We are back on line with sermons preached in the Sunday morning service. Yesterday Pastor Bell preached from Luke 5:33-39 regarding what Jesus said about fasting.
You can click here to go to the Internet Archive page to listen to the sermon, or listen to the sermon using the player below.
Sermon notes are not available for this message.
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Posted in Sermons
Here is a little gem written by Michael Haykin over at The Andrew Fuller Center. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we get back to our devotionals from Luke and Other texts.
True Christianity thoroughly communal
I am increasingly nonplussed by a Christianity—albeit Reformed in doctrine—that is as hermetically sealed as any of the individualistic ideologies of contemporary North American culture. We do church Sunday morn and eve, and then retreat to our separate worlds and our paths rarely cross with our fellow worshippers till Wednesday prayer meeting or the Lord’s Day following. What kind of Christianity is this? What kind of Christianity is it that does not create communities of friends?
I have never gotten over the communitarian spirit of those far-off days of the 1960s when some of us were given a vision of community that the spirit of that era could not achieve. The solidarity of the Marxist International sparked by reading Che and Marcuse turned out to be nothing but a bad dream. And the communes of peace and love espoused by the hippie culture disappeared into the rigidity of the political correct communities and their watchdogs of the 1980s and 1990s.
But when we became Christians we knew we had found the real thing. Forty years on, I have no doubts at all that friendship with the Lord Jesus is the vision we glimpsed from afar in those heady days of the sixties. He is the only One with the words of eternal life. He is the only One who has a plan for community that is sweetly satisfying to the human soul and truly liberating to the human person.
And I admit it, reading such books as Augustine’s City of God and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together spoiled me for anything less! And so I know the pain of those in our day who have been hurt by the Church and see that she is not what she should be. May God give me grace that I never give up on the Church, the beloved of my Beloved. But I wonder: what will it take for us to realize the hollowness of affirming we are a community of the Crucified One and yet know nothing of the pain and joy of walking with one another, our Lord’s brothers and sisters, in daily life? And don’t tell me, such is the way of life in the twenty-first century.
Posted in Articles
I love good poetry and this morning I found a great piece of work over at NT Resources. There is nothing so comforting than the knowledge that God is in absolute sovereign control and that He loves us, is near, and works for our good. There cannot be a better combination of characteristics. I hope this poem/hymn does your soul some good.
What E’er My God Ordains is Right
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Holy his will abideth;
I will be still whate’er he doth;
And follow where he guideth:
He is my God: though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path;
I know he will not leave me:
I take, content, what he hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait his day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking:
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken;
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to him I leave it all.
Samuel Rodigast, 1676
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
Posted in Articles
Yesterday I recommended a book to you regarding Christians and depression. I mentioned that a great many Christian leaders throughout the history of the church have suffered with this affliction. One of the most famous of the depressed was Charles Spurgeon. Here is a short article with a brief quote from Spurgeon regarding one of the solutions he found for his own depression. If you are interested in further reading on the subject you can find links at the bottom of the article.
Posted in Articles
Here s a topic that is of great interest to me, and I suspect to a great many other believers as well – depression. A great many well respected Christian leaders throughout the history of the church have suffered with it and a great many still do. And yet a great many believers also treat it like a modern day leprosy with the sufferers “unclean” and untouchable. Over at Challies.com , Tim connects to a new book on the matter. In my opinion, there hasn’t yet been enough said about this, and that is really rare that Christians haven’t exhausted a subject on something.
There is a new book out entitled “Christians Get Depressed Too”
Here is a review of it and if you are interested, you can order it for yourself.
I haven’t read this yet, so I cannot comment at all, but it is good that the subject is being dealt with. If it’s of interest to you or you have suffered or are suffering with it, I am happy to provide perhaps a little bit if help.
(BTW – I tried to link to a Canadian store but the book isn’t in it yet.)
Posted in Uncategorized
I am on a week of holidays this week and instead of the usual devotions, I am posting some interesting findings from my wanderings around the information highway.
I came across the following video regarding whether God gets disappointed when we sin. The man in the video says “yes”. The whole concept gives me a headache.
Here is the video and then the response I wrote to the blogger who put it up. What do you think?
I simply cannot get my head around the whole concept of God being disappointed. It’s like talking about God “deciding” to do something. Anger, sadness, being aggrieved, hurt, yes, but disappointment? Disappointment has to do with unmet expectations and I can’t get my head around God expecting better from me if He is omniscient. He commands better of me. It’s right up there with the origin of evil in heaven and an eternal all wise, unchanging, unchangeable Being. This doesn’t make me fatalistic. It’s the sound of one hand clapping. I just don’t go there.
Posted in Uncategorized
I have decided to post an article or two from other blogs and web sites every Monday for your consideration, and, hopefully, edification and education too. I do this because 1) there are plenty of interesting things to share, and 2) I’m lazy and Monday is my day off and it’s easier for me.
This article by Albert Mohler is really disturbing. The bigger question for me though, in light of the decision made against this Christian couple is how the larger Christian community would respond if the same thing happened to them. Are we willing to stand for what we think is right even if it costs us dearly? What would you do if such a ruling were made against you?
Have a great day.
Posted in Uncategorized
Hebrews 6:1-8 (ESV)
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, [2] and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [3] And this we will do if God permits. [4] For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [6] if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. [7] For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. [8] But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
This particular text of a Scripture has been a point of controversy between Christians of different stripes for many, many years. The chapter begins with a call for the readers to leave the elementary teachings of the faith and go on to maturity. Why? Because it is impossible to be brought back once you have fallen. This is a striking thing. You will either press on to maturity or you will give up on the faith altogether. There is no mention of any middle ground. Go ahead or quit.
There is no such thing as neutrality in the Christian faith. There is no “nominal” Christianity that results in true saving faith and a welcome from God into the eternal Kingdom. Onward or nothing. Which are you going to do? Have you become complacent? Has the first love been forsaken (Revelation 2:7)? Do not deceive yourself.
You are not going to stay around in the faith if you do not go ahead. Call it a lull in your faith, a pause that is temporary or whatever. It is you starting to go backward. It starts with prayer becoming less and less a part of your daily routine and the enjoyment of it goes. The time spent in it decreases and the necessity of it becomes less and less clear. Then the Bible reading loses its zip. Can’t make much sense of it anyway. And besides, it is reasoned, I can hear plenty of it on Sundays anyway. Then it starts becoming easier to absent oneself from the gatherings of the saints. Sermons aren’t addressing the needs and that church is a bunch of weirdos anyway. Then the doctrines of the faith will start to be critiqued and conclusions will be reached that cannot be gotten out of Scripture, but they will be enough to justify the growing sense that all this church stuff is not as necessary as you once thought it was.
Do any of these things sound at all familiar? Talk to a Christian friend. Call a pastor. Ask for help. Pray. Force yourself to read a text of Scripture. Pray “Lord keep me from wandering away”. Have someone call you on Sunday morning to get you out of bed and into church. Your soul is at stake. You must not take this lightly. Do not trust feelings of surrender and criticism of the church and the Bible and the doctrines of the faith. (If you really are in a bad church then find a good one).
Do not be deceived. What you sow you will reap. Only those who do not look back are fit for the Kingdom of God. Prove out the truth of your faith by leaving the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity. There is no middle of the road. You are either going ahead or going back. Press on.
Posted in Devotions
Psalm 67:1-2 (ESV)
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
[2] that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Why should God be gracious to you? We know it is not because we deserve it. If God gives us what we deserve it would be just, but it would not be gracious. It would be earned. Grace gives what is undeserved. There are several reasons why God is gracious: His love for His children, His nature to be so, His faithfulness to His promises … . But in the opening verses of this Psalm the reason why God is gracious to us is so that His ways may be known throughout the earth.
If God is gracious to His children how will the world find out? They will tell the world how gracious God has been. They will live in such gratitude for what God has done for them that people will ask them what makes them tick. They will live so other-worldly that they will stand out in the crowd. We are created for the praise of God’s glory. Because of our sin we do not give God glory, so He saves us from our sin and enables us to live for just that reason. This means growing in our knowledge of God and the grace that He has so lavishly poured out on us.
God wants the world to know just what a great God He is, not because He is on some cosmic power trip, but because He is the greatest thing in all the universe. The One who made the universe is greater than all the wonders He has made. This is an astounding thought, for the created order contains a vast numberless host of wonders to see and hear and taste and feel. Mankind has barely begun to plumb the depths of the wonders of the created order. The world and beyond is a testimony to the greatness of our God.
He showers grace on us and brings us into a living relationship with Himself so that we can tell the world just how great and gracious and marvelous He is. He is gracious to us so that the world can behold the wonders of grace. He is gracious to us so that others will hear of His greatness and come to believe in Him as well. The very fact that you are saved is a call upon you to be an evangelist. God is the lone Creator of all that is and His desire is that all He has created know of His greatness.
This is a striking thing for the Israelite David to write. What vision did David have of world evangelism? What did he know about people from every tribe and people and tongue gathering around the throne of God to unite in praise together to the glory of God? Yet here he is writing about all the nations hearing about God’s grace. The Gospel has never been for Israel only. Israel was never meant to be the only nation brought into covenant relationship with God. The Gospel is for everyone. That truth is in the Old Testament. Paul refers to it as the mystery of the Gospel. Whatever Old Covenant saints knew of the universal offer of life, it became abundantly clear after Christ left.
The Great Commission is a fulfilment of the Gospel that is introduced in the Old Testament. What a glory the Gospel is. What a plan God has concocted and brought into being. What a day is coming when this age shall end and the new age of all nations worshipping the triune God in sinless praise!!
Posted in Devotions
Luke 6: 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Jesus uttered these words in the early years of His ministry when He was very popular. People were clamouring to hear him teach, heal, perform some sort of miracle. Many believed Him to be the promised, long awaited Messiah. Their minds are filled with magnificent ideas of what Israel will look like in Israel when the Romans are overthrown, peace is restored, and prosperity becomes the norm. Maybe they will rise to a place of prominence in the new kingdom. Who knows the kind of thoughts that have consumed many of the people who are being thrilled by the work and words of Jesus? Who wouldn’t want to get in on that? So they clamour to be known as a follower of Jesus.
As hopeful followers they will naturally call Him “Lord”. 1) “Lord” is a title of respect. It acknowledges that the one called Lord is above you. It means Master. 2) Lord is a title of orthodoxy. Jesus Christ is Lord. To call Him Lord is not overstating the case. He deserves that and more. It is a title of divinity (although it is not likely that the people used it in that sense). 3)The repetition of the word “Lord” indicates that there is passion involved. “Lord, Lord!” There is urgency, excitement, a thrilled heart. 4) It is a title saying that the one called Lord is to be heard, obeyed, and followed. This last one is the one that Jesus addresses. It is easy to utter.
People are calling Jesus “Lord” but they are not particularly interested in doing what He tells them. In relation to this message in Luke 6 that Jesus has been preaching, the people call Jesus “Lord” but they do not produce good fruit. They are hopeful that this is the Messiah but they have no interest in loving their enemies. In fact, they hope for the death of their enemies. Jesus points out the inconsistency. To call Him Lord, Lord and not do what He says is to be deceiving others, the master, or worst of all, yourself.
To say that Jesus is your Master, with some passion, and believe that you are in His good books, and act as if He has no expectations, is dangerous and hypocritical. Jesus compares it to building a house on sand. It will never stand any kind of storm, least of all the storm of God’s judgement.
For a person to say that he believes in Jesus is incredibly easy. Other religions claim that he is great and worth listening to. Cults use His teachings to justify their own errant beliefs. He is well spoken of in a great many circles of people. But He is rarely obeyed. This happens in the Christian camp as well. There are church goers and Bible readers who would never utter Jesus’ name in vain who yet live their everyday lives as if He didn’t exist. The saddest thing of all in this is that they are very confident that when Jesus returns, which they firmly believe will happen, they will be told that Jesus never knew them. Matthew puts it this way:
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
These people claim to have done great things in Jesus’ name. Jesus says that they were “workers of lawlessness”. Even while they were doing their work, Jesus was seeing it as wickedness.
Jesus has very great and precious promises and it is very easy to convince ourselves that we are in on them. But to call Jesus Lord, means, at the very least, that we listen to Him, obey Him and follow Him. Coming to Christ is much more than simply acknowledging that He is God and feeling passionate about Him and believing that He spoke the truth. Coming to Christ is a matter of turning from sin and turning to Him, leaving everything behind, taking up our crosses and following Him. He is not our Lord otherwise.
Posted in Devotions
