Given the circumstances of those to whom Peter wrote his second letter, it’s not hard to see that in 2 Peter 1:12-21, the apostle wrote as he did. The false teachers were undermining his authority as an appointed apostle of the Lord and also downplaying the divinity of Jesus. In these verses, Peter puts them in their place and highlights something of his own first-hand experience as an eye and earwitness of the glory of Jesus and the certainty of God’s Word.
Sermons
‘Growing Christlike in an ungodly world’ (2 Peter 1:5-11)
In the next verses of 2 Peter 1:5-11, Peter builds on his introduction concerning the overwhelming grace of God, to remind his hearers that this grace demands a response. We are to grow in that grace and become more like Christ and do that so that we may be effective in our life and witness as His people.
‘Standing firm in a slippery world’ (2 Peter 1:1-4)
The text of 2 Peter 1:1-4 gives us a wonderful insight into the life of the church of the first century when the apostles were alive. False teachers were the order of the day and God’s people needed to know what was right and what was wrong. In these first 4 verses, Peter makes it clear that God’s Word can be trusted and that moving away from the solid foundation of the grace of God is a dangerous thing to do.
‘God Bless Australia’ (Rev Keith Bell)
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’.
‘The parable of the friend at midnight’ (Luke 11, Rev Peter Phillips)
‘The parable of the good Samaritan’ (Luke 10:25-37, Rev Peter Phillips)
‘The claims of Jesus’ (John 5:18-47, Rev Keith Bell)
‘The king, the census and the cross’ (2 Samuel 24:1-25)
In 2 Samuel 24:1-25, there are some things that need sorting out. Who was it that incited David to go and conduct a census? And why was it that God’s anger burned against Israel because he did? And how was it that the due punishment for David’s sin was averted? And what is there in the text that leads us to the cross of Jesus?
‘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?
‘The ordinary, unusual and extraordinary in the birth of Jesus’ (Luke 2:1-35)
There are those who think that God only works in a big way, through miraculous events. He certainly has in the past and there’s no telling what He will do in the days ahead, but to fill out the whole picture, we need to remember that God also works in the ordinary things of life – birth, census…things like that. Luke 2:1-35 tells us some of these things – even including the extraordinary – by which he has made known to us the path to eternal life – through Jesus, His Son.