David's Sermons

I've done a number of sermons over the past few years, and keep the notes for them. I thought it would be useful to put these online, so have started adding these when I get time to copy them out. The sermons present an overview of the subject rather than an in-depth exposition. This is because a) I'm copying out my notes rather than expanding them fully and b) my sermons tend to be fairly short anyway. I'd be interested in any comments on what I've said.

© David Meiklejohn 2003
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

The Door

Date: 18/05/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Genesis 6 v 5-14, 7 v 11-16

Noah is a picture to us of the saved man. The Lord warned him of him impending doom, and also showed him the way of salvation. Noah believed the Lord, and followed His instructions to build the ark. He built only one door into the ark, and that door was to be shut by God. While it was open, anyone could come in, but very few did. Just Noah and his family entered into safety. Once God had shut the door, the judgement came on the world.

Just as Noah was, we are warned about the judgement to come, and we are also shown the way of salvation. The door is open to anyone, but it won't stay that way. There will come a time when God will shut the door, and judgement will come upon the world.

Houses have doors, and doors have locks. Generally only the members of the family who live in the house have keys that fit those locks. Christ calls Himself the Door. He is the only way into heaven. Sin is the lock that stops us from entering, but Jesus offers us the key: redemption through His blood. We can only come into God's kingdom through the Door. He is the Way.

Our own world is imperfect, and we can lose the keys to our houses. When I was a boy we were returning from a day out in the town, and on the way back from the bus stop my younger brother asked for the key to get into the house. He was given it and ran on ahead. When we passed some grass we noticed he was out with his friends playing football. "What did you do with the key?". "Oh, I couldn't open the door, so I posted the key through the letterbox". This was our only key! Fortunately a nice neighbour came to the rescue with some string and a magnet.

Once we have been given the key to Heaven we can never lose it. It's a personal key that only allows entry to us, not friends or family. They must see their need for their own keys.

The door separates people. There are those inside and those outside. The Door also separates between those who are His and those who aren't. We can invite others in, but they must enter of their own accord, and by the Door. Some think there are other ways in, some don't believe there's a place of safety to go to. But Jesus Christ said "I am the Door. By me if any man enter in he shall be saved".

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Rehoboam

Date: 1/8/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: 1 Kings 11 v 28-35

Background

Israel wanted a king. This wasn't what God wanted, but He allowed it, showing His permissive will. The first king was Saul, a tall and strong man who started off well, but was weak and turned away from God. The next was David. He had failures, but overall was a very good king and a faithful follower of his Lord. He was a man after God's own heart. Then there was Solomon, David's son. Solomon was a very god king to start with. He asked for wisdom and was granted it and he ruled well. He built the temple, but he turned away from God's things and tried to live life his own way.

The Split

Only three kings, and the nation is split because of its disobedience.

• Leadership means that people will follow you, in sin as well as in doing good. Solomon was head of a nation. He had been given a great deal of responsibility as well as a great privilege. As he turned from God, so did Israel. People follow people, and we need to be aware of this. Whether we are leaders by position, by nature or by example, others will follow what we do. They will hook up to us like carriages on a train, and where the train goes, they will go.
• What God entrusts to us, He can also take away. Job realised this when he said that God gives and God takes away. He knew that what he had wasn't his by right, and if God took it away, he couldn't complain. God entrusts us with many things: money, talent, people, service. How do we treat the things he has given us? Do we take them for granted or do we treasure them and see them as a responsibility? If we mistreat the gifts of God, He may even take them away from us. This isn't the only reason He removes gifts though. He may do it to test us, or to help us stop relying on an ability and start relying on Him.
• Others suffer the consequences of our sins. Imagine Rehoboam's position. He has been placed in very difficult circumstances because of the disobedience of others. There are no victimless crimes: our sins always affect us, and they always affect others as well. We see babies born addicted to drugs because of the actions of their parents. We need to think of others when we take action. The flipside is also true, though. When we are obedient, we receive the blessing, and so do those around us.

We can inherit the problems of those who came before us. I joined a project at my work, and inherited a whole set of code that had problems. I didn't create the problems, but it was up to me to fix them. I would be assessed on how I handled someone else's problems. We shouldn't moan and complain in these situations, but take the opportunity to make things better. If we do our best, God will add His blessings.

There are always two voices when decisions are required. Just like in the cartoons where there is a little angel and a little demon perched on the shoulders of the character, we have to choose between the voice of God and the voice of the old nature. Its not always easy to tell them apart. Rehoboam made the mistake of choosing the wrong advice to follow. He took the advice of his young friends. Often, it is the older, more experienced who give us the better advice.

To lead, we need to serve. This was the advice of the older men. Rehoboam, should be a servant of the people rather than a tyrant ruler. This idea pervades Jesus' teaching. If we are to lead effectively, we must learn to be servants to those we lead. We must not Lord it over them but be lowly and humble, an example to them.

Division is sad, and it's happened all through history. The church has been divided over many issues, yet there is only one Heaven, where we will live together in harmony. What are the things that divide?

• doctrine - this can be a serious reason for splitting, but often it is such minor things that people get upset about and disagree over
• personality - people clash. There are those we get on with and those we don't. Should we separate from the people we don't like, or learn to live with them and love them?
• disobedience - often someone being in the wrong is the complaint of the other party. Yet how often is there an argument where one side is perfectly right and the other totally wrong? When people learn to see their own faults they can start getting on better with others

What was Rehoboam's response? To go out and fight. Why? It was God who had taken away from him, and He had been merciful, leaving Rehoboam with something. Our response to loss is one of the things that can really build us up as Christians.

Unity is important. We need to strive for it. Not by trying to convince everyone else to agree with us, but to see ourselves with a touch of reality, and learn to differentiate the trivial from the important. One day all Christians will live together. Let's start trying to do so now.

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Jeroboam

Date: 08/08/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: 1 Kings 12, 13

These two weeks we are looking at Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the first two kings of the divided Israel. Last week we thought about Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He didn't realise his position of leadership required him to take on the role of a servant. He took the advice of his peers instead of that of his father's advisors, and turned the people against him.

This week we look at Jeroboam. He was a mighty man, and a leader of people, Years before, the prophet Ahijah had spoken to him, and had given him 10 pieces of his torn cloak. This was a sign that God would give Jeroboam 10 of the tribes of Israel. Jeroboam was afraid of Solomon, and so he fled to Egypt, until he knew Solomon had died.

It was Jeroboam who brought the people to Rehoboam, when he became king. They asked that Rehoboam would lighten the load laid on them by the taxes of Solomon. We know from last week that Rehoboam refused, and would lay a heavier load on them instead. Jeroboam led the Israelites in a revolt, which resulted in 10 tribes of the north splitting off and hailing Jeroboam as their king. Rehoboam was left with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

A split Israel was not God's original plan, and there was one central place of worship for the Jews: Jerusalem. This worried Jeroboam. He thought that his people's yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Judah would turn their favour back towards Rehoboam. He decided to set up his own centres of worship, in Bethel and Dan. He made golden calves for the people to worship and set up his own priesthood, from anyone who wished to become a priest. What he was doing was setting up a counterfeit religion. It had similarities with the Jewish faith but it was a false religion.

One day a prophet came to Bethel, with a message for Jeroboam. He predicted the downfall of Jeroboam's priesthood, at the hands of a future king. He even names this king, Josiah. To give validity to his prophecy, he says the altar will crack and its ashes flow out, and sure enough that happens. In outrage, Jeroboam points at the prophet and orders him taken, but his hand is frozen in place. He then asks the prophet to pray for his release, which he does, and safely leaves the king, only to meet his own fate on the way out of the country.

There are many people about who are good leaders, strong leaders, and people are naturally drawn to them. Many are gifted by God with the ability to lead; however with that gift comes responsibility. There are many who set themselves up as God's mouthpiece, and lead their followers astray. We must remember that there is one way to God. There are many other ways that look similar, maybe look more attractive, but they do not lead us to God. It's good to be encouraged and guided by a spiritual person, but our sight must always be set on Christ. If someone adds or takes away from what Christ has said, the danger bells should ring.

We also need to be careful with the gifts God has given to us. He gives us gifts that can be used to please Him and glorify Him, but they can also be abused, and turn others away from God. A leader can draw people to Christ, or they can draw people to their own ideas. A great preacher can fill people with an awe of God, or he can fill them with an awe of the preacher. What gifts has God given to you? Use them wisely, and with humility.

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Date: 18/05/97
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text:

Elisha

Introduction

Does God treat everyone the same? Obviously not. God values us equally, but he works through us in different ways. In this sermon we're going to look at Elisha, how God used him, how different he was from Elijah, his predecessor and what we can learn from his life.

Background

In the time we're looking at, Israel has been divided in two, with the northern kingdom of Israel, capital Samaria, and the southern kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. Israel consists of ten of the original tribes, with Judah containing just Judah and Benjamin. In Israel, Ahab has died, Ahaziah ruled for 1 year and Joram taken his place. In Judah, Jehoshaphat is ruling, along with his son Jehoram.

In 1 Kings we hear how Elisha is called by Elijah. God tells Elijah to put his coat on Elisha, who is ploughing at the time. Elisha burns up his plough and cooks his cattle to signify he has left his old life behind, and follows Elijah. He becomes Elijah's servant and pupil ("poured water on Elijah's hands").

At the end of Elijah's ministry, he is taken away in a chariot of fire. Elisha has asked for a double portion of his spirit, and receives the sign that he has it. In these days the heir of the household received twice as much as the other sons, so Elisha is asking to take over Elijah's mantle here, not asking for more spirit than he had. Elisha strikes the Jordan river with Elijah's coat, walks across on dry land and starts his ministry.

Comparison

The people at the time must have wondered how Elisha would compare with Elijah. When we look at the two characters and their works, they are very different.

Elijah was a very forceful prophet. His miracles were mighty, destructive ones usually:

• Altar consumed by God's fire
• Prayed for rain to stop
• Killed Ahaziah's messengers

In contrast, Elisha's miracles rarely did any damage. He seems to have spent most of his time helping people. The people must have respected and feared Elijah, but they probably loved and trusted Elisha. Most of Elijah's time was spent fighting against the worshippers of Baal, while Elisha's ministry seems to have been more of a building up of the other prophets.

God works with people in different ways. Some people he will lay on their back to get their attention, some he will just need to speak quietly to. Some people he will use in the pulpit, some in their work, some in their home. Some people's job is to fight against evil in the country, some are just their to be helpful and to encourage.

The Prophets' School

It looks like there was a school of young prophets at this time, led by Elisha. The prophets of Baal, led by Jezebel, had wiped out most of God's prophets so this was probably the beginnings of a reconstruction of the people.

Elisha doesn't just train these people in prophecy, but in practical things. They seem to be a bit inept in what they try and do: one prophet tries to make some stew with some plants he has found, which turn out to be poisonous, and Elisha has to step in and purify the stew. Another time they are building a bigger house for themselves and one of them loses his axe head in the river. Elisha drops a stick into the river and the axe head floats to the surface.

Helpful Miracles

Sometimes we look at today's problems and think they are new, that this situation didn't exist in the old days. We can see though that people in Elisha's time had much the same problems as we have today, and he tackles many of them in miraculous ways:

• Thirst - he purifies the stream that supplies Jericho's water. Today there is a spring in Jericho known as Elisha's fountain.
• Debt - a widow of one of his prophet school is seriously in debt; so much so she fears she must sell her children. Elisha provides a miracle which gives her enough oil to fill all her containers, and more than pays off her debt.
• Death - a woman from Shunam has a son, thanks to Elisha's prophecy. When the child dies, Elisha comes back and lies on top of the boy, who is brought back to life.
• Poison - Elisha purifies the stew his prophets make which has "death in the pot".
• Hunger - Elisha manages to make 20 small loaves spread around 100 men: a foreshadow of Jesus feeding the 5000.
• Disease - Namaan comes to Elisha to be cured of leprosy, and is healed after bathing in the Jordan seven times.

God with Elisha

It looks like Elisha was quite a gentle man, but this doesn't mean people could walk over him. Elisha had all the power of the Lord behind him, and people soon found this out:

• One time Elisha was heading towards a town when a gang of youths started shouting at him and insulting him. Elisha cursed them and two bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of the youths apart.
• Elisha kept telling the Israelite king what the Arameans were about to do, after being told by God. They took umbrage at this and went out against him. Elisha was in Dothan and the Arameans surrounded the town. When one of his pupils professed concern about the situation, Elisha told him not to worry: "They that are with us are greater than they which are with them" he said, pointing out fiery horses and riders beyond the enemy. Elisha prayed, God made the army blind, and Elisha led them to Samaria. Instead of killing them he gave them a big feast and sent them home.
• Later the Arameans came and besieged Samaria, but once again, God defeated them without using violence. The Arameans heard noises in the night and ran away.

Lessons from Elisha's Life

What can we learn from Elisha's life? Some will associate themselves with Elisha while others may think of themselves as an Elijah. We can all learn a lot from Elisha's life, however.

• He was trained under Elijah: he had a mentor who brought him up, advised him and taught him. It's important that we have someone we can look to as our teacher. Once Elisha was mature, he took on others as trainees, passing on his knowledge and experience.
• He wanted God to use him. He was willing to take on the task he was given.
• He was available. Whenever people were in need they could find him. When the Shunammite woman's son died, she went to Mount Carmel to find and retrieve him. Elisha was willing to go back with her. We can be of no use to people if we're not available.
• He cared for people. Elisha went out of his way to help people. We need to have more care for those around us.
• He was practical. When the widow came to him he didn't just say he would pray for her; he provided the solution to her problem. It's very easy to pray for people without getting out there and helping them, which is what we should be doing.

Conclusion

Elisha was a caring man and a much loved prophet. We should all strive to love people as much as he did, to get out there and help people in need, instead of just praying for them. Praying is important, much faith without works is dead. We should also learn to see the sort of person we are and accept that is what God has given us and start to use our unique talents for him.

© David Meiklejohn 1997
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Elisha and the Widow's Oil

Date: 12/08/01
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: 2 Kings 4 v 1-7

Today I'd like to look at a miracle that God performed through Elisha. When we look at Elisha's life we see many parallels with that of Elijah, his master. He had a very different character, but performed similar miracles, though twice as many, in fulfilment of his request for a double blessing from Elijah.

In our passage today a widow of one of Elisha's followers comes to him with a problem. She has no money, and the creditors are coming to take her children from her. Elisha asks what she has in the house and she replies "just a pot of oil". Elisha tells her to gather empty pots from her neighbours, shut herself in and start pouring into the pots. As she does so she finds that her pot has a supply of oil that only runs out when all the borrowed pots are full. She can then pay off her debts and use the rest to live on.

1. The first verse highlights some problems that are very relevant in today's world. Debt is very much a problem in our society. The ready availability of loans and credit cards means it is easy to fall into debt and start off a downwards spiral. Also we see here a single mother with two children, struggling to get by: also a common problem today. This brings up the topic of stewardship. God has given us much, but he expects us to take care of, and make good use of the things he gives us. It's important not to waste our money on vain pursuits and worldy excess, but it isn't just about money. God has given us talents and abilities which he expects us to use for his glory. He may also have given us charge over a group of people. He expects us to take a responsible attitude towards these things. Elisha had a responsibility towards this woman, and he made sure he carried out this responsibility. Do we shy away when God offers us responsibility, or do we take it up with gratitude? Sometimes we can take on too many responsibilities, and not be properly observant of any of them.
2. Elisha took on his responsibility and looked to tackle the widow's problem. The first thing he did was evaluate. This is the best thing we can do when we find ourselves in problems: step back and evaluate where we are and what we have. We learn that the widow had very little, but did have a small pot of oil. The oil in the Word represents the Holy Spirit, and sometimes our lives can become like the widow's, with only a very small portion of the Spirit evident. Getting a proper self-image is important for the Christian, and even when we think we have nothing, we must realise that we still have the Spirit indwelling us.
3. The widow was to borrow pots from her neighbours. How would we feel about lending her our property? Communities are a vital part of our lives and a good Christian fellowship even more so. Our fellowships should be places where love is seen: not in shows of emotion, but in acts of charity, helping each other.
4. Elisha told the widow that when she had gathered her pots she should shut herself in. How often do we shut ourself in with the Lord. It is then that we form that close bond with the Spirit that powers our service. It is then that the Spirit grow in our life, filling those parts of our life that we vacate. We must learn to shut ourselves in and meditate on the Word of God. It's not just about learning knowledge, but about reading what God has for us, then thinking it over through our day, applying it to situations.
5. The widow did as Elisha had commanded. She was obedient. It's only as we are obedient to the Lord that we will see the blessing in our lives. Like Gideon we may not understand the Lord's reason for asking us to do wat he has, but God doesn't ask us to understand, just to do. If you're not seeing blessing in your life, ask yourself this: are you being obedient to God's revealed Word?
6. The oil flowed and filled all the pots. It stopped when the last one was full. I wonder how many pots the widow had gathered. How much supply does the Lord give us? As much as we in faith claim. How much does the Spirit fill us? As much of us as we empty for him.
7. Thw widow was able to pay off her debt, and use some more to provide for her family in the future. God provides for our present needs, and also for our future. His plan is perfect, and he knows exactly what we need. You may not know why you have gone through something, but you may later find that what you gained was just what you needed in a later experience.

We see in this passage a woman with a real problem. She was given a real solution. We have a real God, who knows our needs, and supplies for them.

It's important for us to learn to shut ourselves up with the Lord. It is in these times he strengthens us, guides us and supplies us.

The more faith we have, the more God will bless us. Are you limiting God's blessing for you?

© David Meiklejohn 2001
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Date: 18/05/97
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: 2 Kings 4v18-22, 32-38

Eyes, Hands, Mouth

Chapter 4 here presents a beautiful picture of salvation. It contains four miracles by Elisha:

• He gives a widow in debt an large supply of oil to pay off her debt
• He raises the Shunammite's son from the dead
• He purifies a bowl of stew which is poisoned
• He feeds 100 people with 20 small loaves

• Jesus paid the debt that we owed and could not pay
• He raises us from the dead to new life
• He purifies our hearts from the poison of sin. This is not just a one-off event, but the start of a continuing process.
• He feeds us spiritual bread which helps us grow

I want to concentrate on the verses in the text. Elisha lay on top of the boy, touching his eyes, hands and mouth. Likewise, our eyes, hands and mouths are touched at salvation. We're going to look at each of these and what they mean in our Christian lives.

Eyes

The eyes speak of separation. When we're driving along the road we need to keep our eyes straight ahead. Looking down at the radio, at the person next to us or at the hills to the side causes us to start veering off the road. We need to keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Jesus, not being distracted by the things around us.

• We are supposed to be separated (Lev 20v24, 18v1-3). The saying is "when in Rome, do as the Romans", but the bible commands us not to be like this. We are to be different from those around.
• You have the option not to look. We can always shut our eyes from what's around us. If we keep our eyes open they can easily be drawn.
• Distance yourself from what is wrong
• If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out (Mat 5v29). Jesus meant this literally, but it is never our eyes which are the cause of the sin, but our hearts.
• Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way (Psalm 119v37)
• In the end, all eyes will look on the glory of the Lord (Rev 1v7)

Hands

Hands speak of service. Two men had burned hands. One hid them with gloves, the other wa quite open about his. Talking about it one day the one with the gloves admitted he had burned his hands in a robbery which went wrong. Whenever he saw his hands now, they reminded him of his past sin. The other man said he burned his hands saving his child from a fire, and he was happy whenever he looked at them now.

• Hands represent the work we do, for or against God. You can tell a man's job by his hands sometimes and you can tell a person's heart from the work they do for God.
• Each one has a task. We are all called to service, not just those who are pastors or speakers, but each and every one.
• Who shall stand in the holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24)
• Do whatever our hands find to do (Ecc 9v10). Idle hands find evil to do, so it's better to be doing something than doing nothing. God wants us to be working for him full time.
• ..eateth not the bread of idleness (Prov 31v27)
• David sinned when he was idle, when he should have been about the Lord's business
• Our work for God isn't just church on a Sunday. Our school, work, friends are all part of what God wants us to do and where he wants us to work for him.

Mouth

The mouth speaks of our witness. There's a story about a forest fire. The firemen were walking through the forest after the faire had been put out and found a body. The body was charred but had not been killed by fire, but by a fall. It was wearing a diving suit. They reckoned one of the planes had scooped up water to douse the fire and picked up the diver as well, dropping him on the forest from a great height.

This story is not true, but you may have heard it as true. It's amazing how quickly stories spread and change.

• Rumours spread. Invention becomes truth
• Tongue is a dangerous tool (James 3v3-10, 1v26)
• Sometimes yea be yea and nay be nay is the best approach
• We are called to be witnesses (Acts 1v8)
• Paul witnessed for God and we should follow his example (Acts 26v22-23)
• It's important that all three are in place. No separation or evil works can destroy any witness effort.
• James says tongue is difficult to control. But one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord (Phill 2v11)

© David Meiklejohn 1997
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Seeing God Through Nature

Date: 18/06/96
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text:Psalm 19 v 1-6

Introduction

• Psalm 19 v 1-6: The heavens declare God's glory
• Psalm 65 v 5-13: God's care for his creation
• Psalm 18 v 7-15: God's anger represented by nature
• Psalm 93: God is mightier than nature

The Heavens Declare God's Glory

This passage takes a look at the skies around us, and marvels at them. How obvious it is that God exists, and how glorious He must be!

v1: We don't need to rely exclusively on the Bible to see God. The creator is evident in all aspects of His creation. This verse tells us how the skies are evidence of God's existence and His creative power. We can appreciate something of God's character by looking at the beauty and majesty of the skies. In fact in today's society where more and more time is spent indoors, it does one good to go outside, sit quietly watching the skies and appreciate something of what God really is.

v2: The heavens speak daily of God's great power and His artistic ability. The skies are no static piece of art which, once viewed, causes a lesser impression when viewed for a second time. They are always changing, showing off a new beauty every day, which we can never tire of watching.

v3-4a: The skies are universal, as God is universal. They clearly show His existence to all the world, from the centre of the Christian world to the land which has never heard God's Word proclaimed. This leaves no man with the excuse that they never knew God. It may be true that someone in a "Christian" country who has been brought up with the gospel commits a greater sin in rejecting God than the one in a far off land who has never heard of Jesus, but the world around us and our very natures within cry out God's existence. As Paul says in Romans 1 v 19- 20, God is evident in His creation so that man has no excuse in rejecting Him.

v4b-6: David compares the sun to a bridegroom, coming out in all his glory. It is interesting to note that the image of a bridegroom, rather than a bride, is used here, perhaps indicating the lower importance given to women at the time.

God's Care For His Creation

This psalm shows God's abundant blessing on us by reflecting on how He cares for nature. This portion starts in verse 6 by emphasizing God's power in His creation. It was He who created the mountains. Verse 7 talks about God's calming influence over His creation. He makes the world a pleasant place to be. Verse 8, as in Psalm 19, talks of how God is universal. He may have been God of the Jews, His chosen people, but He is also God over the rest of the world.

Verses 9-13 present a lovely picture of God's care for nature. He brings the rain to feed the crops to feed the people (v9). This theme of God bringing the rain continues in v10. We must remember how important the rain is to the Jewish people, who live in a hot, dry land. In verse 11 the harvest time is seen as a glorious part of the year, with God's blessing evident in His rich provision. In verse 12 the crops are shown as a direct blessing: "the little hills rejoice on every side".

The psalm finishes in verse 13 with a mention of God's provision in livestock as well as crops. The whole land cries out with happiness: nature sings for joy at the presence of the Lord. This psalm shows how closely God is involved in caring for what He has created, and the blessings he has for us.

God's Anger Seen in Nature

This psalm gives us quite a different picture of God, but again from nature. Here we see the wrath of God. We see how mighty and powerful He is. This is no picture of a cosy, benevolent, unquestioning God, but one who can be angry and, when made angry, truly a God to be feared.

The image we see here is of a volcano erupting - an awesome sight. There is so much pent up power in the volcano that the land around shakes (v7), then it erupts forth, spewing smoke, fire and burning rocks high into the air. God is shown appearing on the scene riding on clouds and on angels, using the wind to propel Him. Although we have here an angry God, He is still a God that is in control of His creation: His rule is absolute. The psalm continues by describing a thunderstorm, possibly that created by the volcano erupting, in which case the mention of dark rain clouds in verse 11 could be a pointer to rains of ash which often accompany a volcanic eruption.

The image of God firing lightning bolts down on those He is angry with is perhaps a cliched one, but provokes the thought of how powerful God really is, and how He does punish those who are against him.

God is Mightier than Nature

This psalm focuses on two parts of God's nature: His might and His stability. Both of these are expressed with metaphors based in nature.

v1: A declaration of God's royalty. He rules and is a fitting ruler, being clothed with a majestic quality. He is powerful and He cannot be moved. This verse compares the unyielding nature of the Earth to God's stability and steadfastness. No matter what damage man does to this Earth, it is very unlikely he will move it from its current orbit. In the same way, God is immovable, and a fitting foundation for our lives.

v2: Like the Earth, God has been around for a long time. Unlike the Earth, God has been around forever.

v3: Nature responds to God: the seas lift up and pound the land at His command. The seas cry out for the Lord and so often we don't see it. We think nature just runs its course, obeying some simple rules. How often do we think of the weather conditions around us being a direct result of the personality of God?

v4: The sea is a mighty force. Its waves can destroy the strongest sea wall; it erodes away the land year by year; its waters are often perilous to cross. Yet God is mightier than the sea. He is in control and is greater than all His creation.

v5: Just as God stands firm forever, so His holy law is eternal and unchanging. The law gives all men a standard by which they will be judged. No man can meet that standard, and so it is with gratefulness that we receive the grace which gives us power over and freedom from sin.

Conclusion

We have seen in these four extracts how the psalms use nature to give us a glimpse of the God who created all. We see in this glimpse that God is a personality: He is a loving, caring God who wants us to know Him intimately. He wants us to know about Him, even if we don't read our Bibles. He makes it clear that He is there. Yet He is not a God to be fooled with. If God's anger is provoked He is more frightening and awesome than the most destructive forces in nature. Truly He is a God to be feared.

Every one of us should occasionally take the time to go outside and contemplate God's creation. The wonders we see around us are just a taste of how glorious God really is.

© David Meiklejohn 1996
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

The Prince of Peace

Date: 06/04/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Isaiah 9 v 6-7

We're looking at the names of Christ, and in these verses in Isaiah He is called the Prince of Peace. What is peace?

• The opposite of war, a uniformity of purpose with one another.
• Like a river, all flowing in the one direction.

There are three types of peace Christ offers us:

Peace with God

We were separated from God, aliens and enemies, and a process of reconciliation was needed. God could not compromise His holiness by letting sin into His presence, yet we could not meet His demands for perfection and righteousness. We needed the Prince of Peace. He came and made reconciliation between us and God. There was no compromise involved: He paid the price to make us righteous, with His blood shed on the cross, and He gave us peace with God.

Peace with Self

Peace with ourselves is an attitude that holds firm, a calmness within, which cannot be shaken by exterior events. For the world, peace means a lack of conflict, but Christ's peace is greater than that. It is a calmness in conflict. Removal of all conflict in the world is unrealistic in this age, yet we can know a peace within while war rages without. How can we know this inner peace?

• Salvation is assured
• God is in control
• We know we are in the right place
• Hand over your worries to God

Peace within the Church

Christian churches always seem to be full of squabbling and divisions, very often over minor things. We may have different backgrounds, come from very different situations, be very different types of people, but we are all fellow citizens. The Prince of Peace can "pour oil on troubled waters". When you do this, the waters are stilled, the ripples disappear, and it becomes smooth. The Prince of Peace will give us a church without ripples if we let Him rule in every aspect of our lives.

Summary

The Prince of Peace gives us:

• peace with God - reconciliation
• peace within self - calm assurance
• peace in the church - as we let Him rule

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Looking to Jesus

Date: 28/03/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Isaiah 51 v 1

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

The Arm of the Lord

Date: 20/4/99
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Isaiah 53 v 1-3, 52 v 10, 55 v 4

Today we look at another of the names given to Jesus. He is here called the Arm of the Lord. The arm signifies strength, power, control, authority. We talk about the long arm of the law. It is also the instrument by which we put our thoughts into practise. The mind conceives a plan and the arm carries it out.

The Jews expected their Messiah to be a strong leader, a great commander. They expected Him to stamp on the gentile nations and rule in His kingdom, as written in Psalm 2. He will do these things, but they missed the details of the first coming of Christ as opposed to His second coming.

In Isaiah 53 we find a gentler character, someone who is persecuted, who is little esteemed, and this is the Christ we know who walked the earth 2000 years ago. He did have the power. We see from the great miracles He did that he had power to heal, to renew and even to restore life, but He didn't use His power in a forceful way. The Arm of the Lord was there to do the work of the Lord. He knew that His work was the cross.

It is sad that hearts can be hardened. The people had seen Him perform so many miracles and yet didn't recognise Him as the Arm of the Lord.

To us He is the Arm of the Lord in:

• creation - "all things were made by Him" (John 1 v 3). Jeremiah 32 v 17 tells us how God created everything by stretching out His arm.
• salvation - "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm" (Exodus 6 v 6).
• judgement - "they were judged every man according to his works" (Revelation 20 v 13).
• keeping - "my sheep hear my voice and I know them" (John 10 v 27).

Arms are not just about strength and power, but also about comfort and protection. Deuteronomy 32 v 27 reminds us that we can walk for the Lord, stepping sure in the knowledge that underneath are the everlasting arms.

© David Meiklejohn 1999
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

How Do You Measure Up?

Date: 26/1/97
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Amos 7v7-9

In the text, God showed Amos a plumb line, indicating he was measuring Israel. The plumb line is a standard, used as a comparison to see how a wall matches the standard. The question I would like to pose is how do you measure up? What are your standards that you measure yourself against?

Bad Comparisons

There are certain people in the Bible we look at and dismiss their action as foolish, something we would never do. Often though, if we look closely at ourselves, we make the same mistakes and worse. Like the people of Israel we like to look around at others and see their mistakes. We like to see them get their come-upance for their sins. Israel was like this when Amos started to prophecy to them. In the early chapters, Amos brings the Lord's word on the surrounding nations, each time starting the same way - "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof". They had sinned enough that he was not to be persuaded against punishing them. The Israelites must have liked hearing how ungodly their neighbours were.

Best of all in their view, was when Amos came to Judah, the southern kingdom which was split from the rest of Israel. This was Amos's home land, yet he gave the Lord's judgement on it just as with the other nations.

It must have hurt them then when he carried on to judge Israel. Not only did the Lord have words to say about Israel's sin, but they were worse than all the others. This must have made Amos very unpopular, but he still obeyed God in bringing his Word to Israel.

We often are like Israel. We look at others and wonder how they could have failed. We would never have done that. Let's look at a few examples:

• Lot's wife was told not to look back, when they ran from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. She did and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Why did she turn back? Surely that was a simple instruction to obey. Yet look at our own lives. We have left behind the old man, we should be living in the Spirit. How many times do we look back at the old life with longing. Lot's wife just looked but how many times do we not just look back but wander off the track, in search of the world's pleasures? Lot's wife is a warning to us: let us not belittle that warning.
• Peter told Jesus he would never deny him. Surely if that was you or I we would have kept our word and not denied Jesus. How could he do such a thing? Yet how many times in our own lives have we failed to stand up for Christ, to stand out from the crowd? How many times have we distanced ourselves from other Christians and looked on them as fanatics?
• Moses met God in a burning bush. God spoke to him and asked him to take a message to Pharaoh. But Moses made up all sorts of excuses. Why didn't he just do what he was told? Why didn't he just believe that God would uphold him? Surely we would have agreed and gone for God. Yet how many times have we pulled back from doing what we know we should, saying we are unable to do it. We don't have the talents, we don't have the strength. Maybe we're not as good as we thought.

Wrong Measurements

So we're not as good as we might think. We all have our problems. But how do we really measure up in God's eyes? What attributes do we need to concentrate on?

Who do you admire? Athletes for their strength and speed, for making themselves into almost perfect physical forms? Great thinkers, who have IQs well beyond yours and mine, who understand how the world works so much better than us? People with position, like the Royal family, who their whole lives have been trained to behave as superiors? Again, let's look at some biblical examples:

• Samson was strong, possibly the strongest man ever; surely a good character to look up to. Yet he used his strength for the wrong reasons, in vengeance. He had a weakness for women, and he broke all of his Nazirite vows. Samson's strength came from God and he abused it.
• Solomon was the wisest man ever. He was a great thinker and for a while was a great king for Israel. In his later life though, he turned away from God, he was disenchanted with life and had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Despite the wisdom and the riches God had given him, he is not an example to follow.
• Eli was a great hight priest. He was the one man in Israel who, once a year, went in to the holy of holies and was in the presence of God. He had all the advantages of position and was responsible for the spiritual welfare of the whole country. Yet Eli couldn't look after his own family. His sons were committing terrible crimes against God, but he let them go with an admonishment which they didn't listen to. God had given Eli position, but that doesn't make him a good character to follow.

God's Criteria

• Obedience - Hebrews 11v8 says "By faith Abraham...obeyed". Because of his obedience, the chosen people came about and claimed the land of Canaan as their inheritance. He obeyed when God asked him to leave his home country. He obeyed when God asked him to sacrifice his promised son. He did what God said and that is what God asks of us. He doesn't ask us to be able to kill a hundred men, to overrun armies. He just asks us to do what he says.
• Humility - in Numbers 12, Aaron and Miriam rebelled against Moses. They wanted to know why he should lead alone. The chapter comments that Moses was a man of humility. He didn't answer them back, though he had every right to. He let God do the talking, and God was fierce in his defence of Moses. We need to forget about our "rights". We have no need to defend ourselves - just leave it up to God. After all, he can defend us much better than we can.
• Perseverence - in 1 Kings 18, Elijah is on Mount Carmel. The priests of Baal fail to persuade their God to consume the sacrifice they have for him. After one prayer from Elijah, God sent fire down to consume not just the sacrifice, but the altar it sat on. After this, Elijah went up to pray for the return of the rain. You would think he would expect instant action from God after what had just happened, but when his servant came back to say there were still no clouds, he wasn't discouraged, but went back to prayer. Seven times he prayed and sent his servant to check for clouds. On the seventh time, the servant spotted a small cloud, and that was enough for Elijah. What patience he showed, what perseverence. Sometimes we pray and look for an instant answer. Don;t dismay if it doesn't happen. God is pleased when we show perseverence and wants to encourage it in us. So keep going to God, keep praying for what you know is in his will. He will reward you.

Jesus portrayed all three of these attributes, and he of course is our supreme example. Hebrews 5v8 tells us he learned obedience through his suffering. Isn't it interesting that Jesus had to learn obedience, it wasn't a God-given gift built in to him. Philippians 2v6-8 tells us how he humbled himself. He brought himself low, and put others before himself. Hebrews 12v2 says he endured the cross. At any time he could have called down angels to free him, but he stayed, he hung there and died for us.

So let us endeavour to be obedient, humble and to persevere. These are qualities that we can change in ourselves and aren't so affected by circumstances. In fact hardship often gives us a chance to practise them all the more.

© David Meiklejohn 1997
David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
www.meiklejohn.org.uk

Date: 21/6/97
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: Habakkuk 1v1-13

Responses

This sermon is about responses, our responses to various situations in life. Responses are very important and determine our fruitfulness, our effectiveness as Christians and others' perceptions of our God. In particular I want to look at responses to:

• Suffering
• Failure
• God's Call

We'll start off with a little quiz. Count up the number of A, B and Cs you get:

1. You're travelling to the airport to meet someone and catch a flight. Five minutes before you reach the airport your car breaks down and the RAC don't arrive until it's too late to catch the flight. Do you:
   • A. Jump up and down shouting "God, why are you doing this to me. It's not fair."
   • B. Go into a depression and think everyone hates you.
   • C. Say "Great, a chance to witness to the RAC."
2. You're reading the paper and find a full page article on a really juicy bit of gossip. Do you:
   • A. Say "Hey, this looks interesting" and delve in.
   • B. Read the article, commenting to yourself how terrible it is that people write this stuff.
   • C. Avoid the article and write to the editor to complain about the low standard of journalism.
3. Your boss asks you to go to England for a couple of days. This means you will miss out on an evening. What do you choose to miss:
   • A. The night you had planned to prepare your sermon.
   • B. The night of your church's prayer meeting.
   • C. The night you were going go-karting with friends.
4. You've just failed your driving test. Do you:
   • A. Threaten God that if you don't pass next time you'll become a Buddhist.
   • B. Go into a depression and don't talk to anyone for a week.
   • C. Study and practise 24 hours a day until the next test.
5. You're on business visiting your customer and they tell you they hate your product. Do you:
   • A. Call them an ungrateful, good for nothing so and so.
   • B. Say nothing, then tell your colleague the customer's an ungrateful, good for nothing so and so.
   • C. Tell them you'll have it fixed by next Friday.
6. You're a prophet and your people are sinning terribly. You go to God and he says he'll get the Chaldeans to punish them. Do you:
   • A. Go and warn the people the Chaldeans are coming.
   • B. Sit happily thinking how they deserve punished.
   • C. Complain to God that the Chaldeans are even worse than your people.

   Results:

   • Mostly As - you are emotionally unstable and need to calm down a bit.
   • Mostly Bs - you are permanently depressed and need to cheer up a bit.
   • Mostly Cs - you are zealous beyond belief, or you are cheating.

   OK, let's look at responses. Responses determine what people think of you, they often show how spiritual you really are. They can determine whether we are fruit bearing Christians or not. It's not what we believe or teach that determines our effectiveness, it's what we are and what we do.

   Suffering

   • A time of suffering can be a dangerous time for our walk with God.
   • Illness can cause apathy to set in.
   • Persecution can cause us to regress.
   • Sometimes recovering from the backsliding caused by suffering can take longer than the suffering does. When we're ill or hurting we don't feel in the right frame of mind to deal with God, yet that's when we need him most.
   • God uses suffering to try us. Someone said to me they wished God wouldn't try them so much.
   Examples:

   Paul

   • In prison (Philippians 1v12) yet used the chance to witness, pray and encourage. Paul's response to his circumstance was amazing. He didn't seem to be downhearted at all. remember - God puts you in places for a reason. He can also encourage and cheer you up when you're down. I like seeing nice skies and when I'm depressed, God invariably gives me a nice sky to look at. The other day a deer ran across the road in front of me. That cheered me up.
   • II Timothy 4v13: Paul was more concerned for God's word than for his own comfort.

   Joseph

   • Brothers did so much bad to him, yet he forgave them.

   Job

   Job had it really hard, yet he refused to curse God.

   It's OK to question God, to wonder why you're in a situation. But we must also ask God to use us in whatever situation we're in. Suffering is when we need God most. In your suffering, cry to God - he will hear you.

   Failure

   Example - try to play the piano and fail miserably. What responses can we have to failure:
   • Pretend it didn't happen
   • Analyse everything that went wrong.
   • Confess to God and go on.
   • (Shadrach, etc didn't say God would save them from the fire, only that he could. Sometimes we have misplaced faith in God and that can lead to failure)
   • Again, a very dangerous time.
   • Failure can make us think we're no use to God.
   • Depression isn't just a non-Christian disease. If anything, Christians are more prone to depression because we feel our failure lets God down as well as ourselves.
   • It doesn't have to be like that
   Examples:

   David

   • David had a whole list of failures, each one leading to the other. Yet he had the right attitude when he was accused. Read Psalm 51. David admits his sin, repents of it and goes on.
   Living with failure is like coming into the house with dirty, oily hands after working on the car. we can do one of three things:
   • Ignore the problem and make a mess of everything around us.
   • Worry about the failure and do nothing because we're afraid of affecting everything else.
   • Admit the failure, go and wash our hands and get on.

   Moses

   Moses made one mistake. He struck the stone when he should have talked to it. Yet for one mistake he was banned from the promised land. He pleaded with God but was not allowed in. However, Moses didn't mope. He got on with his job of leading the Isrealites with as much vigour as before.

   Remember - God doesn't punish you to turn you away from him, but to turn you towards him.

   Peter

   Peter was always failing:
   • Tried to stop Jesus going to the cross
   • He cut off a man's ear in anger
   • He denied he knew Christ
   Why did Jesus choose the one who was always failing to be one of the chief pillars of his church? Perhaps because Peter was willing to try, no matter the consequences. He was willing to fail. The disciples could say Peter was the one who took his eyes of Jesus and started sinking. Peter could say he was the one who walked on water towards his saviour.

   Be sure that if you're doing your utmost for God you will fail. We need to learn how to handle it.

   We must do three things with failure: confess, repent and put the failure behind us.

   God's Calling

   There's a fork in the road. Which way do you follow: the easy way or the right way. Sometimes the way you want is the right way. Psalm 20 says "may he give you the desires of your heart". But there will always be difficult routes to follow.

   What is your response to God's calling:

   • I don't care what God wants. It's my decision.
   • I want to follow God, but not this.
   • When do I start
   There are three steps to following God's will: be prepared for any answer; ask God what he wants you to do; and when he shows you, go and do it. Examples:

   Moses

   Moses made all sorts of excuses to try and avoid God's will. We can tell when people are avoiding things and just making excuses. We need to put our own fears and desires behind us and accept whatever God wants.

   Jonah

   Jonah simply ran away from God. God didn't force him but gave him a second chance. Sometimes God gives us a second chance, sometimes not.

   But it's not enough just to know what God wants for you. You have to go out and do it.

   Conclusion

   We've been looking at responses. There's one thing to remember in all these things: God is able. That's the theme for camp this year. God is able:
   • to uphold and strengthen the suffering and persecuted.
   • to pick up and dust off the failures.
   • to give the power to do what he asks of us.

   © David Meiklejohn 1997
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Haggai Part 1 - Put God First

   Date: 4/1/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Haggai 1

   Haggai 1

   1. In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
   2. Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.
   3. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
   4. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
   5. Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
   6. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
   7. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
   8. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
   9. Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
   10. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
   11. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.
   12. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
   13. Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.
   14. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
   15. In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

   This is the start of a series on the book of Haggai, which we'll look at in four parts. The titles for the four parts will be:

   1. Put God First
   2. Be Strong
   3. Be Clean
   4. Be Encouraged

   Background

   Let's start by looking at the background to the book of Haggai. Haggai was born during the time of the Jews captivity in Babylon. The Jews' great desire was to be back in their homeland, to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple and return to God's prescribed means of worshipping.

   In the year 536, King Cyrus allowed some of the Jews to go back to Jerusalem to start building the temple. They had opposition, though, and this led them to stop their work for 16 years. This is where we are at the start of the book of Haggai. See Ezra for more on the rebuilding of the temple.

   Put God First

   The word of the Lord came to Haggai. The Lord looked down at Jerusalem and saw that His house was unfinished. The Jews were living in their own completed houses, while no work was going on to complete the Lord's house.

   • Their priorities were wrong. It seems the people's attitude was "Once we are settled and comfortable, then we will work on the Lord's house" but they were finding it increasingly hard to get by. They lacked in their own lives because they weren't putting God first in their plans. It is important for us to have God in the right place in our lives. If we give Him the pre-eminence, He will honour that, but if we place our selves, our families, our security ahead of God, we will find things start to go wrong.
   • They were relying on their own resources. Instead of looking to God, the people were trying to manage things themselves. The fact that their crops were failing was a sign from God that they needed to change their ways, but they were too spiritually blind to see this, and just kept toiling along in a downwards spiral. I sometimes wonder how much of my efforts will be revealed to be purely my own efforts when I stand before the judgement seat of Christ. It's only when we do tasks in faith that they are pleasing to God. And it's only then that we can be successful.
   • The temple lay unfinished. They had started with vigour, but a few setbacks had stopped them and they had taken their eyes off the vision God had given them. It's very easy to take our eyes off Christ when problems come into our lives. It's at these times that we need a Haggai in our lives: someone who will encourage us to get started again, to get moving instead of just moping.
   • The response of the people to Haggai's word from the Lord was quick. They rose from the langur they had been in and started again working on the Lord's house. Notice that as son as they started, the Lord spoke to them and assured them He was with them. As soon as we start any task for the Lord, in the Lord's power, we have the same assurance, that He is with us.

   The Lord's message to the Jews, on two occasions, was "Consider your ways". Perhaps if we examine our lives we will see places where we have our priorities wrong, where we have started something and not finished it. Perhaps we are trying to sort out our own affairs before we do God's work. It could be time to return to the task which has long lain unfinished. If we do, we have God's assurance as we start: "I am with you".

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Haggai Part 2 - Be Strong

   Date: 11/1/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Haggai 2 v 1-9

   Haggai 2 v 1-9

   1. In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,
   2. Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,
   3. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
   4. Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:
   5. According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
   6. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
   7. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
   8. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
   9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

   In the second part of our look at Haggai, we come to chapter 2, and God's message to His people: be strong.

   Review

   The Jews had returned to Jerusalem under the command of King Cyrus of Persia, and had started to rebuild the temple. They had been stopped by their adversaries, and had been idle for 16 years. Haggai had given them the word of the Lord, that they should place God's house first, then their own houses, that their shortage in crops was due to their falling away. The people had responded and the work of rebuilding the temple started anew. As soon as they started again, God had a message for them - "I am with you".

   Part 2 - Be Strong

   Have you ever had to rebuild something? To start again on something you have built up and has been torn down. I know a couple who own a fruit farm in Africa. They built a new warehouse to store their fruit in, which was going to be a great addition to their work. Not long after they had finished it, their was an accident on the road, and a bus ploughed into their new warehouse, destroying it. After all their work, they were left back at the start, with the thought of building the whole lot again. Rebuilding can be demoralising work, especially if you remember how good the old building was, and your repair work doesn't seem to be nearly as good.

   The Jews were looking back. Perhaps some of them were old enough to have seen the temple in all its glory before it was destroyed. As they looked back they were getting demoralised, as it seemed their work was inferior to what was there before.

   There is a time to remember, and there is a time to look forward. God's message to His people at this time is to look forward. He says this new temple will be greater in glory than the old one, not because of the wonderful architecture or the richness of the building materials, but because the "desire of all nations", the Christ himself, will set foot in this temple. Along with this encouragement, He tells them to "Be strong... and work". We are often exhorted to be strong in the Bible ("be strong and of a good courage", "Be strong in the Lord"), but if we are weak, how can we be strong?

   • Be strong in mind - if we set our minds on following God, on putting Him first, then He will make us strong to accomplish His work. The strength comes from Him, but we must decide to obey.
   • Be strong in number - the people had to learn to work together. In our churches, God has placed us together with others, and it is when we are al working together, each using the talents God has given him, that we are strongest.
   • Be strong in the Lord - the only real strength we have is in the Lord. Look at the book of Judges. Samson was given amazing physical strength yet he was weak in spirit, and he ended his days in a miserable position. Gideon was perhaps the most cowardly of the judges, but his faith in the Lord meant that he was soon renowned for his strength. We need to learn to give everything over to God, and to put our trust in Him, and He will give us His strength.
   • "... and work" - God's message was not just to be strong, but also to work. There are times when we should study, when we should prepare, learn and plan; but often Christians spend their whole live preparing and never get round to doing anything for the Lord. Is God's message to you that you should go and work for Him?

   In verse 4, the Lord again reassures His people: "I am with you". He urges them to be strong, He assures them that this new temple will be more glorious than the old one, He tells them to go and work, but it's important that they realise that He is with them, that He is working alongside them. That's important for us as well. If we're doing a work for the Lord, He is with us.

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Haggai Part 3 - Be Clean

   Date: 18/1/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Haggai 2 v 10-19

   Haggai 2 v 10-19

   10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
   11. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
   12. If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
   13. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
   14. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
   15. And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:
   16. Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.
   17. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
   18. Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it.
   19. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

   In the third part of our look at Haggai, we continue in chapter 2, and now God tells His people: be clean.

   Review

   The Jews had returned to Jerusalem under the command of King Cyrus of Persia, and had started to rebuild the temple. They had been stopped by their adversaries, and had been idle for 16 years. Haggai had given them the word of the Lord, that they should place God's house first, then their own houses, that their shortage in crops was due to their falling away. The people had responded and the work of rebuilding the temple started anew. As soon as they started again, God had a message for them - "I am with you".

   Some of the people were discouraged because the temple wasn't as beautiful as they remembered. Haggai encouraged them to be strong and remember the Lord was with them.

   Part 3 - Be Clean

   The workers in silicon chip factories have a clean room. Everything in there must be spotless in case they contaminate the silicon. When they enter they must put on clean outfits, cover their shoes and hair. The smallest speck of dust can ruin a batch of the chips they make.

   The priest had a similar routine before he went into the temple. He had to ceremonially wash himself, put on clean clothing, so that he approached the temple clean. Haggai asked the people about cleanliness. Shall a holy thing coming into contact with an unclean thing make it holy? They answered "No". What happens when an unclean person touches something that is clean? "It is made unclean". When clean and dirty are mixed together the clean is always made dirty, the dirty is never made clean. The people with their unclean lives thought that visiting the temple would make them clean, but it was the other way round: they were defiling the temple. They needed to make themselves clean before coming to the temple.

   Spiritual cleanliness is important in our lives as well. We may go to church once a week, but that doesn't make the rest of our lives clean. We must examine ourselves, find the areas that are impure, and change them. Paul urges this in Corinthians. He says we should examine ourselves before coming to the table. Are we living worthy to be called Christians?

   The people had been living unclean lives, but they had now turned towards God. When they were unclean God had cursed them, giving them poor harvests and leaving them struggling to get by. Now that they were living for Him, He would bless them. Blessings from God come in all sorts of ways. For the Israelites here it was in a very material way, but this won't always be so. However, whether it is in a good harvest, a peaceful mind or a loving friend, God promises to bless those who are clean and follow Him.

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Haggai Part 4 - Be Encouraged

   Date: 25/1/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Haggai 2 v 20-23

   Haggai 2 v 20-23

   20. And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
   21. Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
   22. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
   23. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

   In this last part of our look at Haggai, we finish off chapter 2, and God's message to His people: be encouraged.

   Review

   The Jews had returned to Jerusalem under the command of King Cyrus of Persia, and had started to rebuild the temple. They had been stopped by their adversaries, and had been idle for 16 years. Haggai had given them the word of the Lord, that they should place God's house first, then their own houses, that their shortage in crops was due to their falling away. The people had responded and the work of rebuilding the temple started anew. As soon as they started again, God had a message for them - "I am with you".

   Some of the people were discouraged because the temple wasn't as beautiful as they remembered. Haggai encouraged them to be strong and remember the Lord was with them.

   The people had started working for God, but there were unclean areas in their lives. Haggai impressed upon them their need for spiritually clean lives. When they obeyed, they found that God blessed them, and the harvests that had been so poor were now more than sufficient.

   Part 4 - Be Encouraged

   The Lord's message to Zerubbabel and the people is "be encouraged". They were rebuilding the temple, but what for? Israel had been a strong nation, defeating all who opposed it. But now it was just a remnant. Zerubbabel was of royal descent, but the Lord had said that none of his natural family would be king again. How could God's promised Messiah come? The Lord tells them that the Messiah will come, He will come through Zerubbabel's line ("make thee as a signet"). He reaffirms His plan and reassures His people. His mighty plan will come to pass, even though it seems impossible, and despite the weakness of the people.

   "I have chosen thee". Imagine how Zerubbabel felt, knowing that God had chosen him. Yet each of us who are saved can say it as well. God has chosen us. He is working out His purposes in us and His plan will not be thwarted by our weakness. Quite the opposite: our weakness reveals His strength. We can become despondent, with our weakness and our sin. But the Lord tells us to be encouraged, His plan is perfect and it will come to pass.

   So, in closing, we have been given the following messages from our look at Haggai:
   • Get our priorities right - build the Lord's house before worrying about our own.
   • Be strong - when you start a work for the Lord, remember He is with you.
   • Be clean - examine your lives and sort out the uncleanness that is there, so you can server the Lord with holiness.
   • Be encouraged - don't get down with your own weakness, or the seeming impossibility of the situation. God is in control and He will bring His plan to completion

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   The Wise Men

   Date: 27/02/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Matthew 2 v 1-13

   Matthew 2 v 1-13

   1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
   2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
   3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
   4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
   5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
   6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
   7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
   8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
   9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
   10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
   11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
   12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
   13. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

   There are certain passages we associate with the Christmas story, and which rarely get read outside of Christmas time. I'd like to take a look at this passage, at the wise men. It's easy to gloss over the story as just for children, but there's a lot to learn from these men.

   How did the wise men know about the star? Was it some strange eastern mythology, astrology or just a hunch? In Numbers 24 v 17 the Bible talks about the "star out of Jacob" - these men knew their scripture and seemed to be the only ones to put two and two together. Often we find it is the outsider who shows faith. Remember Rahab, Ruth and the centurion. None of these were Jews and yet they had faith, and God honoured their faith. It is a shame when non-Christians show up Christians in the areas we are supposed to be strong: loving others, serving, humility

   It was an exciting time for the Magi. They were seeing prophecy coming true before their eyes. It was an historic time, and they were part of it. We look at the Bible and we see most of it as history, in the past. But remember that much is still to happen. Christ will come again, and it could be any time. It could be us who experience the next great happening of prophecy. Anyway, the Word should be much more to us than history and prophecy. It is God's message to us individually. It should be alive to us, giving us guidance day by day. Are we having the same feelings of wonder as the wise men as we see scripture come alive in our lives?

   The wise men brought gifts, which had both a very practical value as well as a symbolic one. Joseph and Mary would have to leave and travel to Egypt to escape Herod, and they needed money for provisions. The wise men's gifts would enable them to equip themselves well. But these were also symbolic offerings. Gold was given as a sign that this was a king, the king of the Jews and King of Kings. Incense was given to show that this was God incarnate. And myrrh was used in embalming - it speaks of His death, the reason He came. What have we to offer to the Lord?

   • As unsaved, all our attempts at good works were no use to Him, all were tainted with sin.
   • We had to accept His gift to us before He could accept our gift to Him.
   • Now, our works, our love, our obedience, our worship are all things we can offer to Him, perfected by the blood of Christ. And these are things which please our Lord.

   The wise men were sent by God. Do we see God sending people today? Has He sent us? The wise men saw prophecy fulfilled before their eyes, and yet it should be a daily experience for us, as we meditate on the living Word. The wise men acknowledged Jesus as King, God and Saviour. We need to do the same.

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Date: 19/10/97
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Matthew 4v18-20

   Fishers of Men

   Matthew 4v18-20

   18. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
   19. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
   20. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

   In this sermon I want to look at one of the church's main purposes: evangelism. We'll look at:

   • the message God has for a lost World
   • God's means of spreading that message
   • Your part in the plan

   Parable

   Once upon a time the world was divided into water and land, but the land was empty. The sea was full of fish, who were quite happy where they were, not knowing what it was like to live on the land.

   One day, God sent a fisherman down to the earth. He walked on the land and was close to God. He cast his line into the sea and started catching fish. An amazing thing happened to the fish when they were brought up onto the land: they transformed into men, each with their own fishing rod. The First Fisherman taught these novices how to fish and sent them all over the coast to cast their lines out and bring in new fish, which would themselves be transformed into fishermen. This First Fishermen said he would leave them, but as long as they kept fishing his way, he would be near, helping them.

   Years later the First Fisherman came back. He fully expected the land to be covered with people, with hardly a fish in the sea. He found to his amazement that there were only a few fishermen on the land and the sea was teeming with fish: even more than when he had left. He talked to the fishermen to find out what had happened.

   The first two fishermen were sitting talking together. One said that he was quite happy being a fisherman, but didn't feel the need to go out fishing. He didn't really care for the fish. The second said he was worried about the fish and wanted them to have the life he has, but he was scared of being pulled into the water. The First Fisherman said "Didn't I say I would be with you and you wouldn't have to fear anything?"

   Next he came upon a man swimming about in the sea. He was trying to swim with the fish but he wasn't any good at it any more. He seemed determined that he didn't want to be on the dry land, the water was much better. But he kept swallowing mouthfuls of water and looked in a bit of trouble.

   There was another group of fishermen in the water. They were trying to attract the fish by swimming about and generally acting like them. They told the First Fisherman they had loads of fish coming to join their activities, but when he asked how many had become fishermen, they looked blankly at him.

   The next group were well inliand, away from the water. They were standing in a circle, casting their lines into the middle. The fisherman scratched his head and asked them why they weren't out at the shore. They said that their door was open if any fish wanted to find their way in. He shook his head in disappointment.

   The First fisherman did find one or two fishers on the shore, casting their lines into the sea. They were happy to see him, but sorry that there weren't more of them to bring in more fish. One determined group had built a boat and were pushing out to sea, where there were lots of fish. They knew it would be dangerous, but trusted the First Fisherman to help them.

   Explanation

   All of us were like the fish, lost in a sea of sin. Jesus, the First Fisherman, came and showed the way to redemption. Some of us took it, and with it the responsibility of catching more fish. Many are failing, for varying reasons:
   • Lazy fisherman - some of us are happy being Christians and don't care much for the lost souls.
   • Hesitant fisherman - some are scared of reaching out, and won't trust God to help them.
   • Forgetful fisherman - some have turned back to the way they were, living as part of the world, not remembering they are new creations. They don't even remmeber their own salvation, never mind think about others.
   • Dry land fisherman - some churches have meetings where the gospel is proclaimed, but they do nothing to bring people in to hear it. They say their doors are open but people aren't actively encouraged to come.
   • Fishy fisherman - some churches go to the other extreme and do everything to get people in the door. Often this results in the church becoming more worldly than Godly: they get a lot of people in, but these people come to enjoy themselves rather than hear God's word.
   • Good fisherman - there are some who dilligently do God's work and witness to people. We must endeavour to be like that. The workers may be few, but each of us that joins makes a difference.
   • Boat full - Sometimes great rewards can be gained by going to where the sin is at its greatest. We must rely on God to keep us from danger, but a heart bold for the Lord can do a great deal.

   We need to use the right equipment:

   • Steady base - our feet need to be firmly planted in the doctrines of our faith. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it.
   • Protection from water - there is always a danger from sin, and we need to be protected from it. The wellies of the Christian life is prayer. We should be going into every situation praying for God's help and protection.
   • Lure - fishermen often use a lure to catch the fish. This is something that attracts the fish and makes them want to investigate. The Bible makes it clear that our love for each other should be the thing that attracts others to the Christian church.

   Some fishermen take the ultimate risk and cast out in a boat. This is a dangerous thing to do, but to really get the biggest catch, you need to go to where the fish are.

   God's message is:

   • a warning
     For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)
     For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
     People ignore the warnings sometimes. We need to be clever.
   • a revelation
     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. (John 3:16)
     For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
     After telling them they are doomed, tell them there is hope.
   • a pathway
     If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
     And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)
     

   God's means of spreading the message:

   • How would you make a message last a million years? Carve it in stone? Make a cavern for the message to stay safely? Someone has suggested starting a religion with the message as its focus. It is our duty to pass on the message that we have to the rest of the world, to those that haven't heard.
   • and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
   • Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)
   • The Bible:
     And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Rev 22:19)

   Your part in the plan:

   • How many people do you meet each day?
   • How many are non-Christians?
   • What do you say to them?
   We must:
   • Pray for them
   • Let them know
   • Live holy lifes as examples

   © David Meiklejohn 1997
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Don't Worry

   Date: 11/04/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Matthew 6 v 25-34

   Matthew 6 v 25-34

   1. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
   2. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
   3. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
   4. And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
   5. And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
   6. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
   7. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
   8. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
   9. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
   10. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

   Worry is a dangerous thing. It eats us up inside, it uses up time, and causes us to lose sleep. It can damage our health, our service and our relationship with God and with others. Worry has no redeeming features, and is different from concern. Concern mobilises us into taking action, while worry immobilises use, stopping us from functioning in a normal and healthy manner.

   The passage we read has a lot to say about worry, and I want to look at seven reasons why we shouldn't worry.

   Seven Reasons Not To Worry

   1. v25 - Perspective - Often we worry about things which seem to be very important at the time, but in fact are not all that important. God has given us our bodies and breathed life into us, yet we seem to think he can't look after the smaller things. If we trust in him, he can look after everything.
   2. v26 - Planning - It's good to plan ahead, but sometimes we get up in trying to control the future, and worry about the things we can't control. There has to be a stage where we've done enough preparation, and we need to leave it there, instead of worrying that things may go wrong which we have no control over.
   3. v27 - Profit - What good can worrying do? Absolutely none! We need to recognise that our worrying is only doing us damage, and serving no useful purpose, to gain a desire to be rid of it.
   4. v28-30 - Perspiration - We need to work at things, but only up to a point. We can't do everything ourselves, and God wants us to rely on him to provide for us. This involves trust, and we must choose to trust rather than worry.
   5. v31-32 - Promise - God says "I will supply all your needs, according to my riches in glory". When we worry that our needs will not be met, it is showing a lack of faith in God. A proper faith and trust in the Lord will smooth over any worries we have.
   6. v33 - Pursue - Jesus tells us to pursue the things of the Lord. We need to put God first, ahead of all the urgent things we have to do. If we put him to the back of the queue, we'll never get around to his things, and our lives will spiral away from him.
   7. v34 - Pace - We need to learn to pace ourselves, take each day as it comes. If there is to be evil on the day, it only makes the evil worse by worrying about it beforehand. If we take a day at a time, we can sleep at night, and wake ready to face the day.

   Worry is all about control. We want to be in control of things and don't like it when we're not. The Christian life is all about giving over control to the Lord, letting him take care of things. Peace is knowing that he will look after us, as he has promised. John 14 v 27 says:

   Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

   We can have peace because we know our Father is able, willing and ever watchful. Just as faith drives out fear, peace drives out worry.

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   The Good Samaritan

   Date: 28/02/99
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Luke 10 v 25-37

   Luke 10 v 25-37

   25. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
   26. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
   27. And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
   28. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
   29. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
   30. And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
   31. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
   32. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
   33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
   34. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
   35. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
   36. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
   37. And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

   The Good Samaritan is one of the best known of Jesus' parables. The story can be seen as a picture of salvation. Jesus tells the story when He is asked "Who is my neighbour?". In His answer, He not only shows us who our neighbours are, but how we should treat each other, and the love that He has for everyone.

   The story is set on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. This was a rough road, and prone to muggers, so the man being mugged isn't a surprise. The road runs downwards from Jerusalem to Jericho, reflecting man's downward walk into sin, and away from God.

   The muggers are like sin. At first they may have seemed harmless, no danger to the man, but they suddenly seized him, stripped him and beat him. Sin may seem to be harmless, even pleasant, but it takes us by surprise, strips us of our dignity and leaves us wounded, without a care for us.

   The two men who pass by are pictures of religion and of the law. Some turn to religion as an answer for sin, but religion can't help. Some turn to the law for justification, but the law only condemns.

   The Samaritan that comes represents Jesus. He came across a person who hated him and yet he didn't stay separate. He came to where the man was. He came with compassion, cleaned the man's wounds and soothed his pain. Jesus came amongst us who hated Him. He came in love, giving His blood to cleanse us from sin, and giving the Holy Spirit to comfort us.

   As the Samaritan takes the wounded man to an inn, and pays for his keep, so Jesus, when He saves us, puts us in a place of fellowship. He provides for our every need, and promises to come back again.

   Summary

   Like the man on the road, we walked a downhill journey, and were left disabled by our sins. We may have looked to the law, but it only condemns us. We may have looked to the church, but it has no power to help. Our only hope is in a person, Jesus Christ. He has come, healed and cleansed us, and given us the means to care for fellow travellers on the road. What are we doing with the gifts He has given us? Are we caring for others, feeding and encouraging young Christians? He will come back again, and our reward will be based on what we have done for Him while here on this earth.

   © David Meiklejohn 1999
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Prayer

   Date: 15/02/00
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Luke 11 v 1-4

   Luke 11 v 1-4

   1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
   2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
   3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
   4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

   In this sermon I want to take a little look at what the Bible teaches us about prayer. Communication is key in any relationship, and prayer is the main way we communicate with God.

   When do we pray?

   David said he prayed morning, noon and evening. Daniel prayed three times a day, even when he was forbidden by the laws of the country. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. It's obvious that we should have a regular prayer life. Our attitude as we go through our day should be a prayerful one, and we need to set aside certain times each day to concentrate on prayer. We should pray in all situations: when we are happy, when we are sad, when angry, troubled or calm. There should never be not enough time to pray: Peter's cry for help when he started to sink in the water is one of the shortest, and yet most effective, prayers we read in the Bible.

   Who do we pray for?

   Prayers shouldn't be full of requests. We should spend time telling God how thankful we are, how much we love Him, and how we want to serve Him. But petition is part of prayer. Who then should we pray for?

   Samuel prayed for Israel. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. Jesus prayed for His disciples. James says pray for one another. When we pray for others, it helps us to love them more, and this is one reason we should pray for our enemies. Our prayer life should be a mirror of our service: put God first, others next and ourselves last.

   In what manner do we pray?

   There are no set rules for the way in which we pray. Remember that God knows our thoughts, so we don't have to speak aloud to be heard. Sometimes it may help us, though. David cried out to the Lord; Hannah prayed in her heart, though her lips moved; Jesus tells us to pray in our closets, in other words not to make a show of our holiness.

   When we have prayed for others and come to ourselves, what things should we pray for? Here are a few suggestions:

   • forgiveness
   • sanctification
   • growth
   • unity with others

   Whatever we pray for we are urged to pray with perseverence. If we ask, we shall receive, but we may have to keep asking and asking. If we know what we are praying for is right and good, keep on praying until God answers.

   What happens when we pray?

   We aren't very good at praying, nor at knowing what to pray for. Thankfully God helps us out. In Romans 8v26 we learn that the Spirit prays for us, shows us what to pray for. We pray to our Father, who is a good Father, and answers His children. And our prayers are perfected by the Lord Jesus, who sits at God's right hand and presents our petitions to Him.

   © David Meiklejohn 2000
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Hell

   Date: 21/11/99
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Luke 16 v 19-31

   Luke 16 v 19-31

   19. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
   20. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
   21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
   22. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
   23. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
   24. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
   25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
   26. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
   27. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
   28. For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
   29. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
   30. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
   31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

   In this sermon, I want to talk about Hell, and next week we'll move on to the subject of Heaven. There's a lot said about Hell in the Bible, and there are many misconceptions held by people. Some of these misconceptions are:

   • Hell is a temporary punishment
   • The soul is annihilated
   • No one will be punished
   • Hell will be a great place to be

   The words used in the Bible for Hell are Sheol, in the Old Testament, and Hades in the New. These literally translate to the grave, or the underworld. The word Gehennon is also used, which refers to the valley of Hinnon, a place outside Jerusalem where children were sacrificed in a great fire. So what kind of place is this? Let's build a picture from what we read in the scriptures.

   1. The underworld is down - Jacob says "I will go down into the grave". Job says in Job 11v8 "as high as Heaven, deeper than Hell". Obviously the grave where someone is buried is down in the ground, but the place beyond the grave is always refered to as being down. Whether this is a physical place beneath us, or somewhere which is "down" in another way is not obvious.
   2. Hades was the destination of all in the Old Testament - again in Job, 14v13, he says "hide me in Sheol". Job, a righteous man, expects to go to Hell. We are given some clarity in our text, where Jesus tells us of the rich man and Lazarus. Both are taken down to Hades, but they are in different parts, separated by an impassable gulf. One was a place of rest: Abraham's bosom, the other a place of torment.
   3. Hell is a place of torment - as we saw in the text, the rich man was in torment where he was. Even a drop of water would have been some relief, but he was denied that. Mark 9 v 43 shows us that Hell is eternal, a place of punishment, and where there is no end, no anihilation.
   4. Paradise was displaced - we have a picture so far of an underworld split in two, with a good part and a bad part, separated by a gulf. But turn to Ephesians 4 v 8-10. Jesus had said to the dying thief "Today you will be with me in Paradise". But Jesus descended on His death. Later we read in 2 Corinthians 12 v 2-4 about being "caught up into Paradise". The phrase in Ephesians, "led captivity captive" must mean that Jesus emptied Paradise, and took the inhabitants with Him up into Heaven. Now that he had paid for their sins, they could enter into the presence of God. This Paradise in Heaven is where the dying believer is taken now.
   5. The bottomless pit - Luke 8 v 31 tells us of another place: the Abyss, or bottomless pit. The demons cast out of the man plead not to be sent there. It must be a place where demons are cast, since in Revelation 9 v 1-11 we read about demons being let loose from there to take part in the Tribulation.In Revelation 20 v 1-3 we also read that Satan is bound in the pit during the Millenium.
   6. Tartarus - we only get a glimpse of this place, in 2 Peter 2 v 4. It is the place of punishment for angels that have sinned. Perhaps it is the same place as the Abyss, we can't tell.
   7. The Lake of Fire - this place, presumably somewhere in Hell, was created for Satan, and at the end of the Millenium, he will be cast into the Lake for all eternity. In Revelation 19 v 20 the Beast and the False Prophet are cast in, then in Revelation 20 v 10-15 Satan and all the unsaved are also placed there. We can assume that the rest of Hell, including the place previously known as Paradise, is left empty.

   Let's try and put all this together into some sort of picture. It definitely won't be accurate, but it gives us something to remember and helps us place the different names.

   

   God is a God of love and of mercy, but also a just and holy God. Everyone will be judged. Those whose names aren't in the Lamb's Book of Life will be sent to Hell. This is a place of torment, not a place of revelry, and that torment lasts forever. How does this affect our thinking? Do we know we are safe? Do we know others who need to be told? The more we grasp the reality of Hell, the less we want others to end up there. Will anyone say to us "Why did you never tell me?".

   © David Meiklejohn 1999
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   The True Vine

   Date: 23/3/99
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: John 15v1-11

   We have been looking at the names of Christ, and I'd like to look in this sermon at the True Vine. The vine is a unique plant, and our Lord has good reason for using this comparison.

   John 15v1-11

   1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
   2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
   3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
   4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
   5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
   6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
   7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
   8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
   9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
   10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
   11. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
   1. Before we consider the branches, we look at the vine and the husbandman. It is important that we start by considering Christ and the Father before we take a look at ourselves.
      The True Vine - Jesus calls himself the true vine. As we look around us we see God's creation. Nature contains many pictures of spiritual truths, and here we see that the vine is the picture, Christ is the reality.
      The Husbandman - the husbandman plants the vine, tends the vine and harvests the fruit. The Father sent the Son to this world to be the vine, he nurtured and kept Jesus while he was here and he is the reason for the fruit that is grown in our lives.
   2. The Branches - we are the branches, part of the vine, grafted on so that our life force comes from the vine. As branches, we are:
      • dependent on the vine: our life, our nourishment, our ability to produce fruit all comes from the vine.
      • conformant to the vine: we are seen as part of the vine. We are the same wood, we have the same life. When others see our lives, they should see us as part of Christ, we should be just like him.
      • Serving the husbandman: our reason for living is to produce fruit that glorifies the Father. We have no reason for self-glorification, all should be for him.
      
      The Fruitless Branch - some branches do not bear any fruit. Since the sole purpose of the branch is to bear fruit for the husbandman, a branch that bears no fruit is useless and is discarded. If our lives are not producing fruit, the Father may well discard us, for the good of the church, that it may be more fruitful.
      The Fruitful Branch - even the branch that bears much fruit is not left alone. This is where the vine is different from any other fruit bearing plant. It needs to be cut back so much more severely. Instructions for growing a new vine say that each year the gardener should allow only two shoots to grow. When these have established themselves, one is severed, leaving just one to bear fruit. All the useless wood is cut away, and even the fruit bearing wood is cut away until the whole energy of the branch is concentrated in bearing one bunch of grapes. In a similar way, the Father wishes to purge our lives of all that is not good, then of some that seems to be good, so that we can concentrate on the one area of fruit-bearing that he has for us.
   3. The Purging - the cleansing, or purging is by his Word. We have been given the Word that we may know the mind of God, that we may know what parts of our lives he wishes to take away, that we may be more fruitful.
   4. The Grafted Branch - the branches are attached to the vine by a process known as grafting. Both the vine and the branches are cut; they are brought into contact, then they are bound together. As time goes on, the branch grows into the vine and the vine grows into the branch. All the branch's energy, all its fruit-bearing ability comes from the vine. For us to bear fruit in our lives, we must abide in Christ, and he in us. If we do this, his life and his energy fill us.
   5. The Severed Branch - all life, nourishment and power is from the vine. If the branch is severed, it loses all power it has, and withers. We can do nothing while we are not abiding in Christ. All that we may appear to be doing is selfish and useless.
   6. The Withered Branch - when a branch is severed from the vine, it shrivels up and dies. If is interesting to note that the same sunshine which gives the branch energy while it is attached to the vine causes it to wither when it has been cut off. The power of God enables us while we abide in Christ, but causes us to wither if we are cut off from him.
   7. The Vine's Provision - this verse seems to say we can ask for anything and we will receive it. In fact it does say this, but with a condition: we must be abiding in Christ and his words abiding in us. If we are in such a state our will will naturally be the same as his, whatever we ask will be in his will and he will provide it.
   8. The Branch's Purpose - we are branches in the vine that we might bear fruit. Our aim is to bear as much fruit as possible, not for our own glory but for the glory of the Father. If we bear fruit and keep it to ourselves it will rot and be useless. If we bear fruit for the Father, he will appreciate it and reward us.
   9. The Vine's Love - the Father has loved the Son. This does not seem hard, since the Son obeyed the Father in all things, glorifying him by his life. But in the same way as the Father loves the Son, so the Son loves us. We who are undeserving of that love are given it, and we can go forward in our lives in the safe knowledge that he loves us, and always will.
   10. The Vine's Example - we should not ignore the love of Christ towards us. It should spur us on to serve him and to obey him. He is our example, and his obedience to the Father is the target we should be aiming for.
   11. Joy - what is joy? It is happiness, fulfillment, contentment, and much more. We can only have joy if we obey what we have just been told: we must abide in the True Vine, we must bear fruit for the Father, we must follow his commandments. If we do these things our joy will be full. Others will look at us and want what we have.

   Jesus is the True Vine. We are the branches. Our purpose in this life is to bear fruit for the glory of the Father. All our provision from this comes from the Vine. We must abide in him, and he will abide in us, and our lives will be full of joy.

   © David Meiklejohn 1999
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Date: 9/2/97
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: I Corinthians 3v9-15

   Workers Together With God

   I Corinthians 3v9-15

   9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
   10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
   11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
   12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
   13. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
   14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
   15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

   I want to concentrate on verse 9. It says we are labourers together with God. God works in our lives and we must also work in our lives. Some will say that all is of God, but without our willingness and our effort, God will do nothing in us. Some will say that it is all human effort, but without God empowering our works, they are worthless. God supplies the guidance and power and we supply the willingness and effort.

   Two illustrations are used in this verse: we are God's husbandry (tillage, or field) and we are God's building. The care and building up of these is both God's work and our work.

   God's Field

   Our lives are God's field. There is a series of stages a field must go through to be fruitful, and that is its purpose: to be fruitful for its owner.

   • Separated - When a farmer buys a field he makes sure it is separated from the land around. He marks it out with hedges, to keep people out and to shelter it from the wind. The field can be seen to be the farmer's property and not just part of the land. So we must be separated from the world. We need God's protection around us to keep the world out. He shelters us from evil. We are marked out as being the property of the Lord. Children's annuals used to have a "this book belongs to" page in them. We should have a "this person belongs to" mark evident in our lives.
   • Ploughed - When the farmer marks out the field the land is just like the surrounding land. He must plough the land, turning over the soil and ridding it of the rocks it contains. The land takes a lot of work before it is ready to plant in. Our lives are the same. When we are saved there is a lot that needs changing. Sometimes this can be a painful experience, but it's one which prepares us to be fruitful. Like the rocks, we must remove the sins from our lives: otherwise they will obstruct the planting and harvesting of the crop.
   • Sown - the farmer sows the seed in the field. The seed is normally of one type. God sows his works in us - he doesn't give us a confusion of things to do, his plan for us is simple and to one aim. Sometimes, though, it isn't clear what the crop will be from the seed. Sometimes we just have to go ahead and grow it, trusting in the master, that the crop will be profitable. What farmer will sow useless crops in his fields?
   • Nourished - all plants need watered. The water fills out the plant. Look at a plant that hasn't been watered: it's all dried up and useless. Water it and it fills out, healthy and strong. Water speaks of the Spirit, who nourishes us, strengthens us, fills us from within. We are told to be filled with the Spirit. This doesn't mean we have to ask God to fill us; he is already willing, we just have to give all our lives to him.
   • Energised - the sun gives energy and life to the crop. It is what makes the plants grow. The Son of God gives us the power; without him we can do nothing. The Son gives us life, and it is only through the Word that we can grow. Jesus said "I am the light of the world". Light doesn't just bring vision, but gives energy.
   • Tended - the farmer looks after his land. This means he must regularly go through the field, checking on the growth of the crop, looking for weeds. Weeds grow in the field as well as the crop. They weren't planted by the farmer, so where did they come from? Some were in the land before it was bought by the farmer and have grown up again. Some will have blown in from the land around. Some may even have been sown by enemies of the father, to spoil his crop. Sin in our lives comes from three sources: from the old man, the sinful nature in us; from the influence of the world, which can depend on how well the hedges have been built and are maintained; and from the devil, who tries to spoil God's work in us. The crop needs nourished and cared for, but the weeds grow easily, robbing the crop of sustenance and strangling it.
   • Harvested - what use is to be made of the crop? It needs to be harvested, and the field reploughed for the next year. If the crop is left in the field, it will go to seed and be useless to anyone. The crop is for the farmer. That is the purpose it was sown. Likewise, our works in Christ must be harvested. There should be fruit from our work and the glory should go to the Lord. If we try and hold on to the glory, it will make us useless. If we just dwell on past glories, again we will be useless. we need to make a clean start on the next thing God has for us.
   • Rested - every seven years, the Jews were to rest their fields; plant nothing in them. If they didn't do this the fields would get worn out, producing less crop each year. The rest gives the field a chance to regain its vigour and be ready for a full crop the next year. How are your Sundays? Do you feel spiritually refreshed after a Sunday. The week will wear you down, so if you don't use Sunday to rest in the Lord, you will become of less and less use to God. Our Sundays should give us a renewed vigour to do the Lord's work, to face the world and the elements again.

   God's Building

   The verse also compares our lives to a building, which we build up out of different materials. Again there are several stages involved:

   • Plans - Any building must have plans. Buildings are constructed for a purpose and must be systematically planned through. v16 tells us the purpose of our building: it is the temple of God, a place of worship which glorifies God. Our whole purpose here on earth is to please God. The plan for our lives is in the Word. Each of us has an individual plan, which God will reveal to us if we search. Not all of it at once, but when we need it. Like buildings, we may be very similar, so the plans can be the same for the most part; but each one has a bit of individuality, a bit which is different from all the rest. If we stray from God's plan, the building will be less able to fulfil its purpose.
   • Foundation - v11 tells us the foundation of our buildings should be Christ. No other one, no other thing. Some build their foundation on doctrine, some on love, some on experience, some on mysteries. Our foundation is the only one that will last: a person, Jesus Christ.
   • Walls & Roof - A house has walls and a roof: to support it and to protect it from the elements outside. The walls are set firmly in the foundation. Our walls are the basic elements of our faith - the doctrines which determine our daily living. We live by God's commandments - be separate from the world, love one another, spread the gospel. Each of these doctrines must be founded in Christ to hold it solid, and by these things God will protect us from things of the world.
   • Materials - What do we build the house with? Some houses are made with straw, some with wood, some brick. Our house has a special destiny. We have been told it will be burned, and what is left will be our reward (v13). We should be mindful of this, then, when we build, using materials which will survive the fire. Wood might be an easy material to build with: it is light and strong and makes house-building a faster task; but when it comes to being burned absolutely none of the wood will be left. The verse tells us to build with gold, silver and precious stones. These are expensive, heavy and difficult to work with, but they will last. Image the house consumed in a terrible fire. When the smoke clears and the ashes are blown away, a few pieces of gold and silver are left lying on the ground, all that is left of our work. We may think we know an easier way to acomplish God's task, but God's way is always the right way, even if it seems terribly hard.
   • Door & Windows - The door is important. It is the way things come into the house and the way things leave. We should only take in what is useful, not a lot of junk, or something that will damage the house. Likewise, whatever leaves the house should be only good. People will judge what is inside by what comes out. Someone once said they used to put their good stuff on the midden, so the neighbours would think they were well off. The windows are how we see the world around, and sometimes how people see inside. We need to keep them clear so we can see clearly, and so the light of the sun can enter. Then, when all around is in darkness, the light within will shine out to those around.
   • Inhabitant - Someone must live in the house. They will keep it clean and help look after it. They can only do this if they have access to all the rooms though. Imagine you had a lodger who was kept locked out of a room in your house. The room would get dusty, old and unused. The Holy Spirit lives within us, and we need to give him access to all areas of our lives, or those areas where we keep him out will grow worse and worse. There shouldn't be any part of our lives where the Spirit's influence isn't visible.

   So our lives are like fields and our lives are like houses. We must build them up, but must remember that we are fellow-workers with God. All that we attempt on our own will be fruitless.

   © David Meiklejohn 1997
   David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
   www.meiklejohn.org.uk

   Date: ??/??/96
   Speaker: David Meiklejohn
   Text: Colossians 3v3-5

   Sermon on Sin

   Colossians 3 v3-5

   3. For ye are dead (to sin), and your life is hid with Christ in God.
   4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
   5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
   • What is sin
   • What is its penalty
   • What are the consequences
   • How can we be dead to sin
   • How do we avoid it

   What is Sin?

7. missing the mark - doing what God doesn't want
8. How do we know what God doesn't want?
   • read the Bible - 2 timothy 3v16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
   • know God - if our relationship with God is a close one, we will know His mind
   • conscience - we are given a conscience which tells us what is right and wrong
9. Ommission is a sin as well as commission - James 4v17: Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
10. What about ignorance?
    • Numbers 15v27-31 And if any soul sin through ignorance...
    • The ordinary punishment for sin, sacrifices, is actually that for sinning through ignorance. Sinning when you know it is a much more serious offence.
11. Is something either a sin or not?
    • No, it has a lot to do with motives. In 1 Chronicles 21 David decides to take a census. There doesn't sound anything wrong in that, but his motive was pride and that made the census a sin for David.
    • But doing the wrong thing with a good motive doesn't make it right. Sometimes we don't even know that we've done something because we had the right motives, but it has been taken wrongly.

    What is the penalty for sin?

12. There is one basic penalty. Romans 3v23 says For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. That means the slightest sin makes us fail God's standards. We all deserve that punishment. Romans 6v23: For the wages of sin is death. Remember, death is a separation. The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God. Some believe there are small sins which just reduce fellowship with God, and mortal sins which damn us to Hell. This is not Biblical - all sin is punishable by death.
13. There do appear to be several levels of punishment: 2 Peter 2v21: For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But all sin results in damnation.
14. The only escape from the penalty of sin is salvation through the blood of Jesus. Because all sins deserve death, there is no merit in this; it is pure mercy.

    What are the consequences of sin?

15. We may be forgiven our sins, we may escape the penalty, but sin still has consequences, and we don't realise how far-reaching they are.
16. Genesis 3v17 - Adam's sin caused a curse on the ground, God's creation, and on all mankind.
17. Look at the relatives of Abraham. They were the ones who caused his people most trouble:
18. Ishmael: the result of Abraham trying himself to fulfill God's promise of a nation.
    • His descendents became the Arab nation, even now against Israel.
    • Gen 25v18 - they struggled against their brothers.
    • Gen 27v25 - Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites.
19. Midian: the son of Abraham's second wife, Keturah (concubine?)
    • Also mentioned as the people Joseph was sold to
    • Judges 6 & 7 Midianites are enemy that Gideon defeats
20. Lot had two sons by his daughters, again the result of sin.
21. Moab:
    • Moabites wanted Balaam to curse Israel
    • 2 Kings 3 the Moabites rebel against Israel and are quashed
22. Ben-Ammi: other son
    • Jephthah went to fight the Ammonites (Judges 11)
    • David fought and defeated them in 2 Samuel 10
23. Esau: despised his birthright - father of Edomites
    • Numbers 20 - wouldn't let Israel pass through their country
    • Psalm 83v5-7 - join with other nations against Israel.
24. Amalek: Esau's grandson
    • It was the Amalekites who attacked Israel in the wilderness
    • In 1 Samuel 15 God ordered the Amalekites to be totally destroyed because of this.
25. Sin is far reaching. We need more of a realisation of how much damage is done to really feel the sorrow that we should sometimes. How can we be dead to sin and yet still sin?
26. Romans 6v2 says How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? That is, in sin.
27. Remember: death means separation, so dead to sin means separated from sin.
28. Illustration: Field is your life. Man in middle is your soul. Wolves in field are your sins.
    • The wolves have a free run of the field. They swarm over it and over the man in the middle, tearing at him. He can't kill them - he hasn't the strength to fight and had he a gun, they are too close to him. He needs saved.
    • Salvation: the wolves draw back, cages fall around them, trapping them. The man is safe, but the wolves still wander around the field. Your soul is safe from the penalty of sin (your life is hid with Christ in God), but there is still sin in your life. The wolves trample down the crop in the field, making it unfruitful.
    • Mortify therefore your members: now the man has a gun, and a free shot at the wolves. He can walk up to the cages and shoot the wolves, one by one. Each time he shoots one, an area of the field is left alone to grow and be fruitful.
    • So it's easy, he just shoots all the wolves. We can just kill off all the sin in our lives and live pure, fruitful lives. Why is it not like that. Look at the wolves. Some of them are fearful beasts, but some of them are cute little puppies. He doesn't want to kill them, that would be cruel. They aren't doing too much harm. Sin is like this as well. Sometimes we hold on to it. It looks pleasurable, and can be. It looks harmless. But wolf cubs grow into fierce creatures. Our little sins that seem so harmless can grow into great big sins, and it's not that we can't kill them off, we don't want to. We cling on to them.
    • The man has the capability of ridding himself of all the wolves in his field. The only thing that is holding him back is that he is blind to reality. He doesn't see the effect they have on his field. He could produce so much fruit if only he realised.

    What can we do about it?

29. Too often we are happy with where we are. We think we've done quite well, and settle down. We need to open our eyes, to see the dangers still lurking in our lives. We need to constantly examine ourselves, look at what needs changed. Not in a morbid way, thinking that we've no hope, but a goal in mind, of being more fruitful for God. How can we recognise and avoid it?
    • Read the Word. We can't claim we didn't know if we didn't bother to find out.Think what would Christ do. In every situation, think to yourself what He would have done.
    • Confess and repent. Acknowledge what you've done is wrong. Too often we try and make excuses for our action instead of holding our hands up and saying we were wrong. "He started it". "But I was in the right"
    • Flee temptation. If the opportunity doesn't arise, you won't do it.
    • Put others before yourself. Sin is caused by selfishness. If we're thinking of others first, we won't just resist sin, but avoid it altogether.
    • If we are faced with temptation, rely on God's strength to say no.

    © David Meiklejohn 1996
    David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
    www.meiklejohn.org.uk

    Ready for the Millenium

    Date: 4/4/1999
    Speaker: David Meiklejohn
    Text: 1 Thessalonians 4 v 16-17

    1 Thessalonians 4 v 16-17

    16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
    17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

    There are only 271 days until the year 2000. Everyone's talking about it. Will anything momentous happen? Will it be the end of the world? Will all the computers stop working because of the "millenium bug"? For the emergency services it will be the busiest time of the year. And the last time they want their computers to stop. The big question as the time approaches is "Are you ready?"

    When Jesus was going about with His disciples, several times He talked to them about what was to come. He quite openly and clearly said that He was going to be killed, but that on the third day He would rise again. The disciples didn't seem to understand. They asked among themselves what these things meant. They didn't think that what Jesus said would really happen.

    As well as telling His disciples He was going to die at Jerusalem, Jesus told them that He would rise again. After three days He would come back to life. Did they believe it? Well, when the third day came they were hiding in a room. None of them went to the tomb to see if Jesus would rise until the women had been and brought the message. They weren't waiting because they didn't think that what Jesus said would really happen.

    John 14 v 2

    2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

    Acts 1 v 11

    11. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
    Jesus said He would come again. It has been 2000 years and He hasn't returned yet. Was He lying? Was He mistaken? Or will He keep His promise? His disciples didn't think what He had said about His death or resurrection would really happen. But when they saw these things happen they believed. And they believed He will come again. Do we? And are we watching and waiting? The first text says that He will come for His people. Are you one of His people? Do you know Him as Saviour? If you do, are you ready, preparing for His coming? Or are you not worried, because you don't really think it will happen? If you're not His, the Bible tells us that time is short. Today is the day of salvation. Don't put that decision off because one day it will be too late.

    © David Meiklejohn 1999
    David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
    www.meiklejohn.org.uk

    Power Over Sin

    Date: 25/4/1999
    Speaker: David Meiklejohn
    Text: 2 Peter 1 v 1-10

    2 Peter 1 v 1-10

    1. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
    2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
    3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
    4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
    5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
    6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
    7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
    8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    9. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
    10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

    I want to look at three question this passage raises:

    • Can a Christian live a sinless life?
    • How can we have power over sin?
    • Is it better to sin in heart than in deed?

    Can a Christian live a sinless life?

    We all fail. We either do the things we know we shouldn't or we fail to do the things we know we should. When we fail it often feels like it's hopeless to even try not to, that we are doomed to keep on failing, keep on sinning. Is righteous living then a theoretical, unreachable goal? And if it is, is it still with aiming for? Is it worth trying to climb the mountain if we know we're never going to get to the top?

    Let's look at our text and see what it has to say.

    v1 - Peter is writing to Christians, to us. He's saying that the faith that we have is the same faith that he has. There is nothing particularly special about Peter, he is reliant on the power of Christ in him for his faith. So anything he can achieve himself is achievable for us.

    v2 - Peter wants us to have grace and peace. That is he wants us to see good things in our lives, and he wants us to know freedom from struggle, to be at peace with God and at peace with ourselves. And he tells us how we can achieve these things: through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. This isn't just an intellectual knowledge, but a personal experience: it is gained by spending time the presence of the Lord, talking to Him, letting Him talk to you, and growing to know Him.

    v3 - God has equipped us. He had given us all the tools necessary to live lives for Him. The amazing thing about this is that he doesn't say God will equip us as we go, but that He has already given us all we need, all we can ask for.

    v4 - What does it mean to be partakers of the divine nature? It means to live and act in a spiritual manner, just as God wants of us. Peter says we have escaped the corruption of sin, caused by the lusts of the flesh. If we really are free from sin then we can attain this height: to live as pleases God.

    v8 - After a list of the things that should fill our lives, Peter says if these things are found in your behaviour you will benefit from it. If your life is full of goodness there will be no place for sin, because there will be no time for sin.

    v9 - When we don't practise what God teaches, and when we don't spend the time with Him that we should, we forget His power. We forget that sin no longer has a hold of us. We put the chains back on ourselves and complain that there's no avoiding it.

    v10 - But Peter says we can avoid it. We can fill our lives with good things, and let God rule in our lives, and if we do this we will never fail. How can ths be? It's because He can never fail. And if we let Him rule our lives then our lives will be pure and holy, and righteous.

    In the book of Job, God calls His servant a blameless man. He wasn't sinless, but was living a live of service to God, and without room for sin to take over. We too can live blameless lives, even more so because we see more clearly the power of Christ within us.

    Peter knew what it was like to be a sinner. He knew what it was like to fail Jesus. He had failed over and over again, in a very public way. But he picked himself up, asked forgiveness, and went on to do his all for Jesus. We can too. But there are snares, that would trip us up:

    • "I'm all right" - complacency is a dangerous thing, and relying on self is foolish. We must remember that all that we have is by God's grace.
    • "I'm not good enough" - it's easy to think that not sinning is too hard. But God has given us strength through Christ to be able. Each one He has saved He has saved to seve and obey, and He's given us the power to do so.
    • "The goal is impossible, why bother" - living a sinless life seems a far away target but Peter intended us to get there, and to start now. At least if we get part of the way that's better than nothing.
    • "Other are way ahead of me" - God isn't judging you against others, just against you. When you make progress He is happy, no matter how far ahead others are.

    How Can I Realise Power Over Sin?

    1 John 5 v 4-5

    4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
    5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

    John 16 v 33

    33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

    © David Meiklejohn 1999
    David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
    www.meiklejohn.org.uk

    Date: 15/12/96
    Speaker: David Meiklejohn
    Text: 1 John 5 v 1-13

    The Battle is the Lord's

    1 John 5 v1-13

    1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
    2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
    3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
    4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
    5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
    6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
    7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
    8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
    9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
    10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
    11. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
    12. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
    13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
    • v1-3 - Love
      All Christians are born of God. If we love God we will love Christ as well. John doesn't represent love as some emotion, but as action. We show our love by keeping his commandments.
      John says that God's commandments are not grievous. How can this be? Surely the law of God is impossible to follow. Failure is inevitable and weighs us down. In Matthew 11v28-30 Jesus says we should come to him to relieve ourselves of our burdens. We should come to Jesus as often as possible, to confess our sins and lighten our loads. Remember 1 John 2v1 says if we sin we have an advocate in heaven.
      Have you ever seen people out picking grapes. What they do is carry a basket along with them, filling it as they go. The basket gets heavier and heavier until they take it to the cart and pour out the grapes. The cart can take much more than they can, and they are now unburdened to work more effectively. It's the same with you and me. The more often we unburden our cares on Christ, the more effective we can be as Christians.
    • v6-13 - Witness
      v6 - Water speaks of the Holy Spirit, while blood speaks of humanity. Jesus wasn't just born of the Spirit, but also of a woman. When he died, blood and water poured out of him. Some people have said Jesus was only the Christ between his baptism and just before being crucified. This isn't true. He was both God and man from his birth to his death. If it was just a man that had died on the cross, we could not be saved. It had to be God that died, no matter how hard this is for us to understand.
      v7 is the most explicit verse in the bible supporting the idea of the trinity, though we can see it's presence throughout scripture. The Jehova's Witnesses don't believe in the trinity, believing Jesus is something less than God and the Holy Spirit doesn't exist as a person at all, but just represents the power of God. Interestingly, this verse has been removed from some of the more modern translations.
      v8 - God said "ye are my witnesses". His witness on earth is through us: through the Holy Spirit working in our lives and through the two services we are commanded to keep: baptism and the Lord's supper.
      The Jehova's Witnesses also seem to believe that the way to God is through a keener understanding of him. They interpret the phrase "to know God" as meaning to have detailed, clear knowledge of him. The word doesn't mean this, though. It is the same concept as when the bible talks of a man knowing his wife: a deep, personal relationship. v12 says he that hath the Son hath life, not he that knows about the Son hath life. Christ is a possession, not an interest. This verse proclaims the message of salvation clearly: if you have Christ, you have eternal life. If you don't, you don't.
    • v4-5 - Victory
      This section talks about victory and overcoming the world. How can we do this? What happens when we do? The bible often talks about the Christian life as a battle and gives us lots of instruction on how to approach it.
      • Preparation - image being a soldier, going into a battle. What are the important things to do before going? Before the battle you'll be given a briefing - told about the enemy, their weapons, how they're likely to attack. You'll get your kit ready and check it's all in working order: your battledress, your gun, your radio and so on. You'll have been trained in using all these things. There is also one thing which will have been drummed into you since you joined the army. You must obey orders. That doesn't mean there's no room for initiative, but when it comes right down to it, you must do exactly as you are told, or you'll be endangering your own and others' safety.
        These things apply in the Christian life as well:
        • Know Your Enemy
          We have three enemies: the devil, the world and the flesh. We need to be aware of how the attack is likely to come and what form it will take. The devil attacks us on three sides: body, soul and spirit. See Genesis 3v6 for instance. Eve saw the fruit was good to eat (the body), it was pleasing to the eye (the soul, emotions), and would bring wisdom (the spirit, mind). When Jesus was tempted by the devil he used the same three attacks. He offered bread for the body, possessions to please the soul and an ego-boost to tempt the spirit. 1 John 2v16 warns us of the three same areas: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
          We must be aware of the ways we will be attacked and be prepared for them. We must clothe ourselves with Christ (Romans 13v14), realise our soul can never be satisfied by earthly things (Proverbs 27v20) and practise humility.
        • Wear the Armour
          Ephesians 6 tells us about the armour of God. We must pay attention to what we have on and what condition it's in. If our shield of faith is falling apart, we should do something to strengthen it. If our sword is rusty through lack of use, we must practise with it. If our prayer life is inadequate, the rest is affected.
        • Surrender
          Strange as it may seem, our chances of success depend on how willing we are to surrender; not to the enemy, but to God. A line of a song says "we can surrender without a prayer, but never really pray without surrender". We must be willing to go into the battle thinking nothing of ourselves, but giving all over to God.
      • Reward - there are rewards to those that overcome. revelation lists them:
        • 2v7 - they shall eat from the tree of life
        • 2v11 - they shall not be hurt from the second death
        • 2v17 - they shall eat hidden manna and be given a white stone with a new name on it.
        • 2v26 - if they also keep his works (John 6v29 - keep believing to the end) they will be given the power to rule over the nations, and be given the morning star (Jesus calls himself the morning star).
        • 3v5 - they wil be clothed in white and their name will be in the book of life.
        • 3v12 - they will be pillars in God's temple, with his name written on them.
        • 3v21 - they will sit with Christ on his throne.
      • Winning - how do we win the battle? How can we overcome? John says those who believe, who are the sons of God, overcome the world. In John 16v33 Jesus tells us not to worry about tribulation, he has already overcome the world. 1 John 4v4 says "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." The key is that the battle is not on our strength but on the Lord's, and he is already victorious, having defeated death and the world. All we have to do is realise this and start living it. We often live defeated lives because we don't realise that the battle is already won. We think that we have to achieve something to be victorious. Christ has already achieved all that is needed. We can walk into battle confident, not in our own ability, but in the Lord.
    So the message is that the Christian life is a battle. We need to be prepared: know our enemy, clothe ourselves correctly and surrender ourselves to the leader. But we can approach the battle knowing that it is already won. Victory doesn't depend on our strength; the battle belongs to the Lord.

    © David Meiklejohn 1996
    David@Meiklejohn.org.uk
    www.meiklejohn.org.uk