Partakers Christian Podcasts

Durrington 08042012 Part 4

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 4

Jesus – Risen as the firstborn from dead!

Dave G Roberts

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We start not in the Gospels, but from the writings of the Apostle Paul in

1. The Facts about the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:1-8: Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. That was the Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian church about the Jesus having been raised from the dead - physically!  All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark Luke and John, tell us that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried in a tomb. What do these four Gospels say about the Jesus' resurrection or rising from the dead? Let us first look at the sequence of events over the period of time after Jesus death till He ascended.  Now remember, the Gospels are documents which have recorded historical events.

a. The tomb is empty:

• Two Marys watch the burial: (Matthew27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke23:54-55)
• Roman soldiers guard the tomb and place an official Roman seal upon it: (Matthew 27:62-66)
• Women prepare burial spices then rest: (Luke 23:56)
• An angel rolls the stone away: (Matthew 28:2-4)
• Women arrive at dawn with spices: (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1)
• Angels appear to women: (Matthew 28:5-7, Mark 16:5-7, Luke 24:4-8)
• Women dart back to tell disciples: (Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:8, Luke 24:9-11, John 20:2)
• Peter and John investigate the empty tomb: (Luke 24:12, John 20:3-9)
• Peter and John go home: (Luke 24:12, John 20:10)
• Mary Magdalene weeps by the tomb: (John 20:11)
• Mary sees two angels: (John 20:12-13)

b. Jesus' appearances

• Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene: (Mark 16:9, John 20:14-17)
• Jesus appears to the other women: (Matthew 28:9-10)
• Women report to the disciples: (Mark 16:10-11, John 20:18)
• Guards testify to the priests: (Matthew 28:11-15)
• Jesus meets two people on the Emmaus Road: (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32)
• Jesus appears to Simon Peter: (1 Corinthians 15:5, Luke 24:34)
• 2 report to disciples in Jerusalem: (Luke 24:33-35)
• Jesus appears to the Disciples less Thomas: (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-24)
• Disciples report to Thomas: (John 20:25)
• Jesus appears to the Disciples and Thomas: (Mark 16:14, John 20:26-29)
• Jesus appears to seven people: (John 21:1-14)
• Jesus questions Peter 3 times: (John 21:15-23)
• Jesus appears to 500 people: (1 Corinthians 15:6)
• Jesus appears to James: (1 Corinthians 15:7)

2. The Significance of the Resurrection

Part 5 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 3

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 3

Why is Jesus on the cross?

Dave G Roberts

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1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.

a. The Problem!

b. The Solution!

c. The Cross is God's Glory!

d. The Cross and humanity

Part 4 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 2

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 2

Jesus on the Cross

Dave G Roberts

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Mark 15

33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?- which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, Listen, he's calling Elijah.

36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down, he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, Surely this man was the Son of God!

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Part 3 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 1

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 1

Dave G Roberts

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Revelation 21:1-7

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Part 2 tomorrow

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Jesus Mocked Crucified

Jesus - mocked and put on the cross Matthew 27:27-44

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Originally preached at Poulner Chapel 25 March 2012

Introduction Here is a complete outline of this event from all 4 gospels! We will look at briefly the events as recorded by Matthew!

• Pilate's soldiers crown and mock Jesus - Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-3
• Pilate tries to release Jesus - John 19:4-7
• Pilate questions Jesus again - John 19:8-11
• Pilate attempts to free Jesus again - John 19:12
• Pilate sentences Jesus - John 19:13-15
• Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified - John 19:16
• Jesus carries the cross - John 19:17
• Simon of Cyrene bears the cross - Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:20-21, Luke 23:26,
• Jesus speaks to weeping women - Luke 23:27-32,
• Jesus is brought to Golgotha - Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:32-33, John 19:17
• Soldiers offer Jesus sour wine mix - Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23
• Jesus is crucified at the 3rd hour - Mark 15:25
• Soldiers divide the Lord's clothes - Matthew 27:35-36, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24
• Accusation written by Pilate - Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38, John 19:19-22
• 2 Robbers are crucified with Jesus - Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:33, John 19:18
• "Forgive them..." - Luke 23:34
• "Behold your mother." - John 19:25-27
• Multitude mocks Jesus - Matthew 27:39-43, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-37
• Robbers mock Jesus - Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32, 29:39
• One robber rebukes the other - Luke 23:40-41
• "...you will be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:43

As you know from the reading we are looking at this event in the life of Jesus Christ, as recorded by his friend and disciple, Matthew. Tonight we look at Jesus mocked, Jesus crucified, and the implications and challenges we are presented with. Matthew, throughout his Gospel, presents Jesus as King - and it is probably his main theme as he writes his gospel. In Chapter 27 alone, Matthew ascribes Jesus as king 7 times. He uses Old Testament imagery from passages such as Psalm 22, Psalm 69 and parts of Isaiah to build his story. Even if you are new to this story, nobody here should really be shocked by this macabre tale. I don't think anybody could really be that naïve about human history and some of the horrors it contains. Human history is full of incidents of people treating others in less than a human and dignified way. The horrors of the killing fields of what was Cambodia, the systematic brutality of Nazi Germany and the macabre excesses of Uganda in the last century, have often been repeated throughout history. Sadly, even at times, by Churches and those purporting to be Christians...

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Jesus Comes To Town!

When Jesus Comes To Town!

Sermon based on Revelation 21 & 22

(Recorded at Bishopsdown Church, Salisbury)

Revelation 21v4 - "God will wipe away our tears. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying and no more pain, for former things have passed away." The audio MP3 file for this sermon can be downloaded by right mouse clicking here.

Introduction

Today I want to do two things on our subject of heaven as given to us in Revelation 21.  Firstly I want to give a big picture view of this chapter, which gives just a snapshot of heaven - the place where God radiates His glory and Jesus is the city light, the streets are made of purest gold and where we shall serve and honour Jesus in all His glory.  Then secondly, I have picked out just 3 brief vignettes for this morning, as we contemplate together our eternal home. The book of Revelation is the book where the bride of Jesus are consummated in marriage to Him.   It is where, we the church, the bride of Christ are finally joined with Jesus as One. In Revelation, God's programme of redemption, starting all the way back in Genesis, comes to fruition and God's holy and majestic name is vindicated before all creation.  Here Jesus is seen in all His glory, to judge the earth and to rule it with righteousness. The writer is the Apostle John, now approaching 100 years of age and almost blind.  John was in exile on Patmos, put there by the Romans due to his effective witness for Christ.  Patmos was where the Romans banished criminals and political offenders.  There was open persecution of Christians at the time.  This is the same John, who was the apostle Jesus loved.  John saw Jesus walk on the water.  He seen and heard Jesus command a storm to cease! He saw Jesus both weeping.  He saw Jesus in righteous anger clearing the Temple courts.  He seen Jesus heal the sick and raise the dead.  He himself had been there with Jesus when Jesus had cast out demons.  He had been there when Jesus miraculously fed the 5000 with 2 loaves and 5 fish.  He had his feet washed by Jesus.  He saw Jesus transfigured.  He saw Jesus torn and bloody on the cross as Jesus died.   Three days later he ran to survey the empty tomb.  He saw Christ risen again and ascend into heaven.  And in verse 14, John reads his name written on the foundations of heaven.  As John was taken up in the Spirit (v.10) to view this majestic image, I wonder if John looked back and remembered the sufferings he had endured for the sake of Christ.  His torment at the hands of his persecutors for the sake of Christ.   I wonder if he thought to himself, "it was all worth it and no matter what I endured for the sake of the gospel and for the glory of my Lord and Master." What is the purpose of heaven - for the eternal worship and glorification of God.  We shall serve Him (22:3).  Its inhabitants are saved (v3); satisfied (v6);  and overcomers (v7).

Panoramic vista

(v.6-7) God's people possess it!!  They are thirsty for Jesus, and drinking from the fountain of the water of life. God's people have overcome!  Overcoming doubts, trials and persecution because of their reliance upon Jesus.  God's people inherit it.  God will be their God and they will be His people.  An echo back to the time when God called the nation of Israel to Himself.  It is composed of people from all nations (v.24),p echoing again that promise God made to Abraham all those years ago about Abraham being a blessing to ALL nations.  It is a secure and promised place (v.5-6) God has said it, it will be done!!  Also nobody can enter if they don't trust and obey Jesus.  If somebody's name isn't written in the Lamb's Book of Life, they wont be entering (v.27).  Will your name be in there? You may have noticed the frequent use of the number 12 by John.  12 is the symbol of the church - both in the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, hence its unifying, continuing significance here.  The number 12 is God's choice to show completeness and perfection.  This can be seen in the 12 gates mentioned in our passage - 12 gates is enough for all!!  And for us, this leads and gives us confidence in a God who longs for all to live with Him eternally.

• (v.12) 12 gates and 12 angels with the 12 tribes of Israel written on them.
• (v.16) A perfect cube - 12000 furlongs high, wide and deep. That is about the same distance as Edinburgh to Rome.  It is symbolic of the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem temple, where the priest could only enter once a year.  This whole city is a temple, where we encounter God face to face, not just one day a year, but all the time!
• (v.17) each wall is 144 cubits.  Twelve square is 144.
• (v.19-20) 12 stones symbolises the 12 stones around the high priests breastplate to signify the 12 tribes of Israel.
• (v.22-24)  God's glory radiates through the city!!  His glory, radiating in purity, to make it a sacred place so that God is accessible to all.  Jesus The Lamb is the light of the city.  There is no sun or moon.

1.  Prepared place

Jesus said (John 14:1-4) One of the most beautiful buildings in the world is the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.  It was built by a Muslim emperor in memory of his wife, of whom he had only known 19 years.  It took 20,000 workers a day and 21 years to complete.  In Britain today, it would cost about 2,200,000,000 pounds and made of the purest marble sitting on a red sandstone base and adorned with precious jewels.  Now if a pagan Indian prince can make this beautiful building for somebody he had known for only 19 years, how much more beautiful than that, is our new home going to be.  Jesus has been working on it almost 2000 years to this point in time!!   Heaven is a beautiful place, prepared for you and me, to live forever and ever! At the moment, I live in Christchurch and my wife temporary lives in our London flat. But when I get home to London, I know I am expected and loved.  She has my favourite meal prepared.  The heater on.  Everything I like, that makes it a home is done for me, by her!  The first week I was showered with balloons and all manner of things, because I was expected and she loves me!! When we got married ten years ago, we had a wedding here in England and 3 days later she flew to her home country to prepare for our wedding there, which was to be 6 weeks later.  I had no idea what was going to happen when I flew there for the wedding.  But, when I landed there, every detail was prepared and ready. Similarly, when we go home, Jesus has prepared a place for those of us who love Him, trust Him and obey Him.  Jesus is waiting for us!  He is expecting us, wanting to lavish His love upon us.  We know He loves us now, but that is only in part.  When we are with Him eternally, we shall have the full picture of Jesus.  He is with us now in Spirit, but then we shall be with Him physically. Heaven is a prepared place of extraordinary beauty.  John tries to portray it for us, building up layer upon layer of words, just as painters paint a picture.  Laying on the colour, as they paint until finally the painting is finished.

2.  Purity (v.4)

We all suffer in some way.  For myself in the recent past, I have suffered with a brain haemorrhage.  I went to bed on a Saturday evening and woke up in intensive care on a Tuesday afternoon.  I have lost three days, I will never regain.  I continue to take medication for blood pressure and  hypothyroidism in the morning and in the evening I take anti-convulsants.  With the medication, come all manner of side effects.   I find it difficult doing certain activities.  In childhood, I had to overcome the suffering of childhood asthma that almost took my life several times.  Sometimes my entire body aches and groans in protest at my actions.  We suffer, don't we.  My father suffered for years under a misdiagnosis when the doctors originally thought he had emphysema, before they found out too late that it was actually a hiatus hernia, where the stomach acid comes back up and enters the lungs and burns them internally.  My mother suffers with arthritis and hyperthyroidism.  We suffer don't we? One day soon, we will have perfect bodies and full health.  We only have to look at the news on TV or read the papers to see global suffering. There will be no more terrorism, missiles, guns, wars or bombs.  No more will man's inhumanity to man be allowed.  No more torture, rapes, muggings or robberies.  No more poverty or famine.  No more religion, idols or icons.  No more gossip, fornication, adultery, lying or debauchery.  No more cowardice.  No more pain.  No more death.  No more suffering. No more sin. Suffering of any kind leaves some sort of scar or mark.  Do you have scars?  Physical, emotional or mental scars due to sickness, somebody else sinning against you or as a result of your own sins?  Scars come as a result of human life.  Much like a house that has been lived in.  Scratches in the paintwork.  Dents and knocks in the wood.  Our human bodies are the same, yet...  Yet, one day they will be gone!! Vanished!!  A pure body you will have!! And I will have! No need for annoying spectacles.  There will be no Specsavers or Stannah stair-lifts in heaven!!  No more wheelchairs.  No more walking sticks or frames.  No more hearing-aids.  No more braces.  No more doctors or dentists!! Perfection attained and it is to the glory of God and His majestic doing, that this will occur.  Do you believe it? Do you live it? Are you suffering today from sickness?  Are you suffering today because of somebody else??  Well one day, one glorious day, all suffering will be banished for those of us who love Him.  Read with me verse 4, "God will wipe away our tears.  There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying and no more pain, for former things have passed away." Take that verse to heart.  What a glorious day it will be for those of us who love Him now.  God Himself, wiping away our tears...  It will be a place where we will live the fruit of the spirit for eternity.  A place where "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are permanent and universal." (Gal.5:22-23).  What a day, that will be!!  We will enter those gates, thanking Jesus, looking back at how we suffered.  Not only medically, but also for His sake and saying with John "It was worth it all.  The sufferings I endured  and overcame for the sake of Jesus, was all worth it, so as to be here eternally."

3.  Pearly gates (v.21)

Heaven is prepared and pure.  Do you know how a pearl is formed?  When an oyster gets an irritating grain of sand within its shell, it covers it over with layers of mother-of-pearl until the irritation and the suffering is no longer felt.  Now what could the suffering have been with these giant pearls that are the gates (v21)?  I think they are to remind us of the cross and the suffering and pain that Jesus endured.  People denigrate the cross.  I have had people say that "the cross doesn't matter and your religion is as good as my religion thank you very much.  Because all religions lead to heaven, don't they?".  However the very gates of heaven tells us that  is wrong.  It tells us that it is only through the cross, that we get to pass through the gates to enjoy heaven in worship and service of God.  Only through the pain, the agony and the suffering that Jesus endured, culminating in His crying "My God! My God!  Why have You forsaken me?"  God Himself has suffered for us, so that we may enjoy His company forever and ever, if we only trust and obey Him now and placed our faith in Him while we are here.  We know in part now, but then we will know in full. This makes the sins that we commit while we are here on earth trying to follow Him, even more serious.  Sometimes we take a rather blasé attitude to sin.  We excuse it as only a little sin and it doesn't really matter.  Each time we sin as believers, it is as if we are spitting in the very face of Jesus.  Our desire should be, to be Jesus and to be like Him.  I long to be perfect.  When I make a mistake and sin, I cry out in frustration to be perfect now!  However, I also know that God is taking off my rough edges to continue making me purer, more like His Son Jesus, each day under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. I won't be entering heaven because I am Australian.  Although I consider that a very close second.  You won't even be able to claim your entry into heaven by showing your passport that shows you are a British citizen, let alone a member of the European community.  Even more surprising to some across the Atlantic I am sure, is that if you are American, your passport wont even let you in!! No, we can only enter heaven, our new home, through the cross.  When we first decided for Jesus and turned over our lives to him, that is when our eternal life with Him commenced.

Conclusion

Be encouraged, heaven is for you if you are trusting and obeying Jesus and have him as Lord of your life!  Are you suffering?  Suffering will soon be gone.  When you sin against God, keep a short account and ask for forgiveness as soon as you recognise that you have sinned and the Holy Spirit has convicted you of it.  We long to be with Him for ever and ever.  We are to keep one part of our mind on Heaven and the other on the responsible work we have been set to do, here on earth.  We are not to be so heavenly minded, that we are of no earthly use.  Conversely, we are not to be so earth bound that we are not tied to Jesus in our eternal home.  Go tell somebody.  Won't you go tell somebody this week, this message.  Heaven is a great big place, and there will be room for everybody in this town, this county, this nation and this world to enter through one of those twelve gates!  Go and share this good news with somebody this very week. What now can we say?  Chapter 22.  (v.14, 17) - Trust Him! (v.8-9, 15) Live a life worthy of Him!  (v.7, 12, 16, 20) Look for his coming! He is coming back for us soon! I conclude with this quote from CS Lewis'  last book of the Narnia Tales - "The Last Battle" : "But the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them.  And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after.  But for them it was only the beginning of the real story ....which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before." To which we unite with John, and say "Come Lord Jesus.  Come..." (22:20) The sermon as a audio MP3 file, you can download by right mouse clicking here.

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Daniel 8 - Worlds In Conflict

Daniel 8

Worlds In Conflict

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We come tonight to a very interesting passage of Scripture. From Chapter 2 to 7, we have had a wide angled panoramic view, and now from Chapter 8 to 12 we zoom in on specific areas which were previously covered in Chapters 2 to 7. In Chapter 7, we have seen that the prophet Daniel had a dream of 4 animals, which were a winged lion, a bear, a winged leopard and a beast. Father as we come to look at this part of your Written Word the Bible, speak through me so that You alone will be honoured and glorified. I pray and that we may leave here knowing we have met with you and heard from you. Amen.

Introduction

Here in Chapter 8, we look at the bear, which here is described as a ram, and a winged leopard that is described as a goat. Unlike his previous two visions which occurred at night, this one occurs during the day. Daniel was transported in the Spirit to Susa, a major city of the Babylon & Persian empires. He sat down beside the Ulai canal, nine hundred feet wide and connected two large rivers so that boats could easily pass from one to the other. Spiritually seated by the river, he lifted up his eyes. He saw a ram, a male sheep, that had two horns, and as he watched, one of its horns became larger than the other. We can be in no doubt that this ram is symbolic of the Medo-Persian Empire, because it is told to us in verse 20. The horn that grew large was the Persian empire, which gradually took over from the Medes. The king of Persia also carried the image of a ram in front of him whenever he went into battle. It is natural for rams to be aggressive and to butt. The ram here goes in every direction, but east. Historically we know that the Medo-Persian empire did not gain much territory to the East. Suddenly - the dream changes. Coming in from the West, races a male goat that is travelling so fast that its feet do not touch the ground. Verse 21 tells us that this is the Greek Empire, and the horn is its 'first king' Alexander the Great. In actual fact he named one of his sons, Alexander Goat. The feet not touching the ground signified the speed with which Alexander won battles over a vast area from Africa to India. The goat in verse 6 collides with the ram, breaks the rams' horns and humiliates it, crushing and destroying it. This reflects how the Medo-Persian Empire fell to the Greeks. Then we read that the goat, at the height of its power, was broken by the unseen hand of God. Alexander the Great became inflated with pride at the speed and number of battle victories, but his arrogance was short lived and he died at the age of 32. The goat, Alexander, was replaced by 4 horns. These historically are - Macedonia under Cassander; Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus; Syria under Seleucus; and Egypt under Ptolemy. Again, history has followed what Scripture said would happen. In verse 9, Daniel notices that 'Out of one of them came a little horn.' From a small beginning it grew to great power, and its power stretched south and east, and then into the 'Beautiful Land' of Canaan. There is no doubt that this refers to that horrible man of history, Antiochus Epiphanes. He, as predicted, came from the Seleucid section and took Egypt with an immense army, following that by taking Elymais and Armenia. Then he invaded Canaan. This man, the little horn referred to, arose as the great persecutor of God's people.

Things to Learn!

There were 5 main things that we learn about his rule from this passage - 1. v10/24 No justice. He persecuted the Jews. Stars being either leading Jews or authorities. 2. v11/12a No righteousness. He exalted himself higher than the Prince of Peace, and blasphemed God by holding idolatrous sacrifices in the temple. 3. v12b/25 No truth. He attacked truth consistently and practised deception. He would often wait until he had someone's trust before turning upon them. 4. v12b No peace. Evil prospered 5. v25 No mercy. He was struck down by the invisible hand of God. It is documented that he fell ill in a small town in Egypt, and while on his sick bed, wrote to the Jews saying that he himself would become a Jew if only God would save him. God showed him no mercy, for the evil that he had performed on God's people and the attacks upon God Himself. In verse 14, we are told that it would last about 2300 evenings and mornings until the sanctuary will be made holy again. Some scholars say that this is about 6.25 years. Antiochus Epiphanes rule lasted from 171 to 165 BC. Other teachers say that this is about 3.5 years. The temple was used for heathen sacrifice for the last 3.5 years of Antiochus Epiphanes life. The end of time referred to in verses 17 - 19, could refer to 2 things. Firstly, it could refer to the end of Antiochus Epiphanes reign of terror over the Jews, when the Jews could expect the Messiah to come and end God's indignation with the Jews. Secondly, it could mean the period of the Gentiles, which is from Nebuchadnezzar's reign to the 2nd coming of Jesus.

Applying it to ourselves!

Whichever theory is correct, there are still applications that apply to our lives today. Firstly, rampant evil and not peace will rule on earth until Jesus comes again. We look around the world and we see conflicts and wars everywhere - Iraq, Afghanistan, throughout Africa & Asia. There will be always people like Antiochus Epiphanes. People like Hitler and the slaughter of the Jews in the 1930's & 1940's; or Idi Amin in Uganda; or Pol Pot and the Khemer Rouge in Cambodia/Kampuchea; Stalin and the former USSR Communist bloc; Ceacescu and Romania. The submission to the state or government of all citizens, being forced to accept government decrees. There will also always be the limitation of freedom to worship. I can still see the remains in the mass graves in the destruction of Cambodia coming from my television screen, where even to think any kind of individual thought was suppressed and all books were destroyed. Or the pictures of the desecration of the millions of Jews during the 2nd World War. Or how about the persecution of religious peoples under the regimes in China, Romania and the former USSR. And here in England, or the USA or even Australia, the threats to us and our Christianity are probably more subtle. We see the media laughing at well-known Christians for their Christian stance, whenever they are in the spotlight. In many countries around the globe, where Christianity is illegal, suppressed or forced to fit into the confines of Government thinking. The attacks upon us here in the West are not so direct, but much more subtle. Frogs, when placed in a pot of cold water do not feel the subtle rise in the water temperature when the pot is placed on a stove with a low heat. Let us not be frogs. One day we are going to be attacked because we are Christians, and to think otherwise is clearly unbiblical. Secondly, what do we do when it comes. It is natural for us when persecution hits us to ask why, but our reaction should probably be like the 2nd angel and ask "How long?" We shouldn't be surprised when persecution comes to us, and be like the Romanians who also asked, not why, but How long? Thirdly, notice that the people who commit such atrocities, and are great powers here on earth, are described as 'little horns' and are just that, little. Little in comparison to our awesome God. He is the invisible hand, who merely sweeps them away with one quick brush of his 'invisible hand'. Is this not a God worthy of our praise and worship? These men could only harm the flesh, not the soul. Their power was brittle, like the horns on the goat and ram, and broken by the hand of God. Where is Hitler now? Dead and buried. Where is Stalin? Dust in the frozen ground. Where is Antiochus Epiphanes now? Dust blown in the wind. Where is Alexander the Great? Dust spread across the deserts he so easily conquered. All these men are dead, but where is our God? Alive forevermore! Fourthly, we bow the knee not to a rampaging ram or a galloping goat, but to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who is our horn of Salvation. When all other horns have come and gone, we still have our horn of salvation in Him. When all the rams and goats have crossed the stage of history, God has His Lamb (Rev 5:12-13). All through the Bible, and all history as we know it, there have been dominions and powers that have lasted only a short passage of time. The kingdom of Jesus, however, is not a passing fad or temporary kingdom but an everlasting one with Jesus Himself as the Lamb and Horn of Salvation. That is why we can take Jesus into our place of work and study and into our cities with power. Even if all our friends and family reject Jesus, we should still identify with Him. All other powers are simply passing in the wind. No other power will prevail, and His peace will rule upon earth. All that harms His people will come to nothing, and we will live forever with Jesus as our Horn of Salvation. Fifthly and lastly, we need to deal with the 'little horns' of sin within our lives. Horns, throughout the Bible and history have been symbolic of power. Whatever sins are hidden in our hearts, we need to get rid of them and repent of them. For the longer any individual sin is within us, the more power it tries to control us with, if we do not hand it over to the Lord in prayer and action. The less we repent of sins, the less we grow in spiritual maturity and personal holiness. Let each one of us destroy the power of the 'little horns' of sin, by repenting and turning away from them, and allowing our Horn of salvation, destroy them by continuing to hand them over to Him.

Conclusion!

You may not be yet a follower, so I would urge you most strongly to accept His call upon you. You may not get another chance. This Jesus Christ said he was coming back again. Not as a baby next time, but in full glory, power and majesty. He will be coming back to gather those who are in relationship with Him and to wipe the tears of suffering and joy from their eyes. Those who are found not to be in relationship with Him will spend eternity without Him. He gives each of us, innumerable opportunities to enter into relationship with Him. This Jesus wants to connect with you in an intimate, spiritual relationship - His eyes wander the earth looking for those willing to submit themselves to His authority. If that is you, then please do see Pastor Adam, one of the leaders or the person that brought you here tonight, to find out how you can start this relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ. He calls you by name.

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Coping

A Strategy to Cope

Preached at Poulner Baptist Chapel

24th January 2010

Hebrews 3

1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. 7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' " 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." 16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

The first thing we do is to consider Jesus or as the NIV here puts it “fix our thoughts”. Now remember, that these are Hebrew believers. I guess we would call them Messianic Jews today. They believed that Jesus was their Messiah, Saviour and Lord. They were obviously coming under pressure from their Jewish friends and leaders to deny this Jesus and return to the fold. They would have been told how great Moses was. In the previous chapter we read how Jesus is greater than the angels, because He is God, but was made a little lower than the angels when he became a man.

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Life Under The Apple Tree

Life Under the Apple Tree

(Song of Solomon 2:3-14)

Introduction

Please do open your bibles to the Song of Solomon!  I of course don't know when you last read it, heard a talk about it or if you have ever read it or heard a talk about it! So, if you are in that category, it's a new thing for you! In my preparation, as I talked to other Christians about this book, I have found that some people are aghast at some of the very frank and provocative language used! But this should not stop us from reading it, studying it and learning from it. It is, after all, part of the Bible and therefore part of God's Written Word. Jesus Himself and the Disciples would have read this book at Passover time. It is a book that tells of the love of a woman (the Beloved) for a man, the man probably being Solomon. Different translations have different places where the beloved, the lover and others are actually speaking.

But for ease of use tonight, we will use the guidelines of the church bibles, the New International Version.The Jews called it the Greatest Song of All Songs. Martin Luther called it the noblest of all songs! It is poetry that is full of love, romance and some say eroticism. Greater than Shakespeare's sonnets if you can believe that! Tonight, we are delving only into Chapter 2. Historically this book has been interpreted in 3 ways.

• Firstly as a treatise on the joys of biblical sexual love;
• Secondly as an allegory about God's love for His people Israel;These two interpretations have great merit!
• However, some of you may be sad to know, and others very happy to know, that I am going to concentrate principally on a third way that encompasses those two and that is seeing it as a picture of the immense love that exists between Jesus Christ for His church and its people, where the bridegroom is Jesus and His bride is the church.

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