1 Kings 6
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- Written by: Bill Stewart
Solomon Builds The Temple audio (4MB)
You could be forgiven for thinking that a report of the Building Committee has been substituted for today’s reading by mistake. To most of our ears today's reading from 1 Kings sounds like a technical report; dull and boring for everyone except the people who do that sort of thing for a living. And it's probably the last thing in the Bible you want to hear a sermon about – except perhaps the genealogies: "Abraham was the father of Isaac" and so on. If you are like me, in this area a picture speaks a thousand words, so hear are a few I pictures I prepared earlier. Well actually biblical archaeologists had them prepared but I'll show them to you anyway. The site of Solomon's temple had been successively destroyed and rebuilt so we have no archaeological remains. But based upon the description in the Bible and comparisons with the remains of other temples from the ancient Middle East we can say that it looked something like this (slides not included, see under “Temple” in a Bible dictionary).
1 Kings 3
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- Written by: Bill Stewart
Wisdom for Solomon audio (4MB)
It could almost be an episode of CSI or Law and Order or Bones or some other TV crime drama, couldn’t it? Today's reading has drama; it has suspense; it has a "goodie" and a "baddie" and a cop, or in this case a king, who needs to find out which is which; and of course it has a cute baby and a gruesome plot that includes possibility that cute baby might get cut in half! It is such a dramatic scene it is easy to focus on the maternity dispute between the two women and Solomon's "wise" judgment between them. But that incident is really only an illustration of what God is really saying here. It is easy to overlook the fact that something even more extraordinary happens in the first few verses of the passage. Of course, I'm talking about v. 5: "… the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask what I should give you'." "What I (God) should give you (Solomon)"? All Solomon's birthdays and Christmas had come at once hadn't they! This wasn't just some genie who had popped out of a bottle to give Solomon a never-ending packet of Tim-Tams. This was God, the creator of the universe, asking Solomon what he wanted to be given. I have to think: What would I have asked for? What would you have asked for? Be honest! Who wants to be a millionaire?
Series: 11: 1 Kings
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
1 Kings
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Solomon for King |
1 Kings 2 |
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Wisdom for Solomon |
1 Kings 3 |
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Solomon builds the Temple |
1 Kings 6 |
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The Dedication of the Temple |
1Kings 8 |
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Solomon’s Foolishness |
1 Kings 9:1-9; 11:1-13 |
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The Divided Kingdom |
1 Kings 12 |
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The Good the Bad and the Ugly |
1 Kings 16:8-34 |
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Elijah the Prophet |
1 Kings 17 |
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Elijah’s Mountain Top Experience |
1 Kings 18 |
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Elijah in the pits |
1 Kings 19 |
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The Last Straw |
1 Kings 21 |
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1 Kings 2
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Solomon For King audio (4MB)
You probably heard this week that the Rudd government are delaying the introduction of Carbon trading as a result of the Global Financial Crisis. This is quite an about-face for a government that prided itself on its environmental policy, but of course it was forced on them by external circumstances, wasn’t it? In fact isn’t that always the reason given for a shift of policy that moves from the ideal to the practical? That’s just the nature of politics. Well today we see a similar example of the reality of politics, what a German philosopher of the 19th century called Realpolitik.
David is on his deathbed. He’s lived a long life. He’s seen various ups and downs. And because he’s been king in difficult times he’s had to make various decisions that he wasn’t particularly happy about, but that were necessary to maintain his rule. He’s also made some friends and some enemies. Many of his enemies have been defeated, but there are one or two who for one reason or another are still around. In a couple of cases he’s even had to make a truce with them to ensure peace.
But now as he nears the end of his life he wants to tie up all of these loose ends. The first loose end appears in chapter 1 where the question of the succession arises. Adonijah, one of his older sons decides to jump the gun. He thinks the succession is his by right but he doesn’t want to wait around for David to die and then have to argue his case. So he enlists the help of Abiathar the priest and Joab, the leader of David’s army, to set himself on the throne before any of the other contenders catch on. These two think he’s a good choice. He’s good looking, popular and obviously a good tactician. He makes all the right PR moves. He gets himself chariots and horsemen and an entourage of fifty runners, a rent-a-crowd, to go before him as he goes to make a sacrifice to God in preparation for his coronation. And he invites all his brothers except Solomon to celebrate with him.
Life of Peter 5
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Reformation of Peter audio (4.5MB)
It’s only two weeks ago that we were thinking about Peter’s loss of courage in the presence of a young servant woman. But there’s no hint of it in today’s two passages is there? Peter has been thoroughly transformed by the coming of the Holy Spirit to fill him and empower him. A short time before this he’s stood up before the Jerusalem crowds on the day of Pentecost and explained to them the fact of Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of God’s Holy Spirit to change his people. His words on that day were so convincing that 3000 people became followers of Jesus.On this day he’s on his way with John to pray in the temple when he sees a lame man being carried in to sit by one of the gates of the temple to beg. When the man sees them he calls out to ask for money. Now Peter doesn’t have any money but he says to the man, look here. He wants his full attention because what he’s about to do involves his whole life. He says “I don’t have any money but what I have I will give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”
The Life of Peter 4
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- Written by: Rev John Altmann
John 21: 1-17 (and read also Psalm 40)
Do you remember an incident in the news with Rex Hunt a couple of years ago? (He paid three women for sex while his wife had cancer). Did he deserve another chance? Should she have taken him back again? What do you think?
And what if his wife took him back. Do you think Rex Hunt would be able to forgive himself and accept what his wife had done for him? Or would he think to himself: there's no way I'm good enough for her, I'll just leave and keep on paying other women?
What about a friend at work who stands by and does nothing when you are attacked at work and blamed unfairly for something? What about a friend at school who stands by and doesn't do anything when other kids lie about you, because your friend is afraid of what this powerful group of kids might do to them? Do these “friends” deserve another chance? Or should they be shunned by you forever? If they realize what they've done are they just actually going to avoid you now, because of how ashamed they may feel?
Good Friday Service of Meditations and Prayers
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- Written by: Chris Appleby & Bill Stewart
John 18:1-19:25
Sentence of Scripture:
“He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.” (Isa 53:3-4 NRSV)
Song: Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray, as we come to worship you and to meditate on the saving work of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, that our minds might be lifted above the worries of this world to focus on you; our hearts filled with wonder at your saving grace and forgiveness; and our spirits joined with your Holy Spirit in full commitment to your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: At The Cross
Judas John 18:1-9
"Who are you looking for?" (John 18:4, 7)
Have you ever said to yourself (as I have), if only I could talk with Jesus and walk with Jesus, I would really commit my life to him? If I could just see Jesus face-to-face and hear his teaching in person I would have no doubts about him. If only it was that simple. Judas walked with Jesus. Judas talked with Jesus. And Judas listened to his teaching. Probably for about three years. But still, the Gospels tell us, in the end it was Judas "who betrayed him" (John 18:2, 5). How could someone who had been so close to Jesus – one of his disciples, one of his own followers (6:71; 12:4) – deny him? You really can count on one hand the people who were closer to Jesus than Judas was. And yet from the very first time he is mentioned in John's Gospel he is called Judas "the betrayer" (6:64). Even Hollywood hasn't made that into a movie! For the rest of history he has been the face of treason.
