But Servants

What does a spiritual church look like? What are the place of the gifts of the Spirit in the life of the church? How can such gifts be used as God intends. In our passage, we see that spiritual people have one defining characteristic: they confess “Jesus is Lord” and so use their gifts as he intends to build up the church. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 16th January...

What does is it mean to be male? What does it mean to be female? How should men and women relate to one another? Those are the hot topics of our day and areas of significant confusion in society and in the church. Often these issues are difficult to discuss and have led to a great deal of division and bitterness. In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, as Paul addresses the issue of head coverings, he helps us...

How should Christians decide whether they should do something or not? What factors should we keep in mind as we face the various decisions in life? In 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1, Paul gives us a framework to approach any decision: • Does it glorify God? • Is it loving for my neighbour? This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 22nd December 2021. Check us out on Facebook: https:/...

Can a Christian fall away? Can someone who has expressed faith in Christ miss out on heaven? There are always temptations to turn away from Christ to sin and complacency is the first step to failure. But we're not on our own, because God is faithful and has provided a way of escape. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 1st December 2022. Check out our Facebook page at:...

Many have observed that our society is feeling more entitled than ever before. Not only have we come to expect all the blessings that we enjoy. But we’ve come to demand them as our rights. And we get very happy when we don’t get what we think we’re entitled to. But 1 Corinthians 9 presents us with the gospel view of the Christian life that is so different to the entitled culture around us. One whe...

Is it ok for Christians to participate in the practices of other religions? Is it ok to visit the Hindu temple, or participate in Ching Ming? Is it ok to participate in the Catholic mass, or to eat food that has been offered to the family altar? 1 Corinthians 8, we see that it's not enough to have the right theological answers, we must ask in love towards our brothers and sisters in Christ, wh...

It's very easy to idolise marriage, looking for meaning and purpose in life in finding a marriage partner and starting a family. But whatever our marital status, we should make it our goal to live in undivided devotion to the Lord. Because in the light of eternity, pleasing God is what matters most. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 27th October 2021. Check out our...

What is God's design for marriage and sex? Is marriage better than singleness? Should Christians marry Christians? What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage? This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 20th October 2021. Check out our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ButServants Check out our YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcGLBzrqj...

Over the last 100 years, our world has been through an extraordinary revolution in attitudes to sex. Our world is increasingly on a quest for sexual freedom. But in may ways this "freedom" has instead led to bondage. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, we're reminded of how much our bodies matter to God, and how God's design for sex is so much better than our modern alternatives. True sexu...

It’s crucial that we take sin seriously. Unrepentant sin leads to God’s judgement and if it’s not dealt with it will spread like a cancer in the church. But God’s wonderful offer of full forgiveness is available to all who will turn from their sin and turn to the Lord Jesus. We can be washed, sanctified, justified, accepted by God, and restored to loving fellowship with one another. This sermon wa...

Why do churches differ so much? There is a great variety of churches – not just in terms of their size or language or demographics, but in their theology, forms of worship, mission and vision and in their experience. How are we to think about this spectrum of churches? Is it all just about personal taste? Adapting the form of worship that appeals to you. Not right nor wrong? Just a matter of prefe...

It is a sad reality that pride remains a common feature of many churches. It’s very easy for a church to take its eyes off Christ and the cross and start evaluating its value and successfulness based on other factors. Like how many people are attending, or how impressive the music is, or how magnificent the building is, or how good the preaching is? So how do you help a proud church? This sermon w...

Peace - it's something that we all long for, but right now it may seem far off. How can we experience peace instead of anxiety? Where can true peace be found? This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 11th October 2020. Check out our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ButServants Check out our YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcGLBzrqjVIVOus62ej...

Godly leaders lead people into godliness. Ungodly leaders lead people into ungodliness. Ungodly leaders who deny the gospel in their teaching or life will harm and divide the church. Godly leaders who humbly and sacrificially proclaim the gospel can have a remarkable impact in building the church to maturity, as God gives the growth. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 15...

Most people make it their life’s purpose to be happy. Our world is constantly offering us ways to fulfils that longing, to be truly happy. But what is the path to true happiness? Where can true blessing be found? Psalm 1 gives us a picture of the blessed life that is very different to world's. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 14th October 2020. Check out our Facebo...

What is the decisive factor in someone becoming a Christian? Why it is that some can read the Bible, and be convinced that it’s God’s word, and live their lives for King Jesus to God’s glory, whilst others read the very same words, and find them to be offensive, mythical, or irrelevant to their lives? It’s a crucial question to answer, for it will affect our message, manner and method in evangelis...

The cross has become the symbol of the Christian faith. Every church will be decorated with crosses. Christians wear crosses. At Easter we remember and celebrate the cross. Yet for all this, for many Christians – the cross is no longer the centrepiece of the Christian faith or the defining reality of our life. Sure we believe in the cross, but instead of preaching of the crucified King and allowin...

How do you deal with problems in a church? Moral problems. Worship problems. Spiritual problems. Relational problems. There's church politics, factions, sin, idolatry and the bad theology that drives it. In 1 Corinthians 1:1-17, Paul shows us how the gospel is the solution. This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 11th August 2021. Check us out on Facebook: https://www.fac...

We all know that evangelism is difficult. It’s challenging to tell people that they need to stop living for themselves submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. It’s challenging to tell people that Christ alone can save them from their sins. It’s so much easier to retreat into our Christian bubble, and only make friends with other Christians and only read the Bible with other Christians. But if we're to...

How certain are you of what will happen when you die? As you consider life after death– do have a certain hope or a doubtful desire everything will be ok? As Luke recounts the resurrection of Christ, he wants us to be certain that the resurrection of Jesus was real, so that the resurrection of Jesu will give us certainty of life after death. Introduction: Uncertain afterlife? Luke 1:1-4 - ‘that yo...

Love yourself. Fulfil your potential. Don’t let anyone look down on you. Look within and be who you want to be. That is the kind of advice put forward by many life coaches, managers, teachers, parents and pastors too. It’s a fundamentally positive view of human nature. And of what human beings can achieve. But the death of Jesus changes all that. It humbles our pride, and changes us from within. I...

Before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish leaders, Jesus is on trial. He is brutally beaten and blasphemed, unjustly condemned, mocked, accused, and sent to be crucified. Yet as the trials unfolds, it is not Jesus guilt that is exposed but ours. We find ourselves on trial and we discover that our assessment of Jesus, will expose God’s assessment of us. Introduction: Dumbfounded Disbelief   Context    ...

For many Christians there is a great disconnect between belief and behavior. Theology and life. This not a problem with having too much “head knowledge”. It’s just that we haven’t known fully enough. It’s not been so absorbed that it changes our heart. In our passage this morning, we’re forced to re-evaluate true greatness in the light of the cross, not in terms of power, status, influence, succes...

Some events in life are too important to be forgotten: a wedding anniversary, Christmas Day, Merdeka. They are dates that we mark every year. That we remember. That we celebrate. In Luke 21:37-22:23, we are instructed to remember the most important event of all: the self-sacrifice of Christ on the cross. We are to remember and forever treasure the death of Jesus. Introduction: Lest We Forget      ...

There have been lots of conspiracy theories surround Covid-19. But is a disaster like a pandemic meant to be understood as a sign of the end? What do we know about when Christ will return? This sermon was preached at St George's Church, Penang on 25th November 2020. Check out our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ButServants Check out our YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/ch...