Word of Salvation - Vol.48 No.47 - December 2003   What Could Be More Of A Sign?   Advent Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Luke 2:7b  Scripture Readings: Luke 2:8-20; Isaiah 7:1-17   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The scene described to us in our text is a sign. For 'sign' is the special word used to describe what happened in both Scripture readings. In Luke 2 verse 12 the angel tells the shepherds, "This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And this had also been...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 04 – January 1985   Christ’s Intercession   Sermon by Rev. Steven Voorwinde, v.d.m. on John 14:6 & Hebrews 7:25 (Belgic Confession Art.26) Scriptures: John 14:1-14; Hebrews 7:11-28 Suggested Hymns: Ps.H. 366; 369; 455; BoW. 502   Beloved in the Lord, What do you think is the most common objection that people have against Christianity?  What would be the single greatest difficulty that modern man has with the Christian religion? Well, some people may have trouble with the supernatural. They find it hard to believe in miracles or in angels or in the resurrection...

Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.7 – February 2002   Keep on Keeping on   Sermon by Rev. J. De Boer on Hebrews 12:1-3 Scripture Readings: Psalm 16; Hebrews 11:24 2:3 Suggested Hymns: BOW 148; 436; 73a; 525   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Last year the Olympics came to Sydney, and we saw the cream of the world's sports men and women doing their best; putting all their strategy and training into their events; hoping to get into the finals; maybe break a record and maybe even get gold.  Some did and were overjoyed, others didn't and were disappointed....

Word of Salvation - Vol.49 No.17 - May 2004   Word + Spirit = Church!   A Pentecost Sermon by Rev S Bajema on Acts 2: 42-47   Scripture Readings:  Galatians 5:22-26; Acts 2:22-47   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 2 is the great story of Pentecost. There's that sound like a roaring wind, the tongues of fire coming down, that speaking in all those different languages. There's the sermon the apostle Peter preached about why it happened to that huge crowd that gathered. There's the amazing response of many of those listening as they are dramatically converted....

Word of Salvation – Vol. 33 No. 26 – July 1988   The Beacon   Sermon by Rev. M. C. DeGraaf on Acts 3:4 & 12 Reading: 1Cor.1:10-31 Singing: P/H 324; 169; BoW.H.13; 316.   Brothers and Sisters, Not far from my home in North Ryde, on the Warringah road heading toward Dee Why, there is a small suburb called – Beacon Hill.  At the centre of that small suburb is a carpark, behind which is the original Beacon Hill.  On that hill, over a hundred-and-fifty years ago, when Sydney was still a small town, there was a small contingent of...

Word of Salvation – Vol.34 No.24 - Jun 1989   The Poured-Out Spirit Points To Christ   Sermon by Rev. D. Groenenboom on Acts 2:22-36 Reading: Ps. 110; Acts 2:22-36 Singing: 170; 125; 319; 407; BoW H.904   There were many questions in the minds of the people in Jerusalem.  For several years, and especially the 8 weeks before the events that we read about here, there had been a lot of interest in the person of Jesus the Nazarene. As Peter reminds the Jews, He had performed many miracles, signs and wonders.  But even though he was acclaimed as a...

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 June 2018   The Extraordinary Day of Pentecost - by Rev. David Waldron Text: Acts 2:1-13 Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-13   Theme: The promised Holy Spirit comes upon the gathered disciples in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, enabling them to be equipped with the gospel to convey to all the nations, thereby glorifying God and gathering the church. Proposition: We have the same Holy Spirit to equip us for the same mission of telling people with our own mouths about the mighty works of God in Christ Jesus, thereby glorifying the Lord and being used...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.20 – May 2005   The Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit   A Pentecost Sermon by Rev J Joubert on Acts 2:1-21  Scripture Reading:  Psalm 104:24-35 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 354; 359; 207; 182; 345; 346   Dear friends... Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. Traditionally we place great emphasis on Christmas and the coming of God the Son, and on Easter with the death and resurrection of our Saviour. And maybe we expect therefore that the Ascension and Pentecost would receive equal emphasis in our celebrations. But often they do not. I believe this...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.18 – April 2006   A New Testament Church   A Sermon by Rev Albert Esselbrugge on Acts 2:41-47 Scripture Readings:  Psalm 66; Acts 2:36-47   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. Many of us are concerned, perhaps even worried, about the church in general and the state of Christianity in the world. Some of us are concerned over the state of the Reformed and Christian Reformed Churches, especially some particular congregations and where they are headed - doctrinally and in worship practices. It will be good for us to have a look at...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.30 - August 1994   The Resurrection And Our Righteousness In Christ   Sermon by Rev. J. Rogers on Acts 3 Scripture readings:  Psalm 130, Acts 3   INTRODUCTION   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, In Lord's Day One of our Catechism, we confess that, 'my only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong, body and soul, to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.' I am very glad about that.  To be left to ourselves in death, or in life, is a terrible thing.  And the reason for...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.22 – June 2006   Organising the Church   A Sermon by Rev Albert Esselbrugge on Acts 6:1-7 Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 55   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. The New Testament church as we see it here in these early chapters of Acts was a church going places. It was booming in numbers and growing at a phenomenal rate. It's been estimated that by the time we get to chapter 6 of Acts the New Testament church had grown from that initial 120 disciples that met in the upper room at Pentecost, to...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 24 – Jun 1985   Infant Baptism   Sermon by Rev. S. Voorwinde on Col. 2:11,12, 1Cor. 7:14 Scriptures: 1Cor. 7: 8-16; Col. 2: 8-15 (Belg. Conf. Art. 34) Suggested hymns: 209:1,4,5; 415; BoW 502; 419; 310   Brothers & sisters in Christ, With regard to baptism there are various controversial questions: How do we baptise?  This morning/evening we deal with this controversial question: Whom do we baptise? We know that baptism by sprinkling is a proper Biblical approach to baptism.  Baptism symbolises cleansing, and sprinkling in the Bible is a method of cleansing. ...

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. 25 No. 37 - July 1979   Lord’s Day 13   Sermon by Rev. W. F. Van Brussel on Lord's Day 13 Scripture Reading: Psalm 2 & 1John 5: 1-5 & 18-21 Psalter Hymnal: 409, 194, 171:1,2 & 3, 221, 386   With the Lord's Day 13 our Catechism continues discussing the NAMES of our Mediator. The Names, JESUS and CHRIST have been looked at. In passing also even the name, CHRISTIAN, although that seemed a little out of place under the heading, "OUR DELIVERANCE". And now the Catechism proceeds to turn to the Names, GOD'S...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 36 – June 1979   Rejoice In The Lord Always   Sermon by Rev. Keith Vethaak on 1Thess.5:16-18 Reading: Rom.8:28-39   Let us begin this evening by reading a short story from the New Testament - the story of Paul and Silas in jail - we find it in Acts 16:16 - 35. If you stop to think about it, this is really a very strange story. It's interesting to read, but if you had just had your back cut to ribbons by a whipping; and if you had been thrown into a cold...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.16 - January 1975   And I Will Make All My Mountains A Way   Sermon by Rev. P. G. Van Dam. M.Sc., B.D. on Isaiah 49:11a Scripture Reading: Psalm 121, Isaiah 49: 8-13 Psalter Hymnal: 263, 193, 493 (Creed), 259, 52:1,4,5   In Scripture – in our text also – the mountains are 1.  Symbols of the hardships of life (Jer.13:16, Matt.21:21),             but also, and MORE SO, they are 2.  Symbols of God's glory and dominion (Psalm 121)             and of His victory; of His victory over sin             and over the results...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.15 - January 1975   Blessed Peacemakers   Sermon by Rev. J. de Kievit. Th.Grad. on Matthew 5:9 Scripture Readings: James 4:1-12, Ephesians 2:11-22 Psalter Hymnal: 315, 170, 436, 278, 231 (Doxology)   Of all the Beatitudes, here seems to be one at least with which modern man can completely agree.  For you will hardly find anyone anywhere – who loves war with all its devastation; its death and destruction of moral values.  Especially now that there is the added horror of the nuclear threat which hangs like a terrible sword over the whole world,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.14 - January 1975   Being Christened   Sermon by Rev. J. J. C. Westera, B.D. on 1John 2:20 Scripture Reading: 1John 2:18-29 Psalter Hymnal: 146, 94:1,3; 286:1,4; 463; 375; 395   The word anointed in our text is a very interesting one and a very peculiar one too.  It is connected with one of the names of our Redeemer, namely His second name, Christ, and we know what that means.  Christ means the ‘anointed one’ and when our catechism explains it, it says that Jesus is ordained of God the Father and anointed with...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 21 No.13 - January 1975   For Better Or Worse   Sermon by Rev. G. H. W. Kroon, Th.Grad. on 1Peter 3: 1-7 Scripture Reading: 1Peter 3 Psalter Hymnal: 58, 246:1,4. 212:1,5. 120, 447, 491   We are living in a time which seems to indicate that many have no idea what marriage is all about.  It is a time in which we find that separation and divorce are the order of the day.  There are countries where the divorce rate is up to 45% of all the marriages taking place. Faithfulness in marriage is taken...