The Centre Dural Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Centre
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Murray & Mitch journey through The Interpreter's House in The Pilgrim's Progress as they chat about the unfurling revelation of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives, in reading the scriptures, and within a community of believers.
They also unpack how a wholistic understanding of soteriology or the "theology of salvation" goes beyond solely the cross and speak on the role the church community play in the process of sanctification.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray reflect on the more specific ways our culture can look to legality and civility instead of Jesus to secure "the good life". They explore the character of Good-will who guards the narrow gate and unpack the ways in which he presents the relationship between justification and sanctification.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Your boys are back!
Mitch & Murray share what their own favourite novels were growing up, explore spiritual practices that all of us can engage in at times that we feel a bit "Pliable" or "Obstinate" in our faith walk, and reflect on how the Parable of the Sower can act as a key to unlocking Mark's Gospel in a new way.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural Welcome to The Centre! We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world. Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching. Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need. Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/ Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/ Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/ Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's Video created by Go Chatter Studios
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Kid's video created by
www.gochatterstudios.org
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to DAY 42 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Hebrews 4:14-5:9
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honour on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
6 And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
Welcome to DAY 41 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Mark 15:33-47
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
Welcome to DAY 40 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 13:1-15
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
Welcome to DAY 39 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 26:14-25
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to DAY 38 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 13:21-38
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
Welcome to DAY 37 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 12:1-11
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we accept the invitation of Christ and the Holy Spirit
For All who are thirsty to “Come!” and drink from the river of life.
For All who are hungry to Come and eat from the Tree of Life
And For All who are saved to Come and worship at the Throne of Jesus Christ who promises us “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Yes! Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Lord Jesus
Amen
Welcome to DAY 36 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to now to release any fear, shame or doubt and relinquish it to Christ on the cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were
“It is finished!”.
This week’s breath prayer is
At the cross… It is finished!
This prayer is not just for us, feel free to also use it as a declaration over a loved one who may need this prayer of intercession in their current season of life.
Use your rhythm of breathing to help you pray:
Breathe in slowly and deeply as you receive God’s forgiveness through Christ…
Breathe out slowly and completely as you release your sins…
On your next in breath pray, “At the cross…”
And as you breathe out pray, “It is finished…”
At the Cross… It is finished
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 21:1-11
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Welcome to DAY 35 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 14:6-14
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 34 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 6:22-29
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
Jesus the Bread of Life
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 33 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 6:16-21
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 32 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 3:31-36
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads chat about the theology of spoken word in scripture, strategies for employing the spiritual discipline of the Examen in our own lives, and as promised, Mitch graces us with some insights into into Graeco-Roman firefighting techniques.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to DAY 31 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 3:16-21
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 30 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 3:7-15
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 29 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to pause, to quiet our mind, and to reflect on God’s presence with us right now
This week’s breath prayer comes from Psalm 46:10-11
“The LORD says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God… Selah’”
It’s believed the Hebrew word “Selah” was a musical instruction to pause and reflect on a truth which had just been spoken. As we breathe this prayer let us simplify it each time on the in breath and then reflect on the outbreath with “Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I am God”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know that I AM”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still and know”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be still”
And breathe out
“Selah”
As you breathe in Pray
“Be”
And breathe out
“Selah”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 3:1-8
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we pray
That God will bless you and protect you;
That God’s face will radiate with joy because of you;
That God will be gracious to you, show you his favour towards you,
and give you his peace.’
Amen
Welcome to DAY 28 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 12:44-50
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
Welcome to DAY 27 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 10:22-30
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[b]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
Welcome to DAY 26 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 8:51-59
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
Welcome to DAY 25 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 8:31-42
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[a]”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would[b] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
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Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
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Welcome to DAY 24 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 8:21-30
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys explore the reason for Isaiah's calling differing from all the other prophetic books, the Catholic worldview of of venial and mortal sin, and the multiple ways in which breath prayers and circle prayers can bring vitality to our own prayer lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to DAY 23 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath as we are filled with God’s peace and rest in the stillness. This week’s breath prayer comes from Mark 4:39 when amidst a stormy sea, buffeted by the waves and wind, Jesus speaks with authority into the chaos and commands the storm “Peace, Be Still”
On your in breath pray “Peace” and once your lungs are completely filled with air hold your breath for a few seconds before praying on the out breathe “Be Still”
“Peace”
hold
“Be Still”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 8:1-11
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Thank Pappa God for his eternal love
Thank Jesus Christ for his sacrificial love
And thank the Holy Spirt for his inspiring love
Amen
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 11:1-45
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Welcome to DAY 21 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 7:40-52
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders
45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Welcome to DAY 20 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 7:1-30
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go to the festival. I am not[b] going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.
Jesus Teaches at the Festival
14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
Division Over Who Jesus Is
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Welcome to DAY 19 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 5:31-47
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Welcome to DAY 18 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 5:17-30
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Murray and Mitch delve deeper into the importance of radical honesty in a church community.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to DAY 17 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 5:1-16
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Murray explores how a radical honesty with others through both our guilt and grief and lead to a more humble, intimate, Christ-like community. He unpacks the practices of both confession and lament and reflects on how all of us can help foster a more radically honest church.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to DAY 16 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, let’s take a moment to notice our breath and rest in the silence as we invite the Holy Spirit once again to form us into a closer likeness of Jesus.
As you breathe in, pray “More of Christ”,
As you breathe out, pray “Less of Me”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 4:43-54
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we
Surrender our bodies to the Holy Spirt
Surrender our hearts to Christ
And surrender our souls to our Heavenly Father
Amen
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 4:5-42
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Welcome to DAY 14 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from John 15:9-17
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
Welcome to DAY 13 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Mark 12:28-34
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
Welcome to DAY 12 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Luke 11:14-23
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
START
14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armour in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
Welcome to DAY 11 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 5:17-19
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
Welcome to DAY 10 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 18:21-35
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray delve deeper into the theology of lament, using the Psalter as a tool in worship, and how to grow in greater patience.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to DAY 9 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
This week’s breath prayer is based on Matthew 21:9
“Jesus was in the centre of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of
David!’”
As you breathe in, pray “Jesus”,
As you breathe out, pray “Be the centre”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Luke 4:24-30
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[a] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we are
Led by the Spirit
Fed by the Word
and Inherit the Father’s Kingdom on Earth
Amen
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
John 9:1-41
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Welcome to Day 7 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Stop, and breathe deeply
As you breathe in, pray “Speak Lord”,
As you breathe out, pray “Your servant is listening”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Luke 15:1-32
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we thank the
Holy Spirit for this revelation
Jesus Christ for his invitation
and Father God for His good creation
Welcome to Day 6 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
As you breathe in, pray “Speak Lord”,
As you breathe out, pray “Your servant is listening”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 21:33-46
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we thank the
Holy Spirit for this revelation
Jesus Christ for his invitation
and Father God for His good creation
Welcome to Day 5 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
As you breathe in, pray “Speak Lord”,
As you breathe out, pray “Your servant is listening”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Luke 16:19-31
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we thank the
Holy Spirit for this revelation
Jesus Christ for his invitation
and Father God for His good creation
Welcome to Day 4 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
As you breathe in, pray “Speak Lord”,
As you breathe out, pray “Your servant is listening”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 20:17-28
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we thank the
Holy Spirit for this revelation
Jesus Christ for his invitation
and Father God for His good creation
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
Welcome to Day 3 of the Lent Lectio Divina series
Throughout these 6 weeks we will pause each day for a few moments to
Read a passage of scripture, Reflect on what God is saying to us through it, and Ask the Holy Spirit to help us as we step into the invitation this passage offers us
Before we begin this reading, take a moment to notice your breath and rest in the silence as we centre our heart, mind, body, and spirit on the presence of God.
As you breathe in, pray “Speak Lord”,
As you breathe out, pray “Your servant is listening”
Today’s Bible Reading comes from Matthew 23:1-12
As we read this passage now, be listening for one word or phrase the Holy Spirit highlights to you.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
What is one word or phrase the Holy Spirit impressed on you in that reading?
Take a moment to MEDITATE on this.
As we move into our second reading, consider how this passage relates to a current area of your life
RE-READ PASSAGE 2ND TIME
What specific situation in your life does this passage relate to today?
Take a moment now to PRAY about this
As we move into our final reading, consider what God is saying to you personally today from this passage.
RE-READ PASSAGE 3RD TIME
What is Christ’s personal invitation to you from this passage today?
Take a moment now to CONTEMPLATE this
Let us take this time now into the coming day as we thank the
Holy Spirit for this revelation
Jesus Christ for his invitation
and Father God for His good creation
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray chat about the relationships of doves, water, and the Holy Spirit from Genesis to Revelation. They identify some of the poetic chiasmus (a symmetrical literary structure which points us towards the centre of the narrative) found in the Noah story and explore some ancient understandings and interpretations of the Spirit of God.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
_____
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
_____
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
so this morning's message was born out of being incredibly bored, waiting for Rachel's operation at Hornsby Hospital.
So this is what happens when you're sitting in the cafe of the the. Yeah, hospital cafeteria is I start to go on searches and today and the topic that I want to search on was the connection between Noah's flood and Jesus baptism and the Holy Spirit and just for a bit of just for fun, how that connects him with the book of Revelation.
Now, I've heard whispers. I know that people here want me to do a series on the book of revelation, and I haven't felt that calling yet. But today. Today you'll get a little sampler, of what I guess I'm teaching on revelation. Now, if that all sounds very confusing, I have a little diagram on the screen about what we're going to be looking at, and so you can just read that there to kind of get your head around everything.
But hopefully I do my job properly and teach this in a way that's clear to you. So it's not super overwhelming. So you can see how Noah's flood and the the spirit hovering over the waters and how the dove that Noah released, how that connects in with the baptism of Jesus in cleansing us, how it connects in with the book of revelation, in the theme of Noah's flood and God overcoming evil to bring about good and a new creation, and then landing the sermon on one Peter, and those words that that Peter gave, which are exhortation to the church.
Now one of the things we have Noah's flood is that it shares with a lot of other ancient cultures. The story of this idea of a global catastrophic flood, it's really quite profound that if you look at Babylonian literature, in some Chinese literature, kind of literature, we see that this idea of a catastrophic global flood is just universal across human history.
It's been passed down, I guess, from the sons of Noah. But if you compare, the Genesis flood compared to, say, the Babylonian, story in the Babylonian story, the reason for the flood wasn't because of the sinfulness of humanity. It's also because humans were too loud and the gods just want to shut them up. So they send this flood to wipe them out.
But here in the Genesis creation narrative, the flood at its core is because of sin. Sin has defiled God's holy, holy world, and he needs to eradicate that to bring about new creation. There is this diagram here on the screen. It's probably really, really helpful to understand. Now we have to remember the Bible is not a modern scientific textbook.
The ancients saw the world very, very differently, if you see on that diagram there. So on the on the second day of creation talks about God separating the waters. You might remember that you got the parting of the waters for the water in the sky and in the sea. And so the ancients had this view like in that diagram there of a dime.
And so if you got chaotic waters, God has separated those waters. And kind of in this space here there is live. How you can translate that word is the waters above the firmament, windows of heaven and the waters below. And so what's happening in the flood of Noah is that God is taking away the barrier separating chaos, as it says in Genesis 711, in the 600 years of Noah's life, on the 17th day of the second month, on that day, all the springs of the great day, so you can see it there, the waters below and the flood gates of heavens were open that firmament.
So basically how the ancients understood as God accredit this, this dome. And now he's taken away the protection upon that and chaos comes in. This is what it causes. The catastrophic nature of the flood. And so now the world is back in its pre creation, full. And we know that the devastation of flood, we think back to tarry a few weeks ago.
Now you saw the footage on the news. We see the destruction of landslides. We know that floods are not something that good. And if we just look at our world, we actually say that the world is held on by a fine tooth comb. I think it's what I love about how the ancients saw the world was that God had just separated the waters from the waters as a space.
That's this tiny little space that can so easily fall apart, even though we don't see the world as it. So when I say it's not scientifically accurate, I think it's a helpful reminder. The world is held on by this fine tooth comb. Essentially, it's just God's grace as we know the end of the story with the sign of the rainbow.
It's not because humans are righteous or are. It's because of God's grace and mercy that the world can continue on. Now, one of the interesting parallels between Noah's flood and creation is the use of the word ruach. Does anyone remember? We learned the word ruach back in our first session together with Ezekiel. So anyone remember what Ruach means?
So I want to be brave and call out what it means spirit. And what else can it mean? What's another word? Wind. Yeah. So spirit and wind. Now we have to remember in English we make, the trans like us make an interpretive decision because the word is just. We walk though the Spirit of God hovering over the waters.
That's just ruach. The wind that blows over the waters on the flood narrative. That's also rock. That's right there on the screen there. And so what we're supposed to do is we're supposed to read the flood narrative. I think, wow, it's really because of God's grace and mercy that we are able to be here today, that that creation continue news on, but also meant to be reminded of the creation narrative.
Just as God separated the waters from the waters to create life, he can take that away and bring the world back to its pre creation form. So now with the flood over, essentially re separating the waters from the waters, life can continue and life is this precious, precious gift and sort of tying in there is the idea of the walk, the spirit just as the spirit was there at creation.
The spirit is there at Noah's flood. And then obviously from Genesis chapter eight, from 22, we're told that Noah builds an altar to the Lord, takes the clay, animals sacrifice him. The Lord smells the pleasing aroma. Which which is a fun little fact is that Noah is Newark means comfort, the pleasing aroma is tying off that riffing of Noah's name.
Noah brings comfort to the curse ground. He brings that comfort by his obedience in building an ark and by offering the sacrifice. And then as we wait on there, never again will I curse the ground, because the humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood, and never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
As long as the earth endures seed time and harvest cold and hate, and summer and winter, day and night will never cease. That's of the 10,000 faith summary of Noah's Flood. I said before that the spirit is intersecting in that. Just highlighting. Back to that creation narrative of the waters of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters.
Now, this is where we kind of get a little bit deeper into the idea of God's Spirit and Jesus. In Genesis chapter six, verse four. So we know about the the sinfulness of humans, but in Genesis six four, and I would advise you to listen, to bear to better. And I would go into this a lot deeper than I am now.
But notice what it says in Genesis six. Is that God's kind of describing, well, you know, this thing, the state of humanity, we're told here, my spirit will not contend with humans forever. Can we guess what word that is? Haber Rock? Yeah. My spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal. There's a bit of debate about this there that I will be 120, and so I won't go into that now.
But the purpose of out this morning, part of the flood narrative is the sinfulness of humanity. And part of that curse, God saying, My spirit, my rock, my breath will not be with people forever. Now, as part of this preparing for Pentecost, maybe we should call it prepared for Pentecost. Now, Pentecost is over has been to kind of teach us that in order to have life, we need the spirit.
Just like in Ezekiel's valley of dry bones, it's the spirit who blows into these dead bones to give life. So now here's part of the curse of of Noah's flood is God's removing his spirits from people because of their wickedness. And I've got there just another psalm just to remind us of that when it says when you hide your face, they are terrified.
When you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. When you send your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the ground. So if you kind of lost track of where I'm going with this, the idea is that God takes the world back to its pre creation form. Just as the spirit was hovering over the waters.
So the rock is hovering over the face of the waters and Noah's flood. Part of the reason for the flood is sinfulness. And part of the curse of that is God removing his spirit from people. That makes sense. I say some thumbs up, say some not. Okay, we'll continue now, after all that, when we're in a, you know, a biblical storm, we get to Jesus.
When we get to Jesus baptism, we have a stack of different images that are going on. But there's there's one thing that every single gospel author does is recounts the moment that when Jesus coming out of the waters that should be up there on the screen, what are we told at the moment? When Jesus was baptized, he went out of the water.
At that moment, heaven was open and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him in Mark, just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the spirit descending on him like a dove. Again in Luke heaven was open. Then the Holy Spirit descended on him bodily in a body, in bodily form, like a dove.
And then in John I saw the spirit come down from heaven as the dove, and remain on him. We kind of get the pen. And I've said this before, when, when a biblical author wants to repeat something, and when something so important he repeats it. And so the fact that all four gospels recount that at the moment of Jesus baptism, the spirit comes down like, dove.
Yeah. I've just spent a whole lot of time talking about Noah's flood. There's a really important animal in that flood. Can anyone think of what that animal is? The dove. Okay, you see where I'm getting with this? So a lot of scholars here have noticed that, the moment of Jesus baptism, it's meant to allude us back to Noah's flood.
That's. Oh, wait, read all that out there. But it's actually. And this will be another been to conversation. So if you now listen to this interests you, I recommend it because there's some cool stuff about The Raven and the dove. But just to say briefly, the dove comes back with an olive branch. Now, this is also quite fascinating is that olive branches produce olive oil, and olive oil is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
But there's some cool little facts there. And if you think Mitch is kind of making this stuff up, where are you getting this from? This has been the interpretation of the early church. This is really the days of Jesus. And I have a great quote up here from Cyril of Jerusalem, who is probably my favorite early church father.
And he says he some say that just as salvation came in the time of Noah by the wood and the water, and there was the beginning of a new creation. And as the dove came back to Noah in the evening with an olive branch, so they say, the Holy Spirit came down on the true Noah. The author of the new creation.
When the spiritual dove came down on him in his baptism, to show that who that he he it is who, by the wood of the cross confers salvation on believers, and who towards the evening by his death gave the world the grace of salvation, summarized that early church sure, Noah's Ark and the wood being what they call a typology, a type.
So make that represented something deeper. The ark represented the cross of what Jesus would accomplish, just as the dove came out with new life with the branch. So Jesus, by being baptized and having the spirit come upon him like a dove, gives us new creation. There are all just these wonderful images coming together. This is what just excites me so much.
And this is why it's very dangerous to be left alone in a hospital cafeteria, bored out of my brains, because this is where we head down. But it's probably okay. It's some Old Testament stuff. Let's just reread our passage from one Peter again, just to remind us. So Peter here is writing to Christians, probably Gentile Christians, who are being persecuted.
And so here he is, is just reminding him of the importance of baptism and what that means for Jesus and, for that, for their lives, as followers of Jesus. So he says, if the cross also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God, he was put to death in the body, but made alive in the spirit.
After being made alive, he went down and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits. And if you want to learn about me, more about that. Listen to banter to those who were disobedient long ago, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built in only a few people ate and all was saved, through water.
And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also, not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clean conscience towards God. It says he, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was gone into heaven. And as a God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him. What Peter does is he's taking a really common Jewish understanding was that Noah's life and Noah's flood is the model for the faithful, righteous believer waiting for God's judgment on the wicked and to come through that.
But we know in the book of Genesis, but there's other writings that the Book of Enoch and other Jewish writings which describe Noah as preaching for for that time, as he was building up preaching to a generation that wouldn't listen to him. And so the Jews saw themselves as like, we need to be like Noah, remain faithful, just keep on persevering.
They might not be writing about that. We may not see the judgment that that God has promised, but we need to just keep on building the ark, so to speak. Remain faithful. And Peter's tapping into that imagery, encouraging Christians, hey, be like Noah. Remember that that flood, that now is the reminder of baptism, that baptism that you went in the water that you've just identified yourself with Jesus.
Jesus is alive by the spirit. Jesus who now gives the spirit to you. That's what you need to do. Be like Noah, keep on persevering. And there is one book in Scripture which really draws upon this. Can you guess what's his book of revelation here? We got we got here finally. And so this comes from an author called Richard Balcombe.
If you're interested. His book is called The Theology of the Book of Revelation. And so here in revelation chapter 11, which is there on the screen, this is this is the song of the 24 elders. Now, revelation 11 is a really simple passage which no one has ever thought about. There's been no conflict about it. It's really simple.
We're introduced to the idea of two witnesses who preach and shoot fire from their mouths, and after preaching and proclaiming they killed and off the three and a half days they resurrected, there's this big earthquake in the city of Jerusalem. And then after that, we're told that the seventh trumpet is blown. Now, in revelation, we've got seven seals, seven trumpets, seven balls, the seventh one of each of those.
Something climactic happens. And so here with the, seventh trumpet blowing, blowing in revelation 11, we're told that 25 to say the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever. And they bow down. They begin to praise God, and then his praise with these words which are up here on the screen, which says, we give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is, who was because you've taken your great power and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead and for rewarding your servants, the prophets, and your people who Revere your name, both great and small, and for destroying those who destroy the earth. Now on this earth, that just seems like, I guess, any kind of normal hymn of praise given to God.
This is one of the great things about living in the 21st century, but access to the best scholarship in the world. And Richard Balcombe, he is not going to say that ending process and for destroying those who destroy the earth. In his commentary, he's like, oh, hang on, that destroying, destroying, going to destroy both them. And yeah, yeah, that reminds us a lot of Genesis chapter six.
And so while Greek and Hebrew, obviously very different languages in in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, that's so that, that, that construction, that sentence I'm surely going to destroy. But, oh, can I go back? So. Oh, thanks. Okay. Yep. And for destroying those who destroy the Earth. The construction of that is really similar in the Greek version of Genesis.
And so remember how that whole Noah's flood is a type of Christians to to persevere, to be like Noah, to be like, no, don't give up. Don't give up. Just keep persevering just like Noah, because judgment will come and God will save and deliver you from that. That's what's happening here. John is echoing the flood judgment as a pattern for final judgment for us, actually.
Okay, go to the next slide. I didn't realize there it is, just right there. I didn't realize I had it there. There's a wonderful pattern there. John's echoing the flood judgment. He's reminding Christians who are suffering, who are being persecuted. God is going to destroy the destroyers. God is going to wipe away these enemies. You need to persevere.
So. So in Genesis six, God destroys the earth because of humanity's wickedness. His spirit won't contend with people. Now, through Christ, God's Spirit will contend with people forever. So in in the covenant with Noah, we the sign of the rainbow. In the Hebrew language, there's no word for rainbow. Like we have an English. It's just an ashes by.
And so if you have a short a bow, you know, you shoot the up like that. And so if you imagine the rainbow so like that and an arrow sticking to it, it's like God's placed almost like a self curse upon himself. The the imaginary, the imaginary arrow from the bow is pointing up to heaven in that promise to never destroy the world again.
There is grace, there is mercy, and that's revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ. And going back to creation, Noah's flood. The sea represented evil. It's no accident that in revelation 13 or which is ripping off Daniel chapter seven, the sea is the place where the beast comes from. The sea is the place of evil, chaos, the sea is the source of the beast, the dragon, the harlot, or all these horrible, terrible evils in the world.
God promised he'd never destroy the world again. You know what revelation 21 one says, when there's a new heavens on us, something is missing. And what's that, friends? Now see? Exactly. That's the point. Is that the seas full of able, the seas full of chaos. God's going to remove that, friends, be like Noah. And I'll quote Balcomb. Just from some of his commentary here.
He says the judgment of the old creation and the inauguration of the new is not so much a second flood as the final removal of the threat of another flood, a new creation. God makes his creation eternally secure from any threat of destructive evil. In this way, revelation portrays God as faithful to know, covenant, and indeed surpassing. In in his faithfulness to his creation, first by destroying the destroyers of the earth.
Finally, by taking creation beyond the threat of evil, then I'll be sitting there completely bamboozling God. I have no idea what you've just been talking about, Mitch. I've got now a summary there on the screen. There you go. I can have a grade of that. And just to process that. So going right back to creation, the Spirit of God, the rock hovers over the waters with the flood we have.
The spirit is withdrawn from people. The Ruach blows over the waters. Judgment through the water. The dove returns an olive leaf, symbolizing new life. We get with Jesus. The spirit descends on Jesus like a dove, and Jesus is in the Jordan River. Alluding back to the flood narrative in revelation 1118, God promises to destroy the destroyers of the earth.
Just meant to remind us, That's what he did in Genesis chapter six. He's going to do it again and then finish up in revelation 21 one. The sea is no more, no more chaos, no more evil, and no more destruction. Let's give you some tools to walk away with that this week. This comes from an article I found really helpful by Katie Massa, a New Testament scholar.
It's called In the Days of Noah. She uses some fancy German words, the Euronext and the index, which just means the beginning and end of the flood tradition. In one Peter three and four. And so as I've kind of been trying to hop on of it, is that Peter is riffing off those Jewish ideas of Noah's flood and being persevering in the midst of an evil generation.
And so Peter here in that that narrative about describing, about the baptism of Noah and the flood and all that link together, he is equating Noah's context and adapting it for the believers in Peter's context. I have another table there, up there. And so, just as Noah was declared righteous in a corrupt age, Christ is also righteous and we Christians are righteous because of him.
The flood was morally corrupt and Peter's, I guess, society, the Gentile world was morally corrupt. Noah preached the ungodly. We believers must bear witness to the gospel gently and respectfully. And there was that time before the flood. There's a we know there's a bit of debate about that, but the point is that there was a market here where God told him to build.
He was the moment was flood similar to Jesus. We know that Jesus is resurrected and there will be a moment where evil will be eradicated.
And I just have another table on here is that and this is verse from one Peter really just hammers home. I guess that whole Noah theme about being righteous in the midst of wickedness. One Peter chapter two, verse 12, we're told, keep your conduct amongst the Gentiles honorable. So when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.
On the day of visitation. I won't go on to rating on that. You can just look at that on the screen so that like comparing Noah example and now example. And so friends, I guess the toolbox for us today is patience. Patience. Are you embodying Noah as wonderful as it is to go through that? And I got my God fired up, sitting there researching all this stuff and teaching you all to you, ultimately walking away from this is patience.
Patience in the promises of God. Really easy to say, really hard to do. Patience in the midst of an uncertain world. Patience to keep on trusting God. Patience to to be like Noah. And so I guess if you're struggling today to follow the Lord, to keep on being patient, to trust in him, look to the example of Noah.
Read over Genesis, read over one Peter, look at Jesus baptism and remind yourself of all of these images. That's so. That's what the New Testament authors saw, is that the Old Testament was given to us to help be an example for us in our day and age. And as one wonderful practice that, saying nations used to do was imagine if Scripture where you would read a passage, close your eyes, and just enter into that story.
A third who I toolbox for the day learn patience. But Jesus said and done and embody Noah. Become like a Noah. If you're struggling to do, read Genesis 628. Imagine yourself on the ark. Imagine yourself living in a wicked society. The rabbis taught that Noah's generation was the wicked, his generation to ever exist. Then reflect upon Jesus what he's done, what by pouring the spirit out upon us.
We now have life. We have wholeness. A God is going to destroy evil friends, do you have faithful obedience? Even when the skies look clear? I hope that was a blessing to you today. I'm going to pray over us now and invite the band back. While we do that. So let's pray together now. Our father, we thank you for the wonderful tapestry of your word, how to speak so richly and powerfully in so many ways.
And looking at the flood narrative of Noah. Lord, look how it points to creation, to Jesus, to your eradicating evil. Pray today, Lord, specially in the world that we're in, where there is so much chaos and carnage and just feels like evil is winning. To be reminded, Lord, to be like Noah. They were just in those days of waiting for the flood to come.
We thank you that ultimately we are safe, that we have our own ark which is through Jesus Christ, that gives us life, that gives us wholeness, that gives us hope. I pray today that we haven't just filled our heads, Lord, but filled our hearts and understanding your word better. And to live as your hands and feet, and to be beacons of hope in a world that needs hope.
I pray this now in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at The Centre. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray trace the theme of mountains through the Bible.
They reflect on what mountains reveal about God's nature, and His desires and relationship with us.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Happy birthday, church. Happy birthday. Yeah. Oh, you didn't know? Yeah. Happy birthday. That's Pentecost Sunday for you. The day that the church was born. It's actually a very special Pentecost Sunday. If you didn't know. Because obviously it's not just the birthday for us here at the center. It's not just the birthday for us, you know, as a denomination of Baptists, as the church.
It's not just even a birthday for the Catholic Church, just but also, I don't know if you knew this for, you know, once every 4 to 5 years, Pentecost aligns in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church observe a different calendar to us when they're figuring out East. In Pentecost. So this today that it's Pentecost Sunday and it's the church's birthday is something every denomination can agree on.
Who would have thought what the Easter miracle? We can all agree on something. So happy birthday, happy Pentecost Sunday! I'm praying today that the spirit would fall on us once more, like it did on the day of Pentecost. That the spirit of fire would ignite our faith, and that we would go out into the world to bring the kingdom of God as in heaven.
So as we're looking at Pentecost today, we're kind of going through a theme of mountains, which might seem like a bit of a weird choice. Why are we looking at mountains on Pentecost Sunday? Well, Pentecost, the day that the spirit fell on the first disciples and the apostles was actually on the same day of Shevat, which was a Jewish festival that was celebrated every year, and the day of Shreveport celebrated and remembered the day that Moses went up to Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments from God.
It happened on the same day. It was sort of a you Shabbat, sort of a second moment of sign. I wonder when we see this, when we look at, as Kim was talking about earlier, reading from acts two, the fire, the wind, all of these things are suggest we're taking back to this moment on Mount Sinai. And there are mountains all the way through Scripture.
It's actually quite a really rich theme that is woven throughout Scripture. So what I'm actually going to do is I'm going to tag team with Bible Project, and we're going quick watch a quick video to understand a bit more how mountains work in Scripture and how we should understand them. In ancient imagination, the mountain was where the sky touched down on the land, a place where God's wisdom and power and very presence could be found.
The Bible begins with God placing humanity on that kind of mountain, appointing them to oversee the land and fill it with God's blessing. To remain on the mountain. They must trust in God's wisdom, but humanity chooses their own wisdom instead. So they are driven from the mountain. And instead of God's abundance, they fill the land with violence. But God promises to restore his blessing to all nations through the offspring of one infertile couple.
He invites Abraham up to the mountain to give him this blessing. But first, Abraham must give up his promised son. The only way back up the mountain is to lose what we call life, and receive back the true life that God offers. Abraham's family grows, and God invites all of them up onto the mountain, but from below the mountain is frightening.
Only Moses goes up to learn God's wisdom, so God's mountain presence comes down instead to live in Israel's camp. Now the mountain travels with them and they're invited to live by God's wisdom wherever they go. When King David establishes a city on a tall hill, Israel's prophets imagine that this could truly become the mountain with a king who would rule in God's wisdom and restore the blessing to all the nations.
But once again, Israel spirals into violence and is driven from their home. And so God comes down instead, Jesus enters the world as one of us, teaching his followers how to live by God's wisdom, sharing the abundance of God's mountain with Israel and with the nations. And when Jesus faces his own choice, he trust God, his father, with his very life and through his surrender, the risen Jesus becomes the place where heaven and earth meet.
He is enthroned on the heavenly mountain, offering life and wisdom and power. And he invites his people to ascend, to choose God's wisdom, so that through them God's blessing can flow out to all the land.
So the mountain in the ancient Hebrew imagination was this place where heaven touched down on earth. And it's not that hard to imagine if you were living in a time where there's no Google Maps, there's no helicopters, there's no drones, there's no space X sending things up into the orbits. Well, the mountain is the highest point that you can get.
It's the closest place that you can get to heaven. This is the Hebrew imagination that God lived in the heavens, in the sky above. We might now imagine that as the ends of the universe, the ends of the universe, for them is the sky above. And climbing this mountain is a moment in which we can ascend into God's presence.
Now, this can be a bit hard to get our head around, because our tallest mountain in Australia's Mount calls the Oscar, which I did a bit of research this week. Turns out that there are over a thousand of the mountains in the world that it's all of mount, because the Oscar, we don't even make the top thousand. It's not that impressive of a mountain.
We're pretty flat as a country, but I kind of found that quite surprising because I climbed mount because the Oscar when I was about 16 and he's pretty high up. I was at a school camp, and they took us up to mount because he also with this guide, Troy, he took classes up every single week. Not a bad way to get make a living taking a bunch of 16 year olds up to mount because he Oscar every week.
So the night before, he told us what we needed to wear and what we needed to pack, and told us to take about 2 to 3 hours. And he got us all on the bus the morning off and drove us to the bottom of the mountain into Thredbo Ski village, which in spring is beautiful. This cafes and souvenir shops and a guy playing guitar on the side, you know.
And then we finally kind of whined on through to the bottom of the chairlift, and we get taken on up to the start of the walk, and Troy says, okay, guys, you can kind of just, you know, go at your own pace if you want. We'll meet up at the top at this time, but, you know, take your time, feel free to stop for a second and enjoy the view.
So I just I was off, I put my music in. I was just walking by myself, lone wolfing it up this mountain. And it was just glorious. The springtime is wildflowers along the path and the little banks of this giant mountain where the snow had melted crystal clear ponds. The sun's beaming. I finally get up the top and it just felt like I was on top of the world.
And from all sides I could just see the horizon. And I was just reminded how tiny I am and how expansive and grand and awesome our country is. And the world is God's creation. This is the sort of experience that we want to be tapping into when we think about mountain top moments, because the first mountain in the Bible is actually the Garden of Eden, which you might be thinking.
I don't remember a mountain being mentioned in Genesis one or Genesis two. Don't. I'm not remembering a mountain. Yeah, you'd be right. It doesn't explicitly say that there was a mountain, but the prophet Ezekiel, when he's writing to one of the other nations, is talking about the origin, and he says, you were in Eden, the garden of God.
I placed you, you were on the holy mountain of God. Zacchaeus says that Eden was placed on a mountain on the top of a mountain. And then in Genesis 210, we actually get a little hint. It says a river watering the garden flowed from Eden. From there it was separated into four headwaters, the four being so this number of universality, the four winds, the four corners of the earth that this river flows to.
And as we know, water takes the path of least resistance. So if you've got a point of water and it is flowing in four directions, it manages to fathom that the water is coming from the highest point flowing down. And this is how we're to understand this Edenic Paradise, that God begins his story with humanity. This is the vision to be living on top of the mountain where the river flows out from.
And then obviously, we get to Exodus, a kind of more well known mountain moment at Mount Sinai, when Moses sees the burning bush and God says something really interesting to Moses, says something really, really interesting to Moses in Exodus 312 he says, I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you.
He says, when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. And you'll notice I usually take the footnotes out of these little verses. When I put them up for a sermon. But there's a really important little footnote there in your NIV, and probably in many other Bibles, which tells you that this you right here is second person, so still you, but plural.
So if we were Texan, we'd say y'all will worship on this mountain, all of you. Now, unfortunately, the Hebrews didn't have the the language of y'all, so they used second person plural. But the idea is it's not just Moses is going to be worshiping on top of Mount Sinai. The vision is that y'all, all of us, will be worshiping on top of the mountain.
It will be the sign that God has delivered them, which is a bit confusing because I don't. I don't remember all of Israel worshiping on top of Mount Sinai. I don't remember that. I mean, like, this isn't a stand alone moment in Exodus 19 526. Again, God says to Israel, now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession.
Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy. Now I don't remember all of Israel being a kingdom, a priest. I remember the Levites being priest, but what happened? Why weren't they all a nation of priests? Why weren't they all worshiping Yahweh up at the top of the mountain? Well, in Exodus 2018 to 21, we kind of see what happens.
One of the many downfalls of Israel, when the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance. And they said to Moses, speak to us yourself, and we'll listen. But do not have God speak to us. We'll die. Moses said to the people, do not be afraid.
God has come to test you. So the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. The people remained at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. See, the people remained at a distance. They said, yeah. Look, you could go up the mountain, Moses, you enjoy the thunder and the lightning in the fire and the smoke.
Have fun being burnt, electrocuted, flesh probably asphyxiated to death. We're going to chill on down here. Give God out this time. We say, what's up? You can come back down and just tell us what he said. I guess we'll see you in 40 days and 40 nights by and let Moses go up by himself against the vision that God had for them.
The crowd stayed behind because they were scared to go up. They they didn't understand who God was. They weren't in an intimate relationship with God themselves. They only seen the plagues of Egypt, which were terrifying. It's like, oh, why don't I get close to that guy? I don't know what he's going to do to me because Moses had always been the mediator and goes on to say, guys, I want to be in relationship with all of you.
And they go, no, we just leave it to Moses. But you need to go up the mountain. Y'all need to go up the mountain. If you're relying on a pastor or a worship leader, or a small group leader or some guy on YouTube to be taking you up the mountain, or instead to be going up the mountain and bringing down a revelation for you.
You're living in the Old covenant. You're living in the Old Testament. You're living at the base of the mountain. Why would you want to rely on lukewarm Uber delivery revelation, when you can go up straight to the source of life itself and dine with the divine King on the top of the mountain? This is what we're invited into.
Not to get leftovers down the bottom, but to get the best up the top with God. And we don't just do this for our benefit. It's not just so we can be well fed and live on the mountain forever and sort of close the doors, shut the windows and just enjoy what's going on there. Now. It's actually so we can go back down so we can go back down and share that blessing with others.
When Abraham goes up the mountain to receive his revelation, God says, look at the stars in the sky. I'm going to give you more sons than you can count stars in the sky, and they're going to be a blessing to just you know, all nations. The river in Genesis flows down the mountain out to the four corners of the earth.
Because in acts one, when Jesus takes his disciples up the Mount of Olives X18, that's what we were just looking at with our main mission. Mount this passage, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
And they don't stay on the Mount of Olives continues in acts 112. They go down. The apostles return to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day walk from the city. See, when Moses went up on the mountain, he did it so he could bring the law back down. When Elijah went up on the same Mount Sinai many, many years later, he then went back down to appoint prophets and kings.
And when the disciples go up the mountain with Jesus, they don't do it to stay there. They do it to come back down, to share the Holy Spirit with all nations. Y'all need to come down the mountain. Going up is great because they need to be coming down because we're not blessed to be blessed. We're blessed to be a blessing to others.
This is the image that we're given.
This is what we see at Pentecost in Acts 212 12 it says, when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a vial and wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. And they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the spirit enabled them. Now they were staying in Jerusalem, God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one had their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked, aren't all these who is speaking Galileans?
And how is it that each of us here's them in our own native language? Now this is the part that I didn't give to cam because I love him, but I'm going to try it. Parthians, Metis and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Visitors of Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs.
We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, what does this mean?
I find it so striking that in that list of nations is Egypt.
The nation that held Moses and the Israelites back from the Mount Sinai moment. And yet here they are, even the people who were a stumbling block to God's people, receiving this blessing, receiving this new covenant, receiving this new spirit that God is bringing on all people indiscriminately.
That for this to happen, you'll need to keep ascending the mountain. It can't just be a one time mystical experience that you had 30 years ago, and then you just riding on the coattails of that. Because when I got married, we went on honeymoon down to has the and I said, babe, we've got to go to Matt because he also, trust me, it's going to be great.
She said, okay, cool. Sounds great. Is there anything we need to plan or organize for it? Sorry, babe. We just follow the signs. It's the tallest mountain we'll get there. That's the one. Let's go. What's the worry? We drive to Matt because he also National Park. Turns out there was a fee to get in. Didn't realize that.
I guess Troy had covered that before. So we pay the fee and we get in. We're just following the signs. We drive and we drive. Drive and we drive. And these guys, this is the right direction. I'm going, babe, there aren't two mount because the Oscars, we're following the signs, okay. It's going to be okay. And we get to the car park and him gets out and puts the backpack on, and she's looking around.
She goes, where's the chairlift? I thought you said there's a checklist. I'd completely forgotten about Thredbo Village. Yeah. You know, babe, it must just be over that reach. This is my wife of two days. Must just be over the ridge. It wasn't over. That reached the chairlift was actually on the other side of the mountain. The side of the mountain that only takes 2 to 3 hours to go up.
I'd taken my dearly beloved to Charlotte's past a leisurely 10 to 11 hour hike up to Matt. Because, yes, I mean, we did have keys to pick up for Airbnb that night, but that's all right. You know we are. We pushed through. In my defense, I was rusty. I had to climb that mountain in ten years. How was I expecting to lead someone else up the mountain?
I was not expecting to do that. That Troy guy, he did it every week. I'm expecting to lead my wife up the mountain. I've only climbed once. Ten years ago. We need to keep ascending the mountain. So I said in the past, this desk, we can act as Sherpas. Sherpas master a mountain. They know its ins and outs intimately so that they can act as guides for people who are going up for the first time.
They know the path to the slippery. They know the path of the state. They know which places to camp there, the God that brings people up to the mountaintop experience. This is the consistency that we say that flows on in acts two. It says they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe. The many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily.
Those had been saved. They weren't just meeting every Sunday. They weren't just hanging out for Pentecost Sunday. They were meeting as part of a regular rhythm, as part of a community of believers that took their mission to be disciples to all the earth very seriously. Every day they continued to meet. Because if you aren't ascending the mountain regularly, going up and down, up and down, and showing others how to do the same, you've kind of missed the point.
Like you've kind of missed the point. That's the point of Christianity is for the river to run down the mountain, not for us to just sit at the top and lap up the water. It's for us to spread, to share, to show others how to ascend. Might call up the band. That's the three ideas today, y'all. Me included me to go up the mountain.
We all need to come back down the mountain. Going up, experiencing God coming back down, sharing God with others, taking them back up. Rinse and repeat. So what are your spiritual rhythms like? What are your daily spiritual rhythms like? What are your weekly spiritual rhythms like? Are you intentionally coming to and from the mountain? Or are you maybe just sitting comfortably with a hot chalky at the bottom of mountain base?
Are you maybe just hiding up the top, just soaking in the blessing of God and stockpiling it for yourself? A city on a hill cannot be hidden. You do not put a lamp under a bulb. This is something to be shared. So I'm going to just invite us. So now, if you're able and willing to stand up. And I want you to as high as you feel comfortable, lift your arms up in the air as you receive God's empowering spirit.
As you receive God's empowering spirit, just keep those hands up. This day of Pentecost, just like those many years ago when the spirit fell. Holy spirit, we pray that it would fall on us once more. Right now. And as you stand there with arms raised on your mountaintop, stop thinking who's somebody in my life who I need to bring this down to.
And once you've got somebody, I want you to bring those arms down and outward. In an action, an expression. These mountaintop moments aren't just for us to be stored by ourselves. They are to be shared with others. And God, we thank you that you are placing each and every person's heart ablaze with somebody in their lives. God, we thank you for the relationships, for the networks, for the communities that you have placed us in.
And Holy Spirit, we pray that today would not just be some set apart mountaintop experience, but God. It would be the start of something new, would be the start of a rhythm, a start of intentionality where we are inspired and filled and set alight by your spirit, and then take that fire down the mountain to be shared with others.
God, we pray for those people in our hearts right now. Lord, let us be a community who grow in number daily. Let us not stagnate. Let us not sit comfortably. Let us be willing to get our hands dirty, let out, get our feet down on the mountain, and then down on the floor with the people. Our Lord. Because Jesus, you didn't stay up in heaven.
You brought that mountain down. You brought it down to us. Jesus. You brought it down to us so we could taste and see your goodness. We want to share that with others. The Holy Spirit send us the light once more. Send us out now. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at The Centre. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Oh, hello again, everyone. Well, week three of our preparing for Pentecost series and the last two weeks, we've kind of looked at the the image of the Holy Spirit being water. Sure. And breath. We looked at Ezekiel's prophecy to the valley of the Dry Bones. Last week we looked at Jesus conversation with Nicodemus about being born of water and the spirit being born from above.
Tonight we actually looking at, as the display shows, the Holy Spirit as fire. And what are we going to do this morning? The plan is we are to look at three moments in the Old Testament and look at the burning bush. God's presence coming down on Mount Sinai and the God's presence coming down upon the tabernacle and see how they fit into Pentecost.
And then we'll land the sermon with some tools to walk away from. So that's the plan for today. I'm very excited about this because when I get into some really nitty gritty, biblical stuff, but hopefully to be able to walk away with something practical that you can use throughout your weeks. But before we begin, we open up with a prayer.
And this is a 1100 year old prayer that the church has had. And in English, it's called prayer to the Holy Spirit. So let's begin with this one. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit. You have taught the hearts of your faithful in the same spirit. Help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Now we're going to do a bit of a George Lucas. If anyone knows Star Wars George Lucas gave, you know, the later movies first, then gave the prequels.
So we're going to actually do a bit of scripture reading now. But before we get to the burning bush, we got to look at the lighter passages first and then look at the burning bush. Does that make sense? We're going to do that. We're happy with that. And so the reason for that is hopefully you'll pick up on some themes because most of us know the burning Bush story.
Yes, yes, we're pretty familiar with it. And so hopefully in reading through God coming down on Mount Sinai and his presence coming on the tabernacle, you start to go, oh, there's some themes there that remind me of the burning bush. So let's start with God's presence coming down on Mount Sinai. And that should be there on the screen, hopefully from act 19.
There we go. Now see him on the morning of the third day. There was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone! The camp trembled, and Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire.
The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered him. The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai, and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up, and the Lord said to him, go down and warn the people, so that they do not force their way through to say, the Lord, and many of them perish.
Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them. So because I don't like it's not a mystery novel, I'll just spell out in black and white famous fire. That's pretty obvious by in fact, even that word lightning. And it literally means fire. So clear there's fire and only Moses is allowed up the mountain cloud a little bit, like when Moses appears and, God appears to Moses from the burning bush.
Holy ground. Take off shoes. This is holy ground. Only Moses there. Okay, so that's sort of the the hints there. And the second one is with the tabernacle of the God's presence coming down the tabernacle, some extra support, it says, then the cloud cover, the tent of meeting. That's another way to describe the tabernacle. And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
So now here's you say this scene here. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had set on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out. But the cloud did not lift. They did not say until the day it lifted.
So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night. Inside of all the Israelites, during all their travels. Okay, hopefully. So we got the themes that we're building up here. Idea of fire. The idea of God's presence is so holy that people are restricted. What's interesting about X is not even Moses can go in at that moment.
So I think that's some helpful kind of things to have in the back of our mind now and then let's we know we know Pentecost. Pentecost is that moment when the spirit comes, the wind blows. And what rests above the heads of the disciples. What is that? Yeah. Fire! Guys, this is really deliberate language that Luke is drawing upon in the book of acts to make us remember these moments, these powerful, powerful moments.
Now, let's be honest. Who here is frightened of storms, Stand outside a massive electrical storm. Oh, man. Maybe I'm the only one that scared. But remember that storm back in January? The kids were frightened. They couldn't sleep. That wasn't even that big of a storm. God's power and glory is so much more greater than just a little storm.
But yet Pentecost changes. It's only the glory that was there in Exodus is now in us. And what's really cool is that this idea of Pentecost, it not only riffs off the Old Testament, but there was some Jewish expectations. Now, there was a first century Jewish, writer by the name of Thilo note that should be on the screen.
And so this is really, you see almost it's like Pentecost steals what Thilo is writing about, even though follow right before Pentecost. So here's what he said. This is firelight describing God's presence coming down on the Mount, and a voice sounded forth out of the midst of the fire which had flowed from heaven, a most marvelous and awful voice, the flame being endowed with articulate speech and a language familiar to the hearers.
Doesn't that sound really, really familiar? Like Pentecost, which expressed its words with such clearness and distinctiveness that the people seemed rather to be seeing, then hearing it? What is he saying? Do you not understand? It is that fill us that at that moment when God came down on Mount Sinai, it was like there was fire coming out that fire.
And other Jewish authors would say, Torah, God's words. It's like a fire. It's like a flame. And not only that, it came out in language that everyone could understand. This is what Luke is drawing upon. These are these images of Pentecost, that God's presence that was so terrifying, that was so frightening. Now rest upon us. The flame of Torah is now within our hearts.
And as we know from Pentecost, everyone could understand each other's languages. And here's a fun little fact that you can take to your next dinner party. There were. Do you know how many disciples there were at Pentecost? Anyone had the number? There was 100 and oh, come on Murray. Yeah. No, 120, 120 disciples were there at Pentecost. Guess how many words there are?
From, when Moses is up on the mountain scribbling down the Ten Commandments, how many words in Hebrew? 120. There you go. There's a fun little fact there. So there's a little cool little facts that you can keep in your head to make you understand just how rich and deep Scripture is, right? After all that. Now let's get to the burning bush.
This classic passage of Scripture says here now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father in law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up some other thought.
I will go over and see this strange sight. Why the bush does not burn up. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush. Moses, Moses and Moses said, here I am. Do not come any closer. God said, take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
They said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. At this Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I've heard them crying out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering, so I've come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
I will skip all those nations. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, God, I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. But most said, the God who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
And God said, I will be with you. This will be the sign that it is I who has sent you. When you've brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. Most had the God. Suppose that the Israelites, God, the Israelites, and say to them, the God of your father says, send me to you.
And they ask, what is his name? Then what shall I tell them? God said to Moses, I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites. I am has sent me to you. I said to Moses, say the Israelites, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you.
This is my name forever. The name you shall call me from generation to generation. A classic passage of Scripture setting up Yahweh's rescue plan for the Israelites. And hopefully now you're starting to see the connections. You say that that the fire that's there in the bush, the fact that Moses needs to take off his sandals, the fact to that God actually says, well, I'm going to be present with the people.
That's the whole point of him delivering us so they can go back to this mountain and worship him. All of these themes are being set up, starting there at the burning bush. As Scripture progresses, you see that God's plan God. God is a holy God, a consuming fire. The book of Hebrews tells us, but a God who wants to be present with his people, friends.
That's what Pentecost points us to. That moment where the Holy God, the Holy Spirit, now rests within us. That's why you need to have the Old Testament to fully appreciate the new, to fully appreciate what it means to be a new covenant. Believe this to be past Pentecost. People. That same spirit that purified that tree, that purified the tabernacle, that's the spirit that resides within us.
It's a remarkable, remarkable privilege that perhaps we thought a bit like, oh, yeah, cool. We kind of know it up here. But how is that transforming our lives? Are we living as people where we're allowing God's Spirit to burn within us, to purify, to set others free? Now, I wouldn't be doing my job, as I love to do, without giving us some more interesting facts.
And so the first one here is the Hebrew term for bush, which should be there on the screen there. It's what's called a homonym. So the word in Hebrew for Bush is senior. And it sounds awfully similar to Mount Sinai. And that's no accident there, because God himself said that the Mount, Mount Horeb, this is where it gets to be confusing Mount Horeb and that Sinai, actually the same Mount.
So where Moses is standing, it's holy ground. Holy ground represents God's presence. And to be in God's presence means that we have to worship. The other really interesting thing is about this sort of Sarnath Sinai kind of link is geography. I have a map now on the screen and he probably can't say it, but right down the bottom, sort of right.
Can you see the word that starts Midian round there on Mount Sinai median all the way down there? Now, you don't have to be a biblical geography expert to see what kind of Mount Sinai is all the way at the bottom here, down towards the Arabia, at the top of the map, there. Can you guess where that place is?
What's that there at the top of the map? I'm gonna call that someone. Be brave. It's the land of what? Israel. Yeah. Okay, so if Yahweh in the flaming bush and at Mount Sinai is appearing down here in Midian, is that the same place as the Promised Land? Yes or no? No. That's really, really important. Because saying that.
Yeah. Okay. Cool. God. God has set aside this land. God has set aside a temple. But ultimately, there are really important moments when God reveals himself not in a holy temple, not in a holy city, not in a holy land, but in the wilderness. That's the other thing that I've been trying to point with these three passages the Tabernacle.
The Israelites spent a lot of time wandering. You can see it there on the map. Wilderness of Egypt, just wandering around. God's presence is still with them in that tabernacle. Friends, God's presence is with us now when not in the sacred space. This is a sports hall, I can tell you throughout the week there are punch ups are happened in this room.
There are kids playing sports. There's all sorts of things that happen in this place, good and bad. This is not a sacred building, but at this moment, because we're gathered as living stones at the Holy Temple, because God's Spirit is here, this place becomes holy ground. Our bodies become holy ground.
Upon that conversation we have with Yahweh and Moses, Moses makes up lots of excuses and wise excuses as well. What am I going to say to them? And God says it in English. It says, Lord, he reveals what we call the covenant name. And he says, well, if they don't believe, you say, I am has sent you. And so what we say it is Yahweh.
That's probably the best guess. And she might have someone on this wall about a while ago about Yahweh being like breath. And so I should be up there on the screen if you're interested in how the the Hebrew looks, that's kind of the best guess of how we pronounce it Yahweh. And it means something like, I am who I am, I am who I will be.
And the idea behind the meaning of Yahweh is about God being unchangeable. It is unchangeable characteristics, hence his holiness, hence his justice and righteousness. But there's an Old Testament scholar at that guy called Martin Buber. He argues that as part of Yahweh, his divine name being revealed, but it's also about his presence, not simply just about God. God is unchangeable, as this abstract concept.
It's meant to be this relational term by revealing his name is Yahweh. I am who I am. So it's about his unchangeable nature. It's about relationship. It's about presence and you might have missed it or picked up upon it, but one of the points of the rescuing the Israelites from Egypt is that he can bring his people out, to worship them, to rescue them, to be in relationship with them.
This is what God wants for us to be in relationship. It's built into his name himself. For God to be our God and for we to be his people. And one of the things to help with the with the Tabernacle in particular. And there should be a picture there. It's probably not the best picture, but he can say in the tabernacle, I guess, to the temple by extension, later on that was furnished with a few things.
But the point of the Tabernacle was it was meant to be this. This reminder to the Israelites wherever they went, they were carrying Mount Sinai wherever they went, like God's presence was going with them as part of the furniture, you sort of got a table with the lives. They got an altar in there. You got what's called the Ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies behind that curtain there.
But you see the lamp, the menorah. Now, it's quite interesting with the menorah. It's shaped like a what? Tree, a bush. And look at the top of it, he might said, but it's meant to be a candle. And what do you put on top of candles? You put fire light. So within that you within the tabernacle itself, there's the golden menorah, a reminder, the burning bush, a constant reminder of God's holiness, of God's presence, of God's desire to be with his people.
And there's another really important tree for us to remember as a sign of God's presence, of wanting to be with his people. It's the cross. I mean, all the, English translations I described Jesus being hung or crucified upon a tree. That language is really deliberate because meant to remind us is that throughout Scripture there are these moments on countering God with trees and bushes, you know, tree of knowledge of good and evil, tree of life, that the, the, the bush that Moses God appears to Moses and within the tabernacle itself and the temple, the menorah, the reminder of that for us.
Remember the tree in which Jesus hung upon which from his side flowed the water and the blood now water and blood on fire. Images. But the water is particularly meant to symbolize the spirit coming out, flowing, and purifying us in so many ways. The fact that the spirit came down on fire upon the disciples because of that tree that Jesus Christ hung upon.
So just how did it was up there a moment ago? This is just, I guess, a bit of a summary case. You completely bamboozled. You got. I have no idea what you're talking about, Mitch. That was all just gobbledygook to me. You have no saying. So here's just a little summary. Exodus three burning bush location is a bush in the wilderness.
Their response is to remove the sandals fire. It's the fire that does not consume the bush. Therefore, Exodus 19, we're at the mountain, which is the same mountain from Exodus three. We've got trembling all in distance. Now it's a fire. Thunder, smoke. God dispense visibly. Exodus 40. We got the I like that language mobile tent in the wilderness.
And there is not the call to worship, to be obedient, to offer sacrifices. Now you got the fire in the cloud that rests upon it. And for us, the most important part. Acts two At Pentecost. God's presence is now on each and every believer that that moment disciples are filled. This proclamation, Peter gets up, gets up and preaches to everyone.
People respond as tongues, as of fire. Rest on the disciples. That's the summary of how the Old Testament, through particular the book access, points us to Pentecost.
Now let's kind of bring it back to our time and space into our daily lives. If we care, if we, God's Spirit rests upon us, if our bodies are living temples of the Holy Spirit, there's no longer this sort of sacred or, sacred space. That means holy ground can be wherever we go or be. Our commute to work here it be.
Doing something is mundane is doing the dishes, mopping the floor, hanging up, washing herbs, waiting around in a hospital room. Or are we just going for a walk in the park with your kids? You can bring holy ground wherever you go because the spirit, same spirit, appeared to Moses at Sinai, and that the tabernacle is now within us.
That's amazing that Moses had to remove his sandals. We didn't have to do that. We'd have to do that at all. But we are called to transform lifestyle. And the Apostle Paul, he mentions this idea of us being the temple of the Holy Spirit in a few places. Now, up there on the screen from twice in one Corinthians, then once from Second Corinthians.
The idea is that we are the temple. And so Paul typically talks about this in the from one Corinthians three, this idea of like sexual purity. But I think it as eyes with purity across all things. If if we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we don't own our souls. There is this requirement for us to live lives that reflect the calling that God has done for us.
That's one of the things that you can take out for this week. Remember that the spaces that you are in can become holy because God's presence is within you. But if you would like to do something perhaps a little different, here's a couple of tools that you can take away. As long as process that we don't ever really do in prayer.
But I invite you. If you feel cold this week, get a candle, light it up. Now you not worshiping that can do not worshiping that fire, but use it as a reminder. Oh yeah, the Holy Spirit came down this fire. Fire the burning bush fire at Sinai fire. The tabernacle. Be reminded of that fire, of that light, of that purity, and use that as something to spur on your prayer.
Now, the toolbox I invite you to is to find a. I use the word sacred space in inverted commas. Find a space where you can pray, and there is something very powerful doing is remove your shoes and spend time praying and reading the word that clearly all of us have our shoes on here. There are many cultures that will and other religions that take off their shoes.
This idea of their shoes carry dirt and uncleanliness. And by doing that, you're entering a space of holiness and doing that. That's a powerful act. You can do it as a parable. This by taking off the shoes. I am symbolically saying, Lord, I take away my silver. I give to you my sin, my evil, all the uncleanliness about me.
I step into you as one of your children to be your vessel. Sort of a challenge for you this week and some tools to help you in your spiritual walk. Now I'm going to invite Rachel in the band back. And while they're coming up, I close with, traditional, garlic Christian prayer. I have a little Irish in my background, so I love anything that's around the Celts and Gaelic garlic Christianity.
And this is a prayer in everyday life. First monk that you could just pray when you're just doing the everyday tasks around LA. So let's pray this prayer now together. This morning, as I kindle the fire on my head, I pray that the flame of God's love may burn in my heart, in the hearts of all I meet today.
I pray that no envy or malice, no hatred or fear may smother the flame. I pray that indifference and apathy, contempt and pride may not pour like cold water on the fire. Instead, may the spark of God's love light the love in my heart that it may burn brightly through the day. And may I warm those who are lonely, whose hearts are cold and lifeless, that they may know the comfort of God's love.
Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at The Centre. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray trace the theme of fire through the Bible.
They reflect on the various roles fire plays in different biblical stories and speak on what it means to protect the fire of God within us.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads unpack the 4 prevailing interpretations of "Water" & "Spirit" in John 3 and reflect on the strengths that each has to offer to both our personal walks and the way our church functions.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
John 3:1-8
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
______
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
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Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
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Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray explore the overarching structure of the book of Ezekiel, the origins of Pentecost and how to best understand the biblical genre of apocalyptic literature
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Let's jump to today's passage in the book of Ezekiel. Anyone actually read is the kill. Hey! Some hands. It's a pretty wild book. It's crazy book. I'll just give a little summary of it before we jump into this passage.
So, Ezekiel is a prophet, funnily enough, a prophet and priest who is living in Babylon. About. The book starts about five years after, the first group of exiles is sent into Babylon. So people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Bendigo, we kind of know those names. Ezekiel's sent off with them. And so, five years after living in Babylon, Ezekiel sees his vision of God's throne chariot coming into Babylon and proclaiming a message of judgment that the Babylonians were going to destroy Jerusalem.
And so as the exile, which means God, may God strengthen, Zeke is told to have a hard head because he's going to give a hard message. And so that's what Zeke processes these weird, bizarre messages about God's judgment. And so that's what a lot of the book is about, is actually quite depressing to read. And so now we sort of in the back half of the book is where things turn around.
And so by the point of Ezekiel 37, the Jerusalem's been destroyed. The exiles well and truly entrenched. And so naturally, the people of God are wondering, well, who, we Yahweh, it seems, has abandoned us. We have sinned. We've lost everything. All hope is gone. And this is where Ezekiel 37 comes in. And we'll look at this a little bit later.
But there's some parallels here between Ezekiel 37 and the Genesis creation narrative. And so you kind of got to have that kind of background in your mind is reading through this just as God bought life out of nothing, out of the oceans of chaos, so God can bring life in exile. Now, now, before we do this, I think we might have a moment of reflection.
Let's have some self honesty here. How many of us have had times in our life where we feel dead? We just feel like dry bones. There's no life. There's no hope. I think at some point, at least, we've probably felt that. I felt I can't go any more. I cannot do this. I just there's just no more hope within me.
And that's what I love about this passage, is that a bone is a bone. Now, I'm no doctor, but I did study anatomy when I did my exercise science degree. And there's 206 bones in the human body. We need bones to move around. But if I'm just a pile of bones, that's no good. That's about worst case of worst case.
As you can get in life as they kill here by walking through this valley of dead bones. Which, if I remember how I mentioned before, secular was a priest. Priests aren't allowed to touch dead things. He sent into this unclean valley to walk among supposed to be touching these dead things. And the valley here is meant to symbolize this is an army that's fallen.
An army that is so cursed. I don't even buried in the ancient world to to leave people out unburied. It's a sign of a curse. So here, in the mind of the Jewish people, you've got this unclean death valley with people who are unburied. This is about the worst of the worst of the worst. You can be. And I love this question.
As they kill is walking through this valley God us for short question, but profound son of man, can these bones live? Son of man, can these bones live? Friends, today I ask you in your situation, can these bones live? Because we do forget this tonight. May I forget it? I think there's no hope. There's no way we going to get out of this.
This is just doom and gloom. How can God pull through? How God does he think it was no accident that this was the passage God kind of put on my heart to start off with, with kind of hearing what John was sharing with Kairos. Imagine those men in prison. They would feel like that now. The stories he was sharing of men who literally probably feel like bones dead.
There is no hope and God brings life. He's breath illuminates. Son of man, can these bones live? Answer is yes, but Ezekiel being as they kill, he says, sovereign Lord, you alone know I think, well, I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no. God. You, You alone? No. Rather than rebuking Ezekiel telling, hey, you should know what I can do, he tells him something very strange and bizarre.
Prophesy to these bones and say them dry bones. Hear the word of the Lord. Then you went to Sunday school. You know that song? Then bind them bones. If I had that song in my head all week. But. But. Friends. If you are feeling like a dead dry bone with no hope, remember that question. Son of man, can these bones live?
The bones that, actually told. We give you an interpretation of what they represent. You know, the bones, the people who are feeling that their hope is lost, that they're completely and utterly cut off. See, one of the things you might have noticed was, Lou was reading that there's often a lot of talk about, you know, I'm going to bring you back to the land.
You know, you going to come out of the Grays and bring you back. I'm going to settle you back into Atlanta. Kind of comes up a few times. And there's a reason for that because in in the biblical worldview, land equals life. And the reason why land equals life is because in the Promised Land is where Yahweh's presence is, because in the Promised Land is where the temple is.
And so this kind of idea of bringing you back into land is saying, I'm going to bring you back into my presence, may give you your home back. I'm going to restore you, bring you back to the position that you had lost. And if we kind of skip forward to the end of the Bible revelation, what's the what's the city that comes down from heaven?
What's it called? The new what? The New Jerusalem? And we all know Jerusalem is the epicenters capital of the Holy Land. This is God's intention is for us to come out of the Christ, go back into the land, to be in his presence, sin, hopelessness, and exile, and not the final word. The final word is God's breath bringing in new life to us.
I mentioned earlier that there are, some parallels between, as we go up 37 and the creation narrative and so actually we just pop up there on the screen. And a lot of scholars have noticed here that the Hebrew is really, really similar. In fact, the idea of heaven is like here. And God going through a walk through this valley alludes back to that moment in Genesis three, where God's walking through the garden, and that time is God's walking through Paradise.
It's to bring a message of judgment and death. And now, this time, there's an irony that we begin in a valley of death, but this time it's leading out into the land of hope. And just as you can see that in Genesis two seven, human is formed from the dust of the earth, the same way the bones are there, lying exposed and dry out to the elements and just that beautiful image in Genesis of God forming Adam and going.
Breathing life into his nostrils. So we see the breath entering the slain, the four winds of the earth coming together to bring life and hope. And actually, what's really cool here, because I like to teach you guys, you know, the fact that you can come home to a dinner and say, hey, guess what I learned at church on Sunday?
I learned a new word, and the word we gonna learn today is ruach, that's all. So that together ruach. You might have heard that one before. You go do that at the end. We'll do that. I'll see you. I just but just how I see it. Because, you know, I'm not, Israeli, but ruach means spirit, breath and wind.
And you will have noticed that there's a whole bunch of different words that sometimes breath or sometimes wind in the Bible. In Hebrew, there's only one word, ruach. That's it. So when God breathes, when there's a wind, when it's his spirit, it's all the same word. We just differentiate the English. So he sort of know what the author is trying to say.
And we get this picture of all the creation coming together and God's Spirit to restore these people, to make them whole. And they're raised up. God told it then that when all the, you know, the bones come together, a tendons, a skin, and you know, the skins appearing on them, and there's still no breath in them, and the the breath comes in them, they come to life.
This vast army. Well, and let's me. One is like, why an army? It's just a really quite an interesting sort of image. And that's sort of reflecting what. Well, what's the purpose of an army? It's to fight. It's purpose is to defend. And so and, I was reading through a number of commentaries and this idea is the Army hit not so much wanting to fight and kill, but armies have a purpose here.
And so by raising up this army, it's saying, you exiles. You now have a purpose. You have meaning. You have hope. I guess in a similar way, just as John was sharing those men in Kairos, they have not got a purpose. Then I've got meaning, then I've got hope. They are part of. And again, this was a Sunday school song that I learned back in the day.
I am part of the Lord's Army, if you remember that song. Yes. I remember singing that at kids church. I won't sing that because your drums will start to bleed. But we're holding to this idea of an army again. Jumping forward to revelation. We see the language of army of of God raising up people with people for, purpose.
They started here with a valley of bones with no hope to spirit coming in, raising up an army to a great people with, purpose, people with hope, people with meaning.
As we kind of reflect on now. So the New Testament and the time of Pentecost, few people have died. A few scholars have noted this, that in many ways is Nickeil 37. Sort of. It powerfully foreshadows acts chapter two, because we've got, the, the, the valley of Dry Binds. You've got disciples who are waiting, who possibly still might be a bit fearful.
As Ezekiel speaks, the spirit blows wind. So as the apostle spake, the spirit blows in and transforms the crowd. Well, as echo prophesied, that led to the birth of an army. The church is birthed on that day. And so some people notice, I think you'll say some wonderfully foreshadows this moment at Pentecost. But and, I guess to the the biggest one is if you read John chapter 20, verse 22in a piece, disciples, he literally breathes on them and says, hey, here, receive the Holy Spirit.
But there's just two passages I want to look at from the Apostle Paul, which hopefully will bring a sense of encouragement to you if you are feeling a dead dry bone. Romans chapter eight, verse 11. Here's some very, very underrated passages of Scripture which, how many should spend a lot more time reflecting on? All right. This very slowly says you understand the gravity of what Paul is saying.
And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you. Easy read that really fast. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of get that when you stop and pause. Oh my goodness, that is so deeply profound.
Okay, that same spirit that Ezekiel prophesied any and I know it, he breathed life onto those dead dry bones. It is that same spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now in me, is now in you. That's amazing. That is just absolutely mind boggling. And if we truly believe that, imagine the difference would be in our lives and the lives of our community.
Imagine that we woke up every morning, said the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Hey, is living within me. He's gonna rise up my mortal body. He's gonna give life to me. That's the spirit that God wants to share with those around us, those who feel dead and have no life. That spirit wants to breathe when those around us.
One of those passages that I think you get to spend hours and hours reflecting upon because of how powerful it is. And the second passage comes from second Corinthians chapter five, verse 17, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. That's always what Paul was alluding to. They whole my creation is talking about. It's like he's talking about what the spirit has done through Jesus Christ.
The old has gone, the new is here. Powerful, powerful things. Especially as we, preparing for Pentecost, preparing for God's Spirit to transform us, to transform our families, to bring new life into us.
As we finish this morning, close with a prayer from Saint Augustine. A prayer to the Holy Spirit. It says, breathe in me. A Holy Spirit. That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me a Holy Spirit, that my work, too may be holy. Draw my heart a Holy Spirit that I love only what is holy. Strengthen me, a Holy Spirit to defend all that is holy God, me, then I, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy man.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at The Centre. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
I'd like to start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the mums. I hope you have a lovely time and gets a chance to spend time with your family today.
And just have a special day knowing that you are cherished and that you are loved. It's a privilege to speak today, and I'm going to speak about the love of mother. I'm going to speak about God and and response. So being Mothers Day, we're going to start with some qualities of a mum. So when I started thinking about these, some of the things that came to my mind were sacrificial, kind, helpful, warm, encourager, safe, gentle, nurturing, feeder, non-judgmental.
Someone who's got your back, protector and helper. And there's a whole lot more things I could come up with and words to describe in them, but they're the first things that really came to mind. And the very first one which really stood out to me is sacrificial. And I think the role of a mother, being a mum is a very sacrificial role is that by sacrificing your body in your sleep, then your desires, your time, you schedule a whole lot of things, your heart.
And one thing I wasn't prepared for was as your children get older and they fly the nest, that there's a whole grieving process to grieve. Your babies, your little ones, the moments, the times that are gone and to grieve that time of having them living at home with you. So I wonder what your experience all day that can't wait for everyone else that is me.
I wonder what your experience as a mum has been. I wonder if you can relate to the list of words that I have read out, or yours is quite different. Or maybe you have other words that you would like to add to that list. Was your mother loving and nurturing? We all need this special love and nurture as a mum, and that is why God created us the way he did.
We are born vulnerable. We need a very special love, protection and nurture to survive and grow. I remember my father, though always spoke very highly of his mum, and I trust that many of us here today have had that very special experience of a warm and loving mum, just as he did. My mum is very warm, loving, encouraging and sacrificial.
She also likes to have a lot of fun and life. Growing up was not to be taken too seriously for me. Growing up, I knew that I was deeply loved, not because of anything that I did, just because I am me and I am hers.
Growing up, I was very close to my mum also, and even as a teenager I described her as one of my best friends. So I think it's a little bit unusual for that teenage years. Yes, my mum and I are very similar in a lot of ways. One thing about my mum is that when you walk into her house, you smell the aroma of freshly baked cakes or biscuits or dessert or dinner cooking.
The house always smells of something yummy. She likes to cook and she likes to feed her guests. It's a little bit tricky as a daughter trying to get some family recipes from mum, as she often just cooks by sight. She's always in a bit of this bit of that until it looks like this. So it's very hard to get actual measurements from her to be able to have a recipe that I can cook, and if she does have a recipe she doesn't measure and she often substitutes things anyway, so even a recipe can be unhelpful.
But yes, always lovely to walk into her house and smell that beautiful smell. I'm very grateful for my mum and her loving heart she has for my siblings and myself and for other people around her. And I think it's so good to be grateful to God and to express our gratefulness, especially on a day like today for our mums or our mother like figures that we have in our life.
A mum may not be the only one to love like this. Sometimes we are fortunate to experience this kind of love from a grandmother, a sister or some other relative or close friend. I'm wondering if you've ever experienced this kind of loving kindness from a complete stranger, or or even somebody that you may consider an enemy? How awesome would this world be if that was common experience?
I know apart from family I have some very special friends. They are very kind to me, and it was particularly important when cam and I moved our family from Melbourne to Sydney. We knew that we would need some special friends that would help fill the gaps of not having our family close by, and in God's goodness. He has provided a number of very special friends here in Sydney that are like family to us.
We each only have one mum and the experience of her. It shapes us and it stays with us for life. We may not all have experienced the loving, nurturing mother. However, we do all crave this love, acceptance, nurture and care that is received not from our mum. We need to receive it from someone else needs to come from somewhere else in life.
However, we cannot choose and we cannot make others treat us with this kind of love that we all need and desire. However, every single one of us can choose to love others and treat others in this way. We can choose to be that kind, caring, nurturing, encouraging person in someone else's life and the way we treat others can stay with them for life.
Is it your desire to treat others with this special sacrificial love? Is it something you naturally usually do, or does it depend on what made you join? How you've been treated yourself? Does it affect your kindness? If you've been treated poorly or unfairly, or even deliberately mistreated by another? In one way, it's quite simple to act in love towards another, but in other ways it's not always easy.
We can, like, make loving others more of a priority and a natural instinct in this fast paced, hectic world. Can we do that? Especially when we're not feeling it, or when we have 100 things to do? Maybe life is too busy to really take the time to care for others. You may be in a season at the moment when you don't have the space or time to create, to do more of that than you are currently doing, but you may.
And if you do, this is definitely something to consider. Do you have other obstacles that are holding you back, or getting in the way of loving others more completely? We may have the desire, but what can we do to increase this practical love of others? One way is learning from others around us. We can. It can be a good way to improve our love in action for others.
We can look at people around us who have these qualities and learn from them. I would like to call myself a bit of a people watcher. I like to watch people. I find it fascinating, but I also like to learn from others. When I see things in people's life that I would like to have in my life, or that I could follow or copy to improve myself, I watch carefully.
Sometimes I ask questions so that I may improve myself and be better.
We can spend time with people who are loving so that we can learn from them and become more like them. We naturally become more like the people that we surround ourselves with. So choosing our friends and the people that we hang out with carefully. So will you. Encouraged and inspired to become better is another way we can do this.
Prayer is another way we can ask God to show us how to be more loving towards others. We can pray that God will help us and show us areas in our own life where we may be lacking. If you are really game, you could ask your spouse, your parent, brother or sister or close friend for input on areas where you may be lacking.
I'm sure they would love the opportunity to help you grow. I have to admit, I'm not overly keen on doing this myself. I don't think I'd like the response. However, in saying that, I'm also aware of how gentle and kindly God shows me my weaknesses. I would much rather ask God and have him show me the areas that I need to improve, than ask somebody else.
Have you experienced the gentleness of God as he touches the areas in your life that are not what they should be? I certainly have another really handy way to see your own weakness is to take notice of what you find really annoying in other people. This kind of acts like a mirror. The things that we find the most irritating in others are often traits that we have in ourselves, but unaware of them.
I had a little giggle to myself last weekend. Cam and I were walking with our suitcases behind us to the airport terminal. I was completely unaware of a man behind me zigzagging back and forth across the path as he was trying to walk past me. But he was not able to because obviously I didn't leave him enough room.
I know I find it really irritating if I'm trying to get somewhere, and someone has positioned themselves in such a way that I cannot pass if I'm in a hurry. I cannot pass people that are dawdling or taking up most of the pass path, and are unaware of people around them. I find it annoying, which is exactly what I was doing.
Maybe not dawdling, but going slower than this man was wanting to go. Fortunately, cam was with me and he had noticed this man and he gently pulled me aside so the man could pass. Another great way is to read the Bible. God's word is very powerful. Isaiah 5510 tells us, as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return without watching the earth and making it bad, and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.
So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Let me just repeat some of that. So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me. Empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God's word is powerful. It will accomplish God's desire and his purpose. So reading God's Word, memorizing scripture, immersing ourselves in the Scripture will change our lives. We need the Bible. We need God's Word. And reading and memorizing scriptures is a great way to influence and transform our lives, so that we may be the active, physical hands of God to one another.
As Christians, we are God's children, and therefore, the more time we spend with God, the more time, the more so we will reflect his character. God's word transforms us. I remember years ago, this one time when cam and I were having a disagreement. I had gotten to the point where my emotions were getting the better of me, and I just wanted to let loose and let him have it.
But can anyone relate to that anyway? But I also didn't want to say something hurtful or something that I would regret once my emotions had settled. I can picture standing in the hallway of the house we lived in at the time, and I don't remember what the discussion was about, but I remember feeling really angry, and I remember that I wanted to stop this anger before I exploded, and I decided to speak scriptures in my head to myself.
And the first scripture I ever learned was the only scripture that came to mind. And it wasn't even relevant to this, to the discussion we were having. But it was painful. It was from John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
And I just kept repeating this to myself over and over. And with each time that I said it, the anger subsided, and then it completely went away. God's word has power in it. When we read it, memorize it, repeat it. It changes us. It requires us. It renews us. God's word is powerful. It will accomplish God's desire and purpose.
God's desire and purpose for his believers, for us as His church is to love one another. God's word instructs us and gives us wisdom. And here are some scriptures that gives us instruction and how we are to treat others. And there are plenty more. I've just grabbed a few. In first Corinthians chapter 16. It tells us to do everything in love.
First Corinthians chapter 13. We all very should be very familiar with this tells us that love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and perseveres. Ephesians four, chapter two instructs us to be completely humble and gentle, to be patient and bearing with one another in love. In first, Peter tells us to be sympathetic towards each other, and Ephesians tells us to be kind and compassionate and forgiving each other. And Titus chapter three instructs us to slander no one to be peaceable and considerate, and always be gentle towards everyone.
Are you feeling inspired by these scriptures? Maybe this seems all too hard and you don't even want to try this easy or not to. It takes more than human power to be this kind of loving person. And fortunately, we don't have to do it on our own or in our own power. As a believer, we are children of God.
We have the Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us and guides us and teaches us. He is the one that prompts us to do things that God would have us to. And second Timothy 127 God tells us the spirit gives us power, love, and self-discipline. Have you experienced this power of love and self-discipline from the Holy Spirit's leading?
In my disagreement that I spoke of earlier, it was the Holy Spirit that prompted me to speak scriptures to myself. And as I've been preparing this, I've been thinking that I need to search out and look for the Holy Spirit's leading more in my life. I need to ask for the Spirit's help more often than I have been.
By not seeking the spirit and his leading. We could all be missing out on the good things that God has for us in this life. Would you like to hear the Spirit's prompting more in your life? I started by talking about the love of the mother, and it's very important that we experience this love. Yet there is a far greater love than the love of a mother.
And this love is the love of our father. God, and the love he has for each of us. God loves us, and our response to him is to love him and to love others. God created us for love. The Bible tells us that God is love. And John four nine says, this is how God showed his love amongst us.
He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we love in him. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us. He has given us His Spirit. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.
In this world, we are like Jesus, so we need to be obeying God's Word so we can be like Jesus to other people around us. God instructs us to love others. It is something we do out of obedience. To make this possible, God fills us with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can learn from him and be more like him.
Galatians 522 tells us, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. When the spirit has freedom in your life and mind, he brings these attributes with him. He transforms those he dwells in to be the same. The Holy Spirit is our encourager, our teacher. He leads us and helps us to be the people God calls us to be, to be humble and loving.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Faithfulness. Goodness. Self-control. Sounds like the perfect mother, doesn't it? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a perfect mother. But God is perfect. He is our perfect heavenly father. God is more loving, kind, compassionate than any earthly mother could be. God is our heavenly parent and perfect parent. He knows more about us than our mother ever could.
He knows what is good for us better than our mom ever could. God knows what we need and when we need it. And God can fulfill all of our needs. He loves us and desires to be in a loving relationship with us. He calls us to be his own. He adopts us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus.
This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure. It gives God great pleasure to adopt you as his child. You are wanted. You are cherished and you are loved by God. Who wouldn't want this kind of relationship with God to be called a child of God? Just wondering, when was the last time you remember running into God's loving arms?
When was the last time you confessed your love to God or hang out with him? Spend time with your heavenly father. Have you experienced God's gentleness? Have you found rest in him? Do you run to him for a warm embrace or protection when needed? Ask him for all that you need. We don't always have our mom around when we need her.
However, we do all have God around. He never sleeps. He's never on a call or too busy for us. We are his children and he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is our deposit of what is to come. And the Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us. Sometimes when I'm out alone and feeling vulnerable or in a dangerous situation, I ask God for help.
I imagine he's next to me, and I take his hand in mine and I walk alongside him. He's my protection. He's got my back. And if you were to see me, you would see my hand empty but just clinging. It wouldn't look like I'm actually holding on to anything but spiritually. I'm holding on to God. I am his child.
He has the attributes of a father, which is often mentioned in the Bible. However, God has the attributes of a mother as Genesis 126 says, let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. And in verse 27. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female. What attributes of a mother do we see in God the Father?
God is all powerful. He is to be feared. But God is also loving and warm and kind, and he is an ever present help for his children. The same words are used to describe a mother to begin with can also be used to describe God. The Trinity. God is warm, loving. He protects. He is gentle. He provides food for all of our needs.
He is non-judgment to his kind. He is nurturing. Jesus is the sacrificial son. He's got your back. He prays to the father on your behalf. The Holy Spirit is your helper, your encourager, and your teacher. We belong to a kind of church where God is obeyed. And when we actively love one another and strive to live in unity.
Wrap your hand if you would like our church to be even more like that. And yes, you can put your hand up if you would like me to be more like that. Come on, everyone, hands up! We have some very loving people here at church and as a whole congregation. I'm sure we have room for improvement. Well, I know we do, because I'm part of this community, and I know there are times when I can do better.
So let's pray together for God to enable us to love each other as he loves, and to fill us with the Holy Spirit, and to lead and help us into doing this.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
we if you receive the church news email on Friday again, do something a little bit different.
We're going to kind of open the floor up a little bit in a couple of minutes. But this is kind of an opportunity to once again just express our Baptist values as a priesthood of all believers that we don't believe that the past is here, myself or Mitchell, Brian Luther, have special fairy dust on us that makes us any more spiritual and any more capable to communicate with God than anyone else.
Here we are, priesthood of believers. As one Peter four says. So what we're going to do today is express that value and share together about ways in which God has revealed himself to us throughout our journeys. But the big question that we're kind of exploring this morning is, how can we know God? Which might seem like a bit of a stupid question, because there's some probably very obvious answers.
You might be thinking off the top of our heads, but I think we don't spend enough time reflecting on God's transcendence. What does transcendence mean? It means that God is, although relational and personal, is the greatest example of that is through Jesus Christ, who took on flesh to be known by us. Although he is personal and intimately relational with us, God is transcendent.
He's completely beyond our frame of reference. He's made of different stuff to us, and even me saying that he's made, he's not made because he is the creator and we are the created. And it starts to become quite difficult to get our heads around how to really understand God fully. It's sort of like the Brazilian pineapple farmer who went on holidays to Antarctica, and when he got there, he met a blind man who lived in Antarctica his whole life.
And the blind man goes to the Brazilian pineapple farmer. So what do you do for a job? He goes, well, I grow pineapples. And the blind man goes, I don't know what that is. And the Brazilian guy is, well, it's a type of fruit. And the guy who's lived in and talk to you his whole life goes, I don't know what a fruit is and is like, hey, well, you see that baby penguin over there?
And the blind man says, no, I don't say it. He goes, well, you know what a baby penguin is? It's about that size is okay. A pineapple is about the size of a baby penguin, and it's soft and it's fuzzy. He's like, well, no, it's not soft and fuzzy. It's about the size of a baby penguin. But all over it.
And these little spikes, sort of like the baby penguin's beak all over it is like, hey, great. And the blind man talks to says, so we eat baby penguins. Do you eat pineapples? And he goes, yeah, actually we do. We do is what do they taste like? Yes. Oh, well, I guess this sweet. He goes, oh sweet.
Like baby penguin mate. He goes, okay, I guess so. And he goes, okay, I think I've got a pineapple is a type of baby penguin. And he goes, no, I think you've completely missed the point. It's really hard. The second we step too far outside our frame of reference to understand something, and it gets really, really tricky. So this is where a very, very smart man who lived some 700 years ago called Thomas Aquinas, started to reflect on how can we best know God and what he sort of came to a conclusion on, and what many theologians after him agreed is ultimately, any time we're thinking about God, it's as an analogy.
It's comparing it to something from our frame of reference, which ultimately God isn't. But he's like that thing. And this is the kind of quote from summary of theology that I put in the pastor's, newsletter on Friday. Now, God is not something existing, but he's rather super existence. He's beyond existence. Therefore God is not intelligible, but above all, intellect.
How do we understand this guy? Well, the only way that we can understand a being that is beyond our existence who is super existence is through analogy. So I put in the pastor's newsletter. What of these three metaphors and analogies is probably a better thing to say. Best reveals God to you in your life. If you had to think is there an element of creation that maybe you've been at in nature at some point in your walk in your faith relationship with God, and you've found a piece of the creator's creation reflecting his truth to you.
Is there maybe a biblical name or title or metaphor for God in scripture that you have really resonated with and has been quite formative for you and your understanding of God, or the sort of greatest revelation of God, Christ? Is there a moment in the gospel that for you, your heart just really latches onto? It's a powerful representation and illuminates of who God is.
So I want to you to turn to the people next to you for a couple of seconds and just share about of those three areas, which one has been most powerful to you? It doesn't have to be the it's the only one, but just pick one of those three and share with someone next to you. So I'll give you a couple minutes.
when we're going to do is actually create some opportunity to explore each of these, in, in process. And the first one that sort of Thomas Aquinas writes about in his own writings is that creation reveals God. And I think it's really important, just quickly, to understand where he's coming from.
He was writing in a time in which the world was moving to a platonic worldview. What does that mean? Well, previously, the philosopher Aristotle had sort of said that, you know, creation material is a revelation of the divine maker. He wasn't Christian and he wasn't even Jewish, but he definitely believed in something bigger than what we experience in Plato.
One of his students sort of twisted that a bit and started to say, well, no, actually there is a good spiritual and there is a bad, evil, dirty material. And what Aquinas was trying to do impart in his work was point people back to the goodness of creation, that although it's fallen and it's an imperfect metaphor for a perfect creator, that there is real meat to be taken from that.
So we say in passages such as Romans 120, this isn't an extra biblical idea. Paul writes, for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Yeah. In a different way. Job. In the book of job chapter 12, he, breaks out into a sort of verse and says, but ask the animals and they will teach you all the birds in the sky, and they will tell you will speak to the earth, and it will teach you well.
Let the fish in the sea inform you which of all of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. We see here job reflecting that creation echoes its creator. So for anyone who kind of really connected with that first point, the creation reveals God going to open up the mic.
Who wants to maybe come up? I'm and quickly pray for us and then we can get into it. Father God, we thank you that Your Holy Spirit dwells in each of us who call Jesus their Lord and Savior. We thank you that we come here this morning with a wealth of experience and knowledge. But ultimately, God, your good and perfect wisdom and Lord, I just really want to pray again for a spirit of boldness and confidence this morning as people come up and declare the way that you've revealed yourself powerfully in their lives, Jesus name, Amen.
Who wants to be the brave first person?
There's two things that I look at and and it reflects God to me. One is, there's something I read the other day about this. There's hundreds of thousands of species of plants and animals, or even millions that we've not even identified yet on this earth. And you look at the complexity of life, every piece of life, every plant has been designed.
It didn't just happen. And that tells me something about the incredible depths of God. The other thing is this tiny little thing that we're aware of, and it's called the universe. And you look at our planet, you look at the stars, our solar system, and it goes for how many billions of light years away, like the extent of it just blows my mind.
And if you try and look at the infinite list of God to me, the universe reflects that.
Thanks, Brandon. Always scared to be the first one out. Let's give a round of applause, guys. Let's encourage him. That's awesome. Love it. The expansive, almost limitless oneness that creation shows us, yet reveals the limitlessness of God and how he's so much bigger than we can wrap our heads around. See anyone else have any thoughts around how creation reveals God to them?
I think mine's quite simple, but I think just reflecting on maybe some of the hardest and, yeah, hardest times in my life, I feel like creation has been, just a beautiful thing to I always think of the idea of be still and know that I'm God. And on some of the hottest days of my life, I've seen not only a rainbow, but a double rainbow.
Either I've seen or other people have sent photos to me. And I just love that. Yeah. Beautiful imagery. And I think it's just that idea of be still, know that I'm God, your world feels like it's in chaos, but I am God. So that's how he's revealed himself to me.
Thanks, bears. And thanks, dude. Yeah. The rainbow definitely all the way back in Genesis. And. Sorry, Brant, do you want me to pass it down to you coming up? Yeah. Great. Yeah. The double rainbow all the way. Well, the single rainbow all the way back in the Noah story. God's promise and covenant. Just last week, scientists, photographed an electron which has never been seen before.
It's the most beautiful looking thing I've ever seen. It's, Of course it's microscopic. It's nano scorpion. It's, it's very small. But there are particles within that electron which are even smaller. Now, that's in contrast to the universe. So it's it's got to be a God thing. There's no doubt about it.
I just love getting out back and and driving the car and looking at the horizon and seeing this long road. And then the recognition that when you get up the top of that hill and looking further beyond, there is another expanse. And that God is over all that. And this is all part of God's domain. And we can never get to the end of, of God's creation.
And there's there's space all around. And in terms of that metaphor, familiar of where God is, it's a picture of, the space that God wants to, to build around. I mean, so many passages in Scripture say, and he brought me in to a spacious place. He brought me into a place where I could grow. And before I became a Christian, I used to think my life was going to be very closeted if I followed God.
Following God for me as a non-Christian was I was going to live life in a straitjacket and I wasn't going to be free to explore who God made me to be. And yet I discovered completely the opposite that God has brought me into a spacious place, a place to grow, a place to flourish, a place to see beyond what was most apparent, and to recognize whatever that journey might be.
That God was still there in the expanse of wherever he might take me.
Thanks, Brian, I love that. Yeah, all the way from the inner intricacies of an electron to the outer ends of the universe, you know, God can reveal his great infinite power and also his, you know, into into relational deep, even in the smallest detail power. So obviously the flaws of this style of analogy, and this is what some of Aquinas later writers spoke about, was that if creation is by itself going to be our spiritual revelation, then that can somewhat lead to a universalist or pluralist approach where, why don't like me?
Jesus and I don't need the Bible and I don't need the Holy Spirit. I'm just going to look at a rainbow and that's going to speak to me without any other, scriptural or biblical reference. So this is a really helpful analogy. Cool tool to a point, but there's some other really helpful things. And actually, Aquinas himself recognized that this was a bit limited and also came up with a second sort of great analogy that he found in Scripture, which was names revealing God.
So that can be actual titles such as Yahweh, Rapha, the Lord Who Heals Yahweh Shalom, the God of Peace. I really love this one. Just like a little bit of my research for this El Shaddai, the all sufficient one. There's a lot of theories from scholars that Shaddai comes from the Hebrew root word shabd, which is a woman's breast, and the idea that it's a mother who gives all life and sustenance to their children abundantly, that they provide everything that they need to their children, which is pretty cool.
The other sort of idea is similar. Saidu maybe, which is again the peak of a mountain which all the way back in Genesis, we get the river of life running from this peak of the mountain, which waters all the plants, which gives all life and sustains all things. Sort of this idea of the peak, the highest point of the mountain being the place where earth and heaven touch most profoundly so either or some pretty beautiful imagery around El Shaddai, the all sufficient one.
And then obviously as well, Scripture loves to use medicine in the Psalms, but throughout. So in Psalm 18 two, the psalmist writes, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. So just in that single verse, you've got some seven different metaphors for God, which are all individual, really quite powerful.
So the next one would be a question what name or metaphor for God is most significant to you? This one is a bit more of a Bible nerdy one, but would love to hear anybody have anything. It doesn't have to be a yeah, deeply, sort of, theologically deep thing. Just any title or name.
I so, this one for me. My favorite book in the Bible is the book of Hebrews. So I'm going to put my glasses on. I'm old school. I like to use the Bible.
And it's in Hebrews chapter six and moves on to seven as well, where it talks about Melchizedek. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who made Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom and also Abraham gave a 10th part of all, first being translated King of righteousness, and then also King of selling, meaning King of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a 10th of his spoils, and indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham. But he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham, blessed him who had who had the promises now beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better.
He mortal men receive tithes, but they he receives them of him of whom it is witnessed that he lives. So it goes on and talks about Melchizedek. And we know, from that, that Melchizedek represents Christ. And the beauty of Melchizedek is that Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life, the only way to the father that he created, that get, that he bridge, that gap that allowed us direct contact with the father in heaven so that we may have a relationship with him and know him.
But more importantly, does he know you? So I'm going to throw a spanner in the works because Jesus said, you know, talks about in the end times that I never knew you. So my question is not that do you know God? But as Christians, does God know you? So I want you to think about that, because we can say that we know God through creation, we know God through prayer and all that sort of stuff.
But my question to you is, does Christ know you? Because when you stand before him, before the great White judgment throne of God, will your name be written in the Book of life?
Thanks, Dave. Really appreciate it. Yeah, so much there. Because being a king and a priest, this things which ultimately are still earthly representations that are just an analogy of sorts for the ultimate king, the ultimate praise. Thank you friend, thank you. Yes. So in this style of analogy, again, it falls short because if you say God is good, for instance, even just as a really simple sort of title for him, well, first we're using imperfect human language, which is immediately flawed.
You know, if I say what's good for white, what's good for my white, well, am I saying what's good for gaining weight or what's good for losing weight? So you are interpreting things straight away. So it is imperfect sometimes. And also, an imperfect reference of goodness compared to God that we don't actually know complete goodness only in contrast to what is bad.
So there is beauty and power in all of these analogies, but it's just helpful to recognize where they fall short. And this is where Colbert comes in as a Swiss theologian in the 20th century. He was sort of coming from a different era in time, obviously, 700 years after Aquinas, and he was looking at a world that was instead of looking to creation and science as something to prove God.
Instead, at this point in the enlightenment period, moving into modernism, science and rational, rationalization was actually being used to try and disprove God. So he was saying, well, maybe some of these forms of metaphor that people have previously relied on have some issues in my context. So he ultimately pointed towards, maybe in some ways the most obvious revelation of God, who is Christ himself.
In John 14 nine, anyone who has seen me, Jesus has seen the father. So as we sort of come to this final analogy for this morning, I'd love to know, is there a moment in the gospel? Is there a element of Jesus which for you just most powerfully and personally reveals God?
I'm just a little a little snippet here from, Matthew 12, verse 46, while Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you. He replied to them, who is my mother? And who are my brothers?
Pointing to his disciples, Jesus said, here are my mother and my brothers, for whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. I don't know why. Like all throughout the Bible, You know, God is referred to as the father. But this, I don't know, some, One day when I read this, it just kind of the whole concept of family, just kind of.
And they've got so many broken families. People have so much childhood wounding this being a part of a restored family is just quite amazing. Kind of. And with Jesus and God and, and it's very complicated, but that perfect restoration of family and that, it kind of spoke to me about, an answer to that longing to be a part of something that we all feel sometimes, you know, sometimes you're you're with a lot of people, but you still feel alone or, you know, sometimes you don't feel like you belong or just, you know, those sorts of feelings.
It not it's not quite right. That idea of that restored family that you're part of, that is just such an incredible. It's such an incredible revelation to me. Thank you.
Thanks, Lizzie. Being adopted into the family of Christ, really, really powerful.
So, as Lizzie had herself sort of pointed to not just Jesus as God stand alone without any relationship, that there is Jesus, part of his identity is solely hinging on the Holy Spirit and God the Father. And this is the one thing that we can do if we become almost to Christ centric, that we forget to seek the Holy Spirit who is living and breathing today, that we only look to Scripture and tradition and previous things rather than fresh revelation of God.
So yeah, just wanted to point to one Corinthians two, where Paul himself writes, I'll just wait until we get it up on the screen. Perfect. Thanks, mate. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
This is what we speak not in words taught to us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the spirit. Explaining spiritual realities with spirit taught words. The person without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the spirit.
So it's sort of the takeaway that I want to leave you with today. That there is actually a final analogy of God that I find really powerful. And that's the work of Meister Eckhart, who was only 100 years after Thomas Aquinas. And he was really big about the silent contemplation and the it's not just through silent contemplation itself, in which we can experience God, but silence as an analogy for God.
When he writes on silence, he's not talking about the cessation of thought that we empty our minds in the way that a Hindu or a Buddhist would, but more in the way that it is the awareness of silence permeating all things our words, our thoughts, all of creation. And it's seen really powerfully in the story of Elijah in the book of one Kings 19.
I'll just wait till it. Yeah. Perfect. Oh, sorry. That's a good quote. Actually, I should read that as this is Mr. Eckhart himself saying no image represents and signifies itself. It always aims and points to that of which it is the image. And since you have no image but of what is outside yourself, which is drawn in through the senses, and continually points to that of which is in the image, therefore, it is impossible for you to be bare, defiled, or blessed by any image whatsoever, and therefore there must be a silence and a stillness, and the father must speak in that, and give birth to his son and perform his works free from
all images. And yeah, if we go to that passage in One Kings, it's really beautiful when Elijah is seeking God, and the Lord said, go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. And then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord.
But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah?
Ultimately, the best way to know God is through an amalgamation of all of these things and reflecting on his presence in creation and reflecting on his names and titles and metaphors of Him in Scripture, and reflecting ultimately on the greatest revelation of Him in Christ. And not just having that as head knowledge and walking along on our day, not allowing it to sink into our heart, but having genuine moments of silent reflection to really allow that to permeate into our souls.
So I'd like to encourage you this week to find some time to reflect on one of those things a bit more, just for 10 or 15 minutes in the silence, and find what God's Spirit might have to further reveal to you. So I'm going to call the band up as we pray. Father God, we thank you so much for all of the ways in which you reveal yourself to us through your son, through your Holy Spirit, through your Word, through your creation.
God, you are a good and generous God, and you continue to bless us each and every day. And God, we just pray that, as Steve said, it wouldn't just be that we know you, but we are known by you, Jesus. You yourself say it is not those who prophesy and cast out demons and heal that will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who are known by you, it is not our works, it is our intimate relationship with you.
And I pray this week as we go out and reflect further on all of the ways in which you reveal yourself to us, that it would not be due to good works, that we would think we are coming closer to you, but it would be through seeking a deeper, intimate relationship with you. So we thank you for this.
We thank you for this time, and we pray that as we go out of this service, we can continue to talk about these things, that our conversations would not go to superficial and shallow things, but we would continue to encourage, exhort, and teach one another with words of wisdom and encouragement. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But. But when they entered, they did not find the body of Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that claimed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright. The woman bowed down with their faces to the ground. But the man said, why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Remember how I told you while he was still in Galilee, the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, but crucified on the third day, and they rise again.
Then they remembered his words. When they came back on the tomb, they were told. They told all these things. Of the 11. And to the others it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and the others with them I told the apostles, but they did not believe the woman, because their words seemed to them like a nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw strips of linen lying on them shelves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Oh, he is risen indeed. Indeed he is risen this morning we're going to do with. So on Good Friday we did the stations of the cross. We're going to do a stations of the resurrection through Luke chapter 24. And Luke 24 is, I guess, like all gospel writings, quite remarkable.
And Luke has set this up that they're going to take a look at three different events on the same day the women coming to the tomb and finding an empty Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the impious road. And lastly, he's appearance to disciples in that room, showing them his hands and his feet and the wounds that he bore.
It's really interesting that Luke mentions, first and foremost, that this day is the first day of the week. Weeks disappear like this. It feels like a Monday starts and then suddenly it's Friday. And here that the first day of the week, it's showing that this is something. A new beginning is a new day, a new dawning. That's something remarkable has happened.
And when those women come to that tomb and see it empty there, and just those two angels there gleaming in light, I know this is something remarkable, and I love the question that the angels ask why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you seek the living among the dead? It's a fantastic question, because how many of us are seeking dead things when the risen Lord Jesus is offering life for us, he's offering wholeness.
He's offering something greater than we could ever imagine. And so this Easter Sunday, friends, ask yourself the question why do you seek the living among the dead?
Obviously, the angel's words, the fact that the tomb is empty head encourages the women to be the first witnesses to the resurrection. If you notice, says John, who brilliantly read that passage to us, you'll notice that Luke mentions all of these different women who got Mary's, you got Joanna's, and you got even other women who would just not name.
They just said with them and you perhaps wondering like, well, why does Luke make so much reference to all of these women? Why are there women? Why are there the first ones to see the empty tomb?
It's because Jesus Christ had come to flip how life operates. I read a passage from a Jewish scripture called Mission Son Hedren. This is written, around the time when Jesus was around, and it says these words women, slaves in mind is that of children. Alas, children are disqualified from giving testimony. Read that again. Women, slaves and minors are disqualified from giving testimony.
That was the prevailing Jewish culture. Women are unreliable. If you're going to put clients on McNew, you don't use women. You use men. But Jesus has come to bring in this shift to deliberately uproot cultural norms. And you see here the apostles, when they hear this testimony, what do they say? Oh, that sounds like fantastic news. We believe you.
In fact, they say, well, I think it's utter nonsense. And because I love to teach you guys little bits of, you know, interesting facts from the Bible, this word nonsense is letters and letter. Ros is only used once in the New Testament, but it's used lots and lots of times in other Greek writings. We have. And all the other times they used that.
With Greek writings, it's often used in the context of a comedy play of someone who doesn't get the joke. It just seems like nonsense to them. That's quite ironic. And hopefully today you'll see this as we explore Luke's Gospel together. A little irony in this. The men had spent so much time with Jesus man, he'd seen him do so many miracles, had heard these teachings, do not believe him.
It's the women, the women, the ones who are considered by that society to be valueless, to have no testimony, to have no say, and how things were. I guess one of the things we can learn from the women today, our culture often thinks that the resurrection is nonsense, that what we believe is nonsense. So, friends, today I encourage you to do what the women did.
Be present now. Present at the cross. Present at the burial. They're present at the tomb. Friends today be present. Don't search for the living among the dead. Search for the nonsense. Search for the nonsense of the gospel. That's the heart of the gospel message that Jesus is risen. So I encourage you today to reflect upon that as the women come to the tomb by the nonsense of the gospel, embrace the fact that Jesus come to shift how we see the world.
And friends, don't search for the living among the dead.
Reading on from Luke 24, verse 13. Now the same day, two of them were going to a village called mace, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, what are you discussing together? As you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them named Cleopas, asked him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? What things? He asked about Jesus of Nazareth, they replied, he was a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people, the chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.
But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but they didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was still alive.
Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it, just as the woman had said. But they did not see Jesus. He said to them, how foolish you are, and how slow to believe all the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things? And then into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly, stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over. So he went to stay with them. When he was at the table with them he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.
The then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, were not our hearts burning within us? While he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us, they got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 and those with them assembled together and saying, it is true, the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.
Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them. When he broke the bread.
So in a biblical narrative, is the size of the narrative shows how important it is. In Luke chapter 24, the length of the amazed road shows us that for Luke, this is a really important part of his resurrection narrative, and just as there was irony in the first part, we looked at with the women understanding in the disciples, not in Peter leaving perplexed.
So it is here we have the informed two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus, telling the uninformed Jesus all about the events that had happened. And I love how Jesus doesn't mince words here. He has this quite harsh reply to them. How foolish you are, and how slow to believe that Jesus had said those words to me.
I take that as quite a personal affront at how foolish I am and how slow I am to believe. Now, the problem with our two disciples on the Imus Road is that they had these expectations of Jesus that were unrealistic. The expectation was that they were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel, i.e. this would be some sort of political messiah, someone who'd come in on a war horse, who'd get rid of the Romans and redeem Israel that way.
In their mind, dying on a cross was not part of that plan. And, it's so devastating that Luke doesn't give us this Bible study that Jesus unpacks to them on this walk. We can kind of guess maybe he talked about the suffering servant from Isaiah 52. Maybe he used Hosea six two, where the prophet tells us that the on the third day the Lord will restore us.
We don't know. But anyway, Jesus uses the Old Testament to show that, hey, this was the whole point and purpose I'm meant to suffer. And I, the Messiah, was meant to suffer and die and come back to life. Now, if you indulge me for a little bit, when we get to the part where their eyes are opened, there's some really, really cool things in here.
And maybe one day Mary and I can talk about this in our banter podcast, going to a bit more depth. But there's a lot of things happening at this moment. And so then when they're there breaking bread, Luke uses language that he's he's already alluded to two other occasions in his gospel. And can we think of some significant meals have happened in the gospel?
One of them is the feeding of the what, 5000? And the second one is the moment that Jesus institutes Holy Communion. So automatically the regional rate isn't meant to go, oh, okay, I'm meant to think about this, but this is where it gets even cooler that Luke's also riffing off some of the Old Testament. And one of these moments here is when Abraham invites Yahweh himself in human form and two angels in there, Yahweh reveals that Abraham is going to have a child.
Will Sarah going to have a child? And the second one, which is almost like a direct reference to Genesis three seven, their eyes were opened. The very first meal in Scripture wasn't a meal of joy. It's a meal of heartache. It was an illegitimate meal when the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat this bread bearing fruit. And Scripture tells us at that moment the eyes were opened.
They recognized that they were naked. And here, on the first day of a new week, of a new creation, when Jesus sits down with these two disciples and this little house in a mass, and he breaks bread, their eyes are also opened. Jesus is beginning to unravel the curse, the bondage that humanity has lived under. This is the first meal in the new creation.
And friends, this is why breaking bread while we celebrate communion is so important, because it's a reminder that Jesus presence, he might not be he physically. He vanishes just like those he did with those two disciples. But he's still present. It's the meal that reminds us the broken body of Jesus and his blood that was shed. Look forward to a future hope and a future promise.
So friends, today, how many of us are foolish and slow to believe? How am I ever said picture to Jesus? That's like what the road disciples had. Someone we thought was going to be different. And then when those expectations aren't met, we're left just completely and utterly disappointed. Perhaps there's times in your life where Christ is actually walking with you.
We haven't recognized him for whatever reason that might be. Perhaps there are moments within you where you feel this burning within your heart. We haven't pause to notice. Perhaps that's the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to you. Perhaps, friends, there's a face, a person that you are speaking to that might be hiding Jesus presence. Because as this story teaches us, God turns ordinary spaces and makes them holy.
That's what the resurrection is all about.
Well, I was still talking about Jesus. Jesus is still himself, still among them, and said, peace be with you. I was startled and frightened, thinking I saw a ghost. He said to them, why are you looking troubled? And why do doubts rise in your mind? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself touch my hands.
Oh, God does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. When he said this, he showed them his hands and feet, and while they still did not believe it because of drawing the wise moment, he asked them, do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of boiled fish, and he took it and died in their presence.
He said to them, this is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything you must be fulfilled. That is what an abomination. And what is this? The prophets and the Psalms, that he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. He told them, this is what was written. The Messiah will suffer from the dead.
And on the third day he he'll write, and hook repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Well, we preached in his name to all the nations beginning. I show you some. You are witness of all things. I am going to send you what my father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from the high.
When he had led them out to the city of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left and was taken up to heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
For so much great work. Hey, on our final reflection through Luke 24, there is this implied question that Luke is asking when are the disciples going to believe? And, in the Old Testament, their, testimony was held valid if you had 2 or 3 witnesses. Now, so far, this is what Luke has been building up.
We've had the two women at the tomb. They have seen it there. Hey, she's not there. Peter himself has seen the the the grave clothes lying there. The disciples on the road have encountered the risen Lord Jesus. Now, will the apostles themselves actually believe? What will it take? Yes, be more irony. Luke is kind of tapping into a takes an encounter by the risen Lord Jesus for them to believe.
And it's quite interesting when they think that Jesus is a ghost. Now, in our mind that seems a bit silly. We don't really believe in things like that. But in the ancient world, if someone died particularly horrific deaths such as crucifixion, there was this sort of underlying belief that the ghost of that person could come back and haunt you.
And so that's probably what's going in their mind right now, like, oh my goodness, it's a ghost set. A Jesus is come back to haunt us. This is why Jesus makes such a concerted effort to go, hey man, look at, look at, look at my hands, look at my feet. I'm a sight I want some food to eat because I'm hungry.
Flesh and blood need food to eat.
Luke caps off this most important day of the week here. Jesus, appearing to his disciples. And if you remember back to Palm Sunday, spoke about how Jerusalem is the center of Luke's gospel. Jerusalem disappears so much. In fact, that's that's what Luke sets up as Jesus traveling to Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny. Now, at this moment of his resurrection, that's where his disciples end up going back to Jerusalem, worshiping and praising God.
As we finish this morning. Well, just focus a bit on cross wounds. The great church, Father August, Saint Augustine of Hippo, he said from the tomb he arose with his wounds healed. He scars kept. For this he judged expedient for his disciples that his scars should be kept, whereby the wounds of their heart might be healed. Well, how about Jesus still bearing those scars?
It's this powerful, tangible reminder. I love it there in the video, these kind of hands I got like, how long? And you can see through them, but how about those scars look like they're there as this powerful reminder that suffering has now been transformed into a symbol of healing and of faith, and a victory, the resurrected Christ with his wounds.
It shows us that the resurrection doesn't bypass the realities of our suffering and evil in this life. Instead, they somehow bring this transformation and those scars that Christ bears for all eternity. They're reminders of what it took to unify God and humans.
In Christ's suffering, that redemption is found, as the prophet Isaiah said so long before Jesus walked on this earth. From Isaiah chapter 53, from verse five he says, but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. And friends, today, if you are carrying.
You're carrying scars. You're carrying doubts, whatever it might be. Today is the perfect day to do it. As we remember the resurrection of our Lord, we remember that he still bears the scars for eternity as a reminder of the cost of our sin, but also as a reminder that these wounds bring healing. As the prophet said by his wounds we are healed.
That's the invitation Jesus wants us to have today. That's the invitation he's offering to us. It's not here in Luke's gospel, but we're doubting Thomas. And there he you know, he said, I'm not going to believe unless I see his wounds and his side. And Jesus is happy to show them. Show them to him. And Thomas acknowledges that, my Lord and God, that same Jesus today wants you to reach out with him.
So look at his wounds and find healing. And if you wish to do that today, I give you an opportunity. We have our prayer corner here. We pray for people here who love to pray for you. I would love to pray for you. I'd love to pray with you. Any one of the pastors here love to pray for you and find healings here.
The wounds of Jesus. Friends, he is risen. He is risen indeed. Let me pray for us, Lord and Lord God, we give you thanks for this day, as if just it quickly journeyed through Luke's Gospel. That powerful first day of the week, reminder of the new heavens and the new earth that you're going to bring one day when this earth is restored and made whole.
And Lord, I pray for us, in particular, those of us that are carrying wounds that need to find healing, to find the healing through the wounds of Jesus. For those of us that need our eyes open, I pray that you open our eyes. And for those of us that need to leave behind the dead things, because why we are searching for living things amongst the dead.
So, Lord, I pray your blessing upon us on this Easter Sunday and we thank you for the new life that we have in Jesus. We pray this now in the precious name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Centre podcast. We're a church based in general, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Well, we gather this morning as Christians united through the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. This morning we're going to go on a journey, a journey through each of those final moments of our Lord. We will relive Jesus heartfelt prayer he poured out to his father the betrayal by Judas, the false accusations, the denial by Peter. He's flogging, coronation of a crown of thorns, the journey to Golgotha, the crucifixion and burial.
This morning's reflections are focused on Christ's sufferings as we enter the story of Scripture through words, sounds and pictures, we can relive those awful hours of our Lord's suffering. But this is also an opportunity to remember. Remember the solidarity that Jesus has with us as we face the crosses in our life. All of us will encounter a cross.
There are apparent crosses sickness, death, divorce, or accidents. Maybe our crosses are the burdens of fear, loneliness, the uncertainty about the future. How are we going to put food on the table? Whether it's experiencing a life altering cross or perhaps it's a minor cross, none of us can escape the trials of life. The monotony of work, juggling children, strained relationships, friends, big and small crosses await each of us.
And these crosses are not here to punish us or torture us, but simply because we live in a broken world, in desperate need of redemption.
Jesus willingly accepted the cross he received. Jesus takes it all and the world is redeemed through his cross. The invitation of Jesus is to hand over your crosses and burdens to him. And today, friends, I invite you on this Good Friday to see the presence of our Lord in the burdens you carry today. May we become more aware of the crosses in others and seek to alleviate them before we have our first reading.
Open up in a word of prayer. God of power and mercy in love. You sent your son that we might be cleansed of sin and live with you forever. Bless us as we gather to reflect on your suffering and death. And may we learn from your example the way we should live. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
It's my pleasure to invite Isabel up to give our first reading from Luke 2239 to 46.
Jesus went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, pray that you will not fall into temptation. He raised you about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down, and prayed. Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours. Be done.
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him, and being in anguish, he prayed most earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from them from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sir, why are you sleeping? He asked him. Get up and pray so that you and you will not fall into temptation.
Jesus powerful prayer in this anime is a testament to the agony as he wrestles with the will of his father about the horrors that he's about to experience. We just given a glimpse in this moment of the turmoil that the cross brought to Jesus. This moment is a test of submission to his Father's will. And because Jesus succeeded in this test, he's now able to empathize with each of us as we struggle with our weaknesses and as we wrestle with God's will in our life.
We now have our second reading from Mark chapter 14 from 43 to 50.
Just as he was speaking. Judas, one of the 12, appeared with him was the crowd, armed with swords and clubs sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under God. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said Rabbi, and kissed him.
The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Am I leading a rebellion? Said Jesus, that you must come out with swords and clubs to capture me. Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me.
But the scriptures must be fulfilled. Then everyone deserted him and fled.
We are not told what Jesus emotional state. What our state was, or his thoughts as Judas came in to betray him. We can imagine that there was hurt. There's nothing more painful in life than being betrayed by one who claims to love us. And most of us here in this room hopefully would not consider ourselves a Judas. Someone who portrays a loved one.
But think back to the moments when we had professed devotion to Jesus. But our thoughts, actions and our lifestyle reveal a divided heart. A heart that's not devoted to him, a heart that's willing to betray him. We'll now have our third reading, where Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin. From Matthew chapter 26. From 59 to 67.
Thanks for.
The chief priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for the false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two came forward and declared. This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. Then the highest priest stood up and said to Jesus, are you not going to answer?
What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent. The highest priest said to him, I charge you under the earth by my living death. Living God's God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God. You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming down in the clouds of heaven.
Then the highest praise to his cousin said, he has spoken blasphemy. Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think he is worthy of? Death fancies and spit on his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him.
Jesus is sentence like a common criminal and accused of crimes that he did not commit. Yet Jesus humbly accepts this injustice. His trial and criminal status are all because of our sins. All the sins of humanity are placed upon his shoulders as our Passover Lamb. The injustice that Jesus experienced is a tangible reminder of the injustice that faces our world, as people are condemned for their race, beliefs, politics.
The list is endless. As people continue to be unjustly condemned in our world, it is a powerful reminder that the one who faced the ultimate injustice will bring justice to this earth. When he comes. We will now have our fourth reading from Luke 2254 to 6062. Peter denies Jesus.
Then, seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance, and when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked at. She looked closely at him and said, this man was with him.
But he denied the woman. I don't know him, he said, a little while, a little while later someone else saw him and said, you are also one of them, man, I am not. Peter replied. About an hour later, another asserted, certainly this fellow was with him, for he is Galilean. Peter replied, man, I don't know what you're talking about.
Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him. Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.
It's the second betrayal our Lord faced on that night, and Peter's threefold denial of Jesus is ultimately driven by fear. Fear of man. But before we criticize Peter too harshly, consider the times where you also have feared man more than God and denied Jesus through your words or actions. This moment is pivotal in Peter's life. It's not the walking on water, not the confession of Jesus as Messiah.
It's this moment when Peter recognizes who he is weak and broken. But in this moment that our Lord uses when he's resurrection to restore and Saint Peter out as one of his chief apostles. Lord, grant us the gift of honesty, so that we may not fear to speak the truth even when it is difficult. We'll now have our fifth reading.
Barabbas is released from Mark chapter 15 from verse 6 to 15.
Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?
Asked Parliament, knowing that it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. What shall I do, then, with the one you call the King of the Jews? Pilot asked them. Crucify him! They shouted. Why? What crime has he committed as Pilate?
But they shouted all the louder, crucify him! Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified.
In Aramaic, Barabbas means son of the father, and ironically the true son of the Heavenly Father was condemned and the evil son is free. What do you imagine went through Barabbas mind as he was granted freedom? Do you think his life changed better for that day? Was he grateful for the horrific death that he avoided? Did he use his newfound freedom for God's glory?
Or did he waste that precious gift of mercy? We will never know. His tale is a mystery, but yours is not. Friends. What will you do with the pardon? Jesus has offered you. What will you do with your life? For the great gift that he has given? I now have our six reading. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns.
From Matthew chapter 2727 to 31.
Thanks Ben.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the pretorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a star in his right hand, then they now in front of him and mocked him. How? King of the Jews, they said they spat on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again, after they had mocked him.
They took off the road and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Imagine for a moment the physical pain that Jesus endured.
Imagine a whip going against the skin of your back. Imagine fist against your face. Or a crown of thorns being placed upon your head. Mocked as King of the Jews. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Stands humiliated in a makeshift purple robe. The cruel crown of thorns on his head. Friends, that image is the cost of sin.
While we can never fully appreciate the extent of Christ's physical pain, all we can do with it is live lives worthy of the calling and the sacrifice he made. Lord, I pray that you grant to us patience in our times of suffering. There are times of suffering. May result in a sacrifice of praise. I come to our seventh reading.
Jesus takes up the cross from Luke chapter 23 from the stats 26 to 31. Right now.
As the soldiers lead him away, they seized Simon from Sarina, who was on his way in from the country and put the cross on him. And made him carry it behind. Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me.
Weep for yourself and for your children. For the time will come when you say, blessed are the childless woman, the wombs that have never bore, and the breasts that have never nursed. Then they will say to the mountains, fall on us, and to the hills cover us. For if people do these things, when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?
Jesus taught us that to be one of his followers, we must be prepared to deny ourselves and to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. How many of us are willing to pick up the cross? When faced with the challenges of life, no matter how great or small, it provides us an opportunity to do what Jesus did. Accept our suffering gracefully.
We learn in this moment that not every cross is meant to be born alone.
Simon's sacrifice. Simon's willingness to pick up the cross is an example for us on how we can help carry each other's burdens. I pray, Lord Jesus, that each day we faithfully bear our crosses and bear the crosses of each other. We now come to our eighth Bible reading. Jesus is crucified for Matthew chapter 2733 to 43.
They came to a place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall, but after tasting it he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots and sitting down, and they kept watch over him. They over his head. They placed the written charge against him.
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, you who were going to destroy the temple and building in three days, save yourself. Come down from the cross. If you are the Son of God.
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders mocked him. He saved others, they said, but he can't save himself. He is the King of Israel. Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trust in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. For he said, I am the Son of God.
By the time Jesus has reached Golgotha, he suffered many indignities already. Betrayal, denial. False judgment, the beatings, the mockery and the ridicule. And these moments before he is crucified, Jesus is stripped. The mere dignity, the protection, the comfort of his clothing is stolen. And there he is, naked before the crowd hanging upon the cross. Out of love for us, Jesus is made vulnerable.
Jesus is dehumanized. Jesus laid himself down on the cross and willingly stretched his hands and his feet to be crucified.
It's on a it's upon a cross. A person dies with his arms spread out. When our Lord spread his arms out, he did it to draw all people to himself. This great sacrifice has opened the gates of heaven for all who believe in him can share in Etern all life. We will now have our ninth reading. Jesus promises his kingdom to the criminal from Luke chapter 23, verses 39 to 43.
Your. One of the criminals who hung that hill and sold it at him on your Messiah. Save yourself and us. But but the other criminals rebuked him. Don't you feel God? He said, since you are under the same sentence, we are the. We are punished just justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.
Then he says, Jesus, remember me when he comes into your kingdom. Jesus answered, truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
As Jesus life ebbs away. His words are not of condemnation or pity for himself, but of forgiveness. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Amid his anguish and suffering, Jesus calls upon his father to forgive and not to condemn. This is the real challenge of the cross. We give those who have hurt us most, despite the mocking of the crowds, the curse of the other criminal, immense, excruciating pain.
Jesus offered mercy and salvation to the penitent criminal in his humanity. Jesus suffered, but in his divine nature he loves and pardons sinners, even dying upon a cross. And friend two. Today we can join Jesus and that criminal in Paradise. Our 10th reading is Jesus dies on the cross from Matthew chapter 27. This is 45 to 56.
From noon until three in the afternoon. Darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon. Jesus cried out in a loud voice. Eli, Eli, lema sabbath Danny? Which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When some of those standing there heard this, they said his calling Elijah. Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.
He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stove, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died will rise to us. They came out of the tombs after Jesus resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, surely he was the Son of God!
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Majd Dillon, Mary the mother of James, and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee. Sons.
Our Lord Jesus, you offered your life for everyone, even for your enemies, to transform their hearts. Your love should not shy from death as you offered your life for all. May we do the same. Jesus once said, very truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds. It's through death that, paradoxically, life is found. And we find life by joining in the death of Jesus. As we join Jesus in his death, will you make the decision each and every day to die to yourself and follow after Jesus? Lord, we thank you. You offered your life for all.
Lord, have mercy upon us. We now come to our 11th and final reading. Jesus is placed in the tomb for Mark chapter 15, verses 42 to 47.
It was. It was preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath. So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
When he learned from the centurion that this was that, it was so he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph brought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in the tomb. Cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, saw where he was laid.
That night, as Jesus body was laid in the dark heart of the earth, and they cried, stone rolled in front of it. Be natural for his followers to think. God, why did you permit this? How could a loving God allow this to happen? As Jesus mother Mary gazes upon the lifeless body of her son crucified and broken. Mary is not only the mother of our Lord, but many ways she can come to represent the mother of all who suffer loss.
She stands in silent grief of all who have lost loved ones, whether to the cruel hands of violence, the slow embrace of sickness, or the sudden shock of tragedy. There are times, friends, where it seems the darkness of the tomb will overcome us, that evil is victorious. But the answer to all our grieving and despair lies in this place.
The tomb is transformed into a womb, a place of new birth, a place of hope. And our presence here this morning is witness to that. That Jesus death was not in vain. That his suffering and death are not in vain. May we have eyes to see the promise of new life that darkness cannot contain. And as his body sits there in silence, patiently awaiting resurrection and new life.
Friends, that's the hope. We also carry. Lord Jesus, we thank you. Your death is a sacrifice that unites heaven and earth and reconciles all people to you. May we who have all faithfully reflected on your death and your great sacrifice. Follow in your footsteps so that we too can share in your glory when you live and reign, when the kingdom comes in its fullness.
Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray explore who the four gospels work together to reveal the multitude of ways Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was fulfilling Old Testament prophesies and subverting Jewish expectations. They also reflect over the past 40 days of the Lent Challenge and share what they personally found helpful and challenging.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Luke 19:28-40
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
.....
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www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Centre podcast. We're a church based in general, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the centre of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
It's Palm Sunday. It's a day of excitement where we enter into Holy Week and actually on the screen there, it just has the days and the events of Holy Week. So obviously, being Palm Sunday, Jesus kicks off with his triumphant entrance.
Then on the Monday, Jesus cleanses the temple on Tuesday, this time with Jesus gives more teaching. On the Wednesday he's betrayed by Judas, who just makes a decision that he's going to betray Judas. Thursday institutes communion for us. Friday is obviously his death and Sunday is his resurrection. And if you're doing the lent challenges, the lent fasting, actually, the readings for this week marry up with those days and try to help us reflected.
Focus on this Holy Week about just the the events leading up to Jesus death and his resurrection. But our focus this morning is on the triumphant entrance. And as I like to do, we're going to spend a bit of time explaining the context behind the passage, what Luke is trying to achieve, because we have four different gospels and each gospel author has a different purpose.
Then I'm going to give you guys some tools. So that's sort of our plan for this morning. Firstly, all the things that Luke does is he has this real central focus on the city of Jerusalem, Jerusalem focus from pretty much from chapter one to Luke's gospel. There's this big focus there. And scholars call Luke 951 the beginning, the beginning of what's what's known as the travel narrative that says in Luke 951, as the time approached for G.
For him to be taken to heaven, Jesus resultantly set out for Jerusalem. Now you could translate these words as more literally, Jesus set his face to Jerusalem. This is sort of the whole focus of Jesus mission and Luke's gospel. This Jerusalem is the city of his destiny. It's what he's been called to do is go to Jerusalem to die and to be resurrected.
And so, in many ways, the triumphant entrance is what's known as a literary hinge. So when traveling, traveling, traveling with Jesus throughout the past ten chapters and now we're here. We're here in the city of Jerusalem. And the whole focus that Luke has had on Jerusalem being the city of destiny is now coming to fruition. Now you might be there saying, go, well, okay.
Who cares? Because Luke 951 to 1928 is this travel narrative? Because if Jerusalem is the focus of Luke's gospel. What's so important about that? Good question, my friends. Let me answer that for you. A triumphant entrance is a word that scholars use to describe the entry of a royal figure, or someone who's very, very important. And this was quite customary in the Greek Roman culture around that first century era.
And at the entrance in of itself was quite straightforward. And as you can see there on the screen there, what would happen was the ruler would be met outside the city gate by the city citizens, and often, particularly in like Roman cities, the, the citizens of put on special garments, maybe like a wreath. They'd wear white robes to signify that there was something special about this person, actually.
Next, I should say, at the city gates, the religious and political elite from the city, along with banners welcome us with would be there to welcome this ruler or this king into the city. And then they would begin to escort them back. And then once that ruler was there, the city's elite would give lots of speeches just to say how wonderful it was to have this ruler in the city, with sort of the hope of giving him lots and lots of price.
That ruler, that ruler would bless the city with lots of abundance and lots of blessings. And then lastly, it's particularly put in a, I guess, more of a pagan culture. Was that that king or that ruler would then go to the city's temple and offer a sacrifice on behalf of the gods. That's what a triumphant entrance is. Now, Luke has been focusing all his gospel on the city of Jerusalem.
That's the important city. Now he is structured this narrative and this entrance of Jesus to illustrate one thing Jesus is King. Jesus is King. Now, if you do pick up Luke chapter 19 and decide to read through it, you'll notice right before Jesus enters into Jerusalem, he gives a parable parable of ten minutes. Now the parable the ten minutes is really similar to the parable of the talents.
Essentially the same thing a master goes away. And on that journey he gives three of the servants a bunch of bags. So the similar outcome happens is, you know, the first servant gets ten bags, second seven, five bags, and the last servant one bag. But what's different about Luke's parable is that Jesus describes this man of a noble birth who goes away to a distant land, to be appointed as king and to return, but his subjects hate him and don't want him to be king.
Now, doesn't that sound a little bit familiar? Parable about a man who's appointed to be king. Do citizens hate him and don't want him to be king?
It's what Luke is setting up here is that Jesus is going to enter into Jerusalem as a king, but he's going to be rejected. Now, if you do have Luke's gospel, you have Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke. You notice some differences, some differences here and Luke's gospel compared to others. But first and foremost, and while Luke doesn't mention this, the fact that Jesus gets on a donkey, it's a reference to Zechariah chapter nine verse nine, which said, let's say on the screen, rejoice greatly.
Zion, shout door to Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a cult. The fall of, donkey. The other allusion he's tapping into was when King Solomon became king. King Solomon, two or so we're told that he writes on, mule. So this is this idea here that that Luke is tapping into these Old Testament images of the king of Israel coming on, not a, animal of warfare.
And most of us are probably familiar with this. Guys running a donkey, donkeys, an animal of peace, not of war, showing that that Jesus is a different type of king. Now, what I find really cool here, and perhaps you might not find so cool here, is that as you read through Luke's Gospel, and if you understand the video there, when when the disciples take the donkey, the owner of the donkey said, hey, like, what are you?
What are you doing with that? Says, well, the Lord has made of it, and he will return it. In Luke's gospel, Luke doesn't mention that. You might notice that there just in the past. He just says, they replied, the Lord needs. Why would Luke take out the part which says, hey, he's going to take it, but return it?
Why do you think he might do that? Does this what kings do? Kings take animals when they need them. Kings can take things and not give them back. So Luke is trying to highlight here. Hey, Jesus, King. He has the right to take this coat and do of it what he wants. Now, there's a tremendous irony here because this is Palm Sunday and this stage is covered in palm reading through Luke 19.
But did anyone notice any references to palms? No. In fact, this is the only gospel where the word palm isn't used. For instance, in in Matthew. He makes reference to branches from trees being cut. Mark. He tells us the crowd spread branches that they had cut from the fields. John is the one who makes reference to the palm branches.
But Luke, it's just cloaks. No palms. Why would he do that? Kenny, he's tapping into this Old Testament imagery of a king. And there was a king. King called Jehu. And in two Kings, chapter nine, we're told when J. Who became king, all the people got their cloaks and laid them on the ground, and they said, Jay, who is king?
And sort of the last thing that Luke does, which is very interesting, is when the crowd is shouting, they're shouting out from Psalm 118 26 and Psalm 118 26 says its words, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Oh, wait a minute. What's it say on the screen there from verse at it. Blessed is the King that's not there in the original psalm.
Regional Psalm doesn't say, blessed is the King. It's blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Why do you think liquid do that, guys? What's he trying to highlight? Jesus is King,
Just one more thing. The other thing, too, that Luke does that's very unique. And so make that because I'd. What's that? Stories in the Bible quite a lot with my kids and sort of read the Gospels. They become a bit blurred. Only dawned on me this week. And that's quite horrifying. Horrifying realization. Oh my goodness, I've never noticed this before.
This gospel is the only one to recount the Pharisees rebuke Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John done. And I was like, oh wow, okay, I can't never picked up on that before. And Jesus response to this rebuke for them to be quiet. Jesus, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Now that statement is obvious. It's like, well, this event is so significant.
They even the you, the creation will cry out if the crowds refuse to celebrate. Now, going back to that slide, before we had kind of the four steps of a triumphant entrance. Remember it was firstly the crowds might wear special clothes and meet the royal outside the city. They late from the city will come out and sort of welcome them.
There will be this big parade back into the city. There's lots of speeches, and there's a sacrifice in the temple that is offered. As a reason why citizens did this in the ancient world. Because there were dire consequences if you failed to welcome a ruler properly. I came across some writings from, dear Cassius. He was a second century Roman historian, and he recounts a moment when Rufus, who was the governor of Germany at the time he set out to make war, and he reached the city.
Oh, this this Leto. And he proceeded to besiege the city of this city. This city. And can you guess the reason why he might have besieged the city of the CTO? Reason was I didn't welcome him well enough. He was offended at the poor welcome they gave him. Now look here is writing to a predominantly gentile audience who would be familiar with this stuff, who'd be familiar that when a city welcomes a king, you pull out the red carpet.
Best of the best. They knew that like a cave, if you don't welcome a king, a ruler, your city might be besieged, might be attacked. That's the warning that is happening there. That when Jesus making reference to the. The stones are crying out. Yeah, there's a reference to, I guess the idea of know co-creation is worshiping, but there's something a little bit deeper happening.
In the video there and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we know there are lots of crowds there, but Luke does something different. Now, as you read through there, you'll notice here it says the whole host or many of the disciples who were there. The the implication here is that Luke is saying there wasn't a whole city here.
And he structured his narrative in this way. Wasn't the whole city who was here, it was just Jesus's band of disciples, which we know there are 12 apostles, 72 he sent out. There are a bunch of women. Luke is trying to emphasize here that Jesus been traveling to Jerusalem. This has been his whole mission that he is King.
But only those that follow him, only those that lay their cloaks down, are receiving him as king. The Pharisees, the elite, have rejected Jesus. And so because of that, the stones will cry out. Perhaps Jesus had this prophecy in mind when he said that Habakkuk 211 the stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
But Habakkuk said this the idea that the stones are crying out because of the wickedness that they're saying. Now, while we won't read it today, the final part of a triumphant entrance is he would offer a sacrifice. And at the very next scene, and after verse 44, Jesus goes into the temple and does what he cleanses it. He's furious at the practices that are happening there.
Luke is setting up this wonderfully crafted narrative to illustrate the importance of Jerusalem, the fact that Jesus is King, the fact that the whole city has rejected him, the fact that he has it all for a sacrifice in the temple, he's cleansed it, essentially placing a curse upon it. And Luke is unique too. He places this element of Jesus.
And if you read through the lament, look, it's awful, awful stuff. He talks about dashing you on the ground and the armies encircling the cities is horrible, horrific stuff. This isn't stuff that's very nice. But if you read the end of it, this is verse 44, which is up there on the screen. You'll say, there they will not leave one stone on another because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to hear.
And if you know your ancient history, the year 70 A.D. is really important in the life of Jerusalem and 70 A.D. that's when the Roman Empire did come and wipe out Jerusalem.
I'll just finish up here with the quote, and then we'll we'll kind of end with some more practical stuff. And so there's a scholar by the name of Brant Kinsman. And so he spent his life researching this stuff, and this is the stuff that I got from his thesis. And he says here, Jerusalem's hardened spiritual condition is epitomized by its failure to recognize its king.
He's not met by city officials nor honored by the leading citizens, nor escorted back to the city. The encounter with the Pharisees is a rejection, and the nonappearance of high priest, other officials and the citizens of Jerusalem is an affront. This rejection is made even clearer by the fact that Luke has gone to some lengths to stress that Jesus is King.
Okay, all the explanation that how Luke structured his gospel boils down to this Jesus is King. Friends. And so now let's give you some tools that I love filling our heads with knowledge. It's great to understand this biblical stuff. We are to become better readers of the Bible. Well, let's take some tools to help us live out our weeks.
And this week's wisdom comes from the seventh century church father sent Andrew of Crete, and in his lent, homilies he writes here on Palm Sunday. I says beautiful words. He says, so let us spread before his state, not garments or soul of all soulless olive branches, which delight the eyes for a few hours, and then wither.
But ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather clothed completely in him. Let our humble souls take the place of palm branches. Will you have been baptized into Christ? Must l cells be the garments that we spread before him? Let's not pop off stage for a just to get a prop.
This is my favorite jacket. You've probably have seen me wear this in winter. It's pretty much just becomes a staple of mine, and my darling wife picked this up from the back there. I think she got it from Vinnies or the salvos here in general a few years back, so even better. I love getting things recycled. This garment speaks a lot about my I like it.
It's functional but sort of stylish in many ways. Are clothes are reflection of who we are. And so there's something incredibly humbling. Friends, let's let's take this image of our favorite garment as representing a personality. Are you prepared to take that garment down, lay it on the ground and let Jesus walk over it? And since that's what Luke's been pointing to, all that kind of stuff, I was talking about the literary context that Jerusalem boils down to these friends, are you prepared to take off your garments and lay them down?
As Saint Andrew of Crete says, let our humble souls take the place of palm branches. And on this Palm Sunday, it's such an important reminder. Yeah, the crowds are there celebrating. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We know from the other gospels that all Jerusalem was there. The city is celebrating now. On the Friday that same crowd is saying crucify, crucify, crucify what Luke is pointing to and he's Gospels and and just really making the crowd just the many of his disciples that are following Jesus as only a few who are faithful, there are only a few there who are prepared to lay their garments, to humble themselves, and to
let Jesus be king. So here's my tool for the toolbox this week. Go into your cupboards. Find your favorite garment, look at it and say, how does this garment speak about my personality and go, what parts of my personality am I prepared to lay down on the ground and let Jesus walk over them? Let Jesus be king over them?
Or perhaps there are some parts I would kind of prefer. No, I don't want to put that on the ground. No, I'm not prepared for Jesus to be king over that. So as we enter into this Holy Week, as we prepare, prepare to reflect upon Jesus death and his eventual resurrection, I invite my friends just to take up that little spiritual challenge.
Find that favorite garment, lay it on the ground and say, Jesus, you are my king. I lay myself down before you. I offer my life to you as a living sacrifice because I recognize that you are the one. You are King, blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
That's my invitation to all of us today, friends, what do you need to lay down? What do you need to take off and lay at the feet of King Jesus? Let's pray now.
Jesus, you are King. We say that you are King. That works in such a different way. Riding on the donkey and not a war horse king who comes in peace. A king who came not to be served, but to serve and to give up his life as a ransom for many, each of us today, Lord, there will be something that our life we're willing to lay down some of our clothes.
Oh, that garments we're going to put before your feet. But there are other things that we're not prepared to do for us today. This morning, Lord, as we enter into this Holy Week that you challenge us, Lord, I, what needs to be laid at the foot of King Jesus and submit our lives to you. So, Jesus, I pray this now.
Ask for your help in this. We pray for your spirit to give us the strength and the empowerment. We ask this now. Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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John 12:20-41
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Here we are, back again in our Lent series. And if you kind of can't remember or it's your first time here, the last few weeks we've been looking at just different moments leading up to Jesus death. And so the last time I was up here on stage, we looked at John 11, which was when Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, which was actually a way of beginning, I guess, triggering the events that led to his death.
And last week Mary looked up, which is also in John 12. But he looked at the moment that Jesus is anointed from by Mary in Mark chapter 14. And so today we have sort of skipped ahead to the entrance of Jesus. We'll look at that next week and looking at quite a profound moment, profound moment where Jesus tells his followers, unless a kernel of wheat can die, I unless you're prepared to give up something, give up your own life, you cannot produce fruits.
You cannot produce eternal life. It's a profound, paradoxical statement. In order to find life in Jesus, you have to die. And if you're not prepared to die, then you can't have life. And so I guess the the morning's plan is I'm going to teach you some facts around John's gospel, and particularly his use of the prophet Isaiah. You might have noticed Sarah as Maurice was reading, John makes reference to a couple of passages from Isaiah, Isaiah 53 one and Isaiah 610.
But he basically this, this passage is just riffing off a desire so much. So we going to be looking at that and then going give us some practical tools, tools that you can walk away with this to hopefully help you in your Christian walk. Now I don't have it here on the screen, but John chapter 12, verse 19 says these words.
So after Lazarus resurrection and the news of this has spread, the Pharisees and the religious leaders are seeking to kill both Lazarus and Jesus. And it's quite interesting here. They say this, this is the Pharisees say, see, this is getting us nowhere that's trying to kill Jesus. Look how the whole world has gone after him. Just keep that in the back of your mind for a second.
Look how the whole world has gone after him. Now in John chapter 12 and verse 20, who are the group of people that come to Jesus? Kind of remember the nationality that was there? Greeks. Okay, now this is right. Quite bizarre. If you're not used to understanding John's gospel and how he's using Isaiah, is that Jesus response to this group of Greeks coming along and wanting to have an audience with Jesus is, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
They might be wondering how is a group of Greek, I guess, followers? God fears wanting to see Jesus. The moment of the hour to begin. Now, if you do go home and decide, I want to read through John's Gospel, which I highly, highly recommend. It's probably one of the easiest to read, but one of the tenses? There's so much to unpack in there.
But if you pick up John's Gospel and read along, you start to notice this theme of our Jesus will often say, hey, my hour has not yet come. In fact, he said it to his, his mother Mary at that wedding in canon when she goes, hey, you know, the winds, there's no more wine. Jesus responds, woman, my hour has not yet come.
This thing comes up a lot. The hour, the hour, the hour. So why now, when this group of Greeks come to Jesus, has the hour began? And this is where you need to know the prophet Isaiah. So hopefully I'll explain this in a way that you can understand, and it won't go over your head too much if it does, you can listen to banter or really listen to this message.
But now I'll put up a couple of passages there on the screen. There we go. Here's two passages from Isaiah. Is this what's John is using? John Jesus is using it to build up. I guess he's teaching to the disciples. So read the first one there. Isaiah 42 3 to 4 in faithfulness he will bring forth justice.
He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teachings. The islands will put their hope. Okay, well, we'll come back to that in a minute. And the second passage she says here, 52, 13 to 15. See, my servant will act wisely. He'll be faced and lifted up and highly exalted, just as there were many who were appalled at him.
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being, and his form marred beyond human likeness. So he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him for what they were not told. They will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Okay, you might be thinking, how on earth is any of that have to do with John?
Chapter 12? So let's look here at the first passage there. It's a little bit random, but see how it says there at the end. In his teachings, the islands were put there. Hope. Now a prophet, Isaiah, he's here in Israel. Where do you think the islands from his perspective would be? What do you think other the regions. Yeah.
So the islands in Scripture came to represent the other nations? Yeah. The nations that aren't in Israel. And so here it says that he's going to establish justice on all the earth. And his teachings, the islands, that is the other nations will put their hope. Okay. So what's happening here is that the Messiah and Jesus will talk about this and you can see it there.
Now, a passage from Isaiah about being lifted up. He's going to draw all people. Now, the Pharisees have just complained bitterly that all the world is coming to see him. Now, this is happening, this moment when the Greeks are coming to see Jesus. This is the moment. This is the moment when the snow has come, when the Son of Man will be lifted up and gather all the nations to him.
Maybe Isaiah 52. It's probably a bit easier to understand. See, it says talks about him being raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Probably the part for us as Christians around the crucifixion. Verse 14. It's quite like it's quite scary just how much it predicts Jesus death, just as there were many who opposed him, his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being, and his form marred beyond human likeness.
There is a sire, as I uses this expression of lifting up to describe Yahweh's glory. It is Yahweh who is high and lifted up. He is the exalted one. And every time you read it in Isaiah, you meant to think that when the prophet sees Yahweh glory, and coming in in this vision, it means like, wow, Yahweh is highly exalted.
He's high and lifted up. That's how it's used most of the time in Isaiah, except for this one moment. It's one moment here in chapter 52. Yeah, he he's going to be high and lifted up. He's gonna be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. But people are going to be appalled at him. He's going to have this appearance.
It's it's going to be so disfigured. He's going to look inhuman. He's not gonna even look like a human being anymore. And so this is what Jesus is using. He's using these passages, and I guess the apostle John, to help us understand his mission and his purpose. And in John's gospel, John. And he uses this idea of being lifted up, this idea of being crucified.
So hopefully you can understand all that. Hopefully that makes sense to you, how these Greeks coming to see Jesus triggers the events for the hour to come, for the islands to put their hope for? It's I didn't go into it, but for he will sprinkle many nations, i.e. he will cleanse people. It's through him being lifted up. All the world is saved.
All right. These words again. Consider the frightening, the frightening. What is what Jesus said? He says, very truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of weight falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it. Well, anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me. I love that image. I love it, and we can just have it there on the screen. Thanks, Jeremy. Should be there somewhere. I just want you to look at that and reflect on that. Is that in, I guess, to look like ancient first century Jewish people didn't know how seeds work, but but I guess the idea is that love that unless the kernel of wheat dies.
Unless it's buried in the ground. The singles say it looks like it's no longer alive. That's how harvest is produced. And, friends, that's what Jesus is calling us to do. Are you a kernel of wheat has prepared to fall to the ground and die? Do you love your life? Are you prepared to lose it because you love it so much?
Or do you hate your life? Are you willing to keep it for eternity? That's what Jesus is describing. He's describing what's going to happen to him, but ultimately to all of us. We. In order to experience true life that Jesus offers, needs to become like that kernel of wheat that dies in order to bring an abundant harvest. And what Jesus is going to go through, it's not easy.
In verse 27, Jesus says, these words, now my soul is troubled. What shall I say, father, save me from this hour. Now it was for this very reason that I came to this hour now in banter whenever mine, I decide to call it out. We're going to talk about some of the other nerdy Greek things about this passage.
So if you're into learning more about how how Greek is structured because it could be a question or could be a statement, but we'll look at that later. That's for a banter conversation. But I'll say this, that in that sentence there it says, now my soul is troubled. What shall I say, father, save me from this hour. Now, in the Greek it uses this word.
It says in our translation, no, it says Allah. But. And that's a strong adversity. There you go. There's a bit of Greek for you there, a strong adverb. This is a strong contrast. No, my soul is troubled. I don't want to go through with this. I'm terrified of what's about to happen. Am I going to pray?
Father, save me from this hour? No. This is the very reason that I came, was to experience this hour. Jose experiences turmoil. This is what he's about to endure. The hour he's about to experience leaves him emotionally distressed. Remember when he looked at Lazarus resurrection? Jesus also had his soul feel troubled when he was standing outside the tomb of Lazarus.
John paints in us in his gospel. It's very, very human Jesus that feels these very, very strong emotions chasing just some robot that's just traveling through life. Oh, I'm going to die. And this isn't this great. He feels this immense pain, this kind of lay. It gets to that the toolbox for us to draw from the Jesus response.
To this pain to his soul. Being troubled is to pray a four letter prayer. It's just four letters. Father, glorify your name. That's it. Glorify your name. Father, glorify your name. It's not about Jesus. Well, it's not about his will being done. It's about his Heavenly Father's. And he submits to that even though he knows the hour. It's going to be so traumatic, even though the hour leaves him distressed and troubled.
He prays those four words like God's will be done, father, glorify your name. And in a very profound moment, I mean, any couple of times that God the Father's voice speaks in the Gospels, Jesus baptism, it's the Transfiguration. And here, this moment in John's account, a voice from heaven answers the prayer. I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
And I guess what's quite distressing about this passage is the crowds just don't understand it. There's just this misunderstanding. Either way, they are unable to accept Jesus identity. And, they just don't. They just can't comprehend it. But whatever reason it is, they think, oh, maybe, you know, it was thunder, maybe an angel. Whatever it is, I still don't understand fully what is happening.
And Jesus ends here with these words. You guys. The voice was not was was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven up. And when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. Then John makes this comment for us to understand.
He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. If you remember way back when we started this series, in the 40 days that Jesus was in the wilderness. In Luke's gospel, at least, the the second temptation that the Satan brings, Jesus that tempts Jesus with is he takes him to a high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and says, hey, I'll give you all this if you bow down and worship me and Jesus.
Responses I began, Satan, but you shall worship the Lord your God only. It's really interesting here that at this moment in time when the Greeks are calm, Jesus is recognizing this is triggering the hour of his death when he would draw all people to himself. This is the hour when the Prince of the world is kicked out on the demonic strongholds and forces that hold this planet enslaved a broken, Jesus by being lifted up, draws all people to himself.
Now, as I've been doing of late, I've been loving kind of looking at early church fathers and sharing their knowledge with us. And so has some wisdom here from the great church, Father Athanasius, and I love this image in quite there on the screen, which hopefully there is just hopefully. And so actually, a side note, if you're looking for a great book to look at for free Athanasius on the incarnation, just brilliant stuff.
Say Lewis recommended it as the book that all Christians should read, but I digress, as Athanasius says here, for it is only on the cross that a man dies with his hands spread out. So it was fitting for the law to bear this also, and to spread out his hands that with the one he might draw the ancient people, and with the other from the from the other those from the Gentiles, and unite both in himself.
What a wonderful description of that as Jesus hanging on the cross. It's like in one hand he's bringing the Jews in, with the other hand bringing the nations together. When I read that, I imagine, like, strangely like the crosses being like this hug, this hug, drawing people in. It's a profound image. It's a paradox. The whole in order for us to have life, there needs to be death.
Now, I promised before that I teach you a bit about John's gospel that links him with his higher. But let's let's go a bit practical now. Let's let's give you some tools to walk away with to help you in, in your journey with Jesus. And so I have just I have a couple more quotes there on the screen.
So here we go. Perfect friends. In those moments of hardships when we do have moments of hardships, let's look to Jesus. And that four letter prayer. Might not just be a template for how you approach things. It's a simple prayer. It takes about 10s to pray, but to do that requires an enormous amount of faith and humility. You have to have the faith to say, father, glorify your name.
Essentially no way of saying, I want your will to be done in this situation. It's a prayer of humility, because perhaps, father, glorify your name means that your name isn't glorified. Perhaps the outcome that you silently desire isn't what will glorify the father's name. And, quite a Saint Ambrose of Milan, he says, when Christ asks, father, glorify your name, he's demonstrating his humility, for he does not seek his own glory, but that of his father.
Very wise, profound things that we can take away mirror Jesus humility with this prayer. Sincere. All of Alexander said the grain of wheat. Though it seems to be destroyed in death, he's not truly lost, but is transformed into something greater, bringing forth many saints. So to Christ's death on the cross brings forth an abundance of life for all of us.
In this strange way, friends, when suffering is part of life. But. But now, if Jesus, suffering isn't just for for randomness. Because life is just full of meaningless pain in this strange world, we're united to Jesus. Our pain and our suffering takes on a deeper theological significance. Because. Because we're walking with the one who was prepared to have his body lifted up in order to draw all people to himself.
So therefore, every time you're insulted at work, you have an injury, this sickness, you have pain from a broken relationship instead of complaining, which is, you know, quite natural and something that I have a tendency to do or getting angry. What this passage reminds us is to we can unite ourselves with Jesus and His suffering. Unless a kernel of wheat dies, I can't can't produce any fruit.
So we unite our souls in that suffering with Christ and a way to. We can produce fruit for others. And going forward, you might be thinking, okay, that's that's cool. I kind of get that, but but how can I do that? And here's the second toolbox tool I've got from our toolbox for today. So the first one is pray that for let a prayer father, glorify your name.
Second is it comes from a book, called Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adel. Our book call him. And so this exercise here is what she has called solidarity in Jesus suffering. And actually I've got it in the small group studies for this week if you're interested in going forward. So I've sort of modified it a bit. And the purpose of this exercise is to connect you with the trials and temptations and hardships of Jesus.
And so what you're supposed to do is take a passage of Scripture where you see Jesus suffering, or Jesus being mocked or betrayed. Where is something that resonates with you in this season of life? And imagine yourself, along with Jesus suffering in that. Then look at how Jesus responded to that conflict, to that suffering, and then trust him with the pain.
And then as you do that, you can pray. Pray for some things that the Lord can help you just hey, for some fellowship which is in the midst of trials, be compassion for those who suffer. See the ability to hold pain without bitterness. The ability to forgive, the ability to be patient in difficulties and trust that somehow Jesus will redeem all things.
Now these are just tools, and they're there to help and to guide you in that. So if you find yourself resonating with, oh, I'd love to do that practice of just stepping into Scripture, stepping in with Jesus into that moment and kind of draw out how I can respond like Christ did. I encourage you do it. If that's doesn't float your boat, that's cool.
That's why I love that four letter prayer. Father, glorify your name takes 10s to pray. And who knows what the Lord will do with that? I'm gonna pray over us friends, would you join me as we pray together? Now, father, just as Jesus prayed, glorify your name. We want to bring glory to you in our lives. Lord, show us this morning where we need to die to ourselves so that we can bear much fruit.
And Lord, we pray boldly that we offer our lives to you and ask for your strength to follow you wherever you lead us. And we pray this now in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Murray and Mitch chat about all four gospel accounts of Jesus being anointed with perfume and whether or not they are the same event and the repeated archetype of wise women in the gospels. They also dive a little deeper into the historical figures of Emperor Constantine and Martin Luther, exploring the important roles they both played in Church History.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Mark 14:1-11
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
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To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
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_________
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in general, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Why this waste of perfume? It's pretty good point, really, isn't it? Why this waste of perfume that could have been sold for a year's wages? I think he passed his desk. I sort of estimated, depending on how you want to calculate the average income of an Australian salary between 85 to $100,000 worth of perfume just poured lavishly on Jesus's head.
It's not a bad point. Why this waste of perfume? I mean, couldn't Mary, who John's gospel tells us this is Mary. Jesus, sorry, Lazarus and Sister couldn't marry. Have, you know, taken a quick trip up to Aldi and gotten some coconut oil to use or at no. Maybe ducked off to the local chemist and saying which of David Beckham's perfumes was on sale and use that?
Couldn't she have even maybe just like pulled out half the perfume? Like, why such an extravagant act of worship? It seems wasteful. It seems unnecessarily over the top. This is what the people who again John's Gospel tells us of the disciples themselves, saying why this waste of perfume? But Jesus actually corrects them and tells them it's a beautiful thing.
In verses 6 to 7 he says, leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me, the poor you always have with you. You can help them any time you want, but you're not always have me. Which seems like a bit of an uncharacteristically harsh thing for Jesus to say there, but he's actually referencing Deuteronomy 1511 that this idea the poor will always be with you, thereby continue to actually give to them, is what he's saying there.
But ultimately, he doesn't rebuke this woman. And what's really interesting, even more so, is if we look at chapters 14 and 15 of Mark, biblical historians actually understand these two chapters as a manuscript, a record that was actually circulating around before Mark collated his gospel, that the early church took these stories of Jesus's anointing of the First Communion, the Last Supper that he takes, and then his subsequent betrayal by Judas, an arrest as a first document that informed their worship.
And I find it really striking, then, that this document that was going around before Mark's gospel of this story starts and opens with this act of abundant, extravagant worship, extravagant worship. I want to call today's sermon the Extravagance of Worship, which might be a little bit jarring for some of us because extreme evidence is a bit of a loaded word.
And I think the reality is I want to explore a little bit today how maybe as Baptists in particular, we are a little bit more averse to the idea of extravagant worship than the Old Testament Christians were, than Jesus was. And even the early church going all the way up into the second century, third century, going all up until even today.
Other denominations extravagantly worshiping in beautiful ways that we kind of struggle with. Why is that? Because I want to explore, first and foremost, God's heart for worship this morning and the Old Testament first and foremost shows us that God loves beauty, and he actually loves extravagance. When it comes to worship. God loves beauty. We see this all the way back in Exodus.
The first person in the Bible who is described as having been filled with the Holy Spirit is an artist. Bezalel and his friend, the Holy, who helped build the Tabernacle, helped make the ornate decorations. It says in this 31 125 then the Lord said to Moses, see, I have chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of her, of the tribe of Judah.
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom and understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills to make artistic designs for working gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. We're not talking about some little arts and crafts installation made from Paddle Pop sticks and PVA glue.
We're talking about gold. We're talking about precious cut gems. We're talking about the finest wood. While they're wandering through the wilderness for 40 years, God chooses to prioritize this beauty and extravagance in the midst of the wilderness as a way to worship God, as a way of creating a space for people to come into, to experience God's presence.
If God doesn't love, beauty and extravagance is a way of worship. He's got a funny way of showing it. We see continued on when the following chapters four chapters all the way 36 to 39, in intricate detail, tell us all about the inner workings of the Tabernacle, about the tabernacle itself, which was ornately woven with patterns and beautiful fibers and fabrics, about the lampstands which were made of gold, about the incense altar.
I mean, God's not just trying to ask these people to curate a space of visual beauty, the space of aromatic beauty, of smell that's beautiful and extravagant as well. There is something here that we're seeing that God's heart of worship is one of extravagance and beauty. Even in the midst of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, God loves beauty and he loves extravagance.
And we see that sort of the pinnacle of this in Solomon's temple in one king, 6 to 7. It took seven years to build. The whole inside was covered in gold and conservative modern equivalent estimates pitch it at half $1 billion to build. This is seen as something good in the Bible. This is something that is God's desire, an extravagant, beautiful act of worship.
Because ultimately this space was supposed to represent God's character, so that when people saw it and experienced it, they were getting an insight into the fact that God is extravagant. Beauty. And this gives an insight into how we are to worship him. So when we then jump forward to the New Testament and see this extravagant act of worship in this moment with Jesus, we suddenly understand that it's perfectly in line with the heart of worship.
Throughout the entire Bible so far, we see that Mary's doing some profound things in this moment. As Jesus says in the passage, she is prophetically preparing him for his impending burial as he's crucified and then set in a tomb. This was a Jewish custom that people who were dead would be ornately anointed with perfume. But she's actually also anointing the new temple Jesus's body.
Michael spoke about this morning about the church in Israel being the Messiah's body. This is what she's doing. She's recognizing that Jesus's own body, which is going to be an extravagant sacrifice soon, is to be worshiped in such a same way. And the reality is that the early church understood this. I'm going to take you on a breakneck speed through church history, both to save you falling asleep, but also to maybe pick out the mountaintops along the way.
And a really, really important moment in church history is the year 312. It's the year that the Roman Emperor Constantine converted, somewhat miraculously and suddenly, to this weird little Jewish set called Christianity, and suddenly the entire Roman Empire became one which was first and foremost recognized as Christian. There was still religious freedom to worship in different ways. People weren't actually persecuted for having different religious beliefs in the way that Christians had previously up until that point in the Roman Empire.
But Constantine suddenly says, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of the universe. And hence, if I'm going to look at the history of God working through the Bible, I want to build something beautiful for God. So he builds Saint Peter's Basilica, a profound architectural monument which became a place of meeting for Christians and pilgrimage for Christians for hundreds and hundreds of years up until about the 16th century.
The 1500s at which you understandably 1200 years, Saint Peter's Basilica started to become a little bit dilapidated, to the point where it was past any hope of renewal and renovation. So the Catholic Church decided to build a new Saint Peter's Basilica. And this is actually a really important moment in church history in the 1500s, in which suddenly the Catholic Church are concerned that they don't have enough money, that they want to build this extravagant, beautiful declaration of worship, new Saint Peter's Basilica for the glory of God.
And then they make it pretty unwise decision, I would say, and I probably would say as Protestants, we would agree as well to raise money through the selling of indulgences. So Pope Leo the 10th, he sends monks out to the furthest reaches of the Christian empire to start selling indulgences. What were indulgences? Ultimately, you would pay the church to alleviate some time or penalty that you would experience in purgatory, right?
This was the idea. It wasn't necessarily theologically sound. And it probably wasn't a very right thing to do. But ultimately, this is what that informs, and this is really important for us. If you've fallen asleep, wake up. At this point, the Protestant Baptists, what happens is Martin Luther, a German monk, thinks that this is a barn, thinks that this is not the heart of God.
And he writes what we know is the 95 faces a critique of the selling of indulgences to raise money for the rebuilding of the building, I should say, of the new Saint Peter's Basilica. And he nails these 95 theses, these 95 points of critique about this act to the door of the church in Wittenberg, which is kind of like the corkboard at your local Choco chicken shop back in the 1500s.
Right? It wasn't as dramatic of an act of nailing it to the door of the church as we might think. It was sort of the community noticeboard where everyone would walk in that and see it. But ultimately, this is the pinnacle moment in which the Catholic Church, Catholic, quite literally meaning the one United Holy Universal Church, suddenly isn't Catholic anymore in that sense, because there is a split.
For the first time ever in church history, there's a thing called a denomination, something that is separate from the Catholic Church, the Protestant Reformation. And it's really, really important for us to understand when we, as Protestant Baptists are viewing our theology of extravagant worship where we come from, what our foundations are, what might inform some of our prejudices and presuppositions around worship and extravagant worship.
One of the faces is the 86 theses that Martin Luther wrote, for example, is why does the Pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the Basilica of Saint Peter with the money of poor believers, rather than his own money? Again, a fair critique. Why is the Catholic Church putting burdensome fees on people who can't really afford it, to build something that is extravagant and over-the-top?
It's a fair critique, but I think ultimately what we find a lot of times I've said this before in culture, we find the culture is a pendulum, right? And when it swings too far, one way, it is prone to swing too far back the other way. And what happened was the Protestant movement for all of its great things.
I say, could be fairly critiqued on losing the theology of the extravagance and beauty of worship. There was a lot of great things to come out of the Reformation, but I think we lost something. I think we may be through the baby, out with the bathwater a bit, and as we jump forward again, another some 300 years in history to Baptists and Australian Baptists, we have two.
Well, we have quite a few Baptist distinctions, but there's two that I really want to focus on which really inform our theology around extravagant worship. One, we believe in autonomous local churches, and we believe in the separation of church and state. What does that mean? Well, first and foremost, this really influenced the way in which we built buildings as Baptists, because we were autonomous in local churches, which meant, unlike the Catholics and the Anglicans.
For instance, in the 1800s, when Australians started building churches, they, the Baptists, weren't getting subsidies and handouts from the larger denomination. They were raising money independently by themselves. This is a Baptist, distinctive that each church is autonomously run and thereby any building projects. For instance, are independently fundraised for. Secondly, independence of church and state, while Catholic and Anglican churches, for instance, were getting subsidies.
Also from the government to build their buildings, Baptists also wanted to stay away from that. They didn't want to be, I suppose, entwined with a government and who could later maybe influence them because we'd been given a generous handout at some point to build a building. Right. So what that ends up meaning is that while Catholic and Anglican churches look like this.
Baptist churches can tend to look like this.
Tell me that that's not going to inform our theology of extravagance and worship right? It's in our DNA. And so that's what I just kind of wanted to take a very long run up to say that we need to recognize what the foundations are, that we build our own theology on. And when it comes to extravagant worship, I think we can agree that we might have some biases, that maybe our pendulum has swung a bit too far the other way, and we can end up finding ourselves being in a very similar mindset as Jesus's disciples.
On this evening, before the Passover meal, where we say, why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages, and the money given to the poor. But I think we can focus a lot of the time on sins of commission. So bad things, negative things, ungodly things that we do, and we sometimes forget that.
There's another side to that coin, which is sins of omission. Times that we missed the mark, which is literally one of the original words for sin. An archer who's trying to hit the bullseye. It misses the mark. I think we can miss the mark a little bit when it comes to understanding how extravagant and abundant and beautiful our worship can be in all senses.
Because the Word of God, Jesus himself rebukes this frugal, stingy, minimalist mindset. Again he says to his disciples, leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me, the poor you will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want, but you will not always have me. She did what she could.
She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, whenever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. See, just as Mary in this moment dramatically cracks open, this alabaster jar of precious perfume and lavishly pours it over Christ's head, so too is Jesus.
Very soon going to commit the most extravagant act of worship that anyone could ever imagine. Because just as Mary broke that jar and lavishly poured out that perfume, so to Christ, when he brings his disciples in for the Last Supper, only a few verses later takes the bread, and when he is given thanks, he breaks it and gives it to the disciples, telling them, this is my body which is going to be broken for you.
And then he takes a cup, and when he gives thanks, he gives it to them, and they drink it. And he says, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. A more precious libation offering than all the perfume in the world. The blood of God poured out extravagantly for us.
Maybe that there was some wisdom in the early church using this image of an alabaster jar, broken open and abundantly poured out as the opening frame to inform their worship. So I want to ask you all this morning what's in your alabaster jar? What is the precious thing that you might still be unwilling to pour out to Christ?
I don't know how many of you may be continuing on with the Lent Challenge series. This week was giving up screens. I realized that I might be holding screens in my alabaster jar. It's very hard to give up time on my side watching TV, even listening to podcasts and music. It doesn't have to be a year's worth of wages or precious perfume that we are being called to pour out this morning, but we may, in our own humanly flawed hearts, be elevating certain things to a point far beyond a year's worth of wages.
Mary's alabaster jar was most likely a family heirloom. It was so precious and expensive that it was probably something that had been handed down from generation to generation is the thing that you're holding in your alabaster jar this morning. Something that has been ancestral, an ancestral anchor that generations of your family have been holding on to. The generations of your church, your denomination, have been holding onto that this morning.
Jesus wants to challenge you to abundantly pour out onto him.
Because Mark's gospel reveals to us that when we break ourselves and give everything over to Christ, that it is in Jesus's own words, a beautiful thing. So I want to do something a bit weird, something a bit different. You can ask everyone to close their eyes for a second, and I want you to imagine that you were in that room some 2000 years ago with Jesus and his disciples eating a meal around a table, and he was standing there next to Jesus.
You're standing above him. You look down at his head, and in your hands is a jar, an alabaster jar of the thing that you hold most precious in the world, a thing that would be costly and scandalous and extravagant to let go of.
I want to ask you right now, I think you know what's going to happen. How do you feel about the thought of cracking open that jar right now? What emotions are going through you as you consider what it might be like to crack open that jar and extravagantly pour out whatever it is onto Jesus?
Maybe you want to take a second to ask the Holy Spirit to just take those feelings of resistance away, to take those feelings of fear away.
In your own time, I want you to imagine you cracking open that jar and pouring every last drop of what's inside onto the head of the Messiah. Onto the head of Jesus. Onto the head of the church. Onto the Son of God. Because no matter how priceless it may seem, it does not hold a candle to the blinding glory of God.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray chat about the way John uses Lazarus' resurrection as a narrative bridge in his gospel, the way we are to respond to Jesus' anger towards death, and how Mary and Martha's responses represent the polarities of a Kingdom of God which is both "Here" yet "Not yet"
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
John 11:1-45
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
________
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team: Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
________
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Center podcast. We're a church based in general, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Good morning again, everyone. I know it was a long passage, but in those words I am the resurrection and the life. What an amazing declaration I am the resurrection and the life. The part of this lent series. In preparing for Easter, we. We started off with the 40 days of Jesus in the wilderness.
Last week, my, brought us a word from Mark eight way. Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow after him. So the purpose of reflecting upon the resurrection of Lazarus is this reminder that in in the journey of the wilderness, there is an end. Hope. Fasting, it said, will eventually lead to fasting and our case mourning leads to resurrection.
What I love about this passage is the vulnerability and the rawness of Jesus. Let's be honest, in our culture, we don't particularly appreciate vulnerability and rawness. Doesn't just say Jesus was crying, shed a few tears. Jesus is weeping. Jesus weeping very loudly and probably in the posture of a middle eastern man. This is confronting for us. I sat through so many Christian funerals.
There's very few tears. There's a lot of very few. Yeah, there's the acts of mourning and crying and grieving. But here we encounter our Lord weeping for his friends. It's confronting in that sense, because here we don't encounter this sort of stoic Jesus that doesn't feel emotion, who we encounter a man, the God man that feels emotions and rawness.
Also, the other thing I love about this is account is that some mysterious there is a mystery I think gives us a bit of a window into how God operates. There's a mystery there that the assumption would be that I guess what? When and Mary and Martha send a messenger to Jesus about the situation and Lazarus that he would act, he would do something instead of moving the action, he waits a, single day's journey.
He deliberately waits for two days, that's all. Okay. And and we know the answer. When I answer that, the Jesus declaration to his disciples that this sickness will not end in death. No, it's for God's glory. So that the that God's Son may be glorified through it. Okay. That's the that's the answer. That's the good kind of. If you're at Bible college and you had this question to answer an exam, that would be the answer.
But it's to pay this duty is there's still mystery. That's what I love about this. We're given a window into how God operates. Sometimes there is instantaneous action. Sometimes we're left waiting and waiting and wondering. So who knows how God's glory will be revealed in this situation? That's because I like to. I like to leave us all with a bit of biblical knowledge before we walk away on a Sunday.
So spend a couple of minutes just exploring is the context of the passage and how. I guess it just shapes John's gospel. So John 11 comes off the John ten, funnily enough, and in John ten, Jesus has nearly been killed by stoning. All right. So now Jesus has gone off into the wilderness as a way, I guess, to protect himself.
And and John 11 is actually in John's gospel. This is what's cool, that John's gospel, it's the catalyst that leads to Jesus death. So I guess you could say John, John, chapters 1 to 10 of the public ministry of Jesus. These are the works that he's doing. John 11 is the bridge to take away, like it goes from the point of public ministry to his Passion Week to his death.
And so it's really quite significant. And John's the only gospel author to give us this that's also I find interesting, too, is that after Lazarus is raised from the dead, and Lazarus is meant to be a bit of a foreshadowing of what will happen to Jesus because of they tried to Lazarus as well. They try to kill him.
So Lazarus operates as like a miniature like parable, you could say, for what would happen to Jesus. And I guess by extension to us. Also, the other cool thing about, the resurrection of Lazarus at that this is the seventh sign in John's gospel, John's and mine. I will chat more about this a better, so I won't go into too much detail.
So John has seven signs, but Jesus says seven I am statements. And there's this theme of new creation of light and darkness. And so this resurrection of Lazarus is the seventh sign in John. And as you should know by now, number seven in the Bible means what? Perfection. Completion. So, so really deliberate choice. Really cool play that that John is shaping for us.
That was said before this passage leaves us with mystery as mysterious and perhaps to our perspective, a little callous, that Jesus would hear this knowledge about Lazarus and just sort of go, okay, this sickness might lead to death. But as it says here, you know, so God's glory, no, it's for God's glory so that the son may be glorified through it.
I just let his friend die. It could seem a bit callous for us, but because I am very much a spiritual influence on my spiritual journey, this week, look to my spiritual ancestors for some help and understanding this and the church. Father John Kristofferson and I have a quote here on the screen. This is from his homily.
This is from his teachings, from the gospel of John. I found this a really helpful little quote. I hopefully you can find it helpful to. Kristofferson says many men, when they see any of those who are pleasing to God, suffering anything terrible, as for instance, having fall into sickness or poverty, and the other and in any other a like are offended not knowing that those that those are especially dear to God, it belongs to endure these things.
Since Lazarus was also one of the friends of Christ and was sick. Okay, it's a little clunky because of the translation, but essentially Kristofferson is arguing that those that follow Jesus can kind of think, oh yeah, but we're protected. We should be protected from life's problems. And Kristofferson is by saying, hey, man, look, look at Lazarus. This was a dear friend of Jesus.
He still got sick and he still died. It's a powerful reminder of that, just because a Jesus is come, because Jesus conquered sin and death, there's still evil and pain and suffering.
What was Jesus doing in those two days? I don't know, I wonder that whenever he was praying, maybe he was preparing himself. And this this is something that may be right, may not be right. But in John's Gospel, there's a theme of light and darkness. And so when, when Jesus is preparing to go back to Bethany, but going to Bethany, that's only one mile from Jerusalem, I remember that whole light darkness theme.
Jesus says here it should be here on the screen. It says here. But Rabbi, this is from verse five. But, Rabbi, they said a short while ago the Jews there tried to stun you, and yet you are going back. Jesus answered, they're not 12 hours of daylight. Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light it is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.
Then location that which I was reading about, which some commentators argue, is that the idea here is that Jesus is saying is like, hey, right now it's still the hour of light. I'm not going to die right now. They've tried to kill me, but I'm still walking in the light. It's in the darkness that you stumble. It's in the darkness.
That's what Jesus equates with his death. It's in that that. That the hour of darkness is when he dies. So right now, he's still going to be protected. But Jesus is waiting, waiting for that moment to to set off those chain of events when darkness will come. I guess it's part of God being God and us being humans.
We do not understand. It's all part of this mystery that two days, that two days are waiting time of God, of Jesus knowing what he's doing but us left waiting, waiting to see when God will. I love it here that Thomas Thomas gets a bad rap. And look, I sometimes feel like I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas, so I guess I kind of, you know, I emphasize the Thomas, but I love what Thomas says here, is that with your Jesus determination to go, Thomas says this I want to come, let us go, that we may die with him.
I'm trusting that they were prepared to die, that I prepared to give up everything. Yet when that hour darkness came along, all of them fled. Let's just say, interesting aside, I think when Jesus gets back to Bethany, both the sisters ask pretty much the same question. They asked the if only question that if only question of oh, hello.
Oh, Marcus. Hello, buddy. Come down. You got a question of if only. And so when Jesus gets here, Ma says, you know, if only, Lord, that you had been here, my I, my brother would not have died. And Mary asked that same question. I'm sure that we've been tempted. Haven't we been tempted in that? If only God, you had done this, or maybe it's for ourselves.
If only I hadn't have made this decision. If only I hadn't have said this. If I only hadn't done that. And then let's just ask, why is this a human? This to it, that mystery. If only God, if only the sisters here, in terrible pain. This is what this is just a normal resurrection that Jesus is about to do.
Jesus response to Martha is, your brother will rise again. Now, Martha, as a good Jew, knew that. So passages like Daniel 1212 that the righteous being in the resurrected like the stars, or as I 65 and 66, which spoke about this idea of a new heaven, the new earth. There was this concept in Jesus. I mean, yeah, eventually all of us will be resurrected.
And Martha is familiar with this. Just. Yes. Look, I know this. That doesn't take away the pain I'm feeling now. This is where this this is the catalyst for this profound statement. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die.
Do you believe this love, Martha? Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world and resurrections resuscitation. What do you want to call him and not new? This isn't the first time it's happened in the Bible. The prophet Elijah Rice people, Jesus himself raised, Jairus daughter and the widow's son in the town of nine.
So resurrections. This isn't the first one to happen in Scripture, but this is the first one to be linked with Jesus divinity. See, Jesus just doesn't offer life. He's just like, okay, I'm going to bring Lazarus from the dead. I'm going to resuscitate him. Temporal, temporal. He is love. If Jesus is resurrection and life, this is profound because who is the one that gives human life?
God. God is the one who breathes life into Adam. God, someone who breathes into us, our spirit. He's the one that can take it away. Now Jesus is saying the statement that he is the one to do that. He is the resurrection. He is the source of life. And if you get a John commentary, you will find lots and lots of ink spilled over unpacking the complexity of this.
What this meaning of the sentence of his price now, I think, is giving us this profound statement. Jumping ahead when Jesus then encounters Mary at the tomb when count it just such a human Jesus. This is from verse 33. We read when Jesus saw her weeping, that's Mary and the Jews who had come along with her, also weeping.
He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Where have you laid him? He asked. Come and see, Lord, they replied. And there's the Sunday school. And so I learned Sunday School, the shortest Bible verse in Scripture. Jesus wept.
Now this will be definitely a branch of conversation. We'll actually look at the Greek and some of the meaning of this. But just to keep it simple for this morning, that that word that says there on the screen about, about Jesus being deeply moved in spirit and troubled, a legitimate way of translating it. And the same Greek word is used in other places in the gospel to mean anger, to mean fury.
Also can be used. It was used in classical Greek to describe like a horse snorting, like a I can. I want you to picture this picture. Jesus, there. He's not just like, when I think a deeply moved, just maybe he's just spirits, a bit troubled. There's this visceral action. He's angry, he's angry, and it's like he's snorting, snorting and crying with the weeping.
This has led to some debate. Well, why would Jesus be angry? This is why more modern translations have used that. That that phrase about being deeply troubled. Yeah, it's probably easy. Understand? Why would he be angry? Is he angry at the tears of Mary in the fellow Jews? Is he anger them? I should know, come on, man, I'm.
I'm Jesus. He shouldn't be upset. But the anger like perhaps a saint. Deeper. But Jesus is the resurrection and life. The opposite of life is death. Death isn't part of God's purposes. Death is caused by sin, a death I call our perspective. We choose, let's say, death. A bit of a friend possible a death. It's an enemy. In fact, in one Corinthians 1526, Apostle tells us, the last enemy to be destroyed is death, not the last friend.
Not the last comfort, but the last enemy. So at the tomb last year. So we have picture this Jesus here is weeping and angry because that tomb represents the enemy, the enemy that has destroyed his father's good creation. It's the enemy that he has come to destroy. Even though he dies, what he's about to do in raising Lazarus from the dead, as still makes him weep and still makes him angry, gives us just.
It's that profound moment where I am the resurrection and the life had Jesus weeping just such a wonderful, just blending of how Jesus is by God and human in this one moment.
I mean, Jesus does call out Lazarus from the dead. Martha gives him a little warning, and that warning is, comes from verse nine. Take away the stone. He said, but, Lord Martha said, this, Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor, for it has been for days. And also a reason for this to in Jewish culture it was believed that a soul had left the body and gone.
Now to share after three days. Fact, there's some Jewish writings which would tell people to go, hey, go check the tomb after three days, just to make sure that that person is actually dead. He might not be. So by waiting for days. Jesus has in that culture well and truly race. Lazarus guy is dead. And it's just so simple.
It's a lovely simplicity about how he resurrects Lazarus. Jesus takes the posture of prayer, looks up to heaven. Father, I thank you that you've heard me. I knew that you always hear me. But I say this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe you sent me. That's probably what he was doing for those last two days.
He's praying. Praying for this moment. When he said this, Jesus called a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face, said earlier that John, setting up the resurrection of Lazarus to point us to Jesus own resurrection. But Lazarus still needs hope to take off his grave clothes.
Jesus will come out of the tomb and like like clothes will be left. The. But if it's pointing to that hope of Jesus, but also for us. That one day each and every one of us, if we believe in Jesus, Jesus will stand outside our tomb and call out, Mitch, Peter Murray, insert your name. Come out. That is the Christian hope.
In this series, I've been wanting to leave you with just tools, to draw the toolbox to help in your Christian walk. I think the first toolboxes is actually probably need to learn how to whip. It was Hippolytus of Rome who said of Jesus, hey, what need was there to wait for him? He, he, he was soon about to rise, but Jesus wept to give us an example of sympathy and kindliness towards our fellow human beings, Jesus wept that he might, by deed rather than would teach us to weep with those that wait.
Simple and profound. So profound teaching Jesus gave us a model to weep with those who weep. I'm guilty of this. I think many Protestant evangelicals are guilty of this, that when people are suffering, we try to give them those cliches. Look, we're trying to be nice. Oh, God's will is a mystery. God has a greater plan. God has a greater purpose in this.
Yes, sure, I know that. I know, I know a stack of things. I've been to Bible college, but perhaps in the moment when suffering is happening, I don't need to be reminded of that. That's just a simple act of weeping is all that we need and try to give pithy answers. Don't try to. And I give comforting words.
Just weep. Be silent. That's the model Jesus gave us. Second thing, too is it actually for his part, and tiding with Easter and Lent? The whole point is is Easter series is to prepare us for Easter, to prepare us for eternity, and often wonders, okay, once you've been resurrected from the dead, death would have no fear anymore, wouldn't it?
Imagine Lazarus, that the Jewish authorities are trying to kill him. It's like, okay, I, I know what death is like. I've been there. I don't know what it's like to overcome that because my God has rescued me. And so if you are doing the challenges and following the excellent at at night, there's actually an app. And if you're not doing the the lent challenges, you can still do this.
You can still find the Apple or Google it online. But there is an excellent exercise which is called am I Ready to Die today? And the basis of the question is that am I ready to join God in heaven and part of the exercise that actually ask, so if you knew you were going to die in the next 24 hours, what would you do?
What would you say? What would you pray for? And I think it's a big question. I we knew that we were definitely going to die tomorrow. We'd probably live our lives very differently, wouldn't worry about small things, be more focused on more spiritual matters. And so the next question essentially is that, well, okay, if that's how you'd live your life, if knowing if you had 24 hours left to live, why aren't you doing that each and every day?
It's a great question. It's a wonderful question. That's my challenge for us, is that Jesus is the resurrection and life. It's a question that he asked of Martha is, do you believe this? Ask that to you to do you believe this? Do you believe that there is life in Jesus, and that with him that you will never die, that you will be raised to life again?
Because one day Jesus will stand in front of all our teams. We're being cremated. We're being buried where that might be. And he will call out, Mitch, come out! And that's a profound hope. That's a profound hope in the midst of a world full of pain and suffering, in the midst of a world where we have a God that does deal with mystery, that we fully don't comprehend how this moment is leading to greater glory.
Perhaps that simple act, believing that Jesus is the resurrection and life. And if you haven't done that, I encourage you today come up to the prayer corner to receive prayer. Pray for to receive Jesus as the one who is the resurrection and life. Let me pray over us friends.
Lord, you said those words. Father, I thank you. You have heard me. I knew that you always hear me. And Lord, we thank you. That wasn't just the words of your son that you hear. That's the words of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. You also hear. And, Lord, today each of us sit in this room in very different spaces, some of us in a very, very good place, some of us in a place of great difficulty.
I thank you that in coming to John 11 we see in you the tensions of mystery, tensions of what we would call I answered prayer of trying to figure out how this is leading to a greater glory. But we also say in this Jesus who weeps, who weeps alongside us, and Lord, wherever we are today, pray that ultimately each and every one of us believe in you.
Believe that you are the resurrection and the life. And I pray that each and every one of us here will experience the taste of life that you will bring when your kingdom comes in its fullness. So I ask this now in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Thank you so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Mark 8:27-38
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Center podcast. We're a church based in general, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
Morning, church. How are we doing today? Well, the way of the cross. I don't know about you guys.
That's a pretty brutal passage. There's quite a few things that are pretty striking. Challenging. It's not. Maybe the first passage I would point someone towards if I was telling them about Christianity. You want to become a Christian? Pretty much. You've just got to completely give up all of your own ambitions, desires, hopes, dreams. You've got to, you know, take up a cross and follow Jesus.
It's a bit of a hard sell, isn't it? And it's really interesting because the author, Mark, makes a really interesting detail in his gospel. When he tells his story, it says that Jesus spoke plainly. Say, Mark's aware that up until this point, Jesus, a lot of the time has been speaking in parables, in metaphors, in symbols. That isn't really a metaphor for his disciples who is standing there.
It's not going to be a metaphor in one week's time when their rabbi, their teacher, who they've been following for the past three years, is brutally humiliated and tortured on a cross. It's not going to be a metaphor or a symbol. It's going to be a very real thing that they're facing. And I can't help but think that there's a challenge for us here that if we're really going to take this teaching on face value, there's some uncomfortable realities that we need to sort of wrestle with.
Because the reality is, if we were to sell Christianity, if we were to evangelize the good news purely based on Mark eight, it would kind of end up looking somewhat like this. Let's check it out.
I'm associate pastor teacher and we are so excited that you are here today about this revolutionary lifestyle brand from the same time you go eat the Ten Commandments in the highly beloved Old Testament series, introducing Christianity. Let me ask you, if you would like to fulfill the power and control measure comes to you. The thought you might like to be humiliated, ostracized, and physically harmed, even to the youth group, you might like to join the ranks of people who previously been sex attacks, fruits and old demons.
It's well so the lonely parts of your heart, soul, mind and strength. All this could be yours by joining Christianity, all you need is simply deny yourself completely. Take up an ancient torture device which is exclusively being safe for criminals and those who police the government through a middle eastern and whose fingers and clean hands you would say, we look forward to seeing you in church.
This Christianity. It's a way of life and sometimes it.
All right. Who's in? I gotta be honest. That's not how I was sold Christianity when I was 14 years old. I was kind of given more of a Romans ten nine account for all who proclaim that Jesus is God, and that God rose him from the dead will be saved like, great. I can get behind that. That's it.
That's a slightly harder, terms and conditions to sign up for, isn't it? And it's sort of makes us beg the question more like, was I duped? Was I deceived Will? No, I wasn't, because I think that much like Peter and the disciples, I didn't understand the full extent of what it meant to recognize Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
And we see that Jesus actually, when he calls Peter and his brother Andrew and their two friends, James and John as fishermen in Mark 116 to 20 it says, As Jesus was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, who's later Peter. So the guy who Jesus rebukes and says, get behind me.
Satan saw them casting a net into the sea for the fishermen. And Jesus said to them, follow me, and I will have you become fishers of people. Immediately they left their nets and followed him, and going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending the nets, and immediately he called them.
And they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went away to follow them. Nothing really about denying yourself. I mean, maybe they, you know, left their job and their friends, and I mean James and John, I guess, left the family business, but it sort of suggests that they had some hired hands, and maybe it wasn't that big of a deal.
I mean, at this point, things are pretty exciting. In the following chapters. Jesus is healing people from physical disease and illness. He's casting demons out of people. He's on a lake where he's a wild storm, and by the very command of his words, he stops the waves in the wind and the disciples go, who is this? Who commands even nature?
It's pretty exciting. They're starting to go, I think that we've, you know, kind of hitched our wagon to the right horse and then suddenly we get to the passage that we're looking at today, Mark eight. And things take a bit of a dramatic turn. I take a bit of a dramatic turn. If we look at the structure of Mark's gospel in the next slide, we see that this moment is a lynchpin, a hinge, a turning point in Mark's entire gospel.
The first seven chapters are all about Jesus showing his authority as the Messiah through amazing teaching that is beyond anybody has ever heard before. And through undeniable acts of power, miracles, wonders, signs. And then suddenly, Mark slows his entire gospel right down the first half of Mark's gospel, he uses this word you use this immediately, all the time.
Immediately. Jesus did this immediately he did that. He did this, he did that. He did this. He did that. The first seven chapters are almost three years of Jesus's ministry. And then it slows right down the chapter right? Peter recognizes Jesus. You are the Messiah. Jesus starts telling them about what that expectation of a messiah actually means. And the back half of the gospel of Mark is the final wake of Jesus's life.
Mark is trying to say, let's just slow down for a second. There's something really important going on here, and ultimately you can kind of imagine it, can't you? You can kind of imagine it that, you know, Jesus goes, well, you know, you guys have been following me around for three years now. You've been my apprentices. First of all, let's let's do a bit of a, you know, public canvasing.
What about the people saying that I'm like and they go, well, some people say John the Baptist, some people say Elijah, some people say one of the other prophets. And he goes like, hey, well, who do you say I am? And you can imagine at this point, you know, these, these 12 Jewish men who've been, who've been brought up with this expectation of this Jewish king who would come and liberate Israel from slavery, from oppression, a kind of thinking, I think he's the Messiah.
And Peter kind of steps up and goes, you the Messiah. And Jesus says, yes. And you can kind of imagine the disciples are kind of slapping each other as I told you, it's through this desire. It's happening. It's really going to happen. And then Jesus immediately says, but what do you understand the Messiah to be? What do we understand when we're saying that Jesus is our Lord and Savior?
Let's check out this second and last video just about the expectation of the Messiah.
Gospel of Mark of the book in the Bible about the life of Jesus and the earliest reliable tradition tells us that it was written by a guy named John Mark. And now Mark didn't just grab a bunch of random stories about Jesus and throw them together.
He's designed this book to address really specific questions about whether or not Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. So let's stop right there, because that's a term a lot of people like me are very familiar with. Yeah. So the Messiah was a royal figure, sometimes called the Son of God. That Israel was expecting to come and set up a kingdom here on earth.
And around the time of Jesus, Israel was occupied by Rome. And so many Jews were hoping that the Messiah would come and overthrow the Romans and rule as king. But Jesus didn't overthrow the Romans. In fact, he was killed by them. And that brings us to the very issues Mark is trying to get at in this book. So in the first half he focuses on who Jesus is.
Is he really the Messiah? And then in the second half, he's addressing how Jesus became the messianic king. And then right here in the middle of the book is this pivotal story that brings the two halves together. And Jesus answers both of these questions. Okay, so let's talk about the first half of the book, who Jesus is. So Mark makes his beliefs about Jesus very clear from the first line of the book, the beginning of the good news about Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.
One of the next stories is Jesus getting baptized and God's voice announces from heaven, this is my son. So what could be more clear? It's presenting Jesus as the Messiah. Yes, but as you're reading through this first half of Mark, you'll notice something really interesting start to happen. Jesus is going about healing all these different people, and he's constantly telling them to keep quiet about it.
And this happens so many times in Mark's account. It's very.
I am the Son of God. But then something new happens because Jesus starts explaining to them how he's going to become the messianic Kingdom, and it is not what they expected. He says he's going to suffer and die and rule by becoming a servant. Or in his words, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to become a servant and to give his life as a ransom.
Peter is startled by this and rebukes Jesus, because there's no way he's going to let Jesus die, and Jesus responds, get behind me! See? Which is really intense. It really is. But it highlights how important it is for Jesus that his disciples come to understand who he really is. And so here now, in this pivotal section, Jesus tries three different times to have this conversation with them, and every time they respond in confusion and even fear.
So throughout the next section, chapters eight, nine, and ten, Jesus reveals to them three times, not just on the Messiah, but this is what it's going to look like. And they're confused. They're not getting it. They're afraid they may be in denial. And he says, okay, well, it seems like you don't get it. So instead of letting me tell you, let me show you what it means to be a suffering Messiah.
It's not an easy teaching to deny yourself, to take up your cross and follow Jesus. And I think that as we look at these three points, we could probably agree that in a culture of excess and instant gratification, there's probably a lot of opportunities to deny our selves. But taking up a cross is really a little bit foreign.
Like Mark, who writes this gospel, the you know, best understanding of who Mark was was he was actually Simon paid his own disciple who had been sitting under his teaching for years and years and years, hearing all of these stories recounted firsthand from Simon Peter's experiences with Jesus. And then suddenly Simon Peter is crucified by the Roman Empire.
And Marcus, we we better start getting some of these oral traditions, these stories which have only been told verbally down. And he's trying to kind of reassure in part the church at that point. Hey, guys. Yeah. Like Simon Peter just got crucified. But don't forget this. This isn't new. This is exactly what happened to Jesus. And this is what Jesus is actually calling us all into.
So for the disciples, some of them who were also crucified along with Jesus after the fact for following his way of life. And so a lot of the early church that this was first written to, like taking up your cross, was still not a metaphor, an analogy, but I understand that maybe when we compare our point in history right now to the last 1700 years of the West, being a Christian nation, that moving into a post Christendom world might feel at times like we're being persecuted and martyred.
But we're not really. When you think about what the original audience were experiencing, like a real situation where they're facing real death and real public humiliation and isolation and alienation, I'm not saying that it's not the I'm not saying it's the easiest thing every single day to be a Christian. But taking up our cross is going to be in Sydney a lot more metaphorical.
So how do we take this teaching and apply it to our lives now? Well, I think John Mark comma gives a really interesting paradigm in his book, Practicing the Way. And he has this beautiful quote. If you remember one thing from this morning, remember this following Jesus, he writes, is an act of subtraction, not of addition. Following Jesus is an act of subtraction, not of addition.
He argues that in our highly overscheduled, busy world.
The most radical thing we can do is to actually subtract from our lives so that we can follow Jesus more faithfully. And he offers this really helpful paradigm. He actually breaks spiritual practices into four different quadrants. And he sort of measures this by whether a spiritual practice is done solo alone or is it done in community, and likewise whether it's done as an act of abstinence, of subtracting, or whether it's done as an act of engagement, of adding, of taking something on, dare we say, taking on our cross.
So that compared to the first raters of Mark, it's not really taking up that cross. But that's the current context we find ourselves in now. There's a whole lot more obviously to denying yourself and taking up your cross, and I'm sure that there's probably people in countries in the world that are persecuted right now that would be probably pretty offended by the suggestion that taking on a spiritual practice is picking up your cross.
But I think reality is the context in which we find ourselves. This is an applicable application. So I just want to preface that when I say that. But if you're thinking about spiritual practices and if you're anything like me, then I would suggest that the first place that you go to is a lone solo. Because we're in individualistic community, we think first and foremost I and in taking something on, in adding something to our plight, we're probably going to lean first and foremost to those areas of a lone engagement.
And those sort of disciplines might be things such as prayer and Bible reading. Any spiritual practices that you're doing by yourself that are adding extra things to your schedule. These are these things which are really helpful and important, but they're only a quarter of the pie. And we miss out on a lot of other really helpful and important stuff.
If we're only ever thinking about solo engagement alone engagement in our spiritual practice. So once we've kind of thought, okay, cool, what things can I add to myself? My spiritual practice personally, that prayer I Bible readings. We're probably then going to go, well, maybe, maybe I'll step into the world of community. Right? So what things could I add to my plate as a spiritual practice in community?
So this would be attending church. This would be joining a small group. This would be partaking in the Lord's Supper. Even you might join a ministry team. You might do an act of justice as a team, as a group of Christians in the community. And again, this is really vital. And that's an important part of the graph. All of these quadrants are equally important.
But what John Mark Comber argues, and what I would kind of agree with, is that there's an uneven influence and weighting on this side of the equation, and when we miss out the other half of the graph, we miss out on a huge amount of wonderful spiritual formation. But on top of that, you might find you might be thinking to yourself, well, I'm in a space right now where I'm pretty good with my personal Bible reading, my daily plan.
Haven't missed a day. You should see my streak on YouVersion. It's out. I'm not saying May. I'm saying you might be saying this. Mine's not very good. You might be saying, hey, like, my prayer is really good at the minute. You might be saying, hey, like, I attend church, you know, let's say 50 weeks of the year.
You know, I'm in a small group, I'm in a ministry team. I'm on a bunch of rosters. Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick. But why am I feeling so exhausted? And maybe it's because we've picked up our cross, but we're still carrying around a bunch of baggage. At the same time, we've done acts of addition without any acts of subtraction.
So probably the first place that's going to be most natural for us to go is solo or alone abstinence. So this looks like acts of, for instance, silence and solitude, fasting, simple living. These are some of the elements, the virtues, the spiritual disciplines that we're exploring through this lent series. And it's these spiritual practices which are actually going to free us up, not just for things below the line in our engagement, but also it's the things that when they're able to enjoy in the space of abstinence and community.
Because when we finally start to think, what does it look like to deny ourselves, to partake in abstinence, we actually start to free ourselves up a little bit. And suddenly this cross that we're carrying, these things that we're doing, aren't as heavy. And finally, we are able to, in that final quadrant of abstinence in community, enjoy things like Sabbath, real rest, enjoy things like being able to be generous and live in a full, giving and receiving community.
And this reality is that we're not able to experience true rest until we have denied some of the activities and events in our calendar that we really want to do, and ruthlessly eliminated them and said, no, actually, I'm going to prioritize rest over, going to the kite festival or whatever it might be. This is a radical way of life.
It seems easy, but there's actually maybe nothing harder to in a society that's always asking if you can be free for that extra second in your day to say no, I'm going to, as John Mark says, ruthlessly eliminate. Hurry. Because it's only when we actually have some extra capacity that we're going to be able to partake in generosity and Sabbath.
It's only when we deny those desires to go to that event, to do that activity, that we're actually going to have space to rest. It's only when we choose not to spend our time, energy and money on those things that maybe we want, that we're able to be generous with those resources for others. If you want to start journeying in this and partaking, this is actually a really fantastic challenge that Mitch has written up for us this week, moving into week two of our lent Challenge.
Because every single week is a new challenge. So don't feel because you didn't sign up to week one that you can't join us for week two. It's actually designed so you could sign up for week six and just do week six. I'd encourage you to sign up for every week, but if you want to sign up this week, coming for week to go ahead, you can get online, click on Church Lent Challenge, get amongst it, because we're going to be focusing on how we can deny ourselves of some things so that we can enjoy better sleep, physical rest.
Because I don't know about you, I'm just gonna speak for myself. I am definitely a lot more Christlike when I've had a good night's sleep. Yeah, sleep. You know, supposedly historians say that we used to have ten hours sleep a night, and then Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. And overnight it went down to eight. Overnight, the light bulb robbed us of two hours sleep.
Most of us are probably sleeping less than we should, or a lot of us would be. So now I ourselves take up that cross, follow Jesus. But the final point following Jesus is really, really important because as I said in the passage desk on Friday, I think that we make a grievous mistake when we think that the cross is the destination.
The cross isn't the destination. The cross is a vital pitstop to get to the resurrection. And this is written into the very fabric of nature. Scripture says that just as a seed must first die in the ground before it sprouts forth into new life and becomes a tree which can bear fruit. So we too must die to ourselves before we can inherit a new resurrection life.
It's written into the very fabric of God's creation, this need for us to die to ourselves. The cross is important, pitstop, but ultimately the destination is resurrection. And you might be thinking to yourself, well, what one of these practices do I want to engage in? I'd really suggest for you to spend some time this week in some real serious just prayer meditation, and consider how can may following Jesus be a radical act of subtraction and not addition this week.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mark's account of Jesus' ministry is one of a Suffering Servant.
How do we engage with that in a culture where Christians are far from persecuted?
The boys chat about Markan Sandwiches, the Jewish expectation of Elijah's return, an how 1st century Jewish readers were able to reconcile that Jesus would rise "on the third day", when being crucified on Friday and risen on the Sunday would be "on the second day" in our English grammar.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
...
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre!
We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to
Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world.
Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team:
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TRANSCRIPT
All righty. So this morning, we start the first of our, lent series, looking at passages to help us prepare for Easter. And what better passage to look at than Jesus 40 days of being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
This is the benchmark. This is the reason why the church set aside the 40 days before Easter. Because this is what our Lord and Savior did. He went into the wilderness, wrestled with Satan, and came out a victorious. That's why monks went out into the desert for periods of prayer and fasting. We also simulate what our Lord did to overcome the palace of darkness and evil.
And so this morning, we kind of kind of do two things. We're going to spend a bit of time looking at some of the cool cultural context. Why I think it's cool. The cool kind of cultural context that Luke was tapping into the Old Testament images, how it fits in with his narrative, but also to just give you some practical tools.
I'm going to draw from the toolbox of church history so you can walk away with some head knowledge, but more importantly, some practical knowledge of what to do when you face temptation. Could we just have the Bible? Could the next slide, please? There it is. Perfect. Now, if you read the Gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke side by side, you notice that Matthew has Jesus being baptized, by John the Baptist.
And then Jesus immediately goes into the wilderness. Now, if you read Luke's account, which we did this morning just before we just before Jesus, this Luke describes Jesus in the wilderness. Luke gives us his genealogy. Now, he loves reading genealogies in the Bible. Look, I see one hand, a fellow Bible nerd. Yeah. Let's face it, Bible genealogies aren't the most interesting things out there.
So why would Luke do this? Why would Luke, Jesus baptize? The spirit comes down on him like a dove. And then we get this quite long and let's face it, quite boring genealogy. But if you look at it closely, and this is what I think is really cool. So see it says he Jesus, when he began his ministry was about 30 years of age, being the son as it was suppose, of Joseph, the son of healing.
It goes on and goes on and on and on and on all the way back. Now let's read who that last son is. Let's read that together. The son of Adam, the Son of God. Okay. Luke's making an important theological message here is that, remember, Adam? Adam was the first man to be created with that parents. God formed him from the dust of the ground and brave new life into him is similar.
Like Jesus, it's like the first Adam. This is the, I guess, the mystery of Jesus being God and man. But Jesus doesn't have an earthly father says speak. He has his heavenly father, just like the first Son of God, Adam. Now what did that first Son of God Adam do? Was he obedient or disobedient? Disobedient? Okay, so that's a problem.
Now Jesus is going to do what Adam failed to do. He needs to go and wrestle with Satan. Now, there's a reason why Jesus goes into the wilderness. The wilderness is the place where the Israelites failed. Yes. Now, before the Israelites went into the wilderness, what was a really important moment that happened with Pharaoh's army and a big body of water?
What happened? Yeah, passing through the Red sea. And the Apostle Paul describes that as a bit of a start to the word be baptism. Okay, so if the Apostle Paul could recognize that what the Israelites did when they passed through the Red sea was like a baptism, now Jesus has done like Jesus has been baptized as the Son of God.
The Israelites were also kind of called the Son of God. They were recognizes, God said to Moses, the Israelites, my firstborn son, like the nation itself, was the first born son, and they were baptized by crossing the Red sea, went into the wilderness, and spent 40 years there. Because the judgment now Jesus has been baptized. He has gone into the wilderness not for 40 years, but for 40 days.
Luke is making this account to make you realize that Jesus is the embodiment of Israel herself. Israel failed. Jesus does not fail. And the other cool thing too, is there's lots of little cool things here is that Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. Moses spent 40 days on a mountain getting the law of God. In fact, Moses would say that when the Israelites failed after the sin of the, golden calf, Moses says in Deuteronomy 925, for 40 days and 40 nights I lay down before the Lord because he intended to destroy you.
I pray to the Lord that you would not destroy these people. Now, we don't really know what Jesus was doing in these 40 days, but we can probably assume that he was praying to his father on behalf of Israel's salvation. That's kind of the cool things there, that's all. Like the the background that Luke is building up for us.
And there's a there's actually a deliberate movement here in how Satan tempts Jesus makes the next slide up, I should say Psalm 106. Here we go. Psalm 106 and the temptation of Jesus. Now, Psalm 106 is a psalm that's written to remember the history of Israel. Sad to remember just the highs and the lows. And the psalmist goes through three temptations that the Israelites faced.
I might write them up there, but you can say that the first one is food that they gave in to their cravings. The second one is false worship, and the last one is a testing by God. So you see here, it's all really, really deliberate. Now this stuff here is by accident. The fact that Satan tempts Jesus was pretty much the same three things meant to show that.
Well, okay, is Jesus gonna succeed or isn't he not? Jesus is not like the Israelites who failed. Jesus is so much greater. And in fact, all the responses that Jesus gives to Satan comes from the book of Deuteronomy. And so from Deuteronomy. If you look and it says in Scripture, Deuteronomy, do you want six? Verse eight is the passages that Moses wrote to the people when they're on the cusp of entering the Promised Land?
And so even just picking those passages to refute Satan, like Moses spoke the words of Deuteronomy six, chapter 6 to 8 as a way to say hey to next generation. Don't be like that generation who spent 40 years in the wilderness and who went into the promised land. You guys need to listen and be obedient, okay? That's all the fun.
Got a cool Old Testament facts, all the allusions here. Let's look at some of the temptations. And the first temptation we're told is that Satan tells Jesus to turn stones to bread. Now, bread is interesting. Bread is actually a steaming hot pot of Jesus ministry. Jesus fed 5000 people. He fed 4000 people. He gave us the Lord's Supper by bread.
Breading on itself is not evil. There's nothing wrong with bread but bread used in the wrong context, as in here is disobedience. I think that's important for life. It's helpful to remember is that Satan may tempt us with things that, on the surface may not seem to be wrong, like, well, you know, if you're hungry here, turn these stones to bread.
God doesn't want you to be hungry. He want you to suffer. And I think this is one of the important things when we do look at temptation. It's not all temptation isn't just evil. You can just, you know, commit this wrong thing or do this good thing. Perhaps we attempted to go down a path that looks good because we have to remember Satan presents.
So as an angel of light, I think that's really helpful for us to remember. But also what is cool here is that from from up a church, from a biblical point of view, is food equals self control. Yeah. The very first commandment that God ever gave to people, it was about food. It was about self-control. Hey, you can eat all the fruit from the garden.
You want to just donate that one fruit from that one tree. I think that's why fasting is such an important spiritual discipline, because actually tapping into the first commandment that God gave, hey, if you want to be a wise person, control what you ate. That's why Jesus response is, yeah, it says it is written, man shall not live on bread alone.
It's our Amanda. Yeah, sure, we need food to live. God create food for us to survive. But that's not all that we need. We need God's word. That's so important. That's why Jesus, he can respond that way. Hey, bread is good for me at a later date. Not right now. The bread I need is the bread that comes from God's Word.
And the second temptation we see which will be up on the screen is, The devil leads Jesus to a very high place and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. And he says, I will give you all their authority and splendor. Sorry. I'll give you all their authority and splendor. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
If you worship me, it will be yours. Football declaration. How on earth could Satan say that he could do it? How could he say that he has all these kingdoms? Isn't isn't the world. God's isn't the earth. God doesn't isn't God the creator and sustainer of everything? Well, the answer to is both yes and yes. What I mean by that when Adam and Eve were created, they were told to rule over the plants and the animals.
Now, in Genesis chapter three, let's let's just, you know, we know it's Satan. But what's the description of the creature in the garden? What is it? Is, snake serpent. And what are Adam and Eve supposed to do? They meant to rule over the plants and the animals. And so by Adam listening to Satan instead of, you know, ruling over him, he has no sense given authority of the earth to the serpent.
In fact, Scripture will talk about this, in a few places in, some New Testament letters, such as two Corinthians chapter 4 or 1 John 519 or Ephesians two, we're told that Satan is the ruler of this world, but the prince, the power of the air. So in this weird sense, it's like, well, Satan has sort of mean he's usurped the authority of the human.
He say, well, I can give you this. Jesus, if you don't go to the cross, I can give you all the authority that you want with ease and comfort. And Jesus response responses is written worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The third and final temptation, Satan, takes Jesus up to the temple, and there he he as a standing on the highest for a temple.
He says, if you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down from here. For he's written, he will command his angels concerning you to guide you carefully. They will lift you up in their hands that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Now Satan here is quoting from Psalm 91 and Psalm 91. Verse four says, he will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.
And his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. So some money one promises that that God will be a shield and a comfort. And you know he's in. Satan expands upon that, commanding his angels to concern you, to guard you. You know, like your foot won't strike against a star. Psalm 91 is a psalm of promise, of protection.
And again, this is a bit like the first temptation using something good, using scripture. But miss applying it. And so the assumption here is Satan is like, well, if you've been baptized by the spirit, if you're designated as God's son, he's not going to let something bad happen to you. So by throwing yourself off, God is going to rescue you.
But Jesus hasn't come just to be a trick pony. It's just display acts of power for the sake of displaying acts of power. Instead, he he says, do not put the Lord your God to the test. That's what the Israelites did at a place called Nasser. They waged and complained about. God wasn't doing enough for them. And so it was saying, it's like, well, you don't put God to the test.
He's going to be the judgment simply by throwing himself off the temple. So Satan wanted Jesus to do to reenact that moment at Massah, where these are lots put God to the test. Okay. So that's sort of that's kind of the more biblical side of things, looking at the Old Testament. Now let's go practical. Okay. How can I how can we take this passage and apply it?
Well, I've actually got a book here. It's a book called by a rigorous of Pontus. It's called Talking Back. And if I, Greece was a fourth century Egyptian monk. And when he was in the wilderness, he wrote this book talking back as a manual for other monks who was struggling with temptation. And if I just recognize that there was sort of eight things that the devil can tempt you with, and those eight areas are gluttony, lust, greed, sadness, anger, apathy.
What's something he called vainglory or vanity and pride? And if you ever heard the seven Deadly Sins, we heard of that maybe. Yeah. This is kind of where that list came from. If I guess. Right, this and what he recognized was that this is where demons can be really clever is I can help put a put an idea into your mind to say something just, you know, passes through you maybe for a second and you can act on that.
And the book is quite intense. It's a it's a huge manual. But I thought that's today we'll just go through some of those, so we can have them on the screen. The first one is gluttony. And so against the thoughts that suggests to me the loss of bread, oil and other things that we need is was a passages is came from one Kings 17 for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, the jar flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day Lord sends rain on the land.
An example is lost against the thoughts establishing our heart, which the Lord sees as having been committed, and he uses he. One Corinthians ten eight. We must indulge in fortification, as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in a single day. And it goes on and so forth. And so while you probably don't have to buy the book and read it, each of the eight sins has about, no joke, about 100 sort of points of different thoughts can be overwhelming.
You can see here what he's doing. He's helping Christians to fight temptation. And the reason why the book is called Talking Back is because he looked at what Jesus did in the wilderness. And when Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus didn't sit there in silence. What does he do? He talks back. Now, I have never had a demonic voice say something to me out loud.
I don't know, maybe I have, but I personally have it, but certainly had thoughts run through my brain. Hey, we've probably all had that. Yeah, we've had some sort of thought come up within us, some sort of temptation. Some make like a seed within us. And once it's sort of in our mind, we have a choice, a choice to act on that thought or to resist it.
And why? This is what if I argued the best way to overcome that is by talking back, actually saying it out loud, just like Jesus did. And so this is where the value of actually memorizing scripture comes into play, of having a few key scriptures that you've got in your toolbox and being able to talk out loud and breaking that thought where it is.
And as we come into, this season of lent, lent is a great opportunity to actually step into the wilderness. Whether you recognize or not we are in a spiritual battle. There's a battle between the the forces of God and the forces of evil. And that's what the early monks recognized is that but going into the wilderness, I wasn't doing it just to escape the world that she went in to battle.
If you ever have a chance to read Athanasius, biography of Saint Anthony, that thing is wild. Saint Anthony, like he was battling demons left, right and center. It seems so bizarre for us here in 21st century Sydney, because it's just not something that we encounter. This is a spiritual text. We get a lot more subtle, a lot more subdued, a lot more hidden, but the real and present nonetheless.
We're being literally seeing like a demonic apparition, like Saint Anthony dude, or has this little voice that passes through your mind for half a second. It's still real. It's what excites me about lent is that it's a chance for us to kind of go into the wilderness. Now, I doubt any of us are going to go move to the Judean wilderness for 40 days, you know, fasting and praying, but we can all journey into a metaphorical wilderness, part of that's just giving up some of our luxuries, giving up some time to pray.
And it's hard. It's really hard because to fast and to pray and to give up things, we begin to realize just how much baggage and dependency we have. And if you have signed up for the challenge, part of it is, is, need to write out your why. Why are you doing this? And the basis of that comes from John 321 where Jesus says, hey, if you step into the light, no deeds of darkness are hidden.
That's part we actually have to step out under the blazing sun of the wilderness and make ourselves vulnerable to God. And how will silence? It should be golden. But it isn't. Because when we sit in silence and give up all the noise and distractions around us, we do have to confront ourselves. We have to confront our weaknesses, our temptations, our vices, and our habits.
I have to confess that before doing these lent challenges, it'd be pretty hypocritical May if I didn't do them myself. So I spent the months beforehand doing these. Have to admit, I found the social media one the non screen time one for me the hardest. I remember the first night because normally what I like to do is if I'm washing up or swimming in the house, I listen to a podcast, listen to music.
It's quite normal and it sounds ridiculous to say. It's actually almost felt my body like doing this. Like, I can't handle this. I can't just wash up and not have something going on. I have to be listening to a podcast. I've been listening to an audiobook, and it was actually in the silence. I found myself going, Lord, just get me through this.
All I want to do is just like, look at my phone. It seems crazy to say that that's how dependent I've become. Look at my phone. I mean, I'm listening to some lecture, some audiobook or just music thing. Even that he's. These are good things. But in confronting that source have made me depend upon God so much more.
That's what I love about doing this. Just a season of giving up something in order to rely on God more fully. Author Becky Aldridge. She writes, desert time is vital to a mature relationship with God. If we are committed men and women of faith, then God is going to bring us to the desert at some point to look deeply at ourselves and see all of us the way God sees us.
This means we will have to confront the dark spots of our lives and the things we do our best to hide from God and from the rest of the world. Jesus was no different. He was led by the spirit in the wilderness, where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. Jesus faced Satan. Then the devil left him and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
That's from Matthew's version. We faced Satan, our own temptations in our desert time, just as Jesus did. And just as Jesus was not alone in the desert battle, we are not alone either. That's important. Friends part this season. If you do feel called to sign for these lent challenges, don't do it online. Have an anchor. There's a reason why I'm asking to sign up so I can have a list of people.
Pray and pray for you because we're not doing this online. We do this with the strength of the Holy Spirit. This we have the angels and I don't know how they minister to us. I don't know if they give us bread like they did with Jesus, but they're they're supporting us. We have our brothers and sisters around us moving forward together in this spiritual journey.
I'd be remiss of me to say that, well, just this lent challenge, you know, your problems will be sorted. Well, it's not that simple. Unfortunately. And there will be things in us so have to wrestle with and struggle with, and perhaps they won't be dealt with until our Lord returns. But as I finish, I finish with just two more quotes on on comes from Eugene Peterson.
Eugene Peterson says one aspect of the world I have been able to identify as harmful to Christians is the assumption that anything worthwhile can be acquired at once. We assume that something can be done at all. It can be done quickly and efficiently. This isn't just a tick, a box and your life will be perfect. This is a journey, a pathway.
This is just part of that pathway to becoming more like Jesus. And for Shane and his kind of view on fasting, and he says there are only two philosophies of life. One is first, the feast, then the headache, the other is the fast and then the feast. The third joys purchased by sacrifice. Always sweetest and most enduring. Let me pray for us friends.
Now. Yeah, Lord and father, I just pray, Lord, that you be our source of strength, a source of love and our source of comfort. Oh Lord, we don't know what we're going to face. We know what's going to happen today, tomorrow. Who knows what troubles and temptations and sorrows we may face. But I do pray, Lord, that you watch over our paths, that you do be our shield in those times of temptation, that, Lord, that you guard us from the thoughts of the evil ones.
Help us to talk back, as Jesus did, against the lies of the evil one. And Lord, I pray, as Jesus told us in those words, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Luke's account of Jesus in the Wilderness is notably different in structure to Mark and Matthew's accounts. What's Luke trying to do differently in his gospel?
And in fact, how are any of the gospel authors retelling this story if no one was there to witness it except Jesus and Satan?
The boys also chat about how they're travelling so far with the Lent challenge, the historical origins of Lent, why God calls humans into wild spaces for spiritual growth, and their own personal strategies for facing temptation in the day to day.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray chat about the vision of Heaven and Hell, the origins around the Catholic theology of purgatory, and how our eschatology informs not just our future but our present.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Luke 12:35-48
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to The Centre! We're a Church in Dural, Sydney who want to Make Jesus The Centre of our lives, community, and world. Join us for a time of worship, community and teaching.
Remember to stay in contact with the church, especially if you or anyone you know is in need.
Get Connected: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/new/
Prayer Requests: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/prayer/
Tithing Information: https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/giving/
Follow "BANTER"; the podcast where we unpack each week's sermon with the pastoral team:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ReaCaCb6U7r4EjdJQdajy?si=11f44dcd078e4707
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-centre-dural-podcast/id1035454799
TRANSCRIPT
That passage seems familiar. We looked at its cousin. You could say that's how theme verse of the year came from. Matthew 2445. There's one thing that I have learned in teaching is that repetition is important, and repetition is also important for our Lord, Mark said. It's a scary passages, quite confronting and challenging, and I'm going to teach us a very, very big word.
I'm sorry about that. There shouldn't be a word used outside of Bible college, but we'll say it together. Eschatology. Let's say it together. Eschatology is anyone reckon they know what eschatology is that end times? Yes, eschatology. So eschatology is end time stuff. And we're going to use this word eschatology because it includes our Lord's return heaven hell judgment.
Why? The reason I'm teaching you this word, eschatology, is because your eschatology will shape how you serve our Lord. Your eschatology will shape how we serve our Lord. If you a bit like that foolish chevron thing, master is not coming, don't have to worry too much. You don't really believe heaven or hell judgment, all that stuff. If you don't really believe in eschatology, it's going to shape how you live your life.
He. And now. That's why that big fancy word eschatology is so important. Because to be a prepared, faithful servant, you need to have very, very good eschatology. Now, what I love about this parable, Jesus is he begins off at verse 35 that says, be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning. Now when I first started at the center, let me get here.
We we have two uniforms here. Okay? One of them is our very fancy office shirt that, you know, the office staff meant to wear. One of them is our sports shorts. Shirts. Now, when I first started. And in flight of the world would close on Mondays, I for a long time would often be wearing this office shirt on a Monday.
And guess who often got a knock at his office door on Monday about 1230. Say, hey Mitch, can you come help with pick up? Yeah. And so for a while there I would be packing up inflatables, dressed in this shirt wasn't the most conducive to packing up in flight of world wasn't really dressed and ready for service. So you know what happened after that happened?
A few times. Start wearing this one more and more. And in fact, sometimes you might even see me just in the sports shirt and the shorts to be ready and dressed for service, because I know that probably inevitably, at some point on a Monday, there's going to be a knock him off to say, hey, Mitch, leaving enough people for pack up, can you help us being dressed and prepared?
It's very, very important. Now, in today's passage, we use the NIV, which says be dressed and ready for service. Now in some Old English translations, it has. Here, let your loins be girded about and your lights burning. What do you think? Have your loins girded? Means I don't want to have a guess what that means? Pardon? So I was a now I.
I was a joke. Oh, so I had an answer. They went. Actually, no. It's pretty weird expression. Hey, let your loins be girded. Or if you have the new King James, let your waist be good and your lamps burning well, to gird their loins is an old expression of how you manage your robe. And then the next slide we have here.
So you going to imagine that most Middle-Eastern people wool robes like this. And so when you were getting ready to either act in war or do some sort of action, having a long robe around you, it's not very conducive for getting activities done. So how are you going to your loins? You can just fall out there on the screen.
You tuck it up tight, round you, and there you're ready. You have girded your loins. You are dressed and ready for service. Now, what is really cool, and I like to teach you guys cool little facts that, you know, off the church things I would say. You can say, well, I learned about the word eschatology. Now here's another cool little fact that we can learn this morning is that when Luke uses be dressed or ready for service or good, your loins, this isn't just some random little throwing that Jesus has used.
It's like Jesus is referring to one of the most significant moments in Israelite history where the people, too, were called to gird their loins, and it was the Passover. And since the Exodus 1211. So I've got the older English translation just to kind of keep the same girding loins, and thus shall ye eat it. That's the Passover with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and ye shall eat it in haste.
It is the Lord's Passover. And there's a more modern translation just to help out. This is how you eat it, with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. Girding your loins is a common expression used in the Old Testament to be ready for service.
But Luke here, in structuring his gospel, you can just throw it in randomly. He's actually designed the sentence structure to be identical to how the Greek version of Exodus 1211 was translated. So for the original readers, their minds immediately pick up on that. Jesus here is referring to Passover. He's alluding to that event where Israelites had to be ready, had to be ready with the.
The last one had to be ready for this moment, this moment of crisis. Another crisis was that if you hadn't prepared the Passover, you had that blood poured over the doorposts. That angel of death was going to come and take your first born son. This was a significant moment of preparation. So Jesus here deliberately alluding to the key moment in Israel's history.
Here he's pointing to a future key moment that's going to impact all of us. Like I said before, who eschatology is going to shape how you live your life. So being dressed and ready for service is so important because who knows, it could be the middle of the night when the master comes home. Jewish wedding face. They went on for days.
Who knows when the master might return. This is why you needed to be ready. Because he did not know the day or hour of return. Not just chatting about being prepared for the master's, rather in return. That's all pretty standard stuff. But here this is really interesting. So when I talk about this, I'm going to pause and we'll come back to it later.
Now if we could just pull up verse 37. Thanks, man. So you read along and Jesus says he from verse 37 says, it will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Okay, that's pretty standard. This is the amazing part. Truly, I tell you, he will dress himself to serve. He will have them recline at the table and he will come and wait on them.
Do you understand the significance of those words we're talking here? Master and slave relationships, who not only serves, who, servants serve masters, not masters, serving servants or slaves. This is remarkable. It's a remarkable passage of Scripture which is kind of just chucked in there in the middle. Now read it again, because truly, until he will dress himself to serve, they will have them recline at the table.
He will come and wait on them. No master ever, ever does this except one master, our Lord Jesus Christ. And perhaps we can think of a time, a time where Jesus does good, his loins and serves others. Can you think of that time? When he washes the disciples feet? So in a sense, yeah, we are serving a master who is our Lord, who expects a lot of us, but he also wants to give us a generous, abundant reward.
For the fact is that it's not just any old feast. We get to recline. That means this is a banquet. You only recliner banquets, and he gets your client the very best of the best of banquets. While Jesus serves us. That's amazing. It's amazing passage of Scripture. And then by coming here in Luke 12, it's point two when Jesus actually tells he's disciples directly in Luke chapter 22, verse 27, for it says, who is greater, the one who is at the table, or the one who serves is not the one at the table, but I am among you as one who serves.
Now I feel like I've been talking for a while. I actually want to give a moment for you to pause and reflect and speak to God, a particularly to as we come to the image of the faith in the night. This is, artwork here by artist. I called James B Jenkins, and he does modern retellings of parables.
So I invite you now as I just read the words of Jesus here, just to pause for a moment and see how God is speaking to you in this image, as Jesus said. But understand this if the owner of the house had known what hour the faith was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
So, friends, I invite you. Look at this image. Notice the shapes, the colors, the lighting, perhaps some of the details, both the foreground and the background. Is there a part that you're drawn towards?
As you sense that drawing, why do you think God drew your attention to this particular part?
Is there a part of it that conveys to your life today?
And as you reflect upon this image. There's something here that God, he feel God calling you to do. There's something in your life that needs to change. I give you a moment to reflect and pause on that.
I look at this image. It speaks so much into our modern world, doesn't it love how the artist is drawn? The moment that he he's robbed as a storm, a storm, a stormy night. We just get comfortable watching TV, and it's easy to grow complacent, Caesar. Grow complacent when it feels like our Lord isn't returning. And Peter, as in typical Peter fashion, he asked this question Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?
Jesus gives not a to us or to everyone answer. It's kind of a cryptic answer. It is to us. It's to disciples. Jesus answers answer to Peter's. Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? How? We will spend a bit more time in banter, unpacking.
That's sort of the four different servants. There's a lot of interpretation in, I guess, church history around this. So that's a little plug there. If you haven't signed up to Mansa, if you want to listen in to kind of hear about what people think about these four different servants. But just to summarize, there's four types of servants and perhaps you can see yourself within one of them.
The first one is easy, the faithful and why servant. This servant is rewarded with authority over his master's possessions, not the second. So this is the wicked one. The one who eats and drinks and gets drunk and then thinks that actually I'm like the master and does what only a master is allowed to do is beat the fellow servants.
This one's scary. This guy's cut in tune and signed a place with the unbelievers. Now I got a couple other servants. Servant three I guess he called a neglectful servant. He's the one who, I know I should be doing this, and he gets beaten. Maybe not as badly beaten as the wicked servant servant number two. They have the final servant, the one who he so indeed neglects his responsibilities, but wasn't aware of what's expected of him, and so doesn't get as harsh of, beating stuff is.
It's scary, it's confronting. But in many ways, Jesus is using language that was very familiar to his audience. And this week I spent a lot of time studying some ancient documents, and I came across one. Okay, go on the next slide. Thanks. Which is called the Law of Light beneath from And she's not here. I'm going to I'm going to butcher this Italian.
Vitale in Italy and the law of Lavinia or the leks. Lim Liping Itani. I should say, it it we details how in the city of Liberia, how, undertakers were meant to act and how, a master could actually employ someone to dish out punishment to a unfaithful servant. And so it says, if someone privately wants to inflict punishment on a male or female servant, and the punishment must be inflicted or hollow must be inflicted in some way, what a time to come out when I'm talking about how slaves are getting beaten.
Must have inflicted in a way that has been asked for. So if he asks for the yoke and the cross, the contractor must provide the beams, the fetters, the whips for the flogging and the floggings, and each person asking for a inflicting punishment must pay for sister Sally's, which a brief Google touched, but a brief Google search told me is a one sister sister release is $0.50, so for $2 you could pay for your servant to be beaten by a professional beater.
Yeah. Why don't you go down to Mama? This was the world that Jesus lived in. This is the reality is that slaves were just a property of masters at the whim of the whips or whoever their master was. Good or evil. So Jesus, tapping into this language that his audience was very familiar with a wicked servant would be cut up, would be punished.
That was part and parcel of what happened. And the idea was at that time that if you inflict public punishment upon a servant, what do you think it's going to do? The other servants? It's going to be an example. The example I was, hey, don't misbehave. Make sure you do what the master says or something terrible is going to happen.
That's what Jesus is tapping into. He's tapping into his language. But remember two before you feel frightened and terrified and afraid and kind, I can feel this. So the duty to just be prepared for Jesus because you don't want to get whipped. Remember verse 37, friends, verse 37 changes everything. I read it there. It will be good for those servants whose master finds him there watching when he comes.
Truly I tell you, he would dress himself to serve well, have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. Yes, we serve Jesus, the most powerful Lord in the universe. He did not come to serve you, not come to peace of, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. As we finish today, I came across a quote from a New Testament scholar lady called Jennifer Lacy in an article called Slaves and Slavery in the Mercy and Parables.
So well, this is passage from Luke, but you get the idea here. I think it's just such a wonderful quote that we're just going to finish with this to reflect upon it says, the readers of Matthew recognize the disciplined flesh of parabolic slaves as an antique type, a model to avoid. Curiously, however, Matthew features another tortured body as a body, as a model to emulate the battered and crucified body of Jesus.
Jesus himself calls his followers to be willing to endure the sufferings of the cross in a peculiar way. The corporal punishment of disobedient slaves and the missing parables foreshadows the broken body of Jesus, ridiculed, beaten, and executed.
Let's pray now. Lord, keep us alert. We pray as we await the return of your son. So when he comes and knocks, he might find. Find us watchful in prayer and joyful in his praise. We pray now that Lord, that we address this service. We pray, Lord, that we are ready for your return. We pray that our eschatology is shaped by the reality of your return, and we don't grow complacent.
We don't think that you never coming back and just do what we want. I pray, Lord, that we addressed and ready, ready for your arrival and a joyful arrival when you come. There's that promises that you would dress yourself and serve us just as he served us. By giving up your body upon the cross for us. So I pray Jesus, you help us in this season of the life where there's so much distractions, distractions, so many seeing so many things that can keep us from being prepared.
So many people, Lord, that just seek to honor you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys talk about the history of charity in the Old and New Testament, how Christianity was responsible for the first international aid project in recorded history, and the dangers of our faith relying too heavily of experience.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Luke 12: 13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
TRANSCRIPT
Morning, church. How are we doing this morning? So, have you ever read a Bible passage and just kind of sat there and been honest with yourself?
And so I kind of disagree. I kind of disagree because I'm going to say something be crazy here, but I'm kind of on the rich, full side. Just putting it out there. I mean, like, what did the rich Phil actually do? He, like, was just an honest wheat farmer. Right? Just working his, you know, day in, day out, year in, year out.
He was blessed with an abundant crop. And then he saved as like. Isn't saving a good thing? I mean, this guy works year in, year out through years of drought is a flood. Years of plague. You know, he didn't it say at any point come across this bumper crop unfairly or or unethically? It doesn't say that he mistreated his workers.
I mean, I mean, I'm kind of on this guy's side. I mean, he's just a hard working farmer. He's had a hard life. You know, he finally is blessed with this thing, and he's just shows some business ingenuity. Really. He's not what he does. He just invests in the future. I mean, you know, just puts a bit aside for his kids, for maybe his wife.
Maybe he finally takes her on that cruise that's been looking at us all these years. Now you really got to critique a farmer. The person who puts wheat bakes and bread on your table every morning. Like, shame on you. It's. I'm struggling to shame this poor, hard working farmer. I'm on the rich side personally. Doesn't this sound sort of justifiable to us?
Doesn't this sound pretty normal? Just a hardworking farmer who worked really hard was blessed with a bumper crop and said, I know what I'll do. I'll knock down the old barns a bit to new ones. Pop it in, you beauty. And then God says, tonight, you going to die. Tonight you're going to die. And all of your money is going to go to your wife and kids.
I mean, isn't that sort of the Australian dream? Like nose down, work hard, get a little nest egg, put a little in super, save a bit for your kids when you die. What do you do wrong? Well, a bit confused, but somehow I don't think the the original listeners of this would have been confused because see, what's really interesting is they were operating from a very different culture around what it meant to be rich amount, what it meant to be generous around what it meant to give charity to those who were poor and in need.
I think of Proverbs, for instance, Proverbs 1125 to 26. One person gives freely, yet gains even more. Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. And here's the kicker. People curse the one who holds grain, but they pray God's blessing on the one who is willing. So why is Joseph all the way back in Genesis, if you remember, lauded as righteous for hoarding a bunch of grain in Egypt and yet this poor fella is dragged over hot coals for just filling up two barns.
I mean, I'm pretty sure that the grain that Joseph was hoarding in Egypt was a bit more than two barns. How is one righteous and another is foolish? Maybe it has something to do about the intention behind why Joseph was stockpiling grain. He was stockpiling it so that he could help out others who are in need. He was being discerning with God.
He was seeking God's voice very clearly through dreams that Pharaoh was being given. And then he was carefully administering grain to those in need. But you might be saying, well, hold on, doesn't the rich fool quote Ecclesiastes in Luke 1217 to 19 he says, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life, eat, drink, and be merry.
Isn't that Ecclesiastes 815 I hear you all saying, eat, drink, and be merry. You know what I'm realizing? I'm realizing that some of the enemy's greatest lies are misquoted. Scripture. Some of the enemy's greatest lies. A misquoted scripture, completely misquoted or completed, slightly out of context because ultimately this rich fool uses my and I ten times in three verses in Luke 1217 to 19, which to us in a sort of very individualistic, self centric culture you like.
Yeah, fair. But for Jesus's first listeners, they would have been going, you selfish fool, you are so self-absorbed. My my my I, I because their natural thought was for the other. It's a very different worldview. I won't call a sermon prepared to be generous. Prepared to be generous. Why, when God had been so generous to the rich full, had he decided to stockpile his weight?
And as we're continuing this series, I think it's really important to recognize that the obvious and simplistic answer to this passage is don't be greedy. Be more generous. Right. Thanks, guys. I'll see you next week. So that is an oversimplification of this, and I think it's really unhelpful. And it's not actually the point that Jesus is making completely because you say, I think in our modern culture, we focus a lot on individual sin, which is a real thing and something that we need to be mindful of and considerate of.
But we don't think much about corporate sin, about the sin of the society in which we are, in a society which is inherently capitalistic and greedy and excess in their consumption. And so it's really hard to come to this parable and understand it in our modern terms, because we're sort of caught on this wheel of excessive consumption. It's something that, two scholars, Brickman and Campbell, noted all the way back in the 70s.
They called it the demonic treadmill. And on this next slide, you'll say it was this phenomenon that they experience all the way back in the 70s. It's not brand new that the more people attained, the more material wealth that people accumulated. Happy at. No, not the happy life became. The more they decide, more wealth and the more wealth accumulate, the more they desire, and the more they accumulate, the more they desire, and the faster the wheels spun, the faster they run and the faster they run, the faster the wheel spins.
All the while, increased happiness is forever unattainable. That they saw no increase in happiness. In these people who continue to accumulate more and more things. The hydronic treadmill. This idea that the more you accumulate, the fallacy that people are running on this treadmill for is that they'll be happier, that they'll have increased happiness. When Brickman Campbell just felt it really plateaued from their studies.
The hedonic treadmill asks the question how much is enough? And depressingly, answers when it comes to the human heart. It's never enough. It's never enough. Ecclesiastes five 1011 actually addresses this issue, although it tells us to eat, drink and be merry. Enjoy our time on this lot, on this world, while we've got it. It also says whoever loves money never has enough.
Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. I love this as goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The more that we eat, the more our stomach stretches and the more our stomach stretches, the more food we need.
So how do we get off this treadmill? How do we get off the hedonic treadmill? Because I think that it's too simple to just say, just stop being greedy and be more generous. If you went to a doctor and said, doc, I am insatiable, I am starving. No matter how much I eat, I cannot eat enough food. I eat and I eat and I eat and I'm still hungry.
Be a pretty rubbish doctor. If you said I've seen this before. I know what you need to do. Stop being hungry. That'd be pretty unhelpful, right? Because just like chicken pox. Although we say the symptom on the surface of little red spots and itchy skin, the virus is deep underneath in the skin. And this is actually what Jesus is doing in this passage that comes after in the parable, he presents the symptom grade in the passage.
Afterwards, he actually starts to explain the underlying illness. So he says the symptom is great, but it's not the illness itself. And we know that these two passages are connected because the first word in the next passage is a really important one, that if you ever say it in Scripture, especially in the New Testament, that even in the old, you should really pay attention.
Therefore, Jesus set up the situation of the rich fool and then he says therefore, oh, okay, Jesus. So you've presented a problem, and now maybe you're going to present some kind of solution. What's the solution? I hear he'll ask. Let's read it. Luke 12 2226 he says, therefore, straight after the parable of the rich fool, he says, do not worry about your life, what you eat or about your body, what you will wear for life is more than food and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens. They do not so or reap. They have no storeroom or barn. Interesting choice to include storing Melbourne at that point. Maybe referring to the parable he's just told, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds who have you by worrying. Can add a single hour to your life. Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Who, by worrying about their lives, could add a single hour? In fact, probably not that radical of a statement. I would say that filling your life with stress and anxiety is probably going to save hours of your life, not add hours to your life. It's probably an unhelpful thing if you want to live a long life, to be constantly stressed and anxious.
So he says, therefore, do not worry, do not worry. He explores the underlying illness of greed as anxiety, anxiety, specifically financial anxiety. So all we need to do, guys, is overcome financial anxiety. Great. I'll see you next week. No worries. That's easier said than done, isn't it? That's easier said than done. Just overcome any anxiety you feel about your financial needs, about your material possessions.
Just don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Because the reality is, when we are swimming in a sea of anxiety, we are going to desperately cling on to anything, whether it's a mortgage being paid off or a shopping trolley full of toilet paper. That's what we saw during Covid. That's what it taught us, right? That amidst the panic and justified anxiety of Covid, a real situation in which our lives were actually in an increased danger, people grabbed on to toilet paper like it was a lifeboat in the middle of a water.
Like, what were they doing? I mean, I personally remember getting down to the last few toilet rolls and being, oh, starting to get the sweats. I'm worrying, what are we going to do? How are we going to get through Covid without toilet paper? We might have to buy a bidet. I mean, it takes a whole new expression to take a trip to the throne.
If we go back to sitting on a big throne of toilet paper in your house. And then what happened was, ultimately, people started to realize that all of this treasure that they'd been hoarding throughout Covid was suddenly worthless because as the anxiety of Covid started to dissipate, people realized this treasure that they'd been stockpiling. They couldn't even sell back to the shops.
This rich fool who hoarded $10,000 worth of toilet paper and sanitizer during Covid. I mean, I can't even get my head around how much toilet paper and hand sanitizer that might be. Even at increased Covid rates. Literally, the shopping center wouldn't buy it back from him, and he was stuck with a treasure trove of toilet paper and hand sanitizer and really post anxiety that it was all worthless.
This is our human condition and Jesus knows this full well and that's what he's speaking into. So he gives us an answer. He says, do not worry. And I love this verse. Luke 1232 he continues, do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you his kingdom. He's saying, guys, God has already given you the kingdom of heaven.
What more do you need? You are already princes and princesses in the kingdom of heaven. You have inherited an eternal kingdom, an eternal treasure. He says, don't be afraid, little flock. He calls us his little flock, which makes him our big shepherd. He's going to provide for us. Who's going to care for us? He's going to generously is above and beyond what we need.
This is what King David writes in Psalm 23. I'm sure most of you know it. The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil for you.
With me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and your love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. C once we truly understand that we worship a God of abundance who anoints our head with oil and fills our cup up so much that it overflows.
It's not until we really tap into the truth of that, that we can be radically generous in the way that Jesus is calling us to be. What do I mean by that love that he calls us his little flock and tells us to not worry, and tells us how he's given us the kingdom of heaven? He says, sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out a treasure in heaven that will never fail. When no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also sell your possessions and give to the poor. Not a Bible verse I see a lot of people getting tattooed on their back. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Not most people's favorite memory. Verse. I don't know if any of you have is your password on your online banking? It's usually not one that we talk about a lot. But this is what Jesus is calling us into as the God who came down from heaven onto earth and gave up his very life for us. He's calling us to enter a posture where we're willing to sacrifice pleasure and comfort, and maybe even sometimes a sense of security so that we can support those who are in need, support those who are in greater need than us.
And this is radical, like, it's pretty radical. I mean, who's ever considered selling their TV so they could give more money to charity? Who's ever considered selling the extra cash so they like it's pretty radical to sell your possessions. The things I already have and give to the poor. But you know what's really interesting? It probably would have been less radical for the people who originally heard it, because first century Jews who would have been part of Jesus's listeners, the, you know, entire culture that Jesus came out of being a Jew himself every year that gave 10% to the Levitical priests in the temple, they'd give another 10% towards the festival feasts.
So the the poor and the widows and the orphans could enjoy and partake in this festival together. All of these big seven Jewish festivals throughout the year, and then every third year, another 10% towards the poor and the widows and the orphans. If you include the sort of year of jubilee every seventh year where they wouldn't tithe, it evens out to about 20% a year, 20%.
Now, the New Testament doesn't specify any percentage for us to give, and I think that's for good reason. I think that's wise. But what I'm saying is, does this knowledge change your perception about the generosity of God? Does this information change your perception about maybe how generous God wants us to be? Because as I said in two Corinthians nine seven, Paul is talking about giving money to charity doesn't give a percentage.
He says, each of you should give what you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. Church generosity was one of the first signs of the early church. Once the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the church sold their possessions and shared what they had with one another. Now, this is radical, this is countercultural, and this is very difficult.
And what I don't want us to do today is to walk away and go, well, I'm never going to be able to do that. I mean, have you seen how tight my friend on this is? All I can barely afford to give what I'm already giving. I can't get any more. Like, how am I supposed to be more generous?
How am I supposed to give 20? I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is maybe take an opportunity this week to just look at your finances again, to look at your assets again, and not like the rich fool making a decision by your own wisdom. But like Joseph, seeking God's wisdom, say, how do I want to manage my finances this year so I can prepare to be more generous?
Because God loves a cheerful giver? Let us pray. God, I just want to thank you that you have given us everything we need, that you've given us the Kingdom of heaven and that Jesus you call us your little flock. So, Lord, I just want to pray first and foremost for the people in this room who are experiencing genuine anxiety over their finances right now.
God, I pray that in the same way that you bless that rich fool with a bumper crop for no striving or earning of his own, that you would bless people in this congregation who are genuinely financially struggling with a bumper God. I pray that that would be through the provision of your Holy Spirit, through the generosity of those around them, and through the generosity of our church.
When people are in need. Because God, that's what you call us to be. You call us to be generous to those who are in need. In Jesus. We recognize that you gave up the ultimate offering of your entire life for us on a cross. And God, I just pray that we can continue to tap into that. As Holy Spirit.
You work in our hearts to continue to challenge us in how we can not just be more generous, but more cheerful. When we do give God, we give this time to you. We are clay in your hands. Form us into your likeness. And I pray that as we continue to move into this year, that we would even more so be known as a church who are generous, who are radically generous above and beyond.
Because, Jesus, you were radically generous to us first Jesus name, Amen.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray chat about the theology 1st century Jews held around the temple, the importance of empathy when reading about the Pharisees, and the role self-reflection and humiliation have in humility.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, welcome to the Center podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.
oh, Christians are hypocrites. I'm not making that up. It's actually a statistic. Mccrindle research. They did some they interviewed about 1000 people back in 2017. We just have that up there on the screen and you might not be able to see it there. But see this at the bottom right there. It says top five blockers.
At number two, a 47% of people surveyed was hypocrisy. There's a perception out there that Christians are hypocrites, whether that's right or wrong. So actually, something that our Lord speaks a lot into Scripture speaks a lot about the value of humility, about not being a proud person. And part of, I guess, our vision for this year about being prepared, being prepared to serve our Lord and Savior.
Last week we we looked at the preparation for having unanswered prayer that that's a reality we're going to face today and look at preparation for becoming humble. Some Benedict in his teaching. He had this. He had had it 12 steps, which we'll look at later in the services. Some practical application. But he had 12 steps on how to be humble.
And he used this image from Psalm 131, verse two of just as a child, like a baby infant, needs nourishment from its mother in order to have life. So it's like us. In order to have life, we need to humbly sit under the Lord. That is first step is this idea of fearing God. Fear God first and foremost, and that will keep you humble.
Mentioned before Jesus spoke a lot about humility and humbleness about those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted. And so we come into this very famous parable, the Pharisee and the tax collector. And just to help kind of orientate ourselves into how Luke has put this little parable in his overall gospel message in, in the surrounding chapters around it, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and his way to Jerusalem.
He encounters ten lepers and he heals them. Only one of those lepers comes back and thanks him. Can anyone guess who that was? They might know who it was a Samaritan. Yeah, okay. Oh, okay. That's meant to be a bit of, like, I guess, a trigger for someone that's unusual. Samaritan Samaritans. Something people they don't do. Righteous acts.
Jesus explains to that on the signs of his arrival, which we looked at in our first week, about the signs about preparation, about, you know, signs in the stars and the moon turning black and all those kind of horrible things. Jesus actually says, if you want to save your life, you need to lose it. It's a strange kind of reversal there.
In fact, immediately after this parable, Jesus goes and blesses children and tells us they listening. So, hey, if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you need to be like this little child. And so Luke's putting this parable here deliberately, intentionally so that we are getting it just kind of shoved in our faces. Hey, if you want to enter into the kingdom of God, you need to be very, very different.
You cannot be a Pharisee now. So you and I as Christians, and we know the Pharisees are the bad guys. We don't have issues with this. When we read this parable, we mean like, the Pharisee. That's the bad one. And the tax collectors, the good one. But before we jump ahead, I have just some just want to heed.
Take this morning from commentator Kenneth Bailey, has this quote here on the screen for us. And it says here, oh, maybe I didn't put in, but this is the quote that he says, but then it says, here is thank God we are not like that Pharisee. That definitely didn't put that quote. And that's okay. But you can remember that Kenneth Bailey's warning for us is not for us to say thank God we are not like that Pharisee.
Isn't that kind of what we do? We probably read this parable, and that's probably our natural inclination is to think, well, I'm not like that. I'm not self righteous like that. I don't do these religious duties like that at all. And Bailey's warning for us, so I think is really helpful, is that if we think that if we think, oh, thank God I'm not like that Pharisee, then ironically, we're exactly like that Pharisee.
And illustrating the point that Jesus is making in this parable. Pride comes in all forms, can be through religious actions, or perhaps it's through religious in action. Pride with everything that we can gain our own righteousness, our own justification through our own efforts. Now, I mentioned before that for Jesus original audience, the the clear hero is the Pharisee and the clear villain is the tax collector.
Now, let me read that text that that that Pharisees prayer. We think this is quite what it seems very proud, like it seems horrible to us. He says, God, I thank you. I'm not like other people robbers, evil doers, adulterous, or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a 10th of all I get. And when we read that, I think, oh, that's terrible.
So I have a prayer to pray. So the problem for us is that's how often Jews would pray. Now, I definitely have this quote on the screen. This is a quote here from Rabbi Judah. Now, this was written sort of a little bit after Jesus was around. But the idea is the same is that this is what Rabbi Judah would write.
He wrote this in a book called the Talmud, which is a group, a set of Jewish writings. And he says, one must utter three praises every day. Praise be the Lord. He did not make me a heathen. That's like a Gentile. For all heathens are nothing before him. Praise be he the did. Don't make me a woman.
For woman is not under the obligation to fulfill the law. Praise be he, he did not make me an uneducated man. So let's now I sang like a sinner. For for the uneducated man is not cautious to avoid sins. This is coming from rabbis. This was sort of the standard operating practice in Israel for us to say. You'd say, Thank God I'm not like this.
The Pharisees prayer would seem totally normal. This is what you did. You thank God. I thank God I'm not a Gentile. Thank God I'm not a woman. Thank God I'm not an uneducated person who doesn't know Torah.
This is what Jesus is coming to do, is destroy this, destroy this attitude, this attitude of proud self righteousness and to be humble. It's interesting, the Pharisee that mentioned that he fasts twice a week. God only prescribed one fasts per year, and that was on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. Only one time a year I like.
Yeah, sure, fasting is a great spiritual discipline to be involved in. There came this practice in the Jews to fast every Monday and every Thursday. So in our story, we have to just kind of pretend that we're Cheese's original audience. This guy here is praying the prayers that were normal. He's doing the actions that was seen as normal.
I think for us, we just can't understand the horror and the disgust that Jews had towards tax collectors. Like, I was just trying to find the equivalent in our time. I just don't think we haven't, like, just think of, like, the enemy of the state. Someone who betrayed you. Someone who gave every scrap of Jewish identity to take taxes for the Romans.
Tax collectors were just seen as the scum of the earth. And Jesus done this deliberately to be provocative. That's why Luke has it sort of put in there in between these stories of a Samaritan coming to say thank you, Jesus of Jesus blessing little children and reminding his followers, hey, if you want to save your life, you actually need to lose it.
This is part of the upside down values of the Kingdom and the tax collectors. Just his posture and what he does is quite remarkable. So what would happen is, is when you came in to pray, this was sort of the posture of prayer. And we and we'll say, people do this in worship. You, you raise your arms up to heaven and your idea is you look up, you look up towards God because the idea is that God is in heaven.
Okay, so how's that? You have an arms race up, lift your eyes up towards heaven, towards God's domain. Now let's just say this tax collector does says he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Now this beating of breast, can you guess which gender normally did that?
Was it a man or was it a woman? 5050? What do you think, man? I think it's a an action that a man would do. A woman would do him. Men. Not women. Women, only women at funerals. This is what females do. When I was reading through Kenneth Bailey's book, he said, I've only seen he lived in Middle East for 40 years.
He said, only have seen men beat their breasts once in the entire time he lived in the Middle East. And he said it was, we Shiite Muslims were now reenacting the death of Prophet Ali. So that's the only time he's seen it. This reenactment of the death of Ali, who is meant to be the son in law of Muhammad.
This is not something that men do. Men do not beat their breast, is what women do at funerals. And Jesus point here is, like I said, it's meant to be provocative. Is the villain. The tax collector is here. Kevin is standing by himself, which I forgot to mention is people prayed. Like any community communal. He's here by himself.
I doubt I even look up to God and beating his breast just like females would do at funerals. It's meant to be this vast contrast between the pious Pharisee praying, thank you God, I'm not like this. It's the man that's looking down and beating himself. I'm like, he's humiliating himself in some ways. And the assumption would be, yeah, well, of course the Pharisee is the one who is justified.
But Jesus response is, I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Here's a scandal. That's kind of the nature of the gospel. I think, too, like going back to Kenneth Bailey. But his warning for us is that we automatically see the Pharisee go, oh, thank God, I like that's heresy.
I thank God I'm not like that type of person. Do a lot of a character. We are. If we hold in pride, those chains tell us, hey, if you proud, you're going to be humbled. Therefore humble yourself. You will be exalted. The other cool thing and mine. I probably talk about this a bit, Umberto, if you know what the answer is.
It's our weekly podcast. We talk about the passage a little bit more in depth. We'll talk about this a bit more, but I'll give you a little teaser. Is that what's what's kind of interesting from I guess, a forgiveness point of view is that the, the, the, the, text, by bearing his breath, saying, Lord, have mercy on me.
There's no indication of a sacrifice being offered, because the time of day that they've gone to is the afternoon, the time of prayer, where there would be a sacrifice being offered. People don't say, hey, like there's no actual like under. Like there's no description of a sacrifice being offered to justify this man, which is pointing to something deeper.
That Jesus is the one to bring justification, that the kingdom of God is changing. How people encounter God, how people find forgiveness. So I'll just leave that there. And if you want to learn more, tune into better about that. But as I said at the beginning of this little talk, a lot of people think Christians are hypocrites.
47% of those surveyed said that this was number two of the top five blockers. So while I would not be interested in faith, that's all not doom and gloom. Friends. These people who were surveyed, 16% said seeing people live out of genuine faith is an attractor to spirituality. And so while we've just talking a lot about the need to be humble and not to have pride in us, well, how can we do that?
And hopefully today I can give you just some tools, some tools that you can take or leave to help in your journey to live out Jesus words of living as humble people who don't exalt themselves. So if we can just have the screen. Thanks, Jeremy. Pitch of a lot of there it is. So I mentioned earlier, Saint Benedict in here, the role of Saint Benedict.
He had 12 steps for how to be humble and all for peace, because there I took those 12 steps and made it into an eight step ladder. Hopefully you can kind of see that on the screen. And actually he's part of small groups this week. If you have the small group study, you have an opportunity to kind of work through this as a group.
If you're not part of the small group, you can work through this by yourself. But I'll just go through this briefly each step and how this is, it's just a tool. It's not the be all and end all, but it's a way to help orientate yourself. And so step one is for God and be mindful of him. It's a great first start.
Hey, if I'm actually fearing God and aware of his presence in my life, that's actually gonna help me in some of the decisions that I make, what I will do or won't do. And so that's the first step. Step to doing God's will. Not our own will or not. Others will, but God's will. Following what he says. Step three willing to subject ourselves to the directions of others.
Oh, that's a big one. And are we free to give up our arrogance and all power ness, open to accepting God's will as it comes through others? That's that's a that's a huge step. It's like to wrestle from maybe in a modern world, a manager, a boss, maybe even a police officer telling how fast or not fast we should be going.
That's that's just an example of that step for patient to accept the difficulties of others. Oh, man, I hate that one. I hate that completely. That's three small children. I'll just leave it there. I sometimes very, very difficult and I work with lots of I don't work with that many difficulties. But we're surrounded by difficult people in life, aren't we?
No. Hey, that's good, that's good. You know, thing on us. There you go. Step five. Radical honesty to all of us about our weaknesses and faults. If you can find it in your life, I'd highly recommend this. And, hey, I'm willing, even if you want to use me, willing to do it. That. Find someone that you can just share.
Have a friend, an anchor in your life. Someone you can just speak to about how you're just tracking with the Lord, or not tracking me radically honest to others about your weaknesses. Step six is deeply aware of being chief of all sinners. It's Apostle Paul's language, dude. I wouldn't think of the Apostle Paul as a chief of all sinners.
But yeah, there's this recognition that actually I'm more sinful than those around me. And you can see what Paul's doing here, because we're not taking on the attitude of like, look at that text letter. Look at that Pharisee. I'm so much better. I'm worse than then. That keeps you humble. Step seven. This is a big one for the monks, which I never really understood.
I read Bendix, it talks so much about not speaking well. But get this. But actually, the more I speak, the more I recognize. Actually, it's good not to speak. So step seven purposeful to speak less based off Chase. Hey, everyone should be what I to speak quick to listen. Control your tongue. You have wisdom. That's what step seven is so important.
And step eight transformed into the love of God and not being haughty, not being sarcastic, not putting people down. So that's just there's some steps there. And that's a tool at all. You can choose or not choose to use this to help us walk on that step of obedience. And the second tool that I have, it comes from, I've mentioned X men before, but if you if you weren't here for that or forgotten the X-Men, this is the you can type this into the the App Store or the Play Store X I mean, and that's the, the logo, the little the little clouds.
And the X is an exercise made by Ignatius of Loyola just to help reflect upon your day and how you seen God moving in your life, and how you have responded to different situations. And the excellent app has a whole bunch of different exercises. And this is exercise number 13, and I won't go through it all in depth because you can find them yet.
But this is actually probably one of my favorites because deeply confronting and sometimes I don't like to confront things in my life. And you go through your thoughts, your words and your deeds. It's that ten minute, 15 minute little exercise. And so you just ask God to reveal your thoughts of the day, and you ask some of those questions, and then usually you can think of a thought.
You had it like, oh man, yeah, that's the first thought that comes to my mind. Does it bring us closer to God or doesn't it? Angel that was a word you dealt with. It did. That's a way to just become more aware of. Oh yeah. Great. Yes. I'm a throw this thing about someone no one else is going to know about that I really may and God.
But when you start to become aware of that, it's very, very humbling. And what I love about the exercising just jump on to next slide. Thanks, Jeremy. It says now I look to tomorrow what thoughts and attitude do I desire to hold tomorrow? And it's really, really good to do this Christmas before you know you have a difficult meeting or you're going to see someone that rubs in the wrong way because you can something about that and ask the Lord, you know what deeds of love and reform to cold or make some sort of resolution.
Hi friends. These are not silver bullets. Hey sir, just tools, but there tools to help us not all of us, myself included, here to walk in humility, to not be like that Pharisee and to be proud and think, well, thank God I'm not like this and go, I'm not like her or him, but to humble ourselves, to walk in the footsteps of our master who came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Now, as I finish, I found a lovely prayer, from the Christian tradition. It's called a Christian prayer for the virtue of humility. And the author here is not known. So as I pray this song invite, right? And the band back up, let's pray these words. May the Lord help us to walk. Walk in this way, Lord Jesus, when he walked the earth, your humility skewered your kingship.
He'll make this confused. The arrogant, hindering them from grasping your purpose, your nobleness, attending to the destitute. Teach me to model after your example, to subject my human nature to humility. Grant with me a natural inclination to never, ever view myself greater than anyone. Banish all the sparks of self-importance that you that could elevate me. To think I'm greater than you.
Let my heart always imitate your humility. Amen.
Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.
Be blessed.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
What does it look like to pray persistently?
What does it look like to pray faithfully?
How do historical insights into widows and judges in 1st century Middle East enrich this parable?
All these answers and more will are answered in the latest episode of BANTER
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
(Luke 18:7-8)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray share around where The Centre is heading in 2025 as they reflect on this year's vision word of "Prepared".
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To watch back our 2025 Vision Sunday Service visit
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Drew is currently completing his final year of study at The Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and has been involved in worship bands for many years.
He looks to biblical precedents, music history, and his personal experience to help answer the question
"What is God's purpose for music?"
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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This week's episode delves into the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6 and examines three main perspectives on their identity. Exploring passages from the New Testament and Jewish writings to unpack how our understanding of the Nephilim relates to the message of Jesus and his mission to rescue us from our sin.
How is Christianity NOT a Cult?
It's a question many have asked and yet many Christians don't have a good answer.
Murray presents 3 ways that Christianity isn't a cult.
He also opens it up to the congregation to share their own thoughts, because after all, allowing independent thought in a strong basis for Christianity NOT being a Cult.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:8-10)
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
(Matthew 9:14-17)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
(Luke 2:28-32)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
(Luke 1:30-34)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Over the summer holidays, Mitch sits down to explore the origin of Satan.
In Part 2 Mitch explores the meaning of the name "Satan" and highlights Bible passages that further explore the idea of "The Satan" within Job, Zachariah, Ezekiel.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Over the summer holidays, Mitch sits down to explore the origin of Satan.
In Part 1 Mitch explores the historical background of Satan and the Ancient Near Eastern view of Satan. He also explores the context around the "Morning Star" in Isaiah 14.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray chat about how we are to understand prophetic fulfilment in the gospels, the context of the child Immanuel in Isaiah's time and the ways in which we synthesise The Septuagint or "LXX" with our understanding of scripture.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
(Isaiah 7:14-15)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Throughout Jesus' Sermon on the Mount of Olives his teaching could be summarised by a single sentence - "Be ready for my return!"
So are you ready for Jesus' return?
And if not how can you be?
Murray explores how each of us can ensure that we are ready for the day of Jesus' return.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Murray's back from paternity leave and ready to jump into a conversation with Mitch around the genealogies of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
The lads chat about lunar cycles, the Hebrew number puzzles of gematria, and what's top of their Christmas wish lists this year.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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"It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."
(Mark 4:31-32)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed speaks about God's kingdom working powerfully through small things that fruit in ways that we do not expect.
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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This week, Mitch discusses the Parable of the Mustard Seed and how it illustrates the unique birth of our Lord. In the Old Testament, empires were often compared to the mighty Cedar of Lebanon, but in this parable, the kingdom is represented not by a cedar but by a mustard bush—a plant known for its invasive growth and difficulty to control. The humble mustard bush symbolises the upside-down values of the kingdom of God
In this week's episode, Mitch spends some time reflecting on 2024 and talks through some of the behind-the-scenes work of Celebration Sunday and the personal impact of St Ignatius's teaching on gratitude, along with Psalm 104, which celebrates God's good gifts in creation. He also gives a sneak peek of what to expect in 2025 at The Centre.
Mitch, rocking the podcast solo, unpacks the context of the Parable of Talents from Matthew 25. He discusses the historical background of the parable and its relevance to Christ's return, emphasizing our roles as stewards of the gifts God has entrusted us. Mitch offers some practical insights on living faithfully and making the most of our talents while we await the Master's return.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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What does the parable of Lazarus & The Rich Man tell us about Heaven & Hell?
Was it even a parable, or is it Jesus retelling an actual event?
Is Jesus riffing off imagery from the Book of Enoch?
The boys sit down to chat around these questions and explore how the primary point of this parable is actually all about social justice and not an eschatalogical vision of end times.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.
(Luke 16:25-26)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray reflect on what is revealed by reading the Parable of the Lost Son within the wider context of Jesus' three "Lost" Parables in Luke 15, the ways in which church can be guilty of adopting the posture of the Older Brother character towards those who have left the faith, and how we can avoid falling into traps of obligation in our own spiritual practice. They also reminisce on what kind of sons they were to their own parents growing up.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
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We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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"Then the Father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
(Luke 15:31-32)
The Parable of the Lost Son has often been interpreted through the lens of the Younger Son. What if Jesus' famous story of a broken family was actually more about how Christians should respond to those on the outside?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M explore numerology in the Bible, the art of benevolent detachment in relationships that have become toxic, and the cultural paradigms around forgiveness in ancient Jewish culture.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
(Matthew 18:21-22)
Forgiveness can be hard, but not forgiving is even harder.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
How do we interpret what the Bible is trying to say effectively?
Mitch & Murray unpack the 4 dominant lenses of hermeneutics and how we use them to assist us in understanding scripture effectively and accurately.
The boys also explore modern purity customs of the church which halter the gospel and a practical strategy to create margin in your life for the miraculous.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Being a "Good Samaritan" can be inconvenient at best and at worst, deadly.
Mitch explores what it looks like to truly be a good neighbour in our modern context.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Paul shares about the transformative work Destiny Rescue do in freeing children from slavery, sex trafficking, and exploitation in the name of Jesus.
If you'd like to find out more about Destiny Rescue visit;
www.destinyrescue.org.au
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
In a world that values growth, progress and expansion at the expense of almost anything else, Josh asks us to stop to consider 7 important questions around what each of us are building in our own lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Lyndon explores a question many of us have asked in life's most difficult seasons; "Does God really love me?"
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M unpack the Old Testament imagery in Jesus' closing remarks in The Sermon on the Mount, chat about faith vs. good works, and explore what it actually means to be a "false prophet".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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"By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
-Jesus (Matthew 7:16-20)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray chat about the differences around Jesus' "Ask, Seek, Knock" teaching in the Sermon on the Mount compared to Luke 11, the ways in which prayer is unavoidably communal, and the formative power of prayer.
The boys also reminisce on their worst jobs as teenagers, and a theory around why it's historically referred to as "The Golden Rule".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
-Jesus, (Matthew 7:7-8)
Jesus speaks in absolutes about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, but how can he say this when prayer isn't always answered the way we hoped? Murray explores the genre of Wisdom Literature that Jesus was using and how we can apply that same ancient wisdom today in our own spiritual journeys.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray get their nerd on as they explore the original Greek word "krino" translated as "judge" in the NIV. They also chat about the value of emotional intelligence and social intelligence along with what Jesus was actually talking about when he spoke about casting our pearls to swine.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray explore the economic and cultural context that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount was speaking into and the unique challenges around relying on God's provision in our modern age.
They also open up about their own most prized material possessions and realise that one man's treasure is likely another man's trash.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M chat more around spiritual practices, The Lord's Prayer, and the spiritual formation that comes from charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
(Matthew 6:1)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
"Turn the other cheek"
"Go the extra mile"
"Love your enemy"
What is Jesus saying?
Mitch & Murray explore the model Jesus set forth of creative non-violence and how it informs the way we conduct ourselves when we're met with difficult, unkind, or even toxic people.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (...) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Jesus (Matthew 5:43-44,48)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
When Jesus gave his sermon on the mount, it was within a context where God's people were struggling to live out a lifestyle of Torah instruction which had been written over a millennium ago. In some ways, Jesus was doing what we all try to do today - contextualise God's Word to our given situations.
Mitch & Murray continue this tradition as they explore the tricky topic of divorce in their own context.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Jesus' teachings on anger and lust go far deeper than the outward appearance and take aim at the heart of each person who reads it.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads jump into the next section of Jesus' sermon on the mount as they explore the unique insights into salt and light within both a 1st century and Jewish context.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:13-16)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray look at the ways Matthew sets Jesus up as a new Moses and Isaiah, what it means to be "blessed", and the way in which the beatitudes echo stories and figures from the Old Testament.
They also chat about Lectio Divina and the importance of meditative practice in spiritual formation.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Mitch starts our new series on the Sermon on the Mount as we reflect on what it means to be blessed in the Kingdom of God.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Brian shares on 3 ways to ensure our lives are ones of significance and reveals how all 3 rely on an intimacy with Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Lyndon opens up Jesus' parable of the sower to challenge us on how well we listen to God and to others and how we might develop greater skills in listening.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Keith explores how each part of the Trinity play a unique and vital role in understanding our identity as Christians.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
This week, rocking the podcast solo, Mitch unpacks some of the context of households in the Book of Acts, chats about what the name of Jesus means, and wraps up our Acts series.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Mitch closes up our series in Acts looking at the story of Paul and Silas in prison in Philippi.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
This week, rocking the podcast solo, Mitch unpacks some of the context of households in the Book of Acts, chats about what the name of Jesus means, and wraps up our Acts series.
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
What can we do to address our own prejudices?
What beliefs or traditions should we relinquish for the sake of other's salvation?
What "scandalous" acts could the church perform to break down cultural barriers?
The boys chat about these questions and many more in the latest episode of BANTER.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
In Acts 10 God gives Peter a vision which contradicted everything he understood about cleanliness, legalism and holiness when it came to food.
What prejudices do we hold today and how does God want us to overcome them for His glory?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M talk more about the biblical themes of blindness, 3 days, and the dragon within Saul's Conversion on the road to Damascus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Before Paul became a prolific church planter and wrote a quarter of the New Testament, he was Saul; the zealous Pharisee who persecuted the church.
Mitch takes us along the road of Damascus as we once again reflect on that pivotal moment that Saul met Jesus and became the Apostle Paul.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Peter's healing of the lame man in Acts 3-4 acts as a linchpin between the ministry of Jesus and Paul in Acts 14. But the cultural paradigms around lameness are far deeper than we could know on face value.
The boys talk about some of these historico-cultural insights, as well as reflecting on how we as Christians can fall into similar traps as the Sadducees.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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How do you come to God?
With open palms?
With clenched fists?
Mitch challenges us on our willingness to relinquish power and prestige to follow Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads dive deeper into how to grow in our evangelical skills and understanding of
Cultural Contextualisation
Theological Contextualisation
Communal Contextualisation
They also chat about other films that explore biblical themes, Jesus' own unique techniques of evangelism, and more of the cultural contexts around the Areopagus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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In Acts 17 Paul evangelises to Greek philosophers which leads to some of them following Jesus. However, Paul doesn't directly quote scripture once and he doesn't even mention the crucifixion!?
Murray looks at 3 techniques Paul uses in Acts 17 to effectively share the gospel with people who don't know Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray chat about the parallels between eunuchs in the 1st century and people considered outsiders in the 21st century. They also talk about the supernatural elements of Philip's teleportation and ability to keep up running alongside a horse and how Jesus redeems the tricky laws concerning people with disabilities in the Old Testament.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
The baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8 is yet another scandalous story in the book of Acts, but one which challenges us to broaden our own perspectives of gospel inclusivity.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Without context, the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost in Acts 2 seems random and unprecedented. Mitch and Murray look back at Old Testament passages which help us understand the context of Acts 2.
They also reflect on some of their own encounters with the Holy Spirit, how a more evened emphasis on the Spirit within the Trinity informs our faith for the better, and what it looks like practically to "pray in the Spirit".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
The day of Pentecost in Acts 2 can be one of the most confusing moments in the New Testament. What does this historical event mean for us in the modern church? Mitch highlights 3 truths this passage reveals to us about our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads chat about what the story of Tabitha and wider New Testament context teaches us about women's vital role in the church, how to navigate spiritual healing, and what their respective families got up to for Mother's Day.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Mitch jumps into the resurrection of Tabitha in Acts to explore how discipleship can be uniquely tailored for each person.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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It's a very special episode of BANTER this week, recorded live at our 10am Sunday Service!
Mitch and Murray set the scene for our new series in Acts.
They explore themes such as the Holy Spirit, persecution, and how the narrative, geography, and even language of Acts echoes the opening words of Jesus;
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
What's stopping your life being more Spirit-filled?
Liz challenges 3 ways that our lifestyles may be stopping us from experiencing Spirit-filled faith.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. (...) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
(1 Corinthians 13:8-10,13)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Growing in relationship with Jesus can be like climbing a ladder.
We can only ascend to the next rung once we have a solid footing on the one below.
Lyndon shares around some of the integral rungs on our ladder that will ultimately bring us closer to Heaven while on Earth.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray look back on some highlights from the Treasure series. They examine the ramifications of a life that exhibits Resurrection Practice within the context of 1 Peter, then read Wendell Berry's poem and reflect how the same Resurrection Practice manifests differently in a our own lives in the modern west.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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"So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor. (...)
Practice Resurrection"
- Wendell Berry
Mitch challenges us in what it looks like to live lives which practice resurrection.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys unpack 3 prevailing views on what it means to be made in the "image of God" and the significance that each of these views hold for our own spirituality. They also chat about the significance of a resurrected Christ and how that informs the ways we engage with the material world.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
What relevance does Jesus' resurrection have for our lives? Our death? And our afterlife?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Experience afresh the Passion of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Join us as we journey through the Stations of the Cross, walking alongside Christ, and hearing the Good Friday story as told by the four gospel writers
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads share stories around their own baptisms, the connection of the Holy Spirit and anointing within baptism, further Old Testament biblical illusions to baptism, and weigh up the theology of adult baptism and infant baptism.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Mitch explores the themes of Baptism and water throughout the story of the Bible, starting all the way back on page one of Genesis, and culminating in Christ's own baptism.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M chat around the themes of clothing throughout the Old Testament, the flaws of modesty culture in evangelicalism and contextualisation of dress codes in the New Testament epistles.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)
Murray explores the ways in which our fashion and the clothes we buy are actually deeply spiritual practices. He unpacks 3 practical ways that we can ensure the physical clothes we wear are aligning with the virtues the Bible calls us to.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The lads chat about the thematic links of food throughout the Bible, the surprising ways Jesus interacted with food, the value to fasting and the future vision for food in Heaven.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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When it comes to diets and nutrition, we all understand "You are what you eat", but what about when it comes the spiritual realm? Are we mindful of what we consume in other spheres of our life and the impacts it has on our spirituality long term?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M talk about the personal introspective work that's required for true spiritual formation, the difference between general anxieties and anxiety disorder, and the redemptive side of wealth.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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The things we treasure most in this world, reveal the inner longings of our heart. But when our treasure can be destroyed by moths, or rust, or vermin, we set ourselves up for failure.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M sit down to continue exploring the Old Testament allusions in the story of Jesus calling Peter to follow him in Luke's account. They also reflect on the cultural contexts around fishing, family business, taxation and the Roman Empire that shed more light on this moment in Jesus' ministry.
They also chat Plane Museums, redeeming cultural symbols and phrases and the role disappointment can play in the wider scope of God's plan for our lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Where do you invest your time, energy, and money?
Are the waters we "cast our nets into" life giving or life draining?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; |www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys chat about how to culturally critique content we consume, how the Wesleyan Quadrilateral can help us navigate theological conundrums, and the importance of self care in loving your enemy.
They also chat about working bees, the tv show "Based on a True Story", and skincare tips in the movie Rambo.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
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Different schools of philosophy each have their own ideas of what it looks like to live the "Good Life". With the help of Miroslav Volf, Murray dissects the worldviews of Stoicism and Existentialism, to show how the teachings of Jesus offer a radically different path to well-being, flourishing, and happiness.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M reflect on the inspiring life of William Carey, the importance of discerning God's calling for our lives and why expecting great things is sometimes harder than it should be.
They also dive deeper into Isaiah 53-54 and trace the themes of barren women and tents in the Old Testament. It's another classic nerd out with ya boys.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Mitch looks to the impressive life of Indian missionary William Carey to explore how God uses even the most unlikely of people when we expect great things and attempt great things.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch, Murray and Brian reflect on Vision Sunday.
They examine what "Treasure" can look like more specifically in our daily lives, the journey of growing in the gift of evangelism and where they see God moving at The Centre in 2024.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
(Matthew 6:21)
Mitch shares around this core verse God has placed on his heart for The Centre and the ambitious goal of 24 baptisms in 2024 ("24 in 24").
Brian reflects on the role of evangelism in seeing 24 in 24 achieved and unpacks the 6 different styles of evangelism.
Murray explores the importance of hospitality will play in reaching 24 in 24 and explains why hospitality is a powerful spiritual practice for us all to engage in.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Before coming to The Centre, Lizzy spent years reading literally hundreds of self-help books, trying to find the answer to happiness. One afternoon her daughter brought a letter home from school which changed the trajectory of both their lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Jay trained as a nurse in Scotland, before moving to Australia with her husband where they raised their 6 children together and many other foster children.
Jay has experienced many highs and lows in her faith over the years -
"But God" has continued to reveal himself to her throughout it all.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Rachel has been attending The Centre with her family since she was in school.
She now works as a counsellor and is happily married to Jeremy with whom she has 3 kids. Rachel shares her testimony and opens up about finding God in the pain of an incredibly difficult year for their family.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
This is the last BANTER of the year and the boys are finishing strong with a wrap up on 2 Samuel 14-17.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M talk about the progressive downfall of King David in 2 Samuel 13-14, the importance of addressing issues early both in family and business, (and of course) the thematic hyperlinks in the story of Amnon and Tamar to earlier biblical stories.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
As we come to a close of our Samuel series, Mitch explores how Jesus enters even the most chaotic of situations to bring redemption, peace and fulfilment.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
What's the best Christmas present for 2023?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The interpretation of the story of David & Bathsheba is one which has fell awry throughout church history to an overly male scholarship... so who better to remedy this issue than your boys Mitch and Murray!
They chat about the inaccurate typecast of Bathsheba as the Temptress, themes which are more dominant in the story ahead of lust, and what a contemporisation of this story could look like.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Mitch walks through one of King David's greatest falls, and explores some of the cultural subtext that allows us to read this story with new perspective
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys do a deep dive on the prophetic words of Nathan to King David in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 and unpack the multiple ways in which these 6 short verses point towards Jesus in multiple ways.
They also chat about vacations, dolphins vs sharks, and mnemonic devices for remembering the names of the King's of Israel.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
How do you discern God's will?
Murray explores 3 ways in discerning whether something is God's intention, or simply a "good" intention.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
We take a break from our regular broadcasting this week to reflect on the year that has been. The boys share highlights from our Celebration Sunday Service, perspectives on what they see God doing at The Centre, and where we're heading into 2024 and beyond.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
On nearly every list of "Weirdest Bible verses", David collecting 200 Philistine foreskins for Saul always itself near the top. Even more challenging on a moral level, is the following passage where David lies, pretending to be insane in order to save his own life. Looks like we've got our work cut out for us this week...
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
David's exile was one of fear, hunger, and desperation - and yet David remains faithful. Mitch explores the ways in which God protects, provides, and prospers David amidst the most challenging season of his life to date.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys reflect on Christian persecution, the theme of wealth in the Bible and how we can better engage with our global church.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Joel visits us from Open Doors to share about their organisation's work with the global persecuted church.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M chat about beauty in the church, the traps we can fall into when looking for modern leaders, and explore the narrative arcs of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah as reconfigured in the reigns of Saul and David.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David." (1 Sam 16:13)
David's anointing as King of Israel foreshadowed Jesus' Baptism as King of Heaven and Earth. As Christians (meaning "Anointed ones") we are now marked out by the Holy Spirit as Kings and Queens of God's Kingdom.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys explore the significance of Goliath as an archetypal Serpent being crushed by the anointed (or "Messiah") David. They ask how imperative it is to always tie the story of Goliath back to Jesus and why we don't need to fear the Spirit leaving us like He did with Saul.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Even if you've never read the Bible, you're probably aware of the story of David and Goliath. Mitch reveals how this well known story isn't just about defeating giants, but actually points us to Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M explore some of the early warning signs of Saul's kingship, the prevalence of the "serpent" in the book of Samuel, and why Saul's failures were judged so harshly by God.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"But when the Israelites said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." (1 Sam. 8:6-7)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
In this chat the boys highlight ways in which Samuel mirrors Jesus' own life and ministry. Hannah's son Samuel is portrayed as the "new son" of Eli - a pattern of replacement we'll see repeated throughout the book of Samuel.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
"The Lord makes poor and rich;
He humbles, He also exalts."
(1 Samuel 2:7)
Hannah's song at the opening of the book of Samuel sets the tone for the following story of the proud Saul and the humble David.
It also points towards an upside-down Kingdom that Jesus will inaugurate through his life, death, and resurrection.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
First century Jews communicated in a very different way to we do in the modern age. Murray and Mitch chat about understanding Jesus' rhetorical devices in the Bible and how they help to shed light on fascinating moments of conversation in the gospels. They also take a forensic deep-dive into Nicodemus' family tree and chat about the uniqueness of the narrative voice in John's gospel.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
We know that Jesus was faultless, compassionate, humble... but do we think of Jesus as being smart?
Murray takes us back to one of the most well known passages of scripture, John chapter 3, and shows how Jesus is even smarter than we realised.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys reflect on the vital role each person plays in church culture, how difficult passages in scripture further prove the Bible's legitimacy, and practical ways to identify reoccurring patterns and themes in scripture.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
Why are two Christians living under the New Covenant in Acts, struck dead for lying?
Murray tackles what he considers the hardest passage in the New Testament - the judgement of Ananias and Sapphira.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/@centredural
M&M wrap up our Trinity series by chatting about the Holy Spirit's role in Gospel fulfilment, the focus of not just time but space in the works of the Spirit today and what Paul likely means by "kinds of tongues" in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This is the final of our three part BANTER series exploring the Trinity, recorded live at our 10am Sunday Service!
Mitch and Murray chat about the Holy Spirit being a person, relational and intrinsic to us being fully human. The explore the significance of the breath of God and what we lose when we ignore the Holy Spirit's vital role within The Trinity.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
The boys sit down to answer more of the questions you had about who in the Trinity to address during prayer, identifying The Angel of Yahweh, and Jesus' nature of being both fully man and fully God.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This is the second of our three part BANTER series exploring the Trinity, recorded live at our 10am Sunday Service!
Mitch and Murray chat about the eternal nature of Jesus, the Old Testament appearances of the "The Angel of Yahweh", and the significant roles Jesus plays within the Trinity.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
The boys sit down to answer more of the questions you had about the Trinity and God the Father.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
It's a very special episode of BANTER this week, recorded live at our 10am Sunday Service!
Mitch and Murray chat about God as a triune being, biblical understanding of God as a Father, and common misconceptions we can have around God the Father.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
This week we explore the richness of the word "covenant", and the significance of "cutting a covenant", how the Old covenant is more gracious than we assume, and that perhaps the New covenant is more demanding than we realise.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
We're doing something a little cheeky today as we sandwich 2 BANTER's together into one deliciously super-sized-double-loaded-with-the-lot meal deal.
M&M reflect on the significance of land ownership in the Old Testament, symbols of hope that can become unhelpful to our faith and how to practically invest in the next generation of our church family.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
The prophet Jeremiah writes these words to a nation in the middle of exile. As refugees of war, living in a foreign land where they're treated as second-class citizens, God tells them to “5 Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce."
Why is God telling Israel to plant gardens of all things in the midst of exile?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Join us for an illuminating journey through biblical symbols as Mitch and Murray trace the themes of Babylon, the Euphrates River and the Dragon throughout the Old and New Testament.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
The prophet Jeremiah writes these words to a nation in the middle of exile. As refugees of war, living in a foreign land where they're treated as second-class citizens, God tells them to “5 Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce."
Why is God telling Israel to plant gardens of all things in the midst of exile?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
In Jeremiah's time Babylon was an impenetrable city, an all-powerful empire which seemed indestructible. Yet God promised this evil empire would be overthrown and justice would prevail.
Is there an issue or situation that feels too big for God to handle? Mitch reminds us that even the great city of Babylon was no match for the power and justice of God.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Jeremiah's purchase of land on the eve of the Babylonian invasion was not a "wise investment" by human standards. But the symbol of hope it represented was a powerful reminder of God's promise for restoration in the midst of suffering.
What's your symbol of hope that keeps you focused on God's promise to restore all things?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M chat about more strategies to discern whether prophecy is aligned with God's voice, how we should view the rise and fall of national empires in our present age, and what the Godly response is when prophecy turns out to be incorrect.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
How do we discern false prophets? It's an issue that's been around ever since there have been prophets. Mitch provides some helpful guardrails to help and points towards an unlikely image for how we are to trust in and rely on our God Yahweh in all seasons.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
It's a joyful reunion as M&M get back behind the mic together to chat around wholistic health, modern sacrifices me all make, secular spirituality and the value of identifying biblical genre.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is tasked with waking Israel up from their spiritual slumber. Have we fallen spiritually asleep? How do we wake up?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Brian chats to Murray about how to overcome the barriers of Fear, and lack of available Time or Passion. They also reflect on how to share the gospel with people effectively and how to disciple in a way that has a long term impact.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Brian reflects on his latest mission trip to the Solomon Islands and identifies 3 principles we can all apply, to ensure we establish a legacy that lasts.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Murray sits down with Keith to chat around conquering our inner critics, navigating the pitfalls of Aussie humour, and how to identify stumbling blocks before they become disastrous.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural
We're halfway through the year, so Keith has 4 strategies to help us as we jump into the second half.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M trace Mark's rich references to Isaiah in chapter 10 of his gospel, explore how a watered down prosperity gospel can still set us up for failure and imagine what they would do if they found a magic genie lamp.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/@CentreDural
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M reflect on the importance of humility in our own spiritual walks, how we can cultivate humility and how the theme of humility in Jeremiah's sign act of the loincloth is echoed in other passages of scripture.
They also chat personal preferences of underwear, which is probably too much information, but hey, when else were they going to do it? Enjoy!
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week Mitch unpacks one of Jeremiah's more bizarre sign acts, in which the ancient prophet buried his own underwear.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray explore what our response should be to the life of Jeremiah; a prophet who despite being faithful, experienced more hardship than most of us ever will.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet". He's the author of the book of Lamentations and even within the book of Jeremiah itself, he doesn't hold back.
Mitch explores how a theology of lament can be of tremendous help for us in seasons of life when God seems absent.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Enjoy the second of our two part live BANTER, recorded at the 10am Sunday Service.
Mitch and Murray look at the overarching message of the book of Jeremiah; "Uproot and Teardown, Build and Plant" They also delve into theological misconceptions of a "prosperity gospel" held in Jeremiah's day which many churches still wrestle with today and look at the new covenant Jeremiah speaks of that is fulfilled completely in Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
It's a very special episode of BANTER this week, recorded live at our 10am Sunday Service!
Mitch & Murray look at the ancient political powers of Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon, and explore how Jerusalem was pivotally effected by each of these empires during the life of the prophet Jeremiah.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Tying up our series on the Great Commission the lads chat about mission in secular spheres, the hurdles which can get in the way of discipleship and the richness found when mining into the broader context of OT passages concerning God being with his people.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:20)
Mitch looks to Jesus' title of "Emmanuel" to explore what it means to worship a God who is with us always.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
This week M&M are taking a casual stroll through the denominational landmines that are baptism;
How old should you be when you're baptised?
How much water should be used?
What preparation is needed before baptism?
Does drinking the baptism water give you superpowers?
Three out of four of these questions will be answered!
They also reminisce on their own baptism experiences, ponder what it really looks like to love others, and reflect on the practicalities of loving God.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt. 28:19-20)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray reflect on some of their own positive experiences of being discipled and what we can learn from the perfect model Jesus gave.
What does it practically look like to "go and make disciples"?
What does healthy discipleship look like?
Why is discipleship important for our spiritual growth?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19)
The commission to make disciples of all nations is one for all who follow Jesus. Mitch traces the international blessing of God which started as a promise to Abraham and culminates in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
As we launch into our May Mission Month series unpacking Jesus' Great Commission, the boys dive deeper into themes of authority in the Old Testament, what it looks like for us today to claim this authority in our own co-mission as the church and how Christ's authority presents itself as countercultural to that of the world.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matt. 28:18)
Mitch traces the theme of authority through the Old Testament, leading to the pinnacle of Jesus who now endows us with that same authority to "Go and make disciples".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Jesus consistently broke down barriers of race, gender and one's past to bring the good news. How does this inform the way we follow Jesus?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Evangelism can be hard, and intimidating for many.
But what if we stopped striving, stopped worrying, and simply made ourselves available?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
What defines your identity?
Your health, wealth, occupation, situation, infatuations?
In a culture so obsessed with identity Murray asks "Who Are You?"
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
For many, Easter can be a time of grief, rush or doubt.
Murray challenges us to stop, lean in and look closely once more at the empty tomb.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
(Mark 15:37-39)
This Good Friday, Brian reflects on how Christ's crucifixion divides humanity and offers us all access into the presence of God.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
As the lads wrap up Hebrews, they explore how the concepts of "home", "holy places" and living "outside the camp" apply within our modern context. They explore how we can still effectively engage with culture with a spiritual mindset and what some overarching take aways have been for them while journeying through Hebrews.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."
(Hebrews 13:12-13)
Mitch wraps up our Hebrews series asking what it looks like for each of us to live a faith outside the safety and comfort of "the camp"
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys chat about the difference in things which "hinder" and things which "entangle" us in our faith, what it looks like within the analogy of "running the good race" to be truly prepared, the 1st century understanding of being "in the air" and "in the clouds", and most importantly how Mitch manages to maintain the physique of a Marvel superhero.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
(Hebrews 12:1-2a)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
M&M explore what it means to be a spiritual pilgrim, how to helpfully frame the biblical images of fire and brimstone found offensive to a secular audience, and muse on why it's still important to gather together in worship if we as Christians are already our own temples filled with the Holy Spirit.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
(Hebrews 11:1-3)
To find out more about The Centre visit;
www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Hebrews 9 & 10 play off a deep understanding of the functions of the High Priest, sacrificial animals and the Tabernacle. The boys delve deeper into the significance of Jesus being the newer and complete fulfilment of these 3 elements, the detrimental ways human sin effects the surrounding environment and land, and why God didn't just instate Jesus back in the Old Testament but instead related to Israel first through animal sacrifice and priestly ritual.
They also chat negotiating naughty neighbourhood dogs and exciting additions to the Levingston family.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."
Murray reflects on the powerful truth that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest; the perfect middle man, reuniting us with our Heavenly Father.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The boys dive deeper into the difficult passage of scripture in Hebrews 6 around falling away from the faith, chat about a wholistic approach to depression and anxiety, and reflect on how we can effectively respond to a cultural shift of Christians who no longer attend church. It's a meaty one, so get a napkin, tie it round your neck, grab a sharp steak knife and bite into this important chat around some of the big issues facing our modern church.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:17-19a)
Mitch unpacks the core verse of our 2023 vision at The Centre and asks us once again, what we have our own hope based in.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
The enigmatic figure of Melchizedek is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Gen. 14 & Ps. 110) and then out of the blue, suddenly appears in the letter to the Hebrews. M&M take a deep dive on the significance of Melchizedek.
They ruminate on the significance of Kings, Priests and in turn what these two roles look like in conjunction, they question how the foreign character of Melchizedek informs our perspective and engagement with "the other" in our faith walk, and look at a special mention of Melchizedek in the Dead Sea Scrolls - oh, it's gonna get real nerdy today.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Mitch explores the enigmatic figure of Melchizedek and what it means for us today to worship Jesus who is the "the guarantor of a better covenant."
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.
Hebrews chapter 3 plays off the story of Moses and incorporates clear references to Psalm 95. How does this greater inform our reading of this chapter?
The lads also chat extreme storms, the relevance of different tenses in Biblical Greek and the unique language around Sabbath rest used in Hebrews chapter 4.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. (Hebrews 3:5-6)
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
M&M are at it again jumping into chapters 1 & 2 of Hebrews to unpack the author's aptitude at accessing alliteration as an aid at accentuating an awe appropriately affirming an Almighty anthropoid.
They also chat more about the fascinating way Jewish Christians engaged with the Old Testament in the more openly interpretative style of Midrash, explore the enigmatic "Angel of the Lord", and reflect on the various "lenses" through which people can distort Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Mitch kicks off our series in Hebrews by asking us; "Which Jesus do you worship?"
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The boys are back and coming at you with some exciting updates on what to expect this year in church and on BANTER. They chat around the context Hebrews was written in, the pastoral team's process in discerning God's heart for The Centre in 2023, and how their Chrissy wish lists panned out.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20)
Mitch announces the pastoral team vision for 2023, exciting new ministries starting at The Centre, and 3 ways we can all help to make Jesus the centre of our community through Play, Prayer and Presence.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Has the Great Commission been sidelined in the modern church? Pete reminds us of the importance Jesus placed in the Great Commission and challenges each of us to reengage in this ancient exhortation.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply." (Matthew 6:7-8 (MSG))
Would you call yourself a "prayer warrior"? Emily helps to release us from the burden we can often feel around prayer and points us towards simple truths of how prayer is made accessible to all.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Thomas leads us on a journey, following the theme of God's Temple from the opening pages of the Bible all the way to it's final chapter in Revelation.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you." (Exodus 3:10-12a)
Sue highlights the ways in which we are all Called, Sent, and Given Authority by God to do His work.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Mitch reflects on the wonder of Jesus coming into this world as a new born and what that can mean for each of us this Christmas season.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas.
Today's readings are from Isaiah 42:13-14 & Revelation 7:17 - 8:1-2, 6.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas.
Today's readings are from Psalm 8:1-2, and Psalm 23
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas.
Today's readings are from Mark 4:35-39, and Psalm 27:11-14
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas. Today's readings are from Psalm 62:5-8 & Lamentations 3:22-26
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas. Today's readings are from Psalm 37:1-7 & Exodus 14:13-14
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
This week, instead of talking, we're going to be listening.
In solidarity with Zechariah, come back each day this week and sit in the silence. Each day we'll do 9 minutes – 1 minute for every month Zechariah sat in silence. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak powerfully to us over this week of silence as he fills us and we are formed into a closer likeness of Jesus in the lead up to Christmas.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
There is a time to speak and a time to remain silent. Murray looks at what it means to be still, and listen, as we sit in the awe filled silence with God.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The boys dive into the Old Testament allusions woven into Mary's Song and unpack some of the repeated motifs found throughout other women's songs in the Bible.
They also chat bucket hats, books and parrallette bars (maybe Google it).
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Mary's Song is one of resistance, reversal and restoration. Mitch shares on the undeniable power of song in our own spiritual lives and how Mary's Song has been a promise of hope for many facing times of trial across the globe.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
God didn't choose Mary to be Jesus' mum because she was wealthy, well educated, or experienced (she was likely only a teenager). He chose her because Mary had a heart to worship and serve her God. Brian offers 5 ways that we too can be attune and faithful to God's calling.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
As promised, the boys delve deeper into Old Testament allusions and fulfillments within the opening chapter of Luke and unpack the significance of John the Baptist within the greater Jesus narrative.
They also chat the philosophical flaws of Batman and how Zach Snyder ruined Superman.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
God has a track record of bringing life, blessing and provision to the most dire of situations. Mitch looks at how the prophecy of John the Baptist's birth helps us understand God's promises within our own lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray reflect on how we can establish a healthier worldview around persecution and the surprising value of it in the global church. The also chat unconventional weight loss techniques, $1,000 pizza ovens and what we have in store for The Centre's lead up to Chrissy.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (John 15:18-20)
Jordan joins us from Open Doors to share about persecution in the global church and challenge our preconceptions around persecution in the west.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Mitch and Murray dive deeper into the OT allusions of the fruit of the Spirit, ask how to better cultivate good fruit in our own lives, and explore how the wholistic concept of shalom can provide greater insight into a spiritual mentality.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)
As Mitch concludes our Tending the Garden the series he asks what it truly looks like to be new humans, filled with the Spirit and bearing fruit which is in step with that lifestyle.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Okay, so the Word of God is like a powerful sword, but Paul writes about "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph. 6:17) Maybe there's more to spiritual warfare than JUST quoting scripture? What does that entail?
The lads also muse on the traps of over intellectualising our faith through biblical study, how to best consume dramatic reenactments of the Bible and highlights from last weekend's "Present People Training".
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
We continue to ask "How can we make our tech more holy?" Murray explores the undeniable power of the Word of God and how we can utilise this spiritual resource on our phones, pads and laptops more effectively and intentionally.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The boys chat about how God has always redeemed technology, the loss of Biblical literacy, how to be discerning of information on "The University of YouTube", and how to curate your news feed so it serves you.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Is technology serving you well, or are you serving it? Murray shows ways our phones can lead to spiritual vitality, as opposed to being spiritually draining.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week Mitch dusts off his "Personal Trainer" hat and breaks down practical strategies to address slothfulness in our spiritual life. They also explore the definition of "godliness" and chat about remedies to those who struggle with spiritual scrupulosity.
The boys also share about spiritual disciplines they've recently found helpful implementing in their own walks
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Freedom is what everyone wants; to be able to live and act with freedom. But the only way to get to a place of freedom is through discipline." -Jocko Willink
Mitch unpacks how a more disciplined spiritual life will ultimately lead us to freedom.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Keith joins Mitch and Murray to chat about the attraction of religion, personalising the gospel and spiritual disciplines which last the distance.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
What is our response in a world so averse to faith? Exploring the lives of Nick Cave, Augustine of Hippo and his own personal experiences, Keith ponders what it means to put on Christ daily.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Brian and Murray reflect on the power of persecution, the maturing of our understanding around God's love, and how we go beyond a faith which is purely intellectual.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
How do we persevere in faith when we face trials and persecution? Brian shares how a faithful perseverance will refine, and define us.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The boys lick their wounds after a rough result in the footy finals and start to explore the practical application around the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree. We chat about what the modern church can learn around operations concerning this passage and offer some tips for how to identify other Markan sandwiches in the text.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Jesus cursing the fig tree has to be one of the most confusing passages of scripture in the gospels. Mitch unravels the Old Testament references, textual structure and cultural contexts which help shed light on this important passage of scripture.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week as we explore the importance of having chaplain mindsets, we ask; Does the gospel require contextualisation? Where does physical healing and exorcism fit into evangelism? What does the Bible say about Satan's origins? And how much impact can a couple of red frogs have?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Mitch shares around the origins of chaplaincy, the misconceptions of what it needs to look like and challenges us by asking "how we can all be chaplains in our own communities?".
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
God still calls us to observe a weekly day of rest. So what does that actually look like? In a society that idolises work, how do we ensure we don't become "mini Pharaohs" to ourselves or others? And why does the church traditionally observe Sabbath on Sunday if it was originally on Saturday?
So take a load off, lean back, and kick your feet up as we explore the theme of rest this week on BANTER.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)
Mitch wraps up our series on pruning with a look at our work habits and the importance God places on rest.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The 3 amigos chat about the 3 different mentalities of finances; the "Goldilocks", "Minimalist" and "Prosperity" approach and speak about the traps of each. They also share about (hypothetical) plans for their next big Aussie getaway respectively, and Brian shares more personal anecdotes around approaches to finances.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)
The topic of finances is one which was just as much on the minds of those in biblical times as it is for us today. Brian shares from both his own spiritual journey and his experience as an accountant to shed light on what the Bible says to us around our finances.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog/featured
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
We've been blessed with a weekend of reflections from some of The Centre's finest, and now Mitch & Murray have the privilege of further unpacking some of the rich ideas that were shared; How have our own paternal relationships effected our view of God the Father? How do we foster transparency without oversharing or enabling? How do we clear a way for our children and disciples to come closer to Jesus?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
3 of The Centre's dads reflect on fatherhood, the goodness of God the Father, and the opportunities we all have to make generational impact.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
For us to be impactful with how we share the gospel, we first need to be intentional in how we foster relationships with those who don't know Jesus. The boys chat about the tightrope that we all navigate when investing in relationships with non-Christians and how we can all strike that balance better than we currently are.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)
Applied out of context, Jesus' words in this passage could have devastating consequences. So what is Jesus actually encouraging in this passage?
Murray shares around the value of healthy boundaries and how we can look to the clear model Jesus provided to understand our own relationships better
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) Christians will often quote this verse, but what is the original context in which it was written?
M&M chat about the dangers of retribution theology, helpful filters through which to read scripture and how the introduction of chapters and verses in the Bible has fundamentally changed the way we interact with God's word.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Trigger Warning The themes of sexual assault is explored within this sermon. If you need to speak to someone, 1800 RESPECT is a 24hr helpline run by trained professionals. If you would like pastoral care around these issues, please contact murray@thecentredural.org.au
13 Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. 14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, “A child is born to you—a son!”
(Jeremiah 20:13-15)
The book of Jeremiah is more complex and nuanced than simply God's plans for our prosperity. Mitch explores how we can develop a more balanced understanding of God's blessing in our lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Right before chapter 8 of John, most Bibles say something along the lines of: "The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11."
So hold up, wait a minute, why is it included in our modern Bibles then? The boys delve into the world of textual integrity, oral tradition and the historical legitimacy of this passage. They also chat about the various strategies of bringing Heaven to Earth and when political activism is and isn't helpful to the Gospel.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. (Romans 14:13-14)
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The psalmist writes "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12). We are to be stewards of the time that God has gifted us on this earth.
Brian and Murray explore delve deeper into the four quadrants of time, and discuss how we can ensure that we're engaging in the right things at the right times.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Apologies for poor audio quality on this one, sound does improve in second half
Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
It is easy to become bombarded by incessant notifications, deadlines and channels of instantaneous communication. How do we manage our time well to ensure we honour God, our loved ones and our own resources? Brian shares a helpful strategy to reassess our over-committed lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Jesus spoke a lot about sin and Hell - over 20 times in the gospels. But he spoke about Heaven a whole lot more - over 50 times. The boys chat about the importance of pruning sin from our lives not simply to avoid Hell, but more importantly to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
They also chat about the three different names Jesus used for Hell (he didn't actually say "Hell" once), the influence of medieval poetry on our vision of Hell (thanks Dante), and why self-reflection may be the first step in pruning our own sin. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. (Mark 9:43)
Is Jesus speaking literally here? What does he mean by "stumble"? And perhaps more importantly, what exactly is "hell"?
Mitch opens up this difficult passage about how Jesus wants us all to deal with the sin in our lives.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
John Calvin famously wrote "the heart is a perpetual idol factory" and "the human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols". M&M consider the subversive forms of idolatry today, and how they can be noxious to not only us, but others in our wider circle.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
In the ancient world, idols were man-made statues that people worshipped. Today idolatry looks very different, but is just as prevalent. Mitch delves into idols in our modern culture and how we can prune them from our lives and avoid falling into the trap of idolatry.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
M&M dig into the profound imagery and broader Biblical significance of Jesus' final "I AM" statement in the book of John.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:5-8)
Continuing on with this year's vision at The Centre for "Growth", Mitch launches into our new series on "Pruning the Branches".
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week M&M unpack the significance of the "I AM" statements in John, the connections to grumbling and heavenly bread in the Old Testament and consider the enigmatic character of the "Angel of the Lord"
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Sometimes when we're hungry we become irritable. The grumblings of our stomach become grumblings from our lips. Jesus said "I AM the Bread of Life" - when we don't feast on him, we can become spiritually hangry.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Concerning church community, St. Augustine famously wrote; "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity" Alright, thanks Augustine, but what does that look like in practice?
The boys also explore the importance of understanding one's culture when sharing the gospel and what a biblical "nation of Israel" probably looks like.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:19-20)
Bob shares from biblical and personal insight on the importance of community, unity and finding a true Messiah in Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week we're tackling the sometimes controversial topic of child dedication; At what age should someone be baptised? Should people be baptised in groups? And with how much water???
The boys also chat raising children in the way of the Lord, what that looks like practically and philosophically, and unpack the latest Census data which reveals those who identify as Christian are no longer the majority in Australia - what does this mean for the church!?
All will be answered in this weeks episode of... BANTER!
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy." (2 Kings 5:13-14)
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Living in a culture that constantly demands "more" from us, how can serving Jesus, others and the church be something that refreshes, rejuvenates, and refills? Brian shares about using our S.H.A.P.E. to discover our purpose and joy in God's plan for us.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10)
Does God really have a plan for your life? Brian looks at the life of the apostle Paul to really ask how much does our "SHAPE" inform our ministry? He looks to key formative moments in his own walk with Jesus and offers some core questions for how we can each unlock our core passion and purpose.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week the boys chat about what checking our privilege looks like, how we practically do it, and why it's important. They also open up about some influential experiences in their own lives that have both been positive and negative to their spiritual walks.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive." (Genesis 50:19-20)
Do you truly believe God can use ALL things for good?
The story of Joseph follows an inexperienced teenager who matures into a God fearing man. Through valuing his experience, Joseph is able to save his family, the nation of Egypt, and the ancestral line of Jesus Christ. This is the power of using all experiences for good.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)
Mitch and Murray go on a journey through wisdom literature this week, tracing through Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and also answering once and for all if Song of Songs is wisdom literature or poetry (opinions open to subjectivity). They talk about Solomon's downfall, the value of emotional intelligence and what's (objectively) the best beach in Nelson Bay.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Each of us are born with a unique personality. It is an element of our SHAPE which we cannot control. How do we then address character flaws?
Mitch shares around seeking the wisdom of God to refine the personality God has gifted each of us.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Marcion of Sinope was a prominent figure in the 2nd century church. Today, he is most famous as being a heretic by claiming, among other things, that we are dualistic beings, material and spirit waring against one another. The boys unpack the multiple dangers of this philosophy and how to understand the Biblical view of "denying the flesh"
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
All of life is worship. Work, play, rest, nothing is off limits for glorifying the Lord. How do we remain mindful of this in a society that tries to seperate body from spirit?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Got a hearty (it had to be done) ep of BANTER for you all this week to keep you warm through the chilly weather. The boys explore the difference in our western understanding of "heart" in contrast to the Ancient Hebrew understanding of the heart, or "lev". They also chat toxic positivity, what a healthy "Fear of the Lord" looks like, and the role of the emotion "disgust" in our walks with Christ.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
We worship a God who wept, got mad and experienced tremendous joy. So why do we often view our emotions as something to suppress? Murray shares on the tension in allowing your emotions to guide you, but not to drive you.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Paul wrote to a church in Corinth who were placing too much emphasis on supernatural spiritual gifts; are we in danger in our modern era of not focusing on them enough? How do we get the balance right? And how can we be more aware of the supernatural in the every day?
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. (...) 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." (1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6)
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
We are stoked to have Mitch's wife Rach, and the honourary Nonna of the office Angie, join us today to chat all things motherhood.
We cover the value of a village when raising kids, the cultural differences around mother-in-laws, the importance of recognising rainbow babies along with all types of mothers, and what the Bible has to say about conception and labour.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” (Proverbs 31:26-29)
On this special Mother's Day service, three mothers at The Centre share their personal reflections on motherhood.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray delve deeper into the significance of being image-bearers of God as creators, rulers and namers. They explore the dangers of not knowing what your spiritual gifts are, and what it looks like when we make good use of our own God-given strengths.
They also ponder the beauty of ephemeral art, the gravity of names and the value of their wive's fashion sense.
To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)
As image-bearers of God we are comissioned with a great responsibility. Each person has their unique role to play in the flourishing of God's Kingdom.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week the boys chat about Jesus' parable of the sower, and why it's so important to understanding ALL parables. They also chat favourite Christian podcasts (other than BANTER, obviously), Markan sandwiches, and the power of parables for us today.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (Mark 4:33-34)
Jesus taught through parables. Story, symbol and allegory were the tools of his trade. Mitch opens up Mark 4 to speak on Jesus' first recorded parable; The Parable of the Sower
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
When a resurrected Jesus appears to Mary in a garden, she doesn't recognise him. This newly resurrected Jesus still has holes in his hands and a wound in his side from the crucifixion of his old body. He seems to be able to walk through walls almost like a ghost and yet still eats food... hmm...
M&M also chat their theological take on the new Batman film, the less than helpful translation of "rib" in the creation story of Eve, and how John's passion narrative riffs on a little known brutal murder in the book of Numbers when two people are shish-kebabed by a spear.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
17 "Don’t cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’" 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message. (John 20:17-18)
He is risen! This Easter Sunday Mitch takes us through the Gospel of John and wraps up our "Cross in the Gospels" series with the good news of Jesus' resurrection as a new body, a new Adam, and a new Tree of Life.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
As part of our Good Friday service, Mitch shares a heart-felt reflection on Jesus’ last moments spent on the crucifix.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week the illustrious Doctors M.T. Levingston & M.M. Lambert pontificate on the themes of justice, undeserved forgiveness and God's wrath. Once they're done pretending to be big-shot Bible scholars, they go about imagining what a Christian culture that embraces the outsider could look like in our modern age.
M&M also try to shed some light on the author, (and ACTUAL doctor) "Luke" and unpack what his unique gospel was trying to communicate to original readers of his time.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Luke's gospel presents a message of hope for the outsider; a gentile (or "non-Jew") writing to a gentile audience. This good news extends not just to "good gentiles", but also the poor, the hungry and the sinners. Jesus' interaction with the criminal on the cross answers the question; "What does it look like to extend forgiveness to ALL people?".
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Matthew's gospel quotes Old Testament scripture to legitimise Jesus as the Messiah, however if we dig deeper we realise many of these prophecies in Matthew weren't originally about Jesus, but Old Testament figures (Isaiah 7:14, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15). Hold on... that's a problem isn't it!?
This week the boys nerd out on typological prophecy and the importance of differentiating "prediction" from "symbol" in the gospel of Matthew. They also chat sneezing fits, daylight savings and how to best tell the story of Jesus in today's culture.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Matthew; or "Levi the tax collector" as he's known in Mark and Luke's gospels, was a 1st century Jewish Christian and one of Jesus' 12 disciples. His gospel builds Jesus' credibility for a Jewish audience as a new (and better) Abraham, Moses, and David.
Murray breaks down why this was important for Matthew's original readers and what it means for us today.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Mark's gospel subverts the Messianic expectation... what does that mean!? M&M delve into a prophetic poem in Genesis 49 which reveals how the Jews would have expected a Messiah to look, and contrast this with the songs of the Suffering Servant found in Isaiah 42-52.
The boys also reference some deep cuts of Jewish folklore and history in the figures of Honi the Circle drawer (cooler than he sounds) & Judas "The Hammer" Maccabeus, and of course breakdown Chris Rock being slapped in the face HARD by Will Smith at the Oscars... we're in for a wild ride!
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Mark is the oldest of the four gospels and portrays Jesus as a Suffering Servant. But in a life of privellige and abundance, what does it mean for us to take up our cross and follow Jesus?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
This week M&M "dip into" (I'm so sorry) the sacrament of baptism. Mitch highlights a few more key Old Testament precursors to baptism, Murray exposes his pentecostal roots around baptism in the Spirit and the boys delve deeper into differing denominations definition... of baptism. Let's "dive in" (I'm really, really sorry).
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Baptism can easily seem like a random ritual which suddenly pops up in the New Testament. In the final week of our "Preparing the Soil" series, Mitch traces the theme of baptism from the very first pages of the Old Testament, all the way through to Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The boys take a hypothetical trip to Ireland, chat about "soil people" and muse on the various elements of tithing, both spiritual and physical.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Gen. 2:15) From the very beginning God gave us the land to take care of, be fruitful and multiply. Out of that comes an overflowing abundance to; "Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." (Prov. 3:9-10) Mitch explores this deep interconnection of Tithing and Stewardship in all aspects of life.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Mitch & Murray are fresh out of Covid-induced isolation and ready to get down to do what they love; being absolute Bible NERDS! The boys unpack the vivid the imagery of spiritual armour in Ephesians, the theme of serpents in the Bible and the scriptural allusions in Lord of the Rings.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:12-13)
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
The Lord's Prayer is one of the most well known passages of scripture, but what was Jesus ACTUALLY saying? What does it mean to "hallow" God's name? And which of His names do we hallow? YHWH? Elohim? Jireh? Abba? Jesus? How do we actually forgive those who sin against us? And how do we make time for prayer when we're always SO BUSY!?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4)
Prayer is foundational to our relationship with God. Mitch looks first and foremost to Jesus for a framework of prayer, then to some of the biggest names in church history, including Martin Luther, John Wesley and Charles Spurgeon on how prayer can be practically lived out.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
It's a stormy old day in Dural, but that doesn't stop M&M from breaking down Sunday's sermon and exploring the importance of small groups and church community. The boys also chat turning 30, pink shirts and reversing that pesky biological clock.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
The Christian life is best when done in community. Mitch helps expand on what that looks like in practice for all types of relationships, whether a Paul (mentor), TImothy (disciple), or a Barnabas (peer).
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack last Sunday's sermon.
Okay, so we're told to "meditate on the law day and night" (Psalm 1:2) ...but aren't we "no longer under law, but under grace"? (Romans 6:14) And what does it actually mean to "meditate"? And what parts of the Bible are actually "law"? And why is all of this even important? ...phew! We got our work cut out for us this week!
M&M also chat Valentines Day, horse meds and Bunnings.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Christians all agree Bible reading is important. But there are times when we struggle to read the Bible for lack of time, boredom, or forgetfulness. Reading the Word enables us to experience the transformational power of God-breathed scripture.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Welcome to BANTER; the weekly breakdown of The Centre's Sunday sermon where we dive deeper into the themes and concepts found in the message that week.
This week is an extra special episode as Mitch & Murray launch the inaugral episode of BANTER and explore the intertextual allusions found within Psalm 1. They also chat about pull ups, new borns and what it means to "delight in the law (or "Torah") of the Lord".
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)
Mitch casts his vision over The Centre as we head into 2022.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Rachel is wife to Mitch; The Centre's Senior Pastor and mother to their two young children. When she's not busy caring for her family, she works as a freelance photographer, but is a jack of all trades when it comes to anything art and creativity.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Vivian is the Chinese teacher for primary students at Norwest Christian School. She's been a member of The Centre for over 2 years and has a long history of walking faithfully with Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Angie has been part of The Centre’s Church family for over 20 years. Originally involved as a volunteer serving in Women’s Ministry for 4 years, Angie was approached to come on staff in 2005 and now works in the role of Office Manager.
With a business background in sales, marketing and business management, Angie also enjoys working with people and managing events. She has a passion for making people feel welcome and her gift of hospitality is an asset for The Centre. She also loves to travel!
Angie is married to her husband Ian, is a mother two adult children, and is also a “Nonna” to her beautiful grandchildren.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
As General Manager, Craig is responsible for the day to day running of all aspects of The Centre at Dural. Craig, along with his wife Robyn, have been attending our church for over 20 years and have 3 adult daughters. Craig successfully started, ran and then sold 4 retail businesses over a 25 year period, he was also heavily involved in the Service Station Association, being a Director for 15 years, President for 6 years and a Director of Motor Traders Association of Australia for 6 years.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
When we imagine the Christmas nativity scene, we often don't think about murderous kings and fearful refugees. This however is the scene Jesus is born into. No matter how difficult your Christmas is this year, Jesus is stepping into it with you.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Who's the king of your heart? Herod took the lives of his wives, children and infants to maintain his Earthly Kingdom. Jesus gave his life up on a cross so we could inherit his Kingdom of Heaven. How can we be less like Herod and more like Jesus?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
The Gospel of Matthew tells the weird story of mysterious magicians who follow a prophetic star to place extravagant gifts at the feet of an infant - what in the world is going on here? The irony is, this story would have sounded even weirder to it's first readers... Let's try to unpack it. To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream... (Matthew 1:18-20a)
We meet Joseph in chapter 1 of Matthew at a crossroads. What we begin to see, even before Jesus is born, is a beam of hope shining through the cracks of a broken world, a world set to condemn an innocent woman. But God has another plan.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
When you get to long list of names in the Bible, you usually skip past it or at the very least skim read. But what if there's more to learn from Jesus' geneaology than just a bunch of weird names that are hard to pronounce?
Mitch reveals how Jesus' family tree at the start of Matthew has more to tell us than we might first realise.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
A healthy community is one which invests in one another. What does wholistic discipleship look like in practice? How can we do it better? Brian opens up a wellknown passage of scripture to shed some new light on the concept of discipleship.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24)
There is a river of righteousness that flows from the opening pages of the Bible all the way to the very last chapter. So what does it look like for us to bring righteousness and social justice into our world? Is there a wrong way to bring justice? What are the pitfalls to watch out for?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Why is youth ministry so important? What did Jesus say around the role of kids in his kingdom? How do we emulate this in our own community?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise." (Ezra 3:11b-13a)
As we return to worshipping in person, we may come burdened with expectations or comparisons of "what was". But when we release ourselves from unhelpful expectations, it allows us to step into a new season of what God is doing.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
What's the theology of sport? Mitch explores the power that sport has to change lives, build relationships and ultimately reveal Jesus to those who don't know him.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
Mitch continues our series "What is The Centre?" Baptism represents the death of our old selves beneath the water and rebirth as we emerge as followers of Jesus. How does this inform what a community of Baptists looks like?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Who is "The Centre"?
Mitch opens up our new series by asking (and answering) some fundamental questions; Why do we meet on Sunday? Why do we meet at all? And does our "mode" of worship effect the "meaning"?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Where better to finish up our "Mitch's Favourite Verses" Series than at the end of Revelation? Mitch chats with Murray about Jerusalem & Babylon, why Revelation says there'll be "no more sea", and what A New Heaven & New Earth looks like. It's a wild ride though the last two chapters of the Bible.
Appologies for the audio quality this week
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. (Ecclesiastes 1:14-15)
Mitch shares openly about how the wisdom from Ecclesiastes led him through the toughest season of his life. We chat about the meaning of the word "meaningless", the power of prayer and the mystery of God's sovereignty.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." - (Genesis 1:27-28)
Mitch shares about why the Creation narrative is one of his favourite passages of scripture. We get into the themes of Chaos & Order, Work & Rest, and what it means for us to be "Image bearers of God".
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
What does it mean to be a Father? What does the Bible say about Fatherhood? What does being a "good Father" look like?
For this Father's Day Service, Murray, Mitch & Brian each share a reflection on Fatherhood.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Mitch opens up around how 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 has been instrumental in his understanding of resurrection, and the hope that brings for all who follow Jesus.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Today's an extra exciting episode as we sit down and chat with our new Senior Pastor Mitch and his wife Rach. They share about how they met, what some of their favourite Bible verses are and how they see God using them in this next chapter at The Centre.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 14 'Neither,' he replied 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.'" (Joshua 5:13-14a)
Why is God's angel not on Joshua's team? Is God not on Joshua's team? Is God not on OUR team!? Murray unpacks this confusing moment in the book of Joshua as we wrap up our "Transitions" Series.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Brian continues sharing from the story of Joshua as God's people stand on the edge of the Jordan River to Cross Over into the Promised Land. As we too cross over into new promises what can we take away from this ancient Biblical story?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Time and time again God uses unexpected people to do great things in His eternal story. Today Brian looks at the character of Rahab the prostitute and how her faith changed the course of history.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
How do you step up into the roles God has waiting for you? As we launch into our new 4 week series on "TRANSITIONS", Murray introduces the story, and character, of Joshua - a man who had some very BIG shoes to fill.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -James 5:16
In the midst of lockdown, loneliness can be a very real struggle! Murray encourages us to reach out to one another in this time of trouble and be part of fostering the community we all need during lockdown.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person (current COVID regulations permitting) and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." - (James 3:9-10)
Why does James place so much emphasis on the power the tongue? How can we use that power for good instead of evil? Colin unpacks this famous chapter of James and explains how we can all tame our tongue to speak life and praise.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
The writer of James doesn't pull any punches when it comes to addressing the rich in his letter. Brian draws from his own experiences as an accountant to reflect on what's being said in James 5:1-6.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour" -Isaiah 61:1-2
As we enter isolation once again, we are reminded that there is truly nothing new under the sun. Reflecting on this, let's look back to a sermon that Brian shared at the very beginning of COVID back in March 2020, and consider how we can bring the light of Jesus into the darkness.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Lucinda, Maurice & Donna each share on a passage from James 4, reflecting on what it practically looks like to submit to God in all things.
- Lucinda: 0:25 (James 4:1-5)
- Maurice: 8:14 (James 4:6-12)
- Donna: 17:35 (James 4:13-17)
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Paul begins his letter to the Church in Rome with a mission statement; Why are we here? Principal of Morling College, Ross Clifford visits The Centre and unpacks what it truly means for us to be Christians in our modern era.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." -James 2:26
In Ephesians Paul writes that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by our works. But then James writes that faith without works is dead... is the Bible contradicting itself? Thomas unpacks this stunning duality in James 2.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism" - James 2:1
With Reconciliation Week in the forefront of our minds, Brian shares how prejudice can be hidden under the guise of favouritism. We learn about the powerful actions of Billy Graham, who used his privilege to address issues of systemic racism in the US and how we are called to do the same today.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22
How much does your reading of the Word change your cultural practice? Keith shares how we can better Listen, Receive, Obey, and Live Out God's Word in a meaningful way that impacts our world.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower." - James 1:9-10
Money, Power, Fame. The things our world values most... Today Murray looks at the life and career of The Notorious B.I.G and what the book of James has to say to us around wealth and temptation.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:30-31
On this special Mother's Day service, Emily shares around a verse that has meant a lot for her and her Mum.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” – James 1:2
As we start our new series on the Letter of James, Murray unpacks how we respond to seasons of trouble in our own lives, managing to see them as "opportunities for great joy".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends" - John 15:13
During this special ANZAC Day service Brian shares on the power of Jesus' sacrifice which turned his defeat on the cross into a triumph for eternity.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Two downcast men are met on the road by Jesus... but they don't even recognise him.
In the midst of grief and hopelessness how do we recognise God? Keith teaches around the importance of a knowing heart, when head knowledge doesn't cut it.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it." - Mark 11:12-14
What's going on here? Does God just hate figs? Or do fig leaves symbolise something greater in God's story?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself" -2 Timothy 2:13
The stone has been rolled away... but what is our response? Do we doubt? Do we celebrate? Do we self-flagellate? Jesus came to bring restoration. With Jesus, failure is never final!
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
140 years ago, the atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously proclaimed "God Is Dead". This was a perceived reality for Jesus' followers as they watched Him breathe His last on a cross. How do we respond to a culture that believes that God is STILL dead?
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
'As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, "If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes"' -Luke 19:41-42
God has a bigger and better plan! Brian unpacks how when Jesus rode into town on a donkey, it wasn't just to bring peace for the people of Jerusalem, but for us today, in this very moment.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Worship" - it's a broad term, but what does it actually mean? Murray expands on how worship is so much more than just singing 4 songs every Sunday.
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10 Being part of a team enables God to use our gifts most effectively, but how do we build healthy teams? Keith shares 3 core principles with "The ABC of Building Teams".
To find out more about The Centre visit;
http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Growth is a natural part of life, reflecting God’s desire that we're continually growing into what we were created to be. To be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. So how can we encourage each other on that journey?
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
“Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest”
-Luke 9:48
Why were Jesus' disciples so often arguing with each other? Murray looks at how Jesus helped a fellowship of believers who had lost their sense of unity.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"You are standing together, side by side with one strong purpose - to tell the Good News" - Philippians 1:27
Evangelism and discipleship is a team effort - we can not do it alone. Brian breaks down 7 ways that we can partner together to see the Good News of Jesus proclaimed.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" - John 13:35
Join us this Valentines Day as Keith teaches us about the importance of love in everything we do. Love for God and love for one another will set us on the right course to grow in our faith and grow as a community.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
'Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.’ - 1 Peter 2:10
What does it really mean to be ‘the people of God’ together? How can we live our lives in community together in a way that ‘declares praise to God’? Brian addresses these questions and much more as he introduces our new ‘Finding Community in COVID’ series.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8
Richard uses this verse to examine both his own journey with God and how it applies to us going into 2021 as followers of Christ.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Matt compares Jesus to a fisherman, slowly reeling him into deeper revelation of Him as our Lord and Saviour. From the wonders of the universe to the blessings of his daily life, Matt shares the journey God has had him on and some valuable lessons he's learned along the way.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Mary tells us about her walk with God through all seasons, experiencing His presence in the triumphs and the heartache.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Gabi shares on her experiences following God - even when it doesn't make sense and how to listen to what He's saying to us through the Word and His Spirit.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
As many of us take time off over Christmas, how do we find Jesus in the pauses? Brian looks to the lyrics of a well-loved song this Christmas morning to share how the joy of Jesus can be made available to all of us this holiday season.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Christmas is almost here! But with all the expectations that friends, family and even we ourselves put on the day, is it any wonder it feels more like a chore than a joy? Murray shares 3 ways to make this Christmas one you'll actually want to remember.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
As we ramp up to Christmas, Brian speaks on 4 kinds of peace available to all who listen to Jesus; The Prince of Peace.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Marbz joins us from Baptist World Aid to challenge us on how we can ensure we see and hear those needing to experience the love of God most.
To find out more about the work that Baptist World Aid do all around the globe visit; https://baptistworldaid.org.au/
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Long time friend of The Centre Steve Frost shares his insight into how we can better discern what God is saying to each of us.
To support Steve's ministry visit; https://horizonsfamilylaw.org.au/
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
"I stop to praise you seven times a day, all because your ways are perfect!" - Psalm 119:164
We live in the freedom of Jesus, but thrive in the structure of spiritual practice. Keith shares a model of daily prayer that will lead to a more intimate relationship with God.
To find out more about The Centre visit; http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
In the era of Covid when sickness is incessantly in the front of our minds, how do we pray for healing and restoration? John 11 offers us insight into how Jesus brought healing which balanced the eternal perspective of God with the human heart of a man.
To find out more about The Centre, visit https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
God loves to answer our prayer, but the reality is His answer isn't always "Yes" What do we do when God says "No" to our prayers and how do we move forward? Join us for Week 5 of our 40 Days of Prayer series as Brian preaches on "When God says No"
To find out more about The Centre, visit https://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
Our God is omnipresent - He exceeds time and space. Thomas shares about the different ways we are able to pray to our multidimensional God.
For more information about Church at The Centre, visit http://www.thecentredural.org.au/church/
We meet in person and online every Sunday at 10am To watch full past services or join us live online, visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrfgVAeXtBlq6BsELAIBEog
Colin, Brenda and Brian wrap up Ephesians by each sharing how God has been speaking to them during this series
Emily and Murray look at Ephesians 5:21 - 6:9 and explore the radical concept of emulating Jesus' love in all our relationships.
Keith opens up Ephesians 4 and asks "Who do we look to for wisdom?" on this special Father's Day service.
Guest Speaker Karen Wilson shares with us in our Advent Series Bible reading from Luke 1:1-25, 57-80 8th December 2019
Pastor Brian Coddrington shares with us within our series on the life of David
24th November 2019
Pastor Ken Clendinning preaches within our series on the faith of Noah
17th November 2019
QNight 18th September Religious Freedom - Rev Michael Kellahan With Q and A time in the second half
Discipling; Jesus' approach in Mark Eternal Perspective Ps Ken Clendinning 15th September 2019
Discipling - Jesus' Approach in Mark Mark 8:27-30 - Personally Convicted 8th September - Keith Kobberns
Discipling; Jesus' approach in Mark Sending - Pastor Brian Codrington 1st September 2019
Brian Codrington, begins our next series looking at the values we hold as a church, and how they underpin all that we do.
Ken continues our series through Romans 12, closely looking at verse 16.
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position."
Ken Clendinning continues our series in Romans 12, looking at verses 9 and 10. Love must be sincere.
Soul Survivor we're with us a couple of weeks ago.. Matt Gelding shared with us from the book of Daniel, on obedience.
Ken Clendinning speaks from Jeremiah 29, teaching on how we should approach a season of transition both personally, as well as a community.
Paster Brian Codrington continued our series "Sermon on the Mount" from Matthew 7:15-23. The Wolves in Sheep's clothing.
Our Church community and friends come together to delve into 3 big topics within faith and life: Suffering, Heaven and Hell and Purpose. This week we look at ‘Finding Your Purpose in Life’ with Karl Faase. We also opened up a Q&A with Karl to address specific questions within the community.
Our Church community and friends come together to delve into 3 big topics within faith and life: Suffering, Heaven and Hell and Purpose. This week we look at 'Is Heaven and Hell real?' with Rev. Dr David Starling. We also opened up a Q&A with David to address specific questions within the community.
Our church community and friends come together to delve into 3 big topics within faith and life. Suffering, Heaven and Hell and Purpose. We begin with looking at 'Suffering' with speaker Rev Dr Ross Clifford who looks at suffering within a lens of faith. We also opened up a Q&A with Ross Clifford to address specific questions within the community.
Ps Brian Codrington shares with us in the series, Blessed are those who are persecuted.
Brian Codrington brings us into the Christmas season with a message reflecting on the carol O Holy Night.