"Sunday Evening" Tagged Sermons (Page 17)

"Sunday Evening" Tagged Sermons (Page 17)

Sunday Evening

You are loved

The Israelites find themselves as captives in another land and they are afraid. God reminded them through Isaiah his prophet that they had no need to fear because he is the supreme God, they are his people, he is with them. He is their God, who loves them and will go to extreme lengths to free them. An encouragement to us knowing that through Jesus we are God’s people also, his children in fact (John 1:10-14). And he has gone to the most extreme length to free us also (John 3:16).

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?

Two blind men, and a few more

There were two groups of blind men before Jesus that day. The physically blind could already see who Jesus was, before he even opened their eyes. But the Pharisees, though they could see, refused to Jesus for who he was. Which one are you? Has Jesus opened your eyes so that you see him for who he is?

Out with the old, in with the new

Without question Jesus was an enigma to most people of His day, and especially so to the religious types. He annoyed them, confused them, frustrated them, and angered them. He simply didn’t fit their boxes. And when He and His disciples seemed to have time to party and enjoy themselves, it was time for them to confront Him. In today’s passage Pastor Murray unpacks this encounter, showing that Jesus’ mission was not to revamp or patch up the laws of Moses, but to replace them with something totally new and better – salvation by grace – and all the freedom and joy that this would bring! This would be a whole new way of relating to God, and Jesus Himself is the key. Have you found this life in Jesus?

Greg Beaumont: Remember where you came from

So often as Christians we can forget where we came from. We can start to think of ourselves as superior to those around us in the church and in the world. The author of the first gospel invites us in to his own story – where he came from – and here, as Christians today we are given a reminder of where we came from too. We are sinners who have been miraculously called by Jesus. The more we ponder this wonderful and God glorifying truth, the more our own foolish pride is stripped away and we are readied as a church to go to the same uncomfortable places that Jesus went in his mission to save humanity.

Authority to forgive sins

Jesus is presented with a paralysed man. He sees his faith, but instead of healing him, as we expect, his first move is to forgive his sins. To claim to have the authority to forgive sin is a massive claim – a claim to divine authority. Jesus finally and emphatically proves he has this authority by conquering sin on the cross. And this has massive implications for us. Each of us, and all of our sin, is forgivable through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. But do we live as though our greatest need is the forgiveness that Jesus offers? And do we witness as though other people’s greatest need is to be forgiven?

What are you afraid of?

These episodes remind us of Jesus’ true identity. They challenge us to think about what, and (more importantly), who, we are afraid of.

What not to bring

Many claim to want to follow Jesus but are unwilling to count the cost of doing so. Listen as we think about what must be left behind by those who want to follow Jesus.

Jesus, God’s heart to restore people to himself

In this passage, we look into Matthew’s record of three healings that Jesus performed. In his Powerful, Authoritative, and compassionate display, Jesus breaks down the religious barriers that separate three religious outcasts from God. Through Jesus, God connects the disconnected, qualifies the disqualified, and gives value to the devalued.

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.

The Christmas promise

A promise made produces anticipation, excitement and hope. A promise kept is something that brings joy and fulfilment and creates trust. In Jesus’ birth God fulfils his promise to send a king for God’s people. The story of Jesus’ birth reveals that Jesus is a new king, he is a king who rescues, and he is king forever. He can rescue each of us from sin and death if we put our trust in him and make him our king. The is the promise of Christmas.