5th June 2022 (Pentecost) Sermon Title: The Holy Spirit Comes (Acts 2: 1- 8 & John 14: 8 – 17)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim Acts 2 narrates the Christian community’s birth in sending the Holy Spirit, while John promises the Spirit’s ongoing dwelling. Especially, there are Jesus’ farewell words, care, and promise in John 14.  The theme of “believing is seeing” appears here again. Jesus emphasises on both words and work in verse 10. The disciples had been fascinated by his work, but they had not listened carefully enough to his words. The Lord said to his disciples, at least believe in the evidence of the miracles themselves. Thomas’s doubt and Philip’s confusion are also shown in today’s Christians. Now Christians hold the entire Bible and enjoy the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit, but sometimes struggle with some theological issues such as oneness of the Father and Son even though Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” In verse 12, what Jesus meant by telling his disciples that they would do greater things than he had done? Jesus’ power and ministry are not limited, but his earthly ministry was limited in time and space. He served the Father for about three years and never was outside the boundaries of Palestine. The disciples, on the other hand, carried out ministry that was greater in terms of geography and numbers of people, and the group of disciples are still extended. Jesus wants us to continue His ministry here through the Holy Spirit who was sent by Jesus. How do we gain confidence that we are born again by the regenerating power of God’s Holy Spirit? The disciples were told that the Holy Spirit lives with you and will be in you. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was in them and in every other believer. God empowers His children and church for ministry through the coming of the Holy Spirit.  What did Jesus mean by the promise at the end of verse 18: “I will come to you.” This can be referred to the resurrection or the second coming. But in the context of these verses, it means the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus lives in us through the person and power of the Holy Spirit. This indwelling will be endless, and the new Counsellor will be with you until the very end. No orphans or abandoned people in the family of God. The Holy Spirit will be a constant presence of Jesus with all believers. Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit is a gift of promise not only to the disciples in the past, but also to us today. May we trust the Holy Spirit to be our counsellor and teacher.  Luke from Acts records the togetherness the early Christians enjoyed. We found them all together, and they heard a sound like the blowing of a violent wind. The sound was not a wind but like a wind. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire. The fire which symbolises the presence of God started as one and then separated and came upon them.  Some commentators interpret the single and multiple fires as the unity and diversity in the body of Christ. A third experience on the Day of Pentecost was the use of different languages. Most evangelical scholars believe the tongues of Pentecost were genuine languages, not the tongues of sounds Paul dealt with at Corinth (1 Cor. 14:1-12). There is a mention that people of different languages understood the message of the Christians in their own language. In Genesis 11, the Babel tower story links to the eventual confusion of language and scattering of people caused by human pride. In Acts 2, however, language is no longer confusing but understood. People gather rather than scatter by an act of God. This is a miracle that happened through the working of the Holy Spirit. In Pentecost, it means that communication was made between people of different languages due to the work of the Holy Spirit. When people filled with the Holy Spirit proclaimed the gospel, a supernatural ministry took place. When the hearers responded, a miracle of understanding followed. The Holy Spirit comes and works when Christians led by the Holy Spirit serve the Lord and others. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians can proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and people will believe and become a part of his body, the church.  Instead of a group of Christians praying quietly in an upper room, they had over three thousand people all over the city praising, praying, and witnessing for Jesus. The early church was a veritable model of what congregations can be in our day and what it means to be the church. When God makes a promise, he keeps it, and we had better pay attention to how it applies to us. Both historical facts and Bible prophecy affirm that Jesus is God’s Messiah. The gospel calls for faith, and every believer has the Holy Spirit within them. True churches are genuine at worshipping God, and pay careful attention to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and witness.  Every believer has the Holy Spirit within them. The controlling power of God’s Holy Spirit is available to all believers. May we trust God’s Spirit whenever we serve the Lord and others. I hope that we can all participate in the ministry Jesus wants with other believers as a true church. What we must do as disciples who believe in Jesus is to follow the model of Jesus. Our ministry for Christ begins with faith, follows through by imitating the perfect model. I believe that the Holy Spirit comes and leads us to follow Him in all circumstances. The lead of the Holy

29th May 2022 (Seventh Sunday of Easter) Sermon Title: Unity and Harmony in the Church (Acts 16:16–34 & John 17:20–26)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim How and why the shocking tragedy of mass shooting has happened in a primary school in Texas? It’s only 10 days since another mass shooting in New York. Abuses of human worth still occur, and horrible tragedies still arise when unscheduled. There are mistreatment, wars, and unexpected shootings where to be peaceful in the world, many people go through difficult seasons, and struggle to live together. Bound by these difficulties and pain, people ask, “How can these chains be broken?” Challenging situations occur at any time and for any person. There are layers of authorities and powers in the story of Acts 16. There is a powerful spirit that possesses the girl, who is also controlled by those who own and profit from her. A slave girl and people interrupt Paul’s ministry until he finally heals her. After the healing, she is no longer marketable for her owners. The girl’s masters became angered at this loss of income, and the crowd joined the complaints of local merchants against Paul and Silas.  With no opportunity to defend themselves, Paul and Silas were beaten with a wooden rod and thrown into the prison with their feet placed in chains. There are civil authorities who mistreat Paul and Silas, and the jailer who imprisons them. New Testament Christians were accustomed to being imprisoned on false charges. However, above all, there is the power of God’s Spirit.  In today’s text, a slave girl is in chains with the name of spirit, mammon, and power from others, but she is healed by Paul in the name of Jesus. Paul and Silas are in chains, but they act in freedom; they sing and pray even in a prison. This is the message of salvation by grace through faith. The story testifies to the importance of prayer and praise. The prayer and song serve as their response to imprisonment. Their actions support one another and give witness to those who listen. When an earthquake opens the doors and breaks their chains, Paul and Silas save the jailer from taking his life. Whatever the jailer intended, Paul and Silas directed his focus immediately to Jesus and proclaimed the gospel. Proclamation of the Word held priority over their physical condition and comfort to Paul and Silas. In verse 33, the jailer tends Paul’s and Silas’ wounds, and Paul and Silas baptize the jailer and his household. This is a reciprocal ministry in a new community. The jailer and his family were reconciled to God, then to their former enemies who are two most unusual prisoners. May we be ready to proclaim the gospel to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I also hope that we can make and nurture more beautiful communities of faith through mutual service and ministry. Sometimes, just when things seem to be going great, the bottom drops out, but may we trust God and sing and pray in the most difficult moments of our life. I also hope that our faith communities can pray and serve harder in Christ for the saints who have suffered. Many people in the world will have experienced feelings of being trapped in a situation or relationship such as job loss, health challenges, abuse. What testimony can we bring of the Holy Spirit’s action and the power of Risen Christ in freeing us or our community from captivity or bondage? How can we encourage and support one another amid the challenges of life we face today? What rituals and practices will we cultivate that will or can support people in difficult circumstances? We can pray for a violent world. God’s people can sing in their struggles when they know He leads and blesses each step of their lives no matter how difficult and dark some days may be. The founder of one of missionary institutions, A. B. Simpson said, “The joy of the Lord is the strength of His people, The sunshine that banishes sadness and gloom, The fountain that bursts in the desert of sorrow, And sheds o’er the wilderness gladness and bloom. The joy of the Lord is our strength for life’s burdens. It gives to each duty a heavenly zest…” If we lose strength in doing God’s work, it is probably because we are living a life that has nothing to do with the joy of the Lord. If our passion for serving has cooled, it must be because we have forgotten that the joy of the Lord is our strength. The Lord is our strength, and the joy of the Lord is our joy. In John 17:20–26, Jesus’ prayer for the community and all people defines new freedom-life in relationship with God. The heart of this final part of Jesus’ prayer focuses on unity, and it is the ultimate demonstration of God’s work through His people. We are aware that body unity is patterned after divine unity. The absolute oneness of the Father and the Son will now be spiritually transferred to believers for unity and harmony in the church and community. Obviously, being one is not easy. However, if we fail to achieve unity in church and faith communities, it means that we are turning away from Jesus’ prayer for all believers and God’s will for us. Jesus invites us to understand unity between the Son and the Father and lead us to walk into the unity and harmony in the church and wider communities. In Acts, Paul proclaimed the gospel and looked after a slave girl who annoyed his ministry and baptised jailer and his family. When Jailer asked them about the salvation, they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be

MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU Sermon by Geoff Serpell: Easter 6: John 14: 23-29 “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27 What kind of peace you may well ask? David Beswick, a retired Uniting Church Minister says that it is a gift of wholeness, being made well, reconciled, saved, and knowing God. Peace and wholeness are brought together in the healing miracles of Jesus illustrated liberally throughout the four gospels.  From Old Testament times, peace was understood as a general state of wellbeing, and being in a good relationship with God. Peacemakers are the children of God said Jesus in His sermon on the mount. There is evil in the world to be overcome and the way of peace is not always recognized. Jesus paid the price of suffering and death to win a victory bringing peace. Rev. Kim Cain tells us in his 17 May ‘Love to the World’ Bible commentary that a central theme in John’s gospel is about an advocate, a witness or comforter who will be present after the ascension of Jesus to be present even to us in our time. Abiding in Christ, a central Christian activity takes the form of peace beyond that provided by the world. People talk about what they are most looking for in life, peace features high on the list. We seek peace and tranquillity from the noise of traffic, Inner peace when we are in chaos, World peace when for example, we are confronted with Russia trying to take over Ukraine in the most devastating manner, whilst just a bit of peace and quiet after a days’ work is much sought after by many. We are not all blessed with negotiating skills and sometimes workers and bosses come to loggerheads about agreements on terms and conditions of employment. Our buses did not run last Friday so it was not peaceful on the roads in extra traffic getting kids to school. For too many women, who are living in a violent relationship, fear is normal, maintaining a fragile peace at the expense of their own interests. Speaking out against injustices or whistleblowing is not for the fainthearted and usually safer to keep the peace and keep your mouth shut. This may cause more issues to keep quiet and avoid, so it’s not always a safe option. Would you think it is better to speak out and address somehow about e.g., child abuse? Jesus offers us peace without troubled hearts or fear. That is what we all hunger for. But in our gospel verses, Jesus is preparing to depart and leave us. Before he did leave, he promised us a Counsellor to be with us for ever, the spirit of truth, being the Holy Spirit. My Bible notes tells me that the Spirit will always stand by Christ’s people. In action and in essence the Spirit is characterized by truth. Jesus brings his people to the truth of God. A little book written by Holly Wagner called:” Dumb things we do” includes tips on improving relationships between married couples. She gives playful and challenging advice on what you can do today to have a strong, loving, and peaceful relationship together. One tip says:” do not try to fix your husband: it is not a good idea”. “It is better to honour each other with due respect and not be self-centred.” It is good to practise random acts of kindness. We need to be flexible and adaptable with each other for there to be peace in our homes. Holly asks, see what happens by trying it. Places and situations where I have found peace include walking through bushland along some track with birdsong audible which I get at Nagambie on our conservation estate. We have built around 50 nesting boxes as your saw one this morning. I do not climb a ladder to put them up in trees any longer.  A Professor of Pastoral Counselling, Howard Clinebell told me at a conference in Toronto in 1993 that for each of his birthdays he spends the day hiking to the top of some mountain to be closer to God and finding peace. That is a hilltop experience. Our youngest son, Andrew used to find peace after a hard day at his office, in our workshop, the building being well insulated. He could practise his trombone. each night without causing a revolt among the neighbours. He has gone on to be a professional jazz player in some great Melbourne night spots, whilst I can still see the evidence of his work as a stain from the water out of the instrument still showing on the concrete floor. Can you recall that sense of relief and peace when you experienced achieving something that was very stressful in preparing? I found peace after singing a solo in front of 1000 patrons in a fundraising concert for Parkinson, Britain, at Pershore Cathedral. The song was called ‘Working Man” about a retired coalminer reminiscing about the lung disease rife in the industry and the arduous work in terrible conditions. I felt so relaxed and peaceful as I walked back to my place in the Victoria Welsh Choir, being so thankful that I had not forgotten the words.  Back in the sixties and seventies, when I was employed by Prince Henry’s Hospital in St Kilda Road, I attended a businesspersons’ lunchtime church service at Scots’ church Collins Street Melbourne. I do not remember any words said during the 15 years except most times when I was jumping back onto the tram with renewed energy, to get back to work were the peaceful words regularly said by the Minister, Rev Gordon Powell:’ Let Go and let God”! Jan reminded me that when our three sons were each tucked up and asleep in their beds, it was our turn

8th May 2022 (Fourth Sunday of Easter) Title: The Good Shepherd & Faith Communities (Acts 9:36–43 & John 10:22–30)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim Happy Mother’s Day! May the Lord bless your home and the places of your work with His grace and blessing. I hope that today will be a day of blessing for all mothers, and God’s special grace and comfort will be with those who have parted with their mother on earth.  In Acts 9, Suddenly the topic shifts from the conversion of Paul to Peter’s miraculous raising of Tabitha. In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas). In verse 36, she was introduced by name and called as a disciple.  When she became sick and died, without telling Peter why, the congregation from Joppa requested his presence, “Please come to us right away!” They lovingly cared for Dorcas’s body. Witnessing to God’s gracious acts can take many forms. When Tabitha died, her friends tried to let Peter know how important and valuable she was. They brought all the clothing that she had made for the widows, tangible symbols of her compassion. Their acts showed how Tabitha demonstrated God’s love each day of her life. They shed tears together and waited prayerfully outside while Peter was with Dorcas.  Peter entered the room and knelt to pray. Then he told Tabitha to get up, and she did! The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead brings back to life this faithful woman whose acts of compassion are central to the new reality of God’s reign. Sometimes God may choose to intervene in a miraculous way for His people. May we pray first when faced with a difficult ministry task. Tabitha was a disciple who devoted to good works and acts of charity. (v. 36) She served others and looked after people who are in need until she dies. The congregation in Joppa was making communal intercession for the healing of one of its members, hoping desperately for her wholeness. The congregation was vulnerable, but they stood together, sharing all they had including spiritual resources and weeping together, hoping together, and celebrating together. They were unafraid to walk into each other’s lives in transforming ways.  Dorcas or Peter will not live forever on earth. Peter provided a temporary restoration to life for this lovely Christian female disciple at Joppa with the power of Risen Christ. The emphasis of this text is upon a community honing all the spiritual strength and resources passionately upon life and wholeness rather than individuals. May we find ways to experience, energize, and celebrate the marks of a loving and healing community in today’s individualistic culture. It indicates the expansion of the growth of God’s love from Jewish to Gentile. We know Paul is called by Christ mainly for Gentile, but Peter also proclaimed the gospel to Gentile and showed the love of God to many people. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. (42) That would be enough to know that the power of God was working through Peter and Dorcas.  Faith communities are drawn toward healing because brokenness is so much a part of our lives. Christians today are more aware than ever of the power of holistic healing, the intercession of prayer, positive attitude, and the resources of medicine. We are more aware than ever that no one should face disease alone. Prayer, love, and service from faith communities can support us, complementing medical treatment.  Communities are powerful healing partners in helping us overcome illness and brokenness. This was true for Dorcas, and it remains true for us today. May we, individually and as the church, learn from Tabitha and Peter about life-giving service. Simple quiet service for God is no less important than complex public service. May we be in actions that show the presence and the power of God with us through the acts of love and kindness.  We experience how everyday acts of love, compassion, and kindness have the power to lift people to life. In today’s text, the life-giving acts were revealed through the example of Tabitha’s loving service and kindness and Peter’s prayer and ministry. We are comforted by the image of a shepherd that protects, defends, leads, and feeds. In John 10:22–30, Jesus promises that His sheep will be with Him and can never be snatched away. No matter what occurs, we can look to Christ and identify Him as our good shepherd. Christ’s sheep can look to Jesus, those sheep are recognizable because they believe in the Shepherd, they listen to the Shepherd, and they follow the Shepherd. True sheep listen to the shepherd, but false sheep pay no attention.  The Good Shepherd has purchased our salvation with His blood and now offers shelter and security to all who follow Him. We become a true sheep by placing faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. But once the Holy Spirit implants that nature in us, we respond to the Shepherd because that is what sheep do. There are times in our lives when we are affected by evil and there are times when we are shaken by temptations, but we trust that our Lord, the Good Shepherd, will always protect and guide us. Believers behave like sheep, and the good shepherd makes a sheep feel safe. No one can tear us away from His love. May we trust our lives to the Good Shepherd.  Jesus calls us “my sheep”, it means the union of Christ. His calling is “listening to His voice”. Jesus knows us, and we follow Him. He also gives us eternal life in grace and love. We all remember the life-giving acts of Jesus. The voice of the Good Shepherd

1st May 2022 (Third Sunday of Easter) Title: The Risen Christ Is Calling Us.  (Acts 9:1–6 & John 21:1–19)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim John has recorded three post-resurrection appearances of Jesus here: to Mary, to the disciples that first Sunday night, and a second time to the disciples with Thomas. Now we see the third time appearance as Jesus visited his disciples as they followed their vocation.  Being with Jesus had been great, and it must have felt wonderful to have him alive again. They have been scattered on the roadside of good intentions for ministry, but they traded God’s call for something else like fishing for a living. They were hanging out and fishing, but they caught nothing. The text says they saw someone on the shore but could not tell who it was. These disciples had seen the Risen Lord twice but did not recognize him.  John would never forget the words by this stranger to throw your net on the right side of the boat. “Why the right side? Because that was the side they were directed to by Jesus. Jesus disclosed himself to them through a miracle, and John announced to Peter, “It is the Lord”. (v.7) “It is the Lord” is not just a one-time confession, it is our life-long confession and relationship with Jesus. Jesus Is the Lord of our lives.  Jesus and the disciples enjoyed breakfast together that day. The menu required some of the freshly caught fish in addition to what Jesus had already prepared. What a wonderful morning that must have been. Jesus demonstrated His love at a seaside breakfast with seven disciples. These disciples experienced a new level of rest and comfort with the Lord’s resurrection and presence. Christians often eat together in groups. Their fellowship through eating reflects and shares friendship, followership, and fellowship in Christ. May we experience another level of faith with the Risen Christ.  After Jesus ate with his friends, Jesus turned his attention to Peter. Three times Peter had denied the Lord, so three times Jesus asked him, “Do you truly love me?” This could reflect the three denials, but whether it did or not, the command was similar each time: “Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep.” Whenever Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord!”. The reason we must take on this mission is because we love the Lord. Risen Christ tells us to take care of the Lord’s sheep if we love Him. Do we love Jesus? We feed, care, and shepherd people because we love Him. Why did the Lord change the command after each of Peter’s responses? There are some changes between the noun and verb. Some indicate that lambs refer to children’s ministry and sheep as to service to adults. This second calling would include spiritual feeding and care of the flock for all generations. The point is that Jesus called Peter to shepherding rather than fishing. His future work would involve ministry to people. Jesus’ first call was to become fishers of men. Now the Risen Christ entrusts the mission of shepherding to Peter rather than fishing. The shepherding call is continued.  Today’s text deals with Peter’s reinstatement to service, because he and other disciples need to shepherd each sheep of the flock of God, of Jesus’ sheep, of the church of God. Jesus asks us repeatedly to show our love and to do what Jesus commands: feed people and the world with grace. Peter is completely restored by Risen Christ. He has three times denied his Lord, but now he has affirmed his love for Jesus, and he has been commissioned to care for the flock three times. This must have had the effect on the others or communities, whatever had been the mistakes of the past, Jesus was restoring Peter to a place of trust. The one thing about which Jesus questions Peter prior to commissioning him to care for the flock is love. Love is the basic qualification for Christian ministry and service. May we experience the gospel of restoration and love. Christian community offers even the one who hurt that same community justice and grace in the love of God. Accepting or welcoming people is another example of the resurrection at work in the faith community. Our call is to live by the gospel that accepts in grace and offers justice to those who have been unjust towards that same community. God’s Spirit may bring restoration, renewal, transformation even in places of brokenness.  There was hurt and brokenness in Peter and Paul’s faith and life. In Acts 9, Paul has been transformed from a passionate persecutor to a courageous proclaimer, in John 21, Peter has been renewed from the three-time denier to a true follower by the Risen Christ. Ananias in his trust, and the rest of the community in accepting and including the one who once persecuted them. To reach out and include someone who once persecuted us is the hard edge of real gospel living. The gospel of love and grace influences the change in one person or in the whole congregation because of the whole believing community. I hope the level of gospel living will grow in the Risen Christ. Paul and Peter were accepted and welcomed again by faith communities. Paul had to wait for the three days between being blinded and seeing again. Peter had to experience the unexpected three questions given by Risen Christ. Transformation comes from Risen Christ but there would be a time of waiting for resurrection and necessary experiences of renewal.  I pray that God will open our eyes, as God opened Paul’s, to the new reality created by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.