Letters
2 Tim 3:14 - 4:5 - Why Read The Bible
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
I wonder how many of you are old enough to remember a TV show called the Greatest American Hero. It was about an ordinary guy who encounters aliens, who’ve decided that earth’s in such a bad way it needs saving. So they give him a belt that gives him super powers. They also give him a set of instructions for using the belt but somehow he manages to lose them; and so he blunders from one adventure to another, never really working out how to control these new super powers. I mention that because it’s something of a parable of many Christians who’ve received the gift of the Holy Spirit, have been brought into the people of God, but they don’t really know how to live from then on, because they’ve forgotten to read the instruction manual. It’s not that they’ve lost the instructions but they’ve never stopped to read the details. In some cases they’ve never had their own copy of the instructions or the one they have isn’t readable because it’s in such old fashioned language. So, let me ask you,
Does it matter if I read my Bible regularly?
Rom 1:7-16 - Thanks and Prayers
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Thanks and Prayers audio (6MB)
Rom 1:7-16
One of the great things about Paul is the way he lets us in on his prayer life. This would have been a great encouragement to his readers but it also provides an excellent example for us. I mentioned last week what a great example Paul is for us and it’s true again here this week.
So what I’d like us to do as we look at this short passage is to think about how our behaviour could be changed to imitate that of Paul. First we hear how he prays and then he tells us why he wants to come to meet them in Rome.
We saw last week how he begins by wishing them God’s grace and peace, but then he goes on to say:
I Thank God for you
Now he hasn’t met these people. He wasn’t involved in their conversion. But he thanks God through Jesus Christ for each one of them. The fact that they’ve responded to the gospel is the source of much rejoicing for him – as it is for the angels in heaven you may remember. And his joy is even greater:
Rom 1:1-7 - Good News
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Good News audio (6MB)
Rom 1:1-7
Today we start a new series following the letter of Paul to the Romans, written, we think, during that 3 months he was waiting in Corinth for the weather to improve.
So let’s start with the opening few verses.
He begins with the standard opening formula of most Greek letters of the time. But unlike those this introduction isn’t independent of the main points of the letter. In fact as we’ll see in a moment the introduction is a bit like the overture to an opera or the opening movement of a symphony – introducing the main themes of what’s to come.
Remember that he’s writing here to a church that’s never met him, to people who don’t know him. So he provides an extended introduction where he describes himself and his message in a good amount of detail.
In fact it’s important to think about the terms he uses as he begins his letter. Let’s look at them.
2 Cor 3 & 4 Letters and Clay Jars
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Farewell Sermon Letters and Clay Jars audio (6MB)
2 Cor 3:1-7; 4:1-16
Paul was clearly having problems with the church at Corinth. You can see from his opening sentence in this chapter that he was under criticism. They thought he was always promoting himself and wasn’t nearly as good as he thought he was. They’d clearly forgotten that he’d spent 18 months of his life teaching them and building them up.
So how does he respond?
He says, he doesn’t need to commend himself because he has them as his letter of commendation. Their spiritual maturity, that they’re so proud of, is his CV. He says they’re a letter prepared by him and the other apostles, but written with the Spirit of the living God.
1 Cor 3:1-17 - Building God’s Church
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Building God’s Church audio (3MB)
1 Cor 3:1-17
Well it’s great to celebrate two years in this great building, to see how well it’s been used over that time and how well the congregation has grown. But perhaps a day like this is an opportunity for us to stop and think about what sort of church we’re building and how to make it stronger. In the passage we’re looking at today Paul uses the image of a building to describe the Church. In fact he uses three different metaphors to teach the Corinthians what it takes to build a healthy church. So let’s look at the passage and see what we can learn for ourselves.
He begins by pointing out that no matter how mature they thought they were, their actions actually showed the opposite. They thought they were filled with the Spirit and so were mature Christians but what he sees is quarrelling and jealousy.
