Author: John Johnstone

Sermon: Sunday, 18th February, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 7

Here we have the account of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. Like Jesus, he is falsely accused and sentenced to death by the Sanhedrin, in their kangaroo court. This is a gruesome death; he is dragged out of the city and stoned. At first, it all seems so unfair. What kind of a man is Stephen? He’s described in chapter 6 as a man ‘full of faith and the Holy Spirit’, and a man ‘full of God’s grace and power’. Why did they hate him so much? Because he was a follower of Jesus and taught others that we can only know God through a relationship with Jesus. He taught that Jesus is the only Saviour who can save us from our sins. People don’t like to be told about their sins and need to be saved! But he was absolutely right. Stephen knew that Jesus is God’s long-promised king, and had risen from the dead. Some of the Jews, however, would not believe that Jesus was the Christ, even though Stephen proved this from the Bible, and even backed it up with signs and wonders. They can’t beat Stephen in a debate, so what are they going to do? They decide to round up some false witnesses and accuse Stephen of blasphemy. This is an enormously serious charge, coming with a death sentence.

Now Stephen is on trial for his life. Even before he gives his defence, we’re told (Acts 6:15) that his face was like that of an angel. This should have made it obvious to the court that the favour of God rested on him, as it had done on Moses, whose face also radiated from the presence of God. Stephen knows that it’s likely he could die, yet he does not hold back with the truth. In a magnificent speech, he keeps on witnessing to Jesus. Everything he says is true. However, rather than repenting and putting their trust in Jesus, the Sanhedrin are fuming, and remain convinced that Stephen is a blasphemer, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. And so, they stone him.

1. Should we feel sorry for Stephen?

Should we be angry with God for letting this exceptionally gifted and loving man face such an awful death? What on earth is God doing, we might think? Don’t feel sorry for Stephen! God always knows what he is doing, even in the middle of massive suffering, such as Stephen faces here. If this world is all there is, then yes, feel sorry for him. But life is short and eternity is long, and it is only those who trust in Jesus who will be welcomed into Heaven.

Heaven is not the place for those who think they have lived a good life, but the place for those who trust that Jesus died to clean them of all their sin. God gives Stephen a wonderful vision of the triune before he dies: 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.’ (Acts 7:55) These things are normally unseen. As the first martyr, God is assuring Stephen that he is with him in his suffering and will welcome his warmly into his eternal home. Stephen is about to go to Heaven. We ought to feel sorry for are the Sanhedrin, who refuse to believe Jesus is King. They remain under God’s judgment because they refuse to accept God’s rightful King.

What about you? Have you accepted Jesus as your rightful King? Jesus is God, and as Stephen was privileged to see, is now ruling and reigning from Heaven, and will one day come back again to judge the world. Stephen entrusts himself to Jesus: ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ he says. There is no better thing for us to do than entrust our lives to King Jesus. Who else can deal with our deaths?

Should we feel sorry for Stephen? Stephen knows that ultimately it doesn’t matter what the Sanhedrin think of him, or anyone else. What matters is God’s assessment of our lives. Eternity hinges on this. What the Creator thinks of how you are living is the crucial thing. Stephen is ready.

2. Stephen’s death is not wasted

God never wastes anything. We normally have turkey at Christmas time, and I can assure you that nothing is wasted. After Christian we have turkey pie and turkey curry and the odd turkey sandwich. Nothing is wasted. God never wastes any of our experiences. Even our suffering, perhaps especially our suffering is used wonderfully in his expert hands, even though we usually don’t understand how or why at the time. But we read in Acts 8:1 that Stephen’s death is a turning point, ushering in a time of persecution for the church. That is not wasted. ‘Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.’(Acts 8:4)

Stephen’s death is a catalyst for the gospel moving out further and further. How marvellous. Note that the Christians who are forced to flee their homes carry on speaking to others about Jesus wherever they go. We won’t stop telling people about Jesus: it’s too important to keep quiet about. He’s the only one who can save us from Hell and death.

We also read that Saul approved of the stoning of Stephen. However, listening to Stephen’s speech and watching how he died, even praying for his enemies as Jesus had done, must have had a profound impact on Saul. It’s highly likely God used this to bring Saul to faith, who would become known as Paul and become one of the most influential Christians of all time. Nothing is wasted in God’s hands. Persecution and suffering are never wasted. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. New life springs from Stephen’s death. Listen to what God says to all Christians: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (Romans 8:38) All things work for our good.

Let’s spend the rest of our time focusing on the key features of Stephen’s speech. As he stands on trial, let’s remind ourselves what he has been falsely accused of; speaking blasphemous words against both Moses and against God. They accuse him of speaking against the temple and the law. Quite remarkably, Stephen turns things upside down, accusing the Sanhedrin as being the ones who are guilty. His long speech might seem strange to us, as he gives a Bible overview. He focuses on three things: the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; the time of Moses and the giving of the law; and finally, the place of the tabernacle in temple amongst the people. Let’s consider the main lessons using some school subjects as our headings.

3. Geography

Through a geography lesson, Stephen corrects the wrong view the Sanhedrin have of the temple, by telling them that God’s presence is not limited. The Sanhedrin have come to idolise the temple. Of course, the temple was a place God had given the people where he would meet with his people in a special way. It was a place where, through sacrifices, sinful people could come before a holy God. But the temple was never meant to be permanent. In fact, it was like a signpost pointing to something much better, when God’s presence would be known not in a building, but in a person – the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and man.

In a sense, the temple was like scaffolding. It was never meant to be permanent. It was there for a time until the finished thing under the scaffolding would be revealed. And the person revealed was Jesus. He was the great and final sacrifice, so the temple was not needed any more. But the Jews idolised the scaffolding and ignored the real thing. The idolised the sign, and ignored what the sign pointed to Jesus.

Think about geography now. Where was God’s presence revealed to God’s people? Just in the temple? No! ‘The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia.’ (Acts 7:2) Mesopotamia is a foreign land!

Where else is God’s presence felt? ‘Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him…’ (Acts 7:9) God is with Joseph in Egypt.

And another place – Sinai in the desert. God reveals himself in a burning bush: ‘Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ (Acts 7:33) The temple is not the only holy place. Wherever God is, that is a holy place!

And even when the temple was built, it did not contain or limit God. ‘48 ‘However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’ (Acts 7:49-50)

‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.’ (Psalm 139:7-8)

God is everywhere. The Sanhedrin were wrong about the temple. By his death, the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus has done away with the need of animal sacrifice.

That’s why when Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom, to indicate that the temple was no longer needed. Stephen was not speaking against the temple, but was merely recognising the truth that it was always going to be temporary, and that now, worship is not about a special place, but a special person, the Lord Jesus Christ. There are no holy places. God cannot be contained. Do you want to meet with God today? We do that by meeting with Jesus in the Bible!

4. History

What does history teach us? It teaches us that God’s prophets have always been rejected. Stephen has been accused of rejecting God’s law- his Word. Again, Stephen turns this around and says, in effect, you are the ones who have rejected God’s Word, not me. They have rejected and killed Jesus, God’s ultimate Saviour.

Think back to Joseph, whom God raised up to save his people from starvation. He was rejected by his eleven brothers and sold into slavery. Think of Moses, whom God raised up to save the people from slavery in Egypt. How was he treated? ‘But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.’ (Acts 7:39)

And worst of all, the people have now rejected the Son of God. ‘Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.’ (Acts 7:52) What a track record!

The Sanhedrin rejected Jesus and his message, but God vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead. So, what does history teach us? There is a strong pattern. Israel’s leaders have a long and sad history of rejecting God’s appointed prophets. And the huge irony is, they accuse Stephen of speaking against Moses, but what did Moses say? ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ (Acts 7:37) The one the Sanhedrin rejected, Jesus, is the one Moses himself said God would send. This begs the question, if the Sanhedrin rejected the one whom Moses foretold, who is really guilty of blasphemy against Moses?

What can you learn from this history? Whatever you do, don’t reject Jesus’ offer to save you and transform your life. Receive him as your King. Do not reject him. This is extremely serious. The Psalmist gives us both a warning and beautiful promise: ‘Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’ (Psalm 2:12)

5. Religious and Moral Education

This is a subject in schools which is often treated lightly by schools and pupils alike. Yet, it is more important than Maths, English or languages, in that it encourages us to think about the big questions in life, such as: what is the meaning of life? Why we are here? Is there a God? And how can we be forgiven? The problem that Sanhedrin have is the problem that each one of us in this room has; ‘… you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.’ (Acts 7:53)

One of the most important Religious and Moral Education lessons we need in Scotland today is that when it comes to God’s law, summarised by the 10 commandments, we have all fallen short and need God’s forgiveness. When we realise our guilt before God, we need to repent and trust in Jesus. But what do we read about the Sanhedrin? They are a stiff-necked people (verse 51). Even though they have been shown to be wrong, they cling on to their idolatry of the temple, and to their own self-righteousness and refuse to change. Do not be like them!

And what is their worst mistake? They have betrayed and murdered Jesus, the Righteous One. They rejected the very person who was sent to rescue them. That’s like a drowning man refusing to hold on to a life ring. ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.’ (John 1:11) Yet what does the next verse say? ‘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)

What will you do with Jesus?

Sermon: Sunday, 11 February, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Titus 3:1-8

1. Christians are called to be good citizens

You might find this odd at first, but I’d like us to begin our communion service with the reminder from God that we are called to be good citizens in Scotland. Christians should be those who pay their taxes, who respect their politicians and the police, and who are keen to make a positive contribution to society. We are not called to withdraw society and live like monks. Quite the opposite. We are salt which needs to be rubbed into the structures of society to make things better. ‘Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good…’(Titis 3:1)

We have a responsibility to submit to the leaders of the country, unless they ask us to do something explicitly against the commands of God. And Paul says more than that. We also have a responsibility to behave thoughtfully to all the people in our communities. How should we behave at work? How should we speak to neighbours or to the staff in supermarkets? ‘Slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle towards everyone.’ (Titus 1:2)

This begs the question; is that how you speak to your work colleagues? Do you join in with staff gossip, or with complaining about the boss when she isn’t there? Are you ever pushy at work? Do you treat everyone with the respect, even when they don’t treat you like that? Of course, this isn’t always easy. If we’re honest, sometimes our thinking is the opposite of what God is saying here. We might think, for example, ‘My boss doesn’t deserve respect.’ and use that as an excuse to speak badly of her. We tend to respect others only if they treat us the way we want. But that is not what God is saying here. He says: ‘Show perfect courtesy towards all people.’ (Titus 1:2) If others are behaving badly, we don’t stoop to that level, but continue to show gentleness and love.

Paul is speaking to the Christians in Crete. Cretans were known to be wild and turbulent people. It would not have been easy for them to respect their Roman authorities; they didn’t want to be ruled by Rome. And yet, something is transforming them into responsible, law-abiding citizens. Can you imagine the impact this must have had on ordinary Cretan communities, as more and more Christians begin to behave in a far more positive way to most others. They must have thought, ‘What has happened to these people?’

That’s what we want others to think of us. We live in a culture which, with every passing year, seems to respect authority less and less. Generally, people speak badly of politicians. The workplace can be full of gossip, selfish attitudes, power struggles and jealousy. We are called to be different. Why? What’s the reason? We see the reason in verse 3. The ESV rightly includes the word ‘for’ at the beginning, as Paul is giving the reason for being good citizens, even to those who don’t deserve it.

The reason is the gospel. In effect, Paul says, ‘Think back to what you used to be like before God broke into your lives. Your lives were a mess. You didn’t deserve to be rescued by God. And yet out of mercy he gave you a new heart and sent Christ into the world to die for us.’

We are what we are by the grace of God. Remember that every day. This will keep you humble! We help others in our communities, even when they don’t deserve it, because that is exactly how God treated us when we didn’t deserve it. In other words, true conversion should make a difference to how we treat others. We’ve been treated by God with grace and so we, in turn, must treat others with grace.

Is that how you think when you see difficult people at work? This is challenging. The gospel must change our behaviour. Our behaviour flows out of what we believe. Let’s home in on the gospel now, and be reminded why we ought to be good citizens.

2. What we were saved from

Verse 3 reminds us of our condition before God changed our hearts. This is an ugly description. But we must think about it often, because it’s only by remembering what we were like that we appreciate just how enormous God’s mercy is. This is God’s assessment of the human race: ‘At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.’ (Titus 3:3) Were we really that bad? Yes! That’s why our only hope was if God saved us.

God says we were foolish. This is not speaking about our intelligence. It’s saying that, when it came to spiritual things, we were unable to grasp even simple things. ‘They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.’ (Ephesians 4:18) This is a true description of ordinary people. They might hear about Jesus and the cross and sin and judgement but it just doesn’t sink in. It doesn’t resonate. It’s like a foreign language, until the Lord gives understanding.

We were disobedient. This disobedience has a vertical component, as we have all disobeyed God’s laws, and failed to love him. We have also disobeyed our parents and others in authority over us. There is something about humans which is naturally disobedient. For example, do you have to teach a child to be disobedient?

Next, we are told that we were: ‘… deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.’ I think many people would protest about God’s description of them. Deceived? But we are! Just like Eve listened to Satan, and thought that disobeying God’s ways would lead to pleasure and freedom, people today think in the same way. We deceive ourselves into thinking that living for ourselves will bring freedom, when it only leads to slavery.

Rather than living for God, we live for work and status, material possessions and family, pleasure and health. This is a tragedy, because these things actually enslave and dominate us, and bring no lasting satisfaction or meaning to life. It’s easy to see those who are slaves to drugs or alcohol, gambling or sex. But perhaps you are a slave to something more subtle. Perhaps you are a slave to pleasing someone else, or a slave to money and the things which it can buy. But money cannot give you love or purpose or meaning. And it cannot buy you forgiveness. Only God can forgive.

We needed to be saved because we lived: ‘… in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.’ Malice is when we want something bad to happen to others. Envy is when we are jealous when something good happens to others. Be honest, are you a total stranger to these thoughts? What about when someone else is praised in front of you, and there’s a little voice thinking, ‘What about me?’ Or what about when someone else gets new car. Or receives the promotion we wanted. There are people you found yourself hating and there are people who hate you. This is why the world is such a mess. This is why we need a Saviour. Left to ourselves, we go ever more deeply into these sins.

“We would have plumbed the depths of our wickedness, had not God stretched out his hand and kept us from many evils, and brought us to his Son.” (John Calvin)

Think of the businessman away from his wife and kids on a trip. He thinks no one sees. He goes to the bar and puts his wedding ring in his pocket. All of a sudden being faithful doesn’t seem important. Think of what the average person watches on TV when they’re alone. Think of the teacher stepping out of the classroom for two minutes and the bullying which suddenly erupts. Think of the hateful comments on social media, when people hide behind their screens and what they really think comes gushing out, and it is often unpleasant. Of course, God sees it all.

Let’s say that we accept that the world is in a mess. We agree that there is much hatred and discord in the world. Why does the Bible speak about this theme so much, if we’re all in the same boat? It’s because all of us are accountable to God for how we live our lives, and one day will stand before him. ‘…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement…’ (Hebrews 9:27)

The truth is, God is holy and will not overlook your sin or mine. Would he be just and fair if he just let people off for all their wickedness? Because our sins are so offensive to God, and because he is totally just, he must deal with all our wrongdoing. He must and he will. What does this mean? It means that without Jesus, the human race is in serious trouble, and desperately needs to be saved.

If you’re not a Christian yet, your greatest need is not money or work or a new group of friends. Your greatest need is to be rescued from God’s wrath and anger. You need a Saviour.

3. What is the reason for our salvation?

Why does God save us? If you are a Christian already this morning, why did God save you? Paul begins with the negative. He says it was: ‘not because of righteous things we had done.’ (Titus 3:5) In other words, we cannot earn our own salvation.

If someone asked you to write down the reason why God should let you into Heaven, what would you write? If any of your answers included what you have done, then score them out! They’re no use. So why does God save? ‘He he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.’ (Titus 3:5) The reason God saves us is down to his loving character. ‘But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared…’ (Titus 3:4) The reason God gives is his merciful character. Let’s never forget that. Let’s sing with gusto when we sing: ‘Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.’

If you’re a Christian this morning, what do you have to boast about? Nothing. All the credit goes to God. All the glory goes to God. He did it all. He paid your debt on the cross because of his love and mercy and kindness and goodness. ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ (2 Corinthians 10:17) As we take communion, let us rejoice in the mercy of God.

We ought to be impressed at the love and mercy of God. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave…’ (John 3:16) and the world that God loved was a world full of wickedness. It’s amazing that he offers everyone in the world a pathway to escape the judgment they deserve.

4. How does God save us?

God saves us in a radical way: ‘He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…’ (Titus 3:5) What does this mean? It means that by the power of the Holy Spirit, God washes away our guilt with the blood of Jesus. He removes our dysfunctional hearts and replaces them with new hearts, hearts that love him and his ways.

This is something supernatural. God actually makes us new people. We become new creations. We are born again. In theological language, we call this regeneration. That’s why Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘Truly, truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ (John 3:3) You cannot be saved in a more radical way than that. It has to be this way, because our hearts just don’t work properly without God’s intervention. He must step in and change us.

This reminds me of a passage in Ezekiel, ‘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)

Who needs the washing of the Holy Spirit? It’s dirty people who need that. And it is those who are spiritually dead who need to be born again, born from above, through the power of God. The good news is that there is one who raises the spiritually dead and cleanses our sins.

5. The results of our salvation

God gives us the gift of faith. And that means (verse 7) that we are justified. This is a legal term. We now stand before God as Judge and his verdict is ‘Not guilty’. God’s washing away of our sins is so complete and comprehensive that our past failures are gone forever. And he clothes us in the goodness of Jesus.

As soon as we throw ourselves onto Jesus for mercy, we are as righteous as we’re ever going to be, even in Heaven. We’re as righteous in God’s sight as Jesus is. We can’t get any more righteous. This ought to put a spring in our step.

If that’s not wonderful enough, we also (verse 7) become heirs of eternal life. We have this life now. Let’s go back to where we started. God has treated us with such amazing grace – this is the gospel. This truth is the hub of all our spiritual growth; we never move beyond it. We return to it again and again. Because God has treated you in this way, he wants you to treat those in your communities with grace.

Sermon: Sunday, 31st December, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

We are about to start new year. It is a natural time for us to reflect on how we’ve been doing spiritually during the year we are leaving behind, and also to plan the way ahead for the months to come. In other words, we need to take stock. We need to put ourselves through a spiritual MOT. The government forces us to do this with our cars annually; I’m asking you to do this voluntarily. As with our cars, this takes a bit of effort and there will be a price to pay. However, it is positive and beneficial activity. When our mechanic identifies that actually our tyres will soon need to be changed, as does the timing belt and the air filters and spark plugs, and that a section of our exhaust needs replacing, when the work is completed, we will have a safer car which runs much more smoothly. It is clearly worth it.

What’s the best description of the Christian life? What really captures what living as a Christian is like? The Bible uses different images. It is like a battle. It is like servants working in a vineyard. Here, in Hebrews 12, the Christian life is described as a race. ‘… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…’ (Hebrews 12:1) All images show it’s a life of hard work!

The writer of Hebrews is concerned for his readers. They were thinking about giving up the Christian race. They were flagging. He wants to encourage them to keep going. The whole letter is designed to encourage Christians to keep going in the faith – to keep on trusting in Jesus and the good times and the bad. By giving up Judaism, these Hebrew Christians faced pressure from their families and communities. Some also had to bear financial loss and some were even persecuted. Giving up was a real temptation back then. Today it is exactly the same. Some of you might be considering giving up.

Let’s be honest. We all know many people who used to be running the Christian race with us out on the tracks, but they are no longer doing so. We can think of people in our families and in this church, or other churches we have been part of, and they are disillusioned, confused or sucked into a sinful pattern of life and have given up. Perhaps you are one of them. Perhaps you will be some time soon. People are constantly tempted to stop running because the race is hard. How does this happen? Could it happen to us? These verses go a long way to explain much of what is going on.

I want us to consider today how we can run the race well. If our running has been poor, I want us to think how we can make changes so that we might make progress once again. God doesn’t want part-time Christians, or people who follow him half-heartedly. ‘I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.’ (Psalm 138:1) God wants our best. He wants all our heart. He wants us to take the race seriously and run well.

Realise we are in a long and hard race. The word for ‘race’ here is agona, where we get the word agony from. It’s not a short race like the 100 metres, but it is far more like a marathon. It takes great perseverance to run this race, because it lasts the whole of our lives. That’s tough. We need encouragement. We need incentives. There are hills to climb sometimes. There are obstacles in our ways and many temptations. This requires sustained effort.

God wants a lifetime of service from us! The Christian life is long-term thing, heading to a final goal. And in one sense, everything we do is part of that race. Each and every day we take new strides in the race. As you go through the rest of this day, the choices you make, what you do with your time, how you treat others, time spent with God, all of this is part of the race. Our lives are made up of small moments, and we want to journey along the track trusting in Jesus as we go.

Let’s consider 5 things which will help us to keep going in the race of the Christian life.

1. Trust in the providence of God

Notice the race is ‘marked out for us.’ (verse 1) Who marks out the race for us? God has marked it out. We don’t get to choose our own lane. God has planned out the conditions, and this includes seasons where the running is easier and seasons when it seems impossible to carry on. In the hard times, we must submit to God, who has marked out our way, and has done so for a reason, though he doesn’t explain the ‘whys’ to us most of the time.

God is the master of your race. He has marked out your race and determined your track. And he wants you to get on with it and run. Sometimes we might look over our shoulder and see others getting on more easily. They have an easier track. Sometimes we might think, ‘God, it’s not fair that you expect me to keep going with all of this going on. I’m so tired of the obstacles. I’m so tired of the race’. And then we see many friends and neighbours around and life looks easier for them, because they’re not running at all. They are just focused on enjoying life. We might even wish we weren’t in the race.

But let’s pause and consider just how wonderful it is that we are not just running any old race. We are running the King’s race. And each of the stages of the race are there for a reason. God has been honest with us, telling us that the race will be tough. But even the hard things in your life just now have great value and significance, because God is using them all to forge us more into the image of Jesus. None of the hard stuff is pointless! God is working it all for our good. He has designed the track so that even the obstacles and hills will make us fitter and more reliant on him.

I don’t know what temptations, hurdles and pits lie before me in 2024. But I believe that God wants me to keep on running, trusting that they are there for a reason. And I know that one day we will reach the finishing line, and run through the tape, and receive an everlasting prize.

2. Be inspired by those who have already finished the race

‘… we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.’ (Verse 1) Think of a marathon runner who is ending a lung-busting race, and made her way into the stadium. The supporters in the stadium rise to their feet and cheer her on, and she has extra energy to keep going to the end. That’s exactly what’s going on here.

Who are the great cloud of witnesses? They are the 16 men and women of faith we read about in Hebrews 11. People like Abraham and Moses and Rahab. And what are they witnesses to? To the faithfulness of God. John White says: ‘The writer is bringing witnesses before us who will testify that faith is worth it.’ They have finished the race. They are saying: ‘It can be done. We felt like giving up too but keep on running. You will never regret it.’ In sport, teams are often greatly helped by the cheering of their fans. In our Christian lives, we will be helped by the cheering of believers who have gone before, but we will only hear them cheering if we open our Bibles and read what happened to them! And if we don’t read our Bibles, we’ll miss out on all this encouragement.

For example, maybe you find yourself in seriously sinful and unwise patterns of life. You’re ‘in it’ so deep that your conscience rarely bothers you. But then you open the Bible and you read Psalm 51, and how David was also in that place. He repented and God forgave him and his spiritual joy and vigour returned. David cheers you on. He encourages you that God is gracious and forgiving and it’s worth it getting back on your feet and running again. Or perhaps you are bitter towards God about all the disappointments you have had in your life. It seems like you have been dealt a terrible hand by God. And then you read about Joseph in the Old Testament and hear his words: 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50 v 20). Joseph, as it were, shouts at you: ‘It’s all there for a reason. God knows what he is doing’. These witnesses are not dead men to be remembered, but living witnesses to be heard.

As well as the witnesses in Hebrews 11, we have the lives of 1000s of Christians since then who have experienced great suffering and yet persevered to the end. They also cheer us on, if we are willing to listen. This underlines the importance of Christian biography. Why not grab a Christian biography from the church library and hear the cheers of those who have finished the race before us?

3. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus

Yes, the believers of the past are an encourage and inspiration to us. But the ultimate inspiration and example is Jesus himself. He finished the toughest of all races. He faced pain that we will never have to. As well as the searing physical pain of the cross, Jesus was punished for all the sins of all his people, and was forsaken by the Father he had always been with.

But now he is in the place of glory, at the right hand of God the Father. He too can testify that the race is worth it. ‘Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ (Verse 3)

‘Fixing our eyes on Jesus…’ (Verse 3) Looking means we know there are many distractions around us – idols- but that we are not going to look to money to drive us, or to pleasure, or to a life lived selfishly, but looking away from idols and to Jesus- deliberately. Where do you get inspiration from? Who is your role model? Who are you looking to?

‘But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.’ (1 Peter 2:20-21)

Keep looking to Jesus. When we think that we cannot go on we remember him- the course that he had- the race he had to run for us. The horror of Gethsemane and Golgotha. And he did it for us. And he triumphed. And in his strength so can we. What was Jesus’ tactic? ‘For the joy set before him he endured the cross…’ Jesus contemplated the fact that his work of saving sinners would bring such joy to his Father. And he contemplated the joy it would bring to the countless people he was going to save. Present joy anticipating these great future blessings helped him to keep going. Likewise, we need to anticipate the joy of Heaven and the approval of our Father, and that will keep us going too.

4. Throw off things in your life which slow you down.

Before I walk in the mountains, I try and make my rucksack as light as possible. It’s hard enough climbing mountains without carrying unnecessary weights.

The same goes for running the Christian race. It is hard enough without wasting energy on things which we don’t need and which ultimately have no or little value. But this is subtle. Because there are many things which are good in and of themselves, but when they begin to occupy too much of our time, they can hinder us and slow us down. Good and legitimate things can end up draining us.

Our smart phones, TV programmes, Facebook, gardening, football, our clothes and appearance, and our hobbies. Are any of these things wrong? Not in themselves. But, they can hinder us if they take up too much of our time. Work, children, and sport: these things are good but they can hinder you if they distract you too much from pursuing Christ. So, as we go through our spiritual MOT we need to ask ourselves, what is slowing me down in my race? What is taking up too much of my time? What do I need to cut back on, so that I can get on with running more seriously?

5. Have a no-nonsense approach to sin

‘…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…’ What is sin doing here? It surrounds us like an octopus. Sin prevents us from following Christ. The writer of Hebrews does not mention any specific sins here. We all have different ones which entangle. What sins are entangling you at the moment? Only you can answer that.

But, if you want to run the race God calls you to then get rid of them. Challenge: What are you entangled by today? Is it pride, or lust, or greed, or over-work, or making an idol of your child or children? Do you feel like you can hardly run? Will you take your sins to Jesus? Will you confess them and turn away from them?

Imagine how much your life could change for the better in 2024 if: you waged war on the subtle tentacles of sin in your life, got rid of the things which are slowing you down, keep trusting on the God when the obstacles appear on the track, listen to the voices of those who have gone before us, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Don’t just imagine it – do it. Fix your eyes on Jesus. That’s how we are transformed.

‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Sermon: Sunday, 18th December, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Has this story of angels and shepherds got any relevance for you today? As you might expect from a minister, I’m going to say ‘Yes!’ Why do I say that? Firstly, because this really happened. This is a historical event. The birth and life and death of Jesus are recorded by Dr Luke in this gospel, and by Matthew, Mark and John in the other gospels. But it is also recorded by secular, non-Christian historians such as Tacitus, Pliny the Younger and Josephus. Together, these secular sources speak about Jesus as: a good-natured and virtuous man; a teacher who amassed a large following; a man who performed supernatural feats; and one whose disciples claimed he had risen from the grave and was believed him to be the Christ and the Son of God. Dr Luke begins his gospel saying that he spoke to many eyewitnesses of these events. He says: ‘… I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.’ (Luke 1:3-4)

The Christmas story is not just a nice story for children. It is, rather, a true story, relevant to each one of us. The Bible is a completely reliable book, and is God’s message to each one of us. In fact, if the Christmas story isn’t the best news that you have ever heard, then you haven’t properly understood it.

Of course, at Christmas Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ birth is not his beginning, as it is for us. Because Jesus is God and so is eternal. There was never a time when Jesus did not exist. His birth in the stable is his beginning as a human being. Right at the heart of the Christmas message is that in Jesus, God became something he wasn’t before, a real human being. He is 100 % God and became 100% human at his birth, whilst remaining 100% God. This begs the question – why did God humble himself to leave a perfect Heaven and come into earth as a real human being. To answer this massively important question, we need to listen to what the angels says, because God sends his angels to explain the meaning and relevance of this wonderful event- God becoming a real human being.

In verse 8 we find the shepherds doing what they do best – watching their sheep, even during the night. It’s no wonder we read that they were terrified (verse 9). Not only do they see a normally-hidden supernatural being, an angel, but we also read that the ‘glory of the Lord shone around them’. What was this glory? This is the shekinah glory of the presence of God himself. This was the amazing manifestation of God’s presence that used to settle on the temple at certain times, and which went ahead of the Israelites in the desert. During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt’. (Exodus 14:24-25) In other words, God is making it clear that he is with the shepherds. I love the fact that Jesus announces his birth not to king Herod or to the emperor Caesar Augustus, or to the rich or religious elite, but to ordinary shepherds. This surely must inform us that the birth of this baby is for ordinary people like us.

Let’s get to the angel’s explanation of this wonderful event. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Christ, the Lord.’ (Luke 2:10-11)

Jesus left Heaven and came to earth in order to save ordinary people. God’s Christmas gift to us is a Saviour. It is a gift offered to all the people of the world. And if received in faith, it is a gift which will give us lasting joy.If Geoff gave me some deodorant and mouthwash for Christmas I might be somewhat offended as he’d be telling me this is something I need. I need to improve my hygiene. In the same way, God’s gift to us, in one way, is offensive; because if God sends us a Rescuer, then that means there is something we all need to be rescued from. The Bible tells us plainly that we need to be rescued by God, because of the many wrong things we have all thought and done in our lives. The short Biblical word for this is ‘sin’, and it means breaking God’s rules. He says we are to love Him and one another, but the truth is that so often we don’t. So often we are selfish and proud and even ignore God in the world he created. Often, we don’t even get on with those we love the most.

Human beings are capable of great acts of love, and much good. Sadly, we are also capable of lust and anger and rudeness and unkindness. God hates these things and this spoils the relationship between human beings and God. So, God takes the initiative and comes to rescue us from ourselves. If our greatest need was information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need was money he’d have sent us an economist. If our greatest need was technology he’d have sent us a scientist. But our greatest need is forgiveness so he sends us a Saviour.

‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you…’ (Luke 2:11)
‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1:21) Today, God is offering you a Saviour. The question is, will you receive this gift?

We’ve been enjoying Christmas carols today. But the first Christmas carol was heard, when thousands upon thousands of angels appeared in the sky: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ (Luke 2:13-14) Let’s think together about this first ever carol. Why are the angels singing ‘glory to God’? Why are they rejoicing in God’s actions? These myriads of angels are rejoicing at the prospect of millions of people being saved from their sins and receiving eternal life. The angels are full of wonder at the grace of God, sending his one and only Son to die for rebellious humans, who simply do not deserve such a gift. They wonder at the love of Jesus, knowing he was going to die on the cross in the place of others- instead of them.

They are also singing about peace: ‘… and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ I think a lot of people sing carols and misunderstand what kind of peace this is, and I don’t want you to misunderstand today. This is not a horizontal peace, between humans. This is not about peace in Ukraine or Israel or in other places where there is war. This is a vertical peace between humans and God. Again, that’s a sobering truth, as it means without a relationship with Jesus, we cannot possibly have peace with God, which is the only lasting kind of peace there is.

How do you get this peace? The answer is simple. You get it by turning from your wrongdoing, and believing that when Jesus died on the cross, he died to pay the price of your sin. You ask him in prayer to take charge of your life, and worship him as your God and Saviour. ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…’ (Romans 5:1) Do you have this peace today? This also means that the peace is not for everyone. Yes, it if offered to everyone. But many reject God’s incredible gift, too proud to admit the wrongness in their hearts.

How have you responded to the gift God offers you today? He offers you himself. He died on the cross and says that if you come and admit your need of forgiveness and ask him to forgive you, then he will do just that. I hope each one of us will respond like the shepherds: The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20) Notice that the shepherds respond to Jesus’ birth in exactly the same way as the angels did, praising and glorifying God. If you really understood Christmas, you too would praise and glorify God for sending Jesus into the world to be our Saviour.

We often talk about the spirit of Christmas, and by that we mean a sense of togetherness and kindness and generosity and selflessness that sometimes marks the Christmas period. All these things are good, of course. But the spirit of Christmas in its truest and purest form is to marvel, as the angels and shepherds do, that God would leave Heaven and come to earth in order to die for us. When we ‘get this’ and grasp it, we are able to have a joy and peace which no one can take from us, and which lasts, even when everything else in our lives goes crazy.

If you have been ignoring Jesus, things are not fine between yourself and God. You can’t ignore God and be his friend. But, the good news is this: God offers you a present. Will you take it and unwrap it? No matter what you have done in your past, you can be forgiven by God, through receiving the gift of Jesus’ death on your behalf. I urge you to receive this gift for yourself and enjoy peace and eternal life.

Sermon: Sunday, 10th December, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 1 John 1

When was the last time you said sorry to someone for something you did. Have you wronged anyone recently? When was the last time you said sorry to God? Have you wronged God this last week? In today’s passage, we have one of the clearest, most beautiful promises in the Bible: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9)

At first, this might sound too good to be true. Free forgiveness from God himself. Is there a catch? It sounds straightforward, so why aren’t more people interested in this promise? There’s no catch; however, this is a conditional promise. Forgiveness is not given to all, but only for those who confess their sin to God. Sadly, confessing sin is something many are unwilling to do.

John mentions people who have a totally different attitude to their sin – they deny it (verse 8). Each one of us in this room has a choice to make about our wrongdoing, we can deny it and gloss over it as if it’s no big deal, or we can take it seriously and confess it to God.

We have three headings on this topic, and to help us remember, each on is connected to the colours of a traffic light: red – stop; amber – get ready; and green – go.

1. Red – stop! Stop denying you have wrong thoughts and actions.

Humans are experts in denying our mistakes. ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ (1 John 1:8)

It’s a scary part of the human condition – all of us are capable of deceiving ourselves. We can end up believing something that’s just not true. For example, someone might have a few pints, and think: ‘I’ll be fine to drive home tonight. The roads are quiet’. We fool ourselves and end up endangering ourselves and others on the roads. We have made a wrong assessment. The worst thing human beings can deceive themselves about is the state of their own hearts, morally speaking. We can fool ourselves into thinking that we are basically good people. We can end up convincing ourselves that ‘sin’ is a word which might apply to terrorists, or drug dealers, but not to us.

“He who cannot find water in the sea is no more foolish than the man who cannot perceive sin in his members.” Charles Spurgeon

It might be foolishness, but that doesn’t stop us denying our sin. In John’s day, there were those who claimed to be ‘without sin’. This is sometimes called ‘perfectionism’. It was part of the false teaching connected with Gnosticism. Gnostics denied the relevance of bodily acts, so they could, for example, have affairs but claim this had no bearing on their relationship with God, because he was not interested in the deeds of the body, but only in the spiritual side of life. They were totally wrong. We don’t often hear that kind of false argumentation today. But one thing is the same: people continue to claim that they don’t have a sin problem.

How do we manage to fool ourselves into thinking of ourselves as far better than we actually are? We play the blame game: blaming someone else – we might call this ‘Adam and Eve syndrome’- The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ (Genesis 3:12-13) Can you relate to blaming others for the mess in your life?

‘It’s not my fault I’m living like this- it’s the way I was brought up.’ (blame our parents).
‘Yes, I lost my temper. But he was provoking me. What else could I do?’ So, we rationalise our sin. When it comes to wrongdoing, we can see the faults of others with 20:20 vision, but when it comes to our own sins and faults we have a blind spot. Blind spots in driving are dangerous, but when we are blind to our own flaws and sins, they are deadly.

We blame our genes or our circumstances. Nowadays, sin is no longer the wrong things people do but just actions caused by internal weakness we can’t help (something genetic), or external forces out with our control, our environment. In the past, we spoke of people as moral individuals responsible for their actions. But now, people are more likely to say: ‘It’s not my fault. I couldn’t help it’.

“Modern fallacies claim that sin is a disease or a weakness, something due to heredity or environment, necessity or the like; people come to regard sin as their fate, not their fault. Such people deceive themselves.” Leon Morris

In other words, we say, in effect, there’s no such thing as sin!

We think we are much better than we actually are: we over-estimate ourselves. The rich young man listens to Jesus recounting the Ten Commandments – ‘All these I have kept since I was a boy.’ He was deceiving himself. The truth was, he had not even kept the first commandment, ‘Have no other gods before me’; his god was money.

One of my friends said to me recently: ‘I don’t need any God to forgive me’. In others words, he’s telling me that he is a good person. He is blind to the lust, pride, greed, and bitterness in his heart. He is deceiving himself. And this is the way most people think.

There’s the lady who does her bit in the community, helping to raise funds for the local primary school and volunteering at the food bank. ‘How dare you call me a sinner’, she thinks sitting in church. It’s good that she is helping the community. But that does not make up for the fact that she has not given God his true place in her life, and the true place for God is first place.

We also deceive ourselves by relabelling sin, and calling it something else. When we relabel sin, we use other words – euphemisms – for those sins, and then they don’t sound like such a big deal: termination, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia

It happens all the time in our culture and in the church. Adultery is called ‘having an affair’. Theft is ‘helping myself to perks.’ David Jackman

Selfishness is ‘standing up for my rights’. The last thing we human beings will admit is that we ‘sin’.

We try to sanitise the sinfulness of sin. We can be like the proverbial ostrich, and bury our heads in the sand, and act like we don’t have a problem with sin, but that won’t make our sins go away. It’s not a good strategy. Verse 10 reminds us that by denying our sin we are calling God a liar! Because again and again, God tells us sin is a universal problem. ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…’ (Romans 3:23) and if undealt with, we will have to pay for our own sin in Hell. What about you this morning? Are you making excuses? Do you think you have a problem with: greed, jealousy, envy, bitterness, or an unforgiving spirit? Red- stop making excuses and instead acknowledge your sin and guilt before God.

If you say ‘I’m fine on my own – I don’t need God’s forgiveness.’ then you are deceiving yourself and have lost touch with reality. The reality is given by Jesus. ‘For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’ (Mark 2:21-23)

2. Amber – Get ready! Instead of making excuses – get ready to confess your sins.

‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…’ (1 John 1:9)

Confession recognises that we are personally guilty of many wrongs. Remember the Lost Son and his ‘amber moment’? “I have sinned against heaven and against you”, he said. When we wrong others we also wrong God, as it is his commandments we break.

What is confession? In Greek- homologeo = to say the same thing that God says about our evil.

Who decides what is right and wrong? Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and so sin is defined by the law of God. He decides what sin is and what it deserves. Confessing our sins involves agreeing with God that the wrong actions we do are serious and have consequences.

What is God’s attitude to sin? He promises to judge it. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden because of their sin. In Genesis 6:3 life expectancy is cut to 120 years because of human sin. In Genesis 6, God floods the world because of sin. In Genesis 11, God confuses human language because of sin. We should never be flippant about sin. Clearly, he hates it. He hates it far more than we do. Why? ‘God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.’ (1 John 1:5)

What is God’s attitude to your sin? He must not leave it unpunished. This is serious. All who continue in sin and refuse to confess it, will be separated from God eternally. There is nothing casual about sinning. Confession means saying ‘I was wrong’. I am responsible. I am sorry LORD.

‘If we confess… = present tense = signalling that it is what we habitually do. We need this mindset of confession to be daily. Daily we confess our pride and jealousy. Daily, we confess sin and flee from it. Notice too that we are to confess our sins: plural!

The LORD wants us to be specific every day when we pray to him. Not ‘LORD sorry for my sins’ (in general). Be specific. LORD I was embarrassed to share my faith at work today – I’m sorry. LORD I was rude to my wife, and short with my children. I am too concerned with my money. LORD I am lukewarm and half-hearted in my love for God.

Amber: are you ready to say the same thing as God about your sin? Are you ready to acknowledge that you are morally responsible to your Creator and Law-giver and that you fall short?

The promise of verse 9 is an amazing promise. But it is a conditional promise. Not everyone is forgiven. Have you gone to God and confessed your sin? If not, then you are still in your sins. Are you ready to swallow your pride today, and confess your sins to God. If you confess…

3. Green – Go! Go to God!
And what happens: Forgiveness and cleansing. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9)

The promise is for those who confess – they can go, go before God and have their guilt dealt with. Why? Why will God forgive us? ‘… the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:7) Nothing else can remove our stains. It is the blood of Jesus that cleanses.

Sin Sin is like a huge debt which we can never repay – God forgives us – he cancels the debt.

Unrighteousness – forgiveness is like clothing covered in horrible stains – God purifies us – he removes the stains forever. So, when Father looks at us he sees no stains – clean clothing.

All God purifies us from all unrighteousness. All of it. There is no sin Christ’s blood cannot deal with! The hymn puts it this way: ‘My sin — oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! — My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!’

Go to God – he gives us every encouragement: The green light is shining brightly: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.’ (1 John 1:9)

‘God is faithful’: John did not have to say this! Why does he say it? Friends it’s not too good to be true. When God makes a promise, we can be certain about it. We can have confidence in it. The angel Gabriel reminds us: ‘For no word from God will ever fail’. (Luke 1:37)

‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Psalm 103:12) When we come to God and confess our sins – specifically – asking for cleansing, he will do it!

Why? Again, we ask Why? Because God is faithful and God is just. ‘God is just’: the forgiveness of sins is a matter of justice; however, this is not the justice we deserve. Of course, God cannot just ignore our sin. But Christ has already received God’s justice for our sins. Therefore, when we come and confess our sins, God says ‘I would be unjust were I not to forgive you.’

God is light. God doesn’t just ignore our sin. He has to deal with it. We expect criminals to be punished for their crimes. We need to be punished for our sins. How can God let us off and be just? Because he is not letting us off – Jesus has taken our punishment. Our sin has been paid for, and that why God is able to forgive us, and maintain his justice at the same time. ‘For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.’ (Romans 3:22-26)

Red : Stop making excuses. Stop denying sin.
Amber : Get ready to confess your sins. Admit them. Admit them to God.
Green : Go to Jesus and he promises you forgiveness and purity. He never lies. It’s a gift paid by him.
Have you come to God confessing your sin?