Sermons from July 2018
The purpose of the Law
The law was given to God’s people to teach them about God, to teach them how to live as God’s people and, ultimately, to show them that they need a Saviour. Exodus 20-24
Living in light of the end
Peter continues to address Christians who are suffering for their faith. As always, the basis of their faith and their model of obedience is Christ’s death on the cross. And the thing which gives perspective to their suffering is the immanence of eternity and the inheritance waiting there for them. As individual Christians in the world and as the church together our lives now are shaped by these great truths. The good life for Christians looks surprisingly different to the…
Set free and set apart
God’s words to Israel in Exodus 19 remind us that in Christ, we have a been granted a great salvation, a special identity and a special purpose in the world.
No compromise
Living as a Christian requires that we engage in a Christlike way with people who may or may not appreciate our faith. But that’s nearly always harder than we would like. What do your unbelieving friends and colleagues really think of you? How credible and consistent is your witness? Do you make compromises to avoid trouble? In today’s message we are challenged to remain faithful to Christ in the heat of opposition, being willing to suffer if necessary. Suffering was…
Our God Reigns!
Psalm 96 is a psalm of praise to God. Beginning with God’s own people, and ending with all creation, the Lord is to be exalted. David sang the words of this psalm in excited anticipation of God’s coming with the Ark to Jerusalem. We sing these words as we anticipate Jesus’ coming again when he will finally defeat sin and death forever.
Radical marriage
The Bible is often viewed as politically incorrect when measured by modern cultural norms. And one of the most extreme instances of this is the teaching Peter gives in these verses. Sadly some men, including some pastors, have caused Christian women unnecessary suffering by using them to justify chauvinism and turn a blind eye to abuse. But what does it really mean for a Christian woman to submit to her husband, even an unbelieving husband? And how should a Christian…
A song for a cloudy day
Even though we know God is with us, sometimes our circumstances can make us feel like He is far away. Psalm 13 shows us how we can respond in times like these. We see that we can ask God our desperate questions, earnestly pray for Him to intervene, and confidently affirm our trust in the God who has proven his unfailing love and goodness in the past.
Staying faithful in a pagan world
As Australia drifts further away from God, the contrast between the Christian and non-Christian ways of life gets greater. But let’s not kid ourselves. There has always been a difference and there always will be. In the days of the early church Christians were definitely a despised minority, and were losing heart. They needed encouragement. In today’s message we see some of the practical ways we can maintain our distinctiveness, without becoming obnoxious, and hopefully commending the gospel and bringing…
A song of Hope
Why are Christians always singing? Psalm 33 suggests that they of all people have the best reason to sing because of the hope they have in God. They have hope in the character of God’s word, the power of God’s word and the sovereignty of God’s word. But it doesn’t end there, God’s people also have hope because God sees those who hope in is in his unfailing love whatever the situation they find themselves in. When we see that…