Preaching God's Word: Acts

Luke 11:13, 24:49, Acts 1:1–14, Ephesians 5:18

Waiting On The Lord, We Renew Our Strength.

Jesus tells His apostles, ‘the Holy Spirit’ will ‘come upon you’ (Acts 1:11, 8). He gives them His Word of promise: ‘I send the promise of my Father upon you’. He gives them His Word of command: ‘stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49). They wait upon the coming of the Holy Spirit. They cannot fill themselves with the Spirit. They can only ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). Waiting for the Spirit, the apostles ‘devote themselves to prayer’ (Acts 1:14). They do not earn the Holy Spirit as a reward for spending much time in prayer. Waiting on God, their strength is renewed as they receive God’s gift (Isaiah 40:31; Luke 11:13).

* Christ's disciples were concerned about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).

He was preparing something better for them. They were to take the first steps in bringing the message of His love to the ends of the earth.

* "You shall receive power ... " (Acts 1:8) - the power of the Holy Spirit

This is the fulfilment of the promise given by Jesus in John 7:37-39.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, there are "rivers of living water" flowing into our hearts and out from our hearts.

* Jesus is coming again (Acts 1:11).

Our ministry is empowered by the Holy Spirit as we learn to live in the light of eternity.

Our spiritual weakness comes from our failure to live as those who are eagerly awaiting the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our spiritual strength comes from this - Jesus has given us His promise: "I will come again and receive you to Myself" (John 14:3).

Drawing our attention away from our own weakness to the Lord's strength, the Holy Spirit equips us for the great work of proclaiming the Good News of salvation.

* "These all continued with one accord in prayer" (Acts 1:14).

At the heart of every true work of God, there is prayer. Without prayer, there is no blessing.
There's a vital connection between prayer and blessing. We must, however, always remember that the blessing is given by God. It is not earned by us.
God's promise of blessing comes with the call to prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14). In prayer, we look to God to fulfil His promise. As we pray, let us always remember this: The grace comes from God. The glory goes to God.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God in Acts 2

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1).
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised …” (Acts 1:4-5).
In Acts 1:8, we have the promise of God and the call to mission.
God’s people pray (Acts 1:14). They are waiting on the Lord, trusting that He will fulfil His promise: “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).
Notice that the Holy Spirit is God’s gift (Acts 1:4). The disciples are not being rewarded for their commitment to prayer. They are waiting upon the Lord who sends the Holy Spirit as the gift of His grace.
* The coming of the Spirit is like “wind” and “fire” (Acts 2:2-3).
- The wind of the Spirit comes from heaven.
- The fire of the Spirit rests on the disciples.
* The coming of the Spirit leads to mission.
- The Gospel is communicated to many people who have gathered in Jerusalem from many different places (Acts 2:5-11).
People are puzzled. They look for a human explanation (Acts 2:12-13).
The real explanation is spiritual (Acts 2:14-21).
* When God pours out His Spirit (Acts 2:17), the promise of salvation (Acts 2:21) is emphasized in the preaching of the Gospel.
* When God pours out His Spirit, the preachers of the Gospel keep Christ at the centre of their preaching (Acts 2:22).
* When God pours out His Spirit, the Story of Jesus is told – His “miracles, wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22), His crucifixion (Acts 2:23), His resurrection (Acts 2:24), His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 2:33).
The Story of Jesus is the Story of God’s love.
We hear this Story and the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to draw us to the Saviour.
* When the Holy Spirit is poured upon us, He prompts us to ask the question, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).
We can only ask this question when we are “cut to the heart.”
This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
When we hear the message of salvation, preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are moved by the Spirit to ask the question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).
This is the question of salvation.
- The question comes from God. He puts it into our hearts.
- The answer comes from God. He speaks to our hearts.
God’s answer – the answer of salvation – is spoken by Peter in Acts 2:38-39.
- It is the call for conversion.
- It is the promise of salvation.
We are to come in faith to Jesus, confessing our sin and receiving His forgiveness.
When Peter preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand people put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The numerical growth – “three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41) – was accompanied by spiritual growth – “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
The spiritual response of the new believers of the new believers is described in Acts 2:42.
A key word, in the final verses of Acts 2, is “together” (Acts 2: 44, 46).
This spiritual response – unity in Christ, trusting Him as Saviour, commitment to Him as Lord – arises out of the powerful presence of God among His people (Acts 2:43).
Let us pray that God will be among us – in power and in love – and let us pray that our lives will be filled with His power and His love.

Acts 2:37-38

A number of years ago, I enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon, walking along the beach at Millport on the island of Great Cumbrae. Some parts of the beach were quite rocky. I had taken on the responsibility of making sure that my 4 year old nephew didn’t fall and hurt  himself on the rocks. “Make sure Jamie doesn’t fall and hurt himself” – This seemed to be the main thing on my mind. Jamie had other things on his mind.

As we walked across the rocks, Jamie kept asking questions. It was one uestion after another. As soon as I had answered one question, Jamie followed it up with his next question.

Why? Why? Why? From early childhood, we ask questions. From early childhood, we are looking for answers.

This morning, we are going to think about a question and an answer.

 * The question is our question: “Brothers, what shall we do?” (v. 37).

 * The answer is God’s answer: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The question concerns our response to the Gospel – “What shall we do?”

The answer is given to us by God – “This is what you are to do?”

We begin with the question.

Where does this question come from? – It comes from God.

His Word is preached. His Spirit is at work.

Following on from the preaching of God’s Spirit in the power of God’s Spirit, we read this, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart” (v. 37). This is where the question comes from. God has put it into our heart. Through His Word and His Spirit, he leads us to ask the question of salvation: “What must I do to be saved?”

The question is our question. The answer must always be God’s answer. We ask the question. We cannot give the answer. In ourselves, there is no answer. We are “far off” (v. 39).

We know about our sin, but we cannot give to ourselves the forgiveness of sin.

We know about the emptiness in our lives, but we cannot fill our own hearts with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We can only come to God in our sin and our emptiness.

We come in our sin, praying for God’s forgiveness. We come in our emptiness, praying that God will fill us with His Spirit.

When we come in our sin and emptiness, God speaks His answer.

The question is asked, “What are we to do?” God’s answer begins with a call for repentance and baptism – “Repent and be baptized.”

If we were to read no further than the words, “Repent and be baptized”, we would miss a great deal of what God is saying to us here. “Repent and be baptized” is only the beginning of God’s answer. We must go on from there. As we read the remainder of verse 37, we learn that

(1) God’s answer is addressed to every one of us.

(2) God’s answer comes to us in the Name of Jesus Christ.

(3) God’s answer comes to us with the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 (1) God’s answer is for every one of us. He doesn’t say to some of us, “You need to repent” and then turn to others, saying, “You won’t need to repent. You’re good enough already.”

To every one of us, God says, “Repent and be baptized”. To every one of us, He says, “Leave your old life behind. Step out into the new life with Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord.”

  (2) God’s answer comes to us in the Name of Jesus Christ.

“What are we to do?” – Before we think of what we are to do, we must think about what Jesus Christ has done for us. This is the Good News. Jesus Christ has taken our sins upon Himself. He has died for us so that we might be forgiven by Him.

We must never begin with the call for repentance and baptism. We must always begin with Jesus Christ – “the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us” (Galatians 2:20).

“What are we to do?” – The first thing we must do is this: we must look away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

When we turn our eyes on Jesus and keep our eyes fixed on Him, we will never  think of our repentance and baptism as ‘good works’ we have done, ‘good works’ by which we make ourselves acceptable to God.

The Name of Jesus Christ is the Name of our salvation. It is in Him that we are called to repentance and baptism. It is through the power of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, that we are able to put the old life behind us and begin the new life of the Spirit.

At the heart of God’s answer to our question, there is “the Name of Jesus Christ.”

In His answer to our question, God speaks to us of repentance and baptism. He speaks of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Above all else, He speaks to us of His Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 (3) In Jesus Christ, God’s answer comes to us with the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 * Through faith in Christ, we put the old life behind us. Our sins are forgiven. We receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit.

 * Through faith in Christ, we receive the strength we need to live as men and women who love God.

 * Through faith in Christ, we receive the strength we need to maintain our confession of faith – “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

We ask the question, “What are we to do?” God gives the answer - “Repent and be baptized.” We lay our old life before the Lord. We invite Him to come and change us. He comes in forgiving love. He comes in transforming power.

Once we have put our faith in Christ, everything changes - “If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Everything has become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17); "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

There is a change of direction in our life. This change of direction is described for us in Acts 2:42 - “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Our priorities change. Life is no longer centred upon ourselves. It is centred upon Christ.

Christ has given us life – abundant life, eternal life. Let us live this life for Him, giving all glory to Him and taking no glory for ourselves.

Let us not speak so much of our repentance and baptism. Such things can never be anything more than our response to His love. Let us learn to look away from these things and rejoice in our Saviour, saying with the Apostle Paul: “God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

The persecutor becomes the preacher.

The name, "Paul", speaks to us of God's amazing grace. Before his conversion, he was "Saul." By the grace of God, he became Paul. He was "called" by God. The great turnaround in his life came when he heard the voice of Jesus. It was  a question about the way he was living - "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4). This was not only a call to stop persecuting Christ. It was also a call to start preaching Christ. The persecuor became the preacher. God's call comes to us in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to salvation. We are called to service. We have been saved by the Lord. Let us serve the Lord. In this life of salvation and service, we learn, again and again, of the faithfulness of God (1 Corinthians 1:9). We dare not ever think of ourselves as great servants of God. We must always think of God as the God of great faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). In His great faithfulness, God gives us His great strength so that we might live as His faithful servants (1 Corinthians 1:8). 

Acts 20:17-38

What's so different about the 21st century?

In so many ways, the 21st century is completely different from the 1st century.

With our computers, we can listen to a sermon from the other side of the world. We can listen to it and we can watch it being preached - as it happens, live!

This is so different from life in the time of Christ and His Apostles.

Very different - Yes! - but is it completely different?

Can we, in the 21st century, afford to ignore the voices which speak to us from the 1st century? We search for a model for Church life, a model for ministry, in the 21st century. We learn about modern methods of communication. Still, we are faced with the question - Have we listened to what the Lord Jesus has to say to us?

When I was a young student at Stirling University, I took the members of our Christian Union Committee to hear my Minister, the Rev George Philip. We were thinking of asking him to speak at our Christian Union Conference. He preached on the third verse of the letter of Jude where we are exhorted to 'contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the people of God'.

As we listened, our hearts said, 'Yes. This is it. This is the message for today. This is the message we need to hear. This is the message we must never forget.'

As we seek the way forward, God's way for the 21st century, are we beginning to see that the way forward begins when when we go back to the Word of God, back to the Saviour, back to His Apostles?

What a wonderful model for ministry we have in Paul's message to the Ephesian elders! Here is a man who demands our attention. Here is a man who compels us to listen. He is a man of his own time, a man from the 1st century, yet his message is for our time. It is a message which calls us to take God seriously. It is a message which calls us to listen carefully to God's Word. Paul calls us to centre our lives on Christ. He calls us to commit ourselves to prayer.

Paul's ministry was a helpful ministry. It was a Gospel ministry. His ministry was a teaching ministry and it was a prayerful ministry.

  (1) Paul's ministry was a helpful ministry. He tells us, in verse 20, that 'he kept back nothing that was helpful'. In his public preaching of God's Word and in his pastoral work in the homes of the people, Paul prayed that his ministry would help the people to grow in their knowledge of God, their love of God and their service of God.

Why was Paul's ministry such a helpful ministry?

It was helpful because it was real. He was a man living in the power of Christ's resurrection, a man who could truly say, 'For me, to live is Christ' (Philippians 1:21).

His ministry was helpful because it was a ministry of fearless preaching, faithful pastoral work and fervent prayer. Paul was fearless as he preached God's Word to the people. He was faithful in the ministry of bringing Christ to the people in their own homes. He was fervent in prayer as he asked God to bless the people.

Returning to Dunfermline reminds me of an occasion when I spoke at the Presbytery. The Rev Dr Gordon Jenkins was about to take up a position in Edinburgh. I had been asked to pay tribute to his ministry at the North Parish Church, Dunfermline. Gordon was an enthusiastic supporter of Dunfermline Athletic. I used the letters of the team's nickname, the Pars, to describe Gordon's ministry. It was Preaching Anointed by the Renewing Spirit.

Preaching Anointed by the Renewing Spirit - this is where the helpfulness comes from. It comes from above. It comes from the Lord.

When we have done all that we can do, we must look away from ourselves to the Lord and say, 'It is not by might. It is not by power. It is by the Spirit of the Lord' (Zechariah 4:6).

When we look at all that has been achieved, we must learn to look away from ourselves to the Lord and say, from the heart, 'This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes' (Psalm 118:23).

This is helpful ministry - ministry which serves the purpose of God's salvation, ministry which depends on the presence of God's power, ministry which maintains the priority of God's glory. This is helpful ministry - bringing Christ to the people, bringing the people to Christ.

Helpful ministry - it is ministry that never forgets to say, 'Our help is in the Name of the Lord' (Psalm 124:8).

 (2) Paul's ministry was a Gospel ministry. In verse 24, he describes his ministry. He tells us that he 'received this ministry from the Lord Jesus'. He tells us that it is a ministry of 'testifying to the Gospel of the grace of God'.

What is the Gospel? - It is the Good News: Christ has died for our sins, Christ has risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Is the preaching of the Gospel simply the announcement of these facts? No! It is more than that. There is also the challenge of the Gospel, the call to repentance, the call to faith (v. 21).

    God is not only telling us something. He is asking us something. Will you repent? Will you believe?

God is saying something to us - 'This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him'. He is also asking us to say something to Him - 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner' (Luke 18:13).

This is the prayer of repentance. This is the prayer of faith. We turn from sin. We turn to God. We take our sin to Jesus. We trust Him for forgiveness.

To every one who hears the Gospel, the question is asked, 'What will your response be?'   

As I look back over my own spiritual journey, I am forever grateful to those who impressed on me the need to make my personal response to Jesus Christ. It was not enough to say, 'God so loved that He gave His only Son' (John 3:16). There needed to be something more personal - 'the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20). It was not enough to say, 'Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world' (John 4:42). There needed to be the personal confession of faith - 'Jesus Christ is my Saviour'.

Paul was a faithful and fearless preacher of the Gospel. If, in our generation, we are to follow his example, we must not hesitate to impress upon the people the necessity of 'repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' (v. 21).

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending a service conducted by the Rev Dr Sam Hosain who has recently retired after thirteen years of fruitful ministry at John Knox Church in Stewarton, near Kilmarnock. In his sermon, Dr Hosain directed our attention to three verses in the letter to the Hebrews: 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins' (9:22), 'without faith it is impossible to please God' (11:6), 'without holiness no-one will see the Lord' (12:14).

In these three statements, we have the key features of Gospel ministry:

  First, we are to hear the Gospel - the Good News that Christ died for our sins;

  Second, we are to believe the Gospel - 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31);

  Third, we are to live the Gospel - Christ has died for us. Now He calls us to live for Him.

This is Gospel ministry - hearing the Gospel, believing the Gospel and living the Gospel. May God help us to be faithful to His Gospel - in our hearing, in our believing, in our living.

  (3) Paul's ministry was a teaching ministry. In verse 27, Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that 'he had not hesitated to proclaim to them the whole will of God'.

In his book, Evangelism in the Early Church, Michael Green emphasizes the importance of 'teaching evangelism' (pp. 204-206). At the very beginning of the book, he speaks of his own commitment to both evangelism and teaching. His words, written in 1970, are still very relevant to our 21st century Church. This is what he says, 'Most evangelists are not very interested in theology; most theologians are not very interested in evangelism. I am deeply committed to both' (p. 7).

Deeply committed to both evangelism and teaching - what a good description of Paul's ministry! His ministry was a Gospel ministry, calling on men and women to come to Christ in repentance, to come to Christ in faith. His ministry was also a teaching ministry. He did not rest content with inviting people to make a new beginning with Christ. He called them to go on with the Lord. He called them to press on to maturity.

God has so much to say to us. There is so much more than the call for conversion. The Lord is calling us to walk with Him all the days of our life. True conversion is not just a one-off event. It is a lifelong experience of divine grace, a lifelong experience of turning to God in repentance, a lifelong experience of learning to trust in our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If this lifelong experience of God's salvation is to grow strong in our hearts and lives, we need 'the whole counsel of God'. We need solid teaching from the Word of God.

  We need teaching which rebukes us when we move away from the paths of righteousness, teaching which corrects us, calling us back into the paths of righteousness.

  We need teaching which will lead us in the paths of righteousness, teaching which will keep us walking in the paths of righteousness.

During the late 1990s, I began writing Daily Bible Reading Notes. The full set of notes covers the whole Bible - from Genesis to Revelation. In introducing these notes, I wrote,     'Welcome to an exciting ... journey of discovery. On this journey, you will visit places you know well. You will also travel to places you hardly know at all. They will be places of blessing - places where you will meet with God and be blessed by Him ... May God bless you richly as you journey with Him to the many places of blessing found in His Word.'

The Christian life is a journey. On this journey, we are travelling with God and we are travelling in faith. On this journey, God has a plan for us. It is His perfect plan. He wants us to grow  - in our knowledge of Him, in our faith in Him, in our love for Him.

God does not want us to remain 'babes in Christ'. He does not want us to remain content with 'the milk of the Word' (1 Peter 2:2). He wants us to move on to 'solid food' (Hebrews 5:12-14). He has given us 'the whole counsel of God' so that we can grow more and more like Christ, so that we can bring more and more glory to God.

We must never rest on our laurels. When the challenge of God's Word comes to us, calling us on to maturity, we dare not say, 'I'm a believer' as if that was the end of the matter. When God is calling us on to maturity, He is not asking, 'Are you a believer?' He is asking, 'Are you a growing believer? Are you growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?'

On this journey with God, this journey of faith, this journey of spiritual growth, may our whole life - in the 21st century - be a living echo of this great prayer from the 13th century: 'Day, by day, O dear Lord, three things I pray, to see You more clearly,  to love You more dearly, to follow You more nearly, day by day'.

  (4) Paul's ministry was a prayerful ministry.  Paul did not only speak to the people. He also spoke to God. He spoke to the people for God and he spoke to God for the people. In his message to the Ephesian elders, Paul said, in verse 32, 'Now I commit you to God'. At the end of his message, 'he knelt down with all of them and prayed' (v.36).

Paul was a preacher. Paul was a pastor. Paul was a man of prayer. He prayed for the people. He prayed with the people. He prayed that they would receive God's grace. He prayed that they would know that all of their sins had been forgiven. He prayed that they would grow strong in their faith. He prayed that they would be sanctified, that they would live a Godly life, a Christ-like life, a Spirit-filled life, a life which brings glory to God.

How are we to live the kind of life which brings glory to God? - In his prayer for the Ephesians, Paul points us in the direction of a life that is full of God's blessing: 'I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God' (Ephesians 3:17-19).          

Get to know how much the Lord loves you and you will be changed by His love. As you think of the Lord's great love for you, you will want to love Him more. The story of your life will be 'Loving Him who first loved me.'

God calls us to worship Him. He calls us to walk with Him. He calls us to be His witnesses. He calls us to be His workers. Can we ever hope to live such a God-centred life? We cannot do so in our strength. Without Christ, we can do nothing. With Christ, everything changes. We become a new creation in Christ Jesus. We receive new strength.

Paul speaks about this strengthening when he prays for the Ephesians: 'For this reason I kneel before the Father ... I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being' (Ephesians 3:14, 16).

Paul was a man of action. He travelled from place to place, preaching here and preaching there. This is not, however, the full story of Paul's life. We must always remember that he was a man of prayer. From Paul's ministry, we learn this great lesson: 'The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective' (James 5:16).

There is such a clear connection in Scripture between prayer and blessing. We ask, 'Why is there not much blessing?' James tells us - 'You do not have because you do not ask God' (James 4:2). We wonder, 'How can we receive more of God's blessing?' Jesus tells us - 'Ask, and it will be given to you' (Matthew 7:7).

If we are to see God's blessing in our worship and witness, in our walk with God and our work for God, we must come to the Lord with this request, 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Luke 11:1).

We have looked together at the ministry of the Apostle Paul - a helpful ministry, a Gospel ministry, a teaching ministry, a prayerful ministry. May God help us to learn from this ministry. May we learn the great lesson contained in 2 Chronicles 7:14 - 'If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I  hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.'      

Preaching God's Word: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

There is hope. This is a message which is very relevant in today's world. We hear of death and destruction. We ask the question, "Is there hope?" This question impresses itself upon us as we take seriously the events of our day. "Is there hope?" As we consider this question, we may find that we have more questions than answers. It is so important that we ask our questions in the right way. Many people ask questions, but they never expect an answer. We must ask the right Person, the Person who has the Answer. We must bring our questions to God.

Many people do not bring their questions to God, because they do not believe that there is a God. They think that it is clever to disregard God. God's Word tells us that it is foolish to say that there is no God: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1). Many people believe that there is no hope, because they believe that there is no God. There are others who claim to believe in God, but it is perfectly clear that their "belief" in God doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to the way they live their lives.

What are we to make of all this? What are we to do with the questions which arise in our hearts and minds? Are we to follow the way of those who have made up their minds already, those who say that there is no answer, because they say, "There is no God"? Are we to join the ranks of those who pay lip-service to God, yet persist in pushing Him out to the edge of their lives where He becomes completely irrelevant? Should we not, rather, look to the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus has given a great promise to all who are asking questions: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). In fact, we may go further than this. Jesus does not only give the answer. Jesus is the Answer. Christ is the Answer for the world today.

Critics of the Christian Faith will immediately say, "How can Christ be the answer for the world today? He lived such a long time ago. He must be out of date now." This kind of talk may sound impressive, but it leaves out one thing: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If there is any one fact of history, which convinces us that there is a God, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If there is any one fact of history, which convinces us that there is hope, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. People speak about the great events of world history, but there is no greater event than this - the mighty resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Why do we say, "There is hope"? - We say that there is hope because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Death could not hold our Saviour. He broke the power of death. This is the great declaration of the Christian Gospel. Is there hope? Yes. Jesus Christ is our Hope.

Have you ever picked up a book and looked at the last page to see how the story ends? I'm sure most of us have done this at some time. Curiousity gets the better of us. When we read the story told by the Gospels, seeing Jesus being persecuted by His enemies, isn't it great that we're able to look ahead to the end of the Story and see Jesus Christ, risen from the dead?

When we hear of wars and rumours of wars, when we hear of nations rising up against nations, isn't it great to be able to have this assurance that Jesus is Lord, the assurance that there will come a Day when every knee will bow before Jesus Christ and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord? The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that the victory belongs to Christ. The resurrection assures us that all who belong to Christ, will, through faith in Him, share in His victory.

With such a resurrection faith, we can truly say, "There is hope." This hope is not just a matter of being naturally optimistic - the eternal optimist. Real hope is hope in Christ, the risen Lord, the living Saviour, who is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Christian hope is not a matter of saying, "I hope so, but I don't really think so." Through Christ, we have a Hope , which is firm and secure, because it is based, not on our constantly changing emotions, but on Christ, whose love never changes.

There is hope, because there is a Saviour - Jesus Christ, our risen and living Lord. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have a resurrection faith, a faith which enables us to look at life with new eyes - the eyes of hope. We look back to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what do we see? - Hope. We look forward to the coming resurrection, and we are able to sing, with great joy, "When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other side, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share, when His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."

Here and now, we live in the power of His resurrection, not defeated by circumstances but victorious through Christ. With a Saviour such as Jesus Christ, surely we can say nothing other than this, "There is hope."

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1 Corinthians 15, the great "resurrection" chapter, challenges us to think big thoughts - big thoughts about God, big thoughts about Jesus Christ, big thoughts about ourselves. The word, "resurrection", is not a word which figures much in the thoughts of many people in our day. There are many people who profess to have faith in God, but their "God" is not the living God. Their "God" is not the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Their "God" is not the God who is able to transform human life by His mighty power. There are plenty of people who feel an attraction for Jesus Christ - the good man, Jesus Christ - the moral teacher, Jesus Christ - the great example, but they know nothing of Christ's saving power. What are we to say to those for whom Jesus is no more than a figure from ancient history? If we take seriously the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we have a glorious message to proclaim, a message of hope, a joyful message, Good News.

• God is not a "God" who keeps His distance. God is the God who comes near to us in Jesus Christ.
• God is not a "God" who keeps His silence. God is the God who speaks to us through Jesus Christ.

Once we have looked in faith to Jesus Christ, we can no longer see God simply as the "God" who is "away up there" in heaven. He is the living God, our God, the God of our salvation. Once we have really looked at Jesus Christ, we can no longer think of Him as merely a dim and dusty figure from the far distant past. Jesus, the risen Lord, is standing among us now. He is working within us. He is changing the way we see ourselves, the way we look at our lives - "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

Without faith in Jesus Christ, the things of this world loom very large on our horizon. Without Jesus Christ, we have nothing to look forward to: no heavenly glory - only the things which pass away. Such a life is life without hope, and life without hope is misery: "if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19). A "Christ", who does not give us hope for the world to come, is a "Christ" who makes us miserable. We look for more than such a "Christ" is able to give to us. This, however, is not the Christ of the New Testament. He is the risen Christ, the living Saviour, who gives eternal life to all who put their trust in Him. What is this "eternal life", Christ's gift to the believer?

• First, it is a life which is based on Christ's resurrection.
• Second, it is a life which results in our glorious resurrection.

When the worldly man thinks of Christ's resurrection, he says, "Impossible! Dead men don't come back again!"

When the New Testament speaks of Christ's resurrection, the word, "impossible", is heard again. This time, however, it is a very different "impossibility." No longer are we speaking of the impossibility of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. here, we are speaking of the impossibility of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, remaining dead. This is the impossibility of which the New Testament speaks. It was impossible that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, could have remained in the tomb/ When men of unbelief hold their hands up in horror and say, "Impossible!", we must remember who Jesus Christ is - the Son of God, our Saviour, and we must rejoice in the fact of His resurrection: "God raised Him up ... because it was not possible for Him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for our hope of eternal life. Without Christ's return to life, there is no eternal life for us. With Christ's resurrection, there is hope - the joyful hope of eternal glory.

The glory which Christ brings into our lives is a glory which transforms our lives here and now, a glory which grows in us as we go on with the Lord, and a glory which will be seen in all its fullness at our glorious resurrection.

When the New Testament speaks of heavenly glory, it does not mean to play down the glorious privilege of living for Christ here and now. the Apostle Paul puts it this way: "For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

To die is gain - that will be heavenly glory.

To live is Christ - this is our glorious privilege.

"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!"

This glory grows as we go on with the Lord. Here is a great description of growing in Christ: "we all ... beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Our ever-deepening experience of the glory of the Lord will reach its fullness in the world to come. We rejoice that Christ lives in us now. Our joy will be deeper and fuller when we are with Him in heavenly glory (Colossians 1:27): "we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

This hope will become a glorious reality. Then, we will have fullness of joy.

Lord, we need Your strength.

Genesis 9:20-29   

Lord, we need Your strength.

Without Your strength, we fall. Without Your strength, we fail.

With Your strength, everything changes.

You lead us from our defeat into Your victory.

Help us, Lord, to trust You.

In ourselves, we are weak. In You, we are strong.

Where does this strength come from? – It comes from this: Jesus has risen – and He lives in us!

“Resurrect in our lives faith, hope, and love, as surely as You raised Jesus Christ from the grave” (Common Order, Prayer for Easter).

Joy to the world ...

If we are to come to a true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ, we must not begin by opening our Bibles at the beginning of the New Testament – Matthew 1:1. We must go back into the Old Testament. We must seek to understand what the prophets said, as they looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.

A true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ will not leave us in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. We need to move beyond the story of Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, led on to a deeper understanding of all that Jesus came to do for us.

From Bethlehem, then, we look back to learn from the prophets and we look forward to learn from the rest of the New Testament story. With great prophetic insight, Isaiah spoke of the coming Christ. He speaks of Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection. From Isaiah, we learn of who Jesus was, what He did and what was done to Him. When we come to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the birth of Christ (Isaiah 9:6-7), we may well come with the question, “Who was Jesus?” When we come to study the life of a historical character, we ask our questions in the past tense: Who was Julius Caesar? Who was William Shakespeare? Who was Robert Burns? When, however, we learn more about Jesus, we discover that He is more than a figure from the past. He is the risen Christ. He is the living Lord.

As we learn of Jesus’ mighty resurrection from the dead, we come to think of Him in a different way. He is different from other characters from the past. We no longer ask the question, “Who was Jesus?” We ask, “Who is Jesus? In Isaiah 9:6, we have a tremendous description of Jesus Christ – “His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” If, after reading this amazing description of Jesus Christ, we are still tempted to think of Him as no more than a figure from the past, we must go on to read the first few words of Isaiah 9:7 – “Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end.”

Jesus Christ is alive today. He is with us now. He wants to draw out, from our hearts, the confession of faith, “My Lord and my God.” He wants to give us the peace which comes from knowing that our sins have been forgiven. He wants to give us the hope which comes from receiving the gift of eternal life. He wants to be our Friend, leading us ever more deeply into a closer friendship with Him.What will be your response to Jesus Christ? He stands among us, calling for the response of faith?

As we look to the words of Isaiah 61:1-3, words which Jesus Himself used to describe His ministry, we discover that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, began His ministry with a profound awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in His life: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me” (Isaiah 61:1). When we ask the question, “What did Jesus do while He was on earth?”, we find a helpful summary in these verses. Without looking at each phrase in detail, we might draw special attention to these phrases: Jesus came “to bring good tidings”, “to give … the oil of gladness” and “the mantle of praise” (Isaiah 61:1, 3).

Jesus came “to bring Good News.” This is the message which was brought by the angels to the shepherds on the night of Christ’s birth: “I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2: 10-11). This is the message which Jesus brought to men and women during His earthly ministry. this is the message which He brings to us today. Have you received the Good News of Christ? Have you learned to rejoice in the Lord? Are you learning to praise the Lord? Let the Good News of Christ lead you to praise Him with joy, giving thanks to God for Jesus, your Saviour and Lord.

There’s a Christmas song which contains the words. “Man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day.” If, however, we are to have a true understanding of the way to eternal life, we must move beyond Christmas Day to Good Friday and easter Sunday, and we must move on from there to the day concerning which the hymnwriter speaks, ” O happy day! that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God! O happy day! O happy day! when Jesus washed my sins away.” The Gospel speaks not only of the Babe of Bethlehem. It speaks also of the Christ of Calvary and the risen Lord. When the Gospel speaks of Christ’s death and resurrection, it does not suggest that these events carry with them an automatic guarantee of eternal life. The Gospel draws our attention to the Christ who was “crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men”, after which He was raised from the dead by God (Acts 2:23-24). The Gospel does not, however, tell us only about what was done to Jesus – He was crucified by men and raised by God. It also sets before us the question: What will you do to Jesus? Will you receive Him? Or will you reject Him? “Joy to the world; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing.” “O come to my heart, Lord Jesus! There is room in my heart for Thee.” Is there room in you heart for Jesus?

Preaching The Word Of The Lord: Old Testament

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Before the creation, there is the Creator.
* He is the chief focus of attention in the Bible’s first chapter. Wherever we look in Genesis 1, we see the word, God. This is about Him. Genesis 1 speaks about us. It tells us where we have come from. We have come from God. He is our Creator. Take away God, and our life has no meaning, no purpose, no direction.
* Move on from the Bible’s first chapter. Read the rest of Genesis, the rest of the Old Testament,the rest of the Bible. What do you find? The Bible is a Book about God. It’s not only a Book about God. It’s a Book that has been given to us by God. It’s His Word.
* What about our faith and our life? Our faith comes to us from God. Our life has been given to us by God. We are to put our faith in God. We are to live our life for God.
* “God said, Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). The light of God’s love and holiness. “He created us in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). Created by God - love. Created for God - called to holiness. The light of His love - a sure foundation for our faith. The light of His holiness - The Lord is calling us to walk with him in the light of His holy Word.
* “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). This was before our sin spoiled the world. We must not blame God for our sin. We are the ones who have spoiled His good creation.
* “God completed His work” (Genesis 2:2). This was the end of the beginning. When we come to Genesis 3, it seems like we’re reading about the beginning of the end. It’s not. It’s the start of a new beginning - God’s rescue plan (Genesis 3:15).

Genesis 2:4-25
Do what God tells us to do. This leads to blessing. Do what God tells us not to do. This leads to trouble. It’s been trouble ever since.
Here, on earth, things can be turned around. We can be set in the right direction. We are not yet at our final destination, but we’re travelling towards it.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they “died” spiritually. Immediately, we see conflict. The devil has won a battle. He has won many more battles. He will win many more battles. He will not win the war.
In Genesis 3:15, we catch a glimpse of God’s eternal Kingdom, in which “there will no longer be any curse” (Revelation 22:3).

Genesis 3:1-7
The tragedy of Adam and Eve: their fall into sin. We compare this with the triumph of Jesus - His victory over Satan.
What made the difference?- standing on the Word of God.
Adam and Eve believed the lie of the devil.
Jesus took His stand on the Word of God.
What about us? Do we stand? or Do we fall? Will we listen to Satan? or Will we listen to God?
We cannot be facing in two directions at the same time. We must make our choice.
Will our life be self-centred? or Will it be God-centred?
God is calling us out of the old life (the Adam life). He’s calling us into the new life (the Jesus life). When we choose to walk with Jesus, He walks with us.

Genesis 4:1-16
We read about Cain and Abel. We look beyond them to Christ. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He is "the Passover Lamb." He "has been sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
We read here about the parting of the ways. Cain went one way - away from God. Abel went the other way - towards God. When we come to the Cross of Jesus Christ, we must make our choice. Our  life can never be the same again.
Will we be like Cain? - "He went out from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of wandering" (Genesis 4:16). What does God say to those who are wandering away from Him? He says, "Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14).
We read about Abel, and we look beyond him to Christ. Let us walk with Christ on the way of faith and obedience, the way of His salvation, the way of holiness. When we read about Abel's offering being accepted by God, we must remember this - It's Christ who makes the difference. It's "His blood" which "cleanses us from our sins" (1 John 1:7).

Genesis 9:8-17
We look at the rainbow. We see the love of God. We look beyond the rainbow. We look to the Cross. There, we see the supreme demonstration of the love of God. There, we see Jesus, suffering for us. His suffering is the suffering of love. It wasn't the nails that held Him to the Cross. It was His love for us that sent Him to the Cross. It was His love for us that kept Him on the Cross.

Genesis 12:1-9
This was a major step for Abraham - and for God. Abraham would never be the same again. For him, this was the beginning of a journey. It was more than a journey into a new land. It was a journey into God's blessing. Notice that Abraham was "75 years old" (Genesis 12:4) when he set out on this great journey of faith and blessing. 75 years old - we don't normally expect big changes at this age. Big change - this was what God expected of Abraham. Can we ever say, "It's too late to make a new beginning with God?" No! We must never say this. Whatever age we are, we must be ready to say "Yes" to God, to move forward with Him. Pray that God will give you a new hunger for Himself, for His Word, for prayer. As we get older, are we getting colder or bolder? Do we say, "My best days are behind me? or Do we rise to new challenges?

Exodus 3:1-22
Moses may have been content to remain in the background. God was calling him to step into the foreground - for God’s people.
This is more than the story of Moses. It’s the story of Israel. It points forward to God’s purpose for all nations. When we read the Old Testament story, we find that God is saying to us, ‘This is just the beginning. There is more than this.’ From Exodus to the Gospels, to Acts, to the book of Revelation: We’re not at the final triumph yet. Like those who have come before us - Moses, the Psalmist, the prophets, Jesus, Peter, Paul, we must face conflict. There will be glimpses of glory, but the full glory is still to come.
In Exodus, we see God’s people on a journey. It’s a journey with God. It’s a journey of faith. We see the same thing in Acts.In the work of God, there are people who are very significant - Moses and Peter. The work of God is always bigger than such individuals. Let us never forget the people who remain in the background. They’re not just making up the numbers. They’re important - loved by God and valued by God.
* What does God have to say to each and every one of us concerning His purpose for our lives?
Exodus 3 and Acts 2 - God’s holiness (burning bush, holy ground, Holy Spirit); God’s love (the redemption of Israel, the salvation of three thousand sinners.)
His holiness and His love: This is what God wants to reproduce in our lives. This is not only for big names, like Moses and Peter. From the Father, the Son and the Spirit - new life, abundant life, eternal life.

2 Chronicles 7:12-22
The gathering together of God’s people - “I ... have chosen this place for Myself” (2 Chronicles 7:12). Note also 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 - “... this place... this temple.”
The key verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14. Taking this verse together with Acts 1:12-14, we may say, ‘This is the kind of prayer that leads to Pentecost.’
What we have here is humility, prayer, longing for God and repentance.
When say, “Pray”, we must ask, ‘How are we to pray?’
* We are to pray with humility. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14).
* We are to pray with longing for God. Prayer is more than just words. There is to be intensity and persistence. The parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8): She kept on praying until she received an answer. We are to “cry out to God day and night” (Luke 18:7).
* We are to pray with repentance. Our words are to be backed up by our life.
When God hears this kind of prayer, arising from our hearts and lives as well as our lips, He says, “I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Can there be a new Pentecost? Will we commit ourselves to pray, like the first apostles prayed?

Psalm 23:1-6
“The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).
He speaks to us. He calls us to Himself. He leads us on with Himself (John 10:3).
He is all that we need for walking the walk as well as talking the talk.
He works in us through the “oil” of the Holy Spirit and the “table” and “cup” of Christ (Psalm 23:5).
The completion of God’s work in us is beyond this life. It’s more than “as long as I live.” It’s “forever” (Psalm 23:6).

Psalm 24:1-10
“The one who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3) - That’s Jesus. “He will receive a blessing from the Lord” (Psalm 24:5).
How do we receive this blessing? We must receive it through Jesus. We must open our hearts to “the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7,9). He will lead us on to “the mountain of the Lord”, to “His holy place” (Psalm 24:3).

Psalm 27:1-14
The Lord brings light and salvation to us. He is our light and our salvation (Psalm 27:1).
When the Lord saves us, He gives us a great desire to worship Him (Psalm 27:4).
We are on a journey - a lifelong journey, an eternal journey (Psalm 27:13-14) - “all the days of my life, “forever” (Psalm 23:6).
“Wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). We need to hear this for both our lifelong journey and our eternal journey.
Psalm 34:1-22
"I will praise the Lord at all times" (Psalm 34:1) - in the bad times as well as the good times. "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4). "His praise will always be on my lips" (and in my heart) (Psalm 34:1). This Psalm begins with "I" (see also Psalm 34:2 - "I will boast in the Lord"), but it move on, from there, to "Proclaim with me the Lord, let us exalt His Name together" (Psalm 34:3). Note also "I" (Psalm 34:4) and "Taste and see" (Psalm 34:8).
The way to happiness - true and lasting joy (Psalm 34:5,8): True joy goes hand in hand with the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:11-12).
The Lord sees us in our need, and He has compassion on us. He is near to us - "Emmanuel." He saves us - "Jesus" (Psalm 34:18; Matthew 1:23,21).
What the Lord does for us is summed up in Psalm 34:22 - He redeems us. This is more than changing our life here-and-now. This is eternal life. This comes to us through the death of Christ (Psalm 34:20; John 19:33,36). He died that we might live.    

Psalm 40:1-3
The sinner becomes the singer and the servant.
* “a desolate pit”, “the muddy clay” - This is our sin. We bring our sin to the Saviour.
* “a new song” - This is our song of salvation. This is the song that our Saviour has given to us.
* “Many will see...” We do not sing for ourselves. We do not live for ourselves. We live for the Lord. We are to win people for Him.

Before a song can be a song of praise, it must be a song of salvation. We praise God because He has saved us.
Psalm 46:1-11
"God is our refuge and our strength ..." (Psalm 46;1). "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). First, the truth about God; Then, our feelings are brought into line with the truth about God,
Facts; Faith; Feelings
 * Facts - Christ's death and resurrection for us 
 * Faith - I believe the facts. My faith is built on the sure foundation - Christ, the rock of my salvation.
 * Feelings - Never start with feelings. They will lead you astray.
Safety; Certainty; Enjoyment
 * Safety - We have been saved by the Lord. It's His doing - not ours.
 * Certainty - We believe His Word. We stand upon His promises.
 * Enjoyment - We enjoy His blessing.

Psalm 93:1-5
“The Lord reigns” - “majesty”, “strength” (Psalm 93:1). He is the eternal God (Psalm 93:2). He speaks to us. His Word is true, holy and eternal (Psalm 93:5).

Psalm 111:1-10
Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is risen today - a celebration for Easter, and every Lord’s Day.
* At the start of the Psalm - “I will praise the Lord” (Psalm 111:1).
* At the end of the Psalm - “His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).
In our worship, there is to be both “the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 111:10) and trust in the Lord - “the Lord is gracious and compassionate... He has sent redemption to His people” (Psalm 111:4,9).
We give thanks to the Lord for His love, but we must never forget that “His Name is holy and awe-inspiring” (Psalm 111:9).
* The character of God: He is holy, He is love.
* The message of the Gospel: In love for us, the holy God has provided a way for our sins to be forgiven.
These are the truths of God’s Word which are to shape our lives, making us more holy and more loving.

Psalm 118:19-29
God is calling us to praise Him.
* “I will praise the Lord” (Psalm 118:20).
* “I will praise You” (Psalm 118:21).
* “You are my God, and I will praise You” (Psalm 118:28).
Praise is more than words that we sing in church. Our whole life is to be full of praise to God.
We come to the Lord’s Table to receive forgiveness from Him. We go from the Lord’s Table to share His forgiveness with others.
* “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12),
* “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).
* How many times should I forgive my brother? - “As many as seven?” “Seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22). If we’re still counting, we’ve missed the point!
* “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).
Thank God that Jesus prayed this prayer for every one of us. Let it shape our attitudes and actions towards one another.
May God help us to be less like the Pharisee, and more like the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). This is true praise. It pleases God.

Isaiah 1:16-20
Each of us must make choices - not just, What suit, shirt and tie will I put on?
Will I worship the Lord? Or Will I stay at home?
What attitude will I bring with me to church? - ‘This is just a religious habit” or “This a meeting with God. It will change my way of thinking and living.”
In Isaiah 1:18-20, we read about two very different responses to God - returning to Him or rebelling against Him. When we return to the Lord, this will change the way we relate to other people (Isaiah 1:16-17).
We’re not to be like Judas Iscariot - making money for himself, but paying the ultimate price: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? (Matthew 16:26).

Isaiah 6:1-13
Serving the Lord arises out of worshipping Him.
* We proclaim His holiness: "Holy, holy, holy... " (Isaiah 6:3).
* We confess our sin: "Woe is me" (Isaiah 6:5) - a personal confession.
Before we can speak the words, "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8), we must hear the words, "Your sin has been forgiven" (Isaiah 6:7).
We are to be faithful in speaking God's Word. This involves our lips (Isaiah 6:7). It also involves our lives. Serving the Lord means more than paying lip-service to Him. We are to serve Him with our lives.
Is there any guarantee that we will bear much fruit?
The parable of the sower says that our fruit may be 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown (Matthew 13:23). The parable of the talents says that one talent could become two; two could become four; five could become ten (Matthew 21:14-30).
What does Isaiah 6 say to us about bearing fruit for the Lord?
There is a word of realism. Many people will pay no attention to us and to our Lord (Isaiah 6:9-10).
There is a word of faith, a word of hope - "the holy seed is the stump" (Isaiah 6:13).
We may say, Lord, we're looking for more than a "stump."
God says to us, Even  when "the land is ruined and desolate", even when "the people" are "far away", even when there is "great emptiness in the land" (Isaiah 6:11-12), there is still hope. We must keep on working for the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Isaiah 11:1-9
When we read God’s word, we ask, What can I learn about Jesus, about believing in him and living for Him?
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him... ” (Isaiah 11:2) - This is about Jesus.It’s about Peter on the Day of Pentecost. It’s about us.
“Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge” - All of these suggest something we know with our minds. Strength speaks to us about acting on what we know.
Where do all these blessings come from? - They come from “the Spirit of the Lord.” Everything that God gives to us is summed up in this: “the Spirit of the Lord.”
Life in the spirit includes both “the fear of the Lord” and trust in the Lord. Life in the Spirit includes both divine revelation and human response.There’s a vital connection between what we say and what we do and what we are. There will be powerful and effective preaching when what we say is backed up by what we do and what we are.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort (Isaiah 40:1) – This comes from God’s great faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23).

In our past, present and future, we see the faithfulness of God - “His mercies never end. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Think of God’s faithfulness, and “count your blessings.” Think of this, that and the other blessing (good things in your life) – and don’t forget to thank Him for the greatest blessing of all: Jesus.
– The faithfulness if God is summed up in this: “The Word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
– There’s a New Testament way of saying this: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
As we move from one year to another year, let’s think about the old and the new.
On His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus speaks about the old and the new.
– He tells us that He didn’t come to destroy the Law and Prophets. He came to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17-20). He wasn’t setting aside the Old Testament. He was building on it.
– He doesn’t just repeat what others have said. He brings something new, something fresh. He said, “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you” (Matthew 5:21,27,31,33,38,43).
Build on the past. Move on into the future.

Isaiah 40:12-31

The greatness of God
* He is great in Himself. Before the world was created, God is great: “In the beginning, God....” (Genesis 1:1).
* He is great for us. This is the great message that comes to us from Isaiah 40:28-31.
God is great in love. God is great in power. God is great in holiness. God is great in faithfulness.
* Love - “God is love” (1 John 4:16); “God so loved the world...” (John 3:16); “God showed His love for us...” (Romans 5:8).
* Power - the power of God’s love - “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5); “He is able to keep us from falling” (Jude 24).
* Holiness - God is holy. Through his love and His power, He is working to make us holy. As well as the command - “Be holy”, there is the promise - “You shall be holy.”
* Faithfulness - “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22). God is faithful. He will accomplish His purpose in us (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
* Glory - Jude 24-25 and Revelation 1:5-6. God shares His glory with us.

Isaiah 42:1-9
Through Jesus Christ, God’s Servant, God’s Son, our Saviour, God calls us to be saved by Him and to become His servants. We’re to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:60.
All the glory belongs to Him (Isaiah 42:8).
He will lead us forward into great blessing: “new events” (Isaiah 42:9). This directs our attention to Jesus.
We now look back to Jesus - but we also look forward from Him to the glorious future He is preparing for us. Here, on earth, we have “a foretaste of glory divine.” In heaven, it will be the real thing.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:210. This is prophecy. What we have here is even more remarkable. We read this, and we think that this must have been written after Jesus’ death. This is the work of the Spirit of God. He sees what lies ahead. He describes these events, as if they had already happened. This is more than a description of what was going to happen. It’s an explanation of the meaning of the death of Christ.
Is there a look beyond His death to His resurrection? Yes! “He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will succeed by His hand” (Isaiah 53:10).
When these words were first spoken, people must have wondered, “What does all this mean?” They must have wondered about Jesus, when He started talking about His resurrection - “What is He talking about?”
When Jesus died for us, and then rose from the dead, everything fell into place. This was what Isaiah and Jesus had been speaking about.

Isaiah 54:1-17
Singing with joy (Isaiah 54:1) - Our song comes from the Lord. Our joy comes from the Lord. From ourselves, there is sin. From the Lord, there is salvation. “Through the love of God our Saviour, all will be well ... All is well ... All must be well.” So much blessing is ours, because Jesus is crucified, risen and exalted.
On the Cross, Jesus was forsaken by God so that we might be forgiven by God. At the Cross, He was brought low so that we might be lifted up. From the Cross, Jesus calls out to us.
In love, He speaks to us. His love is the greatest love of all. His love is “everlasting love” (Isaiah 54:8).
This is where our song of joy comes from. It comes from His everlasting love.
In the Old Testament, we see the rainbow (Isaiah 54:9). It’s a reminder of God’s great love for us.
In the New Testament, we have bread and wine - God’s way of reminding us that He loves us so much that He gave his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us.
Through Jesus, we have “peace with God” (Isaiah 54:10), we are “taught by the Lord” (Isaiah 54:13), we will be given His victory over Satan - “No weapon formed against you will succeed” (Isaiah 54:17), we will be led on to His everlasting Kingdom - “poor Jerusalem” (Isaiah 54:11) will become “new Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2).

Isaiah 55:1-13
“Without money and without cost” (Isaiah 55:1) - “The best things in life are free. Money can’t buy me love” (The Beatles).
We read, in Matthew 26:7, about a woman who anointed Jesus with “very expensive fragrant oil.”
What are we to say about all of this? - It’s not about repaying the Lord for His love for us. It’s about expressing our love for Him. It’s about worship.
Where does worship begin? - “Seek the Lord... He will freely forgive” (Isaiah 55:7).
How does the love of Christ reach us and change us? You feel like you’re lost. The love of Christ says, “You can be found,” This is the message of Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Luke 15) - three parables, one message.
It’s not so much about us - our seeking the Lord and finding Him. It’s about the Lord. He seeks us and finds us.
In Matthew 26, we read about a woman who worshipped the Lord, and a man who betrayed Him.
Worship or betrayal? Which will it be?
* How do we worship the Lord? - We worship Him, when we make Him the top priority in our lives.
* How do we betray the Lord? - We betray him when we fill our lives with other things, and leave no place for Him.
The woman is to be remembered for the right reason. She worshipped the Lord. Judas Iscariot is remembered for the wrong reason. He betrayed the Lord.
We remember them. We remember Jesus, the Passover Lamb, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jeremiah 1:4-10
How old was Jeremiah when he was called to be a prophet of God? We don't know. We do know that this was the great turning-point of his life. This was the day that he discovered the meaning, purpose and direction of his life. This was revealed to him by God. This call gave him strength to face many difficult times.

Jeremiah 31:1-6
God’s everlasting love: His love for us comes before our love for Him.
We’re living in a wilderness - spiritual and moral. We’re always searching, but never finding. We’re never sure which way to turn.
Into this situation, comes God - from “far away” (heaven). He speaks of His love, and putting our life together again (Jeremiah 31:3-4).
We can’t do this for ourselves. He must do this for us. It’s not a self-improvement programme. It’s a new birth into a life of praise (Jeremiah 31:40, service (Jeremiah 31:5) and calling others to come and worship the Lord (Jeremiah 31:6).

Jeremiah 31:7-14
“Sing with joy” (Jeremiah 31:7,12-13).
This is to be our response to the Gospel. It’s more than a singalong. It’s “praise.” This praise continues after we leave the place of worship.
“Shout” - “I am not ashamed” (Romans 1:16).
“Proclaim” - Make the message known: “for the Good News” (Romans 1:1,5-6).
This for everyone (Jeremiah 31:8,10).
We come as we are - “blind” and “lame” (Jeremiah 31:8). We come to our “Shepherd” (Jeremiah 31:10). He has “ransomed” us. He has “redeemed” us from the “power” of Satan, Our enemy is stronger than we are, but he is not stronger than Jesus - “the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:40.
With Christ in our life, everything changes - “new wine, fresh oil... Their life will be... They will be no longer...” (Jeremiah 31:12). It is “abundant” life, a “satisfied” life (Jeremiah 31:14). We have received new life in Christ - “This is the Lord’s declaration concerning us (Jeremiah 31:14).

Jeremiah 31:15-20
The human situation, the divine solution
* “She refuses to be comforted” (Jeremiah 31:15). Often, we dig a hole for ourselves.
* “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears” - This is what “the Lord” says to us (Jeremiah 31:16).
If anyone else says this to us, we might well say, “It’s all right for you to say that. You’re not suffering like I am.”
God gave His only Son - to die for us. He knows what we’re going through. He’s been there, and He hasn’t forgotten it,
He came out the other side for us - the resurrection.
* “They shall come back from the land of the enemy; there is hope for your future” (Jeremiah 31:16-17) - “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
How are we to understand our times of suffering?
* “You disciplined me” (Jeremiah 31:18) - There is a purpose of God in our suffering. “Bring me back, let me come back, for You are the Lord my God” (Jeremiah 31:18) - the story of the prodigal son, your story, my story.
* “After I had turned away, I repented” - two stages of life.
* Jeremiah 31:20 - God puts a question to us, and He answers it for us. It is the answer of His love. Don’t stop believing in His love. He’ll never stop loving you. Believe in His Son. Believe in His promises.

Jeremiah 31:21-30
“Set your hearts toward the highway; keep the highway in mind” (Jeremiah 31:210 - “the highway of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8):
A call to the “backsliding daughter” (Jeremiah 31:22). “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied” (Proverbs 14:14).
Here’s a breath prayer (breathe in for the first part, breathe out for the second part). It’s based on John 3:30 - “More of You, Lord, less of me.”
“The Lord bless you... mountain of holiness” (Jeremiah 31:23), “the days are coming” (Jeremiah 31:27,31,38): God is looking towards what we will become.
Taking apart the self-centred life; putting together the God-centred life (Jeremiah 31:28).

Jeremiah 31:31-34
God forgives and forgets (Jeremiah 31:34). It’s not “God cannot remember.” It’s “God chooses not to remember.” The rebuilding of our life - we are to be “holy to the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:38-40).

Ezekiel 37:1-14
God calls us to speak His Word. First, we must receive His Gospel. We must see ourselves as sinners. We must see Jesus as our Saviour. The Word of the Lord is to be encouraging, challenging and life-changing. We will not always be on the mountain-top. Often, we will be down in the valley. We will need to be lifted up by the Lord. As we move from the world of the Bible to the world of today, we must ask the question, “Can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3), and we must listen to God’s answer to this question.
Humanly speaking, the answer is “No.” God gives us a different answer. He says, “Yes.” God’s answer is given by grace. It is to be spoken in faith. It is the answer that comes to us when the Spirit of the Lord is at work in us (Ezekiel 37:1). It is the answer that comes from revelation. It is the answer that leads to revival.

Ezekiel 47:1-12
“ankle-deep, knee-deep, up to the waist, deep enough to swim in, a river than could not be crossed on foot” (Ezekiel 47:3-5).
Jerusalem - ankle-deep, all Judaea - knee deep, Samaria - up to the waist, the ends of the earth - deep enough to swim in (Acts 1:8)
Before there can be witness, there needs to be worship: from a trickle to a river - John 7:37-39.
The rivers of living water must flow into us before they can flow out from us. “There will be life everywhere the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9).

Daniel 2:44-47
God’s Kingdom “will never be destroyed.” It “endures forever.”
“The dream is true, and the interpretation is certain.”
Through the resurrection of Jesus, this is more than a dream. He has triumphed over death.
How are we to respond to Jesus? - “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28); “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16); “revealer of mysteries” (Daniel 2:47).
Worship the Lord. Submit to Him. Learn from Him. Live for Him.

Daniel 3:1-30
Fire - danger, heat
There is, in God’s Word, a word of warning and a word of promise.
This is the way we are not to go. This is the way we are to go.
* “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
* “The bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2).
* “Our God is an awesome God” (Rich Mullins) - we must never forget this.
Fire is to be respected. Our God is a holy fire. He burns away our dross.
* “Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for You, Lord; I choose to be holy, set apart for You, my Master, ready to do Your will” (Brian Doerksen).
* “O God of burning, cleansing flame, send the fire! Your blood-bought gift today we claim: send the fire today!... We need another Pentecost! Send the fire today!” (William Booth).
This is the inspiring and empowering fire: the Holy Spirit. “Give me oil in my lamp. Keep me burning” - burning for God.
* Isaiah 43:2 - “You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.”
There were four men in the furnace of blazing fire - Jesus was there: “the fourth was like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25),
We go through many testing times, but we are not alone. Jesus is with us. He’s there with His grace: “My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He calls us to put our faith in Him.
* In the fiery furnace, the men were burning for God. They weren’t being consumed by the fire. They were shining for God. Their light was calling out to others.
Come to the light. Come to the Lord.
When we look at these men, we must look beyond them to the Son of God. Jesus passed through the “fire” for us. He was forsaken by God so that we might be welcomed by God.

Daniel 6:1-28
The deliverance of Daniel from the mouths of the lions - What a great miracle this is! It points forward to an even greater miracle - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Why is the resurrection a greater miracle? - It seemed almost inevitable that Daniel would be killed, but he didn’t actually die. Jesus did die. The shadow of death hung over Daniel, but death did not take him. Jesus was raised from death. He was “crucified, dead and buried” - and, after all that, He was raised to life.
The message of Daniel’s deliverance from the mouths of the lions - “For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His Kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion has no end” (Daniel 6:26). This is the message of Jesus’ resurrection.
Daniel’s deliverance gives us a glimpse of God’s glory. Jesus’ resurrection is a marvellous and mighty revelation of the eternal God and eternal life (see 1 John 5:20 - “Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”) Daniel was a great man. Jesus is our great Saviour.
Like Daniel, we will face “lions” - Satan goes about “like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). Like Daniel, we must “resist” the devil, firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Christ delivers us - and He will raise us.

Daniel 7:13-14
What a future God has planned for His people. What a great future He is planning for His people. Coronation - What a day of celebration.This is better than any human coronation. It’s better than any human celebration.
When Christ comes, this will go beyond our ability to describe or even imagine: the great Kingdom - full of the glory of God; the great Saviour - full of the grace of God. Christ takes us from grace to glory.
In Matthew 26:75, we see what Peter was. In Acts 2, we see what He became. This is grace, calling us on to glory.

Hosea 6:1-3
* “Let us return to the Lord” (Hosea 6:1). There are many blessings, waiting for us. We must come to the Lord and receive these blessings from Him.
* “He will revive us” (Hosea 6:2). This is new life in Christ. It’s new life in the Spirit. We were dead. Now, we are alive, Glory to God!
* “He will raise us up” (Hosea 6:2) - resurrection, not just a pick-me-up. God must do it. He alone can do it - and He does!
* “He will come to us like the rain” (Hosea 6:3) - “the spring showers that water the land”: This will put a spring in our step. It will send us out, with joy and strength, to serve the Lord and bring others to Him (Psalm 126:5-6).

Hosea 14:1-9
There is hope. There is a future. Hosea 14:9 - Conclusion: This is for us. The only way to live is the Lord’s way.
Repentance (Hosea 14:2) - It’s returning to the Lord (Hosea 14:1). It’s more than “words” (Hosea 14:2). It’s a way of life. As we walk with the Lord, we learn about repentance.
God speaks to us about forgiveness (Hosea 14:2). In love, He’s speaking to us. He speaks to us from the cross of Christ. The Spirit makes God’s love real to us. He brings Jesus to us. God’s love inspires our thinking and our living.
Our whole life is to be an expression of our love for the Lord, a heartfelt response to His love for us - a way of saying, “Thank You, Lord”, a way of offering to the Lord the praise and worship that arises from our hearts.
As we worship God, we must remember that He is not only love. He is also holiness.
This is to be seen in our “return to the Lord” (Hosea 14:1), our conversion. It’s not to be a partial conversion - paying lip-service to the Lord. It’s to be a full conversion - our hearts and our lives: the stirring of our hearts and the changing of our lives.

Joel 2:21-32
Give thanks to the Lord (Joel 2:21).
Joel 2:22-24 - Harvest is a special time for giving thanks to the Lord.
* We look back from the harvest, and we see the character of God (Joel 2:13).
* We look forward from the harvest - to greater blessing: spiritual as well as material (Joel 2:28-29).
Note the way of salvation - “Call on the Name of the Lord, and be saved” (Joel 2:32).

Micah 6:8
In Micah 6:8, the question is asked, “What does the Lord require of us?”
Micah 6:8 gives us an Old Testament answer to the question, “What is holiness?”
As well as Micah’s answer, there is a New Testament answer to this question.
* “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin” (Hebrews 9:22).
God calls us to come to the Cross. That’s where the life of faith and obedience begins.
* “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
God calls us to put our faith in Christ. It’s personal faith. Each one of us must come to Jesus - “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.” Faith is God’s gift. Each one of us must receive His gift.
* “Without holiness, no-one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
God is calling us to become more like Jesus. Our life is to be less of self and more of Christ - and we’re to give all the glory to God.

Zechariah 9:9-10
This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Jesus is the King - not just a king.
* What kind of King is He? - “righteous and victorious”, “humble” (Zechariah 9:9)., “to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10).
* How are we to respond to Him? - “Rejoice greatly... Shout in triumph” (Zechariah 9:9).