To make welcome some of the local international students, we’re going to celebrate all things Australian by hosting an ‘Aussie night’ complete with bush dancing, kangaroo (to eat!), pies and damper… and much more…!
When? Saturday night June 15th at our Hall in Forest Street, from 6-9pm. All are welcome!
John 6:16-21 concerns the day Jesus walked on water to his disciples out in a boat. After the feeding of the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread, John records this miracle as further proof of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and to show the concern Jesus had for his disciples. He not only prayed for them, but came to them and the water before him was no obstacle. The believer who grasps on to this and hears His voice saying, ‘It is I, do not be afraid’ whenever they face suffering and trial, will find this a great comfort.
As part of our regular commitment to prayer as a congregation, we’ll gather together on Saturday June 1st from 2pm (’til about 4:30 or 5pm) to spend time in prayer. You’re welcome to join us in the church foyer as we meet to pray for revival, national and world needs, missions and missionaries as well as local needs (our own church family and ministries).
‘The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray.’ (S.D. Gordon)
John 6:1-15 concerns the feeding of the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread. John records this miracle as further proof of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and shows how the disciples could only think of solving the problem of a hungry crowd in an earthly way. However, when a meagre amount of food was offered, Jesus had no trouble in multiplying the amount and providing more than enough for all. What we bring to Jesus, no matter how small, can also be multiplied into large amount of blessings that can satisfy all who come to him in faith.
John 5:31-47 continues the words of Jesus to the Jews defending his strong claims that he was the Son of God, by referring to the testimony of many witnesses. Among those he mentioned included the testimony of John the Baptist, the words of God the Father, the writings of Moses and his own miraculous signs. These all agree and testify to the truth he proclaimed about himself. It is not a lack of evidence that keeps people from believing, but a hardness of heart.
The text of John 5:16-30 records that after Jesus healed the paralysed man, he ran into immediate trouble with the Jews who had trouble with his claims and his actions. In this text, Jesus defended himself against accusations of fraud and claimed to be the Son of God with power to grant life and eternal life. As no-one else offers what Jesus offers, He is our only hope in the face of an uncertain world and our eventual death.
In this text Jesus healed a paralyzed man at Bethesda. The miracle serves to remind us of the effect of sin upon all mankind, our inability to save ourselves and the grace and mercy of Jesus the Saviour who proved to be worth more than many friends or much money. Our faith is to be in Him and is wrongly placed if it is in ourselves or any other.
Update: Sermon available here.
We are pleased to let you know that Conrad Mbewe will be preaching at a public meeting in St John’s Bendigo on Thursday night May 16th at 7:30pm. There’s lots of information about Conrad on the internet (some links follow below), but just in brief, Conrad is the pastor of Kabwata Reformed Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, and is also known as the ‘African Spurgeon’. All are welcome!! Supper to follow! There will also be an offering.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/conrad-mbewe-the-african-spurgeon
During these first few weeks of April, we have been and are participating in the Bible League’s ‘Bibles for the Persecuted’ program called ‘Passport with no boundaries’.
Our members are being asked to pray daily for believers in parts of the world where they are either persecuted or tortured or discriminated against or jailed because they belong to Christ, and also put aside $2 per day for the purchase of Bibles for them. It’s a refreshing challenge – particularly when we often think we’ve got it tough in this land!
You can check out the Bible League’s program here and we would encourage you to get your church involved if you haven’t already!
In the second part of John’s account of the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, the results of their conversation become evident. By returning to her people with news of her experience of Jesus, the woman became a witness to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. By telling us this, John also reminds us that evangelism is a process, that fruit follows real faith and that harvests need reaping. Our witness can and will be used to bring others into the Kingdom of God.