This sermon is based on Jesus’ “Sermon on The Mount”, which can be found in both Matt.5:1ff and Lk.6:17ff. There are some differences between the two accounts. To be “blessed” is to to be one of those who the Lord has blessed or whose understanding and heart God has opened to the Truth. Bearing all this in mind, Christians can expect persecution, as we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We can’t be hiding our light but need to be distinctive as a witness to the world. If you’d......

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Straight after Jesus time of testing in the wilderness that we saw in Matt.4 Part 1, Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit and ministered in the synagogue in Nazareth (See Luke 4). He was rejected there and went to live and minister elsewhere. He came in fact in predominantly Gentile areas of Israel, and was a Light to those in the darkness. He called four fishermen to follow Him, and then began His ministry of healing and deliverance. It could be said that Jesus’ ministry was 3 Fold Teaching Preaching Healing the......

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Straight away after Jesus was baptised, and the Spirit descended upon Him, and God (the Father) spoke to Him confirming Him as His Beloved Son, the same Holy Spirit “drove” (See Mark 1:12) Jesus into the wilderness to “test” Him. So that experience that Jesus had, concerning His Sonship, had to be tested and proved, and the means that God used was the devil. Jesus overcame and passed all His tests with flying colours, and would be ready to go and carry on a different style and type of ministry. We must remember......

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Its been 504 years since Reformation Day! The Reformers wanted to bring Reform to the church of their day, because it was obvious that something was wrong. There was an over emphasis on church and papal authority, wherein the church was its own police force. The Reformers on the other hand saw the need for Scripture Alone as the basis for what the church teaches and as the measuring stick to gauge when the church starts to lose its shape and direction. The church all through the ages should remember this because if Scripture Alone is not sufficient......

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It was one thing seeing the people of the land, or the common people responding to John’s baptism, but what did John make of the religious leaders coming out to him? Well, rather than embrace them with open arms, he was scathing towards them, using language such as, “You brood of vipers” (charming language)! Their reasons for coming to his baptism were only to investigate him and his theology and practice. Next came one who was sinless, blameless, and certainly one who didn’t need baptism nor the forgiveness of sins – Jesus!......

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How is it that it was prophesied that Elijah must come first before the great and terrible day of the LORD (See Malachi 4:4-6)? How and in what way is John the Baptist the Elijah that the Scriptures foretold? There had been a silence of 400 years since the last prophet, Malachi spoke, until the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist. John was sent to get the people ready for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. What on earth would attract masses of crowds of people to John preaching......

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In this section we see the wise men on the road again because of a divine dream they had had (Matt.2:12), and then we see Joseph being warned by an angel in another dream (v.13), that told him to go in the middle of the night to Egypt. This may seem unusual except that it was known as a place of refuge from Roman dominance, and approximately 1 Million Jews lived in the city of Alexandria, so that the family was never entirely alone there. Obviously Herod flew into a rage when he realised......

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This first part of Matthew 2 should be familiar to us, as we have heard it read and acted out at countless school or church nativity plays. But there is so much more detail to be found in the text. God is actively drawing both Jews and Gentiles to Jesus, as He will save His people from their sins (Matt.1:21), and they will come and worship Him. If you would like to watch the sermon on Youtube, click on this link!...

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This is the second part of Matthew 1. Not only is Joseph commanded to name “his son” JESUS and take Mary home to be his wife, but we are told that a prophecy is being fulfilled from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph will name “his son” JESUS, but the people will call Him “Immanuel” which means, “God With Us!” Jesus has come to “Save HIS PEOPLE from their sins” (Matt.1:21), but a big question is, “Who are HIS PEOPLE?” If we say, Israel, then what does that say about everyone else who is non Jewish? Won’t......

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We realise that reading a list of genealogies isn’t that interesting to most of us, unless we are big into history and family trees. But for Matthew, he felt the need to demonstrate the historicity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew traced Jesus lineage all the way back to David, and even further back to Abraham. In today’s sermon we only covered vv.1-17, and no doubt may have to come back to these verses. But, this message will help as a springboard into the rest of what Matthew has to say in......

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