All Nations Presbyterian Church: Morning Sermon Series

Mark 5:21-34 - "Just Believe": Faith in the All-Powerful, Loving, Gracious God

Psalm 41 - God, Be Gracious to Me!

On Sunday morning, we looked at Psalm 41 together. David wrote this psalm while he was unwell with an illness that he might not recover from. He was abandoned by friends and had enemies plotting against him. Even in the midst of his isolation, he cried out to God. He knew God heard him and cared for him. We need to know that whatever happens to us, God loves us. We can bring anything to him in prayer. We can even praise in the middle of dark times. Popularity is not the aim in life; we should expect to be unpopular for our faith. Psalm 41 also pointed to Jesus who was the one truly abandoned by his friends. Jesus trusted his Father even in those times, dying and rising again for those who could not be faithful to him. God is far better to us than we deserve.

Psalm 40 - Rejoicing in the Lord

On Sunday morning, we looked at Psalm 40 together. While it sounds like all was going well for David, it was written in a hard time. When in deep trouble, he reflected on how God had saved him in the past. He recounted God's love for him, and told other people about it. Only then did he cry for God's help, realising that God getting the glory was the ultimate aim. This is a very practical psalm. It is easy for us to wallow in feeling bitter or angry at our circumstances. Yet Christians can always recall God's goodness and faithfulness to us in Jesus. Remembering this will help us approach our prayers in hard times with confidence. God loves us and has shown this to us. Let's be confident in what God will do for us in the future, and be keen to speak to others about what God has done.

Philippians 3:1-11 - "The Confidence that Counts: Losing All to Gain Christ"

Matthew 2:1-12 - Worshipping the King

On Christmas Day, we looked at the account of the magi who came to worship the newborn king Jesus. These odd men had seen a star and come from far away, at great expense in terms of money and time, to honour Jesus. Yet they encountered a local ruler who feared Jesus as a rival and religious people who knew about the Christ yet did not care for him. Jesus is the real king, yet a different king to what many expected. He came to rule everything not only a country, and he came to serve not to be served. We were challenged to consider how we are responding to such a king. Do we see Jesus as worthy of all we have, like the magi? Or is he a rival we'd like to get rid of, or perhaps someone we know of but don't care about? 

Matthew 1:18-25 - He Will Save His People From Their Sins

We looked at the birth of Jesus from Matthew 1 on Sunday morning. From God's perspective, the birth of Jesus is the climax of so many promises and patterns. God brings about the birth of this impossible baby, and all of the details line up with ancient prophecies. From Joseph's perspective, while so much of this was confusing, he trusted God when all seemed difficult and impossible. We're also told the reason for Jesus' coming: to save his people from their sins. Jesus saves us from sin, our biggest problem. And he saves a people, not just you and me. Christmas is a time to consider what matters most. If you're not a Christian, it is a time to consider whether what Jesus claims is true. If you are a Christian, it is time to reflect on God's remarkable gift to people who don't deserve it.

Various Bible texts - Hell

Genesis 6:1-7:5 - Evil and Judgement

On Sunday morning, we looked at the first part of the flood account in Genesis 6 and 7 together. We saw that the world had become a terrible place, with sin not being the exception but what defined everyone. Everyone did what was right to themselves and not to God. God's response was a devastating flood that killed almost everyone. This was the fair response to sin. Sin deserves death; here we see that illustrated. Amid all the destruction we also see hope: Noah and his family were saved by God's design, God's work, and God's grace. This is a small picture of what Jesus has done for us, saving us from terrible destruction to life. Take time this week to confess the sins that deserve such destruction and to thank God for his incredible grace.

Genesis 5 - The Family Line of God's People

On Sunday morning, we looked at the family line of Seth from Genesis 5. We saw that God blessed the line of Seth, with many children and long life spans. We also saw the results of the fall played out with the repeated chorus: "and then he died". Yet this family line was quite different from Cain's in the previous chapter. People were named with God in mind, and their relationship with God was more prominent than their achievements. A highlight was Enoch, who walked with God and did not die. For Enoch, walking with God was the same as living; his life was defined by walking with God. If we believe that God is so important and Jesus is so central, is that reflected in our lives? Take time this week to thank God for Jesus, and to consider whether Jesus is central to how we live and act.

Genesis 4 - Cain: Tragedy and Hope

On Sunday morning, we looked at the account of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4. The birth of these boys was a great act of grace and hope after sin and the curse. Yet it led to tragedy with Cain killing his brother. This was a progression in sin from his parents; God warned him in advance and he did it anyway. He failed to confess and take any responsibility. Cain was both punished and shown grace. His family line went on to great things, but they did not return to God or show any interest in the things of God. This reminded us that achieving great things and having a nice life is not enough. Without God, without a right relationship with the one who made us, it will be hollow and will not satisfy. Take time to thank God for his love even to people like us who do not deserve it.