Tivoli Christian Reformed Church: Recent Episodes
Tivoli Christian Reformed Church
Salvation belongs to our God! – a sermon on Jonah 2:1-3:3a by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The book of Jonah is a journey through the life of a prophet, but is also very much a description of the grace and mercy of a compassionate God. God is merciful to the people of Nineveh and sends Jonah […]
A glorious vision of Christ – a sermon on Revelation 1v1-20 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. It’s a bit cold at night at the moment, but if you were to go out tonight when it’s nice and dark and you look up at the sky, you’ll see something amazing – the heavenly expanse that the Lord […]
Press on in His strength – a sermon on Philippians 3:12-16 by Rev. Craig van Echten. Brothers and sisters, Many of you have probably heard of the book: ‘Pilgrims progress’ by John Bunyan. It’s a classic allegory of the Christian life. And boys and girls you might remember one portion of it when Christian was […]
If the Lord wills – a sermon on James 4:13-17 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Every day across the world, people make plans. Politicians try to win our hearts and votes with their plans for the ward or the city or the state or the country. CEO’s or general managers and their boards meet to discuss […]
Good disciples of Christ as ready and faithful slaves – a sermon by Rev. Colin Pretorius on Romans 6:15-23 and Luke 12:35-48. The two passages we read this morning tell us about being followers of Jesus. Paul writes about becoming and being slaves of God. Luke, on the other hand, tells us about what being […]
Love each other because Christ lives in you – a sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. 1 Corinthians 13 is often used as a wedding text; perhaps some of you may even had this as your wedding text. It’s about love after all, and it sounds good at a wedding, right, when […]
Forgive as the Lord forgave you – a sermon on Matthew 18:21-35 by Rev Colin Pretorius. All of us have at times been hurt. We’ve all had someone break our heart by doing something very hurtful – it may have been a girlfriend or a husband, a friend or a colleague or a brother or […]
Facing the trial of temptation – a sermon on James 1:13-15 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. “The Devil made me do it!” That was Eve’s excuse! She may have called him the serpent, that’s really what she said…. The devil made me do it! He was the one who deceived me and I ate! Even at […]
God with us – a sermon on Genesis 39 by Rev. Andrew de Vries and read by Br. Richard de Vries. Where is the LORD when I need him most? It’s the question that many of us ask when we face adversity. When you’re suffering from a depression so deep and dark that you feel […]
Divine instruction for living in a world of evil – a sermon on James 1:19-21 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. When I did a speed-reading course many years ago, the instructor explained to us that people on average read at about 300 words per minute. That’s fast enough to be able to read through a normal […]
Do we have Emmaus hearts? – a sermon on Luke 24:13-35 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it – it is 20/20 vision, as the saying goes. That’s particularly true when we look back some 2000 years. We can clearly see that Good Friday was followed by Easter Sunday. Jesus died […]
The assurance from Jesus on the cross – a sermon on John 19:30 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In the late 1800’s Howard Kelly was a young medical student. He loved nature and frequently went out for long walks. One day when he was out walking, he stopped at a farmhouse to ask for a glass of […]
Tame that tongue! – a sermon on James 3:1-12 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. About 15 years ago, large parts of Victoria were ravaged by intense bushfires. In Australia’s all-time worst bushfire disaster, 173 people died and more than 400 were injured. In Kinglake, which was the most severely affected area, the fire was started by […]
Dare to be a Daniel and stand up for your King – a sermon on Daniel 1 by Reverend Colin Pretorius Introduction. Sue was a young believer who worked at a company that distributed medicines. During the Covid pandemic, she had the important job of making sure no vaccines were sent out if they hadn’t […]
Fan into flame the gift of God that is in you – a sermon on 2 Timothy 1:1-7 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. One of the highest ranking television shows in Australia at the moment is “The Good Doctor.” It is about Sean, an autistic doctor who has to get to grips with the difficulties of […]
Give thanks to God, our protector, redeemer, saviour and provider – a sermon on Psalm 107:1-32 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Introduction. 11-and-a-half minutes. If you compare a year to an hour on a clock, that’s how many of the sixty minutes have already zipped by. Almost 20% of the year is gone. Before we know […]
I am the door – a sermon on John 10:1-10 by Rev John Haverland read by Br Andrew Le Breton.
Grace for Sinners – a sermon on Genesis 38 by Rev Andrew de Vries and read by Br Richard de Vries.
The eight beautiful attitudes that go with kingdom living – a sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. We’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past few months listening to what Jesus teaches us about kingdom living. Today we’re going to go back and take an overall look at how these attitudes […]
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven – a sermon on Matthew 5:10 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In the book of Acts we read how the Spirit of God had come upon the followers of Christ at Pentecost and how they started going around proclaiming the […]
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God – a sermon on Matthew 5:9 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. About 2600 years ago, the prophet Jeremiah wrote: They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Not much has changed since that time. Peace […]
Paul’s Prescription for Peace – A sermon on Philippians 4:2-7 by Rev. Colin Pretorius The past year has just rocketed by, hasn’t it! This time last year two girls in our congregation had not yet started their final year at school and now they’re thinking about life after school. Birthdays have come and gone just […]
Jesus us the gift that keeps on giving – A sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. This past Monday was the 179th anniversary of the publication of one of the most famous ghost stories ever written. It’s a story most of us have read or seen on film, but if you hear the […]
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God – A sermon on Matthew 5:8 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The story is told of a pastor who had a strange dream one night, a dream that really opened his eyes. In his dream he could see his own church worship service. It looked […]
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy – A sermon on Matthew 5:7 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. A few months ago we started working our way through the beatitudes. In these kingdom attitudes Jesus tells us what is required of those who wish to enter His kingdom and to live in His kingdom. […]
Praiseworthy providence – a sermon on Genesis 37:12-36 by Rev Andrew de Vries read by Br Richard de Vries.
I am the Light of the World – a sermon on John 8:12 by Rev John Haverland read by Br Andrew le Breton.
Blest Beyond Reason – a sermon on Ephesians 1 written by Rev Peter Smit and read by Br Gary Vowles.
God’s Law and my Neighbour’s Reputation – a sermon on Exodus 20:16 written by Rev John Westendorp and read by Br Brendan Strasser.
Hope for unhappy families – a sermon on Genesis 37:1-11 by Rev Andrew de Vries and read by Br Richard de Vries.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied – A sermon on Matthew 5:6 by Rev. Colin Pretorius, read by Br. Andrew le Breton. I think most of you will have seen the ad on television for the flavoured milk Oak – there’s this guy walking through an amusement […]
Blessed are the meek – A sermon on Matthew 5:5 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. On one side of the court sat one of the most influential men in the world. Ruthless, ambitious, proud and arrogant, he represented all that was powerful. He seemed to have all authority. At the other end stood the accused, a […]
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted – a sermon on Matthew 5:4 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Over the past week or two we’ve probably all been shocked by the disturbing images which have been beamed into our houses of mass graves uncovered at Izium in Ukraine. These graves are said to […]
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven – a sermon on Matthew 5:1-3 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Introduction Pride, passion, pretence, pain, and poverty of spirit. These are the themes of Tolstoy’s novel “Father Sergius.” As a young man Sergius had been very ambitious. He worked his way up through […]
Eight beautiful attitudes that go with kingdom living – a sermon on Matthew 4:23-5:12 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of Jesus’ teaching. If you google it, you’ll find more than 4 million results. But sadly what Jesus teaches in His sermon is probably also the least-obeyed […]
What to do with treasure – a sermon on 2 Corinthians 4 by Rev. Dr. Phillip Scheepers. We are all fascinated by the thought of finding a hidden treasure. Why? I don’t think it is only about the mystery and the thrill of discovery. Deep down we also know that treasure is deeply valuable and […]
Nehemiah 8 -An attitude of worship – A sermon on Nehemiah 8 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Picture it! Judah, about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. The people of Judah have finally run out of chances to be obedient to God. Time and time again the Lord called them to repentance but time and […]
Honourable vessels are useful to the Master – a sermon on 2 Timothy 2:20-26 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. When Leonardo da Vinci was painting The Last Supper, he sought long in the churches of Rome for a model for Jesus. At last he settled on Pietro Bandinelli, a noble young man who was quite lovely […]
Contend for the faith! – a sermon on Jude 3 by Rev Colin Pretorius. In 2009 the priest Patrick Kennedy was sacked from the Catholic Church in Brisbane after 28 years’ service. He wasn’t sacked because of any sexual impropriety – as one would in these times so easily assume – but for his beliefs. […]
Give thanks for the new birth we have received in Christ – a sermon on 1 Peter 1:3-5 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. I don’t know if you’ve ever made an appointment for something but when you arrive there, they’ve got no record of you or your appointment. Or perhaps your doctor tells you she’s sent […]
Remember! – a sermon on 2 Timothy 2:8-13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. There’s a condition that afflicts a large number of people. It’s a condition that affects young people, especially teenagers. It causes them to lose their memory. I mean, how often as a mom or a dad have you had to ask your children […]
Who do you say I am? – a sermon on Mark 8:29a by Rev Ralph Adams. Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. By way of introduction let me say, life can be full of questions… questions like, ”Who will I marry?” ”Where will I live?” ”What job will I find?” These are important questions. They’re […]
Called, beloved and kept – a sermon on Jude 1 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. This morning we turn our attention to the second-last book of the Bible. It’s only a short letter – just 25 verses – but it is a letter that gives us much encouragement, instruction and assurance. And today we’re going to […]
Gods People are Devoted – a sermon on Acts 2:42-47 prepared by Rev Colin Pretorius and read by Br Gary Vowles.
Give thanks to God for His love endures forever – a sermon on Psalm 136 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. There’s a saying that says you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from. Perhaps that’s why tracing one’s family tree is such a popular hobby. But it’s not just for […]
Praise the Lord! – a sermon on Psalm 135 by Rev. Colin Pretorius A minister had been serving in a small church for some years and, as it happens, some of the times were good and others a bit less good. But he enjoyed his time in that congregation and as far as he knew, […]
Friends or Enemies of God? – a sermon on James 4:4-6 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. As of a few weeks ago, we have a new government. No, don’t worry, I’m not going to preach politics or talk about the good or not-so good of the various political parties! But those of us who have the […]
Jesus bids us shine – a sermon on Matthew 5:14-16 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In the heart of the business district of Dallas, Texas, there’s a unique but slightly weird-looking building. If you look at this grey-white concrete structure that stands about 28m high, it doesn’t really look like much. I mean, those spirally things […]
Looking for wisdom – a sermon on James 1:5-8 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. If you start reading through the book of James you realise very quickly that it’s an extremely practical book. It’s a book that gives us as Christians real-world guidance in how to live our everyday lives. It’s very much a book of […]
There have been many times over the past two years when we couldn’t get together in the hall after church for a cuppa or a chat. We couldn’t enjoy that bonding as fellow believers of being able to have a bit more in-depth chat about what God has done in our lives or perhaps about […]
His mother treasured all these things in her heart – a sermon on Luke 2:51b by Rev. Ralph Adams. Today is Mother’s Day. Today is that perfect opportunity, once again, to pause for a moment and consider our Mothers, past and present and the impact they have had in our lives. 1. A MOTHER’S INESTIMABLE […]
The Bread of Life – a sermon on John 6:25-59, read by Br. Andrew le Breton. It has been said that “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. The truth of that probably depends on how much a man loves his food, and how good a cook his wife is! The expression […]
Respect the Name – a sermon on the third commandment by Rev. Andrew de Vries, read by Br Richard de Vries. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit sensitive about names. I cringe when I’m at school assemblies and the teachers completely mispronounce the names of the students. I remember being in school […]
In Christ all shall be made alive – a sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:1-22 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Leonid Brezhnev ruled Russia from 1963 to 1982. He imprisoned priests and believers and closed churches. In both public and in private, he and his wife Viktoria were examples of communist atheists. Faith in God was nowhere […]
Reconciled through Christ! – A sermon on Romans 5:1-11 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. (Reading Mark 15:21-41) I’m not a big fan of shopping centres at the best of times, with people milling about and canned music being piped through overhead speakers. And at times like Easter or Christmas it is even worse, isn’t it! It […]
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – A sermon on Luke 19:38 by Rev. Ralph Adams. Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ… Today is Palm Sunday! One week from Easter. Today we remember Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem. You may recall when I last preached from Luke 19, I […]
Serve the Lord without reservation, without retreating and without regret – a sermon on 2 Timothy 4:9-22 by Rev Colin Pretorius. It has become fairly common today for children to be given big gifts when they turn 18 or when they finish school. Some might even get a new car. But very few would get […]
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus – a sermon on Romans 8:1 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. In all of our lives there come certain moments that change everything. Sometimes these events occur on a global scale, like the Covid pandemic. Sometimes they’re on a regional scale, such as […]
I must stay at your house today – a sermon on Luke 19:5 by Rev. Ralph Adams. As we meet up with Jesus in our passage this morning, He is on a journey. His journey began back at chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel, soon after His ‘Transfiguration’ on Mount Hermon. This was just one week […]
Remain firm and wait on the Lord, for He will rescue us – a sermon on 2 Timothy 3:1-13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. One day a young boy came home from school very excited. He’d taken his normal lunch to school but there one of his friends had introduced him to the wonder of a […]
The Lord’s my shining light – a sermon on Psalm 27 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. For the past two years most of us have been on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster because of things like lockdowns and other restrictions. And during the past week concerns about the possible consequences of the Russian attack on […]
Why should you come to church? – a sermon on Hebrews 10:19-25 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Before emigrating to Australia, Maggie and I attended a church where it was common for the church to be very empty during school holidays. I’m not talking about people who were away on holidays. No, many people didn’t come […]
His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor – a sermon on Isaiah 9:1-7 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. I don’t know if any of you follow soccer at all – or as some prefer to call it, football. In Australia we have the Socceroos and the Matildas, and even if they’re not half bad, they just […]
The Power of God’s Word – a sermon on Hebrews 4:12-13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. During the 1500’s, a great awakening took place in Europe, an awakening that would bring spiritual enlightenment and a movement back to the fundamental truths and teachings of God’s Word. We’ve come to know this period as “the Reformation” – […]
Learning to Truly Forgive – a sermon prepared by Rev. Peter Abetz on Matthew 18:15-35 read by Br Brendan Strasser.
Christ: the Only Way – a sermon by John Haverland on John 14:1-14 read by Br Andrew Le Breton.
Where is He that is born King of the Jews? – a sermon on Matthew 2:1-11 by Rev Bill Wiersma
Worshipping the True God Correctly – a sermon written by Rev Andrew de Vries and read by Br Richard de Vries on Exodus 20:4-6.
First things first – a sermon on Exodus 20 verse 3 by Rev Andrew de Vries and read by Br Richard de Vries
God’s marvelous electing love – a sermon on Malachi 1:1-5 by Rev. Ralph Adams. Malachi was the last of God’s inspired prophets in the O.T. We know little about him except that his name means, “My (i.e. God’s) messenger.” He was the last prophet to be heard in Judah until John the Baptist “came… preaching […]
Look and see, wonder, be amazed and wait on the Lord- A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 by Rev. Colin Pretorius Some years ago I told you the story of Robert Thomas, a missionary to what today is South Korea, and I want to open with that story again today. Today South Korea is a beacon […]
Praise the Lord, O my soul! – a sermon on psalm 103 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Have you ever been disappointed in God? That’s a situation many people find themselves in today. In his book “Disappointment with God” the author Philip Yancey speaks of the many letters that he’s received from people who express their […]
The good hand of God – a sermon on Nehemiah 2:1-8 by Rev. Craig van Echten. Brothers and sisters, Why doesn’t God answer our prayers? Have you ever wondered about that? Do you sometimes wonder if God is listening? And if your prayers are hitting the ceiling? There are many reasons for unanswered prayer. One […]
Warning against worldliness – a sermon on James 4:1-12 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. When persecution of Christians started with the death of Stephen, many believers fled to the same cities to where Jews had been scattered some 600-700 years earlier. But these believers soon found themselves face to face with adversity and trials of every kind, […]
The blood of the covenant – a sermon on Hebrews 9:8-28 by Rev. Ralph Adams. Text: Heb. 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. […]
Christ is supreme! – A sermon on Colossians 1:15-23 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Between May and October 1893, the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America was celebrated at what came to be known as the Chicago World’s Fair. It was a huge event, with more people attending than are currently living […]
Faith that works – a sermon on James 2:14-26 by Rev Colin Pretorius. I don’t know if you know the name Philippe Petit, otherwise known as the “the man who walked between the Towers.” In 1974, while the Twin Tower buildings in New York were still being constructed, he walked on a steel cable strung […]
So just who is Jesus to you? – a sermon on Luke 19:28-40 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. A hundred-and-twenty five years ago Nicholas II was crowned as the last emperor or Tsar of Russia. The festivities ran for weeks, with thousands upon thousands of people crushed together to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. […]
The whisper of God’s love – a sermon on Ruth 1-4 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. The theme this morning is “The whisper of God’s love” Earlier in August and September we looked at the book of Ruth, and we saw how the story behind the book is the story of how God was working not […]
God redeems His people – a sermon on Ruth 4 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Let’s start with a brief recap of the story so far. A famine in Judah causes Elimelech and his family to seek greener pastures in Moab. There he and his two sons die, leaving Naomi with just her two Moabite daughters-in-law. […]
Redemption is at hand! – a sermon on Ruth 3 by Rev. Colin Pretorius The bitter widow Naomi has returned to Bethlehem from Moab, bringing Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, with her. Ruth has accepted Israel’s covenant God as her God, and she’s supported Naomi by collecting left-overs in the barley and wheat harvests. She’s been […]
From famine to fullness: The God of all circumstances – a sermon on Ruth 2 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Before we look at Ruth chapter 2, let’s briefly recap the story so far. In the dark days of the Judges, the Lord sent a famine over Judah, and Elimelech, the man from Bethlehem, sought out […]
The Caring, Saving and Sovereign God – a sermon on Ruth 2 by Rev. Colin Pretorius. Sally was a young Christian girl and, like many young girls, she dreamt of meeting the right guy and getting married. She had a lot of plans and dreams, which included becoming a pianist. When she met Harry at […]
Irresistible grace – the I of TULIP – a sermon on John 6:44 by Rev. Ralph Adams. Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the title of my sermon this morning is ‘Irresistible Grace’… the ‘I’ of TULIP. Speaking of this, some detractors have said that we Calvinists tie salvation up into too neat and logical […]