Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 40 – October 1990   Are You Satisfied In Life?   Sermon by Rev. K Moerman on Luke 19:1-10 Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Proverbs 19:1-8 Singing:  H.9, 424, S.42, 413, H.828,   Boys and girls, young people, congregation of Jesus! Johnny is 14.  Year nine High School!  The teacher asked the boys and girls to write half a page on, 'What do you believe?' Johnny wrote, “Some people believe in God and go to church for Him.  I do not know what I believe.  Sometimes I think that He exists and that He is a...

Word of Salvation - May 2011   The Lake Of Fire, Rev. John Haverland (Sermon 4 in a series on texts related to the Heidelberg Catechism)   Text: Rev 20:11-15 (read verses 7-15) Heidelberg Catechism LD 4 Readings: Luke 16:19-31, 2 Thessalonians 1 Theme: The nature and reality of the final judgement and punishment Purpose: To impress on us the sobering reality of a final judgement and eternal punishment of unbelievers, but also the assurance of believers in having their name in the book of life.   One of the benefits of following the sequence of the catechism for preaching is...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 50 No.34 – September 2005   The Last Word Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Luke 23:46; Heidelberg Catechism LD 16 Scripture Readings:  Luke 23:39-46; Psalm 31   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. In central Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand there is a cemetery. On one of the gravestones in that cemetery you can read this inscription: Stop, traveler, stop, ere you go by;As you are now, so once was I;As I am now, so you must be,Prepare yourself to follow me. This is a striking little poem - it reminds every one...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.35 - September 1994   The Shrewd Manager   Sermon: by Revd. R. Brenton Text: Luke 16: 1-16   My brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, This clever crime is the stuff of newspaper headlines.  It is the kind of story people love to hear.  What an ingenious fraud!  Perhaps Jesus lifted this story from the 'Jerusalem Times'. The rascal in question happened to be a business manager assigned to oversee the property and supervise the sale of his wealthy master's goods.  It was the manager's duty to keep all his master's affairs in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 10 – March 1998   The Continuing Blessing of the Ascension   An Ascension Sermon by Rev. P. Abetz on Luke 24:50-53 Scripture Readings: Luke 24:44-53;             and either Ephesians 1:15-23 or Acts 1:1-11 Suggested Hymns: BoW 328; 332; 326; 334   Brothers and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. Introduction Christmas and Easter are two events in the Christian calendar which most Christians consider fairly important, and throughout the ages, Christians have celebrated these events.  But when it comes to Ascension Day – the day that our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven –...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.31 – August 1995   The Way Of Life   Sermon by Rev. R. M. Brenton on Luke 10:25-37   My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our family loves to play word games.  Our favourite game, Balderdash, makes fun of word definitions.  The object of this game is to score points by misleading the other players into believing that your definition of an obscure word is the correct one.  It's a great game for word lovers as it provides hours of wholesome fun. Some of us word-lovers take to playing word games...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.25 – July 1995   The Parable Of The Shrewd Manager   Sermon by Rev. H. O. Berends on Luke 16:1-15 Suggested Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 23:15-25, Luke 16:1-15   Brothers and sisters, boys and girls, young people. The parables are some of the most fascinating passages in all of the Bible.  These, on the face of it so simple, stories of Jesus.  And yet there is so much in them – I learned a new word when listening to the car radio some time ago: somebody was speaking about meta-language.  Meta-language, it seems, is unspoken...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.27 – July 1999   What is the Life of a Sinner Worth to You?   Sermon by Rev R. Noppers on Luke 15:8-10 Scripture Readings: Mark 8:31-38; Luke 5:27-32 Suggested Hymns: BoW: 337; 357; Rej 500; 419; BoW 407:1-5, 6   Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a lot of fuss over one silver coin!  Fancy that: if you lost a coin from your pocket or purse would you turn the house upside down looking for it?  Mind you, when you translate what it was worth into today's terms, then it...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.47 – December 2000   Whose Day is it Anyway?   A New Year's Eve Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Luke 21:28 Scripture Readings: 1Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11; Luke 21:5-28   Beloved in the Lord. With the end of another year upon us, it's an appropriate time to hear again about what the Bible says about the end of the earth as we know it.  The teaching in which Jesus deals at length with this particular event, in this chapter 21 of Luke, and also its parallel passages in Matthew and Mark, can give...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No.10 – March 2002   Look Up in the Last Days   Sermon by Rev A Esselbrugge on Luke 21:25-33 Scripture Readings: Luke 21:5-24; Luke 21:25-36 Suggested Hymns: BoW: 24a; 335; 250; 513; 177; 531   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. Don't you think it's an exciting time to be alive?  I know I do.  As I read the Scriptures, there are all kinds of indications to say that we are rapidly moving to that awesome moment when Jesus will appear again.  That time will see the resurrection of all the dead,...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.41 – November 2006   The Great Invitation   A Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Luke 14:15-24 Scripture Readings:  Isaiah 25:1-9; Rev.19:1-10; Luke 14:1,12-24 Suggested Hymns:  PsH: 115; 309; 413   Children, I'm sure all of you love a good story. And not only children love stories - everyone does! This is why movies and videos are so popular; because they are stories, stories you can see. Most of us also enjoy reading a story in a book or a novel, and we enjoy hearing one read to us. And we enjoy listening to a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 53 No.21 – June 2009   Shrewd Investments   Sermon by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: Luke 16:1-13 Scripture Readings: Luke 12:13-34; 16:1-13   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The text for this morning’s sermon is truly challenging. The Bible commentators will tell you that of all the parables that Jesus told this one has to be the most difficult to interpret. You see, this parable poses a problem — a big problem. The whole story is so unusual. It is so uncharacteristic of Jesus. It sounds so unlike him. Here he is saying good things...

Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.23 – June 2002   The Shrewd Manager   Sermon by Rev J.W. Westendorp on Luke 16:1-12 Scripture Readings: James 4:1-10, Luke 19:11-27; 16:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 111; 470; 218; 485   Theme: The parable of the shrewd manager to teach us faithfulness with a view to eternal rewards.   Introd:  Jesus told some parables – teaching stories – that really clash with our common expectations. They were radical stories – already for those who first heard them. Imagine that story about the Jew travelling a lonely road... ambushed by terrorists. Left for dead... two of...

Word of Salvation - January 2011   DON’T STEAL; GIVE LIFE INSTEAD By Rev. John de Hoog (Sermon 9 in a series on the Ten Commandments)   Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-21 Text: Exodus 20:15; Luke 12:13-21   The reading from Luke 12 contains the famous story of the rich fool. A simple story with an obvious meaning - don’t put too much value on earthly goods for you cannot take them with you. Don’t be greedy for more all the time, for you will lose it all in the end anyway.   Let’s think briefly about this parable. Notice three...

Word of Salvation - Vol.48 No.29 - August 2003   Come to the Banquet Sermon by Rev A Quak on Luke 14:15-24   Scripture Readings:  Luke 13:22-30; Luke 14:15-23 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 51; 416; 451; Rej 512   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. One thing you can guarantee when you have Jesus over to your place for dinner is that the table conversation will always be very interesting. Which is exactly what is happening in our text. But the teachings of Jesus aren't recorded just because they are 'interesting'. The teachings of Jesus are recorded because they tell us something...

Word of Salvation - September 2014   A Great Reversal Text: James 1:9-12 Scripture Readings: 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Luke 18:18-30 Song in Response: Book of Worship 246 "My spirit glorifies the Lord" (cf. rich/poor reversal in Mary's song)   We have a paradox before us today. A statement that's seems to be contradictory or opposed to common sense, and yet is true. The writer G.K. Chesterton once said "a paradox is truth standing on its head shouting for attention". Imagine, as one person has, truths lined up like ridiculous people on their heads, feet waving in the air. "Hey, look at...

Word of Salvation - August 2017   Self-love and Neighbourly Love Sermon by Rev. John Westendorp on Luke 10:25-37   Theme: The proper understanding of the summary command to love our neighbour as ourselves..   Introd:  There is no denying that love is one of the greatest themes of the Bible. And on our part that love extends in two directions.  The summary of God’s law makes that very clear. We are to love God will all our heart, soul, strength and mind. And we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. The lawyer who stood up to test Jesus was...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.14 – April 2005   The Promise of Paradise Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Luke 23:39-43   Scripture Readings:  Psalm 22; Luke 23:26-43   Congregation. Theme: Jesus responds to the believing prayer of the criminal with a promise of paradise. Purpose: To highlight this remarkable faith and prayer as an example to imitate and to take encouragement from Christ's promise of paradise. All of us have probably heard or read stories of 'death-bed' conversions where someone turns to the Lord in their dying moments. Sometimes that happens slowly during a long illness - say, from...

Word of Salvation – Vol.22 No.14 - January 1976   Faith as a Grain of Mustard Seed   Sermon by Rev. J.J. Van Wageningen, B.D. on Luke 17:5,6. Scripture Reading: Psalm 27; Luke 17:1-10. Suggested Hymns: Psalter Hymnal: 259 (Opening Psalm); 438:2,3 (after proclamation of grace); 431:4 (after 10 Commandments); 48:1,3 (after sermon); 408:1,3 (before benediction).   Do you ever think about what it means, TO BELIEVE?  No, I do not mean the content of our faith, WHAT we believe, but the FACT of our believing, the ACTIVITY of believing, the DEED of our faith. It is good and necessary to...

Word of Salvation – Vol.22 No.15 - January 1976   Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!   Sermon by Rev. A.I. de Graaf, B.D. on Luke 14:15-24 Scripture Readings: Romans 13:7-14 (law); Luke 14:1-24 Suggested Hymns: Psalter Hymnal: 195; 379; 371; 420; 325.2.   Brothers and sisters, boys and girls, Congregation of our Lord, At the moment Jesus tells this parable, He is sitting at a meal.  Nice and quietly, leisurely, for it is Sabbath.  And at this meal Jesus tells this parable             ABOUT that meal. It's like a hitchhiker striking up a conversation with the driver who picked him up.  And what...