Testimony

(Updated 15/10/2014)

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

Why go to Church?

As a 15 year old growing up in the City of Coventry I had one main focus in life. Cycling was my passion. Every day I would be out with the local cycling club training or being involved with time trials. I was not really that good but I just loved the sport. It therefore came a s a surprise when a good friend of mine who had for a long time had been a “Church goer!” invited me along to her church youth group. I politely declined. I had never even considered whether there was a God or not and I had no concept as to what a Christian might be. My fiend however persisted and eventually found a key to get me along. It was Christmas time and another interest had started to develop in my experience. Girls: she told me that there were some nice girls there and so I agreed to go along to the Christmas party.

Washing up!

My friend was right, there were some really attractive girls at the party and so it was no real difficulty to be there. I still had no concept of what Christianity was about and there was no epilogue to conclude the party. BUT I was impressed by something on that night that caused me to want to go again. There was a lad 3 years older than me who at the end of the party invited me to follow him. Dutifully I followed because there was something about him that fascinated me. He led me into the kitchen, threw a tea towel to me and told me that he and I were doing the washing up. I might have thought that this would have put me off church for life.

After all whoever heard of a 15 year old voluntarily washing up??

Ian (the young man) was so much fun that I was impressed by his character and so it seemed only natural to agree to attend the next young people’s meeting.

Why religion?

I went along on the first Wednesday of the New Year to the “Crusader” group, where a man called Dave led what to me seemed like a Church service. It was all very odd to me but I was sat next to my new found friend and of course there were an number of girls to “eye up.”

The meeting consisted of singing a few “choruses” (I could never understand where the verses were!) a bible reading and then Dave spoke about Jesus from the bible. This was the very first time that I had been confronted with religion and I remember thinking to myself “why do I need religion” but that was thrown into confusion by Ian who clearly had got it!

A time to decide.

I became a regular attender of the group and I confess that I really did enjoy all that went on there. The message from the front seemed to make sense and Ian seemed to me to be living proof of all that was being taught. Deep inside I knew that I did not have what was being “preached” and that I wanted it. It was at an inter church meeting in Rugby that an older man spoke about the need for personal salvation that God the Holy Spirit convicted me of the sin within, He extended His grace towards me and I was not saved!!! I was in a state of confusion and unhappiness for a few months. Was I one of those who had rejected the free offer of the gospel, would it ever be offered by God in such a way again? Theses thoughts were my constant companion.

UNTIL

An evangelist called Arthur Dean came to the special youth weekend and after the evening service he spoke directly to the youth group. He asked each one in turn to give testimony to salvation in Christ. I was towards the back of the meeting and was urgently trying to think of what to say. When my turn came I could do no more than say that I was not a Christian. What came next surprised me. The speaker asked me if I wanted to be a Christian. At that moment the conviction that had felt in Rugby returned and so I said with great conviction that I did. I went into another room with a leader and prayed and received Christ as Saviour. My sin was dealt with, my heart was removed of the burden and I was saved! God had gifted me with something very special.

That was of course a long time ago, many things have passed under the bridge and now I am now Pastor of the church here in Ogmore-by-Sea. How does all of that happen?

The ongoing story!

Space on this web site does not allow me to fill in the details which have taken 43 years to reach this point and so I will develop this testimony in my blog which you can access from the links page. I will however say along with the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:8 that my salvation is God’s gift of grace to me. I did not deserve it. Even though relatively young the bible tells me that I am a sinner and God confirmed that in my heart through the preaching of the gospel. By faith I believed, repented of my sins and became a follower of Jesus.

Jesus told His followers that we should be impressive to others, just as Ian had been to me. This had a profound effect on me and eventually many years later felt that I should train for “the ministry” and teach others what Ian had taught me: that “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.”1 Timothy 1:15

Why not you?

A similar story is true of many people in Churches around the world. God so loves this world that He sent Jesus that He might save us from the penalty deserved due to our personal sin. He does not delight in punishing the wicked but He wants all to be saved (see John 3:16-17). All have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard and so we all need saving. Why not read the bible for yourself and ask God to reveal truth to you through His Word? If you need any help in these things please e-mail through the contacts page and we will help in any way that we can.

(Peter’s Testimony Part 2)

Why on earth did you become a Pastor?

An enjoyable career!

After leaving school I worked at Warwick University where I trained as a Chemistry Technician. I ultimately became a spectroscopist. A big title which simply meant that the university paid me for thoroughly enjoying myself; working with wonderfully clever analytical equipment.

I met Pam and we eventually married in 1974. When the family arrived a university salary was no longer sufficient even though I had been promoted to a senior position. I went to work for a short while in the Environmental Health Department at Nuneaton Borough Council as a noise and pollution technician. I enjoyed the contact with the general public but for various reasons the job was not what I wanted and so after 2 years went to work in Chemistry at Coventry University where I once again took up the mantle of spectroscopist. Again I thoroughly enjoyed my job and even began studying for a Masters degree.

An active member of the church:

It was during this period as I had become more involved with my local church, as the young people’s leader, a member of the outreach team and Deacon of the church that I started to consider what I might do more directly in the Lord’s service.

When I was first converted a friend lent me a book titled “Tortured for Christ” by Romanian Pastor named Richard Wurmbrandt. The book was set in the times of severe communist oppression of the church and Pastor Wurmbrandt suffered terribly on account of his faith. Since that time I had been prayerfully concerned for the persecuted church in Eastern Europe and especially Romania. It was a joy to see the news of the Berlin wall coming down one night as I returned from an evening of prayer for the church in Eastern Europe.

A trip to Romania:

About 12 months later Joy; one of the young people from our youth group went to Romania as a volunteer worker in an orphanage in a town called Piatra Niamt. Pam saved up for a ticket for me to go to see Joy whilst she worked there, it is this that changed my life radically. To see the people who I had been praying for and to see their real needs was a life changing experience. The country was desperately poor but the church was spiritually rich beyond what I had ever seen before. Many had gone out before me and had interpreted the greatest need of the church to be financial and practical, but as I observed the Pastor and church in action a greater need became evident to me. Due to oppression the leaders had very little bible resources and many were very poorly taught. My previous desire for the church’s protection from persecution had been replaced with a desire to protect the church from the error of some western teaching that was flooding Eastern Europe by then. This was more likely to have a detrimental affect on the purity of the church than persecution ever did have.

What next?

Upon returning from Romania, Pam’s first question was what now, we both realised the profound affect that the trip had upon me. I felt it right to apply for a place at the Theological college of Wales (now West Evangelical School of Theology) I was accepted and even qualified for a Local Authority Grant for my studies. Chemistry gave way to theology. I enjoyed my studies there. As a family part way through we moved to Wales.

A great church in beautiful surroundings:

It was at this point that our relationship with the Evangelical Church in Ogmore-by-Sea came about. We had the privilege of worshipping with the church in the most beautiful place you can imagine. (If you have not been there you should really make every effort to, you will not be disappointed!!) We enjoyed living in the village and also loved the ministry of Pastor Vernon Salkeld and fellowship with the church.

During my studies at ETCW I believed the direction of my ministry would be to help the church in Eastern Europe to get good bible teaching and resources. This all changed during my time in the church at Ogmore-by-Sea. My love for the people developed more and more and unbeknown to me they were looking for a Pastor at just the time I would graduate. They prayed for guidance and we prayed for direction. Through a series of remarkable incidences we both came to the same conclusion and I was appointed to be Pastor of the church in September 1995.
God is good to His people and we have been blessed in more ways that we can ever explain. He continues to bless His church here in Ogmore-by-Sea.

(Peter's testimony part 3)

Almost 20 years on:

In June 2013 after much prayer and deliberation and many wonderful (and also not so wonderful) experiences we felt that it was time to move on from the Pastorate of Ogmore by Sea Evangelical church and to move into what promised to be a very different type of ministry. It was not to be church pastoral work but working in the town of Looe for a Christian Resource Centre. The name was the Rusty Bucket of which you can discover more either from their web site or from my blog at: rbcrc.blogspot.co.uk

Initially we agreed to manage the coffee shop which was the open door into the charity where the gospel through many different social concerns and evangelistic events was to be discovered. Before taking up post the trustees agreed to change my job description to Development manager of the charity with secondment to the coffee shop at high need times. Looe is a very busy seaside town and so understandably all hands needed to be on deck in high season. We readily agreed to the change with great excitement and plans.

After the relief of a hip replacement due to chronic arthritis which had resulted from many cycling accidents in my younger days I started work in the cafe. We started running as the season had already kicked in. We had a very busy summer and made many new friends from all over Britain and indeed the world. We also began to make contact with people from Looe which is really what we believed our role to be all about.

The summer was very busy with both Pam and I putting our backs into coffee shop work. Our difficulties became apparent when trade in the autumn did not really subside as was predicted and so coffee shop work continued and evangelistic opportunities were infrequent. There were a number of clubs operating in the function room above the cafe but I was discouraged from any involvement which proved to me that this was not what God had called me to long term.

I also developed a serious hernia which was more painful than my hip had ever been and far more debilitating but I soldiered on until after the new year when the cafe closed down and I had an operation. Due to a number of issues which are best not explored publicly I resigned from working for the charity and joined the great line of semi-retired people of my generation. It is not my choice to be retired, I am too young and also do not have the finances behind me to live without earned income and so it is a very nervous time for us.

Was it all a mistake?

I have to say a resounding NO to that question. Without going into details I believe that the lord led me here firstly in order to assess the work of the charity and to make recommendations that have proven to be unacceptable. that is the responsibility of those concerned. I have worked outside of my comfort zone but have a clear conscience as to what I have done. 

The question that seems to be of greater importance is:

 "what means does God use to bring a man and his wife out of their comfort zone and lovely life in South Wales into Cornwall?"

The Rusty Bucket Christian Resource Centre on this occasion is the answer. Therefore I am grateful to the Trustees and to the Lord for what He has done. 

Currently:

I am a member of Grace community Church in Morval, they are exploring Pastoral work within the church for me. This is an unsalaried position and so does not cover the financial costs of life. I also work voluntarily for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and am involved in leadership of a house group within the church. along with other preaching and teaching opportunities all of which do not pay our way.

BUT

As many Christians remind me "God is good" and He will not let His loved ones fall, therefore we are trusting Him for the future. 

This post is called Testimony and may appear to be all about me but the reality is that it is Testimony as to how God is at work by His grace and amazing favour even through me. Nothing that I say is less than honest and is meant as no criticism to others implicated. you have all been a part of my amazing journey as a Christian, there are many unsung heroes and villains but God has used you all for my sanctification and to travel this life until I enter into the valley that Psalm 23 tells us is where the Lord really takes over and takes us eternally into His presence.

Therefore watch this space, if there is to be more testimony to His goodness I will post it as soon as it is proper to do so.

Every blessing!

Psalm 5: What God takes pleasure in.

For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm of David.

This Psalm is similar to a large book  consisting of 2 volumes. 

A: The believer’s experience. (Volume 1)
Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
B: The unbeliever’s problem. (Volume 1)
You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
C: Personal testimony. (Volume 1)
But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
C: Personal testimony. (Volume 2)
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make straight your way before me.
B: The unbeliever’s problem. (Volume 2)
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
A: The believer’s experience. (Volume 2)
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them; that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.

*****

Note:

Psalm 5 is an example of what is known as introverted parallelism. Section A at the beginning is related to A at the end of the Psalm. These sections are the words of the believer. The two sections headed B are related and speak of the unbeliever. Sections C come in the middle of the Psalm and relate to personal desire.

The occasion of the Psalm is again a time of trouble. Wickedness and righteousness are the theme. If Psalms 3; 4 & 5 are related they speak of a morning (Psalm 3); and the evening (Psalm 4) and then the next morning (psalm 5). There are no Selah’s in this Psalm; therefore it is supposed to be read through without pause for thought until the end.

In Psalm 5 David looks at life from 3 different aspects. It is a bit like a bookshelf in a library titled “the experience of life.” As we have seen the Psalm is split up into 6 stanzas. The first and last titled “the believer’s experience (volumes 1 &2) form the bookends of our shelf. The 2nd and 5th stanzas titled “the unbeliever’s problem (volumes 1&2)” are thick volumes that take up a large proportion of the shelf. There are 2 volumes that even though small are the focal point of the shelf; they are titled “personal testimony (volumes 1&2).” Firstly David observes life from his own experience as a believer in God. Secondly he discloses the problems that an unbeliever experiences and thirdly he looks at the testimony of the believer.

The believer’s experience:

The believer’s experience comes in 2 volumes. These are found at each end of the bookshelf. In volume 1 we have an example of David in prayer. As we have discovered in recent weeks David is not afraid to come boldly to God in his prayer. We also find that his prayer is passionate; he asks God to consider his sighing! He is expectant that God listens to his prayer and he also dares to ask that God might help him in his time of need. If this Psalm is as some believe a direct follow on from Psalms 2 & 3 then it’s setting is the following morning. The requested help in this case would be for assistance to overcome his own son Absalom as he attempts to kill David in order to gain the throne of Israel. Some may be offended at the boldness of David’s prayer but as we read on we cannot help but be struck by the reverence that David displays as he prays to God. The king of Israel was not too proud to come under the authority of God in heaven and declare Him to be King! This prayer that we find recorded in our Psalm is as good a model of prayer as you will find anywhere.

It was clearly prayed in the morning and was committing the day to the Lord in order that His glory might be made known. Some make much from this believing that morning is the most important time to pray, if you read Spurgeon’s and other such people’s comments on this passage you will probably end up in a guilt trip concerning your own efforts in prayer. I would not dare to contradict such greats, but I do not believe that David wrote this Psalm in order to instruct us that morning is the best time to pray. As we shall discover there are other important lessons to be learned from the Psalm but the time that we pray is not the point that David is making. He is not saying that getting up at some time before everyone else and sacrificially going without sleep is more spiritual than having a full nights sleep. What David actually says is that he needs God’s help to get through the day. The Rolling Stones sang of “a little yellow pill; that was mother’s little helper that helped her through the busy day.” Some believe that prayer is some sort of mystical spiritual pill that gives us energy to get through the day. That certainly was not David’s expectation. He merely trusted in God in heaven who delights in hearing and responding to the prayers of His friends. David was not asking for everything to go well during the day but simply that God would be glorified.

Some would also have us believe that we should pray great, long and pleading prayers. If this is a record of David’s entire prayer (and there is no reason to believe that it is not) then it was only 2-3 minutes long but it is no less powerful and meaningful than an hour of prayer. It does not necessarily take hours to pray, sometimes it is right to spend an extended period in prayer at other times it is right to be succinct and trust that God is answering our every thought and prayer.

Lesson:

The believer must be a person that prays. His or her prayer should be:

· Bold

· Passionate

· Respectful of God

· Expectant that God will answer and will help in their situation.

This is one of the bookends on the shelf but what of the other? David was praying in the second volume for all believers. He prayed that as they take refuge or shelter from the wars of human experience and that they are a joyful people of praise!

He prays that those who hide under the shelter of God’s wings might find security. We have here a picture of a mother bird protecting her chicks under her wings. This of course is the picture that Jesus painted on that Sunday when He entered triumphant into Jerusalem. Before entering the city He looked down on it and with tears in His eyes He took on this theme when He said to them: “I long to gather you as a hen would gather her chicks under her wings; but you will not come!” It is passages like Psalm 5 that He was alluding to. We learn much about the character of God from Jesus’ statement. Some feminists would have us believe that it displays the femininity of God. I am certain that was never the intention but that Jesus was revealing something of His perfect, protecting parenthood that any mother or father will display at a time of need! As a good parent does, God also protects and provides for His family. To David, that would mean belonging to the nation of Israel and being faithful to God and His word. Today we have a more full understanding of what it means to belong to God’s family. We are adopted into the family of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He died in order to remove the offence of our sin in order to make us acceptable to God.

Do you believe this and is it true of you?

The unbeliever’s problem:

Here we have 2 big volumes that are noticeable by their dark and uninviting covers. The content is miserable and the ending is desperately sad. This is the sort of book that you would not read by choice. These 2 books are like a Leonard Cohen song, which somebody once described as “miserable enough to make you want to slash you wrists!” David begins by looking at what God is like. He reminds us that God takes no delight in evil, which is bad news for sinners. But worse is yet to come; David tells us that they can have no place with God. Arrogant people will not even be able to stand in His presence! You might be thinking this isn’t as bad as you make it out to be, nobody would describe me as evil, or wicked and I am certainly not arrogant. You might also say “I might not be a believer as they seem to be here in this church but nobody would describe me as has been depicted so far!” But you need to read on: David says that God hates all who do wrong; is there any here that have never done anything wrong? Liars for instance are to be destroyed (we shall be looking at a liar tonight.) Bloodthirsty and deceitful people; are abhorred (detested) by God. This is a dark volume indeed! It ends on a black note but there is a sequel, the unbeliever’s problem volume 2. Perhaps there will be hope to be found in this book’s pages! To reach it we have to pass by the 2 slim bright volumes of personal testimony to reach the second volume titled the unbelievers problem. When we open it up we find a completely hopeless situation. In fact David is speaking from his own perspective. We might expect compassion from a believer in God but just read what he says.

· Nothing they say can be trusted.

· Their hearts are full of destruction.

· Their throats are like graves; their words have the stink of death on them!

· They are completely deceitful.

· God judge them and declare them guilty, destroy them!

These are harsh words coming from a believer in God. How dare he be so judgmental? To understand this we need to remember that God described David as a man after His own heart. This means that David had similar desires to God. Therefore under God’s supervision he is declaring judgement on all who are sinners. They will be banished from God’s presence. I said this was a dark volume and in it there is no hope. There is a paradox in that we have passed by those slim volumes of personal testimony. There are also 2 volumes titled the believers experience. If what the bible tells us that: “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” is true how then can it be possible for some to have the relationship that is recorded in those volumes? The truth is that the volumes titled: “the unbeliever’s problem,” are there for information and offer a challenge to all, because there is a way of escape. If you come under the category of unbeliever you can change because God hates your sin but He loves you! He does not want the story to end at judgement. That is why David put in the 2 volumes of personal testimony in order that as you look through this Psalm you might discover God for yourself!

Let us see what the 2 volumes titled personal testimony have to tell us.

Personal testimony:

Now we come to these last two volumes. They are a lot slimmer but they are absolute gems. David tells us in the first volume that by God’s mercy he is a different person! This is the key to the whole Psalm, man is sinful and so he is hopeless before God; BUT by God’s mercy a difference can be made. David is emphatic; he says that he will come into God’s house. To David that would have been worship in the tabernacle, which was a tent where the people met that had a special area set aside for God’s presence. The point is that it is impossible for man to enter into God’s presence except that by His great mercy He desires man to do so. We have titled our study this morning “What God takes pleasure in” it is this that He delights! The very fact that even though sinners are not able to naturally come to Him He has made it possible for them to do so. David can thus testify to his own personal desire and he can make promises to God that he will do certain things.

· He WILL come into the temple for worship.

· He WILL be reverent.

· He WILL bow in humble submission.

We need to remember that it is the king who is speaking and that he recognises God as worthy of his abeyance!

David’s first volume of personal testimony is all about his promises to God, so what do we find in the second volume?

We see from this volume something of God’s heart displayed through the words and requests of David. David’s testimony is completely dependent upon God’s help. Therefore he requests certain things from God:

· He requests the Lord to lead him. The leader of Israel needs leading by a higher authority.

· He requests God to make his pathway plain.

 David needs to know where he is going, not in order to promote his own leadership but for a greater purpose; that the enemy might recognise God’s guidance. David was in effect praying for the salvation of his enemies.

The personal testimony is maybe a little different to what we might have imagined. When we read books that testify to man’s achievements we are often amazed at their authority or power etc. The book will tell us what a great or bad person he or she was. But in the testimony we have here it is different. It is not about man and his achievements but it is all about God who takes delight in men and women of faith.

When we take a look along the shelf of human experience the focal point is the 2 slim volumes in the middle that are labelled Personal Testimony. David is telling us that God does not delight in evil but that by His good mercy wicked mankind is able to do something about their problem and then they will be able to worship God.

Psalm 6: From trouble to triumph.

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. [a]A Psalm of David.
A cry of desperation:

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?
A plea from the heart:
Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? [b] I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
A triumphant faith:
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

This is one of seven Penitential Psalms; these are Psalms 6, 32, 38 51, 102, 130 & 143. Five of the seven were written by David, Psalms 102 &130 are anonymous. All of them are deeply personal, it has been suggested that Christians should read one of them every day as part of our prayer for forgiveness.


When we are in any kind of trouble it is often difficult for us to see any way that good can come from such circumstances. How can we go from trouble to triumph?

The occasion of this Psalm is unknown but we can clearly see from the content that David is again in trouble. In the previous Psalms he has been in trouble from human relationships. We can readily associate with such difficulties and if you are anything like me you will have been encouraged by the way God so graciously dealt with David in such difficult times. David again is in trouble when he wrote this Psalm but the circumstances are very different. He is on this occasion troubled by an illness. In the first stanza we discover that it is a debilitating illness; he is faint or weak, his bones are in agony and his soul is affected. He is in anguish or severe pain of the soul. This is serious for David and it seems from his comments in stanza 2 that it has been an ongoing process. This Psalm is a great encouragement for all of us but I believe it is even more so for those of us who have been struggling with our health for an extended period of time and especially for those who have no promise of respite from our problems. So what can we learn this morning from David’s Psalm?

A cry of desperation:

As I have already indicated this is a penitential Psalm. Another penitential Psalm is the 51st Psalm, which is related to a situation where David had sinned and brought about the problems that he was experiencing; he consequently repented and recorded his penitence in the Psalm for our benefit. Can we therefore say that at the time of writing Psalm 6 David was experiencing ill health due to sin? That is certainly not what I believe is the thrust of what David is saying! Look at the first stanza; David begins with a plea to God from a desperate heart. He is recognising that he is a sinner and that sin deserves God’s wrath and anger. As a sinner he does not deserve favour or acceptance from God but rather a rebuke and discipline. But it seems from the context that even though he believes that he deserves such treatment he is appealing to God for mercy. He believes that he has suffered enough and to have God’s righteous judgement also would be too much for him to bear. There is no evidence that he is saying that his illness is due to sin as some might have us believe. The two things are totally unrelated!

David actually pleads with God for mercy simply because he can take no more. He is faint; his bones are weary and his soul is distraught. His request is for healing but his question is “how long will I suffer?” If we consider David for a while; we know that he was king of Israel, he was set apart by God and he was promised that he would have a long and successful reign over his people. Now he is blighted by illness and his work is under threat. How does this square up with God’s promises made to David?

From the way that David is praying we observe a number of things:

· He completely trusts Yahweh.
· He has a relationship with God that allows him to plead for mercy.
· His illness is an inconvenience both to him and for his work as king of Israel.
· His illness is getting him down; he is severely depressed by it.
· He sighs, “How long will it last?”

David is clearly downcast but he is not without hope. His hope is still clearly in Yahweh who is completely in control and is currently allowing him to go through problems. His prayer is a little bit like the man who came to Jesus for his son to be healed (Mark 9:14-28) When challenged by Jesus about his faith the father exclaimed “I do believe, help me in my unbelief” David clearly trusted in God, he believed that God had a purpose for him as king but now his life is under threat from illness and David is saying to God, “even though I do not deserve it; have mercy on me, do not judge me, please heal me and how long will it take?” His words are full of faith but there is a very human element of unbelief in the whole prayer.

Lesson: 
We cannot claim illness to be the direct judgement of God due to personal sin. It is true that illness came into the world as a result of original sin but God does not generally sit in judgement in heaven throwing ailments and problems at His people when they transgress. It is true to say that at times we do something which will cause us to suffer due to our wrongdoing. For example: if we are promiscuous we should not be too surprised if we contract a sexually transmitted disease! God may also at times allow us to suffer in order that we might know that His grace is sufficient for us in good times and bad times alike. David pleaded for God’s grace in very difficult circumstances!

A plea from the heart:

In many respects the second stanza is a continuation of the first but here David exposes something of his hearts desire! David is concerned about his reputation that would be left behind should he die. He still believes that he has a purpose to fulfil and so his request is for God to turn in favour towards him and to deliver him from his difficulties. He continues to tell God of his state of health. He is worn out from the pain as expressed in his groaning. He has often cried himself to sleep with pain and anguish. His bed is flooded by his tears. This is the leader of the people; if they had known how weak their king had become; how much confidence would they have had in his leadership? It is a good thing that we are often shielded from the frailty of our leaders. We observe in all of this that God’s appointed people are not exempt from the normal and natural difficulties of life. David’s difficulties were not only encountered at bedtime we find that his couch was also drenched with the tears of pain and anguish. This means that his problems were with him all of the time. Ongoing illness at times is more difficult to bear than oppression from an enemy! At least with oppression there is often respite when other issues crowd in and take our minds away from the issues but pain never goes away, day or night, it reduces us to tears at any time! So much so that David says “his vision is impaired.” He is not talking about his sight here but is referring to his enemies. He is saying that his vision for the safety and security of his people is impaired by his weakness in the sight of his enemies. This is the purpose of his cry from the heart. I am reminded as I read this that the Lord Jesus who during the ultimate battle never lost His vision for His people. John records in chapter 17 of his gospel; what has become known as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. Just before His arrest Jesus prayed for His people that God would care for them. His concern was for their salvation. He cared for them at the time of His greatest personal need. This is what David is in effect doing when he in effect said; “I have suffered so much that I am now in danger of losing sight of the most important thing.” The most important thing to David was the safety and security of the nation and that God’s glory would be seen through his own life! The sight of his enemy is rapidly becoming bigger than his faith could cope with and so he is making a heart felt cry to God for help.

Lesson: 

 We have a God who is concerned for us in our problems. As we have learned in recent weeks we can approach God boldly in prayer. David in this Psalm demonstrates that if this is our normal way; then it is natural when illness strikes that we come to Him with our concerns and needs. God is always pleased to answer such a prayer, not necessarily with a healing hand but with an injection of his grace, which will be sufficient in all eventualities. The Apostle Paul was never healed from his thorn in the flesh but he learned by God’s grace to live with it and to glorify the name of Jesus through it!


A triumphant faith:

This is one of the big issues of the Christian faith. “How do we live a victorious Christian life?” Look at the change that comes over David at the beginning of the final stanza. We have just observed his fear that the enemy has the upper hand. He has prayed and now he has a complete change of mindset. Instead of being fearful of the enemy he comes to them with authority and expels them from his presence. 

What is it that has changed?

David simply says that the Lord has heard his plea from the heart. There was a song once written “what a difference a day makes.” The song says that just 24 hours can change things drastically. We all recognise the truth in that but a more stark reality is found here in David’s words. His song of prayer pre-dates “what a difference a day makes” by 3000 years and says “what a difference a prayer makes!” God has heard David’s weeping, he has heard his cry for mercy and the most amazing thing is that He has accepted his prayer. The answer that comes is also surprising; there is no mention of David having been healed! Some might believe that healing would be of prime importance but to David it seems to have been inconsequential! Look again at the end of the final stanza, David is concerned only about the effect that God’s answer will have upon the enemy. They will be ashamed of themselves, confused and dismayed and ultimately defeated. David’s main concern was for his people and for the glory of God. God is never ashamed to answer such a prayer. As for his illness, by his silence on the matter David is now clearly resolved to leave that in God’s hands. For those who know Joni Erikson’s testimony you will remember that it took her a number of years to reach that same level of understanding and faith in God. She eventually had to put aside the idea that her accident (even though it was the result of a momentary lapse of reason) was not God’s judgement upon her due to her personal sin. God had allowed it to happen, He had entrusted her to cope with all of the problems and heartaches that it brought to her and that even through such a disability God would use her to glorify His name. David was saying just that as He recognised the smallness and impotence of his enemy before God and at the hands of a very much-weakened human king.

Lesson: 

I know there are many of us who are currently going through debilitating circumstances. Some of them are illnesses; others are difficult people or situations. Like David our difficulties are not the result of personal sin they are merely life’s problems. We need to be like David who prayed and cast his cares upon God and recognised just as Paul did that God’s grace is sufficient for all who trust in Christ Jesus. This always flags up the question; are you trusting in Christ Jesus? Why not trust in Him and as did the Apostle Paul and other Christians like Joni then you also will be able to know that God will glorify Himself through you even when life deals you a rough blow either through illness or difficulty!

Psalm 9 The judgement of God.

Psalm 9

 The judgement of God.

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

Praise to God.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
God’s judgement.
My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
Hope in God.
The LORD reigns forever: he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Praise to God.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.
God’s judgement.
The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
Hope in God.
Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.


This is an acrostic Psalm. Each stanza begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet except that D is missing. The Psalm goes as far as the first 11 letters; that is A through to K. Psalm 10 also written by David begins where this Psalm finishes in the alphabet giving rise to the view that the two Psalms were originally one. Psalm 10 is the cry to God by an individual who is concerned about the prosperity of the wicked. Whereas Psalm 9 is more of a corporate cry to God! This Psalm is a lament or a cry for God’s help. David is the author; it is intended for the director of music and is set to the tune of “the death of a son.”

The occasion of David writing this Psalm is unknown but some believe that it was penned after the death of Goliath. The thing that is certain is that it was written at a time when David was certain of God’s righteous judgement upon his enemies. It is therefore helpful to us when we are tempted to ask the age long question: “why do the wicked prosper?” The world that we live in is full of examples of those who are ungodly seeming to prosper in every way. How do we answer the critics when they ask us “where is God in all of this?” If this Psalm was written after the victory over Goliath and the Philistines then we have much to learn from our study of it.

We so often find ourselves, (either individually or corporately,) seeing great injustices around us. The perpetrators of which seemingly prosper from their wicked ways. The wicked often appear to go unchecked and without any justice. This would have been the situation for the Israelite nation at the time when Saul was king and the Philistine army taunted and threatened the people of God by throwing insults at them and their God. The Philistines were so powerful and sure of themselves that they put their whole confidence in one giant of a man called Goliath. The whole of the Israelite nation were terrified of Goliath and cowered in his shadow.

“WHERE WAS GOD IN ALL OF THIS?”

It is from this sort of background that David writes this Psalm. He has seen that God was angry at the taunts, the pride and the arrogance of the Philistines. He has also experienced the truth that even though he was small in comparison and that his own people did not really have too much faith in his ability; when God is with you then you are more powerful than even the giant enemy! This being the background to the psalm it is no wonder that it is interlaced with praise to God.

Praise to God

There are 2 sections of the Psalm that are devoted to the praise of God; firstly from David’s personal viewpoint and then secondly from a corporate or national perspective. We will briefly consider them both:

Individual praise to God: We note from the first 2 verses of the Psalm that David makes clear promises to God. “I will” is declared 4 times.

David says:
1. I will praise you!
2. I will tell of you!
3. I will rejoice in you!
4. I will sing of you!

These are the natural reaction of anybody that has experienced the sort of help that David had on that day when he faced Goliath. He knew that God was his helper and that it was only by God’s favour that the victory had been secured and so it was natural that David should praise God in such a way. It would be easy to lay the foundation that David’s praise was all due to “cause and effect.” In other words God delivered on this occasion and so the effect is David’s praise of Him. The argument might continue that things would have been very different if David had been defeated. This argument does not hold water when you know the background of the story. David even as a young man had been promised the kingship of Israel, he loved God and was concerned for His reputation and that of Israel and here was this fellow shouting out blasphemies against God. David was incensed by all of this and called upon his God and his own personal skill. He confidently defeated Goliath and therefore singlehandedly won the war!

As individuals we can discern God’s purpose just as David did and we can then enter the battle knowing that God is pleased to fight for truth and for His own reputation in this world. All is not lost in our current world; just because our modern Goliath’s seem to be winning does not mean that God is not quietly using little David types to conquer the might of the enemy!

Where is God in all that is happening in our world?

He is just as angry as He was in David’s day and He is also just as active. He is working through modern day David’s to battle against the enemy of the world! But are we like David who was angry at the way that wicked man taunted God and His people? Are we as sure of ourselves that we are God’s special people and that we have a purpose and a future asa David was?

Corporate praise to God: In verses 11-14 David calls the nation to praise God. He declares firstly that God is in their midst. He dwells in Zion: that is Jerusalem the very heart of the nation. David is reminding them of their special relationship with God. He was the very heart of everything and so the responsibility of the people was to corporately praise God. As Christians our relationship is as David’s was: both personal and corporate. Our nation is not one of privilege by birth but by grace. We belong to the church, which is the fulfillment of the nation of Israel. God is in her midst and is working out His purposes for her. He is always concerned for His name and for His people and even though at times He may seem to be distant in the affairs of man He is nonetheless active. He is fighting His cause just as in David’s day!

He is not interested in His people being triumphalistic in the fact that they belong to Him, verse 11 tells us that it is our privilege and responsibility to tell of the hope that we have. We are on the victory side so therefore tell others; David says. God has defeated His enemies and will continue to do so. He will have compassion on all who cry out to Him but He will avenge those who are persecuted!

Lesson: We are to be a people of praise even in days of uncertainty, when the enemy seems to have the upper hand. We must believe that God is in control and that He will one day finally avenge those who are persecuted.

God’s judgement

As with our responsibility to praise God, David addresses the matter of God’s judgement from 2 different aspects: firstly from a personal viewpoint and secondly from a corporate or national viewpoint.

David’s view of God’s judgement: In verses 3-6 David speaks of his enemies turning away from him. He recognises that they stumble because of God and not himself. It is God that is in control and it is He who has rebuked the enemy and destroyed them. They are gone forever. When we read of the various enemies of David there are few if any that have any lasting power. What David claims in verse 6 is true; their memory has gone forever. Archaeologists cannot find any evidence of some nations; e.g. the Hivites and conclude that they never existed but are biblical fiction. But David declares that their memory has perished; the evidence is clear before us.

David was concerned for justice to be dealt out to his enemies and so he prayed to God about them and in his day he observed that God would deal with them.

The national view of God’s judgement: Verses 15-18 speaks not merely of individual kings but of whole nations of people. The focal point is found in verse 16 where David tells of God’s reputation: “He is known by His justice!” Judges throughout history have had various reputations. Some have been known as hanging judges due to their readiness to have guilty people hanged for their crimes. Others have had the reputation of being corrupt by being open to bribes. Others are known for their acts of cowardice, as was Pontius Pilate who committed an innocent man to death simply to appease the crowd. Others are known for lenience, fairness etc. David tells us that God’s reputation is due to His justice. This simply put means that He always judges rightly, there is no court of appeal necessary because all; including those being judged know that His verdict is absolutely fair and just.

With this in mind we do not need to worry about the details that are before us; the outcome is fair. It is fair that nations are ensnared; it is in some ways ironic that it is at their own hands. God does not have to entrap the wicked they are quite capable of trapping themselves and thus declaring themselves guilty! They have forgotten God, a deliberate act of going against Him and so they perish before His hand of judgement!

BUT

Look at verse 18 all of this talk of judgement is tempered by God’s acts of Grace and Mercy! The needy will not ALWAYS be forgotten. It might at times seem as if the “needy” have been forgotten by God. It is often said; “just look at our current world the “needy” and the “afflicted” are seemingly forgotten by our God Of Love!” David tells us that this is not the case, there is however some controversy concerning who the “needy and the afflicted” are. The reality is that God will never forget them nor will they perish. At this point it is acceptable to go to the favourite verse of many Christians; John 3:16 which tells us of God’s love for the world and his desire that people should not perish. It tells us that there is a price that has been paid in order that those to whom David refers in this Psalm might not perish. To mankind the greatest need is often seen as hunger or oppression of varying kinds. These are important to God and so should be important enough to us for us to be concerned for the “underdogs” of society. We should care for them as God has ordained, this is our God given responsibility, it is what He desires BUT His personal work is of a higher order. It is a work that no man on earth can achieve. God is concerned for the eternal destiny of all people. He does not wish that any should perish under His judgement but that all might be saved. This is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to rescue all who are oppressed by sin. David in his Psalm points us not to a God who delights in punishing the wicked but to Yahweh who remembers the needy!

Lesson: God at creation ordered mankind to care for creation; that is to care for all that God made including all people! We are to be like God to the needy of the world. We are to be like God to the lawbreakers, fair in our judgement BUT it is only God who can rescue sinners from Satan’s oppression and therefore we are to declare Him to all including our enemies even when we judge them for their wrongdoing. We are to be in society not only ambassadors over nature but we are also ambassadors that negotiate with a sinful world their need of God’s salvation!

Hope in God

Verses 7-10 and 19-20 speak of the hope that firstly David or the individual has in God and then secondly that the nation has in God.

David’s hope in God: He is convinced of Yahweh’s attributes. He reigns forever: He is sovereign! He rules and judges rightly. He is gracious and merciful, a refuge for the oppressed. He is mighty and trustworthy. He is knowable to all who will seek Him. There is no wonder that David goes on to sing praises to Him!

Our corporate hope in God: David on behalf of his people summons up God to act amongst the nations. He asks God to judge them for their evil ways and to put fear into them and to remind them that they are merely men and as men they are in need of all that has gone before. They are individually required to know God’s mercy for themselves and then they will make a difference in society!

Lesson: David prayed for the nations that God might remind them that He is God and that they are only men. Do we have a similar concern for the nations and the leaders, especially those who we would count as enemies of the church? Do we pray that they might turn from man’s thoughts, ideals and religions and recognise God in heaven who loves them and has given all that is necessary for them to come into relationship with him. This would make all of the difference in the world. A saved despot becomes a man of God who influences his people for good and not for bad! It is not wrong to pray as David did because he was a man after God’s own heart and as such he was concerned for the good not only of Israel but also of the world. Is our mindset like David’s?

WHERE IS GOD IN ALL OF THIS?

He is quietly working out His sovereign purpose, He is patiently waiting until such a time, as all who belong to Him will be saved and then He will judge the world rightly. Until such a time He has commissioned His friends to be His ambassadors. That is you and I if we belong to Him through faith in His Son Jesus Christ!

The Lord's Supper:

The Lord's Supper:

Terms used:

The Lord’s Supper is often known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Some refer to it as the Blessed Sacrament or even Sacrament on the Table. It is also known as an ordinance of the Lord. So what do these terms mean and are they accurate or useful descriptions of the celebration that we know?

It is largely the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches which would use the Blessed Sacrament and Sacrament at the Table terms.

• A sacrament is simply a symbolic religious ceremony.

• An ordinance is a decree or an order which on this occasion was given by The Lord Jesus.

• Eucharist is derived from the Greek word eucharisto which simply means “thanksgiving.” In 1 Corinthians 11:24 which is the word used for “when he had given thanks.”

• Communion is derived from koinonia which simply means fellowship, sharing or as in the AV: communion. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

• The Lord’s Supper is the term that we are probably most comfortable with. This comes from 1 Corinthians 11:20-21. Paul in this passage, by way of rebuking the Corinthian for drunkenness and greed at the Lord’s Supper tells them that it is not the Lord’s Supper that they are celebrating.

Due to an abuse of these terms we have understandably reacted against some of them. We should however not be afraid of them; they are all good biblical terms. Perhaps it is time that we claimed them back for the use for which they were intended.

The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament around a table. It is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus in which we give thanks together in fellowship as we eat together.

In speaking of the Lord’s Supper; the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) Basis of Faith states that it is a “commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All of its benefits are received by faith.” As an FIEC affiliated church we wholeheartedly subscribe to this statement but a more full declaration can be found in for example the declaration of faith of the Elders of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis where John Piper is the pastor. This declares that: “We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord in which gathered believers eat bread, signifying Christ’s body given for His people, and drink the cup of the Lord, signifying the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. We do this in remembrance of the Lord, and thus proclaim His death until He comes. Those who eat and drink in a worthy manner partake of Christ’s body and blood, not physically, but spiritually, in that, by faith, they are nourished with the benefits He obtained through His death, and thus grow in grace.” This concise statement is clear and helpful and is probably something that we should adopt as a church for our own doctrinal basis.

Some useful points for us to understand what we are doing when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper:

1. It is the Lord’s Supper. It was given by the Lord for a set purpose. It is not our supper and therefore we cannot do as we please. Even though there are very few instructions concerning the process we are not at liberty to make more or even less of the ordinance than is prescribed in scripture; in particularly 1 Corinthians 11: 17-34. The rules are to be obeyed, the Corinthian church were guilty of abusing the celebration and were rebuked by the Apostle Paul who declared their ritual to not be the Lord’s Supper, it may have looked like it but it was false and therefore unacceptable to God. 1 Corinthians 10:14-17

2. It is the Lord’s Supper. It is a meal with all of the benefits that a meal has. Due to the abuse made by the Corinthian church as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22; where the people were being greedy with both the bread and the wine; the meal has become a token or symbolic meal. Because the meaning of it is spiritual rather than physical, it was never intended to be a feast but a memorial! We therefore break one loaf signifying Christ’s body given to us and drink of one wine (fruit juice) signifying the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood. The Old Covenant was ratified through sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood, see Exodus 24:8. This Covenant required the death of an innocent victim (an animal) which pointed forward to a more perfect sacrifice. A New covenant was to come. Jeremiah speaks of this in chapter 31:31-34:

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant

with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” This New Covenant finds perfect fulfillment in Jesus, it is His death and resurrection that brings about all that Jeremiah foresaw. This Lord’s Supper that we celebrate states this most clearly. It is our Passover meal.

3. It is a Remembrance. The Lord said to do this in remembrance of him! Whenever we eat and drink we must remember Jesus; it was He who came from the glory into this world as a baby with the set purpose of accomplishing salvation for His people. But who is He? He is Immanuel which means “God with us.” Matthew 1:23. He is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” John 1:29 He is the Son of God whom the Father loves: Mark 1:11 He is the Creator: John 1:3 He is God come into the world, made flesh: John 1:14.

This same Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. We are made right with God through His death and resurrection. This is what we remember when we celebrate this supper. It is not a morbid occasion as some make it out to be. It is not about our feelings or sentimentality it is a celebration of all that our God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

4. It is a Declaration. 1 Corinthians 11:26 tells us that whenever we celebrate this supper we are declaring something of great importance about Jesus; He will come again. The great promise of the New Testament is that Jesus is building His church (a nation of people that are set apart by Him!) Matthew 16:18 and that there is coming a day when all that are to be saved will be complete. At this time Jesus has said that He will return from glory and gather His saints to be with Him forever: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. Whenever we have this communion we declare that fact to each other (and to observers!) this will serve as an encouragement. Paul in 1 Thessalonians concludes the promise of Jesus’ return with the instruction that believers are to encourage each other with this great promise.

5. It is Recognition. We are by the taking of the bread and wine saying that we recognise him. In 1 Corinthians 11:29 Paul warns those who do not recognise the body of the Lord are bringing judgement upon themselves. If we eat and drink in a way that takes Christ from being the focal point; then the blessings dry up and the church becomes weak and sickly. That is exactly what had happened in Corinth. They were guilty of eating and drinking wrongly and the clear results were that the church had become were sick. The evidence being that they of immorality amongst the leaders! This should be a salutary warning to us as a church. It is clearly important that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper correctly; the consequences of not doing so are serious!

6. It is a Communion. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 Paul tells us that not only do we give thanks and that we remember we also take part. As we take the bread we have a participation (NIV) or communion (AV) with Christ. The letter that Paul writes is to the church at Corinth and in this he is saying that when the church eats together (there is great emphasis on togetherness in the passages concerning the Lord’s Supper) then they are in communion with the Lord Jesus. John Stott said: “Jesus did not only break the bread; he gave it to the disciples to eat. He did not only pour out the wine; He gave it to them to drink. He was not content that they should watch and listen; they must eat and drink. So the service is a communion as well as a commemoration.” This leads me to the conviction that the Lord’s Supper is intended for the gathered church and is not really available for individuals or for small group participation. (That I am sure will promote much discussion in certain quarters.) Our problem is that poor traditional teaching and wrong understandings have infiltrated the church. Rome teaches that the Mass must be celebrated for entrance into heaven, we might not believe that, but it has certainly left an unhelpful mark within the church. The New Testament clearly teaches that the same blessing as is received from celebrating the Lord’s Supper can be gained through hearing God’s word. The communion is a special “means of grace” by which God imparts blessing to the gathered church. It is not a “means of special grace” as some believe, by which special and more important blessings (usually expected just prior to death) are given by God through the hand of the participating priest. The very fact that these leaders claim to be priests is a good hint at what they believe. The mass as they would call it is a regular offering for sin given on behalf of the people by the priest in charge. Jesus Christ is our great High Priest who sacrificed Himself once for all. His shed blood is sufficient for the forgiveness of sin for all who believe on Him. He is the only Priest that we need.

This Lord’s Supper is so much more than a ritual that we do regularly. If we add to it as some have, then we are guilty of devaluing its true meaning. It is all about Jesus and nothing else. Equally if we take away from it then we are also guilty of depriving ourselves of its true meaning. We in effect devalue the purpose for which Christ instituted it and are guilty of celebrating something other than the Lord’s Supper. It might look the same but if celebrated wrongly then we are guilty before God. Our celebration is a sham: Corinthians 11:27

We should therefore examine ourselves and our motives and recognise who it is that is symbolised in the bread and wine: 1 Corinthians 11:28-29

The result of not celebrating truly is weakness in the church and a falling asleep. A dead and formal church with no life and power! We must guard against such a thing; we need our church to be full of life for the Lord’s sake, for our spiritual health and for the gospel benefit of those with whom we are involved!

What is happening?

More to the point we ought to ask “what is not happening” when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Certain groupings e.g. the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches believe in a miraculous changing of the bread and wine upon the blessing by the officiating priest (transubstantiation). They believe the bread to miraculously become the actual body of the Lord and the wine to become His blood. They then feast upon His body and drink His blood in a literal fashion. This they believe to be the true food and drink that Jesus spoke of in John 6:53-59 But is this what Jesus meant when He instituted the Lord’s Supper?

The first thing that we must remember is what the occasion was that Jesus was celebrating. It was the feast of the Passover, part of which was the ceremonial breaking and sharing of bread and the drinking of wine together in celebration of God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. The cost of their freedom was the death of the firstborn son in each family. God graciously accepted the sacrifice of an innocent victim on behalf of the firstborn son in any faithful family. That victim was to be a male lamb without any blemish. The parallel to Jesus is plain for all to see! The firstborn did not have to pay the price but an innocent victim did. It is no coincidence that it was on the night of the celebration of the Passover that Jesus was betrayed and would be arrested and made ready for execution. The head of the household would take unleavened bread and as they broke it would liken it to the bread of affliction that their forefathers had eaten on their exodus from Egypt: Exodus 12:17ff. Jesus with this in mind as He broke the bread declared that He fulfilled all that it spoke of. He said this bread speaks of my body given for you. Now when you do this do it in remembrance of me! Luke 22:19. In other words the Passover takes on a whole new meaning. The lamb of the Passover is perfectly superseded by Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Then when He comes to drink the Passover wine He declares as we have already considered it to be the New Covenant in His blood which is poured out for you: Luke 22:20 Bread and wine had always been an emblem, a picture of the reality. They were always used to remind the participants of the reality, there is absolutely no reason why for the Lord’s Supper that it should change. In actual fact to insist on it becoming the actual sacrifice acted out before our very eyes takes away the importance of the One Sacrifice made on behalf of sinners once and for all! 1 Peter 3:18

There is however a danger that we over simplify what is happening in our communion with God. There is much made in scripture of this being food for our nourishment, but the Lord makes it plain that this is dependent upon our remembrance of Him. C.H. Spurgeon said: “we not only eat of His bread, but symbolically we feast upon Him.” Vaughan Roberts in his book True Worship says on page 96 “In this there is a real presence of Christ at the Lord’s Supper but it is located in the heart of the believer and not in the elements themselves. Communion occurs by faith.” Article 28 of the Church of England helpfully states: “The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the supper only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the means whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper is faith.”

Therefore as we eat in remembrance and faith our souls are fed by Christ. This is so much more than a lesser miracle of bread and wine changing their substance could ever be.

Who is it for?

Again we need to look at the beginning. As we have already discovered, the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of all that the New Covenant achieves. The New Covenant in Christ’s blood brings freedom from sin. The Passover meal of the Old Covenant was a celebration of freedom from human slavery in Egypt. The meal was for those who had benefited from God’s gracious deliverance. Anybody could enjoy the meal and the spectacle of it but only those who were truly grateful for what God had done really took part in its true purpose. Therefore it is logical to say that it is for the children of Israel only. It is exactly the same with the Lord’s Supper, many can eat bread and wine but only those who have benefited from the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice achieved on the cross really commune with God in the partaking of the memorial meal. The Lord’s Supper therefore is for believers alone. It is a glorious reminder to them as to the graciousness of our God, the cost which He paid in Jesus His Son for the salvation with which we benefit and the great promise of eternal life found in and through Him.

The Lord’s Supper is for believers alone, to others it is merely a ritual that speaks of Christ’s sacrifice if only they will seek the full truth contained within.

Sadly due to wrong thinking there has become a sentimental element attached to the celebration. Comment concerning the communion can often be heard as to the beauty or the wonder of the celebration. It can so easily become an emotional occasion that almost fosters pity for what Jesus went through. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross due to the pleasure that would result from its indignity and curse. Tears of pity are not required as we partake but it should cause heartfelt praise, worship and thanksgiving to God for the sacrifice made. It is not a solemn occasion but a celebration of deep joy in the same way as the Passover was to Israel. That is why the Lord Himself said that he had eagerly awaited that meal with His disciples: Luke 22:14. His imminent suffering was about to accomplish all for which He had come. As we gather for our regular Communion we must come as the Lord came: Eagerly!

Helpful Hints:

The signpost found at a crossroads can be a helpful reminder as we celebrate communion. The signpost has 4 different instructions upon it. It points from one focal point to 4 different destinations. The Lord’s Supper can be likened to a crossroads. The signpost there reminds us to:

• Look back: Remembrance. When we see a signpost to Cardiff we do not stop there content that we have seen evidence of Cardiff. It spurs us on to travel to Cardiff and enjoy the pleasures found within. The bread and wine are a signpost pointing to Calvary. Do not stop and admire the sign but remember the place of ultimate sacrifice made on your behalf.

• Look up: Communion. Not only do we look back on what has been achieved but we are to look up to the One who achieved full and free salvation. It is Him we are communing with and are being fed by. As we eat and drink we are reminded of the cost but we are declaring once again that our trust is in Him alone.

• Look around: Fellowship. We are eating and drinking with like minded people; look around and appreciate them because they too are part of this great church gathered by the Lord Jesus. As we look around we should see that the even greater fellowship is found in God Himself. We are part of the family of God.

• Look forward: Hope. We are declaring Christ’s death until He comes. Until that time we have hope for the future but when that day comes then the church will be gathered in fullness; in perfect communion; in the presence of God Almighty.

Conclusion:

The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The apostle Paul adds: “For whenever you eat of this bread and drink of this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes!”

“We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord in which gathered believers eat bread, signifying Christ’s body given for His people, and drink the cup of the Lord, signifying the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. We do this in remembrance of the Lord, and thus proclaim His death until He comes. Those who eat and drink in a worthy manner partake of Christ’s body and blood, not physically, but spiritually, in that, by faith, they are nourished with the benefits He obtained through His death, and thus grow in grace.”

Moses as leader of his people:

(Moses as leader of his people: preparatory thoughts for a week's ministry in a house party. )

A good leader is prepared by God.

The events leading up to the birth and including the first 80 years of Moses life teach us many things but the most powerful and by far most remarkable is the Sovereign work of God's grace to His people the Israelites.

Let us in our first session just consider briefly what is happening. The Israelites had gone into Egypt at the time of Joseph as a kind provision by firstly the people of Egypt but more importantly the gracious hand of God. As we think of what happened at the time of Joseph we see two different aspects to the issue:

• Circumstance took Joseph to a place where he could eventually help his family in times of trouble. His brothers had treated him badly and sold him to some Ishmaelite traders who then sold him into slavery to an important man named Potiphar. He was falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar's wife. Eventually after a spell in prison Joseph becomes chancellor of the exchequer to the King of Egypt and by his prudence helps Egypt to prosper throughout a time of severe drought. It is an amazing story that speaks much of the character of a young man called Joseph. If circumstance were the full story it would be a truly amazing account, but as you know the picture was far greater than that.
• God was in control. He was leading and guiding all involved for what is about to happen to the nation of Israel. Joseph's brothers meant great harm to Joseph but through it all god was working His purposes out for the greater good and all of this was beyond even the wildest dreams of Joseph.

Whilst the people of God were in Egypt (approx 400 years) they at first enjoyed the favour of King and country but after the death of Joseph and his friend the King a new king eventually came to power who did not know Joseph. By this time the Israelites had become so entrenched in society that they really did not look much different to the Egyptians. They prospered and even took on their gods as we will observe as we study the life and times of Moses. Racism then came to the fore, due of the prosperity of the Israelites the Egyptian people felt threatened and so the Israelites were made to work as slaves. Life suddenly became hard for them. As with all people when the going gets tough them prayer becomes important. The people prayed and god heard their prayer. In this alone there is a great lesson, God knows just what we are going through all of the time and as we shall see he is concerned for His people.

The church are the people of God and so we can say from history that in the same way as He is concerned for the circumstances of His people throughout history so God is concerned for us today. Nothing happens with which He is not aware and for which He is not concerned.

God is Sovereign in the affairs of His people.

400 years is along time but it was God's time for His people. During that time they had wandered far from the truth and far from god but he had left them nor had He forsaken them. His purposes were at all times being worked out through them. It is the same for the church today. We are the new covenant people of God through whom he will continue to work out his purpose. That purpose for us is much more clear than it ever was for the ancient people. Jesus told us of His purpose. He builds the church, the gates of hell cannot stand against it. We as the people are to take the gospel into all the world in order that He can build His church by saving sinners. The church today is very similar to the people of God in Moses' day. It has taken on too much of the world's ways and so is weak and under threat from a hostile people. We are oppressed (not persecuted) and ill treated by the good and the great. We are pilloried for our out of date beliefs etc. All of this ought to drive us to our knees asking for God to work in a powerful way through His people.

What will it take to make us turn to Him in desperate prayer?

There is of course even more than that! God was working His purposes out and was preparing a saviour for the people. Moses who was to become known as a friend of God was being prepared. God tells us in His word that He knew His people before they were formed in the womb (Jer. ????) this is true of Moses also. Just at the right time Moses was born. It was in a time of heightened difficulty for the nation that little Moses was born to believing parents. An edict had been passed by the King that all Israelite baby boys were to be thrown to the Nile river god and Moses was born. Hebrews 11:?? tells us that Moses' parents saw the beauty of this little boy. The beauty they saw was the unseen hand of God on his little life!!!! They therefore put him in a little waterproofed papyrus basket into the river. (Papyrus was believed by the Egyptians to protect people from crocodile attack which demonstrates how even believers in Moses' day had imbibed much of Egyptian folklore and superstition!) Moses was floated into the reeds and Miriam his sister waited to see the plan of God unfold.

Lessons for tonight:

• God is in control whatever the circumstances.
• Whatever is done by believers and unbelievers alike in order to thwart the work of God will fail.
• God has set apart a people for His purposes. That is the church today.
• The work of the church will succeed.
• Those who are faithful can trust God for the future, we are at liberty to let go and watch God work out His purposes as Moses' parents did.
• Moses was only a baby at that time and so vulnerable but he was nonetheless the saviour that Israel needed.