Tag: sin

September 7th 2025: Nathan Munday

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Genesis 40.

Introduction.

            I wonder if you were aware how often the phrase “third day” comes in this passage? This is a key thought which leads us directly to the gospel. I remember when I was young my first ever novel was by Alexandre Dumas entitled ‘The Count of Monte Cristo.” It speaks of a man by the name of, Edmond Dantès, who is falsely accused of treason. Imprisoned he does not waste the opportunity to get ready, to learn patience, and to plot an escape, and he declared: “God has sustained me” in the afflictions of his imprisonment.

            In this sermon we shall confide our thoughts to the two men imprisoned by Pharaoh, the chief butler and the chief baker. We are presented with two men, two dreams, and two destinies. The setting is in a place of darkness where there is no hope. And into this dire setting the Lord sends His servant Joseph, for it was Joseph alone who could interpret the dreams and show them the way out. We shall consider these two men and their experiences under three headings:

[1] Rebellion.

[2] Revelation.

[3] Reward.

[1] Rebellion.

            These men were not simply household servants, (butler and baker), as may be imagined in some grand household of old, for they are both termed “chief” in their respective positions. In modern terms we might liken them to a high cabinet position in the government (home secretary, or foreign secretary perhaps). In verse 1 we learn that both had “offended” Pharaoh, although we are not told how. This word “offended” is more often translated as “sinned.” They had both sinned against Pharaoh. Both the chief butler and the chief baker were responsible for ensuring that Pharaoh had all he needed and was not given anything bad or offensive. These two were Pharaoh’s closest advisers. It might have been tempting, for example, for the chief butler to squeeze more grapes into the wine diluting it down. This suggestion is not in our text. We have no idea what it was that offended the Egyptian king. Perhaps it was a coup attempt? But the fact that it is not detailed means that we can apply this to all offence or sin against God, for just as these two sinned against Pharaoh, we too have become an offence against God.

            Both the chief butler and the chief baker deserved to be in the prison. Joseph did not deserve to be there. And by nature we are all revolutionaries and rebels. Does not mankind shake his fist against God? Are not many so indifferent to Him that they could not care? Are not all rebels before the Lord? What of Frank Sinatra’s most famous song “I did it my way”? Isn’t this our way too? We like to think that as people we can chart our own course, but such thinking is all wrong. We either live life God’s way or we live it in some fashion according to mere men. There is no third or neutral way. David declared that we were born in sin (Psalm 51:5). We know that we are guilty before God. We are in the same boat that these two men found themselves in. In the same way the two thieves on either side of our Lord as He hung on the cross were thoroughly guilty deserving of death. From Luke’s account we hear one of these thieves blaspheming the Lord as He was there on the cross. The other thief answered in rebuke and pointed out that they were both guilty whereas concerning the Lord Jesus he stated “but this Man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:39-41). After this he then asks the Lord to remember him when He would come into His kingdom, to which the Lord replied “assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42,43).

            Sin always leads to misery. Nothing good comes from sin. In fact the very wages of sin is death. Far too often we think that the world revolves around us and we feel aggrieved when things do not go our way. Now imagine the International Space Ship. What would happen to it if a needle pierced the outer casing through to the interior? Surely if it is not attended to quickly the end result will be the utter destruction of the whole ship? Heaven is a glorious and wholly pure place. It is impossible for even the tinniest of sins to be found there. Nothing can pierce into heaven to bring destruction. The thought is laughable because God inhabits heaven. The problem of sin is a grave one (excuse the pun). If we are to enter heaven (the place where God dwells in eternity) then we cannot bring our sin with us. It must be removed. Both the thieves were guilty. Both of Pharaoh’s close advisers were guilty. One thief was brought into glory with the Saviour and one was left to pay for his own sins. In the same way one of Pharaoh’s two advisers was restored to his former position and one was hanged.

[2] Revelation.

            The dreams of both men were simple and straight forward enough. The great problem was that neither man understood what they meant. It is very clear from the text that these dreams were supernatural somehow. Both men appeared very sad as a result of these dreams, a fact which Joseph noted. But then into this sad and desperate situation comes Joseph, God’s man. Now Joseph acknowledges that revelation must come from God (“do not interpretations belong to God?” Genesis 40:8). We are not told how Joseph received this revelation. Earlier encounters with this man Joseph show that he was a man of God who could receive revelation. Now Joseph does not hold back on the truth here. To one man (the chief butler) the news is good news, but to the other (the chief baker) the news is bad news. As ministers of the gospel, and as born again believers who must pass on the truth, we cannot simply tell people the good news. The bad news that sin must be paid for must be delivered as well as the good news that Christ has made the way of redemption and forgiveness.

            Now in both dreams we have this recurring phrase “within/are three days” (Genesis 40;12,13,18,19). Both are told that “within three days” they will each be lifted up (Genesis 40:13,19). The word “three” comes five more times in the passage so that this repeated theme is surely significant (Genesis 40:10,12(x2),13,16,18(x2),19). Thus day three is the key date. We are alerted to the fact that our Saviour rose from the dead on the third day (1Corinthians 15:4)! On the third day one would be lifted up to be restored and the other would be lifted up to his death. Now in all of this we can see the Lord’s kindness. There were three days for the chief baker to prepare himself for what was to come. Time is short. In many ways life on earth is a bit like life on the Titanic – the ship that was doomed on its maiden voyage. We think we have plenty of time but we do not! We have but a short time to prepare ourselves to meet with the Lord. How much better if we do it now? The Old Testament is not without witness to this idea of three days or of life being restored on the third day. Consider Jonah who was in the belly of a great fish and was vomited up on the third day (Matthew 12:40). Or what about the prophecy found in Hosea 6:2: “after two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight”?  These all point to the greatest lifting up of all time! On the third day Christ arose from the grave! This is good news! This has changed the world. The good news is not: ‘copy Jesus and be like Him,’ as many may say, but hear the word of life and be born again for Christ is risen! It is not ‘try your best’ but realise your sinful state and know that Christ has done what you could not and has given you life! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have everlasting life. We have been restored by all that Christ has done. We are being restored as we seek Him and walk in His life. We will be restored when Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead. We do not yet have our resurrection bodies but we are new creatures and the old has passed away. The story of these two close advisers to Pharaoh pictures mankind teetering on the brink of eternity. There are but three days! It was Joseph (a type of Christ) who observed the sadness of these two men and brought hope.

[3] Reward.

            God is kind. It was Pharaoh’s birthday and so there was a celebration or feast. For these two close advisers there is triumph and there is tragedy. For you and I death will result in this same outcome: triumph or tragedy. Now Pharaoh granted pardon to one of his subjects (the chief butler), but how? We are not told, but he was restored to his former position. The chief baker, however was hanged as an example to all. Both of the thieves who died besides the Lord Jesus had an opportunity to turn from their wicked ways towards the Saviour in their midst, but only one entered Paradise. Now in verse 13 we find that the chief butler did not remember Joseph when he had been restored. But the greater Joseph (our Lord Jesus) remembers us! What makes you consider the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you for or against Him? What do you think of the Lord Jesus Christ? Make no mistake He is the revealer of truth and he is the Saviour of the world (exclusively). Do not rely on ‘cultural Christianity’ which is all the vogue today. Christ was lifted up as the spotless Lamb of God even though considered a rebel and a criminal. He died to save us from sin and He rose to bring in new life. What think ye of Him? Our reaction to Him is determinative for our destiny.

            It is very interesting that in the narrative of the four gospels no one dies in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Mary and Martha said that if the Lord had been with them and their brother Lazarus, he would not have died. But the Lord Jesus responded to these sorrowing sisters by saying that He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Christ is life! Take hold of Him. Listen to the third verse of Hark the Herald:

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.

Part of this comes from Malachi:

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings … (Malachi 4:2).

May you know the healing of your soul unto life!

April 18th 2025 – Good Friday: John Scanlon

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Mark 15:20-37.

There are seven distinct sayings of the Lord Jesus upon the cross of Calvary.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
“Woman, behold your son!” … “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26,27).
“
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46).
“I thirst!” (John 19:28).
“It is finished!” (John 19:30).
“Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” (Luke 23:46).

These sayings are the heart-wrenching words of our Saviour as He was dying upon the cross and bearing our sins. The four gospels record extensive details and proofs of what the Lord went through both in His ministry and in His death and resurrection. The resurrection was proof of the success of what Christ achieved on Calvary. These various sayings also give us more detail about the type of character we have in Jesus Christ. He demonstrated incredible compassion when He asked the Father to forgive His persecutors. He showed immense patience and love for the thief who repented at the last moment of his life. He was keen to show love for His mother and made provision for her by giving her to John’s care. His cry of dereliction leads to our understanding of what was truly going on in His death. When He cried “it is finished” we learn that He had done all that the Father sent Him to do. And then just before He breathed His last breath we learn that He was always in command, even over His very death.

            From around 9 AM in the morning until 12 PM the first three sayings of our Lord were uttered. Then from 12 PM to 3 PM in the afternoon there was great darkness, and at the end of this time we hear the Lord cry out: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The darkness was no eclipse nor any natural event. It was supernatural. The time of Passover was at the time of a full moon so there was no way that the darkness was caused by an eclipse. One minute the crowds and the authorities were mocking the dying Saviour, and the next it was deep darkness. There was also surely a quietness as a result of this darkness, so that the only sound to be heard was the cry of those on the cross. We are reminded of the ninth plague in Egypt when all of Egypt was in such a darkness that people could not see their hands in front of their face, a darkness that was restricted to Egypt and was not experienced by the Israelites. This was a supernatural darkness too, and it signalled judgment. Here too as Jesus Christ was dying, the darkness surely signals judgement. At the time, nobody knew how long this darkness would last. The darkness experienced then was also greatly symbolic, given to impress upon us this truth that Christ Jesus was under the judgment of God.

            God is light and in Him there is no darkness (1John 1:5). God is utterly pure! Sin is often referred to in Scripture as ‘darkness.’ People (fallen sinful people) prefer darkness to light because they prefer sin. We know that generally speaking thieves operate at night under the cover of darkness. The revelry of people is a night-time affair. Vice and wickedness are done during the dark hours when light is rare. So darkness signifies the time and occasions of sin. Now on the cross Jesus no longer enjoyed the light of God the Father. In Scripture hell is pictured as a place of eternal fire, but it is also described as a place of “outer darkness,” or extreme darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). Now it is in this deep darkness that we hear the Saviour cry out: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This was a terrible darkness. In Gethsemane the Lord Jesus was troubled greatly and sweat drops of blood. But here on the cross He cries out in deepest agony as the divine judgement fell fully upon Him.

            Some people ask this question: was Jesus Christ really forsaken by God? How could a Father forsake His Son? Now Psalm 22 clearly prophesies the very details of Christ’s crucifixion. There is no doubt at all that Jesus uses the words of Psalm 22:1 as He cried out in agony. Some thought that He was calling for the help of Elijah but these words of Psalm 22:1 show clearly that Jesus Christ was truly forsaken by God. Still some question this. How can such a thing be? We know that Jesus was forsaken by men. He was forsaken by the Jews who called for His death. He was forsaken by Judas Iscariot the traitor. He was even forsaken by His own disciples when they ran away at His arrest. He even predicted this during the teaching He gave before He died (John 16:32). All through these experiences of being forsaken the Lord Jesus knew the presence of His Father. Twice we hear the Lord Jesus say “I am not alone” and that He was “with” the Father (John 8:16; 16:32). But forsaken of God on Calvary? Surely not! Some say. Well, He was forsaken of God. That is what these words “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” really mean! But if you are unsure then consider this. In the first saying the Lord prays “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” and in the last He prays “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” In the second, third, fifth and sixth sayings He addresses others or makes statements. But in the central saying (the fourth) He does not speak of His Father but cries out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Does this fact not demonstrate that He was forsaken by the Father? Christ Jesus was always with His Father and His Father was always with Him, but during these hours of darkness on the cross He was forsaken by the Father. In the holy Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit are bound in a perfect harmony, but amazingly on the cross we have the great mystery that God is forsaken of God!

            Why was our Lord forsaken by His Father? The only answer can be found (for example) in Psalm 22:3. The Lord is holy and cannot look upon sin. Habakkuk 1:13 tells us this: “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” But Christ who was spotless and pure and “knew no sin” was made “sin for us” (2Corinthians 5:21). He “bore our sins in His own body” (1Peter 2:24), and He “became a curse for us” by being nailed to the tree (Galatians 3:13). All our sin was laid on the spotless Saviour and He bore it all away. That is why he cried out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

            Christ Jesus did not die as a martyr for a cause. Neither did He die as an example for others to follow. He died as our substitute. He died in our place. And all of this was prophesied 700 years before this time:

4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4,5).

At that moment when there was no light and all was dark because God could not look upon the sin, Christ was bearing our sin and enduring the wrath of God. But then there came a point at which our Saviour could cry out: “it is finished!” This signifies the point at which our Lord had paid the price for sin in full. He bore the wrath of God fully and no more need be done. Christ Jesus did what no one else could do or could have done.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin,
He only could unlock the gate
Of heav’n and let us in.

Never speak of what you have done. Only speak of what the Saviour has done for you!

April 14th 2025: Andrew Bowden

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Luke 19: 29-44

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.” Luke 19:28.

There is an account of Palm Sunday in each of the gospels. The setting is the approach of the greatest festival in Jerusalem, Passover. It remembers the time when God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt, when a lamb was slain, when firstborn were sheltered and the blood and were spared. It prefigures the great Paschal Lamb, Jesus. Before the foundation of the world God had a plan. We see here the working out in the fallen world, ravaged with sin, where God is about to establish His greatest masterpiece from eternity past – a mighty awesome event.

Our Lord is coming to His hour, His time. Our Lord here is coming to Jerusalem. It is a moving scene. The crowds, having witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, are euphoric. They extol Jesus as the king. It is out of keeping with the Lord’s ministry. Our Lord always suppressed any hint of euphoria. Alongside Psalm 24 there is an intimation of a coming glory, like on the mount of transfiguration. It is an awesome event.

  1. The fulfilment of scripture.

Earlier, in chapter 18 verse 31, going up to Jerusalem is all the outworking of what was recorded in holy scripture centuries before. There are predictions concerning His birth, His manner of life, the nature of His ministry, His suffering, death, Resurrection, and His ascension into glory. It is a book of marvels, come down from heaven. Think of the various typography, of Joseph and others, looking forward to Christ to come. It sets forth the wonder of the coming Jesus. God’s covenant love and mercy.

Jesus, when He refers to prophecies, say they testify to Him. For Jesus is the central figure of holy scripture, of the Trinity, the cross, the gospel message. They are all wrapped up in Jesus. 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
            (Zechariah 9:9).

See all the incredible details, detail fulfilled in this event. God verifies His word.

Scripture has always been under attack. In Genesis we have the word of God under attack by Satan. When we come to holy scripture, we ought to revere it. All the truths and glories of the visible Christ need to be fleshed out, in and through us, as it was with Jesus. We cannot appreciate Him, we cannot love Him unless we are steeped in God’s word. We need to be enraptured in Christ. We need to see afresh Jesus. We need to absorb God’s word. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily, to see for themselves the wonder of these things.

  • The excitement of the crowd.

Our Lord arrived at Bethany and the crowds converged and extol our Lord, His kingship. There is great excitement yet they cannot realise fully that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ has come as King. That is what is celebrated in Revelation, above all else. He came to vanquish Satan, to abolish death and bring life. He has come to establish the basis of a royal pardon. It is a finished work, a glorious work. The cross is God’s masterpiece. Christ cried on the cross, “It is finished!” Our pardon, our forgiveness. We can never bring anything of ourselves. Jesus came to vanquish the devil, but more than that, to set up a realm of grace. The Kingdom is within you; it is eternal and spiritual. It banishes all guilt, all shame. It is all of God’s grace.

We see here His majesty. He knows where the colt is tethered and what the objections will be. He knows all. He Has rebuked the forces of darkness. Here, He is calm and composed. We see some of His humanity, riding on a donkey, in peace. How many, many, many lives of subjects have been laid down for a monarch? But here, the King lays down His life for His subjects.

There is euphoria, a celebration as Jesus enters Jerusalem. There was euphoria with the angels at His birth. The first carol service was celebrated by angels. In Psalm 24 we see our Lord ascended and sits at the Father’s right hand. As He is received into our hearts we are welcomed as children of God. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

  • The Pharisees and their resentment.

The Pharisees could not stand so much being made of Christ. They had a cold, formal religion. There will always be opposition to the gospel. We see moves to make the gospel more palatable. But the gospel begins with the reality of who we are – sinners. It is uncomfortable. That is the bad news. But the good news is that forgiveness and pardon can be found through Jesus Christ. He is precious, Lord of all. Everything should be laid at His feet, joyfully – our talent, our time and gifts.

January 19th 2025: John Funnell

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Mark 14: 32-42

Who here has a problem with sin?
Who here, when you sin, feels dirty afterwards?
Who gets themselves upset and depressed when they sin?
 Who enjoys the feeling of shame and guilt after sin?

Today, I am going to teach you a method that will help you stop sinning. I do this because I really love you. I do not want you to have shameful feelings. I pray you will leave here living in the joy of living a holy life.

You won’t be perfect; that will be in heaven. To do this, turn with me to Mark 14:32-42. Jesus prays in Gethsemane. Throughout Mark’s gospel, he likes to make comparisons between extreme examples, to make the point. He pairs significant events – people and places in Jesus’ ministry. For example, he does this with the young woman who died at 12 years of age and the woman who bled for 12 years. There’s a comparison to be made there. We see the same things between the disciples and the Pharisees. They both made mistakes and the point between the comparison is the truth between them. Mark also compares different miracles, healing and feeding, and how Jesus controls the natural world. Mark pairs everything off so we can gain further wisdom from the comparisons.

Today’s comparison is between Jesus Himself and the three disciples, “And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.” (v.33). Peter, James and John. We know that Jesus is about to be arrested, brutally murdered by the state for the sin of the world. As God, Jesus knew what was going to happen. As a man, Jesus was utterly terrified. Jesus was absolutely terrified about what was coming – the cross. Jesus is actually overwhelmed. What do you do, as a Christian, when you are overwhelmed? Pray. Jesus needed trusted friends to watch – Peter, James and John. Interestingly, these are the same three He chose to watch the Transfiguration. These three had seen the glory of Jesus, where He shone like the sun. Surely these men, who had seen the transfiguration, would stand firm for their Saviour. However, they did not, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (v.38). They let their Saviour down – they fell asleep.

Compare this account of the disciples’ failure to what Jesus did: The disciples fell asleep, Jesus stayed awake. Jesus fought temptation. He could have run away, never to be arrested, never to face the cross. But in love, He stayed in Gethsemane to be arrested. He fought the temptation to flee until His flash started to break down. In Luke’s account, chapter 22, Jesus fought to this extent until His capillaries burst, until He sweat drops of blood. Never question His love for you. He left heaven to allow His flesh be broken. What a Saviour! Such love!

This torture was in utter contrast to the disciples, who gave into their sinful flesh and went to sleep, letting their Saviour down. Jesus’ pain, however, was not in His fight against the flesh. As God, Jesus cannot sin. His fight, His torment in the Garden of Gethsemane was caused by His requirement to embrace sin for our atonement. Jesus, the author of creation, eternally one with God the Father and Spirit, in perfect triune holiness, pure love, was about to take unto Himself the sins of the world. Your sin. My sin. On Him. He was about to be treated as if He had committed every act of violence, every act of hate, every act of perversion that every human being has ever done. The vilest thing, the violinist thought you have ever had. In love for you, Jesus said, ‘Give it all to me.’

The consequences of this meant He had to break the eternal bond with the Father as He turned His face away. Jesus’ pain wasn’t fighting against the temptation to sin, it was fighting the temptation, as a holy God, to flee from sin. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, because of your sin and because of my sin, later cried out on the cross, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (15:34). What a thing for Him to have to say. In the greatest act of love, by taking unto Himself our sin, the Son had to receive the wrath of His Father that we and other Christians justly deserve.

The perfect Lamb of God, on Calvary’s hill, took an eternity of wrath. He took the holy fire that purges all evil, for the faithful. Aren’t you grateful to be among the faithful? He took the judgement we deserve so we don’t have to face it. Hallelujah! Can you imagine the holy Lamb of God fighting against His calling to take unto Himself the sins of the world?

What we reach here is not just Jesus praying in the garden, but a divine conflict. Jesus is praying in Gethsemane. ‘Gethsemane’ means ‘olive press,’ the place where olives were crushed, squeezed by opposing forces, so what is inside can be squeezed out to make oil. Under this moment of divine pressure, as Jesus is crushed, we see love being poured out. He pleaded with His Father to let this cup pass, but then He cries out, because He loves us and He loves Hi Father, ‘‘Not my will, but thine be done.’

The cry if the Christian is, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’ This simple prayer can help you to stop sinning. My dear friends, when you are having your time of prayer as a church, with your bibles open, you are not committing an outward sin. When you are praying, you are not searching for something online you shouldn’t be watching or lying to a loved one. When you are in the presence of God, His holiness makes you so aware of your sinful nature you are less likely to sin. You are less likely to commit outward, public sins. Temptation is a killer. ‘The wages of sin are death.’ When you are tempted, put down immediately what is leading you astray and pray to the Father, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’

When you say this prayer, be reminded of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. In His fight Against temptation, He took you sins because He loves you. He put it to death. So should you. That sin you are about to commit, He would have taken to the cross. ‘‘Not my will, but thine be done.’  

It is not that easy. Life is hard. We live in a world filled with temptation. We can’t just say a few words and all this temptation will go away. It is too hard. Every day we fall into sin. How can we stay awake if the disciples who saw the Transfiguration couldn’t keep watch for even one hour? My answer is quite simple and beautiful. It is grace. Jesus, here in Gethsemane, is being pressed in divine conflict, in mental anguish. His body is breaking down. His only comfort is to plead with His Father. Yet, He breaks this time of prayer to see the disciples are OK, “And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?” (v.37). Isn’t that profound! Jesus is preparing to go through Hell. Hell for Peter’s sin. Hell for James’ sin. Hell for John’s sin. Yet, He stops His prayer time with His Father to make sure they are O.K.

What a God we serve. As our mediator, He does the same for each of us today. We get the same treatment as Peter, James and John. We too are His disciples. He will wake you up from your sleep. Jesus is unchanging. He breaks time with His Father to see you are OK. In love, He will get you back on track. That is overwhelming. That is grace. What a Saviour we come to worship. ‘Not my will but thine be done.’

July 21st 2024: Gary Brady

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“Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2b)

A brand from the burning.

A similar phrase is found in the book of Amos chapter 4 verse 11. It paints the same picture. It is a striking image of fire, like a campfire. A stick has gone in and started to burn. It shouldn’t be there, so you find a way of rescuing it. You say, ‘Is this not a burning stick plucked out of the fire?’

Zachariah comes towards the end of the Old Testament. He is one of the later Old Testament prophets. The first part of his book is a series of visions he had all in one night. Here, Joshua the high priest stood before the angel of the Lord, Satan at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord rebukes Satan, “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2b). At the start of the vision Joshua is dressed in filthy, dirty rags. The angel orders that these should be removed and be replaced with clean clothes. Joshua is then given a charge; God tells him, “If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts and I will give you a place among those standing here.” Joshua and those with him are told that they are men symbolic of things to come. There is the prophecy that God is going to ‘bring my servant, the branch.’ The Messiah is pictured as a branch.

“Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2b). This verse could be taken as a cry of victory. The phrase carries a tone of affirmation. The man was in the fire but snatched out of it.

Think who this language may be applied to. In context, Joshua the high priest is a representation of his people after they have come back from exile in Babylon. It points forward to when the Messiah will come and remove sin in a single day – at Calvary, when sin is removed from His people. If we know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we are ‘sitting pretty’ and inviting others to know the joy of sins forgiven. It applies to all true believers. We are like a stick snatched out of a fire. This probably applies more to some than others. Some go a long way in their sins, they look as if they’re going to hell but then they are certainly snatched to safety and all is well, “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 22-23).

Even those who come to Christ have no smell of burning on them but are sticks snatched from the fire. Some people who have been converted are notorious for their sins, but God converts them. Jesus was crucified with two criminals either side of Him, one who was converted at the end of his life. The apostle Paul hated Christians and did everything possible to hinder the gospel. Yet he was suddenly converted. This fire brand is snatched from the flames, then he was preaching the faith he had tried to destroy. C.S. Lewis was a complete atheist who had no time for God. Yet, quite unexpectedly, he was converted. God worked in his heart. Another example of a burning stick snatched from the fire is Mitsuo Fuchida. He was one of the top pilots in Japan, a Great War hero.

Sometimes, God works in the worst people. Manasseh was the worst king of Judah. But if you read 2 Chronicles chapter 33 you will see that in his distress, he humbled himself and prayed to God. After 54 years of evil reign, Manasseh knew the Lord God and told Judah to serve the Lord.

Luke Short was 100 years old when he was converted. He sat in a field contemplating the end of his life, and remembered a sermon he had heard 85 years before, when he was 15 years old. He was converted and became an elder of a local church until his death, when he was 117! Death bed conversions also occur. Other unexpected conversions include Onesimus and John Newton.

Some have known an overwhelming sense of guilt – in the fire but snatched out. This includes the jailer in Philippi. Martin Luther, John Bunyan and Spurgeon were all in great distress before being converted.

Note how appropriate the phrase is, “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2b).

  1. Judas and Peter were both equally sinful (Ephesians 2:3) and deserving of wrath. God’s salvation is the only thing that makes a difference.
  2. A burning stick snatched from the fire was once very near to be burning up.
  3. A burning stick from the fire retains some evidence of its dangerous situation. There is evidence that it was once in the fire. When we sin we think how can we be like that when we are saved.
  4. A burning stick from the fire does not save itself. It doesn’t jump out of the fire itself. We do not save ourselves. We will only be saved if God snatches us from the flames.

January 21st 2024: Phil Meiring

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Acts 16:11-40

Acts 16:30 – the ultimate question – “What must I do to be saved?”

At least forty times in the New Testament, being saved is used to describe someone becoming a Christian. There are other words and phrases used in the Bible which describe other important aspects of someone becoming a Christian, e.g. ‘born again,’ ‘adopted.’ But the word ‘saved’ is particularly fundamental to a right understanding of the message of the cross.

1.      Who can get saved?

This account clearly demonstrates that anyone can get saved. Anyone who recognises they are
a rebel before God. Lost. Come with me to a Roman colony in northern Greece and
let’s meet the three characters in our reading. They lived in a town called Philippi
situated on the chariot way between the Adriatic sea and the Aegean sea. It is
a thriving business centre.

You couldn’t get three more different characters than the three we meet here. Lydia
(Acts 16:14-15). Everything is packed into two verses. A woman, a
businesswoman, a worshipper of God. A non-dramatic conversion, “The Lord opened
her heart.”

A clairvoyant slave girl (Acts 16:16-18). A young slave girl. She knew exactly what the message
was all about, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling
you the way to be saved.” On the street, the girl with the dark powers was
dramatically saved.

The jailor (Acts 16:19 onwards). This man would have looked quite at home outside a nightclub in
Haverfordwest. Arguably, his is the most dramatic conversion story of the
passage. Pagan to believer in a night! We are going to follow this guy’s story
more closely. Let’s climb in through his bedroom window.

v.27. The jailor is fast asleep. The moonlight illuminates the courtyard. It’s been a mad day
with some very odd customers to contend with – banged up but singing out loud
to God and praying – and no booze insight! Suddenly, his bed is shaking
violently. There’s a loud bang. He sits bolt upright in great fear. He rushes
over to the window and looks out across the yard toward the prison block. A
great cloud of dust is settling in the moonlight. He notices the prison door
hanging off its hinges and a heap of masonry.

Suddenly, his blood runs cold. The prisoners – they’ll all be gone. His heart begins
pounding as he leaps out to bed. He stumbles across the courtyard, over the
rubble and enters the prison building. It’s all deathly quiet and dark inside.
They must be gone. He draws his sword . . .

v.28. Some sweet words echo along the corridor, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!”

v.29. The jailer calls his servant for a light. Shaking like a leaf, he stumbles into the cell
of Paul and Silas and falls at their feet. We don’t know, but he must have had
Paul and Silas with tears streaming down his face, thanking them.

v.30. Then, they all emerge into the moonlight. Does the jailer say, “Guys, I owe my life
to you! Tell me guys, what can I do for you?” No! He says, “Sir, what must I do
to be saved?”

Now, that is odd. This man has been saved from a beheading, suicide and an earthquake. What
more could he a man want to be saved from? But something else was surfacing in
his heart. It was deeply troubling him and it had been bothering him ever since
these two religious guys had first hit the town.

The jailer’s question is almost certainly a response to the message that Paul and Silas had
been declaring on the street, and to the unusual events of the night – guys singing
instead of cursing and guys who didn’t even ‘leg-it’ when the earthquake blew
off the jail door!

2.      What are we saved from?

From this chapter alone we cannot provide the answer. Clearly, the slave girl knew there
was something to be saved from and a ‘way to be saved’ (v.27). So, what was it?

A strap line for Paul’s message found in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “Jesus who rescues us from
the coming wrath.” That’s what it is, “The coming wrath.”

God is not some philosophical concept simply to plug a gap in our consciousness. He is one
who made us, keeps our hearts beating this very minute, and has genuine
emotions toward us. God has feelings too. I put it to you, we need to be saved
from the consequences of the one emotion, wrath, and saved as a consequence of
the other emotion bound in love of God expressed in the Lord Jesus.

The jailor how to become aware that he was a condemned man, even though he had the key to
every cell in the block. The wrath of God was heading his way and God was on
his case. In that moment, the jailor felt his need to be saved.

I have deliberately introduced the idea that God has feelings and so it is important
that I clarify this understanding. Already you might be asking, God, got
emotions? Yes, because He is a person, but it is critical to the glory of God’s
Being that we recognise that His emotions are of an entirely different order to
those that we experience. There is some correspondence, but His responses out
of one who, unlike us, is perfect, holy and just in His character. The one who
is eternally unchangeable in attitude. God doesn’t have ‘mood swings’ like us. Emotions
with Him are not involuntary. He doesn’t ‘fall in love.’ He is love. His
feelings and actions towards His creation are consistent, predictable and
steadfast.

You might be wondering whether God ought to be angry. We sociate anger with someone who is
irritable or flies off the handle. This is not how it is with God. His anger is
a controlled consistent opposition of His holy nature to rebel mankind. It is a
must with God to express His divine justice. He has every right to be angry. Remember
this, there are times when human anger is a just and acceptable emotion to
express e.g. when a marriage relationship is violated or when a war crime is
committed.

The word ‘wrath’ is used 16 times in Paul’s letters and in the accounts of his ministry.
It was a word that galvanised his gospel preaching along with that of ‘love.’ Paul
sensed that not only is the anger of God something awaiting in the future but
it is very much how God feels toward all rebels right now. In his letter to the
Romans Paul says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all
the godliness and wickedness of men.” (Romans 1:18). This is how God feels this
very morning about each and every rebel.

3.      How are we saved?

v.31. Paul gave the jailor the answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus …” In verse 32 he
explains his answer not only to the jailor but to his wife and kids. Then, shortly
after midnight, not only is the jailor saved but all his family. Eternally
safe, never to have to suffer the wrath of God. But what’s more, totally
overjoyed at the experience of believing!

Simple. Turning away from my former life, resting in all that Jesus did at the cross.
Surely, you can’t get saved just like that. Yes, you can! It is simply resting
in what Jesus has done.

“For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Jesus and what He did was the
consequences of the extreme love of God. Love of immeasurable dimensions
(Ephesians 3:18).

Do you want to know how extreme the love of God was toward you and I? I’ll tell you.

i). When the eternal Son of God, Jesus, left home and joined us for 33 years. It wasn’t a
state visit. No red carpet. He came as a suffering servant. (Philippians
2:6-8).

ii). The minute He stepped out of heaven, the incarnation arrangement would become
permanent. The second person of the Trinity would take on our humanity and
become wedded to it forever. (1 Corinthians 15:28, 49).

iii). At the cross itself, the Son would face, on behalf of you and I, the fierce anger of
His dearly loved Father. This would be an awful and uniquely distressing event
within the Being of God, as Jesus was counted a sinner on our behalf. (Matthew
26:36, 27, 46).

Our rebellion could not be forgiven (washed away) simply on account of the enormous
and overwhelming love of God. Justice had to be done. His wrath had to be
satisfied. His love put His Son there at the cross and His wrath was poured out
on Him as He was counted the sinner, the rebel in our place. This is how your
penalty was paid. His wrath towards the rebel, rightly arising out of His holy
nature, was satisfied. The wrath and love of God collided at the cross.

Seeker:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” This means turn from your
rebel ways and rest in what He has done for you. At that moment you will be
safe.

Believer: The
love and wrath of God are two wheels on the gospel chariot. If one comes off
there is no telling where the chariot will end up!



 



 



August 6th 2023: 201st Morning Anniversary Service Gaius Douglas

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To watch this service, click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WhS7A4EiySw

John 17:20-26

We have been brought here today to bring Him the glory and the praise. One day, we will see Him face to face and we will adore Him. Do you appreciate how blessed and privileged you are? If we know the Lord Jesus Christ we can rejoice in Him. This is a most wonderful chapter. The Bible is an amazing book. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”

This morning, we are looking at the intercessory prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator, the go-between between God and man. He stands between two parties where there is a difference. He negotiates to try and reconcile both together. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ has done. We have a problem – sin. Since the garden of Eden, mankind has always had an issue with sin. It has separated man from God and God from man. We read in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”

The problem of sin stands between God’s relationship between you and me. Sin entered the world through man, death came. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, stood in the gap between man and God, and put away sin being our sin and shame on Calvary’s cross.  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). As He died and was buried, our sins were buried with Him. He had no sin, so he was raised. We’re here because of the resurrecting Jesus Christ. He is risen! Hallelujah!

We have an invitation, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24). If you know and love the Lord Jesus Christ you have been passed from death to life, living in Jesus Christ. We have the Mediator who has made it possible for each of us to be saved. If you haven’t trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ will say, ‘Depart from me’ on judgement day. You have no excuse to say you have not heard the invitation. Jesus Christ says He has died for us, laid down His life for us. You can rejoice in the fact of having everlasting life if you place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In John chapter 17 the Lord Jesus Christ, before going to Calvary’s cross, prayed for you and me. Remarkable! How much time do you spend praying? In our Bible study of Malachi we have learned we are priests. When we pray, we pray for each other. The work we are engaged in is all supported in prayer. Without prayer, there is no work, the words have little impact. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25). Do you know the Lord is interceding for each of us here? Do you appreciate it?

This morning we are going to look at the unity of believers in Christ and unity as a basis in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The unity of believers in Christ

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” (John 17:20). The Lord Jesus Christ emphasises how important it is to pray. He was speaking from a position where He Himself prayed. He prayed even though He was tired and weary (John 4). Sometimes, I can’t sleep. My mind is buzzing. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in prayer. When we come to Luke chapter 18, the Parable of the Persistent Widow, the Lord Jesus starts by saying, “Man ought always to pray and not lose heart.” It is a wonderful thing to pray and not lose heart, to put things into His hands and leave it there.

Jesus went into mountains and prayed. He was the Word who became flesh (John 1:1). He spoke the world into being, yet He still prayed. He knew He needed to pray to His Father. He enters heaven with prayer. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16). We can come right into the presence of God and we can pray. Do you have prayer time with the Lord, communicating with him, spending time with him?

This prayer emphasises the interest the Lord Jesus Christ has for every believer. He has given eternal life for every believer (John 17:2 & 20). We will never die! Do you believe that? “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” (John 10:27-30). The triple lock!

When we pray the devil trembles. Even the demons believe and tremble. When we pray Satan is scared. We are speaking to our God and Father, He is infusing His life into us. He is giving us the power to go out to serve Him. Jesus prays for those who will believe in Him, through His word. Without prayer, the word has very little meaning. We pray before and after we read, we pray with the word, we pray in the word. We pray together.

Unity as the basis in the gospel of preaching

“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21). In Penuel Chapel, even though we are small in number, the wonderful thing is how people who come here love to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ. They do it because of the reality of Christ in their lives. If Christ is real in your life you will share about Him. Do you love speaking about the Lord?

Jesus Christ is the common denominator in the unity among the people of God from different parts of the world. We have something to talk about. When the Lord Jesus Christ was here, He always spoke about the father. He lifted up the father in His walk, He lifted up the father in his life, He lifted up the father in His prayer. How often we forget about Him. He lifted up his father’s name, He spent His time praying because it was His Father’s glory to hear His voice. He prayed in the midst of people. This unity in the gospel is based very much on prayer and the word of God. What a privilege that we are one in Christ.

The oneness with Christ surpasses all other relationships. We are heirs with Christ. Everything that belongs to Him belongs to you if you know Him. This is the depth of God’s love. He wants us to express that oneness in our lives. We are one in Christ. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we see Jesus, the one who has made me one with Him. We want others to know our saviour. The oneness that’s with him, is with us.

“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:11-12). Are you a child of God? If you are a child of God, you are one with Him. We have the Spirit of God in us which has bound us with Christ. Do we appreciate who we are in Christ? We are one with Christ therefore you are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I love you because you love Christ. He loves me. That’s all that matters.

All the apostles died for the name of the Lord. Our saviour gave His life a ransom for many, that you may live through Him. You are alive in the power of that endless life.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3). I’m heaven bound. My home is heaven. Where is your home? Heaven. Praise the Lord!

January 8th 2023: John Funnell

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To watch the morning service, please click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/QcBDGAezUBE

Text reading: Psalm 51

Text focus: Matthew 6:12: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

            The topic for today’s messages is “forgiveness.” This morning we shall look at the first part of Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts …” and this afternoon the second part, “… as we forgive our debtors”.

“And forgive us our debts …”

            The context of this statement is the model prayer the Lord gave to His disciples. In many ways this verse is the fulcrum or pivot of the whole. The root of all of humanity’s problems and difficulties is the need for forgiveness. But forgiveness from what? The Greek word translated as “debts” is a legal term meaning “to what is justly owed.” In Luke 11:4 where the model prayer is given again the word used there is “sins” (“and forgive us our sins”). This word is rightly translated in Luke as “sins” as it means “departing from doing what is right.”

            Now we have in the model prayer a daily request for forgiveness. Why? Why request this daily? Why is sin seen as a debt to the Creator of all things?

            The answer to these questions is that it is God the Creator who gave us life. Here are just a selection of Scriptures which affirm God’s right to ownership of our lives:

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4).

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  (Psalm 139:13).

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10).

God gave us our life. So, every breath we take, every step we make, is all because of God who made us. We owe Him everything. Without Him we have no life.

            Pause a moment. Take a deep breath in and then out. God gave that breath to you – all our breaths are God-given.

            Now God gave us life so that we might delight in Him and glorify Him. But instead, we waste life doing what we want rather than what God (who is utterly good) desires. This departure from what God desires from us is called “sin” and this sin creates a debt. We use our breaths (given of God) for self to do as we please, whereas God actually gave us these breaths to glorify Him.

            I wonder if you have ever borrowed money or maybe you have lent money to someone? What happens if the debt owed cannot be paid? If such occurs, then various things result. There is estrangement. The debtor avoids the lender because they cannot pay. When the lender comes around for the money to be repaid the debtor hides or doesn’t answer the door. There is also the terrible feeling of guilt. The debtor is always in debt to the one who lent the money, and this imbalance doesn’t go away. The debtor feels guilt at not being able to repay the debt owed. Debt also causes shame. A person in debt is considered to be of lower value generally in society. The wealthy are situated in the top ranks whilst those in debt are considered of lower value. Finally, debt causes anxiety. It is something that always hangs over the person. They are never free from the problem, and it leads to worry about how they can continue on and get clear of the debt. Estrangement, guilt, shame, and anxiety are some of the fruits of being in debt when you cannot repay what is owed. Debt is a terrible thing for relationships. If you owe a friend money you cannot repay you will likely feel these effects in your relationship to that friend. Debt causes fear, loneliness, separation, guilt, shame and so on.

            But the same is true with regard to God. However, in the case of God, the problems and breakdown is that much greater, for God is prefect and true. We are not in debt to God concerning money or Mammon, but in respect to life. The life we have is given of God for a purpose – a good purpose. We have taken that life and squandered it on baseless, worthless things. As we do so we run up more and more debts in connection with the Lord.

 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23).

Breaking terms with God is breaking terms with the life-giver. This leads to death and ultimately to eternal damnation. God is a God of order and justice, and this problem of our debt is a legal one. We are legally bound and are now owing God what is justly owed. All who sin are breaking the law and become lawless (1 John 3:4). All sin is lawlessness. The use of legal language in the model prayer is given because sin is utterly serious. It is not a matter which can easily be discarded. When we break the law, just reparation and repayment must be made.        

            Sin, our ongoing sin, is the cause of our debt, our increasing debt, to God the life-giver. We cannot give back the life He has given because we do not have the ability to create life. Life can only come from God, the source of life. When He gives life it is a very precious thing and to waste it in sin and all that opposes God is a serious matter. What will happen now? We have squandered life given of God and we cannot ever repay this debt incurred because we do not have the ability to create the life we have wasted. Sin creates: loneliness, guilt, shame, estrangement.

            Now notice also that this is very personal. It is “our” sin. It is “my” sin. It is not just sin in general, but the wasted life moments I have squandered. Now God is just and wholly so. The debt we have built up creates a terrifying situation for us. The Lord God who gave us life holds us totally accountable for this debt that we have incurred personally. All of us are in this predicament. Each of us has wasted the life-breaths we have been given for folly and rebellion, and now the Lord looks on and asks: what have you done with the life and the life-breaths I gave you? Now many will reply at this point: is not the Lord gracious and merciful? Will He not simply let these things go and make no mention of it all? Well, we must understand that God is just and holy. The reason He takes our sin so seriously is because He takes us (His created image-bearers) seriously. Dr. Paul Blackham put it like this:

“He does not hold us to account because He is a tyrant. He holds us to account because He loves us.”

Here is the good news. God values us so highly. He values us so much that He is jealous when we turn from Him and commit sin. Imagine a good father with his children. When they disobey and cause mayhem the father does not stop loving them but disciplines them and brings them to see the error of their ruinous ways. God values us so highly and He will not let us go. He is so serious about us and about our debt that we have incurred that He will do anything necessary to redeem us. He is so serious about dealing with our debt and our due, and so serious about getting us back on track, that He gave us His only begotten Son.

            If you doubt that God is serious about you and your debts He replies: “I am Jesus-serious!” He says unequivocally: “I sent My Son, My Precious Only-Begotten Son for you!” He came into that which He had made (in the incarnation). He became history to pay off all the debt you owed. Your sin was so expensive – seriously, astronomically expensive – that it cost the Son of God His life. Christ fulfilled our potential for He was perfect and sinless. And on the cross He died the just death that we deserved. On Calvary all sin was paid in full.

            If we now have faith in Him and trust Him truly then we are moved from the red to the black! He has done everything legally required to clear all of the debts. There is no limit to what God will do to free you from guilt, isolation, anxiety, fear and estrangement that such debts caused. God the Father loves you, but He hates the sin. He loved you so much that He sent His Only Son to pay the debt you owed by dying in your place, and He lived a perfect life which you ought to have given in return for the life-breath He gave you.

            Why did He do this? It is so you no longer have to hide from God and you don’t have to avoid Him anymore. You do not need to worry about how to make amends. You do not need to be ashamed, nor to feel guilty at all anymore. All that the Saviour did in His life and in His death met the requirements each of us should have given to God our Creator. If you truly trust in Him, you have been washed clean, and the slate of debts has been scrubbed and wiped clean. There is no need to be anxious, nor fearful anymore, for all sins have been dealt with in Christ. And so, we can readily come to Christ for all has been forgiven. Not simply swept away under a carpet, but dealt with fully and legally. There is now no debt left for it has all been paid in full.

            The word “forgive” in Matthew 6:12 is from a Greek word which can also mean “to let go,” “to be released,” or “to be sent away.” It has the idea of freedom and it can also mean “to cover.”

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36).

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1).

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. (1John 3:5).

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” (1Peter 4:8).

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14).

The Lord has covered, He has washed, He has sent away our sin and released us from it so we can live in free fellowship with Him. Christ paid for it all!

            The Lord wants you to believe the truth that all sin has been wiped out, annulled, dealt with, paid for, and removed, and He wants you to trust this daily. Remember that He asks us to pray this prayer daily. Not simply because we sin every day, but He asks us to pray this daily so that we do not forget that our sins are utterly forgiven. We can thence rest in blessed, loving, full, communion with Him who has freely forgiven us all our sins.

            We can only pray this prayer because of what Christ has done in His life and on Calvary in His death. As a result of Christ’s work we have full and free forgiveness. Now forgiveness comes to us only by us truly knowing Christ. Do we know Him? It is not enough to just believe intellectually – the devil does that, but it does him no good. Do you know Him? Are you in right relationship with Him so that you know that your sins are all dealt with completely?

“… as we forgive our debtors.”

            Sin causes damage to relationships, but God has forgiven us freely. In Matthew 18:21-35 we read the parable of the unforgiving servant. Peter asks the Lord: how often should we forgive someone a debt? Up to seven times? The Lord replies by increasing what Peter thought was a perfect number (7) and multiplies it to 70 x 7, which effectively indicates an infinite number – the complete (7) completion (7) multiplied by all-encompassing (10). Now if we truly recognised the scale of forgiveness by God for our own sins, we must conclude that we have no right to bear a grudge against others. If God has forgiven me all of this, how can I not forgive others when they sleight me or sin against me? In the parable, the amount of debts for each one are meant to show us the incredibly large debt owed to God, compared to the much smaller debts we incur one to another. We might say that the unforgiving servant was forgiven a debt of £1000,000, whilst the debt he was owed was just £10. How we need to recognise the incredible and awesome release of debts we have been given of God! And how insignificant are the debts we are owed one to another. One person likened the difference between the debt we owed God and the debts we owed one another to the height of the cathedral roof in comparison to the minor undulations of the floor surface. The vast distance between the ground and the roof in a cathedral speaks of the immense debt we owe to God, whilst the little bumps and indentations in the floor are the depth or height of the debts we owe one to another.

            Now it is essential we recognise our complete forgiveness in Christ for all sin we have committed, past, present and future. We are now utterly secure with God. We have peace with Him. And so, because God has forgiven us so much, we ought also to forgive one another. If we cannot forgive others, then it is doubtful that we appreciate that we have been forgiven by the Lord. Now in Matthew 6:14 we learn that the forgiven one is a forgiving person. The same is true with regard to mercy. The one who has received mercy is himself merciful. The model prayer of Matthew 6 is a beautifully crafted prayer, but there is a significant amount of space given in this to the topic of forgiveness.

            Stephen, the first martyr, prayed for his murderers as they stoned him, asking for their forgiveness. Now forgiveness is not something we understand as something we earn. Because we are forgiven, we can therefore freely forgive others. If we do not freely forgive others, then there is an issue concerning our salvation. Psalm 137:9 might be considered a very unusual text to turn to. It does not appear to be a very Christian sentiment. However, it is important to note that the Psalmist is not taking such an action himself and he is not telling anyone else to do it either. What he is doing is speaking honestly. He knows that the Lord will bring about justice, and when justice is done it will be good. We have clear commands in the New Testament about forgiving one another.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  (Colossians 3:12,13).

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32).

Let us bask in the forgiveness of God in Christ and let us freely forgive one another!

July 12th 2022: John Funnel

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

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Jonah 1:1-3

Who here has heard of the story of Jonah? After Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Christmas and Easter, Jonah is probably the most well-known story in the Bible – the man swallowed by a whale. That’s the popular narrative. The story is a really important one. Because it is so popular, we gloss over the beauty of it. The story of Jonah gives us a lens through which we can all see all of redemptive history. That’s why it is such a beautiful book. In the story of Jonah we meet the character of God. The story is not necessarily about Jonah, but God. We see God is beautiful. We also come to learn something of ourselves in His beauty too.

Despite the notoriety of Jonah’s story, we know very little about this man. He was the son of Amittai. I 2 Kings chapter 14 we are told he was from a place called Gath-hepher, meaning ‘the wine press’ or ‘well.’ This is also believed to be the place where Jonah is buried. Gath-hepher is significant; it is a very small village on a rocky hill, just a few miles walk from Nazareth. So, it is a place where Jesus probably went to regularly as a boy and was taught about the story of Jonah and remembered it in His ministry. We know the story of Jonah clearly made an impact on Jesus because He mentions him.

The book of Jonah is very different; it is about the prophet rather than what the prophet said. The message actually comes in the life of the person, not necessarily his words. Jonah is also unique in that he is a prophet called to get up and go out. There is no option to work from home. He was told to get up and go – go out to work. The place where he was told to go was an absolute dump, a godless place – Nineveh. The prophet Nahum kindly writes a travel guide for us. He describes Nineveh as a bloody city, full of deceit, full of war, robberies, witchcraft, drunkenness, and oppression. It is essentially a society that exists without God. Would you want to go to that place? No.

Sometimes we are too harsh on Jonah. Imagine if you were called to the crack dens of Swansea, Bridgend, Cardiff or Newport, or even the Lord calling you this morning to go to the Donbas, to witness on the front line against Russian military. Would you be in a rush to get going, to leave your comfortable beds in your lovely homes in Pembrokeshire? Would you be prepared to get up and go, to risk your life, to be with people you don’t know, who you don’t agree with, who do not like you. People who will no doubt be hostile, even violent towards you for bringing a message of truth to them. Would you get up and go? It’s tough.

Let me give a less extreme example. Imagine you have had an argument this week. You are in the right, they are in the wrong. You are angry. They are still being nasty to you. Would you go up and say sorry? Would you be the first to apologise for your part in the argument? We don’t like doing that, do we? The point I’m making is that we are all a bit like Jonah.

We all struggle to put self to death for the furthering of God’s kingdom. It’s hard. We all like to do what we like to do, what is easiest for us. We do not like to do what God tells us to do. Nobody here likes to love our enemies, do we? Every one of us is guilty of what Jonah is guilty of here. Lesson 1 pf Jonah – don’t be too harsh on Jonah. We’re all Jonah’s. Let’s get some acknowledgement of that shall we? Get your hands up if you think you’ve been a Jonah?

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil[a] has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:2). God speaks to Jonah with clear, specific instruction. He essentially says, ‘Leave your lovely, comfortable village. Leave your home, leave your friends, leave your family and go to the great city of Nineveh – the treacherous, hateful, godless town.

Jonah essentially says ‘no, absolutely not.’ Not only does he say no, he actually, proactively goes against God and goes in a different direction. In verse 3 we see he went to Joppa, 60 miles away. That’s like us getting up and walking to Aberystywth. He went to Joppa to get a ship to go to Tarshish, over 2,000 miles away! It’s like going to Birmingham Airport, then flying to Moscow, to get away.

Jonah really did not want to go to Nineveh. The length he went to, to get away from God’s calling on his life, is significant. It’s telling. That’s why it’s in the Bible. Jonah did not have to travel all that way to reject God’s call. He could have said ‘no’ from home. He didn’t have to travel. Jonah travelled all that way to get away from God altogether. That was his hope.

Tarshish, at this time, was very significant. It was the end of the known world at the time, you couldn’t go any further. As an old covenant Jew, Jonah’s relationship was built on blood and land. Jonah believed the further he got away from Israel, the further he got away from his land, the further he got away from God Himself and the further he could get away from the burden, the call to preach truth in Nineveh.

Jonah is running away from God, from the call of God’s grace. As Christians, we’ve all done that. We run from our burdens that God places on our hearts. We run from the people that cause us difficulties, who we should love and help all the more. We run away from our responsibilities to do what we want to do instead, so we can have an easy life. We run so far at times we think we have got away with it, that we have escaped God Himself. Do you know what always happens when we do that? We fall into sin. We fall into sin when we do a Jonah. When we sin, we think we have escaped God’s presence.

Sin – when we do something that we would never dream of doing before the throne room of God Himself. Sin is when we do something that we would never dream of doing sat here in the pews at church. Sin comes when we hide ourselves away, when we’re locked behind closed doors, where nobody can see us. We fulfil our lusts and desires, thinking we have got away with it. We think we have successfully hidden from God. But the reality is He is always watching.

He is always there. He is always with you by your side. He is watching, He is remembering everything you do and He is mourning over it. He grieves as you sin. That’s terrifying. Sin enters our life when we forget God is with us wherever we go. Sin comes when we think we are not in God’s presence. Sin comes when we think we’ve run to Tarshish. Sin comes when, as Christians, we forget that God lives in us. The scriptures say we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God is not going anywhere. We are Christians. Everywhere we go and everything we do in this life is theological. We are God’s love in action. You can run to Tarshish but He is still with you.  

What Jonah reminds us of here is that God is everywhere. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is Creator God. In Christ, He came in person. He entered into the fabric of time and space that He created, to become historic fact. He came to live in our brokenness, in the brokeness of places like Nineveh, in the brokenness of our hearts. He came to live in our fear. He came to live to experience heartache and pain, and loneliness. He came for you. He came to save your soul. He came to put your sin to death on the cross and then bury it. On the third day He rose again, giving us a fresh start in His Resurrection power. New life! Hallelujah! Liberty.  Freedom. Redemption from the pressures of this world, so we never have to run anywhere.

We have been liberated to walk with our God and answer His call. We have been freed to meet with Him daily, to know Him as a brother and a friend, as a King and as a Saviour. He is all of those things. Gracious, precious, God, Messiah. I love Him. Do you? He is with you wherever you go.  He is here, right now, rejoicing as His people gather in His name. Jesus is present. Hallelujah!

If you do not know Him and you want to know the joy that passes all understanding, to be part of His redemption plan, to hear His voice and be called and sent, then I pray that you will dive into the reality of His grace for you. Trust that on that cross, the historical event of the Crucifixion, He died for you. Receive Jesus as your Lord today and you can swim in His love. He is sovereign. He wants you. You can run away from all you want, but He is here calling you. He is here in Spirit, and He is here just for you. Amen.