Disciples Church Sermons

Living in a developed western culture like Australia, we have become used to a certain level of comfort. In fact, we have convinced ourselves that we are indeed entitled to have it. We spend much of our lives seeking after it, and there are certain things we turn to so we might experience it. In this first sermon of the Gracious Redeemer series, Pastor Anthony Sligar encourages us from God's Word...

This will be our last time in the book of Hebrews for 2015, and it focusses on how superior the new covenant is over the old. Jesus is our Great High Priest, and the covenant he ministers on our behalf is SO much better than the covenant ministered by the earthly priests of Levi. It was prophesied by Jeremiah in the Old Testament and gives us this delightful picture of what our heavenly experience...

Mel-who? It might not be a name you recognise, but this guy called Melchizedek plays a pretty important part in helping us understand the transition from the old covenant under Moses to the new covenant under Jesus. Amidst all the uncertainty of life, it's reassuring to know that Jesus is legitimately God's promised Saviour for us. And along the way, we learn some important lessons about tithing!

As the tone of the letter to the Hebrews starts to get a bit heavy, you might expect the author to apologise for getting too technical. But no, instead, we get a lecture calling us out of being spiritually dull and encouraging us toward spiritual maturity. It's another warning about not drifting but being genuine in following Jesus with all our hearts.

Who is the best person to represent you to God? The local priest? A pastor? Your grandmother? In Hebrews we learn that only someone who is perfect can be our representative. No wonder God the Father had to send God the Son to fill this role. Only Jesus could do this. He is our only hope!

Is there such a thing as a 'Christian Sabbath'? As Christians, what does it mean to keep the fourth commandment? In the Old Testament, Saturday was the holy day of the week, but in the New Testament it seems to have shifted to Sunday. So what does that mean for us? So many questions on this sometimes controversial and divisive subject. Pastor Greg Gardiner wade into these waters as he unpacks Hebr...

What does Moses represent? When the debate is about trusting in Jesus versus trusting in Moses, if you pick Moses, then what is your hope of Heaven based on? In this sermon, Pastor Greg Gardiner unpacks Hebrews 3 for us, and considers our tendency, even as Christians, to look to the law of God as the means of our relationship with God. Maybe you think you don't do this. Watch it and find out!

If Jesus is any less than what He claimed to be (and what the Scriptures claim about Him) then we cannot be saved. Our salvation depends on Jesus being fully God and fully human. If He is not fully human then He cannot identify with us in our temptations and sufferings. If He is not fully God, then he could not be the perfect sacrifice to pay our sin debt. It is for our good that Jesus is better!

Do you have a guardian angel? For that matter, what are angels, and what exactly do they do? Confusion about Jesus and angels was the opening issue addressed by the writer to the Hebrews, and it's an interesting subject - have you noticed angelic involvement in your life lately?

There is no-one higher up the food chain than Jesus. He is God incarnate. God come to earth as a human being. Hebrews begins with this clear statement of what the book is about. It is about Jesus, the Son of God, and why He is better than anything else or anyone else, and therefore worthy of our trust and our praise.

What is the Book of Hebrews about? The title of this new sermon series should give us a hint at that. So then, why was it written? What was going on in the first century, particularly among the Jewish (Hebrew) Christians, that the Holy Spirit prompted the author of this book to write what was written? The answer is particularly relevent to us in the 21st Century, because the issue they were dealin...

The strong man is played a fool, as his love for this woman leads to his destruction. And yet God works through him for one final victory, despite Samson's unfaithfulness.

We're heading into our third week in the study of Samson. The Philistine oppression begins to break down when Samson single-handedly starts a war that will lead to a mighty victory empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our God can work through anyone, even a man of such poor character as Samson, to achieve His purposes and glorify Himself.

Judges chapter 14 shows us a "disaster' wedding at its best! As we get to know Samson a little better, we see him pushing boundaries and breaking rules, but we also see God's Spirit working powerfully through him.

We begin our new Samson series before Samson's life even begins. Judges 13 is the account of his parent's interaction with the angel of the LORD who tells them that they will have a son. A son set apart as a Nazirite who will begin to set Israel free from the oppression of the Philistines. The passage is filled with reminders of how great and powerful our God is!

All of a sudden it just stops. Why does the Book of Acts finish like that? Is there a reason. Yes. We are not to get the impression that God's mission finished in the first century. It is ongoing. Are you following Jesus on God's mission?

There's an idea that if you are doing God's will then everything should go right for you. But this is a myth, and it is busted by Acts 27. If we are to share in Christ's glory, we must also share in His sufferings.

Very often we allow minor things in our lives to become much bigger issues than they really should be. The Apostle Paul didn't make that mistake when he appeared before King Agrippa and Governor Festus. He zoned in on the big issue - their need to be saved!

When do we act and when do we wait for God to provide a solution? In this chapter, the Apostle Paul gives us a great example of good theology in practice.

The Apostle Paul goes on trial before Felix, who doesn't convict him, but calls on him continually over a period of two years. Felix hears the Gospel, is familiar with The Way, but does not become a Christian, prefering to sit uncomfortably on the fence. Is that you?

As Christians, we can know peace when we hold on to the promises of God in the middle of even very threatening situations. This is the example Paul gives us as 40 men take a vow not to eat or drink until they have killed him!

How good are you at keeping a Kingdom perspective in all your affairs? If we are truly to follow Jesus and embrace the mission He calls us into, we need to learn from the Apostle Paul, who always had an eye to the bigger picture of God's Mission.

The third aspect of our Missional Community Groups is Discipleship. In this sermon, Pastor Anthony Sligar outlines the biblical foundation for the focus on discipleship in our groups.