Gospels-Acts
Lk 3:1-22 - The Baptism of Jesus
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Baptism of Jesus audio
We return today to Luke’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Howard brought the first part of this chapter to us a month ago and Gordon followed up with John the Baptist beginning his task of preparing for the coming of the Messiah. So let’s think back to what we heard then.
First, this account is set in a historical context. Luke dates it for us. Dates are important aren’t they? Personally and nationally. It’s my grandson’s birthday next Saturday so for us and him it’s a significant date. In two weeks’ time we’ll remember a significant date in our national history, some with celebration, others with discomfort. My sister has her birthday is on another significant national day, April 25th. I wonder if you remember what you were doing on Sept 11th, 2001? That’s a date that’s etched into every American’s brain and probably most of the free world’s as well. And here Luke gives us three historical markers to show us that the events that he records here are significant historically.
Luke 1:46-56
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The World Turned Upside Down Audio
Our image of the first Christmas is so sanitised, isn’t it? We imagine a young woman, dressed in a pearly white robe with a blue veil over her head, riding a lovely little donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. When they get there the inn is full but the kindly innkeeper cleans out the stable and sets them up there with a manger filled with fresh hay and nice clean swaddling clothes for the baby Jesus. It’s all so wonderful, isn’t it?!
And so far from the truth!
The truth is that Mary was in disgrace: pregnant without first being married! The penalty for such a thing could have been death. Joseph had decided not to mention that he wasn’t the father so he was probably in disgrace as well, though possibly not quite to the same degree, being a man.
Luke 10:25-37
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- Written by: Michael Prabaharan
Who is my neighbour? audio (5MB)
Passage: Luke 10:25-37
Have you ever not really liked someone? Not just nyeah, I’m not sure about them.
I mean really not liked someone. Not happy to have them around at all.
You don’t have anything nice to say about them, they just could never do anything right and boy whenever they are around they are nothing but trouble!
All around the world there are many wars and civil conflicts going on. Often when you talk to people on one side that’s the way they feel about people on the other side. They can’t say anything nice about them and really don’t like them and don’t want them around.
But you might hear people talk like that even when there isn’t a war around, maybe when a friendship has gone wrong or someone feels humiliated or betrayed by someone. We have our own prejudices, we make selective observations and remember things that happened in past history or the way certain people behaved.
Well when Jesus lived, it was exactly the same. There were two groups of people who couldn’t stand each other and would rather cross the street than walk on the same side if they saw them coming along.
Luke 12:35-48
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- Written by: Naomi Gebert
We Have a Job to Do audio (5MB)
Passage: Luke 12:35-48
First of all, I have a request to make of you all. If you’ve ever received payment for doing a job, raise your hand. So that’s quite a few of you. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever done a voluntary task or job. You might have noticed that the people you were serving or working for were grateful for your service, they might have praised you for doing a quality job. But you might also have noticed that your boss, or the person you were doing the job for, expected you to come through on your word and get the task done. You might be wandering, “what does making an agreement with my employer, or doing a voluntary task, have to do with the first century servants in the passage?” The answer is, they’re all examples of being given responsibility. All these roles involve being asked to carry out the wishes of the person you serve. Regardless of how all these people have been recruited, they all have a job to do.
As we read the first parable, in verses 35 to 40, there is one main command that Jesus gives to servants. The master in Jesus’ parable expects his servant to be ready when he comes.
Luke 15:11-32 - The Waiting Father
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Waiting Father audio
Today we’re thinking about fathers: we all have them; and they’re all different. For some, their father is someone to look up to, to be proud of. Some will feel greatly loved by their father. Others though, may not have known their father or may not have had much to do with him. Others again may be afraid of their father; or angry at him; for some of us our father is no longer alive and we miss him. Some of us may be fathers and, again, that may be a matter of great joy and pride or one of disappointment or even sadness – or a mix of both.
Whatever our situation, having a father, being a father, even knowing a father, means that we come to a service like this on Father’s day with a mix of thoughts and emotions.
But what I want to talk about today is a story about a son and a father: you may well have heard it before under the title, the Prodigal Son, but I’m calling it the Waiting Father.
The story is set in a rural area in the Middle East, where a man and his two sons are working a farming property.
One day the younger son comes to his father and says: “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” T
