Author: Philip

‘See the stage set for the birth of the Saviour’ (3) (Luke 1:57-80)

AudioPhilip

In Luke 1:57-80, we see how Luke continues the story of Zechariah who had been struck dumb for failing to believe the angel Gabriel’s words earlier in the chapter. After his tongue was loosed, Zechariah made up for lost time in declaring the praise of God, His faithfulness and power in coming to rescue His people, bringing together many of the great Old Testament themes. Zechariah’s song pointed his hearers to his own son who would be a prophet of the Lord who would prepare the way for God’s own Son who was to come.

Message

Outline

• Luke’s accurate account
• Characters in the spotlight
• Zechariah speaks and sings
• See how Luke tells us how …

  1. Zechariah’s tongue was loosed (v.57-69)
  2. Zechariah’s voice was lifted (v.70-75)
  3. Zechariah’s son was underlined (v.76-80)

An analogy from the theatre
The spotlight turned heavenward
Join the song!

‘See the stage set for the birth of the Saviour’ (2) (Luke 1:26-56)

AudioPhilip

It’s possible to either over emphasise or under estimate the role that Mary had in being the birth mother of Jesus, but in Luke 1:26-56, it seems that the matter is plain. God’s choice of Mary was the right one – not because she in herself was without sin – but because she was willing to serve Him in this difficult and costly task. It’s all there in the account that Luke recorded fo Theophilus, and for all who read it these many years later!

Message

Outline

• The next instalment
• Another pregnancy
• Elizabeth – unexpected, Mary – impossible
• See how Luke tells us of…

  1. God’s choice of Mary (v.26-27, 34)
  2. God’s grace to Mary (v.28-38)
  3. Mary’s song to God (v.39-56)

Humility
Salvation
Praise

‘See the stage set for the birth of the Saviour’ (1) (Luke 1:1-25)

AudioPhilip

There’s so much more to the Christmas story than the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph and the baby in the manger. The gospel writer, Luke, a careful historian, presents the story of the birth of Jesus as the part of the fulfillment of God’s plans and promises to send a Messiah to the people of Israel and so, it was into a particular time and place that Jesus came into the world. But before He came, someone else had to come -and his name was John and his parents had their own story.

Message

Outline

• Christmas approaching!
• Back to chapters 1 and 2
• Luke’s classic prologue/introduction
• See how Luke tells us of…

  1. Ordinary people in the plan of God (v.5-10)
  2. An extraordinary visit from an angel of God (v.11-17)
  3. A less-than-ordinary response from a man of God (v.18-25)

A man in two worlds
Impossibilities: no problem to Him!
Faithlessness: can never nullify His!

‘See the interaction between the surprise guest and the Saviour’ (Luke 7:36-50)

AudioPhilip

Sometimes the things that happened to Jesus are quite surprising. In Luke 7:36-50, Luke tells us of hos he was reclining at a dinner party when a surprise guest entered and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair and anointed them with her gift of perfume. The host of the dinner party was rightly shocked, but Jesus, ever one to ‘practise what he preached’, drew a lesson from it, that was no surprise – except to those who continue to trust in their own self-righteousness.

Message

Outline

• The sixteenth in this series
• Back into the narrative
• What is this Kingdom of His like?
• See how this interaction tells us of …

  1. The intruder who shocked the party (v.36-38)
  2. The guest who shocked the host (v.39-46)
  3. The promise that shocked the guests (v.47-50)

Everyone reclining – no-one standing
The horizontal and the vertical
Gratitude. Thankful hearts.

Visit of Motor Isaac & Julia Yat and family

Philip

Last Sunday November 16, we were privileged to have a visit from APWM missionary Rev Motor Isaac Yat, with his wife and two sons, Mark and Samuel.

The Yat family are on home assignment in Victoria far from their field of service in Kenya. There, Motor serves as one of three pastors from the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS) who minister to thousaads and thousands of South Sudanese refugees who have been forced from their homeland due to civil war at home and now are housed in many refugee camps.

You can read about Motor in relation to APWM’s partnership with the PCOSS and how to financially support his work through APWM here.

‘See the interaction between the prophet and the Saviour’ (Luke 7:18-35)

AudioPhilip

Luke’s record of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is one that included the preaching activity of John (the Baptist) – an activity that soon landed him in trouble with Herod and soon after in jail. When John heard of the miraculous signs performed by Jesus, we read in Luke 7:18-35, that he sent a message to Jesus, doing so, no doubt, because he was perplexed. If Jesus was the Messiah he had proclaimed, why was he now in jail with no prospect of release? Wasn’t the Messiah meant to fix all that??

Message

Outline

• The fifteenth in this series
• Consecutive miracles of Jesus
• Back to John
• See how this interaction tells us of …

  1. The reality of John’s perplexity (v.18-21)
  2. The cause of John’s perplexity (v.22-23)
  3. The answers to John’s perplexity (v.24-35)

Perplexed at the world?
The trials of faith
Living between the now’ and the ‘not yet’