In our ‘Wells of Salvation’ series, we looked at Psalm 36:5-10, a psalm written by David which focuses on the abundance and satisfaction found in God. The psalm talks of God’s ‘river of delights’, a wonderfully evocative phrase which reminds us of God’s generous, giving nature, and of ‘the fountain of life’, a reminder that all life, light and love come from God Himself.

Rivers and fountains are places of refreshment; the river and spring at Fontaine de Vaucluse in the Provence area of France once provided me with refreshment from the hot summer sun and remains a favourite place of mine. Often, we find ourselves jaded, weary and disconsolate due to the pressures of life; like David, we may struggle with questions of how evil seems to flourish and the wicked do not reject what is wrong. (Ps 36:1-4, see also Ps 73.) At times like this, we need to fix our attention on God so that our perspective is changed.

A clear focus on God’s nature – found in God’s word – provides a counterweight to the pressures of life. When we see who God is and what He is like, we are able to take the long view and can have confidence that He will deal with injustice and wrong (see Ps 36:11-12). If we want our lives to be balanced, we need to do as David did and ponder who God is!

Dave spoke this morning from the book of Ruth, which tells the story of an unlikely heroine. Ruth was a Gentile from Moab who would not be expected to be found in Jewish history, yet she is the great-grandmother of David and therefore one of Jesus’s earthly ancestors. Her faith and commitment are an inspiration to all generations.

The story of Ruth is set in the time of the judges, a time when Israel’s faith in God had given way to independence and rebellion (see Judges 21:25). In many ways, these days remind us of today, when personal choices seem to override obedience and everybody thinks their own way is right. Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, left Israel because of famine, intending to buy bread from Moab. Ten years later, all three men (Elimelech and his two sons) were dead and Naomi (whose name meant ‘pleasant’) is found to be bitter and resentful.

The decision to go to Moab was unwise (see Deut 23:3) and Elimelech, depsite his name (‘my God is king‘), seems to have had little deep faith in God as king. He left Bethlehem (the house of bread) and Judah (the place of praise) for Moab, and in stepping out of God’s will, he and his family undoubtedly suffered. What is more stunning, however, is how God was able to restore and bring something wholesome and positive from this sorry story. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi and her willingness to choose God for herself (Ruth 1:16) and Boaz’s generosity and faithfulness in redeeming all that had belonged to Elimelech show us how God’s mercy and loving-kindness cover all our sins.

The road back to God (repentance) leads to revival. We often think of repentance as being a one-off turning back to God, but it is a process that happens more than once. It starts in the heart and the mind and we have to humble ourselves, pray, turn back and seek God (2 Chron 7:14). Only as we seek God for the end of the spiritual famine in our land and pray for His intervention and blessing will we see the spiritual revival for which we long. We have to be willing to pay the price, as Ruth was. If we are, God is ready, willing and able to send revival to this land.

We want to be a church that is ‘with God in the community, with God for the community’ and our large community room is available for hire throughout the week. As a church, we run two community groups: the youth club on a Monday evening (6.30-8.00 p.m.) which provides a social place for children aged 5-12 years and a Parent & Toddler group on a Friday morning (9.30-11.00 a.m.) where Mums, Grandmas, other relatives and babies and toddlers can meet up and play. I well remember the sense of isolation I felt as a new Mum and it’s good to be able to come together with others ‘in the same boat’ and give our children a place to learn to share and play together. We’re fortunate to have helpers from the Dearne Family Centre at this group who run craft activities and talk with carers about any issues they have or help they need.

If you’re interested in helping with either of these groups, please let us know.

Other groups run various activities held throughout the week which may be of interest to people:

Dearne Stay Fit

This group meets on Tuesdays (10.00-11.00 a.m.) for gentle exercise and Keep Fit for the over 50s. It’s been going for several years now and is well attended and well run. It costs £2 per session.

Slimming World

Slimming World meets on Thursdays, running 3 separate sessions which start at 9 a.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Often, a community group is a great way to tackle issues together; there is mutual encouragement and help as we face difficulties together.

B:Friend

This is a local charity seeking to provide volunteers who can befriend those who are lonely and isolated (often the elderly and those suffering with mental health issues) and to provide opportunities when people can join together socially and learn new things together. They meet on Monday afternoons from 1.30 p.m. at our church and are hosting an open morning today (Saturday 25th January) from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.

TADS

This group offers a drop-in service to teenagers struggling with anxiety, depression and stress and will be meeting on Wednesdays (3.15-4.45 p.m.) from 29th January.

Please pray for all these groups which use our building, for our relationships with these groups and for the opportunity to connect with our community in new and different ways.

There are tons of other community groups working in our area, often meeting at the Snap Tin Cafe (you can learn to sew there, attend other craft classes, attend a self-help group for those dealing with anxiety and depression or a social group called ‘Bringing People Together‘), at the local library or at the Salvation Army. If you’re interested in the environment and making our community look better, Twiggs do regular litter picks and tidying in specific areas and are always looking for volunteers. There’s so much we can be involved in as we are salt and light in our community.

Saul’s preaching baffled and amazed the Jews in Damascus, which leads us to investigate what exactly he was preaching. In Acts 9:20 and 22, we see that his preaching and teaching focussed on two main truths: that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is the Messiah. These facts were crucial to people’s understanding of salvation: our preaching must always focus on the identity of Jesus and all He accomplished through His life, death and resurrection. The centrality of Christ is absolutely vital in all our preaching and teaching.

Paul frequently in his letters makes a link between doctrine and practical living. Many of his epistles—Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians—begin with a theological foundation before they move into the practical sections. He did not write these things for seminary students to debate, but for everyday Christians, to help them live for Christ in their daily experience. In his pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus, he stresses the need for ‘sound doctrine’ (1 Tim 4:16, 2 Tim 4:3, Titus 1:9 & Titus 2:1). What we believe is vitally important to how we live.

Aaron Shust’s 2011 album is entitled ‘This Is What We Believe’, and the title song gives us a similar doctrinal focus to Paul’s. It remains one of my favourite songs.

‘You are the Christ
Anointed One
Light of the world
God’s only Son

In the beginning was the Word;
Emmanuel has come to live with us.

Truly this Man is the Son,
The Son of God
Who takes away the sins of the world.
This Man is the Lamb,
The Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world
This is what we believe.

You are the Way
The Truth and the Life.
You came to change
Our wrongs to right.

In the beginning was the Word
And we must sing of what we’ve seen and heard.

We believe that You are God,
Born to set Your people free,
Became the final sacrifice,
Conquered death to bring us life.’ (‘This Is What We Believe’, Aaron Shust)

Steven J. Cole writes about the ‘Mothball Navy’, 700 United States Navy ships which are anchored in different harbours around the country, waiting to serve if required. They receive regular maintenance to prevent rust and thus require a lot of money and effort to maintain them. He likens this to the fact that in any church, it’s usually 20% of the people who do 80% of the work,[1] saying that many Christians are doing nothing to serve the Lord.

Whilst it is easy to generalise and even condemn others unnecessarily, it is true that all Christians are called to serve God. Service could be said to be the hallmark of the Christian, for ‘even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45) and Jesus, in washing His disciples’ feet, urged His disciples to do likewise. (John 13:1-17) Saul is an example to us of one whose conversion quickly led to his service. In Acts 9:19-31 we see him preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. All his previous knowledge of the Old Testament is useful in this, as is his time spent with Jesus. We may not feel able to engage in this kind of ministry, but the truth of the Bible is that God accepts all our service. Jesus said, ‘if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.’ (Matt 10:42) Anyone can do that!

All of us need to be able to tell our story, of how Jesus has met us and saved us. (Ps 107:2) All of us are called to be witnesses. (Acts 1:8) We need to have a desire to serve Jesus, and if we ask Him, He will show us how best we can serve. If you’re interested in learning more about how to testify and explain the gospel, join with us at the Franklin Graham training day at Full Life Church in Maltby on Saturday 29^th February (9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.) But whatever you do, don’t just sit back and do nothing – God wants us to be His servants, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness.

[1] https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-23-getting-involved-ministry-acts-919-31

Just as Ananias proved to be a source of encouragement to Saul in Damascus, welcoming him into God’s family, so too Barnabas lives up to his nickname (‘son of encouragement’) when Saul faces suspicion in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:26-27) Barnabas has already been introduced to us (as Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, who sold a field and gave the money from this to the apostles (Acts 4:35-37)) and will feature prominently in the later missionary journeys as a companion to Paul initially and later as one to John Mark whose cause he defends (see Acts 13-15).

Encouragement was clearly a feature of Barnabas’s life and is something that is immeasurably precious but often overlooked because it is rarely ‘flashy’ or spectacular. With Saul, Barnabas’s endorsement of the vision he had experienced and explanation of his fearless preaching helped to overcome the apprehension and fear which still resided in some people’s hearts. He was willing to speak up on Saul’s behalf and was proactive in involving him in fellowship. Later, we see how he is prepared to give John Mark the benefit of the doubt (Acts 15:37-40), again demonstrating a willingness to see the best in someone. Such encouragement is very important (for we all make mistakes).

Encouraging is listed as one of the gifts needed in the body of Christ by Paul (Rom 12:8) and is something which can be practised on a daily basis. If we are not sure what to say or how to encourage, Paul reminds us that encouragement is provided in Scripture (Rom 15:4) and that God gives both endurance and encouragement to us! (Rom 15:5) Let’s work at encouraging others and building them up, for each one of us blossoms in the environment of encouragement – conversely, we wither and die when all we face are criticism and rejection. It doesn’t matter who we are: every single one of us needs encouragement and every single one of us can give it.