how you once were, “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2). You began dead to righteousness. You were under the power of Satan, a child of disobedience. In verse 3 the great apostle Paul says he was like that. By nature, we are no different to everyone else in this world. On that last day you won’t be safe because of anything you’ve done. Christians here in Roch this morning, by nature you are no different to anyone else in this world. On that last day you will not be saved because of anything you have done.

In verse 4 Paul says, ‘But.’ Something has happened, “But God.” We are immediately taken away from ourselves. Paul begins by saying this is where you were, but something happened. God! “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” (Ephesians 2-5). ‘But’ says Paul. God, who is rich in mercy and love made us alive. He raised us from the dead. By grace you have been saved. You didn’t do anything. God, in His rich mercy and great love did something. He made us alive. He raised us from the dead.

In the ages to come God is going to showcase the exceeding riches of His grace. How? “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:7-8). How is God going to show the exceeding riches of His grace? In His kindness toward us kin Christ Jesus.

If you want to know how gracious God is, look at His church. Look at how He’s dealt with sinners. Look at the transformation He’s brought about in the life of sinners. Look at what divine grace can produce. We are trophies of grace. It is all from Him. He has lavished something on us which we don’t deserve: a new nature, a Saviour, a new life, eternity. It is all from Him. Everything you have is a gracious gift from God.

Paul reminds Titus to tell the people he is pastoring now, “To be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Paul is basically saying, ‘Don’t go round condemning people, tutting and shaking your head.’ We do that as Christians. We see the government passing a new legislation, a new law, and we see the sin there is repulsive. But let’s not go condemning people about how awful they are. Paul reminds us, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3)

Paul says, ‘Here we are, the church of God, this is what we like to begin with. But there’s been a change. What have we done? Nothing.“ 4 But when the kindness and the 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, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 34-7). Look at what we were. Look at what we are. What produces this astonishing change? The kindness, the grace, the love, the mercy of God toward us.

“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.” (Titus 3:11-14).

There, but for the grace of God, go I. It is only the grace of God that put you in the community of the redeemed today. If you have a love for the Bible, God gave it to you. If you have a love for God, God gave it to you. If you have a hatred for sin, God gave it to you. It’s all of Him.

God is most wonderfully gracious. We read of an abundant God, a lavish God, an exceedingly rich God. God, in His grace today, warns you if you do not know Him, of the day of judgement that is coming. He urges you, He pleads with you to come to Him, to climb on the ark that He has provided – the ark that is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are a believer here today, let us never forget what we have been shown. Let us never find grace to be something common. Something incredible has happened to us. God lavished upon us the riches of His kindness. That’s our story. Don’t you want to go out and tell somebody that you have found grace in the sight of the Lord? To tell them, ‘Let me tell you what I was, let me tell you what I am. Let me tell you what I would be if it wasn’t for the grace of God.’

That’s your message to Roch. We are a people who have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We are different. We are what we are because of God’s grace. We want you to experience that and enjoy it too.

We want to celebrate, we want to praise God, but remember, as Paul says, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.“ (Romans 12:1b) Everything you have, devote it to the service, worship and praise of God. Lay it all on the altar before God. Serve Him. But Paul doesn’t begin there. Before that he says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,” (Romans 12:1a). In other words, Paul says first of all, before I give you any command or instruction, I encourage you to think on the mercies of God. Think of what God has done for you. Think of how God has dealt with you. Think on your salvation. This will let you offer your body as a living sacrifice, as you serve Him.

August 8th 2021: John Mann

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Mark 7:31-37: A Saving Appointment with the Lord Jesus Christ

The gospels are filled with the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he confirmed the truth of who He claimed to be and who He is. We thank God for the accounts of the many miracles of Jesus that we read about and learn from.

As Jesus travelled through the area where He was, we read of many miracles. In chapter 5 we read of Jesus travelling through the region of the Gerasenes and we read of the healing of the demoniac who lived among the graves. Jesus healed that man. There is no other mention of anything else done in that particular account, no other incidents there.

 Immediately Jesus gets back in the boat and travels across the lake and there he meets with another two individuals who are in need: Jairus and his daughter who had died, and the woman who had suffered a bleed for twelve years. Jesus deals with them both. The woman is healed and Jairus’ daughter is brought back from the dead. There are no other mentions of other incidents in that particular area.

In chapter 7 Jesus travels another 30 miles, may be on foot, to Syro-Phoenicia and heals a Syro-Phoenician woman. There is no other mention of any other healing here. It seems that Jesus is keeping appointments with people to heal. He seeks out those who need His healing touch. At the same time, we realise these people have to be where Jesus is coming to find Him. They are desperate for answers, they want to find Jesus, only to find that He was ready to meet their need.

Salvation begins with people feeling the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. In loving kindness Jesus responds. He brings forgiveness and healing. The Lord Jesus Christ has called us to Himself. We find in salvation, He has come for us, granted us healing and deliverance from our sin. Have you had a personal appointment with the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you sought Him out?

Jesus is on His way back to the Decapolis. We have to ask ourselves why he would go back. His first visit hardly felt like a needy return. The people pleaded with Him to leave. He wasn’t welcome. Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t leave you when you first rejected Him? Aren’t you so grateful He never gave up on you? Jesus returned because He had an appointment. This should fill us with hope for loved ones who reject Him. He is able to save and to heal. Jesus is still saying, ‘I have an appointment with that person.’

This return visit will be different (v37). It is only the amazing loving kindness and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ can turn ‘Get out of our region’ to ‘He has done well.’ In verse 32 we see another person in desperate need, a man who is deaf and has lost the ability to speak. He lives in an isolated, silent world of his own, relying on others for his daily needs. In their care they take him to where Jesus is. The deaf and mute man must have been confused, wondering where they were taking him. He can see others are excited but doesn’t know why. His problem has cut him off from society.

Here is a picture of our spiritual condition before we know the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you remember a time when you were deaf to the gospel? When your physical ears heard but your spiritual ears were deaf? A time when the gospel went in through one ear and out through the other in spiritual deafness? This results in spiritual muteness, having nothing to say about the Lord Jesus Christ, no time to praise Him, being cut off from God. Our spiritual condition meant we could understand what it was all about. Sadly, in many of our churches this morning, the gospel goes in one ear and out of another. There is a world of difference between hearing and understanding.

The beauty of this miracle is Jesus came to open the lines of communication of our spiritual ears. The gospel is the truth. But in our natural condition we are deaf to its meaning unless we come to Christ. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, our ears are opened. We become hearers and experiencers of the gospel.

People took the time to take this deaf man to Jesus. Do you give thanks to people who lead you to the man who could heal you, when Jesus said to you personally, “Ephphatha! Be opened.”

These are pictures of the need of our day. The people had a heart to bring someone to Christ. Are we among the ‘some people’ bringing others to Jesus, or bringing Jesus to others through our testimony, our lives, our witness? We are called to reach our loved ones and neighbours by our testimony. How determined are we to take others to Jesus?

Do we notice how serious these people are? They begged Jesus to heal him (v.32). They believed Him. Are we begging Jesus to save others in our community? They were determined for him to know the healing power of Jesus. Can you imagine the man’s joy when Jesus heals him? Suddenly he hears for the first time. Are you filled with joy when you hear someone has been saved? There is joy for the deaf man and joy for the men who took him to Jesus. Do you thank God for the people who went out of their way to bring you to Jesus?

Jesus took the man aside (v33). Here we see this personal aspect of salvation. We are not forgiven as a group. Jesus wants a personal relationship. He takes us out of the crowd to have a personal appointment with Him. Jesus draws us aside from the company of others, from the distractions all around us. He says, ‘Will you accept me as your own Lord and Saviour?’

Then Jesus does this unusual thing. “Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spat and touched the man’s tongue.” (Mark 7:33). Why does Jesus do these strange actions? Jesus deals with each of us according to our own need. We come with our individual fears and doubts. What is the best way to connect with a deaf man? Sign language. Jesus touches the man’s ears and lips. He knows what the problem is, and He knows what the answer is. This would have caused many to resist, but not this man. He accepts the Lord Jesus Christ without turning away.

There are many people who know something is missing from their lives and may come looking to Jesus for an answer, but who are not willing to come without reserve. They want to be healed but not have an intimate relationship with a Saviour. They have missed the opportunity to be saved. But not this man. Whatever Jesus decided to do, this man puts his faith in Him. In this miracle, it is almost as if Jesus is kissing away the problem. We need to place ourselves into the hands of the only one who can heal our spiritual need.

Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed deeply when he said, “Ephphatha.” He has a deep love and concern in his heart for this man as He looks to heaven for his healing. He sighs with the same compassion He has for every one of us. Our healing is His passion. Salvation is the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why He came, that is why He was willing to suffer the scorn, the mocking, the rejection, the beating, the crucifixion and having God’s wrath poured out upon Him – because His passion is to save souls and to make us well. This is what Peter says, ‘He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.’

If you are a believer this morning, it is not through anything you have been able to offer, nothing that you have done, no righteousness of your own. This deaf man had no possibility, not a hope of healing himself. There was nothing that he could bring to Jesus, that Jesus could say, ‘Well, I’ll help you, you’ve gone so far I’ll bring you the rest of the way.’ The man was helpless, powerless and hopeless, just as we are, outside of Christ. There is nothing we can bring whereby we can say, ‘I’ve made a contribution.’

We are totally dependent on the mercy and grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can just imagine what the man was saying when he began to speak (v.35). He would be speaking His praise. Jesus came and suffered and died so people like you and me could have our ears unblocked, to have our dead hearts brought to life.

Have you known a saving, personal appointment with Jesus? What words are on your lips?

June 30th 2019: Ian Middlemist

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Ian Middlemist-November 2018John 8:1-11

The first time you picked up a Bible, as you opened the pages you thought you were studying it. You were encouraged to get into the Bible. But notice, as you grow older as a Christian the Bible is studying you, revealing truths about yourself. The Bible examines you. The book speaks about you. It was written over 2,000 years ago but is scans us inside and out. God knows breathing out this Word, every sin, every thought, every word, everything I have done. There is nothing we can hide from Him. God deals with guilt on the basis of grace and truth.

This scripture passage speaks powerfully to our situations. The Scribes and Pharisees judged the woman according to the law, which clearly condemned her. All of us, like this woman, have been caught in an act of sin and stand condemned in front of God’s holy law. To be caught in the act of adultery meant that the act had to be witnessed, to be actually seen going through the physical movement that could be capable of no other explanation. A compromising situation, such as leaving a hotel room together, would not have been good enough in a Jewish court. It was very likely the Scribes and Pharisees had set a trap to catch this woman so that they could catch Jesus in the horns of a dilemma and get rid of Him. There was a clear motive. Either Jesus would have agreed the woman should be stoned or Jesus would have shown her mercy and would be soft on sin, not upholding the Law of Moses. It was a deliberate trap. They only brought one sinner to Jesus. Why was the man not brought to Him? You can’t commit adultery alone. Maybe he was on the side of the Scribes and Pharisees? We don’t know.

All of us, like this woman, have been caught in the act of sin. We have all had the humiliating experience of getting caught doing something we know was wrong. No matter what the sin, it is always embarrassing. This woman was not only caught in the act of adultery but then dragged into the temple, of all places! All the people would have examined her like a piece of meat. Worse, they accused her in front of Jesus. They were pushing for the ultimate punishment – the act of execution. Even if we manage to keep our sin hidden from others, before God all of our lives are laid bare, ‘And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account,’ (Hebrews 4:13). He knows every simple thought we secretly entertain, every swear word, every hatred – not letting go of those who have wronged us, sin we commit when we’re alone, when we’re away in another city, He knows it all. The reality is every single one of us is caught in the act by God.

Religious people are just as guilty of sin as openly immoral people. We tend to look on the woman in the story as a great sinner and overlook the fact that the Scribes and Pharisees are just as evil, even more so. Clearly, they didn’t care about this woman at all. They could have held her in private custody but they didn’t. She was just a pawn. Their concern is not for holiness in society but to get rid of Jesus. Even more serious, these religious leaders were sinning against the sinless Jesus. They weren’t concerned about God’s honour, but in all they did they sought to kill and get rid of the Son of God. What could be worse? They weren’t using scripture to judge themselves, just pointing the finger against the woman and Jesus. Religious people are just as guilty of sin as openly criminal people are. Paul builds such a case in Romans, ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,’ (Romans 3:23). Who do we identify most with in this passage – the adulterous woman or the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees?

If God is full of love and grace how can He show mercy to sinners and uphold His justice? Nowhere in the story does Jesus condone this woman’s sin, but He shows grace. He applies God’s law and truth to them. The Scribes and Pharisees came armed with the law to test Jesus. Jesus responds by stooping down and writing in the ground with His finger. This is the only place in the Bible where Jesus actually writes anything. What did He write? No-one knows. When He says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,” (John 8:7) He wasn’t saying judges need to be sinless. Rather, Jesus was applying what He taught in Matthew 7. The Scribes and Pharisees were hypocritical and were sinfully using this woman and Jesus to condemn her.

The starting place for receiving mercy is to be convicted by God’s holy law so that you are able to say, with the apostle Paul, that you are the chief of sinners. Jesus gives the law to the self-righteous but offers grace to broken sinners who repent. The law reveals your sin but the law cannot offer grace and forgiveness. We can infer by Jesus’ gracious words to the woman that He offered her grace. Are we gracious and show compassion? God’s justice is upheld. He can be both gracious to sinners and uphold justice at the same time. Jesus was a sacrifice for sin so that God’s justice could be satisfied, ‘It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus,’ (Romans 3:26). His death satisfies God’s wrath on our behalf.

The only sinless person in the temple that day who would have legitimately thrown a stone at the adulterous showed mercy. Trust in Jesus.

God’s grace then is the basis of a holy life. Jesus said to the guilty woman, “Go, and from now on sin no more,” (John 8:11). He doesn’t say, ‘Go your way, sin no more and I will not condemn you.’ There’s nothing you can do to make yourself righteous. Her pardon was the motivation to change. There’s nothing you can do to obtain justification. God grants forgiveness as a free gift, free grace becomes the motive for living in holiness. ‘What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?’ (Romans 6:1-2). God’s amazing grace is the greatest motive for living a holy life.

I was guilty. I was condemned before Him. But rather than condemning me, the Son loved me enough to die in my place and offer a full pardon. Since it cost Him so much, I want to please the One who love me and sacrificed Himself for me. There are no conditions. Just grace available to every sinner whose been caught in the act.

October 21st 2018: Peter Gleave

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Peter Gleave-Oct182 Kings 6: 8-23:

Where are you headed this week? What difficulties lies ahead? What does the church look like? Today, the church seems to be more and more marginalised. It is becoming more under pressure. As we reach out, the more we reach out, the more the enemy will try to stop you and distract you. How will we handle it?

Elisha is an amazing character in the Old Testament, an exciting man of God. The Bible is all about Jesus, from Genesis to Revelation. We see Bible characters who are people like Jesus, a shadow of what is to come in Jesus. Elisha points the way to Jesus. There are so many similarities between Elisha and Jesus, but Jesus is greater by far. Elisha means God saves. Jesus is the Saviour who saves. Both began their ministry at the river Jordan. Elisha fed 100 men, Jesus fed 5,000. Elisha foreshadows Jesus.

In this reading we see:
God gives direction;
God gives power;
God gives victory.

God gives direction:

The King of Aram was at war with the King of Israel. The Aramean king had a powerful army. However, the king of Israel had an advantage – he had a man of God on his side, a man who knew everything the King of Aram was doing and gave the King of Israel direction from God. The King of Aram thought there was a secret agent telling the King of Israel all his plans, but he was told it was the prophet Elisha who knew everything he was doing.

As we look forward, we see Jesus gave direction to His disciples and the early church. He told them what the greatest commandments were. He also called them together and told them to go into all the world and tell. Jesus taught them our priority is to love and worship Him and to glorify Him in our lives and to tell others. He also taught them that we are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Look around at church this morning. These are your neighbours. We do God a great disservice when we show the world we don’t love each other. Sometimes, we only love people in church and not outside. They too are our neighbours. We are to tell others about Jesus. The direction for our church is to love Him, make Him our priority. This is borne out by loving each other, telling others about Him. This is what Jesus taught His disciples and us.

God gives power.

In the Old Testament Elisha and his young servant arrived in Dothan. The King of Aram told his servants to capture Elisha and his servant. All around him the young servant sees the King of Aram’s troops, horses and chariots. The enemy is all around. He cries out to Elisha, ‘What shall we do?’ Sometimes we experience that when personal problems come. When the enemy starts to attack we can feel a sense of panic. The servant had a choice – surrender or wait to be captured. Not great options! He had nowhere to turn, he felt like giving up, like the enemy was winning. Elisha’s response is, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ (II Kings 6:16). The servant was looking at the situation with human eyes. Elisha prayed for him (v17). Immediately, the servant’s eyes were opened, his spiritual eyes were opened. He can see what Elisha could see all along – all around them was the power of a heavenly host. He saw the power of the almighty God protecting him. Prayer is vital. The power of prayer brings peace.

Jesus prayed. He talked to His heavenly Father. If He did it, we too must do it. We need to soak ourselves in prayer. The power of prayer is available to you and I for all the circumstances we face. Faith begins where man’s power ends. When the difficulties come, use your spiritual eyes, fix your eyes on Jesus, not the enemy. Jesus stands with you.

God gives the victory (verses 19-20):

The enemy comes to capture Elisha and his servant. Elisha prays. Instead of asking for eyes to be opened, he now asks for eyes to be closed – the enemy’s eyes. When they were closed he then took them all the way to the stronghold city of Samaria. They were captured. The King of Israel became very excited. He didn’t know what to do with all the people who have been captured, whether to ‘strike them down’ or not. Elisha told the King that it was God who had captured the enemy, and the king should now feed and water them before sending them back home. Oh what grace! The young servant had had his spiritual eyes opened and seen the enemy captured. Victory had become a reality.

The spiritually open eyes look to Calvary – the victory has already been won. Jesus died for you and me, for all who put their trust in Jesus and confess their sins, God gives the victory. Eyes that are open to this, show us the direction we should go. The victory is won for you and me. Jesus wants us to tell everyone how He can make a difference. Share the good news. It is life-changing news for your friends and neighbours!

Our desire is to be like Jesus. Show others we love God. Summon God’s power so that eyes are opened. Serve God, the victor, in your life, the life of your church and the world. Revolutionise your community!

July 8th 2018: Dave Norbury

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Dave Norbuy-July18Philippians 1:1-11

This is a significant book written to a significant church in Philippi. Paul knew this was the place God wanted him to be. He was about to plant the first church in Europe. God directed him here. This church has to grow and succeed. We are reading about our family history. This church in Philippi was set up against all the odds. Two people were converted here. Firstly, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart. It so happens that she was a business lady who had a big house which people could meet in (Acts 16). Paul is imprisoned. There again, God meets with the jailor who asks how he might be saved. He was converted.

The church at Philippi is established. From this seed, others are planted. Like every church it is fragile. Philippi was a strategically important church, light in a very dark place. Churches are strategically important. We are a vital, strategic church to our area, as Philippi was to its area. 95% of people in the UK know nothing about the gospel. Just as Philippi was fragile, so can we be too. The world, the flesh and the devil are out to destroy God’s work.

Paul is writing from Rome to Philippi. As he writes, he writes to you too. Timothy is probably doing the writing, Paul is dictating. It’s a servant leadership – just as Jesus was a servant. They are writing to all the saint in Jesus Christ, it’s a letter to the leadership and to every single person in the church. Paul wants us to see the hallmarks of Christianity – grace and peace (Philippians 1:1). Grace is kindness which we don’t deserve. We should ooze with this. We are trusted with inestimable kindness by God. We should have peace, even though we have rough edges, peace in our own hearts knowing we can trust the God we love. These are the hallmarks of God’s church. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). This is the outworking of grace and peace – the interest of others.

Paul looks back. He pours out his heart to the people he genuinely loves. He’s remembering them with great love and appreciation. He has joy when he thinks of them. He thinks of them and a smile comes to his face. Isn’t that what we, as a church, want to be? The Philippians have sent gifts to Paul and his fellows regularly. Epaphroditus risked all to reach Paul, to support and encourage him. We should be partners with others in the gospel, that’s what the Philippians were, sending support.

Paul also rejoices because God is at work in them. There is a real fellowship. Paul is speaking of a deep knowledge of God, he knows their faith is real, their lives have been turned inside out. He knew they had been born again, so he rejoices.

It’s when you go through personal challenges you grow. Be encouraged – this is when you will grow most! God will take you to a place you never wanted to go – and achieve things you could never achieve.

Paul looks up (Philippians 1:6). There’s an absolute certainty that the work God began will come to completion. He looks up and he rejoices. You and I were lost sheep, in darkness, dead in trespasses and sins. He, in His kindness, began a work in us and will bring it to completion. God works in us. He continues the work. Believe Him, trust Him. We are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). This should give great encouragement. God is at work in you. Paul is delighted, we should be delighted too because of His glorious work.

Paul looks forward. What does he want for the church to succeed and grow? Love abounding more and more, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9). Biblical love is not sentimentalism – it’s anchored deeply in the love of scripture and Christ. It’s a wonderful thought that our churches should abound in love. Pray God will help you. Love abounding – with knowledge and all discernment. It’s a love that knows what’s right. Discernment – it is not blind love, it knows what is right and what is wrong. We are encouraged to know what is right and wrong and to prove the things that are excellent. There’s a testing going on. Growing in love is about maturity. We need to be blameless, our characters need to grow.
Don’t get distracted, have your integrity intact. When we make mistakes we should be the first person to say sorry. We should be humble, the first to admit we’re wrong.

We should mature and grow in Christian character, knowledge and discernment. Ask God to help you. Articulate this in your prayers. Be filled with the fruit righteousness produces. They’ll be many and varied. What joy it gives to God’s heart when fruit is produced in your life and mine. Praise God. Be a joy to others, have confidence He will complete the work He has begun, be mature, blameless, growing in maturity, full of integrity, growing in the work of the Holy Spirit.

August 27th 2017: Ian Middlemist

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Ian-Aug 27th 2017Romans 5:12-21

Israel has two main bodies of water – in the North is the Sea of Galilee, 13 miles long, 7 ½ miles wide, a well-known fishing area with 22 sorts of fish, as well as lush vegetation on the side and a beautiful, fruitful shore. It is a beautiful body of water. In contrast, 60 miles south lies the Dead Sea, 47 miles long, 9 ½ miles wide, full of salt and mineral but with no life, no vegetation, even the shore is barren. This stark contrast is a portrait of spiritual humanity. One sea is full of life and fruitfulness, the other is death and uselessness. There are two classes of people – those in the person of Adam and those in the person of Christ. Adam represents death and uselessness, Christ leads to life. The two men represent the whole of humanity. It is essential we grasp the central message of the Bible. Believers used to be in Adam but now we’re in Christ.

We are all born in Adam:
Paul examines the consequences of Adam’s sin. Adam serves as our representative. He sinned and this sin was applied to every person who has lived or ever will live. Adam perfectly represents humanity. God chose Adam to be our representative. We are sinful. We should be glad God chose Adam, God always knows what He is doing. Some may say that they don’t want to be represented by Adam, they want to represent themselves. The truth is, if you and I had been in the Garden of Eden, we would have committed exactly the same sin.

Christ is our representative as well, He has acted on our behalf too. Adam sank our spiritual boat but God has thrown our life-preserver to us. Adam served as our representative; we are every bit as guilty as he was. But we’re also guilty sinners because we’ve sinned.

The results of sin:
Even before the 10 commandments, sin had exercised power over humanity. But sin is not imputed when there is no law. Imputed means to charge to one’s account. Sin is there but is not accounted as a legal matter. It cannot be punished if there is no acknowledgement. After Adam, God gave no more explicit commands until the time of Moses. Although people sinned from Adam to Moses, people died because they had sinned in Adam. They shared Adam’s punishment because he was their representative.

In Adam we can see a number of principles in Jesus:
       – Adam and Jesus were both real persons;
      – Adam and Jesus both served as representatives for the whole of humanity;
     –  They both drew the world for themselves, one for evil, one for good;
     – Both effected the course of humanity through one single act (Adam taking the                fruit, Jesus dying on the cross).

Humanity is either in Adam or in Christ, it can’t be in both. Death reigns for all mankind in Adam.

All believers are in Christ:
God’s grace is readily available to those who out their faith in Jesus Christ. The promise of eternal life is a free gift. 7 times grace is mentioned in verses 15-21. Salvation is a free gift, no strings attached.

God’s gift brought life to all who are in Him (v.15). Grace is always more powerful than sin. It is a free gift but it was purchased at infinite cost – it cost God the death of His only Son. To think we can earn grace is an insult. Salvation is freely given to you. What a great cost has been paid for you so you can be rescued from Adam’s domain.

‘For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.’ (Romans 5:17). ‘Reign’ comes from the word ‘king.’ We also think of authority, of influence. All of these words are to be applied to you – for you are in Christ and you are to reign in Christ. We have no idea of the sphere of influence we have. Justification is the beginning of salvation. Sanctification is to bring heaven down to earth, to live as God has called you to live in Christ. God is equipping us to rule the world to come.

Instead of us being condemned eternally for our sins, Jesus was condemned. We don’t realise just how much we have received. It’s been given to us at a great cost. Christ brought freedom to the human race, He signed our liberty with His own blood on the cross. Having trusted the Saviour we have the power to turn from sin and live in Him, to live in righteousness. He is our great emancipator.

October 9th 2016: Gaius Douglas

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Our service was led by Gaius Douglas who preached on John 3:17, ‘For God did not send His Son into the world to, condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’

So often we hear things which are disappointing and we get upset. None of us like to hear we’re wrong, we’ve failed or it’s our fault. We may have received a letter after an interview telling us we have been unsuccessful. Criticism is hard.

When we read this verse we see a different approach; we see a God who does something different. He is different. He doesn’t write us off. The best example in scripture of this is the Lord Jesus Christ saying, ‘Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil.’ (John 6:70). Judas Iscariot had an important position, he was treasurer. He even set out on one occasion to preach and to heal. Jesus never wrote off Judas Iscariot until the Passover. Yet still He knew Judas was a devil. All the way along the Lord showed His grace and mercy to Judas, even though He knew he was a devil. This shows that our God and Father will never write us off.

When we come to this verse it comes out of a conversation with Nicodemus, who wasn’t quite sure who Jesus was. Jesus’ wants to remind us that He is the Lord. Isaiah writes, ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Isaiah 45:5).

He is the one who breathed the breath of life into man. We are sitting here today because He has given us the ability to sit here and listen. We can do what we do because of God, the Alpha and Omega.

God didn’t send His Son to condemn the world. In this life we see He came in the likeness of simple men, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Are we aware of the wonder of who God is? God made us. The God who came from heaven was like one of us, He went through the same problems we are going through. He bore our sins and sorrows, ‘He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.’’ (Isaiah 53:3-4).

He is hearing the comments others are saying, which we may not like. Jesus was despised and rejected by men, even His brothers and sisters didn’t believe Him. The people called Him a Nazarene because He lived in the poorest area. He was hated without cause. He knows what each of us is going through. We see an expression of great love and compassion. He came to us, bore our sin. We were headed for death, separation from God, yet Christ came to save us and take us out of our boxes, from our preconceived ideas, and be put in His box.

God has a path for each one of us to follow. People will despise us but God came for us. We need to trust in Him alone, to follow in His footsteps. Don’t worry about what others are saying about you. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:9).  He will never give up on us.

In John 8 we read of a lady caught in the act of adultery, brought to Jesus Christ by the scribes and Pharisees. She was condemned but the Lord said, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ (John 8:7) We have to be careful what we are saying about others. How many stones have we been guilty of throwing? Matthew 7:1 reminds us, ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ We should judge ourselves before we judge others.

We are still in a time of grace and love but one day He will return and judge. He is the judge of all the earth. We are sinners saved by the grace of God. Jesus had every right to cast us out and destroy us but He has saved us. ‘Go, and sin no more.’  (John 8:11). He came to save that the world through Him might be saved. ‘The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)

Jesus came to reach the unloved, He came to heal. Trust in Him alone. God hears every prayer. One day He will deliver us all into His glory, into His kingdom.

‘Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Psalm 25:4-5).

Contentment in Christ – whatever our situation

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

Do you ever think ‘What if’, ‘if only’ or ‘why me?’ I know I ask these questions and all too often! It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking we ourselves can alter and shape the future. We evaluate our situation and if we are not completely satisfied the questions begin. As someone who is far too familiar with the ‘valleys’ in life, the doubts and questions can become burdensome. We’ve been taught that contentment is linked to our accomplishments or accumulation of satisfaction from the world. These questions can never be fully answered and since there is no end to our desires to acquire or do more, the horizon is always moving. We will never experience contentment following this line of thinking.

The true meaning of contentment is being satisfied with what you have and with who you are – right now, always being content that the Lord provides everything you need. Despite the many trials Paul went through he understood how to be content. In Philippians 4:11-13 he wrote,

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Contentment doesn’t have anything to do with external influences; rather it has everything to do with God and how He is moulding us and refining us all for His glory. The good news is that we all can learn how to become fully content with who we are, what we are, and what we’re doing.  Through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can learn how to be content by thanking God for what we do have instead of focusing on what we don’t have.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The key is to be confident in the knowledge you can do all things through Him who gives you strength. This only occurs by faith, moment by moment.

The apostle Paul highlighted the importance of living life as we are called to do. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 17 states ‘Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.’  Paul emphatically states that God has sovereignty over all things and He has assigned each believer with a place in life, and it is from where we are situated now that the Lord will use us. Every day, God places us where we need to be in order to serve Him. Our ‘place’ in this world is not determined by chance, but has been carefully crafted and weaved into a grand design.

So what happens when we reach the valley and all looks bleak? In our own strength we crumble and cannot cope with the burdens of life, but with God everything is possible. We may feel unable to carry on, but the God of the mountaintop is still the same God in the valley.  He is able to remove us from the difficult situation, but that isn’t always helpful. There is always a reason for our circumstances – whether to learn something new or to remold us in Christ. But the most important thing, above all else, our circumstances are given to us to glorify the Lord and become trophies of His grace. God is Sovereign over all things – good and the not so good. The difficulties we experience don’t happen to us by chance, but we know that there is good in every situation. We may not see it immediately and we may ask. ‘Why is this happening?’ but during these times we need to thank God and trust in Him.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  – Jeremiah 29:11

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28