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In-person worship services will resume on Sunday 8th November. Our online services will also be continuing.

Lust: Adultery in the Heart (Matthew 5:27-32)

Sunday 25/10/2020

You’ve probably heard someone claim, “Jesus hardly said anything about…” and then name something about human sexuality. Usually, that means people distrust what God has said about sexuality and intimate relationships. So, people reject it, ‘God can’t tell me what to do or who to love!’ And we can have questions about where relationships and sexuality fits in God’s world. It’s all around us and hard-wired into us. But have we got the idea that God is only interested in our spiritual life, but not our relationships? We might think, “It’s just not that important to God.” If we think Jesus doesn’t say much about sexuality, we need to listen again to Matthew 5:27-32! Jesus says so much in just these few words! We need to accept it. So, what does Jesus say and how should that shape our thinking about intimacy and relationships?

Jesus Exposes Lust as Adultery (v27-28)
Heeds Jesus’ Drastic Warning (v29-30)
Honour Marriage Like Jesus (v31-32)

Video Playlist (with songs)

Video (Sermon only)

Audio

*Sermons can be downloaded by clicking on the three dots at top right.

Download the Kids’ Activity Sheets

Please let us know that you’re joining us for church online today

Other Resources

Unity: An Essential Mark of the Local Church by Josh Buice
Let Your Dream Church Die by Scott Hubbard
Ten Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day from John Piper at Desiring God
Matthew with Douglas Sean O’Donnell on Help Me Teach the Bible with Nancy Guthrie

Anger: Murder in the Heart (Matthew 5:21-26)

Sunday 18/10/2020

Jesus said that He didn’t come to do away with the Law but to fulfil it (v16-20). And here, Jesus exposes the depth of God’s Law. We might think of the Law as a list of things to do or not do, but Jesus shows us that it is about what we love and hate: He says, “²¹‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Jesus Exposes Murder in the Heart (v21-22)
So Jesus Urges Resolving Anger (v23-26)

Video Playlist (with songs)

Video (Sermon only)

Audio

*Sermons can be downloaded by clicking on the three dots at top right.

Download the Kids’ Sheets

Please let us know that you’re joining us for church online today

Other Resources

Unity: An Essential Mark of the Local Church by Josh Buice
Let Your Dream Church Die by Scott Hubbard
Ten Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day from John Piper at Desiring God
Matthew with Douglas Sean O’Donnell on Help Me Teach the Bible with Nancy Guthrie

The Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17-20)

Sunday 11/10/2020

What do you think about the Old Testament? Do you think of yourself as more of a New Testament believer? Do you think the NT is more about grace, and the OT is more about rules? And isn’t Christianity all about love, not law?

Well, Jesus did speak a lot about love. In fact, later in this chapter, He summarises the Law by quoting two statements from the Old Testament about love:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all you soul, and all your mind, and your strength,” and “You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself,” (22:37, 39). That’s a description of total obedience, stated in terms of love.

Jesus tells us that our failure to obey the Law is a failure to love. We must love to keep the Law. But His demand that we love does not replace the requirement to keep the Law. Obedience to the Law is how we love God and love our neighbours. So, it’s wrong to set the Law against love and say that love wins. Love is keeping the Law.

In Jesus’ day, it was expected not that the Messiah would abolish the Law but that He would add to it. But here, Jesus tells us He didn’t come to do that either. Matthew shows us:

Jesus Fulfils the Old Testament (v17)
Jesus Upholds the Old Testament (v18-19)
Jesus Requires and Gives a Greater Righteousness (v20)

Video Playlist (with songs)

Video (Sermon only)

Audio

*Sermons can be downloaded by clicking on the three dots at top right.

Download the Kids’ Sheets

Please let us know that you’re joining us for church online today

Other Resources

Unity: An Essential Mark of the Local Church by Josh Buice
Let Your Dream Church Die by Scott Hubbard
Ten Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day from John Piper at Desiring God
Matthew with Douglas Sean O’Donnell on Help Me Teach the Bible with Nancy Guthrie

Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16)

Sunday 04/10/2020

There is a word which strikes fear in many an Aussie, especially when there’s a recession: It’s ‘redundancy’.

I’ve been unemployed, but never made redundant. But it happens. Companies restructure, processes are automated, and jobs go overseas. And the job that used to be there is gone.

Do you feel like a redundant Christian? You know the Great Commission Jesus gave to His Church, to go and make disciples, baptising them and teaching everything that He commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20). But there are people who do that for a job. And we don’t feel like we have the skills for it anyway. So, aren’t we redundant?

Jesus answers this question in the Sermon on the Mount. He began by describing Christians, as mourning, dependent, self-sacrificing, and persecuted (5:1-12). Now He turns our attention to what Christians must do. Jesus is adamant: There are no redundant Christians. Although we are saved by grace through faith, not by works, there are good works for us to do.

If you are one of Jesus’ followers, you must do good works to oppose and expose sin so that others glorify God.