Word of Salvation – Vol. 29 No. 39 – October 1984   Jesus Christ, The God-Man   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, v.d.m. on John 20:28; Colossians 2:9 (Belgic Confession Art. 19) Scripture Readings: John 20:19-31; Colossians 2: 1-15 Suggested Hymns: 363, 372, 376, 383, 373: 1 & 4. Congregation of our Lord Jesus, I don't know what kind of a week you have had.  I don't know whether it was easy or hard, whether it was filled with joy or grief.  But I'm sure you have come to church today to get some encouragement and strength for the week that...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 29 No. 48 – December 1984   Saved By Faith, Or By Works?   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, v.d.m. on James 2: 24 (Belgic Confession Art.24) Scriptures: Romans 4:1-8; James 2:14-26 Suggested Hymns: 110; 170; 95; 379; 450   Congregation of our Lord Jesus, To the average reader, the Bible seems to contain some stunning contradictions: (i)  On one occasion Jesus said to His disciples: "He who is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:40): On another occasion He said: "He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 29 No. 47 – December 1984   The Best Thing In Life IS Free   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, v.d.m. on Rom.3:24 (Belgic Confession Art.23) Scriptures: Eph.2:1-10; Rom.3:19-31 Suggested Hymns: 94; 66:1,2,3,4,9; 389; 380; Bow 805:1,2,3; 803.   Brothers and sisters in Christ, In this sermon we (once again) consider the all-important doctrine of justification.  It was this doctrine that sparked off the great fires of the Reformation.  It was when Luther rediscovered this great truth that everything began to change.  Perhaps you will recall those blunt words of his (that I quoted last time):...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 04 – January 1985   Christ’s Intercession   Sermon by Rev. Steven Voorwinde, v.d.m. on John 14:6 & Hebrews 7:25 (Belgic Confession Art.26) Scriptures: John 14:1-14; Hebrews 7:11-28 Suggested Hymns: Ps.H. 366; 369; 455; BoW. 502   Beloved in the Lord, What do you think is the most common objection that people have against Christianity?  What would be the single greatest difficulty that modern man has with the Christian religion? Well, some people may have trouble with the supernatural. They find it hard to believe in miracles or in angels or in the resurrection...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 03 – January 1985   Jesus Fulfils The Law   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, v.d.m. on Matthew 5:17,18 (Belgic Confession Art.25) Scriptures: Luke 2:21-33; Matthew 5:17-26 Suggested Hymns: Ps.H. 1; 3; 347; 383   Brothers & Sisters in Christ, What do you think of the Old Testament?  How often do you read it?  How well do you understand it?  A man who should have known better once made a rather daring statement in a Bible study group I was leading.  He said: "I seldom read the Old Testament because I'm afraid I might...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 08 – February 1985   Joining The Church   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, M.A., M.Th. on 1Corinthians 12: 13 (Belgic Confession: Art.28) Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-16; 1Corinthians 12:12-26 Suggested Hymns: 162:1,2,5; 165; 479; 442   Congregation of our Lord Jesus, "You don't have to belong to a church to be a Christian!"  I wonder how often you have heard a statement like that before?  Maybe words like these have even crossed your own lips, or perhaps at least you've been inclined to think along those lines: "Well, of course, there are people who don't...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 07 – February 1985   Christ’s Church   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, M.A., M.Th. on Matthew 16:18 (Belgic Confession Art. 27) Scriptures: Ephesians 5: 22-33; Matthew 16: 13-20. Suggested Hymns: 84:1,2,3; 160; 396; 426; 479:2,3   Brothers & Sisters in Christ, In this sermon we will try and answer what is perhaps the most difficult questions for a Christian living in the 20th Century: "What is the Church?"  In the 1st Century the early Christians wouldn't have had any trouble answering that question.  For many centuries Roman Catholics had no trouble answering that...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 12 – March 1985   Authority In The Church   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde M.A., M.Th. on Hebrews 13: 17 (Belgic Confession Art. 30) Scriptures: 1Thessalonians 5:12-28; Hebrews 13:7-19 Suggested Hymns: 3; 368; 365; 305: 1,5,6,7; 468   Congregation of our Lord Jesus, "Jesus Christ is Lord!"  That was the key theme of the apostolic message; the basic truth that a person made his own when he responded to the apostles' preaching.  Without the Lordship of Christ, the Gospel is not the Gospel; and without confessing the Lordship of Christ no man or...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 11 – March 1985   The Marks Of The True Church   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde, M.A., M.Th. on 1Tim.3:14,15 (Belgic Confession  Art.29) Scriptures: Mat.18:15-20; 1Cor.5:1-13; 1Tim.3:1-16 Suggested Hymns: 321; 280; 22; 426; 396.   Brothers & Sisters in Christ, In this mobile age of ours, people often move into an area where there is no Reformed Church – sometimes they do it to find work, sometimes for study, sometimes it's on a business assignment and sometimes it might even be in the search of adventure.  Then inevitably the question arises: what church...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 16 – April 1985   Order And Discipline In The Church   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on 1Cor.5:1-5 Scriptures: Acts 15:1-21; 1Corinthians 5:1-13 Belgic Confession Article 32 Suggested Hymns: 47; 279; 426; 85; 442   Congregation of our Lord Jesus, How is the church to be governed and by whom.  The Bible gives some very clear directives.  There is a very definite authority structure that the Scriptures lay down.  There are also very specific tasks that are allocated to ministers, elders and deacons. Today we come to two aspects of the government or...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 15 – April 1985   Ministers, Elders And Deacons   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on 1Timothy 3:1 (Belg. Conf. Art.31) Scriptures: Acts 14:21-25; Titus 1:5-9; 1Tim. 3:1-13 Suggested Hymns 165; 280; 468; 484; BoW 504.   Brothers & Sisters in Christ,             [The Rev.  Steven Voorwinde begins this sermon as follows:] One of the most interesting phone calls I ever received was in Sydney back in 1975.  It was a call from the Prime Minister's office in Canberra, and you will remember that the Prime Minister at that time was none other than...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 19 – May 1985   Why The Sacraments?   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Romans 4:11a (cf. Belg. Conf. Art. 33) Scriptures: Genesis 17: 9-14; 2Cor.1:18-22; Rom.4:1-12 Suggested Hymns: P.H. 217; 25:1,2,8,9; 136:1,6,7; BoW 805:1,2,3; 491   Congregation of our Lord, Have you ever wondered why the Lord took the trouble to give the sacraments to His Church?  Has it ever crossed your mind why at all Jesus instituted Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper?  As we look around the Christian Church in the world today, then nothing seems to divide Christians more...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 24 – Jun 1985   Infant Baptism   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Col. 2:11,12, 1Cor. 7:14 Scriptures: 1Cor. 7: 8-16; Col. 2: 8-15 (Belg. Conf. Art. 34) Suggested hymns: 209:1,4,5; 415; BoW 502; 419; 310   Brothers & sisters in Christ, With regard to baptism there are various controversial questions: How do we baptise?  This morning/evening we deal with this controversial question: Whom do we baptise? We know that baptism by sprinkling is a proper Biblical approach to baptism.  Baptism symbolises cleansing, and sprinkling in the Bible is a method of cleansing. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 32 – Aug 1985   Church And State   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Romans 13: 1-7 (Read also: Belgic Confession Art. 36).   I have heard it said that "a gentleman does not converse about religion or politics." So what I am about to do is a very ungentlemanly thing, in fact a very hazardous thing, and that is to preach to you about the relationship between religion and politics and to scale the high wall that separates church and state in the minds of so many people. In this sermon we...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 36 – Sep 1985   The Last Judgment   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Revelation 20:12 Scriptures: Matthew 25:31-46; Rev.20:11-21:8                         (And Belgic Confession Art. 37) What should be our motivation for Christian living?  What is to be the driving force that gives us the incentive to live our lives for the Lord?  The Catechism gives a very beautiful answer.  We do good "so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all He has done for us." (A.86). So, quite simply, our motive is gratitude. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 73 No. 09 – Jun 2023   ANGER – RIGHT OR WRONG?   Sermon by Rev. Steve Voorwinde on Matthew 5:21-22 Scriptures: Ephesians 4:25-32; Matthew 5:17-26   In addition to the passages that have already been read, I’d also like to read some verses from the book of Proverbs. These verses are from all over the book of Proverbs. So you won’t be able to follow along in your Bibles. But I want to read from the Proverbs for a special reason. Just as Proverbs belongs to the wisdom literature of the OT, Jesus’ Sermon on...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 12 – March 1991   Congratulations To Mourners   Sermon by Rev S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:4 Scriptures: Luke 6:17-26, James 4:1-12   Introduction How do you make people think?  This has been the basic question facing preachers and teachers throughout the course of history.  How have they solved this fundamental problem?  One way is by asking questions and provoking discussion.  Another is by speaking in parables or symbols.  But perhaps the most effective way to make people think is by using the paradox.  And what is a paradox? A paradox is a statement...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 16 – April 1991   The Meek   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:5 Reading: Psalm 37:1-11; Matthew 5:1-12   Introduction Jesus was a master at taking His hearers by surprise!  Here He is speaking to people who lived in the backward province of a land that had not known political independence for over 100 years – and these of all people were going to inherit the earth!  Here is the promise of world conquest and it is made to the meek. But Jesus takes us by surprise as well.  For aren't...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 24 – June 1991   The Merciful   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:7 Reading: Luke 1:25-37; Matthew 25:31-46 Singing: 113,51a,103b,467,529.   Beloved congregation, In our study of the Beatitudes we've just crossed the half-way mark.  There are eight altogether and today we are looking at no 5.  And no doubt you will agree with me that in these short, crisp, little sayings Jesus is really putting the searchlight on our souls.  He's probing; He's penetrating into the very depths of our being.  He's not asking us what we do.  He goes...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 28 – July 1991   The Pure In Heart   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:8 Reading: Psalm 24; Matthew 5:1-12 Singing: BoW 361, 15, 1a, 186, 331 Introduction It's a while since the last sermon on the Beatitudes, so this is probably a good time for a little revision; a good opportunity to go over the ground we have already covered. You will remember that these Beatitudes of Jesus are not just pious statements thrown together higgledy-piggledy.  They are sayings that have order and structure, and there's a devastating sense of...