Tuesday, October 23, 2012

That You May Have Certainty

Please read Luke 1:1-4

This link is to an mp3 file of the first in a series of sermons I'm preaching on the Gospel of Luke.

This sermon provides a basic overview of Luke's gospel. I preached it at Emerald Christian Assembly on 27 February 2011.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Bread and Wine

Please read Mark 14:12-31

The Lord's Supper is not as prominent in the thoughts and activities of the evangelical, protestant churches as it once was; or indeed, as it should be. This is a view shared by Kevin DeYoung.

Kevin delivered an engaging message on this subject to the 2012 Desiring God National Conferencecalled Bread and Wine:



We watched this message recently at our regular Sunday-evening gathering and found it to be insightful and encouraging. Hence, I'm recommending it to you.

(You can download the message in video and audio formats at the link above).

Sunday, October 14, 2012

If My Words Abide in You

Please read John 15:1-7

I would like to encourage you to watch, or listen to, this message by John Piper, If My Words Abide in You.



This isn't a regular Piper-style sermon, and the first 20 minutes in particular may leave you a little confused and even overwhelmed.

Persevere. I hope that this message inspires you, as it did me, to commit yourself to a program of bible memorisation.

The file can be watched or listened to at the link above, or downloaded as either a video or an mp3. You can also watch it on YouTube, if you prefer.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Was Christ's Death Necessary for God to Forgive Sins?

I recently heard an mp3 file of sermon delivered in a church in the town that I live in. Within the sermon (not the key point), the preacher said that
the death of Jesus was not neccessary for the forgiveness of sins. God was able to forgive sins in the Old Testament times if the offerings were done the right way. This means that God could forgive sins without the death of Jesus. (NB: This is a summary, not an exact quote)
I was shocked to hear this come from the pulpit of an apparently Christian, protestant church. You may not have even come across the notion that the death of Christ was not necessary for God to forgive us our sins - I hadn't. Here are some verses to read that demonstrate that the Old Testament offerings didn't take away sin (but only pointed towards Christ), and that Jesus' death was the only way that God could reconcile sinners to himself:
  • Hebrews 9:23-26
  • Hebrews 10:1-4
  • Romans 3:21-26
  • Matthew 26:39
  • Luke 24:25-27