(SERMON) Matthew 2.1-12 The Magi and Mission: Being Stars to Lead All Nations to Christ

 Matthew's Gospel starts with the Nations coming to worship Jesus as the New King and ends with the Great Commission calling us to bring Jesus to the Nations. As Christians we must understand that God's vision is to see all nations gathered in worship and joy around Jesus. This happens when the church keeps its focus on the local area, its own nation, and the world.

Lord willing I will be going to Japan with OMF later in 2022 to take part in missionary work, church planting, and training ministers. This sermon outlines the great need for the gospel in Japan and invites us all to participate in what God is doing in Japan through prayer, support, and even going ourselves.

The sermon ends with some words of challenge and encouragement from Geoff Bland who was a missionary in Thailand for many years.

Revd Adam Young · Matthew 2.1-12 The Magi and Mission: Being Stars to Lead All Nations to Christ

(SERMON) Matthew 22.1-14 You're invited: the Invitation to the Feast

In this parable we learn that the call of God, the invitation to an eternal life of joy, feasting, peace, and health goes out to all people.  However, many simply don't care, some are openly hostile, some appear to accept but then don't truly follow through, and a chosen few enter into eternal joy.

This teaching should lead to our lives being marked by two priorities:

1.) The dailing repenting of sin and clothing ourselves in the robe of Righteousness Divine -- the robe that Jesus alone can give us.
2.) Doing our part to spread the call and invitation to the Feast to anyone and everyone across the globe.

(SERMON) Matthew 11.25-30 Giving rest and finding rest

Life is exhausting. Between the stresses of the world and life, the pressures we place on ourselves and others force upon us, the weight of shame and guilt from sin and darkness, we all desperately need a holiday.

Jesus says to everyone and anyone "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I WILL give you rest."  He can make this promise because He is Lord of all and He can give us this rest because He died for our sins in our place and rose again.

Once we receive this peace we offer our whole selves to Him and place our lives in His hands.  There we find peace for our souls -- the kind of peace which makes Christians do and survive extraordinary things.

(SERMON) Matthew 25.14-30 The Mission of the Church

The parable of the talents not only contains the words we should most long to hear but also tells us about three grand truths

1.) The nature of true faith
2.) The relationship between Creator and Creation
3.) The mission of the Church and our role in it

(SERMON) Matthew 18.21-35 "Revenge might make a good film, but forgiveness makes the greatest story"

"Revenge might make a good film, but forgiveness makes the greatest story"

Revenge and Forgiveness are key themes in Scripture.  Here Jesus shows us that Christians are to turn the natural way of things upside down and in the place of unlimited vengeance offer unlimited forgiveness.

This isn't easy -- it can even seem impossible.

What we need to have is new hearts; hearts which recognise how much of a debt of sin we owed to God, how great His mercy was in Christ, and  that because we have been so miraculously and undeservedly forgiven we too are moved to forgive.

(SERMON) Matthew 11.16-30 (09/07/2017)

People always find excuses to reject God, God reveals Himself to those like little children but hides from the arrogant, rejecting Him leads to damnation, accepting Him leads to perfect peace and a serene rest such as words cannot describe.

(This is an older sermon from my uploading backlog)

(SERMON) Matthew 15.21-39 Grace and the Outcast

In this remarkable and shocking passage we see Jesus three times demonstrate three great truths:

1.) God extends His grace to all kinds of people.

2.) We receive this grace in faith: a true faith of honest humility and deep dependence.

3.) Receiving the grace of God leads to many blessings.

Do our churches share the gospel of God's grace to all communities and "outcasts" around us? Do we have the faith to cling to Christ even when the Throne of Grace is silent to our pleas? Do we who believe live the life of joy and peace that grace gives us through faith?

(SERMON) Matthew 9.27-31

Fulfilling Isaiah 35.5 Jesus heals two blind men who seek after Him and end up cornering Him in His home crying out "Son of David, have mercy".

Do we chase after Jesus till we corner Him?  Do we truly believe He is Messiah who can heal us? As a Church when Jesus asks "Do you believe I can do this?"  Do we boldly respond "Yes, Lord!"

(SERMON) Matthew 13.24-30, 26-43 Deep Teaching in Simple Parables

Jesus' parables are always deceptively simple but once we sit down and reflect on them they teach a whole range of things.  The parable of the Wheat and the Tares is one such parable.  In this short sermon we consider six different teaching that can be drawn from Jesus' words:

1)  Stay vigilant for the enemy comes at night.
2)  Weeds cans look like wheat - evil can look like good and only God can tell them apart for certain.
3) Not everyone is a Child of God instead many are children of the Evil One.
4) The Devil is real and we must arm ourselves to fight him in the spiritual realms.
5) Evil is here to stay in our societies and in our churches - we cannot completely run from it and make perfect communities
6) Hell is real and so is the righteous living for eternity shining with the Glory of God.