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, 03 February 2019
Duration: 32 mins 46 secs
Jesus had told His disciples that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This chapter in Acts marks the start of the Gentiles hearing the good news of Jesus. God has prepared Cornelius and now calls on him to act in faith in sending for Simon Peter. Peter has already been used by God in many ways, but there is still more for Peter to learn, and so in the same way as Cornelius, prepares Peter for him to learn more. Both Cornelius and Peter responded positively to God's call. The challenge for us is how do we respond to God's call in our life and are we ready to act on this?
Sunday, 23 December 2018
Duration: 29 mins 59 secs
Jesus' arrival in this world was not met with special privileges. He was born in stable and came humbly to live amongst with the people. There are lots of things, as we live today, that can make us afraid. The truth and reality is that God is with us in all things as we are reminded in Isaiah 41:10. We need to stand firm in our faith in God and trust in Him in the circumstances we face each day.
Sunday, 16 December 2018
Duration: 21 mins 45 secs
We know the world still needs to be saved - there are still many conflicts and unrest throughout the world today. In the time of Jesus, shepherds had a low standing in Jewish society, but history shows that God has raised them up to to do great things. In this passage today, God chose the shepherds to be one of the first groups to know about the good news of Jesus' birth. Today, this is still good news and we need to let others know about Jesus, the only Saviour for this world.
Sunday, 09 December 2018
Duration: 28 mins 25 secs
We are starting a Christmas series to call Jesus, Name above Every Name. We will spend the next 4 weeks leading up to Christmas looking at the names given to Jesus; Messiah, Saviour, Immanuel and Son of God. Each one reveals more about who Jesus is and what He came to do. In today's message we see Jesus the Messiah, which means anointed one, Christ and King. We are going to see how the Magi, Herod and the Priest responded to this news and how we should respond as well.
Sunday, 02 December 2018
Duration: 31 mins 43 secs
At this cross road in Saul's life we see God turning his life upside down. He went from someone not believing that Jesus was alive to meeting the risen Saviour. Someone who thought was fighting for God, but was really fighting against him. Someone who was persecuting the church to being persecuted himself. But the greatest thing we see in Paul's life is the Gospel played out in all of its glory. He is saved by God's Grace despite the life of rebellion he has lived.
Sunday, 25 November 2018
Duration: 27 mins 37 secs
Jesus' life on this earth was not one of settling down in one place, but He continued to move from place to place. As followers of Jesus, we are strangers on this earth as we look forward to an eternal life with Him. In this passage, God's church is on the move as the people were scattered but continued to preach the Word of God. Philip had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with an Ethiopian. We need to take the opportunities that come before us to tell others about Jesus.
Sunday, 18 November 2018
Duration: 23 mins 31 secs
In this passage, Stephen shows us what it means to be faithful in life and death. From Acts 6 we see that Stephen's life was full of faith, full of grace, he had wisdom from the Holy Spirit and had a face like an angel. When Stephen faces death, he gets to see Jesus. Stephen reflected Jesus in his own life. Death comes to this world because of sin, but because of Jesus' victory, we can have eternal life with God if we believe in Him.
Sunday, 11 November 2018
Duration: 29 mins 17 secs
We see in this passage how the apostles are confronted by the religious leaders as they proclaim the good news of Jesus. The religious leaders were at a loss of how these uneducated men had such a following of the people. Peter tells the leaders that they are obeying God and not man - a challenge that continues for Christians today as we live as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. The apostles continued to teach about Jesus using every opportunity given to them. We too are to use every opportunity available to us to tell others about Jesus.
Sunday, 04 November 2018
Duration: 18 mins 52 secs
We see in this passage two types of Christians - faith followers and façade followers. The believers at the time were one with Jesus, unified and generous. An example of this was shown with Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, and the selling off of his property. We need to give willingly and with careful thought. Ananias and Sapphira were hypocritical in their faith by pretending to be more spiritual than they really were and in doing so deceived others and God. As Christians today, we need to be faithful followers of Christ, being careful that our words match our actions.
Sunday, 28 October 2018
Duration: 35 mins 31 secs
In this passage, Peter and John are challenged by the religious leaders of how they were able to heal the lame man. Despite the threats imposed on them by the leaders, Peter and John stood firm in acknowledging the power and authority of Jesus Christ's name. On hearing what had happened to Peter and John, the early Christians prayed for God's help and leading and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. As Christians today, we would accept that prayer is to be an important part of our life. The practical challenge for us is how much is prayer a part of our daily life?
