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, 28 August 2016
Duration: 30 mins 30 secs
The law of the Old Testament was only a shadow of what was to come with Jesus. The old sacrifices were a constant reminder of the sin of man and were never going to take away the need to carry out more sacrifices as the sin continued. There needed to be a better way - a sacrifice that was once for all time. Jesus has come to do God's will - to give up His life on the cross and establish a new covenant. Whilst living tn this world, we are not perfect - we have sinned and rebelled against God but can be made whole and perfect in the eyes of God because of Jesus' sacrifice. We are all accountable for our sin. We need a Saviour. We need Jesus.
Sunday, 07 August 2016
We are reminded again in this passage that Jesus is the true High Priest who has finished His sacrificial work and now sits on the right hand of God in heaven. For the Jews, being under the old law, their lives centred around the temple where sacrifices were offered to the Lord. But this was only a shadow of what was to come with the old law now superceded by Jesus. Today we now have the new covenant which is all about what God has done for us. Jesus has sacrificed Himself so that we can be saved and be forgiven for our sins.
Sunday, 31 July 2016
Duration: 35 mins 30 secs
What does it mean to have Jesus as our High Priest? The high priest was the person who stood in the gap between human sin and the perfect God, having to offer sacrifices. The old Levitical system was not perfect and needed to change. The people needed the perfect priest - one who was appointed not on the basis of their ancestry, but on the power of an indestructible life. Jesus is the only one who can fulfil this role. Jesus goes guarantor for us, but also paid the price for our sin. Jesus' priesthood is permanent - He is always there to intercede for us. Jesus is the only one who can forgive us of our sins and who can save us completely.
Sunday, 24 July 2016
Duration: 38 mins 31 secs
The writer of Hebrews in this passage warns us as Christians not to drift away from God. We need to make the effort to pay attention in the way we live our life - is it our way or God's way? We need to grow in what God has already given to us. Our eternal life is confirmed because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. We need to persevere in God, drawing ourselves back to Him. Our hope is in Jesus because He is our rock, our firm foundation, our refuge and our anchor.
Sunday, 17 July 2016
In the Old Testament, the high priest was appointed to represent the people in matters relating to God and to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. Today, because we are not perfect and cannot come before a perfect God, we have Jesus as our High Priest to represent us before God. We can now approach the throne of God with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Jesus can identify with us, knows us completely and loves us. He will lead us into God's presence. Jesus is the source of our salvation and provides us with practical ways to live our life for Him. Do you need God's grace and mercy?
Sunday, 03 July 2016
Duration: 26 mins 57 secs
This passage encourages us not to fall short of the rest we have in God and the promise of the good news and hope we have in Jesus. God's rest is not found in this world, but it it found in God's word. We need to make every effort to obey and hold firmly to our faith in Jesus. We can approach God with confidence because of the faith and trust we have in Jesus. Is there an area in your life that you have not handed over to Jesus that does not allow you to approach God with confidence?
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Duration: 45 mins 25 secs
The writer of Hebrews in this passage is highlighting to the people that in the past they had put their trust in Moses, who had brought them God's commandments and law. Moses had a great track record of leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, but now the people had to fix their thoughts on Jesus. Today, we need to do the same in keeping our belief, faith and trust in Jesus. Who do you trust to lead you?
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Duration: 32 mins 18 secs
This passage describes the coming of Jesus to earth as someone who might become a merciful and faithful High Priest. One of the requirements of the High Priest in the Old Testament was to be a representative of the people before God. In becoming human, Jesus was made lower than the angels - He was the same as us. Jesus now goes before us and because of His human experience, He is able to be a true representative of us to God. When we fail regularly because of our sin, we have Jesus who will stand before God on our behalf and restores our relationship with Him. Jesus saves us from eternal death.
Sunday, 05 June 2016
Duration: 32 mins 33 secs
God spoke to people in ancient times through prophets and He continues to speak to us today through His Son, Jesus. God revealed himself progressively through the Old Testament teachings, but when Jesus came to earth the people were able to see the full glory of God, face to face. If we want to understand God, then we need Jesus to unlock what is revealed to us in the bible. Jesus carries the full authority of God, because He is the exact representation of God - Jesus is God!
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Duration: 33 mins 47 secs
The seventy-two sent out by Jesus were to tell people that the Kingdom of God was near. There was a warning for those who rejected this news. Nothing has changed for us today. Jesus spent all of His ministry on earth trying to realign the Jews thinking of what the Kingdom of God was about. We often decide what is best for us, and our society allows this. But there is a better alternative as we allow Jesus to be a part of our lives and we follow Him. As Christians, we are called to be ministers as we point people towards Jesus Christ. We need to be committed to share with people the message of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, looking around us for opportunities to do so.
