Luke 13:10-17: Liberty and Captivity on the Sabbath
The gospels are filled with paradoxical contrasts. We see sinners forgiven and the righteous condemned. The poor have blessing but the rich have woe. Those who mourn will be happy and those who are happy will be sad. Jesus comes and blows our categories out of the water, those people who we thought were good are bad, those who we thought were alive are dead, those who we thought are hated are loved. When it comes to who is a good person, who is the person who is accepted by God Jesus turns our categories on their heads, the...
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Luke 6:1-11: The Lord of the Sabbath
Many have the wrong idea about Christianity thinking that God has a taste for dry religious service. Many think God to be a stuffy bureaucrat who loves to multiply rules and empty ceremonies. But this is the wonderful thing about Jesus Christ, He reveals the Father and His will to us, and in this next section in Luke 6:1-11 we see that Jesus overturns false religion when he overturns man made laws which have been added to God’s laws, as well as loveless interpretations of His laws. Love and law are not opposites, but rather love fulfils the law....
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John 9: Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind
A big thanks to Guy McKenzie for preaching this week when Nick was away. We appreciate it! John 9: 1-7 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As...
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1 Kings 8:54-66: Solomon’s Benediction
Introduction: Most good Christian events happen around food. And the dedication of the temple is another example of this. We are approaching the end of Solomon’s prayer where he gives a final benediction of praise, some final requests and an exhortation to Israel. And then there is a huge nationwide feast. Solomon’s prayer has been very rich theologically as it has spoken to us about the God we are approaching and how to pray about our sins. The last part of this prayer is no less rich. Three things dominate this closing prayer. Firstly, in v56 Solomon blesses God...
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Romans 14:5-6: Liberty of Conscience
Introduction: When I say the words, ‘Liberty of Conscience’, what comes to mind? I hope you have two distinct ideas in your minds, Christian Liberty, and then the world’s wrong definition of it. Freedom of conscience is not the freedom to believe whatever I want or determine to be true, nor to sin in any way I please and you are not allowed to judge. Today’s definition of freedom stands on very different foundations to the Christian one. We believe that we are free by virtue of our humanity, being made in the image of God and our freedom...
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Romans 14:5: The Sabbath
Introduction: Listen to George Swinnock, a Puritan as he speaks about the beauty of the Christian Sabbath Day, ‘‘Hail thou art highly favoured of God, thou golden spot of the week, thou market –day of souls, thou daybreak of eternal brightness, thou queen of days, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst days…. Oh how do men and women flutter up and down on the weekdays, as the dove on the waters, and can find no rest for their souls, till they come to their ark, till thou put forth thy hand and take them in! Oh...
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