Sermons

This passage deals with the reality of the risen Jesus Christ and the new identity it gives believers. Though Satan threatens people with death and sin, it shows that through the evidence of the resurrection believers can overcome the power of death. It also proclaims that, beyond the limits of the flesh that came through Adam, believers have been restored to the image of God as spiritual people who belong to heaven.

The sermon points out that the anxiety and worry people experience today are in fact a scheme of Satan, rooted in a failure to acknowledge God's sovereignty. Instead of fearing situations beyond our control, it urges us to carry out faithfully the duties we have been given and to entrust control of our lives to God. The reason Paul could rejoice even in suffering was that he had entrusted his life completely to God, and this is the attitude to life that believers should follow.

In this light, the sermon leads the reader to reflect on the purpose of their life and their standard of values. It stresses that a life centred not on wealth or honour but on the risen Christ will not be in vain, and asks how believers who have given control to God can live a life of peace.

This passage deals with the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night he was arrested. The apostle Paul relates that there Jesus shared bread and wine and instituted the Lord's Supper. It was a time when the Jews believed they obtained salvation through the blood of the lamb in the Passover sacrifice, but Jesus proclaimed that he himself had become that ransom.

The sermon stresses that through Communion believers should remember Jesus' death, resurrection and second coming. It points out that this is not merely a matter of taking part as a formality: we must repent of our sins and take care not to sin against the body and blood of the Lord. It also urges that, just as Jesus showed forgiveness even amid the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, believers too should be thankful for that grace and keep the faith.

The sermon asks believers to meditate deeply on the meaning of Communion, so that their lives may be changed into lives that enjoy peace and rest in the Lord.

At the Christmas communion service, this passage deals with the meaning of the Lord's Supper, which Jesus instituted on the night he was arrested by giving his disciples bread and wine. It makes clear that Jesus came to this earth in the flesh so that God's covenant would be fulfilled, and that his death on the cross was also part of that plan. Unlike the Jews, who thought they were made clean by the blood of a lamb, Jesus declared that his own body and blood are the true means of salvation, forgiving sin once for all and establishing the new covenant.

The sermon stresses that communion is not a mere ritual but an important act of remembering and proclaiming Jesus' death, resurrection and return. Through the bread and wine, believers must grasp the heart of Jesus, repent of their sins and come before the Lord. It also says that in striving to keep the Law we realize our need for Jesus Christ, and that this brings believers true peace. Making clear that, unlike the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, communion does not become the body of Christ but is an act of remembering him, it urges believers to take care not to resist the Holy Spirit.

It asks how, as God's children, we can enjoy peace without fear in the fast pace of the world. As we meditate deeply on the Lord's grace through communion, what should our attitude be as we look to God, who helps us live as more beautiful believers?

This sermon deals with the attitude of a life that God trusts, through the apostle Paul preaching the gospel to the elders of the church in Corinth, ready to die daily; the event of Peter's miraculous release from prison; and the way Elisha followed the prophet Elijah to the end and became his spiritual successor. The passage stresses how important trust is in our relationships with people and with God, and explains why Paul staked his life, and how Peter's miracle was possible because of the earnest prayer and faith of the believers. It also shows how Elisha, never leaving his master's side and building trust through humble obedience, came to receive remarkable spiritual power.

The sermon points out that what believers need in order to become people God trusts is not outstanding wisdom or wealth, but a good heart, obedient faith, and an unchanging character. It names the contradiction of praying while not being sure that God will answer, and says that true trust begins with believing that God will accomplish his work and waiting for it. It also stresses that respecting and serving those who went before us in the faith is a way of building trust with God, and that since no one has full faith from the start, trust has to be built one step at a time.

The sermon cautions believers against words and actions that destroy people's trust, and reminds them that when trust with God breaks down, faith cannot grow. Finally, it asks whether believers must live each day ready to die, building trust with God as they head for their final destination, the kingdom of heaven, rather than looking only at the gain in front of them.