Sermons on Turning to God
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…
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…
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…
The Unchanging Nature of God
The Unchanging Nature of God – Malachi chapter 2 verse 17 to chapter 3 verse 6 Change is an inevitable and necessary change for us for we are far from perfect. But God does not change. He is already perfect, He cannot, He need not change. What a contrast with faithless Israel, so often “doing evil in the sight of the Lord”. Now, 100 years after the return from exile they are a small nation and asking “Is God still…
All Christians are to be evangelists
All Christians are to be evangelists – John’s Gospel chapter 4, verses 27 to 42 Jesus talks to an outcast woman …and his followers are shocked! Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’ John 4:27 She wants to tell everyone …and forgets her water jar. ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I’ve ever done. Could…
The Greatest Expression of Love
The Greatest Expression of Love – John’s Gospel chapter 3 verses 16 to 21 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not…
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…
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…
Persecution Ignites Mission
Persecution Ignites Mission – Acts chapter 8, verses 1 to 8 God intends to make His name known so that all will call on Him. Persecution is part of this, for it ignites and fuels the mission of the Gospel of Jesus. The Reality of Persecution: Acts 8:1-3 – a murderous rage against Jesus’ followers, still happening today in many places. The Response to Persecution: Acts 8:4-8 – the Christians scattered, sharing the Gospel message. The believers were not good…
Evangelism and the Great Commission
Evangelism and the Great Commission – 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 New International Version –…
Saving the Lost (Good Friday)
Saving the Lost (Good Friday) – Luke’s Gospel chapter 19 verses 1 to 10 Zacchaeus the tax collector 19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.…