Coomera Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Coomera Baptist Church
Life in the wilderness is life in between salvation and consummation. It is life lived between Egypt and the Promised Land. This maps onto our own experience living between redemption from sin and entry into our heavenly Canaan. Life in the wilderness is, of course, not easy. It is full of trials. Israel's danger is also ours, that we might grumble along the way. This week's passage confronts our grumbling and points us to all we need in Christ.
The song Israel sings in Exodus 15 is because of the deliverance God performed in chapter 14. Its the first song of its kind in the Bible, but it is not the last. Christians are, and always have been, a singing people. Singing uniquely enables us to feel deeply the things we know and believe. So we sing of the greatness of God, what he has done for us, and what he will do for us.
Exodus is about getting out of enslavement to sin, and the way out is through the waters of judgement which you can't get through on your own. In the Red Sea crossing, we see how salvation is fully a work of grace and power.
God's leading in our life is always for our good and always for His glory. Though the way may seem unexpected, God sees the bigger picture and so we trust him with His plans of salvation.
As Bob Dylan sang, Youre gonna have to serve somebody. Israel was not merely freed from Egyptian slavery, but for the purpose of serving and worshiping the Lord, whose service is perfect freedom. So that Israel would always remember the Lord and who they are, God graciously gave them ceremonies to perform. In this weeks passage we learn a lot about why we do the things we do when we worship God.
In Exodus 12:29-42 the 10th and climactic plague comes upon the land of Egypt. God is making himself known as the one true God, revealing his glory over Pharaoh and the false gods of Egypt and delivering his people from slavery. But hes doing it through two realities that our culture likes to deny and reject, namely: judgement and death.
The final plague to fall on Egypt is death. In this case, Israel is not inherently safe as they too are sinners. Surprisingly, God offers them safety through a family meal and a slain lamb. There is no richer picture of the gospel in the Old Testament than the Passover meal.
We live in a world full of warnings. It can seem like we cant do anything without a warning about that very thing! In Exodus chapter 11, we receive a warning from God who never lies. It is a warning of final judgment that we must all hear and heed.
Part of knowing God is knowing His judgments. As the plagues continue we see Gods power over human pride, schemes and darkness.
A knowing of God involves a revelation of His power. In this passage, we see Gods power through judgment, His power over creation, and His power to protect.
Since the plagues on Egypt are over and over again called signs, we are invited to look beyond merely the wonder of them, and think carefully about their meaning. Fundamentally, God is making Himself known through His judgement on both Egypt and their gods. He alone is the author and sustainer of life and will one day judge the world in righteousness. Are we ready for that day?
Genealogies can often be skipped instead of studied. Yet with consideration, they show how God outworks His covenant promises through offspring. Though Moses thinks he's unfit for service, God provides him a suitable partner in Aaron to bring God's word to Pharaoh.
Will God come through? Its a question often asked, especially in difficult times. As Moses doubts Gods deliverance of Israel, God delivers a word of assurance to Moses. He reminds him that Hes committed to His plans and His people.
In the book of Exodus, Israel is not simply set free from slavery in Egypt, they're set free for service to God. Despite what culture says, true freedom is not found in a kind of self-autonomous individualism that simply says 'You do you'. That just leads to a different kind of slavery. True freedom is being liberated from slavery to sin to serve the only master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.
Moses continues to give objections to obeying Gods call to go back to Egypt and set the people free. His objections only get worse as he focuses on his own inabilities. God never tries to change his perception of his insufficiency, but rather displays his sufficiency for Moses. What Moses needed, and what we always need, is a greater vision of the power and glory of God.
In Exodus 3 God makes himself known to Moses at the burning bush as the great I AM. As the one true God He is free to be who He is and do what He pleases. Who we are, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, is profoundly shaped by the degree to which we know this God.
As the people cry out, God remembers his covenant and takes action to bring the promises to fulfilment. He shows himself to Moses in the burning bush. This outward display of glory will mean judgment for their enemies but salvation for the people of Israel.
God has a plan to deliver his people, but that plan requires preparation. In Gods providence, Moses was being prepared in ways that would serve Gods purposes. Before he led his people out of Egypt, he first experiences the journey himself.
What hope do we have in living the Christian life faithfully? Is it all on God or all on us? Todays passage encourages us by Gods faithfulness to complete His sanctifying work in us. It also shows us the means of grace through which this is accomplished.
In a world with death, loss and grief are never a matter of if, only a matter of when. But Paul says that for the Christian who has lost loves ones who died trusting in Christ, hope gets mingled with grief because of the resurrection and return of Jesus. As Christians we grieve, but we grieve with great hope.
What ambitions do you have for your life? What principles help guide them? In our passage this week, Paul gives the church ambitions which seem very strange to a hyped-up, loud, self-centered culture: "to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands".
As Paul turns in his letter to the matters of holiness in the church, his first instruction regards sexual immorality. In this week's sermon, we look at seven reasons to abstain from sexual immorality.
The bodily resurrection of Christ is central to Christian belief. You cannot take it out without faith crumbling down. This week we consider six implications if Jesus had not risen from the dead; and the kinds of lives we now live because He did!
In a world of confused intuitions and counterfeitloves, perhaps the most compelling and beautiful thing the local church can do is to simply live like a family that overflows in love for all, especially one another. And for the apostle Paul, holiness is where our love is supposed to lead, and so that should shape how we love now.
Individualism and independence are held up as some of the most important values in our modern world. Over and over, we are told, "You are enough". But are we? Do't we need the help of others? In our passage this week, Paul expresses his own need of the church in Thessalonica and their need of him to fill up what is lacking in their faith. In fact, the whole of the Christian life begins with the acknowledgement that I am not enough but I have a Saviour who is. And that is very good news!
In these verses, the author to the Hebrews tells us that the Christian life is like a life long corporate race, one where all who finish receive the prize. The question is, how are we to keep running it with endurance while not growing weary or faint hearted? This passage tells us how - by laying aside weight and sin and by looking to Jesus.- Will Ross
Opposition in the Christian life can knock us about, but shouldn't knock us out. As we help prepare one another to faithfully follow Jesus, we prepare for difficulty to come our way. This week, we look at the kind of work we can do to help each other stand firm.
How often do you think about the second coming of Jesus? In our passage, Paul asks a profound question worth considering: "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming?" What will that be for you? Paul's answer is surprisingly others-centred and fairly ordinary when he says, "Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy."
If the things we celebrate most are the things we care about most - what should the church celebrate most? It would be easy to celebrate the most trivial things. In our passage this week Paul thanks God for the most important realities we must find in a church - how is the Word of God received? Is it merely the word of men, or actually the Word of God?
What are the marks of a genuine gospel minister? In this passage, Paul presents motivations that are not self-serving, man-pleasing, or glory-seeking. We also see his manner of ministry is both compassionate and compelling.
Encouragement is one of those things in the Christian faith that is hard to have too much of, and we could often use a little more. In this passage, Paul encourages the Church by thanking God for the work that He is doing in them and through them.
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit is not an it or thing for us to use, summon, or control. He is, in fact, the very person of God, giving us life and bringing us into fellowship with our Triune God. This week we look at the many and various ways we get to have fellowship with Him.
Since sin entered the world, there have been really only two religions - that of self-salvation by our own works, and that of the gospel of grace in the Lord Jesus. In Christ we find everything we could ever want or need in a saviour and he is the highest offer of the gospel.
The puritan John Owen wrote, The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to him is not to believe that he loves you.As we continue our series on Walking with God we focus on the Triune shape of our communion with God. So for the Christian, the Father is mediated to us in love. We naturally find this very hard to believe. Satan would have us sceptical of his love and goodness. But as we look at the life of the Trinity, and the work of redemption, we have all the evidence we need of his love.
John Piper says, The kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything on earth, but getting the kingdom, is a happy trade-off.This week we heard a parable of great value, great cost and great joy. Were all going to value something this year, may we learn to treasure the kingdom thats worth any cost.
What does it mean to walk with God? What does it mean to have every day communion with God? Many of us know a lot about how we get saved, but little of the ongoing life with God. In this part 1 of our series, Walking with God we lay the foundations for our communion with God.
In the final sermon in the series, we hear how individual and community responsibility play their roles in helping form one another in the ways of love, desire, sex, and marriage. May this Song of Songs get stuck in our heads, so that it stays lodged in our hearts.
The song of reconciliation in marriage can never be a solo - it must always be a duet. This week we encounter the beauty of exclusive love and commitment, which in turns, points us to the perfect and always reconciling love of God for His people.
The Song of Songs doesnt simply give us an idealistic picture of love, sex and marriage - it also gives us one that is realistic. One thats honest about the reality of sin, selfishness, and conflict, yet drives us to Jesus whose selfless love can save us and transform our marriages in this fallen world.
The day our couple has been longing desperately for has finally arrived - it is their wedding day and night. In these poems, we get a contrasted picture of the world's vision of marriage compared to the joy and purity of God's good design.Apologies, as there is no video this week, only audio.
Much of our culture today says that sex is purely physical and has no inherent meaning in itself. Why then hold back or wait at all? The result is all kinds of pain, destruction, and regret for women, men, and children. The picture of the Song of Songs - of waiting expectantly for covenant marriage - shines such a beautiful light into our dark culture.
This week's passage explores how covenant love fosters significance and security in a relationship. It celebrates affirming and adoring words, whilst praising character qualities of provision and protection. Such love is powerful, and ought to be entered into at the appropriate time.
Song of Songs is a love story that shows the incomparable joy of sexual desire in the covenant of love. It is also one of unquestionable purity and commitment that overcomes temptation and withstands trials. In this first sermon of our series, we see the beauty and power of desire that points us to a love that is out of this world.
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hearing from Matthew Spandler-Davison as he shared with us from Hebrews 12:18-24."Right now, you are either living your life at the foot of Mt Sinai, trying your best to be good enough, to earn your own righteousness; or you are climbing Mt Zion with Jesus, under His grace and mercy. We will all stand before God one day. The question is: will you be at the foot of Sinai condemned by the law, or will you be standing on top of Zion's hill, saved by grace?"As the author of Hebrews seeks to encourage wavering Christians to stay faithful to Jesus, he contrasts the experience of Israel receiving the law at Mt Sinai, with the new covenant Christians receive. The new covenant is a covenant of grace and forgiveness purchased by the blood of Jesus."
Work dominates so much of our lives: our time, our thoughts, our conversations, our future plans, often circulate around our work. Because of this, the Christian must think so carefully about how to act in their work environments and how God uses our work for His purposes.
When it comes to being generous, we can quickly become overwhelmed with all the need around us. Must we settle for a permanent sense of guilt that what we do will never be enough? In this passage, Paul describes the Philippians' generous giving to the work of the gospel as a "fragrant offering... acceptable and pleasing to God." This week, we get to see God's pleasure in our generosity towards the work of the gospel.
So much of the Christian life is about learning to enjoy the gifts that God gives us in the way that God intends. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul writes to instruct the rich on the art of living richly.
Our world teaches that contentment comes with having more. The truth is, in God, we can be content with much less. The road of discontentment is dangerous, but the path of godliness is all together satisfying.
Materialistic greed is in the air we breathe. But, according to Jesus, greed is folly because life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions. Life is found in Him.
If our spiritual life and health were to be judged by how we use our money and possessions, what would it reveal? Christians must know God's design for money and possessions without ripping verses out of context. In this sermon, we trace the theme of wealth and possessions across the Bible to see where we land in salvation history and see God's call on our lives.
The same Spirit that dwelt within Peter and John, dwells within you and I. Every person who calls on Jesus as Lord has received His Spirit - the Spirit of power who dwells within us, empowering and emboldening us to trust and live and speak of Him, even in the face of threat.
In one of the most treasured texts in Scripture, we hear Jesus praying to His Father. A prayer consumed with the glory of God through the Sons work on earth and His future glory in heaven.
In his final words to the disciples on the night before he would be crucified, Jesus offers them peace in a world of troubles. Jesus declares to them that their sorrows will soon turn to joy, they can pray in his name to the Father, and he has overcome the world.
Have you ever considered whether our worship to God is dishonouring? In this passage, the priests and the people are confronted by their half-hearted posture to God. The remedy for correcting worship is to come to terms with the greatness of God, so that our worship reflects honour and holy fear of Him!
100 years on, after returning home from Babylon, Israel find themselves disappointment and disaffected by how things have turned out. It seems to them that God has only been half-hearted towards them, and so in turn, they are half-hearted towards Him. The first thing God says to His people is, "I have loved you". He has loved them by choosing them to be His people.
What does God require of His people when they gather together? And how should the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus shape our gatherings?
The purpose of the book of John is for us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But with many in the story so far not believing, it raises the question of how God will accomplish His plans?As we come into the final week of Jesus' life before His crucifixion, John wants to encourage us that God is still working out His plan. We should not be ashamed of the gospel, but rather live for His glory.
Jesus understood that the way of the cross involved both trouble and triumph. Through death, He would draw all kinds of people to Himself. Following Jesus along the path to glory is more precious than the preservation of our lives in this world.
What should we expect from the Christian life? Christians should expect to live a costly yet rewarding life. Whilst the demands of discipleship are high, the rewards are glorious.
We are thankful to Pastor Jayden O'Donnell from Liberti Church: Mermaid Beach for bringing us God's Word on Sunday:Between the grand heights of the resurrection of Lazarus, and Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, John invites us to dine in Bethany, and witness a remarkable demonstration of devotion. It is here that were challenged confronted, not only with the extravagant lengths that Mary was willing to go to in the service of Jesus, but with the deep-seated, idolatrous recalcitrance of Judas a sobering call to self-reflection is invited. Yet in the midst of reflecting on the vitality of our devotion, Jesus reminds us that were to follow the scent of Marys perfume all the way to the Calvary, where He would lay down his life to take away the sins of the world.
The love of God for us is to reveal His glory whatever the means. In John 11, we see that Jesus does not heal Lazarus, but rather waits two days before returning to raise him from the dead. Suffering isn't meant to bring into question God's love or ability to act; instead it's intended to produce something better - the glory of God. Raising Lazarus from the dead was a sign given so that we may believe Jesus is our only hope of resurrection after death.
The fundamental difference between people is whether they think that Jesus was a man who made himself out to be God; or if they believe He was God who became a man. In this passage, Jesus clearly says that He and the Father are one, and that those who hear His voice will never be snatched from His hand.
Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd, the legitimate ruler. He stands in contrast to the thieves and hired hands, who are focused on self-interest and self-preservation. One, a gain that is not theirs to take; the other, a life they are not willing to lose. Jesus is motivated by self-sacrifice rather than self-preservation. What a true, good, and beautiful Shepherd we have in Jesus.
John 9 is a story about a man in darkness encountering Jesus, the light of the world. He received the miracle of physical sight and also spiritual sight. And yet, this same light that was opening his eyes was blinding those who refused to see Jesus.
In this conversation between Jesus and the crowd, we are given one of the most profound treatments in all the Bible regarding the depths of unbelief and also the astounding claims Jesus made about Himself. How we respond to Jesus' claims will show who our true Father is - the devil or God.
True disciples are those who remain in Jesus' word. They are set free by Jesus from their enslavement to sin. This is true freedom and is only found in following Jesus.
Our passage asks the question, how will we die? We can either remain in darkness and die in our sin; or we can believe that Jesus is who he says he is - the light of the world - and choose to follow Him, receiving light and life.
How are you going to respond to Jesus? It's a question people struggled with during Jesus' ministry on Earth, and it's a question people still grapple with today. In this week's passage, we see Jesus respond to three big questions: Where is He from? Where is He going? Who is He?
Unbelief can come in many forms. Sometimes it looks like trying to manage Jesus, having misconceptions of Him, or misjudging Him. In this passage, Jesus is unmoved by external pressures - rather He confidently and humbly stays the course.
Many people find Jesus' words hard to accept, especially His claim as the only way to eternal life. Some turn from His words, and end up turning from Jesus altogether. True disciples know that Jesus has the words of eternal life, and realise that whilst it may be hard to follow Him, not following Him is infinitely worse.
As Jesus engages with people who continue to reject Him, we may ask: is Jesus is failing in His mission? How can we understand why some loved Christ, whilst others who saw and heard the same things rejected Him? Jesus declares God's sovereignty in salvation, and at the same time, openly invites all to come to Him.
People are seeking Jesus, which we would assume is a good thing. However, there is a way of seeking Him, which is really still seeking ourselves: when Jesus simply becomes a means to another end. We must come to Him as the bread of life, able to satisfy our souls forever.
We were blessed to have Pastor Will from Liberti Church: Mermaid Beach with us on Sunday, preaching from John 6:1-16. Jesus isn't a means to our own ends, but rather, knowing Jesus himself is the goal. In this passage, we see signs so that you may believe Jesus in the Son of God.
We can trust Jesus' word because His word doesn't stand alone. Rather, through personal testimony, public works, and the witness of scripture, we have every reason to trust that Jesus is the Son of God.
In this passage we see that Jesus rightfully claims equality with God by calling God his Father. The Father entrusts the Son with two great works: the ability to grant life to those who believe in Him, both now and when we are raised to eternal life; and the authority to justly raise to judgment those who've rejected Him.
We live in a culture with competing views about Jesus. Is he extremely important, slightly important, or not important at all? Whatever you make of him, Jesus clearly understood himself to be God, and he taught that he came into this world to save people like us from our sin so that something worse than the worst things that might happen to us now, dont happen to us forever.
Jesus is not merely someone we could imitate or a teacher we should respect - he is the Christ and Son of God we are to believe in. Yet John's gospel warns us regularly that some only believe in Jesus for what he will do for us, not for who he is. This story of the Official and his dying son calls us to desire more than only physical healing.
Keeping our minds on mission can be difficult when we get caught up in everyday life. We need to remember to lift our eyes and see that the field is ready for harvest. God's desire is to satisfy the deepest of thirsts. Let us be praying for our lives to be disrupted with opportunities to evangelise.
In our world of competition and self-promotion, it is hard to understand how John the Baptist can respond with joy to the news that people are now going to Jesus instead of him. How can our hearts truly desire that Christ would increase, and we would decrease?
What's involved with becoming a Christian? Is it an adoption of moral values, a participation in religious activity, or does it involve the supernatural work of God? In this week's teaching, Jesus encounters a man who is in need of the essential work of God to change his heart. Whilst we cannot control this 'new birth', we can look to Jesus to bring it about through believing in Him.
Is there a fate worse than death? For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the answer was yes - to disobey God and worship the idol that the king had set up, was worse than death. So, knowing God could save them, but not that he would, they chose faithfulness anyway.
We're spending a couple of weeks in Daniel, before returning to our series in John. This week, we learn that Nebuchadnezzar is a powerful king who can't sleep because he's had a dream where his kingdom falls. Only the one true God can reveal the mysteries of his dream and bring salvation. We, too, must turn from building our own kingdoms (which easily fall) and belong to the eternal kingdom of God.
When Jesus encountered money changers and people selling animals in the temple, he made a whip and drove everyone out. Why? Because a place for the worship of God is not a place for trade or any such trivial things. The honour, the holiness, the glory of God is at stake in our worship.
It is always important to get the full story, and Easter Sunday is the full story of Good Friday. What that means for us who are saved is that our sins are not only forgiven but we are out from under the rule of sin and made alive to Christ. We never have to "go on sinning, that grace may abound."
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person; though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die; but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."
Many religions may make grand claims, but what is their historical foundation? This week we hear from eye-witness accounts in Johns gospel that testify to Jesus being the Christ, the son of God. And when they did encounter Jesus, they went to find others to encounter him also. This is how Christianity spreads: found people find people.
To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is founded on more than just hearsay. It's testified to by a credible eye witness account. We are to listen to the witness - John the Baptist - who invites us to look to the word, Jesus Christ.
Jesus coming changes everything. The grace that he has shown us in becoming human, dying and rising for us has the power to transform every relationship and conversation - its the heartbeat of the church.
If you want to see the glory of God, you need to see the grace of Jesus. For the God whom no-one has seen, has now made Himself known through Jesus becoming human. And in Jesus, we receive an abundance of grace that displays His glory.
There are two - and only two - possible responses to the light of Jesus Christ: either fully reject Him or fully receive Him. To those that receive Him, He gives the highest possible blessing, which is to make them children of God.
For a book written with the explicitly stated purpose, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (Jn. 20:23), the book starts how you might expect. A breathtaking presentation of the pre-existent 'Word' in the first five verses.
As we see in Matthew 2, the reality of Jesus' kingship can either cause great trouble or exceedingly great joy. As Jesus is established as the legitimate King, we're invited to humbly and sacrificially worship Him.
All the foundations for who Jesus is and what He will accomplish in His time on earth are revealed in this short Christmas story. Joseph is an ordinary guy having to navigate extraordinary things: from his pregnant fianc Mary, to a visit from an angel telling him that Jesus will be our Saviour from sin.
We need to be careful not to take anything out of context, as context often gives us the real meaning behind what is happening. It is the same with Christmas. When we seek to know the true meaning of Christmas, the context, it turns out, is the Old Testament. Matthew begins his gospel by summarising the Old Testament family lineage to Jesus and includes in the list, exactly the kinds of people Jesus has come to save.
As Peter draws the letter to a close, he summarises the central message of the book: that humility comes before exaltation; suffering before glory; and that by the grace of God we may stand firm in our faith and resist Satan.
Who should lead the flock of God, and what should that look like? Peter gives instructions for elders to shepherd the church with pure motives and to set a godly example. The response to this leadership is a humble submission that is necessary to navigate life as elect exiles in a hostile world.
What are your expectations of what the Christian life would be like? In this passage, Peter tells Christians not to be surprised when trials and suffering come. We discovered how Christians throughout the world and in history were not surprised, but rather rejoiced when facing persecution for the sake of Christ.
Our discipleship in this world ought to ask the question, "What time is it?" If we want to live as a faithful presence for Jesus in our world, then we need to live in the reality that His return is near. In light of this end, we are to give no more time to sin, but instead give our time to serving others.
We live in a world that is marked by fear right now. It is therefore very easy for the Christian to succumb to fear as we deal with both present and future suffering for holding fast to biblical truths. Into this culture Peter calls us to "have no fear of them, nor be troubled".
In a hostile world filled with opposition, the church is the place to be filled with compassion. There is a tender humble love that characterises the local church to sustain us as we live as elect exiles.
Marriages can be a confusing topic in today's age. How can the Bible help bring clarity to the way husbands and wives relate to one another? And how does this distinct character end up leading us into greater joy and greater witness for the gospel?
In a culture of expressive individualism, the Christian faith is one that is marked by submission to others, even those who mistreat us. In this passage, Peter encourages us to follow the example of the faithful slave, and the example of Jesus Christ himself who suffered for doing good without sinning.
Submitting to authority can be hard for any of us. But it is one way that our good conduct can help point others to Jesus. As servants of Christ, we use our freedom to obey so that God may be honoured.
Everyone's life is built upon something. But not everything builds us up. For the Christian, they are being built into a spiritual house where God dwells. In response to God's grace, they both speak and show His excellencies with their lives.