What was God doing? 7 July 13
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
What was God doing?
Would it make any difference if Jesus had been born in another place, at another time, of another race, as long as he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died and was raised again? Was the fact that he was born as a descendant of Abraham and David just an arbitrary fact? Or was he a vital part of the story of Abraham and David?
Or to ask it a different way, is the story of the Old Testament people of God a necessary part of the story of Jesus? Could we skip the Old Testament and still make sense of Jesus? Many Christians think so.
Another question is related to this: what is the point of all the stories of Jesus in the gospels? Are they there just for interest, or are they a necessary part of the gospel story?
In the coming months (beginning on July 21) we will try to understand better how Jesus comes as the fulfillment of an Old Testament story. How Jesus helps us make sense of the Old Testament, and in turn how the Old Testament helps understand who Jesus is and what he does.
Fire from heaven? 30 June13
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Fire from heaven?
A Samaritan village snubbed Jesus and wouldn’t have anything to do with him. It was a racial and religious issue. His disciples were incensed. “Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” It was quite an offer. Elijah had done something like that before. But they weren’t yet in Elijah’s class.
And in any case Jesus wasn’t impressed. Not the way for his disciples to behave. Fortunately they gave up such attitudes after Pentecost. But the idea of destroying God’s enemies wasn’t new. Jonah really wanted to see the vicious Assyrian regime centred in Nineveh get what they deserved. He got really annoyed when God showed them compassion instead.
It is still true that Jesus and his people have enemies. What to do with them, that is the question.
Making Disciples Zech 8, Rom 10, Luke 24
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Holy Spirit, Gospel, Evangelism
{podcast id=142}
Making Disciples
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 16 June 2013
Bible Readings: Zechariah 8.20-23, Romans 10.6-15, Luke 24.44-49
How God brings people to those who know him and what his people should say.
How to grow a Christian 23 June 13
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
How to grow a Christian
When a baby is born people give presents. Often clothes. Size 0 or if the child is a giant maybe a size 1. But others give bigger sized clothes for when the child grows out of size 0. They do this on the assumption that the docile little baby will turn into a bigger version: crawling, climbing, staggering, walking and then running, jumping and leaping.
The parents have a plan based on the expectation that the child will grow. Some book the child onto the school waiting list as soon as it is born (or onto the Football club membership list – or both).
And send them to school in due course. The long term plan is for the child to become self-providing and a contributor not only to the family but to the society.
But is it the same when a person is born as a child of God?
Helping someone become a Disciple of Jesus 16 Jun 13
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
Helping someone become a Disciple of Jesus
To start out as a disciple, a person needs to understand what God has said (the gospel), and what they must do. They do not have to know everything, but they should have a clear grasp of the essentials, such as the following:
• Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He loves them and has died for them.
• They are in rebellion to him.
• God calls on them to turn away from their rebellion and submit their lives to Jesus as their Lord.
• God promises that they will be pardoned for all this rebellion and the sins that go with it, because Jesus has died for them. They must ask God for this pardon.
• God promises the Holy Spirit to those who belong to Jesus so that they can know God personally and live in the way he wants. They should ask for the Holy Spirit to be given to them.
It is one thing to understand, it is another to be willing. So the question is, “Are you willing to do this?” “Will you do it now?”
The way to do it, to become a disciple is by prayer.
Read more: Helping someone become a Disciple of Jesus 16 Jun 13
What is God’s Message to his World? 2 June 13
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Weekly Reflections
What is God’s Message to his World?
Paul the apostle claims that it is the gospel that saves people. He claims that faith results from hearing the message about Christ. If this is the case then we need to be clear what God’s gospel is.
It is ordinary Christians who are the chief speakers of the gospel. This shows how good God is, he uses ordinary people to speak his message. Certainly there are specialists and gifted evangelists who are able to make the message plain and convey it powerfully. But all of us tell the story, and so all of us ought to be clear what we are telling.
It does not seem much use to have been given a message to tell others and not know what it is. Or to be making up our own message because we do not like the original.
Understanding what the message is, is all the more important because of the church culture we operate in. There are many kinds of gospel messages around. Not all of them will make it clear to people what God wants them to know.
God's Great Plan Colossians 1.15-30
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- Written by: Dale
- Category: Holy Spirit, Gospel, Evangelism
{podcast id=143}
God's Great Plan Colossians 1.15-30
Sermon preached at Christ the King Willetton on 26 May 2013
The great plan with Christ at the centre and finish, and the great reconciliation we are part of
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