What Matters

Palm Sunday 2010 (Audio and Text)

On Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem, a city with a tragic past and an uncertain future.  The old city of Jerusalem has an almost mystical hold over people of three faiths.  And is is a New Jerusalem that will be the eternal postcode of those who follow Jesus.  You can download the audio of my message here...Download New Jerusalem  You can read it by downloading this file...Download New Jerusalem

The New Jerusalem

It has no major river running through it and no other geographic feature that sets it apart.  It is set in arid, rocky hills and suffers blistering summers and often freezing winters.  It’s a city where secular modernism rubs shoulders uneasily with ancient faith – not one faith, but the three major montheistic faiths.  It is never long off the front pages - never for good reasons.  It’s future is one of the major issues to be addressed in any Middle-East peace process.  It is, of course, Jerusalem.

On Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19).  He was not the first to do so and neither will he be the last.  Perhaps no other city of the past or present illicits such strong emotions in people.  When Jesus wept over Jerusalem he did  more than weep for its tragic past – he mourned its rebellious soul.  Time and again the inhabitants of Jerusalem had ignored God’s word mediated through the prophets (Luke 13:34).  In rejecting the prophets Jerusalem turned its back on God.  But then, like Jerusalem, we also can easily ignore God’s word. The good news is that God has not turned from Jerusalem, and nor has God turned from us. 

God has a glorious future in mind for a New Jerusalem – a heavenly City (Revelation 21) that will be a part of a new heaven and a new earth.  In the NewJerusalem there will be no temple, and no need for it as God will be in all and through all.  The light of the sun and moon will be redundant as the glory of God will light the City with luminous clarity.  This new City will be the home of all those who call on the name of the Lord.  This will be, can be your eternal home!  To God be the glory!

The Feast

God is 'recklessly extravagant' (prodigal) in His love for us.  He provides us with a feast - not of food - bit of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.  Listen in as Melissa wraps up our five-week journey into Jesus' story of the Prodigal Son...Download The Feast  If you would like to read the manuscript of the message, download it here...Download The Feast

Older Brother

Often we stop reading Jesus' story of a Father and two sons (Luke 15) when the Father welcomes home is rebellious younger son with a feast.  This breathtaking act of grace is, after all, overwhelming.  But there is another character in the story, silent to this point, who also has a crucial role.  Listen in to hear about grace shown to the older, 'good' brother...Download Older Brother  You can read the message here...Download Older Brother

Costly Grace

Jesus's story about a Prodigal Son must be read through the lens of Cross.  When we do, we discover that Grace is a free gift of eternal value and infinite cost.  You can read my message here...Download Costly Grace  You can download an audio file here...Download Costly Grace

Tale of Two Sons (Text and Audio)

The genius of Jesus' story of two sons and the Father who loved them both is that we find our own story woven into its fabric in profound ways.  This is what makes the story 'timeless'.  This week we focus on the first half of the story as the younger son runs away and then stalks back home.  You can download the manuscript of the message here...Download Tale of Two Sons  You can download the audio of the message here...Download Tale of Two Sons