Word of Salvation - January 2022   HOLY, HOLY, HOLY By Rev. Steve Voorwinde Scripture Readings: Isaiah 6:1-13; Psalm 99:1-9 Sermon Text: Psalm 99:1-9   Introduction In Australia there are more than 100 Aboriginal sacred sites. The most famous of them all is of course Uluru, right in the very centre of the country. Sacred sites are places within the landscape that have special meaning or significance in Aboriginal tradition. They can be hills, rocks, waterholes, plains, trees and billabongs. For indigenous Australians the land is full of sacred sites. But what about for us as white Australians? Do we have...

Word of Salvation - Vol.49 No.9 - March 2004   The Lord Reigns Sermon by Rev M Flinn on Psalm 93   Scripture Readings:  Psalm 93; Mark 4:35-41   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We often face moments when it's time for reflection and for planning. When you're young, then you have to think about what you will be studying at school and whether or not you will achieve your goals. Some of you have left school and you are thinking about the changes that you will bring into your life. There may be a measure of uncertainty there -...

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.50 No.43 – November 2005   When I Consider...   A Sermon by Rev R Noppers on Psalm 8:3-4 Scripture Readings:  Hebrews 2:5-18; Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 8   Dear Congregation... What is man? Who am I? What am I doing here? Ringing through the generations, this haunting question pursues us, demanding an answer. And as our knowledge of this universe has grown, as each individual becomes simply a number in the calculations of society, this question has simply become more and more pressing! Carl Sagan, a philosopher and scientist whose research on the origin of life began...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.7 – February 2005   The Glory of God   Sermon by Rev J Haverland on Psalm 8 Scripture Readings:  Hebrews 2:5-18; Matthew 21:1-17   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ... At some time or other all of us think about the purpose of our lives: Why are we here? What is our goal? What is the reason for living? We follow the same routines each day - we sleep, we get up, we eat, we work or study, we eat, and sleep; and we repeat that cycle over and over. For what? What is the...

Word of Salvation - February 2011   THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION By Rev. Peter Abetz   Text – Psalm 78:1-8 (Rev Abetz preached this sermon at the opening of Synod 2009)   Congregation I have to admit that thinking about what to preach on for a synod prayer service, there are lots of different things that come to mind. But I’ve decided to entitle the message tonight, the Challenge of Teaching the Next Generation.   The Challenge of Teaching the Next Generation:   Back when I was pastor in Dandenong in the 1980s, the minister’s fraternal was asked...

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. 40 No.34 – September 1995   Peculiar Honours To Our King   Sermon by Rev. M. C. De Graaf on Psalm 72 Scripture Readings: Psalm 150   Brothers and Sisters. They've changed it in the Book of Worship, but as a kid, growing up with the Psalter Hymnal, the old version of this Psalm used to fascinate me.  The fifth stanza used to say: Let every creature rise and bring peculiar honours to our king.  I now know what that word "peculiar" means, but as a kid we used it to mean 'strange,' or 'weird', or...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 44 No.12 – March 1999   Blessed Are The Chosen   Sermon by Rev. John Westendorp on Psalm 65:4 Scripture Readings: Matthew 11:20-30; Psalm 65 Suggested Hymns: BoW 65; 135b; 376; 364 Theme: Election from the perspective of prayer and praise.   Introd:  My night-school Matric classes in European history             consisted of Protestants, Catholics, Agnostics and Atheists. When we came to study John Calvin there were two things we all knew. First he was the straight-laced reformer from Geneva.             A rather sombre man who was against a lot of things. Second he believed everything...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.37 - October 2006   Rest in God Alone A Reformation Sunday Sermon, by Rev John Haverland on Psalm 62 Scripture Readings:  Psalm 118, Galatians 2:11-21   Theme: When others opposed him, David found his rest and security by trusting in God alone. Purpose: To direct you to the Lord for your rest and security, also in times of opposition.   Congregation in the Lord. It has been said that more books have been written about Martin Luther than any other human person apart from Jesus himself. Luther has been a powerful, complex and influential figure...

Word of Salvation - October 2010   WHAT’S YOUR IMMORTALITY STRATEGY?, John de Hoog (A sermon for Reformation Sunday)   Reading – Luke 12:13-34 Text – Psalm 49   In Luke 9 Jesus asks his disciples this haunting question: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”   It’s not a very polite question, is it! In Australia today, it’s an offensive question. What good is it for a man to gain fabulous riches, power and prestige, have a perfect family... and yet lose himself?   It’s a question...

Word of Salvation – September 2021   Our Refuge and Strength   Sermon by Rev W P Gadsby on Psalm 46 Scripture Reading: Psalm 46   Introduction: On 31/10/1517 (“Hallowe’en” – the day before All-Saints Day) Augustinian priest and professor, Father Martin Luther posted his 95 “Indulgence” Theses on the university notice-board in Wittenberg. He wanted to provoke a debate with colleagues about what he regarded as a travesty: the church-approved selling of “indulgences” to raise funds. The Theses, were copied, printed a distributed far and wide, fuelling discontent with the Roman Church’s policies. In God’s providence, Luther’s action sparked that...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.38 – October 2005   A Refuge and Strength   Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Psalm 46 (A Reformation Sunday Sermon) Scripture Readings:  Romans 3:19-31   Congregation. This Reformation Sunday gives us an opportunity to look back to what has happened in the past. We don't do that merely out of historical interest or out of mere curiosity about what happened in times long ago. Rather, we look back to see what we can learn from the past that will help us here and now - in the present. As we look back over the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.14 No.39 - September 1968   The Church’s Wedding Song   Sermon by Rev. Prof. G. Van Groningen, M.A., Th.M., on Psalm 45. Scripture Readings: Psalm 45; Hebrews 1 Suggested Hymns: Psalter Hymnal 307:1-3 (New); 438:1-4; 83:1-3,5,6; 373:1-4; 376:4   Beloved people of God:                         Oh, if there's only one song I can sing                         When in His beauty I see the great King,                         This shall my song in eternity be                         Oh, what a wonder, that Jesus loves me. As this sermon was being prepared, the words of the song just quoted floated through the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.39 - October 1994   Thirsting After God   Sermon: by Rev. M. Vanderree Text: Psalm 42 Reading: John 4:1-25, 7:37-39   Dear people of God, The foundation for the Christian life is GRATITUDE. Gratitude is the hallmark, of our walk with the Lord.  It is also the hallmark of our life with other people, as we grow and develop spiritually.  It is out of gratitude that we seek to meet with the Lord and desire to worship Him as families.  Because we are grateful we long to enter into His presence by prayer and wish...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.5 – February 2007   Spiritual Depression A Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Psalm 42 Scripture Reading:  2 Corinthians 4   Theme & Purpose:  In times of spiritual discouragement we need to look in hope to God.   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Some of you will have heard of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He was a well known preacher who ministered in Westminster Chapel in London for 30 years. He has become well known for his many sermons that have been printed in books. One of the most famous of these books is a collection...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 47 – December 1990   He Has Come!   Sermon by Rev. A. Esselbrugge on Psalm 40:6-8 Readings:  Psalm 40; Hebrews10:1-18   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls, There are people who become so engrossed in a desire to have the world end, and the Lord return, that they withdraw from normal life to live in communes in the country, or even go and wait on certain mountains, eagerly looking forward to His coming.  The sad thing is, these people must be terribly disappointed and disillusioned when the calculated time of the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.21 - June 1994   Resting In God   Sermon by Rev. M. de Graaf on Psalm 4 Reading: Luke 24:13-35, Psalm 4   Brothers and Sisters, Most of us are basically creatures of habit.  Most of us like to live our lives according to certain patterns and certain ways of doing things.  We have certain assumptions about how it should work and we feel safe when it goes the way we think it should. We like the idea of an adventure, or something unusual happening from time to time.  We are willing to take some...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.42 – November 2007   An Evening Prayer By Rev. John Haverland Text: Psalm 4 Readings: 2Corinthians 3:7-4:6 Theme: David expressed his joy and rest in the Lord when many were against him. Purpose: To encourage you to find joy and rest in the Lord even when people and circumstances are against you.   Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is good to have regular habits and routines in life. One of the best habits you can have is to begin and end your day with prayer to God. When you first wake up in the...

Word of Salvation – Vol 49 No 31 - August 2004   Guilt Stinks... So Deal with it Sermon by Rev A Van Drimmelen on Psalm 32 (A Lord's Supper preparation sermon)   Scripture Reading: Psalm 32 Suggested Hymns: BoW 173; 32; 525; Rej 553   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tucked away in the Australian Taxation Office is a special fund called the Conscience Fund. It is a fund which receives money from people voluntarily, without any obligation. The money is sent anonymously. The only obligation these people have is to their conscience. The money is sent because their...