"Sunday Morning" Tagged Sermons (Page 28)
Sunday Morning
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).
Nearly home!
After 40 years the Israelites were nearly home. The long-awaited land of Canaan, promised 500 years earlier to Abraham, was just across the Jordan River. But first, there was a not-insignificant matter to be resolved concerning the land rights of women who had no brothers. Would they be able to share in the family inheritance? And if they did, what would happen to their land if they married a man from a different tribe? Clearly, sharing in God’s promised land was the ultimate priority for every Israelite. For Christians today our inheritance awaits, promised to us by God, not an earthly inheritance but one that is kept in heaven for us “that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:4). Are we just as eager to lay hold of this inheritance as we look to the end of our life’s journey?
Near enough not good enough
Israel is near the end of their journey from Sinai to the promised land. The have already conquered some of the lands to the east of the Jordan River and they are poised to cross over the Jordan and begin the conquest to take the promised land of Canaan on the western side of the river. Then some of the tribes make a suggestion which at first seems innocuous, but it has the potential to discourage the rest of God’s people away from pursuing God’s plan to enter the promised land. In our walk of faith, and we move towards the promised land of eternal life, there are similar temptations to compromise. We forget what we’re aiming at, what our destination is, and we fall short. Even when we don’t realise it, often our compromises discourage others. In order to reach our heavenly destination, we must beware of being too pragmatic (“If it works, it must be right!”) and instead test ‘good ideas’ against the clear instructions of Scripture. We must keep our eyes fixed on our eternal destination. And we must do everything to encourage others to get there too.
The battle for holiness
Jesus told us to love our enemies, so how do we reconcile this with God specifically ordering the Israelites to annihilate other nations, as we have in today’s passage? There is no neat answer to this difficult question. But in this message Pastor Murray meets it head on. One thing we can be sure of is that God has not changed. And his abhorrence of sin means that his coming judgement of our generation is just as certain as it was for people 3500 years ago. The Christian life is an ongoing battle against sin and compromise. Holiness matters to God. Does it matter to you?
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.
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!
Joy for a discouraged world
As we read the Christmas story in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, it is impossible to not see the note of joy that pervades the coming of Jesus into the world. The birth of any baby is a good reason for joy, but there were even greater reasons in the case of Jesus. That’s why angels announced His arrival and choirs of angels sang. That’s why shepherds became so excited and magi travelled 100s of kilometres following a new star. A Saviour-Messiah-King had been born who would take away sin and transform the lives of people throughout the world. As we reflect back on that day, what better reason for us to be joyful today? Don’t miss out on the joy of Christmas. Jesus came for us, too!
Peace for a troubled world
“Peace, peace… perfect peace” is one of the most elusive longings of our age. Whether we’re talking about the world stage, the workplace, the family or the inner thoughts of the human mind, there is a longing for peace. But is it possible? In the Old Testament the word “shalom” was used to describe this deep contentment of heart and mind, and God wanted to give this to His people. Where could it be found? At the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the angels announced “peace on earth to those on whom His favour rests”. Jesus came to make peace possible… firstly between God and us, secondly between us and others, and thirdly within ourselves. Jesus truly is the peace-maker. Have you found peace in Jesus this Christmas?
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.
A fresh start with a faithful God
There are times in life when we have to pause and do a personal stocktake. A big decision? A change in direction? A risky choice? The Israelites faced one of these moments in their history as they camped on the edge of the promised land on the plains of Moab. The old generation had died and now a new generation had to decide whether to take on the scary challenge of conquering the Canaanites. As they regrouped under a new leader, God reminded them of His ongoing faithfulness. Would they trust and obey Him? Would they worship Him? As we face new challenges in our lives, will we?