Luke, through this story of the Ethiopian, tells us that it is the gospel of God which changes the world. As it changed the Ethiopian, so will it change sinners today. Then they will show that change in our world.
Read Isaiah 56:1-8, Psalm 68:31 & Acts 8:26-40 | Download
At the cross and resurrection Jesus was not alone; God the Spirit was with him. For “through the eternal Spirit he offered himself up as a sacrifice to God.” and by the Spirit was made alive. As man Jesus Christ offered himself in holiness to God through the power of the Spirit. In other words, the Spirit helped Jesus in the sacrifice. Humanly, he was supported in his decision to go to the cross by the Spirit. The same is true of his resurrection and ascension. In 1 Peter 3:18 we are told that Jesus was “put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” And in his ascension he gave the Spirit, so that now Jesus Christ ministers to us still -by the Spirit.
Read Hebrews 9:11-14 | Download
Where do we look for the revelation of the Spirit? Not at our lives, or the life of the church; we look to Jesus. God the Father anointed Jesus with the oil, figurative for the Holy Spirit. Isaiah’s songs about the Messiah told this: the Father says, behold my servant, my elect one, I have put my Spirit upon him. He taught in the Spirit, offered himself as our sacrifice through the Spirit, and did great works in the Spirit. Yes, he had the Holy Spirit, and to know the Spirit then we look to Jesus. So let us look to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ to understand the Spirit. This morning we will discover the person of the Spirit in connection with Jesus Christ’s incarnation, his growing up years, and his adult ministry. We will find as the Spirit was with Jesus Christ, so he is with us.
Read Luke 2:39-52 | Download
Though Christians cannot give and forgive exactly like God, they can give similarly to how God gives and forgives; it can be Christlike, Christ-similar. Why? Because through the gospel of Christ God makes us new creations. We can in the Spirit’s power put off the old way of greed and vengeance, and put on the new man to give and forgive in Jesus’ name. Let’s explore the practical implications of this.
Read Ephesians 4:17-5:2 | Download
Israel had defiantly disobeyed one of God’s clear commands. They were God’s son, yet when Moses took so long to come down from Sinai they set up the golden calf. God judged them and consequently Moses and the people were afraid God would withdraw himself from them. But he did not. Moses is assured of God’s love, and is allowed to see God’s glory. In the cleft of the rock Moses sees God’s goodness, grace, and greatness.
Read Exodus 33:1-23 | Download
Every local church is a work in progress and can be faced with false teaching about the gospel of Jesus. The answer is given by Paul: a godly ministry. If a church is going to grow in her love for Jesus, she needs godly elders and pastors; and its the same with the issue of false teaching. Elders and pastors who pray, know the Word and love the sheep in Jesus name will bring blessing to the church. Download
The book of Hosea has a joyful message. The message is that of the compassion and love of God. Here we learn that God cannot give up on his people. Even though Israel practiced idolatry, and committed great whoredom against the Lord by forsaking him for false gods, he would not finally let them go. Here we see where sin abounds, grace super abounds. And we see that through a symbol in the book; the symbol of family. Download