Gospel Meeting 01/01/2017

Isaiah 9 vs.6-7, Luke 1 vs.31-32, Luke 2 vs.10-11

As we arrive into a new year 2017 there are so many uncertainties facing us as individuals, a nation and the world. Some circumstances can get very worrying, but to know Jesus Christ personally gives us absolute reassurance about the future, Hebrews 13vs.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

And nothing can separate us from His love.

In the verses we read in Isaiah 9 vs.6 it is almost as if Isaiah couldn’t find sufficient words to describe Him, he starts with wonderful that is a word that I for one overuse I might say that I have had a wonderful Christmas and you would know what I meant by it, but Isaiah means more than that he means that He is so special, mysterious and secret that He can’t be described, in the sense that He is God and is beyond our understanding.

The next one is counsellor, someone who guides and helps us through tricky situations in our lives and who better than Jesus Christ Himself, men are fallible.

Matthew 11vs.28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Romans 11 vs.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Psalm 119 vs.105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Many scholars say the comma shouldn’t be there and the passage should read wonderful counsellor, but with my simple mind I believe with or without the comma both ways are true, He is wonderful, He is a counsellor, and He is a wonderful counsellor.

The next description of Jesus is the mighty God. He is the Almighty the one who is greater than all and is above all. He is God the Son.

The everlasting father. There is continuity with Jesus Christ; He is not different every time you go to Him. He is always there to love, protect and nurture us as a father would.

He is the prince of peace

Philippians 4 vs.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Romans 5 vs.1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Colossians 1 vs.20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

This verse seems to have been very popular this year and what has struck me particularly are the words UNTO US a child a Son, and in Luke 2 vs. 11 UNTO YOU is born a Saviour.

God knows exactly what we need and He loves us so much He sent His Son to be our Saviour. He saves us from the judgement due to us for our sin because God is Holy; He paid the full price when He shed His precious blood at Calvary. He was crucified, He died the death we deserved to make it possible that we could be totally forgiven through repentance and faith in Him alone, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

It is UNTO US and UNTO YOU that Jesus came, we don’t need to wander aimlessly and end up in a lost eternity and face God’s wrath, but God has made extraordinary provision for us that can’t be bettered. He is our Saviour He is wonderful, He is our counsellor, He is the mighty God, He is our everlasting father, and He is our prince of peace. 

Gospel Meeting 25/12/2016

Dr. Gareth Crossley read Luke 1 vs.26-35, 2 vs.1-7.
John1 vs.1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John1 vs.14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

His virgin birth is a miracle displaying the power of God.

John 1 vs.1  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

His life was terminated at the cross amidst great hostility.

1/ The Cradle, 2/ The Cross. 3/ The Crown.

1 The Cradle. Contrary to many "Nativity Scenes" it would have been dirty, noisy and draughty. He was born in Bethlehem as prophesied in the Old Testament. As many things about His birth were. Born of a virgin, travelled to Egypt, of the line of David.

2/  The Cross. The Jews hated Him, they were just interested in outward show and formality. God works from the inside out, He begins with our heart.

When He claimed to be the Son of God they said it was blasphemy ans sentenced Him to death. 

They nailed Him to the cross, He took the penalty for our guilt.

     

Matthew 27 vs.46 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Jesus saves - Jehovah.

He reconciled the world to Himself, Emmanuel God with us.

We are eternally forgiven through repentance and faith in Him.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3/ The Crown. Believers shall be taken up to be with Him for all Eternity. He is coming again in glory and every eye shall see Him, and every knee shall bow to Him. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Gospel Meeting 18/12/2016.

Mr. Paul Jackson read Luke 1 vs,27-35, Luke 2 Vs.1-20, Matthew 2 vs.1-4 and 10-12, 15.

2 Corinthians 9 vs.15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
"GIFT" Jesus is the greatest gift, He is and has always been God.

Colossians 1 vs.19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Collossians 2 vs.9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

G. Giver God, best gift, priceless gift.

John 3 vs.16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I. Indescribable, beyond description, image of the invisible God, Immanuel God with us.

F. For, recipient  is you and me, but not all will accept the gift.

Romans 3 vs.23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6 vs.23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The price is paid by the giver, He died to pay the full price for our redemption.

T. Thanks, we need to give God thanks, repent and put our trust in Him.

Gospel Meeting 11/12/2016

Mr. William Horsborough read Ephesians 2 vs.1-22.
He spoke on verses 1-10.
"BUT GOD"
1/ Down in the valley - vs.1-3.
2/ Up in the mountain -  vs.4-9.
3/ Out in the world - vs.10.

1/ Man in our natural state, we are all be nature the children of wrath.

Ephesians 4 vs.17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

We must first of all be humbled and then be made alive. Ye must be born again.

2/ But God who is rich in mercy, He is our rock and our anchor, we delight in His love.

While we were still sinners Christ died for us at Calvary - He shed His blood as the Lamb of God.He cried "It is finished." He died that we might live.

Romans 5 vs.8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

It is not of works, it is like we are incurably ill but He has the cure.

3/  We are His workmanship, and we are beautiful in God's sight.

God's pleasure is to see others saved through us, that is the greatest good work.

1 Timothy 1 vs,15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Gospel Meeting 04/12/2016

Mr. Mike Wajdner read Ephesians 2 vs.1-10 and Leviticus 14 vs.1-11.
Leprosy as a picture of sin.
All have sinned and are under the judgement of God.
John 3 vs.16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Who will go to the sinners, Jesus came.
He was sent to be the Saviour of the world.
He came into a world of sin, but also He is the priest, He is the offerer and the offered.
He is the sacrifice He was slain for me at Calvary, and I am accepted as clean.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were all involved in my Salvation.
The blood was shed, the sacrifice was slaughtered and the blood has been applied.
It is all of God we can do nothing towards it, we must just repent of our sin and put our faith in Jesus Christ.
Our sin is then forgiven and we can have confidence in God.
Our faith saves us, and our daily lives should be sanctified to Him and one day we shall be with Him and like Him.

Gospel Meeting 27/11/2016

Dr. Gareth Crossley read Mark 4 vs.1-9, 13-20.
"The Parable of the Sower."
It is both a challenge and a comfort.
Only a few will believe.
The Lord Jesus is the perfect teacher, and His teaching is perfect.
God so loved the world that He sent His Son born of a woman miraculous conception. Jesus is Holy He is the Son of God and Son of Man.
He bore our sins in His body at Calvary, how it must have grieved His Father to see that.
The death of the Lord Jesus is sufficient for us, it satisfied God.
We must be genuinely sorry for our sin repent, and trust Him with all of our heart, with everything.
He is the Son of the living God, never man spoke like Him.
The teacher is perfect, the teaching is perfect it is the response of the hearers that is not perfect.
1/ Path, hard heart, unresponsive.
2/ Shallow soil, impetuous, impulsive.
3/ Thorns and thistles, half hearted, preoccupied.
4/ Whole hearted, love Him, serve Him, trust Him for now and for the future. Be faithful to Him.

1 Timothy 6 vs.6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Gospel Meeting 20/11/2016

Mr. Craig Maffey read: Luke 10 vs.25 - 37.

The Lord's parables gives us spiritual lessons.

The Lord uses precise words to convey truth.

The expert lawyer approached Christ with a vital question "what shall I do to inherit eternal life"? - but his problem was "do". He wanted to do something to merit God's salvation. The work of salvation has been done and finished. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered, bled and died on the Cross for our salvation - it is God's gift, through His Son.

Ephesians 2 vs.8-9 tells us "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast". 

The Lord dealt graciously with the lawyer, saying he had answered right to his own question, but challenged him to do it and he would live.

The lawyer realized he had not lived up to what was required and tried to wriggle out of it.

The parable of the Good Samaritan, is a picture of a man turning his back on God, by going down from Jerusalem, the city of God, unto Jericho,the city of curse.

There is a Heaven to be gained and a Hell to be shunned.

The man was in need of salvation.

If we are not right with God, we are in need of salvation. All have sinned and come up short of God's standards. Some people see some sins as worse than others, but sin is sin. We are not fit for Heaven, until all our sins are forgiven. 

The priest, a religious man, was there by chance - he was also "going down", but passed by though he saw the man's need.

The Levite, another religious man, also passed by - both of them had no resources to save this man as religion and law - keeping cannot save. Only Christ's work at Calvary can save.

The Rescuer, was the Good Samaritan - a picture of The Lord himself....He came to where he was and his was a journey of love. 1st. Timothy 1 vs.15 tells us "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners".

The Jewish man was half dead, and although they and the Samaritans had no dealings with each other, he looked on him with compassion and love....so true of Christ who was also moved with compassion many times.

The Good Samaritan attended to ALL his needs, giving perfect provision. God's salvation is the perfect answer to ALL our needs and sins. 

The Good Samaritan took him from a place of danger to a place of safety. Christ more than risked His life - He gave His life on the Cross for our salvation, paid our debt, that He did not owe.

No greater price could have been paid, than Christ's sufferings. 

If you put your personal faith and trust in Christ, whatever problems we face, we know we are saved and can rest in His finished work.

Christ has promised to come again soon and receive us unto Himself. This is our blessed prospect - to be eternally with Him. 

The final promise of God's Word is Revelation 22 vs.20 "He which testifieth these things saith, "Surely I come quickly".