Word of Salvation – Vol. 36 No. 11 – March 1991   All Or Nothing   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Luke 14:25-27 Reading: Mathew 19:16-30   Fellow saints... We're on our way to Jerusalem.  Yes, we're in among the huge crowd that's following Jesus.  It's a very exciting time.  Jesus has been performing many miracles, and healing literally hundreds upon the way.  And it's not just what He does that holds our attention.  He tells us very perceptive stories about human nature.  He calls them parables.  They hold our attention in a way that's hard to describe.  And He...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 42 – November 2001   Watch Out!   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Mark 12:38-40 Scripture Readings: Galatians 3:1-14; Mark 12:35-44   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, This is a harsh attack by the Lord on the very pillars of society!  Yet it's something He has to say, especially as He has just clearly stated who He is.  But Jesus cannot just say what He said and leave it at that.  Otherwise He could be accused of being judgmental, divisive, and definitely unloving!  And it's precisely because of His love for His...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No. 39 – October 2002   The 'First' Friend   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on 3John 9-10 Scripture Readings: 2John; 3John 1-10   Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ. John's letter suddenly becomes quite different.  From what was a very positive reflection and encouragement for a friend in the Lord, with his words to Gaius, the apostle then couldn't have become more negative about Diotrephes.  And yet, it's these two verses of our text now that is the heart of why John is writing his letter. Let's face it, if you were writing a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 36 – September 1990   God's Spirit For God's Name   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Ezekiel 36:22-32 Reading: John 3:1-8 Singing: 190, 211, 247, 396   Our first Scripture reading presented us with that well-known story of Nicodemus coming and speaking to Jesus. There, in the dark of the night, so as not to arouse suspicion, this learned man of Israel came to the carpenter from Nazareth, curious to know more. The Jews, and especially the spiritual leaders, could see that Jesus was different. This was no ordinary popular hero, attracting a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 34 – September 1988   Fellow Saints   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on James 3:9-12 Reading: James 1:19-27; 3:1-12 Singing: Ps.H.89; 45:2,6,7,8; 252: 1,3; 295:2,3; 20   Fellow Saints..... The book of James is a very practical, down-to-earth book.  In this book we can see the concern of a Pastor for his flock.  Yes, a Pastor!  Here is a man, though an apostle, yet able to relate to the needs of the man and woman in the pew.  James does not begin with doctrinal explanations as Paul does.  Instead, James gets straight to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 18 – May 1990   Husbands, Love As Christ Loves   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Ephesians 5:25-33 Reading: Hosea 2:2-3:5 Singing: 851,2; 424;389;62:1,3,4; 366; 85:3.   Church of our Lord Jesus Christ Marriage is one of the most misunderstood areas in our modern age. Here we have two separate unique individuals who come together in the most intimate and close relationship. And what a complex thing it is! There are hundreds of interactions occurring all the time. Like the way they are at breakfast, in saying hello, or goodbye, or not saying...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 46 – December 1990   Bethlehem, Birthplace Of The King   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Micah 5:2-5a Reading: Luke 2:1-14; Micah 4:6-5:5a Singing: 339,340,346,341,331,337, H.201   Note: Our Sermon is broken up into three parts:             1. Micah 5:2 The Prophecy, followed by Ps.H. No. 341.             2. Micah 5:3a The Punishment, followed by Ps.H. No. 331:1,2,3.             3. Micah 5:3b-5a The Portent, followed by Ps.H. No. 337.   Beloved Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, What we have before us is a beautiful dream.  All the fondest and greatest of Israel's...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 42 No. 13 – April 1997   Pondering and Practising Peace   A Lord's Supper Preparatory Sermon... By Rev. S. Bajema on Philippians 4:8-9 Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:2-9 Suggested Hymns: BoW 93A; 216:1-3; 373; 164:2, 4   Congregation, The key phrase in this text is the very last short sentence. "And the God of peace will be with you" gives us the assurance that the Spirit of the Lord blesses this work of our hands. So, as those different qualities, listed in verses 8 and 9, are done, there's something spiritually in it for us. Now,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 40 – October 1998   The Divine Vine and His Line   A Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Psalm 144:12 Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:18 - 4:6; Psalm 144 Suggested Hymns: BoW 144:1, 2, 4; 435; 238; 78a; 331   Congregation... What do you see when you pray? Perhaps the boys and girls will be thinking: "But you're supposed to pray with your eyes shut!"  You're quite right, of course.  Keeping our eyes shut physically usually helps us to concentrate better while we're praying. But, now, you think about what you're praying.  Are you...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 02 – January 1998   The Devilish Dice Becomes the Lord's Device   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on 1Samuel 28 Scripture Readings: 1Samuel 28 Suggested Hymns: BoW 17:1, 3, 8; 374; 206   Congregation of our Lord. As well as our text, let's picture another scene.             A recent scene.               The scene is a rock concert.                 A rock concert in a large city in Holland. A rock concert which seemed like many others, except that it's in an old church building.  There's the throbbing anticipation of the audience; they're...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.36 – September 1995   Uninhibiting Or God Exhibiting   Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on 2Samuel 6:12-23 Scripture Readings: 2Samuel 6 and Hebrews 4:12-16 Suggested Hymns: BoW 122:1, 2, 4; 188; 378:1, 5-7; 17   Congregation, Perhaps this text appears as a fairly unknown part of the Bible to us.  Look through Reformed sermon index files and it doesn't seem to be used at all.  It isn't that often preached or written about – an incident that appears as another interesting occasion in the very full life of David. But this is not the...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.13 – April 1999   Nearer to God   Lord's Supper Preparatory Sermon, by Rev S. Bajema on Psalm 73:28 Scripture Reading: Psalm 73 Suggested Hymns: BoW 73A:1,5; 27:1,3; 473; 372; 241   Dearly loved people of the Lord. For each believer there comes a time of profession.  For each believer there will come many times of profession.  For each believer there comes the profession we express with meeting together in public worship, and when we have Holy Communion. The Form we use says that we renew our promise to live a godly life.  You...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.9 – March 1999   The Son's Death Brings the Father's Pleasure   Sermon by Rev S. Bajema on Matthew 27:45-56 Scripture Readings: Matthew 27:45-56 Suggested Hymns: BoW 188:1, 4; 301; 305; 392:1, 3, 4; 400:1, 3   Sermonette 1 - The Way God's Son Dies (Vss. 45-50)   Dear Church of Jesus Christ. The darkness which came on that first Good Friday was like a huge blanket that covered the land.  At the time of day when the sun would have been its brightest, there was no light at all.  And you couldn't just...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.34 – September 1999   The Hope is in The Life   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on 2 Kings 2:19-22 Scripture Readings: Luke 18:31-43; 2Kings 2:1-22 Suggested Hymns: BoW 207; 111:1-4,7; 392; 147:1, 2, 4, 5; 532   Beloved Saints in our Lord Jesus Christ... Don't you find that one of the hardest things to do is to actually begin to do something?  It's not always so hard to have lots of facts and figures floating around in your mind, even to know what you would like your project to look like when it's...

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. 45 No.22 – June 2000   Jesus Brings Out the Worst In You   A Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Mark 9:14-29 Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-29   Congregation in Christ Jesus...  Whatever we would think of our Lord and Saviour, and especially of what it would be like meeting Him, I don't think we'd imagine that it would be anything but the happiest of occasions. We read in the Gospels of people literally dying to see Him, lunging desperately to just touch the hem of His clothing, or delighting to pour the most expensive perfume...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.18 – May 2000   Just Believe   A Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Mark 5:36 Scripture Readings: Mark 5:21-43; also Heid.Cat. Q&A 20-21   Congregation... There is a very effective advertising campaign run for a brand of sporting clothing.  There are only three words used.  And yet these three words speak heaps to a whole generation.  They capture such a feeling that instantly there's a connection – JUST DO IT! Now, for someone of an older generation, there may be no understanding of this at all.  “Just do what?" they would probably ask. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.27 – July 2001   The Convicted Conversation   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Psalm 91 Scripture Reading: Psalm 91   Beloved in the Lord, Our age is a time of different voices.  Perhaps more than any other time we hear more voices clamouring to be heard than ever before – whether they are competing political ideologies, from feminism right across to male chauvinism; or attitudes to the environment, where you can go from extreme conservationist to the most blatant opulent waste; or religion, which can take you, in your own neighbourhood, from the...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.35 – September 2001   When Heaven Is Your Home   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Psalm 137 Scripture Readings: Revelation 18; Psalm 137   Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ... There are many Christians who have asked a lot of questions about this Psalm.  Perhaps you've got some questions too, after having heard it now.  There is one thing we cannot question about this Psalm, however – it is full of passion!  This psalmist leaves us in no doubt about what he feels, and why he feels that way.  A feeling, which certainly...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.37 – October 1999   The Curse is in the Death   Sermon by Rev S Bajema on 2 Kings 2:23-25 Scripture Readings: Eph 4:17-5:2; Mat 27:11-26; 2Kings 2:19-25 Suggested Hymns: BoW 329; 99; 334; 517; 181   Beloved in the Lord... It does seem a harsh reaction on the part of Elisha.  He is, after all, the same Elisha who has just done such a life-restoring miracle with changing the water at Jericho.  He is the Elisha who later would do more gracious miracles; providing the oil which never stopped flowing for that widow,...