Category Archives: Sermon

Posted on

“Amazed!”, Acts 8.9-25

A sermon for the Watford Church of Christ

“What amazes you?”

  • The possibility of the amazing is what keeps us looking forward
  • The possibility of the amazing is what keeps us optimistic
  • The possibility of the amazing is what keeps us faithful
  • People who lose the possibility of the amazing lose the life for which they were designed

What helps and what gets in the way?
Some ideas from this passage…..Acts 8:9–25

Here’s the Acts8.9-25 Handout

Question: What is amazing in this passage?

1. Philip’s courage
2. John’s change, Luke 9:51–56
3.Stephen’s changes
4. Apostles’ calmness and imperturbability

Question: What stops us being amazed & amazing others about God?

  • When all said and done, it is not a what, but a who is amazing.
  • And one is more amazing that all others.
  • And he has inspired more amazing things than anyone who has ever lived.
  • Jesus is the most amazing person who ever lived

“The people were amazed at his teaching, … and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” (Mark 1:22; 6:2; 7:37; 10:26; 11:18 NIV11)

How do we get the strength/courage? Matt 28.20
From presence and spirit of Jesus.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“The Kingdom” Class 2

Lesson for the Thames Valley churches of Christ

“The kingdom of heaven is like….” (Matt 13.24; 31, 33, 44, 45, 45, 47, 18.23; 20.1; 22.2)

“The community or people ruled by God and with whom he dwells, to some extent reality now but to be fully consummated in the future”

Kingdom Class 2 Handout

The Kingdom Class 2 Slides

1. “Your kingdom come”

  1. Present with Jesus
    1. “..if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28 NIV11)
    2. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20)
    3. “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matthew 21:31 NIV11)
    4. Date:
  2. Coming soon
    1. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28 NIV11)
    2. ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (Luke 11:2 NIV11)
    3. Date:
  3. Coming in the future
    1. ““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of  the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
    2. “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” (Luke 13:28)
    3. Date:

2. The character of the kingdom

  • Question: “What does this parable tell you about the character of the kingdom? It’s values, it’s nature, it’s priorities?”
        • Parables: Matthew 13:24–30; 31–32; 33; 44; 45–46; 47–50; 18:23–35; 22:1–14; 24:51–25:13; 14–30; :31–46; Luke 18:15–17

Response

Thank you for watching this video. You can find more episodes on the YouTube site.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“How to have a harvest of joy”, Acts 8.1-8

A sermon for the Thames Valley churches of Christ

“How to have a harvest of joy”

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralysed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:1–8 NIV11)

“God places the best things in life on the other side of terror”

Question: What examples of courage do you see in this passage?

  • Joy’s significance
    • “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10 NIV1)
    • “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (Matthew 28:8 NIV11)
  • God is joyful; Jesus is full of joy; the Holy Spirit provides joy…
    • “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Luke 10:21 NIV11)
    • “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17 NIV11)
    • “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22 NIV11)
    • “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thess 1:6)
    • Therefore makes sense to pursue joy. How?

Questions

  • Where does courage comes from? Matthew 28.20.
  • What would living faithfully courageously look like in your life?
  • Where do you need more joy?

Three steps to faith-fuelled courage and joyful living:

  • Jesus
  • Open
  • Yes
  • People filled with joy attract others
  • A church filled with joy attracts others

“God places the best things in life on the other side of terror”

Here’s the PDF of the handout: Acts8.1-8 Handout TV

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.
Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.
God bless, Malcolm
PS: If you would like some coaching in spiritual disciplines, look me up here.
PPS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John
Posted on

“The Kingdom”: Class 1

A lesson for the Thames Valley churches of Christ

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”
(Matthew 4:23 NIV11)

What is the Gospel?
Matthew 4:23
If Jesus talked about kingdom, so should we, and we should think about it.

1. What does the OT reveal?
Daniel 2:44
Daniel 7:13–14
Matt 28:17–20

2. What did Jesus say?
Mark 1:14–15
Luke 4:43
Dynamic
Luke 11:19–20
Focus
Character: Matthew 13:24
Imminence: Luke 9:27, Luke 9:61–62

3. What does it mean?
Theories
Purely personally internal
Future
The hour of a person’s decision
Mythical symbol
Present with / in Jesus
Kingdom present functioning as precursor to coming perfected kingdom
Acts 1:6
“The community or people ruled by God and with whom he dwells, to some extent reality now but to be fully consummated in the future”

4. When is it coming?
Luke 19:11
Luke 17:20–21
Matthew 12:28
Luke 1:32–33

5. How can I participate?
John 3:5

6. What should be my response?
Enjoy the abundant (eternal) life now
Receive kingdom / receive eternal life
Matthew 19:16
Matthew 19:23
John 5:24

Through death of self
Luke 18:17
Luke 9:23
Not self-centred denial
But, Christ-centred denial

Leading to eternal impact
Matthew 24:14
Message
Mission
Motive

Thank you for watching this video. You can find more episodes in our feed. Our web site is http://www.tvcoc.org.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: tvcochrist@gmail.com.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“Yertle the Turtle and King Jesus”

Sermon for the Thames Valley churches of Christ

What do you think it would be like to be king or queen?

Questions
What was the King Turtle’s problem?
What did he get wrong?
What did he forget? How did the others feel?
Was Jesus a king?
What kind of king was he?
What was he like as a king?

What did Jesus say about being “in charge”?

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,” (Matthew 20:26 NIV11)

How did Jesus become a king?

“They twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.” (Matthew 27:29 NIV11)

We love Jesus because he is a king who died so we could live.
We follow him because he is a king who serves us.
His example inspires us to serve one another, to die to ourselves for the sake of others.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“The source of joy” Acts 8.1-8

Sermon for the Watford church of Christ

Do you have a joy-filled life, or a joy-less life? Joy is vital in a healthy marriage, family and friendship. Why is it so elusive? We learn in this lesson how to find joy – via courage.

Question: what examples of courage do you see in Acts 8.1-8?

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10 NIV1)

“So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (Matthew 28:8 NIV11)
God is joyful; Jesus is full of joy; Holy Spirit provides joy…

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said…” (Luke 10:21 NIV11)

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17 NIV11)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22 NIV11)

“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV11)

Therefore makes sense to pursue joy…
How?
Through courageous acts inspired by the love of God.

Summary:

  • Jesus provides access to God’s joy.
  • He designed us for joy.
  • We need courage.
  • When we live courageously people notice and listen – then they, too, have access to the joy

Where does courage come from?
Not knowledge Jesus rose from dead; God exists; going to be with God forever when die etc.
Instead, it comes from knowing Jesus is alive, walking with us, accompanying us; keeping his promises; Matt 28 – “I am with you”.
Jesus is with me now, present, involved, immanent, attentive, listening, available for me now, interceding for me now, hearing my prayers now, sustaining me, strengthening me.
This gives us courage.
Joy comes partly from courage expressed, but partly because of knowing I have lived something fundamental to being a Christian – living by faith, trusting in Jesus.

Where do you need more joy?
That’s the same place you need more courage.
Courage first – then joy will follow.
Three steps to faith-fuelled courage and joyful living:

1. Jesus: trust he is with you
2. Open: to new ideas
3. “Yes”: say “yes” to new opportunities for courage

People who have joy attract others
Who would you rather be with?
Cannot fix some situations, but can fix courage.
If have courage, will have joy, will not mind situations so much!
And…others benefit

A church which filled with joy attracts others.

You can find more videos on our YouTube channel. Our web site is www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

The connection between courage and joy, Acts 8.1-8

I’m preaching soon on Acts 8.1-8, and noticing a connection between courage and joy. Could you help me in my sermon preparation by sending me your reflections on the connection between courage and joy? I’d be very grateful.

“And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralysed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:1–8 NIV11)

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

God bless, Malcolm

PS: If you would like some coaching in spiritual disciplines, look me up here. 

PPS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John

Posted on

“Pay Attention!”, Acts 7

Thames Valley churches of Christ

When we pay attention we notice what God is doing. When we don’t pay attention we miss out. We explore the lessons on paying attention from Acts chapter 7.

 

Slides can be accessed here: Acts7 Slides.

Context:

  • Charge One: Stephen is anti-temple
  • Charge Two: Stephen is anti-law
  • Summary: Jesus wants to destroy the temple and the law

Summary:

  • You seek to preserve a law you have not obeyed and protect a temple in which God does not dwell
  • You have made an idol of the very law which forbids idols.
  • You killed the people God sent to help you – including the most recent one
  • Your pride has blinded you and deafened you to what God did and is doing
  • You don’t keep the law and you dishonour the temple by making it an idol

How to notice: Three ‘A’s

1. Agony
2. Anxiety
3. Anger

Mistakes to avoid:

1: Don’t reject God’s messenger
2: Don’t restrict God influence
3: Don’t resist God’s calling

How to respond:

  • Open heart, mind
  • Listen to truth
  • Act in faith

Don’t miss out on the adventure!

People who pay attention live with faith, hope, zeal, wake up eager, pray with expectation

If you don’t pay attention you’ll pay the price. If you pay attention Jesus will stand up for you! Click To Tweet

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“How to steal a dragon’s treasure”, Watford church of Christ

We take a look at how to steal a dragon’s treasure. What does it mean to have faith and courage to grow into and through the challenges God allows in our lives?

You can find more videos on our YouTube channel. Our web site is www.watfordchurchofchrist.org.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send us your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: thewatfordchurch@gmail.com.

Thanks again for watching. Have a super day.

God bless,

Malcolm

Posted on

“For God Alone”, Class 4

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.” (Psalms 62:1–2 NRSV)

Class Four: “Considering what God has shown us”

24 August 2018

Here’s the FGAClass4 Handout.

Here are the slides: FGA4.

How to process this class series:

  1. Consider what God has shown you. What have you learned, or been reminded of?
  1. Confirm your biggest convictions. What is your resolve going forward?
  1. Clarify what questions still remain. Is anything important unclear?

Question: “What one change in your ‘quiet times’ would bring you the most joy?”

Two bonus ‘quiet time’ ideas

  1. Contrast Psalm 1 and Psalm 150
    • Read the two Psalms and consider that life often makes this level of trust and praise hard
    • Read and think about these quotes from Walter Brueggemann
    • “..praise as glad, exuberant yielding and self-abandonment (as expressed in Psalm 150) takes place only when one comes to terms emotionally, psychologically, dramatically, and theologically with the demanding, sovereign reality of God.” Brueggemann, “Psalms”, p194
    • “In the end, Israel goes to the sanctuary [temple] in doxology [praise]. Israel comes there with old, unresolved complaints that still sob and ache. Israel comes there with hymns of hope and gratitude still to be fulfilled. Israel carries to God’s throne all its old, powerful memories of brutishness and envy. Israel brings with it to the sanctuary the whole Psalter, its awesome account of hurts and hopes that are voiced in God’s presence.” Brueggemann, “Psalms” p212
    • In what way can a ‘quiet time’ help you to reconcile what you know, by faith, about God with what you actually experience in life?
    • What does the example of Jesus have to say to you about this?
  1. Elijah’s extended ‘quiet time’, 1 King 19
    • Challenging circumstances! Read chapter 18 for context.
    • Honest prayer, v4
    • God refreshes him, vv5-8
    • Taken to right place, v8
    • Rest, vv5, 9
    • Expresses his viewpoint, vv10, 14
    • Encounter with the presence of God, vv11-13
    • Renewed mission, faith and courage, vv15ff
    • What do you learn about the nature of God?
    • What do you learn from the way Elijah related to God that could help you in your ‘quiet times’?
Thank you for listening to this podcast and watching this video.
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions.
Thanks again for listening. Have a super day.
God bless,
Malcolm