Outline Living by faith Quenching darts Introduction In the book of Hebrews Jewish Christians are being persecuted, imprisoned and facing possible death for being believers. There is immense temptation to throw away Christianity to escape the heat and return to Judaism. The author of that great letter shows how Christ is better than the law, Moses, the angels, the sacrifices and the OT administrations, but he also tells them that they need to live by faith. Hebrews 10:39, ‘But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.’ He says we must be those who have faith and by this faith persevere and preserve our souls. He sees faith as vital to the continuing and effective Christian life. Then after this in chapter 11 he tells us about the faith the sustains us, v1, ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’ Faith is living your life with your eyes fixed on your final destination and judging things by what God tells you they are not how they appear to your eyes. He then shows the many OT examples of Abraham, Moses, Rahab and many others who lived by faith and obeyed, endured and even died in faith. But the ultimate example of someone who lived by faith was Christ, 12:1-2, ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right...

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Thanks to Ryan Vinten for preaching this afternoon. Ryan is an Associate Pastor at Gracenet Community Church in Wellington. Ephesians 4:1-16: Unity in the Body of Christ 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15...

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Thanks to Ryan Vinten for preaching this afternoon. Ryan is an Associate Pastor at Gracenet Community Church in Wellington. John 20:19-23: Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Thanks to Ryan Vinten for preaching this afternoon. Ryan is an Associate Pastor at Gracenet Community Church in Wellington. John 19:28-30: The Death of Jesus 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Outline Ready to stand Ready to run Introduction It was Napoleon who said, ‘An army marches on its stomach,’ as true as that is, it is also true that an army marches on its feet. This truth was especially felt during WWI. There was a condition called trench foot, due to the cold, wet and insanitary conditions the feet would go numb swell and begin to blister. Gangrene could set in and amputation would have to happen. The soldiers were ordered to change their socks several times a day to prevent this condition. In one war in Alaska it is estimated that 40 percent of the casualties were from trench foot. The importance of footwear in warfare was something that Romans learnt from Alexander the Great. The Romans wore a thick soled sandal which had hobnails in the bottom for grip, and was designed so as not to chaff during long forced marches. Many booby traps were set for advancing armies using small sharpened sticks in the ground, the sandals were vital to protect the feet against such traps. The hobnails also gave traction during clashes, wet weather and enabled quick manoeuvring. It is to this vital and often overlooked aspect of the armour that we turn to consider next, Eph. 6:15, ‘and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Notice as we begin what the shoes are. We know the breastplate is righteousness and the belt truth, but what are the shoes? Are they the shoes of peace or readiness? We see that they are the shoes of readiness, which can also be translated firmness, and this is given by the gospel of peace. It is vital that we understand this connection because it is the gospel which produces peace...

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Outline Armageddon The end Introduction The battle of Armageddon is a famous notion found in the portion we are considering today that has caught the imagination of many people. The typical picture that we have in our minds due to the popular dispensational teachers we have all heard is a picture of a confederation of nations united to wipe out Israel. In modern times countries like Iran with their nuclear program and their hate for Israel have been an apparent confirmation of this sort of notion. But I hope to show you that all our cinematic literalistic approach are wide of what actually intends to convey by this very encouraging portion. The message of the battle of Armageddon is the same in the words Christ said to Peter, that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church in Matt. 16:18. Christ forewarns us in His mercy that things are going to get more difficult towards the end, even hopeless. The devil will in the end be able to unite the world against the church. However, Christ will come a rescue us. The portion that we have before us which talks about the battle of Armageddon is the only reference in the NT to that particular place, 16:16. This battle is mentioned several times in the book of Revelation. In 11:7 we have a very succinct account summarising the beast who rises up to kill the two witnesses who represent the church, ‘And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.’ The portion before us, 16:12-16, adds more details with regards to the devil’s influencing of the nations and it includes a call to faithfulness. This perspective is emphasises the darkness lined...

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Outline Interpreting accusations Interpreting circumstances Introduction At different times, with different audiences I have had to adjust how I have preached the gospel. When I was involved in high school ministry I usually started with my testimony sharing something of my background to gain come common ground with the kids and then move towards the gospel usually stating evidences for Christianity. When I did street evangelism I would encounter those who had no knowledge of Christianity and so not only have to preach Christ as Saviour but God as Creator as well covering the story line of the bible. Recently I have had to do a lot of preaching to those from Gloriavale. Once again I had to suit the message of the gospel to suit their specific needs. I found that the diagnostic question developed by James Kennedy was very helpful to begin with because those in Gloriavale already accepted the bible as God’s word. So for example when Elijah was speaking to Mordecai on a phone while he was still in GV and he handed the phone to me to speak with him I would ask: ‘If you died today and stood before God and He asked you, ‘Why must I let you into heaven?’ what would you say?’ He answered as all GV people would answer, ‘Because Jesus died for my sins’. No one in GV would deny this, they all agree that Jesus was sent by God to be our Saviour. So then, I move onto a second question: ‘You are walking along the pavement, and a truck is coming towards you, it comes up on the pavement and is about to run you over. You swear just before you are hit. Now where will you go, heaven or hell?’ Here is where their understanding of...

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Outline God’s presence God’s judgements God’s coming Introduction The book of Revelation is a book of judgements, it is a story of how God preserves His people and punishes those who reject Him and persecute the church. The question that every interpreter has to answer in studying this book is: who is being judged? Most would agree that the judgement at the end of the book of Revelation is the last judgement and concerns all people, but what all the other judgements? Who are the seals, the trumpets and the bowls against? Some would say Israel and the city of Jerusalem for rejecting their Messiah; others would say Rome and the Roman Empire for its idolatry and persecution of God’s people; others would say, it is the Papacy and the fall of the Roman Catholic Church being indicated; and others, and here I include myself, would say that all the judgements are repeated perspectives on the same end time judgement. This has led to some very inventive and creative puzzle building. I sometimes feel like the book of Revelation is a junk yard of various spare parts, and as interpreters we go in there and we all make up our own inventions and contraptions, many are amazing but how many actually rebuild what the various parts make up?

Outline Counterfeit holiness True holiness Introduction Western Christianity, of which we are a part, can best be described by Christ’s words to the churches of Sardis and Laodicea, Rev. 3:1b-5, ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.’ Rev. 3:15-20, ‘”‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realising that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent....

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Outline Sinful conflict resolution Sinful justice Sinful rule Introduction One of the most dangerous temptations we face is success. When we succeed and people begin to approve of us we can get an inflated view of our own importance thinking that our thoughts, plans, ideas, opinions and contributions are more important than anyone else’s. When things go well for a preacher he may get the idea that God is blessing him and not blessing the gospel and that he can do no wrong. We often overlook the character flaws and even the unbiblical teachings of someone who is bringing about good results. We have the tendency of being pragmatists, that the right or wrong of the situation is proven by a good outcome not by testing whether things have been done in conformity to God’s word. We tell ourselves that we must be doing alright if things are going well. Pride comes before a fall and on the heels of success, that is why the most important time to be vigilant is just after a success or breakthrough. Gideon has just had a success; God has used him and his 300 to overcome a great threat. In the cycles of the other judges we might have had a closing remark that Israel had peace for 40 years. However, the author wants to put more meat on the bone. We know that the cycles of the judges are going from bad to worse. The rest of the detail made available about Gideon’s rule is evidence to support this downgrade.