MBM Rooty Hill: Recent Episodes
Multicultural Bible Ministry
Multicultural Bible Ministry, or MBM, is a church located in Rooty Hill and Smithfield in the west of Sydney. We are all about seeing lives transformed through Jesus for the Glory of God.
The end result of Philip’s preaching in Samaria is summarised in Acts 8:8 “So there was great joy in that city.” As we launch our Blacktown campus today this text challenges us to ask the question, “What will it take for MBM to bring great joy to Blacktown?”
At the end of God’s great redemptive story is the promise of eternal life in heaven with him. But what is the nature of that eternal life? For my people heaven appears boring, mysterious, and vague. In this section of Revelation we get a great vision of God’s glorious plans for his children.
As the Scriptures unfold the picture of God’s plans become clearer. With the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Christians now have a message to proclaim. It is not a message of self-help, its a message of God’s wonderful offer of forgiveness which now comes through Jesus.
God uses a symphony of testimonies to provide certainty that Jesus is God’s promised king, the one promised to usher in God’s kingdom, and the only hope for humanity.
God speaks through His Prophets to raise our eyes to blessing above and beyond our earthly hopes and dreams.
In God’s unfolding story we continue to see God’s plan coming to pass through ordinary people. In 2 Samuel we see David graciously engaging with king David through promising to establish through him the one who will bring about God’s eternal plans.
Idea: Sin is worse than we think or imagine. In Genesis 3, we see that sin (1) destroys our relationship with our creator, and in turn (2) introduces discord between fellow human beings, and (3) brings disorder with the rest of creation.Aim: For listeners to be convinced and convicted of the sinfulness of sin (i.e., extent and ramifications), and then be moved to taste the only remedy available and able to deal with their problem.
An often thankless task, Motherhood and motherly love are wonderful gifts God gives. In Luke 1, we reflect on the announcement of Jesus’s birth given to Mary. In this passage we will see that God uses ordinary everyday faith and obedience to change the world.
The Bible is the most influential book in History. Though containing 66 books, and written by over 40 authors, the Bible actually reflects one larger story, the story of God and his purpose for his creation. In Genesis 1:1–2:3 we have a big picture of not only who God is, but who we are as his creation, and the purpose for our being. Genesis 1:1–2:3 provides us with the opening act of the unfolding good and perfect plan of God.
A true understanding of God’s character leads us to have a deeper, joyful relationship with Him. In this encounter with Jesus, He reveals to us that God is someone to fear and, at the same time, calls us to draw near. If we only hold on to one of these things and not the other, it will affect how we relate to God.
“Living with Hope: Finding Confidence in a World Full of Uncertainty” - Discover how believers can rely on the certainty established by God through Jesus’ resurrection, even in the midst of life's unpredictability.
Before his ascension Jesus commissioned his followers to take the good news message out to the world. But what does that look like? What does it look for a modern follower to be a disciple of Jesus? What is our mission as the people of God. In Matthew 28:16–20 Jesus calls not only the eleven disciples, but all of us who know him to take his good news to the world.
The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian hope. Three days after the brutal arrest and death of Jesus the most glorious of statements is made by angelic hosts. ‘He has risen!’ The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Hope in the midst of chaos, life in the face of death, victory over the powers of sin and death. All of this comes, ‘just as he said.’ Because Jesus’s word is sure we can trust his promises for our futures.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. How was Jesus forsaken and why? How does Jesus bring rescue and acceptance with God?
Rejection and betrayal hurts deeply. In this account Jesus is rejected by a friend, his disciples, and a large crowd. This betrayal, however, is part of God’s larger plan that will bring not rejection, but reconciliation for rebels.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is the subject of interest to many. When will he return? Are we living in the last days just before his return? What should we expect when he returns? In Matthew 24 Jesus assures his disciples of his return and shapes both our expectation of when that will occur and how we should live in the meantime.
Have you ever had your reality shattered? Perhaps you have experienced betrayal in a relationship, had your identity stolen or maybe you bought a used car that turned out to be a lemon! Today Jesus will confront us with reality by telling us a story and showing us a stone. Those who understand and believe the story will be amazed and marvel! Those who reject will be shattered suddenly and irreversibly by the stone.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem on his way to the cross he does so in a peculiar way, he arrives on a donkey. Rather than arriving on a noble steed in pomp and power, Jesus enters the city on an ordinary everyday donkey. What are we to make of this? In Matthew 21:1–11 we get insight into the nature of Jesus’s kingship and it surprises us.
Jesus challenges who and what we think greatness is. Jesus uses a child to teach about what greatness is. Jesus teaches that greatness is shown in dependence, humility and in helping others.
There are no more significant questions that we should think about than ‘where we will spend eternity?’ In this account Jesus gives us certainty as to how we can enter into his Kingdom.
In the chaos and noise of the world it is easy to become overwhelmed, distracted, and confused. In the midst of this how can we remain connected with God and cultivate a relationship with him. In this unique section of Matthew’s gospel we get an astonishing vision of Jesus that calls us to awaken from spiritual slumber as we see his majesty revealed.
If you are sure you are a Christian then walk in grace, live in love and grow in fellowship.
Central to our nature is the desire to be valued and known. In this section of 2 Corinthians the Apostle helps us re-frame how we think about the location of our worth and value. This value is not found inherently in our efforts or achievements, but in recognizing God’s power shown in our short-comings.
We live in a world that raises serious questions about truth. People are skeptical about news on social media, news from sources of authority, news that is ‘fake'. In 2 Corinthians 11:1–30 Paul strongly defends the importance of truth, and in particular he defends the truth of the gospel as the basis for genuine Christian ministry. In this sections he condemns falsehood and then reveals the surprising nature of what true gospel ministry looks like, namely, weakness.
In a world of such chaos it is easy to become overwhelmed, sad, and despairing. Yet into this broken chaotic world God entered and took on flesh. In the angel’s announcement in Luke 2:10–11 we find reasons why we can have joy, even in the midst of our broken world.
In 2 Cor. 8-9, Paul continues to unpack his favourite topic of grace and here he applies it to giving. In this sermon we ask three questions about this text: 1. What is this grace of giving? 2. What would is the goal of grace giving? 3. What is God actually promising about giving?
Have you ever felt a ‘block’ in your relationship with your pastor? Are you struggling with something they said to you? Have you ever felt similarly about God and His words to you? This talk is a challenge to cheer up your pastor by rightly dealing with such issues.
Followers of Jesus have the great privilege, and the great responsibility, of representing the good news of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 6 Paul lays out how we represent Jesus in a way that doesn’t discredit the good news he came to bring.
In the Bible having a good relationship with God is described in a few ways. God’s people are ‘redeemed’ reflecting the idea of payment. God’s people are ‘justified’ reflecting the idea of justice. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul is going to emphasize a new idea of ‘reconciliation’ which reflects the idea of restoring a broken relationship. In this passage we have the astonishing good news that we can have a good relationship with God and are called to share this news with others.
Christians worship the God of comfort in the midst of pain and hardships. But the temptation is to serve the idol of comfort and seek to escape suffering. Paul shows us that as our bodies waste away, we can have confidence that our home is in heaven, not on earth; not in a mortal body, but an eternal one.
Discouragement is a real part of life. While many of us have great days, there are frequently in experience days where we lose hope, we lose heart. The Apostle Paul was deeply familiar with disappointment and had many moments of losing heart. Yet as he writes to the Corinthians he exhorts his readers ‘do not lose heart.’ In this section we explore where we can find encouragement as we follow Jesus, even in difficult times.
Let the surpassing and transforming glory of Christ 1. Enliven you, 2. Embolden you, & 3. Repurpose you!
Christians carry the aroma of Christ everywhere we go. As we share Jesus with the world, some people will love it, some will hate it, but God is pleased to use us regardless of the outcome.
We live in a day where we are skeptical of leadership. Leaders are often dishonest, immoral, or just plain disappointing. In the Church of God, however, leadership plays a critical role in the proclamation of the good news. In this section the Apostle Paul defends his apostolic leadership and gives insight into what godly leadership entails.
Most of us want to live lives that are comfortable, free of pain, and filled with joy. While there is nothing wrong the desire for comfort, the reality is that we live in a broken world where our desires often feel out of reach. In fact for most of us, suffering and hardship seems more frequent than comfort. So how do we praise God in the midst of hardship? In 2 Cor 1:1–11 Paul addresses that issue, and the answer lies not within ourselves, but in the God of all comfort.
Of the many images of life with God, one that is constantly used in the Bible is that of a banquet. A banquet is a place of laughter, joy, delight, and great company. In this story Jesus reveals who is invited to the wonderful banquet of God.
Singing is an essential part of the Christian Faith. Nate unpacks why it is essential for us to sing in church. It not only brings praise to God but serves others in our community and helps us collectively fix our eyes on Jesus.
We have all struggled with anger either in ourselves or from others. The Bible has a lot to say about anger. Proverbs in particular helps us see how anger can be used as a good gift from God if we use it to stir gently, burn warmly and rule wisely.
Of all the subjects one could talk about, the issue of speech is the most commonly talked about topic in all of the Proverbs. There is power in words. In this message we explore God’s wisdom on how to speak well.
Pride is something we all struggle with. Whether winning an argument, gaining a promotion, or being noticed, we all have a desire to come out on top. In God’s kingdom, however, greatness is not marked by accomplishment, but by humility.
All of us come broken in the area of sexuality. And yet Proverbs provides much wisdom for pursuing a life of sexual integrity
Our culture says life is about sex and judges all things by that. God says, sex is for marriage, marriage is for God and life is about more than both! It’s about marriage with Jesus.
Proverbs gives us wisdom for wealth in this age, but Jesus gives wisdom for wealth into eternity
One of the most needed things to get through life is money. Without money we don’t eat or drink. We need money to live and survive in our world. But what does it look like to use money wisely? Is money a good or bad thing? How should we think Christianly about wealth? In Proverbs God offers us wisdom on how to navigate the practicality of using our finances in a way that is healthy and wise.
Having Integrity is the ability to reflect and display our God of truth to a world warped and made crooked with lies.
As humans, we often have the choice of being wise or being foolish. Thankfully God gives us the book of Proverbs to live wisely. In this opening section of Proverbs we are told the purpose, the principle and the person of wisdom
Life can be really hard to understand and navigate. In a world of so much complexity, how do we flourish and live wisely? In Proverbs 1, the wise man Solomon introduces us to the starting point of all wisdom, God himself.
The chief identity marker, according to Jesus, of being a Christian is the marker of love. So what does love really look like in action? In the short letter to Philemon we discover a real life application of what love in actions looks like.
We love superheroes. They inspire hope and a longing for more. But Superheroes are all based on, and ultimately point us to the true hero, Jesus. The one who not only made us, but came into our world, to give his own life to rescue us from our ultimate enemy, ourselves!
Often the topics of prayer and evangelism can make us feel inadequate as Christ-followers. However, Paul wants us to grab hold of these privileges, just like he himself has.
The book of Judges begins with optimism as God’s ancient people enter the land of promise. As the book concludes, however, we discover the spiritual and moral bankruptcy of Israel as they walk away from God and descend into chaos. These chapters provide a confronting picture of a world where we choose to exclude God as king.
Religion is our human endeavour to relate to God. While it is right to seek to relate to God, in Judges 17–18 we see the folly of trying to pursue God through our own human endeavours. Man-made religion, though often sincere, inevitably leads to superstition and doesn’t achieve its goal. Judges 17–18 warns us of the danger of seeking God on our own terms.
We often find ourselves asking, “How could God allow that?” Through the life of Samson and ultimately in the life of Jesus, we learn that God can work through sin to bring about salvation for His people.
What could this horror story possibly teach us?… That manipulating God is both unnecessary and tragic. We’ll need to prayerfully think about how we readily fall in to doing that and why.
God is king. What happens, however, when we remove God from the picture? What happens when we ignore God’s rightful rule and live as though we were in charge? Judges 9 revels the danger and consequences of leaving God out of the picture
Gideon, like all of us, would not, could not and did not, but God would, could and did.
If there was a way to bottle up peace and sell it, it would be the hottest gift this Mother’s Day. In our text today, there has been chaos in Israel for 20 years. Deborah, a mother in Israel, rises up and to bring peace to her people. But there’s a surprise! It’s not Deborah but someone else who brings peace and gets the glory.
Israel have been handed over again for their rebellion, but God rescues them through an unlikely saviour, showing himself to be far superior than the nations they served.
By nature we naturally forget God and drift toward self-confidence, compromise, and idolatry. God, however, pursues his people with his unrelenting love and undeserved grace.
Nothing will give you more reason to rejoice than to know you have been forgiven and are on the right side of God.
In life there can be many things that blindside us. In Psalm 13 the psalmist gives words to the sadness many of us feel when going through difficult. David helps us see how we might process difficulty while trusting God.
Without the resurrection of Jesus there is no good news for the Christian. There is no future, no forgiveness, and no hope beyond the grave. The good news claim of Scripture, however, is that Jesus indeed did rise from the dead three days after his death. This changes everything. There is joyous security in the hope that comes as the result of Jesus’s resurrection for all those who trust in him.
What was it about the death of Jesus that brought two men out of hiding? For some time both Joseph and Nicodemus had been secret disciples of Jesus. They had faith but only enough to follow him from a safe distance. When they saw Jesus die, they were radically changed. They came out of hiding to be all in for Jesus. John tells us what happened to them so we too can believe and live the all in life.
Jesus calls all who would follow him to consider all other agendas forsaken, for the sake of his.
In life we often seek to measure up to other people’s standards. But what does it mean and look like to measure up to God’s standards? In Matthew 15 we discover that the answer is not found in human traditions, but in a heart transformation.
People often think of Jesus as powerful, but a bit distant. Strong, but not really personal. In Matthew 14 Jesus reminds us of the compassionate heart of God.
What a day! Jesus’ grief over sin and evil leads him to reveal more of His divine power to save. At the end of this day you’ll want to love, trust and worship Jesus all the more.
The teachings of Jesus challenge us to think about how we view him. For those who are his followers his teachings provide comfort and encouragement, but to those who reject his teachings Jesus provides a warning.
We have a deep longing for justice. Has your desire for justice ever made you ask hard questions of God? In this sermon, Jesus answers the people asking questions about God’s plan for justice and he confronts those who falsely accuse him. In God’s plan, he never brings justice without first offering mercy.
You who are weary and burdened, find rest for your soul in our fearsome yet wonderful God.
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Matthew gives us the Why, How and Who when it comes to finding more workers.
We all have expectations of what Jesus should be like…but what happens when He clashes with our expectations?
Who is Jesus? Jesus is God, he is the creator, he is the head of the Church, he is the greatest!
Psalm 150 calls us to hallelujah the world, by urgently calling on them to join us in praise to the LORD.
Where there are people, there is conflict. As followers of Jesus we’re committed to resolving conflict in a healthy, God-honouring way. In our last Sunday meeting in the boxing ring, we look back and give thanks for all that God has done through our church.
Jesus can be confusing because he often does the opposite of what we expect. People usually desire power to control. But Jesus, who had all power, used his to serve and save others. Will you let him serve you?
Making plans for 2023 gives us an opportunity to peak behind the curtains of our heart to see what we think about God. It also helps us see Jesus as the ultimate person who surrenders all to the Father’s control as the ultimate act of trust about what is coming.
We can only find life and a new relationship with God through the grace of God that is shown to us in Jesus. As a result, no matter who we are or where we have come from we all now come to God on the very same basis, as part of the one new humanity that Jesus has formed.
Confidence of eternal life is our privilege - if our trust is in the true Jesus of the Bible.
If God is love, then loving one another is an obvious outworking of his love to us in Jesus.
John warns about those who claim to have a word from God just for you. He calls the church to test the spirits and shows them how they can know if they’re hearing God’s voice, or a false prophet’s.
Love is not an option for those who follow Jesus. Because we are called to follow in his footsteps as an expression of our relationship with him.
John wants his hearers to know that they truly are the real deal. He does this in 1 John 3:10-24 by spelling out what a genuine believer looks like; how to display genuine love, and how in the face of self-condemnation, one can have genuine confidence.
When doubt settles in, when ministry gets hard, when you question, “Is living for Jesus worth it?”, how do we continue to live for Jesus?
John gives us three ways on how we can continue in Jesus.
Staying connected to Jesus gives us all we need for the life we long for. Confidence replaces shame. Intimacy with Jesus drives out sin. We find meaning and purpose for the life God designed us to live.
There are many things in life where it doesn’t really matter if you cut corners, skim the instructions or get it wrong here and there. But if there’s one thing you want to get right in life, it’s Jesus…. He’s the difference between life and death.
If you don’t want the Son, you don’t get the Father. John here seeks to clarify what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, and what the consequences are of rejecting or remaining in Him.
How do we know if we know and love God? John tells us we know by living like Jesus did: Keeping God’s commands to love each other the way Jesus loved us.
The answer to that question starts with God and the fact that God is light and ends with Jesus who takes on our darkness to allow us to have a relationship with God.
In a world that cries out ‘Be true to yourself’, 1 John 1 says ‘Be true to your enlightened self’ because God is light. In fact, more than that, the God who is light invites us to walk in the light rather than hide in the darkness of our guilt, shame and fear.
Recording from our MBM Parramatta Campus
The book of 1 John kicks off with a bang by putting the Word of Life front and centre. Up front, John wants to give his hearers confidence that in a world where there's so many different choices, we have the real deal in Jesus.
Recorded from the MBM Parramatta Campus
The simple joy of the Christian life is that relationship with God comes to us through the witness to Jesus we find in the Bible.
We look at why is Jesus the Most Important Person with the Most Important Message and what that means
For 3 reasons:
Jesus is from God He has a message There are two responses
John was an ordinary man who fell in love with an extraordinary man named Jesus. He shows us Jesus was a real man who really loved us and made a way for us to dwell with him forever.
The exalted God of all has come close to us in Jesus – therefore church is incredibly significant.
These chapters describe Israel at it's worst, and Moses at his best. But even Moses at his best doesn't compare to a God who takes the sin of idolatry so seriously and forgives sin so generously
When Israel lose sight of God, they quickly turn to idolatry and their downfall. God shows here how getting him right is the path to life.
Israel were invited to see God and given a way for that to happen. We have also been invited into His presence for eternity through Jesus Christ.
God saves and transforms the community of His people through this new way of doing life.
God is for His people by providing, being present and protecting them, let His people be thankful!
Israel’s Passover reminds us to keep remembering afresh our utter dependance upon the blood of Jesus for salvation.
When Moses meets God in the burning bush he discovers that God is not like him, that God is God. That God is not only holy, but the one who saves, and whose name shows he's worth trusting as what he says will happen.
God is faithful to His promises in the midst of our reality. When life turns upside-down, knowing that God is for us, with us, and bigger than us protects us from falling into the depths of despair.
Sometimes God has unusual ways of showing up in our lives like he did with Moses and the burning bush. God wants us to know he sees, hears and is truly concerned about our suffering. He offers to be with us if we will put our trust in Him.
Church is so important that a key part of your worship is to be active in building church community.
The way Jesus teaches us to pray would seem to indicated he knows forgiveness is not easy for us. In fact, what we are going to see today is “It is the prayer that moves our hearts so we actually want to forgive.” What does Jesus want us to know and learn about His Father and forgiveness and how does prayer interact with that?
Jesus teaches us to pray that we would have all we need today to exist on to tomorrow for God’s cause.
What is the kingdom? What are we praying? We're praying for Jesus to be king both now and forever.
Jesus teaches us to pray "Our Father in Heaven". Followers of Jesus, like Jesus himself, pray to the Father knowing that he's close, he cares and he's in control. God the Father is relational, he cares about individuals, and he's also in Heaven, he's in control of everything. He loves it when we pray to Him as His children.
The invitation of Psalm 131 is to approach God as a humble, calm, content, and a dependent child with his/her mother.
To learn to pray, we must understand Jesus, the Son of God's prayer life. He demonstrates utter dependence and desire to be with His Father in heaven. For those who trust in His name, he offers full and free access to God.
In light of the victory we have in Jesus, what does life now look like? Is it smooth sailing here on out, or should we expect something else? In this talk we hear of how God has equipped us for the journey ahead.
Jesus says we all have a choice to make, because we can't serve God and money at the same time. So how should we choose? Jesus tells us and shows us what it's like to live under a different kind of king.
We are driven by many reasons to do the things that we do, including how and why we live the Christian life. Today, Pastor Pre Shunmugam takes us to Jesus' words which get us to the heart of the matter.
Jesus wants us to see that His Father is good! He uses his sun and rain to create a safe space where all people can see his goodness. And this is how he wants us to treat others.
Jesus teaches all who would come to Him what life in God’s kingdom will be like. He flips their world upside down and challenges our view of what being blessed truly is.
Jesus shunned the devil’s shortcut to splendour, and chose the slow task of building God’s Kingdom person by person by way of the cross.
How is Jesus able to relate to us and help us when we are tempted? Today, Pastor Ray Galea shows us from Matthew 4.
What's the difference between repentance and remorse? Is there a difference? Today, Pastor Ray Galea explains the difference and the results of both.
What is the one thing that will hold you back from following Jesus? Today, Pastor Ray Galea answers that question from Matthew 2.
The Book of Matthew starts with a list of names. At first glance, this doesn't seem like the most exciting way to introduce the Saviour until you realise the question that it is answering. Today, Pastor Ray Galea helps us to understand both the question and the answer.
Today Pastor Ray Galea completes our series in the book of Acts. However, we begin with a breathtaking vision of the holiness of God from Isaiah.
What good can come from difficult times in our lives? Today Pastor Ray Galea shows us in Acts 28 how the transforming work of Jesus happens despite our plans and the storms we face.
The message of Jesus is both weird and welcoming. Today Pastor Dan Lee takes us to Acts 25-26 where Paul is further questioned and we learn why the gospel is both weird and welcoming.
There is one thing that makes us invincible until the day our work for God is finished. Today, Pastor Steve Gibb takes us to Acts 23 and 24 and we see that our mission can not fail because Jesus is alive and walking with us each step of the way.
As part of his defence to the elders of Ephesus, Paul looks back to his ministry, looks forward to his suffering, and then looks them in the eye and warns them of the coming false teaching.
In Acts 19 God confirms the validity and power of His word as lives are continually transformed. The word keeps going out and the world around experiences the difference Jesus makes.
Acts 18 shows us so clearly that the Gospel goes out into the world through Gospel relationships. Today we will explore a number of these relationships and then see what we can apply as we continue partnering with God in His global mission.