Viewing entries tagged
Evangelism
When our sins and brokenness made it impossible to come to Him, God came to us in the person of Jesus. This sermon from our Candlelight Carol Service looks at Jesus through the lens of His prophetic name 'Immanuel'. Shedding light on the beautiful truth of the incarnation, you will discover just exactly what it means that Jesus is "God with us".
The risk of not inviting people is greater than the risk of inviting people. We are called to invite others to come and see, yet we can often come up against barriers to inviting people. This sermon explores the 'why' and the 'how' of the best invitation we can give to someone: the opportunity to encounter Jesus and be part of His family, the Church.
This sermon is packed full of insight and inspiration about personal evangelism. Not only will you discover why evangelism is important; as you listen you will be practically equipped to meaningfully share the good news of the gospel with those you know and love, as well as better leverage the opportunities that arise to share Jesus as you go about the daily business of life.
The true measure of what happens in a Sunday morning church service is revealed by what we are doing 24 hours later with what we have learned and experienced. This sermon reminds us that the everyday situations of life, family and work are missional opportunities to share the love, hope and power of Jesus. Where will you be this time tomorrow? And what does God want you to do there?
We can often think that mission is only carried out by experts who travel overseas but Jesus calls us all to be disciple-making disciples. Mission isn't an event or programme - it's a lifestyle that has eternal consequences. Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, we’re on mission. Listen and be reminded that sharing Jesus is the most incredible thing we can do for others.
As Christians we have the most incredible news to tell and yet the crazy thing is that we can sometimes be reticent to tell it. This sermon by guest speaker Gary Gibbs, Director of REACH (Elim's national evangelism and church planting department), reminds us that we can have confidence to go because God is not only for us but also with us and in us wherever we go.
Pretty much every Christian can tell you how to get to heaven; many will struggle, however, to describe heaven. This sermon dispels some of the common myths about what life will be like in heaven by showing what the Bible actually says about it. Listeners will gain a wonderful new appetite for heaven as the biblical truth about God bringing heaven and earth together into the same dimension at the climax of history is explored. Listen and discover the joys and adventures that await the believer on the recreated new earth.
This sobering but highly illuminating sermon sheds light on the biblical doctrine of hell. Highlighting the deficiencies of some of the popular alternatives to hell today, a case is put forth for the historic Christian position on eternal conscious punishment. Christian listeners will bask in the profound and beautiful grace of the cross of Jesus that saves them from hell; they will be inspired to prioritise their lives around proclaiming God's solution to hell. Non-Christian listeners, after learning that there are no second chances after death, will be presented with the most awesome invitation of all: to embrace the only one who can save them from hell and bring them into everlasting life with God in heaven.
At the Great White Throne the unsaved dead of all the ages will receive their final sentence: eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This sermon unpacks what Revelation 20 has to say about this final act of judgement. Unbelievers will be challenged as they listen to ponder just exactly where they will be after death; believers will freshly appreciate the life-changing, eternity-altering work of Jesus to save them from eternal condemnation and be galvanised to share the truth of eternity with others.
One minute after you die you will either be in a state of indescribable joy or unbearable misery. Where and how you end up depends on the investments into eternity that you have made in this life, not least whether you have made Jesus the Saviour and Lord of your life. This eye-opening sermon unpacks what the Bible teaches about the intermediate state (that is, the present heaven and the present hell), as well as the future state which will be ushered in once Christ comes again. Learn what happens to both the believer and the unbeliever at both the point of death and then a moment later.
In 'the parable of the two lost sons' in Luke 15, one son thought he messed up so bad that he was not worthy of the Father's forgiveness; the other son thought he was so good that he had no need of it. Both positions were problematic! And both sons - because of a wrong understanding of their father - ended up in a distant place away from their father - one son physically and geographically, the other son spiritually and emotionally. This Father's Day 2017 sermon is a call to come back home to the place of intimacy with God.
There are people who just cannot get to Jesus on their own. Such was the case with the paralytic of Mark 2. But thankfully he had faithful, faith-filled friends who stopped at nothing to get him to Jesus - and because of them the paralytic received two amazing miracles that day. This message reminds us that all around there are people who are paralysed by the results of sin. They won’t get to Jesus on their own; they need someone to carry them - they need you!
When God sent angelic messengers to sing the first ever Christmas carol and herald the birth of Jesus, He sent them to a group of disenfranchised and despised shepherds. In that one act God was making known some very important truths about Jesus and giving us some wonderful insights into the real meaning of Christmas. This sermon reminds us that no matter who we are God wants to know us; that no matter how dark our situation is God’s light can yet shine. It teaches us that the only way to true peace is through right relationship with Jesus; that the Christmas story demands a personal response from each one of us.
This sermon challenges us to think about what we’re expecting this Christmas. Amidst the celebrations of Christmas the expectation of Jesus can get lost. The incredible birth of Jesus into the world changes what we can expect. The wonder of Christmas means we can expect true transformation, in our hearts and in our lives; we can expect God’s presence, God with us in every area; and we can expect overflowing joy, knowing that we have a Saviour who knows us and loves us.
All too often people skip over the genealogy of Matthew 1 in an effort to get to the action of the Christmas story. But when properly understood, this genealogy beautifully captures the true spirit of Christmas and the heart of God in sending Jesus that very first Christmas. Looking at some unlikely characters such as Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba who one would not normally expect to be in the Messiah's ancestral line, this sermon glories in the amazing grace of God. You will discover that, no matter what your past looks like or what your present feels like, you too can enter into God's family - and your future will be better than anything possibly imagined!
Sharing your story of how you came to know Jesus and the difference He has made in your life flows out of a thankfulness for all He has done in our lives. When we live with an attitude of gratitude we are able to share the good news with others, witnessing to the love and power of Jesus Christ. This first sermon in our 'Thank-full' series will practically equip you to share your story with others and inspire you about the power of your testimony and the impact it can have.
The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead is the ultimate authentication of Jesus’ claim to be God. If Jesus was raised from the dead the implications are immense and a response is required of each one of us.
Drawing on the evidence for the resurrection, this message explores Jesus’ claim to be the Way, the Truth and the Life and also deals with the false logic behind the prevailing view in our culture that all religious paths are equally true.
The Christian hope is not built on the empty promises of a dead religious teacher but on the glorious fact of the resurrection of the Son of God. For those of us who have trusted in Christ, that means we have access to life and freedom on this earth and also a future in heaven that is immeasurably good.
At Easter we celebrate the most momentous event in the history of the world. On Good Friday we remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us, giving His life so that we might live. In this Good Friday message, we look at the events around the crucifixion through the words that were spoken - the cheers, the jeers and the triumph. What will your response to Jesus be this Easter?
Economically, socially and culturally the wise men and the shepherds were total opposites. Their response to the birth of Christ, however, was a shared one: worship. They stand in stark contrast to the religious professionals whom Herod summoned. This latter group is the focus of this sermon: it is possible to know a lot – to be so close to salvation – and still to miss the Christmas message entirely.
This Christmas millions of gifts will be opened. Some won’t fit, some will be the wrong colour, some won’t be what was hoped for, some will need to be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that will never wear out or need replacing, a gift that – regardless of culture, age or gender – meets everyone’s deepest need. This message is about the indescribable gift we have been given in Christ Jesus .
