Fleet Methodist Church

Awesome service last night as we focused on,and were humbled by the persecuted church. In a symbolic act, we
a) took up a ‘collection’ of mobile phones at the start of the service so people had a feel for what it’s like to have your rights denied
(might do this every week to stop texting during the service)
b) towards the end of the service tore down Marks cage and released him as a sign of our commitment to work toward the release of those imprisoned for their faith and support for the persecuted church.
Many tears shed,many hearts touched,
Thanks to Mark for responding to God in doing this
Thanks to God that he is faithful especially to those being persecuted

Open Doors Black Out campaign at FMC: (www.blackout.opendoors.org) for persecuted christians. Mark Robinson caged in for 48 hours:

So…the dreaded word (to many) – Adultery. So dreaded that many people choose instead to say ‘having an affair’ which somehow sound more ‘acceptable’. The commandment is quite clear ‘Do not commit adultery’

On Sunday we looked at Genesis Chapter 2v4 to v25 where it gives God’s plan for man and woman relationships. This is followed in chapter 3 (and for the rest of the Bible/human history) by the ‘introduction’ of sin and its consequences.   God knows how adultery messes up not only the two people involved but also people around them…and in a wider context, society itself. When you think of the hurt adultery causes, you wonder why society allows such behaviour and sees it as somehow ‘acceptable’.

And we therefore see that, once again, God has got it right…… The command ‘Do not commit adultery’ is there because God sees the damage it causes to all concerned and the wider society….not forgetting how it causes damage to our relationship with God (as in ‘God won’t notice’…of course he will !). He wants something better for us as individuals as a society….and this from the One who invented sex in the first place !

I wasn’t actually the preacher last Sunday,so just a comment on ‘Honour your Father and mother’

We move to the ‘second part’ of the Commandments now. So far we have been given commandments about our behaviour towards God….now the Commandments turn our attention to our relationships with others. This starts with our relationship to those who have brought us into this world. The danger,of course, of talking about two ‘parts’ is that we might see them as two separate areas but surely the relationship with others flow out of our relationship with God for the believer ? If we want to honour God, then we do that partly through our relationships with others. (As in Mark 12 30-31 about the greatest commandment being “Love God…love your neighbour”)

Now I’m off to start preparing the even more sensitive sermon on adultery…………..

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misues his name”

What’s in a name ? Well quite a lot actually. It used to be (and in certain countries it still is) that when a child was named it was with a name that parents hoped it would grow up to become e.g. Joy,Grace,Charity.They were not just naming a new human being but they were also naming the aspiration about the character of that person

To misuse the name of God is not only when people use it as a swear word. It is also to misuse his character/nature. For example when we use God’s name to support something we are doing which is wrong. e.g. “God won’t notice if i just……..”   Of course he will…he is all seeing !

So we not only are careful how we use the actual word/name ‘God’….but we also make sure that when we do use it,we realize it’s full meaning and impact on our behaviour and lifestyle. And if you are a Christian that is huge stuff……. remember ‘we are God’s publicity in this world’

No, i haven’t forgotten number 3….just juggling as it was Harvest yesterday and number 4 fitted better to the theme !

Number 4 – sabbath rest…it is a holy day to the Lord

The word sabbath literally means ‘to cease’…which is far more challenging than ‘don’t attend work’ (and catch up with all the jobs at home)

Two good reasons for keeping the sabbath holy

1. Because that’s the way God made us human beings. We are not designed to work seven days a week….whihc explains why there is a lot of illness and stress in our society when we try to work long hours. God created a pattern….’six days shall you labour and on the seventh rest’. and if God needed to do that,how much more do we

2. To remind us of our Maker. the seventh day is to be HOLY. The word holy can mean separate/set apart. This is the day that we recognise that without God we are NOTHING. He made us and he continues our very heart beat. This fundamental truth is one that brings a natural response….of the created worshipping the Creator.

So how will you spend next Sunday ??? and for a starter how about having a ‘sabbath’ from your computer and mobile phone ?

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them

An idol is:  ANYTHING that takes us away from focusing on God or replaces God. With that in mind, try the following exercise by filling in the missing words

The test for Christians is….have you answered God to all of those ? For the consequences of that are:

‘You shall have no other gods before me’, so says the first commandment. But we need to read the verse before as well (Deuteronomy 5v1) ‘ I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt,out of the land of slavery’. The reason why they should have no other gods is that THIS God has saved them from slavery and death.

This isn’t a commandment that comes from a  demanding and in the modern sense of the word ‘jealous’ God who snaps his fingers and expects everyone to jump. He has just done the greatest thing that could possibly happen to them…saved them from death. so why would they want to put their lives into the hands of any other god ?

When someone does something incredible for you or me, we thank them profusely and do not forget what they have done for us. That ,in many ways, was what God was asking of the people of Israel ‘Remember what i have done for you…and remember that I am the ONLY one who has done that for you

So for the Christian we recognize that Jesus,as God’s Son, died for us to save us from the slavery of sin and death….something nothing or no-one else has ever done. He ALONE is worthy of our devotion and praise…there is none greater than Jesus. To follow Him is to declare that he is the ‘name high over all’ and NOTHING else, whether material or spiritual,  can ever replace Him as a god.

WOW…..Isn’t God good !

This week we start a theme preach on the 10 Commandments at our 10.30am service. All comments/questions gratefully received on this blog. Last Sunday I began by giving an introduction and a helpful way of remembering all 10 Commandments

But i also want to say,by way of introduction, that the 10 Commandments are not the ‘be all and end all’ for the Christian. What do i mean ? For those of us who drive, the Highway Code and the traffic regulations are an essential part of driving….but they are not the sum total of driving. You have to get into the car and start the engine and drive.

For Christians the 10 Commandments are the guidelines for life;they are not the life itself. the life itself is a relationship with God and with our neighbours,based on the essential truths of the 10 Commandments. Sound familiar ? Then look up Matthew 22 verses 34-40 where Jesus says that the greatest Commandment is LOVE…love of God and love of others. Love is the ‘oil’ for the engine of the Christian which ’lubricates’ the Commandments so that it is not a negative ‘Thou shalt not’ and being a Christian is about law and obeying certain rules. It IS about living out the life that God wants us to have as we follow Jesus….. which includes not murdering, stealing etc that the Commandments give us

This Sunday at 10.30am Denise Binks will preach on the First Commandment ’Only one God’. In the mean time…I’d love to hear your response to this

Gosh where has that time gone…February since I last blogged.

Here’s one to think about on Midsummers day….

John Wesley,on finding that he lay awake a part of every night,rose an hour earlier each morning until he found that if he got up at four a.m. he never had any sleepless hours/nights…..he then spend four hours in prayer

Now let’s spot the good Methodists……..