We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son: born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became one of us, sharing our life and our death. He made known God’s compassion and mercy, giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin, offering healing and wholeness to all.
There was a time when you stood before this congregation to make confession of your faith in Jesus Christ.
I wonder what the story of your life has been since that time. Has it been a story of confessing Christ with ever-increasing boldness, or has it been a story of denying Christ, as you have drifted away from Him?
Whatever the past may have been, the future can be a new future, a future renewed by Christ, a future of confessing Christ as your Saviour and Lord.
Some of you made confession of your faith when you brought your children for baptism. At that time, you confessed your faith in God as your Heavenly Father, in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and lord, and in the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier.
You promised, in dependence on divine grace, to teach your children the truths and duties of the Christian Faith. You promised that, by prayer, precept and example, you would bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and in the ways of the Church of God.
Do you now renew the faith you confessed and the promises you made at the time of your children’s baptism?
May the Lord bless you and your children and give you grace to be faithful in your fulfilment of these promises.
Some of you made confession of your faith when you were baptized as an adult. At that time, you confessed your faith in God as your Heavenly Father, in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and your Lord, and in the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier. You repented of your sins with a humble and contrite heart. You put your trust in the mercy of God, which is in Jesus Christ. You promised to make diligent use of the means of grace - worshipping regularly, reading God’s Word faithfully, praying faithfully. You promised to be a faithful member of the Church of God, giving a fitting proportion of your time, talents and money for the Church’s work in the world. You promised, depending on the grace of God, to confess Christ before men, to serve Him in your daily wotk, and to walk in His ways all the days of your life.
Do you now renew renew the faith which you confessed and the promises you made at the time of your baptism?
May the Lord bless you and keep you in the faith of Christ crucified. May you be Christ’s faithful soldier and servant until your life’s end.
Some of you made a public confession of faith in Christ when you were admitted to full Church membership. At that time, you confessed your faith in God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You avcknowledged Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. You promised, in dependence on divine grace, to serve the Lord and to walk in His ways all the days of your life. You promised to make diligent use of the means of grace - speaking to God in prayer and allowing Him to speak to you through His Word. You promised to share dutifully in the worship and service of the Church. You promised to give of your substance, as the lord prospered you, for the advancement of His Kingdom throughout the world.
Do you now renew the faith which you confessed and the promises which you made when you were admitted to full Church membership?
May the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory, confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless at the day of our Lord.
As we, the congregation, have heard your confession, we are saying to you: This is not only your faith. It is also our faith. It is the faith.
The confession of our faith is one element of what happens when we gather together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper: “For as often as you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
In the Lord’s Supper, we confess our faith in Christ by recalling that He is the foundation of our faith.
The faith, which we confess, involves two things:
First, there is believing the truths of the Christian Faith, as they are taught in God’s Word.
Second, there is practising the duties of the Christian Faith.
Together, we confess our faith and renew our vows.
First, we will confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed. After this, we will, together, renew our vows to the Lord.
(1) The Apostles’ Creed
- I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty,
- Maker of heaven and earth:
- And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
- Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
- Born of the Virgin Mary:
- Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
- Was crucified, dead, and buried:
- He descended into hell;
- The third day he rose again from the dead:
- He ascended into heaven,
- And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
- From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
- I believe in the Holy Ghost:
- The holy Catholic (universal) Church;
- The Communion of Saints:
- The Forgiveness of sins:
- The Resurrection of the body,
- And the Life everlasting.
- Amen.
(2) Let us offer ourselves anew to Almighty God. let us recall and renew the vows and promises we have each made as members of Christ’s Church.
We believe in one God / Father, Son and Holy Spirit /
We confess Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord /
We promise to worship regularly / with our fellow Christians / on the Lord’s Day/
We promise to be faithful / in reading the Bible and in prayer /
We promise to give a fitting proportion / of our time / talents / and money / for the Church’s work in the world /
We promise / depending on the grace of God / to confess Christ before men / to serve Him in our daily work / and to walk in His ways all the days of our life.
These things we have each vowed and promised. Let us acknowledge before God our failure asstewards of his grace, asking that He will forgive what we have been, change what we are, and direct what we shall be.
Let us all pray:
Lord, we believe in You / Increase our faith / Renew our hope / Help us to live in lilove / through Jesus Christ our Lord / Amen.
Having confessed our faith in Christ and renewed our commitment to Christ, let us now come, in faith and obedience, to Him, as we come to His Table.
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We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son (John 1:19-51).
The story of Jesus Christ begins with the words, "In the beginning" (John 1:1).
The Old Testament prophets paved the way for Jesus Christ. They spoke of His coming.
According to John 1:45, Jesus Christ is "Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote."
When we come into the New Testament, we find that the first preacher is not Jesus the Saviour. It is John the Baptist.
John was the forerunner of Christ. he was the last in a long list of men sent from God to prepare the way of the Lord. John was not the Son of God. He was the Lord's messenger, pointing his hearers to the Son of God. John was not the Lamb of God. He was the preacher who directed attention to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
In the opening chapter of John's Gospel, we read much about John the Baptist, but our main focus of attention is to be on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became the Lamb of God.
In this chapter, Jesus is described as both "the Son of God" and "the Lamb of God" (vs. 34, 49 / vs. 29, 36).
This is the story of Jesus Christ. The Son of God became the Lamb of God.
The story of Jesus Christ takes us from Bethlehem to Calvary. It tells us the story of how the Son of God became the Lamb of God.
Coming in faith to Jesus Christ, we acknowledge Him to be both the Son of God and the Lamb of God.
As we come to Christ, confessing Him as God's Son and trusting Him as our Saviour, we receive the gift of the holy Spirit (v.33).
Christ gives the Holy Spirit to all who trust Him. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to confess Christ before men and to live as His witnesses.
We can learn a great deal about what the Holy Spirit seeks to do in our lives, as we look at four of the first followers of Jesus,
(1) John the Baptist (v. 36)
(2) Andrew (v. 41)
(3) Peter (v. 42)
(4) Nathaniel (v. 51).
First, in our witnessing for Christ, we are to point people to the Saviour of sinners.
Second, we are to give our personal testimony - "We have found the Messiah." He has fulfilled the meaning and purpose of our lives.
Third, we are to give the testimony of transformed lives, lives which are founded on Christ, the Rock of our salvation.
Fourth, we are to live and speak as a people of hope, looking to Christ who is our Hope of glory.
As we approach the Lord's Table, let us ponder all that Christ is - the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Coming King. Let us ponder the cradle, the cross and the crown, and let our hearts go out to Him in praise and worship.
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Born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became one of us, sharing our life and our death (Isaiah 9:6-7; 61:1-3; 52:13-53:12).
If we are to come to a true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ, we must not begin by opening our Bibles at the beginning of the New Testament - Matthew 1:1.
We must go back into the Old Testament. We must seek to understand what the prophets said, as they looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.
We must also point out that a true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ will not leave us in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. We need to move beyond the story of Jesus' birth at Bethlehem, led on to a deeper understanding of all that Jesus came to do for us.
From Bethlehem, then, we look back to learn from the prophets and we look forward to learn from the rest of the New Testament story.
With great prophetic insight, Isaiah spoke of the coming Christ. He speaks of Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection. From Isaiah, we learn of who Jesus was, what He did and what was done to Him.
When we come to Isaiah's prophecy concerning the birth of Christ (9:6-7), we may well come with the question, "Who was Jesus?"
When we come to study the life of a historical character, we ask our questions in the past tense: Who was Julius Caesar? Who was William Shakespeare? Who was Robert Burns?
When, however, we learn more about Jesus, we discover that He is more than a figure from the past. He is the risen Christ. He is the living Lord.
As we learn of Jesus' mighty resurrection from the dead, we come to think of Him in a different way. He is different from other characters from the past.
We no longer ask the question, "Who was Jesus?" We ask, "Who is Jesus?
In Isaiah 9:6, we have a tremendous description of Jesus Christ - "His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
If, after reading this amazing description of Jesus Christ, we are still tempted to think of Him as no more than a figure from the past, we must go on to read the first few words of verse 7 - "Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end."
Jesus Christ is alive today. he is with us now. He wants to draw out, from our hearts, the confession of faith, "My Lord and my God." He wants to give us the peace which comes from knowing that our sins have been forgiven. He wants to give us the hope which comes from receiving the gift of eternal life. He wants to be our Friend, leading us ever more deeply into a closer friendship with Him.
What will be your response to Jesus Christ? He stands among us, calling for the response of faith?
As we look to the words of Isaiah 61:1-3, words which Jesus Himself used to describe His ministry, we discover that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, began His ministry with a profound awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in His life: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me" (v. 1).
When we ask the question, "What did Jesus do while He was on earth?", we find a helpful summary in these verses. Without looking at each phrase in detail, we might draw special attention to these phrases: Jesus came "to bring good tidings", "to give ... the oil of gladness" and "the mantle of praise" (vs. 1, 3).
This is the message which was brought by the angels to the shepherds on the night of Christ's birth: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2: 10-11).
This is the message which Jesus brought to men and women during His earthly ministry. This is the message which He brings to us today.
Have you received the Good News of Christ? Have you learned to rejoice in the Lord? Are you learning to praise the Lord?
Let the Good News of Christ lead you to praise Him with joy, giving thanks to God for Jesus, your Saviour and Lord.
There's a Christmas song which contains the words. "Man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day."
If, however, we are to have a true understanding of the way to eternal life, we must move beyond Christmas Day to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and we must move on from there to the day concerning which the hymnwriter speaks, " O happy day! that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God! O happy day! O happy day! when Jesus washed my sins away."
The Gospel speaks not only of the Babe of Bethlehem. It speaks also of the Christ of Calvary and the risen Lord.
When the Gospel speaks of Christ's death and resurrection, it does not suggest that these events carry with them an automatic guarantee of eternal life.
The Gospel draws our attention to the Christ who was "crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men", after which He was raised from the dead by God (Acts 2:23-24). The Gospel does not, however, tell us only about what was done to Jesus - He was crucified by men and raised by God.
It also sets before us the question: What will you do to Jesus? Will you receive Him? Or will you reject Him?
"Joy to the world; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing."
"O come to my heart, Lord Jesus! There is room in my heart for Thee."
Is there room in you heart for Jesus?
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Born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became one of us, sharing our life and our death (John 3:16; Luke 2:10-11; Galatians 2:20; Luke 1:30-35; Luke 1:37-38; Luke 1:35; Luke 1:46-50; Luke 2:13-14, 20; 2 Corinthians 9:15).
The Gospel is for the whole world. The story of the shepherds tells us that the Gospel is for the Jews. The story of the wise men tells us that the Gospel is for the Gentiles.
The story of the shepherds tells us that the Gospel is for the poor. The story of the wise men tells us that the Gospel is for the rich.
To every one, God says, “I bring you Good News of a great joy … “ (Luke 2:10-11).
The baby was to be called Jesus - Saviour (Luke 1:31). He was to be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
Jesus Christ is both God’s Son and our Saviour. If we are to have a true understanding of both who Christ is and what He has done for us, we must never forget these are the great features: He is God’s Son and He is our Saviour.
The Apostle Paul sums this up very well - “the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
When worldly, unbelieving people read the words of the angel in Luke 1:35, they become uncomfortable. They are not too keen on all this talk about the Holy Spirit.
We are to respond in faith to the Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives the miracle of the new birth,
As we remember Christ’s miraculous and holy birth, we are saying to God, “For with God nothing is impossible.”
As we consider what God wants to do in our lives, here and now, we are saying to God, “Let it be to me according to Your Word.”
When we consider the miracle of Christ’s holy birth, our hearts are to be filled with praise to God, sharing in Mary’s song of joy: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46-47).
We are to praise God, echoing the song of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).
We are to join with the shepherds in “glorifying and praising God for all that we have heard” concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
From our hearts, we can truly say with the Apostle Paul: “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
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He made known God’s compassion and mercy, giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin, offering healing and wholeness to all.
To understand the Christian message, we must do more than simply telling the story of Jesus.
We must ask the question, “What does this mean for us today?”
To answer this question, we need to read our Bibles, listening for the voice of God Himself.
As we read God’s Word, allowing His Good News to reach our hearts, we will discover that Jesus Christ brings peace and hope.
We must ask the question, “What does this mean for us today?”
To answer this question, we need to read our Bibles, listening for the voice of God Himself.
As we read God’s Word, allowing His Good News to reach our hearts, we will discover that Jesus Christ brings peace and hope.
Jesus brings us peace.
* First, there is the peace which comes from knowing that our sins have been forgiven.
* Second, there is the peace which comes from knowing that Jesus Christ, “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), has some to live in our hearts.
We have peace because of who Jesus is.
* Jesus is our Saviour (Matthew 1:21). Since He is our Saviour, He is able to forgive our sins.
* Jesus is “Emmanuel” (”God with us”) (Matthew 1:23). Since He is Emmanuel (God with us), He is able to live in our hearts.
* Second, there is the peace which comes from knowing that Jesus Christ, “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), has some to live in our hearts.
We have peace because of who Jesus is.
* Jesus is our Saviour (Matthew 1:21). Since He is our Saviour, He is able to forgive our sins.
* Jesus is “Emmanuel” (”God with us”) (Matthew 1:23). Since He is Emmanuel (God with us), He is able to live in our hearts.
Jesus gives us hope.
* First, there is the hope which comes from the assurance that we’re on our way to heaven.
* Second, there is the hope which comes from the assurance that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
We have hope because of who Jesus is.
He is the King - the King of glory and the King of love.
* Second, there is the hope which comes from the assurance that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
We have hope because of who Jesus is.
He is the King - the King of glory and the King of love.
*We know that Jesus is able to bring us safely to heaven because He Himself came from heaven.”
“He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all.”
“Who came down from heaven to earth? Jesus Christ our Saviour!”
“Who is He in yonder stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall?
‘Tis the Lord! O wondrous story! ‘Tis the Lord, the King of Glory!”
‘Tis the Lord! O wondrous story! ‘Tis the Lord, the King of Glory!”
* We know that Jesus will be with us every step of the way because we know that He Himself has travelled the way of the Cross. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross, we have the assurance that He is the King of love.
Whatever our circumstances, we rejoice that the Lord is there beside us and His Cross is there to guide us.
Whatever our circumstances, we rejoice that the Lord is there beside us and His Cross is there to guide us.
This is the Source of our hope - Jesus Christ, the King of glory and the King of love.
To know Jesus as the Saviour, Emmanuel (God with us), the King of glory and the King of love is to enjoy the blessings of His peace and hope.
To know Jesus as the Saviour, Emmanuel (God with us), the King of glory and the King of love is to enjoy the blessings of His peace and hope.
May these blessings be ours today and every day.
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He made known God's compassion and mercy, giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin, offering healing and wholeness to all (John 2:1-12).
The miracle of turning water into wine is described in John 2:11 as "the first of His signs."
The word, "sign", is the word which is normally used in the Gospel of John to describe the miracles of Jesus. It is a word which stresses the spiritual significance of Christ's miracles.
As we read the miracle-stories, we must learn to look for what they teach us concerning salvation in Jesus Christ.
John describes Jesus' signs with a view to leading us to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31).
When we read the story of the turning of water into wine, we must seek to learn what God is teaching us concerning the new wine of the Spirit.
The contrast between water and wine speaks to us of the contrast between what we were before Christ came into our lives and what we have become through the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Think of what you were before coming to Christ. Think of what Christ has done for you and give all the glory to Him.
Before coming to the Saviour, we were lost. In Him, we have been found. Before trusting the Lord Jesus, we were guilty. In Him, we are forgiven. Before coming to the Lord, we were in bondage to sin. In Him, we are free.
This is the new wine of the Spirit - found, forgiven and free.
The word, "sign", is the word which is normally used in the Gospel of John to describe the miracles of Jesus. It is a word which stresses the spiritual significance of Christ's miracles.
As we read the miracle-stories, we must learn to look for what they teach us concerning salvation in Jesus Christ.
John describes Jesus' signs with a view to leading us to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31).
When we read the story of the turning of water into wine, we must seek to learn what God is teaching us concerning the new wine of the Spirit.
The contrast between water and wine speaks to us of the contrast between what we were before Christ came into our lives and what we have become through the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Think of what you were before coming to Christ. Think of what Christ has done for you and give all the glory to Him.
Before coming to the Saviour, we were lost. In Him, we have been found. Before trusting the Lord Jesus, we were guilty. In Him, we are forgiven. Before coming to the Lord, we were in bondage to sin. In Him, we are free.
This is the new wine of the Spirit - found, forgiven and free.
(1) Found
In Christ, we are found.
Sometimes, we hear people saying, "I've really found myself." This is not, however, the testimony of the Christian. The believer does not say, "I've found myself." Our testimony is this: "I've found the Lord."
There is a sense in which we've found ourselves. We've found the meaning and purpose of our lives. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that the meaning and purpose of our life is found in Christ.
When we think more deeply about our experience of finding the Lord, it is not so much that we have found Him. He has found us.
The water did not turn itself into wine. Jesus turned the water into wine.
This is how it is with salvation. This is how it is with the new wine of the Spirit. We do not turn ourselves into Christians. It is the Lord who performs a miracle in our hearts - the miracle of the new birth.
Until Jesus performed this miracle, the water remained water. It would never be anything other than water. When Jesus performed this miracle, the water became wine.
This is how it is with the new birth, the new wine of the Spirit.
By ourselves, we are guilty sinners, suffering from a sickness which is, humanly speaking, incurable. This sickness, the Bible calls sin. It is a terminal illness. there is no way of recovering from it, unless the Lord performs a miracle of His grace. We cannot cure ourselves. We can only be cured by the love and power of the Lord.
Without Christ, we have no hope.. The truth concerning our life without Christ is this: "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Once the Lord has found us, a new story of our life has been written: "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
When the Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, He said to them, "I tell you I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that Day when I drink it with you in my Father's Kingdom" (Matthew 26:29).
The new wine of the Spirit is not merely something which belongs to this earthly world. It is the beginning of a heavenly life, which we will share with the Lord forever in His eternal Kingdom.
Those who have been found by the Lord Jesus Christ shall never again be lost. Jesus says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28).
In Christ, we are found.
Sometimes, we hear people saying, "I've really found myself." This is not, however, the testimony of the Christian. The believer does not say, "I've found myself." Our testimony is this: "I've found the Lord."
There is a sense in which we've found ourselves. We've found the meaning and purpose of our lives. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that the meaning and purpose of our life is found in Christ.
When we think more deeply about our experience of finding the Lord, it is not so much that we have found Him. He has found us.
The water did not turn itself into wine. Jesus turned the water into wine.
This is how it is with salvation. This is how it is with the new wine of the Spirit. We do not turn ourselves into Christians. It is the Lord who performs a miracle in our hearts - the miracle of the new birth.
Until Jesus performed this miracle, the water remained water. It would never be anything other than water. When Jesus performed this miracle, the water became wine.
This is how it is with the new birth, the new wine of the Spirit.
By ourselves, we are guilty sinners, suffering from a sickness which is, humanly speaking, incurable. This sickness, the Bible calls sin. It is a terminal illness. there is no way of recovering from it, unless the Lord performs a miracle of His grace. We cannot cure ourselves. We can only be cured by the love and power of the Lord.
Without Christ, we have no hope.. The truth concerning our life without Christ is this: "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Once the Lord has found us, a new story of our life has been written: "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
When the Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, He said to them, "I tell you I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that Day when I drink it with you in my Father's Kingdom" (Matthew 26:29).
The new wine of the Spirit is not merely something which belongs to this earthly world. It is the beginning of a heavenly life, which we will share with the Lord forever in His eternal Kingdom.
Those who have been found by the Lord Jesus Christ shall never again be lost. Jesus says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28).
(2) Forgiven
Found by the Lord, we are also forgiven by Him. You cannot forgive yourself. You have to be forgiven by someone else.
When you sin against someone else - a husband, wife, brother, sister, friend, neighbour - you cannot simply say, "I forgive myself." You need to be forgiven by the person you've sinned against. You cannot givr forgiveness to yourself. You can only receive it as a gift.
It is the same with God's forgiveness. We have sinned against God. We need to be forgiven by God.
Forgiveness is an essential part of what we may call the new wine of the Spirit.
When, at the Last Supper, Jesus gave His disciples wine to drink, He said to them, "this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).
The water could only be turned to wine by Jesus. Our sins can only be forgiven by Jesus
Jesus turned the water into wine. Jesus turns guilty sinners into forgiven sinners.
This is the new wine of the Spirit.
Found by the Lord, we are also forgiven by Him. You cannot forgive yourself. You have to be forgiven by someone else.
When you sin against someone else - a husband, wife, brother, sister, friend, neighbour - you cannot simply say, "I forgive myself." You need to be forgiven by the person you've sinned against. You cannot givr forgiveness to yourself. You can only receive it as a gift.
It is the same with God's forgiveness. We have sinned against God. We need to be forgiven by God.
Forgiveness is an essential part of what we may call the new wine of the Spirit.
When, at the Last Supper, Jesus gave His disciples wine to drink, He said to them, "this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).
The water could only be turned to wine by Jesus. Our sins can only be forgiven by Jesus
Jesus turned the water into wine. Jesus turns guilty sinners into forgiven sinners.
This is the new wine of the Spirit.
(3) Free
In Christ, we are found. In Christ, we are forgiven. In Christ, we are free.
The freedom which we have received in Christ is not a freedom to do as we please.
* We are set free for obedience, set free to obey the Lord in a way that we could never do before.
* We are set free for service, set free to serve the Lord in a way that we have never served him before.
Christian freedom is like the freedom of the prisoner of war. We are no longer defeated, captive and taken out of the battle. We are now free to fight for the Lord, to fight in His strength and win victories for Him.
In the story of the turning of water into wine, we read of water being turned into a strong drink.
When we receive the new wine of the Spirit, we receive strength, strength to live for Jesus. We are able to live for Him in a way that we could not do before we came to Christ.
The contrast between the old life and the new life is highlighted in Ephesians 5:18, where the Apostle Paul writes, "do not get drunk with wine ... but be filled with the Spirit."
The world's way is the way of getting drunk with wine. It is the way of "debauchery."
The Lord's way is the way of the new wine of the Spirit.
The contrast between being filled with the world's wine and being filled with the new wine of the Spirit is both encouraging and challenging.
* We are encouraged. We have not received the spirit of 'Johnnie Walker' (or 'Jack Daniels'). We have received the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
* We are challenged. We are not to be filled with the spirit of 'Johnnie Walker' (or 'Jack Daniels'). We are to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Being filled with the new wine of the Spirit may not be the world's idea of a 'good time.' It is the way to true happiness.
Found, forgiven and free - this is the Gospel's description of a Christian.
Are you a Christian? - found by Christ, forgiven by Christ, free in Christ.
The freedom which we have received in Christ is not a freedom to do as we please.
* We are set free for obedience, set free to obey the Lord in a way that we could never do before.
* We are set free for service, set free to serve the Lord in a way that we have never served him before.
Christian freedom is like the freedom of the prisoner of war. We are no longer defeated, captive and taken out of the battle. We are now free to fight for the Lord, to fight in His strength and win victories for Him.
In the story of the turning of water into wine, we read of water being turned into a strong drink.
When we receive the new wine of the Spirit, we receive strength, strength to live for Jesus. We are able to live for Him in a way that we could not do before we came to Christ.
The contrast between the old life and the new life is highlighted in Ephesians 5:18, where the Apostle Paul writes, "do not get drunk with wine ... but be filled with the Spirit."
The world's way is the way of getting drunk with wine. It is the way of "debauchery."
The Lord's way is the way of the new wine of the Spirit.
The contrast between being filled with the world's wine and being filled with the new wine of the Spirit is both encouraging and challenging.
* We are encouraged. We have not received the spirit of 'Johnnie Walker' (or 'Jack Daniels'). We have received the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
* We are challenged. We are not to be filled with the spirit of 'Johnnie Walker' (or 'Jack Daniels'). We are to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Being filled with the new wine of the Spirit may not be the world's idea of a 'good time.' It is the way to true happiness.
Found, forgiven and free - this is the Gospel's description of a Christian.
Are you a Christian? - found by Christ, forgiven by Christ, free in Christ.
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