The Word at Work

In our third Advent devotion Glenn looks at the Reign of Jesus in Luke 1. May the Lord encourage you through this short Advent series of ours as we approach and anticipate the birth of Christ.

In our second Advent talk, Glenn looks at Mark 1:1-15 and our key word is Repent. This is what Jesus requires of all people.

It's the first talk in our Advent series with Presiding Bishop of Reach SA Glenn Lyons. In this first talk we are in Matthew's gospel and our keyword is Rescue.

The church in Laodicea was in terrible shape and they didn’t know it. They were in danger of being spat out of Jesus’ mouth. When Jesus looks at the church he sees a church that is ineffective. A purposeless church. Neither hot nor cold. Jesus gives a warning and council to the church as they face this danger.

When we stand up for biblical truth, and speak the bible into our culture we can expect to be persecuted. How do we stand firm in faith when this happens? John encourages this church by reminding them that Jesus holds the key to the Kingdom, in him there is victory, Jesus helps us endure and he will keep us secure.

Confidence is a great quality in life. But overconfidence or false confidence can be dangerous. The church at Sardis needed a wake-up call. They seemed to have it all together, but were in danger of losing everything. Jesus’ words to them are so relevant for churches today.

Tolerance is the great virtue of our age. But what should God’s people tolerate? More importantly, what should they not tolerate? The church at Thyatira is in danger of getting it badly wrong. Let their mistakes be a warning to us.

The church at Pergamum is a warning to us. They had so much going for them, but failed in one crucial area - holiness. As a result, Jesus’ patience has almost run out. What do we need to do to avoid their mistakes?

The book of Revelation shows us that the normal Christian experience is opposition. What does it look like to hold onto your faith when the pressure is on? Jesus’ words to the church at Smyrna are an encouragement to us all.

We often pride ourselves on being holders of the truth, but instead of it leading to affections for Jesus and broken sinners, it sometimes leads to scepticism, religiosity and lovelessness, both for Jesus and others. Jesus is calling the church to recover its first love.