Category: Sermons

Sermon: Sunday, 13th April, 2025
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Revelation 4

Have you ever felt like giving up watching the news or reading the newspapers? It seems like bad news follows bad news. From the wars in Ukraine and Palestine to the trade wars and the economic uncertainty they are bringing. As I was preparing this sermon there were Scottish news items about a gang attacking an off duty police officer. Judge Lord Arthurson said the group acted like a ‘feral mob’, likening the account of the attack to a ‘dystopian genre horror film’. In the Steadfast Global prayer notes I read that in Uganda: A new Christian and mother of six children was murdered by her husband on 23 March after making her first visit to church in Busembatya town. Closer to home, there are situations in our own lives that bring us distress and great pain. In short, quite often we feel the world is just in a mess and it seems things are out of control.

Surely, many think, a God who is both all-powerful and good would not allow the world to continue like this. Is God too weak to sort the mess out or does he just not care? It was exactly the same back in John’s day. Christians were often brutally persecuted under the reign of various Roman emperors. They were marginalised or banished and sometimes even killed. Becoming a Christian usually made your life far more difficult in terms of getting on in everyday society. Where was God in all of this? It is understandable that many of us just want Jesus to come back and put an end to all the evil and suffering. But what are we to do in the meantime? How are Christians able to carry on day after day, without living in fear and without losing faith that God is really in control. If we are truthful, sometimes it really does feel like Trump or Putin or Jinping or Apple or Amazon rules the world. Or maybe it seems like no one is in control, and everything is just chaotic and pointless. What is the answer? What can we say to those who feel like giving up on God? How does God meet us when we are tempted to stop trusting in him?

God provides the antidote to fear and doubt here in Revelation chapter 4. He wants to reassure us that he is the one who is in control, and does this through a marvellous vision, given to John. The word ‘revelation’ or apocalypse means God revealing to us that which is normally hidden. Just because it is normally hidden does not mean that it is not true. There is order and control and authority and meaning in the universe, it’s just that we cannot usually see it with the human eye.

So what does God do for John and for us today? ‘After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.’   (Revelation 4:1) If we are to know more about who God is and what his purposes are, he must reveal those to us. We cannot work it out just by guessing or even by looking at the world he has made. We can only truly know God if he makes himself known. And that’s what he does here in Revelation 4. God opens a door so that we this morning are able to gaze into the very centre of the created order. Jesus is the voice (verse 1) beckoning John and saying: ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’

1. An occupied throne

‘…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.’   (Revelation 4:2) John is able to enter the ‘real world’ and see what is really at the centre of the universe. And the truth is, the world is not in chaos. It does not say that ‘chance’ is on the throne, and that really there’s no meaning to life whatsoever. Nor does it say that mother nature is on the throne. Caesar is certainly not on the throne, even though Rome is the superpower of the day. In fact, there is a person on the throne – the Lord God Almighty. Sure, today Putin and Trump and Jinping have their thrones, and Starmer an even smaller one! But these are but temporary and limited thrones. Revelation even mentions the throne of the evil. Writing to the church in Pergamumm we read; ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.’   (Revelation 2:13) But there is only one throne which really counts. There is only one throne which is eternal and all-powerful and that is the throne of God.

The word throne is mentioned 62 times in the New Testament and 47 of them come in Revelation. God wants the picture of him occupying the throne to fill our minds. The word throne is mentioned about 10 times just in this chapter. I love Leon Morris’ comment here:

‘John’s readers were evidently familiar with earthly thrones and they were troubled by all that Caesar’s throne meant. John will not let them forget that there is a throne about every throne.

As the Getty hymn puts it: ‘There is a higher throne than all this world has known, where faithful ones from ev’ry tongue will one day come.’ We might not understand all the imagery in this chapter, but one thing is clear: God is in control and this ought to give us great reassurance. Not only is God in control, but he is all-powerful and wise and merciful and forgiving and holy and majestic. That’s the good news. The one who reigns is a good and glorious and merciful God. And we see all these qualities through the images given to us here.

I love the description in verse 3: ‘…and round the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.’ Why is there a rainbow around God’s throne? The rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant – his commitment to his people. And that commitment is eternal. The rainbow reminds us of God’s mercy and forgiveness of sin. When the entire world deserved to be destroyed, the Lord saved humanity through Noah and the ark, acting in mercy and forgiveness. Wow. The one on the throne is a God of power and might, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, but he is also full of mercy and forgiveness.

Words cannot adequately describe the glory and majesty of God and so God is depicted in terms of dazzling and beautiful light: ‘And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.’   (Revelation 4:3) This speaks of the transcendent beauty of God.

When you are at an airport, so many things are happening at once, with flights and baggage and delays and cancelled flights and storms. There are times when it might seem like chaos at an airport. But were we taken up into the airport control tower, we would realise that the controller’s commands are being sent out to all of the airport staff and that things are actually in good order.

Vern Poythress: ‘Through this vision we are transported into the control tower of the entire universe. From this vantage point, as we understand the Controller and his plans, things fall into place. And even if they sometimes escape our comprehension, we know the One who does comprehend it all. His plans cannot and will not fail.’

Friends, the next time things happen to us which are really hard we might well be tempted to doubt God’s goodness or His power or love. What is the solution? We must come back to Revelation chapter 4. We must walk through the open door described here and remind ourselves who is really occupying the throne and what He is like.

‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.’   (1 John 1:5) God is good and God is holy and God is glorious. Don’t get anxious about those who sit on the small temporary thrones. We don’t give an account of our lives to them, only to God. This passage, if we rub it into our lives, should totally change our perspective on the news. We will continue to hear more and more bad news. But God will work it for good. Don’t be frightened, even if we are persecuted for being Christians. God is not in the least bit fazed by earthly or demonic rulers.

‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.’   (Psalm 2:2-4)

2. A worshipping crowd

What is the right and only response to this all-powerful, majestic, holy God? In a word: worship. Verse 4 introduces us to 24 smaller thrones surrounding the Lord’s throne. These are thrones of the 24 elders. At first, I thought these must be the thrones of Christians who have died and gone to be with the Lord, and some take this view. However, I think it is more likely that they are angelic beings. Why is that? If you go to Revelation chapter 5, these 24 elders are singing about the church and they say: You have made ‘them’ to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’   (Revelation 5:10) If the 24 were human, I think they would sing you have made ‘us’ to be a kingdom of priests. I found Poythress helpful here:

The elders are angelic beings and hence not identical with the church. But they and the church are still images of one another.’

Perhaps there are 24 angels standing for the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. Whoever exactly these 24 beings are, the crucial thing about them is that they fall down before God and worship him, laying their crowns before Him. What does it mean to lay your crown before God? You are acknowledging that He is the rightful Ruler of all things. They are giving God the first place. All other sovereignty must yield to His.

What gives God the right to deserve worship from the angelic hosts of heaven and from all human beings in the earth, including us? Thee answer is given: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’   (Revelation 4:11)

As the Creator of all things, God owns and controls all He has made. It would be foolish for creatures like us to try and push ourselves onto God’s rightful throne, would it not? And yet, that is exactly what many of us are doing. Many people want to be in charge of their own lives and live any way they want. They don’t want to let God be God. They don’t want to worship and obey Him. Instead, they want to go their own way, rebelling against God. Friends, this is a very foolish and treasonous thing to do. It is foolish to reject the true King.

Let me urge you to copy the angels in Heaven. They give God his rightful place. They respond in worship and submission. Christians are those who can say: ‘Lord Jesus, I am not in charge of my life any more. You are.’ We cast our little crowns before the throne. Queen Victoria heard a sermon on Revelation chapter 4 and with tears said to the preacher: ‘…because of what you said about the coming of the world’s rightful King, I wish still to be here when he returns, that I might lay my crown at his blessed feet.’

From verse 6, we are introduced to the 4 living creatures. We’re not used to such unusual creatures. As we have seen often in Revelation, the key to unlock these weird visions is the Old Testament. Very similar creatures are found in Ezekiel chapter 1, and there they are identified as the cherubim. Notice that these 4 creatures are closest to the Lord’s throne and so are likely to be mighty and important angelic beings. They are covered with eyes. It is as if God’s heavenly assistants reflect his own attributes. And so the eyes on these beings speak of the fact that God is able to see everything that happens in the whole of His created order. Nothing is hidden from his sight. No one can conceal anything from God. And the references of the lion and ox and eagle and man speak of God’s power and majesty, swiftness and intelligence. We are told what the 4 creatures say again and again: Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’   (Revelation 4:8)

God is holy, which means he is totally separate from his universe. He is the only uncreated one, who was and is and is to come. He is the only one who has always existed. And he is perfect in every respect. This is a God of absolute power and holiness and majesty and if the angelic beings know how to respond aright in worship, surely we ought to follow their lead. How wonderful that we could begin our service today joining the angels in heaven singing ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty’. This is a God worth worshipping, worth serving and worth devoting our lives too.

Let me just end by saying that in some ways this is one of the most practical passages in the whole Bible. It won’t make you richer financially or top up your sun tan or guarantee your children or grandchildren will be happy. But if you are feeling overwhelmed by the pain and suffering of this world and are struggling to make sense of it all and are doubting God is in control, then come through the door with John and be reminded that He is ruling and reigning on His eternal throne. This is the great reality of the universe. And if you are proud, living for yourself, and ignoring the true King, even though he made you and even though the earth belongs to him, then you also need to come through the door and see that God is at the centre of the universe, not you. Along with all people, the only right response is to worship him through Jesus Christ.

Sermon: Sunday, 29th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Philippians 3:10-16

We’ve reached the last Lord’s Day of 2024, a natural time for us to both look back at the year gone by and to look ahead to 2025. Some of us like doing that kind of thing naturally. We make New Year’s resolutions, and we might even journal our progress through the year. However, the truth is many of us might not want to look back or look ahead. It might seem too painful or hopeless or uncomfortable to do so. It is easier just to take a day at a time and not think about things too much. We avoid the serious thing. We avoid assessing how things have been going and what we want in the coming year.

1. Stagnation versus growth

Imagine close friends meeting for a coffee and discussing their respective jobs. One tells how she feels she’s been stagnating in her job all year. Her skills remain untapped, and she’s not being given enough responsibility. Her boss takes little interest in her work. The other friends encourage her to look for a new job, even if that’s hard in the short-term. No one likes stagnation. It’s a negative word. Stagnant water, by definition, has no fresh water entering it, making it unhealthy and a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites. This friend longs for a job in which she can grow and develop and be nurtured and expand her skills. When it comes to work, we’d all choose an environment of growth over one of stagnation. What is true of the working world is also true of our spiritual lives. Each of us has a responsibility to look back and to look ahead and to ask ourselves, have I been growing as a Christian or have I been stagnating?

We’ve been weighing our week-old puppies daily to make sure they are gaining weight and are healthy. We have to do that. We must take responsibility for them. But the sad thing is that often we fail to spiritually ‘weigh’ ourselves and take time to check if there is spiritual health and growth. Do we have to? Really?

Paul instructs Timothy: ‘Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.’   (1 Timothy 4:13-15)

Fiends, the Christian life is a pilgrimage in which we aim to see progress and not stagnation. Would others in your family or church family be able to see that you have made progress spiritually this year? Or is this stuff just for preachers like Timothy? No, it’s for all of us to work hard, in God’s power, to make progress.

Our passage today is full of teaching which helps to jolt us out of coasting along in the Christian life, if that is what we are doing. Paul wants us to follow his example as he follows Christ. He wants us to emulate him, and he is a man who has kept his desire to grow stronger and develop in the Christian life, seeking to know Christ and become like Christ. Paul says so plainly: ‘I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…’   (Philippians 3:10) Paul has known Christ for decades now, so what does he mean that he wants to ‘know Christ?’ It simply means he wants to know Jesus more and more, just as a loving friend continues to want to know more about his friend after years of friendship. It’s a relationship. And when it comes to Christ, because he is God this means that we will never come to the end of knowing him. That’s thrilling! There is always more about Christ’s wisdom and love and grace for us to discover. We can never claim to have ‘arrived’ spiritually.

Paul wants us to know more of Christ’s power. Amazingly, this is the same power which raised Christ from the tomb. Who wouldn’t want to know more of this life-giving power from the Holy Spirit? It is so appealing. Don Carson reminds us that it is this power which enables us to grasp the dimensions of God’s love for us, and that gives us endurance, faith and gives rise to lives marked by thankfulness. Only God’s power can bring such changes to us. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He also wants us to participate in the sufferings of Christ. At first, that might sound much less appealing. What does it mean? That just as Christ’s life involved suffering in this life followed by glory, our lives must share this pattern.

In other words, Christ-likeness must lead us to Calvary. We too must take up our crosses and follow Jesus, and as we do that, he will be with us, he will fellowship with us. God often uses persecution and the sufferings of this life to bring us closer to himself and to bring growth in our lives. Consider the familiar image of pruning a bush in our garden; the pruning can be painful and seem severe, but it leads to growth and fruitfulness. We cannot look ahead to 2025 and say to God, ‘I want your power but not the suffering.’ We must have both. In fact, the amazing thing is that it is in those times of testing and suffering that’s God’s grace works in us all the more, and our lives bring more glory to God.

Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his flesh to be taken away, but God said: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’   (2 Corinthians 12:9) I have to be honest and say that I still struggle with the fact that so much Christian growth comes through our suffering. However, I also attest that it most certainly does. Here’s the heart of the matter: Paul is not stagnating in his faith but is growing in his knowledge of Christ and love of Christ, and he wants us to grow too.

D Carson: ‘It is a shocking thing for Christians to have to admit that they have grown little in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.’

May 2025 be a year of spiritual growth for us and not spiritual stagnation.

However, there’s a danger that we all leave church just feeling guilty today. We might wring our hands and think, ‘There’s no way I can make progress.’ We might leave discouraged. Instead, let’s take a closer look at these verses to learn from Paul what we need to do to see growth, and what God will do in us.

2. Press on in the race

In verses 9-11, Paul has been speaking about the past, present and future of the Christian life. He has been justified through faith in the past; in the present, he is far from perfect, but is being sanctified, becoming more like Jesus; and in the future he will be glorified, and only then will his struggle with sin be over. In Paul’s day, there were some false teachers who claimed to have reached perfection in this life, a state of holiness in which they no longer sinned. I’d want to get a hold of the wives of these false teachers and ask them if they agreed. I suspect not. Paul wants to be clear that he has not reached this point: ‘Not that I have already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal…’   Paul, like all of us, had to fight against sin every day and strive towards holiness, knowing that perfection would only come in Heaven.

Here’s a question; why is it so dangerous to stagnate in our Christian pilgrimage? Because although we are justified by faith, we are still sinners.

John Owen: ‘Indwelling sin lives in us in some measure and degree while we are in this world, so that sin is always acting, always conceiving, always seducing, always tempting.’

That is so true. So, if we start to coast or switch off in our Christian lives, this indwelling sin will run riot. We cannot ever stop fighting against sin and we cannot stop asking God for help to become more like Jesus. We must do all we can in this fight against sin. When we are driving, we can never really switch off. We always need to be aware what’s behind us and in front of us and this changes all the time. There are obstacles and dangers which can come upon us quickly out on the road. Likewise, in the Christian life, we must be concentrating all the time, looking for dangers and watching and praying. Whether we are young Christians, or much older Christians, John Owen’s advice remains equally true: ‘be killing sin or sin will be killing you’.

What is Paul’s advice to us as we anticipate 2025 together? We must ‘press on’ in the life of faith. This is an image from the world of athletics. We are all in a marathon and need to keep on running. The language Paul uses involves us working really hard, running and sweating and stretching every muscle as we concentrate on the prize of eternal life with Christ. There’s nothing here of Paul being passive, just turning up in church when he feels like it, allowing his Bible to gather dust and not bothering serving in the local church, but leaving that to others. This is a race. Sins are put to death.

We pursue Christian growth through the usual channels: reading the Bible, spending quality time in prayer to God in stillness with our phones, Xboxes, televisions and radios switched off. We make time for Christian fellowship to keep ourselves accountable and to encourage others. We make church a priority. We confess our sins at the end of the day in prayer and think and think again about how we can root out the sins which keep tripping us up. This is pressing on.

I love that, in a positive sense, Paul is a monomaniac here. There’s one thing he wants to do. He’s focused on one thing like a laser beam. ‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize…’   (Philippians 3:13-14) What does Paul mean by ‘forgetting what is behind’? Well, all runners know that you can’t run effectively if you are looking back over your shoulder on the time. You must look ahead.

We can look back at past mistakes we’ve made and get stuck in the things we have done. However, if we have confessed those sins to God, and repented, then don’t keep looking back. Look ahead to Jesus. We could look back at things which have happened in our past and blame others or blame God. But we can’t make progress if we’re harbouring bitterness about past wrongs. Forget what is behind. That’s not always easy. I find it easy to be like a pig wallowing in the mud of my sins from the past. But God wants me to press on. Perhaps you’re not like a pig but a sloth. You look back at all you have achieved in your Christian life, years of service in Sunday School, creche, café, or the like. And you rest on your laurels. You look back and wrongly think you’ve done enough. To the sloths as well as the pigs, the Lord would say ‘press on’. Perhaps this is a danger to middle aged and older Christians. You want to ‘retire’ from Christian service, but God wants you to ‘press on’.

3. Press on, but with God’s help!

What do you hope to do in 2025? Perhaps you have some DIY projects or countries you’d like to visit. Of course, work and family will take up much of our time in the ordinariness of life, but all this we must do for the glory of God. What God is asking from you this morning is to focus on the main thing: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…’ (Philippians 3:13) When I think of straining, I think of how much our dog used to strain on the leash when out for a walk. It would drive us crazy. But this is a positive straining. We are straining towards becoming more like Jesus. We will arrange our lives, and organise our diaries, and make plans with this one thing in mind. We won’t get too distracted by things that don’t really matter, like endless entertainment and money and pleasure. Sure, we’ll enjoy God’s good creation and be joyful Christians, savouring music and friendship and the positive things in our culture. But in a secondary way. ‘Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.’   (Psalm 119:18-19) We are pilgrims on the earth. We’re just passing through. So, we’ll hold loosely to the stuff of this world. And we will strain towards the lasting heavenly prize.

Let’s end the year with some massive encouragements. Yes, we must ‘press on’. But there’s something else taking place which inspires us to keep on going, and that’s the knowledge that Christ has got a grip of us and will not let us go: ‘… but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’   (Philippians 3:12) Because Jesus’ grip of us is unbreakable, we can run the race with joy, because we know that we cannot lose this race. Jesus himself enables us to keep on running.

We work, as God works. It’s not all about us. The hymn puts it well:
‘When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast.
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold through life’s fearful path,
for my love is often cold. He must hold me fast.’

We also hear this same wonderful note sounding in verse 14: ‘I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 3:14) God has ‘called’ us heavenward. Because God himself has called us in this direction, this means he is determined that we shall reach our destination. If God calls us to this race, and he does, you can be sure that he will provide all the grace we need to run, and we will finish.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Luke 2:21-40

Christmas is only three days away. At this time of year, we often think about the shepherds and the wise men, but there’s a part of the story we often miss out – Jesus’ presentation in the temple. Let’s not miss this part out! It’s an amazing event with much to teach us. As baby Jesus is in the temple, an old godly man gathers him up in his arms and prophesied about him. What he says is so wonderful that we read Mary and Joseph marvel about it (verse 33). Simeon looks at this tiny, fragile, dependent baby and says that he is salvation and that he is the light for a dark world.

Jesus is circumcised at eight days old and then when he is 5-6 weeks old, his parents take him to the temple, to present him to God, because Jesus was the first-born son. Normally, five shekels was paid to ‘redeem’ the first-born. ‘The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver…’   (Numbers 18:15-16)

Another ceremony is going on here too – the purification of the mother (Mary) – where a lamb or, if people were poor, a pair of doves or pigeons would be sacrificed. It’s fascinating to note that Mary and Joseph are too poor to sacrifice a lamb. Jesus is brought up by parents who did not have much to spare. More importantly, we see that Jesus is brought up by parents who seek to honour God in their lives. Clearly, Mary and Joseph are obeying the Old Testament requirements, and were a pious, God-centred young couple. They bring their family to synagogue each Sabbath and bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. This is the kind of home we want to have. We want a home where our children are taught to pray and understand God’s Word. We don’t need a materialistic Christmas. Of course, we can enjoy giving and receiving gifts, but the focus is on something deeper – the birth of the Saviour.

Mary and Joseph are examples to us that we are to worship God in God’s way, in the way in which he has prescribed in the Bible, and not making it up as we go along. Many people are confused about this. They think they don’t need to go to church to worship God and don’t need Jesus to worship God. But it’s not our place to decide how we want to worship God. It’s God’s place as God to tell us how we are to worship him. That’s why we aim to worship according to the Bible, God’s revelation. It’s mentioned five times here that Mary and Jospeh act in accordance with the ‘law of the Lord’.

1. The humility of the first Christmas

There is so much in the Christmas story which underlines Jesus’ humility. He leaves the worship and splendour of Heaven and comes down to a broken world to rescue us. What kind of situation does he enter? He is born in a stable and placed in a manger. He is hunted by wicked king Herod and forced to flee to Egypt, becoming a refugee. He is born into a despised race, Israel, which has been conquered by nation after nation for around 1000 years and currently subjugated the might of Rome. He is born to poor parents and grows us in an obscure town called Nazareth. And in this passage, Jesus is himself is subjected to all the regulations of the Mosaic law, needing to be redeemed for five shekels as the firstborn son. ‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’   (Galatians 4:4-5)

I find it ironic that Jesus, who is the Redeemer, is himself redeemed for five shekels of silver. Redemption means to set someone free through the payment of a price. Jesus is the perfect Son of God who never sinned and so in that sense does not need to be redeemed. But in keeping with the law, and in his humility, he is treated as if he is an ordinary sinful human being, needing to be redeemed. This is a bit like when as an adult, Jesus is baptised, in spite of not needing to be washed from any personal sin. Again and again, Jesus identifies with the sinners he has come to save. Then on the cross, Jesus redeems us. He sets us free from the horrors of sin by paying a great price. The price is his own life. The baby redeemed here goes on to become the Redeemer, who pays with his own precious blood.

2. The first Christmas was worth waiting for

We only have three more sleeps until it’s Christmas! I’m sure we can all wait a little longer. In verse 25 we’re introduced to a man called Simeon who is waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel’. Consolation means comfort, and this phrase is another way to say ‘the Messiah’. Simeon is a highly privileged individual. Not only is the Spirit of God upon him, but he had received a unique and amazing promise from God – he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. That’s some promise! We are not told when Simeon was given this promise and so we don’t know how long he has been anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Every day, he must have longed more than the one before that this would be the day. The spiritual darkness in Israel was enormous, therefore the coming of the light of the world to dispel the darkness was something to long for indeed.

The Holy Spirit prompts Simeon to enter the temple courts, just when Jesus is being presented there. God is orchestrating everything together in order to fulfil his promise to Simeon. Simeon takes baby Jesus in his arms and praises God.

What can we learn today from his words? ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.’   (Luke 2:29) In other words, Simeon is now ready to die.

How would you fill the blank? Before I die I want to …
Walk my children down the aisle?
Travel the world?
Enjoy many happy and healthy years of retirement?
See my grandchildren?

Often, what someone truly longs for tells us what they truly value. For Simeon, the one thing he wants is to see the Christ child. This totally blows everything else out of the water. Nothing else comes remotely close to the thrill of this privilege. Why? Because in Jesus, Simeon has all he could possibly need or want. He has forgiveness, and eternal life. He has salvation from sin. He has seen God’s glory in the person of Jesus. And because Simeon trusts in Jesus, and even entrusts his death to Jesus, he knows that he need not fear death, and that everything is going to be ok. In fact, everything is as good as it can be, because Jesus’ love for Simeon will never come to an end. Simeon trusts in the one who will right all wrongs and usher in a new world one day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Darrell Bock: ‘Simeon knows that he can be content with his life, since he has had the honour of witnessing God’s salvation. This attitude is important because it put the other events and traumas of life into perspective.’

Simeon really challenges me to think – what am I waiting for? What’s the one thing I really want? Is it to be in a successful church, whatever that means? Is it to have stronger relationships with my family? Is it to be happy and healthy? It also challenges me to think, am I ready to die? Is having Jesus enough for me?

If, like Simeon, we truly see who Jesus is and trust in him, then we too can share that same peace. We need not fear death. We need not fear anything. We have eternal life and compared to that, nothing really matters. We can be contented, even if work is tough and relationships are far from smooth. When God is for us, who can stand against us? At the prayer meeting on Wednesday, we were reminded of this verse; ‘For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.’   (Psalm 149:4) Your boss might not delight in you. Your family members might not delight in you. You might even struggle with feelings of anxiety or worthlessness. But God delights in you and loves you and for Simeon, that is more than enough. Jesus deals with our root problem – our sin. And the truth is that because we have been made by God and designed to have a relationship with God, we are never going to know the contentment Simeon knows until we too cherish knowing Jesus.

We can also be like Simeon by being fellow waiters. We wait for Christ’s second advent. ‘Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.’   (2 Timothy 4:8) Friends, the second coming of Jesus is what we should be anticipating and longing for. It will be worth the wait.

3. The reach of the first Christmas

Who is Christmas for? Last week, we saw that the coming of the Magi from the east was a sign from God that Jesus was born not just as the Saviour of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles – the whole world. The reach, then, is all-encompassing. God so loved ‘the world’ that he gave his one and only Son. God has seen the mess the world is in but has not left us to ourselves; in love and grace he puts his arms around the world, offering salvation to all. This world-wide reach is explicitly stated by Simeon: ‘For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’   (Luke 2:30-32) That’s why we can sing the carol: ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her King…’

However, if Jesus is God’s gift to the whole world, then each one of us must respond to him. This means that Jesus’ gift of forgiveness is offered to you. Will you take this gift and unwrap it? Sadly, many people reject the best gift ever given, and Simeon prophesied about this too, saying to Mary: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’   (Luke 2:34-35)

4. The division the first Christmas brings

There are certain things which divide people which do not really matter. You might love or loathe marmite, but it doesn’t really matter. You might be a turkey fan for Christmas dinner or you might be a steak pie person. It’s not too big a deal. People are divided over these trivial things. As a nation we have been politically divided for many years over the question of independence. This is a more serious matter, which splits people in two. However, the most serious issue which splits people is actually Jesus himself. Simeon tells us that Jesus will divide the nation in two; that’s what the imagery (rooted in Isaiah chapters 8 and 28) of ‘rising and falling’ means.

Darrell Bock: ‘Jesus’ ministry reveals where the thoughts of one’s heart are. As the salvation of God and the expression of God’s will, the reaction to him reveals our reaction to God’.

No one is more loved in the world than Jesus Christ. And no one is more hated. He divides people. Why? Because some people in darkness refuse to come into the light because they do not want the reality of their lives to be exposed. No group of people in history has been more hated or persecuted than Christians. Mary’s own heart will be pierced when her son is misunderstood and hated, and most of all when he is crucified at Calvary. ‘Whoever is not with me is against me…’   (Matthew 12:30) What on earth does Jesus mean? He means we cannot be neutral about him. We either receive him as our rightful King or we reject him, in order to be our own king.

Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth and the life. This is an exclusive claim. But it forces us to ask ourselves today, are we for Jesus or against him? Do we love him, or deep down, do we resent his claim over our lives? The Christmas story divides us. On which side do you land? It’s a matter of eternal life or death.

‘Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.’   (John 3:18)

Sermon: Sunday, 15th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

For many people in Scotland, the Christmas story brings back memories of the school nativity play. Perhaps you were in one yourself or have watched one of your own children be an angel, a wise man or a shepherd, or even Mary or Joseph is they were lucky enough to have a starring role. It’s good that at least many of the children in our land still know the gist of the Christmas story, though that number seems to go down each year, as Christmas Carol services are replaced by winter celebrations. There are several dangers we face when returning to the Christmas story. There’s the danger of familiarity. We think we know the story and have nothing left to learn and so we just switch off and wait for the mince pies. There’s a danger that we see the account as a made-up story, like an ancient myth, something which probably didn’t happen. And there’s a danger that we sentimentalise the story, thinking ‘That’s lovely that Mary found somewhere for her baby eventually.’ but failing to think deeply about what God is trying to tell us in this crucial part of history. Let’s try and briefly deal with some of these dangers.

Firstly, this is not a myth but a historical event. Almost all serious historians agree that Jesus was a historical figure, who was born in Bethlehem and died by crucifixion. The King Herod mentioned in the account is Herod the Great, whose reign is also well attested in history. He was known as a paranoid ruler, who got rid of his own wife and some of his sons when he felt they threatened his reign. The killing of the boys aged 2 and under is a horrific act which accords with similar actions throughout his reign, recorded in secular sources. However, the Christmas story is a also a supernatural story. That’s no big deal if you believe in God. If you say that you don’t believe in God, then you must conclude that the world, including our own existence, happened by chance and has no ultimate meaning or purpose or hope beyond the grave. It’s hard to see how the world could be so full design and order, with the amazing laws of chemistry, physics and biology, if it all came about by time plus chance. In the praise earlier we sang: ‘Chanting bird and flowing fountain, praising you eternally’. In other words, we can see God’s fingerprints all over creation. But if God has always existed, and he has, then we should not be surprised that the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the supernatural, such as angels, special stars and dreams.

Last week, we thought about the names God tells Joseph to give to his son. Immanuel means ‘God is with us’ and Jesus means ‘the LORD saves’. This captures the whole of the Christmas story. Jesus, who is the Maker of all things, and is eternal God, leaves heaven and comes down to earth to become a human being. Why? In order to rescue human beings like us from their sins. This is the heart of the Christmas story. Of course, it is supernatural – God becoming a true human being is marvellously supernatural. But that does not mean it isn’t true. We know it is true because it is historical and we know it is true because of the prophecies given. The prophet Micah predicts, 700 years before Jesus’ birth, that he will be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was an obscure town 5 miles away from Jerusalem and often missed off the maps of Israel being so small. The prophecy comes true. In Matthew chapter 2 verse 15, we read that Jesus’ fleeing into Egypt as a refugee was also prophesied, as was the killing of those in Bethlehem, his growing up in Nazareth, and the appearing of those from the east with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These are prophecies which were historically documented in the Hebrew language long before Jesus’ birth. In fact, there are dozens of prophesies about Jesus’ life recorded in the Old Testament. Every single one comes true. This is totally supernatural. God is telling us here that the Bible is true. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry. You cannot explain that.

Secondly, we won’t sentimentalise this account this morning. Instead, let’s ask ourselves what God is saying to us through these events. That might even unsettle or offend us. Let’s consider the wide range of reactions to Jesus’ birth and think about which reaction we can relate to the most. In other words, let’s remember that God speaks to us today, loudly and clearly, through the pages of the Bible. That’s why it has been the best-selling book every single year for hundreds of years. It’s because God speaks to us through His Word.

We don’t know much about the Magi from the east. One Christmas carol says ‘We Three kings From Orient Are’ but the truth is, we don’t know how many there were, which country they were from and it is unlikely that they were kings. At least the carol gets the ‘orient’ part right. Our best guess would be that they are from modern day Iran or Iraq, coming from Persia or Babylon. They are likely to be well-educated, experts in the stars, in interpreting dreams, and in religion. Perhaps they had some Old Testament prophecies, such as in the book of Daniel, since Daniel was prime minister in Babylon. We cannot be sure. We are not told.

What we do know is that the star-gazers see an unusual star in the sky and understand what it means – a very special king of the Jews has been born. They travel for hundreds of miles, armed with expensive gifts fit for a king, so that they can pay homage to this special person. In spite of their limited understanding, these Magi, Gentile foreigners from the east, come looking for the Jewish Messiah. They find him and worship him.

What’s the significance of the wise men in the Christmas story? What is God telling us through it. God is telling us that Jesus is God’s special gift, not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, in other words, to the whole world. Let’s make this more personal, seeing ourselves in this story where we belong – in a sense, this baby is for you. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…’    (John 3:16) If you believe in him, you can have eternal life.

The worship of the wise men signals to us that the Kingdom of God is international in its scope. Yes, Jesus is the King of the Jews. But he is also the true King of the whole world. As God-in-the-flesh, he is my rightful King and your rightful King. The question is, will you receive him as such? Will you give your allegiance to him?

The prophet Isaiah, eight centuries before Jesus was born, makes this prophecy about the birth: ‘Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ‘Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.’ Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.’   (Isaiah 60:3-6)

So, in a very real sense, the wise men are the first fruits of millions upon millions of Gentiles who like them, will come to Jesus in faith and worship. First fruits are special as they signal that the rest of the harvest will follow. The wise men are the first fruits signalling the massive worldwide growth of Christ’s church. That is one of many reasons we celebrate having so many different nationalities in Kirkcaldy Free Church. Jesus is for all the nations. He is for the rich and educated like the wise men and he is for the poor less-educated like the shepherds. He is for the Jews and the Gentiles. He is for men and women. He is for the young an the old. He is an international Saviour-King.

If someone hands you a gift then you need to make some kind of a response. Myself and Geoff handed out some more welcome packs to people in new houses in Kirkcaldy. Thankfully, we weren’t met with much hostility, though that can happen. Most people responded with apathy and indifference. A few responded positively. That was just a welcome pack. But imagine it is Christmas morning, and you hand a close family member a present you have made yourself, having poured time and money and thought and love into it. The person opens it and says,‘I don’t want this.’ Or perhaps they open it and you can tell they don’t really want it. Though special and useful, it’s not valued by them and remains unused, gathering dust amongst the several unwanted Christmas presents in the house. What if God himself offers you a gift which is just what you need. Your response to that gift is highly significant and will actually shape your future. That’s why you are part of the story.

Let’s look at some negative responses to Jesus’ birth first. Herod hears the news about the birth of a new king of Israel and he (verse 3) is disturbed. He must have thought ‘I’m the king of Israel’ and felt threatened. His mind would have been working overtime, thinking about getting rid of any potential rival. Herod wasn’t actually truly Jewish and he wasn’t in the line of Israel’s kings as Jesus was. He was half Jewish and half Idumean. He was appointed by Roman authority and not from the Jewish people. For Herod, the answer to the question ‘Who is in charge?’ is ‘I am’. He is a ruthless and selfish man and will do anything in order to cling to the power he shouldn’t even have. He only cares about himself and not even for his own immediate family. When the wise men enquire (verse 2) about where the king of the Jews will be born, Herod does not care a jot about this claim, even though it is a right one. Jesus is the true king and not Herod. Whilst Herod rules with selfishness and greed, Jesus will reign (verse 6) as a shepherd who truly cares for the flock. In fact, he will lay down his life for his sheep. Of course, we might find it hard to relate to Herod’s response.

However, it’s all too easy to be like Herod spiritually. What do I mean? Jesus, as God, is the one who has the right to be in charge of all people. We ought to follow him. He is the true King and not us. The universe revolves around him and not us. But we can feel threatened by his claim over our lives. We want to cling onto being the ones in charge and want to do what we want when we want, and relegate God out of our lives altogether. We don’t want God, a rival king, telling us what to do, nor do we want him in the Bible to tell us how we ought to live. It’s all about what we think and what we want. That’s all. If that’s where we are at, then we are like Herod spiritually. In verse 3, we read that all Jerusalem is disturbed. I’m not sure why. Perhaps they fear Herod’s mood swings and are scared about more political unrest. Whatever the reason, the nation which had been waiting for the Messiah-king for centuries reacts negatively when he actually arrives.

Then there’s the apathy of the religious leaders. They should have known better. They should have been excited and filled with enthusiasm, as the religious leaders of the day. They ought to have jumped on their donkeys and travelled the 5 miles to Bethlehem to see Jesus for themselves. They don’t bother. Yes, they have the head-knowledge (verse 5) knowing that the Bible had revealed the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. It’s all just a job for them. They have no sense of longing and wonder about the birth of the Rescuer. It seems to make no difference to them. They are comfortable with their own positions of religious power, but their hearts are far from God. This is a sobering response.

Perhaps a parallel today is those who come to church out of routine, or guilt, or because they think they are good people. But they don’t really love Jesus and are not thankful to him for dying on the cross. Inwardly, they shrug their shoulders at the true Christmas message, and it fails to impact their everyday lives. Which of these responses can you relate to?

Finally, we have the positive response of the wise men. It is wonderful that although they have far less knowledge than scribes and pharisees, they are the ones who have faith and love and worship in their hearts. ‘On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’   (Matthew 2:11) The Magi put Herod and the religious leaders to shame. The faith of the Magi stands in stark contrast to the unbelief of the religious elite.

J C Ryle captures the strength of the Magi’s faith: ‘They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knees, and worshipped Him as a King… They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them… and yet when they saw that infant they believed they saw the divine Saviour of the world! They fell down and worshipped Him.’

What about us here today? We have the whole Bible and can read the records of Jesus’ miracles and incomparable teaching. We can read of his act of love dying for others on the cross. We can read of the greatest proof of his identity – his resurrection from the dead. We have more light than the wise men. The question is, are we willing to honour and worship the King? Will we gladly honour him with our gifts of love and time and service.

The carol ‘In the bleak midwinter’ asks the question:
‘What can I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
et what I can, I give Him, give my heart.’

If you refuse God’s greatest gift what are you refusing? You are refuging his forgiveness, grace, peace, love and eternal life. Instead, be like the wise men. Worship the true King.

Sermon: Sunday, 8th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Our names are very important. I remember a book of baby names which we had when choosing the names of our children. These days, I guess most people will just use a website. Some people will choose names because they simply like the sound of them. There’s a tribe in Papua New Guinea who love the sound of English words even though they don’t know what they mean. This resulted in one boy being named ‘tinned fish’ by his parents and one girl being called ‘2nd gear’. If you think that’s crazy, then we need just consider Ellon Musk, whose most recent child is called Techno Mechanicus. It seems he is better with rockets than with choosing names. Some people choose names because it’s in the family. The golfer Davis Love III has the same name as his Dad! Some people choose a name because of what it means. The cadet’s flight lieutenant’s first name, Stephen, means ‘crown’ (after all he is the boss). The name David means ‘beloved’. Michael means ‘who is like God?’ Cameron means ‘crooked nose’. Fiona means ‘fair or pale’. Sophia means ‘wise’. And Amelia means ‘hardworking’.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, and if we want to understand why Christians celebrate it, we need to think about the names of Christ. It is not Mary and Joseph who name their child, but God does that and reveals his choice through the prophet Isaiah and through an angel. The child is called Jesus, which means ‘the Lord saves’ and also Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. This gets to the heart of who Jesus is, none other than God the creator, and also why he left Heaven and came down to earth to become a real human baby, in order to rescue us.

1.The problem of Christmas

In Matthew chapter 1 Joseph, the central character in the story, has an enormous problem. He is betrothed to Mary – betrothal is bond stronger than our engagement today. He must have been looking forward to getting married and setting up a home with Mary. ‘Not long to go now’. But then he hears the stomach-turning news: two words- ‘Mary’ and ‘pregnant’. Joseph must have thought: ‘She wouldn’t do that!’ ‘She must have.’ ‘She has cheated on me.’ What a hammer-blow. God’s people then and now don’t have intimate relations before marriage.

We see in Joseph a man of dignity and a man of compassion. He knows he cannot marry Mary now. She has been unfaithful (or so it seems). However, he still loves her, and doesn’t want to drag her name through the mud, and so decides to divorce her quietly. Joseph’s example is so helpful in that it’s not just being right which matters, but how we go about things. Will he behave in a gentle or abrasive way? Joseph is a refreshing combination of truth and love. Ephesians 4:15 tells Christians that when we speak to others we must ‘speak the truth in love’. Too many people might say something true, but say it in an unkind way. Others might lie, saying what you want to hear.

What must it have been like being in Joseph’s sandals? The bottom falls out of his world. I’m guessing he had tears flowing down his cheeks as he thought about divorce. But then God speaks to Joseph to explain that what is happening isn’t a nightmare after all. In fact, this pregnancy is the best news ever. Mary has not been unfaithful. This is a supernatural pregnancy, unlike any other before or since. ‘What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’   (Matthew 1:20)

Who is this child? ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).’  (Matthew 1:23) This baby is none other than God, leaving Heaven, and coming down to earth to become a human. Why? Why is God (who created the world) coming down to enter it in this remarkable way? The angel explains this to Joseph as well: ‘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) In other words, God has come to earth on a rescue mission – to save people from their sins! To save people from all the wrong things they do, say and think.

What is the problem of Christmas? It’s not just a problem Joseph has, but one we all have. Because if we pause to think, God is saying to each of us today that we need to be rescued from our pride, greed, selfishness, ignoring God, lack of love for God, lack of thankfulness to him. This is, of course, a highly offensive message. But isn’t it true? Personally, I don’t even live up to my own standards of how I know I should live, far less God’s. I’ve upset many people in my time. There are many good things I should have done, and didn’t. Some of the things I’ve thought about have been nasty or ugly or just plain wrong. Are you any different from me?

We can see so much war going on just now, both in the Middle East and also in the Ukraine. And then there are things happening which don’t get much coverage on the news, like the 8,000 Christians killed in Nigeria last year alone. The reason we need an army and air force is because we live in a world where there is always war. We need to be ready and able to defend ourselves. But we also need to ask, ‘Why’? Why are human beings so bent on killing one another and exploiting one another?

I’ve been watching a medical drama on Netflix recently and in each episode the doctors must find out the root cause of the symptoms. That’s the crucial thing. If you know the root cause then you can find the solution. The angel identifies the root cause of our problem: ‘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)

Hark! the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!’

If ordinary people want to be friends with God, then we need to be rescued from our sin problem.

One of my favourite quotes from our late Queen was: ‘History teaches us we… need saving from ourselves, from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person, neither a philosopher or a general, important as they are, but a saviour with the power to forgive.’ The Queen was right. By rebelling against God, each of us has angered God, and we face his fair judgment. In love, knowing that we are unable to save ourselves, he left Heaven and entered our world by becoming a real human being in history. This is a loving rescue mission.

2. The Promise of Christmas

The Christmas story is so wonderful because God (in Jesus) has sent us exactly what we need. I’m not sure what you think your biggest problem is in life. I think in Jesus’ day, many in Israel saw their biggest problem as the Roman occupation. They wanted God to send a military Saviour to set Israel free from the might of Rome. What is your biggest problem? Is it loneliness or health or lack of job security, or finding accommodation or growing old and infirm? As we have said, God actually diagnoses your biggest problem. He says your sin spoils your relationship with God! The good news is Jesus is totally qualified to deal with that sin for you. In doing so, he sets us free to be the people he always intended us to be. True freedom means having a loving relationship with our Maker.

What makes Jesus so qualified to save us, aside from his name, which means ‘the LORD saves’? He is qualified as he is ‘Immanuel’. ‘All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Imanuel’(which means ‘God with us’).   (Matthew 1:22-23)

On Tuesday evening at the cadets, we were thinking briefly about where Jesus was before he was born in Bethlehem. I explained that the Bible teaches us that the Christmas story is not the start of Jesus. Jesus, as God, has always been there. He created the world. The Christmas story is not the beginning of Jesus, for he is eternal. However, it is the beginning of him becoming a real human being, born of the virgin Mary, through the power of God the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to Jesus, there was never a time when he was not. Now, he has become one of us, and is 100% God and 100% human. This is something completely supernatural. And it is also something wonderful. Just because it is beyond our understanding does not mean it isn’t true.

St Augustine: ‘He lies in the manger but at the same time he holds the whole universe in his hands. He was created by a mother, but a mother whom he created. He was carried, but by hands that he himself formed.’

When one of you recently had a flat battery, I got a call asking for help. The question then became, was I willing to help and was I able to help? As it turned out, I was willing, as I’m such a nice guy, and was able as I was in Kirkcaldy and had jump leads. But sometimes we ask people for help and they are either unwilling to help us, or they are unable. We need people to be both. The best news at Christmas is that when we talk to Jesus in prayer, he is willing and able to help us. He is willing because he loves us. He understands our problems because he entered into our world at Christmas time. He knows what it is like to lose a loved one, to be tempted, to become sick and he knows what it is like to be a refugee and to be rejected and to be misunderstood and to be disappointed. He is willing to help us.

But Jesus is also able to help us. His sacrifice on the cross was a perfect sacrifice because Jesus never sinned. And his sacrifice was an infinite sacrifice because he is God. That means he is able to forgive anyone who is willing to ask for his help. The proud will not come and ask Jesus for help. But those who know they have messed up, can come and in prayer, ask for his forgiveness and help. I regret many things in my life, but one thing I will never regret is having asked Jesus for forgiveness and help.

What happens when we pray to Jesus asking him to forgive us and help us and take charge of our lives? He forgives us and that means we become friends with God. The sin which blocked us from having a proper relationship with God has been atoned for, dealt with by Jesus on the cross. And at this point he comes into our lives and never leaves us. He is Immanuel – God with us. He is with us both in this life and in the life to come.

I love this verse; ‘… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 1:6) The motto of the RAF, Per Ardua ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars). Let me tweak this a little to help us understand the meaning of Christmas: ‘Through the adversity of Jesus to Heaven.’

Sermon: Sunday, 25th August, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: John 19:16-37

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we read that, ‘At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan.’ (Mark 1:9) This was actually something shocking, as the river Jordan was the place sinners stood to have their sins symbolically washed away. Jews went there to repent of their wrongdoing. Jesus is standing where sinners ought to stand, even though he is perfect and without sin. Those polluted waters wash over his perfect body. What is Jesus telling us by standing in this river? That he will allow himself to be treated as a sinner, and receive what sinners deserve, in order to bring cleansing and eternal life to his people.

Now fast-forward three years to the end of Jesus’ ministry. Again, we find Jesus in the place of sinners (v18): ‘There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.’ John 19:18) To anyone watching on, it looks like Jesus is being punished for his own wickedness. There’s a row of three crucified men, with Jesus in the middle, the most prominent place, as if he is the worst of the lot. We remember the prophecy in Isaiah, ‘… and was numbered with the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) The words of Isaiah are coming true. Jesus is identified with rebels, with sinners. But these two men are not the same. One of the criminals begins to understand the difference between them. He says: ‘We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ (Luke 23:41) So, the criminals on either side of Jesus are getting what they deserve. Why then is Jesus, the perfect Son of God dying in such shame beside them? Isaiah gives us the reason: ‘… because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) Jesus is getting the punishment we deserve, in order to pay for our sin.

To our shame, we can get too used to the words ‘there they crucified him’. We’ve heard them a million times. But this is the most shocking event in all of human history. We know that crucifixion was so awful that Roman citizens could only be crucified with the explicit permission of the emperor. It was rare. It was a death designed to humiliate and designed to maximise the suffering of the victim. And as well as the unspeakable physical suffering, Jesus endures matchless spiritual suffering, as he becomes sin for us, and is forsaken by his Father. Jesus endures the wrath we ought to receive.

JC Ryle: ‘He that can read a passage like this without a deep sense of our debt to Christ, must have a very cold or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love of the Lord Jesus to sinners, when he could voluntarily endure such sufferings for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness of sin, when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed in order to provide redemption.’

1. The soldiers’ response to the cross

The soldiers in charge of the crucifixion are oblivious as to the identity of the one dying in the centre. They are also oblivious to the spiritual significance of what is happening. For them, it just seems like an ordinary day’s work. They had probably grown used to crucifying people. For them, Jesus seems like an irrelevant figure; just another trouble-maker getting what he deserves. They had already whipped him, dressed him up as a king to mock him, forced him to carry the crossbeam, nailed him to the cross and hoisted that cross above the ground. They have had their fun at Jesus’ expense and now they want to profit from his death by getting a material benefit – Jesus’ clothes. Each of the four soldiers would receive one item of clothing, but they decide to gamble for Jesus’ undergarment because it would have had little value ripped into four.

This is a tragic scene. These men are missing out on the most precious thing of all, the forgiveness of sin and receiving eternal life. And why? Because they are so distracted by amusing themselves and by living for the here and now. One of them would have received Jesus’ sandals, but missed out eternal life. Another might have received Jesus’ belt, but missed on his love. Still another might have drawn the largest lot, won the seamless garment, and gone home a happy man that day. But what lasting value would a garment give him? They are so near to Christ and yet so far. Today, many hear about Jesus being crucified but are oblivious to its importance. They are distracted by the here and now, by material possessions and by entertainment and social media.

The soldiers are a warning for us. When it comes to Jesus, do not be distracted. Jesus himself warns of this. ‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 5:27-29)

Here’s a challenge for you: are you so caught up in your work, or your own happiness, or your own family life, or your own plans that you are missing out on the true source of lasting joy, peace and life? If so, you are just like the soldiers here and that is a tragedy. Let’s not be like the soldiers, chasing material possessions. But rather, be like one of the dying criminals, who said, ‘Jesus, remember me, when you come into your Kingdom. Don’t live in God’s world, ignoring God.

John is keen for us to know that the soldiers might seem to be in charge of these events, but actually God is in charge. In the Psalms, Psalm 22, the division of Christ’s clothes had been prophesised about 1000 years before it happened: ‘They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.’ (Pslam 22:18) What does this tell us? It tells us that the cross is not an accident of history, but rather the eternal plan of God, in order to rescue lost souls and bring us into his family.

The division of Jesus’ clothes is also a reminder of just how humiliating crucifixion was. The victim would be stripped naked in order to heap shame upon them.

John Calvin: ‘Christ was stripped of His garments that he might clothe us with His righteousness. His naked body was exposed to the insults of men that we might appear with glory before the judgment seat of God.’

Again, here we have the wonderful swap which takes place at the cross – Jesus takes our shame and guilt in order to cover ours and make us whole. ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) We can think of the words of the well-known hymn; And can it be:
‘No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in him is mine;
alive in Him my living head;
and clothed in righteousness divine.

2. Jesus’ matchless compassion and care

In contrast to the four soldiers, we have the four women. The men have run away; however, the women remain faithful to the end. This is often the case in the church. They are tenacious in their devotion to Christ. John focuses on the words Jesus speaks both to Mary and to John himself: ‘When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.’ (John 19:26-27)

Jesus’ compassion really is remarkable. Even amidst the awful pain and suffering Jesus was enduring, he thinks of others. He has time to speak with one of the criminals on the cross and saves him. He prays for those who crucified him. And here, he ensures that his mother will be provided for through the help of John.

D Macleod: ‘Jesus shows sensitivity to others, even at the height of his own pain.’

It’s so easy to take our pain out on others. It’s easy for pain to blinker us, so that we are consumed by our own needs and blind to the needs of other. Not so with Jesus. This incident is a window into his heart and it is a heart of tenderness and love.

What has this got to do with us today? Well, Jesus’ love for us is the same today.

JC Ryle: ‘The heart that even on the cross felt for Mary, is a heart that never changes. Jesus never forgets any that love Him, and even in their worst estate remembers their need. No wonder that Peter says: ‘cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you.’

Mary was going through enormous pain watching her son being crucified. It’s hard to appreciate the extent of her grief. When Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon says to Mary: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ (Luke 2:34-35) Now that sword is now piercing Mary’s soul. But Jesus cares and will provide.

Whatever you’re going through just now, try and remember that Jesus loves you. He cares and provides for us. He cares for his spiritual family deeply. ‘Then he looked at those seated in a circle round him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’ (Mark 3:34-5)

Sometimes, family and friends are too preoccupied with their own lives and lack compassion and love. Jesus is never too preoccupied. He’s never too busy. He’s never too caught up in important matters to care. His ears are always listening to our prayers, and he always answers them according to what is best for us! Is this your view of God? A God of matchless compassion. He is one who is deeply concerned for each and every one of his sheep. What an encouragement to pray!

3. Jesus’ victory cry: ‘It is finished.’

Just before Jesus gives up his spirit and dies, he declares, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30) This is one word in Greek – tetelesti. The obvious question to ask, is: what was finished?

This word was often used when something difficult has been completed, and accomplished, and it has come to an end leaving us with a real sense of satisfaction. The most obvious example in the ancient world was when the last payment of a mortgage is given, and the house is now yours, with nothing left to pay, and ‘tetelesti’ is stamped on the paperwork. I once had that feeling having climbed Ben Nevis, making it back to the car, and being able to pull off my walking boots, and thinking – it is finished! Job done. Jesus has finished something much more significant than a tough hill-walk. It’s also more significant than a mortgage, but like a mortgage it does involve a debt – a moral one.

Jesus’ cry from the cross is his declaration that he has finished all the work required to save us. He has lived the perfect life that we have failed to live, and that Adam failed to live. And he has paid for our sin in his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. ‘It is finished.’ = I have completed my mission to die for the sins of my people. Jesus does not say, ‘I am finished.’ and then die – as if he is totally spent. He says, ‘It is finished.’ We see from Matthew and Mark that Jesus cries out his last words in a loud voice. It is a victory cry.

God is a merciful God who longs for everyone to be saved – but the problem is that he is also holy. Our wrong actions, thoughts and attitudes get us into debt with God because it is his laws we break. And so, through our lives we get more and more into debt. It is a debt we cannot pay. But Jesus, by living the perfect life which we could never live, and by dying on the cross as a sacrifice for sinners, has done everything necessary to pay off our moral debt. There is nothing which can be added to what he has done. There is nothing else required, other than for us to receive this gift!

Gary Burge: ‘Jesus’ victory is the basis of our security. My confidence in God and the assurance of my salvation cannot be anchored in my religious performance. ‘It is finished.’ What was needed to satisfy God ought to satisfy us as well. This is the good news of the gospel.’

As Christians, this sacrifice is what we rely on. Christianity is first and foremost about what God has done for us to pardon our debt, and not what we can do for God for pardon- we can do nothing. All God requires of us is to turn from sin to God, and receive Jesus’ free gift of pardon. Jesus said, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 6:29)

This means that my sin has been dealt with once and for all. Not one drop of wrath will fall on us.
‘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!’

We are now at peace with God. Jesus has saved us: and there is nothing we can add to this. He did it all. He paid it all. How does God feel about you today? Is he angry? Disappointed? Disapproving. See failure? No! If you rest on what Jesus did on the cross – paying off our moral debt of sin – he sees his forgiven and clean children.

‘As dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Sermon: Sunday, 18th July, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: John 19:1-22

Who is your king? Perhaps some of you will answer, well, since Saturday the 6th of May 2023, Charles III is my king. But did the coronation really change much for us? Not spiritually speaking. What you think about Charles III isn’t going to have any bearing on what happens to you when you die and where you will spend eternity; however, your attitude to Jesus, the King of Kings, will determine that. With that in mind, let’s repeat the question, who is your king? In other words, who do you live for and who do you obey and who do you trust and who do you serve?

Bob Dylan’s 1979 album ‘Slow Train Coming’ has a song entitled ‘You’ve gotta serve somebody’. His point is that everyone in world has a choice of two; either we serve the Lord Jesus, or ultimately we are on the side of evil and serve the devil. Here’s what he says:

‘You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re going to have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re going to have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re going to have to serve somebody.’

Is Bob Dylan right? Why should we listen to him? Well, because this is straight from the Bible. In his letter to the Romans, Paul says that we are either slaves to Jesus or slaves to sin: ‘But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 6:22-23)

Out of all the four gospels, John seems to stress the most that Jesus is the true king. : Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’ (John 1:49) We read that on Palm Sunday, They (the crowd) took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’ (John 12:13)

Before we dive into this passage, we need to understand that Jesus is the true king in two different ways. First of all, Jesus is descended from King David, and is the rightful heir to the throne of Israel. Secondly, Jesus is not only a perfect human being but he is also God, the Creator and Ruler of all things, and so that means he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is the true and only King of Kings.

The letter to the Philippians tells us something vital for us to grasp: ‘… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Philippians 2:10-11) What does this mean? It means that every single human being will bow before Jesus one day. Either we do so willingly, receiving him as our king with joy, or we will do so when it is too late, and we’ll bow before him as our Judge, and be cast away. Who is your king?

1. Mocking the true king

In verse 1 we read that Jesus is flogged. This was a severe beating, with a whip laced with bone and metal, and in itself was enough to kill the victim. Pilate has Jesus flogged, even though he has repeatedly stated that Jesus has done nothing wrong. Perhaps he thinks this will satisfy the Jews, and they will stop demanding Jesus’ death. It does not work.

Next, Jesus is subjected to severe bullying at the hands of the Roman soldiers. In order to totally humiliate Jesus, they dress him up as a king. They want to make him look like a fool, rather than a king. The crown of thorns would have had huge spikes digging into Jesus’ head. It was a cruel and painful crown to wear. Perhaps a soldier’s coat was thrown over him to represent a royal robe. We read in other gospels that Jesus is also given a reed to act as a sceptre. Roman soldiers were used to saying to Caesar ‘Ave Caesar’ or ‘Hail Caesar’. Now they sarcastically direct this ‘respectful’ greeting to Jesus. They slap him in the face again and again. They are bullies. Jesus allows this to happen for us. This is part of the suffering Jesus had to experience in order to pay the price for our sins. As Christians read this, we think, he goes through this for me.

This passage is full of dramatic irony. What does that mean? It is when things are the opposite to the way they seem, but the characters in the story do not realise this. So here, in John 19, the soldiers mock the very idea that Jesus might be a king. And he looks nothing like a king with his swollen and bloodied body, cut open from the flogging. However, when they say ‘Hail king Jesus’ they speak better than they know. Ironically, in their sarcasm, they are telling the truth. It is a truth they are blind to see. They do not recognise that Jesus’ is their rightful king. He is the rightful king of all of us.

2. Rejecting the true king

In verses 4-15 we read of the religious leaders and the crowd baying for Jesus’ blood. They cry out ‘Crucify him’. Their behaviour is evil and shocking. We see their true colours particularly in verse 15: ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered. (John 19:15) For Jews, they ought to have known that the LORD is King and there is no other. ‘The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King for ever.’ (Pslam 29:10) Jesus is the LORD, the Maker of all, but they are blind to his identity. They reject the Maker of the world. They reject the only one who can save them. And what do they choose instead? They choose the rule of a godless pagan king.

Please notice that when people reject Jesus, the true king, they replace him with all kinds of distorted things to rule over them. It might be money, or pleasure or serving yourself as if you are the king and the centre of the world. Whatever you live for, whatever is most important to you; that is your king.

The religious leaders, more than anyone, should have cared about the truth of Jesus’ identity. But did they really care about who Jesus truly was or why he had come? Sadly, they do not. What do they care about? ‘If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.’ (John 11:48) They only care about themselves and clinging on to their power. They are driven by self-interest, not the truth and not what was best for the people. They will do anything to hold onto their power. So, it ought not to be a surprise when we find them blackmailing Pilate (verse 12) saying that if he releases Jesus then he is no friend to Caesar. This would have sent shivers down Pilate’s spine, knowing how fickle Caesar could be. Pilate, like the religious leaders, only cares about clinging on to his power. He cares more about his own skin that justice, or pleasing God. The religious leaders lie, falsely accusing Jesus of both blasphemy and sedition. They are filled with envy and hatred, and it is this which leads them to cry out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him.’

Like the soldiers, who spoke better than they knew, Pilate also speaks better than he knows. This passage is full of irony. In verse 5, Pilate says to the crowd ‘Here is the man.’ It might seem that the Jews were in control of the situation, and Pilate claims to be in control, saying that he has the power to kill or release Jesus. But who is really in control? By saying ‘Behold the man’ Pilate is actually fulfilling Scripture. In Zechariah, a Messianic prophecy, we read: ‘And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on his throne.’ (Zechariah 6:12-13)

Also, Pilate is right in another sense. Jesus is ‘the’ man – the only perfect human to have ever lived. RC Sproul says he is a ‘portrait of perfect humanity. This is what man was created to be. This was the second Adam standing in front of this crowd.’ No wonder Pilate repeatedly says that he cannot find any fault with him. There is nothing to find. He is the God-man. He is perfect. And again, in verse 14 Pilate says to the Jews, ‘Here is your king.’ Pilate speaks better than he knows! Jesus is the long-promised messianic king the Jews were supposed to be waiting for, if they only had eyes to see it.

The soldiers and the crowd and the religious leaders are all grim warnings to us about how not to respond to King Jesus. Today, most people reject Jesus as their king, preferring to be the ones in charge, and acting as if they can live any way they choose, with no accountability to God. Many today mock Jesus. Many are blind to his identity and mission. The question for us is, who is my king? Do I recognise the rightful authority of Jesus to reign in my heart and life?

Here’s how we ought to respond. Queen Victoria was listening to a chaplain preaching on the second Coming of Jesus, and during the sermon was tearing up. After the service, the chaplain spoke with her, asking her what had affected her so much. She said: ‘Because of what you said about the coming of the world’s rightful King. I wish still to be here when he returns that I might lay my crown at his blessed feet.’ I hope that this is the attitude we will all have to King Jesus.

3. The calmness of the true King

When Pilate hears that Jesus might have claimed to be the Son of God he reacts with fear. As a superstitious Roman, for Pilate, this was a real possibility. So, he asks Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ I think Pilate is asking if Jesus has supernatural origins. But Jesus will not answer, which really riles Pilate: ‘Don’t you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’

Notice how calm Jesus is before this Roman leader. He knows he is about to be crucified, and yet there is no panic in his mind. Jesus is the one in control here, not Pilate. Jesus is voluntarily laying down his life for his people. His calm response to Pilate is awesome. Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’ (John 19:11) Pilate, like all with political power, only has that power because God delegates it to him. God is ultimately in control. He raises up kings and leaders and brings them down again.

The amazing truth is this, even though Pilate is acting wickedly, ultimately God is using these evil actions to accomplish his purposes. That’s how powerful God is. That’s the sovereignty of God. And in the light of this, Jesus remains calm, trusting his heavenly Father.

4. The sign above the true King

Pilate has an inscription written and fastened upon the cross: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.’ I believe he does this out of spite, to get back at the Jews for blackmailing him and forcing his hand to have Jesus crucified. The chief priests and the rest of the Jews are raging about this. Such signs normally stated the crime which the one crucified had committed. But not on this occasion. They want the sign altered to say he ‘claimed’ to be the king of the Jews.

To continue our theme of irony, once again we can say that Pilate writes better than he knows. Jesus is indeed the rightful Jewish king, and indeed the king of the world. The Jews want the truth of this sign changed, but it cannot be changed. It is as if God is saying that Jesus exercises true kingship, and nothing can change that reality.

John Calvin: ‘The providence of God guided the pen of Pilate.’

The sign on the cross placards Jesus as king in the three main languages of the day, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. This trilingual sign reminds us that Jesus is not just the rightful king of the Jewish people but of all people in the world, including you. Nothing can alter this fact.

But the question remains, who is your king? Who do you serve? Don’t be like the soldiers who mock the true king. Do not be like the religious leaders, who care more about self-interest than about the allegiance the true king deserves. Remember the warning and promise in Psalm 2: ‘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)

Sermon: Sunday, 21st July, 2024
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

How do we respond to death? We need to know because death comes to us all. In the last 6 months we have mourned the passing of Charlie and Rachel’s dear baby, Andrew Kwiatkowski and Bill Croall. Indeed, we’re aware that for some in our midst death is approaching. This has been and is an incredibly hard time for the congregation; many tears have flowed for people we love.

Grief isn’t forbidden, we aren’t told not to grieve. It’s expected we will grieve. One Bible commentator said this: If Jesus wept at the graveside of his beloved Lazarus, his disciples are surely at liberty to do the same.

Death is a part of life and its a part of life which we hate. Death grips every one of us. Death is a part of every one of our stories. We have all lost someone and for those who are younger who maybe haven’t lost someone, you will lose someone. Death is a dark shadow which hangs over each one of us. Indeed, we grieve the loss of those around us but we also recognise we too will one day face death.

So death does indeed come to us all. How do we approach death?

‘Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.’   (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

This is very much the heart of this message. I don’t want you to be ill-informed about what happens to those who sleep in death, those who have passed away so that we may grieve with hope but also eagerly anticipate our future with the Lord.

1. The grounds of our hope

What grounds do we have for hope when someone dies? Is it possible to have hope? Do we simply pacify our fears and concerns with the idea that, ‘Of course they’re going to heaven cause they were a good person.’ Well, how do we know they were good enough? Are there grounds for real hope?

‘For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’   (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

This truly is the ground of our hope, this is why we can grieve as those with hope. Yes we grieve the loss of baby Ross, we grieve Andy, we grieve Bill but intermingled with that grief is hope. Hope for those who belong to Jesus but have passed away.

Now, by hope, I am not simply referring to an empty wish ‘hit and hope’, nor am I presuming that we all get to heaven. We have hope as Christians, but what informs this hope? Paul draws a connection here between Jesus’ death and resurrection to our death and resurrection.

‘We believe Jesus died and rose so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’

The author of Hebrews makes it more explicit: ‘Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.’   (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Death was something to be feared and indeed is something to be feared if your trust is not in Jesus. On the cross, he, of course, takes the punishment for the sins of his people who trust in him so that eternal judgement is not our end. And, in effect, we swap places. He doesn’t simply take our sin, he also gives us the righteousness we lack, he gives us his perfect righteousness so that we can be declared righteous in God’s sight.

Furthermore, we do not worship a dead deity, we worship a risen and exalted saviour. He rose from the grave, defeating the power of death, giving us all the hope of resurrection in the life to come.

All of this means of course that for those of us whose faith is in Jesus Christ, death is no longer something to fear. Death is something which ought not give us fear. We might fear for those left behind, we might fear the questions of ‘what if’ with regrets about how we spent our lives, but if our faith is in Jesus’ death in our place to pay for our sins, we needn’t fear our own death of what will be on the other side of death. Why? Because Jesus died and rose again, we too can be assured of newness of life.

We don’t just have the testimony of the Apostle Paul here though to convince us this is true and this is what happens. We have the words of Jesus to the thief on the cross who said to Jesus, ‘Remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus replies, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:43)

There is a certainty to this hope that Jesus gives. He isn’t vague, he says it clearly, ‘Today, you will be with me in paradise.’ That just as there is life beyond the grave for Jesus, so too for us whose hope is in him there is life beyond the grave. For those who place their faith in Jesus, his death means our fear of death is taken away, for those whose faith is in Jesus death does not mean the end but only the beginning. The beginning of life in glory.

That is the grounds of our hope. This is why we can have hope for all who belong to Jesus when they pass on from this life is because of Jesus’ words… ‘because I live, you also shall live.’ (John 14:19)

2. The reality of our hope

What happens when we die? Where is Bill Croall now? Where is Andy Kwiatkowski now?

Westminster Shorter Catechism.
Q38: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.

Let’s go from summary in the Catechism to basing it on the biblical text. Paul teaches here to the Thessalonians that those who are believers who have died have ‘fallen asleep in him’.

What exactly does that mean? Well, we can deduce from it what we are able but then also look to parts of scripture that are more clear.

Certainly, ‘fallen asleep in him’ denotes rest. People who believe in Jesus and die enter into that eternal rest.

Rest: From sin & temptation, from their suffering, rest with Jesus.

Note, the idea of falling asleep at death is very common in many cultures and its what Paul means here. The reason I know this is what Paul means is because of what Paul says in Philippians 1 and what Jesus says to the thief on the cross.

Going back to Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’
And to Paul’s words to the church in Philippi; ‘My desire is to depart and be with Christ.’   (Philippians 1:23)

So between those two, we see there is an immediacy about this state of rest. Jesus says, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ Paul’s words in Philippians 1 give no sense of there being a delay to entering into this rest. There is an immediacy to it. That immediately upon passing, believers go to enter their eternal rest.

And Jesus says you will not simply be going to float about in the clouds, Jesus says, ‘You will be with me.’ Paul says the same he wishes to depart, why? So he can be with Christ! The Christ we behold by faith is one day going to be a Christ we behold by sight.

Where is Bill right now? Where is Andy? They are at their eternal rest with Jesus. They are with Jesus right now! The one we know and love and enjoy imperfectly by faith, they know, love and enjoy perfectly by sight. And it will be utterly glorious, it is utterly glorious for them!

They don’t have the fight against their own sin, they don’t have the dark cloud of suffering, for them the clouds have parted and the sun shines. They don’t have questions ‘Is God with me?’ Because he is right there! Jesus is never felt to be distant, Jesus is known to be right there. Jesus whom we can worship and adore, whom we can hug and bow down before. That is their experience right now.

Sure, their bodies remain in the ground, the resurrection as we will see hasn’t happened yet, but at their passing their souls pass immediately into glory.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, that for all who believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. That for all who believe in him, death would not be the end, but death gives way to victory. That even as the body wastes away right now, the soul departs and is with the saviour Jesus. That is the reality we confess, the hope we have. That our dear siblings in Christ who have passed on, where are they? They are really with Jesus. It is not a glib thing we say to try and comfort ourselves, it is reality.

3. The fulfilment of our hope

For us left on earth, that hope isn’t realised fully yet and so there is a lot of waiting for us.

‘For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.’   (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)

This will be a universal event:
• Every eye will see him – Revelation 1:7
• Every knee will bow before him – Philippians 2:10
• Every tongue will confess him Lord of all Philippians 2:11

This will be a transformative event:
• Death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more – Revelation 21:4
• Sin will be locked out – Revelation 21:27
• We will be transformed – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

And on that day, all will be made new. What is true of the saints in glory now will be true of every believer. We will be with Jesus forever. We will be in his presence forever, where his glory fills the place, we will rejoice in his presence with a joy inexpressible indeed our joy will be complete. Where the one whom our hearts adore will be before us. Our saviour, our Lord, our King, our friend and companion.

The passage ends in verse 18: ‘Therefore encourage one another with these words.’

And really for us as believers there are two encouragements from this passage:
We do not have to grieve hopelessly for those who have passed
We need not live hopelessly today

We grieve, we mourn, we cry and weep, we miss and long to see again our friends who have passed but because Jesus died and rose again we do not do any of these things hopelessly. That means we aren’t going for a comfortless, vague, wishy washy hope based on nothing when a brother or sister in the Lord passes. That offers zero hope.

That means we aren’t grieving when a brother or sister dies because ‘Well, that’s that.’ and they are no more as if they die and that is all that comes of them in the end.

That means that we grieve hard, we feel deeply the loss of our loved brothers and sisters but we grieve with hope. Because Jesus died and rose again, we know from this passage and others, they who trusted in Jesus in this life are currently with him and for them it is far better. They are in his presence, basking in his glory, delighting in him, worshipping him with their joy complete at eternal rest from their fight against sin and their experience of suffering and now exactly where they need to be, right with Jesus.

This has been, and continues to be, a challenging and painful time in our fellowship, but mingled with the pain and sadness is hope and relief that God, who never goes back on his word, says to us today that they who trusted in him in this life are safe with him in the next right now.

We need not live hopelessly today
How easy it is to be hopeless in this world. The economy is shot, world tensions are high, poor mental health is through the roof, often times there are relational challenges with our family members. How can you live with hope in a world of decay? Because if your faith is in Jesus, these things are promised for you too.

Whether Jesus comes again first or whether you die first, the end is the same, you will be with Jesus. The same joy that is complete for Bill right now will be complete for you too one day. That we are assured that just as Jesus died and rose again so we too will experience new life after death. A life free from pain, sorrow, suffering, sin, and a life full of lasting joy, perfect peace in the presence of our saviour.

So do not be so miserable with the sufferings of this life that you cannot see any hope. We have hope and hope is found in Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is not for this world but our citizenship is in heaven. Have hope amidst your grief, have hope amidst the financial pressures you face, have hope amidst the relational difficulties you face, have hope amidst the darkness of depression for we are told that one day for every believer the darkness will give way to an everlasting life.

Think deeply about, meditate on, pray over this everlasting hope we have. Otherwise how easy it could be to grieve like those without hope. How easy it could be to lament this and that as if that was where our hope was found. How easy it could be to build treasures on earth. How easy it could be to seek hope in whatever political party is in charge, how easy it could be to seek peace in how much money or possessions you have, how simple it could be to forget God altogether and live for today.

Friends, in your daily living, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy where thieves do not break in and steal.

Build your whole life upon this living hope who is Jesus Christ, for an inheritance that never perishes, spoils or fades, that is kept in heaven for you until the revelation of Jesus Christ.

And if you’re with us and you don’t have this hope. You’re thinking, ‘Surely we all get to heaven.’ or maybe you’re realising that all your hopes are for this life, all your dreams are found in this life and you’ve never given a second thought to it.

Place your hope in Jesus Christ, the saviour of sinners, the rescuer for the lost, the one who reconciles us to God. Do not live for this world because one day, whether Jesus comes back again (which could be any moment) or whether you die first before he comes back, there will be a day when everything that you’ve been living for will go up in a cloud of smoke, it will amount to nothing. Build your life upon that which lasts, build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put your faith in his death in your place to pay for your sins, confess your sins, seek his forgiveness and this hope can be your hope too.

As Paul says, Jesus will come like a thief in the night; we don’t know when it’s going to happen. Put your hope in him now, seek him now, and be found in him so that when he comes again, you will not be separated from him in eternal darkness but you will be with him in eternal light. Give yourself to him now and know peace with God and hope for eternity.

Sermon: Sunday, 14th July, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Mark 10:45

What is Christianity all about? What is the message of Jesus in a nutshell? How important is it for us to understand this anyway? To understand what it truly means to be a Christian, you need to understand who Jesus is, and why he came to earth. Who is Jesus? He is God. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. No one made Jesus. He has always been there. There is one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is called ‘the Word’. When we hear the title ‘Word’ it is talking about Jesus: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.’ (John 1 vs 1-4) Jesus, then, because he is God, is the one who gives both physical and spiritual life.

Consider the Christmas story. This is when Jesus (who is God) decided to leave his dwelling place in Heaven, and come down to earth, in order to become a real human being. Most of us know how this happens. Mary becomes pregnant by the power of God the Holy Spirit, and so her baby is truly human and truly God at the same time. Jesus becomes the God-man. This is quite simply astonishing. God enters into his own creation by becoming one of us. So, why did he do this? Jesus tells us plainly. Speaking about himself as the Son of Man, which is a divine title, he says that he: ‘… did not come [into the world] to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) Let’s sum up what we are saying so far. Who is Jesus? He is the unmade and only God, who is good and kind and true. Why did he come to earth and why did he become a human? In order to give his life as a ransom for many.

1. Jesus’ death is a ransom

Is this offensive or the best possible news? What is a ransom? A ransom is the money paid to gain the freedom of those in captivity. For example, recently in Nigeria, a Christian pastor was kidnapped and held to ransom. He was in great danger and payment was demanded in exchange for his liberty. The ransom was paid; however, sadly the terrorists did not release the man. In Bible times, a ransom was the money which needed to be paid in order to set a slave free. Even today, in our computerised age, we talk about ransomware, where our computers are taken over by hackers (in other words they are enslaved by someone else) and in order to get a decryption key from the hackers, a ransom price has to be paid. Sadly, often it is a waste of time paying this ransom as it just encourages more cyberattacks and is no guarantee that we will get our data back!

Why might all this be offensive to us? Because Jesus is implying that all human beings are slaves to their own selfishness and prefer to live for themselves than for God. This might offend you. But is it true? Certainly, many are slaves to drugs and alcohol. You also get shopaholics and workaholics and all these things point to a lack of self-control. When we live for our own pleasures, those pleasures take a grip on us and master us. Are we really slaves to wrong desires and behaviours? Yes. All human beings, some in less obvious ways than others, are slaves to sin. We cannot control our tongues but hurt one another. We have outbursts of anger. Can I prove this? Just try and live a loving, kind life for just one week, where we treat others as we would like to be treated. We cannot do it. Every single day, I break several of the 10 commandments. Without God’s help, I cannot stop doing this. Without Jesus, I am a slave to sin. This also means that morally speaking, because I am consistently breaking God’s rules, I am getting into more and more spiritual debt to God. He hates the way we live selfish lives. We are in great danger, as we deserve his judgment because of our wrongdoing.

But here’s the good news. A successful ransom always sets someone free. The price is paid and the slave is set free forever. This pictures what happens when we become Christians. When we trust in Jesus, he pays an enormous ransom price in order to set us free. The average ransom price for a Western hostage is around $3 million. But what’s the largest ransom price ever paid? The largest was not paid with money but when Jesus voluntarily died on the cross for us, shedding his own blood in order to pay our debts and set us free. The price is his own blood, shed on the cross.

‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’   (1 Peter 1:18-19))

‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’   (Mark 10:45) When we receive Jesus’ death as payment for our own wrongdoing, something wonderful happens. God changes our hearts and gives us new desires and inclinations. Of course, we are not perfect, but we are no longer slaves to sin and to self, but become free to be the people God intended us to be. We become servants of God, wanting to please him more than we want to please ourselves.

For Christians, this ransom is the opposite of offensive – it is the best news in all the world, and that’s why we want to share it with others. We’re told in this verse that the Son of Man ‘gave’ his life as a ransom. In other words, no one took Jesus’ life away from him. He gave it voluntarily and willingly. Jesus’ death on the cross was no accident. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 10:11: ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’

Notice the word ‘for’. Jesus lays down his life ‘for’ the sheep. He gives his life as a ransom ‘for’ many. The word ‘for’ signals that Jesus is dying in our place. We are the ones in debt who deserve to die, but he dies instead of us. He is our substitute. Out of amazing love for slaves to sin, Jesus suffers and dies in our places, in order to set us free and live new lives of love to God and love to others.

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

Jesus’ death is the greatest ever ransom. It is 100% effective. For all people who with empty hands receive Jesus’ free offer of dying in our place, there is the promise of freedom, forgiveness and eternal life. It’s almost too good to be true. But it is true. And Jesus did not just die for one particular race or gender or age of people. He dies for many. ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’   (Mark 10:45) Christians belong to an international family of people down through the centuries. What do we have in common? We were all slaves who have been set free by Jesus Christ. That’s why we love and him and live for him. He died for us.

2. Jesus’ death is an example of how we should live

Jesus’ wonderful statement about giving himself as a ransom comes out of an embarrassing context. The disciples know that Jesus is God’s promised Saviour-King. They know he is the Messiah. But they don’t yet understand the kind of Messiah he is going to be. He had not come to save them politically from Roman occupation, but to save us spiritually from our sin. And because they are thinking about Jesus’ work in worldly categories, they want the best places in Jesus’ cabinet when he comes to power. They have the ‘brass neck’ to ask Jesus for the most prestigious jobs that were on offer. They are pushing themselves and their own interests forward. It is like asking a bride and groom for the best seats at the top table at the wedding.

The others disciples are furious. Perhaps they are furious because they hadn’t gotten in there first and asked for these positions of power. Once again, Jesus must patiently correct his disciples. In verse 42, Jesus speaks about the Gentile rulers and officials- they use their political power for themselves and loved to be served by those they have authority over. Jesus says, do not be like them! Christian leaders are to be totally different. We must be counter-cultural. We must focus on serving those under our care. Here’s the truth, greatness in the Kingdom of God is measured by how well we can be servants. ‘Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’ (Mark 10:43-44)

Friends, this is not just for church leaders. All Christians, all followers of Jesus must die to themselves, in other words, die to living selfish lives; instead, we must focus on serving God and serving others. Jesus is our example. He left the glory and splendour of Heaven and came down to earth in order to sacrificially serve rebels like us. He is our example. We too must sacrifice our time and resources and preferences for others. We too must be servant-hearted. If Jesus, the eternal Son of God, could humble himself to serve others, then of course his followers must do this too.

Here’s the challenge: when you come to church, do you behave as a servant, doing what you can to love and help others? Is that your focus? Or do you come to church for what you can get out of it, and then leave? Do you put the needs of others ahead of your own?

Later in life, the apostle John comes to understand that greatness is the Kingdom of God is measured by service. ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.’   (1 John 3 v16)

3. Elders must be eager to serve

Today we are ordaining a new elder in the church. Jesus sets the tone here for the kind of leader he wants him to be. He wants him to be a humble servant.

‘To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’   (1 Peter 5:1-5)

Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep – the church. He is the one who protects us from evil and he is the one who teaches us from His Word. Elders of the church are Jesus’ under-shepherds, and are also tasked with being men who love the Bible, so that we can protect the church family from false teaching, and feed the church family with nutritious and wholesome teaching from God’s Word. We must be those who understand and live out and love the Bible.

I love the phrase in 1 Peter 5:2: ‘… be shepherds of God’s flock.’ The Christians in this church all belong to God, and not to the leaders. Leaders must always remember that those we care for belong to King Jesus. He died for them and he loves them. And yet, he entrusts them to the care of church elders. What a privilege!

But let’s close with the 3 words at the end of 1 Peter 5:2 – Jesus wants elders who are ‘eager to serve’. It’s not always easy being an elder in the church. It comes with responsibility and time pressures. It involves hard work. So how can we do a good job? We must keep praying for a heart like Jesus’ heart – a heart willing to serve. And we must keep drawing inspiration from the example of Jesus our Saviour, who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Sermon: Sunday, 7th July, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:10-15

When it comes to being a follower of Jesus, our motives matter. God is not just concerned with what we do with our time and resources; he is also concerned with why we do what we do. In other words, God is concerned with the workings of our hearts.

‘For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’   (1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus focuses on our motives a lot in the Sermon on the Mount. He tells us plainly that our Christian acts ought to be done in secret, so that we are doing them in order to please our heavenly Father, and not because we want others to think well of us:

‘Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’   (Matthew 6:1-4)

Our motives matter. We ought to give a portion of our money back to God, motivated by just how much Christ has done for us.

So, if we want to be a healthy gospel church, it is crucial that each of us thinks deeply about why we do what we do. What is motivating us? Why have we come to worship God today? Why do we spend our time the way we do? The truth is, because we are at the same time saved and yet still sinners, our motives are always mixed. We need to keep praying that more and more, the Lord would motivate us by the right things, and that we would not be motivated out of self-righteousness, pride, greed, guilt or laziness.

In 1789, an Anglican minister called Thomas Scott wrote his autobiography. He made a shocking admission that his ruling motives in becoming a minister were: a comfortable career, lots of leisure time, little labour and the accolades of men. As it turns out, at that point Thomas Scott was not a true believer in Christ. In the Free Church, one of the questions we are asked before being admitted to a pastoral charge is this: ‘Are not zeal for the honour of God, love to Jesus Christ, and desire for saving souls, your great motives and chief inducements to enter into the function of the holy ministry, and not worldly designs or interests?’ Again, our motives matter.

In Paul’s day, there is a group in the church in Corinth who question Paul’s motives for his ministry. They want to undermine his authority and his work by accusing him of being in it for selfish reasons. In this short section (2 Corinthians 5:10-15) Paul defends his own ministry, but giving us an honest account of some of the main things which motivate him. This is enormously helpful for us today, because we can learn from this, and prayerfully seek to be motivated by the same things as Paul. This is particularly helpful to our own church family at this time, as we have been spending time considering how we must serve God and others using our spiritual gifts. As we do this, it is vital that we also consider our motivation for serving Christ and one another. We must evaluate our own hearts. So, what motivates Paul?

1. The fear of the Lord

Of course, this ‘fear’ does not mean that we are scared of God in a negative way. He is our loving heavenly Father, after all. This ‘fear’ speaks of the reverential awe which all Christians should have towards God, their Master. Consider again these verses in our passage.

‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.’   (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

There is something in us that would like to think that we can live any way we want and it doesn’t really matter. We like to think that we are not accountable to anyone else for our actions. But that is not true. As Christians, we know we will never be condemned by Christ; nonetheless, we must still appear before him to give an account of what we have done with all that he has entrusted us with. In others words, how we live our lives matters and is a serious business. It is wise to live with an eye to pleasing God our Father, and not ourselves or others.

‘For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…’   (Romans 14:8-10)

Who do you live for? If you live for yourself then you are a selfish person. But is there someone better to live for? Absolutely. We were created by God in order to glorify and enjoy him. He deserves our service because he (not we) is the king of the universe, and he is loving and merciful and good. In fact, he is so kind that our service to him will have positive eternal consequences for us – treasure in heaven! Who do you live for and why? Ultimately, we are all answerable to God and will meet with him face to face one day.

Think of an apprentice who has just been taken on be a good company. She works conscientiously because she wants to please her boss. That’s a good thing. We too want to please our boss, who is our Heavenly Father. ‘We make it our goal to please him.’   (2 Corinthians 5:9)

2. God’s glory

Paul cares far more about God’s glory that what others think of him.

‘If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.’   (2 Corinthians 5:13)

Paul has obviously been accused of being fanatical in his devotion to Jesus. In the book of Acts, when Paul speaks of Jesus rising from the dead, the Roman leader Festus accused him of being mad: ‘At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’   (Acts 26:24)

Paul is in good company. Jesus’ own biological family thought he was mad: ‘When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’   (Mark 3:21)

What do you care most about? Is it what other people, such as non-Christian friends and colleagues think of you, or is it what God thinks of you? If you are motivated by being a people-pleaser, then it’s unlikely you will live wholeheartedly for Jesus and tell others about him. It is more likely that you will hide your Christian faith away and keep silent about the gospel. However, if we are God-pleasers, then we won’t care as much if we are laughed at, mocked or marginalised. We know living for God is what matters from an eternal point of view. And we also know that the souls or men and women are at stake and sharing the gospel is worth it, no matter how we are treated.

3. Christ’s love for his people

Paul is motivated by Christ’s love for him.

‘For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.’   (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

This is a crystal-clear statement of what motivates and energises Paul: it is the love of Jesus. And in particular, what Jesus has done by dying on the cross for him. We see in verse 15 that the cross makes a radical difference in Paul’s life – he no longer lives for self but for Jesus.

As a church family, this is the heart-beat we want to have as we serve God each and every day. We want to be energised, not by guilt, but by the love of God and the grace of God. This is Paul’s secret for effective and fruitful Christian living.

There was once a woman who won an amazing trip around the world. However, she decided that she could not take up this great prize. When pressed why not, it came to light that her friend was in hospital and she wanted to be there for her friend more than she wanted the holiday. Why was that? It was because her friend had done so much for her at a time when she was a drug addict and lived a chaotic lifestyle and when no one else showed her love and care. Her friend had loved her so much in the past and so now it was a no-brainer- in her friend’s time of need, she would gladly and willingly be there to help. She was compelled by love. The more we actively remember what Christ has done for us, the more our actions will be controlled by that love.

Let’s go back to Thomas Scott, our Anglican clergyman with dubious motives. His autobiography moves on, and he is wonderfully converted. It’s so tragic that some ministers then and now are not true believers, but Thomas Scott’s motivation changed from selfish motivation experiencing being compelled by the love of Christ. He says: “My desire henceforth, God knoweth, is to live to his glory, and by my whole conduct and conversation, to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, and to show forth his praise, who has called me out of darkness into his marvellous light, to be in some way or other useful to his believing people and to invite poor sinners who are walking in a vain shadow and disquieting themselves in vain, to taste and see how glorious the Lord is and how blessed are those who put their trust in him.” Now Rev Scott is compelled by the love of Christ.

I agree with Douglas Kelly when he says: ‘We need nothing more in God’s church today in every country than a baptism of the love of the Lord Jesus afresh containing us in a God-ward direction. Ultimately, this constraint is the same love that the Father has to the Son through the Holy Spirit, a love which Augustine called ‘the bond of charity.’

‘… God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’   (Romans 5:5)

There are many other good things which motivate Christians to use our spiritual gifts and to live for the glory of Jesus Christ. But this morning I wanted to focus on two core motives found in this passage. Douglas Kelly summarises these: ‘This is Paul’s double motivation: he is constrained by the love of Christ, and he desires never to disappoint the Lord Jesus when he looks back on his life.’

Consider the words of Isaac Watts in the great hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross:

3. See from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.