Word of Salvation – Vol. 22 No. 31 – April 1976   God Moves Us Through Baptism To Faith   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 27 Scripture Reading: 1Peter 3:13-22 Psalter Hymnal: 156:1,2,4; 391:all vss.; 292:1,3,4,7; 169:1,2,3; and 493.   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, May you truly believe that you are a child of God?  May you really believe that God has forgiven you your sins and accepted you in Christ Jesus?  These questions have of course to do with the assurance of faith and it is a matter which continues to bother many members...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 24 No. 27 – March 1978   The Importance Of Christian Education   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th.Grad. on Deuteronomy6:4-7 Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-15.  Psalter Hymnal: 172:1, 2, 5; 120:1, 2, 3; 227; 150; 488   Our text points us to reflect on the need and importance of Christian Education.  For most of us Christian Education is a concept with which we have become quite familiar.  We have been blessed with a Christian primary and a Christian high school and again most of us are in agreement that such Christian schools are a must....

Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 13 – January 1979   The Seventh Trumpet   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th.Grad. on Revelation 11:15-19 Scripture reading: Psalm 2 Psalter Hymnal: 192; 180; 148:1, 2, 5; 135:1-3; 135:4   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, In the Bible, the number 'seven' very often has the symbolical meaning of fulness and the completion of a thing. Also here, in chapter 11 does the seventh trumpet announce the end of the world, the fulness and completion of history. From here on Jesus Christ will reign supreme. However, we must keep in mind...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 23 – February 1979   The Gift Or The Baptism With The Holy Spirit   Pentecost Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th.Grad. on Acts 2:1-4, 37-39 Scripture reading: Acts 2:1-42 Psalter Hymnal: 393; 390; 400; 383; 170:3, 4   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, When a gift has been promised to you, you then look forward to receiving it. You look forward to it even more when you already know a little bit about that gift. So it was with the disciples after the ascension. We know from the teaching of Scripture...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 40 – July 1979   The Death Of Christ   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 16 Scripture Reading: 2Corinthians 5 Psalter Hymnal: 135 all vss., 228:1,2,3,9; 200:1,2; 233:8   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, We believe concerning Christ that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and that He descended into hell. Lord's Day 16 focuses our attention on Christ's death, His burial, and His descension into hell. These words, congregation, would seem to have...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 24 No. 17 – February 1978   The Sealing Of The Church   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk, Th. Grad. on Revelation 7 Scripture reading: Revelation 7 Psalter Hymnal: 162:1,2; 235:1,2; 469; 172:5,6; 310   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Probably one of the most talked about figures of the Bible is the number 144,000. Interpretations of this number have ranged from mild to wildly extreme. Also, in this chapter, mention is made of the great multitude of the redeemed, and one of the questions that arises is the relationship between the multitude and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 11 – December 1979   The Gift Of The Baptism With The Holy Spirit At Pentecost   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Acts 2:1-4; 37-39 Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-42   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, When a gift has been promised to you then you look forward to receiving it. You look forward even more when you know already a little bit about that gift. So it was with the disciples after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know from the teaching of Scripture on the baptism with the...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 38 – July 1981   The Heart Stealers   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on 2Samuel 15:6 Scripture Reading: 2Samuel 15:1-13.   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, The first time we hear of Absalom in the Bible is when he took into his house his sister Tamar and cared for her. Tamar had just experienced a terrible violation of her person by her half-brother Amnon. Amnon, the first-born of king David's children, had fallen in love with his half-sister Tamar. Pretending to be ill, he asked the king's permission for Tamar to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 46 – August 1980   Overcoming Spiritual Depression   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Psalm 42:11 Scripture Reading: 1Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 42   This Psalm speaks about a person who is longing for God. He is suffering from a kind of home sickness that yearns for a deep and meaningful relationship with God. We do not know who this person is. He appears to be somewhere close to the Jordan, near Mount Hermon but why he is there, again we do not know. Possibly he is oppressed by the enemy. He hints...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 27 No. 25 – April 1982   Ehud, The Deliverer Of God   Sermon by Rev. M.P. Geluk on Judges 3:12,15,30 Scripture Reading: Judges 3: 12-30   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, If I were still a young boy then I would read this true story about Ehud with a glint in my eye because of its adventure and excitement.  But I do not think that Ehud enjoyed killing Eglon, the king of Moab.  He had to do it, for there seemed no other way to deliver Israel from this terrible tyrant. It was a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 31 No. 40 – Oct 1986   The Comfort Of Full Salvation   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 1, Q.&A.1 Reading: 2Corinthians 4.   There is a tendency in Reformed Churches not to use the Lord's Days in the Catechism as the basis for preaching. There is no difficulty in agreeing with the contents of the Catechism as such, but there is a reluctance in saying, “My text is Lord's Day such and such.” This reluctance stems from the fact that it is felt that one must preach only from...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 31 No. 44 – Nov 1986   Knowing How Τo Enjoy Full Salvation   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 1, Q&A 2 Reading: 1John 2:1-17   One day last week I opened the front door to someone who had rung the bell. The person, who I had never seen before, didn't ask for money, or somewhere to stay, or a job. The person just wanted to ask a few questions about life. Does life become easier when you grow older? How can God become more real? How do you see...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 31 No. 48 – Dec 1986   Why Am I So Miserable?   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 2. Reading: Romans 7:7-25   Lord’s Day 2 deals with man's misery. In getting to know the a, b, c of the Christian faith, we also have to know about our misery. Whilst preparing for this sermon I recalled meeting a young man a year or so ago who had come to the door asking for some money to buy cigarettes. He came, in fact, several times and on one such occasion...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 32 No. 04 – Jan 1987   Man’s Sinful State Is Not From God - For Man Was Created Good   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 3a. Reading: Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8.   It is plain to everyone that man cannot perfectly obey God.  You and I both know this from our experiences. And when we look to the requirements of the law of God, then immediately we are faced with the fact that what God wants from people is not what we can give him. By nature we are...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 32 No. 08 – Feb 1987   The Fall Of Man   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on             Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 3b, Q. and A. 7 Reading: Genesis 3   This afternoon we want to concern ourselves with The Fall of man into sin. We know from Gen.1 & 2 that God created man good and after His own image. But man today is of course not the same as he was in paradise.  The picture that we get from the Bible about man before the entrance of sin is quite different to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 04 – Jan 1988   Why The Believer Is Called A Christian   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 12b Reading: Colossians 3:1-21 Singing: Ps.H.281:1,2; Ps.H. 281:3; Ps.H.1; BoW.2; Ps.H.450; BoW.905   In the first half of Lord's Day 12 we are made to see why Jesus is called the Christ and how as Prophet, Priest and King, He makes sinners whole.  Today, in the second half of Lord's Day 12 we want to see why the believer is called a Christian.  In this Lord's Day, the Catechism first shows how...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 34 No. 05 – Feb 1989   Why Do You Believe All This?   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 23 Reading: Romans 7:21-8:17 Singing: BoW.P.89:1,2; 89:5,6; BoW.H.802; 811; Ps.H.326   Sometimes a book, a play, or a film has an epilogue.  In an epilogue a. concluding comment is given.  The main things have been said, the characters have played their parts, the story is finished.  But the epilogue might just tell you what happened to those who played such a vital role in the story.  You're not left hanging in...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 34 No. 25 – July 1989   How God's Spirit Uses Baptism To Strengthen Faith   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Days 26 & 27a Reading: 1Peter 3:8-22   As we turn our attention today to Baptism, we must keep in mind the overall purpose of the sacraments.  You may recall the scriptural teaching from Lord's Day 25 that God's Spirit brings faith into the heart of a person by means of the Word of God.  We pointed to Lydia, about whom you read in Acts 16, as an example of the Lord...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 34 No. 33 – September 1989   The Lord’s Supper (A Reminder And Assurance Of What Christ Has Done)   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 28 Reading: Luke 22:7-30; Revelation 19:6-9   The Lord has given two sacraments to His church Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  By means of these sacraments the Holy Spirit strengthens the faith of God's people.  We have already considered the meaning and purpose of baptism.  It now remains for us to look at the doctrine of the Lord's Supper. A quick glance at Lord's Days 26 and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 09 – March 1991   False Witnessing   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 43 Reading: James 2:23-3:12; 1Peter 3:8-12   Whenever we hear God's will for our daily lives, we are reminded that we are to love God and our neighbour.  In the second half of the Ten Commandments it is the neighbour that gets the attention.  But no one can love anybody as God wants us to, without loving God first.  When we love God, we don't murder our neighbour.  But murder is of course the end result of...