Wow! It was worth it!

Nov 3, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3 Living as Children of God; Matthew 5:1-12 – The Beatitudes | Sunday 1^st November 2026 | Message by Pastor Steen Olsen

I invite you to join me in the presence of the risen King

Join me in heaven for a few minutes as we reflect on what we see and the difference it makes in our lives. If you wish, close your eyes while I read the text and try to imagine what John saw!

John writes:

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” ¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” ¹⁴I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; ¹⁷for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

What a scene! The biggest worship service ever. The preceding verses told us that there were 144,000 present, but now we see this number was symbolic. The real number is now given—a crowd no one can count.

Join me as we have a look around. Look there you are! What a miracle! Who would have thought you would be there! And there I am—an even greater miracle! That’s just amazing! There we are in the presence of the risen King!

1) How did we come to be there?

We are singing about it: “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” [v10] The Elder explains: “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” [v14] Red blood makes robes white. We are clean—pure in the presence of God—because Jesus died and rose again for us. We are forgiven—born again through baptism to be the children of God—that is who we are! That is why we are in heaven. We didn’t earn it by good living and loving—we don’t deserve to be there—it is God’s gift to us through Christ. I believe we will be pleasantly surprised when we get to heaven because there will be people present that we never imagined would get there.

2) The story of my best friend at high school

You may have heard me speak of this before, but I will repeat it here. Jonathan, my best friend at high school, was not a Christian. We hung out, played football together for the First Eleven and did the things friends generally do. Then we went to university, and then I moved to Australia, and we lost touch. Ten years later I wondered what he was doing, so I tried to track him down, but without success. I tried again a decade later with the same result. More than 35 years went by since we were at school. I was preparing to chair the annual general meeting of New Zealand’s main ecumenical body, Vision Network. The meeting was about to begin when a guy walked up, looked intently at me, and asked, ‘Steen?’

Jonathan had come to faith in Jesus about 18 months after we lost touch. He thanked me for the part I had played in his journey to faith. I was confused. I didn’t remember doing anything. He reminded me of a couple of things I had said and done that he considered important steps along the way. I had taken him to our Lutheran youth group meetings and to a Billy Graham Crusade. Back in the Sixties Billy was a social phenomenon, and many came to hear him just out of curiosity. Inviting someone along was not as big a deal as it might be today. Six months after the Holy Spirit brought Jesus into Jonathan’s life, his girlfriend (now wife) became a Christian. Today their children and grandchildren are also part of the church. Now, here he was, a leader in his denomination and representing them at this annual meeting of Vision Network.

3) Why are we being given this vision of heaven?

Not so that we might get a picture of heaven but so that we might understand something about the church on earth. John is giving us this vision of heaven so that we may understand who we are on earth and so that we may understand the church as it really is. It is not just a group of people with problems but that we may see what God is doing through ordinary people like us.

4) Let’s look around a bit more

Who else is here? Why is there the person Mary cared for when she was sick. Let’s talk with her… Wow! It was worth the effort! Martin witnessed to that man at work. He argued a lot. Obviously he was listening though. It was worth the effort. He is here. Here are some people we prayed for. Through the budget we supported some missionaries in PNG, now look at how many of them are here. There is that kid from the neighbourhood who vandalized the church. He received grace rather than condemnation. And there’s a bloke who came into the service one day liked the welcome and heard a message.

5) It is a sacrifice to be part of the Church

Sometimes we need the care of our God and shepherd, as our text says: “The one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [v15b-17] That will be complete when we get to heaven. Even now God is with us as we experience storms and tempest, the heat of the day and tears of grief. Because it costs us time and effort and money to be part of this Church. But it is worth it! It pushes us out of our comfort zones to be part of this Church. We end up doing things we didn’t think we could. We feel uncomfortable at times—But it is worth it. I predict that we won’t be in heaven for more than five minutes before we say, “It was worth it”. “Why didn’t I sacrifice more? Witness more? Give more?”

6) Why is it worth it? Because God has made us part of what he is doing in the world

He doesn’t use angels to proclaim his message. At least not very often. He uses us, and the time, energy and money he has given us and what we do makes a difference for all eternity. Every time you pray; every time you serve in some way; every time you make an offering, God uses that in ways that we often don’t see but which make a real difference

7) Today we are remembering those who have already gone to be with the Lord

I have been to way too many funerals in the past few years. They are now part of that numberless crowd before the throne of God. We miss them; we grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We are people shaped by the faith, hope and love we have been given. We love those we have missed. But we do so as people of faith who know that God is true to his promises. And that gives us an unshakable hope—they are not gone forever. And one day we will join them. It has been tough at times, but it was not a waste of time. It was worth it!

We live our lives in the presence of the risen King

He is our shepherd who watches over us and cares for us. He works through us in ways we do not even begin to understand. Like the angels we worship him day and night and have a lot to sing about: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” [v12]

Living our lives in the presence of the risen King is worth it! Amen.

Standing firm on Scripture, faith and grace

Oct 27, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Reformation Sunday 25th October 2026 | Matthew 22:34-46 | Lay-reading with Paul Verrall

The message today was prepared by one of the pastors of the LCA and sourced from the LCA’s worship planning page.

When we have an election, the election is usually preceded by a series of debates. A debate is a way of presenting ideas, and of testing ideas against each other.

A debate is a way of seeking the truth. There are three sides to a debate. There are two debaters, or two teams. The debaters first need to define the issue and present their claims. What are they fighting for? Both claim that they are presenting the truth. So the debate will test their claims.

And then there are all the people in the middle, people listening, weighing it up, deciding who really is presenting the most truthful and the most helpful argument.

Some debates are rather academic. You are listening to interesting points of view. But some debates are much more important. A political debate may have a big impact on the policies of a nation, which will affect the way you live your life.

Unfortunately, when we hear debates in the public sphere, we hear how the debaters like to score points by attacking the person, and fudging the issues. They have a great deal of personal pride, and their personal power invested is in the debate. Truth and justice can be lost within the debate.

Jesus said: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Jesus came to bring the truth, the truth about life from the one who had given life.

Jesus called on people to believe his truth, and his disciples are the ones who heard him speak, believed what he said, and entrusted their lives to the truth he brought.

Jesus made a promise: My truth will bring you freedom. My truth is a truth that will set you free from ignorance and deception and bring you a true life with your God. That is the life that is really free.

But Jesus also had to fight for his truth. There were many who did not want to believe in him. There were many who attacked him and attacked everything that he said.

So, Jesus was involved in many debates, debates where he proclaimed the truth, the truth that expressed in wonderful ways the wisdom and the will of God,

debates where he confronted the misguided and sometimes malicious arguments of his opponents,

debates where he aimed not just to win points, but to win people for the kingdom of God.

But he was constantly challenged by people who felt threatened by him. They were the people who were the religious leaders of their society. Their position as religious leaders gave them political power and status and fed their sense of moral superiority.

Jesus proclaimed a faith that brought people into a faithful relationship with God, and he offered this faith to all people regardless of status, an offer of fullness of life that appealed to their greatest need.

In today’s Gospel we heard how the Pharisees sent one of their legal experts to debate with Jesus. They wanted to show that they had a better knowledge of Scriptures, and they wanted to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the crowd.

Their first question for debate: Which is the most important of all the commandments? They had worked out that whichever of the commandments Jesus chose, they would be able to demonstrate that one of the other commandments was really more important.

They knew the 10 Commandments, and they had in fact adopted some 623 commandments of their own, which covered every aspect of life, what people had to do, and what people were not allowed to do.

Jesus knew his Scripture. More than that Jesus knew the mind of God who has given us the Scripture.

So he gives them a commandment that is beyond any and all of the commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is not one thing you have to do. This is your whole life. It is your whole life in relationship to your God. It is a commandment beyond all commandments because it is God’s command to love, to love totally with your whole being, heart, soul and mind.

It is not a command that you have to do something. It is a command that everything you do, and everything you are, must fit God’s pattern of self-giving love.

It is a command beyond a command. Because we cannot do it, cannot love with that sort of love. It is a command that sends us back to the love of God and mercy of God, seeking his forgiveness and his mercy.

Jesus adds a second command which fits within this command. If you love God then you will also love your neighbour, love the people God gives you, places all around you.

You will love them with the same desire for the welfare and wholeness that you have for your own welfare and wholeness.

Jesus then brings his own challenge to the debate: Now you tell me, what do you think about the Messiah. Whose Son is he? He is really asking them: Who am I?

They know the Scripture verses that speak of the Messiah as the Son of David, a descendant of the great King. And they know the Scripture promises that God will send a son of David to come and save his people.

But Jesus gives them another verse from Scripture, a verse from Psalm 110, where the words of David refer to the coming Saviour as My Lord. Would a father call his son his Lord? Would an ancestor call his descendant his Lord?

Jesus is using Scripture to point to the fact that the Messiah is much more than a descendant of King David. The Messiah is in fact God’s own Son coming to save his people in a much deeper way, save his people from all sin and evil. And Jesus is pointing to the fact that he himself is that Messiah.

The Pharisees know very well what he is saying and they have no answer. They have no answer to the truth that Jesus brings, the truth that calls people to faith and gives them life.

Let’s jump 1500 years to the time of the Reformation and the story of how Martin Luther, who was a monk and a teacher of theology at the university, nailed 95 Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

These theses were really a challenge to debate. He begins with the challenge: Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore, he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter.

The debate was going to be about the practice of indulgences. There were certain monks who were travelling around selling indulgences. An indulgence was a certificate declaring that your sins were forgiven. So this practice was teaching that you could buy your forgiveness.

Luther had been studying the Bible for himself. He believed that this practice was totally against everything he read in the Bible. So, he wanted to debate the issue, to show that it was wrong, He wanted to bring this practice to an end. His 95 theses went through a whole lot of arguments about the errors of this practice.

He defended true repentance, which means coming to God with true sorrow for your sins, and trusting the forgiveness won by Christ. Posting these theses on the door of the church was the way in which he could put up a notice challenging to debate.

Unfortunately, there were powerful interests in the church that were making a lot of money through the sale of indulgences. They resented this monk who dared to challenge them. When the debate finally happened, Luther was simply told that he must recant his beliefs and follow the teachings of the church powers.

There were a series of meetings and councils over several years. During this time the debate widened, and Luther became clearer and clearer about the truth he must defend.

Finally at the Council at Worms, he was told before the emperor he must recant his teachings, and he declared: Unless you can show me by the clear teaching of Scripture that I am wrong, I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.

The truth that Martin Luther stood up for was this: We are committed to teaching according to the Bible alone. All teachings of the church must have a clear foundation in the Bible.

We are justified by Christ alone. There is nothing that we can do or anyone else can do to give us life with God. Jesus Christ has lived for us, died for us, and risen to life for us. Jesus Christ alone can save us from death and punishment and give us new life as God’s people.

We are justified through faith alone. We cannot do anything to make ourselves holy, or to earn our salvation. God gives us his Word and the Holy Spirit brings us faith through that Word, and when we have faith in Jesus Christ, we receive what Jesus Christ gives. We receive life as God’s people.

And all of this is the grace of God. It is the gift of God to us even though we are sinners, even though we do not deserve any such gift. It is a gift of the deep wonderful love of God.

This is the challenge, the debate that began when Luther nailed his theses to the door. It was intended to be a theological debate in the university. But the people who read it saw that this was such a vital issue that they quickly printed copies of the theses – The printing press had just been invented – and the debate spread far and wide.

Luther’s opponents used their church power and political power to ban him and outlaw him. But they did not rebut his conviction and the truth of his faith.

Rather people rallied to him, and what we now know as the Lutheran Church formed around him, or rather around the faith he proclaimed.

Let’s move forward another 500 years. Do we still have that sort of debate today?

Every so often someone gets up and makes statements that religious faith is out-dated and that there is no God. But I think the debate today is often unspoken. People today are claiming that we want to be independent. We want to have control of our own destiny at all levels. That means that people want to be independent of God.

People think that they can control their destiny through their own knowledge and wisdom. People think that they can achieve the best life through asserting their own rights. People think that they can reach their purpose by their own achievements.

Reflection Questions:

What competes with God for first place in my heart, and how can I love Him more fully in my daily life?

Am I relying on my own efforts to find purpose and peace, or am I trusting in Jesus and God’s grace for my salvation and life?

And our response is: beyond all of our knowledge and discovery there is a truth that we have never been able to find and never will find – except that our God has revealed it to us through the Bible. We still believe the deepest truths of life are there in Scripture and nowhere else.

We believe that we cannot work our way to God. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive what Christ has done for us. We believe that we cannot achieve this life by ourselves, no matter how good we are or how hard we try. Our life, our justification, is God’s gift, and we receive it as a gift, by grace alone.

We believe that it is these truths that are at the heart of Christian life and the foundation of the Christian church. We believe that this is the truth that Jesus proclaimed and lived.

So when we are challenged, the key to our faith goes right back to Jesus, our Saviour and Lord of our lives. Our God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and that he has lived and died and risen for us, so that we might live with him.

For true fullness of life, we need life with God, and Jesus Christ is the one who brings us to God.

The gift of faith that makes us new

Oct 20, 2026 stjohnsttg Uncategorized

1 Thessalonians 1:1-7 – The faith of the Thessalonian believers; Exodus 33:12-23 – The Lord shows his glory to Moses | Sunday 18^th October 2026 Message by Pastor Steen Olsen

¹Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

²We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia..

This is generally accepted as the earliest of Paul’s letters. It was written soon after his visit that established the congregation. Some Jews, many Gentiles and not a few leading women had joined. Intense opposition from the Jewish community saw Paul leave and continue south towards Athens and Corinth [Acts 17].

Paul was therefore keen to write to this young congregation to encourage them in the faith and in the face of persecution. Listen again to what Paul says to them … [v2-7]

⁴For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

This is a young congregation with very new Christians who have only just come to faith. It is obvious, isn’t it, that this new faith has transformed their lives. They are very different people from what they were. Full of faith, hope and love they now imitate Paul and the Lord.

Faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is life-transforming. The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God and as we come to his table, producing faith in us, his baptised people. That Word by his power is making us new. So faith is the gift that makes us new!

Martin Luther puts it well in his Preface to the letter to the Romans:

Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God (cf. John 1). It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! It is impossible that faith ever stop doing good. Faith doesn’t ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active. …

Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God’s grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God’s grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith. Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; they will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown them such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as burning and shining from fire.

This is the same faith God has given you if you believe!

1) The Thessalonian Christians have turned from idols [v9] to serve the living and true God. The Spirit has been at work through the Word which has produced love. From the Word of God they know that God had chosen them [v4] and made them his own children. So that even though they are being persecuted [v6] they are living a Christian life of love [v3], imitating Paul and Jesus [v6] and have a living hope in Jesus who rose from death [v10] as they wait for him to return in glory. They are examples of faith, hope and love to the world and the church. Obviously, they are not perfect, yet God’s work in them is real. And Paul thanks God for them and for what they do [v2+7].

2) These verses are a wonderful summary of the normal Christian life. It is clear that by the power of the gospel the HS has transformed them and the new life in Christ is bubbling up in their everyday lives as they imitate Christ. But more than that: Christ lives in them and works through them. Just as faith hope and love seems to be rising out of the water in the picture, so they come to the surface of our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit which began when we were baptised with the water of life.

3) What if this is a letter to St John TTG? What would you say? St Paul you have got it wrong. We have many weaknesses and faults. We are a long way from perfect. And that is as true for us as it was for the Thessalonians. We have these treasures in jars of clay. We are a people who on this earth are not perfect but who are being remade in the image of Jesus.

4) We get things wrong; we fail; we sin. But all the while God is still working through us. God is a specialist at using broken vessels. As he says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” [2 Cor 12:9-10]. And as Paul concludes, “When I am weak then I am strong.” Listen to the rest of what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

⁷But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. ⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

5) It is not that we become strong – we remain weak. But God’s power is at work in us and through us. God is at work in and through you! This is not a new philosophy or better rules to obey in order to please God. Rules and words by themselves can only bring good advice, not good news, unless God uses his word to do what needs to be done. And you know, that is exactly what he promises to do. As Paul says in our text: “Our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” [v5] If we wait until we feel strong it will never happen because we remain weak. We can’t step out because we feel strong. We live and minister by faith, not by what we see. The Holy Spirit is at work in us and through us, even if we don’t feel strong.

6) This faith is God’s gift to his baptised people, through the HS at work in Word and in the Lord’s Supper. It is not something we psych up in ourselves. We are surprised by faith because while faith comes from hearing the Word [Rom 10:17] we are often not aware of it until we get out of our comfort zone. Faith is not something we do to impress God or to make him do what we want. Faith is the miracle God works in us and it is as we exercise that faith that we realise it is there.

Conc) So I encourage you to let God transform your lives more and more. Hear what Paul says a little earlier in 2 Corinthians 3:17–18

¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

So let the law of God bring you to repentance, but don’t be obsessed with taking your own spiritual temperature. That is like digging up seeds you planted in your garden to see if they have sprouted yet. But accept God’s invitations to move out of your comfort zones. Step out in Christ’s name, even if you don’t think you can do it and you will find that God is faithful to his promises and that he works through you. Others will be blessed, and so will you because faith is a living active thing in your life. Then you will continue to discover that you have a life-transforming faith! Amen.

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/LWQ08-AX4-s

Peace in the Middle of a Storm

Oct 13, 2026Oct 13, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon, Uncategorized

Philippians 4:4-6 | Sunday 11th October 2026 | Edited Lay Reading message provided by LCA, and delivered by Ruth Geer with some adaptations, our thanks to the original author,

Today in our readings we heard part of a letter written by Paul while he was in prison.

What would it be like to sit in a prison cell and know one might be executed in few days’ time? What frame of mind would one be in? Would one live in a state of depression, cursing others for one’s situation, and complaining a lot? What would one write in a letter, or send in an email or text message to friends and family? The Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote letters to his members from his prison cell, until the Nazis hanged him about 9 days before the end of the War. He was only 39 years old.

St Paul writes from a gaol in Rome to the Christians who meet together at Philippi. It looks as though Paul could be executed any day now. His future is in the balance. I don’t know what we might say in that situation, but here is what St Paul writes to his congregation about life:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice.”

“Don’t worry about anything!”

“The peace of God will fill your hearts and minds.”

We humans tend to blame others or our circumstances for our problems. St Paul reminds us that it is not the situation we are in that causes our misery, but rather how we handle the situation. I have met poor people, and I guess you have too, who are among the happiest people one could ever come across. But I have also met both poor and wealthy people who are so mean and suspicious of everyone else they are always miserable.

Some people are incredibly resilient and take whatever life throws at them in their stride – whether it’s disability, ill health, or loss. They can somehow maintain a positive outlook and be content despite everything. Their cheerfulness is contagious and they are a joy to be around. On the other hand, the magazines on the newsstands are full of celebrities who seem to have everything but happiness. Their relationships fail and they sink into depression and addiction.

The key to a happy life is not the situation one finds one’s self in, but how we handle the situation. This does not mean we will always handle the situations perfectly in our own lives, or that we’ll never go through times of bitter disappointment or depression. St Paul is writing precisely because he knows people go through bad experiences like this. He doesn’t want those experiences to take control of our lives.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice.” St Paul knows there are times when one is brought low in life. It can be a different shattering event for different people. For one person, it could be the loss of one’s home in a fire. For another it could be the end of a special relationship – maybe a marriage or friendship. Or it might come when one must sell one’s family home and move into a unit. Or when death takes a loved one or when one is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Perhaps it might be the loss of a job and an inability to find another one. It might even be finding yourself in prison.

At times like these we can take stock – count up what we have left. What do we still have that is a treasure- something that makes life worth living? If one is to have a treasure it will need to come from outside of one’s self.

St Paul assures his people the treasure has come from God, through Jesus Christ. We can always rejoice in the Lord, no matter how terrible our situation.

In Jesus Christ you are in an ongoing relationship that will never end. Not even death can end it or separate us from the God who loves us more than anyone else. In Jesus we see how we are loved with the greatest love possible. “God is love”. [1John 4].

The gifts that come from God – from outside ourselves – include the resurrection, and eternal life with the Father in the Father’s home. Just like the prodigal son with a completely wasted life behind him, we are welcomed home by the Father. He never forgets us and the terrible position we might find ourselves in.

God will never kick us out onto the street. One is always accepted as precious because of what our brother Jesus did for us on the cross!

We can even look forward to meeting up with Jesus in the not too distant future: our brother who swapped places with us on the cross. The same Jesus who went into the grave so we could follow through too. There is so much we can look forward to! No matter how bad one’s situation, one can always lift up one’s head, look to the Father, and rejoice in the Lord. Next time you feel gloomy, ask yourself whether the reason for your misery is because you have forgotten to focus on Jesus Christ, your best friend?

We can rejoice over many different earthly things (like a big win in sport) but our rejoicing will only be temporary. Conversely, we can worry ourselves sick over many earthly things. St Paul knows that. He knows what we humans are like. In his letter he writes:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Note that St Paul doesn’t just tell us what not to do, he also gives us something positive to do: talk to God about everything. When we’re driving and come to a red light, we have a choice. We can sit there getting increasingly frustrated:

Why is this taking so long?
I’m going to be late.
Why isn’t the traffic moving?

Or we can recognise:

The light is red. I can’t change it. I have to wait.

There are many things in life like that. We encounter circumstances over which we have little or no control.

Philippians 4 also reminds us that we can’t control everything. Instead, Paul gives us a different response: Hand it over to God. Let him do the worrying. He is big enough and he can handle anything! There are things we can change, things we can influence, and things we simply have to place in God’s hands.

For me problems or a nagging issue seem to pop into my mind in the early hours of the morning. I need to write prayers, find hymns for the worship service; the grandkids are spending too much time on technology; did I say the wrong thing to a friend; a financial problem. At 3 a.m., there’s nothing I can do to solve these problems.

I might decide to get up, make a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich, read a book, do a sudoku, a maths quiz, read a psalm to remove the flood of thoughts from my mind. Rarely does it work & I lie awake waiting for a reasonable time when I can get up.

Instead of continuing to rehearse the problem, Paul encourages us to pray:

“Lord, this is what I’m afraid of. This is what I can’t control. I need you. Please help me. Thank you that whatever happens, I’m not facing it alone.”

Nothing has changed externally. The problem is still there. But something has changed internally: you are no longer carrying the problem alone. That gets very close to the heart of Philippians 4:4–6. This also leads naturally into verse 7:

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The beautiful thing about Paul’s progression is that he doesn’t promise “If you pray, everything will work out the way you want.” He promises something different: God’s peace will guard your heart and mind.

A lighthouse doesn’t stop the storm. It doesn’t make the waves smaller or tell the sailors that everything will be fine. It simply stands there, shining in the darkness.

Paul wasn’t writing Philippians from a comfortable holiday location. He knew hardship. Yet he could say:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Christian joy isn’t necessarily happiness about our circumstances. It is confidence that God remains present even when our circumstances are difficult.

St Paul reminds us to thank God for all the help he has given us in the past. One’s spiritual life can soon become empty if one does not stop and thank God for life itself, and all the delights and joys and pleasures in this world. A year 9 Scripture class was once asked to list some of the miracles in this world. One girl put up her hand and said: “the whole universe is a miracle!” What a wise statement! We have a whole universe to rejoice in.

So, in conclusion, St. Paul’s letter reminds us that the Christian life is a preparation for the life to come. It is letting go of one’s past, with thanks to God, and moving on to the future: a future of real living in our eternal home with Jesus. No matter how bad our situation, we can always let God do the worrying! Christian faith doesn’t mean we have nothing to worry about; it means we don’t have to face our worries alone.

Take home message

Worry says, “I have to carry this myself.”
Prayer says, “I can bring this to God.”

“Anxiety often begins with two little words: What if? Faith doesn’t necessarily give us all the answers to our ‘what ifs’.

Instead, prayer allows us to say,

‘Whatever happens, God, you will be with me.’”

Amen

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/Pmn5KvKWo4U

3. God’s generosity to all

Oct 6, 2026Oct 6, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Series: Stories that Stir! (Jesus’ parables in Matthew) | Matthew 20:1-16 – Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers at harvest | Sunday 4^th October 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

“That’s not fair!”

How many times have parents heard that line?

Give one child an extra scoop of ice cream, and the rest claim: “That’s not fair!”
Let one child have an extra turn in the front seat of the car – and the siblings ark up: “That’s not fair!”
Excuse one child from doing the dishes, and the others cry, “That’s not fair!”

Some of the biggest family fights break out over an inheritance. If parents leave more in their will to one child than the others, the siblings complain: “That’s not fair!”

The offended parties fail to realise that their parents can distribute their estate to whoever they choose. Parents make those choices in their will.

Now that should be the end of it. But often it’s not. Siblings will keep arguing over who did what for mum or dad; about who had it toughest; about who has the greatest need; and on and on it goes.

Our sense of fairness, based on reward-for-effort, is deeply ingrained. Our culture marches to the beat of the drum: “Do good, get good. Do bad, get beat.”

So if we do more good than others, we expect more good in return.

If we’ve worked harder than others, we expect greater reward.

But if someone gets more than us for less effort, we’re quick to whine: “That’s not fair!”

That’s why grace is so hard for us to fathom! Jesus tells a story that exposes our hardness of heart to those who get better than they deserve! Let’s unpack it.

A landowner hires workers for the grape harvest

It’s grape harvest. When grapes are ripe, they need to be picked and crushed ASAP. Delays affect the yield and quality of the harvest – and therefore the wine produced.

In Israel, grapes had to be picked before the September rains. Heavy rain causes ripe grapes to burst, ruining the harvest. They needed to “make haste while the sun shines”.

So the landowner goes to the marketplace at sunrise to hire workers. He agrees to pay them award wages: a denarius for the day. No problems!

But later he realised that he needed more workers. Perhaps he underestimated the crop. Or maybe there were clouds looming on the horizon. So he goes to the marketplace to hire more workers – at 9am, at midday, and at 3 pm. He tells them to go and work, and that he’ll pay them a fair wage.

Then at 5pm (an hour before knock-off), the landowner finds some more chaps who haven’t found work that day. Why? Because no one had hired them. For a casual labourer, no work for the day means their families will have a light evening meal.

The landowner doesn’t agree to pay them anything. He simply tells them to get to work. And off they go. Up to this point, Jesus’ story reflects what happened in those days.

But then it came to knock off time

According to the Old Testament, hired workers were to be paid at the end of each day.[1] The vineyard owner then does a crazy thing. It’s like he’s asking for trouble. In sight of those who’ve done a full day of back-breaking work, he starts by paying the guys who worked only one hour. And he pays them a whole day’s wage: one denarius.

Imagine being in their sandals. You’d exclaim: “Wow! A day’s pay for an hour’s work – unbelievable! What a generous bloke!” And off you’d go as happy as a lark. You could feed your family well that night – and have some leftovers for the next day!

Now friends, imagine you’re standing in line as part of the gang who started at 6am that morning. What would you be saying to yourself? “If that’s what he pays the guys who worked only one hour, then we’ll be in for at least 2 denarii – maybe even more!”

But filing past, they receive the same pay packet: one denarius.

Of course they complain: “That’s not fair!”

But the vineyard owner dismisses their complaints: “Hey, you agreed to work for award wages. And that’s what I paid you. Can’t I do what I like with my own money? If I want to pay them as much as I paid you, that’s my business. Should you be jealous (upset?) because I’m kind to others?”

In Greek, that last line is literally: “Or is your eye evil because I am good?”

An evil eye is always focused on self.
An evil eye refuses to see the goodness of the Master.
An evil eye comes from a mean spirit… and a miserly heart.

In effect, the boss is asking: “Does my kindness to others provoke you to look with envy at them? Why are you blaming me for that?!”

This employer wouldn’t cut it with the trade union movement, would he?

But the story isn’t about industrial relations or award wages.

Jesus tells us how things are in the kingdom of God, how God deals with us. Remember the opening line: “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning…” (Matthew 20:1 NLT)[2]

Rather than engaging in self centred comparisons with other people,

Jesus’ story helps us to reflect on God’s generosity to all.

Where do we fit in Jesus’ story?

Jesus’ story exposes the self-righteous spirit often lurking within us:

Do you think that because you’ve been following Jesus for decades, you’ve earned more privileges than others?
Do you get your nose out of joint when a new person is given a role or task that you used to do …but ends up doing it better?
Do you get miffed when someone else gets public thanks or appreciation – and you don’t?
Do you sometimes find yourself envying others whose God given gifts are more obvious than yours?
Do you sometimes whisper under your breath: ‘Hey God, it’s not fair! I reckon I deserve better than this!”

If so, the landowner’s question confronts us: “Is your eye evil because I am good?”

Friends, does it grieve you that God wants to share his goodness with those you think deserve it least?
Does it rattle your cage that God loves your closest friend and your worst enemy just the same as he loves you?
Does it offend you that God offers criminals, drug dealers, and child-abusers a place in his kingdom too?

You might think: “They don’t deserve a place in God’s kingdom!”

But what makes you think you do? What makes you and I think we deserve anything more from God than anyone else on this planet?

If you’ve been following Jesus for most of your life, it’s natural to identify with the labourers who worked hard during the heat of the day. We might attend worship services weekly … read the Bible daily… pray regularly…serve faithfully … give generously… and encourage frequently.

We can jump to the conclusion that – because we diligently do these things – God now owes us. After all, we deserve it!

Hmm. Let’s unpack that last statement. If we’re going to insist on getting what we deserve, we’d better take a close look at what standards we measure that by.

Now we’re talking about the kingdom of God here. So we must reckon by God’s standards – not ours. Remember God is morally perfect. He cannot tolerate any wrongdoing or leave it unpunished. He must deal with it.

Now most of us would claim, “I’m not a criminal.” But according to Jesus:

If you hate someone or you’re holding a grudge, then you’ve committed murder in your heart. (Matthew 5:21)
If you’ve lusted after someone, you’ve committed adultery in your heart. (Matt 6:28)
If you’ve called someone an insulting name, you are in danger of the fire of hell! (Matt 5:22)
If you don’t love God with your whole being, and honour him in ALL you do, you have broken the first and most important commandment of all.

Friends, we’ve all fallen short of God’s standards. If God paid us what our wrongs deserve, we’d be shut out of his kingdom forever.[3] Since none of us are perfect, we’re all in the same boat – up the creek and without a paddle.

See where we end up when we make claims of what we deserve from God – based on our performance!

God’s generosity to ALL – amazing grace

Thank God that he doesn’t deal with us according to what we deserve.

But according to his underserved favour (grace) that comes to us through Jesus!

By living a perfect life, Jesus was able to pay for all our failures.

He took the punishment that we deserved at the cross. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,”[4] God wrote “Paid in full” across the list of ALL our offences.

So now we can receive God’s forgiveness and inherit eternal life.

No matter what our past or present looks like, God wants EVERYONE to receive his favour and come into his kingdom through Jesus.

No one is so good that they don’t need it.

And no one is so bad that they can’t receive it.

Our generous God offers everyone the same gift.

Whether we’ve believed in Jesus for 8 seconds or 80 years, it’s only possible through God’s amazing grace. It cannot be earned, bought, traded, or sold. It can only be received as a gift – and shared as a gift.

As Jesus lives in our hearts, we become more gracious and generous towards others.

Instead of complaining, we give thanks.
Instead of bad-mouthing people, we encourage them.
Instead of being puffed up with pride, we walk in humility.
Instead of envying others, we rejoice in their success.

So friends, regardless of what God is doing in other people’s lives, let’s keep celebrating what Jesus has done for us! He has saved us, brought us into the kingdom of God, and made us his forever. Each day we can join John Newton in praising God: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Amen.

(c.1670 words)

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/fiK7l7a9OKc

Appendix:

In the light of this story, some may object: “So what’s the point of serving God over a lifetime?”

Four reasons:

1. Doing life with God is the best way to live. God created us in his image for this! That’s now possible through Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. There are dire consequences when we reject God’s ways to do our own thing. Obeying God’s instructions saves us from self-induced slams into brick walls.

3. God calls us to join in his restoration plan for his world by sharing the love and good news of Jesus with ALL. As kingdom people, we can pray and look out for ways to influence others for Jesus.

4. As we are led by the Holy Spirit, our lives can bear “kingdom fruit” into eternity. So our life’s work will not be lost on judgement day. (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

[1] Leviticus 19:13 NLT: ‘Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.’ Deuteronomy 24:15 NLT: ‘You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.’

[2] Just before this story, Peter says to Jesus: “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” (Matthew 19:27 NLT) Does Peter hope for special privileges because he was one of the first to put it all on the line for Jesus?

[3] Romans 6:23 NLT: ^‘For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.’

[4] John 19:30.

2. More than lip service – Stories that Stir!

Sep 29, 2026Sep 29, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Matthew 21:23-32 – Jesus’ parable of the two sons | Sunday 27^th September 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

Friends, how do you feel when people don’t keep their word?

Like when you arrange to catch up at a venue, but they don’t show up – or call you.

Or you invite people to dinner, and they say, “Yeh, I’ll get back to you about that.” But they don’t.

Or someone says, “I’ll get that job done for you by the end of the week.” But a month later, nothing’s done.

When such things happen, you might feel disappointed, miffed, or rejected.

You might feel disrespected, perplexed, or even angry.

So you call them to find out what happened. They give a lame excuse, a quick apology, and promise to do better in future. But if they keep breaking their word, what happens to trust? (It evaporates) And what happens to the relationship? (It falls apart)

Friends, let me ask: How’s your track record? Are you a person who can be trusted to keep their word?

Healthy relationships require more than just lip service. Lip service is when we give a commitment in words – but don’t back it up with action.

At the end of the day, mere lip service is hypocrisy. It’s saying one thing – but doing another. Jesus warned his followers not to be like the religious leaders of his day because many of them were hypocrites.[1] They put on a show of piety to impress people. But they didn’t impress God because it was fake. It was just an act.

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem

In Matthew 21, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey and is given a king’s welcome. He clears out the temple courts and heals a bunch of people. A day or two later, Jesus is teaching in the temple. The leading priests and elders confront him: “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” (Matthew 21:23 NLT)

Jesus stitches them up with his reply: “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question. Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” (Matthew 21:24-25 NLT) Now if they answer, “From heaven,” Jesus will say, “Then why didn’t you believe him.” If they answer, “Merely human,” they’d be mobbed because the people regarded him a prophet. They said to Jesus, “We don’t know.” So Jesus didn’t answer their question!

Jesus tells the religious leaders a story

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons.

He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.

He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered. (Matthew 21:28-31 NLT)

The first son changed his mind. (v.29)[2] Does that ring a bell? It’s a similar word to “repent”. The common Greek word for repent (metanoew) means “change of mind.” The Greek word in Jesus’ story (metamelomai) means “to regret, be sorry, or change one’s mind.” After his initial rebellion, the first son did what his father wanted.

The second son gave lip service. He said, “Yes sir!” But then he disobeyed his father.

Jesus unpacks his story for his audience

Jesus said to the leading priests and elders, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent[3] and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32 NLT)

At the preaching of John, the notorious rule-breakers repented of their wrongdoing and turned to the Lord for mercy. They confessed their sins and were baptised.[4] Like the first son in Jesus’ story, they did what Father God wanted.

Now friends, can you remember what John the Baptist said to the religious leaders who came out to watch him baptize at the Jordan River?

“You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing… Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10 NLT)

In other words, “No good fruit – get chopped off at the root. No good fruit – get the boot.”

The religious leaders refused to repent and believe John’s preaching.

And they refused to repent and believe in Jesus.

They were more interested in their position and power than in pleasing God.

That’s why they rejected Jesus as their Messiah – and had him killed.

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus reiterates John’s words:

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” (Matthew 7:19-20 NLT)

In the next verse, Jesus draws a clear line in the sand:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21 NLT)

What do Jesus’ words mean for us?

To address Jesus as “Lord” and refuse to do what he says is a contradiction. When we keep deliberately disobeying Jesus, we are denying him as Lord of our lives.

Jesus calls us to turn away from doing life our way, to receive his forgiveness for all our past mistakes, and to let him call the shots for our lives. It means daily dying to self – and rising to new life in Christ. It’s only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And it’s more than lip service. It requires a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change of life. The fruit of repentance and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joyful obedience to the Father’s will – as revealed in Jesus. Regardless of our past failures, all who believe in Jesus and follow him as Lord, share in the kingdom of God.

Friends, as a faithful Son, Jesus always said “Yes” to his Father’s will – AND did what his Father wanted. Remember, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus cried out: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39 NLT) Jesus’ perfect obedience has made it possible for us to be forgiven and to come into God’s forever family.

Here’s why Jesus wants us to put his words into practice!

In the closing words of his sermon on the mount, Jesus says:

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT)

In both scenarios there are floods, winds, and storms. But only the house built on solid rock stands firm. Friends, we will never be losers by listening to Jesus and following his instructions for our best possible life – in this life, and into eternity.

Jesus – who always keeps his word – promises us:

“My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life,

and they will never perish.

No one can snatch them away from me.” (John 10:27-28 NLT) Amen.

(c.1470 words)

Three points for personal reflection:

1. How do you think Father God feels when we don’t trust him to keep his word and his promises? What promise from God’s word inspires you to press in closer to him?

2. How do think Father God feels when our passion for the things of this world is greater than our passion for Jesus and his kingdom? I invite you to tell God what distractions might be affecting your relationship with God, and to ask for his mercy and help.

3. Are there some places in your life where you’ve been ignoring what Jesus wants for you? How’s that working out for you? Since Jesus has better things in store for us, why not take this opportunity to repent, receive Jesus’ forgiveness, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you follow Jesus in obedience?

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/0EO1Y0ufpeQ

[1] See: Matthew 6:2,5,16; Matthew 15:7, 23:18-29, 24:51.

[2] μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai) – to change one’s mind and purpose, to repent, or regret. This word is found in: Matthew 21:29 & 32. Matthew 27:3 Judas was filled with remorse. 2 Corinthians 7:8 Paul did not regret the sadness from his letter to the believers at Corinth. Hebrews 7:21 “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’.

[3] The same word from verse 29, metamelomai, is used here.

[4] Matthew 3:1-6.

1. From little things…(big things grow)

Sep 22, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Series: Stories that Stir! (Jesus’ parables in Matthew) | Sunday 20^th September 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

Matthew 13:31-35 – Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed and yeast1 Corinthians 15:16-20, 58 – Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our resurrection

Introduction

In our new series: “Stories that Stir!” we’re looking at parables that Jesus told. Jesus used pictures from everyday life to describe the kingdom of God – and to invite his hearers to become part of it. Let’s pray for God to open our hearts to today’s message.

Friends, at times we all get discouraged. Yes?

Sometimes we look back on events, or seasons of life, and wonder: “What was that all about?”
When we’re serving our families, or working hard in our jobs, we might sometimes wonder: “What difference am I making?”
Sometimes we’re so exhausted that even simple tasks overwhelm us.
At times, we might look at our lot in life, or the world around us, and wonder: “What on earth is God up to?”

Friends, if you’ve ever been discouraged that God isn’t doing more in your life, or more in the world, or that God isn’t doing it as fast as you’d like, then today’s parables will encourage you and renew your perspective. One parable is about a farmer growing herbs; and the other a woman baking bread.

1. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed

“The Kingdom of Heaven[1] is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 NLT)

In the ancient Middle East, the mustard seed was used to describe anything small.

For example, the Jews talked of a droplet of blood as small as a mustard seed.
If they were discussing a small breach of the ceremonial law (perhaps not washing hands properly), they’d speak of the defilement as small as the mustard seed.[2]
Jesus even said: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will.” (Matthew 17:20 NLT)

While the mustard seed was small, the plant could grow as high as 3-4 meters. According to one commentator, “It was a common sight to see such mustard bushes …surrounded with a cloud of birds, for the birds love the little black seeds of the tree, and settle in the tree to eat them.”[3]

In ancient times, a huge tree was used as a metaphor to describe a vast kingdom.

E.g., Ezekiel describes the Assyrian empire as a great cedar tree.
The birds nested in its branches, and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations of the world lived in its shadow. (Ezekiel 31:6 NLT, see Ezekiel 17:22-23)[4]

The kingdom of God is like a tree. Despite small beginnings, God will grow his kingdom.

Now at his trial, Jesus said that his kingdom is NOT of this world (John 18:36). As a servant King, Jesus ushers in the kingdom of God by putting broken people back together again, by telling them how things are in the kingdom of God, and by calling people into it by following him.

Jesus brings his forgiveness and leadership to all who receive him as their King. So,

the kingdom of God is wherever Jesus rules in the hearts and lives of his people.

While his kingdom started with only a few followers, it will end up greater than we can imagine. The grandeur of God’s kingdom will be revealed to all when Jesus returns in glory. People from many nations will be gathered within it. They will be part of a renewed creation, basking in the love and glory of God, and enjoying perfect peace.

2. Jesus’ parable of the yeast

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” (Matthew 13:33 NLT)

In the Bible, yeast is often used as a metaphor for evil that spreads – and influences people’s values and choices. But here, Jesus mentions yeast as a catalyst of growth and change. A woman baking bread would take a small portion of dough with yeast spores fermenting in it. Then she’d knead it through a large batch of new dough – and put it in a warm place. The hidden yeast goes to work, causing it to ferment and rise.

As the yeast metabolizes the sugars in the dough, it releases carbon dioxide that produces tiny gas pockets throughout the dough. The gas can’t escape because of the elastic gluten in the flour. When the loaf goes into the oven, the gas expands even more – until the dough bakes into shape. And out comes a loaf of bread.

Just as yeast transforms the dough, the kingdom of heaven permeates a person’s life – and brings profound and lasting change. It happens in both individuals and communities. Once Jesus comes into our hearts and lives, we are never the same again. And once the kingdom of heaven gets inside a bunch of people, it permeates and transforms society.

For example, the first Christians in Rome picked up abandoned babies left to die (mostly girls) – and raised them as their own. They provided welfare for widows and orphans. They loved one another in ways that made the pagans envious.

During two great plagues in the Greco-Roman world (c.165 AD and 251 AD), Christians cared for pagans whose families had deserted them.[5] Why did Christians risk their lives for the sake of others? Because Jesus’ resurrection had given them hope of a better future – and this transformed their behaviour. As a result, many pagans converted to Christianity.

Four encouraging application points:

1. Little is much if God is in it! (can we please say this together)

Friends, God’s works often start small.

God chose an old couple, Abraham and Sarah, to create Israel and to bless all peoples on earth. (Genesis 12:3)
The Lord raised Joseph from an Egyptian prison to save the world from starvation.
God chose Gideon – the least of his family from the least of the clans – to deliver Israel from their enemies. (Judges 6:15)
The Lord chose David, the runt of his family to be king. Little is much if God is in it.

RC Trench comments on Jesus’ humble beginnings:

“The Son of Man grew up in a despised province; he did not appear in public until his thirtieth year; then taught for two or three years in neighboring villages, and occasionally at Jerusalem; made a few converts, chiefly among the poor and unlearned; and falling into the hands of his enemies, died the shameful death of the cross; such, and so slight, was the commencement of the universal kingdom of God.”[6]

The baby born in a stable now influences the world. The man put to death now offers life to all. Paul reminds us: God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV)

From an insignificant seed, comes a mighty bush

From just a little yeast – an entire loaf is transformed.

Friends, whenever you’re discouraged by a lack of progress, remember: “Little is much if God is in it.” When you put the little you have into God’s hands, he can do much with it!

2. God is still at work, so don’t lose heart!

When struggling with small beginnings, it’s tempting to quit. Yet every big movement started from small beginnings.

From small beginnings… A bunch of once frightened and defeated disciples spread the good news of Jesus throughout the ancient world. Within a few generations, Christianity had spread all over the Roman empire and beyond, to India in the East, Ethiopia to the South, and Britannia to the West.

From small beginnings… the son of a German miner left law to study theology. Martin Luther’s discovery that God makes us right with himself through Jesus began the reformation.

From small beginnings… William Pitt urged his good friend William Wilberforce: “Why don’t you give notice of a motion on the slave trade?”[7] The idea was sown into the mind of one man, and with God’s help – and decades of resolve – the slave trade was abolished throughout the British empire.

From small beginnings… a bunch of Lutheran Christians gathered in this area. They started off meeting in people homes, until a transportable building became available. Then they built a church building with an office, kitchen, and Sunday school rooms. A few years later they built the church building we’re in today. Over those 60 odd years, thousands of people have heard the good news of Jesus, grown as his followers, and influenced others throughout Australia and the world.

Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed and yeast remind us that God is always at work in this world. With God’s power, the seed we sow today will grow crops in due season and add to the Lord’s harvest. In his big plan, God will bring all things together under one head, Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:10) So friends, don’t lose heart or give up![8]

3. God’s kingdom is at work within you!

Yeast working within the dough describes how the Holy Spirit transforms us. It’s like a home renovation. Jesus enters our hearts and comes into the “house” of our lives. But Jesus doesn’t want to be stuck in one room. He wants to do ALL of life with us. He wants to do a complete makeover – one room at a time.

Over time, the Holy Spirit transforms:

Our understanding of who Jesus is, what he’s done for us, and what it means to do life with him.
Our attitudes, values, opinions, passions, and interests.
Our work and our play.
How we go about relationships, sexuality, and marriage.
How we process our emotions and resolve conflict.
How we manage our finances – and serve others with our gifts.
What we watch on TV, and how we engage with social media.
How we deal with temptation, trials, or difficult people.

It’s an ongoing process. Paul reminds us: God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

4. God’s kingdom comes to others through you!

We believe that Jesus frees us from guilt and shame, makes us right in God’s eyes, is directing our lives for good, and has given us hope of eternal life. Yes?

You know, Jesus wants everyone on earth to share in that.

How does God’s kingdom grow like a mustard seed into a tree?

How does the grace of Jesus spread to others like yeast in dough?

One person at a time; one encounter at a time.

Your life is the only “Bible” that some people read.
You bring Jesus into your everyday encounters with others.
Your everyday words and actions are pointers to the difference Jesus’ makes.

Every time that happens, people get to taste and see that the Lord is good. So, we keep praying that they too will come to trust and experience life forever with Jesus. Amen.

(c.1860 words)

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/MldhXPz4dG4

[1] The Kingdom of Heaven is Matthew’s version of the Kingdom of God. It’s the same thing.

[2] William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, 2:84

[3] William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew , 2:85.

[4] Likewise, Daniel interprets a dream for the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar: “The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.”’ (Daniel 4:20-22 NLT, see also Daniel 4:10-12)

[5] For a detailed account, see Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity – How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, Chapter 4: Epidemics, Networks, and Conversion, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997),73-94.

[6] RC Trench, “Notes on the Parables of our Lord,” http://executableoutlines.com/pa/pa_06.htm

[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce ‘On 12 May 1787, …Pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did.’ ‘On 12 May 1789, he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the House of Commons, in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice.’

[8] In my office, I have a Tom Roberts’ print of The Splitters with this text: Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58) When I’m struggling, it encourages me to keep going.

Baptism – and life with Jesus

Sep 15, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Baptism Celebration Sunday 13^th September 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

Matthew 28:18-20; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:26-27 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 6:1-2

Imagine some of us borrowing a fire truck, driving to Tea Tree Plaza, and running some hoses inside. Then we could squirt every person we see – while saying: ‘In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!’ By day’s end, we could “baptise” thousands of people.

Hmm. How would this end up for us?

Two possibilities: We’d either be arrested; or taken to a mental health facility!

There’s some evidence that in the late 1400’s to the early 1500’s, some European explorers did this sort of thing with native tribes of the Americas.[1] Arriving back home, they claimed to have turned pagans into Christians. This sounds odd. And it is odd!

Likewise, these days it’s odd when people are baptised – without any interest in Jesus.[2] It’s also odd when people ask about baptism – yet want nothing to do with Jesus’ Church.

Baptism and Jesus go together like 2 sides of a coin

Since the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, telling the good news of Jesus has always been part of the baptismal practice.[3] The good news is that through Jesus’ death on the cross, God forgives you all your sins. The good news is that through Jesus’ resurrection, God gives you a future of life with him and his people forever.

Reading through the book of Acts, when people began trusting and following Jesus, they were baptised. When believing parents asked whether their children could also be baptised, it seems that they were.[4] At Pentecost, Peter says: “This promise is to you, your children, and to those far away.” (Acts 2:39 NLT)

Obviously, those who wanted nothing to do with Jesus walked away, dismissing the message as nonsense. They certainly wouldn’t bother with baptism – for themselves or their families.

Those who were baptised kept meeting with other followers of Jesus to learn more.[5] This pattern fulfils the commission Jesus gave his followers:

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Friends, making disciples can start with teaching or with baptism. But the point is they belong inseparably together. So, when people enquire about a baptism, we are to ensure they know who Jesus is, what he has done for us, and what it means to do life with him. Here are four reasons why:

1. In baptism, God connects us with Jesus and his saving work

Paul writes to believers in Rome:

‘Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.’ (Romans 6:3-5 NLT)

Friends, the death and resurrection of Jesus give baptism its “bite”. In baptism we have died with Christ. In what sense have we died? (It’s not a physical death, otherwise no-one would be baptised.)

So what sort of “death” is Paul talking about? In baptism, our old selfish nature (that insists on doing life MY WAY) has been crucified with Christ.

As Paul writes in Galatians: ‘My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.’ (Galatians 2:20 NLT) In other words, ‘I’m not the centre of my life anymore. Jesus is!’

In the early church, this was symbolically enacted when candidates ‘put off’ their dirty old clothes – before entering the water to be baptised. Coming out of the water, they were dressed in a white robe. (BTW, this is the origin of “baptism gowns”.)

2. In belief and baptism, God makes us his children

Paul writes: ‘For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.’ (Galatians 3:26-27 NLT)

Note how faith in Christ and baptism go together. Baptism connects us with Jesus. Faith is trusting and following Jesus. It’s how God makes sure his children are “properly dressed”.

Years ago I was asked: ‘So what’s so important about baptism?’ My reply: ‘At one point in my life, God reached out to me to make me his.’

Regardless of what we’ve been through or what we’re facing, baptism remains a lifelong assurance that God is for me: that Jesus’ Father is also my Father; that I am in Christ; and that the Holy Spirit wants to keep me in God’s family forever.

Friends, do you know that Martin Luther struggled with depression? During bouts of depression, Luther declared: ‘But I am baptised!’ Not: ‘I was baptised.’ Rather: ‘I AM baptised.’ In other words, ‘God I’m your child – and you are my heavenly Father. No matter how terrible I feel, or what happens to me, you’ll never let me go!’ Baptism is a great comfort and assurance in tough times.

3. In baptism, God brings us into the body of Christ: the Church

Paul writes: ‘The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.’ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NLT)

Western individualism tells us: ‘The most important person in the world is …you!’ But at what cost? Selfishness isolates us and alienates us from one another.

Yet in God’s plan, all who are baptised and believe in Jesus are part of the body of Christ, the holy Christian Church. Since God is our Father, and Jesus is our brother, then the Holy Spirit makes us members of one family – where we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Regardless of our age, gender, or ethnicity;

regardless of our body shape, or marital status;

regardless of our gifts, abilities, or disabilities;

together we are the body of Christ!

Since God brings us together into the body of Christ, what does it say when we avoid contact with other followers of Jesus?

Truth is that we need one another for support, encouragement, accountability, and spiritual growth. How can anyone grow as a healthy part of Jesus’ body by refusing to be part of it? Friends, it’s nonsense when people say they love Jesus – but loath his Church.

4. Living in baptism is trusting and following Jesus

Because of what Jesus has done, we have a new identity as God’s loved and forgiven children. With this new identity we live a new life. We don’t keep following our selfish desires or impulses, or the ways of the world – but what God wants for us.

Paul asks: ‘Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? (Should we keep disobeying God and hurting others – so God can keep pouring more of his grace on us.) Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?’ (Romans 6:1-2 NLT)

It’s not natural for God’s children to deliberately keep rejecting God’s good instructions for our best possible life.[6] Yet when we accidentally fall short of what God wants for us, we can always turn to God for forgiveness.

Part of living out our baptismal identity is finding out what pleases God – and asking the Holy Spirit to help us live it out. Whatever doesn’t mesh in with Jesus needs to be ‘put off’. And whatever is true, right, pure, and fitting for God’s people needs to be ‘put on’ like the daily clothes we wear.

Martin Luther explains this in his Small Catechism (a small book of instruction for Christian families):

Baptism – Part 4.

What does baptism mean for everyday living?

Because we have been baptised, we should keep on drowning the old nature we were born with; everything selfish and sinful in us has to die.

This happens when day after day we are sorry for the wrong things we have done and ask God to forgive us.

And the new nature God has given us in baptism should come to life day after day. We should live as new people, who do what is right and good and live with God forever.

What does the Bible say?

When we were baptised, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptised, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. (Romans 6:4 CEV)

Friends, no wonder it’s been said: ‘In baptism there’s enough for a lifetime!’ Amen.

(c.1540 words)

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/B_pB59R_ABQ

[1] https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/christianity-and-colonial-expansion-americas

[2] Some think of baptism as an insurance policy that guarantees their child or grandchild eternal life.

[3] The first Christians were baptised on the day they believed (Acts 2:41). As was the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:48). The Ethiopian eunuch was baptised by Philip in some water on the roadside (Acts 8:36). Lydia was baptised after hearing and believing the Good News of Jesus (Acts 16:13-15). The Philippian jailer was baptised in the early hours of the morning (Acts 16:33-34).

[4] After hearing the good news of Jesus at Pentecost, the people were cut to the heart and asked: ‘What should we do?’

‘Peter replied “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away — all who have been called by the Lord our God.”’ (Acts 2:38-39 NLT) On baptising households, see: Acts 10:24-48, 16:15, 16:33, 1 Corinthians 1:16.

[5] See Acts 2:42-47.

[6] Where there is no contrition or repentance, no turning away from what we know is wrong, and no desire to change, spiritually we are on dangerous ground. We need to remember the cost of our forgiveness was Jesus’ perfect life and his sacrificial death in our place.

8. What’s God building through you?

Sep 8, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon

Series: A person after God’s own heart (David) | Sunday 6^th September 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

2 Samuel 7:1-17 – The Lord’s covenant promise to David; Matthew 22:41-46 – Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 to question and confound the Pharisees.

Today is the last part of our series on David: A Person after God’s own Heart. We’re picking up the story after David was well established as King of Israel. He’d defeated the surrounding hostile nations. After bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, the city became the political and spiritual centre of the nation.

Enjoying a time of peace, David looks at the palace he lives in and wonders: “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” (2 Samuel 7:2 NLT) David wanted to build a house or temple for God.

But God said, “No.” Hmmm. What happens when you want to do something great for God, and God says, “No,” “Not yet,” or “Not you!”? Some people spit the dummy or take offence at God.

Friends, when God says “No” he has good reasons. Maybe God is growing our character – or preparing us for something different down the track. Either way, we can trust God knows what’s best for us.

God did not need David to build him a ‘house’. Instead, the LORD said he’d build a ‘house’ out of David.

God promised David FOUR major blessings:

1. a great name/reputation. “Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!” (2 Samuel 7:9 NLT) 3000 years later, we’re still talking about David.

2. peace for Israel. “And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past.” (2 Samuel 7:10-11 NLT)

3. that one of David’s offspring would build a house for the Lord. “For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants… He is the one who will build a house — a temple — for my name.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13 NLT)

4. that God would establish an everlasting dynasty though David’s line. “Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16 NLT)

David’s son, Solomon, built the temple and kept Israel at peace. But sadly, it didn’t last.

Some kings from David’s line were faithful to God and promoted justice (E.g. Hezekiah and Josiah[1]). Others worshipped pagan idols, engaged in corruption, and shed much innocent blood (E.g. Manasseh[2]).

God sent prophets to call his people back to the Lord and to justice – but they didn’t listen. So in 586 BC, about four hundred years after David, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. The temple and other significant buildings were burnt to the ground. The city wall was demolished. The king, leaders, and people were exiled to Babylon.

Decades later, after returning to their homeland,[3] Israel became a backwater province of Persian and Greek empires. Then after about 100 years of independence, the nation was taken over by the Roman empire in 63BC.[4]

After centuries of foreign domination, the Jews must have wondered:

When will we be free from foreign rulers and taxes?
What happened to God’s promise of an everlasting dynasty from David’s line?
When will this “son of David” restore the fortunes of our nation?

God’s promise is fulfilled in Jesus

About 1000 years after David, an angel tells a young woman that God is about to keep his promise: “Don’t be afraid, Mary… You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:30-33 NLT)

Every Christmas, David’s name is mentioned – and God’s promise remembered. Both Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ family tree back to David. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus is addressed as the Son of David.[5] Jesus is also the Son of God.

In his ministry, King Jesus ushers in the kingdom of God

Jesus started his ministry with these words: “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News. (Mark 1:15 NLT)[6]

Jesus’ stories often begin: “The kingdom of God/heaven is like…” His stories reveal God’s loving care for us, and how we can be part of God’s story for this world.

Now Jesus didn’t establish his kingdom by invading or conquering nations with brute force. Jesus never intimidated or forced people to follow him.

Rather, Jesus brings people into the kingdom of God by wooing them with his love. He touches people’s hearts, transforms their lives, and invites them to follow him.

We see Jesus’ love for us when he was crowned King on a cross. At the cross:

Jesus took away our garbage; and gave us his goodness.
Jesus blotted out the guilt and shame of our past; and brought us into his future.
Jesus took our place of death; and gave us eternal life.

Jesus’ death and resurrection have established the eternal kingdom that the Lord promised David. This kingdom is made up of all who trust and follow Jesus. Friends, by receiving Jesus’ forgiveness and authority over your life, your future is secure in Christ. Nothing in all creation can separate you from his love.

We are partners in God’s kingdom plans

Now who does Jesus want to share his kingdom with? Everyone!

And how does he do that? Through you and me!

In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray: “Your kingdom come…” We remember that God’s eternal kingdom is more important than our own kingdoms. As God’s loved and treasured people, it’s our pleasure to go about our King’s business. What does this mean for us? Here are 3 application points.

Going about our King’s business means:

1. Growing the heart of the King

When a child is born, most parents hope for 3 three things:

that their child will be secure in their love;
that their child will always know who and whose they are;
that their child will reflect the family values – and bring credit to the family name!

Friends, Father God wants you and me: to be secure in his love, to keep growing as his much loved children, and to reflect his love to others. We see what that looks like in Jesus.

That’s why Paul writes: Find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:10 NIV)

And Peter writes: You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18 NLT)

Growing disciples have healthy habits. Like:

daily Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.
weekly worship to celebrate and share in the good things of God.
doing life together with other disciples.
serving God in both his Church and world.

The goal is for our hearts and character to become more like Jesus.

2. Living out our identity as kingdom people

God no longer lives in houses, temples, or church buildings. Instead, God takes up residence in hearts who receive Jesus as their King.

Paul writes: Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? … God’s temple is holy, and you (plural) are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT)

God’s Holy Spirit in us means that you and I are bearers of God’s holy presence in this world![7] By the Holy Spirit, we reflect the grace and truth of Jesus to the world around us.

Friends, do you know that God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit makes our bodies holy? Paul says: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)

In the context of this passage, Paul calls us to honour God with our sexuality. Our daily walk with God is lived out in a body. Jesus has bestowed great dignity on our bodies by sharing our bodily existence – in his birth and growing up in a family; in learning his trade; in his ministry of service; in his suffering and death; and in his resurrection.

Since our bodies have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus – and these bodies will be transformed in the resurrection – we are to take care of them! What we do with, to, and in our bodies matters to God. It demonstrate God’s power and presence in our lives. And it reflects the beauty of Jesus to a confused and messed up world that we are made for better things than indulging our selfish desires.

3. Sharing the kingdom of God with others

Wherever we live, work, and play, we are ambassadors of King Jesus. By the Holy Spirit living in us, Jesus touches other people’s lives.

Each week, we encounter family, friends, and neighbours. We encounter fellow students or fellow workers. We encounter people in the marketplace, and people who share our interests.

Friends, Jesus comes to them through us. Each encounter is an opportunity to take an interest in people, listen to them, encourage them, and look for ways to point them to Jesus. That’s how God is building his kingdom – and fulfilling his promise to David.

Friends, what is God building through you and me?

How is God’s story for his world being realised in our life stories?
How are our dreams and passions making a “Jesus type of difference” in other people’s lives?
What will be your spiritual legacy 100 years from now?
When people walk away from your funeral, what part of you will go with them?

Mother Teresa once said: “I’m just a pencil in God’s hand!” She allowed God to be the script writer for her story. Likewise, our stories will have kingdom impact as we surrender ourselves into the King’s hands. Our stories will only make eternal sense when they are woven into God’s story – as we do life with Jesus.

A person after God’s own Heart – series summary

Shania Twain had a song: “That don’t impress me much!” Friends, God’s not impressed when we’re showing off to others for personal glory. God’s more interested in whether our hearts are open of closed to him.

If we want our life to count for something in God’s kingdom, then we need to find our identity, security, and destiny in Jesus. By God’s Word and Spirit, may you keep doing life with Jesus – so you can keep growing as a person after God’s own heart. Amen.

(c.1780 words)

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page: https://youtu.be/-G_ZIKmAWBw

[1] For more details on their stories: Hezekiah – 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32. Josiah – 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35.

[2] ‘Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger. Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple… Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.’ (2 Chronicles 33:6-7, 9 NLT)

‘Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the Lord’s sight.’ (2 Kings 21:16 NLT)

[3] King Cyrus of Persia conquered the Babylonian empire in 539 BC. He ordered groups of exile to return to their homelands. The Old Testament records groups of Jews returning between c. 537BC and 445BC.

[4] ‘The Hasmoneans were the ruling dynasty of Judea and the surrounding areas from 164 BC to 63 BC during a period known as the Maccabean Period of Jewish Independence.’ https://www.compellingtruth.org/Hasmoneans.html In 63 BC the Romans took over.

[5] E.g., Matthew 9:27, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42.

[6] The parallel in Matthew 4:17 NLT: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

[7] ‘For through him (Christ) we both have access to the Father by one Spirit…. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’ (Ephesians 2:18-22 NIV)

6. Renewing our passion to worship God

Sep 1, 2026Sep 1, 2026 stjohnsttg Message, Sermon, Uncategorized

Series: A person after God’s own heart (David) | 2 Samuel 8:12-15, 17-19; 2 Samuel 24:18-25; Luke 4:14-21 | Sunday 30th August 2026 | Message by Pastor Rolly Stahl

2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19 – David brings the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem; 2 Samuel 24:18-25 – David purchases and builds an altar on threshing floor of Araunah. This became the site of the Jerusalem temple. Luke 4:14-21 – Jesus’ custom was to attend worship in the synagogue.

We see tremendous excitement and passion at football matches (regardless of the code). Fans turn up early, so they don’t miss a thing. They cheer, clap, shout, and jump up and down for their team – especially when a player shows great skill – or scores a goal. If their team wins, they sing the team song with gusto. Some fans eat, drink, live, talk, and breathe football. Their deep and abiding passion could be labelled as “worship”.

Friends, I wonder: “Where’s our deep and abiding passion for the living God!”

And: “How is that evident in our worship patterns and practices?”

Today we look at three things we can learn from David about renewing our passion to worship God.

1. Worship is doing ALL of life with God – not just an hour on Sunday!

Long before becoming king, David had a heart of worship. He had a reputation as a gifted musician. That’s how he came to work for King Saul. When Saul was upset, David played his harp to soothe his troubled soul.[1]

We still have David’s song lyrics in our Old Testament psalms. Some indicate the occasions when David wrote them. No matter whether life was good, or bad, or ugly, David poured out his heart to God.

Those ancient prayers have echoed in the hearts of God’s people for 3000 odd years.

David’s prayers still help us take our worries, complaints, and anxieties to God.
David’s prayers still help us express our thanks and praise to God.

Friends, David’s walk with God wasn’t just an optional extra, or even just a weekend thing – but the source and centre of his life.

We also see this in David’s greatest grandson: Jesus. Luke tells us about Jesus’ passion for worship: When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. (Luke 4:16 NLT) Jesus’ custom was to worship with God’s people every Sabbath in the synagogue; and to participate in the annual festivals at the Jerusalem temple.

Since connecting with his heavenly Father was the well-spring of his life, Jesus also took regular time-out to pray. His pattern of worship was both personal (on his own); and corporate (with others). Jesus made space in his life for both. Friends, as his followers, are we doing that?

If we want to become more like Jesus, how can that happen if we squeeze time with God out of our lives. Both personal and corporate worship are vital for growing followers of Jesus.

If we confine our worship practice to just our personal Bible reading and prayer, we miss out on the support, strength, growing, and serving together with other believers.

If we confine our worship practice to just the Sunday service, then how does our relationship with God impact our lives for the rest of the week?

Friends, worship is more than just a Sunday morning affair.[2]

Christian writer, Alison Stewart, puts it like this:

…we know our worship reflects and glorifies God very practically when it is lived out not just in a one hour service but from day to day in the lives of worshippers. … Real worship permeates life in the way any really significant relationship does. …To worship is to live out a relationship with Jesus. It is not a one hour meeting;… it is a whole life’s progress in loving God.[3]

2. Worship is participatory – not a spectator sport!

When worship comes from the heart, it engages our whole being. (Just think back to our footy fans.)

We see an example when David brought the Ark of the Covenant[4] into Jerusalem. The ark was a symbol of God’s holy presence with his people. The ark often accompanied the army into battle. But decades earlier, the Philistines captured the ark in a battle with the Israelites. Since the ark was too hot to handle, the Philistines sent it back. It remained at Kiriath-Jearim for 20 years. (1 Samuel 7:2)

While bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns. (2 Samuel 6:14-15 NLT)

We might think it undignified for a king to dance vigorously in public! Yet when worship comes from the heart, it moves us in body, mind, and spirit. That’s why the ancient Israelites danced to celebrate God’s victory. They raised hands to pray. They knelt with their faces to the ground to honour and worship the Lord. In times of grief, famine, or crisis, they put on sack cloth and ashes. In good times they sang, shouted, and used all sorts of instruments.

For thousands of years, God’s people have expressed their relationship with God through music and singing. In Exodus 15, after God brought his people through the Red Sea, and wiped out the Egyptians, the Israelites sang praises to the Lord and the women danced.

David established guilds of singers and musicians for corporate worship. So the Levites set up choirs to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals. (1 Chronicles 15:16 NLT)[5] These guilds continued for hundreds of years – and resumed their service after the exile.[6]

Our singing in worship continues this pattern. According to Revelation, praising God is something we’ll do in heaven – along with God’s angels.

An application question: Am I a spectator or a participant in corporate worship?

Spectators sit in the grandstand demanding to be entertained.
Spectators want a performance – and often judge that performance.

After a worship service, someone might say: “I didn’t get anything out of that!”

Hmm. That’s interesting. What did you contribute into it?

Was your heart set on who God is and what he wants for us – or only on what you want?

Since the living God is our source and centre of worship, the focus needs to be on HIM! Worship is not a spectator sport. Worship is participatory: First, in receiving from God. Second, in responding to God.

We cannot worship as mere spectators up in the grandstand.

We need to “get down into the game” as active participants.

So we sing, we engage, we listen to God’s Word, we receive the presence of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, we give, we greet, and we bless! The joy of the Lord is our strength when we delight in worshipping together!

3. Worship is sacrificial – not worthless!

Our word “worship” comes from the old English word “worth-ship”. We demonstrate the worth or value of any relationship by what give to the other person.

Take family life for example. You can give gifts to one another. You can give unrushed time and focussed attention. You can do acts of service to help the other. You can declare your love and appreciation with words. Or you can demonstrate your love through touch: perhaps a hug or a cuddle.

Such acts cost you something: in time, thought, effort, and/or money. Yes?

Likewise, David knew that true worth-ship is sacrificial. During a plague, the prophet Gad told David, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” (2 Samuel 24:18 NLT)[7]

So David approached Araunah to buy his threshing floor. Araunah offered to give the site to David, along with his oxen for the burnt offering, as well as his wooden threshing boards and ox yokes to build a fire on the altar.

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. (2 Samuel 24:24-25 NLT)

Friends, if our worship costs us nothing, then it’s hardly an expression of worth-ship – is it? David reminds us that worship is sacrificial!

That threshing floor later became the site for the temple, built by David’s son, Solomon. David provided lavishly from his own personal fortune for the building of the temple: almost 120 tonnes of fine gold and over 250 tonnes of silver. David’s sacrificial giving demonstrated how much he valued his relationship with God.

Question: What are you worth to God?

According to John 3:16, God gave his one and only Son for you – so that by believing in him, you would not perish, but have everlasting life.

Peter writes: It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV) Out of love for you, Jesus sacrificed his perfect life for you – shedding his innocent blood on the cross – so you could be forgiven and do life with him forever. That’s his deep and abiding passion for us!

In Jesus, God shows his love to us – and how desperately he wants us in his forever family. This love of Jesus changes our hearts; and opens us to the glorious possibilities on God’s heart for us.

I sometimes wonder if God is waiting to give us more than we are ready to receive.

If that’s true, I wonder how much we’re missing out on. Maybe a renewed passion to worship could open our hearts for more of what God wants to do in us, for us, and through us.

Reflection/Application questions (Please pause after each one.)

Does God get to do all of life with us – or does God only get our attention when it hits the fan in our lives?
How would the people we encounter each week know that our relationship with God is the most important thing in the world to us? What would they observe in our lives as evidence?
More importantly, what does God observe when he looks into your heart and mine? Does he find a heart where Jesus is enthroned above all else – or a heart full of other things?
How can we make some space each day to listen and respond to God?
What would you like to tell or ask God about renewing your passion to worship him?

From David’s story, we discover that a person after God’s own heart has a passion for worship that is sacrificial, participatory, and touches all of life. Amen.

(c. 1780 words)

An audio version of this message is available on St John’s Lutheran Church Tea Tree Gully YouTube page:

https://youtu.be/-G_ZIKmAWBw

[1] 1 Samuel 16:18 NLT: One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player… He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.” 1 Samuel 16:23 NLT: And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.

[2] Joyce Meyer: “It’s time to let God out of the Sunday morning box because God wants to invade your life!” God wants to “invade” our lives so he can bless our lives.

[3] Alison Stewart, 3. The Power of Worship, in Worship Team Handbook (Illinois: IVP, 1998),13-14.)

[4] The Ark was a wooden box, gilded with gold, with two cherubim (angels) on atonement cover – facing one another. Inside the ark were the 2 tablets of the 10 commandments – the record of the covenant relationship between the LORD and Israel made at Sinai. It was an agreement of how they would do life together.

[5] See: 1 Chronicles 6:31-32, 15:26-27, 25:1ff.

[6] See: 2 Chronicles 29:25-30, Neh 12:45-47.

[7] Threshing floors were flat places on hill tops where sheathes of grain were threshed. Then , using a winnowing fork, it was thrown up into the evening breeze to separate the grain from the chaff. The chaff would blow away. The grain would fall to the ground and be collected. (Today, motorised headers do all that.)

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