Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.22 – June 2001   Small Beginnings   Sermon by Rev J De Jongh on Ezra 3:7-13 Scripture Readings: Ezra 3:1-13; Zechariah 4 Suggested Hymns: BoW: 195; 29:1-3,5; 359; 136A; 241   Beloved in the Lord. As you think of the remnant of Israel returning to the Promised Land, you can almost sense the expectation that they brought back with them.  Some of them had been in captivity for fifty years or more, but finally they were going to return to their homeland.  They had memories of what things had been like before they left,...

Word of Salvation January 2012   ‘No’ to sinful desires; ‘yes’ to good lives! John de Jongh (Sermon 5 in a series on 1 Peter)   Text: 1 Peter 2:11-12 Reading: Galatians 5:16-26 Songs: My heart is filled with thankfulness; You rescued me; 441; 210; 241   Sermon Outline   1: ‘No’ to sinful desires! I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world   to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.     2: ‘Yes’ to good lives! Live such good lives among the pagans   that, though they accuse you of doing wrong   they...

Word of Salvation - June 2011   GOD’S PALACE; GOD’S PEOPLE, John de Jongh (Sermon 4 in a series on 1 Peter)   Reading – Psalm 34:1-8 Text – 1 Peter 2:1-10 Songs – 181, 337, 145, In Christ alone   Outline   Ridding yourself of evil, crave pure spiritual milk!   As you come to the Lord, the Living Stone, as living stones you are being built into a spiritual house.   To believers, this stone is precious; but to unbelievers, the stone causes them to stumble.   You are God’s people, that you may declare his praises!   And...

Word of Salvation - May 2011   Live in hope, holiness, fear and love, John de Jongh (Sermon 3 in a series on 1 Peter)   Reading – Isaiah 6:1-8 Text – 1 Peter 1:13-25 Songs: Be unto your name, 188, 372, Take time to be holy, 33   Outline   1: For the present & future: Live in hope & holiness! Set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Christ returns   Preparing your mind for action, being self controlled   Be holy, as God is holy   2: In regard to God; Fear! Live your lives...

Word of Salvation - April 2011   Praise God and rejoice in his salvation! Rev. John de Jongh (Sermon 2 in a series on 1 Peter)   Reading: John 3:1-8 Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9   Structure   1: Praise God! He has given us new birth Into a living hope   2: Rejoice in God! In the hope & salvation he has given us In spite of suffering   And so: Praise God and rejoice in his salvation!     Songs: BOW 22a; 217; Lord, I lift your name on high; People of God; BOW 145   The first couple of...

Word of Salvation - March 2011   GRACE AND PEACE TO GOD’S ELECT, Rev. John de Jongh (Sermon 1 in a series on 1 Peter)   Reading – Jeremiah 1:4-10 Text – 1 Peter 1:1-2 Songs: 378:1-3; The price is paid; Psalm 148 (Michelle Lodder version); I sought the Lord; 533     Outline (for bulletin)   1: From … Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ   2: To … God's elect resident aliens scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus...

Word of Salvation - October 2010   JESUS: MEDIATOR/DELIVERER, GOD/MAN, John de Jongh   A Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 5 Reading – Hebrews 2:10-18 Singing – BOW 135b , 404, 251, 238   Sermon Outline (Could be used for the Bulletin)   Recap 1: Can we escape God’s punishment and return to his favor? Only if the claims of his justice are paid in full (Ro 8:3-4) We can’t pay this debt ourselves We actually increase our guilt every day   2: Can another creature pay this debt for us? No mere creature is capable (He 10:4) God won’t...

Word of Salvation - September 2010   God: just & merciful, John de Jongh   A Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 4 Reading – Romans 3:19-26 Singing – BOW 136a, 373, 187, 517, 236   Sermon outline (Could be used for the Bulletin)   1: Recap God created us good and in his own image (Ge 1:31; Eph. 4:24) Adam and Eve fell into sin taking us with them (Ge 3; Ro. 5:12,18,19) Humanity has a natural tendency to hate God and others 2: God will punish our disobedience and rebellion As a just judge he punishes sin (Ge 2;...

Word of Salvation - August 2010   CORRUPTION’S CAUSE, John de Jongh   A Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 3 Reading – Romans 1:18-32 Singing – BOW 182, 206, 345, “There is a Redeemer”, “The heavens shall declare”   Sermon Outline (Could be used for the Bulletin)   1: In the beginning God created us good Ge 1:31 In his own image Ge 1:26-27 In true righteousness and holiness Eph 4:24 Truly knowing God our Creator Col 3:10 Loving him completely (cf LD 2; Mt 22) to live with him in eternal happiness to his praise and glory Re 21,22...

Word of Salvation - July 2010   THE PROBLEM, John de Jongh   A Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 2 Reading – 1 John 1:8-10; 4:7-12 Singing – BOW 389, 454, 517, “Lift up your heads”, “He was pierced”   Outline (Could be used for the Bulletin)   1: God’s law reveals our misery We are miserable, whether we realise it or not God’s word reveals our misery cf Genesis 1,2; Revelation 21,22 God’s law diagnoses the cause cf Exodus 20; Matthew 6ff God is the law-giver The relationship between good and evil   2: What is God’s law? The...

Word of Salvation - July 2010   OUR ONLY COMFORT, John de Jongh   A Sermon on Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1 Reading - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Songs – BOW 146, 409, 193, 243   Outline (Could be used for the Bulletin)   1: The problem (Romans 1:18-3:20) Our sin & misery Original sin (Genesis 3) Our own sin, (Romans 1:18-3:20) God’s condemnation   2: The solution (part 1) ( Romans 3:21-5:21) Jesus bought me with his precious blood I am not my own, I belong to Jesus He has set me free from the tyranny of the devil Our sins...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.47 – December 2007   Through Suffering Into Glory (A post-Christmas sermon)   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 2:13-23 Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-17 Outline: Through Suffering into Glory 1: Jesus fulfils OT prophecy: Israel in Egypt 2: Jesus fulfils OT prophecy: Israel in exile 3: Jesus fulfils OT prophecy: The suffering servant And so: Trust in this Messiah, so that through sharing in his suffering you may also share in his glory Songs: Rej 337; Rej 458; 176; 357; 530   Dear congregation... What is it that people say? Nothing good comes easy....

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.46 – December 2007   Jesus: King Of The Jews, King Of The Nations (A Christmas sermon)   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 2:1-12 Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Songs: 264; 257; 270; 255; 282; 265   Dear congregation, family and friends... What is Christmas all about? Isn't it about remembering Jesus born in a stable to Mary and Joseph, laid in a manger, and celebrated by angels and shepherds? A surprising thing is that Matthew doesn't even mention most of those things. In fact he doesn't even describe the birth - it gets...

Word of Salvation - Vol.52 No.31 - August 2007   Complacency to Commitment A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Amos 6:1-7 Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 Suggested Singing: BoW 335; 301; Rej 319; 186   Dear Congregation. Complacency - what is it? My dictionary tells me that complacency is being satisfied with yourself or what you've achieved. Complacency is feeling like you've made it, you can settle back, get comfortable - the hard work's done and you can just settle back now and enjoy yourself. We can all relate to that, can't we? We get to the end of a...

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...

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.11 - March 2007   Jesus Baptised with Water and Spirit   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 3:13-17 Scripture Reading:  Ezekiel 1:1-3; 2:1-7; Matthew 3:13-17 Suggested Singing:  BoW 174; 198; 522; Rej 337; 489   Dear Congregation. There are some people who start out as just another face in the crowd, but who are destined for greater things. Einstein is an example - I think one of his teachers at school said that he would never amount to much - but as we know now, he was destined for greater things. And...

Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.7 - February 2007   Prepare For The Messiah   A Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 3:1-12 Scripture Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; Matthew 3:1-12   Dear Congregation. Introduction: What do you do when something big is about to happen, some dramatic change? Don't you prepare for it, so that you're ready when it comes? Kids, you know how that works. It's like when you know you're heading off to the beach, or the pool. What do you do? Don't you get your swimmers on, grab a towel, get your toys, your board - you...

Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.47 – December 2006   A Fresh Start   An Advent Sermon by Rev John De Jongh on Matthew 1:1-17 Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:4-9 Suggested Hymns:  BoW 250; 72a; 252:1-3; Rej 457   Dear Congregation. There was a series on TV a while ago called 'Always Greener' or something like that. It was about one family from the city and another one from the country who swapped places. They both felt they needed a change, a new start. In a far deeper and more important way, a world fallen into sin needs a fresh start. It...