Spirited Word

Adrian Kitson

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By God's Word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit works faith in God's grace in Jesus, when and where he pleases. Sermons by Pastor Adrian Kitson, Lutheran Church of Australia. St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. www.stpetri.org.au

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Who Do You Trust?

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 12 July 2026 As Christians we believe that the Bible is the sacred writings of God himself, as he inspired his chosen authors to write it down. Therefore we often refer to the Bible as “the Word of God”. But the truth is that only Christians believe this. Non-Christians (or ‘not-yet Christians’) do not see the Bible with faith. They only see a very very big book with a lot of ‘stuff’ in it that is hard for them to understand. And since they have no idea how we got this book, they simply put it in the same category as the Sutras of the Buddhists, the Vedas of the Hindus, the Qu’ran of the Muslims, or the Book of Mormon of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Students of three Year 6 classes in a Lutheran school some years ago reinforced the fact that people with no faith, and very little knowledge, see the Bible as an old book that is unreliable, contradictory, out of date and that it must have changed from the original over time. And they believe this even though they have never read the Bible. So when I have a chance to engage with sceptics about Jesus, I don’t start with the gospel. I talk about the Bible and why Christians are so sure that it is the Word of God. Because if it is what it claims to be, then everyone should take it very seriously. I talk about the origins of the Bible and its reliability as a historical record. I want them to understand that Christians don’t close their eyes to history or science. It is a book that is worth a closer look. For if they don’t come to see it as God’s revelation to all people of all ages, they won’t accept they are sinful, or that Jesus came to be the Saviour of the world. The historical story of how the Bible has come to us today is a powerful witness to the God who inspired it. When people at least acknowledge that the Bible has not been altered over the millennia, and that it is no ordinary book, they may begin to take its content and message of salvation more seriously. As one Year 6 student wrote to me after one presentation, “I will never doubt the Bible again.” My hope is that he now trusts in the clear gospel message of Jesus’ love for him. I pray that the message today will help to encourage and strengthen your faith too. Pastor Robert Voigt
8 jul

Which Song Shall We Play?

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 5 July 2026 We come across those well-known words concerning this internal battle we all know and live as God’s people from Paul in Romans 7. We do not do the good we want to do and do the very bad we don’t want to do! There is internal spiritual power at work in our human needs and desires that wage war against our best intentions to live out those good ten commandments and it is frustrating. Paul ends up crying out in frustration. What can save us from this ‘body of death’; these internal desires that the evil one leverages against us to bring out the worst in us? They turn God’s good law into something we want to ignore or hide away from. The very thing God gives to protect us and guide us only ends up accusing and killing us. Will trying harder bring us hope and joy? Will giving up on God and his good will for us do it? Will singing a sad song lamenting our lack of noble character and our endless weakness do it? Will getting on the dancefloor at the wedding and dancing the dark away do it? Paul leads us to the end of ourselves so we can begin with the Lord anew. There is a way to live in the war with hopefulness, meaning and joy. Praying you receive it today. As you prepare for worship you could ponder these thoughts: Lord Jesus, I am weary of... I keep trying to rescue myself by... I hear you inviting me to... Pastor Adrian
1 jul

Augsburg Confession

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 28 June 2026 Today we celebrate something of a uniquely Lutheran story. On July 24th, 1530 the leaders of that first rapidly growing movement of Catholic churches, newly centred on the gospel of Jesus as the only way to be made new in the grace of God (evangelical/gospel centred churches), got to speak that faith in full public view before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the fair city of Augsburg, Germany. Their 28 part confession of their foundational beliefs, that were drawn straight from the existing catholic and biblical faith became known as the Augsburg Confession, and became the basic and foundational confession of faith for all people in Lutheran communities around the world. We are part of that confession, and we have Bishop Andrew Brook bringing the Word to us this day. May the Lord sure up our confession of faith so we bear his name well where he has placed us and God's love comes to life in more people in the community to which we are sent. Pastor Adrian
24 jun

Faith In Fear

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 21 June 2026 There is no doubt that everyone lives with varying fears. Jesus makes it very clear to his sent followers that fear will always be, even though they know him and have his promises for life beyond all fears. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that we don’t have to deal with all kinds of threats, conflicts, splits, and danger to body, mind and spirit. It can sound a bit depressing. ‘Taking up this cross’ of faith in this kind of fear and suffering does not sound too positive! Then again, what would you prefer: fake promises of easy street living or honest truthful words about how things really are? In this word of Jesus about the difficulties we face as his sent people in a hostile world, there is a higher message; a main message. Three times Jesus says it: ‘Do not fear’. I am not sure what you are facing and fearing at the moment but his word to you is “Do not fear”. He backs it up with an honest assessment of what we fear, what we face and how he enables us to remain hope-filled and faithful to his call. May you receive his call and his assurance in anything you fear. Pastor Adrian
18 jun

Sent

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 14 June 2026 We call ourselves ‘sent ones’ because that is what we are named in Matthew’s gospel today. Being named ‘sent ones’ raises that topic of ‘evangelism’ or ‘mission’. If there are two words that seem to create maximum guilt and/or fear in a church-person's heart, they are them! But, today will be encouraging. We are sent for sure, but with no need of guilt and no fear of results. For the first and only time in his telling of what he witnessed around Jesus, he names the followers of Jesus now becoming his ‘sent ones. There is a definite plan here. Jesus, like any teacher has a method of teaching his people that will serve his mission and bring his vision of life to life. Our text today marks one of those major shifts in training. The disciples are being sent out. Jesus’ mission to call all people to himself takes an expansive step. And why is Jesus stepping up the training? Compassion. He sees the community as being harassed and scattered and he knows there is so much more for people and he is ready to harvest, ready to gather. May Jesus gather you and send you as his sent person free from guilt or fear. Pastor Adrian
10 jun

Mercy

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 7 June 2026 We enter into the long time of learning the Way of Jesus in this time after Pentecost. First cab off the rank today is that moment when Matthew is called to follow Jesus. It must have been quite a surprise to Matthew, and to the two groups of people witnessing all this. There would have been people who never thought the mercy of God would get close to someone like this ostracised disliked man, Matthew. He was definitely a sinner with big sins for all to see. Every day he strengthened the oppression of the community under brutal rule of the Empire by taking taxes from the local community and then pocketing some of the tax money for his own life project. Some of the them would have marvelled at this flagrant mercy extended to such an obviously bad person with such big sins. Others would have been very upset that mercy like this should ever be extended to someone like that. Jesus does this mercy-act of calling Matthew and then deals with the eyebrow raising it caused – the good and the bad. To the bad people who are sensing joy that God could be this full of mercy to such a bad person (like they know they are), and to the good people who are deeply offended and angered that someone so bad could be treated as good (like they believe they have earned to be), Jesus reveals the heart of God. I desire mercy, not sacrifice Acknowledgement not burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6) May you know the heart of God for you this morning. Pastor Adrian
3 jun

Holy Trinity

Send us Fan Mail Sunday 31 May 2026 “To Whom Will You Compare Me? Who Is My Equal?” That’s the question God asked his people in Isaiah 46. He had cared for them before they were born and had promised to care for them “until your hair is white with age”. And the people had seen God’s power at work countless times in their history. They survived in the land of heathen people only because the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, loved and cared for them, no matter how many times they rebelled against him. But they constantly turned to gods of stone and wood – to the man-made gods of the nations around them. WHY? There are many reasons, but I think one of the main ones is that the Israelites wanted a god they could understand - and manipulate. The gods were made in their own image, and so the character of each idol was similar to their own. These false gods could be bribed and they operated by set, strict rules – all determined by humans of course. And they could be seen, touched and kept close. Archaeology has found thousands of these idols to prove this point. By contrast the people could not see God or get close to him. He remained a complete mystery and could not be cajoled or bribed to do anyone’s will. Even though God remained faithful and served the people with grace and justice, they wanted something concrete to hang on to. Today we still have a mystery about God that only became a little clearer in the New Testament. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Bible never uses the word TRINITY but it’s the only word we humans can find to even begin to explain God. But that brings us to the same temptation as the Israelites. We want to see, touch, smell, and know God. We find it so hard to embrace mystery – to accept that God has revealed all we need to know about him in the person of Jesus. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?” (John 14:9). So how might our awesome, mysterious, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, three-Persons-in-One God want us to respond today to his questions above? Pastor Robert Voigt
27 mei

Pentecost Sunday - Grace Gifts

Send us Fan Mail 24 May 2026 It is Pentecost Sunday. We remember that first astonishing coming of the Spirit that set in motion a vast global and timeless new creation community, of which we are a part. This is the victorious King Jesus now ascended to his throne of grace sharing the spoils of his victory. Praise the Lord! It is not always easy to rejoice in other people’s giftedness. The temptation is to get ahead by being super-competitive, or opt out and miss out on or feel inferior even though you do have your own gifts. How can we freely accept and enjoy other people’s gifts and not dismiss our own, but thank God for them all? Paul speaks into that today. We are back in that rather interesting Christian community in Corinth as we hear Paul responding to their questions, and their troubles with the many spiritual gifts they seem to have received. They don’t seem to be doing a good job on handling these gifts. There is that old human problem of comparison, competition and therefore, conflict leading to faction within the Body. Never good. We will hear some home truths about who we are and who God is and what those gifts he gives actually are – all grace. We might also ponder how we are going when it comes to feeling inferior or superior in terms of gifts. Paul is pretty clear that the main thing about any spiritual gift is not so much the gift itself, but what the gift proclaims about the Giver of those gifts. Pastor Adrian

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By God's Word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit works faith in God's grace in Jesus, when and where he pleases. Sermons by Pastor Adrian Kitson, Lutheran Church of Australia. St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. www.stpetri.org.au

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