Many things are happening in the world, these days. They may frighten us. We may wonder what we can do about these things and where this will all lead. Yet sometimes we feel we cannot do so much. We may wonder: what is God doing? The heart of the Christian faith is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not primarily something that we have to do, or something that God may or should do today. The Gospel informs us about something marvelous and extraordinary that God has already done for us. He sent his Son into this world, to obtain the greatest victory ever. He gave his Son, the Savior, as a gift, that through Jesus we might have eternal life, joy, peace and hope. Christ ransoms us from a perishing world for the world that is too come.
We may receive this gift for free, by faith. Yet, we may wonder, what does this practically imply for my everyday life?
In this sermon, we continue to read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We see that Christ equips believers with a variety of gifts. On the way, during our lives, we may learn to happily use what we received to serve others. And to receive and benefit from what Christ has given to others so that they may build us up as well.
You are so welcome to join and to learn more!
Last Tuesday the new season of the Dutch parliament started with the king’s speech. The speech started with a reference to the achievements of the Dutch athletes at the Summer Olympics. We may be a tiny country, yet we may be proud of what we have achieved and can achieve – the message was something like that. It is a very common thing to base your identity on what you perform and achieve. However, there is a huge risk in that. What is your value, once you are not able to achieve so much? Are those who achieve much more than others of greater value than those who hardly seem to contribute anything? Thinking in worldly ways can easily creep into the minds of Christians, creep into the church and lead to dissension and trouble.
We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4:1-16). All Christians receive a portion and gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet, not all receive the same portion – says Paul in verse 7. Such a difference, not only as regards the kinds of gifts, but even as regards the amount of giftedness might easily lead to trouble. Either to boasting and pride, or to envy, to jealousy. It seems to make unity among Christians hard, if not impossible. The difficult and important question is why Christ does not distribute equal amounts of spiritual gifts. The answer Paul gives in this passage is – as we will see – perfectly satisfying and most encouraging.
You are so welcome to join and to learn more.
In the beginning of a new season we all need strength. Strength to be able to accomplish our tasks and to thrive. Yet, not only whether or not we are able to succeed matters. The way and manner wherein we do things also matters. Matters a lot. And for that we also need strength.
Upcoming Sunday we continue to read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4:1-6). We learn that the first characteristic of the Christian life is and should be humility. In Paul’s time, humility was not seen as a virtue, but as a vice. Maybe that is still the same. However, we will see in this Sunday sermon how beautiful and attractive true, Christian humility is. Also, why it so necessary, though we find it hard. Last but not least, also how one might obtain and exercise this humility.
You are most welcome to join and listen to this service and to learn more.
For many in the end of August a new seasons is starting. A new year of your studies, work, maybe even a whole new period in your life. That may feel exciting, but also (a bit) threatening. Can I make it? Where do I find the strength?
In this Sunday sermon we read a small passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:14-21), where Paul prays for strength for the Christians at Ephesus. He knows that they live in a world wherein godliness is far from easy. Yet through his prayer the Spirit of God has strengthened both them and many ever since.
May we receive the same, in this sermon, when we explore this empowering prayer. You are so welcome to join and learn more!
The feeling that you are a bit an outsider as regards the people of God, the saints and the Gospel, is not uncommon. You can think of others as those who are the real saints, the real believers and hence the right ones to make the Gospel known to others. Upcoming Sunday we read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (3:1-13). We will see how Paul also received it all as a gift, by grace, once he was an outsider himself. We will read that he regarded himself as `the least of all the saints’. Yet, just as the riches of the Gospel first were made known to him personally and then he was entrusted with the task to make it known, so also the church of Ephesus and all believers may first receive the fulness thereof and then they will also be used to make it known. We encourage you to hear more and to see how this is relevant for you as well.
In new situations, we have to adapt. Though the situation is new, we may be inclined to act in accord with what we were used to, rather than in accord with what is appropriate now. Everyone who comes to true faith in Jesus Christ, finds himself or herself in a totally new situation. You are born of God. Part of God’s family, God’s people. Spiritually you have been made alive. By Jesus’ blood you have received God’s forgiveness, peace and adoption. Now, you are the Spirit’s project. You are being built into a temple, fit for God’s own dwelling place. We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and we explore about what the peace that God has given to us, means and implies for us. We read Ephesians 2:11-22.
Always, when you go to a Bible-believing church, you will hear, again and again, the word `Grace’. And you will hear `by grace we are saved’. But what does this mean? This Sunday we looked at that. The children stayed in the service, so the preaching was for them as well, for all ages. Though the message of grace on the one hand is not complicated and though a child can understand it, we are seeing that nowhere there are more misunderstandings, than around this point: what grace is all about. We read Ephesians 2:1-10.
Do you live as may be expected of a Christian?
This may be a hard question for you. Either, because you are aware that in some areas you don’t. Or, because you find it hard to know what it would look like in your daily life to live as a Christian. Upcoming Sunday we start a new sermon series: `Encouraged with the Ephesians’. Paul wrote a letter, fully aware that for the Ephesians it was hard to live as Christians and that they also needed a clearer understanding of what the Christian life looks like. The purpose of the letter is both to empower and to equip the Ephesians, so that they may live the life and the identity that they have received. We are reading Ephesians 1:1-14 and we will discover why Paul chose to open his letter with these words of praise.
Do you pray for others? Probably most of us do. Are others praying for you? Probably also. Do you know what others are praying for you? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. Sometimes it is good, not only that people pray for you, but also that you hear and know what they are praying. We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He wanted the Ephesian Christians to know why he was praising God for them. We explored about that in last sermon. In this sermon we will hear what Paul prayed for the Ephesians and why he wanted that they heard his prayer.
We know that Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus. But read the accounts about the resurrection and you will see that it is also about the resurrection of Jesus’ disciples. The resurrection account forms the end of the Gospel-record. But the account is not just a happy end to the story. The account forms the start of something new. Something that is still going on. People who rise up through the risen one.
Inclusion is one of the main cultural themes today. How terrible is exclusion! Almost at the start of the Bible we read a story about exclusion. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were excluded from that wonderful garden, called paradise. Not only Adam and Eve experienced exclusion from God and in the end also from life, but the whole of humanity.
Even God’s own people, while they were in Egypt were outside God’s promised land. How could they, how could we ever, ever get back to the lost paradise, the promised land that we all long for? In the midst of the five books of Moses we find a book that deals with that problem: Leviticus. In the midst of that book, we find the high priest, reconciling men with God on the day of atonement. In the midst of the first five books of the New Testament we find a book where many outsiders, people who were excluded, come into the picture: Luke’ Gospel. And surprisingly enough, through faith in Jesus they find inclusion! In the end of the Gospel we see amazing things. We see that Jesus, as the great High Priest, offers his life and is excluded to bring the ultimate day of atonement. And as a result, we see that even a great criminal, just before he would die, is welcomed by Jesus in paradise.
Put to the test, things become visible that were invisible before. In the harbour two ships may look alike. But in the storm the one turns out to be seaworthy, whereas the other isn’t - and perishes. Are you ready to be put to the test by your Maker? If all men were like you, would the world become a better place? Upcoming Sunday we will see that when Jesus had arrived at Jerusalem and when the Passover feast began, everyone would be put to the test. It turned out that the only one with no guilt was Jesus. We will learn how through Jesus we can be redeemed of guilt and can get ready for God’s ultimate test.
Someone said that the conversations Jesus had in the gospels were average less than a minute. But they had a huge impact! How can we have short encounters with greater impact? We will look at three things that can help us increase our impact with short encounters we have with people in our daily lives.
How precious is peace. And how sad is war. You don't want to see your city, your country ruined by war and violence. If it happens to your own country, you cry. When Jesus came into the world, he was announced by the angels as the bringer of peace on earth. But when he finally arrived at Jerusalem, also called `the city of peace', he foresaw Jerusalem's grim future. And he wept. Jerusalem needed Jesus to have peace. And so do we. Reject Jesus and all the things you expect peace from will finally fail. Receive and hold fast to Jesus and although all things may seem to fail you, you will see you have lasting peace.
'Mind the gap'. When you enter the London tube, you hear these words everywhere. The Bible also contains a message to mind a certain gap. A gap that can be bridged, but also a gap that makes people stumble and fall. A gap that has to do with the way we do, or do not, spend our money.
`Human kind, a hopeful history' - is the title of a bestselling book by a Dutch author. According to this author, most people are okay. The book aims to give reasons to feel better about the human race. However, even if most people would be okay, then what about the rotten apple that spoils the barrel? Upcoming Sunday, we read the story from Luke's Gospel about a man named Zacchaeus. His name means righteous, but according to the people in Jericho, he was the rotten apple. When Jesus visited Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. And Jesus saw, stayed overnight with and saved Zacchaeus.
What do you do when someone falsely accuses you? Or when someone asks you for help for the umpteenth time? Jesus’ lessons are often demanding, but the reward is great. If you do as Jesus says, you will be children of the Most High
Many of us have things we want to grow in. For instance in knowledge, abilities and skills. Without these we might not be able to acquire the future we dreamed of. Have you ever thought of the necessity of becoming kind and growing in kindness? Upcoming Sunday we read a famous story, told by Jesus – about the good Samaritan. And we will learn more about the necessity of and the way to grow in kindness.
We live in a polarised world. People differ largely from each other in many ways. Often people who differ so largely hardly meet each other in person. Jesus sent his disciples not only to people who were like them, but also to people who were unlike them. For instance to Samaritans. And that would not always be easy. Neither is it today.
We live in a very visual time in history. While there are still some areas of the world relatively unaffected by internet images, the vast majority of the world population lives in a society or culture deeply influenced by video and images. The almost instantaneous spread of images around the world and from pole to pole is characteristic of contemporary society. A photograph or video can be posted on the internet, and within hours or even minutes be viewed by millions of people.
Rapid visual communication is not necessarily a bad thing, but increasingly images are not serving the truth. Well before television, computers and the internet the American writer Mark Twain said, “a lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” He might have rephrased that had he lived with the nanosecond speed of the internet. It was a ridiculous exaggeration in his day. Now not so much. In the time it takes me to tie my shoes an image can probably fly around the world dozens of times.
Images have the power to bypass reason, logic and thoughtful reflection and directly touch emotions. An entire image can be taken into our brains instantaneously, and immediately impact feelings. The old expression, “seeing is believing” often comes into play with catastrophic effects. If an image is not placed in context by truthful words or is distorted by subtle manipulative techniques it becomes far too easy for people to believe lies. Often words are not even needed; an image is enough to trigger the belief in a lie.
Audibly hearing words is fundamentally different. Of course, lies are expressed in words and words are routinely manipulative, but audible words are taken in one at a time, in a series and gives more time for reflection and discernment.
In our current sermon series from the Gospel of Luke I hope you have heard the repeated call to listen, to hear, and to believe. The good doctor Luke has emphasized hearing the words of truth throughout his gospel. We have been challenged to listen for the voice of God as we “rewire” our brains to better hear, more keenly understand, and ever deeper believe His voice in order to respond in genuine faith in Christ.
