20. How to be right with God Romans 10
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Romans 2011-13
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How to be right with God Romans 10
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on Sunday 22 September 2013
Bible Readings: Isaiah 52.1-10; Psalm 100; Romans 10, Matthew 9.35 - 10.10
Why not to try to establish evidence of our own goodness and why to rely on God's right way of making us acceptable.
2. Healthy Churches Need Culturally Converted Disciples 22 Sep 13
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
2. Healthy Churches Need Culturally Converted Disciples
One of the big debates going on in the world of missions at the moment concerns Insider Movements. This is the idea that people who are enmeshed in a close knit community of another religion remain in that community and religion when they become Christians. Especially if they are in danger of some kind of serious persecution. They act, behave and worship just as they have always done, while at the same time following Christ. They may or may not meet in fellowship groups. They are sometimes known as secret believers. Sometimes these groups are known as Insider Movements.
Understandably this has caused a fair bit of controversy. Is it possible to continue to practise one’s former religion (such as Buddhism or Islam) and at the same time be a follower of Christ? Part of the debate is that religion and culture are so closely connected that to become a Christian in these contexts would mean having to leave (or be excluded) from the society and culture one had been brought up in. In many contexts it would mean being killed.
How would we work out what to do about this?
Read more: 2. Healthy Churches Need Culturally Converted Disciples 22 Sep 13
Notes on Luke 16.1-13 September 22
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Notes on the Gospel readings from Luke
Notes on Luke 16.1-13 September 22
After the story of the son who wasted his father’s wealth Jesus tells a story about a manager who was accused of wasting his employer’s possessions. We were told twice in the previous story (15.13, 30) that the younger son had wasted or squandered the wealth of his father.
In this story the manager, who has wasted his employer’s possessions, acts in a clever way. Before he loses his job he changes the accounts. He hopes that when he loses his job, he will have “friends” who will “owe” him and who might give him a job. Some people think that he alters their bills because he is corrupt. Others think he alters their bills because his employer was exploiting them and charging too much. In either case the people who owe the money are grateful.
The reason the manager is commended is because he acted shrewdly (in a wise and clever way).
Jesus is still speaking to the Pharisees and teachers of the law (15.1) as well as his disciples. He says they should be just as wise and clever as the manager was in the way they use the wealth they have.
9. The Gentiles are in the Right? Romans 9
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Romans 9 and the OT: Who is the King?
{podcast id=252}
9. The Gentiles are in the Right? Romans 9
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on Sunday 15 September 2013
Series: Who is the King? And what has happened to his people? A short history of God and his people. A study guide can be downloaded here.
Bible Readings: Isaiah 49.5-7; Psalm 99; Romans 9.16-33; Matthew 8. 5-13
Why isn't Israel flocking to the Messiah? Not because the promises failed, in fact all those to whom the promises were given received God's mercy - including Gentiles. The difference was that one group trusted God to put them in the right and the other wanted to do it themselves.
1. Healthy Churches Need Believers 15 Sep 13
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
1. Healthy Churches Need Believers
It sounds so obvious. That is what Christians are, surely. You can’t have a church without people who believe, can you?
Well, you could. It depends on what you believe in. In what you trust. Both Paul and Jesus make astounding statements about the Israel of their day. A nation that had a wonderful heritage of God’s word and God’s action was characterised by unbelief. Jesus was asked by a Roman soldier to help hi s sick servant. The man’s belief that Jesus had authority to do it stunned Jesus. He had never met faith like that anywhere in Israel.
Paul reflected on why so many Gentiles had put their trust in the Messiah while so many Jews hadn’t. His answer was that one lot trusted God to put them right with himself, the other put their trust in their own attempts to do what God wanted.
If it was possible then, it must be possible now. Could a church be just “Rotary with a pointy roof”? The Archbishop of Canterbury says we are more than that. But how much more?
Notes on Luke 15.1-10 September 15
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Notes on the Gospel readings from Luke
Notes on Luke 15.1-10 September 15
Luke 15 has three parables on the same subject. All of them are told in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (v2).
The first two parables are similar to each other. In both stories something is lost. In both stories the owner searches with much effort for what was lost. In both stories there is celebration and rejoicing with friends and neighbours when it is found. In both stories there is also joy in heaven. In both stories the joy in heaven is because a sinner has repented.
So the two parables are about what Jesus is doing: he is searching for tax collectors and sinners so that they will repent.
The two parables are also about what the Pharisees and teachers of the law are not doing: they are not rejoicing that sinners are being welcomed.
The two parables are also about what God is doing: heaven is rejoicing when sinners repent.
So these two parables are meant to encourage the people who complain to change their mind – to repent and join Jesus in his search for the lost.
8. King of the nations Matthew 28, Acts 28
- Written by: Dale
- Category: Romans 9 and the OT: Who is the King?
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8. King of the Nations Matthew 28, Acts 28
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on Sunday 8 September 2013
Series: Who is the King? And what has happened to his people? A short history of God and his people. A study guide can be downloaded here.
Bible Readings: Joel 2.28-32; Psalm 98; Acts 28.17-31; Matthew 4.12-17.
Passages referred to in the sermon: Acts 2.36; 9.15; 10; 11.19; 13.1; Gen 12.3; Isaiah 49.6; Romans 15.8-13; Matthew 28.18.
What the King did after he was raised, how he did it and why he sent his gospel to the nations.