Role: Pastor |
Hi my name is Phil Irvine and I’m the Pastor at Emu Plains Community Baptist Church. My family and I moved all the way from the Blue Mountains and to live in the community here in Emu Plains. Jesus said “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” Sometimes we find that our lives are so full with things to do, but we don’t seem to be fulfilled. I enjoy running, spending time with my family, playing Xbox and a good coffee. But what fills my life is Jesus. If you are wanting your life full, the best it can be, why not check out Jesus and take him up on this promise?
Sunday, 12 May 2019
Duration: 34 mins 15 secs
Nearing the end of Paul's life, we see him continuing to defend the gospel as he shares about the love of Jesus. In this passage, Paul's response to King Agrippa starts off with a reflection of what his life was like before committing his life to Jesus. All of us have a past that has been apposed to God. As Paul did, we need to continue to share the gospel at every opportunity, so that people's eyes will be opened from the darkness of Satan to the light of God.
Sunday, 28 April 2019
Duration: 19 mins 13 secs
Paul's ministry to the Gentiles continued as he entered into Jerusalem, but he was met with a lot of hostility to the message he was presenting about Jesus and was ultimately put in prison. All Paul had to do was stop talking about Jesus and he would be set free from prison. Paul did not want people to pity him because of his situation, he just wanted them to know about what Jesus had done for him and what he could do for those who followed Jesus. How can we live a life that is worthy of Jesus? We need to give our whole life over to Jesus and let Him direct us in His ways.
Sunday, 21 April 2019
Christianity has at its heart the belief in the resurrection from death of Jesus. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead then the Christian faith would be futile. We see in this passage how the disciples and friends of Jesus had their eyes opened to the reality that He had been risen from the dead and was alive again. When we look at Jesus today, is it as a historical figure or as a reality that He is alive in our lives. As Christians, we need to open the eyes of others to the reality of Jesus.
Sunday, 07 April 2019
Duration: 31 mins 43 secs
In this passage Paul's message of Jesus was falling on deaf ears in a lot of cases because the Ephesians had forgotten what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. It is easy for us to move into the same situation as the Ephesians where we fall away from the enthusiasm we had when we first became a Christian. We need to continue to work on our relationship with Jesus and rely on Him in all things and not do things in our own strength.
Sunday, 24 March 2019
Duration: 30 mins 53 secs
Political parties send out messages and promises to the people, but even though we all hear the same message, we each respond to those messages differently. In this chapter of Acts, Paul visits three different cities, and whilst he brings the same message to each city, the good news of Jesus, people responded to the news differently. Today, we have this same message to share with others. We are not responsible for how people respond to the message we bring, but we are to faithful, like Paul, in delivering the good new of Jesus to others.
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Duration: 39 mins 20 secs
God has made us for partnerships and when we come together with others, disagreements can occur, as was the case in this passage. As a church, we aim to live in unity with each other as we strive to live like Christ. Paul and Barnabas could agree on the mission but not agree on the team. The gospel is about getting the right balance of staying firm and true to God's Word, but also being flexible when appropriate. We are called to be partners with each other and to be partners with God so that He can speak through us as we minister to others. Are you ready to partner with God?
Sunday, 03 March 2019
In Act 15 we have a very important meeting where the church met to talk about some important issues. At the heart of this discussion was the relationship between LAW and GRACE. God had been moving in some amazing ways, as He saved the Gentiles, but did they still need to follow the law of Moses? Time and time again we have seen that all are saved by grace and not by their works. Peter says in v.11 that "we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved". This is still true for us 2000 years later.
Sunday, 24 February 2019
Duration: 37 mins 57 secs
Peter has unlocked the door to heaven for the Gentiles and now Paul and Barnabas continue to take the good news to those who haven't heard. In these two chapters they will face everything thing from a warm reception to being misunderstood, mistreated and even an attempt to take their lives. But they are faithful in sharing the good news about Jesus, that through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Firstly, we must believe and accept Jesus and secondly we too should be faithful in sharing this good news no matter what is happening around us. Take a step of faith and walk through the door.
Sunday, 17 February 2019
Duration: 35 mins 43 secs
God has always seen, always listened and has always been attentive to what is happening in this world and what is happening to us personally. In this passage we see King Herod and the Jews standing against the church. With Peter's arrest and being put in prison, his future looked bleak, but the church continued to pray earnestly for his deliverence, which was answered in a miraculous way. For us, we can find peace in any situation we face by handing over our concerns to God in prayer. As Peter responded to God's answer through the angel's call and leading, we also need act in response to God's answers to our prayers.
Sunday, 10 February 2019
Duration: 33 mins 17 secs
We see in this chapter of Acts how the Gentiles are being accepted as followers of Jesus, founded on the Word of God. We need to spend time reading God's Word so that our life matches God's expectation for us. The Gentiles were encouraged through Barnabas visiting Antioch and observing the establishment of the church with great numbers of people coming to faith in the Lord. We need to accept, encourage, give and receive for each other as we faithfully serve Jesus.
