Welcome

Welcome

Friday, May 25, 2007

The Coming of the Age of the Spirit



It was in Jerusalem, on the Jewish feast of Pentecost (see Exodus 23:16) 50 days after Passover, where the promised Holy Spirit came. The witnesses of Jesus were all together in one place (at least 120). So Luke records for us, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

It is worth noting four things about the experience. It was audible as the early disciples gathered, they heard a sound like the great wind, and they heard each other speak in the tongues of the nations. It was visible they saw what looked like tongues of fire rest on each of them. It was public not only the insiders were alerted to something extraordinary happening but outside the Jewish pilgrims from all the nations celebrating Pentecost were drawn in. It was universal the Spirit enabled the outsiders to hear God glorified in their native tongue. “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”. It is worth understanding the experience of Pentecost was an external, verifiable, audible, visible, public experience, not the internal mystical experience of a guru or a group hallucination. As Luke interviewed those who were there, can you imagine how they described the moment?

Peter makes sense of the experience for the outsiders by interpreting it by the scriptures Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 110:1. Peter stood up and addressed the crowd: Peter argues from Joel that Pentecost means the Old Testament promises of the new age of the Spirit have been fulfilled. Peter argues from Psalm 16 that Pentecost means Jesus has been raised to new life and ascended to his father’s side. God raised Jesus from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death. Peter argues from Psalm 110 that Pentecost means God has raised this Jesus to life to be king over the nations and, “we are all witnesses of the fact. Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

In the end it is crucial for us to see that Pentecost is not about the Spirit coming to us so we might have an extraordinary religious experience, it is about the Spirit coming to us to point us to the Lordship of the Risen Jesus. Peter concludes his Pentecost speech by,  “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. As New Testament believers we rejoice at being born into the age of the Spirit when we turn from our old ways and claim Jesus as our king. Pentecost reminds us the Spirit points us to our king Jesus. Rejoice!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

A Gathering for St. Matt's men at 10am


Dear Men of 10am
We are inviting you to a gathering of men

Saturday 16th June
It is a chance for us to connect up with each other and hear some stories from 10am men
4:30pm to 7:00pmish.....

At Michael Hotchkin's 76 Keightly Road Shenton Park
Cost $5 Covers Drinks and nibblies

RSVP Essential for Catering purposes
Office 9381-2640 Gavin 9388-1914 Khim 6380 2964

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

How to walk in the Spirit !

3/6

How to wait for the Spirit

Ezekiel 36:22-38

John 14:15-31

GP

Communion

10/6

How to receive the Spirit

Joel 2:28-32

Acts 2:1-21

GP

17/6

How to pray in the Spirit

Ephesians 6:10-20

Romans 8:12-27

David Seccombe

24/6

How to bear the fruit of the Spirit

John 15:1-17

Galatians 6:16-26

KDR

Family Service

1/7

How to be lit by the Spirit

Isaiah 55:1-13

1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Mark Thompson

Communion

8/7

How to be filled with the Spirit

Acts 2:29-41

Ephesians 5:1-21

GP

15/7

How to have the gifts of the Spirit

Ephesians 4:1-16

1 Corinthians 12:1-31

KDR


We have a new series coming in June How to walk in the Spirit !

Following along with us with the readings....bring your questions with you

Gavin

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Good News Week 2007 #1 Meeting Ray Galea


Good News Week 2007 is Coming!
Sun August 26 to Sun September 2

Ray Galea from Multicultural Bible Ministries is coming
to join us and speak at a series of hospitality events designed
to introduce people to God!

Ray says:

I am married to Sandy and have three children James 17, Amy 15 and Madeleine 12. I am the senior minister of St Alban's Anglican Rooty Hill. I also have a special brief to work cross culturally among second generation Mediterranean and Middle Eastern people in the west of Sydney. This work comes under the title of the Multicultural Bible Ministry (MBM). Prior to attending Bible College, I worked as a Social Worker in Wollongong for three years. I specialised in Marriage and Family Counseling. I love reading, eating Middle Eastern food, listening to Bob Dylan and watching films set in New York.
Pray for Ray that he prepares his talks well!
Pray for our congregations that we might get involved in these events!
Pray for opportunities to invite someone along to a GNW2007 event !
Check Ray out at Multicultural Bible Ministries
(Download one of his talks to listen to him speak!)
More info on GNW2007 Coming !
Get on Board
Gavin

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Simply Christianity: The Course


Simply Christianity was the Australian Christian Book of the Year in 2000.
One of the reasons people sometimes avoid looking into Christianity is that there are so many Christianities on offer, each with their spin on things, their own rituals and practices, their own religious package. But just imagine we were able to get beyond this--to strip back all the rituals, myths and dogma; to put to one side the hair-splitting and disagreements; to get beyond all the trappings of 'religion'--what would we find? If we were to go back to Jesus himself, to the biographies about him contained in the New Testament, what would we discover Christianity to be about? That is the project of this book and this Course. It aims to present simply Christianity, by reading and reflecting upon the ancient biography of Jesus written by Luke. John Dickson has put the course together.


We are running Simply Christianity: The Course

5 Weeks from Thursday April 30th with Gavin Parsons 7:45pm.


This is for people seeking to understand the central teaching of Christianity and for christian people wanting a refresher in the essential teaching of Christianity. It is a chance to ask hard questions about Jesus! For more information or to sign up contact Gavin at the church office 9381-2640 office@stmattsshentonpark.org.au