Sermons from September 2017
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.
The grumbling infection
Some people love to grumble. They always seem to find something to complain about. Yet we are all susceptible, if we’re not careful. The Israelites had begun their journey from Mt Sinai to the Promised Land. This was supposed to be the final, exciting push to “the land flowing with milk and honey”. Instead it became an epidemic of grumbling, spreading throughout the camp with even Moses, then Miriam and Aaron succumbing. No wonder God was angry with them. After all He had done for them, they became a restless mob of grumblers! In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul actually refers to this period as a warning to us today. When we think of all that God has done for us – saving us, caring for us, and leading towards our heavenly home – we should be the happiest, most thankful people in the world! Are we?
The King’s people
Listen as Jesus teaches his followers, and us, what it looks like to live as citizens of his new kingdom.
A time to move with God
If you’ve ever been on a long car trip, you’ll know how stressful it can be. There’s planning and packing, checking the car, organising stops, keeping the children happy, and finally getting to your destination without incident. Life can be like that. And it was certainly true for the two million Israelites who were about to make the journey from Mt Sinai to the Promised Land. After 11 months of preparing, organising and getting final instructions from God, it was time to step out. How would they go? Over the coming chapters we’re going to find out. But what about our journey with God? Each of us will travel a different course and face different challenges, but will we grow closer to the God who calls us to trust Him as He leads us to our heavenly destination?