On Christmas Day (and every day), it’s good to think about the ‘amazing gulf that God did span’ in sending His Son to this earth to be our Saviour. In Philippians 2:1-11, Paul links 3 great truths that all are dependent upon one another; the birth, death and exaltation of Jesus, that not only are important theologically, but also practically – because they teach us how to live.
Sermons
‘United we stand (and are) in Christ’ (John 17:20-26)
John 17:20-26 highlights the fact that after praying for the security and the sanctification of His disciples, Jesus also prayed for their unity. In a passage variously interpreted by many to promote the ecumenical movement, Jesus’ words are best understood to refer to the unity (as distinct from uniformity) of all His disciples. This unity is a natural unity not a forced one, that has its basis in the fact that all true believers come to the one Father through the one Saviour.
‘The Lord’s Prayer for his disciples’ (John 17:13-19)
What we pray for indicates our priorities. John 17:13-19 continues Jesus’ prayer. After praying for God’s glory, he prays for his disciples and gives insight into his priorities. He wants his followers to have joy, even in the face of trials – not just happiness in good circumstances. He wants his followers to be kept safe, from the evil one and their own hearts. He wants them to be set apart from the world, yet sent into the world to continue his work. Do we share the same priorities as Jesus?
‘Learning from the real Lord’s Prayer’ (John 17:1-12)
John 17:1-12 records the moment Jesus prayed for all of his disciples. With a beautiful blend of intimacy and reverence, John records how Jesus prayed to His Father. By doing so, John gives us insight into the unique relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son. The prayer also gives us a model of all true prayer because it reminds us that prayer comes from the heart, is an expression of a relationship with God and is always motivated by the glory of God.
‘Comfort and hope for slow-to-believe disciples’ (John 16:25-33)
John 16:25-33 highlights the final aspects of the message that Jesus spoke to his disciples before his death. In preparing them for his departure, Jesus made his future plain to them while the disciples responded by making their faith plain to him. In response Jesus then made their future plain to them as he told them of the trouble they would have in the world as his followers. But in all the trouble they would face, Jesus promised them his peace and gave them every encouragement by telling them that he had overcome the world. Those who believe in him and remain faithful to the end will likewise overcome the world through him.
‘Transforming sorrow …into joy’ (John 16:16-24)
John 16:16-24 highlights the sorrow that the disciples would soon endure because of Jesus’ death. In this text Jesus promised that their sorrow was something he would turn into joy. He could do this because their sorrow would be short-lived, it would be for a purpose and it will bring about a new avenue of approach to God through prayer. Ultimately their sorrow would become joy because Jesus would not remain dead for long but would live again and the disciples would see Him again.
‘Getting a grasp on the ministry of the Spirit’ (John 16:4-15)
John 16:4-15 highlights the importance of Jesus’ teaching about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. His task in the world is to convict people of unbelief, righteousness and judgement and He does this by using the Word of God and applying it to the hearts of those who hear or read it. The Spirit’s role among God’s people is to enable us to remember and grasp the teaching and the words of Jesus and to promote the wonder and majesty of Jesus as the Saviour of all who believe.
‘Haters gonna hate, but Christians love like Jesus’ (John 15:18-16:3)
In John 15:18-16:3, Jesus warns his followers that the world will hate them because it hated him. It the coming chapters we see that it hated him to death on the cross. Jesus choses his followers out of the world to be different to it. Christians ought to respond with love and be witnesses to Jesus’ love. His love was shown when he died in our place and rose for our hope.
Guest Sermon: Commander Mike Oborn (Mark 4:35-41)
At our Annual Seafarer’s service, Commander Mike Oborn preached from Mark 4:35-41 concerning the calming of the storm. Mike looked at the passage from his vast experience at sea and so from the perspective of a mariner. In doing so he pointed out that what Mark recorded about the storm on the lake and the fear of the disciples in the boat were both plausible. So too the stilling of the storm by which Jesus showed the extent of His power over all of creation. The disciples responded to him with a mixture of awe and fear. Our response to him is vital when we consider how it is that we must face him on the day of judgement.
‘Meeting the highest of standards’ (John 15:12-17)
In John 15:12-17 Jesus called his disciples to be identified by the badge of love. In doing so, He elevated his disciples from the status of servants to friends, gave them explicit instructions as to their responsibility to love each other and then set the highest standard possible by speaking of love as sacrifice. We often remember his words in John 15:13 when we remember our war dead, but these words were not given just to write on a tombstone. Instead they are to be lived out in the world.