Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 32 – August 1991   Persecution   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:10-12 Reading: John 15:8-16:4; Acts 5:29-42   Introduction 'Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' About 20 years ago I spent a weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  As many of you know, it's the Jerusalem of Reformed Christianity in the United States today.  On almost every street corner you have either a Reformed church or a Christian Reformed Church.  And on the Sunday afternoon I was able to attend a young...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 44 – November 1991   Are You A Peacemaker?   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:9   Introduction   Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Christmas is probably the saddest time of the year, and it will be sad in a very profound way.  On the one hand there will be a lot of talk of peace.  Millions of Christmas cards will be sent with their messages of peace.  Songs of peace will be wafting through department stores.  And in churches throughout the world we will again commemorate the birth of...

Word of Salvation - May 07, 2023   THANK YOU!    Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on 1Thessalonians 5:18 Scripture Readings: 1Thessalonians 5:12-22; Ephesians 5:15-21 Scripture Texts:  1Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV). Ephesians 5:20: “[Give] thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV).   Introduction I want to plunge right into this sermon with a very direct question to everybody here, to every individual, whether you are young or old or somewhere in between. And my question...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 23 – June 1998   Ten Commandments for Christian Leaders   Sermon by Rev. Prof. S. Voorwinde on 1Timothy 3:1-13 Scripture Readings: 1Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not all of us are called to Christian leadership, but we should all know what a Christian leader looks like.  If we are called upon to cast our vote, that vote should first of all depend not on personal preferences, but on biblical principles.  Here is a process in which most of us will be involved at one point or another. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 05 – February 1998   Why Believe in Creation?   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Hebrews 11:3 Scripture Readings: Genesis 1:1-2; Hebrews 11:1-3   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's been a long, hard day at Uni.  Not only were there lectures, tutorials, pracs and assignments due.  Today was the first day the lecturer taught evolution.  That night a Christian student goes home and reviews the notes he took in class.  He is confused.  Why? His lecturer is teaching that evolution is "the origination of living things by development from earlier forms,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.38 – October 1999   The Power of Preaching   Sermon by Rev S Voorwinde on Romans 10:14-15 Scripture Readings: Romans 10:1-17   Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. Introduction Is there someone in your life whom you would dearly, dearly love to come to the Lord?  You might even say that you would give your right arm for this person's salvation.  Perhaps you would even be prepared to die if need be.  That's how strong your love is for the other person; that's how much you long for them to be saved....

Word of Salvation - January 2022   HOLY, HOLY, HOLY By Rev. Steve Voorwinde Scripture Readings: Isaiah 6:1-13; Psalm 99:1-9 Sermon Text: Psalm 99:1-9   Introduction In Australia there are more than 100 Aboriginal sacred sites. The most famous of them all is of course Uluru, right in the very centre of the country. Sacred sites are places within the landscape that have special meaning or significance in Aboriginal tradition. They can be hills, rocks, waterholes, plains, trees and billabongs. For indigenous Australians the land is full of sacred sites. But what about for us as white Australians? Do we have...

Word of Salvation – Vol.36 No.20 - May 1991   How’s Your Appetite?   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Matthew 5:6 Reading: Romans 9:30 - 10:13; Amos 5:4-17, 21-24.   Introduction To get the right atmosphere for a sermon like this I should really have preached it a couple of months ago.  The title of this sermon would have been a very relevant question: "How's Your Appetite?” – and I'm referring to those of you who were coming to the end of the World Vision 40 Hour Famine.  At that stage your appetite was absolutely fantastic.  You could think of...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 20 – May 1985   Baptism By Sprinking   Sermon by Rev. Dr. Steven Voorwinde Scriptures: John 1:19-28; 3:22-30; Hebrews 9:1-14 Texts:    John 1:24,25; 3:23;  Hebrews 9:10 & 13 (Belgic Confession: Article 34) Suggested Hymns: Book of Worship:  204; 199; 1,3,4; 469; 408 ************ Congregation of Our Lord, Why do we baptise by sprinkling in the Reformed Church? Why don't we immerse? Why are we different from other sincere Christians on this point, such as Baptists, Pentecostals and the Church of Christ? Do we sprinkle just because it's a long-standing tradition or do we...

Word of Salvation - November 2019   THE EARTHQUAKE, THE HANGOVER AND THE WASHBASIN Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde Scripture Readings: 2 Samuel 8:1-14; Psalm 60  Scripture Text: Psalm 60  Introduction  Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live in Australia during WW2? When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Britain declared war on Germany. At the time our Prime Minister Robert Menzies solemnly declared, “With Britain at war, Australia is also at war.” And being as good as his word Menzies committed crack troops to the war effort in Europe. This left Australia dangerously exposed if war...

Word of Salvation - August 2018   Jesus' Emotions - by Steve Voorwinde Scripture Readings: Exodus 33:12-23; John 1:1-18 Scripture Text: John 1:14   Opening Exercise (Optional) Do you mind if I begin this sermon by doing a little experiment? I want to start by asking you how well you know Jesus. Just raise your hand when you think I am making a statement that is true: Jesus loved – he was a loving person. (18)Jesus showed compassion. (9)He could get angry. (5)He was sorrowful or grieved. (5)He experienced joy. (4)Sometimes he was amazed. (3)At times he was troubled. (3)He was...

Word of Salvation - January 2017   Fear and Trembling - by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: Phil.2:12-13 Readings: Acts 16:11-40  Philippians 2:1-18   Introduction I want to begin by letting you in on a little trade secret. It was one that I learned many years ago when I was still a student. As a group of aspiring young preachers we had a lecturer who told something like this: “When you are reading your Bible and a passage or a verse really strikes you, if there is something that jumps out at you, then maybe that is the Holy Spirit nudging...

Word of Salvation - November 2015   When the Going Gets Tough - by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: James 5:11b Scripture Readings: Job 1:1-2:10; 42:1-17; James 5:7-12   “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”   Introduction It’s the middle of WW2. A baby girl is born into a deeply religious family. Her mother has all the gifts and graces of a mature Christian woman. Her father is a hypocrite. He has affairs with different women and when his daughter is a teenager he...

Word of Salvation - January 2011   Tried and Tested - by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: James 1: 1 – 12 Scripture: Romans 5: 1 - 11; James 1: 1 – 12 Introduction: What makes for a good minister? What kinds of qualities and gifts should such a person possess? What should a church be looking for?   Let me introduce you to someone really good. I want to introduce you to Pastor Jack whom I’ve never really appreciated as much as I should have. He’s the kind of person that everyone would want as the minister of their congregation....

A Sense Of Identity   By Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde   Text: 1 Peter 1:13-2:12   Introduction A few weeks ago I was asked to do something that I haven’t done for a while, but that many of you probably do quite often. I was asked to write a reference for a young person. It was for the sixteen year old girl who cleans our house once a week. After helping us out for a year she had decided it was time to get a real job and would I please be so kind as to write her a reference? What...

Word of Salvation - October 2009   Love Lost?   Sermon by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde on: Revelation 2:1-7 Scripture Readings: Revelation 1:9-20; 2:1-7   Introduction Very often church members are happy to let you know what they think of the church. Very often the world, in no uncertain terms, will let you know what it thinks of the church. Sometimes by using surveys and questionnaires we encourage people to tell us what they think of the church. Often the results are interesting, and sometimes they can even be helpful.   Yet whatever the opinions of people may be, whether they...

The Genealogy Of Jesus Christ Rev. Dr Steve Voorwinde   Text: Matthew 1:1 Reading: 2Chronicles 36:9-23   [This sermon is based on a talk Rev Steve Voorwinde gave on 27 August 2008 at the CRCA Minister’s and Wives Conference. This fact will explain some of the personal references in what follows.]   I would like to start this devotional talk with a confession. I have had the privilege of teaching the NT for well over twenty years, but it is only just recently that I have begun to appreciate the very first verse of the NT. For many years I just...

Guidance   by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: Proverbs 3:1-12   God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. As a Christian it is your duty to find out what that plan is and to live accordingly. Let me give you some examples:   God has in mind exactly who the person is that you are to marry. Only if you marry precisely that person will you be in the very centre of his will for your life. If you do not marry the person he intends you to marry, you cannot expect his abundant blessing.   God...

Are You Sure? by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: 2Peter 1:10, 11 Scripture readings: 1John 5:1-5, 13-21; 2Peter 1:1-11   Introduction: When I was in the pastoral ministry I always considered it one of my greatest privileges to be able to visit people in their homes. One custom I particularly enjoyed in the churches I served was the regular home visit. After that mandatory first cup of tea or coffee you were expected to get down to business. The way was open to ask people some pretty personal questions about their spiritual lives. At first the questions I asked were rather...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.39 – October 2008   The Reformation's Greatest Legacy - by Rev. Dr. Steve Voowinde Reformation Sunday Sermon  Text: 2Timothy 3:16-17 Scripture Readings: 2 Peter 1:12-21; 2 Timothy 3:1-4:8   Beloved people of the Lord Jesus Christ. Introduction What would you like to be remembered for when you die? What mark would you like to have left on the world when you are gone? What will be your legacy to the next generation? These may not be questions that we think about often enough. They may not always be comfortable questions, but they were certainly questions that...