An ordinary Christian. Acts 6:5-18

P.A.Thatcher
23rd October 2011
Sunday morning worship
OBSEC
An ordinary Christian.
Acts 6:8-15
As Christians we often hide our poor Christian life and effort behind the reputation of some whom we might believe to be Super-Christians. The Apostle Paul is one such character, who can ever match up to what he was. There is much truth in that but we need to keep a balance also. Remember it was Paul who wrote Romans 7:15-20:
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Paul also elsewhere refers to himself as the least worthy and chief of sinners. Paul was under no illusion that he was better than the rest. All of his achievements he attributed to his Lord. All of his authority and understanding came from the Lord and all of his resolve was of the Lord.
It is right to get this into context before we consider Stephen another of the church’s super-heroes. Before the mention of his name for the first time in Acts 6:5 to the reader of the New Testament Stephen was an unknown quantity. He was chosen by the church because he had the required qualities for the role of servant of the church. If you remember the qualifications laid down for the choosing of these 7 men who were to care for the widows of the church was that they be full of faith and the Holy Spirit. That is a description of all believers! Remember since our repentance and conversion we are a new creation, gone are the old ways. Our sin has been replaced with righteousness given by God and the gods of our former life (Satan and self) who solely occupied our very heart have been replaced by God Almighty through His Holy Spirit. Therefore these are the credentials of all who are born again of God. The church then had the responsibility to choose 7 men who were exemplary in their faith. We can of course see quite clearly that some people are in closer relationship with God than others are and so the shortlist for the 7 was made smaller. But then the job at hand needed to be done and so those suitably equipped would be shortlisted further just as we do when interviewing for any specific job. The job at hand was quite specific, it was all about caring for people in difficulties and so Stephen was by reputation chosen because he was good at such things. The church had to make pragmatic decisions for a spiritual work. That was the work of the church membership. But what of the man himself and what was it that the church recognised in him?
 He was obvious.
 He was powerful.
He was obvious.
The very fact that it was obvious to all should never go without saying. The greatest testimony that can ever be made is that of other people. There are so many autobiographies written these days that tell of the wonderful things that “I” have done. They often tell it warts and all but it is always with a bias that will only disclose truth and error as far as they want to. But when somebody else speaks of us if they are truthful they can only record the reality of what can be observed. Luke in his research for this book records that Stephen was a man full of God’s grace and power. What he saying by this is; Stephen was a most impressive Christian. He did not gain favour by being relevant or trendy or even by having the right theology. It was not his character that set him apart although I am sure that it was impressive in itself; after all the Greek believers trusted him with the welfare of their widows. These are the attributes that we generally look for in people fit for service, it is not wrong to do that but there are higher qualities that are even more important. A note of caution here is necessary Stephen was not so High minded that he had no earthly use. He was clearly respected for his human values but he was also a Godly man of the first order.
He was Full of God’s grace, he had many of his own graces but to be full of God’s grace is truly both impressive and important. It was impressive because others saw it in him. It was not just the Greek believers that entrusted him with their widow’s welfare but the Jewish believers did also. That in itself is amazing, both factions are pleased with all 7 appointed men including Stephen.
If ever there was a time when grace from God was necessary it was then. How does a church deal with such potentially explosive issues? The leaders needed great wisdom and Stephen was wise. They needed much grace to deal with the issues and God is who full of grace, it was He who had empowered Stephen for such a time as this!
As we have read Stephen was unfairly arrested, the members of the Synagogue of the Freedman (there is not much known about who these are but they are thought of consist largely of freed slaves) opposed the gospel and picked an argument with Stephen. His wisdom confounded them and the Spirit of God by whom he spoke defeated them publicly! As we all know a cornered rat is a dangerous animal it will attack violently. These Greek Jews did what they best could, they summoned up a group of liars and made false accusations against Stephen. It is oh so familiar! They gained support from the crowd and also the elders and the teachers of the law on trumped up charges of blasphemy which just happened to be the emotive subject of the day. These upright religious guys had no scruples about false witnesses. Their theology was that the end justifies the means. In other words it does not really matter how dubious or wrong your efforts are as long as it all turns out well for you. Sounds so modern doesn’t it!!! The charges of course soon get enlarged and from firstly being a charge of blasphemy it becomes a charge of constantly criticising the temple and the law and of making wild claims of Jesus destroying the temple. To cap it all they accused him of changing the customs of Moses. They in effect were claiming that Stephen was attacking the very core of society and culture.
As they sat in judgement they looked intently at Stephen! What did they see? They were clearly surprised at his calm; he was not shouting injustices or claiming his rights as we might. There is no evidence of his being downcast and hurt. He simply is there being observed. Earlier they could not stand against his wisdom which tells us that his claims were fair and with authority. Stephen was truly a man who was wise in difficult circumstances.
In this he is a great example to us today, we do not have to stand before kangaroo courts of theologians’ intent on destroying us but we do have a critical people out there who would love to destroy our witness. They will use all manner of unfairness to destroy our witness. Remember how not long ago a group of parents in the village made unfair claims about what we taught the children. We were reported as telling them that they were dirty rotten sinners. That was totally unfair but as with Stephen’s accusers it was based on the truth. What they accused Stephen of saying was true to a point. Christ and the church will destroy the old form of faith but not in the way that his accusers implied. We also must not shy away from truth, the bible tells us that all have sinned and that includes small children. Even King David admitted that he had been sinful since birth! We are expected to teach truth to old and young alike. We do teach universal sin to the children but it is never our place to apply the depths of their personal sin to them and neither do we! We of course to some are the most evil people because of the misrepresentation. What do we do about it?
We learn a lesson from Stephen! We must simply and accurately and without fear declare the truth as it is. We will see next time just how Stephen achieved that and what resulted from it!
A final lesson from Stephen:
He was powerful.
Remember that those sitting in judgement were looking intently at him! They saw much more than his wisdom. The saw his real power, Luke reports their understanding. Stephen to them had the face of an angel. At this point we have to get rid of all of our mythical understanding of what an angel is! We are about to enter a most dangerous time in the calendar when the whole country seems to go Christian mad! There will be cards coming through our doors with the most bizarre representations of what angels are. We will see little baby-like creatures with wings and blowing trumpets. This is a soppy and wrong interpretation of the reality! Whenever angels appear in the scripture they bring fear and trembling to their hearers, certainly if not at first they do before they depart from their subject. They often come with a sword to speak of their authority or with a trumpet to give a clarion call. For our information the trumpets if they ever were with the angels at the declaration of the birth of Jesus would have been to make the clarion call from God that battle has begun. The Lord had set His plan to go into battle against the devil: His warrior Jesus was now at war! That is the implications of the event. The angels came with a set purpose from God to declare His plan for them.
That is always the case with angels; they are warriors for the Lord with a message to the people from God! What the accusing of Stephen saw was certainly not a baby faced being! They saw wisdom and power from God! They also had a word from God to listen to, which is what angels do! They speak God’s word with power to those whom God has sent them. It is therefore no surprise that they then invite Stephen to speak. More of the message next time! But as we will discover they listen for 52 verses to Stephen’s interpretation of what their history is all about! In the end they choose to ignore it and to execute Stephen but they did listen. Why did they see Stephen to have a face like an angel? Because God had sent him to them with a message! Stephen at that point was an angel: a messenger of God. To a point we are all angels. Remember in the first few chapters of Revelation the Lord Jesus addresses the angel of various churches, if you study it a little you will find out He is speaking to the one with the message in the church. We are all messengers of God; called to declare the gospel message to all that we know. To them we are angels and our message has great authority. It might well be rejected but it comes with the full authority and power of God.
Stephen was an ordinary Christian just as we are but yet he was powerful when he declared his message. We are equally powerful when we declare the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if our hearers ever notice the power that we have in the Lord.
They never will if we are never God’s angels to them! Ordinary Christians at times are angels to others; our message has great authority and power from God for them at that time.

We should pray for the opportunity to be an angel to somebody; they should in turn see us to be full of God’s grace and power. I wonder what you might say to the next person who unwittingly asks that you be an angel to them.




 

A problem solving exercise. Acts 6:1-7

P.A.Thatcher
OBSEC
Sunday morning
16th October 2011
A problem solving exercise.
Acts 6:1-7
As we have seen over recent weeks the church was growing at a phenomenal rate. The Lord was blessing her greatly and that caused many problems for her. She was experiencing persecution from the authorities but also as we have read there was an undercurrent within the membership.
The church has been commended for the way that they cared for each other; property had been sold in order to help any in need. We have no real way of discerning the timespan between those events recorded in chapter 4 and chapter 6 but the impression we get is that it is only a short space of time. In this period there has developed unrest amongst the members. It was a dangerous situation and it needed to be deal with swiftly but carefully. The way that the church dealt with it is a great example for us as a church today. This morning we will consider:
1) The problem.
2) The proposal.
3) The result.

1: The problem:
The problem began with the church growing. We could say that they were experiencing growing pains but that would be far too simplistic. The reality was that amongst believers a racial tension was in evidence. From our studies of the New Testament we know that racial issues are a constant battle. The Jews were a very proud people; proud of their heritage as the nation singled out through whom God would bless the whole world. When a person is converted the scripture tells us that he is a new creation, the old sinful nature is dealt with and a new Godly nature replaces it. That might suggest that sinless perfection results and so consequently that person will from then on never transgress again. Some believe that it is not only possible for Christians to attain such perfection but that it is an expectation. But the evidence of the bible is that this is never the case. In fact we will one day be made perfect but that is when we receive our glorified bodies in the presence of God in heaven. Until that day we battle against the old sinful nature and so in the words of scripture we need to crucify the old nature and work hard at living a holy life. As we know that is easier said than done. In our passage Luke records the church displaying this very problem, they are guilty of letting the old nature raise its ugly head.
Racism is becoming a problem. The Grecian Jews are in their opinion not being treated as well as the Hebraic Jews. The very thing that we commended the church for just a few weeks ago is now a failure. Inequality has become a part of the church. From being all equal now some are feeling marginalised and unfairly treated. As with all such problems it is not absolutely certain where the truth lies. It might well be true that the Hebraic Jews were receiving preferential treatment but equally it could be true that it was a perceived favouritism on behalf of the Grecian Jews. That does not really matter; there was a problem that if not dealt with would soon split the church. Church history is littered with splits due to lesser issues than this one that we are considering today!
The problem was important, the widows of the Greek section of the church felt that they were being overlooked by the food bank. Their perception was that the Hebrew widows were being cared for properly and their widows were not! Therefore a real tension was building up the result being that they were complaining amongst themselves!
Application:
If this situation were to continue then real problems are just around the corner. Jealousy soon would destroy the fellowship! I am glad that this issue is recorded by Luke. It is a great encouragement to me that the early church was just like us, they did get things wrong. Human nature causes all sorts of problems especially when a number of people are together for any period of time. It would be so easy at this point to get all stewed up and to let emotion and hurt take over and to react in a way that is detrimental to the church and its witness.
We will undoubtedly experience our own unique problems; in fact there are probably issues within our fellowship now where some might feel marginalized for all sorts of reasons. The important thing for us is: what we do when we feel like that!
We have a great example before us as to how we should deal with such issues.

2: The proposal:
We are not told how the Apostles came to know about the problem but it had clearly come to their attention and they immediately took it seriously! It is too easy for us as leaders to bury our heads in the sand when we see problems, but as we all know when we do then the problem amplifies very quickly. The Apostles acted quickly and efficiently.
First they addressed the problem publicly. This was a church issue and the whole church was consulted as to the remedy. Information is always encouraging to those going through difficulties. Often in news reports we hear of some incident that prevents public transport having to delay their journey. One of the great criticisms the public has is that they do not know what is going on. The church on this occasion could not criticise its leaders for a lack of communication. We would do well to take note of this point; there should be no secrets from the membership as to what is going on in the church. There will obviously be matters of confidentiality when working with people but for the smooth running of the church and for matters of organisation then information is vitally important for all!
Not only did the Apostles take the issue seriously and address the church but they also assessed it rightly. The Apostles had a mandate as to what their role was. It would have been easy at this point for them to muddle along and attempt to deal with the problem. They were of course the leaders and might have felt that they should roll their sleeves up and sort it out. But that was the role of another group of believers. You see the Apostles main role was to pray and to minister the word! That was enough for any man at that time. To get involved with other issues would have resulted in their ministry being compromised. It is so easy for leaders to want to meddle in all of the issues of the church! There are various ministries in the same way as there are various parts of our bodies and just like an eye is specially made to see things and a hand to feel things then within the church there are various members who are especially equipped to perform the many necessary tasks of the church. The last thing that the church needs is a one man ministry or even few member ministries! What we do need is a full body ministry where all members are mobilized and about their own special ministry in the fellowship. There should be no back-benchers or retired members, we are all vital to the cause of the gospel here!
So what did the Apostles do? They made an important proposal!
Choose 7 equipped men and appoint them to the task of serving the church. The equipping required was that they be full of the Holy Spirit and wise. The church knew exactly which men to choose and presented them to the Apostles who then set them apart by praying for them and anointing them (or laying hands on them) and then letting them get on with the job.
Application:
We need leaders who take their role seriously and who deal with all of the issues of the church swiftly and fairly. We need the leaders to do the job that they are appointed for and to appoint equipped people to perform the tasks with which they are especially equipped and then to leave them to do the job for which they have been appointed!
So often the leaders are everything in the church leaving the rest of the members feeling impotent. Equally just as Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas were both available and willing to be involved so we need all members of the church (Christian attenders!) to be willing and available for service! The church is an all member activity and not a work for the elite few!
3: The Result:
As we have seen before church growth resulted from good church practise! Look at verse 7; the result of serious leadership is the spread of the Word of God. But not just the spread of the Word but God was also pleased to bless the Word being preached. The Apostles prioritized rightly making themselves available to preach the gospel and God gave the increase. The number of disciples grew rapidly and also at the same time the enemy is being decreased! A large number of priests were converted; simply because the church would not bow to the authorities when they demanded that the gospel should not be preached and also due to the faithfulness and obedience of the church and its leaders in the internal issues of the church.
Notice that it is God who convicts and converts; that is His work! BUT the spread of the gospel is our responsibility. Just as the early church did we must take that duty seriously and the church must all work together in order that the gospel might be preached widely. Where there are problems they must be dealt with speedily with great efficiency but also with great care and wisdom. Problems should not hinder our gospel work but should be dealt with swiftly thus making the church more gospel efficient. Then we MUST pray that the Lord gives the increase. We do not need plans and church growth schemes we simply need to be biblical and obedient!

The church under attack: Acts 5:17-42

9th October 2011
OBSEC
Sunday am
Acts 5:17-42
The church under attack
Last time we considered the signs and wonders that authenticated the beginning of the church. We concluded by making the point that this very thing brought about a jealousy and opposition from the leaders of the Jews.
The issue at hand for today is why did the leaders object so violently and how can that benefit us here today?
Let us first of all consider the opposition:
Who were the leaders?
Luke seems to be rather condescending towards them when. he introduces them as the high priest and his associates. The high priest and his gang or cronies is what we might say today.
The high priest was supposed to be God’s representative to the people. His position was appointed by God and his role was to make relationship between God and the people possible. He could in actual fact do nothing by his own ability because before God he was no better than the people to whom he was ministering. It has always and always will be the case that all have sinned and all have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. The problem was that the high priests did not believe that. In their own estimation they were a cut above the people, they were arrogant and proud and believed themselves to be righteous in every way. They were all important and God was privileged to have them as his co-workers. Remember Jesus story of the Pharisee and the sinner in the temple! The Pharisee had no problem with claiming superiority over the repentant man at the back. That was the very mind-set of the high priest and all of his mates.
But there is more to the issue than meets the eye. As always there are a number of contributory factors. Luke simply records that they were members of an elite grouping. They were all Sadducees, what that means is that they were all theologians. They studied their theology and made dictates in line with their own particular understanding of who God is!
This is where the rubber really hits the road! Good theology is of vital importance, it is the vehicle that helps us to understand the things of God. This bible of ours is a book of theology but as we are all too well aware it can easily be misread, misinterpreted and abused! That is exactly what the high priest and his associates were guilty of and in a way it is what made them tick.
One of the main doctrines of the Sadducees was that they did not believe in the resurrection, the Holy Spirit or of angels and miracles. They had the same Hebrew scriptures which are our Old Testament and which was read and taught in the Temple and also the synagogues of Judea but yet they would not believe in all of the truths contained within. It now starts to become clear as to why they reacted as they did! They were seeing mighty miracles happening, they had previously seen similar miracles performed by Jesus whom the hated and plotted against. They could not sanction what was happening theologically and so it was in their estimation an abomination.
There is also another point to consider, they were convinced by their own hyper spirituality and so why did these things not happen for them and so they were jealous because they were not the focal point.
All of these things are a recipe for disaster and the dis aster unfolded very quickly as we have read. They acted quickly in arresting the apostles:
Application:
We often scratch our heads and wonder why there is so much opposition to our gospel and to the church and its teaching. The high priest and his friends are a perfect example as to why. The majority of people are just like them; they have their own theologies, are equally self-important and self-righteous and in the same way want to be the centre of God’s attention.
We should not be surprised that such people hate it when we speak of our own personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our own personal benefit. They will hate such a message. They might not in Britain arrest us and beat us simply because it is not the “done thing” here! In other lands there is no such protection.
We should always take heart and even rejoice when we are attacked for the sake of the gospel for the same reasons that the early church did: We are being counted as worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Lesson:
Opposition is cause for rejoicing rather that the depression that we often have when negativity come the way of the church. It should not come for what we have done but because of what God has done in Christ Jesus!!

How can this benefit us?
Just consider what happened simply because there was opposition. The church experienced God’s mighty hand at work! The authorities are against the church and the gospel, they might have clever ideas and negative comments but God is with His people. He promised never to leave them or forsake them. They are for a second time thrown into prison but this time one of God’s special agents is sent to the rescue, during the night he opens the door, brought them out and locked up behind them; when the jailor came the next day the prison was securely locked! Not only does God send a rescuer to them but he is also a messenger.
The message from God: “Go into the courts of the temple and declare salvation through Jesus Christ to all of the people. A reminder that whatever men might say the gospel must be preached by His people.
We would do well to take notice in a day when we are encouraged to speak in any other name than Jesus. The gospel must be preached by us to all of the people!
The apostles are obedient to God’s instruction and early in the morning go to the temple and began to teach.
The high priest and his mates call for the apostles but of course they are nowhere to be found, they are all puzzled because the prison is locked up. Until word comes to them, “they are in the temple courts teaching about Jesus!!” Fearfully they are brought to the high priest and then taken before the government. They are reminded of the previous instruction made not to speak in the name of Jesus and then accused of teaching all of Jerusalem. That is effective gospel witness! Then we see what threat the high priest appeared to be under. You are even blaming us for this man’s death. How hypocritical can they be? They were guilty; they had sat in judgement and approved of all that had happened to Jesus.
Peter along with the other apostles waste no time, he goes straight for the jugular:
• We must obey God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God whom the high priest and his friends misrepresented!
• God raised Jesus from the dead, how painful that must have been to a people who did not believe in the resurrection.
• Jesus was dead because you killed Him on a tree, thus making Him a curse. They would have known full well the scripture that speaks of the one who died on a tree as becoming a curse!( Dt21:23) Not realising that this was God’s way of dealing with sin the innocent one becoming a curse before God on behalf of those living under the curse of sin.
• He is now exalted by God and is the Prince of heaven and the Saviour for all who will repent.
• We are witnesses of these events along with the Holy Spirit given by God to all who will obey Him.
I am not too sure what they expected but they received the full anger of the High priest, and do not forget how much authority and influence this man had but Gamaliel was there. He was the voice of reason and common sense. He was a Pharisee with good old common sense at a time of crisis. He reminded them that if this was a work of God they would not be able to prevent it but if it was not then they soon would know! That was just what they needed, an excuse to back off a little and to keep face. A good old flogging was dealt out and the apostles released with the renewed command not to speak in the name of Jesus.
That command was as good as useless. A rejoicing group of apostles left and continued with the great commission. Nothing would stop the apostles doing what their Lord had commanded.

Question:
What stops you from speaking in the name of Jesus?
Application:
The threat of pain and death would not deter the early church from fulfilling its mission. We do not seem to have the same resolve today even though it is far less dangerous for us today to stand up for Jesus.
Why is that?

Christmas 2010

A Happy Christmas to you.

Are you ready for the big day?
That seems to be the question at the forefront of our thinking at this time of the year. Christmas is coming and yet there is so much to do. Will I ever be ready?
The snow is on the ground; the present stack is growing. Cards are being written and postal deadlines are closing in. It is such a busy time for all of us.
Will we ever be ready?
As we travel around we see that local authorities have decorated the streets. The shops are prepared and some houses even have their Christmas trees in place. I have even seen Santa climbing a chimney.
Christmas is almost upon us!
But: are you ready?
It seems from our newspapers and televisions that nature is ready. We are already in the grip of an icy winter. There is snow on the ground, the bookmakers are hoping for many wrong guesses in order that they might make a good profit from those who bet on the chances of it being a white Christmas. The children are practising their Nativity plays; the restaurants are enticing us in with their Christmas fare. The mulled wine and mince pies are readily available. They are all ready!
BUT ARE YOU?
Christmas is a delightful time of the year. It is a great time for the family, a bright oasis in the dull days of winter. It is a time when all of the preparations are completed that we can relax and enjoy the season. I really do hope that this Christmas is a good one for you. I am looking forward to it immensely. But I wonder if you have ever considered the preparations that were necessary for that first Christmas?

It would be easy to think that the birth of Jesus was just an afterthought by God and that He made a simple decision to do something in order to give a helping hand to poor unfortunate mankind due to Adam and Eve’s transgression. This could not be further from the truth.
God was ready!
The bible tells us that God is omniscient, which simply means that He is all knowing. In being all knowing He had a plan for our rescue. Adam’s transgression might seem small to us but to God a complete break of trust over which He grieves greatly. He created man to be His friend and to be in fellowship with Him. A broken rule damaged that for all time.
We have inherited Adam’s rebellion and need God to do something on our behalf to restore what we have lost!
God was prepared for this.
From before the world was formed our All Knowing God prepared for Jesus to come at a specific time in order to rescue all who will repent and put their trust in Him. If you consider the Christmas account you will soon discover that Mary was fore-warned that Jesus would be born as was Joseph. Matthew in his gospel goes to great length to tell us that the Old Testament speaks of Jesus to come!
God was fully prepared.
He declared to His people through the Prophets that a Saviour would come. Isaiah said: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace.” We see these words on Christmas cards relating to Jesus. You see that at just the right time:
God was prepared
And so He sent Jesus, born of Mary! This is not only a miracle of birth that we as Christians wonder at but it is a far greater miracle. It is a miracle of God’s grace in that He was prepared and willing to do something of great value for mankind. By His grace He has gifted the world with His Son Jesus who gave Himself as a sacrifice for us that sin might be forgiven.
God was fully prepared to do this for you but are you prepared to accept His gift of Jesus. We celebrate His birth. Why not consider Him as saviour?

We invite you to come to any of the services published in our card but would especially invite you to join with us for the “Community Carol Service” to be held on Friday 17th December at 6:00pm. During the service we will take up an offering; the proceeds will go to the Shoebox appeal which is organised by Blythewood Care.

Once again I wish you a very happy Christmas.

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.”

Mary Pells Cocks Thanksgiving Service

Service of Thanksgiving
Led by Pastor Peter Thatcher
Scriptures read whilst walking into the Chapel
John 11:25-26
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whosoever lives and believes in me will never die."
Romans 14:8-9
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the living and the dead.
Job 19:25-27
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

~
Welcome and Introduction
Mary always said that she did not expect anybody to turn up to her funeral because she had absolute certainty that she would not be there. I would like to repeat that at the very beginning. Mary is not here she is in a far better place. Her prayers have been answered and her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has called her into the very presence of God the Father where she has received her crown of glory and commendation from God. “Welcome good and faithful servant.”
I also have a welcome for you. It was Mary’s desire that on the day when her body is committed to the ground that we her family and friends gather to worship God together. She always said that God created both the crows and the nightingales. He is not interested in the beauty of the voice but in praise which comes from the heart. He said make a joyful noise to the Lord not necessarily a tuneful one. We are called by Mary now to join together in praise of her Saviour.

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Hymn: “Through the Love of God….”
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A Loving Remembrance from Mary’s family
by Mary’s nieces Ruth & Anthea
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Scripture Reading by Mary’s son, David:
(2 Corinthians chapters 4 & 5)
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Prayer , led by Dr. Meirion Evans
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Pastor’s address,
with a Loving Remembrance from the Church


Mary Pells Cocks 24th August 1915-20th July 2010

I am under strict instructions here (not by the family) but by Mary herself. I must not exalt her but must give all of the glory to Jesus. That of course is easily done with a person who had the faith that Mary did.

For the last few years Mary has had one desire and that was to go home to be with her Lord. That prayer and desire has been answered and with absolute certainty we can say that Mary is now absent from the body and present with the Lord. She could not wait for the day of fulfilment but she also knew the reality of one of her favourite bible verses from Psalm 31 “my times are in your hands!”

We have heard a family tribute and now it is my great privilege to say a few words on behalf of the church here at Ogmore-by-Sea. What do we say about Mary? There is so much!

Take a moment out and just look around you, you will see a building. Mary and her husband Denis moved into the Hamlet of Ogmore-by-Sea and turned it into a village. A hamlet becomes a village when it has a church. Mary and Denis and their children Jane and David moved into the hamlet and soon discovered a lack of something most dear to them. The church! The way it all happened was really quite remarkable and time does not allow us to tell the full story. It all began with them starting a Sunday school on their first Sunday in the village. This consisted of Jane, David and one other child in their house. Soon numbers required a move from the house into the garage and then came the development of a Sunday service and the church was born. It was then that Ogmore-by-Sea became a village. In 1967 this building was opened for the church to meet in. We are grateful to Mary and Denis for our building every time we come here especially on cold wet and windy days. The Lord put the burden on their hearts and they were faithful to Him and now we benefit from that faithfulness.

But it is more than that, they also constituted the church. That means that they laid down the rules of the church, the foundation being the bible alone. Mary and Denis trusted the bible to be God’s inspired word and that it is the rule book of the church. And so we have the bible at the forefront of all that we do, thanks to Mary.

Another glance around and you will see a plaque, a memorial to Mary’s beloved husband Denis who with Mary had such a vision and desire. I never met Denis but Mary assured me that I would have got on very well with him. I can go to the farthest reaches of the land and when asked where I come from, I have now stopped saying that you will not have heard of it because it seems that there is always somebody who knew Mary and Denis. That is testimony to their faithfulness in the church of Jesus Christ. In this we have a reminder to be faithful as Christians.

It was not all theological issues, look at the curtains and the kitchen, Mary wanted to see the building maintained and from the sale of Cornerways she gave us the funds to improve our building. To Mary faith was also to be demonstrated by action. These are tremendous lessons that she taught us, having discovered them for herself from the bible that she so loved.

There is one final thing that we see as we look around and that is the church who are the people who come here week by week to worship Jesus. We are in a small way Mary and Denis’ legacy. Some people leave money as their legacy, I am proud to be part of Mary’s legacy which is a people for whom the highest price possible has been paid. God paid for our redemption, the cost being the sacrificial death of His only begotten Son. That is a legacy beyond compare.

There are many anecdotes that we could recount but Mary had such a large personality that it would take many hours to recount even half of the stories. I am sure that over refreshments at the end of the service you will be able to chat about them. The one thing that always amazed me about Mary was what somebody recently described as a wicked sense of humour. If you saw the tell tale twinkle in her eye then you knew that trouble was afoot!

Despite what we said at the beginning about Mary looking forward to the day when the Lord would take her she did love life and she lived it to the full, taking every opportunity to tell others about Jesus. She was forthright and could be quite abrupt which sometimes rubbed people up the wrong way. She was impatient with slowness of heart and sloppiness. She was upright in the home, the church and also in heart. Her righteousness came from Christ alone; she was thoroughly Christian.

She had one last and final request and that is that I on her behalf tell you about her Jesus: We read these words earlier “we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ and receive what is due to us.” For Mary it was a welcome into heaven and that was because the offence of her sin had been dealt with when she trusted in Jesus for salvation. Mary wants me to tell all of you gathered here that heaven depends upon faith in Jesus. Her final word is an invitation. Mary wants you all one day to join her where she is. How can you do that? You must recognise that you also have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Call on the name of the Lord and trust in Jesus who died bearing the sin of all who repent. Mary said do not come to my funeral which will take place at 2:00 because she will not be there but she does invite you to be where she is on the day of your funeral. Why not be like Mary and Denis and all other Christians and trust in Jesus for yourself and then like Mary you will have absolute certainty of going to heaven.

Personally I can say that Mary was always a great encouragement to me and one of my greatest supporters. For this I am eternally grateful.

Mary of course has a family all of whom are rejoicing at the certainty of her homecoming but that does not take away the sadness and the grief. On behalf of the church gathered here in Ogmore-by-Sea I offer our sincere condolences to David and Helen, Elizabeth and Vincent and their 4 children in Northern Ireland; to Alison and Simon and their 2 girls and to Sharon and Mark. We also must remember the extended family and close friends. You will all miss Mary greatly. You do not get over the loss of a loved one but time does make it more bearable.

As a church our prayers are with you and I urge all praying people to uphold this family in your prayers.

May God bless you all.

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Hymn: “Saviour, Again to Thy dear Name…”
~
Prayer and Benediction








Hymns for Pianist from ‘Complete Mission Praise’ with melodies suggested by Mary.

166: Give me a Sight, O Saviour
167: Give Thanks
168: God Holds the Key
169: Hark, My Soul!
170: He is Exalted
171: Here From the World
172: His Hands were Pierced
173: His Name is Wonderful
174: I know That My Redeemer Lives!
175: Lord, For the Years
176: Rejoice, The Lord is King!
177: Safe in the Shadow
178: Sweet is the Work ( tune: Deep Harmony)
179: There is a Redeemer
180: Thine Be the Glory
181: What a Friend (tune: Calon Lan)
182: The Lord’s My Shepherd
And I will Trust in You alone.

Testimony Part 2

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.

Testimony

Peter’s Testimony

“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

Psalm 11: Seeing the face of God

Psalm 7

Verse 7 tells us that the upright will see the face of God. In the Psalms we often see how the writer was trying to come to terms with life around him. This Psalm was in written by King David to whom God had promised a descendant who would be an even greater King than David. The Lord Jesus fulfilled that promise but David's own understanding as to how this would all work out clouded his understanding of the promise. I am sure that when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write these words David did not fully realise that it would be one of his descendants that would be the human face of God that the righteous would see.

Our purpose is to see how this works out through the person of Jesus and why He came to earth as He did.

Who is Jesus?

The New Testament tells us that:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The statement raises the question: who can be the same in the past, present and future? There is only one answer to this; it is God that is the only One who is present, past and future. God never changes and so He is the same now and will remain the same always and will be the same on into eternity. Verse 7 therefore teaches us that Jesus is God which then logically begs another question which needs to be asked: 

“Why did Jesus come to earth?”

A broken code:

The answer to this is simple really. God created the world and created man in order that He might have a close friendship with mankind. The only problem is that God is perfectly holy and as long as man remained as he was created then fellowship was possible but man broke God’s moral code. When Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit; sin entered into the world. 

Today man has problem with what sin is!

A question of perspective:

We need to look from God’s perspective as to what sin is and not from human understanding. Human understanding tells that sin is all of the worst of evils things that mankind has done. Therefore murderers and child abusers are sinners but we are just ordinary people and are not really sinful.  We are not so bad that we would be classed as sinners. That is reserved for the Hitler’s etc. of this world!

The punishment should fit the crime:

There is much truth in the statement that the punishment should fit the crime. As humans we have to judge good from evil in society. Some people are so bad that they deserve severe punishment for their wrongdoing! God has covered this in His law as found in the Old Testament which if adhered to would deal fairly with those who both commit crime and also those who are the victims of crime. (The whole subject of Godly punishment needs to be considered in another study.)

What is often referred to as sin by modern man is a sterile understanding of what sin truly is. Man will always have an anaemic view as to what sin really is because he does not naturally want to admit that he belongs to the company of sinners.

Sin from God’s perspective:

So therefore what is sin? It is simply disobedience to God’s requirements of humanity. To us that might seem rather petty and we might wonder whether God really will reject those who are basically good in our estimation.

Lessons from the character of God:

We need to go back to the very beginning in order to understand what sin really is. As we have already said "God has always been, He is and He always will be." He is perfect in every way and He has clear and just standards that cannot be changed. Try to imagine a laboratory that makes drugs for the cure of a specific illness. It has to be scrupulously clean and free from contamination. If just one molecule of contaminant enters into that process all of the resulting drugs are rejected and destroyed even though they are 99.99% pure. They are unfit for use because of a small amount of contaminant. We might reason that it would be quite improper to destroy the whole batch due to such a small quantity of impurity but in reality that small amount ruins the whole batch. If there is no way to purify it then it is only fit for rejection. This is just what it is like with God.

The purity of God:

He is 100% pure, there is no hint of sin in Him and so if He was to admit into His presence even one person who is less than perfect God Himself  would be contaminated by their sin. As with a contaminated drug there is no natural way of purification from sin and so there is no hope for sinners. 

But

There is a way of purification:

The good new is that there is a way of purification. The amazing thing about God is that He made man in order that He might have fellowship with Him. It was God who was hurt when man chose to go His own way. Man became impure and was therefore not able to approach God as he had before. The evidence for this is seen when Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden. It was God who approached them, it was He who judged them for their wrongdoing but it was also He who promised that there would be a way of purification in the future. Just as a drug cannot purify itself; so man cannot remove the contamination of sin. In the same way that a contaminated drug needs a chemist to purify it or even to reject it if it is beyond hope then so it is with man. 

Man needs God to purify him. 

God alone can purify the sinful heart. In order to purify a drug for the chemist it will take a long and laborious process sing various cleansing reagents. 

God’s purification reagent is blood. 

Abel understood this when he offered a sacrificed lamb as his worship to God. God was pleased and Abel’s sacrifice was accepted. The point was that blood sacrifice atoned for the sins of man. The animal sacrifice was merely a picture of the ultimate sacrifice that was necessary for the forgiveness of man’s sin. There was none good enough to pay the price of sin and so God’s plan was that He should send His Son to become a man and die as a perfect sacrifice in order that sinful man might be restored to fellowship with God.

It is God's own blood which is the purifying reagent for sinful man. It is His blood that washes away sin and cleans up the life of man and thus restoring him to fellowship with God.

A lesson from a paintbrush:

When we clean a paintbrush from some highly coloured paint it takes a lot of solvent to rid the brush of all traces of the paint. The first thing that we must do is choose what solvent will dissolve the paint. No other solvent will do! The right solvent for sin is blood. The only blood that is capable of doing the job is the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Many other systems might claim to do the job but they are bogus and do not clean the heart and make it acceptable to God.

There needs to be a sufficient amount solvent to do the job. The blood of Jesus is sufficient to cleanse the sins of all who repent.

A paintbrush needs to be cleansed by an external body; it cannot clean itself! God alone can do the job of cleansing the heart. We cannot devise a scheme to substitute God’s work!

If left too long a paintbrush becomes hard and hopeless. Whatever manufacturers might say there is no product that will restore a dried up brush to pristine condition. It is useless and can only be thrown away. So it is with sinners, if they are not cleansed before it is too late then they also will be found to be useless in God’s sight. There is a day when it will be too late even for the blood of Christ to be effective. 

Do not leave it too late! 

Come to Jesus for forgiveness of sin in faith that His blood is sufficient for the forgiveness of your sin and trust in Him alone to make you presentable to God.

How do we come?

• Recognizing our personal sin.

• Recognizing God’s holiness.

• Seeing God’s kind provision in the person of Jesus His Son.

• Trusting in God alone for purification form sin.

When all of this is true David’s words will be true for you. Why not consider this over this TODAY?

Is 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Is 53

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Psalm 10: The distance of God.

OBSEC
3rd December 2006
Sunday Morning
P.A.Thatcher
Psalm 10: The distance of God.
The distance of God.
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
The arrogance of man.
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."
A plea from the heart.
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?
God’s perfect judgement.
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.


Psalms 9 and 10 may have been originally a single acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.