Good Friday 2011
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
1 The Fear of God - Keep away audio (7MB)
To truly understand the events of Good Friday we need to delve deep into the history of Israel. So let me take you back to Mt Sinai, in the first few weeks of the Exodus, the journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land. [Bible Reading: Exo 19:16-21]
As the Israelites look up at Mt Sinai, cloaked in clouds, with thunder and lightning cracking around the peaks, accompanied by a loud trumpet call, they’re reminded of the nature of God, the fear of God.
Fear of God is something we struggle with in the 21st century. We’re so steeped in the concept of a loving God who cares for his people that we forget that that same God is a God to be feared. And I do mean afraid in the sense of terrified.
The people come out to the edge of the mountain and we’re told there’s a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. They don’t actually need to have Moses tell them to stay clear of the mountain. In fact they tell Moses, we don’t need to come up with you. You just go on your own and speak on our behalf and then tell us what God says. We’ll take your word for it.
Sex, Lies and Videotape (Revelation 17-19)
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- Written by: Adam Cetrangolo
Sex, Lies and Videotape: The Real Deal audio (5MB)
[Begin with latest Crown Casino Advertisement, http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/22809362]
What you have just seen is the most recent television advertisement for Crown Casino. It is the only one I could get a hold of for today and in some ways it is tamer than some of its predecessors. But what it does depict is Crown as a place of glamour and excitement … A world of entertainment!
Last month an Australian magazine printed the following comments regarding gambling in Australia:
• On average a person with a gambling problem loses about $12,000 a year, and even non-regular gamblers lose roughly $600 a year.
• There are estimated to be over 300,000 problem gamblers in Australia and for every problem gambler there are five people affected by their addiction. That's 1.5 million Australians.
Rev 14-16
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Eternal Gospel audio (4MB)
What is the gospel? Is it really good news, or is it something more? The answer to that question is important because if we get it wrong it’ll affect two things: the message we give people who don’t yet know Jesus, and more importantly whether we think it matters whether they hear about him in the first place.
But before we examine that question let’s look at how our passage begins.
It’d be easy after the horrifying pictures of chs 12 & 13 to be discouraged. Here are the Dragon and the two beasts making war on the church, seducing national leadership, fooling the religious by their counterfeit miracles, binding people in an economic straitjacket and it seems that they’re invincible.
But suddenly the scene changes again. God takes John’s eyes away from the problems of life on earth by giving him a short glimpse into the reality of life in heaven.
The Devil Exposed
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- Written by: Heather Cetrangelo
Revelation 12-13 audio (5MB)
We’re going to start with a questionnaire this morning. I want us all to think about how we would answer these statements, as true or false? (This is only for private reflection, not to share)
1. I believe that Jesus has saved me from being lost and without hope. (TRUE/FALSE)
2. I live my life in such a way that others around me know I believe this. (TRUE/FALSE)
3. I regularly tell people how Jesus has changed my life. (TRUE/FALSE)
4. Every day I ask God, ‘who do you want me to talk to about you today?’ (TRUE/FALSE)
5. I have to be involved in at least one outreach group to feel like I am part of the church community. (TRUE/FALSE)
6. I believe in Satan. (TRUE/FALSE)
‘Do you believe in Satan?’
I can remember being asked this question, years ago, in my first year at uni. A friend of mine whose name was Belinda, asked me this question. I proudly responded, ‘I believe in God.’
And she said, yeah I know but, ‘Do you believe Satan exists?’
I Talk Back to the Devil: Don't Worry
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- Written by: Garrett Edwards
Matt 6:19-21; 25-33 audio (4MB)
By Garrett Edwards
When I was thinking about the new series, we’d embark on in the Youth Services this year, I was reading, in my devotions a book called, ‘I talk back to the devil’ by a dude named A W. Tozer. And I thought; why not go with this, this is filled with fantastic reminders, great insights to what it means to follow Jesus by ‘talking back to the devil’.
And for this week, the title was originally, ‘Running with Jesus’. That was until I told a friend and he burst out laughing telling me about a Christian fitness regime called, ‘Fit for a King’. And later I found out that there was a Christian Aerobics video back in the 80’s called ‘Firm Believer.’
So at the risk of sounding like CLAY was starting up a track and field program called ‘Running for Jesus’, I thought I’d change it to something fairly obvious, but right on the money, ‘Don’t Worry.’
Rev 8-11
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Trumpets of Chaos & Destruction audio (6MB)
Do you feel secure? What sort of thing shakes your sense of security? What do you think of when you see reports of disasters like the earthquakes we’ve just seen in New Zealand and Japan? Or the civil uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya? What does it make you think of? Do you worry about your own security here in Australia? Or friends who may be living somewhere equally unsafe? Or does it make you realise your own mortality, your own frailty before the power of nature, your own dependence on God if you’re to survive in this world? Was this God’s work or just a random event of nature? If it is God at work, what is he doing? What’s he trying to achieve?
As we’ve read through Revelation thus far we’ve seen the 7 seals being opened and now the final seal is broken - and suddenly there’s silence. We’re left in suspense. What does the scroll say? What is this message that’s been sealed up until the last day? Do the things that have happened as each seal has been slit constitute the contents of the scroll, or is there more?
The Rich Young Man
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- Written by: Heather Cetrangelo
The Rich Young Man audio (11MB)
For those who don’t know me, I’m the Children and Families Minister at St Thomas. I’ve been a part of this church for just over a year now and I really really love it (most of the time). Most of you know that, when I’m not here, teaching kids the actions to new songs, or getting glitter all over me, or debating theology with Chris, or causing a stir at staff meetings … I spend a day a week being a completely different version of me, as a volunteer lawyer at a Christian outreach centre.
When people first come to see a lawyer, especially at the place where I work, things in their life are usually pretty complicated. Because lawyers are a bit like pest controllers .. in that, you really never want to call one until you absolutely have to. And people will often put off getting legal advice until the issue that they’re faced with has become so catastrophic that they actually have no choice.
So usually when people first walk in, emotions are high. People are often quite anxious about seeing me and when they first start talking it’s like they’re just vomiting all over the office.
I work with a lawyer called Mike and he’s excellent and very experienced. And the first thing he always says to clients when they walk in …. As they’re just about to open their mouths … he says, “just one moment … what I’d like you to do as best you can, is to tell me in ten words or less, what the problem is …”
That can actually be really hard to do. Especially when a problem is years in the making … when relationships breakdown, the issues can be hard to identify.
I mean, imagine that I’m not a Christian and I don’t understand what the word ‘sin’ means, because I’ve never heard of that concept before … or even if I have, it’s never been explained to me … could you in ten words or less, explain to me why Jesus came into the world … I mean, in ten words or less, what’s the problem that makes him so important?
What’s the problem?
