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...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 13 – April 1991   The Tenth Commandment Calls For Purity Of Heart   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 44, Q&A 113 Reading: 1Kings 21:1-19   In the Tenth Commandment God speaks to us about the sin of coveting.  Coveting is wanting things or persons which you think you need to have but can easily do without.  Since coveting is a matter of the heart, the battle against this sin has to be fought inside of us.  If our hearts were pure, then we wouldn't have to struggle with this...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 21 – June 1991   Why Preach The Perfect Law Of God To An Imperfect People?   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 44, Q&A 115 Reading: Romans 13:8-14; Revelation 3:14-22   Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord's Day 44 begins with a statement concerning the tenth commandment but concludes with saying what the Ten Commandments as a whole mean for the Christian believer.  We first saw that coveting is really at the back of every sin.  To fight successfully against sin is to be content with whatever God...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No. 04 – January 2000   Saved by Christ, Through Faith   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 7 (Heidelberg Catechism) Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:13-23; Romans 11: 11-24 Suggested Hymns: BoW 217; 372; 427; 528   Beloved in the Lord. Lord's Day 7 speaks about the faith with which the Christian believer believes. It's always obvious when people are believers.  They draw the Bible and God into their lives.  It is not just a matter of saying the right words, nor of just being familiar with what the Bible teaches.  No, they...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No. 36 – September 2000   God's Only-begotten Son, The Virgin Birth Of Christ   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 14 (Heidelberg Catechism) Scripture Readings: John 8: 48-59; Hebrews 2: 14-18 Suggested Hymns: BoW 161; 331; 520; 105:1, 6   Beloved in the Lord. We are looking at the article of the Apostles' Creed that says: I believe in Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.  As you can see, it's all about THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST. 1.  It is a matter of...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 04 – January 2001   Christ Suffered the Pains of Hell   Sermon by Rev M P Geluk on Lord's Day 16B (Q&A 44 Heid Cat) Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31 Suggested Singing: BoW 310, 426, 514, 16:1,5,6   Beloved in the Lord. The article of the Apostles' Creed we are looking at today says, “He descended into hell."  It refers to Christ.  We use these words whenever we recite the Creed.  But the question is - did Christ really descend into hell?  Most of us, if not all of us, believe that Christ suffered...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 08 – February 2001   With Christ From Death To Life   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 17 (Q&A 45 Heid Cat) Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-14 Suggested Singing: BoW 90A; 310; 48:1,2,3; 529   Beloved in the Lord. There are many exciting accounts of Christ's resurrection in the New Testament.  On separate occasions the risen Lord showed Himself to the women, to the apostles, to the two men from the village Emmaus, to Thomas, and to more than five hundred believers at the same time.  From all these accounts you...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 44 – November 2001   What's in it for Me?   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 23 (Q&A 59-61 Heid Cat) Scripture Reading: Romans 4:1-8; 5:1-11 Suggested Hymns: BoW 92; 445; 464; 426   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Christ says, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Lk.9:25)  Christ gives a warning here.  He talks about each person having to face God some day and God is not going to be interested in your material...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 48 – December 2001   Christians And Their Good Works   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 24 (Q&A 62-64 Heid Cat) Scripture Reading: James 2:14-26 Suggested Hymns: BoW 407; 136:1-4; 9:1,2,3,4; 241   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Scriptural teaching of God never holding against the believer any of his sins, nor his sinful nature, give us much comfort.  It is a great relief to know that everything that was wrong in our life has been put on Christ.  God punished His own Son for all our sins...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No. 04 – January 2002   The Means God Uses to Produce and Strengthen Faith   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 25 (Q&A 65-68 Heid Cat) Scripture Readings: Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:11-17 Suggested Hymns: BoW 92; 346; 485; 113:1, 4, 5   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been looking at God's free grace to sinners.  He declares the sinner right with Him on the basis of Christ's death.  This is the gospel and this is what we are called upon to believe.  Even faith is a gift from...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No. 40 – October 2002   There is Only One True God - Worship Him!   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 34B             (Q&A 94-95 Heid Cat) Exodus 20:3 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 45:18-25; 1John 5:18-21 Suggested Hymns: BoW 95; 130; 96:1,3,4; 115:1,2,3; 29:1,5   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are looking at the first commandment and it's quite short.  It says, "You shall have no other gods before me.”  Yet, it is of such importance that if it weren't for this first commandment, the other nine would no longer...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 25 – July 1991 Teach Us To Pray   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 45 Reading: James 5:13-20; Matthew 6:5-15   Luke's gospel tells us that one day Jesus was praying in a certain place.  Observing Him, His disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray. (Luke 11:1).  This is a request that all God's children may put before their heavenly Father.  Christians are not satisfied learning a few prayers by heart and then repeating these whenever praying is appropriate.  No, they want to open their hearts to God as one...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 29 – August 1991   Praying To Our Father In Heaven   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 46 Reading: Revelation 1:9-20; Matthew 6:9-15   Beloved congregation, When we give our attention to the opening sentence of the Lord's Prayer, then we should just remind ourselves again why Christians pray.  Here we are speaking to God and Jesus says, '...this is how you should pray' (Matthew 6:9) and the first words to come out of our mouths are to be these: 'Our Father in heaven.'  We are going to find out...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 33 – September 1991   Praying For The Holiness Of God’s Name   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 47 Reading: Isaiah 37:9-23; 36-38   'Hallowed be your name' is the first petition in the Lord's Prayer.  In a petition you are asking someone to do you a favour or to respond to your request.  This first petition comes after you have acknowledged that God is your heavenly Father and that you are His saved child through Jesus Christ.  So when you are praying to God then you do not come...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 37 – October 1991   Praying For The Coming Of God’s Kingdom   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 48 Reading: Matthew 4:17, 23-25   Beloved congregation in the Lord Jesus Christ, The disciples of the Lord Jesus once asked Him to teach them how to pray.  And He did teach them the Lord's Prayer.  We too may pray the Lord's Prayer. But this prayer is not only given for Christians to use literally.  It is also a model for our own personal prayers. Each statement in the Lord’s Prayer contains...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 41 – November 1991   Praying For Obedience To God’s Will   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 49 Scripture: Luke 6:20-49   Congregation, beloved in Christ, The first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer are very much centred on God.  After we have respectfully drawn near to God in prayer, we ask Him to help us make His name holy; we then ask Him to so rule over us so that His kingdom is established more and more.  Today we consider this third request, namely, help us, O Lord, to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 45 – December 1992   Praying For Daily Bread   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 50 Reading: Deuteronomy 8:10-20; Matthew 6:25-34   Beloved Congregation, With the fourth request of the Lord's Prayer we come to that part that focuses on the needs of God's people. First it was the honour and glory of God.  'Hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done.' But now it is our living and working that are brought before God, and that makes sense for it is God alone who is able...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 01 – January 1992   Praying For Forgiveness And A Forgiving Attitude   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 51 Reading Matthew 18:21-35 Matthew 6:12,14,15   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, If right now I were not in the pulpit but in the pew as you are, and look at this fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer without the benefits of many hours of preparation, then two things would probably come to mind straightaway. The first of these would have to do with the words 'debts' and 'debtors'.  They seem...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 05 – February 1992   Praying For Deliverance In Times Of Temptation   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 52 Reading: James 1:1-27, Lord's Day 52 (Q&A 127)   Congregation, beloved in Christ, Today we give our attention to the last request in the Lord’s Prayer.  There were six petitions altogether.  We have asked for God's name to be made holy; for the coming of His kingdom; for the doing of His will; for daily bread; for forgiveness and a forgiving attitude; and now finally for deliverance in times of temptation....

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 09 – March 1992   Concluding Our Prayer   Sermon by Rev. M. P. Geluk on Lord's Day 52b Reading: Revelation 5:6-14   Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, The concluding words to the Lord's Prayer are really a doxology.  But doxologies do not necessarily have to come at the end.  The word doxology simply means – words of praise.  And words of praise to God can come at the beginning of a prayer or a worship services, or in the middle, or at the end.  The whole prayer can be a doxology. ...