The Spirit Of Truth - Rev. John De Hoog (Sermon 2 of 2 to be used around Pentecost Sunday)   Text: John 16:12-15 (Read 5-15) Scripture reading: John 14:15-27 Suggested music: BOW 34a; 118:1,4; 354   There were once two pirates, Jake and Samuel. Both were searching for buried treasure. Both had a map, and a set of instructions on how to read the map. Well, actually, not a set of instructions, just one instruction. The instruction was this: “Put on this pair of glasses”. For with each map came a pair of glasses. Jake was an expert map-reader. Before he...

The Holy Spirit's Work In The World - Rev. John de Hoog (Sermon 1 of 2 to be used around Pentecost Sunday)   Text: John 16:5-11 (read through to vs 15) Scripture reading: Acts 2:1-41 Suggested music: BOW 33a:1,2,7,8; 348; 351; Psalm 96 (Emu Music)   Jesus Christ ascended to heaven about 2000 years ago and one day he will return in all his glory. But he has not left us alone; he continues his work on earth today through the Holy Spirit. Around this time of year we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on that first Day of...

The Greatest 'Ah-Ha!' Moments In HIstory Rev John de Hoog   Text: John 20:1-20 Reading: Revelation 1:9-18   I once heard a standup comic talking about his work. He spoke about the kinds of moments he wants to achieve in a comedy routine. He wants his routine to be full of “Ha-ha” moments, when people laugh at his humour – “Ha-ha-ha.” But he also wants to achieve one or two “Ah-ha!” moments during his act. An “Ah-ha!” moment: we all know it, don’t we! It’s when the light bulb goes off above your head and you understand something in a fresh...

The Death Of Jesus Christ - Rev. John de Hoog   Text – John 19:28-37 Reading – John 19:1-27 Suggested music: RES 512, BOW 305, 301, 302, 309:1   Vs 31 “Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.” It is Friday afternoon, and when the sun sets the Sabbath will begin. The Jews have a law that says that bodies left on a...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.47 – December 2008   Skin, Not Sin A Christmas Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on John 1:14 Scripture Readings: Matthew 1:18-2:12; John 1:1-18   Beloved people of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is one of the most famous sentences uttered in the twentieth century: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong said these words on 21 July 1969 as he took his first step on the surface of the moon. It was the Apollo 11 mission. Richard Nixon was President of America at the time, and as Neil...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.31 – August 2008   The Conversions of Cornelius and Peter A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Acts 10 Scripture Reading:  Acts 10 Suggested Singing:  BoW 104a; 402; 386 Dear Congregation. The story of the conversion of Cornelius is one of the keys to understanding the whole book of Acts. Let me explain what I mean. The story is told three times in Acts. In Chapter 10 Luke simply tells us the story. In Chapter 11:1-18 Peter tells the story to the church back in Jerusalem. Then later, in Chapter 15:7-11, the events are...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 53 No.23 – June 2009   Hunger and Thirst Satisfied A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Isaiah 55 Scripture Reading:   Acts 13:26-41   Dear Congregation.   In the late 1990s Richard Carlson made lots of money with his self-help books. The first in the series was called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” It was a #1 National best-seller in the USA for more than a year. Other titles were, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Family,” “The Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Workbook,” and “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and It’s All...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 53 No.19 – May 2008   The Holy Spirit Comes on the Day of Pentecost   A Pentecost Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Acts 2:1-13 Scripture Reading:  Leviticus 23:1-21 Suggested Singing:  BoW 32; 235; 339; 351   Dear Congregation. The Day of Pentecost was the day the first Christian sermon was preached. It was the beginning of the new age of the Spirit in which we now live. It was the day the believers were equipped for their task as witnesses to King Jesus. It was the day the church was baptised with the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.14 – April 2008   He Was Raised to Life for Our Justification An EASTER Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Romans 4:25 Scripture Readings:  1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Romans 4:18-5:5 Suggested Singing:  BoW 16; 312; 332   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. At 2.30 in the morning on Monday, July 9, 1984, lightning struck the York Minster cathedral. This majestic Gothic cathedral was the pride of the town of York in the north of England. A raging fire broke out, the beautiful, carved oak vaulting of the southern end of the cathedral was reduced to...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.11 – March 2008   The Authority of Jesus Over Life and Death An EASTER Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on John 10:17-18 Scripture Readings:  John 10:17-18; Matthew 28 Suggested Singing:  BoW 360; 386   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Who raised Jesus? It is Easter Sunday, the day we particularly celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead. So, who raised Jesus? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our faith. Without it, we are lost. Paul writes these staggering words in 1 Corinthians 15: "If Christ has not been raised, our...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.10 – March 2008   72000 Unemployed Angels A GOOD FRIDAY Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Matthew 26:47-56 Scripture Reading:  Matthew 26:31-46 Suggested Singing:  BoW 301; 308; 321   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. There are moments in history that can be identified as turning points. 27 January 1944 is one such moment. In June 1941, having conquered much of Europe, Hitler set his sights on Russia. It was to be a fatal mistake. German forces quickly surrounded Russia's second city, Leningrad (which is now known once again as St Petersburg), but the city...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.7 – February 2007   God's Will for You in Christ Jesus A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Scripture Readings: Psalm 95:1-7; Psalm 100 Suggested Singing: BoW 332; 217   Dear Congregation. Three short verses. Three punchy commands, and a reason. The three commands: be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. One reason: for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Are there three other verses in the Bible that cram together so much to make us feel totally inadequate? Be joyful always? Pray continually? Give...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 53 No.3 – January 2008   "Jesus Only"; not "Jesus And"   A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Galatians 3:1-14 Scripture Reading:  Genesis 15 Suggested Singing:  BoW 66; 150b; 238; 386; 514   Dear Congregation. In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul is engaged in a strong argument against the false teachers who have come to Galatia. These false teachers are Judaizers - they are trying to impose the Law of Moses on the Gentile converts in the churches in Galatia - the churches in Pisidian, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Paul had preached,...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.43 – November 2007   Redemptive Relationships   By Rev. John De Hoog Text: Ephesians 4:1-6 Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-35 Suggested music: BoW 447; 434   What does it mean to be a Christian community? In our celebrations of the Lord's Supper, sometimes we read from 1 Corinthians 10:16-17. "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 51 No.9 – March 2006   Future Hope to Help Us Live With Unanswered Questions   A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Daniel 12 Scripture Reading:  Daniel 12 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 34a; 63; 517; 519   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We come now to the last chapter of the Book of Daniel. It is the climax of the book; it brings all the encouragement and all the warning contained in this book to a great high point. Daniel 12 is divided into two sections. Verses 1-4 are a simple continuation of the prophecy...

Word of Salvation - Vol.51 No.5 - February 2006   On and On and On it Goes!  Is That All There Is? A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Daniel 11:2-35   Scripture Reading: Daniel 11:2-45   [Note: read this passage just before the sermon, probably with the help of another reader emphasising the failure of all attempts to conquer depicted in this chapter.]   Suggested Hymns: BoW 30:1,2,5; Rej 18; BoW 321; 468:1,3; 332; 337   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. H C Leupold, a well-known and faithful Lutheran commentator, wrote this about Daniel 11: 'We do not...

Word of Salvation - Vol.51 No.6 - February 2006   Tunnels to Final Glory A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Daniel 11:21-45   Scripture Reading:  Matthew 24:1-31 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 33a:1,2,8; 365; 145a:1,5,7; 468   Congregation. David Jones is a Welshman, a preacher and pastor, who is right now (2005) working with the Presbyterian Church in Hobart. Some of you may have heard him preach. I heard David give the following illustration of what it's like to travel from England to Wales. To go from England to Wales is like crossing the Jordan to the Promised Land, says David...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.1 – January 2006   The Focus of Spiritual Warfare   A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Daniel 10 (part 3) Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 Suggested Hymns: BoW 214; 18:1,3,5; 457; 468; 430   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel 10 pulls back the curtains on the hidden world of spiritual realities just a little and gives us a glimpse of spiritual warfare. Daniel 10 shows us that behind the scenes of our life on this earth there is a spiritual warfare going on, which very much affects the people of God. When...

Word of Salvation - Vol.50 No.45 - December 2005   The Wise Men Who Missed the Saviour   A Short Christmas Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Matthew 2:4-6  Scripture Reading:  Matthew 2:1-18   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of the Magi from the east to worship the infant Jesus is an account full of mystery. There is so much we don't know about these wise men or about the events surrounding their visit. A huge tradition of myth and legend has developed around this visit of the Magi. It is said that there were three of...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.41 – November 2005   A Glimpse of Spiritual Warfare   Sermon by Rev J De Hoog on Daniel 10 (part 2) Scripture Reading:  2 Kings 6:8-23 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 24a; 61; 438; 310:1,4,5   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ... The king of Aram is frustrated. He is at war with the king of Israel, but he has a very serious disadvantage. He can keep none of his war strategies secret! He decides something, and he says, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place." But no sooner has he decided...