Disciples Church Sermons

Have you ever shared your testimony? If you are a Christian, then you have one - and it's the easiest way of sharing your faith in Jesus with others, even when they are hostile. That's what the Apostle Paul did. Confronted with a hostile crowd, he shared his testimony.

The most hostile issue that Christians in Australia are dealing with right now is that of homosexuality and whether the federal marriage act should be changed to allow same gender couples to marry. In this sermon on Acts 21, Pastor Greg Gardiner takes the opportunity to speak into this issue, and give an exhortation that we are all sinners in need of a saviour!

It's easy to be daunted by the passion and intensity of the Apostle Paul. Don't be. Instead, be encouraged that the power that worked through Paul is the same power that will work through you to do what God has called you to do. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, and it can even raise people back to life!

The thing to notice about Ephesus is just how radically the Gospel changed the people there, and then in turn how radically it changed the city. That's what the Gospel does. Jesus saves us, He changes us, and He calls us into His mission. Are you being transformed by the Gospel?

If you're careful to see it, there's a whole lot going on beneath the very public role that the Apostle Paul was serving in. This is encouraging, because it shows us how we can all be part of the mission of God going forward!

When Paul walked around Athens he was deeply troubled by all their worship practices. Essentially, instead of worshipping the Creator they were worshipping created or "invented" things. We too can easily fall into the worship of created things, letting our hearts be captured by the things of the world rather than our merciful, gracious God.

The second missionary journey continues with the planting of churches in Thessalonica and Berea. You see, the mission doesn't stop, and it will not stop until Jesus returns. Are you on board with God's mission?

Onesimus was sold into slavery, either by his own choice or by someone else. Philemon was his master, and a Christian, who was known by the Apostle Paul. But Onesimus ran off, effectively leaving Philemon out of pocket. Providentially, Onesimus meets Paul while Paul is in jail, and he becomes a Christian. This One Page Wonder is Paul's attempt to bring reconciliation and restoration.

Jude was one of Jesus' (half) brothers. But he calls himself a slave of Jesus. His letter is a call to moral living as the right response to the grace of the Gospel, and a sharp criticism of those who preach otherwise.

The resurrection of Jesus shows the power of God to give new life. The Gospel of Jesus is God's power to change us from the inside out. This sermon was preached by Pastor Greg Gardiner on Easter Sunday 2015.

Are you living with hope, or do you often despair? The Gospel is the difference between despair and hope, as the Philippian jailer discovered.

After fighting some fierce battles over circumcision, the first thing Paul does when Timothy joins his mission team is to take him to be circumcised. Why? Because Paul understands what it takes to preach the Gospel in different contexts, and its a lesson we all need to learn.

If you think the dispute between Paul and Barnabas means it's OK for you to remain unreconciled with Christian friends think again. While Paul and Barnabas had a sharp dispute, and ultimately did not go together on the second missionary journey, they did not break fellowship. Christians should agree on a lot of things, but there is also liberty to disagree on some things and still remain friends.

The Jerusalem Council was a victory for the Gospel, but it went further than that. It was a lesson in how we use our freedom in Christ to encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Christianity is often presented as a trouble free life of blessing and good times. This is not necessarily true. Following Jesus comes at a cost. But the reward is the Kingdom of Heaven.

The value in a "worts and all" account of the early church is that we see both the success of Gospel ministry and the challenges of Gospel ministry. But the bottom line is that while there will be opposition (Jesus said there would be), there is also much progress!

When the Apostles went out to preach the Gospel they described it as being 'good news'. They were excited, and they felt privileged to have the honour of sharing this news with people, even when they were treated badly. Have you lost sight of how the Gospel is good news?

As Christians, we are all called to participate in the mission of God. Some will get special assignments, or special work, for a season, but this does not excuse all of us from being involved.

(There were some audio glitches in this recording. We apologise for the annoyance.)

To be a Christian is to be a learner - and we learn best in community. We teach one-another, instruct one-another, show one-another and encourage one-another. We grow in our faith together. This is corporate identity number four.

See, here's the deal: Jesus didn't come to be served but to serve - and we should be the same. But it's a battle isn't it, because we all love to be served. Even the original disciples had trouble with this to begin with. But they got it, in the end. And we should too. It's what following Jesus looks like, and we do it together!

The second aspect to our corporate identity is that we are missionaries. Jesus calls us to be His ambassadors, and commands us to go to all nations to make disciples. This is an individual as well as a corporate responsibility.

In this first sermon of the WE ARE... series, Pastor Anthony Sligar looks at our identity as a family of God's people. When we become Christians, we are not saved into isolation, instead we are adopted into God's family.

When we genuinely embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit empowers us to live differently - to win the battle against our old sinful nature. This, in turn, means our relationships with others can be different. We can love and serve because the Gospel frees us from having our self-image formed by comparisons to others.

For followers of Jesus, every day is going to involve "fork in the road" moments where you have to choose between your old sinful nature, and the way of the Holy Spirit. Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, a believer has the power to win the battle against the old sinful nature and produce Holy Spirit fruit - Gospel character!