Christ Church Selly Park

Christ Church Selly Park

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Christ Church Selly Park sermons

3d ago

Love must be sincere

Chris Turner | Romans 12:9-16 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. As Chris explains, there are enough commands in this passage for many sermons, but he chooses to focus on that opening phrase. What does sincere love really look like? Chris has some illustrations from ordinary life - because this is supposed to be the everyday experience of the church. The recording begins with the reading from Pat Clayton.
Oct 25

We form one body

Allan Bartlam | Romans 12:3-8 I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. Paul uses the timeless analogy of the human body to represent the church; Allan adds the more contemporary image of a jigsaw puzzle. Either way, every piece is valuable, unique and has a vital role to play. Allan explains how this should work out in practical service that each of us can undertake. The recording begins with the reading from Susan Mole. After Allan speaks, Pat Clayton adds a few words about safeguarding and how this, too, forms part of our loving service.
Oct 18

True and proper worship

Bobbie Frere | Romans 12:1-2 | Isaiah 58:1-10 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. ‘Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.’ What is worship, and how do we know whether we are doing it as God wants? So we begin our series Foundations of faith focusing on the basics of our Christian life. As Bobbie explains, worship is far more than singing, joining in services or even anything to do with church. She has some practical tests we can apply and pointers to ways of learning to see ourselves and the world in a more godly way. The recording includes the readings from Pat Clayton. The talk includes a couple of references to harps: the significance is that some of the songs that morning were accompanied by a harp. Also, Bobbie mentions her own personal circumstances; suffice to say that we all share her gratitude that she has lived much longer than once seemed probable. The LICC article Bobbie refers to in her talk can be found here. Resources for the Foundations of faith series, including questions for discussion and reflection, are on our website at christchurchb29.org/foundations.
Oct 11

No pain, no gain

Nigel Hand | Acts 15:36-16:5 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. It looked like a disaster. The dream team of Paul and Barnabas was broken as each dug in on a point of principle. Yet, as Nigel points out, one mission team turned into two and, later, new leaders were drawn into ministry. Today, as then, conflict and other difficulties may make the road longer but can still lead to greater growth. The recording begins with the reading from Judy Hand.
Oct 4

Keep right on till the end of the road

Nigel Hand | Acts 14:21-28 [Paul and Barnabas] preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts is a mixture of riots and revivals, says Nigel, and Paul and Barnabas were in the thick of it. They headed back to their home church in Antioch, passing through cities where their preaching had led many to faith but also brought them violent rejection. They took the time and trouble to form the new believers into churches and set them on the path to continued growth. As Nigel reminds us, the Christian life isn’t just about the spectacular but, rather, a long walk of obedience. The recording begins with the reading from Simon Jones.
Sep 27

The gospel accepted and rejected

Bishop Maurice Sinclair | Acts 13:50-14:20 | Matthew 13:44-46 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to ill-treat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel. [Jesus said,] ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.’ What motivated so many who heard Paul and Barnabas’s preaching to reject their message? And what caused some to accept it with joy? As Bishop Maurice reminds us, we face similar obstacles today, but the gospel message still brings joy and we are called to keep on proclaiming it faithfully. The recording begins with the readings from John Davies.
Sep 20

A sermon worth hearing

Chris Turner | Acts 13:13-43 [Paul said,] ‘Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent… We tell you the good news: what God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.’ If you could preach just one sermon, asks Chris, what would it be? Paul, given the opportunity to speak to a mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles, proclaims God’s purpose through all of history: to offer forgiveness and freedom to everyone through Christ. In a world that seems out of control, will we hold on to the promises of God? The recording begins with the reading from Alison Cooper.
Sep 13

Mission Possible

Allan Bartlam | Acts 12:24-13:12 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. With these few words begins the account of Paul’s extensive missionary journeys. As Allan explains, we don’t know just how the Holy Spirit spoke to the church at Antioch, but in obedience, they gave up their best teacher and best pastor in order to spread the gospel further afield. On their journey, Barnabas and Paul encountered both opportunity and opposition. Will we in our day pray to be more of a sending church? The recording begins with the reading from Dee Lucking.

Christ Church Selly Park sermons

Creator

Christ Church Selly Park
Years Active

2019 - 2026
Episodes

100
Rating

Clean
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Christ Church Selly Park