Sermons on Faith
I Once Was Blind But Now I See
I Once Was Blind But Now I See – John’s Gospel chapter 9, verses 13 to 34 Life can be like the “Pin the tail on the donkey” game. Blind, tornadoed around and hearing many confusing voices. Jesus had just healed a man born blind by making some mud with his spit and putting it on the man’s eyes, but instead of joy and praise there is grumbling and hatred. Religious Formalism 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who…
Truth That Will Set You Free
Truth That Will Set You Free – John’s Gospel chapter 8, verses 31 to 47 Catchcries- Truth and Freedom! But Truth with a capital “T” has become just any old truth – “You have your truth and I have mine!” But it doesn’t deliver. We still feel restricted, searching for more truth. The truth will set you free. 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you…
Trusting God in the Darkness
Trusting God in the Darkness, Isaiah chapter 50, verse 4-11 10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light,trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.11 But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches,go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze.This is what you shall receive from my hand: you will lie down in torment.…
Skeptics & the Sovereign Saviour
Skeptics & the Sovereign Saviour – John’s Gospel chapter 6, verses 41 to 59 Who Do Some Believe and Others Don’t? Hearing the same message – “I am the bread of life”? Yet God’s plan cannot be thwarted. Grumbling Skeptics 41 At this the Jews [that is, the Jewish religious leaders] there began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 42 They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father…
Do You Have True Satisfaction?
Do You Have True Satisfaction? – John’s Gospel, chapter 6, verses 22 to 40 So much, yet so little satisfaction. All of us are still needy. All seeking something to satisfy the need. Work, substance abuse and unsurprisingly, some to Jesus. Here is the sequel to the feeding of the 5000. They are seeking more bread. Seeking his gifts. But the gift of bread was meant to direct then to something better. What kind of bread are you seeking? Enthusiastic…
Where Do We Turn?
Where Do We Turn? Psalm 3 A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. Where do we run when trouble comes? Prince Absalom had rebelled against his father, KIng David, had raised an army and wanted to kill him. People were saying “Even God won’t save him!” 1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Psalm 3:1-2 But David through his tears still trusts…
Hope for the Desperate
Hope for the Desperate – John’s Gospel chapter 4 verses 43 to 54 Hope for the desperate. The twin themes of desperation and faith. The superficial faith of the curious crowd They were there to see His miracles. 43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honour in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in…
The Hope of the Resurrection
The Hope of the Resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15 The Gospel stands on the physical resurrection of Jesus. Without it there is no Gospel. Evidence for Christ’s Resurrection From scripture, and from eyewitnesses. Six consequences of NO resurrection 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.…
The All-Sufficient Sacrifice of Jesus
The All-Sufficient Sacrifice of Jesus – John’s gospel chapter 1 verses 29 to 34 “He is here, look to him, follow him” 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came…
Jesus, the Word of God
Jesus, the Word of God – John’s Gospel chapter 1, verses 1 to 5 John wrote his account of the life of Jesus for a purpose: But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 The Word. To the philosophers of John’s day it meant unknowable wisdom, but to the Jewish people it meant God’s expression of Himself. In…
A Covenant Community
A Covenant Community – Acts chapter 2, verses 36 to 47 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread…
Worship
Worship – Hebrews chapter 10, verses 1 to 22 What makes worship possible? How do we know if worship has happened? So, what makes worship possible? – Jesus the Christ does, who said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” How do we know if worship has happened? By faith, not by sight – “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full…