Daily Archives: February 2, 2009

Sermon: February 1, 2009 – Into His Marvellous Light

Posted on February 2, 2009 | Comments Off

You can click here to go to the Internet Archive page for this sermon, or listen to the sermon using the player below.

DECLARING GOD’S EXCELLENCIES

WHO HAS BROUGHT US INTO HIS MARVELLOUS LIGHT

1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I Introduction

1) Our Missions Conference begins in three weeks. The theme of it is “let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16) and we are looking mainly at home missions – missionary work that takes place in our own city (John Bell), our own province (Open Roads, Kathy Bell …) Our own country (Cherys …).

2) So, for the next three weeks we are going to consider a few texts in the New Testament that deal with the concept of “light”. The danger here is that one of our speakers may speak on one of the same texts. If that happens then take it as a message from God that this is something you really need.

3)Theme of I Peter

The reason Peter wrote this letter was to encourage Christians who are having a rough time because of their faith. So – you are suffering because you are trying to remain faithful to Jesus Christ. What will help you?

It will help you to remember who you are – Continue reading →

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Miracles are Extraordinary – Which Means – Not Ordinary

Posted on February 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

Genesis 17:15-17
15And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Genesis 18:10-12
10The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”

Sarah and Abraham both laugh when they are told that they are to be the two biological parents of the promised child. And when the child is finally born he is called “Laughter”.

The response of Sarah and Abraham is very encouraging. Far too often we have the understanding that visits from God and miracles and great unexplainable things were the common lot of people in the Bible, or at least for the ones we revere as heroes of the faith. This is simply not so.

The prediction that a ninety year old woman is going to have a baby and her one hundred year old husband is going to be the biological father would make anyone laugh. The very thought is incredulous. This is part of the reason the story is in the Bible for us today. It is an amazing event. It was then and it is now.

It is a shame that so many Christians today want to normalize such things and maintain that such occurrences should be the norm of Christian living in the twenty-first century church. They have never been the norm, they were never intended to be the norm and they never will be. God intervenes in the normal way of doing things at times to accomplish His own purposes. This should thrill us. But it should not make us think that we are told these stories to enable us to live on the miraculous plain 24/7.

Be thankful that the great Creator we serve is able to intervene and do marvelous wonders. But don’t go around thinking that miracles are a common everyday event. They would cease to be miracles if that were the case.

The evidence God most uses to demonstrate His presence is the faithful obedient living of His children. Show Jesus today through the power of a holy life.

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