Faith Speaks — Reverend Neil Taylor — Sermon Podcast

GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER SERMON

Answering the question, "Why did Jesus have to die?"

Read Mark 8.34-38; Matthew 6.2-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday

Lent is a great ancient Christian tradition and a favourite of any Christian who likes to dip into the monastic custom of "going without" for the sake of Christ. But as much as self-denial and abstinent commitment can be a good and worthy endeavour, they can quickly become just another way to puff oneself up; self-denial can be a way to proudly show the world just how much of a martyr we are as we give up certain pleasures in pursuit of Christ.

Read Matthew 5.38-48

Seventh Sunday After Epiphany (Year A)

The rules of this earthly kingdom are well known — it’s a dog-eat-dog world where only the strong survive. Jesus isn’t trying to modify the rules of the world. Jesus is not inviting us to figure out how to make the most of this world or how to live our best life now. And he’s not asking you to find a safe port amid the storms of this world. Instead, Jesus is starting a revolution by calling the rules of this world into question. And at the same time, redeeming this world that he loves.

Read Matthew 5.21-37

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

Let me start this morning by asking a question. What do you think of when you think of God? What picture comes to mind when you imagine what God is like?

I suspect that most of us carry around a picture of God or, in some sense, a view of what we think God is like. It’s a view that profoundly shapes what we expect from God. It’s a view of how we feel about our faith and perhaps even how we think about each other. A typical person or, for that matter, a typical congregational member, in some part or maybe even a significant portion, would picture God as an enforcer of rules. Or God as a law-giver. Or God as the one sitting in heaven with a perpetual finger upraised in a warning and perhaps accusation.

Read Matthew 5.1-12

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

The focus and emphasis on Jesus’ words… and what his followers become… are on being rather than doing—this is an essential concept for us to understand. Jesus wants us to be something before he asks us to do something. That Jesus holds a greater weight on our character and identity; in other words, who we are rather than our actions. This is where the second half of the Beatitudes focuses—on our actions and conduct.

Read Matthew 5.1-12

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ Beatitude goes deep into the core of Christian character and identity. The question that Jesus is asking is, “Who are you?” 

Jesus begins his sermon on the mount with the Beatitudes, eight statements that we have to be careful not to make some trite one-liners or something that we just put on the wall or the refrigerator door because it’s sweet and nice.

These eight statements that Jesus makes are critical… to comprehending Christian character and identity.

Matthew 4.19 ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’

Third Sunday After Epiphany

In our Gospel text, Jesus said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ (Matthew 4:19), our part is to follow him, and his part is to make us fishers of people. So I challenge you this week to go ahead and put your hook in the water. And don’t be surprised if the fish bite all over the place.

Let’s go fishing for people this week!

Read John 1.25-34

Second Sunday After Epiphany 

The ultimate point of John’s testimony is that under God the Father, all things are from Christ, and all things are for Christ, including the Holy Spirit.

The main reason we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the great outpouring of the Spirit, and the great immersion of every part of our lives in the Spirit is because God’s aim, in every aspect of our lives, is the glory of Jesus Christ.

Read Acts 10.36-48

First Sunday After Epiphany

Is there any correlation between the way Peter preached and the coming of the Holy Spirit in power? I believe the answer is YES. The correlation is that Peter painted such a picture of Jesus that the Spirit saw a very attractive opportunity to come and glorify the Son of God—which is what he is appointed to do. That is his mission. That's the essence of his ministry. So he is very likely to come in power when Jesus is lifted up in truth and made the centre of our focus. So if you want the Spirit's power in your life, I encourage you to make Jesus the centre of your life.

Read Matthew 2.1-6

Epiphany, January, 2023

How long would it take to walk 10km? If you’re fit and the terrain is relatively flat... you could walk it in a couple of hours. If you want to walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, it’s only 10km. So you could start in the morning... and be there in the afternoon. In January 2019, Giselle and I went on a 2-week Holy Land pilgrimage, and we realised that the land of Israel is tiny compared to Australia. The whole country is only about 22,000 square km.