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Pentecostal Church
Sermons
The sermons of Elim Pentecostal Church in York, UK.
Sermon 06112011 The witness of the Spirit, water and blood, and the witness of God.
Nov 7th
This morning Graham looked at 1 John 5:6-12, looking at how the Spirit, water and blood testify of Jesus, but also how God testifies about his son.
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1 John 5:6-12
Intro The turn of the spiral here reminds us of 1:5-2:2. There are repeated words and phrases in this section: “Make God a liar” 1:10; 5:10 “Blood of Jesus” 1:7; 5:6,8 “This is the message” 1:5 “This is the one who came” 5:6
If there is any theme we can recognise here as applying particularly to our time it is the emphasis upon Jesus being unique and supreme over every other possible claimant to the title. This has huge relevance to modern followers of Christ when invited to be part of inter-faith dialogue. Inter-faith and multi-faith are two very different things. Inter-faith is often practised by people from various faiths as they talk together and seek good relationships while maintaining there distinctives and different beliefs (agreeing the disagree). Multi-faith is an idea pressed upon people of faith by those who have no faith. Politicians seem to be those who favour packing us all in the same enclosed and restrictive box. My suggestion is that once the different More >
Sermon 30102011 Our victory is not only in what we do not do, but it is in what we choose to do.
Oct 30th
This morning Graham looked at 1 John 5:4-5, and the victory that can be ours because we know God and he lives in us.
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1 John 5:5-12
Victory
Intro: what it is not
What is this victory? Victory over what?
What this victory is not:
- It is not “How to be a winner”
- It is not “How to be prosperous”
- It is not “How to be successful in life and in business”
- It is not “How to have influence or dominion over others and be the leader you were always meant to be”
Each of these are probably titles of Christian books, sermons or conferences. They are usually peddled by shallow people who cater to self-centred people, with self-centred appetites, while pretending it is the Christian faith. Much of what I have heard form those sorts of places is certainly not Christian. Is a comfort religion. It is an invention of the self-absorbed and prosperous (or those who want to be prosperous) to justify their sub-Christian values.
Reading about one of these preachers I read that he counsels patience, compassion, kindness, generosity and an overall positive attitude. This is familiar to any reader of self-help books. Avoided are the themes of sin, suffering More >
Sermon 23102011 Until Jesus Christ returns in glory, when I shall know fully, even as I am fully known, I am determined to live the transformed life
Oct 24th
This morning Graham spoke on 1 John 4:16-5:5 looking at what this passage says about seeing, believing and knowing.
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1 John 4:16-5:5Intro I have tried to gather things under heading to make it easier to deal with the many themes that appear in this section. This week the headings are Seeing, Believing and Knowing. In case you think you are getting a touch of deja vu, yes it is similar to the headings on 16th Oct when the headings were Knowing, Seeing and Trusting. Once again I need to point out that John does not simply repeat points but seems to go in a spiral, enlarging as he returns to a point. When he revisits a point he tends to amplify upon it either by adding information to it or by the context he places around it.
Verse 21 There are three relationships we have with God:
- With our brother and sister who is each his image.
- By the commandment which is his will.
- Through Love; seen in us as we live out that action and decision we call love.
1) Seeing Verse 20 Loving is connected with seeing, as previously mentioned.
See 1 John 4:12 No-one has ever seen God; but More >
16092011′We know that we live in him and he is us, because he has given us his spirit.”
Oct 16th
This morning Graham looked at 1 John 4: 11-16, looking at how we can know God by his spirit.
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1 John 4:11-18
Knowing, Seeing and Relying
Intro 1 John 4:11-18 The relationship between loving and “remaining”. This is not about security of our salvation but about securing the experience and confidence that we abide in him and he in us.
As I said last week This one of three divisions within the larger section beginning in verse 7.. Each of these sections begin with an appeal to love based upon God’s love: 4:7-10 An appeal to love based on the great act of love, God sending the Son. 4:11-18 The relationship between loving and “remaining”. This is not about security of our salvation but about securing the experience of abiding in him and he in us. 4:19-5:5 The act of love is a means by which we are victorious over the world.
For the sixth and last time the Elder here uses the salutation, “Dear friends.”
1) Knowing Verse 13 “We know” or “In this we know”. This is the sixth time this statement of confident assurance is used.
2:3 that we have known him 3:16 love 3:19 that we are of More >
09102011 Sermon: Steve Jobs died this week. Think of all he accomplished and ask yourself how your accomplishments compare to his
Oct 11th
I continued my series on 1 John. This week we reach the great theme of the action, or activity, described in the scripture as love. In the week that Steve Jobs died and the media has been full of comments on his life and work I invited people to think of all he accomplished and ask to ask themselves how their accomplishments compare to his. I suggested that there is a great difference between what can be accomplished in this life and what makes a difference to eternity.
Standard Podcast [ 29:20 ] Play in Popup | Download 1 John 4:7- 10
Intro Steve Jobs died this week. Think of all he accomplished and ask yourself how your accomplishments compare to his.
I quoted from his Stanford University Commencement address which delivered on June 12, 2005. I predicted it will become popular to be read at funerals for years to come.
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. More >
02102011 Sermon: “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Oct 3rd
This morning Graham looked at 1 John 4:1-4, looking in depth at verse 4 and the difference between the ‘one who is in us’ and the ‘one who is in the world.’
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1 John 4:4
…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world
Intro From last week – The Spirits John is indicated that behind people’s comments or teachings there can be a spiritual influence, and in some cases an actual spirit. In order to assess the truth of a teaching it helps to try and identify its root, where it is coming from. This is as relevant today as it was then.
The Test (a) “Acknowledges” or “confesses”. This is more than agreement with something. See James 2:19; Mark 1:24. It is the belief or conviction that is being communicated. (b) The doctrine. That Jesus has come in the flesh. This is the core doctrine of what is known as the ‘incarnation’. Jesus was the one who had existed from the beginning and was both true God and true man.
I recommended my sermon of 20 Feb 2011, available on yorkelim.com when I taught in some details about the Trinitarian nature More >
25092011 Sermon: Jesus, a man that was born, died, rose, ascended, pleads before the Father, returning again to judge the earth
Sep 26th
Continuing with the series on 1 John. This time we look at the incarnation and why it matters to our present as well as our future. We noted that being seated with Christ ensures our fellowship with God and our authority as believers. To be hid with him ensures our fellowship and our security.
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1 John 4:1-6
Intro – The Spirits John is indicating here that behind people’s comments or teachings there can be a spiritual influence, and in some cases an actual spirit. In order to assess the truth of a teaching it helps to try and identify its root, where it is coming from. This is as relevant today as it was then. The reason is that the battle for ownership of the souls of men and women is still raging.
1) The Test (a) “Acknowledges” or “confesses”. This is more than agreement with something. See James 2:19 Mark 1:24. It is the belief or conviction that is being communicated. (b) The doctrine. That Jesus has come in the flesh. This is the core doctrine of what is known as the ‘incarnation’. Jesus was the one who had existed from the beginning and was both true God and More >
18092011″…receive from him anything we ask.”
Sep 18th
This week Graham continued to look at 1 John 3, looking how we can pray bigger prayers, and receive from God.
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1 John 3:21-24
From last week Cain represents a supposed bloodless route to God. I say “supposed” because there is not other route. No other route leads to the one God, Lord of lords, King of kings. We know we are not of Cain because we (v14) have passed from death to life. And we know we have passed from death to life because we love our brethren.
We are not like Cain, we DO have a route to God – Jesus!
Love Verses 19-20 Assurance when we feel condemnation. Our security does not come from the quality of our lives, but by grace through faith. Assurance of our security results from love with “actions and truth”.
This week – Intro Doctrine We do not know how much doctrine the believers in that community knew. So far in this letter alone we see that to believe in the name of Jesus includes a number of features. It means belief in, and confession of, the following (Adapted from The Pentecostal Commentary on 1 John, John Christopher Thomas):
- Fellowship with the Father includes fellowship with More >
11092011 Sermon: Cain represents man’s way rather than God’s way, man made religion, a supposed bloodless route to God
Sep 12th
Week 17 of the series on the epistles on John. This week is 1 John 3:11-24.
Standard Podcast Play in Popup | Download1 John 3:11-24
Intro In this section we will read of love and hate. We come to the centre, or mid-point, of the letter. Perhaps we could also say we are getting to the heart of the letter as John speaks of love.
The turn of the spiral this time is on the word ‘beginning’, verse 11.
See 1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched— this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
1 John 2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.
1 John 2:13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.
1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him More >
04092011″How great is the love the Father has lavished on us…”
Sep 5th
This morning Graham returned to 1 John to continue the series looking at these letters. After reviewing the end of 1 John 2, he moved on to look at chapter three where it talks about the love that our father God feels for us, his children.
Standard Podcast Play in Popup | Download 1 John 2:28 – 3:10Intro From previous weeks: 1 John 2:24-27 By referring them back he was asking them to remember. It was a way of getting them to discover if they had had an experience. That is why we baptise after a confession of faith, and even that may not be enough.
John’s comments also calls us back to recognise to our first encounter with Christ. It is that that I want to introduce others to, yet often see it replaced by a message of psychotherapy, the me-first code to live by.
This week: This part of the letter from 2:28 to 3:10 is a unit. It begins by referring to believers as being born of God “has been born of him” (2:29) and concludes with the same theme in v10 referring to them being a child of God.
“And now” (2:28) marks the movement from the previous section of the letter. Having More >
