City Church Sheffield Podcast

Jesus refuses to get drawn into pointless debates trying to rank the commandments in order of importance, and neither does he write off the entire law. Instead, he gets to the very heart of the Law

The Sadducees did not believe there was life after death, but thought that if there was then it would have to be a continuation of this life. They didn't know the power of God. We shouldn't think of heaven in earthly terms.

We are like rooms in God's house which Jesus comes and fills with his presence. When we are filled with the Spirit, we can face disputes and opposition but we need to deal with these and move on.

Jesus' opponents try to trap him into saying that the Jews should not pay taxes to Caesar, so that they can report him to the Roman authorities; but Jesus refuses to walk into their trap. In doing so, He challenges us to give our all to God, and give what is due to the authorities too.

Jesus tells a parable holding up a mirror of truth to the religious leaders of the time. When Jesus challenges us with the truth, will we respond, unlike them, by humbling ourselves before him and receive His mercy and freedom.

God has wiped out a huge debt for us. We also are called to forgive others even when it hurts.

What Jesus sees in the temple does not please Him. His actions there as well as the fate of the fig tree tells us of the judgement that was coming for the temple and the old covenant system, now that the King has come.

Jesus is the exact living image of the unseen God. By him and for his glory the universe in all its vastness was created, and by his grace we are invited into relationship with him.

Those who believe in Jesus will do greater works than he did. We are commissioned to proclaim the finished work of Christ and his glory by word and also by works.

Each disciple of Jesus is called to follow him and walk the way of the cross. This will involve hardship and will sometimes require the letting go of things to which we want to hold on.

It is a privilege to praise God, we praise him because he has opened our eyes, not because of our upbringing.

Paul uses three pictures: the church as a field, the church as a building, and the people as God's temple; in order to encourage a healthy view of leadership.

As high priest, Jesus had a sacrifice to offer; himself. His sacrifice was essential for our salvation, and it was exquisite, enduring and effective. How can we respond but to love and serve the Lord?

It is good for God's people to be united, but unity is something we should not just celebrate but also cultivate.

Like David, we are able to walk with God and keep our spiritual fervour by putting God first in all things, being captivated by a bigger vision, being prepared to correct our mistakes, and being willing to adjust our expectations.

We are in a battle for contentment which can only be found in God's glory. In order to be content we need to set aside pride and deal with our reactions to things.

God is holy and so it is inappropriate for sinful people to see his glory. Under the old covenant, even though God was dwelling with his people, they could not come into his presence, but now because of Christ's sacrifice his Spirit dwells within us.

This psalm helps us to walk with God through pain and to encourage others to do the same. There are four stages: weeping, worshipping, waiting and witnessing, and we mustn't move too quickly to the next stage.

Suffering comes in a variety of forms, but we can still praise God because it does not overwhelm us, and God is at work in the midst of difficulties.

We are a people who are blessed because we are those who fear the Lord and walk in obedience to him.

What are the dry bone areas in our individual lives, our church and our community? God brought the dry bones together and then breathed life into them.

We bear fruit by concentrating not on the fruit itself but on putting our roots down in God. We are created finite and need to focus on what God wants us to do rather than trying to pour our lives into everything. Then we can avoid our work being in vain.

Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we can always find joy in what God has done, and wait patiently for what he is yet to do. The Psalmist gives us a lesson from farming.

There was a big problem with the old covenant - it couldn't deal with sin or make us perfect. But there were better promises of a new covenant which deals with our hearts. Because of this it is blatantly pointless to fall back on our own efforts or put our trust in things that can be shaken. Only Jesus is secure and that's where our hope must be.

We can be secure in the face of uncertainties because the Lord surrounds his people, because he sets a limit on the wicked and because he answers our prayers.

We are unable to save ourselves; God needs to intervene. We can praise the Lord because he has intervened and saved us, and we can never undo what he has done.

We are called to wait on God as a servant waits on his master, watching for an instruction before doing as he says. In the ordinariness of life we can get impatient, but we shouldn't be giving instructions to God.

In teaching us how he personally dealt with worry, Jesus tells us three things to not do, three thing to do, and three thing God does.

The main point of what is being said in Hebrews is that we do have a high priest who meets our needs. Jesus is the one who is pointed to throughout Scripture. He has come to earth, lived a perfect life, offered the sacrifice of himself once and for all, and meets all our needs, so that we can now come to God.

David was excited to go to the house of God, not because he had to or because he was looking for a good time, but because he was passionate about the purposes and presence of God, and wanted God's name to be glorified.

When Jesus and the early church needed help, they prayed to God, they relied on Scripture and they sought fellowship with one another.

As God's people we are on pilgrimage, walking with God and with one another. Being God's people means that we are a singing people, a devoted people and a repentant people.

Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, one who is not only a priest but also a king, one who is greater even than Abraham. His priesthood does not depend on the Law of Moses, but he comes as a new type of priest to introduce a new hope by which we draw close to God.

The disciples had gone back to work, but the risen Jesus meets us in the mundane. He restores and reinstates us when we fail him, as he did for Peter.

Living in the light of the resurrection does not mean that we won't experience loss or setbacks, but the resurrection is central. Like Mary, we could be living with grief, but Jesus speaks our name; like the disciples, we could be living with fear, but Jesus pronounces peace not condemnation; or like Thomas we could be living with doubt, but Jesus pronounces blessings on those who believe without having seen him.

Every member of the church is given a spiritual gift. All are included and all are needed. We can show our love for one another by using our gifts to encourage, bless and build up others.

In difficult and challenging times we can know that God is still at work and that he still loves us.

The resurrection of Jesus is rooted in history, grounded in Scripture and confirmed in experience.

Bartimaeus lived in darkness, but when he heard that Jesus was in the crowd, he ignored the discouraging voices around him and seized the moment making a specific request. He then responded by following Jesus. We too can come to Jesus for physical and spiritual healing. Nothing is impossible for God.

God's grace has brought salvation. If we accept it, we are saved, and we will be saved when he comes again; and while we wait, his grace teaches us to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

We are not following after the supernatural, but following Jesus. However, when we follow Jesus we can expect the supernatural.

We can learn from a person (Abraham) who patiently persevered and believed the promise from a powerful promise maker. This promise is an anchor for our soul, and we can press on because we have a picture of Jesus our perfect priest.

The disciples cannot understand how Jesus' death could be good news and so they find it difficult to believe and think he's going to become king at once. But the cross is good news because it is life changing. Jesus' death is not primarily an example, but a ransom to set us free.

Materialism and legalism about money are two dangers to avoid. Rather than either putting too high a value on wealth or considering wealth a bad thing, the real issue is regarding whom we worship. A life worshipping money leads to greed and dissatisfaction, whereas a life worshipping Jesus leads to generosity and contentment.

Jesus says that God's kingdom is like buried treasure or a pearl of great price. What God offers us is of great value, and we need to let go of the things we value in order to obtain it. But it is only when we see how much God values us and what he paid for us that we are able to do this.

Even though Mark is in a hurry to tell about Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, he considers it important to include Jesus' teaching about God's attitude towards children. Jesus teaches that God cares about children, and also that God cares about childlikeness. Children are not innocent, but they are better than adults at being humble, being trusting and being grateful, and God wants us all to imitate this.

The writer to the Hebrews challenges our attitudes. Becoming a Christian is not simply something we sign up for so that we can have a ticket to heaven, but it is about being brought into something completely new.

God is concerned about protecting the vulnerable, and this is why Moses instructed men not to remarry wives that they had previously divorced. Jesus looks not just at the law but at the way God intended marriage to be at the beginning. Marriage means that two are joined together and become one flesh. At the heart of marriage is unfailing steadfast love.

The Bible encourages us to encourage one another. It is a key tool in defeating the enemy and his plans and a key weapon for God's people.

Summary to follow soon.