Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.5 – February 2002   Genuine Prayer   Sermon by Rev J Haverland on Matthew 6:5-15 Scripture Readings: Daniel 9:1-19   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Many of us find it difficult to pray.  We know we should pray, that we should do that regularly and that our lives ought to be marked by constant prayer.  Yet we are often frustrated in prayer.  We feel that our prayers are inadequate, that we don't pray enough, that we are easily distracted and that we can't find the right words.  I'm sure this reflects the feelings and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No.9 – March 2002   Fasting - A Neglected Discipline   Sermon by Rev J Haverland on Matthew 6:16-18 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 58; Esther 4:1-5, 12-17; Jonah 3   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Probably many of you have never heard a sermon on fasting.  It isn't part of many church traditions.  In fact, it has been widely neglected by most of the church in the western world for a few hundred years. Initially that neglect was perhaps an over-reaction to the excesses and abuses of fasting in the Roman Catholic Church.  More recently...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No.13 – April 2002   A Matter of Priorities   Sermon by Rev J Haverland on Matthew 6:19-24 Scripture Readings: 1 Timothy 6:3-21; Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 17-26   Theme: Our life must be focussed on serving God and laying up treasure in heaven, not on earth. Purpose: To urge you to make serving God and treasures in heaven a priority.   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes children complain that they don't have enough time to play: "I have too much homework and I have to do too many jobs at home and I never...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.39 – October 2007   Blessed Are The Pure In Heart   Sermon by Rev. G Vanderkolk on Matthew 5:8 Suggested Scripture: Matthew 23:13-28. Suggested Hymn: BOW 453 "Rejoice O pure in heart"   Introduction: (Can also be used as a children's address - use a bucket, soap and towel.) One of the punishments that parents in the not-so-distant-past administered was something that really tasted foul. If a child swore or spoke rudely to their parent or someone else, the parent might get a cake of soap and rinse out the mouth of the child. I...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 34 – September 1998   Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted...!   Sermon by Rev. J. W. Westendorp on Matthew 5:10-12 Scripture Readings: Hebrews 10:32-39; John 15:18-25; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 313; 139a; 394; 374   Introd:            This morning we are dealing with the eighth and the last of the beatitudes. It’s the only one to which Jesus added some special words of explanation. Perhaps that’s because this is such a solemn and serious beatitude. Our Lord wants to make sure that we don't misunderstand His words. This last beatitude deals with the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.43 No.20 - May 1998   Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness.   Sermon by Rev J.W.Westendorp on Matthew 5:6 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 55:1-7, James 2:14-26, Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Songs: BoW 360; 111a; 451; 148   Introduction: Congregation, In these Beatitudes we have some puzzling saying of Jesus.  At first glance they don’t seem to make much sense.  But turn with me to Luke 6 and you’ll notice that there they appear to make even less sense.  In Luke’s account of The Sermon on the Mount the Beatitudes seem even more puzzling. They appear...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 12 – March 1998   Blessed Are Those Who Mourn...!   Sermon by Rev. J. W. Westendorp on Matthew 5:4 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 61:1-7; Romans 8:12-28; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested hymns: BoW 302; 159;42; 426   Introd:            At first glance the BEATITUDES seem like sheer nonsense. That’s especially true for the second beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn...” That comes across as a real contradiction: Happy are the unhappy...! No wonder someone once said:  “The beatitudes are about people who don’t exist”. There aren’t any happy, mourning people. We could even ask:  Doesn’t this contradict...

Word of Salvation – Vol.47 No.42 – November 2002   Spiritual Bankruptcy   Sermon by Rev A Quak on Matthew 5:3 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 19:16-26; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW: 130; 519; Rej 296; 306   Congregation in the Lord Jesus. Let me share with you a very interesting set of statistics: At the last census, 66% of Australians said they believed in God, and of those only 20% went to church more than once a month. Two years ago a Christian research group did a random survey of 5000 people.  More than 90% of those surveyed believed they...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 42 No. 44 – November 1997   The Importance Of Right Relationships   A Sermon by Rev. P. Abetz on Matthew 5:21-26 Scripture Readings: Genesis 4:1-16; Matthew 5:21-26             (could also use 1John 1:5-10)   Brothers and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. Introduction Murder is an awful thing.  Serial murders which go unsolved send a chill up the spine of any city or community.  But the fact is that most murders in our country are committed within the family, or by close acquaintances and friends.  Husband murders his wife.  Son murders his mother.  Or a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 04 – January 1998   The Most Radical Sermon Ever Preached   Sermon by Rev. J. Westendorp on Matthew 5:1-2 Scripture Readings: Leviticus 18:1-4, 24-30; Psalm 1; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 171; 496; 404; 148   Theme: Introducing the Sermon on the Mount             as the Kingdom manifesto for a people set apart in Christ.   Introd:            It would be interesting to do a survey to find out what the values of our society are. I mean ultimate values.... bottom line issues. I suspect that for most the bottom line is pragmatism:  what...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 08 – February 1998   Blessed are the poor in spirit   Sermon by Rev. J. Westendorp on Matthew 5:3 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 61; Matthew 19:16-30 & 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 195; 119c; 89a; 515   Introd: Some have called the beatitudes the “be-happy-attitudes”. Some modern translations read: Happy are those who mourn... happy are the meek...! That raises the question: what is it that really makes us happy? What really makes us happy? I guess everyone here would answer that question differently. For the unemployed... happiness is finding work. For the sick and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 42 No. 45 – December 1997   The Prize Of The Persecuted   Sermon by Rev. A. J. Quak on Matthew 5:10-12 Scripture Readings: 1Peter 4:12-19; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 170; 447; 427; 488:1, 4   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to begin by making an assumption.  There would not be many, if any, people in our congregation who have been physically abused because they stood up for their faith.  Is that a fair assumption, congregation?  When we hear of the atrocious suffering and abuse that members of the early church had...

Word of Salvation – Vol.43 No.32 - August 1998   Blessed Are The Peacemakers...!   Sermon by Rev J Westendorp on Matthew 5:9 Scripture Readings: Psalm 122; Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 122; 465; 451; 426   Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Introduction: There’s an interesting version of this beatitude around: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall never be unemployed” That’s sad, but it’s true... because there’s such a great need for peacemakers. We need peacemakers in our families... where civil war so quickly breaks out between mum and dad... between parents and children. We need peacemakers...

Word of Salvation – Vol.43 No.24 - June 1998   Blessed Are The Merciful...!   Sermon by Rev J.W.Westendorp on Matthew 5:7 Scripture Readings: Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 25:31-46 & 5:1-12 Suggested Songs: BoW 505; 210; 15 ; 218   Introduction: Often we read of callous acts of neglect of the suffering of others. An act of violence occurs in inner suburbs of a large city. Shouts and screams... the sound of a gunshot.             People peer through their blinds but no one comes to help.             No one wants to get involved. A motor cyclist is knocked off his bike and...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 43 No. 16 – April 1998   Blessed Are The Meek...!   Sermon by Rev. J. Westendorp on Matthew 5:5 Scripture Readings: Psalm 37:1-11; 1Peter 2:18-25; Matthew 5:1-12 Suggested Hymns: BoW 22a; 398; 37; 511   Introd: In these beatitudes we see repeatedly that the standards of the Christian faith are different. In fact, not just different... radically different. So different that they are often exactly opposite to the world’s standards.   -         The world pronounces its blessing on the rich... those who have made it.             Jesus says: Blessed are the poor for theirs is...

Word of Salvation – Vol.41 No.42 - November 1996   Ask For And Offer Forgiveness   Sermon by Rev A L Van Drimmelen on Matthew 5:21-26 Scripture Readings: Matthew 5:21-26; 18:21-35; James 5:13-20 Suggested Hymns: BOW 329; 25:1-4; 51A:1-3; 185; 426; 523   Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. When our Lord taught about forgiveness, He stressed our responsibility to both look for and offer forgiveness.  When we have offended someone we must ask for forgiveness.  When someone has offended us, then we must be prepared to offer forgiveness. As far as I am aware, the Christian church is the only...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.19 – April 2006   The Temptations of Christ   A Sermon by Rev Allan Quak on Matthew 4:1-11 Scripture Reading:  Hebrews 4:14-5:3 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 414; 452; 371   Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't take us long in life to learn that valleys follow mountains, lows follow highs, and solutions quickly dissolve into more problems. You finish university studies and graduate as a teacher - you have arrived at your long-sought goal. But soon enough you find yourself feeling like a slave labourer teaching seven classes and barely preparing enough to keep...

Word of Salvation - Vol.51 No.19 - May 2007   Repent! God's Kingdom is Near!   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 4:12-17 Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 8:1-4; 8:18-9:7 Suggested Singing:  BoW 15; 332; Rej 282; 483   Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Imagine a relay race for a minute. The runners are spread out around the track waiting for their turn. The first runner carries a baton. And then the gun goes off - he's off like a shot. And he runs until he reaches the second runner. The baton gets passed on. And then it's that runner's...

Word of Salvation - Vol.52 No.15 - April 2007   Jesus Passes the Test   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 4:1-11 Scripture Reading:  Psalm 91 Suggested Singing:  BoW 22a; 190; 240; Rej 394; 500   Dear Congregation. In the first chapters of the Bible you read about the first man, Adam. Luke describes him as a son of God. And in Genesis 3 he's tested in the Garden of Eden and fails. The consequence of that for all creation is devastating - we still suffer from it today. Then, as part of the recovery operation in the...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.23 – June 2007   God's Kingdom Come   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 4:18-25 Scripture Reading:  Luke 4:14-21 Suggested Singing: BoW 29; 156; 447; Rej 457; 436   Dear Congregation... In the passage before this one, you see Jesus beginning his ministry in earnest. He'd heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison and couldn't continue his ministry any more. It was the kind of sign Jesus had been waiting for. The baton had been passed on to him - he was the one running this race now. And...