Spurgeon on Preaching Christ
“I believe that those sermons which are fullest of Christ are the most likely to be blessed to the conversion of the hearers. Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. …”
Advice from C. H. Spurgeon, via Between Two Worlds.
The Intensity of Christ’s Love and the Intentionality of His Death
The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. “When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.”
– a meditation from John Piper.
Silly Rabbit, Easter’s Not for Kids
No cross this Easter for some US Sunday School lessons –
“In order to be sensitive to the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of preschoolers, First Look has chosen not to include the Easter story in our curriculum. Instead, we are focusing on the Last Supper, when Jesus shared a meal and spent time with the people He loved. We have made this choice because the crucifixion is simply too violent for preschoolers. And if we were to skip the crucifixion and go straight to the resurrection, then preschoolers would be confused.”
Read the story by Russell Moore at the Resurgence.
Lambeth: To Go or Not To Go II: Tips for Take-overs
There have been two significant responses elicited by recent developments within the Anglican Communion. I would like to analyse what has been said – and left unsaid – and where it’s all heading.
The first response is that of the Statement by the Province of SE Asia. I begin, though, with the second, the Reflections of Bishop Mouneer Anis on the Joint Standing Committee where he shared with the world his bleak perspective on the future of the Anglican Communion. …
Opinion-piece by Dr Lisa Severine Nolland on Anglican Mainstream.
The Anglican Debacle: Roots and Patterns
“The first thing to note about the crisis the Anglican Communion is facing today is that it has been coming for a very long time.
I remember almost twenty years ago reading an article by Robert Doyle in The Briefing entitled ‘No Golden Age’.1 (It’s shocking that it is actually so long ago!)
The gist of the article was that the idea of a golden age of Anglicanism, in which biblical patterns of doctrine and practice were accepted by the majority, is nothing but an illusion. …”
Read the full text of ACL President Dr. Mark Thompson’s paper delivered at the Sydney ‘Lambeth Decision Briefing’ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, Friday 14th March 2008.
The Sydney Lambeth Decision Briefing
Audio and PDF files of Friday’s Lambeth Decision Briefing called by Dean Phillip Jensen, and held in the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, are now available, courtesy of SydneyAnglicans.net.
All very helpful in understanding the crisis facing the Anglican Communion.
The topic of the briefing was – ‘The Lambeth Decision: Refining or Redefining Anglicanism?’
The mp3 audio and PDF files will open in new windows.
Phillip Jensen – Are there limits to fellowship? (70 min / 24MB) – PDF file.
Mark Thompson – The Anglican Debacle. (30 min / 11MB) – PDF file.
Robert Tong – Doing the Lambeth Walk. (21 min / 7 MB) – PDF file.
Russell Powell – What is GAFCON all about? (7 min / 2.4MB) – PDF file.
Virtue Viewpoints: Bishops Schofield & Cox Deposed…
It was a week that saw further disintegration and separation from The Episcopal Church of its godly remnant.
The House of Bishops met in Camp Allen, Texas, and did a number of predictable things. …
David Virtue has posted his roundup of this week’s events in the Anglican Communion at VirtueOnline.
Critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching
CASE (The Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education) at New College, UNSW, is holding its first Quarterly Seminar for the year on Tuesday April 1st.
Mike Wilson, the Cross Cultural Ministry Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church of NSW, is speaking on, “A happy ending or the ending of happiness? A critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching.” Details from the CASE website.
Making your life count for eternity
So often, those for whom this world has little regard are the ones the Lord uses to bring honour to Christ.
From our Resources section, here’s the story of one man who sought to make a difference for eternity.
The Christ Files screening Good Friday
The Christ Files, a one hour documentary hosted by Dr. John Dickson, airs across Australia on the Seven Network at noon on Good Friday (March 21).
Many Sydney Anglicans will have heard of the Good Friday special, and also the accompanying 4 part series (now available on DVD), but have you considered how you could use them to speak with your friends about the Lord Jesus?
To watch a preview and to order the DVDs, visit thechristfiles.com.au.
John Stott’s ‘Final Public Address’
Though delivered last July at the Keswick Convention, many may not have read Dr. John Stott’s final public address before his retirement from public ministry at the age of 86.
His topic? ‘The model – becoming more like Christ’.
Read the text of his sermon from the Langham Partnership’s website.
Background story here. (Photo: Langham Partnership.)
Five Books to Read Before Easter
Tim Challies, widely respected Christian blogger from Toronto, is suggesting five books to read before Easter. That doesn’t leave much time! Perhaps starting one book would be more realistic.
One of Challies’ recommendations, Pierced for Our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach, has been described by J. I. Packer as ‘an epoch-making tour de force’.
Dr. Peter O’Brien writes – ‘This is a very significant book… Every major objection to penal substitution has been considered, and courteously but firmly answered.’
Dr. Mark Thompson writes – ‘Pierced for our Transgressions is carefully argued and richly edifying.’
What better time than Easter to turn your thoughts to the saving work of Christ on the Cross. (For Challies’ five suggested books, see Challies.com.)
The World in which we now live – Dick Lucas
An address by Dick Lucas, Rector Emeritus at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, from Psalm 14.
He was speaking to the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship 2007 Annual Conference in London.
A great many in Sydney have benefitted from the ministry of Dick Lucas over the years. Hear his address (17MB mp3 file) from the LCF website.
Ecclesiastical Fascism Rearing its Head
“The fictional ‘abandonment of communion’ used by revisionist Episcopal bishops to deny and dump orthodox priests has now become a standard mantra by those who want to retain power and repress those who would uphold the faith, demanding that they accept the church’s new fangled theology, and bless same-sex marriages…”
This week’s commentary by US-based Kiwi David Virtue.
On Life and Ministry with J.I. Packer
In October 1999, Mark Dever spoke with Dr James Packer about life and ministry.
Well known to many as the author of Fundamentalism and the Word of God, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and Knowing God, Dr. Packer is a member of St. John’s Shaughnessy which has recently voted to break ties with the Anglican Church of Canada.
This fascinating and informative interview sheds light on the recent history of evangelical Christianity and its continuing battle with liberalism.
The 64 minute audio (mp3) file is available here as a 29MB download.
(Photo: Martin Dee / Regent College, Vancouver.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…