THE HOLY GOSPEL
By Rev Tom Cant
In chapter three of 1st Thessalonians Paul highlights two features in that Christian community.
First their commitment to the gospel message ‘Timothy has brought good news of your faith’(1 Thessalonians 3.6). Secondly their suffering under severe hostility . Timothy had been sent to strengthen them in their adversity (1 Thessalonians 3.1-3)
Paul was really worried about them ‘When I could bear it no longer’(1 Thessalonians 3,5) What was the power and attraction in Paul’s message that enabled them to suffer persecution and even martyrdom?. The Greek word for ’martyr’is the same word for witness.
These first Christians often witnessed to Jesus with their very life Would we do that today?
Their courage surged from Paul’s vibrant gospel message about Jesus.
Today let me urgently commend the Christian gospel. Today’s society is unaware of the magnitude of that Christian gospel. Society treats the gospel like the Press’weekly supplement or the sports section in the papers.
Society at large is now ignorant of the gospel’s Lord’s Prayer or the Sermon on the Mount
The gospel is the declaration of the life and significance of One person, Jesus Christ the Son of Man and Son of God.
If you receive that doctor’s report about your serious illness and his guaranteed treatment for your full recovery you will read it carefully.
Surely we should study the gospel with even greater attention?
Or it is the Great Physician’s report about the illness of the soul and its full recovery through grace and forgiveness?
If you receive a codicil from the will of that rich aunt leaving you a considerable fortune you will be delighted.
But the gospel is the last will and testament of Him who died upon the Cross bequeathing to men and women the inheritance of eternal life.
Yet society like the prodigal son carelessly neglects Calvary’s spiritual inheritance. Paul’s gospel, the Early Church’s message, was the gospel of eternal life and personal salvation.
That was why the first Christians were willing to suffer hostility and often death for the sake of Jesus
For when they heard the gospel they listened to Jesus.
When they accepted its message of salvation they committed themselves to
Jesus. When they grasped the story of Calvary they felt they stood there under that Cross.
When they heard the resurrection story they praised their Father God That is the dynamic power of the gospel which I earnestly commend to everyone. ‘It is the power of God unto salvation for all who accept it and believe’ (Romans 1.16)
For Jesus is more than a pale figure in the mists of history in somewhere called Nazareth Jesus planted God’s eternity in history’s time. Jesus gathered God’s gracious and pure life and rested it in the human soul.
But more the Jesus of the gospel is, or should be, the gauge and spirit level for humanity’s life, the measuring line for the humanity’s behaviour, the anchor for humanity’s soul.
The gospel takes us to Jesus.. But Jesus takes us to God To meet Jesus is to encounter God.
To be touched by Jesus is to be transformed by God. To listen to Jesus is to be taught by God.
To be loved by Jesus is to be eternally loved by God To follow Jesus is to walk in the Lord’s Highway. (Isaiah 35.8).
That is the meaning and magnitude of the Christian gospel. John Macquarrie, Renfrewshire’s theological genius, wisely commented that our gospel message is now shop soiled like a display item in the showroom.
Let us renew and refresh our witness based on the gospel that we can say like Paul, ‘What thanksgiving can be render unto God for you for all the joy we feel for your sake before our God’(1 Thessalonians 3.9)
It is said that David Livingston threw away a handful of diamonds unaware of their value.
Modern society is doing precisely that with our Christian heritage.
Only the irresistible inspiration of Jesus’ magnificent gospel could inspire Paul to write
‘May our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ
Direct our ways. May the Lord make you to increase and abound
In your love to one another so that Jesus may establish your hearts unblamable In holiness before our God and Father’ (1 Thessalonians 3.11-13),
HOLY TRINITY & ST BARNABAS’
The Scottish Episcopal Church has begun broadcasting video coverage of Eucharistic services via its website, social media channels and YouTube channel. The web page for the broadcast is located at www.scotland. anglican.org/broadcast-sundayworship. These services will be broadcast at 11am on Sunday, to coincide with when many people would normally be worshipping in their own churches. In advance of the broadcast of each service, the Liturgy – the Order of Service - will be available to download from the SEC website.
The next Sunday service is at 11am on July 12, and marks the 6th Sunday after Pentecost. There will also be a Service of the Word on Thursday, July 16 at 6.30pm.
The website will also contain a downloadable video and audio format of the service. We are conscious of the need to offer as much assistance as possible to those who have no access to the internet, and we encourage people to distribute the video/audio recordings and the Liturgy widely within their own personal networks. The St Vincent de Paul Ozanam Centre and Streetconnect/Cornerstone Paisley drop-in Centre have now also suspended their activities from our hall. We would like also to continue to offer what assistance we can to the vulnerable in our society so please reach out to us via our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/HTSBPaisley