Philip Burns

Rev Philip Burns is the minister of Bendigo Presbyterian Church.

‘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?

‘The coming of the Messiah as told to …the serpent’ (Genesis 3:15)

AudioPhilip

Genesis 3:15 would have to be one of the most important verses in all of the Old Testament. Straight after Adam and Eve’s rebeliion against God’s righteous rule, the Lord himself promised that the ‘seed of the woman’ would one day come and crush ‘the head of the serpent’. This verse is widely known as the first announcement (or proclamation) of the gospel, and it is very, very good news – all fulfilled in Jesus, the seed of the woman!

Message

Outline

• A Christmas series!
• The unfolding story to grasp…
• What a text to begin with!
• See how the text tells of …

  1. A sober reminder of humanity’s undoing
  2. The original setting for conflict unfolding
  3. The certain promise of Messiah winning

There is hope here…
There is good news here!

‘The King pays the temple tax’ (Matthew 17:24-27)

AudioPhilip

On returning to the area of Capernaum after his ministry throughout the regios of Israel and beywond, the ‘Israeli Tax Department’ caught up with Jesus and his disciples, asking Peter if his master had paid the ‘temple tax’. Peter assured them that Jesus had, only to enter the house where Jesus was and take part in a conversation with Jesus that ended up with Peter going fishing and catching a fish with a shekel in it’s mouth to pay the tax, for Jesus and for Peter!!

Message

Outline

• All over the place with Jesus
• Now back to Capernaum and a challenge…
• A story found in Matthew only… Why?
• See how the text tells us of …

  1. Jesus, as a Jew, was subject to this tax (v.24)
  2. Jesus, as the Son, had grounds to ignore this tax (v.25-26)
  3. Jesus, as God, miraculously paid the tax (v.27)

Using our freedoms…
Trusting the Lord to provide!

‘The King’s challenge down in the valley’ (Matthew 17:14-23)

AudioPhilip

After being gloriously transfigured up on the mountain, Jesus and his three disciples, Peter, James and John, soon came down from the summit to face reality. There, right in front of him, was a challenge in the form of a pleading father, bewildered disciples, a critical crowd and a demon-possessed boy, all recorded for us in Matthew 17:14-23. And yet, Jesus was clearly in charge of the whole situation and used it once more to speak of his impending death.

Message

Outline

• Another turning point in the text!
• From up on the mountain to down in the valley…
• A confronting story…and Jesus takes charge!
• See how the text tells us of …

  1. The reality of sin and the misery it brings (v.14-16)
  2. The words of Jesus and the truth they bring (v.17-18)
  3. The key to the miracle and the help it brings (v.19-21)

Afflicted from youth…
The only One who can deal with sin!

‘The King’s glory up on the mountain’ (Matthew 17:1-13)

AudioPhilip

The reader of Matthew’s gospel goes to many places with Jesus, as we have noted in these last few chapters…by the sea, on the water, in the region of Tyre and Sidon and even at Caesarea Philippi. But the next place that jesus would go, according to Matthew 17:1-13, was the mountain top, where he was transfigured before three of His disciples. This would be a moment they would never forget, as evidenced by the later of two of them, Peter and John, whose testimony about Jesus is clear. They saw His glory.

Message

Outline

  • Our travels with Jesus
  • Next event in a long
    line of them…
  • Sleepy disciples …now and later
  • See how this transfiguration confirmed…
  1. An unwelcome message (v.1-3, 12)
  2. An unfinished story (v.4-6)
  3. An unmatched Saviour (v.7-8)

What was Jesus’ purpose here?
From the mountain of glory to the cross of shame!

‘The King will die… come and die for him’ (Matthew 16:21-28)

AudioPhilip

After Peter twigged who Jesus was in Matthew 16:16, Jesus took the time to explain to his disciples just what kind of Messiah he was. He was one that would suffer and die at the hands of the Jews. While this fact may have been lost on the twelve, they would also have been overwhelmed at what Jesus went on to say next; that they were also destined for suffering and would need to bear their own crosses. What did Jesus mean by all this? These disciples were about to find out…

Message

Outline

• That major turning point!
• Yes he was the Messiah, but what kind?
• Get His identity right, but get his purpose right too!
• See how in this text we find that …

  1. As Messiah, He would give up His life (v.21-23)
  2. As disciples, they should give up their lives (v.24-25)
  3. As witnesses, they would see His glory (v.26-28)

The kind of life He calls us to…
Three reasons why he calls us to this kind of life!

‘The King’s two urgent questions and three vital statements’ (Matthew 16:13-20)

AudioPhilip

There’s no doubt that Matthew 16:13-20 is one of the key texts of the New Testament for so many reasons. In it, we find that Jesus challenged his disciples with two urgent questions and then three follow up statements all of which were designed to bring the 12 to a point where they were put ‘on the spot’ in relation to Jesus’ identity and then also about their own task in the world as the foundation of the church Jesus came to build.

Message

Outline

‘The King speaks out against unbelief and lacking faith’ (Matthew 16:1-12)

AudioPhilip

There are many who presume or assume that Jesus never stood for much, and that he endorsed social developments or changes that we think of! However in Matthew 16:1-12, this is proved to be false. Here, Jesus spoke out strongly both to his disciples about the influence of the Jewish religious leaders, and he also spoke strongly to them! We would do well to hear what he had to say, so that we are well warned and carefully and rightly directed!

Message

Outline

• The Jesus who stands for many causes…
• This Jesus who ‘never criticized anyone’
• After the feeding of the 4,000, Jesus spoke out!
• See in this text that Jesus had to …

  1. Confront the demands of naked unbelief (v.1-4)
  2. Warn the disciples about false teachers (v.5-7)
  3. Reprimand the disciples about lacking faith (v.8-12)

Unbelief – not due to a lack of evidence!
He gets us! Make sure you get Him!

‘The King feeds the multitudes (again!)’

AudioPhilip

It’s somewhat of an oddity that Matthew records the feeding of the 4,000 in Matthew 15.29-39 so soon after the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14:13-21. But the two incidents are not the same. Matthew wasn’t confused and wrote down the same incident twice. Each of the ‘feeding miracles’ have their own contexts and particulars, so they were certainly different in his mind and in the mind of Jesus! Even so, it sowrth noting that the two miracles – though essentially the same – have their own purpose in Jesus’ ministry.

Message

Outline

• Didn’t we just cover this text??
• This miracle follows the Canaanite woman’s faith
• Where this miracle takes place…Gentile territory
• See in this text how we are told about …

  1. The wideness of His compassion (v.29-31)
  2. The sureness of His actions (v.32-36)
  3. The satisfaction in His provision (v.37-39)

The physical needs are most felt…
The spiritual needs are more urgent!