Easter 2025 Sermon Outline

Readings; 1 Corinth 15:19-26 & Luke 24:1-12

1 Corinthians 15:19-26 “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.”    (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Luke 24:1-12 “But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”    But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.”    (Luke 24:11-12)  

Luke reminds us that the empty tomb was a step too far for the disciples. The empty tomb was too confronting for first century thinking. Still it is the empty tomb that the gospel writers concentrate on.

1]. The empty tomb is a Mystery:

a]. We have no parallel experience in life to compare it with.

Peter returned to the disciples wondering. thaumazo, to wonder. It is a very positive wondering. It is a reaction of trust not an action of unbelief. It is a mystery which does not leave us despairing but wondering.

b]. This passage sees Jesus move from shame to glory.

c]. God has done a New thing.

2]. It  demonstrates that God is in control.

a]. God does what he says he will.

b]. The Spirit blows were he wills.

3]. The empty tomb means that we can meet the risen Christ who is Lord and God. Death could not hold him. life. In saying yes to Jesus God has said yes to you and me.

There are many questions in life that we cannot answer. Life is neither easy nor straightforward. Jesus is risen and so is not locked into any particular time and space. He is available to all. We have an empty tomb, a risen saviour, God who is with us at all times.

A). Are our minds ready for Jesus?

B). Are our spirits ready for Jesus?

C). Are our lives ready for Jesus?

The victory of Easter is never ending. It has substance, it is based in fact and it has changed life.

Sermon outline. 9/2/25

 Reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1Corinth 15:1  Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,

Freud once said, “You cannot live in peace in a house that you think one day will crumble around your ears”

If you believe the world is going from bad to worse then you will never be at peace.

On which you stand? Do you base your life on the message from the media or to you stand on the message from the bible? Serious question.

Take your mind back 30 years.

Paul is recounting a record of eye witness accounts. He believed them so strongly that he was prepared to kill in order to suppress that information.

Now following his encounter with Jesus Paul is an Apostle. The church at Corinth was a result of his message.

His message is quite clear. He is reminding them of the essentials.

1] God is active in ways that we cannot comprehend.

Women accept the practical fact of death! (They attend to the body)

God has altered that! The dead in Christ will rise.for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive 1 Corinth 15:2 (in Chris)

2]. God’s plan is already in place. It includes us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 .

3]. This gives us a future which is not measured in success .

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!. 2 Corinth 5:17

“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail.1  Sam 2:9

A new order is coming.

4]. This means we begin with the understanding that God is already working, we need to help people see first that Jesus is risen and for what purpose. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away> Luke 21:33.

We are called to trust and not to lose hope.

Sermon outline for 2/2/25

Readings Luke 4:20-30. 1 Corinth 13.

Paul’s passage in Corinthians is a favourite reading especially for wedding couples. However Paul is not just writing beautiful prose and that is why the passage ends in a great crescendo with the 3 foundational pillars of the Christian faith. 1Corinth 13:13  And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Faith hope and love.

1]. Faith opens the door to the possibilities of God as He is!

We have no models or instances of God so imagination builds idols. The Father of our Lord Jesus actually reveals himself and makes God’s self known through the dynamic of faith.

The faith needed is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Faith in the sense of trust. “pistis”, from persuasion, i.e. assurance, belief, believe,. Faith is a verb not a noun. having faith brings change.

God calls us to use faith: without faith we miss out on the blessing that God has for us. The first great step of the Christian life is faith.

2] Faith leads us on into hope. Hope gives us confidence in the future and in life. God does not change the circumstances to suit us, but changes us to deal with the circumstances. (He knows best)

 Jesus on the cross has fulfilled all God wants from us.  God has our life in hand because he cares about us

3]. As hope dawns so does love. Love builds our relationships.  Love softens our attitudes towards others as well as ourselves.

Jesus is the one who makes a difference in our lives both as individuals and as a community.  If just for an instant we could see what God has done for us, what opportunity he gives to us how much he longs for us then we would love vigorously. Luke 4:21  Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Here is a choice! So when we use the faith God has given us and we begin to trust him, then life becomes filled with hope and new possibilities, with that confidence we are released to love. As we love we fulfil the life God intended us to live.

Sermon outline for 19/1/25

Readings :Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2v1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

When we studied Genesis it was noted that going East was shorthand for moving away from God. Thus when Matthew reminds us that the wise men come from the east he is telling more than their direction of travel.

Matthew is announcing that with the coming of Jesus the way is now open to return to God. However, they came to worship.

It was Martin Luther who first emphasised the interpretation of the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus.

a}. Gold. Recognises that Jesus is the King. Before all others he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. All will bow before him.

 There is a regal aspect to Jesus that we must not overlook. He is our friend, but he is our king first.

b}. Frankincense.  was a product of Arabia and was used in the worship rituals of many countries including Judaism, It signifies the priestly nature of Jesus. Frankincense signifies a purity before God; We have no tradition of priests, but, priest comes from Latin word Pontus, bridge, providing the link between us and God. Priest stands before God on behalf of the people and before the people on behalf of God.

c}. Myrrh. represents , sorrow and suffering.  It was seen as significant that a symbol of death would be given to one so young. It recognised the path that Jesus was to take; it symbolises for us the role of Saviour.

It is easier to bring our sorrow and suffering to one who has himself suffered.

Jesus is King, Priest and Saviour for each and every person. Sometimes those closest to the event miss who he really is, others from far away by all manner of means recognise him. Each of us need to recognise how we are responding to God’s gift to us, and determining what gift we will give back to him.

Sermon Outline 5/1/25

John 1:1-9 & Ephesians 1:3-14 Sermon outline. 5/1/25

John1V1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John’s Gospel was written so that we might keep on believing as we faced the hardships and disappointments of life.

In the Christmas story there is a drama going on. To put our reading into common language, John says, “Listen. The eternal God has entered the world as a human being”.

Now today we have heard the message again. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5),  “Your God reigns.””    (Isaiah 52:7)

 It means that God is in charge.   

The question is how will we respond?

Jesus came The Logos made flesh. Logos means “the reason why”=  essence of the thing.

  • The reason why creation came into existence!.
  • So that we might see his nature,
  • So that we could see,, that God is true to his word.
  • The unambiguous message of Christmas is that Jesus came and lived among us as one of us.
  • This underlines the message of Hope that surrounds a Living Lord.
  • Faith and hope are God’s gift to us. They come through Jesus.
  • Faith binds us to Jesus Christ.
  • Faith leads us to Hope set confidently into the future Jesus promised. Hope is always the ‘inseparable companion’ of faith. When faith believes God to be true, hope awaits the time when this truth will come to fruition
  • Through faith each one of us finds the path of true life, but it is hope that keeps us on that path.

Jesus’ birth made and continues to make a difference It is not our belief that makes it true. It is true, however, we either gain or lose by how we respond.

The birth of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the Good news about Jesus, the good news that God is at work in our world to give his people purpose and a future in which all can share.

Here is a reality we need to accept afresh every day!

Sermon out line: Advent 3.

Reading Isaiah 12:2-6 & Luke 3:7-18

Luke 3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

When Luke recorded our text for today. “You brood of vipers” it is hardly the way to draw people into your confidence. John the Baptist is using the strongest language, to remind them that they don’t have a leg to stand on, therefore they cannot make any excuses.

Our Advent theme for today is Joy. But before we begin any thought of relationship with God we need to start from the understanding that we have nothing to offer in our relationship with God.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12 2

What will happen in the future? It depends on how you see the future.

In the Greek language there are two words which translate future. One is “ta mellonta”, which is a future that connect the past and the present. But there is a second Greek word for future. Parousia (Arrival of a king) which recognises a future coming from outside our experience.

 So the prophet Isaiah says, “God has become my salvation”.

1]. Since the fall God has planned a future. “Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine,”    (Exodus 19:5)

Like any creator/father, God was not about to abandon his creation.

In the fall, humanity reaped a harvest of eternal death, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Genesis 2:17)

2]. The cross: What did God do, he sent his Son on a rescue mission to re-capture the territory we had lost.

As our text says, “Surely God is my salvation”. Or as Isaiah goes on to prophecy “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

It is the cry of victory, to those who recognise this fact.

3]. God has played his part, Christ has conquered all, now we must play ours “I will trust and not be afraid”. I will look to the future that God has prepared, not to the future that I deserve. I will trust that God will see me through to that day.

Isaiah 12 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” 

Advent 2: Theme Peace.

Sermon Outline:  Readings: Malachi 3:1-4- Luke 3:1-6

Peace is often described as an absence or avoidance of something. The peace that passes understanding begins much further back.

Malachi 3:1-2 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

Malachi’s prophecy comes after the exile and he looks to a reformed future. The challenge in this reading is to leaders. Levi’s descendants became a tribe of priests. They must reflect the purity and godliness of the Covenant Maker.

See I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me,   The message is,“It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts  he will send them a saviour, and will defend and deliver them.”    (Isaiah 19:20)

Malachi says, But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?  This is the meat of the matter. The Lord is coming to cleanse individuals and also society. Can we bear it!  God’s action on our behalf is the essence of our faith.

Malachi’s message works powerfully with our theme of Peace. When the leaders (priests) are refined to God’s standard then they lead the people along the paths of righteousness resulting in a peace which is far-reaching for it results in:-

1. Spiritual Peace (peace with God) Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1. In a right relationship with God we know that we are completely forgiven and accepted.

2. Emotional Peace (peace within ourselves) Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace— in peace because they trust in you. Is 26:3 Once our inner conflicts have been resolved we view the world and everyone in it from a different perspective.

3. Relational Peace (peace with others) “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all”. Romans 12:18. God’s action results in our actions towards others.

“Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you“. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Sermon Outline: Advent 1

Readings:  Jeremiah 33:14-16 Luke 21:25-36

Luke 21v33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”   

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. It is the way the Christian community begins its preparation for the coming of the Saviour.

The theme for this First Sunday of Advent is HOPE!

Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of the last four kings of Judah. It was a terrible time for the Jews and Jerusalem in particular. First they were subject to Assyria who had conquered and exiled the 10 tribes in the south; so the kingdom of Israel was no more. Then Babylon conquered Assyria and Egypt, becoming the dominant power. For a year or so Judah remained independent but finally Jerusalem was captured, the temple destroyed and the king and the elite were exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah spoke from Jerusalem to the people in exile for almost half of his ministry. That gives the context to our reading from Jeremiah. The days are coming when a “righteous branch” will take charge. The promise was that through God the world order would be changed. Luke’s reading holds on to that theme, underlining the promise that God’s word (promise) will not simply pass away but will be fulfilled. Thus both readings focus on hope for the future which comes from God and his word.

When we prepare for Advent through the Hope from God, three things emerge:-

1]. We see the fulfilment of Promise. History shows that the exiles did return. History also shows that Jesus did return as the “righteous branch”,

Christmas is God’s promise. It is part of his plan for humanity. Because of God’s plan every man and woman on earth has the promise potentially fulfilled. Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace— in peace because they trust in you. 4Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 23:3-4)

2}. We see there is power. Jesus came and lived and died. This is the story of the gospel but it was God’s power which called him back to life again. Life in a fuller and more complete way. Jesus came, as the reading from Jeremiah said, to execute justice and righteousness. This doesn’t just happen, it needs a driving power to accomplish anything of that dimension.  God’s yes to the ministry of Jesus was the victory signal that sin and death had been defeated in God. It also means power for us for living in God’s way: A power which makes a difference as we live our lives.

3].  Because of God there is purpose. It is not a one off situation but part of an onward moment. This is the name by which ‘it’, shall be called. (Jeremiah) This is a collective description. It means that we are all included. We all together will be called and in fact are called, the righteousness of God. We have been called to a purpose and that purpose is to be God’s people. To rejoice in who and what we are.

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

Christ the King Sunday

A sermon out line for Sunday Christ the King.  John 18:33-37

Who is Jesus?

This question has been asked for over two Millennia.                John records this very telling conversation between Jesus, about to be crushed and crucified, and Pilate caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Jews had passed Jesus on to the Romans.   Crucifixion brought a final curse.    Pilate’s conversation was unusual but not unique.       Pilate knew he was being manipulated.   A kingdom but not a territory.

What is truth? This is God’s world and God will eventually and inevitably rule. This is Truth.

1. Coming in peace for peace. A kingdom not of this world. A kingdom not run on the worlds values.   We don’t have to prove others wrong to prove that we are right.

2. Coming to conflict. His disciples do not fight yet Jesus brings conflict: Precisely because his kingdom is not determined by the values of this world. Jesus deals with what is real, no half measures and he speaks truth.

3. Coming for salvation. It is a kingdom born to bring salvation. To establish the creation at peace with God and at ease with itself.

1]. Jesus: Never turned anyone away.

2]. Jesus: Never left anyone unchanged.

3]. Jesus: Always called for obedient discipleship

Lectionary for Easter 30 B

Opening sentence. I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and freed me from all my fears. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who take refuge in him.          Psalm 34:4, 8

Collect. O God, light to the blind and joy to the troubled, in your only-begotten Son you have given us a high priest, just and compassionate toward those who groan in oppression and sorrow. Listen to our cry; grant that all may recognise in him the tenderness of your love, and walk in the way that leads towards you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading. Hebrews 7:23-28. From the very beginning of the letter to the Hebrews the emphasis has been that in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. (Hebrews 1:1) Furthermore, this Son is fully human and yet different. Thus in our reading today the writer is reminding us that former priests have each had a limited priesthood due to the fact that they died and their office was continued by someone else. Jesus on the other hand continues for ever because he lives and reigns with God. Being with God means that Jesus is in the perfect place to make intercession for all the people. This does not mean that his life with God is one long session of prayer; rather it is his presence with God as Saviour which once and for all intercedes on our behalf. It is his presence which itself signifies that the interceding of Jesus has been accepted. God sent his Son to bring salvation to all and so now with God the mission has been successfully completed. Those who trust in the sacrifice of Jesus find their sins forgiven and their true relationship with God as Father restored. As Peter declared to Caiaphas, the then high priest, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

The Levitical high priests before making intercessions for the people had to present a sacrifice for themselves for they too had to maintain a relationship with God through sacrifice. Jesus, as the writer is pointing out, had no need to make sacrifice on his own behalf for he himself was blameless before God. Jesus as a perfect high priest made one sacrifice, the sacrifice of himself. This sacrifice once and for all guaranteed that full salvation was available to all who believed. God sent his Son and the Son accomplished God’s purpose and so the perfection of the Son remains forever. “Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities”. (Isaiah53:11)

Prayer. Holy Lord God we bow in reverence and awe that you have sent your Son to be the High Priest who brings an eternal sacrifice that forever links us to you and to your kingdom of peace and joy. Every day we give you thanks and praise for all that you have done for us through Jesus our Saviour. Grant that we may live lives worthy of his name and in word and deed give him honour and praise. This we pray in his name. Amen

Reading. Mark 10:46-52. As we have noted before in these concluding chapters Mark is recording the journey of Jesus to the cross. This is the last healing miracle and so holds much significance. Jesus is at the height of his popularity and crowds are still following him. There is a sense of movement and excitement as the crowd pass by the blind beggar sitting quietly by the roadside. Hearing that Jesus is at the centre of the excitement he shouts to draw attention to himself.

Though a healing of a blind man is recorded in the other synoptic gospels it is only Mark who tells us his name, he is the son of Timaeus and so may have been known to the early church. Thus he is not a nameless beggar but someone who is known. He names Jesus as the “Son of David” and this title has clear implications of the Messiah and also of the coming Kingdom of God, a kingdom that Jesus will usher in with his death. The crowd try to silence him but Bartimaeus is not deterred and Jesus calls him to come near. The mood of the crowd changes and now they encourage him to approach. “So throwing off his cloak” this short statement is very telling. The cloak would have been a most prized possession as it would have shaded him during the day and was essential for him during the cold nights of Palestine. As a blind man once he has lost contact with his cloak it could be gone forever yet due to his urgency to get to Jesus the cloak is forgotten.

Jesus asks him to state what his need is and so publicly he asks to have his sight restored. The way he addresses Jesus is telling for he calls Jesus “my master’ or “my teacher”. This title indicates an on going relationship, he does not simply bring a request for sight but points to an on-going relationship with Jesus. Mark emphasises this point by ending his account by saying that Bartimaeus, “Followed him on the way”.  Mark is showing that Bartimaeus had an insightful perception of who Jesus was and what he could do. Sight was important to him but an ongoing relationship was also important. He did not simply come to Jesus for what he wanted but came also for what Jesus wanted and could provide. Jesus assures him that his faith has provided the answer to his needs and Jesus restores his sight.

As a gospel aimed at encouraging people to have faith, this final healing miracle has many points to make. Jesus though popular and followed by a crowd still had time for an insignificant man begging by the roadside. The crowd first harshly discourage and then change and encourage the blind beggar. The beggar recognised in Jesus the fulfilment of the promise from Hebrew history foretold by the prophets. The confidence that Bartimaeus had in Jesus was vindicated and his sight was restored. Though he is Messiah, Jesus still has time to heal this faithful man. The faith of the man sees him following on as a believer who continues to learn from Jesus. It is the authority and power of Jesus that Mark brings through: He restores Bartimaeus to fully participate in life, perhaps we could even say the Life Eternal and Bartimaeus for his part chooses to follow Jesus ‘on the way’.

Prayer. Lord God, light to the blind and joy to the troubled, in your only-begotten Son you have given us a high priest, just and compassionate, towards those who groan in oppression and sorrow. Listen to our cry; grant that all may recognise in him the tenderness of your love, and walk in the way that leads towards you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. (From United in Worship)

We thank you Gracious Lord that in Jesus Christ all our needs are met. He is the complete sacrifice that draws us into your kingdom. Grant that we may ever walk in his way, trusting in him alone. Grant us the wisdom and insight that we need, to keep our eye on Jesus and continue to learn from him, serving you in obedience. To you be honour and praise, now and forever. Amen

Collect. O God, energy of compassion, we praise you; you found us in rags, and opened our eyes, that we may proclaim the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.