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The generous grace & mercy of God's word

Details: Published: Monday, 24 October 2016 23:44; Written by James Dean

For the last few sermons in Romans we've been working through chapter 9. I'm keenly aware that this is not an easy chapter and while some who listen are happy to dig even deeper there are equally as many for whom these sermons have been more filling than a generous 3 course meal!

What has been brilliant though is that God has spoken to each of us through each sermon. Take this last Sunday's sermon, for example. We were talking about some weighty theological ideas. However, if you left knowing that...

as a Christian God chose you to be his child, then you heard exactly what you needed to hear.
it is a miracle that God chose any of us at all to be Christians, then you heard exactly what you needed to hear.
God doesn't reject anyone who wants to accept his free gift of forgiveness, then you heard exactly what you needed to hear.

This is one of the incredible things about God's word. When it is preached faithfully it always does what it needs to do in the life of the hearer. Isaiah wrote about this when he said of God:

"so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11

For Isaiah, that promise applied both to the great prophecies that he was speaking but also applies to us when God's word works in us. When we come together as a church and hear a sermon preached, God speaks to each one of us. There will be things we will all hear and are all able to apply. But there may also be times when God uses the sermon to speak to a specific issue that only you appreciate. This is God's living word active in your life.

So we find ourselves praising God for his holiness, for his righteous justice, for living word and for his generous grace and mercy!

If you missed last week's sermon or any others recently, head over to www.bechurch.org.uk and click "Listen". We're also actively working on getting the sermons available as an automatically updated podcast for iPhones, iPads & other suitable devices.

The harvest is plentiful

Details: Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 23:40; Written by James Dean

This week we celebrate Harvest and thank God for all his goodness to us. We'll be doing that throughout this weekend's service and also afterwards as we stay for a "bring & share" meal together. We'll also thank the Lord of the Harvest for his grace towards us in saving us for eternity as we celebrate communion. God really is so good to us!

We praise God that he is still at work in this world saving those who he chose before the foundation of the earth. We were reminded in last week's sermon that we should be agonising over the lost as Paul did and not settle for "religious unbelief". This week Alan Gibson from Long Crendon Baptist Church will take us to Jesus' words, "The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few." and update us on some of the work going on with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Don't forget that we'll be taking up a special offering that will be donated to WBT.

If you're able to stay for lunch please bring enough food with you for you and your family and we'll put it together with everything that is brought and serve it as a shared buffet.

If you missed last week's sermon or any others recently, head over to www.bechurch.org.uk and click "Listen".

The ethical contradiction of the Paralympics

Details: Published: Monday, 19 September 2016 23:21; Written by James Dean

I'm sure like me you've enjoyed watching the incredible performances being given race after race at the Rio Paralympics. The medals won were almost insignificant compared to the stories of the physical and mental trials overcome to appear and compete. The attitudes of many spectators were changed by what they witnessed and this year's games have been hailed a marvellous success in spite of news reports in the preceding weeks saying that most tickets remained unsold.

Having travelled with my family to watch the London Paralympics in 2012 and marvelled at the sheer determination put in by people who, in spite of their disabilities, are still far better athletes than I have ever dreamed of being, I remain in awe of those we saw. It was incredible.

Yet while the world hails these few as sporting wonders I am painfully reminded that the world also condones - no that's not strong enough - actively encourages parents to abort babies who might grow up to be future Paralympians while they are still in the womb.

These are human beings, made in the image of God. Yet we have seared consciences. On the one hand we applaud extraordinary effort to overcome pain and adversity and on the other we say that their lives aren't worth living and should be ended before they have even begun.

Clearly I'm not alone in seeing this horrific parallel. To quote from Archbishop Cranmer's blog:

"As we watch these deeply impressive individuals parade in their victorious homecoming; as they blast away prejudice and we celebrate their diversity; as they receive in due course their peerages, knighthoods, damehoods and various appointments to the Order of the British Empire for services to sport, let us remember not only their spectacular personal achievements, but also the profound inspiration they are, the supreme pleasure they give, and the pride we feel that they have come second in the whole world, beaten only by a nation of more than a billion.

And then ask why we are content to justify the ethical incoherence of the routine abortion of diffabled babies who might grow up to be just like them. And beaten by China, where baby girls are routinely terminated just for being girls."

Let's pray that God would give us soft hearts that love his creation, recognise the darkness of this current world and actively work to protect the sanctity of life both before it begins and before it ends.