Welcome to the City North Baptist sermon archive! We offer most sermons online within a week of the message being given.
Richard Gibson: The future of rebellion
Psalm 2:1-12
Christ Alone
“Christ Alone” affirms that because of his exclusive identity, and the sufficiency of his saving work, Christ alone is the basis of our salvation.
Arrogant people vs a holy God
Throughout history there have been many famous examples of people who have openly defied God. When Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, he was actually defying God Himself. What God did to Korah and his followers is a frightening warning to anyone who would arrogantly reject His appointed leaders. Still today God is looking for people who will live holy lives, humbly submitted to His authority, and approaching Him in the only acceptable way – through the Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest.
Scripture Alone
“Scripture Alone” affirms that the Bible is our final authority when it comes to knowing God’s truth.
Still By Grace
The people of Israel have brazenly rebelled against God by not going into the land. And we find ourselves asking, “Where to from here?” “After this kind of failure, how will God’s people continue in relationship with him?” Numbers 15 outlines a series of offerings they are to make and things they are to do once they enter the Promised Land which will remind them that not only did they start their journey because of God’s grace, but each step is taken only by God’s grace. We who have been saved by God’s grace through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus also fail and rebel. And likewise, we are only able to continue in relationship with God on the basis of his continued grace.
The allegiance of the heart
In this passage, Jesus warns against having divided loyalties. Storing up treasures for ourselves on earth will turn our eyes from the things of God, and command the allegiance of our heart.
Waiting patiently
Patience is not something that comes easily to most of us. Yet so much of life involves waiting… waiting for rain (especially if you’re a farmer), waiting for Mr or Mrs Right to come along, waiting for an answer to a prayer… and so on. One particular test of our patience is the second coming of Jesus Christ, now 2000 years since it was first predicted by Jesus Himself. Some people have given up their faith and even become cynical because of this delay. But according to Peter, this is a short-sighted view. God’s plans still are firmly on track and He is showing patience Himself during this waiting period so that more people might hear and respond to the gospel. If evangelism is that important to God, what about us?
Greg Beaumont: The secret righteousness of the King’s people
Jesus has just given a massive lesson on Kingdom ethics and he finishes with those daunting words “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”. In Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus piles even more on top of us – we can’t just strive for perfect actions but we need perfect motives too otherwise we will get no heavenly reward. This all seems too much, except that Jesus tells us that these expectations are played out in relationship with God – our loving heavenly Father – who sent his son to die for us. What a joy it is to seek to please a Father like this!
Looking forward to our forever home
Those who trust in Jesus can look forward to their forever home.
The King’s law
Christians relate to the law by obeying Jesus, the one in whom the whole law finds its fulfilment.
Saying “no” to God
The end was almost in sight. The journey should have been over. A land “flowing with milk and honey” was theirs for the taking. Yet ten faithless men convinced the whole nation to rebel against their God who had been so good to them. He had saved them so powerfully from slavery, provided for them in the desert, entered into a personal covenant with them, and promised to give them the land of Canaan. They had witnessed these things with their own two eyes. But despite all this, they flatly refused to trust Him to take them into that land. So God consigned them to 40 more years in the desert. During those years more than half the population would die because of that catastrophic choice. What is God asking you to do? Are you being obedient?
The King’s people… in the world
Having already given his disciples a description of life as the King’s people, in the beatitudes, Jesus addresses the question, “What does it mean to be the people of the king in our relationship to the world?” He says they are salt and light in the world. That is, as followers of Jesus (the King’s people) our lives are to cause others to glorify God by being unmistakably distinctive.