Sermons / Talks

Recent Sermons

• Sunday, 16 January 2022

  Who makes up the Church?

  from Bernard Gabbott

  In Hebrews 12, we are given five descriptions of the members of God’s church. All turn, as we dig into God’s word, on something God has done for these people, and nothing depends on what they have contributed. It all turns on the mercy and love of God that moves him to intervene in the lives of dead people (us, because of our sins!) to make them living people (by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus alone!). Church membership is an act of God – by love and mercy, through Jesus Christ. And it is displayed, publicly, vocally, practically – it is never hidden, sporadic, private, hypothetical, or apathetic.

• Sunday, 9 January 2022

  Who Builds the Church?

  from Bernard Gabbott

  Psalm 5:4-6 states very clearly – and this is consistent across God’s word – that the sinner cannot stand in the presence of God. So, the question of ‘Who builds the church?’ becomes the question, ‘Who can deal with my/our sin so that we can gather before God?’ The answer to that is very clearly Jesus. And this means that the heart of church is the good news of Jesus – the one who comes to heal the sick, bind up the broken, give rest to the weary, by dealing with our sin.

• Sunday, 2 January 2022

  What is the Church?

  from Bernard Gabbott

  The Bible uses many metaphors for church—body, bride, vine, building, pillar/foundation, household. All of them capture the idea of a community gathered—none of these metaphors work in a ‘broken’ sense. Moreover, there is no other community like ‘church’ in this world. It is a community that expresses something eternal, that is eternal, and which lives in this world. It is our eternal community. It is the community we will always be a part of.