Belong – People loved by God
Download my teaching handout as a pdf
More teaching handouts can be found HERE
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SERMON: GENESIS 12:10-20
Sermon I preached on Genesis 12:10-20 at Banstead Community Church on 17th January 2021.
1. Trails expose our fears
2. Trials expose our faith
More sermons can be found HERE
(Photo: lauramusikanski)
LATEST LINKS
10 links to check out over the weekend…
- Small is Beautiful
- Some Trust in Numbers: How Counting Can Ruin a Ministry
- The Greatest Christians and the Most Visible Gifts
- What were the early Christian communities like?
- Encouragements from the inaugural meeting of Rochdale Evangelical Church
- Spiritual Disciplines for Dark Days
- Known for Being Reasonable
- Whataboutism Is a Mark of Foolishness
- Locked Down for 38 Years
- We Believe: The Story of the Apostles’ Creed
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
DAILY READ – ACTS 14
The Big Read – Daily Read
Acts 14
v1-7: “The Gospel was now preached to Jews and Gentiles together, and those of each group who believed came together into the church.” The preaching they heard was so plain and convincing, “with such evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, and with such power.” The preaching was so warm and affectionate, “and with such a clear concern for human souls.” The preaching was so earnest and so serious, so bold and courageous, “that the people who heard them could not help saying that God was with them.” Yet the success of the preaching was not attributed to the quality of the preaching, “but to the Spirit of God, who used that means.”
v8-18: The witness of God is all around us. “The rain and fruitful seasons could not come about by chance… All the powers of nature witness to us of a sovereign power in the God of nature, from whom they are derived and on whom they depend. It is not the sky that gives rain, but God who gives us rain from the sky.” The witness of God is also seen in the daily provision of food and drink for us. “We must all acknowledge that God fills our hearts with food and gladness — not only food, so that we may live, but also gladness, so that we may live cheerfully; we owe it to him that we do not all our days eat in sorrow. We must thank God not only for our food but also for our joy — that he gives us permission to be joyful, cause to be joyful, and hearts to be joyful. And if our hearts be filled with food and gladness, they should also be filled with love and thankfulness, and released to fulfil our duty in obedience.”
v19-28: Young converts need to be strengthened in the faith because they “tend to waver, and a little thing shocks them.” Swimming against the tide frightens them and can tempt them to retreat from the true grace of God. “Those who are converted need to be confirmed, strengthened; those who are planted need help to become rooted… To retain is sometimes as difficult as to acquire.” What they need is to be exhorted to continue in their belief that Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. “Those who are in the faith should be concerned to continue in the faith, despite all the temptations to desert it that may come upon them from the smiles or frowns of this world. They need to be encouraged to do so often. Those who are continually surrounded by temptations toward apostasy need to be continually freshly motivated with urgent appeals to persevere.”
Quotes from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
(Photo: Brad Neathery)
@READINGSPURGEON: 1 JOHN 5:4 (NPSP1S14)
@ReadingSpurgeon: 1 John 5:4 – The Victory of Faith (NPSP1S14)
“The word “overcomes” seems to have in it something of the sword and warfare, of strife and contention, of agony and wrestling.” This sermon from C. H. Spurgeon on 1 John 5:4 – “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” – is about the battle Christians fight throughout life, but which they do with the certainty of victory.
He has 3 points:
I. A great victory
Christians have overcome the world – in what sense have they? They overcome the world by living “as a distinct people, a separate race, a chosen generation, a peculiar people.”
“Men usually swim with the stream like a dead fish. It is only the living fish that goes against it.” Most if they “see that the majority of mankind have certain habits,” they succumb and yield. But not the believer, “you are to come out and be separate, if you would overcome the world.”
When “we rebel against the world’s customs,” the enemy changes his conduct either frowning with persecution or admiring with praise. “A smiling world is worse than a frowning world… Christians are not so much in danger when they are persecuted as when they are admired. When we stand upon the pinnacle of popularity, we may well tremble and fear.”
We also, when God sends affliction and sorrow, resist the world’s solution to escape them.
II. A great birth
We must insist “that in order to enter heaven there must be a radical change” – a new birth.
The new birth is mysterious “that human words cannot speak of it,” and yet it is a change “which is known and felt.” It is a supernatural change, “something which man cannot do and which only God can effect… something so mighty and wondrous that it must be confessed to be the work of God and God alone,” and it is an enduring change. “If I am really born again, with that real supernatural change, I shall never fall away. I may fall into a sin, but I shall not fall finally.”
III. A great grace
Those who are born again really do overcome the world. How? By faith. “Faith overcomes the world by curing like with like.” Fear of the world is overcome by fear of God. The hopes of the world are overcome by the hope of glory. The love of the world is overcome by the love of God. “So faith overcomes the world by like curing like.”
Spurgeon closes with some questions and a warning. “Has your faith overcome the world? Can you live above it? Or do you love the world and the things thereof? If so, sirs, you must go on your way and perish, each one of you, unless you turn from that and give your hearts to Christ.”
A PRAYER BASED ON ACTS 14:1-20
A prayer based on Acts 14:1-20.
Almighty Creator,
who made the world and everything in it,
and who shows His kindness daily by giving rain, fruitful seasons, and who fills us with food and our hearts with joy.
We praise You.
We acknowledge before You now, that this world we live in is Your world.
And yet it distresses us that this world is also one,
where people don’t give You the honour that You deserve,
where so many people, not just in our nation, but in our community, choose to worship things that are created, rather than You their Maker.
It distresses us, not just because they are robbing You of the glory You deserve,
but also because of the danger that places them in,
a danger we at one time were facing,
of being punished for our sin and rebellion against You.
Merciful Lord,
We thank You that there is good news for them as there is good news for us.
And we desperately want them to hear of it.
To hear that Jesus Christ is the Saviour.
That He can offer forgiveness for every single thing they’ve done wrong,
and that He can remove all their guilt before You and give them eternal life,
if they turn from worshipping worthless things and trust in Him.
We thank You that You have graciously opened our hearts to believe in Him,
that we know the joy that having our sins washed away brings,
the assurance the hope of heaven provides,
and we want our friends, our family, and those who live in this community, to know this too.
The responsibility of making Jesus known we feel as a church.
We want to be good witnesses.
We want to speak of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
We want to warn them of how awful the day of judgment will be for those outside of Christ.
But we confess we don’t find this easy.
We are fearful.
We worry about what to say and about saying the wrong thing.
Lord, we need Your help, we need Your Spirit, so fill us we pray.
Holy Spirit,
Give us a boldness so that we can speak fearlessly of our Saviour.
To be unashamed of Him.
Give us the wisdom we need to speak in a way that those we are talking to can understand.
To proclaim the wonder of what Christ has done clearly,
especially as many have little or no knowledge about what the Bible says or about who Jesus is.
And give us the perseverance we need to keep going in spite of difficulties and disappointments.
To remain faithful to the task our Lord has given to us when setbacks happen.
We pray that through our witness as a church, Jesus would extend His kingdom by seeking and saving those who are lost.
And by doing so, would bring glory to His great Name.
Amen.
(Photo: Freely)
DAILY READ – ACTS 13
The Big Read – Daily Read
Acts 13
v1-3: Pastors and teachers are gifts of Christ to His church. They minister to the church by praying and by preaching which explains the Scriptures and opens up the message of Christ with suitable application. When they do this they honour Christ and “pursue the interests of his kingdom.”
v4-13: Satan does not want leaders or people who are in positions of authority to believe in Jesus because of the potential good they can do for the gospel, and so is busy with them. “He knows that their example… will influence many others.” His desire is that they drive people away from “the truths and ways of Christ.”
v14-41: “We must acknowledge that God has been like a tender father to us over all the years each of us has lived in this world. He has supplied our needs, has fed us all our life long unto this day , has taken care of us” – as He provided for Israel in the desert, keeping them from starving. “He has been a God of forgiveness… and not kept a record of what we have done wrong” – as He was for Israel not dealing them as they deserved. “We have tried his patience, but we have not yet exhausted it” – as He was with offensive, complaining, and unfaithful Israel.
v42-52: Those who have been appointed for eternal life, will be given by God grace to believe, because all whom God has predestined, He will call. If God gives grace to believe, those whom He gives grace to, will believe.
Quotes from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
(Photo: Brad Neathery)
@READINGSPURGEON: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:5 (NPSP1S13)
@ReadingSpurgeon: 2 Corinthians 1:5 – Consolation Proportionate to Spiritual Sufferings (NPSP1S13)
The next sermon of C. H. Spurgeon in the New Park Street Pulpit is on 2 Corinthians 1:5 – “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.”
He has 4 headings:
I. The sufferings to be expected
Christian, expect trouble. “There is no bed of down for you, there is no riding to heaven in a chariot. The rough way must be trodden, mountains must be climbed, rivers must be forded, dragons must be fought, giants must be slain, difficulties must be overcome, and great trials must be borne. It is not a smooth road to heaven, believe me.”
Reasons why you must endure trials are seen by look upwards, downwards, around you and within you.
When you look up and see “your heavenly Father, a pure and holy being, spotlessly just, perfect” and consider how one day you will be like him. Do you think “it will be an easy thing for your heart to become as pure as God is?”
When you look downwards, you see “hell and its lions against you.” Once you were “a servant of Satan and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Do you think that Satan is pleased with you?”
When you look around you, you see that you are in a wicked world full of enemies.
Then when you look within you, there lies your original sin and corruption. “If you had no devil to tempt you, you would tempt yourself.”
II. A distinction to be noticed
But we need to be clear about whether our sufferings are sufferings of Christ or not. Many people have trials and troubles who are not God’s children. “It is only when they are the suffering of Jesus that we may take comfort.”
It is when “you are called to endure harshness for the sake of the truth, then those are the sufferings of Christ.” Take care that you sufferings are not your own sufferings.
III. A proportion to be experienced
“As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so the consolations of Christ abound.” When we are most cast down, it is then that we are most lifted up by the consolation of Christ.
Why?
Because trials make more room for consolation: “The more our troubles humble, us, the more fit we are to receive comfort. And God always give us comfort when we are most fit for it.”
Because trouble exercises our graces: “The very exercises of our graces tend to make us more comfortable and happy.”
Because in our troubles we have the closest dealings with God: “When the barn is full, man can live without God. When the purse is bursting with gold, we somehow can do without so much prayer. But once take your gourds away, you want your God.”
IV. There is a person to be honoured
Who is to be honour? Jesus, for, as the text says, this is all by Jesus. “For Jesus cheers me. He is my consolation and my hope.”
So Christian…
If you are afraid of trouble, know that it “may never overtake you… and if it does come, strength will come with it.”
If you are in trouble, know that “as your troubles abound, so shall your consolation” so instead of being distressed about it, “rejoice in it” because “you will then honour God.”
And if you are almost driven to despair, know that “Christ is coming to your help… soon He will deliver you and fetch you out of all your perplexities.”
17 TAKEAWAYS FROM LEADING THROUGH LOCKDOWN 3 WEBINAR
Notes from FIEC Leadership in Lockdown webinar on Leading through Lockdown 3 with John Stevens and a panel of FIEC pastors.
1. The great challenge that we face is that we have a dangerous and difficult journey to the City of God. But we have a great God, the covenanting-creator who will help and protect and He assures us that He will bring us safely to our destination.
2. Coronavirus Law & Guidance Update:
– In England places of worship remain open for communal worship.
– Churches can open for public worship and to broadcast/record.
– Outdoor worship in church garden, courtyard, car park is permitted.
– Churches cannot open for indoor prayer meetings/study groups but can for ‘support groups’ of max 15.
– Funerals are allowed for up to 30 attenders, but weddings now only in ‘exceptional circumstances’ with a max of 6 attenders.
– Sunday School and children’s groups cannot take place unless it is for child care of key workers or vulnerable children. Though Sunday School is seen by us as part of corporate worship, as soon as you’ve got children leaving parents, the government would consider it to fall under ‘out of school’ activities.
– Advice continues to be no congregational singing, and it recommended that only 1 singer (max 3) is used (Is more than 1 singer essential to our worship services?) Recorded singing is preferential. The positive permission at Christmas on outdoor singing has been removed from the guidance.
– Social distancing requirements remain the same. Public Health England spoke to Place of Worship task force to say even with new strain of virus, current social distancing are fine.
– Even though people can attend places of worship, guidance is to stay local and not travel any considerable distance.
3. With the vaccination programme in place, churches are urged to abide by law and guidance. The freedoms churches are able to enjoy is because of the way they have been implementing the guidance. Compliance is being monitored across denominations.
4. FIEC have updated their FAQs.
5. Whilst abiding by and obeying the law and guidance, there is flexibility for different churches to act in different ways according to what they believe is wise and best in their context.
6. General consensus is that levels of fear and anxiety have risen within church families because of the virus is spreading. People are feeling low, disappointed. These feelings are cumulative because this is the third part of a long stretch without any breaks. There is some hope because of the vaccine. With the rollout of the vaccine, people are taking less risks in terms of coming out to in person church meetings.
7. Some churches are remaining open for services (hybrid), others have moved back to online only. This is largely dependent on local situation regarding the virus, the make up of the church community, and resources to run physical services. In some situations, churches have decided to close because the congregation no longer willing to attend (voting with feet). In some settings where churches hire premises, the decision has been taken out of their hands.
8. Pray for people in the church in the morning and contact them afterwards. Ask them what the best way of doing this is.
9. Encourage one-anothering across the congregation.
10. Smaller is best on Zoom. Why not put organise groups of 2 in breakout rooms as that feels more like talking to someone over coffee after church.
11. Is this an opportunity to do/try something different with your evening service?
12. Children’s and youth work and evangelism at the moment is just hard.
13. In this emotionally exhausting time, it is important for leaders to attend to their own hearts. Important to use devotional time to replenish joy in the Lord (ideas for how to do this – listen to good Christian music to help feel the truth, listen to passionate preaching that proclaims the gospel, lean more on the insights of others).
14. Practice the discipline of thankfulness. How did I see God’s grace yesterday? Where do I need God’s grace today? How can I show God’s grace today?
15. Do you need to slow down? To pack less into your diary and create more margin time?
16. Don’t be overwhelmed by what others are able to do.
17. Exercise. Go for a walk or run each day.
DAILY READ – ACTS 12
The Big Read – Daily Read
Acts 12
v1-4: To take a bold step on the path of sin is to give Satan an advantage over us and puts us in a place where we will be tempted to take another. It is to provoke God to leave us to our own devices so we go from bad to worse. “We would be wise… to be on our guard against the beginnings of sin.”
v5-19: “Prayers and tears are the church’s weapons; she fights with them not only against her enemies but also for her friends.” Times of distress and danger “should be times of prayer with the church; we must always pray, but especially then.”
v20-25: For persecuting the church of Christ, killing James, imprisoning Peter, and all the other trouble he had caused, Herod was struck down by the angel of the Lord on the order of Christ, because all judgment is committed to Him. “God is jealous for his own honour, and he will glorify himself upon those he is not glorified by.” Angels, as ministering spirits, are “ministers of either divine justice or divine mercy, employed however God wishes to employ them,” they “are jealous for God’s honour, and as soon as they have received their commission, they are ready to strike those who usurp his prerogatives and rob God of his honour.”
Quotes from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
(Photo: Brad Neathery)
@READINGSPURGEON: PSALM 127:2 (NPSP1S12)
@ReadingSpurgeon: Psalm 127:2 – The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved (NPSP1S12)
Sleep is a gift from God. It is a great physician. There are some who deny themselves of it for gain or ambition. But this sleep is not C. H. Spurgeon’s focus in his sermon on Psalm 127:2 – “For so he gives his beloved sleep.”
Under 6 headings, he preaches about the sleep that God gives to His beloved.
I. The miraculous sleep
This is the sleep that “God has sometimes given to His beloved – which He does not NOW grant.” The kind experienced by men like Adam, Abram, Joseph, David, Daniel, and Joseph the earthly father of Jesus, where God makes His plans and purposes known.
God does not act in this way now, though it is true that He does warn us in dream and visions. “But we never trust dreams.”
II. The sleep of a quiet conscience
“If you have sinned but once, you shall be dammed for it, unless you have something to take away that one sin. You do not know this sleep, but the Christian does.”
III. The sleep of contentment
“How few people in this world are satisfied.” But the Christian can sleep because they are satisfied with what they have.
IV. The sleep of quietness of soul as to the future
“All persons have need to dread the future, except the Christian. God gives to His beloved a happy sleep with regard to the events of coming time.”
V. The sleep of security
“To know that if I died I should enter heaven” and “to be as sure as I am of my existence that God, having loved me with an everlasting love, and He being immutable, will never hate me if He has once loved me.”
VI. The sleep of happy dismission
When you die, “Your soul sleeps not, for you are in heaven, but your body sleeps. Death has laid you in your last couch. It may be cold, but it is sanctified. It may be damp, but it is safe. And on the resurrection morning, when the archangel shall set his trumpet to his mouth, you shall rise… Sleep on in your grave, for you shall rise to glory.”
But, “If, sirs, you were to die unprepared, and unconverted, and unsaved, “There remains nothing but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.”
Spurgeon concludes with a question, he wants all his listeners to answer. “Do you seriously and solemnly believe that you belong to the “beloved” here mentioned?”
BUILDING HEALTHY CHURCH PARTNERSHIPS
I was recently a guest on the In Context podcast with Ian Williamson and Graham Thompson (from Spen Valley Church) discussing the partnership between Banstead Community Church and New Life Church in Middlesbrough.
If you want to hear about how it came about and what this partnership looks like in practice, you can check out the episode audio HERE or video below.