Category: Sermons

Three reasons why Jesus was born

December 21, 2024

Christmas means so many different things to different people. To some it is time for a break from work after a busy year. For others it is a time to celebrate with family and friends and exchange gifts. While for others it is a time to stop and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.

For me as a Christian it is a combination of the three. It is a time for a break, a time to exchange gifts with family and a time to remember the baby Jesus – His birth and what it means to me.

Today I want to share three reasons why Jesus was born at Christmas. Not three reasons why He was born on December 25th, but three reasons why He was born… why He came to us.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show God is not far off and distant

Some people I speak to think that God is far off and distant. They believe He is a creator who made this world, set it in place and watches from a distance. He is at arms-length and only takes a passing interest. They think there is no way that He is involved or intervenes in our world or lives.

If we look at the Bible we see this idea is far from a reality. We see that since the creation of the world God has been intimately involved. In Genesis we see that God walked with Adam in the cool of the evening in the garden. We see God gave Moses commandments on how we should live and relate to God and each other. We see God intervened by parting the Red Sea when His people we certain to die. God even sent prophets when His people were off track and needed to be brought back to Him. We see that there was Angelic visitations record in the Bible. God announced that Mary would become pregnant with Jesus and when Jesus was born Angels appeared again.

All these things point to a God who is not far off and distant. But the most important one of all is the birth of the baby Jesus. Jesus left the glories of heaven, the perfection of heaven to be born amongst us. He didn’t come as a mighty King, He came as a humble baby born in a stable. Our carols that we sing use the word Immanuel. This means God is with us. The baby Jesus was God wrapped in skin. Nothing is more vulnerable than a new born baby. This is how Jesus came to show us what God is like. Not far off and distant, but close up and personal.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show God is for all people

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He is a Saviour for all people. In the Bible we see that He spent time with and reached out to people of all backgrounds and nationalities. This is especially interesting because at the time Jesus walked the earth, many people only spent time with people from their own people group. They did not mix with others because in many cases they thought they were unclean.

Here are a few examples of the different groups of people Jesus spent time with -The Sadducees (Matthew 22:23), the Pharisees (Matthew 12:2-6), the Herodians (Matthew 22:15-22), the Romans (Luke 7:2), the Zealots (Luke 6:15), and the Samaritans (John 4:39-42).

Combine this with Jesus spending time with other social outcasts of the day like tax collectors, prostitutes and lepers shows that Jesus was a Saviour for all people. He didn’t discriminate. He just genuinely loved and cared for people, no matter whom they were or what they had done.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show that He was a Saviour for all people. He doesn’t belong to one ethnic group, one social class of people or one period of time. He is the timeless Christmas gift – for all people, for all time.

Jesus was born at Christmas to save us

The ultimate reason why Jesus was born at Christmas was to save us. The Bible tells us in Luke 19:10 that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And in Matthew 1:21 it says,, “And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save people from their sins”.

The Bible tells us that salvation is found in Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. This verse tells us that Jesus is the way to the Father. The Bible also tells us in Acts 4:12 that there is no other way to find salvation. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.

It was in that moment that I realised that God loved me so much that He sent Jesus into the world to save me. It began a journey where I came to the point over the next year of finding faith in Christ. My life took on a whole perspective and a whole new meaning. I didn’t feel alone in a crowd anymore. The hole inside me was filled. I realised I had a God shaped hole that could only be filled by Jesus. My life changed from being all about me, to serving God by serving others.

The good news is Jesus came for you too. God moved heaven and earth for you. He loves you and cares for you with a love that stretches out from eternity. It is a love that pierces the darkness of this world and reaches its hand out to you. Today before I hand you back over to the music team, I want to say that God loves you, He is not far off and distant, He is for you and He wants to be a part of your life.

Conclusion

Jesus was born at Christmas time to show you that God is far off and distant, that God is for all people including you and I, and that Jesus’ ultimate reason for coming at Christmas is to save us so we can spend eternity with Him.

Please visit our Finding Salvation page for more information.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus

November 26, 2024

Bible readings: Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21

Over the years I have had a lot of conversations with people about faith, life and God. Some have been with people who follow Jesus with all their hearts and I have been inspired by their faith and stories. They have uplifted me. Others have been with people who had a vague belief that maybe there is a God out there somewhere, but He is far off and distant or He is a harsh judge with a big stick waiting for us to mess up.

As I have reflected on these conversations and our Bible readings from today I have come up with three thoughts that I want to share.

1. We are truly saved by Grace

In our first reading from Ephesians chapter 2 we see that we are saved by grace through faith. This means we are saved by God’s mercy because of our faith in Jesus.

In our natural state our sin separated us from God. Paul tells us that we used to follow the ways of the world and lived to gratify the desires of the flesh. But God in His great mercy came up with a way for us to be right with Himself. Jesus paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross for us. God graciously provided a way for us to have our sin forgiven in Christ and come in to right relationship with Him.

As our reading says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT). In His love the Father tells us we are saved by grace and we are welcome home.

2. We need to believe in Jesus as our Saviour

In our second reading we see that God says we have eternal life if we believe in Jesus. God did His part by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. Our part is to believe in Him, and trust Him as Lord and Saviour.

In John 3:16 the Bible says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Faith and trust in Jesus Christ means eternal life.

Many people think this is too simple – just believe in Jesus. They think they need to work for their salvation, follow strict rules or do some sort of penance. But believe me, purchasing our salvation was not simple for Jesus. He gave up everything. He was whipped and beaten. Mocked by those who watched on. He even gave up His own life. We just have to believe in Him and what He has done for us. The Bible tells us that this faith and belief brings eternal life.

3. Jesus came to save us, not judge us harshly

Another point from our second reading is Jesus came in to the world to save us, not judge us (John 3:17-18). To those who think God is a harsh God, who lives at a distance and judges us harshly, just need to look to Jesus. They need look afresh and see what He has done for us.

Jesus is God in person. Immanuel, God with us. In His love He died, so we can live. If God wanted our lives to be judged harshly, He could have done nothing and waited until the end of time to judge us all. But instead Jesus came to rescue us. God intervened in our situation. Luke 19:10 reminds us why Jesus came when it says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Jesus could not stand the thought of us not spending eternity with Him, so He left the glories of heaven to meet us where we are at. He did not come to hit us with a big stick, but to wrap His arms around us in love.

Closing reflection

The great message of the Bible is God’s incredible love for us and His desire to be in relationships with us all. He moved heaven and earth to make this happen.

Jesus came to earth, lived to show us what God is like, then stretched His arms out and was nailed on that cross. The nails pierced His hands and feet, but His love held Him there. Church, God’s grace can be summed up in the letters of the word G.R.A.C.E. – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.

Let us pray.

Apostle Paul’s suffering and commitment

July 7, 2024

I was looking at the suffering of the Apostle Paul recently. I was amazed how much he went through in his years of ministry. I was also amazed by his commitment to preach the Gospel in the midst of his suffering.

In 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 we see some of Paul’s hardships. On a number of occasions he was beaten by mobs, put in jail, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights and gone without food.

Also in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 we read he was also whipped nearly 200 times, beaten with rods, faced death again and again, was shipwrecked three times, was stoned, faced danger from fake Christians and nearly drowned from swollen rivers.

This does not even mentioned the “thorn in Paul’s flesh from Satan” mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. A thorn that he was able to bear by God’s grace.

Bible scholars tell us that Paul was converted about 36 AD and he died in Rome in 68 AD. So this means he was in Christian ministry for about 32 years. As 2 Corinthians was written about 57 AD these listed sufferings only record about two thirds of his ministry time!

So how was Paul able to stand firm and keep going in his ministry mission in light of all this suffering? Here are some of the reasons I think.

  1. His amazing conversion on the road to Damascus where he spoke with Jesus (Acts 9:3-19)
  2. He knew he was called by God to reach the Gentiles for Christ (Galatians 1:15-16, Acts 13:2-3)
  3. He knew he could do all things through Christ who was his strength (Philippians 4:13)
  4. Paul saw his mission as a race he needed to run with endurance (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1)
  5. He knew he had to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
  6. Paul saw that he was no longer living, but Christ living in and through him (Galatians 2:20)
  7. Paul knew he would receive a crown of righteousness from the Lord (2 Timothy 4:8)
  8. Paul saw his life as a drink offering being poured out to the Lord (2 Timothy 4:6)

I am really inspired by the life of Paul. I have been through a lot of suffering and it has made me stronger, but it is nothing compared to what Paul suffered for the Gospel.

If you are suffering for the Gospel today I hope you can draw strength from God and the example of the Apostle Paul.

Do not be afraid, just have faith

June 30, 2024

Bible reading: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

I really love this passage of Scripture. It talks about a man coming to Jesus as he is worried about his sick daughter. He is so concerned she might die, that he comes to Jesus and asks Him to pray for her. He wants Jesus to go with him to his house. Sadly while he is with Jesus, some friends come and say your daughter has died. As I dwelt upon it four things came to mind.

1. Bring your problem to Jesus

Jairus had a problem. His young daughter was not well and he feared for her life. He knew Jesus could heal her so he brought his request to Him. Bringing our problem to Jesus should be our first response. Often we try to sort things out ourselves, but Jesus has all power and authority and bringing our problems to Jesus makes sense.

2. Do not be afraid, just have faith

In the passage we see that Jairus’ friends came to tell him his daughter had died. We see that Jesus did not listen to them. He just said, “Do not be afraid, just have faith” in verse 36. Then they set out for his house where the daughter was. I can imagine what the journey would have been like. His mind would have been racing. My daughter is dead, but Jesus said to have faith. In bad situations it is important to trust Jesus and His power, not what we see or hear.

3. Do not listen to the doubters

In this passage we see that Jesus did not listen to the friends who said the daughter had died (v35) and He put out the people who laughed at Him on His arrival (v40). Jesus said she is not dead, just asleep. Jesus only took the Mother and Father in to the room along with the three disciples Peter, James and John – three people of faith. When we are going through things it is important to listen to the words of Jesus in the Bible, not the negative voices around us.

4. Allow Jesus to intervene

We see that Jesus took the girl by the hand and told her to arise in Aramaic. The girl who was dead, rose to life. Jesus then gave the girl back to her parents alive and well. Jesus intervened and performed an amazing miracle. The dead girl was now alive! When facing problems in this world we just have to ask Jesus to intervene in faith and allow Him to do what only He can do. Our part is to bring it to Jesus and trust Him for the outcome.

Closing reflection

For us today it is so easy to get discouraged when bad things come our way. We can become downcast and listen to all the negative people around us. They key, I believe, for the Christian is to look to Jesus. Bring your problem to Jesus, invite Him in to your situation in faith and allow Him to intervene. You can trust Jesus because He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He has all power and nothing is impossible to Him. Do not be afraid, just have faith.

Why we need a Sabbath

June 1, 2024

Bible readings: Deuteronomy 5:6–21, 2 Corinthians 4:5–12, Mark 2:23–28

The Sabbath is an important topic for Christians. The Bible tells us that it is a day of rest where we stop our usual work to rest and focus in on God.

Depending on what stream of christianity we follow it may be on a Saturday to line up with Jewish tradition or Sunday to line up with the day we remember the resurrection of Jesus.

In this message I want to look at our readings for this week and look at why we need a Sabbath day each week.

1. We need a Sabbath because it is in the 10 Commandments

In our first reading we see the Sabbath is mentioned in the 10 Commandments. Deuteronomy 5:12-14 NLT says, “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. [13] You have six days each week for your ordinary work, [14] but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work…”

The idea of a sabbath day was so important to God that He included it in His 10 Commandments. While many today will say that is part of the Old Testament, there is still an important principle in it. We need rest, we need to recover from our work, and we need to spend time each week focussing on God.

Many Jewish people down the centuries stop from sundown on Friday night and go in to Sabbath mode until they wake on Sunday. Some people I know in the Seventh Day Adventist church follow this pattern too. Regardless if you practice it on Saturday or Sunday, this time of Sabbath rest is important to our spiritual and physical well being.

2. We need a Sabbath as we are constantly under pressure

In our second reading we see that Paul and the early Christians were under pressure sharing the Gospel. Paul described Christians as being hard pressed, perplexed, hunted down, knocked down, suffering. He even uses the analogy of being like fragile clay pots containing a treasure.

Anyone who has been in full time ministry, been involved in church outreach, or working as a front line pastoral care worker knows that we are constantly under pressure. The pressures of peoples constant needs, spiritual attack from the enemy, financial or health issues have a way of burning us out. This is why we need a Sabbath.

We need to stop each week and take a breather. We need to get off the treadmill. Take the time to relax and just be still. We need to recreate and be with God. I know in my own life that when I do not do this burnout is just waiting around the corner for me. It is both a hard learned lesson and one I am still learning!

3. We need a Sabbath because it was made for people

In our final reading we see that in verses 27-28 Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

I love the way Jesus puts it. The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people. Not people to keep the law of the Sabbath as some people do. They take it so far that they have lists of things they can and cannot do. They have made the Sabbath a legal requirement, rather than a time to stop rest and focus on God.

I believe the original idea behind the Sabbath was to rest and seek God. God knew we would get busy and caught up in our work, so He built in this cycle of work and rest. Each week He built in a time where we could just “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).

Closing summary

A time of Sabbath rest was so important to God that He built it in to the 10 Commandments, He knew we would be constantly under pressure, so He build in a pressure relief valve so we could be still and rest.

My final thought I want to leave you with is. We see that God rested on the seventh day after He created the world. If God rested, how much more do we need to too!