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The Messiah’s Secret – RELEASED

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Luke 4: 1-13. John 3: 7-10.   RSV Bible.

Saturday 30th September 2017 I was at the Bridge Church Bolton at a Proclaim Trust ‘Fixed 17’ Conference  Evangelist Barry Woodward

At the conference I heard several testimonies from people whose lives were destroyed by the responding to the devil’s temptations taking drugs and alcohol and it wasn’t until they came to the end of themselves they cried out to God. Then they were open to hear the gospel about Jesus their Saviour and Lord and were released from their bondage. In all of their situations God had prepared a Christian to tell them about Jesus.

In our reading in Luke’s Gospel, God was preparing Jesus for his ministry, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where He spent forty days praying and fasting. His prayers I’m sure reflected how he wanted to glorify His Father and to consecrate himself, to keep focused on his calling and purpose, to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom and with it the signs: miracles and his healing ministry.

For His ministry to succeed Jesus’ encounter with the devil was a very relevant part of it.

It wasn’t until the end of the 40 days and nights, that the devil seized his moment and challenged Jesus’ identity, “If you are the Son of God”. It’s a small word ‘If’ in this context it was meant to undermine his identity and he challenged Jesus to prove it.

“If you are the Son of God command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

The devil will challenge our spiritual identity; Jesus was born into the world to become one of us, in order for us to have the identity of being a child of God.

At the ‘Fixed 17’ event Trudy Makepeace gave her testimony, she spoke of losing her identity as a result of being under the influence of the devil. Her life style reflected this: lying, stealing, and prostitution. Trudy said that she felt ashamed and was afraid of her family finding out.  Tracy was befriended by a Christian who brought her to faith and released her from the bondage of the devil into being a new creation in Christ. Tracy being aware of the struggle with temptation that every Christian experiences said, “No matter who we are, when we walk away from God, we lose the security of which you belong to.”

From her experience taking drugs starts in a small way and soon becomes an addiction, ‘The same with alcohol they take away the pain, the wounds of rejection, this feeling of nobody loves me, I don’t love me, the way I am, unloved’.

Resisting temptation applies to every Christian it’s a slippery slope.

Jesus’ response to his temptation, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

We believe that Jesus is the living bread, his words are life and they are acted upon by the Holy Spirit.

In John’s gospel Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being born again, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit being like the wind; we can hear the sound of the wind and feel it, but we are not able to see it.  Nicodemus said,”How can this be?” so Jesus in response said, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?”                  Nicodemus without the Holy Spirit giving him understanding, he hadn’t related  to what Jesus was referring to found in scripture. Ezekiel’s prophecy;  “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. behold, I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live.” Born again from the deadness of a life without God, to being raised up a new creation in Christ and receiving eternal life.

The Holy Spirit is constantly prompting people to seek the Lord and receive his word into their heart.

I heard some amazing testimonies two weeks ago at the Christians Against Poverty’s event ‘The Gathering’ at the Harrogate Conference Centre.

Stef’s testimony revealed how she came to know Jesus as her Saviour. Growing up she was rejected by her father, who declared to her and to others, that he no longer had a daughter, that his daughter was dead.

Stef left home and later on she was in serious debt and was helped by Christians Against Poverty who sorted out her debt problem for her, not by paying the debt off, but by their expertise in negotiating with the creditors and putting in a place a budget for her to follow. Also they introduced Stef to Jesus, she came to know her heavenly Father’s love for her through Jesus dying for her sin on the cross. Stef’s life has been released and her life transformed through Jesus breathing his words of love into her heart.

The devil lied when he offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world

Again the word ‘if’ is said by the devil. “If he would serve him and worship him.”

Jesus was being tempted to come under the devil’s authority which would have broken his relationship with His Father and for the devil to be ‘Lord over his soul’. Jesus responded, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”

Yesterday at ‘Fixed 17’, a testimony from a man who described himself like the man who lived among the tombs, breaking the chains and fetters that bound him and cutting himself with stones. Luke 8: 26-39

John said that he had no control over his violent behaviour, He was sent to prison on an attempted murder charge, and there in prison he was so violent, literally broke the handcuffs, he attacked people, as a result he was kept in solitary confinement for long periods.

Through a Christian’s witness and a succession of God co-incidences: one day his friend was assaulted and stabbed in his cell, John bandaged his head wound and was about to take revenge on the man who perpetrated the assault, when he turned and looked at his friend his bandage on his head covered in blood and his hands stretched out pierced from the stab wounds, he said,” I saw Jesus in his appearance” and as a result it stopped him taking revenge. John surrendered his life to Jesus and Jesus became Lord over his soul.

The third temptation took Jesus to the edge of a pinnacle of the temple this time the devil used scripture, he tried to pressurise him to commit suicide, to jump from the highest pinnacle of the temple. Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” God the Father does not tempt people to take their life.

Christians Against Poverty’s guest speaker at Harrogate was Malcolm Duncan he told us about his nephew’s suicide. His nephew took out a Wonga loan for £400 pounds; he kept it a secret from his family. The debt increased and his nephew killed himself. Afterwards, they found on his phone that during one day Wonga had rung him 33 times about his loan. He said the effect on the rest of the family is still being felt.

Increasingly many people are being pressured by the thoughts coming from the devil to take their own life; it’s presented to them as the only way to resolve their problem.

From this series of temptations Jesus had with the devil, the devil had discerned who Jesus was, the Son of God. We know this because the first encounter in Jesus’ healing ministry in Mark’s Gospel was to a man with an unclean spirit; the spirit being in the man knew who Jesus was.”What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us, I know who you are, you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and it left the man. Mark 1: 24

John the disciple wrote that “The reason Jesus the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil,” and in doing so he made his kingdom known. Matthew 12: 26 recorded Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees and were Jesus spoke of the devil’s kingdom, and God’s kingdom.1 John 3: 8. Matthew 12: 26, 28.

Today we celebrate the Harvest; Christians Against Poverty announced that 7,000 people have come to faith in Jesus since their ministry began 21 years ago. (65,000 people helped to become debt free)

Yesterday at ‘Fixed 17’ over 90 people gave their lives to Jesus.

Now they will count it all joy when they are tempted as they apply their victory in Jesus Christ.

Footnote Trudy Makepeace

In 2006 Trudy met with Jesus, who radically transformed her life. Since then, Trudy has managed a rehab centre, ministered in prisons and travelled. Trudy recently graduated from Elim Bible College and is a member of the team at E5 Bristol City Church.

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The Messiah’s Secret – The Beginning and End of all Things

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The Messiah’s Secret –  God at the Beginning and the End of all Things.

Reading John 1: 1 – 14.

Children’s spot. Kaleidoscope

The light from the star shone over the stable at Bethlehem, it’s light would shine inside the stable through the door or window, helping Joseph and Mary to see what was going on around them.

The Bible tells us that ‘God is Light’  and in Jesus we see God’s light . Light that makes us feel safe when we are in a dark place. Light that shows us the way in our lives.

I’ve been making this week some kaleidoscopes a toy in the shape of a tube that you look through to see different patterns of light made by pieces of coloured glass and mirrors. I’ve not used mirrors instead I’ve used clear plastic to reflect the light. The children present came and collected from me  a kaleidoscope and a pattern to colour.

At the point in the service were we say sorry to God for our sins, we focused on the cross. Reading from 1 John 1: 6 – 10

After the reading and hymn Jim focused on John 1: 9 with a Word Search Game.

Sermon

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

The Apostle John wrote in his gospel of what he saw, heard and experienced from Jesus. He began his gospel from his conclusion of who Jesus is, Jesus being the Word of God clothed in the flesh, confirming Jesus’ word that he and the Father God are one, the life and light of God in him, Jesus the second person of the Trinity.

John remembered what John the Baptist had said “Jesus the true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.” John 1: 9, 10.

Jesus came into the world to enable us to receive a new pattern of living out our lives, to be enlightened about God, to have his values based on love. Love God and your neighbour as yourself.

Archbishop Justin Welby in his Christmas address said that the world’s values are in the wrong place, ’Economic, technological, and communication progress hasn’t resulted in economic justice,’ he called them the ‘economics of despair.’ He went on to say, “Uncertainty in the midst of much, but far from universal, prosperity is a sign of our trust being in the wrong things.” I understand him to mean: Globalisation has produced a material pattern whereby people trust in riches: the accumulation of wealth by the few, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

What produces universal prosperity comes from our knowing God and His values.

An anecdote from J John and Mark Stibbe’s Book, ‘A Bundle of Laughs’

“H G Wells after he had studied the history of the human race and had observed human life, he came to the conclusion; “Religion is the first thing and the last thing and until a man has found God and been found by God, he begins at no beginning, he works to no end. He may have his friendships, his partial loyalties, his scraps of honour. But all these things fall into place and life falls into place only with God.” Materialism has its’ place, finding his place in God, he had found life. Jesus came into the world to enable us to receive God into our heart, for our lives to be transformed from knowing about God, to have a relationship with God.

Verses 11-13. “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in His name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.”   The Jewish people were born from human descent, whereas, Jesus his flesh coming from his mother Mary, but his life’s blood coming from his Father God, the Alpha and Omega without descendants. Jesus was born of God.

John confirms a Christian is born not from descendants who were Christians, but born of the will of God through faith in Jesus.

Paul writing to the Corinthian church wrote, “ The cross a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:23, 24.

Jesus’ own people the Hebrews in their worldly wisdom couldn’t understand the cross, they perhaps saw Jesus as being humiliated, at Calvary they shouted, “Let the King of Israel come down from the cross and we may see and believe.” Mark 15: 32.

Many were not enlightened by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but those who were, John wrote, “But to all who received him, who believed in His name, he gave power to become children of God.”

It is the same today, the cross is still a stumbling block to many, and it speaks of sin, failure, suffering, and being ignored.

“But to all who receive him, and believe in His name, he gives power to become children of God.” Born of the will of God.

God’s saving love through faith in Jesus, Romans 10 : 8, 9. “But what does it say; the word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, that is the word of faith which we preach, because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

God has given us a pattern to follow, to walk by faith and not by sight,   sight being: human wisdom, logic, and science. One person I long to be enlightened to find God is Sir David Attenborough. He has spent all his adult life observing and studying wild life and yet he cannot see the creator of life, God.

Walking in faith in Jesus, trusting that God has the whole situation its’ beginning and end in view, because He is the Alpha and the Omega.

I learnt this from Mark’s  recent illness; God has the beginning and the end of all our situations, he sees the whole picture and  all the Lord asks from us is to trust that God will work things out, true to his word.

The third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit will give assurance in our Spirit of the outcome, so therefore faith, hope and love grow in our inner being as we trust and rest in the light of His Word to us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may we have opportunity today to those who we meet, to give the light of Jesus’ words. By your grace may the deaf hear and the blind see and be enlightened, to come to know Jesus as their Saviour God. Amen

Bookmarkers were given out with the Service /Notice sheets.

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Jesus God’s Son

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The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus God’s Son
Luke 9: 28-36. Colossians 1: 9-26.

Theme series: The Existence of God – God the Father – Jesus the Son of God – God the Holy Spirit.

Last week Rev Chris Casey spoke on the doctrine of God the Father. He gave us three headings: care, compassion and commitment.
We encounter a God who cares, a Father who sees his children from both as a mother and a father. He pointed to the scriptures that captures the maternal side of God. “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, you shall be comforted in Jerusalem “ Isaiah 66: 13.
The compassion of God in a Father’s love sent His Son into the world to die in order to save us and bring us home like the forgiveness in Jesus’ parable ‘The Prodigal Son and thirdly God’s commitment to us, in His love, like the love of a Father that disciplines His child to keep them on the right path.
This week we are looking at the doctrine of Jesus the Son of God
Jesus the second person of the Trinity and of one substance with the Father.
The Second  of the 39 Articles of Religion Doctrines of Church of England
The Son which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and one of substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed virgin, of her substance, so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in the one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.
The Son the Word of the Father
John the apostle identified Jesus as the Word. John wrote in his gospel Chapter 1: 1 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” the Word  brought forth life
 It’s no co-incidence in Genesis Moses wrote, “And God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters. And so, ‘God said’  at the beginning of each day,His Word brought forth life.  Genesis 1: 3 -31.
The writer of Hebrews 1: 5.”God’s Son upholding the universe by the power of his Word.” The universe has natural laws: it takes the earth a year to travel around the sun and a month for the moon to travel around the earth, they are in a fixed orbit and so proving the existence of a supreme deity, God.
John also wrote that his followers had handled the ‘Word of Life.’
1 John 1: 2 
So therefore, Jesus is God’s Word clothed in the flesh
At his word Jesus commanded the storm to cease, the elements responded to his command and at his word he recreated the flesh of the lepers and other miracles and healing.
God gave the people evidence at the Transfiguration that Jesus is His Son,
The presence of Moses’ would confirm that it was God’s audible voice they heard.  We read inExodus 19: 9,
 “And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Lo, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you for ever.” What they heard, verse 19 “the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in a voice.” NIV Bible
Elijah’s presence at the Transfiguration
Jesus in conversation with Elijah and Moses was heard to speak of his departure at Jerusalem, his death, resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Elijah was translated into heaven on a whirlwind,
 When the disciples made it known what they had seen and heard  God speaking in an audible voice, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him,” combined with Moses’ and Elijah’s  presence would bring many to believe that Jesus is God’s Son.
Jesus Word in us is one of our great strengths, we find in his Word, wisdom and understanding that touches our everyday life. We should speak his words into all our situations, whether it’s illness, tensions, accusations or when we are full of Joy. Be still and know that I am God.” “Do not be afraid,” When your in a fix turn to Philippians 4: 6 “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” “All things are possible to them that believe.”
Godhood and manhood joined together in the one person
The Son of God being born of a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus gave birth to Jesus..
But life is in the blood and I believe that Jesus’ genes that produced his blood came from God His Father. Leviticus 17: 11 Jesus’  blood had no imperfections 
It took the perfect blood of God’s Son Jesus to satisfy the legal requirements of the law.
Hebrews 9: 14 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
Just as God acts upon Jesus’ words he also acts upon his blood, His life laid down to be the final sacrifice under Jewish Law for the forgiveness of sin.
The parallel between the function of our blood in our body and the blood of Jesus saving us from sin, is  amazing. Our blood circulates around our bodies sustaining life in us.
A single red cell collects oxygen from the lungs and offloads it to a single tissue  giving energy and heat to the tissue, the red cell then  takes from the tissue waste and disposes of it through the lungs.
Through faith in the blood of Jesus, the love of God powerfully transforms our nature and takes away our sin, like the waste from the tissue.

The Article speaks of being one substance
Jesus prayer 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17: 20, 21.
 

VISUAL AID  The 3-IN-ONE 

The love of the Father lubricates the soul and transforms it.
The Son cleanses and removes the stains of guilt and sin and reconciles us to His Father.
The Holy Spirit  by enabling us to overcome temptations, therefore, prevents sin.

When the soul has been transformed, its’ nature changes. The will and the mind conform to the new nature. Under law the soul is trained to comply to God’s laws. Under grace the soul feels how God feels about sin, the law is written in the heart.

“When a (Christian) Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show what the law requires is written upon their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2: 4-16.                                            
At the transfigurationJesus’ countenance changed.
In our reading Luke records that the disciples Peter, James and John saw a change in the person of Jesus, The appearance of his countenance was altered.
They also witnessed a change in Jesus countenance after his resurrection.
I’ve witnessed many times seeing in ordinary Christians their countenance change when they shared with me their faith.
When a person comes to faith in Jesus their countenance changes: a brightness appears on the face which brightens up their whole appearance. A radiant smile that speaks of a transformed heart God’s Son presence within having been translated into His kingdom. The disciples had a glimpse into God’s dimension at the Transfiguration.
And so it’s by simple faith that we believe that Jesus is God’s Son, and God will confirm this truth to us