Following Australia Day, Rev Keith Bell preached from the Bible the encouragement for people everywhere to honour God, not be ashamed of Jesus and to ‘stand in the breach’.
Keith Bell
‘The claims of Jesus’ (John 5:18-47, Rev Keith Bell)
‘What’s in a name?’ (Matthew 1:23, Rev Keith Bell)
Names are vital things, usually given because of the desire of the parents. In Matthew 1:23, we find out that God directed Joseph to name Mary’s baby ‘Jesus’. God must have had a plan and a purpose in providing such a name for His Son. What was it?
‘Who is Jesus? Three opinions about Him’ (Rev Keith Bell, Matthew 16:13-23 and 17:1-9)
When Jesus gathered His twelve disciples to Himself at Caesarea Philippi in Matthew 16:13-23, He asked them two very important questions…who did the people say that He was and who did they think that He was? While they answered these questions well, God the Father also had something to add as revealed in Matthew 17:1-9. Of course, what God thinks about the question is more important than anyone else’s opinion! What do you think of Jesus?
Jesus’ return: Three reminders (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11)
He died, he rose, what’s next? Keith spoke from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 about how Jesus’ return should fill us with joy and hope; even govern our actions. The Christian has great comfort that there is more beyond our earthly life because we will be raised to eternal life. As children of the light, we are to live in the world but not to be of it. We are to live in readiness of his unexpected return. Is that obvious in your life now? Are you ready?
‘Righto’ (Rev Keith Bell, Acts 1:1-11)
The book of Acts is clear. Not only did Jesus leave this earth (as recorded in Acts 1:1-11), before he left He gave some particular instructions to His disciples to carry out. There were to be His witnesses in ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.’ That was a long time ago, though. Do His words still mean anything for God’s people today?
“It’s time!” (John 12:20-26)
When Gough Whitlam won the election in 1973, the slogan “It’s time!” became well-known all over this land. When some Greeks one day asked some of the disciples if they could see Jesus, it became clear from the things that Jesus said in John 12:20-36, that the hour had come for him to die….and so “It’s time” took on a whole new meaning.