Sermons from 2020 (Page 3)
Beaten, bitter and bruised…then Jesus came” (19 min)
Norman Mellish grew up in the slums of Moss Side, in Manchester, England, during the 1930’s and 40’s. His description of those nightmarish childhood days is heart-breaking; but, by the grace of God, Norman was sent to Sunday School at the local Gospel Hall, where he heard the way of salvation. The bitterness of life turned him towards atheism as he grew into adulthood and moved into employment, but a Christian gentleman at his place of work was used by…
Overcoming Temptation: Maintaining Holiness (28 min)
Dan Shutt preaches a vital, helpful and dignified message on the subject of holiness in the face of sexual temptation. Working from the narrative of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Mr Shutt outlines the danger of moral failure facing all of us – online, in the media, at work – and gives pertinent warnings and exhortations for us to “be holy, for I the Lord am holy”. Readings: Gen 39:1-4, 7-12, 20-23, 41:38-40, 1 Cor 6:18-20 (Message preached at the Toronto…
Jim Hutchinson – What Must I Do to Be Saved? (30 min)
On the last night of a series of gospel meetings in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1980, Mr Jim Hutchinson (1920-2011) preached a message on the Philippian jailer who started off asleep, was then awakened, became anxious and was finally assured of his salvation through the person and work of Christ, about which he heard from Paul and Silas in the prison. In over 500 series of gospel meetings, Mr Hutchinson was always the same – steady, simple and earnest in the…
Bringing Forth Fruit in Old Age (26 min)
Dan Shutt preaches a tender and heart-warming word for older Christians, to encourage them to continue to bring forth fruit into old age. Are you feeling tired after decades of service? Feeling useless after being able-bodied and busy for the Lord for so long? Well, here’s a word from the Psalms to strengthen your faith and steady your soul. After some introductory remarks Dan uses the life story of Mordecai to illustrate his ministry. Readings: Psa 71:5-9, 14, 17-18, 20-21,…
Oswald McLeod – Young Men God Used (22 min)
Born into a Christian family in Nova Scotia, Canada, Oswald McLeod (1902-2002) was saved during World War 1. At the Pugwash Junction (Nova Scotia) conference in 1915 a number of preachers shared the ministry, one of whom was Mr. John Ferguson. He had intended to leave straight after the conference to take Tent meetings elsewhere, but he felt led to stay for an immediate series of gospel meetings in Pugwash, believing the Holy Spirit to be at work. The following…
Jim Allen – Living Contrary to the Culture (25 min)
Jim Allen grew up in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. As a young man raised under the preaching of the gospel he became quite indifferent to it. He would sit at the back of the Gospel Hall near the heater and sleep through gospel meetings. Then in his own words: “When Mr. Harold Paisley and Mr. Joe Poots began gospel meetings in a little hut in Dollingstown, two miles from Lurgan, N. Ireland, an older cousin persuaded me to miss the cinema…
Frank Pearcey – Encouragement (32 min)
Frank Pearcey (1913-1994) grew up in Toronto, Canada. While he respected his parent’s beliefs and attended meetings, his greatest ambition was to play professional hockey. In 1934, Mr. Herb Harris and Mr. Albert Joyce began a series of gospel meetings in the Brock Avenue Gospel Hall and Frank attended out of duty to his mother. Mr. Harris gave out the hymn Eternity, Time Soon Will End at every meeting, and Frank soon became convicted of his need of salvation. The…
Trusting God When He Can’t Be Traced (42 min)
Albert McShane (1914-2002) preached on lessons to be learned from unexplained trials. Taking up the story of Job, Mr. McShane describes a man who wished he’d never been born, or at least wished he could now be finished with life. The thing that he feared had arrived – tragedy, and unexplained loss of family, possessions and health. Added to this were the wounds inflicted by his friends. Yet, having lost everything, Job exclaims, “Though He slay me, still I will…
What Is Life All About? (32 min)
Michael Penfold preaches on “What is life all about?”. He answers this question with three negatives: 1. Life’s not about things, 2. Life’s not about me, and 3. Life’s not about now. Life is about living for Christ and his interests, in the light of eternity. Readings: Luke 12:13-15, 22-23, 30-31, Phil 1:1, 18-21, Luke 19:12-17 (Recorded in Hatboro, PA, 10th Nov 2019)
Minding Your Mind in the Minefield of Life (48 min)
Sandy Higgins preaches a helpful and challenging message on what the Bible has to say about the neglected subject of “the Christian’s mind”. How do we make it through the minefield of modern culture and keep our minds pure, focussed and uncluttered? How do we handle the negative influence on our minds of world’s music, its impure images and much else that bombards us every day? Listen as Dr Higgins give wise counsel and exhortation about a “minding your mind…
Archie Stewart – “As for Me” (26 min)
Archie Stewart (1885-1977) emigrated from Ireland to the USA as an 18 year old unsaved lad. However, in Philadelphia, a gospel tract called Good Tidings to the Anxious soon came into his possession, which was used in his salvation. He was baptised in the famous Moody Memorial Church in Chicago but later saw the truth of the local assembly pattern from his New Testament and joined with the believers in Central Hall, Detroit. He was commended to full time service…
3 Tools for a Successful Christian Life (25 min)
Dan Shutt preaches on three essential tools for a successful Christian life. 1. Living daily in the presence of God (Gen 5:21-24); 2. Having a low view of self (Heb 12:1-2), and 3. Making the Word of God central to one’s life (Psa 119:9-11). (Message preached in Stout, Iowa, 2011)
Sanctification and Social Media (44 min)
Phil Coulson preaches from Gal 1:5 on the purpose of Christ giving Himself for us – “to deliver us from this present evil age”. In other words, we were saved primarily to be set apart to “Himself” from the world and its ways. God’s will for us is sanctification/holiness – “Be ye holy, for I am holy”. Mr Coulson then applies this principle to the issue of screen time, social media and the online distractions and addictions of the digital…
Fleeing to Toronto – Finding Christ (45 min)
Born in Germany, Fred Krauss attending a Protestant Sunday School and learned the 10 commandments, but not the way of salvation. As a young boy he witnessed the horrors of World War 2 under the Nazis, only to find himself under Communist rule in “East Germany” once the war ended. He fled to West Germany in 1948 and then emigrated to Canada at the age of 19. He tried philosophy, culture, religion and pleasure, but found nothing to answer the…
Bible Ships – Lordship (29 min)
PART 5 – In the fifth message of a series on “Bible Ships” (fellowship, worship, discipleship, leadership, lordship), Eugene Higgins takes up the subject of Christ’s “Lordship”. Mr Higgins points out that the Lordship of Christ applies in our personal, business, assembly, and family lives. His two headings are: 1. the exalted name, and 2. the exclusive claim. He builds the bulk of his message around a number of people in the Bible who used the expression “My Lord” and…
Bible Ships – Leadership (37 min)
PART 4 – In the fourth message of a series on “Bible Ships” (fellowship, worship, discipleship, leadership, lordship), Eugene Higgins takes up the subject of “assembly leadership” and gives challenging and insightful exhortations to elders from the Word of God. Using a number of Biblical illustrations, Mr Higgins looks at the danger of elders being stern but not scriptural; soft instead of sympathetic; and secluded instead of sensitive. Plenty of food for thought as helpful guidance is given for effective…
Christianity in the Information Age (30 min)
Dan Shutt speaks on Christianity in the information age. “Is technology good or bad?” is the wrong question: the issue is how we handle the technology that comes our way. Mr Shutt acknowledges that the internet has brought some good possibilities, but he then highlights 5 specific problems. These are: the theological issue, the time issue, the truth issue, the temptation issue, and the too-much-information issue. This is a powerful and relevant message for old and young, parents and children,…
Bible Ships – Discipleship (40 min)
PART 3 – In the third message of a series on “Bible Ships” (fellowship, worship, discipleship, leadership, lordship), Eugene Higgins takes up the subject of “discipleship” under three headings: its commencement, its characteristics and its culmination. A disciple is “one who follows in order to learn”. Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus? An insightful challenging message. Readings: Luke 6:13, 14:25-33, Acts 9:10, 23-26, 36, 16:1-2, 21:15-16 (Message preached in Phoenix, USA, Jan 2005)
Bible Ships – Worship (44 min)
PART 2 – In the second message of a series on “Bible Ships” (fellowship, worship, discipleship, leadership, lordship), Eugene Higgins takes up the subject of “worship”, emphasising the priesthood of all believers, and that “worship is not a gift”! He highlights the privilege, the priority and the place of worship, before giving 4 lovely pictures of worship in the Bible. Mr Higgins give a lot of practical help in this message to help us when we are gathered together to…
Bible Ships – Fellowship (39 min)
PART 1 – In the first message of a series on “Bible Ships” (fellowship, worship, discipleship, leadership, lordship), Eugene Higgins takes up the subject of “fellowship”. While “friendship” is based around the concept of “like”, the Biblical concept of “assembly fellowship” is based on “likeness”. That is, fellowship is a sharing in common in doctrine and practice. It isn’t something we agree to have; it’s something we have because we agree. In this helpful message, Eugene outlines the meaning, measure…
Isaac Cherry – Last of All and Servant of All (42 min )
Isaac Cherry (1921-1967) came from Ayrshire in Scotland. He ran a construction firm while at the same time dedicating himself to the teaching of the Word of God and the service of the Lord in connection with “Loan Hall” in the town of Stevenston. He was a master expositor of the Scriptures as you can hear in this message on the Lord’s teaching in Capernaum in Mark 9:33-50. “Verse by verse” ministry may not appeal to some because it can…
Not Far from the Kingdom (51 min)
In 1983, Sydney Maxwell (1919-1993) and Harold Paisley (1924-2015) shared a very large Sunday night gospel meeting in a public meeting hall in the town of Larne, Northern Ireland, during the annual conference meetings there. Their messages paralleled one another as they both spoke about being “near the kingdom” and warned their audience that it’s not enough to know all about the blessings of salvation and heaven – if you end up remaining “outside the door”. It was a solemn,…
Some Remove the Landmarks (44 min)
We think of a “landmark” today as a notable building that’s popular with tourists. A “landmark” in the Bible, however, was a stone or some other kind of monument used to mark the boundary of a person’s land. People who “removed the landmarks” (Job 24:2) were therefore stealing the heritage that belonged to a family or tribe from ancient times. In a powerful message given in 2013 (in Basingstoke, UK), Ian Jackson applies this idea of “landmark removal” to the…
Learning to say “No” (30 min)
John Dennison preaches from Genesis Ch 39 on the importance of being able to say “no”. With the world in our pockets, never has there been a time when it’s more important to be able to say “no” to that which dishonours the Lord and is not for His glory. John brings numerous powerful and practical lessons from the life of Joseph and how he overcame in the face of constant and fierce temptation to give in and sin against…
Carefree, Careful and Caring Christianity (27 min)
Andrew Ussher brings guidance and strength from the Word of God to anxious worried hearts in an encouraging word of ministry on carefree, careful and caring Christianity. We all suffer from worries and cares; the question is, how do we cope with them? What should we do when we are overwhelmed with anxiety and fear? How should we respond in a way that honours the Word and magnifies our Lord? Readings: 1 Cor 12:25-26, Eph 5:15-16, Phil 2:19-21, 4:5b-7, Titus…
Robert Craig – “I fought at the Battle of the Somme” (36 min)
Robert Craig’s (1898-1987) life story is hard to take in. Running away from home in 1914, he “signed up” and joined the British Army. Sent off to France at the beginning of World War 1, he saw action at the battles of the Somme, Ypres and Saint Quentin, and survived 4 full years of conflict. He relates how, time after time, he was the only one who survived an attack, or a shell or some other mortal danger. Returning to…
What Has God Ever Done For Me? (54 min)
Robert Surgenor (1928-2024) (photos below) tells the amazing story of God’s grace and mercy to him during the first 24 years of his life when, first as a mischievous child and then as a reckless youth, he had repeated brushes with death but was spared every time. He was later saved through the witness of his wife and the preaching of the gospel, all in answer to his mother’s heartfelt prayer when Robert had pneumonia as a child. Robert’s wife…
Sydney Maxwell – The Pilgrim’s Progress (40 min)
Sydney Maxwell (1919-1993) preaches on the “Pilgrim’s Progress” from 2 Cor 5. He maps progress in the Christian life using some of the chapter’s prepositions. First, “in” in v17; then “unto” in v15; then “before” in v10; and finally “out” (“from”, KJV) in v1. Sydney spends time helpfully explaining that v17, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation” should be understood as a positional statement declaring the justified believer’s standing in Christ. To be “in Christ”…
His Death (47 min)
PART 4 – Ian Jackson preaches on “His death”, the death of Christ. While our justification has been brought about by His blood, our reconciliation has been brought about by His death. Ian expounds the truths of substitution, representation and identification and shows that our deliverance from sin has been brought about by our death with Christ – and one of the keys to victory over sin is therefore to reckon this fact to be so and to yield myself…
His Blood (47 min)
PART 3 – Ian Jackson preaches on “His blood”, the blood of Christ. He expounds the difference between sin and sins in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, and shows how the blood of Christ deals with the legal guilt of our sins (what we’ve done), while the death of Christ, and our identification with it, deals with “sin” (what we are by nature). He goes on to distinguish between blood-shedding and blood-sprinkling by reference to the picture of Calvary given…
His Cross and the Old Man (44 min)
PART 2 – Ian Jackson preaches on “His cross and the old man”. Having looked at the cross historically, Ian looks at “the cross” doctrinally. He develops the truth that at the cross “our old man was crucified with Christ”. Ian explains that the old man is not the same as the flesh. Rather, “the old man” is “Adamic man”. God terminated “the old man” at the cross, judicially passing sentence on “man in Adam”. The one act of the…
His Cross and the World (55 min)
PART 1 – Ian Jackson preaches on “His cross and the world”. In the first in a series of messages on His cross (Galatians), His blood (Hebrews) and His death (Romans), Ian explains that the cross is a symbol of the world’s hatred against Christ. While God gave Christ our sins, the world awarded Christ with “the cross”. Ian explores the origin of “this world” from the book of Genesis and finishes with an appeal: “Can I love the world’s…
Jack Hunter – For To Me To Live is Christ (37 min)
Jack Hunter (1916-1994) from Kilmarnock, Scotland, was a gifted and much used preacher of the Word of God. A man short of stature, with a tiny Bible and no notes; yet to hear him was never to forget the challenge of the verses he expounded. In this classic sermon on Phil 1:21, Mr Hunter delivers a powerful challenge to his audience: what is your life all about? The only life worth living is summarised thus: “For to me to live…
Harold Paisley – 7 Kisses of the Bible (35 min)
Harold Paisley (1924-2015) visited the UK from Canada in 1983 and took part in the Bible Readings in Larne, Northern Ireland. At the end of the large conference, held in the “Orange Hall” on the Curran Road, when everyone was tired and about ready to go home, he rose and preached an unforgettable message on “7 kisses in the Bible”. It was one of those unique occasions when Mr Paisley, feeling at home among his own countrymen in Co Antrim,…
Hold Fast Till I Come (22 min)
Eugene Higgins preaches a powerful message on the exhortation in Revelation 2:25, “Hold fast till I come”. In a day of difficulty and “temptation to let go” Eugene presses the exhortation to hold fast to the truth, to strengthen our grip, not to weary in battle, not to relinquish anything. Don’t let go…don’t let go…don’t let go! (Message preached Nov 2014 in Newington, Connecticut, USA)
Occupied with the Man in the Glory (37 min)
Sydney Maxwell (1919-1993) preaches on “occupation with Christ”. In a stirring message he highlights the need for faithfulness in view of the judgment seat of Christ. Local assemblies need godly, steady leadership which will influence the next generation to carry on the spiritual and scriptural character of the testimony for God. But whether it’s us today, or those in a past day like Ezekiel, Elisha, Stephen or John, the key to service down here is “occupation with a man” (Readings: Ezek…
Jim Baker – The Christian Life (29 min)
Jim Baker (1934-2016), originally from Liverpool, Jim spent most of his life in Scotland. Saved as a boy of 8, Jim soon developed a deep interest in the Scriptures and went on to become a very effective minister of the Word and much loved servant of the Lord. A warm-hearted brother with an infectious smile, Jim is fondly remembered and widely missed. He travelled all over the world preaching and teaching the Word, and leading profitable and clear Bible Readings…
Daniel – A Lifetime of Consistently Standing for God (39 min)
Mervyn Hall preaches on Daniel who repeatedly, throughout his long life in exile, took a stand for God and truth despite overwhelming pressure from the dangerous and godless culture of Babylon. He refused Babylon’s way of living (Dan 1), its worldview (Dan 2) and its worship (Dan 3). Each victory took shape from the previous one as he formed godly habits of spiritual discipline in a far off land. Mervyn applies these lessons to the challenging times in which we…
Bicester Singing – Feb 2020 (80 min)
Hymns: “When We Walk With The Lord”, “What A Fellowship”, “Gathered to Thy Name Lord Jesus”, “Man of Sorrows”, “Worthy Worthy Worthy”, “How Great Thou Art”, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, “Praise the Saviour”, “In Thy Name O Lord Assembling”, “Fairest of All The Earth Beside”, “Behold The Lamb with Glory Crowned”, “Crown Him With Many Crowns”, “O Lord Who Now Art Seated”, “I’m Pressing on the Upward Way”, “He Leadeth Me O Blessed Thought”, “Lord Jesus Thou Who Only Art”,…
“Christ Suffered” (48 min)
John Dennison preaches on 1 Pet 3:18 (“Christ has once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God”), and emphasises the two words “Christ suffered”. The sufferings of Christ were unmatched, were necessary, and accomplished what they were designed for – meeting the claims of God against sin and providing salvation for sinners (Message preached 1st Mar 2020)
Congregational Worship and Singing (51 min)
PART 6 – John Dennison give helpful ministry on worship in the context of assembly gatherings. After explaining the meaning and motive for worship, he points out the change the Lord Jesus announced in John Ch 4 and the ramifications for worship in our current era. He spends the rest of the message giving scriptural backing for the format of the open worship (singing, giving thanks, praying etc) at the breaking of bread meeting, and gives practical encouragement for those…
Assembly Reception and Letters of Commendation (51 min)
PART 5 – John Dennison preaches on the topic of “assembly reception” or “coming into fellowship” in an assembly. He outlines the 4 key verbs in Acts 2:41-42 – “received” his Word, were “baptised”, were “added” and “continued”. He expounds the three reasons why a person can be refused fellowship, and the three ways someone can be received into fellowship. Finally he makes a persuasive case for the use of distinct seating at the Lord’s Supper for those who have…
Headship and the Head Covering (49 min)
PART 4 – John Dennison works his way down 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (and 1 Cor 14:33-36) and deals with the Biblical subject of “the hierarchy of headship”, explaining 1. what it means for male and female roles in the local assembly and 2. how its symbolic display is seen in head coverings and hair length. He shows clearly that head coverings are not a “cultural issue” but rather something required of assemblies in all cultures, times and places. He explains…
What is Assembly Fellowship? (44 min)
PART 3 – John Dennison asks the question “What is assembly fellowship?” He distinguishes between different kinds of fellowship in the Bible, each one of which involves three distinct things: partnership, partnering and partners. He then makes a persuasive case that a local assembly of God is a “doctrinal fellowship”. In other words, at its root assembly fellowship is neither a social experience nor a subjective experience but an objective reality; and what will determine if I am in fellowship…
All About the Lord’s Supper (50 min)
PART 2 – John Dennison sets out the Biblical precepts, principles and practices that inform our understanding of the Lord’s Supper or the “breaking of bread”. The Bible’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper isn’t just “narrative”, it’s “normative”! So, why must the bread precede the cup? Why only one loaf and only one cup? Why on the first day of the week, every week? Why not on board a cruise ship while on holiday? And…should the bread be unleavened? John…
Cross-Cultural Evangelism (60 min)
PART 1 – Opening a teaching weekend on basic assembly principles, John Dennison speaks on the need for Christians to engage in cross-cultural evangelism as we seek to see people saved, baptised and gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus in today’s “global culture” – a culture marked by mass emigration, migration and immigration. He gives examples from years of labour in Mexico and Arizona (USA) as he reports on what the Lord has done through the preaching of…
Esther – A Queen who Understood the Times (42 min)
Michael Penfold preaches on Queen Esther, who “came to the Kingdom for such a time as this“. How well do we understand the uniquely difficult times in which we live? Ours is the age of “Richard Dawkins, Lady Gaga and amazon.com”. In other words, for us, “Persian culture” is the inescapable all-pervasive influence of the enlightenment, the sexual revolution and consumerism, both in the world around us and in our pocket. Before we can effectively live for Christ, we need…
David Kane – Things that Need to be Appreciated (24 min)
David Kane (1922-2015) was saved in Belfast on 5th October 1940, aged 18, on the roof of the foundry where he worked, David immediately began attending a local church. Through reading his Bible, he developed a desire to gather according to the scriptural pattern he saw revealed there. One wet Sunday morning heading home from giving out some tracts he stepped off the pavement into an entrance to avoid the heavy rain. Looking up he saw a notice board that…
John Grant – How I Found the Assembly (35 min)
John Grant (1942-2020) was from Scotland and travelled widely preaching the Word of God with clarity and energy. A wonderful character, John had a strong sense of humour that was never far away even in the pulpit! Here in this message/testimony John tells the story of his early years, how he was saved and how he found his way to an assembly gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. (Message preached April 2008)
David – Making a Mark in Difficult Days (41 min)
Mervyn Hall preaches on the young David – the shepherd, the Psalmist and the armour-bearer. God prepared David as a youth for later public service and leadership in the nation of Israel; but first David had to learn to be alone, to be obscure and to rely up on his God. The test of the battle with Goliath in the valley of Elah would prove the value all that David had learned in private in his walk with God: and…
Samuel – Serving God in a Difficult Climate (42 min)
Dan Rudge preaches on the young seer named Samuel, a young man who grew up in a climate that was corrupt and dangerous politically, morally and spiritually. In contrast to the other young men around him, the child Samuel stood out as a faithful devoted servant of the Lord. It’s not easy or popular, especially as a teenager with peer pressure all around, to stand against the spirit of the age – but Samuel’s example encourages us. Readings from 1…
John Douglas – Paul’s Humility (24 min)
Leaving School at the age of 13, John Douglas (1891-1976) started working down a coal mine in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Though he grew up in an ungodly home, by the grace of God John was converted at the age of 20 through the preaching of Robert Scott. His conversion ended his football career with Glasgow Rangers and made him no longer welcome in his own home. Baptised and received into the assembly at Larkhall, John would later be a “founder member”…
Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation? (46 min)
Jim Flanigan (1931-2014) expounds 7 reasons from the book of Revelation why the church will not go through any part of the 7-year tribulation. Mr Flanigan takes the pre-tribulation view of the Lord’s coming which indicates that the church will be raptured to heaven before the 7 year period known as “Daniel’s 70th week” begins.
Joseph – A Young Man in a Difficult Situation (36 min)
Michael Penfold preaches on Joseph (from Genesis 37 & 39), a young man who stood for God in difficult circumstances. He overcame the bad influence of older siblings, the unwise favouritism of his father, the betrayal of his brothers and the vice and lies his master’s wife. But perhaps even greater than all of this was his victory over victimhood. He didn’t see himself as a victim. He didn’t fall into self-pity. He trusted in a sovereign God and thereby,…
Standing For God in a Difficult Age (39 min)
Opening a series of biographical studies on young people in the Bible who stood for God in difficult times, Mervyn Hall explains the features of the uniquely difficult “present evil age” in which we now live. He outlines from Scripture 1. the corruption of this age, 2. the charm of this age, and 3. the challenge of this age and gives practical Biblical guidance as to how to walk for God and stand for God at such a time. Readings:…