This past Lord’s Day we had a booklet launch for a spiritual biography of our dear departed brother, Eric Scolding. The booklet tells his life story from a faith perspective, a perfect read for any Christian, nominal Christian or earnest seeker of Christ.
You may download a pdf. here or pick up a free hardcopy at the Chapel.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
Yesterday in our People’s Choice series we dealt with one of the most important social and moral issues of our day, abortion. Here is a helpful little video followed by a resource link to the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. You may also want to listen to the sermon on our sermons’ page.
Society for the Protection of Unborn Children:
Jesus, quoting Isaiah, said:
…their hearts are far from me… (Isaiah 29:13; Mt 15:8; Mk 7:6)
That adequately describes the vast majority of people in the UK (and the West!). More than this, it is a recognition of why people do the things they do since the Fall, their hearts are evil and far from God (Prov 4:23; Mk 7:20-2). Is it any wonder godlessness runs rampant?
Any God fearing and loving Christian has reason to lament: the erosion of Biblical values; the aggressive assault on marriage and gender; pornography; human trafficking; family breakdown; children disrespecting parents (and parents provoking children); social injustice and deprivation; the idolatry of materialism; the rise of cults and false religions; the embrace of the godless theory of evolution instead of faith in a Creator; people, generally, calling evil good and good evil (Isa 5:20).
Hanker for the ole’ days we might, this behaviour cannot be reversed unless there is first a heart change wrought by the Gospel. The evangelical Anglican and abolitionist, William Wilberforce, noted this in Real Christianity (1797). He said:
Fruitless will be all attempts to sustain, much more to revive, the fainting cause of morals unless you can in some degree restore the prevalence of Evangelical Christianity. It is in morals as in physics; unless a source of [good morals be caused], it will be vain to attempt to make them [improve] in their future course…By all, therefore, who [desire] their country’s welfare…every effort should be used to revive the Christianity of our better days.
The God who can do the impossible, did this in Wilberforce’s day by a moving of His Spirit and He could do it again today (Lk 18:17). May we therefore pray, and preach the Good News.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
Self- Inflicted-Nonsense, that is how the world views sin. Sin is an oppressive concept that stifles human freedom and flourishing. I am my own master. I will do what I desire. No one or government or religion can tell me what I can or cannot do. Why would you constrain your own freedom by nonsensical rules and traditions? The idea of sin is repulsive to the world today because it limits what I can do. It is a remnant of past authoritarian structures and legalistic religiosity. Cast them off has been the mantra of recent decades! Be free!
The list goes on…self-inflicted nonsense! All a complete and utter load of nonsense!!!!!
Well let’s pause and look at an alternative. Recognising that many of today’s trends are an overreaction caused by past abuses of authority and nominal religion, might the idea of sin not be self-inflicted-nonsense but truth and a reality meant to spare us countless and needless dangers and harm? We’ve taken a huge leap from the notion of having some personal freedoms designed to ensure there was some civic freedom within parameters, to a culture of near total permissiveness.
Listen to this counter challenge from 1 John 1:8:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
WOW! What a different way of looking at things. Sin is as real as this computer screen you are reading this blog on. If we deny its reality, then we are actually self-deceived, the ones believing the nonsensical idea that there are no moral absolutes. As this verse was initially addressed to Christians who denied they kept sinning, if that was the case the Truth (Holy Spirit) was not in them. Similarly, if you are a non-believer who denies the reality of sin, the truth is similarly not in you and you are a liar.
Sin leads to harm and destruction and death, but walking in God’s Law leads to life. In fact, the Bible says God’s ways were designed for our good (Deut 10:13). It is when we follow them we flourish! It is when we walk in them that we find perfect freedom (Ps 119:45).
But more than speak of sin, the Bible makes clear that bad fruit is not the ultimate issue but the root. It is not merely the symptom we need to address but the underlying disease. The Bible also uses sin to speak of a disease of the heart (Prov 4:23; Mt 15:18–20).
The Law of God is good and true, yes, but it cannot save us because we cannot obey it perfectly, because we are actually not free but our hearts are enslaved to sin (Ro 6:16). We may even come to believe in the truth of 1 John 1:8 but that is still not good enough because we’d still be enslaved to sin even if we acknowledge it is real. We need God to open our eyes to believe the Gospel, the good news of freedom from sin available through faith and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who will help us live lives pleasing to God. Then the Law no longer is a threat of judgement but a promise, with God saying ‘I will get you there!’
As much as the world thinks it is free and sin does not exist, the reverse is true, sin does exist and the world is enslaved to it, which is why it loves it so much and will fight under any convenient banner or excuse to self-justify its own sinful actions (Ro 1:32). True freedom can only come in recognising sin is not self-inflicted-nonsense, but something that is real and that we need saving from. Only then will we be free and flourish as the Lord intended.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
A 2.5/3 for the Royal Wedding Sermon (and yet a…)
A number of people I spoke with commented on how “good” the Royal Wedding Sermon was that was preached by Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church of the USA. If you haven’t seen it you can watch it here:
First point. His rhetoric was great. That he managed to raise a few royal eyebrows and break the homiletic mould of traditional nominal Anglican formality and dryness in a way that captured people’s attention was due to his African-American preaching rhetoric (which I confess I have always appreciated). In terms of public speaking at least, it drew people’s attention and engaged.
Second point. He used lots of Biblical examples and metaphors. He referenced many passages of scripture and unashamedly mentioned God, Jesus, love, the Bible, etc.
My half-point. He used a tablet and appeared “cool.”
Yet despite scoring a 2.5/3, his sermon ultimately receives an F. For all that it has been applauded for we must be discerning and see how it failed, and as such gave a false representation of Jesus, the Gospel and Christianity to millions of viewers, most of whom don’t know Jesus (what a millstone!).
Here are just three examples that should disturb you:
Jesus spoke of false teachers being wolves dressed up in sheep’s clothing. Bishop Curry is a wolf. His ecclesial position, Christian-like language, positivity, worldly popularity are all a guise to spread untruths and heresy. That he did not share any robust Gospel truth should come as no surprise to the discerning viewer because he is leader of one of the most liberal sects in the United States. Curry’s Episcopal Church is under sanction by the worldwide Anglican communion for unorthodox views on marriage and sexuality, something of which he proudly acknowledges he is an advocate for.
If you’d like to read a more in depth article on the sermon I would recommend you click here.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
Darkness, an earthquake and more… What exactly happened on the cross?
The Bible puts forward the rich and multi-faceted truth of the atonement to capture the magnitude of what transpired on the cross. It was the moment when God addressed the chasm sin had created between mankind and Himself to restore all rebels who would believe in His Son Jesus to Himself.
People often don’t make much of sin, but the Bible does and so should we! It says the chasm of sin is the difference between:
The Bible says there is only one way to get across, trusting in what Jesus did on the Cross. Are you trusting in Jesus for your salvation? Faith in Him is the only way to get across the chasm created by your sin.
I tell you the truth. Whoever hears my message and trusts in God who sent me has eternal life. They will not be condemned for their sin but have crossed over from death into life! (John 5:24).
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
It is a great privilege to have been invited by Mrs. Green to address the leavers of 2017 (and everyone), but especially you six. It certainly is a milestone we want to celebrate!
Harriet, Natasha, Nathaniel, Michel, Lucas, Samuel, you are probably counting down the hours, not just till the end of the year but to your new adventure at secondary school. You’re flying the coup, moving on, leaving the nest! But I hope you won’t forget us all at St. Andrew’s, that when you’re learning to drive in a few years you’ll drive past, if you get married and have children, take them past, show them where you went to primary school. Laugh…but it will be here before you know it [click fingers]. You are maturing, growing up. But I hope you will remember the Christian values you have learned, and I’d like to leave you with one last thing to consider.
Jesus says that the key to growing spiritually mature is to turn and become like children [not go this way but go back this way]. Crazy thing to share at a leaver’s service! Just when we’re celebrating moving on (physically speaking), Jesus is calling to you turn around (spiritually speaking), and become like children.
Listen to what’s going on in Matt 18:1–3:
1…the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
2 So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, 3 and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. (GNT)
Powerful words, potentially confusing words too! What did Jesus mean by become like a little child? Did He mean to become innocent? Parents, what is one of the first words a child says? “No!” That’s right! Jesus was not talking about innocence. What did He mean then? V. 4:
4 The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. (GNT)
See when we are young we are dependent on parents, adults, teachers…but as we grow up we become independent, self-sufficient, responsible…new skills and abilities. And physically speaking that is good. But Jesus says to be spiritually mature, to be “great in the Kingdom of heaven,” we must become humble. Humility is the key to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Humility means to be entirely dependent on Jesus with your whole life, whereas pride is to think you’re so great you don’t need Jesus in your life.
My prayer is, yes, fly the coup, mature, do great things, but even more I pray that you will remember this spiritual lesson today, that the key to true greatness is to trust in Jesus.
Thanks for listening and the Lord’s blessings to all our leavers! [Shake hands].
Last year evangelist Jonathan B. and myself led a session on the New Age at the Chapel. We invited Jonathan to speak because he has been attending Stonehenge for 15 years, attending to speak with people about the Gospel. Around the time of that meeting I felt it was an outreach opportunity I should commit to attending. In the end myself and David F. from the Chapel agreed to go with him (so glad he was willing for us to tag along). It was a privilege to serve alongside two men so gifted in “on the spot” public evangelism.
I share these reflections as my mind is still filled with the grogginess of returning home at 0600 not having a proper night’s sleep just in case anyone is interested in what goes on/ or how the Gospel might be shared in places such as these.
The three of us met up in the early evening for fellowship and prayer (so important in evangelism and serving in spiritually dark places). With a willingness to be used by the Spirit, and with tracts, Bibles and Jesus t-shirts in hand (that might seem a tad tacky but they work well as a conversation starter) we set off to seek and save the lost. Given how warm it has been there were lots of people, different sorts of people all searching and thirsting for living waters but searching for it in broken cisterns (Jer 2:13). There were some neo-pagans, druids and witches of varying sorts (some pretend and some real). There were also many neo-pagan and New Age worshippers wishing folks “happy solstice.” Then there was the majority, or those looking for a good excuse for revelry and then those who just came to check things out. There were lots of drugs and alcohol (the air stank of it), dancing, flame tricks, glow sticks and different sorts of music ranging from classic hippy, rock to pagan drumming. I was particularly bothered by how many children were being exposed to such darkness, drugs, false worship and lack of sleep! It was an odd combination of some elements that almost seemed darkly primitive blended with a hippy culture of the 60s. Nonetheless, we were there to love people and minister the Gospel in the name of Jesus.
We journeyed first to:
Avebury
We arrived here while it was still light out. Given this location is off the beaten path from Stonehenge (though much larger in size) there were less people and a less organised feel. This meant that it had a better atmosphere for engaging with people. Sadly the local URC church had just been sold and nothing was on at the parish church (though I cannot confirm whether they were doing anything or not). After surveying the lay of the land (this was new for 2 of us) we broke off for a time to do some individual sharing. We each had a few conversations with people but it was not until we re-joined a large group within the stone circle that a number of people began being drawn into conversation with us. Chief among these were two teenage boys and some women. We were able to pray extensively for one very lost 17 year old and share with him. It was disconcerting to see how the UKs moral slide away from the Lord is having disastrous effects in real people’s lives and causing so many of the secondary societal issues we are seeing such as broken homes and suicide. With another we were able to share to the extent that he took a Bible and was sincerely interested in considering Christ (once he was not in the state he was). We also shared extensively with a drunk (who we helped get a coffee) who was receptive and will wake up in the morning with the literature he took. Contact details were exchanged with several of these folk so Gospel follow up might take place. It was a good environment for sharing and things seemed to flow very naturally.
Woodhenge
Sadly when we arrived here the party had ended and the campers were hunkering down for bed. That didn’t stop us from looking at Woodhenge in the dark.
Stonehenge
The BBC reported that there were 13,000 people at Stonehenge last night, of which we were but three. We hoped there were other Christians there taking advantage of this opportunity for outreach. By the time we got here it was late (or early) such that many people were sleeping on the ground (and you had to watch you didn’t trip over them! A few of them will have woken up to some tracts in their sleeping bagsJ). After paying £15 to park (that kept some away) we walked the incredibly long distance to Stonehenge, through the security and metal detectors, past the lighting, vendors and armed police. It all had a very commercial and touristy feeling that seemed to cramp the spirit of evangelism. We met a Hindu monk in the enormous car park. He showed us some scary Hindu pictures and wanted us to take a copy of his sacred book. He declined the offer to swap “holy books.” It turned out he had been a “Christian” and was from California. Many people we talked with either thought they knew what Christianity was all about from RE lessons or had tried Christianity and didn’t like it, or had been raised in the church but had not had their questions answered (to such nominal Christians- Ps 34:8, Taste and see that the Lord is good…the trouble is they had never tasted, oh what baggage to faith there can sometimes be). After making it to the centre of the circle and witnessing yet more revelry we dispersed to the edges where opportunities to engage with people were generally greater. Jonathan was able to engage with a druid whilst David and I were able to enter into conversation with a number of people who weren’t high. Sadly, despite repeated attempts to steer conversation to spiritual things and ultimately the Lord we sensed things were not as open to evangelism as at Avebury and wanting to beat the sunrise rush left just prior to sun up.
I am sure we’ll all have further reflections and lessons to apply to future evangelistic attempts at such settings, however, for this tired brain it is time to sign off. Please pray for those we met.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
This Easter we are going to be studying Isaiah 53. Whether you are a Christian yet or not this chapter should change your life forever! Here is why. It is the best known Old Testament prophecy written about the coming Messiah. Though written hundreds of years before He ever lived, died or rose again, it predicts the life of Jesus and the events of Easter perfectly. What are the odds of that!
Speaking of odds did you know that the odds of …
Becoming an astronaut are 13,200,000 to 1
Becoming a pro-athlete are 22,000 to 1
Being injured by fireworks are 19,556 to 1
Getting a hole in one are 5000 to 1
Having twins are 90 to 1
But the odds that only eight of these prophecies from Isaiah 53 were fulfilled in Jesus are 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 to one, or 1 in 1017! That is incredible! It would take the same number of two pound coins to cover the state of Texas. Now imagine walking out into the middle of the state and picking up the correct coin. What would be the odds?
Jesus said He did all He did to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah so we might come to acknowledge he was crushed for our transgressions for all we like sheep have gone astray.
That Jesus fulfils this prophecy against all odds attests to the Divine inspiration of the Bible and confirms that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
As we approach Easter may this divine precision cause us to marvel at God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. May the believer marvel and the sceptic come to believe. The fulfilment of this prophecy against all odds makes up the undeniable case for Easter and a sure reason to celebrate.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Chris
As we have journeyed through Leviticus and Numbers we have shown two teaching videos to help give an overview of the books. If you did not see them or would like to review them, then here they are!
Leviticus:
Numbers:
Cromhall Chapel 