City on a Hill Ballarat

God’s promise to send a Saviour to redeem Israel is made clear in the genealogy of Jesus and the generations before His birth, from Abraham to Joseph. God is faithful to save His people by sending His Son - Immanuel, God with us.

A sermon in the Stand Alone Sermons series.

Use it or lose it - to seek and to save: Stewarding all for the growth of the kingdom - The Parable of the Ten Minas.

A sermon in the Stand Alone Sermons series.

A sermon in the Stand Alone Sermons series.

A sermon in the Stand Alone Sermons series.

Practice love, hospitality, and compassion, as you trust in God’s provision. Fix your eyes on the kingdom of God, as we continue to praise Him, abide in His word, act mercifully and share the good news with others, for these sacrifices are pleasing to Him.

Through Jesus, our mediator, we are invited into His kingdom of joy and celebration. Jesus invites us to listen to God’s voice, reminding us that one day everything temporary will be shaken, leaving only God’s unshakeable kingdom.

A good father will discipline his children. Likewise, God disciplines us as his children to produce holiness within us, and to form us into the likeness of Jesus. The way we live is an example to the world of Jesus’ ways, and the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

Many have gone before us in trusting God, and in His promises, without seeing the end reward. We endure the difficulties of this life by looking to Jesus, who perfected faith by enduring the cross, and strengthens us to stay steadfast in the face of opposition.

Through Jesus, we can draw near to God with assurance that we are forgiven of our sins. Despite struggle, in Jesus there is great eternal reward. Stand firm, resist sin, encourage one another and remember God is faithful to forgive and save you.

The old covenant's earthly tabernacle and repeated sacrifices were abolished with Christ's once-for-all sacrifice. We do not have to earn our faith or perform sacrifices to God. Jesus has paid the price for our sin and sanctifies us by his blood, giving us a new identity in Him.

Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary, offering His own blood as a sacrifice to secure eternal redemption for us, to cleanse us of sin and to gift us the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus we are invited into the throne room of God, to enjoy a relationship with Him.

Jesus fulfilled God’s promises of a new and better covenant, making the old obsolete. This new covenant is built on God's promises to write His laws on the hearts of His people by the Holy Spirit, offering complete forgiveness and a direct relationship with Him.

Unlike earthly priests, Jesus' priesthood is permanent because He lives forever. His perfect sacrifice brings complete salvation, making Him the ultimate mediator between God and humanity. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant between God and us, his people.

Our hope in God's promises serves as an anchor for the soul, with Jesus as our eternal High Priest. Hebrews 5-6 encourages believers to keep trusting Jesus, warns against spiritual stagnation and reminds us to trust in God's promises and persevere in the faith.

Jesus is the great High Priest who sympathises with our weakness and temptation to sin, yet remains sinless. He offers mercy and grace, providing eternal salvation through his obedience to the Father and suffering at the cross and fulfilling his role as great High Priest.

Hebrews 4:1-13 reveals the glory of God through the promise of rest found in Jesus. This rest represents not only physical respite but spiritual fulfillment and peace. The invitation to enter God’s rest through Christ showcases His glorious provision and the divine purpose of offering eternal rest and tranquility.

In Hebrews 3:1-19, the glory of God is embodied in Jesus as the Wonderful Counsellor. Compared to Moses, Jesus’ glory surpasses that of the greatest Old Testament leaders. His faithful leadership and guidance reflect the divine wisdom and glory, offering us a deeper understanding of God’s plan and purpose for His people.

Hebrews 2:1-18 highlights the glory of God as seen in the sacrificial role of Jesus, our Saviour. Through His incarnation and suffering, His willingness to become human and endure suffering for our salvation reveals God’s magnificent grace and redemptive power.

Jesus is the perfect, ultimate, final revelation of God. He is the ultimate expression of God’s glory, surpassing all previous revelations and angels. In Jesus, we’re invited to witness and experience the majestic glory of God’s presence.

Those in Christ stand secure in the kingdom of God, yet we know the prince of darkness rules the city of man. The Holy Spirit allows us to fight sin, darkness and evil, as we put on the armour of God and take out the Sword of the Spirit.

Worshipping “in spirit” involves a heartfelt devotion, love for Jesus and full surrender to God. The Holy Spirit reveals and illuminates truths about God’s character, His will, and His redemptive plan through Jesus Christ to our heart, leading us to praise and worship him with our whole lives.

God gives signs, wonders and gifts by the Holy Spirit to point us to his power, grace and love. He wants us to walk in the newness of life given to us in Jesus, seeking and using our spiritual gifts to help us to know Jesus deeper and to make Him known.

God’s Spirit and His Word are intimately connected and mutually reinforcing in the life of a believer - both are needed to flourish in Christ. The Holy Spirit illuminates the message of the Bible, enabling us to understand its truths and apply them, and to see and know the person of Jesus.