Luke 17:20-21: The Kingdom of God is in your midst
In his book called Mere Christianity, in the chapter called hope, C.S. Lewis writes ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hungry: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. … If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.’ We all long for a world of no pain, a world with no evil, a place where we can live...
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Mark 8:22-30: Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
Thanks to Ian Goodman from Wilson Street Baptist for preaching for us this morning. Mark 8:22-30: Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida 22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25...
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Luke 13:18-21: Do Not Despise the Day of Small Beginnings
‘If Jesus is the King, why doesn’t it feel like He is reigning?’ This discouragement is what many people feel. ‘If Jesus is Lord why is my church so small and struggling so much and all the young people leaving?’ ‘If Jesus is Lord why is sin still so strong in my life and my holiness so weak?’ ‘If Jesus is Lord why is the government allowed to reverse things God has put in nature and make laws that contradict God’s laws?’ Understanding the nature of Christ’s reign, the way in which the kingdom manifests itself, is a problem...
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Luke 9:18-22: ‘Who Do You Say That I Am?’
One of the most important questions we need to answer in life is in this text, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ This is the question that Jesus puts to His disciples. We live in a day and age where many think we cannot answer that question with any confidence. For the more scientifically minded the problem is one of historical distance and having to rely on pre-scientific eye witnesses. For the more sceptical certainty about anything even our own experiences is doubted. But God has given us His word that we can know things truly, though not...
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Luke 7:18-23: ‘Are you the One?’
Doubt, it will be our portion as long as we are alive. On account of the fallen nature that still remains within us we are professional doubters who default to doubt at the best and worst of times. We doubt because of satan, we doubt because of sin, we doubt because of ignorance, we doubt because we don’t like the truth, we doubt when we are in pain as a knee jerk reaction against God. The strongest and the weakest Christians have struggled with doubt. Elijah doubted God after the victory over the prophets of Baal; David doubted God...
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Isaiah 9:1-7: Jesus, the prophesied Messiah
You noticed perhaps a similar theme between the two portions of Scripture this morning, and that is one of celebration and rejoicing. So let me ask you this question, what do you celebrate at Christmas time? Perhaps you are happy about the time off work? Perhaps you enjoy spending the break with family and friends? Perhaps you are like the neighbour down my street, and use it as an occasion to put lights on every available surface outside your home? Maybe you like the giving of gifts, or if you are a child, you like the receiving gifts? If...
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Luke 4:22-30: Rejecting Jesus
Why do people reject Jesus? Why do people see His claims, claims that we have seen and recognise to be true and wonderful and yet do not believe? Today we want to do an analysis of the unbelief of the Nazarenes when they heard Jesus preaching in the synagogue. A lot of people today will be able to identify with the Nazarene congregation. Jesus rocks up on a Sabbath, he stands up and tells everyone that He is the Messiah, He has done a bunch of miracles in all sorts of other places v14, if Jesus will just put...
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