Sermons from 2018 (Page 3)
Small, weak and faithful – the church at Philadelphia
With so much attention these days on mega-churches, it’s easy to forget that the vast majority of churches around the world are actually quite small, and many of them are actually struggling for existence from week to week (like the church at Philadelphia). In today’s passage we see what Christ has to say to these dear people, and His words are filled with love and encouragement. It is a clear reminder that ‘church’ is not all about size, numbers, budgets…
Living out our purpose
The people of Israel finally get their act together, getting to work on building the tabernacle. They show us what it looks like when a community of God’s people are living out their special purpose in the world. Exodus 35-39
Redeemed: The Book of Ruth
Ruth 4
Mercy for Sinners
After the golden calf incident, Israel’s only hope is that God would show them mercy. In the chapters that follow, Moses pleads with God and God shows his mercy to Israel in three ways. We are reminded that we have a mediator who pleads for mercy on our behalf and that we ourselves are sinners who have received the incredible mercy of God. Exodus 33-34
Risk, Righteousness and Rest
As we have been journeying through the book of Ruth we have starting to see two things: God is both sovereign – he is in control of all things and he is also kind. In Ruth 3, we see how an understanding of God’s sovereign kindness leads to Naomi seeking rest for Ruth by coming up with a risky plan. And as this plan plays out, just as we think that things couldn’t be more out of control and dangerous,…
Life without God is not life at all
As we look into Israel’s sin with the golden calf, we notice that we are not so different to them, because the problem of sin is universal. Like Israel, people today still fail to trust God. But though we are like Israel and fail, God can treat us differently. He does this because where we fail, Jesus succeeds. Exodus 32:1-33:6
Finding Refuge in God
When life is hard, where do you take refuge? In Ruth chapter 2, Ruth takes refuge under the wings of Yahweh, the God of Israel and in his loving-kindness he generously and extravagantly provides all that she needs. By trusting Christ’s death and resurrection for us, we can take refuge from sin. As God’s people, we can also be the extension of God’s refuge to the world. Ruth 2:1-23
Going away, coming home
Ruth 1 tells a story of going away and coming home. It reminds us that some have gone away from God to “Moab”, to places far from Him. Our Moab might be sex, wealth, lifestyle, comfort or something else. But while we are living far from God, we inevitably experience emptiness. The good news of what God has done for us in Jesus calls us back home to God, where we find hope and true filling.
The Priest we need
God has promised to dwell among his people. But there’s a problem. God is holy and his people aren’t. Israel needs a priest to enable them to come close to God. Let us consider how Israel’s priests point us to Jesus, our great High Priest who enables us to draw near to God. Exodus 28-30
Standing firm in the faith
Peter closes out his letter reminding his readers of the things that will help them stand firm in the faith when facing opposition. For Christians under pressure, godly leaders in the church, personal resistance to the devil and God’s strength, grace and care will be essential. As our society continues to raise more opposition to the gospel, these things will be more and more relevant to us also. 1 Peter 5:1-14
I Will Dwell Among Them
Most of Exodus so far has given us massive pictures of God – burning bush, plagues in Egypt, parting the Red Sea, manna from heaven, and law giving at Mt Sinai. In Exodus 25-27 the Israelites are instructed to build a tabernacle as a sanctuary for God so that he might dwell among them. This is a stunning indication of his desire for relationship with his people. The whole Biblical narrative traces God’s relentless pursuit of relationship with his people,…
Facing up to suffering
Peter reminds the suffering church of several truths to help them to stand firm in the midst of their suffering. 1 Peter 4:12-19