20231029 6PMp RI Count only on Christ

Many things can cause harm, some obvious, others not so obvious.  This is so in life, but also in faith.  Some obvious matters are a clear denial of faith, but some subtle issues can make even seemingly good actions and behaviours become detractors from faith. Some seemingly good things we may do, such as attending church, involvement in spiritual activities, serving, giving, knowledge, are all dangerous, if we count on them for “the Christian Life” then we are in grave danger. Paul’s remedy:  “Count on Christ”. Rejoice in the Lord rather than in our self, in “the flesh”.  Counting upon those things as a basis for salvation turns out to detract from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on our behalf.  If we count on anything other than Christ for salvation, baptism, church attendance, our Christian morality, or even our doctrinal conviction or our personal views, we stop counting on Christ. Do we treat “counting on Christ” as more valuable than anything else that we do or have?  Counting on Christ is to know Christ and his sufferings, even to death, and the power of the resurrection. In each situation, difficulties, or success, Count only of Christ.  Counting on Christ rather than ourselves is Worth It.

Speaker: Ron Irving.

20231022 CD Community that is Worth it.

We desperately need community, not just any community;  but community that is Worth it. 

Paul and the Philippian church love each other. The Philippian church may have included Lydia, the seller of purple cloth; the gaoler who was saved and baptised, after the earthquake. Perhaps the slave girl from whom Paul cast out a demon. The church shares with Paul in a partnership in the gospel. There are two mindsets, one can save a community, one which can wreck a community.  It applies to every person in the community. Self-entitlement, putting yourself first, versus putting others first.  Complaining and fault finding.  The other mindset is self-sacrifice.  When “I” die, “we” live. Timothy and Epaphroditus are examples. And look to the example of Jesus.  Self sacrifice instead of self entitlement.   

Speaker: Chris Donald.

20231015 6PMp RI A death that is worth it. 

Second in our series on Philippians: Worth It.

Often we may ask, Why?  Or What’s the point?  Paul’s circumstances are difficult.  He is in prison, in chains. Paul’s focus in not on the What? or Why? of his the circumstances, but rather on the Who? .. on Jesus Christ and his death for us. Paul sees positive results for the gospel and Jesus emerging from his difficult circumstances. For example, the whole Praetorian guard knows Paul is in chains for the sake of the gospel. And many have confidence to preach the gospel. Paul’s approach to death is that it is a gain for him to die and to be with Christ, but to live on, provides benefit to the Philippian church.  Like a three legged race, we in part, are bound together,  and in the church, we are bound together in Jesus.  Whether Paul lives or dies, his focus is on Jesus.  Whatever the situation we find ourselves in, Jesus has already won the victory, and Jesus is worth it.

Speaker: Ron Irving.

The first in our sermon series: "Worth It", on the Letter of Paul to the Philippians.

As is clear in the book of Acts (ch 16) there was  a great work of God in Philippi

But there were many difficulties for Christians because of the opposition f the people there. 

Paul writes to just one person but to them as a church, as the group of people. 

Paul is writing from prison. He is writing and praying with joy.  It was not easy for the Philippians and is often not easy for us.  Paul realises that God’s saints need to be encouraged, and spurred on to live a life worthy of Christ. That is why Paul writes this letter. It is all about partnership.  Partnership requires active participation.  The Philippians were active mission partners, active financial partners, and active prayer partners.  For the sake of the gospel, they were active in financial matters from the beginning.  It was not an easy place in Philippi for the gospel.  Paul and Silas were put in prison and were beaten. The citizens were putting themselves out of the norm in their society, declaring that Jesus is Lord, rather than Caeser!   Paul knows that Jesus will enable them to fulfil their part in their partnership.  Jesus will do this for us too!  He will bring it to completion as we step out in gospel partnership, in financial partnership, in prayer partnership. 

Speaker: Ron Irving.

20231001 6PM JB Fasting What When and How

Fasting: Laying Down an appetite of yours to increase your hunger for God.

3 Reasons in the bible: as Response, for Readiness or as Rhythm.

Readings: Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 58:3-7

Fasting is an invitation to you to use your whole body to hunger for God. There are some practical steps to think about in considering taking up fasting.  This can be complicated by by our “relationship with food.” There are practical issues for people with an eating disorder,  or with conditions such as depression.   6 suggestions:  1. Start small.  2. Make a plan. Use your fast for a purpose e.g. as a Response, for Readiness, or Rhythm.  (N.B. drink water!!).  3. Be aware how your fasting may impact others.  4. You may fast together with others, or may fast on your own.  5. Can fast from appetites other than food.  e.g. music or podcasts, etc.  6. In fasting, turn your attention to Jesus.  Focus on Jesus, rather than that from which you are abstaining. 

 Speaker: John Batten. 

God has a plan and He sends people.

God has a plan. The Bible begins with Paradise and ends with Paradise.  But in between, already by page 3 (ch3), sin has entered in and marred the ideal. In God’s plan he calls Abraham with promise, and says Go!  but trouble and sin in the family leads to Egypt and slavery. Yet God makes them a people.  God calls Moses and tells him to Go!  But Moses gives reasons and excuses, ending with saying, “Send someone else!”  God brings them into the Promised Land, but they behave badly and get carried off into exile.  Later they return to the Promised Land, and then there is 400 years of silence. Then God sends Jesus. And when faced with the Cross, Jesus goes to the Cross, fulfilling God’s plan to deal with sin.  Now he says to us to “Go!” and we too, make excuses. But many have gone, and have given reasons why those excuses are not valid.

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation, and surely I am with you, even until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20.)

Speaker: Steve McKerney.

Continuing our Series: We come to Meditation as a means of Grace

As a cow chews the cud, and ruminates, so meditation can help us to digest and better assimilate God’s truth into our lives. Biblical meditation doesn’t just mean emptying our minds, but focussing our thoughts on scripture to better understand its meaning for us.   As an example, meditating on the Old Testament character of Job and his circumstances in which he has lost everything and even his own skin is severely affected. Job sees beyond  his current circumstances to a future in which, he declares, he knows his redeemer lives and will stand upon the earth.  Meditation may help us for our “head” and “heart” to be more aligned.  We can create and find ways to remember key parts of scripture, and plan to use them at key times.  God gives grace in many ways, and as we meditate on His word, we can incorporate parts of scripture into our surroundings and into our lives. 

Speaker: Ron Irving.

20230912 6PM CD Meeting together is a means of Grace.

Resuming our series on the means of Grace: With a focus on Hebrews 10:19, 23 we see that the writer to the Hebrews, to a Jewish Christian group who may have been in danger of giving up their faith, explains how God’s grace has been revealed, through Jesus, in opening up a way into the Holiest place.  The passage is full of references to the Leviticus series of sermons which we have just completed. These Christians are urged “not to give up the practice of meeting together, as some have done, but to keep encouraging one another”. The speaker explains that to be filled with grace, we need God’s Grace and that through using the “means of grace”, we can more readily receive grace. Grace, which is so freely given through Jesus and through the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst”.  Thus, by God’s grace, when Christians gather together, God is especially present.  We are urged to meet and encourage one another, and especially reach out and encourage those who may not have been meeting.  As God’s people, through meeting, we take hold of this means of receiving God’s Grace. 

Speaker: Chris Donald.

Final in our series on Leviticus.

20230903 6PMp CD Holiness in all aspects pointing to Jesus.

Our schedules and calendars shape our activities and lives. What is important and what is trivial in our calendar? For example, ANZAAC Day, “Lest we forget”.  But what if God were to shape our calendar?

For the Israelites they have the year with its seasons, the months from the moon, but also the week, seven days as a sabbath, a rest, a gift, reflecting also the creation.  A sabbath for rejoicing, gathering together,  relating to others who are also resting, rejoicing in God.  The sabbath is also for resetting. For Israel, there are also 6 annual events, 3 springtime festivals, (Passover and festival of Unleavened bread and Firstfruits).  Then Festival of weeks, also known as Pentecost. Then 3 more festivals in the seventh month, (Festival of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement,  and the 5 day long Festival of Tabernacles).  After 7 years, a Sabbath Year for the land, and after 7 time seven years,  The 50th year is the Jubilee.  All set free,  and property rights returned to those originally given.  Their schedule reminds them to reset. 

For us, we have a New Covenant relationship with God, through Jesus. We are not bound by the patterns of the law, by the sabbaths and festivals.  The festivals were a shadow of that which was yet to come,… to a better covenant,  that is fulfilled in Jesus.  Jesus, who died as our Passover Lamb, who rose from the dead as first fruits of a new life we can share in, whose Spirit was poured out abundantly on the festival of weeks (Pentecost). Jesus, whose coming was celebrated at the festival of trumpets, whose self-sacrifice made, once for all, a sacrifice for sins; Jesus, who tabernacled with us. 

There are principles here for us.   We are taught that the whole of life is for relationship with God.  Every decade, every year, every month, week, day, every hour that we live, belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we were bought.  We can structure our time, putting it in the calendar.

How can we readjust our calendar, our schedule, that will allow our relationship with him to flourish? We may reflect on our weekly calendar.  Building in rest, a spiritual reset.  Building our relationship with God and God’s people.     To Rest, Remember, Reset.  We can build our schedules so that all our lives are set in relationship with God.

Speaker: Chris Donald.

20230827 6PM JB Living as God’s Holy People.

Reality is some matters is without half measures.  For example, either married, or NOT.

Leviticus 19 is the focus of ch 18 to ch 20.  The focus is on Holiness.  God says, to the entire assembly of Israel, “Be Holy, because I the Lord your God am Holy”. Though God is a God of grace, God calls them to live differently towards each other, … keep the culture I have given you and don’t be polluted by the nations around you.  Be Holy at home, in the way that you do harvest. Be Holy towards God,  toward neighbours, in our bodies, toward aliens, in business. The Lord has brought you out of Egypt.  Let Holiness be in every part of your lives. Let Holiness be extensive.  Be Holy in every way.  This applies to Israel, but it applies also to us.  Jesus says the same things. Be perfect, like your Heavenly Father is perfect.  The goal of the Christian is to be more like Jesus.   To be a Christian, is to be set apart.  To be Holy in every part of your lives, every relationship.  How? How do I?  Drawing near to God and imitating him.  One cannot be a part time Christian.  We are called, not to be conformed to the world, but conformed to Christ.  Our holiness is to be extensive.  To be more and more like Jesus.

Speaker: John Batten