Luke 11:24-28: A Call for True Conversion
In 2021 there are about 2.5 Billion Christians in name in the world today. But how many of these Christians in name are Christians in truth? What is the difference between a Christian in name and a Christian in reality? There are all sorts of people who are associated with Christ but who are not believers. There are many who fill out in their funeral forms, or any forms that ask for religious affiliation, that they are Christian. There are those born in a so called Christian country and who have been baptised into a national church but are...
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Luke 8:4-15: The Parable of the Sower
The parable of the Sower is one of the most important parables because it stands at the head of Christ’s parables in Mark and Matthew, and addresses the issue of how we listen to God’s word. The parable of the Sower has been renamed the parable of the soils, because the focal point of the parable is not the sower of the seed, but it is the four types of soils representing the four types of hearts that receive the word of God. This parable usually stands at the head of Christ’s teaching by parables demanding an answer to...
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1 Corinthians 2:1-5: Gospel Centred Preaching
Thanks to Ian Goodman for preaching for us this morning. Ian is the pastor of Wilson Street Baptist Church in Timaru. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5: Proclaiming Christ Crucified 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit...
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2 Peter 3:18: Regeneration
It is 2 days away from the end of 2019, and I’m sure you have all thought about this as the year draws to a close. New Years resolutions. As the clock clicks past midnight on Tuesday, the realisation dawns upon Christians and non-Christians alike, that they probably weren’t as good as they intended to be last year. Perhaps you wanted an improvement on your health, but that gym membership didn’t get the same amount of use as you hoped. Perhaps you wanted an improvement on your finances, but you just didn’t save as much as you hoped. Perhaps...
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Luke 3:15-22: The Baptism of Jesus
Many people have claimed to be or have been thought to the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God. For example, ‘Krishna Venta (1911–1958), born Francis Herman Pencovic in San Francisco, founded the WKFL (Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Love) Fountain of the World cult in Simi Valley, California in the late 1940s. In 1948 he stated that he was Christ, the new messiah and claimed to have led a convoy of rocket ships to Earth from the extinct planet Neophrates. He died on 10 December 1958 after being suicide bombed by two disgruntled former followers who accused Venta of...
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Colossians 2:11-15- Sufficient salvation shown in Baptism
Introduction: The waters of baptism are a lens through which we can see certain things clearly. It is a lens which helps us see something past, something present and something future. Through the baptismal waters we look back to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism would be a meaningless action if Christ had not in fact died and resurrected. The waters of judgement, like at the flood and the drowning of Pharaoh’s armies at the Red Sea rolled over Christ. As the breaking of the bread calls to mind His body broken and offered for us, so the...
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Romans 15:9-12: God of All Nations
Introduction: Many Christians without trying have a divided God, the God of the OT, and a second and different God of the NT. This functional Bitheism is a contradiction to the unity of the Scriptures and a seedbed for atheism. Some see the God of the OT as a God of law and wrath and the God of the NT as a God of salvation and love. Maybe you don’t have that extreme division in your minds but there are others who think that the God of the NT is a God of all nations, and in the OT...
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1 Kings 7:13-51: Furnishing the Temple
Introduction: Furnishing a new house can be fun as you indulge your artistic ideas, and put a personal touch on every room, catering for your personal idiosyncrasies, whether it is a certain type of reading chair, a colour scheme, or a theme. Furnishing the temple was very different to that. When Moses built the first tabernacle he was shown the design by God because it was God’s house, not Moses house, Heb. 8:5, ‘For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was...
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Romans 14:10-12: The Judgement Seat of God
Sorry no audio available for this sermon. Introduction: In the human heart lies a contradiction, we all want justice but we don’t want God as a judge. In every culture and human experience there is a cry for justice, an outrage and a desire for a reckoning where the truth will come to light and those who have been oppressors and done evil will receive their due. We can all think of someone who we think deserves to be judged, but how many of us would volunteer ourselves for judgement? The Bible reveals that it is right that we have...
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1 Kings 3:16-28: Wise Justice
Introduction: We all love a good riddle, for example the famous one about a choice between two doors. There are two door guardians by the two doors, one always lies and one always tells the truth: what single question could you ask to find out which is the right door? The answer is, ask any one of them what the other door guardian will tell you is the right one, and then choose the opposite. The one telling the truth will know that the one who lies will point to the wrong one; and the one who lies will...
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2 Samuel 7: The Davidic Covenant
Outline David’s promise David’s praise Introduction One of the key things the covenants of the bible do is manifest the grace of God. To a greater or lessor extent God’s glorious grace is put on display. And in this chapter we have the Davidic Covenant presented putting forward another glorious glimpse of our gracious God. This is one of the most important chapters of the bible because it is one of the major steeping stones in the lead up to the coming of Jesus as the Saviour of the world. As you move through the OT you see a...
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1 Samuel 21: Backsliding
Outline The paths of backsliding The lessons of faith Introduction The Christian faces two dangers, one of ease and one of difficulty. We face both trials and temptations. This being the case we face two different kinds of backsliding. We can backslide in the face of temptation or we can backslide in the face of trials. There is the backsliding when faced with a tempting situation we act sinfully and follow our tempted sinful desires. But then there is the backslide not in pursuing temptation but in responding to trial, it is not so much a case of pursuing...
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1 Peter 3:21-22: Baptism and Salvation
Outline What does baptism mean? Can baptism save me? What am I doing when I get baptised? What is the power that really saves me? Introduction “21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” ‘Does baptism save?’, is the question that is forced upon us from the text before us. In these verses we have words which seem to say that baptism saves; “baptism that corresponds to this now saves you.’ One of...
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1 Samuel 11: Saul Established as King
Outline Kingdom threatened Kingdom delivered Kingdom renewed Introduction As we begin chapter 11 we need to appreciate that Saul was in a very similar position to Donald Trump today. Donald Trump has only been the president elect for a few days, and is untested and untrusted. We see at the end of the last chapter that Saul was in a similar position, v27, ‘But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.’ It appears as if the whole point of chapter 12 is...
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Romans 11:25-27: ‘…in this way all Israel will be saved.’
Outline Mystery explained Mystery applied Introduction Matthew 24:32-35, ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’ This is one of the more abused texts when it comes to talking about Israel....
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Romans 11:11-15: God’s Mysterious Ways
Outline Salvation in justice Sovereignty over sin Introduction God works in mysterious ways, or God’s ways are not our ways are familiar statements that help us to remember that there are mysteries bigger than our ability to understand. This section of Romans 9-11 is full of the complexities of these mysteries, God’s distinguishing love, God’s unconditional election, God’s sovereignty over unbelief in the hardening of unbelievers. Well today we continue to be faced with profound mysteries. We have two mysteries facing us from these verses; that God brings salvation from justice, and that is sovereign over and uses sin...
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