Individual Message (Page 8)

Individual Message (Page 8)

Individual Message

A life that could have been so different (Judas)

What do we make of a guy like Judas? He would have to be one of the most demonised characters in the whole Bible… an example of evil personified! Or is he? In this message Pastor Murray helps us see that in so many ways Judas is a person who is just like us. He was a sinner, who gave in to temptation, then failed Jesus in an act of callous betrayal. But who of us has never been guilty in this way? Judas’s real failure was that he never went to Jesus, even while hanging on the cross, to say “sorry” and ask for His forgiveness, which Jesus would have gladly given. That was the tragedy of his sad life! By the way, is this a moment when you need to say “sorry” for betraying Jesus in some way?

Don’t be a fool!

To identify publicly as a Christian can be risky business. For a start, many of our friends and even family, may think we are fools. Generally this is because of the message we believe (about Jesus, his death on the cross, salvation by grace etc.) or the life (and lifestyle) that Christ calls us to live. To many people, these don’t make sense. Why would intelligent, self-sufficient people believe in such a fanciful message about a dying Saviour, and then submit their lives to Him as Lord? But that’s the genius of the Christian gospel! In His wisdom God chooses to use these so-called foolish things to shame those who think they are wise by human standards. Still today the fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

An invitation to worship

There has been much debate about the subject of worship in the past 40 years. But what is worship and what does it look like? In this psalm we are given three specific ways to worship and each of them flows from a life that has encountered God on a very personal level. True worship should produce joy, humility and obedience in the life of a believer. Are they evident in your worship? Of course, congregational singing is one aspect of worship, but let’s take the much bigger view that Psalm 95 urges us to do.

Avoiding a “Peter Pan” faith

A well-documented clinical diagnosis these days is what is known as the “Peter Pan Syndrome”. Peter Pan is the fictional character who never grew up. He lived in a fantasy world where he was the centre of attention and could do whatever he liked. Sadly, there is a Christian equivalent. Christians who never seem to move beyond spiritual infancy. In this message, Pastor Murray challenges us to see how God wants us to be growing in our faith, always going on towards full maturity in Christ.

God’s priorities or mine?

As we start a new year, it’s good to think about what our priorities are. What guiding principles will inform what we do with our time, energy, money etc. this year? The book of Haggai is the word of the Lord, through the prophet Haggai, to the people of Jerusalem in 520BC. They are rebuilding the city destroyed decades earlier by the Babylonians, but they are focused on building their own houses rather than God’s house – the temple. God challenges their priorities. Likewise, we must ask ourselves, ‘When there are lots of opportunities, how will I choose what’s best to do?’ ‘When I face great challenges, what will be most important to me?’ And we will learn that it is better to prioritise God’s glory ahead of our own comfort and success.

Don’t waste your life!

How does God want us to live in 2018? The book of Ecclesiastes seriously questions the meaning of life. In so many ways life can be monotonous, unpredictable and unsatisfying… without God. But when we bring God into the picture and live a life of faith, that’s a very different story! This is a life of enterprise, risk, hard work and satisfaction. As we grasp the opportunities God gives and trust Him for the outcomes, we find the sense of purpose and the joy to get up each morning. Yes – there are many variables in life that we cannot control. But knowing the God who does control theses variables makes all the difference! May you experience “life to the full” as you trust God in the year ahead!

Light for a dark world

Christmas today is a set of old traditions, wrapped attractively in a commercial package. But somehow its real meaning is often overlooked. The apostle John describes it like this: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world”. Jesus came to bring light to a world in spiritual darkness. And Jesus is still His shining light into our dark world today …. exposing sin and showing the way to God to people who are groping for truth. All around us we see evidence of this darkness as people try to live without God. But only Jesus can say: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Are you following Jesus today?

Simple salvation for a Syrian soldier

2 Kings 5 is the riveting story of the healing of Naaman, the Aramean (Syrian) military commander. Naaman is introduced to us as a powerful, important, successful, influential man who is master of his own destiny. But he has leprosy – a problem that renders him weak, helpless and dying. This is a story full of irony in which the solution to his problem is, in every way, not what he expects. Naaman is humbled, he is healed, and he acknowledges the God of Israel as the one true God, and commits himself to staying devoted to him.

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?