Sermons from 2017 (Page 8)
Peter Francis: Developing a fruitful faith
In these opening words of Peter’s second letter he is concerned to remind believers about the importance of having a growing and fruitful faith. Here Peter seems to draw our attention to three key things which will keep us growing in our faith: (1) Remembering the Foundations of our Faith; (2) Fostering the Fruit of our Faith and (3) Remembering the Future of our Faith.
Fleeting pleasures
Listen as John warns his readers about some of the things that can lead us off course as we travel through the Christian life.
The great discovery
When you discover something new that works so much better, why would you bother going back to the old? That’s essentially what the apostle Paul is saying in today’s passage. The people in the church at Corinth were being conned by some visiting “preachers”, who were telling them they had to go back to obeying the ancient law of Moses as the way to God. Paul knew from personal experience the futility of trying to live that way. So he exposes the inferiority of the law compared with the glory of being made righteous before God by trusting Jesus Christ. To meet Christ personally is to receive His life-giving Spirit and begin a whole new way of life. Why would you ever want to revert to a system that was broken, when Christ offers something far, far better!
Andrew Prince: God owes you no favours
Christians are to obey everything God has commanded in Scripture, and yet when they do they are simply doing their duty rather than something particularly commendable or worthy of reward.
Indicators of true gospel ministry
As mainline churches in Australia steadily decline, new churches are popping up with increasing frequency. Sometimes these are a result of strategic church plants. Other times they are the result of splits and breakaways. Sometimes they go well. Often they struggle and fail. Some are well led. Others are not. It’s hard working planting a church in secular Australia. But what are the criteria we should look for in a valid gospel ministry today? Paul had to defend himself against those who opposed and critiqued him harshly at Corinth, and in doing so he gives us five non-negotiable indicators of what every true gospel-centred church should look like. And these indicators are especially relevant today. Are they true of your church… and mine?
Part of the family
Tonight John answers the question, “How do we know that we are part of God’s family?”
A pastor and his people
What happens when a pastor has a falling out with his people? Sadly, it happens… far more often than it should. A rift had developed between “Pastor Paul” and the church at Corinth, and serious damage had been done to their relationship. How could this situation be resolved? In today’s message we explore the approach Paul used to defend himself and to appeal personally to the people for a resolution to the crisis. With humility, grace, forgiveness… and also courage… there was a way forward. If only we might see more disputes in our churches resolved like this today!
Exposed!
Listen as our hearts (and some of the lies we might tell ourselves) are exposed by the God who is light.
Meeting God in the troubles of life
Today’s message by Pastor Murray begins a new series in the book of 2 Corinthians. In this letter to the church at Corinth the apostle Paul shares very personally – his appeals to them, his joys, his disappointments, his struggles in ministry – and through all his vulnerability we see how God gave him the strength to persevere. This theme is introduced in the opening verses of the book, where Paul helps us see that even through the troubles and pain of life, God is there to comfort and care. While we don’t like to suffer, God meets us in our suffering and uses it for beneficial purposes in our lives. What tough situation are you going through at this moment? This message will be an encouragement to you!
This we proclaim
Tonight we begin our journey through the letter of 1 John. Listen as John reminds us of the content, the reliability and the effect of the message about which he is so passionate.
A discerning leader with the gift of encouragement (Barnabas)
Jesus, of course, is the only perfect leader, but God seems to have used many different types of men and women to take the lead in His work. In this message we encounter Barnabas, an early Christian convert and trusted leader in the church at Jerusalem. Sent to Antioch by the apostles to check out what was happening in the church there, he quickly realised that God was doing something special, and soon co-opted Saul (later Paul) to help him in teaching the Bible to these young Gentile believers. Next, he and Saul were commissioned by the Antioch church to go out as the very first formal missionaries to the Roman empire. His ability to see what God was doing, get on board, and encourage others to do the same was inspirational.
David Lamont: Is life fair? Is God fair?
Jesus is confronted with unjust suffering and death caused by an evil tyrant. He addresses unjust suffering and death caused not just by people, but by natural disasters, and then issues a surprising challenge and gives a parable that illustrates the real issues from a divine perspective.