Author: John Johnstone

Sermon: Sunday, 19th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 4:13-31

When God’s work is being done and the Kingdom of God is advancing, there is always opposition from the forces of evil. The early chapters of Acts have several wonderful summary statements about the growth of the church.

• After Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost we read: ‘Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’ (Acts 2:41)
• And after the healing of the man lame from birth we read: ‘But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.’ (Acts 4:4)
• Then in Acts chapter 6 we read, ‘So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.’ (Acts 6:7)

What a wonderful time to be alive! However, Satan is not going to watch idly from the side-lines. He seeks to silence the early church through persecution, whether in the form of threats, violence or imprisonment. He also seeks to stop the work of the church through disunity and internal squabbling, false teaching, and by distracting the apostles from their work; we read about this in Acts chapter 6. Satan attacks from outside of the church and from within the church itself. His tactics today are exactly the same.

This is a strong pattern in the Bible. When Nehemiah is rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, there are moral problems from within the Israelite camp which threaten the work. And there is also persecution and threats from the nations who surround Israel. The same can be said about Israel in the time of Moses. The internal threats to God’s covenant people are in the form of complaining, unbelief and idolatry. The external threat comes from the Amalekites who viciously attack them.

Today, in 2023, as we seek to plant a church in Leven and develop gospel work in Kirkcaldy, we must expect spiritual opposition. We must expect people to fall out in church, moral failure, threats of division, and we must expect opposition from many unbelievers, who don’t want the cause of Jesus to advance. More personally and as individuals, if you get more involved in speaking up for Jesus in your family, at work and with others you know, you ought to expect tough things to happen. Expect some people to ‘unfriend’ you, ostracise you, and gossip about you. Expect a degree of mockery and exclusion and mistreatment. It was that way for Jesus, and he said it would be that way for us. Evangelism has a cost.

1. Silence or speaking

Quite clearly, the enemies of the early church want to silence Christians: ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’ (Acts 4:16-17) Peter and John could talk about thousands of different topics, and that was fine! However, they must stop ‘going on about’ Jesus Christ. That was off the agenda. That was to be a ‘no go’ area.

Today, it’s exactly the same. There are many countries where it is against the law to ‘proselytise’ by telling people about Jesus. If an Iranian Christian attempts to convert someone to Christianity, they can go to jail. Additionally, if a Muslim in Iran converts to Christianity, that person can face jail time or even death. Persecution of Christians is growing in India, where Hindu extremists continue to promote the idea that Christians, because they practice a faith that originated outside of India, are not as devoted to India as are Hindus.

But what about in the UK? We have religious freedom here, but there’s still a huge pressure not to talk about Jesus Christ. For many, it’s like that subject is banned. We can talk for hours about trivial things and that’s ok, and we can talk about our hobbies, and our families and football and the weather, but often when we try to discuss and explore deeper things such as the meaning of life or why Jesus is so wonderful, we receive a negative response or total apathy.

A survey by Premier Christian Communications, reported that 93 percent of the Christian respondents “believe that Christianity is being marginalised” in the U.K., while 50 percent said they have experienced prejudice because of their faith. 80% percent of those who took part in the survey believe that “Christianity is not given equal respect” as other worldviews and religions. 26 percent of respondents said that they are unable to be open about their faith in their workplace or equivalent setting. According to Premier, 67 percent of respondents said that it is not considered acceptable in society for Christians to share their faith with others.

We need to be realistic. We all feel the pressure of this. We all feel the pressure to stop speaking about Jesus and keep our faith private. Despite living in a country which speaks so much about tolerance, in Scotland in 2023 many people are intolerant towards Christians who want to share their faith. What should we do? How should we respond? Should we just hide our faith at our workplace, and avoid Christian conversations, and keep our faith private as many want us to?

We must learn from the godly example of Peter and John. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4:19-20) This is what we must do. No matter what, we must keep on sharing the good news of Jesus with the lost souls around us. It comes down to this, are we going to obey God or are we going to obey the voices in culture which want to shut us up? Of course, we’re not called to ram our views down the throats of others. If we try to engage people and they aren’t interested then we respectfully stop, and prayerfully and sensitively wait for another chance. The one thing we must not do is be silent. What will happen to our church if most of us keep quiet about our faith? We won’t be here 10 years from now!

I love those words: ‘We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’. That’s how we should be. We love God so much that we want others to love him too. We’ve been so blessed by God’s peace and forgiveness that we want others to experience that too. We’ve discovered, like the Samaritans in John ch 4, that Jesus ‘truly is the Saviour of the world’, and we long for others to be saved, as we have been, so we open our mouths and speak to people about Jesus. We will not be silenced. The eternal destinies of those around us are too important for our silence.

“We must reject the position advocated all too frequently publicly and privately in response to pressure not to proclaim Christ; which is that silence, letting my life do the talking, serves God best before a hostile world.’ The holy Spirit does not empower his people to silence.” (David Cook)

If we are honest, many Christians in our churches keep quiet about their faith. That is one reason our churches are in decline. People will not know the message of Jesus unless we tell them! So, how can we challenge ourselves this morning? How can we have something of the courage of these men? How can we become bolder Christians?

2. The secret of speaking up for Jesus

Secret 1. We must pray for boldness.
When Peter and John are released, they go back to the church family to update them. Instinctively, they respond to difficulty by praying together. What do they pray for? Do they pray that the persecution would stop? No. Do they pray for an easier time in the future? No. v29 ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.’ They are praying for boldness. In other words, their main concern isn’t primarily about their own troubles; their main concern is that the gospel would keep going out and be heard by more and more people. Now here’s a question: when was the last time you prayed for boldness to talk about Jesus? Do you pray that others would be emboldened too? We should! We must! We’ve been praying for the conversions of those we know (5 minutes for 5 people). Keep that going! But let’s also start praying that the Christians in this church would not be intimidated or silenced by mockery. Let’s pray that we’d be more concerned with the glory of God than for our own comfort. Let’s pray for boldness.

Secret 2: We must spend time with Jesus.
We ought to encourage those of us who long to speak more about our Saviour: ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.’ (Acts 4:13)

We’re told that the apostles were unschooled and ordinary. Perhaps you feel ordinary today. Perhaps you feel you’re not very well educated in theology. That should not stop you from sharing your faith. Even the Sanhedrin recognised that Peter and John had incredible courage and wisdom. Wisdom and confidence are available to us too. And if we spend time in God ‘s company, though Bible reading prayer, then it will become obvious to others that we too have ‘been in the company of Jesus’.

Secret 3: Really trust that our sovereign God is in control of what happens to us and others.
‘When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord…’ (Acts 4:24)

The word ‘sovereign’ speaks of God’s total power and authority. In verse 24, they remind themselves that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. That helps us to keep persecution and mockery and the possibility of losing friends in perspective. The powers of this world might be against us at times, but we have a much, much higher power on our side, so we don’t need to be afraid.

In verses 27-28, We see that God is so powerful and so sovereign that even when God’s enemies grouped together to have Jesus killed, even then God was in control, and was using these events for good and for his own glory, through the salvation of countless people. Peter and John, in effect, ask the question – is some persecution and threats from a few humans a problem too big for God to handle? No. We must apply this logic to our own lives. We must share our faith in Jesus Christ, trusting that even if this results and great hardship for us, God is in control of this too, and even more than that, he’ll use it for our good. He is in control. He is the Sovereign Lord.

Secret 4: We must ask God to keep on filling us with the Holy Spirit.
‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’ (Acts 4:31)

We need to pray for the power and presence of God by his Spirit, if our witnessing to Jesus is to be effective. Be encouraged! As we speak to family members and colleagues and neighbours, we are not on our own! And once again notice the pattern, when we are filled with the Spirit, what happens? We tell other people about Jesus.

Sermon: Sunday, 12th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 4:1-12

In Acts chapter 4, we see the first ever example of the persecution of Christians.
• Who is being persecuted? Peter and John, two of the apostles.
• Who is it carrying out this persecution? It is the powerful Sadducees, a ruling class of wealthy aristocrats. Actually, it is the Sadducees, ironically religious rulers themselves, who not only persecute Peter and John, but Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 7), and also the apostle Paul (Acts 23).

Did they have any reason to persecute Peter and John? No! In fact, as we have seen over the last two weeks, Peter and John had been empowered by Jesus to heal a man in his forties who’d been lame from birth. This was an outstanding miracle. No one could deny what had happened, because the man was such a well-known figure in the city, always to be found begging at the temple gate. This same man was now literally jumping for joy, praising God for this wonderful gift of healing. As we saw last time, this drew quite a crowd, and Peter seizes the moment to explain to the crowd the deeper meaning of the healing miracle: just as Jesus can heal the body of this man, so he can heal the soul of anyone who will trust in him! The source of the power for this healing was not Peter or John themselves; rather, it was the power of the risen Jesus Christ, now in Heaven, which had healed the man. This crowd has been responsible for having Jesus crucified, and yet in spite of this great wickedness, God offered them forgiveness, if they would but repent of their wrongdoing and place their trust in Jesus: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19)

1. The first ever persecution of Christians

Why are the Sadducees so upset? Why do they try to silence Peter and John through intimidation and imprisonment? It is because of their jealousy and hunger for power. It is nothing to do with the truth of what has happened, which they cannot deny. As a result of the healing, we read that thousands of more people were putting their trust in Jesus: ‘But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.’ (Acts 4:4) The Sadducees worked closely with the Romans, and had a degree of power of their own. The last thing they wanted was a new movement which might upset the applecart:  ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’ (Acts 4:16-17)

This is the bottom line – the Sadducees do not want the church to spread and grow. It wasn’t just about their power and keeping control, although that was part of it. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the apostles were teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. In fact, the proof of this resurrection stood before them in the shape of the healed man. Moreover, the Sadducees had also been instrumental in having Jesus crucified. They were not willing to swallow their pride and admit that they were completely wrong about Jesus. They see Peter and John as heretics, who are disturbing the political peace they profited from. Rather than investigating the healing miracle further or looking to the Bible for answers, the Sadducees are only concerned about their own power, wealth and control. They ignore the fact of the healing and what it might mean. They ignore the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection and what that might mean, and just try to extinguish the Christian church.

Imagine what it must have been like for Peter and John. First, they are dragged into jail for the night (verse 3). It’s as if the Sadducees are saying: ‘This is what we can do to you if you don’t do what we say’. Next, they are brought before the Sanhedrin, a group of around seventy men, including Pharisees, Sadducees, the High Priest and the head of the temple police. These men were the most powerful men in the country, both in terms of political and religious power. They met in a semi-circle and I think it’s likely Peter and John would have to stand in front of them all. They are asked: ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ (Acts 4:7) It would have been so easy for them to keep quiet.

Only a few months earlier, Jesus had been tried by this group, and they all knew what had happened to him. They could’ve watered down what had happened, by fudging an answer. They could say something vague like that it was God’s power which had healed the man, missing out the offensive ‘Jesus’ part. What does Peter say? ‘If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ (Acts 4:9-10)

Peter’s boldness and integrity is wonderful. He’s not trying to save his own skin. Rather, he wants the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and Jesus’ offer of salvation to be widely known, no matter what it might cost him personally. The centre of Peter’s message is found in verse 12: ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’

Let’s focus on this key verse.

2. A universal problem

Peter’s message to the Sanhedrin back then, and God’s message to us today is that we all need to be saved. Salvation means to be saved or rescued. Of course, this implies that there is something which we need to be saved from. God is telling each person, in every country of the world, and in every age that we share the same fundamental problem and that is this: we are separated from God because of the wrong thoughts and actions in our lives. This is a devastating problem for us all, and one which we cannot sort out on our own. I like to sort problems on my own when I can, but I cannot sort this problem out. I need God. Why? Because no matter how hard I try, I keep on thinking and saying wrong things which hurt others and even worse are offensive to God my Creator. The same is true for you.

We often use the illustration of imagining that all the sinful things we think and do were displayed on the screen in the church for everyone else to see. We would be more than embarrassed. We’d be so ashamed that no one would ever want to come back. But let’s imagine something even worse; as the film is being played, God himself is watching it. He is totally holy and pure, in a way we cannot grasp. Friends, this isn’t really an illustration, because God does know all about our lives, including our thought-lives.

So many of us have lived our lives taking all of God’s good and generous gifts – homes to live in, health, work, family and friendship, food and medicine – but we largely ignore the God who has given is these gifts. Even though God made us, gives us each breath and many other good things besides, we ignore his message in the Bible, we ignore his Son Jesus, and we pay no attention to the fact that one day we all must stand before God to give an account for our lives.

God’s diagnosis of the human race is that everyone is in the same situation – we all suffer from selfishness, pride and put ourselves before God, in God’s own world. This might offend you. We might not like God’s diagnosis. However, we still need to face up to it. If we receive a diagnosis from the doctor we don’t like, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. It would be foolish to ignore the problem.

3. A universal offer

The wonderful truth is that Jesus Christ is able to save us from this problem. He has done this by giving his life for us. Just as British soldiers laid down their lives in the great wars in order to keep us free from enemy occupation, so Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice, to set us free from the power and penalty of human sin. Jesus’ death was the ultimate loving sacrifice. He never sinned. Not even once. But he willingly went to war with sin and Satan, paying the moral debt which we deserve to pay.

As we see the flags of many nations hanging in our church today, we are reminded that this offer from Jesus is made to all the people in all the countries of the world. The name of Jesus means ‘God saves’ and his offer is given to the whole world. That includes you. God will welcome you if you humbly admit your sin and ask for forgiveness. Jesus’ offer is made to the whole of the human race: ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12) If it’s given to mankind then that must include you. What have you done with this offer?

What is Peter saying to the Sadducees? He’s saying that Jesus is not just the source of healing or salvation for the lame man, it is much wider than that- Jesus is the only source of salvation for the whole world, a world crippled by sin and rebellion against God.

‘I’m so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I’m so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me.’ (Tim Keller)

4. The only Saviour

Jesus is an exclusive Saviour. He is the only Saviour. No one else is qualified to die for our sins, because no one else has lived a perfect life. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, he was able to become our sacrifice. And because Jesus is God-become-human, his sacrifice is of limitless value, and able to pay the price for the sins of any who will trust in him. No one else is qualified to save human beings. That means no other religions can deal with your sin or my sin. They might offer some good advice, or some helpful morals at times, but they cannot deal with our fundamental problem – sin.

The Christian message, then, is unique and exclusive. Salvation is found in no one else. Salvation is not found in Buddhism, or humanism, or Hinduism – they offer nothing to atone for our personal sins. They have no Saviour. These religions ultimately come from human beings, as they grapple with the big questions of life, such as: who made the world? Why is the world the way it is? Who is God? What does God want from us? The Christian faith comes from God. It is not so much about what we can do for God, but what God can do for us. He can save us! We know it is true because Jesus rose from the dead and the Bible is the Word of God.

In 2023, is sounds crazy to say that Jesus is the only Saviour and all other religions cannot save. It sounds arrogant. We’re constantly told that tolerance means all religions must be equally valid. But that is not what tolerance means. We can respect other people’s beliefs without agreeing with them. In any case, it makes no sense to say all religions are equally valid as they contradict each other. For example, Jews and Jehovah witnesses do not believe Jesus is God. That’s offensive to them. We do.

How can you spot a man-made, invented religion? All human religions say we must earn the favour of God by our own efforts. Christianity says the opposite, that we cannot earn forgiveness, but it is a free gift of God, which comes to us when we receive Jesus as Saviour.

The Bible is clear.
‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’ (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’  (John 14:6)

‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ (Exodus 20:3)

Sermon: Sunday, 5th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 3:11-26

Last week we began to look at the extraordinary miracle where Peter heals a man who’d been lame from birth. The man is over forty years old, and has sat day after day, year after year, begging at the temple gate. he’s a well-known feature of the city. Imagine you were heading into the temple, and you see this same man leaping around and praising God. It’s no wonder we read in verse 11: ‘While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.’

Peter and John are now surrounded by a bewildered crowd. What will they do? Peter sees this as an opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ. This great sign has drawn a crowd, and Peter does all he can to move the attention away from himself and onto Jesus: ‘When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?’ (Acts 3:12) He stresses that this healing was performed through the power of the living Jesus, and did not come from Peter or John themselves. And then he goes on to explain to the crowd both their problem of sin and the solution to that problem. He speaks to them boldly, directly and straightforwardly. All the time, his focus is on who Jesus is, and what our response to him must be. He does not wait to be invited to speak, but rather makes the most of the opportunity he has to hold out the words of eternal life to a crowd in great need of forgiveness. As we reflect on Peter’s explanation of this sign, it will help us to understand more of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus.

1. Peter confronts their sin

Like it or not, the Christian message is one of bad news, followed by good news. We need to begin with the bad news in order to understand the good. If we want to explain the gospel to a friend or neighbour, we need to begin with the bad news, and must not gloss over it. If a doctor wants someone to take a strong course of treatment, she will of course first explain the bad news. For example, ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have cancer. However, the good news is that there is treatment available.’ Or, ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have a serious heart problem. The good news is, there is an operation which will sort this out.’ The doctor is not being cruel by being honest about your problem. Quite the opposite.

For this crowd, the bad news is very serious indeed. God had sent his only Son into the world. They ought to have loved him and listened to him. Instead, they rejected him, tortured him and had him crucified. It is hard to understate this wickedness. Jesus was totally innocent. Throughout his life he had been loving and kind. He healed the sick, confronted evil, and taught the ways of God. How did they respond? ‘The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.’ (Acts 3:13-15)

In other words, you were completely wrong about Jesus! You thought he was unimportant. You looked down on him. When all the time, he was actually the Holy and Righteous One and the author of life. He was the Messiah, the Son of God. You probably think you successfully managed to get rid of Jesus, but actually, God raised him back to life. He is alive, and reigning from Heaven. And it is by his power that the lame man has been healed. Imagine being a man or woman in that crowd. Imagine the sick feeling in your stomach as you begin to realise: ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake’.

Peter does not ignore this wicked act, but speaks plainly and directly about it. ‘You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.’ What a contrast between the people’s attitude and action toward Jesus and God’s attitude and action toward him. The people ignore Jesus’ words and signs and have him killed. God calls on us to listen to him, and raises him from the dead. Many in the crowd were devastated when they realised what they had done. Not all of them, but some of them. Some were really convicted of their own wicked treatment of Jesus. How we treat Jesus is the most important matter in all the world.

What has this incident got to do with us today in 2023? We were not physically there calling for Jesus to be crucified. However, it is possible we are just as bad as they are, if not worse. In what way? They acted in ignorance (verse 17) because they did not know Jesus was the Son of God. That does not excuse their wickedness, but it remains true. But we have all been taught who Jesus Christ is. We know from God’s Word that he is God the Lord. He is the King of Kings. Thus, if we reject Jesus as our own king, and go our own way, refusing to give Jesus the love and respect he deserves, then we are in a very serious condition indeed. In fact, we are God’s enemies, because we are rejecting Jesus’ rightful rule over our lives. We break his rules every day and do not love him as we ought to. Peter deals with the sins of the people head-on. He doesn’t ignore it. We must do the same about the sin in our own lives. We must admit it is a massive problem, and that we deserve God’s punishment because of our rejection of Jesus as our King.

2. Peter commends Jesus to them

Peter has delivered the bad news to the crowd, in a plain and simple fashion, but he does not leave it there. He explains to them God’s solution to their wickedness and rebellion. This is the only solution. ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19) Isn’t it astonishing that there was still hope for people who called on Jesus to be crucified? That’s why we sing about ‘Amazing Grace’.

If you are here this morning and you have not yet submitted to King Jesus, then this is what you must do too. You must repent. In other words, you must change your mind about Jesus. You must recognise that he is the Son of God.

Let me be personal here. What do you really think about Jesus Christ? Do you believe he has been raised from the dead and is in Heaven right now, reigning and ruling the universe? Do you accept that he is the one who decides how we ought to live our lives? Do we listen to him by reading the Bible? Or are we ignoring Jesus most of the time? If you are honest, perhaps Jesus is not the most important person in your life. If that is the case, you need to repent, which means turning away from living for yourself and going your own way, and asking Jesus to forgive you for this rebellion.

In our culture, we often like to blame others for our problems. We blame our parents or circumstances or our genes. God wants us to take responsibility for our own actions. He wants us to repent. He wants us to turn away from wrongdoing, and turn instead to Jesus, saying sorry to him, and asking him to pardon us. Have you done that?

Let’s spend the rest of our time thinking about the three amazing blessings which come to anyone who is willing to repent and believe in Jesus and follow him, whatever the cost. These blessings can be thought of as past, present and future: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything…’ (Acts 3:19-21)

3. The blessings of repentance and faith in Jesus

• Our past sins are wiped out.
The ESV says: ‘your sins may be blotted out’. (Acts 3:19) In Bible times, important documents were written on papyrus or parchment with ink. However, the ink had no acid in it, and didn’t bite into the parchment as our ink does on paper. That meant it could be wiped away with a wet rag. This means that when we repent and believe in Jesus, God takes a wet rag to the long, long list of our sins, and totally erases them. Our sins, as it were, disappear. God cancels our debt, as if we had never sinned in the first place. ‘And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.’ (Colossians 2:13-14)

But have our sins just disappeared? They have from our record. But that’s because they have been transferred onto Jesus’ record, and he pays for them with his own blood. That’s the amazing grace. A prostitute became a Christian and gave up her former way of life. For most of her life she had felt so guilty and ashamed and dirty. She was asked ‘how do you feel now’? She answered: ‘For the first time in my life, I feel clean’. Can you say that today?

Here’s a wonderful thing to consider – if God was willing to forgive the very people who called for his Son to be crucified, then he will also be willing to forgive your sins, no matter what you have done, if you repent, turning away from your sin, and turning instead to Jesus.

• Promises for the present.
God deals with the sins of our past. But he also promises something for the present – ‘that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’ (Acts 3:19) Full refreshment will only come in Heaven; however, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we do know times when the Lord is dealing with us in a special way in this life. We have a new sense of peace. We have a new sense of purpose. We have a new sense of identity. We are greatly loved by our heavenly Father and adopted into his family. But how can we find more refreshment that we do? Often our Christian lives can seem dry. We must live lives of daily repentance.

• Future blessing.
What about our future blessing? ‘Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything…’ (Acts 3:21) We looked at this last week, so I will be brief. ‘The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’ (Isaiah 11:8-9)

Do you want to be part of this new and restored world? Then you must repent and believe in Jesus. I would say to you the same thing that Peter said to the crowd: ‘Repent… and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’

Sermon: Sunday, 29th October, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

What a remarkable miracle we have here in this historical account. There’s a man who is lame. He is over 40 years old, and so for his whole life he has had to depend on others for everything – to carry him to where he wants to go, and to give a few coins so that he has enough money to buy food. It’s not much of a life. Imagine you had to sit outside of our church each week begging for coins, just because you were born with a disability. He must have been a permanent feature outside the temple gate. It was probably a good place to beg, with synagogue goers perhaps more likely to give alms on their way in to worship.

It does beg the question, however, why did this congregation not help the man in a much more significant way? Should he have had to beg? They seem to have overlooked their responsibility to care properly for the poor. ‘If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.’ (Deuteronomy 15: 7-8)

Remember the new Spirit-filled church and their attitude to those in need: ‘They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.’ (Acts 2:45) The lame man asks Peter and John for money, as he had done to others thousands of times in his life. Peter gives him something much better – healing. This is a miracle of instantaneous healing. His feet and ankles suddenly become strong. Muscles which had never worked properly began to work. He wasn’t just able to take a few tentative steps, but even to leap around. What an astonishing sight!

When we come to a passage like this, we ought to be asking what it meant to Christians then and what it means for us today as well. We read in Acts, ‘Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.’ (Acts 2:43) There were many signs in Jerusalem, but this is the only one recorded for us in full, making it very significant. We don’t need to wonder if the miracle truly happened or not. The people themselves know this man very well and recognise him. Even the enemies of apostles admitted that it had taken place: ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.’ (Acts 4:16) Notice the word ‘sign’ again. A sign is something which points beyond itself to something greater. So, the question is, what does the sign of the healing of a lame man tell us?

1. It is a sign that Jesus is alive and is still at work in the world.

We see that Peter wants the crowd to be crystal clear regarding the source of this miracle: ‘It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.’ (Acts 3:16)

‘You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.’ (Acts 3:15) What a shock this must have been to most of the crowd. They had been so wrong about Jesus, not believing that Jesus was God’s chosen King. ‘… know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ (Acts 4:10) Remember what we said a few weeks ago – a better title for the book of Acts would be ‘The Acts of Jesus Christ, by the power of his Spirit, through the church’.

By implication, if this healing proves once more that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, then it also means that the good news Jesus offers is also true, and that the apostles are indeed speaking on behalf of Christ. David Cook puts it this way: ‘The historically validated healing of this man was God’s accreditation of this gospel then, and it remains God’s accreditation today.’ Peter is so clear that this miracle is done ‘in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.’ (verse 6) In other words, it is Jesus’ living and active presence, present by his Spirit, which has healed the lame man.

This is just as exciting for us today, as Jesus’ power is still available today, saving lost souls, and helping Christians to keep going, in spite of all their weaknesses and trials and temptations. Let me put this more personally: Jesus’ power is available to you today, if you come to him in repentance and faith. How much do you experience the power of God in your own life? Power which changes you.

2. This miracle is a sign of what it means to become a Christian.

As already said, this man is helpless. He is totally dependent on others. He is unable to change his situation himself. In fact, there is nothing which he can do about his situation. His present circumstances are bleak, and he has no hope for the future. His muscles do not work and he is unable to walk. This is a picture of the spiritual condition of someone who is not yet a Christian. Spiritually speaking, we are lame, unable to live lives which pleased God. Like the man, it has been that way since birth. We were born in sin, we are crippled by sin, and we are unable to free ourselves from its condemnation. We were, if you like, spiritually paralysed.

The good news is this: Jesus is able to do for us what no one else is able to do. He can deal with our sin, and he can restore us spiritually, so that miraculously, we begin to turn away from wrongdoing, and place our trust in Jesus. The muscles of ‘faith in God’ and ‘love for God’ begin to work, and only because of his amazing work of grace in our lives.

No one else could restore this man. But it wasn’t a problem for Jesus. So, if you are not a true follower of Jesus yet, listen to this: Jesus restored the lame man physically, and he is able to do this work of restoration in you spiritually. Spiritual healing is possible for you today. Think about what the lame man wanted – just enough money to be able to buy food. But God is offering us so much more. He offers you forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven forever. He offers you a place in his family. ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…’ (John 1:12) So, the question is, will you admit your need of forgiveness, and in prayer, receive Jesus as the only one who can forgive you, based on his death on the cross? What should your response be to this miracle, and to the evidence that Jesus is Lord? V19 tells us: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19)

Those of us who are followers of Jesus, perhaps there are still areas of life where we feel crippled. It might be circumstances we are in just now and there seems to be no hope. A family situation or a sin in your life which seems to be sucking the life out of you. Is Jesus able to strengthen you? Or is your situation beyond Jesus’ scope and power? Of course not! We must keep on believing that the risen Jesus can empower us today: ‘Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:16)

3. This miracle is a sign of the ultimate restoration to come.

What do I mean by that? This amazing sign does not just point to what Jesus can do in the lives of individuals. It also points to what Jesus is going to do in the world at the end of time. Just as the lame man is restored to the way he was supposed to be, one day, the whole world will be restored to the way it was always intended to be. Sickness and death and suffering and war and cancer and loneliness and violence will be swept away forever. Does this passage really say that?

‘Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.’ (Acts 3:11) Jesus has just restored the lame man, and now Peter is preaching to the crowd about the day God will restore everything. Clearly, the healing is a mini taster of what is to come in the future on a massive scale.

There’s another clue in the passage. The lame man begins to leap. Many Jews might have been reminded of the famous passage in Isaiah. ‘Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.’ (Isaiah 35:6-10)

I loved watching Planet Earth 3 last week. The footage is just phenomenal. However, each episode reminds us of the damage human beings inflict upon the earth. And each episode reminds of the death and sadness in the cosmos, as well as the life, colour and beauty. ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’ (Romans 8:22) The groaning of the earth will not last forever. One day the universe will be restored, without the possibility of ever being spoiled again. Of course, this will happen when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. We look forward to that day of total restoration. ‘Let heavens rejoice, and earth be glad; with joy let oceans ring. The fields and all in them will shout, and forest trees will sing. They all will sing before the LORD, who comes to judge the earth. He’ll judge the world in righteousness, the peoples in his truth.’ (Psalm 96:11-13) The created world itself is looking forward to being restored!

Last Sunday, some of us were discussing the problem of evil, and the mystery of why God allowed evil to enter the world. There is much we do not understand. But God has revealed this: evil will not have the last word. What Satan and fallen humanity has spoiled, Jesus is going to restore. He will fix everything wrong in the universe and the repair will be permanent. This is our future hope.

4. What Christians have to offer.

Fife is full of people who, spiritually speaking, are like the lame man. They’re unable to be saved without the power of God. They want the equivalent of silver and gold – money and what it can buy. But they are unaware of that their greatest need is God’s forgiveness. What can we offer them as a church? Yes, we can help to feed the hungry and befriend the lonely. But the main thing we have to offer people is Jesus himself. Our café is pointless unless it leads to us saying to others: ‘What we have we want to share with you is good news about Jesus. He saved me and he is able to save you’. As we pray for the lost, we ought to be pleading with God to perform spiritual miracles in people’s lives, for God’s glory alone.

Sermon: Sunday, 8th October, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

If there was one thing that you’d like to see in the Scottish church today, what would it be? There are probably several good answers to this question. Of course, we’d love to see a greater prayerfulness, as this would be a sign of a greater dependence on God’s strength. We’d love to see Christians growing in holiness, living out the truths they profess in their everyday lives. One thing I’d love to see across the church is quite simple – that we’d get better at talking to people about Jesus. The truth is, we’re not always good at doing this. There’s no point in moaning about this. We need to ask the question, what would it take to bring change in this area? What would it take for ordinary people to be more emboldened and intentional witnesses to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour?

1. The Spirit and speaking

When it comes to the book of Acts, there is a clear link between receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking to others about Jesus. In fact, the phrase ‘being filled with the Spirit’ or ‘full of the Spirit’ is mentioned 14 times in the New Testament, and on almost every occasion, it is linked with people speaking about Jesus. It’s so clear from our passage this morning. On the day of Pentecost, the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, accompanied by signs from Heaven. What happens? These same disciples begin to tell others about Jesus. This is a clear pattern throughout the book, even when there are no accompanying signs.

‘Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people!’ (Acts 4:8)

‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’ (Acts 4:31)

‘But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ (Acts 7:55-56)

What can we conclude from all of this? Surely, we must conclude that the same is true today for ordinary Christians in Fife; the more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more equipped we will be for ‘gossiping the gospel’. Yes, sometimes we worry about what to say, or about being ostracised, or being asked awkward questions. But we must say affirmatively, one of the main reasons God gifts us his Spirit is so that we can we effective and winsome witnesses for him. Remember the basic Christian truth: all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He takes us permanent residence in all Christians.

‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’ (Acts 2:17)

‘And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.’ (Romans 8:9)

However, as Christians, we’re called by God to pray for more and more of the Spirit’s power in our lives. ‘Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit…’ (Galatians 5:18)

Have you prayed for more of the Spirit’s work in your heart recently? Listen to what David prays for in Psalm 51 and what he expects will happen when he prays for it: ‘Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.’ (Psalm 51:11-13) It’s that link again between being filling and speaking.

Let’s zoom in on one of the most important events in all of human history, the day of Pentecost. We have already seen that in chapter 1, Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 1:4-5) The disciples are obedient to Jesus’ command. They are found waiting, and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit comes and fills each of these 120-or-so Christians, and to mark this amazing gift of God, this outpouring is accompanied by signs which demonstrate that God’s presence is a reality. There is something to hear, a sound like a rushing wind, and there is something to see, what looks like tongues of fire resting on each believer. This begs the question, why a wind and why fire? What are these signs from Heaven meant to tell us? After all, we are told the sound comes from Heaven itself.

2. The Spirit’s signs

A sound like a violent wind. In the Bible, the words for wind, breath and Spirit are the same. And so, the wind is a sign of the presence and power of God. One of the best examples of this is found in Ezekiel , when he sees a vision of a valley full of dry bones. These stand for those in Israel who are spiritually dead, and need God’s power if they are to have any hope of new life. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

Then, in the New Testament, we read in John’s Gospel: You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:7-8) In both passages, wind is connected to the activity of God bringing new spiritual life.

It is so clear that it takes a miracle of God himself breathing new life into people in order for them to become Christians. This is true physically for human beings: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) It’s also true spiritually. On the day of Pentecost we see two things: God is sending his breath into Christians to embolden them to speak about Jesus; and the same Spirit who made dry bones come to life, brings spiritual life to 3000 people that day: Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41)

Tongues of fire. Notice that these tongues of fire separate and rest on each individual Christian there. This is a radical change from Old Testament times, when the Spirit would tend to fill special people such as prophets and kings on special occasions. Now, all Christians are being filled with the Holy Spirit. What an incredible gift. To make this more personal, we are filled with the Spirit of God. God’s greatest gift to us is not money, or health or even one another, but himself. He is with us in a supernatural way.

We should not be surprised at this sign of fire. It often stands for the presence of God. Think back to the pillar of fire which guided the Israelites through the wilderness; this was the presence of God. Think of the burning bush and how God reveals himself to Moses in a fire which burns but does not consume the bush. The fire comes in the shape of a tongue. Perhaps this emphasises that the Spirit’s presence helps us to speak to others about Jesus.

3. The Spirit’s impact

Let’s move from the signs accompanying the Spirit’s coming to the impact of his coming on the disciples. In verse 4 we read that The disciples begin to speak in other languages. Imagine 10 Chinese visitors coming to KFC next Sunday and Geoff gets up to preach and starts preaching in fluent mandarin. We would be shocked. It isn’t Swedish but mandarin. He’s never had a lesson in this language in his life. But he’s now able to preach the good news of Jesus to our Chinese guests. That’s exactly the kind of thing happening here in Acts chapter 2.

God-fearing Jews had gathered from the four corners of the world, from 15 different nations. They had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, also called the feast of first fruits. They might expect to hear Aramaic or Greek being preached or even Latin, but not in all the native languages of those represented. No wonder we read: Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ (Acts 2:12)

That’s a great question. Why does the Spirit enable the disciples to preach in languages they had never learned? I think it’s a wonderful sign that now we are in the age of the Spirit, and the good news of Jesus is to be shared not only with Israel, but with all the nations of the world. The free offer of forgiveness of sin is to be shared internationally. I love the promise in verse 21: ‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21) Everyone means everyone! No one is excluded.

It’s as if the Lord is saying, the language barrier cannot and will not stop the good news about my Son reaching more and more people. It’s also a sign that God’s forgiveness is offered to everyone.

A few weeks ago in the evening service, we were looking at the tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 12. On that occasion, God’s comes to judge rebellious man by bringing confusion to their language. But here, the curse of babel is reversed, and God brings understanding in order to unite a new humanity, united in their love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus who can bring true healing and unity to a divided world.

I’ve never noticed this before, but there is also an aspect of judgement in this speaking of other tongues. Many of the Jews have rejected Jesus, crucifying him and refusing to trust in him. As a result, they can no longer hear the good news. This is prophesised about in Isaiah: ‘ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people…’ (Isaiah 28:11)

4. The Spirit and transformation

Do we realise just how earth-shattering a moment Pentecost is in human history? God had been promising his Spirit for generations through his prophets. We read of it in Isaiah. The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 34:4-17)

And of course, Pentecost is predicted in the passage Peter quotes in order to explain these extraordinary events. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:15-17)

God’s Spirit brings real transformation. The spiritually dead are brought to life. Deserts become fertile fields. Ordinary Christians are filled with the Spirit of God, not with just a meagre amount of help, but with God-given power which really changes the world. We should expect to see new Christians, through the power of God. We should expect that ordinary Christians are given power to make huge changes in life, again through God’s power. Peter himself is an example of this. Before Pentecost, he is denying even knowing Jesus and flounders before a wee servant girl. Now, he’s a new Spirit-filled man, preaching with such boldness and wisdom.

And today, we are still in the ‘last days’, the days of sharing Jesus with others before his return. Jesus is growing his church through his Spirit. I love the fact that this all started on the day of Pentecost. This was the Old Testament festival when the first fruits of the harvest were brought before the Lord with thankfulness. These first fruits are a sign that the rest of the harvest would follow. The same is true spiritually. On this Pentecost, 3000 people come to faith in Jesus; they are the first fruits and are a sign of more changed lives to follow. And that’s exactly what’s happened since that day. The Kingdom of God has been growing and growing.

Let’s end with a challenge. Imagine that all of us in this room began to earnestly pray to know more of the Spirit’s power in our lives. This will only happen as we ask God for it, and as we prayerfully study the Bible. Are we doing that? Then imagine the impact the Holy Spirit will have on us all, from the shyest to the most extrovert. In different ways, with different people, we’ll begin to talk to people about Jesus more than we ever have before. We’ll do it empowered by the Spirit. And the results – that’s up to God. We leave them to him. What we do know is this: ‘… everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21)

Sermon: Sunday, 24th September, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

We spend a lot of time in church teaching about the cross and the resurrection, and rightly so, because these are both central pillars of the Christian faith. However, perhaps we are guilty of neglecting the ascension of Jesus, when he left this world to return to Heaven, to rule and to reign as the exalted King of Kings. Do you think much about Jesus’ ascension? Remember, after Jesus rose from the dead, there was a period of 40 days when he made several appearances to people, to individuals, to the disciples and also to a larger group. There are about a dozen such appearances recorded for us in the Bible. For each of these appearances, the resurrected Jesus would have left Heaven, from the right hand of the Father, and come back down to earth. For example, he appeared on the road to Emmaus, to the disciples without Thomas but later with Thomas, to Peter and to 500. (See 1 Corinthians 15:6) Jesus did not stay on earth throughout these 40 days, but was coming and going from Heaven. But this coming and going was not going to last.

Jesus wants to make it clear the disciples that he is about to return to Heaven permanently, and there will be no more resurrection appearances until the Second Coming. I think that’s why Jesus leaves in the public and dramatic way he does. If you think about it, he could have just disappeared and never come back. But that would have left the disciples in limbo, wondering if he would appear again in a few days’ time.

“Jesus departed in a style designed to convey finality. Even then, it was not ‘Farewell’ but ‘Au revoir’, for as the apostles stood gazing at the heavens, two angelic messengers appeared to tell them that Jesus would return from Heaven in a similar manner to that in which he had just departed.” (Gordon Keddie)

The temporary period of 40 days has drawn to a close. Jesus is leaving them physically, only to return at the end of time, when he comes back as Judge. Amazingly, his departure is a wonderful thing for the church, because although no longer physically present, by his Spirit, Jesus will be with all of his people all of the time, empowering them in their Christian walk, and assuring them of his love. ‘Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement…’ (John 16:7-8)

1. The details of the ascension

We are not given many details about this crucial event. ‘And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.’ (Acts 1:9) Imagine being there. Jesus begins to ascend into the sky. And the only other detail we are given is about the clouds. Is this significant? I always just visualised Jesus being hidden from them as he went above the clouds. However, it actually says that the cloud not only surrounds Jesus, but also carries him away. In other words, the cloud is his mode of transport to Heaven.

This might seem insignificant. But it is actually a wonderful detail, especially in the light of the prophecy made about Jesus’ ascension in the book of Daniel. Acts details the ascension from a human viewpoint, whereas Daniel’s viewpoint is from Heaven itself. ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.’ (Daniel 7:13-14)

The way Daniel describes it, Jesus’ ascension is like his coronation procession, where he is taken away from his earthly ministry and into his heavenly glory and reign. Just 10 days after his ascension, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus will pour out his Spirit on the church. ‘Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.’ (Acts 2:33)

When you think of Jesus, and talk to Jesus, where do you picture him to be? This is an important question! It is vital that we grasp that he is no longer dead on the cross, but is alive in the throne room of Heaven, in heaven’s headquarters, where he is working all things for good.

2. The distraction of the ascension

What do I mean by that? They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:10-11)

At first, the question of the two angels might seem unfair. Of course, the disciples would be staring up at the sky, we might think. So, why do the angels give this mild rebuke? We need to remind ourselves of the context of this passage. Jesus has just given his disciples a hugely important job to do, to be his witnesses near and far. They have received their marching orders. They are to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit, and then they are to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the task of spreading the gospel. In this sense, the angels are redirecting the gaze of the disciples. It is as if they are saying, don’t look up to the sky, wondering when Jesus will come back, but rather look out into the needy world, and focus on the task he has entrusted you with.

“Looking up into heaven is inappropriate. He will indeed come back in the same way. But, being assured of that fact, you must not spend any time looking up into the sky in anticipation of the event. Rather, you must set your eyes upon the work he is giving you to do!” (Gordon Keddie)

I think there’s a lesson for us today. Maybe we are a bit like the disciples here. We’ve been given a clear job to do, but instead we stare up into the sky, as it were, speculating about when exactly Jesus will return, or speculating about other questions in the Christian life, which are of very little importance. It’s quite an image- the disciples are skygazing when they should be amongst people, living out the gospel in actions and sharing it in words. Sometimes we make such a big deal about our preferences for worship style, whether based on the Bible or not, or how we should dress at church, or wishing church was more like the way it was when we were young. We can be guilty of majoring on the minors. Jesus would want us to focus on the major task at hand- evangelising lost souls. What is it that distracts you in the Christian life? What will help you to refocus your gaze onto being a witness for Jesus? Stop looking, and get working!

Or maybe you are distracted by tv or holidays or gardening or good food or your appearance. Don’t gaze into the mirror, but see instead the lost world around you. We all have our hobbies and legitimate concerns, but don’t let them weigh us down. ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ (Hebrews 12:1-2)

There’s a further incentive here for staying focused on being a good witness of Christ Jesus, and that’s the fact that Jesus is coming back. ‘This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:11) This is the Second Coming of Jesus. It helps us to consider the sobering truth: we will one day have to give an account of our lives to Jesus. We won’t have to give an account of our lives to anyone else, not our spouse or children or friends or even our bosses. Only Jesus. It makes sense then, to live for his glory, and to get on with the work he has given us to do. Then we’ll hear one day the amazing words ‘well done, good and faithful servant’. Now is the time between the ascension and the 2nd Coming. Now is the time for sharing the gospel.

3. The difference the ascension makes

We’ve already noted one huge difference that the ascension makes to the church, and that is the giving of the Holy Spirit to all those who trust in Jesus for their salvation. Yes, we’re called to be witnesses and that’s not always an easy task, but we’re equipped by God for the job. He will help up live out holy lives and he will give us the words to say as we share our testimony. Let’s spend the rest of our time looking more widely at what the rest of Bible teaches us about the practical difference the resurrection makes in our lives. As we do so, let’s consider what Jesus is doing right now: he’s sitting, he’s interceding and he’s preparing.

Jesus is sitting. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he sat down. ‘Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.’ (Hebrews 10:11-13)

When you are doing manual work, for example, you’ve been catching up on housework for most of the day, we all know the lovely feeling of knowing that you’ve finished the housework and you can just sit down and have a cup of tea and rest. Sitting down is a sign that the work has been completed. Jesus has finished his work of dying on the cross for our sins, and so now he can sit in the place of rule, at the Father’s right hand. That is great news for us. It means that the task of covering over our sins has been finished. So, when we trust in Jesus for our salvation, God treats us as if we had never sinned. We are righteous and innocent in his sight. Enjoy the fact that Jesus sits in Heaven.

Jesus is interceding. ‘Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.’ (Romans 8:34)

What does this mean? It means that Jesus is always thinking about us, praying for us, and arguing our case before his Father. He does this for all of his children. He does this for you, if you trust in him.

I’ve shared before how encouraged I was to meet an elderly Christian man who said to me: ‘I pray for you every day’. I was really taken aback. I didn’t know him very well. But it was just what I needed to hear, and just what I needed in my weakness. But there’s something even more encouraging- Jesus is doing that for us each and every day.

Jesus is preparing. ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’ (John 14:1-3)

Is your heart troubled today? What a truth this is to help us to keep perspective- Jesus is getting everything ready for us to spend eternity with him in Heaven. One of our friends in Oxford allowed us to spend time in their cottage there. It was really kind of them. They worked hard to get everything ready for our arrival. Then they could say: ‘Come and stay – everything is now ready’. One day we shall hear those words from Jesus himself.

These are all huge encouragements. Let’s think about the ascended and reigning King Jesus more than we sometimes do!

Sermon: Sunday, 17th September, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 8:1-8

Is 2023 a good time to be alive in Scotland? Perhaps you wish you’d lived 100 years ago when the churches in the town were much fuller. Perhaps you wish you’d lived in Israel in the days Jesus was on the earth. Scotland seems so secular these days. So many people believe it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere. Many seem to reject Christianity, without even knowing what it is really about. It’s easy to have a negative outlook. But I’d like us to be encouraged by this wonderful passage this morning, by understanding the times we are in today. There’s no point in false hopes or groundless positivity. However, this passage is full of truths which ought to encourage us, if we are able to grasp them and think deeply about their implications.

So, what are some reasons to be encouraged in these days?

1. Jesus is still at work in the world

The book of Acts is written by Dr Luke, the same person who wrote Luke’s Gospel. In a way, the book of Acts is just Luke, volume 2. Acts is the sequel to Luke. Both of these books are dedicated to a man called Theophilus. We know almost nothing about this man, but some think he was a high-ranking government official, who is a believer, but has some doubts about the faith. Luke wants to assure him of the truthfulness of the gospel. Luke wants Theophilus to know that all that is recorded in Luke and Acts really happened. It is trustworthy information, from eyewitnesses who saw these things. ‘In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven…’ Notice the word ‘began’. The implication is this: even though Jesus will no longer be with them physically, because he is going to Heaven, he will continue to be at work in the world by his Holy Spirit, through his apostles and through the church.

Even right now as we worship in Kirkcaldy Free Church, Jesus is with us by his Spirit, and is at work in our lives. He is the King and head of the church. He continues to bring new people into his family, and continues to help Christians on a daily basis. This is enormously encouraging. When we see people becoming Christians, and we have in recent months, we are seeing Jesus at work. When we see Christians, over time, wrestling with their sins and problems, and making progress, this is Jesus at work. We need to grasp this and we need to believe it.

In the book of Revelation chapter 1, we read about seven lampstands which stand for the seven churches: ‘I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.’ (Revelation 1:12-13) Jesus is with us and amongst us, working in our lives. It is often said, and helpfully so, that the title of this book ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ is not a good one. It is not the God-given title. A better title suggested is ‘The Acts of Jesus Christ, by the power of his Spirit, through the church”. We are part of the church. So, let’s not be pessimistic about the church, or cynical about her, but believe that we are the instrument through which Christ continues to be at work in the world. Be encouraged.

2. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world and within us

We must not miss the drama unfolding in this chapter. For hundreds and hundreds of years, God had been promising that a day would come when his Spirit would permanently indwell his people, giving them enormous power. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come on particular people, at particular times for particular tasks. For example, a prophet or a king might receive the Spirit’s filling for a time, in order to help them with their God-given work. However, in the Old Testament, these people would know the Spirit in a more temporary and external way. However, a day would come, God promised, when the Spirit would be poured out on all Christians, to help us live for Jesus, and be his witnesses on the world.

‘For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel.’ (Isaiah 44:3-5)

‘I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.’ (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

These are wonderful promises. And as Jesus is about to leave the disciples and ascend into Heaven, he says, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 1:4-5)

What a tremendous time for us to be alive! We are in the ‘last days’ when the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all Christians, so that we can be empowered to tell people about him. Why is the Holy Spirit given to us? One reason is clear: so that we, ordinary Christians, will be able to share our faith with other people. Read v 8: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

Again, we can be pessimistic about sharing our faith in Fife. We can think all kinds of negative thoughts, like: no one will be interested in what I have to say; or I can’t possibly explain the gospel to other people- that’s a job for ministers and elders; or I won’t be able to answer questions I’m asked. But none of these things are true. What is true is that God has given us an enormous task of spreading the gospel world-wide, but when he calls us to a task he always provides the power to carry out the task. You are a witness of Jesus Christ. All Christians have the power of the Spirit to give us understanding, and give us the words to say, and give us the ability to live consistent holy lives, and give us boldness to speak to people. Is this a good time to be alive in Scotland? It’s the age of gospel proclamation, when the good news is to be taken to the ends of the earth.

3. The disciples’ confusion

The disciples must have been absolutely pumped with excitement at what Jesus was saying. At long last, the days of blessing were coming- just a few days away. Their expectations are sky high. However, they have the wrong expectations. We can see this from their question: ‘Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ (Acts 1:6)

The main point of their confusion flows from assuming that the Kingdom was going to be a political kingdom. They are thinking of a geographical kingdom, like the United Kingdom. But Jesus’ Kingdom is a spiritual one and not limited to one nation, not even Israel. In fact, Jesus Kingdom was now going to be international. The church was not going to be national, but international and universal in scope. And the Kingdom was not, as they thought, going to arrive quickly. They ask if Jesus is going to ‘at this time’ restore the Kingdom. Jesus corrects their thinking on all of these points, telling them not to focus on the timing of the Kingdom, but rather on the task of the Kingdom.

The disciples have a limited vision of where the Kingdom would be. Their minds are on the country of Israel. They want Roman power to be broken there and be an independent nation again. They want the glory days of King David and King Solomon. Jesus broadens their horizons. Christian mission would include Jerusalem and Judea, but would also take in the despised Samaritans and even further afield- the very ends of the earth. Even in our own church, we can see how Jesus’ statement has come true. We have people from Moldova and Romania and Nigeria and Slovakia and Brazil and Bulgaria and hopefully help coming from the US and even some Irish people. I’d love to see more nationalities here. The good news that Jesus is able to forgive sinners who place their trust in him is news that the whole world needs to hear.

4. The task of the church

We’ve already seen this a little but let’s think more about it. The apostles were called to be witnesses to Jesus locally in Jerusalem. But they were also to have a regional concern for those in Judea. And they had to take the message to their historical enemies, the Samaritans, and even beyond that to the ends of the earth.

What about Kirkcaldy Free Church? Of course, we must have a concern for our own town of Kirkcaldy. But the ripples must go beyond our own doorstep, to the region of Fife. But that’s not far enough. We should be concerned with Scotland and Europe and the farthest places on the globe. When you throw a stone into the water, the ripples go from the centre and continue to go out wider and wider. This is a picture of what our missionary interest ought to look like.

We must start locally. This is our Jerusalem. Sometimes it is hardest to witness at home, to our children and our spouse and our siblings. Bringing our children to church and worshipping with them at home is part of being Jesus’ witnesses at home. Are we doing this? Are we reaching those closest to us? That surely includes our immediate neighbours and work colleagues. Pray for opportunities to speak with them about Jesus. We run the church café on order to reach people locally. We must also use our own homes too, spending time with people, getting to know them.

However, we also have a responsibility to reach those further afield. How wonderful that we can be involved in supporting a church plant in Leven. We are not just focused on our own patch that we are blinkered to real gospel need in Fife at large. We must reach beyond our own locality. We think of Scotland, and we pray for a healthy gospel church in every community in Scotland.

Finally, we care deeply about gospel impact all over the world. We get involved in Blythswood and Steadfast Global and Wycliffe and Tearfund and Overseas Mission. This week I was privileged to interview a young man from Brazil who wants to come and minister in Scotland. He is Brazilian but he sees the gospel need in Europe and in Scotland in particular. He understands that his gospel interest should not just be limited to Brazil, but to the ends of the earth. He has a broad missional horizon.

A challenge for today – it’s true that being witnesses for Jesus will not be easy. Some people might not want to listen. Others might not want to be friends with us any more. Some people will be offended. Does that mean we should retreat, and just keep our faith to ourselves? Are we to be some kind of private Christians? Just because it is a costly and self-sacrificial activity?

Of course not! Now it is our turn to be witnesses for Jesus. That’s one reason why we need to get involved in our communities, and in the lives of friends and neighbours. We have good news to share. That’s why we need to keep on praying as we do this, depending on the power of God. And we need to go out in faith, with the message that Jesus Christ is the only King and the only Saviour. Tell other people about Jesus. We have been given the power to do so.

‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8)