preview

Resurrection Blues

Share to

16 February, 2025Pastor John Strelan

Sermon Pastor John Strelan Sunday 16 February 2025 Resurrection Blues.pdf
14 Sixth Sunday after Epiphany C

Now that my youngest son has his licence he is regularly using my car to get around. Whenever I get in the car after he has driven it there are two things I always have to adjust. First, I move the seat forward because his legs are much longer than mine. Second, I switch the radio over from the Bluetooth setting (he streams his favourite music from his phone) back to ABC Classic FM. Well, the playlist may be different but we both have a soundtrack that gets us moving.

Do you have a soundtrack that gets you out of bed in the morning, that gets you going for the day, that keeps you going? I hope so. Actually, I hope that soundtrack is ‘hope’. Without hope life stops. I’ve always found the best place to find hope is in the music of the gospel. That’s ‘gospel’ as in the good news that Jesus is risen from the grave, death is no longer a full stop to life, there is always more to come.

If you haven’t tuned into that station for a while, I recommend having a listen. How about today?

 

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

More From 'Sermons'

Prawn2King. Check.

25 October, 2026 Pastor John Strelan

On April 8, 1521 (it was a Monday), a German monk by the name of Martin Luther stood before the most powerful man in the world, the Holy Roman Emperor, and played a game of theological chess. It was possibly not the wisest thing to do since he was putting his life on the line. It was like a pawn, all on its own, trying to beat the king!

“Here I stand, I can do no other”, he said.

On that day Luther stood against the wisdom of the world (which was basically the same as the wisdom of the church at that time), a wisdom that said eternal salvation came from God’s grace plus just a little bit of human effort (like choosing Jesus, or being kind, or showing love). Luther’s stand sounds brave, but I think he literally meant what he said: he could do no other. It wasn’t a choice. He was held captive by another kind of wisdom: God’s wisdom. God’s wisdom that told Luther salvation came from God’s grace alone. Nothing else added. God’s grace alone. This was a wisdom that didn’t make sense to human wisdom (surely we can do something?) But, Luther knew there was no other way.

O, that we might be held captive by that same wisdom.

~ Pastor John Strelan

 Click here for a link to our new spotify podcast containing the latest sermon recordings.

If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here

View

Difficult Decisions

18 October, 2026 Colin Archibald (Lay reader)

Matthew 22:21 “Well then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”

You may not think about it, but we make decisions all the time throughout the whole day. For example when you drive a car, just arriving at your destination safely requires you to make a multitude of decisions as you drive.

Now some decisions we make in life are quite small, like what will I do this weekend? Some decisions are quite large and possibly stressful. For example, if it relates to the likes of finances or your future, a lot could be riding on what you decide.

There are many things that can influence our decision making and there are times it can be difficult if you decide to stand against the tide. It can appear much easier just to swim with the tide.

~ Colin Archibald (Lay Reader)

 Click here for a link to our new spotify podcast containing the latest sermon recordings.

If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here

View

Weddings (Matthew 21:1-14)

11 October, 2026 Malcolm Haynes (Lay reader)

Aren’t weddings wonderful? They are an important time for the bride and groom to make a public declaration of their love and commitment to each other. They are also a time to create lasting memories.

Weddings can bring out the best and also the worst in people. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced wedding disasters or faux pas, and not just the bridegroom forgetting the wedding rings.

Have you ever experienced a situation when invited guests have not bothered or refused to attend a wedding feast? In today’s Gospel, a king had planned an A-lister event to celebrate his son’s wedding and still none of those invited turned up. The king then opens the invitation up to everyone his servants could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

This parable shows the immense generosity of the king, of our heavenly Father. Even the rejection of His offer does not stop the Father from sending out His invitation again and again. We can all rejoice in receiving His good gifts of forgiveness, and life, and salvation.

~ Malcolm Haynes (Lay Reader)

Click here for a link to our new spotify podcast containing the latest sermon recordings.

If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here

View
View All