Sermons by Joe Khan (Page 32)
Not just a happy story
As Christians we often face the accusation that our faith is just a happy story that we tell ourselves… a fairytale we tell children… or a happy ending to calm our fear of the afterlife. Basically they say the gospel is a people-pleasing message that placates the Christian masses. Paul was also accused of being a people-pleaser with the gospel he preached in Galatia… accused of preaching salvation by grace alone as a way of getting the Gentiles to…
No Other Gospel
As an Apostle Paul had the unenviable job of planting churches across the Gentile world and having to leave them to on and plant other churches. He would appoint elders and entrust them to the Lord and then just have to pray and hope that they followed in the way of the gospel. So you can imagine Paul’s distress when a report arrived that some of the churches he planted in the province of Galatia had abandoned the gospel and…
They never told you God gives ultimate joy
So many people view the Christian life like they do weight-loss… as a slow and grueling journey of restriction and discomfort based on the premise that if something feels pleasurable or joyful that it probably is sinful and should be avoided. But this morning we are going to hear a song that David wrote which will challenge a preconceived ideas about pleasure and joy. In this song we will see that not only does God want us to experience true…
Easter Sunday: They never told you He conquered our greatest fear
Despite what the surveys say I don’t think that public speaking is the thing we humans fear most… There is something that brings so much fear into our lives that we do anything we can to avoid talking or thinking about it. Death! Death is our greatest fear because there is nothing we can do to stop it and it is the only thing that has the capacity to rob us of a future. Maybe you have heard the Christian…
Good Friday: They never told you He chose suffering
We all suffer… and when we go through the most intense times of trial and pain we can very easily feel alone. We push people away, we dive into depression and we feel that there is no one who understands us and no one who can help us. This feeling we are alone also extends to our relationship with God as in suffering it feels as though God has abandoned us and is either unable to help us or so…
They never told you what God thinks of hypocrites
To be called a hypocrite is one of the most pointed and cutting accusations in our culture! It is to be accused of wearing two faces. The church is no stranger to this accusation, in fact it is one of the most common labelled against Christianity… and not without reason. Unfortunately many people have suffered because a supposed Christian treats them horribly. This has left many in our society with a tainted view of God and the idea that He…
They never told you God wants to set you free
“Christianity is an oppressive draconian regime of rules and restrictions!” This is the impression that so many people have of church. Maybe through an upbringing in a strict home, an education from a church school or media reports about narrow-minded churches you have come to this conclusion yourself – why bother with church when it is just out to brainwash me and trap me in a life of boring compliance to rules? This morning we look at a stunning encounter…
A community being made beautiful
The concept of marriage is common in our culture but often it is understood as merely a sentimental soppy love song style relationship or a cold legal commitment. The Bible’s vision of marriage however is stunningly high and cuts through both sentimentality and legalities. The reason it is so high is because He created it to mirror the thing He is most passionate about – His relationship with His people! As we finish our series on the church we are…
Community that participates in the gospel
Over the last two weeks we have seen what the role of leaders in the church is but this week we move on to look at what the role of every Christian is in the church. What motivates you to come to church services? Is a sense that you are the gatekeeper of how you like things to be? Is it because you want to get something out of the church? Are you just floating about trying to find something…
Gospel saturated leadership
Last week we saw that God’s plan for the church was for elders to be the leading group. This was because they were the ones who pointed the sheep to their great shepherd Jesus. This week we see what the life of one of these elders needs to look like and how a church should treat them. As we seek to be a church that amplifies the gospel it is vital that our leadership is saturated with the gospel and…