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Showing posts with label darkness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label darkness. Show all posts

Saturday, 28 September 2019

'LIVING AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT'

Rev. Jonathan Griffiths

by Rev. Jonathan Griffiths                           
Senior Pastor, The Metropolitan Bible Church,  Ottawa, ON.
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PODCAST for Sunday, August 29th,  2019
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Broadcast Title:

  "Living as children of light"
 
Reference passage: Ephesians 5:8-20   (NIV)
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Rev. Jonathan Griffiths


2176 Prince of Wales Dr, Nepean, ON K2E 0A1

Phone: (613) 238-8182
www.metbiblechurch.ca/

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

Saturday, 10 August 2019

'JESUS TRULY DIES'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair
by Rev. Canon George Sinclair                           
 Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
 www.messiahchurch.ca 

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Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday,   
August 11th, 2019 
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This week's broadcast is the sermon I gave at Church of the Messiah. 
The sermon was called "What is Truth?" 
 It is part of my series, "Knowing Jesus: John's Intimate Biography."

"Jesus Truly Dies"
  
Today’s Reading:  John 19:16b-42  (ESV)
16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.[a] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
“They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

The Death of Jesus

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Jesus Is Buried

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[b] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds[c] in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes:

  1. John 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
  2. John 19:39 Greek him
  3. John 19:39 Greek one hundred litras; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams

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NOTES:
Knowing Jesus: John’s Intimate Biography
Jesus Truly Dies
The Great Exchange

  1. John emphasizes that Jesus truly died.
  2. John emphasizes that Jesus’ death fulfilled many prophesies.
  3. John emphasizes that it was Jesus’ enemies who unwittingly acted to fulfill the prophesies about Jesus.
  4. If Jesus died and that is it. Life is just unredeemable tragedy.
  5. Those watching Jesus die saw the death of a problematic man. God wants us to know that we are really seeing fairy tale and myth become known fact.
  6. John tells us that it was Life, Love, and Light that created all things. When we turned from God, we turned away from God to death, hatred, indifference, and darkness. Jesus is God among us, not as a tourist, but as a substitute. So to deliver us, He bore our death, hatred, indifference and darkness on the cross.
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Rev. Canon George Sinclair
Church of the Messiah
George Sinclair George is the Lead Pastor at Church of the Messiah.
More about George Sinclair
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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:
 

Sunday, 10 February 2019

'DID GOD REALLY SAY?'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair
by Rev. Canon George Sinclair                           
 Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
 www.messiahchurch.ca 

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Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday,   
February 10th, 2019 
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Did God really say?
  

The broadcast today is a shortened version of a longer sermon I gave at Church of the Messiah, Ottawa. You can listen to it at messiahchurch.ca - go to Sermons. This sermon is part of my series, "Knowing Jesus: John's Intimate Biography."
(http://messiahchurch.sermons.io/sermons/did-god-really-say)

Today’s Reading:  John 12:31-50 (ESV)

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

The Unbelief of the People

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
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NOTES:
1a. Outside of God’s grace, your heart, mind, and conscience will be overtaken by darkness.
1b. When you continually choose a hard heart, the Lord will eventually harden your heart.
1c. Your love of people’s praise, respect and honour will move you farther and farther from Jesus and deeper and deeper into darkness.
2a. Every aspect of your salvation in Jesus Christ is from Him.
2b. There is no part of your salvation that you can take credit for (allowing you to expect praise from others and/or look down on others).
2c. When you believe in Jesus, He gives you eternal life and re-makes you into a son or daughter of light. 
 Prayer:
Father, turn our hearts to Jesus. Help us to recognize how our love of the praise and honour and respect of human beings can keep us from you. Father, make us disciples of Christ who are gripped by the Gospel, learning to like for your glory. In Jesus’ name; Amen.
 
Rev. Canon George Sinclair
Church of the Messiah
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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link: