Sermons on God's Work
God Revealed!
God Revealed! – Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to…
Mission Minded Christ
Mission Minded Christ – Mark’s Gospel chapter 3 verses 7 to 19 7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had…
The Holy Spirit’s Work in the World
The Holy Spirit’s Work in the World – John’s Gospel chapter 16 verses 4 to 15 The Disciple’s Grief I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, “Where are you going?” 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I…
The Sower and the Seed
The Sower and the Seed – Mark’s Gospel chapter 4 Thoughts, questions and doubts. Is serving Jesus worth the effort? 13 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places,…
Born From Above
Born From Above – John’s Gospel chapter 2 verse 23 to chapter 3 verse 15 Pharisees as a group were critical of Jesus, became his enemies and later wanted to kill him. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, was more sympathetic, and comes to find out more. Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come…
Suffering and the Works of God
Suffering and the Works of God – John’s Gospel, chapter 9 verses 1 to 12 Suffering is always with us. 3 ways people think about it: The reality of suffering. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. John 9:1 An even more hopeless case (than the lame man at the pool in chapter 5). He saw a man blind from birth. Jesus knows, feels, understands. Heb 4:14-16He “gets” our suffering. God sends his son, fitted to…
True and False Disciples
True and False Disciples – John’s Gospel chapter 6 verses 60 to 61 Before there was mass enthusiasm “Jesus gives us political security, universal health care and economic security. Make him King!” Jesus’ focus is different – “I am the bread of life.” So there is grumbling and unbelief from the religious leaders. Now the disciples are at a crossroads. The offence of Jesus: 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept…
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…
The Identity of Christ Confirmed
The Identity of Christ Confirmed – John’s Gospel chapter 5, verses 31 to 47 Background Jesus had compassion on the paralysed man and healed him on the Sabbath day, creating controversy with the religious rulers. His startling claim to be one with God angered them. Now He calls witnesses in His defence. Jesus’ five witnesses He engages in a mock trial, calling 5 witnesses. There is no shortage of evidence. God the Father 32 There is another who testifies in my…
How Does a Person Become a Christian?
How Does a Person Become a Christian? John’s Gospel 2:23 to 3:15 Jesus know the heart of Man 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. John 2:23-25 A Q&A between Jesus and a Religious Teacher Jesus…
A Biblical View of Work
A Biblical View of Work – Genesis chapter 2, verse 15 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Work – a blessing or a curse? Many think work is:- What does God say? Firstly, Work…
The Goal of Creation
The Goal of Creation – Genesis chapter 2, verses 1 to 3 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:1-3 New…