Christ Church Jerusalem

31 January 2021 - Fourth Sunday of Epiphany - In Deuteronomy, Moses tells the Children of Israel to look for a prophet like himself, a leader who teaches with authority, performs miracles, and feeds multitudes. The Gospels portray Jesus as that long awaited Prophet, who has authority over the powers of darkness. Deacon Aaron Eime encourages to respond to Jesus and listen to the Messiah's voice.

Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; Mark 1:21-28

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Music credit: The Train in the Darkness by MusicLFiles

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The dignity of the poor and the dignity of the worker are important to God. God is not aloof from His creation, and in His dealings with humanity He respects human dignity, and we see this in these opening laws regarding simple loans and wages. Kindness to the poor, in this instance returning pledges before nightfall, could result in a blessing in the sight of the Lord. God pays attention to our dealings with the poor and to their prayers as well.

Led by Aaron Eime.

Notes for this study can be found at http://www.christchurchjerusalem.org/sermons/study-last-words-of-moses-deut/ ‎

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24 January 2021 - Third Sunday of Epiphany - In some of our contexts, our identity is boiled down to what we do for a living. Instead, our identity should be in God and our discipleship in Jesus Messiah. It is not what we do that makes us dear to the LORD but rather how we love him. Canon Daryl Fenton challenges us to break up the hard places in our hearts and return in love to the LORD who loves us.

Readings Jeremiah 3:19-4:4; 1 Cor 7:17-24; Mark 1:14-20

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Family stability was important and essential to the Israelite community that was about to establish itself in the Land of Canaan. The sustainability of a society both economically and politically is dependent on the strength of the family unit and the institution of marriage. We only have to look around at today's world and humbly acknowledge that one of the reasons for our failing societies is the breakdown of the family unit. Human relationships do not always succeed, and divorce was permitted in Israel. While divorce was and is allowed, it is regulated. There must be a cause for divorce. The plain reading on the text says the basis for a divorce is the ‘finding of something indecent’. Which then leads itself to several variant interpretations. Jewish commentators wrestled with the text long before the Gentile Christian world did. The Mishnah records the different traditions of the schools of Shammai and Hillel. Shammai took a harder stance on divorce allowing it only if adulatory could be proven, while Hillel permitted divorce even for a badly cooked breakfast. While Jesus often sided with the school of Hillel in His discussions on the Torah, in this case, Jesus sides with Shammai in permitting divorce only in the case of infidelity.

Led by Aaron Eime.

Notes for this study can be found at http://www.christchurchjerusalem.org/sermons/study-last-words-of-moses-deut/ ‎

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17 January 2021 - Second Sunday of Epiphany - Our identity is formed by our loyalties and by the company we keep. We are natural mimics and are ever searching for someone to imitate. Rev. David Pileggi says that the guard against a culture that wishes to assimilate everyone is to have a firm, well established identity. Following Jesus, learning to be like him, teaches us we belong in God's family and leads us away from this corrupt world to eternal life.

Readings: 1 Samuel 3; John 1:43-51

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Music credit: Hopeful And Positive by chilledmusic

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One of the first commands that the Lord gave Israel following the Exodus from Egypt was to construct a Tabernacle. God had also come out of Egypt with His people and now desired to dwell amongst them. Many times a year the people were to assemble before the Lord. However, Moses reminds the people that actually not everyone is permitted in the presence of God. God is life, and death may never enter His presence. God is perfect, and the blemished may also not enter His presence. What do we learn from this? We acknowledge that God is holy and this is reflected in how God is to be worshiped.

Led by Aaron Eime.

Notes for this study can be found at http://www.christchurchjerusalem.org/sermons/study-last-words-of-moses-deut/ ‎

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10 January 2021 - First Sunday of Epiphany - The road that Jesus traveled from his immersion in the Jordan to Golgotha was fraught with opposition. He was hindered by Satan, by the religious and political authorities, and even by his own disciples, who were blinded and motivated by self-interest. Jesus overcame these trials, in part, due to his unshakable identity as the Beloved with whom the Father was well pleased. Knowing our identity as Beloved in the Messiah gives us the same resources in times of testing.

Due to technical issues caused by the latest pandemic lockdown, the audio quality will be a bit different today. Thank you for your grace. We pray that the Lord is sustain in you through this time.

Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Mark 1:4-11

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This sermon is also available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/christchurchjerusalem

Virginity was highly valued in the ancient world, and women were not to be poorly treated as sex objects. The courts of Israel, run by the priesthood, stood to defend the honour of the woman. The Israelite value that protected women stood in contrast to the culture of the ancient world. Moses is communicating an ideal society. Perhaps this society was never going to be realised, but that actually is not the point. The point is the laws reflect the characteristics of God and His desire for socially, psychologically and spiritually healthy people.

Led by Aaron Eime.

Notes for this study can be found at http://www.christchurchjerusalem.org/sermons/study-last-words-of-moses-deut/ ‎

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3 January 2020 - On the Second Sunday of Christmas, Rev. David Pileggi says the voice of the Word made flesh that “in the beginning” commanded light to shine in the darkness and created life now calls each one of us into the ultimate reality of a God who wants to dwell with us and to live in us. Sadly, many who affirm the Incarnation, the divinity of Jesus and more have allowed these theological truths to become a substitute for the presence of the living God in our lives.

Readings: Ephesians 1:3-14; Psalm 147:12-20; John 1:1-18

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27 December 2020 - Rev. David Pileggi, on the first Sunday of Christmas, reminds us that Jesus comes into this world fragile and susceptible to political, religious, and economic powers. Jesus identifies with most of the human family because we all live in similarly fragile situations. The one whose name is Salvation came to save us from sin and so much more. To be saved, to walk in the light and to know the glory of God, means we are freed from fear of death and from death itself. However, the path up to eternal, divine life is to follow Jesus down into humility and sometimes even suffering.

Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Luke 2:22-40

Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/

This sermon is also available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/christchurchjerusalem

Music credit: Hopeful And Positive by chilledmusic

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7040-hopeful-and-positive-

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license