Sermons

Through the story of Jesus healing a sick man on the Sabbath and the event in which Jacob wrestles with God and has his name changed, this passage deals with the difference between God's time and the time we set. The sick man at the pool of Bethesda clung to ‘my time,’ based on his own experience, and turned away from Jesus' immediate healing, while Jacob was changed from a weak man who ran from his brother in fear into one who struggled with God and prevailed.

We often have an attitude of dealing with God according to our own plans and schedule, already fixed, rather than waiting for his answer. Because of this we put off obedience and delay sharing the gospel, and in the end we are in danger of going home spiritually empty-handed. God knows our weakness and waits patiently, yet when we try to stay in the time we have set for ourselves, we end up in the contradictory situation of missing out on greater grace.

What choices must we make so that, through prayer, we open God's heart, experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and live with a firm faith that rises above the fears of the world?

This passage deals with Noah building the ark at God's command just before the judgment of the flood. In a world full of corruption, Noah, the only righteous man who walked with God, obeyed God's warning and kept on building the ark to completion despite mockery and persecution. God announced that judgment was imminent and commanded Noah to prepare the ark of salvation, and Noah did his utmost, believing that the word would surely be fulfilled.

The sermon emphasises that Noah's ark was not simply a physical structure but faith in Jesus Christ itself. It says that even when the world still looks calm and the mockery continues, true salvation is to believe in the unseen judgment and stay inside the ark. And through Noah's grieving heart as he built the ark and strove to save his family and neighbours, it helps believers realise their mission to be set apart from the world and share the gospel.

Through the contrast between Noah weeping and praying to God inside the ark and the people outside, who had mocked him, regretting it after the door was shut, the sermon leads us to reflect on the present. Believing that the judgment God has appointed will surely come, it asks us to ask ourselves honestly whether at this moment we are inside the ark or outside it.

Marking the 19th anniversary of the founding of Watercourse Church, this passage deals with how believers should reveal the love of Christ as they make their way through the waves of life. The preacher emphasises that in a world where countless people are born and die, each life is unique, and says that even when human plans collapse we must rely on God. In particular, comparing the life of Isaac with the life of Jesus, it shows that the two resemble each other as peace offerings dedicated to God.

Just as Isaac dug wells and gave life, Jesus saved souls by giving the water of life to those who thirst. Through these connections in Scripture, the preacher emphasises that the life of a believer is itself an instrument that reveals Christ. Even if believers are not perfect and even if they fail, the gospel they share and the patience and joy they show become hope to people who are in darkness. Believers must therefore reveal the glory of Christ through their choices and actions, and this is the attitude of true faith that reveres and loves God.

Even amid life's hardships and regrets, we must be an example to someone. The preacher points out that the stability of the church lies not in the pastor or its structures but in the faith and responsibility of each member. Church members must love and rely on God and live lives that God can accept. How, then, should we view our present circumstances, and in what way should we bring the rest of our lives to completion?

This passage deals with two events: Noah's son Ham mocking his father's shameful state and being cursed, and Nadab and Abihu, sons of the priest Aaron, disobeying God's command and coming under judgment. The sermon focuses on how, although they had all received special blessings and opportunities, they lost that grace through pride and a lack of character.

The sermon explains that God gives a mission and opportunities even to people of evil character in order to bring the full measure of their sin to light and to judge them fairly. Just as a cup of water fills up and overflows, the sin that has built up day by day comes out in a final act, and that becomes the moment of judgment. It also warns that the spiritual heritage of parents or of those who went before does not automatically protect one's own character, and can even become an occasion for pride.

The sermon asks how believers should manage the opportunities of blessing they have received. It leads us to reflect on what comes of living without gratitude for the grace God has given and without a humble character, taking our circumstances for granted.