In his clasic work, ‘Church History in Plain Language’ Bruce Shelley stated: ““1 Corinthians fixes belief in the historical resurrection of Jesus as the indispensable basis of salvation”

In this study on 1 Corinthains chapter 15, we consider Paul’s words which do indeed place the resurrection as the indispensible basis of salvation and the Christian faith. Without the fact of the resurrection we (as Christians) have no hope and no assurance that our sins are forgiven. The resurection of Jesus gives us both!

As Theoosus Harnack said: “To me Christianity stands of falls with the Resurrection!”

May you be blessed by this teaching.

This study was given by Pastor Barry Forder on 31st March 2024.

The post 1 Corinthians Ch15 12-58 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

In this concluding session of our 3-part mini-seies on ‘The Inheritance of the Saints’ was given by pastor Barry on 17th September 2023. 

In this final part we look at the day that is coming, referred to by the Apostle Paul as ‘The Judgment Seat of Christ‘ and what is means (or should mean!) for us now.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post The Judgment Seat of Christ first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

This topical study – given on 10th September 2023 – is a continuation of our theme from last week, looking at ‘The Inheritacne of the Saints’ amd what awaits us in Heaven. 

In this study pastor Barry reminds us of the faithfulness of God who is not unjust to forget our labour and the love we have shown to others in His Name, but rather has promised us eternal rewards for our obedience and faithfulness. 

It is easy to get weary in doing good, to sometimes feel that it’s not worth all the effort when we seem to see so little fruit at times; but that is precisely when we need to take hold of the shield of faith and let scripture remind us that we will reap in due season if we don’t lose heart, and as the Apostle Paul affirms, our labour is not in vain. 

We need to keep on keeping on as we see the day of rejoicing drawing near!

May you be refreshed and encouraged by this teaching.

The post The hope laid up for us in Heaven first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

This first part of a three-part topical study on ‘The Inheritance of the Saints’ was given by pastor Barry on 3rd September 2023.

The Bible says much about what we can expect in our eternal home, yet so often it is not thought about or considered.

In this study we ask what Heaven will be like? Why does the Bible speak of our eternal home as a tangible hope we should have? Why should our understanding of Heaven shape the way we live our lives here and now?

The PowerPoint slides used in this study are available for free download.

May you be encouraged and strengthened by this study.

The post Looking Forward To Our Heavenly Home first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

In this chapter, Jesus warns the disciples about the deceitfulness of riches. As Bible commentator Adam Clarke put’s it, “Riches promise MUCH, and perform NOTHING: they excite hope and confidence, and deceive both: in making a man depend on them for happiness, they rob him of the salvation of God and of eternal glory. For these reasons, they are represented as unjust and deceitful”.

The chapter begins with the parable of the unjust steward – a man who had acted deceitfully toward his boss, and as a result loses his job. But before he is dismissed, he calls all those who owe his boss. Using the authority of his position (while it lasts) he writes off much of the outstanding debt of these people – reducing the amount they individually owe to his boss, in the hope that his act of kindness toward them will be reciprocated to him when he is shortly to be looking for work!

Jesus uses this example to make the point that “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”. v8

“[Jesus] was not commending his unrighteous action or his sin, but only his wisdom in that, knowing the limited amount of time he had left he used his position to prepare for his future” – Arnold Fruchtenbaum

How much thought and care do those in the world give to their (earthly) future, their inheritance, and to maximizing their opportunities? In contrast, how much do the Children of God give time to their inheritance and maximizing their opportunities now? Is it not a sad reflection on the Church, in general, that it does not have the same zeal for Godly things, laying up treasure in Heaven, that the world has for material things and the acquisition of the world’s riches?

The lesson Jesus is teaching is twofold: Firstly, trusting in riches is a great deception. Secondly, his disciples should be as focussed on using our time, money and gifts for His glory and the coming kingdom as the children of this world are in their pursuit of worldly gain.

Psalm 119 gives us a number of insights into how our attitude should be toward riches:

• I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. v14
• Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. v17
• Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. v36
• The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. v61
• The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. v72
• Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. v111
• I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. v127

We cannot serve (or pursue) money and God. Only one can be the overruling passion of our lives.

We then come to one of the most well-known parables in the New Testament – the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus!

The key point of the parable, in keeping with all that Jesus had been saying, was that you can live for the pursuit of wealth, gain the world, and lose your soul! – Mark 8:36

However, the parable also gives us a glimpse into the unseen world and what happens after death. Jesus taught that there were two eternal destinations for all mankind.

–Heaven or Hell

However, ‘Hell’ is a word that can refer to two different and distinct locations.

• Firstly, the ‘Eternal abode of the wicked’
  • Also referred to as the ‘Lake of Fire’
    • Rev 19:20 / Rev 20:13

We know from Matthew 25:41 that Hell (the eternal Lake of Fire) was not originally intended for man, but for the devil and his angels. God did everything possible to prevent any man ever having to go there; He sent His only Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but instead, have everlasting life! However, those who reject this offer of Salvation in Jesus will ultimately end up in this place of eternal punishment. According to Revelation 19:20 / 20:13, the first souls to enter Hell will be ‘Antichrist’ & the ‘False Prophet’ – at the time of the Second Coming. No other being will be confined to this place until the Great White Throne judgment as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15.

So, this begs the question, what happens to unbelievers when they die, until then? Throughout the Old and New Testament allusion is made to a ‘temporary holding place’ – seemingly at the centre of the earth – were all the departed souls will await the final judgment.

This place is also referred to as ‘Hell’, but is also referred to as:

• Hell
  • Ps 139:8 / 2 Sam 22:6 / Ps 16:10 / Prov 9:18
• Sheol (OT Hebrew)
  • Ps 16:10 / Is 14:15
• Hades (NT Greek)
  • Acts 2:27 / 1 Cor 15:55
• The Pit
  • Num 16:33 / Isaiah 14:15 / Ezek 26:20
• The ‘low parts of the earth’
  • Ezek 26:20

It is the place were all souls went upon death. It is the bottomless it of Revelation 17:8, and it is the place where Satan will be bound for 1000 years during Christ’s reign on Earth.

However, until the Cross, this ‘holding place’ was split into two distinct areas – as alluded to in this parable.

–The righteous section: Paradise / Abraham’s bosom

–The wicked section: Hell / Sheol / Hades / The Pit etc.

At the time of the Crucifixion Jesus descended into hell – but not the ‘bad’ part! – Acts 2:27 / Eph 4:9. He told the thief on the cross ‘today you will be WITH ME in Paradise’

But why did Jesus need to go to this place? –Certainly not to suffer!

From scripture we know that there is salvation in no other name! Only by accepting Jesus as Lord can you go to Heaven! But this is also true for Adam, Noah, David, Elijah & Daniel et al. They all had to put their faith in Jesus, which is why Jesus presented Himself to them following His crucifixion so they could believe on Him!

Then Jesus literally shifted ‘Paradise’ from being ‘captive’ within the Earth, to Heaven. We read in Ephesians 4:7-10: “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.   Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.   (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?   He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)” 

When Jesus ascended, He took that which had been help captive in the lower parts of the Earth and moved it to Heaven. Now when a believer dies they immediately go to Heaven to be ‘with the Lord’ –   Phil 1:23 / 2 Cor 5:8.

What Christ has done for us is truly amazing grace! …and just as with Lazarus, though we may have endured hardship here on Earth, in Heaven we will be comforted and honoured.

“When we shall come home and enter to the possession of our Brother’s fair kingdom, and when our heads shall find the weight of the eternal crown of glory, and when we shall look back to pains and sufferings; then shall we see life and sorrow to be less than one step or stride from a prison to glory; and that our little inch of time-suffering is not worthy of our first night’s welcome home to heaven.”   –  Samuel Rutherford

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The post Luke Ch16 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.

As we continue our journey through Luke’s gospel Jesus now begins to show clearly the two different ways we can choose to live. We can either live for ourselves, serving the god of materialism and the perceived need to continually strive to have more to have the latest thing, to have financial stability and success… or we can choose to live our lives trusting in God and His word, living our lives based solely on the promises He has given, allowing Him to direct our paths, to provide for us through whatever means He engineers. 

Oswald Chambers put’s it succinctly:  

“If God so clothe the grass of the field…shall He not much more clothe you?”

A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us if we are not simple. How are we going to be simple with the simplicity of Jesus? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, obeying Him as He brings the word of God, and life will become amazingly simple.

“Consider,” says Jesus, “how much more your Father Who clothes the grass of the field will clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him.”

Every time we have gone back in spiritual communion it has been because we have impertinently known better than Jesus Christ.

We have allowed the cares of the world to come in, and have forgotten the “much more”of our Heavenly Father.

“Behold the fowls of the air” — their main aim is to obey the principle of life that is in them and God looks after them. Jesus says that if you are rightly related to Him and obey His Spirit that is in you, God will look after your “feathers.”

“Consider the lilies of the field” — they grow where they are put. Many of us refuse to grow where we are put, consequently we take root nowhere. Jesus says that if we obey the life God has given us, He will look after all the other things.

Has Jesus Christ told us a lie? If we are not experiencing the “much more,” it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us, we are taken up with confusing considerations.

How much time have we taken up worrying God with questions when we should have been absolutely free to concentrate on His work

“Take no thought for your life.” “Be careful about one thing only,” says our Lord — “your relationship to Me.” Common sense shouts loud and says — “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing the thought that this statement is made by One Who does not understand our particular circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.     – Oswald Chambers (My Utmost For His Highest)

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The PowerPoint slides used in this teaching are available for free download.

The post Luke Ch12 first appeared on Calvary Chapel Portsmouth.