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Category: Sermons
The Letters of John: Walking in Truth and Love – Baiba Strause-Kalmere – 1 John 4
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Daniel: Courage and Conviction – Tom Fisk – Daniel 4:9-36
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“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: “What have you done?”” (Daniel 4:34)
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but he knew that this was no mere dream. It was a message from God and a message that should have been heeded. Daniel even made it clear that he wished for him to repent to keep his fortune. Nebuchadnezzar was not able to do that and described his own glory and his own majesty. God did not take kindly to this. God warned Nebuchadnezzar what would happen and Nebuchadnezzar lived among the animals without his wits just as he was warned by God. Only when he looked at the kingdom and saw God’s authority did he regain what he’d lost.
What does that mean for us today? Well it means that we have a God who talks to us, who wants us to listen. It means that we are subjects to a higher authority and all the glory needs to go to Him. It means that we must remember who those achievements in life come from and say less of me, more of Him.
God is merciful and leaves us with hope once we recognise His authority. Be blessed that He isn’t distant but leaves a stump of hope so that we can grow again, but only from His watering.
Daniel: Courage and Conviction – Ken Martin – Daniel 3 – The Fiery Furnace
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1. The unreformed despot (verses 1-6) King Nebuchadnezzar seems to have forgotten that Daniel’s God is ‘the God of gods and the Lord of kings’ and makes a huge statue that all must worship. Warning to rulers: do not have a statue of yourself erected in your own lifetime.
2. The jealous astrologers (7-12) The king is warned that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Daniel’s colleagues, are not bowing down to the statue. Racial and religious persecution is still prevalent in the world today.
3. The non-compliant administrators (15-18) Nebuchadnezzar threatens the three with the furnace, but their reply is bold, frank and uncompromising: our God can and will save us, but even if He does not, we will not worship the image of gold.
4. The super-heated furnace (19-23) The three are bound and thrown into the furnace.
5. The fourth man (24-25) Four men are seen walking in the fire, the fourth ‘like a son of the gods’. Is it an angel? Or is it Jesus Himself, right beside His beloved ones?
6. The non-odorous believers (26-27) The three are called out of the furnace, completely unharmed. When God saves us, He saves completely. Jesus brings total redemption.
7. The king who changed (a bit) (28-29) Nebuchadnezzar still doesn’t understand about the one true God or freedom of religion.
Learning points: boldness; God can rescue us from all dangers; Jesus is with us in every situation; we will not serve other gods.
The Letters of John: Walking in Truth and Love – Hannah Putnam – 1 John 2:28-3:24 – Knowledge and Action
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Daniel: Courage and Conviction – Tom Fisk – Daniel 1:1-20
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“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.”
“At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:8, 15)
Our series on Daniel began in Chapter 1 where Daniel took a stand for his Lord and chose to live according to God’s authority, not Nebuchadnezzar’s. In so doing he was rewarded and blessed by God who even caused the guard to show him favour.
In our world, there is a lot of Royal Food and Wine on offer – sex, greed, money to name a few. But if it separates us from God then it is not good for us. It is time we became courageous and took a stand against these things and instead chose to live as God wants us to. When we do that we will be better nourished and healthier disciples for the only one who truly matters. What is your Royal Food and Wine? How can we help you turn it down?
Christian Aid Sunday: Bringing the Kingdom Near – Rev Andrew Fitzgerald – Revelation 7:9-17, 21:1-6
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“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)
In both the words of Revelation 7 and 21, we read about God’s plan for the future. This plan concerns a new heaven and new earth, a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and God’s dwelling place being among the people. Believers will never again hunger or thirst, as God wipes away ever tear and the old order of things passes away. These words offer comfort and hope for the future but especially for those who Christian Aid seeks to serve, where the brokenness and frustration of this world is so closely felt. But this kingdom is not just His plan for the future, it is God’s plan for today. The new heaven and new earth have not come yet, but in the arrival of Jesus, the coming kingdom has been announced. Jesus said Himself in Luke 4:18a, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples authority to drive out impure spirits and heal every disease. In Luke 10:9, Jesus sent out the 72 to heal and perform miracles saying, “tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.” And in John 14:12, Jesus says, “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things.” We are to be vessels through which God’s kingdom comes today, so how can we join this kingdom activity? Three things: pray, participate and perceive what God is calling and dreaming you to do for the building of His kingdom on earth as in heaven.
The Letters of John – Walking in Truth and Love – Tom Fisk – 1 John 1-2
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Resurrection Faith – Rev Andrew Fitzgerald – Luke 24:36-53
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“He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’” (Luke 24:38-39)
Concluding our series on the Gospel of Luke, we read in Luke 24 about the appearance of Jesus to His disciples before ascension. There are two important questions raised by this passage. First, do we believe in the resurrection? Despite His prophetic teaching in Luke 9:22 and 18:31-33 disciples doubted the resurrection of Jesus. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 pleads that believers hold resurrection faith. Why? Because this faith is in accordance with the scriptures and because the death and resurrection of Jesus is of first importance. If we believe in Jesus, His death and resurrection, then we will share in that death and resurrection ourselves. Second, what does the resurrection body look like? Jesus was different after resurrection. The disciples mistook Him for a ghost. Followers on the Emmaus Road did not recognise Him and yet He had flesh and bones and ate broiled fish. Paul, again in 1 Corinthians 15, writes that believers will be resurrected and in this resurrection will rise to a new body – sown perishable, raised imperishable; sown in dishonour, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. One Bible commentator writes, God will make a body that is fit to live eternally with Him. Until then, Jesus advises, in Luke 24, that we must use our earthly bodies to live in holiness, to live lives of worship and to live as His witnesses that others will repent and inherit the Kingdom of God.
Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ – Tom Fisk – Romans 6:1-14
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“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4)
It’s always wonderful to have a baptism, but this passage tells us the fullness of that. Having faith, being baptised, means dying to the sin which has dominated us before that call on the name of Jesus. Death is the punishment for sin, the only just judgement for that. But by sharing in Christ’s death through faith, through baptism, we can also share in His resurrection, life at it’s fullest and eternal glory. So:
1. Are you dead to sin? Just because Grace means sin is forgiven, that does not make sin any less unforgivable.
2. Are you free from sin? Grace not only forgives our sin, but it delivers us from it.
3. Should you be baptised to signify your union with Christ in both his death and resurrection?
4. Is it time that you became a resurrected people and gained a new life in the almighty?
If the answer to any or all of those questions is yes then come and speak with us, we’d love to journey with you!