Sermon – Pictures of Judgement and Grace: The Feast of all Nations (Isaiah 24:1-27:13)

Read the text – Isaiah 24:1-27:13

The people of Judah face a number of crises from within (their own sin) and without (the alliance of Israel and Syria, the power of Assyria). Who will they trust to rescue them? Themselves? Foreign Nations? or God Almighty?

In this sermon, Dave Swan shows us a beautiful picture of heaven, with people from all nations coming to the mountain of the Lord, and enjoying the fruit of the vineyard, with death being swallowed up forever. We have seen God’s power over the nations – we now get a glimpse of God’s plan for the nations. In the midst of hopelessness, we hear songs of joy from the most unlikely of places as God’s gospel goes to all nations.

Sermon – Rebuke & Refuge: Mercy and Hope (Zeph 3:9-20)

Read the text – Zephaniah 3:9-20; 2 Peter 3:14-18

After two and bit chapters of rebuke and judgement, Zephaniah shifts to focus on a fully fledged future hope. The flipside of God’s terrible wrath is his unmerited and complete mercy where he shows his remnant people a perfect fellowship in mutual love which comes on the Day of the Lord.

In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes addresses a specific events surrounding the newly appointed CEO of the Essendon Football Club. Hours after his appointment, issue was raised because of his association with his church (an evangelical church in Victoria) whose statements of beliefs are biblically shaped and consistent with traditional Christian doctrines. He was forced to choose between his church or his football club. He choose his church.