Word of Salvation - January 2012   WHAT IS TRUE FAITH? John Haverland   Text: Acts 16:30-34 Heidelberg Catechism LD 7. Readings: Phil 1:1-11; 4:4-9; Acts 16:11-34   Theme: In response to the jailer's great need and question about salvation Paul directs him to faith in Christ. Purpose: To explain how you can be saved through faith in Christ and to urge you to this.     Sometimes you hear someone ask a very perceptive question – a question that shows a good understanding of the subject under discussion, a question that is thoughtful and clear. That can happen in a...

Word of Salvation – Vol.50 No.42 – November 2005   Back to Basics   Sermon by Rev John Haverland on Acts 16:31-34 (A Sermon on Lord's Day 7) Scripture Reading:  Acts 16:16-34   Theme: In response to the jailer's great need and question about salvation, Paul directs him to faith in Christ. Purpose: To explain the essential elements of salvation through faith in Christ.   Congregation... There are many situations in life where children and adults need to be well grounded in the basics. Children, when you start learning, you begin with what has traditionally been called the three Rs: reading,...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 42 No. 18 – May 1997   A Promising End   Sermon by Rev. R. Brenton on Acts 28:11-31   My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you get carried away reading an action-packed adventure story, you always wonder what is going to happen next.  And you can't wait to see how the adventure is going to end.  As a rule, a good story comes to a conclusion.  In the end the weary travellers reach their destination, or the separated lovers are reunited, or we find out whodunit. Have you ever read a...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 40 No.27 – July 1995   How Do We Know God?   Sermon by Rev R M Brenton on Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 2 Scripture Readings: Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 1:1-3 BY WHAT MEANS IS GOD MADE KNOWN TO US? We know Him by two means: First: by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small are as so many characters leading us to see clearly the invisible things of God, even His everlasting power and divinity, as the Apostle...

Word of Salvation – Vol.39 No.38 - October 1994   A New Law   Sermon: by Revd. M. C. DeGraaf Text: Acts 11: 1-18 Reading: Romans 14   Brothers and sisters, I guess most of us would agree that CRITICISM can at times be hard to take.  I guess the times it gets to you most are those times when you have really been trying hard at something, putting your best effort in, and the folks around you (for whatever reason) are still not satisfied. Imagine an Olympic athlete who strives to do his best – and is still criticised by...

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND EVANGELISM Rev John Westendorp   Text – Acts 2:47b; 13:48b Scripture Reading: Acts 2:29-47. Singing: Book of Worship 34a, 130, 372, 23a   Introduction: Some people hold the view that the book of Acts portrays the ideal Christian community. They claim that if we want a healthy church we should all return to this situation here in Acts. These folk forget that the early church had its problems too. I could mention Ananias & Sapphira. Or that nearly all the NT letters were written in response to problems that troubled the church.   In any case, we can’t...

Living for Jesus   Text – Acts 21:1-16 (vs. 13) Reading – 2 Corinthians 4 Songs – BOW: 170, 139a, 216, 213, 103b:1&5   Here in the West we live in a day and age of great tolerance and religious freedom. It hasn’t always been that way. The freedoms we enjoy today have been won by difficult costly life-and-death struggles such as during the time of the Reformation. Many thousands were martyred for the faith during those years and it’s due to their struggle that we enjoy the spiritual freedom we have today. There are some who still suffer that struggle...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 51 No.29 – December 2006   Willing To Go   A Sermon by Rev Albert Esselbrugge on Acts 13:1-4 Scripture Readings:  1-12; Matthew 28:16-28   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. The New Testament teaches us that there is a certain set of characteristics which marks out the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We could call these the "marks of the church". How can you recognise a true church? These marks help us. A true church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a church which is devoted to the Word of God as...

Word of Salvation - January 2017   Fear and Trembling - by Rev. Dr. Steve Voorwinde Text: Phil.2:12-13 Readings: Acts 16:11-40  Philippians 2:1-18   Introduction I want to begin by letting you in on a little trade secret. It was one that I learned many years ago when I was still a student. As a group of aspiring young preachers we had a lecturer who told something like this: “When you are reading your Bible and a passage or a verse really strikes you, if there is something that jumps out at you, then maybe that is the Holy Spirit nudging...

Word of Salvation June 2018   Saving Grace - by Rev. David Waldron Text: Acts 11:17-18 Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 33:9-16; Acts 11:1-18 Series:             Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q&A) Theme:           The Holy Spirit works the saving graces of repentance and faith in all God’s chosen people thereby giving them life in Christ Proposition:   Give glory to God for his gifts of repentance and faith   Introduction “Look there’s a conversion!” – what exactly does that indicate? The word ‘conversion’ has many meanings in our English language usage, depending on which sphere of life it is used within e.g. In finance,...

Word of Salvation – Vol.34 No.31 - August 1989   Conversion: It’s Nature, Essence and Results   Sermon by Rev. Michael Flinn on Acts 16:19-34   This passage in Acts 16 records the circumstances surrounding the conversion of a man to Jesus Christ.  In terms of the history of the church it is one of the very first conversions and it is inscribed in Scripture to teach us for all time.  There are elements pertaining to this particular conversion that are true and must be true of every genuine conversion that has and ever will take place in the history of...

Word of Salvation – Vol.42 No.28 - July 1997   The Bible, God and Us   A Sermon by Rev M P Geluk on Acts 17:11 Scripture Readings: Acts 17:1-15 Suggested Hymns: BoW 95; 217; 421; 514; 479   Congregation, In the Greek city of Thessalonica, Paul, and his helper Silas, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ on three consecutive Sabbaths.  The Lord blessed that preaching, and some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks, and a number of prominent women became Christians (Acts 17:4).  However, other Jews in that city became very jealous about these people turning to Christ and...

Word of Salvation – Vol.49 No.27 – July 2004 - and reprinted in: Word of Salvation – Vol.51 No.34 – September 2006   The Agony of Reaching Those Who Know   A Sermon by Rev Albert Esselbrugge on Acts 26:27-29 Scripture Readings:  Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14; Acts 25:23-26:3; 26:19-32   Brothers and sisters, young people, boys and girls. We often speak about the teaching of the Bible and the Lord's great commission for His people to be involved in proclaiming the gospel to the world, and not being afraid as we do so. But what we want to do now is to take up...

Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.31 – August 2008   The Conversions of Cornelius and Peter A Sermon by Rev John De Hoog on Acts 10 Scripture Reading:  Acts 10 Suggested Singing:  BoW 104a; 402; 386 Dear Congregation. The story of the conversion of Cornelius is one of the keys to understanding the whole book of Acts. Let me explain what I mean. The story is told three times in Acts. In Chapter 10 Luke simply tells us the story. In Chapter 11:1-18 Peter tells the story to the church back in Jerusalem. Then later, in Chapter 15:7-11, the events are...

Word of Salvation - March 2019   B.C.32 – Order And Discipline In The Church Sermon by Rev.  John Westendorp Scripture Readings: Acts 15:1-21 and 1Corinthians 5:1-8 Belgic Confession: Article 32   Introd:  I find that a series of sermon on the catechism or the Belgic Confession meets with mixed reactions. OTOH – some people appreciated us dealing with these more weightier matters. They welcome an overview of the standards that underlie our Reformed Churches. OTOH – others disagree and reluctantly put up with them. They wonder how relevant it is today to go through this stuff that is 450 years...

BoW: 397 "Jesus, the very thought of You" BoW: 470 vv 1, 3; "Nearer still nearer" BoW: 396 "Jesus, name above all names" Scripture Reading:  John 12:20-36; Acts 8:26-40; Sermon: "We want to see Jesus!" BoW: 334 "There is under heaven" BoW: 385v3 "To God be the Glory" Beloved people of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the things that is most vital in our calling as Christians is to make sure that Jesus can be seen amongst us.  Now I realize we cannot say to someone, there he is, or go into that room and you will find him, for...

BOW: 209 Father I adore you BOW: 107a "Praise the Lord, for he is good" Law Reading. 1 Pet 2:4-12; BOW: 210 "Have your own way Lord" Offering: Local Church. BOW: 145 vv 1,3; "I will exalt You, O My God" Scripture Reading: John 15:1-17; Acts 11:19-30; Sermon: "Being a true follower of Christ" BOW: 440 "Fill now my Life, O Lord my God" BOW: 435 'God sent His Son" Beloved people of the Lord Jesus Christ; The Scriptures in Acts 11:26 state "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." Now for me that raises the question, "What must I...