Have you ignored the OT laws? Israel was to be a nation separated unto God, but the temptation of sin, and to sin, was far too near. In danger of being led astray by the depraved practises of the pagan nations, Israel needed guidance, and God provided. God gave His people specific laws, leaving no room for confusion about what He allows and what He despises. But how should we regard these laws today, are they as relevant to us as the New Testament’s teachings? Do the sins that the Israelites faced still tempt us today? In giving His people such extensive laws to abide by, God reveals man’s nature - one that is prone to sinning. But what about God’s nature? How can these laws be understood to disclose His standard & character? Join us in this study of the book of Exodus, as we learn how these passages are more than just rules, but revelations. 📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript:
https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-character-of-god
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:48 Introduction 04:11 I. THE LAW OF SEDUCTION 17:40 II. THE LAW OF FALSE WORSHIP 36:24 Closing Prayer 38:29 Reflection Question
Consider this: As His witness to the rest of the world, God’s laws were given to protect Israel. How have you experienced your personal obedience/disobedience to God’s laws benefit/harm your own life or that of others?
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
“Based on all the things I've done, am I not a spiritual person?” Though Christian lives cannot be void of works, works are not the starting point. In the conclusion of his first chapter, the Apostle James cautions against the self-deception of putting trust in acts that are just that—acts. How, then, should one ascertain true spirituality versus superficial, religious practices? It must start in the heart, and then extend outwards. The truth is, outward acts of religion are empty without inward transformation. But this inner working cannot go unevidenced. Instead, such a transformation always manifests in three critical areas: speech, love and morality.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/are-you-transformed-by-the-word
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:15 Introduction 05:30 ARE YOU TRANSFORMED IN YOUR SPEECH? 20:29 ARE YOU TRANSFORMED IN YOUR LOVE? 33:05 ARE YOU TRANSFORMED IN YOUR MORALITY? 41:55 Closing Prayer 45:30 Reflection Questions
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Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
How can you forgive someone who has hurt you? While it may not be the obvious lesson to draw from a group of explicit Mosaic laws, we find that one of these sentences have been wildly misinterpreted (Exodus 21:23-25). Because of this, our Lord Jesus famously addressed this error in Matthew 5:38-39 by saying, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also". Was Jesus contradicting Moses? If not, how are we to make sense of both Moses’ law as well as Jesus’ statement?
Sandwiched in the middle of this mini-series on the idea that God’s laws demand a punishment that fits each crime, driving us away from sin and evil, we find an equally glorious truth drawing us towards mercy and love. As usual, it is only by understanding both these Old and New Testament statements that we gain a fuller, richer picture of our relationship to God, and thus our relationships with each other.
💭 Consider this: How, despite His justice, has God shown you mercy? To whom, despite your own sense of justice, can you show mercy today?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-punishment-fits-the-crime-an-eye-for-an-eye
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 02:39 Introduction 04:50 I. The Crime, the Punishment, and the Principle. a. Injury from Physical Violence 07:58 b. Injury to Slaves 11:57 c. Injury to Pregnant Women 16:57 d. Injury from Animals 28:07 e. Injury to Animals 30:52 II. The Law of Compensation and the Law of Love 41:49 Closing Prayer 43:59 Reflection Questions
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Just how powerful is the human tongue?
Although the tongue is small and seemingly harmless it can cause destruction akin to arson. What regrets have you had about the words which you have spoken? What have other people said to you that has most built up your life?
Everyone says things they regret, either immediately or eventually. Sometimes these are small slips of the tongue, sometimes they’re life-altering sentences. Interestingly, the Apostle James knew this all too well.
Referring to our speech as “the tongue”, he vividly describes its seemingly limitless destructive powers to scare and warn his readers against the power of the tongue. By placing special emphasis on this facet of human life, he answers questions such as: Just how dangerous can our words be? What makes our speech uniquely deadly? What are its effects, intentional or unintentional?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-power-of-the-tongue
📍 Sermon Outline
00:00 Trailer
01:21 Introduction
03:49 I. ITS POWER IS UNIQUE
15:33 II. ITS POWER IS DESTRUCTIVE
41:01 Closing Prayer
45:35 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
What does the way that God cares for our property reveal about the way that He cares for us?
How valuable would it be if you could read the original Israelite laws for yourself? What would they tell you about how the Israelites lived? What would it tell you about their God? Well, did you know that God wrote a set of laws to govern crimes relating to personal property and we have those laws preserved for us in the book of Exodus!
In this sermon’s text we see the eternally almighty God stoop down to the level of limited, sometimes dishonest, often quarrelsome people. In the details of these laws, we discover a patient, caring, merciful God who’s special notice of His children and their belongings ought to draw us back to Him as that same cognisant heavenly Father today. Far from being a distant, overbearing tyrant, this text demonstrates quite the opposite to be true of our God. Come and see for yourself…
💭 Consider this: What does the way that God cares for our property reveal about the way that He cares for us?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-punishment-deters-the-crime-property-laws
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:24 Introduction 04:53 I. THEFT 11:20 II. NEGLIGENCE 14:46 III. SAFEKEEPING 23:47 IV. BORROWING 25:59 V. WHAT DO GOD’S LAWS REVEAL ABOUT HIM? 35:05 VI. HOW CAN I APPLY THESE PRINCIPLES?
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Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
If there’s a need for teachers, must we really be picky about who teaches?
It's no secret that teachers of God's Word are necessary, but it’s not just any kind of teacher that the church needs. What does God require in and from His teachers? How can we be sure we are meeting those standards? Why is it important for students to also be wary and know these warnings?
While the assumption may be that desire alone qualifies an individual to be a teacher, ignoring any other considerations would only lead to more harm than good. In fact, there is much more to evaluate, starting first with the manifestations of our heart - through our speech.
“Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation”, mustn’t we be discerning?
💭 Consider this: You might not be an official teacher of the Bible, but you do have certain spiritual children whom you are influencing for better or for worse. What kind of impact do you think you are having on them?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/a-warning-to-want-to-be-teachers
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:48 Introduction
08:00 I. THE COMMAND
19:22 II. THE REASON
40:50 Closing Prayer
42:37 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Does the Old Testament’s apparent works-based salvation contradict the New Testament’s faith-based salvation?
While a surface-level reading of both halves of the Bible might lead you to such a conclusion, the Apostle James makes it a point to use the examples of two Old Testament saints to prove his point. As such, true saving faith is always characterised by works, regardless of which side of the cross a person lived. Perhaps most importantly, what does the integrality of our works reveal about God’s divine purpose in our faith?
Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/faith-in-action
Sermon Outline
00:00 Trailer
01:31 Introduction
5:45 I. THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM
28:23 II. THE EXAMPLE OF RAHAB
41:17 Closing Prayer
44:19 Reflection Question
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Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
How can a loving God mandate death penalties in the Old Testament? The justice system established in the Israel of the Old Testament often seems cruel and savage. Because of this, you might be wondering at the plausibility of God being truly merciful and compassionate as the Bible claims. However, as with most apparent biblical impossibilities, this question boils down to our understanding of God’s nature and purposes. Not-so-curiously, today’s judicial systems and institutions evidence marks of the same justice that God once required of His people.
This is the first in a two-part series in which Ps Paul Cheng unfolds the true meaning and application of the phrase “an eye for an eye”, first examining its origin and subsequently its commentary provided by our Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Watch the second part here for the complete picture: coming soon…
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-punishment-fits-the-crime-a-life-for-a-life
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:22 Introduction 07:31 I. INTENTIONAL KILLING - A. MURDER 15:05 I. INTENTIONAL KILLING - B. KIDNAPPING 19:02 I. INTENTIONAL KILLING - C. ABUSING PARENTS 25:45 II. UNINTENTIONAL KILLING 31:24 “The Bible is totally irrelevant for us today!” 34:00 Closing Prayer 35:28 Reflection Questions
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Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
What place does good works have in the Christian faith?
Salvation is by faith alone, not by works. But true faith always manifests as a transformed life in which good works are present.
So, what defines a “good work”? In this sermon, the Apostle James delineates 3 distinct signs of saving faith. Learn about how you can accurately use your works to ascertain your spiritual condition.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/show-me-your-faith-and-i-will-show-you-mine
📍 Sermon Outline
00:00 Trailer
01:26 Introduction
8:17 I. TRUE SAVING FAITH WILL NOT MAKE EMPTY PROFESSIONS
16:02 II. TRUE SAVING FAITH WILL HAVE TRUE COMPASSION
28:24 III. TRUE SAVING FAITH WILL HAVE TRUE CONVICTION
39:24 Closing Prayer
43:03 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Having just delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, why did God let slavery continue?
The slavery established in the nation of Israel was unlike any other nation’s. Free from torture and fear, the Lord ensured His nation would be built upon just practices. But do these laws and passages hold relevance to us today, on this side of the cross? How should we view them as an illustration of our relationship to our own Master, Jesus Christ?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/why-would-god-allow-slavery 00:00 Trailer 02:25 Introduction 10:47 I. IT IS TEMPORAL 14:33 II. IT IS BENEFICIAL 18:22 III. IT PRESERVES MARRIAGE 19:07 IV. IT PROTECTS THE FAMILY 23:02 V. IT PROTECTS THE WOMAN\
29:19 Then, for us, are we slaves? 36:17 Closing Prayer 38:18 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
“Surely, when compared to other sins, partiality can’t be viewed as all that bad, right?” Wrong.
Having warned against the continued prevalence of partiality in the church, the Apostle James further explains why discrimination is much more than a “matter of preference” to be overlooked. Instead, he stresses how such favouritism is a transgression completely contradictory to the nature of the very faith believers profess. Here, the golden rule to love one’s neighbours as one loves themself exposes even the slightest of prejudices as sin against the backdrop of unconditional love.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-sin-of-showing-partiality-part-2
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 02:00 Introduction
07:14 III. THE CONTRADICTION
24:14 IV. THE TRANSGRESSION
43:06 Closing Prayer
44:48 Reflection Questions
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Is your church worshipping biblically? How do you know? Although most Christians might agree on what worship is, we don’t seem to agree on what it should look like and involve. With the myriad of faces of public worship and church life available to Christians today, how do we know which one is, in fact, pleases God? How do you discern which church God is leading you to worship at, or which practice to engage in or withdraw from?
In this sermon, Ps Paul unfolds a few underlying principles God gave to the Israelites concerning their worship of Him, and then seeks to apply this to our modern context so you can worship the Lord with such an understanding in your own local church.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/how-god-wants-us-to-worship-him
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:36 Introduction 03:16 I. THEY SAW, AND THEY BELIEVED 09:29 II. THEY BELIEVED, AND THEY WORSHIPPED 16:34 III. THEY WORSHIP ACCORDING TO GOD’S INSTRUCTION 37:28 Closing Prayer 40:09 Reflection Questions
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Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Grand strides in recent centuries to eliminate prejudice have spawned an era marked by countless social campaigns championing equality. Yet despite these movements, partiality can still rear its ugly head in the church… Though often unnoticeable to others at times, our thoughts, actions, and our hearts are all seen by God. So, what is it about a person that truly matters in God’s eyes? How should we not be “respecters of persons” as our Lord Jesus Christ wasn’t during His ministry on earth?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-sin-of-showing-partiality-part-1
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:17 Introduction 8:37 I. THE PRINCIPLE 20:09 II. THE ILLUSTRATION 38:49 Closing Prayer 41:28 Reflection Questions
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
What’s the point of God’s laws? Are they designed to save us? Or perhaps they’re antiquated and irrelevant for our lives today? How are we supposed to respond to God’s laws when we discover them in His Word? Is there any use in knowing them if Christians are supposedly “free from the law”?
Correctly understood, God’s laws holds the key to salvation; misunderstood, they often leave us confused, frustrated or tragically deluded. The Israelites’ interesting response to the awesome delivery of the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai reveals a lot about how you and I ought to respond to God’s laws.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/the-response-to-the-ten-commandments
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:50 Introduction 03:06 I. THE ATTITUDE OF FEAR 11:47 II. THE NEED FOR A MEDIATOR 33:47 Closing Prayer 35:50 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
The Bible says that covetousness excludes a person from the kingdom of God. Why? Most people treat covetousness as a laughable non-issue. In the eyes of God, however, it is tantamount to idolatry. What makes this virtually invisible sin so uniquely offensive to God? How and why does it wreak havoc on the believer’s life? How can you and I overcome its subtle, twisted grip over us?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/thou-shalt-not-covet
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 02:27 Introduction 06:25 I. COVETOUSNESS IS A MATTER OF THE HEART 08:50 II. COVETOUSNESS BEGINS WITH AN EVIL DESIRE 14:39 III. COVETOUSNESS TAKES CONTROL OF THE HEART 23:10 IV. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO MANY OTHER SINS 33:50 V. HOW TO AVOID COVETOUSNESS 44:57 Closing Prayer 48:30 Reflection Questions
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
There are only two kinds of people in the church: hearers and doers. Which one are you?
The Bible was not intended purely for our listening and reading; it was designed for our living. More than that, a godly believer, by definition, is a doer of His Word, NOT merely a peruser, critique or connoisseur. The Apostle James warns us in no unclear terms, that our appetite must be to DO the will of God - any less than that is dangerously foolishness.
So, what does it mean to be a “doer” of God’s Word? How must it translate into your life? What is the blessing promised to such faithful obedience?
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/be-responsive-to-the-word-of-god
📍 Sermon Outline
00:00 Trailer
01:22 Introduction
4:07 I. BE A DOER
18:26 II. BE NOT DECEIVED
29:10 III. BE BLESSED
36:54 Closing Prayer
39:46 Reflection Questions
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Christians can be the most prolific liars. How so? Lying might seem like the most harmless, insignificant sin mentioned in the Ten Commandments… Why then did God suddenly strike both Ananias and Sapphira dead? What is it about lies that offends God to such an extreme degree? Why does the Apostle John consider some professing Christians liars? How can we be conduits and proponents of the truth and nothing but the truth? 📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/thou-shalt-not-lie 📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:26 Introduction 03:14 I. THE SIGNIFICANCE 05:15 Why telling the truth mattered in biblical times 08:01 II. THE EXAMPLES (why and how do people lie?) 17:54 III. THE CONSEQUENCES (why does God hate lies?) 22:44 The terrifying example of Ananias and Sapphira (how serious lying is) 29:09 IV. THE APPLICATION (3 biblical ways to tell the truth) 39:00 Closing Prayer 40:53 Reflection Questions 📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
Why isn’t the Bible transforming your life? What are the barriers that can prevent a person from receiving God’s Word and hinder its transformative work? Why are they so potent? Did you know that you have a responsibility in taking down your own barriers? Today’s sermon serves as a sort of guide to properly receiving the Word of God into your life. If you want to experience its unhindered power to change your life, just as it has changed the lives of countless men and women throughout all time, these 3 attitudes are key: submission, purity and humility. 📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:40 Introduction 07:58 I. THE WILLINGNESS TO SUBMIT 25:34 II. THE WILLINGNESS TO BE PURE 32:38 III. THE WILLINGNESS TO BE HUMBLE 39:47 Closing Prayer 41:55 Reflection Question
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/be-receptive-to-the-word-of-god
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
"The whole human race is a band of thieves, and if we were to hang all of them, where shall we find enough ropes to hang them all?”
For such a widely unaccepted sin as stealing, can we confidently say we are not guilty? We may be clear on what constitutes an act of theft, but our actual sin may be lying where we least expect it - in our inaction. In this message, Pastor Paul deals with everything that falls under the 8th commandment: what we shouldn’t do, what we should do and how this command is more than “stealing” as we know it. 📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/thou-shalt-not-steal
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:40 Introduction 04:16 I. THE PHYSICAL IMPLICATION (What, exactly, counts as stealing?) 08:16 Have you stolen at work or in business? 11:24 What about at school? 12:38 The most overlooked theft... 14:22 Old Testament punishments for thieves 16:44 II. THE SPIRITUAL IMPLICATION (Why is stealing is sin against God?) 19:18 What is our responsibility? 22:21 How to be a good steward! 25:02 The critical attitude to stewardship 36:53 Closing Prayer 39:04 Reflection Question
📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC
Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.
The problem isn’t the problem. The problem is you’ve forgotten God. When faced with temptations, we often place blame on something or someone else – we might even blame God. But God is never responsible for our sins. How do we know? Today’s passage from James reveals how God’s nature, far from deserving our blame, actually beckons our eternal gratitude… This is what you’ve probably forgotten about God and about yourself. 📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:30 Introduction 06:37 I. WHO GOD IS 18:54 II. WHO WE ARE 35:18 Closing Prayer 38:35 Reflection Question
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-d... 📺 Watch this sermon and others on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BethelBPC Copyright © 2024, Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.