St. John's on Geddes - Sermon Audio

Still today we find ways to dismiss and reject the truth of Jesus.  We are an evil and adulterous Generation.  This week we see from Matthew 12:38-50 that we should stop dismissing Jesus and come to him and repent and find ourselves in the family of God. 

How can we know where we stand with Jesus? It's an important question with eternal consequences. This week we see from Matthew 12:15-37 that, as God's Spirit-Filled servant king, Jesus is gentle and gives real hope to those who trust Him but promises judgment to those who reject Him.

Rules are pretty useful, but they can never give us real rest and real relationship with God and others. This week we see from Matthew 11:25-12:14 that true rest isn't found in keeping the rules under our own strength, but coming to Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, who frees us to truly love God and truly love others.

God wants you to complain to Him. Sounds weird, but it's true. This week we see from Psalm 77 that in our suffering and sorrow God encourages us to cry out to Him and to remember his faithfulness.

Now that we've decided to live in God's Kingdom, let's keep going.  We see from Haggai 2:1-23 that we can be strong for the Lord is with us.  Be Strong for God's Spirit dwells with us.  Be Strong for God will bring about His Glorious Kingdom.

It's Time to be more faithful in living in God's Kingdom.  We should Consider our ways.  We see from Haggai 1:1-15 that as we're more faithful our Lord promises to be with us and to make our lives more satisfying.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but who are we really dealing with? This week we see from John 1:6-13 that Jesus is the light of life who came into the world so that those who receive Him can become God's children.

Christmas is about God with us.  John tells us God has always personally communicated to us like a father with his family, especially at Christmas.  We see from John 1:1-5 that Jesus is the Word who created everything and so has the blinding power to create unquenchable new life for us.

How is adoption the climax of the Bible and the ultimate blessing of Christianity? This week we look at our last and ultimate Big Word in God's Big Plan: Adoption – Sinners Made God's Sons. We see from Galatians 3:23-4:7 that in Christ, we are adopted as God's sons so that we may live as His children.

What do you need to see real, long-term change in your life? Just trying harder won't do it. Guilt and shame won't work long-term. It's only God's grace that can do it… This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Redemption – Sinners Bought by God. We see from Titus 2:11-14 that in Jesus, God paid the price to redeem us from sin so we live for Him, able to turn away from sin and grow in Godliness by his grace.

If you're united to Jesus by faith, then you get a new life now and a new body in the future.  In our new life we consider ourselves as dead to sin and we conduct ourselves by presenting ourselves to God as instruments for doing righteousness.  This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Resurrection – Raised from death to eternal life.  We see from Romans 6:1-14 that because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we've been given new life to live for Him.

Starting over with a clean slate is a wonderful thing. But the problem with a clean slate is that you can mess it up again pretty quick! When it comes to our relationship with God we need something better than a clean slate… This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Imputation – Jesus' Righteousness is Mine. We are going to see from Philippians 3:1-11 that God counts us as righteous in Jesus through faith, not through anything we do.

Justification can feel like a negative word. Afterall, people are always trying to justify themselves. But for Christians, justification is a beautiful word. Justification is what God has done for us through his Son Jesus. This week we see from Romans 4 that it is not we who justifies ourselves, but God who justifies us through faith. Knowing that we are justified by faith we are free to admit our mistakes, trusting in God who justifies us by faith in Christ. 

It's an awful feeling when someone is angry with you. It's even worse when you deserve it. But what can we do if God is angry with us and we deserve it? This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Propitiation – God's Anger Turned Away. We are going to see from Romans 3:21-26 that God's anger towards us in our sin is completely turned away by Jesus' death so that we can enjoy God's love.

God has done everything needed to save you from hell. All you have to do is receive the gift. This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Salvation – Sinners Saved from Hell. We are going to see from Ephesians 2:1-10 that we were dead in our sin and destined for hell but through Jesus God saved us and gave us life to live for Him.

How would it feel to have someone who is willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect you? Someone to take your place? This week we look at our next Big Word in God's Big Plan: Substitution – Jesus Takes our Place. We are going to see from Galatians 3:10-14 that Jesus takes the curse in our place so that we might receive the blessing of forgiveness through faith.

How closely would you listen to someone's last words? This week we hear Paul's last words from 2 Timothy 3:10-4:22 and we are encouraged to endure to the end, holding fast to God's word and teaching it to others, because we can have confidence in God's presence, strengthening and promise.

Are you in spiritual danger? Do you need to run?  This week we hear Paul sound the alarm in 2 Timothy 2:14-3:9 that we need to get out of danger by fleeing false teaching and trivial arguments and pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace.

Living for God can mean being called to endure difficult things. We can find the strength for these things in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. This week we see from 2 Timothy 2 the call to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and be willing to endure everything for the sake of the gospel.

When the time comes, will you speak up and stand for your faith? This week we see from 2 Timothy 1:1-18 that we should not be ashamed of the gospel but share in suffering because God has saved us by grace, called us to follow Him and empowers us by His Holy Spirit.

The best version of life for us is the healthy Christian life.  This is a life of Godliness with contentment.  This week we see from 1 Timothy 6:3-21 what is involved in a good and healthy Christian life.

What is most important to your family? If an outsider was looking in, what would they say? What about what's most important to our church family? Watch our in-person service from Sunday 11 August 2024 as see from 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2 how as a church family in Jesus, we please God and honour Him before others by treating one another with godly honour.

Teaching matters. Because we have our hope set on the living God, we are to watch out lives and doctrine closely. From 1 Timothy 4 that we are to teach the truth, teach what's important, and teach with integrity.

God's household needs godly Leaders.  Godliness is for every Christian which is why we should see Godliness in those who represent the Church.  This week we see from 1 Timothy 3 the qualities which come together to make for a Godly Character

Did you know that how we live together as God's people affects our prayers? This week we see from 1 Timothy 2 how as those saved by God's grace to us in Jesus, we are to pray together for all people, living in quiet, dignified godliness according to our roles as men and women.

You're in danger of spiritual shipwreck. How? This week we see how 1 Timothy 1 call us not to let our faith be shipwrecked by false teaching, but to hold fast to the gospel that leads to love.

Do you talk to yourself? Maybe you should… This week we see how Psalm 103 helps us remind ourselves of the goodness and graciousness of God.

Don't you love a story of a good leader giving himself to save his people? This week we see how the surprising ending to 2 Samuel in chapter 24 shows us what true repentance looks like and points us forward to confidently repent to and rejoice in our better king.

How can we have confidence in God's love when our lives are such a mix of good and bad? Can we come to God with the same scandalous confidence as David? This week we see from 2 Samuel 22:1-23:7 how because of His promise, the LORD saves his king and all who take refuge in Him.

King David returns across the Jordan river to Israel, Jerusalem, and home.  What is this returned King like.  This week we see from 2 Samuel 17-20 King David returns with compassion and forgiveness.

Is sin really so bad? Does our sin really matter for others? And if it's so bad, what hope do we have? This week we see from 2 Samuel 13-16 that sin ALWAYS has disastrous consequences for us and for others, and leaves us longing for a better king who truly can save us.

How can we wait patiently when God's promises seem so long in coming? This week we see from 2 Samuel 7 how God's great promises to David were fulfilled beyond expectation 1000 years later in Jesus, God's promised king, and how that gives us hope to wait patiently for God's promises and cry out to Him in prayer.

Uzzah, one of the cart drivers, lies dead next to the Ark. What went wrong? This week we see from 2 Samuel 6 how God's king leads us in learning to fear God and praise him together.

We just need to read the news to see that our world and our nation are a mess. If we're honest, our own lives are full of mess too. Is there any real hope amidst all the mess of our fallen world? This week we see from 2 Samuel 2:1-5:5 how we can live with real hope because even in the mess of our broken world, God is faithful to keep his promises through His King.

Saul is dead.  An Amalekite tries to use Saul's death for political gain.  David knowing full well Saul was a bad king also knew the good Saul did.  And David honours and respects Saul, the Lord's Anointed King.