MBM South West Sydney // Bible Talks: Recent Episodes
Multicultural Bible Ministry
Multicultural Bible Ministry, or MBM, is an anglican church located in Rooty Hill, Middleton Grange and Parramatta—in the western suburbs 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.
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
We all have an idea about the things of God that is formed by our experience and ideas, our culture and our own traditions. In this passage the Apostle Paul sets the record straight by clarifying who God is and what he’s done so we can live according to the truth.
As we walk through life desiring to be faithful witnesses of Jesus, we may find it difficult along the way. But remembering that God is working out all things in the small and the big, is ultimately what keeps us going.
Jesus’ promise that the gospel would go to the ends of the earth will take a massive leap forward as Paul and Barnabas set off for their first missionary journey, proclaiming God’s Word, and facing opposition.
As the gospel continues to go out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, we see God use different forms of hardship to strengthen his church and make his unstoppable Word flourish.
In a world living in the fear of plague, famine and death, Psalm 91 stands out as a declaration of the confidence the child of God can have when they find rest in the shadow of God Almighty.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. Contentment comes from being satisfied with God. God satisfies us by revealing himself to us in Christ, so we can live in the world in a way that is fitting for a people who claim to worship God.