Author: Philip

‘The King’s requirements for greatness’ (2) (Matthew 18:15-20)

AudioPhilip

Matthew 18:15-20 is not necessarily a hard text to understand. It has no hard words, for example. However, the application of what Jesus said is quite difficult. While still speaking to His disciples about the issue of true greatness and how humility is a necessary aspect of it, in these verses, Jesus spoke further about the inevitable conflict that will arise between disciples when the path of humility is not taken. There is a way to solve conflict. It’s not an easy path to take, but for true greatness, it will be so necessary.

Message

Outline

  • An observation and an apology
  • The context of this
    chapter
  • Humility that path to greatness
  • See how Jesus taught his disciples about …
  1. Self-discipline (v.1-14)
  2. Mutual discipline (v.15-17)
  3. Church discipline (v.18-20)
    A world of conflict…
    The source of forgiveness!

‘The King’s requirements for greatness’ (1) (Matthew 18:7-14)

AudioPhilip

In speaking to His disciples in the way that He did in Matthew 18:7-14, Jesus was not going on to some new topic. In fact what he taught in these verses are very closely linked to verses 1-6. He is still talking about greatness and the ‘childlike humility’ that will lead His disciples towards it. While some of what He says in verses 7-14 is a little unclear, the implications of it are not. Those who will be great in the Kingdom will need to be like the Shepherd whose care for that one lost sheep was not just a matter of words.

Message

Outline

  • GOAT?
  • The context of this
    chapter
  • Humility the path to greatness
  • See how Jesus urged his disciples to …
  1. Avoid being the source of temptation (v.7)
  2. Avoid committing sin at whatever cost (v.8-9)
  3. Avoid rejecting those whom the Father loves (v.10-14)

A reminder for believers…
An invitation to unbelievers…

It’s still January… but February is coming!

Philip

Yes, not long to go now before the first month of the year gives way to the second month… and with that, the resumption of our weekly activities and ministries. Like to find out more about something that you note from the pic below? Check out what you can on this website, or, contact us, and we’ll do our best to answer your questions!

‘The King’s measure of greatness’ (Matthew 18:1-6)

AudioPhilip

When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom?” in Matthew 18:1-6, there was a lot going through their minds. Jesus had just begun to set out for Jerusalem, having told the disciples that there He would be mistreated and killed. What was it then that got the disciples talking together about greatness? Mark’s gospel tells us that at least James and John had designs on the right and left hand side of Jesus’ throne. In answering the question, Jesus gave to them an object lesson… a child. And as he did so, He shattered the notions of greatness in our world.

Message

Outline

  • Picking up from where we left off
  • Matthew’s gospel – about Jesus and the
    twelve…
  • Various reactions from the twelve
  • See how the text tells us of …
  1. The question the disciples asked Jesus (v.1)
  2. The object lesson Jesus gave the disciples (v.2-3)
  3. The implications Jesus taught the disciples (v.4-6)
    So who is the greatest in the Kingdom?
    ‘He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life…’

‘Rejoicing in the righteous King’ (Psalm 97:1-12)

AudioPhilip

In this message for the new year, Daniel Jansen explores how God’s righteous rule as King over ‘the whole earth’ from Psalm 97:1-12 should comfort the hearts of anxious believers and cause us to rejoice in this uncertain and fragile world.

Message

Outline

Introduction:

  1. The King’s righteousness and Justice (1-6)
    Theophany = Appearance of God
    Mt Sinai-
    Jesus-
  2. Varied Responses to the King (7-9)
  3. Those who Love the King (10-12)
    What they desire
    What the King does

Conclusion

‘The coming of the Messiah as told to …King Herod’ (Matthew 2:1-23)

AudioPhilip

Not everyone enjoys Christmas nor finds it a time of celebration or joy. Herod was certainly in that number. When the wise men rocked up with news about the birth of the Messiah in Matthew 2:1-23, they really rocked Herod’s world in more ways than one! In fact, Herod’s response to the news was quite an exterme one. Harsh too. And yet, even more tragic than the deaths of the innocents was the fact that Herod himself missed out on the salvation this baby came to bring. When people repeat Herod’s mistakes, that tragedy is simply repeated over and over.

Message

Outline

• The last in this series!
• Christmas: not always accompanied by happiness!
• Not a happy time for King Herod…
• See how we are shown Herod’s mistakes and errors…

  1. The dangers of self-centredness (v.1-15)
  2. The fruits of hard-heartedness (v.16-18)
  3. The limits to earthly greatness (v.19-23)

‘We don’t want to live under the rule of this king’
The tragedy of the ‘neglected’ Jesus

‘The coming of the Messiah as told to …Joseph’ (Matthew 1:18-25)

AudioPhilip

Joseph is one of the key characters in the story of the birth of Jesus, especially so in the text of Matthew 1:18-25, but he can easily be overlooked in the preaching of the Christmas narratives – probably because he doesn’t get to say anything at all. Even the shepherds and wise men get some lines in the gospels, but Jospeh gets none! Even though that is the case, we can ‘read between the lines’ and see what was going on in Joseph’s mind and heart, and how in a crisis situation, the angel who spoke to him in his dream put everything into perspective for him – even if he didn’t fully understand the implications of it all!

Message

Outline

• The fourth in this series!
• Does Joseph get left out of the story?
• Not much told us about how he felt…
• See how we are told of how the angel…

  1. Appeared to him in a crisis (v.18-20)
  2. Averted him from his intentions (v.20)
  3. Assured him of God’s purposes (v.21-25)

Joseph is not alone in needing rescue!
The great exchange!

‘The (very) silly season’

Philip

Christmas 2023 has come around again with its usual rush of shopping, end of year functions, school speech nights and break ups. Every year Christmas seems to come and go so quickly that many could easily question whether or not the time spent is worth it? Surely there must be some who are thinking that this year they’ll just ‘give it a miss’? I wouldn’t blame them.

Some already know a sense of emptiness when it comes to observing Christmas, which a sad reality of the world we live in. The Bible even asks us this question, ‘Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?’ (Isaiah 55:2) Why indeed? If all that spending and shopping and scurrying just leaves an empty feeling, then why bother?

Perhaps the cause of the confusion is simply this – in our rush and hurry to observe Christmas, we miss the whole point of it! The ‘reason for the season’ is ‘Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners’ (1Timothy 1:15). Like it or not, Jesus is one huge question we must all answer. No longer a little baby in the manger, he is a returning King to whom we must all give account. He won’t ask how we spent Christmas, but what He will ask what we did with Him as the gift God sent for our salvation (see John 3:16-17).

‘The coming of the Messiah as told to…Mary’ (Luke 1:26-38)

AudioPhilip

When the angel Gabriel finally found the moment to meet up with Mary, his initial greeting to her was something Mary wasn’t prepared for. It seems as though the appearing of the angel to her was not the cuse of her discomfort, but the greeting and what it might mean for her. It certainly brought change. Far more change than she could ever have anticipated, but God was also in that change, and though she wondered ‘how?’, the angel could answer that question as well. As a result, Mary submitted herself to do God’s will and accepted the Lord’s promise to her that she would be the mother of the Messiah with a humble heart.

Message

Outline

• The third in this series!
• The dangers we face
• The text’s context…
• See how the text tells of …

  1. The unsettling greeting conveyed to her (v.26-30)
  2. The amazing details told to her (v.31-32)
  3. The welcome assurance shared with her (v.33-37)

Mary’s submissive response
Paul’s direct summary…

‘The coming of the Messiah as told to …King Ahaz’ (Isaiah 7:1-14)

AudioPhilip

The setting of the well known prophecy about the birth of Jesus through a virgin in Isaiah 7:14 is set in a context of a fascinating story about King Ahaz of Judah in Isaiah 7:1-14. Ahaz was in a bit of a spot, politically. The neigbouring nations of Syria and Israel (!) were threatening to attack and he was afraid. It was then that the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz with a message that basically said, ‘trust Me, I’ll even show you a sign if you want one…’ But Ahaz refused. So the Lord gave Ahaz another sign, one of His own making, about the coming Messiah. But this sign wasn’t for Ahaz, but for us who live in this age (A.D.). The sign, of course, is Jesus!

Message

Outline

• This Christmas series!
• Learning from the past
• The chapter’s context…
• See how the text tells of …

  1. A King who was afraid to trust (v.1-9)
  2. A sign that was offered to assist (v.10-11)
  3. A virgin birth was promised as proof (v.13-14)

Who was the sign for?
Will you be like this faithless King?