The gospel of Jesus calls for more than racial diversity, it calls for reconciliation. That is, the coming together of an unbreakable bond marked by love and friendship. All people carry the signature of God, having been created by him and made in his image. By nature and choice we have been separated from God, yet through the blood of Jesus we are reconciled to God, who tore down the wall of hostility and remade us who believe in him one new humanity. In Jesus, we are one family of brothers and sisters from every race. To pursue reconciliation, we must be truthful when it comes to our past and present. We must acknowledge that Australia is stolen land, and the resurrection of Jesus compels us to work together for justice and hope for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who called the lands we know as Australia home for at least 60000 years, according to the Uluru Statement.

Race Relations

Trans people are real people, and like all people, are made in the image of God. They are not a political tool to be weaponised for social commentary. We ought to remember who God says we are and that we are loved by him. We are not who the world tells us we are because we live in a broken world, marred physically and spiritually because of the fall. Our hope is in Jesus, the suffering servant, who is good news of great joy to all people. We remember that in Christ we have a new identity that transcends gender, and the people who don’t feel at home in their bodies are people whom God cares for and whom he wants to know him.

Trans people are real people, and like all people, are made in the image of God. They are not a political tool to be weaponised for social commentary. <br>We ought to remember who God says we are and that we are loved by him. We are not who the world tells us we are because we live in a broken world, marred physically and spiritually because of the fall. Our hope is in Jesus, the suffering servant, who is good news of great joy to all people. We remember that in Christ we have a new identity that transcends gender, and the people who don’t feel at home in their bodies are people whom God cares for and whom he wants to know him.

Transgender Rights

When it comes to engaging the big issues, sometimes Christians don’t read the room. We have responded to politics in different ways: withdrawing from it, worshiping it, succumbing to worldliness, else warring over opposing views. People used to look at politics in view of the bible, now they look at the bible in view of politics. It’s important we understand the left and the right, and why we need both. Additionally, we must recognise that discussions on culture are politically charged but also incredibly personal. Lastly, we acknowledge the great contribution of the Christian faith and repent of our own failings and sin, the times we have focussed on the twig in the world rather than the log in the eyes of the church. Jesus didn’t come to raise an army and overthrow the world. Christians, you don’t have Labour or Liberal written on your heart, but the name of Jesus. Don’t go left, don’t go right — go deeper and go deeper into Jesus. May we show Christ-like conviction over the truth...

Jesus in a Political Age

What do you value in life and what are you willing to make sacrifice for? The most valuable thing we could ever have is the free grace of Jesus, and he is worth making sacrifices for.Mary valued Jesus, anointing him with an expensive perfume as recognition of his worth and of his upcoming burial. Judas overvalued something of insignificant value, and was willing to sacrifice Jesus for money. There is a little Judas in all of us, overvaluing earthly things such as wealth, comfort, pride, and pleasure but forsaking the eternal. On that night, Mary walked away justified, but Judas walked away condemned. Soon after, Christ’s blood was poured out as a sacrificial fragrance to God on the cross, where he died for our sins. Yet, Christ did not stay dead and will return as judge of all the living and the dead, making right those are washed by his blood and bringing right condemnation to those who negated to see his value. Today, you can choose to live like Judas and cling to your life, or li...

What Do You Value

Recapitulation, the repetition of a bad phase, is the opposite of rehabilitation. After all the work of rebuilding the temple, Israel recapitulated. The people of God had gone back to the things we thought they left behind, desecrating the priesthood, neglecting the temple, and marrying foreign wives, showing their contempt for God and his commands. The lesson to be learnt is that a building can always be rebuilt, but a community cannot be rebuilt without their hearts being renewed. See, our strongest enemies are not external leadership or opposition, but internal: our own heart, captive to sin. Yet, God will remember us for good even when we forget him. He sent Jesus to take the punishment we deserve for sin upon himself, so that in him we have hope. Putting our hope in anything else but Jesus will disappoint us. Churches will fail. People will fail. Yet, God’s love will never fail.

Remember Me, O My God, For Good

Even after 141 years of despair, ruin, and trouble, Israel found something to rejoice in, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. The Israelites cast lots to decide which families would relocate to the heart of the city. This was common practice in the ancient and biblical world. They embraced the risk and uncertainty that came with casting lots, trusting God had a plan for his people. God was faithful to his promise then, and he is faithful now. The risen Jesus declares life, salvation, and joy to all in him. Saved from sin and death, we have every reason to rejoice and sing together as God calls for our celebration more than duty and discipline.

And The Joy of Jerusalem Was Heard Far Away

Sorry is an uncomfortable word. Yet, if we truly understood who God is and who we are, we would understand the necessity of repentance in the Christian life, and that it’s a good thing. God was faithful and attentive to Israel, yet they remained stiff-necked, refusing to obey. Even we remain stubborn in our sin, saying sorry for being caught and being sorry for the consequence, but not being sorry for the condition of our heart. Genuine repentance looks like taking responsibility for our sinful position and pursuing God’s glory. Anything less than ongoing confession and repentance is opposition to God. He is the all-knowing creator and there is no faking it with him. He is watching ever single moment of your life, every thought and action, all to be brought to account on judgment day. May we make a firm covenant to live a life of true repentance, knowing we have been blessed by God in Christ to be a blessing to others.

We Make A Firm Covenant

The city was large but the people were few, still they came from every generation reading the word and responding with understanding and praise in the public square. It takes a village to raise a child in the Lord, and to be a people of God we need to be around the people of God, praying for one another and reading the word. The word of God, rightly understood, is always good news. That’s why in Nehemiah 8, the people opened the word not at the temple but at the water gate, as if to say the word is for everyone in every sphere. The word is meant to shape our street, our market places, our work, and everywhere we go. May we be people of the word.

The City Was Large, But the People Were Few

Not only is opposition to the rebuild coming from the enemy outside the city, but also within God’s people inside the city. In Jerusalem, greedy leaders became loan sharks, piling interests onto loans given to their poorer neighbours, breaking God’s law. The poor, unable to pay back the loans, had to sell their lands as collateral, or had they no land but relied on weekly wages, forfeit eating and even sell their children to slavery. Yet, in the end, despite the enemies outside and within, God wins. The wall is rebuilt. The heart of Israel’s issues was that some within the community would do whatever it takes to protect themselves. Even now, 60% of church plants in the world fail not due to external aggression but from enemies inside, seeking to divide. Satan attacks the internal well-being of God’s people. We cannot do the rebuild at any cost. We must walk in fear of God as creator, working our salvation with fear and trembling before him who is the consuming fire....

Ought You Not to Walk in the Fear of Our God?

Proximity doesn’t always equal intimacy; Judea and Samaria were neighbours but always at odds with one another. When Sanballat, king of Samaria, sees the Israelites rebuilding the temple, he opposes them by questioning their strength, motives, capacity, vision, and ability. The devil doesn’t antagonise God’s people with thunder, but by questioning truth and identity. He sneaks just enough poison to pull people apart.In the world, we are despised. As we pursue God’s presence and seek to live a godly life, evil will push back. When it does, we don’t stay silent but fight for justice and truth — yet we remember the battle belongs to God, and our weapon is prayer. Even when evil pushes back as we pursue the presence of God, we trust that in Jesus God will fight for us and grant us victory over the darkness and the lies we face. Jesus always has the final word.

Proximity doesn’t always equal intimacy; Judea and Samaria were neighbours but always at odds with one another. When Sanballat, king of Samaria, sees the Israelites rebuilding the temple, he opposes them by questioning their strength, motives, capacity, vision, and ability. The devil doesn’t antagonise God’s people with thunder, but by questioning truth and identity. He sneaks just enough poison to pull people <a href="http://apart.In" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">apart.In</a> the world, we are despised. As we pursue God’s presence and seek to live a godly life, evil will push back. When it does, we don’t stay silent but fight for justice and truth — yet we remember the battle belongs to God, and our weapon is prayer. Even when evil pushes back as we pursue the presence of God, we trust that in Jesus God will fight for us and grant us victory over the darkness and the lies we face. Jesus always has the final word.

Hear, O Our God, For We are Despised

Sermons from City on a Hill: Melbourne, a church committed to Knowing Jesus &amp; Making Jesus Known. For more resources, visit https://resources.cityonahill.com.au.

Four months Nehemiah prays for a breakthrough, and then with the king’s approval, he returns to Jerusalem to help them rise up and rebuild the temple. Jerusalem was once the city of God, but it had become the city of fools. Sometimes we can become so accustomed with brokenness, we forget it exists. In order to do something about brokenness, we have to first admit the problems exist. Then we rise up and build. There is joy in the build, as God watches us step in faith to live for Jesus and serve him with our giftings and resources. With his hand upon us, we can do meaningful work, and everyone has a part to play. All 32 verses of Chapter 3 are basically a list of names, with the places they served, the things they built, and the people they were next to. May we, with God’s help, do the same in rebuilding the church.

Let Us Rise Up and Build

Attentive

Nehemiah could have minimised the tragedy of the destruction of his home city, or felt apathy toward it. He is living in Susa, the most liveable city of Persia, and has influence as the loyal cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I. Yet, Nehemiah wept and prayed. First, he adores God and praises his glory, realising that he cannot do anything without God. Second, aware of God’s steadfast love, Nehemiah prays on behalf of his people, bearing the responsibility for Israel’s disobedience, prefiguring Christ.Many times we come across mess in our lives, our work, our family, the church, and the world. Everytime we have the choice to keep calm and carry on, or to reckon with the mess and do something about it. It is easy to shift the blame, and the responsibility, to someone else. Yet, we ought to take the responsibility on ourselves. May we repent of the deceit, false teaching, hypocrisy, hardness of heart, misplaced love, worship of idols, disdain toward the church and contempt toward our fello...

Nehemiah could have minimised the tragedy of the destruction of his home city, or felt apathy toward it. He is living in Susa, the most liveable city of Persia, and has influence as the loyal cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I. Yet, Nehemiah wept and prayed. First, he adores God and praises his glory, realising that he cannot do anything without God. Second, aware of God’s steadfast love, Nehemiah prays on behalf of his people, bearing the responsibility for Israel’s disobedience, prefiguring Christ.<br>Many times we come across mess in our lives, our work, our family, the church, and the world. Everytime we have the choice to keep calm and carry on, or to reckon with the mess and do something about it. It is easy to shift the blame, and the responsibility, to someone else. Yet, we ought to take the responsibility on ourselves. May we repent of the deceit, false teaching, hypocrisy, hardness of heart, misplaced love, worship of idols, disdain toward the church and contempt toward our fello...

O Lord, Let Your Ear Be Attentive

Light cannot have fellowship with darkness; A believer cannot marry a non-believer. For those already in relationships with unbelievers, however, the Bible says to persevere so that your holiness might stir the heart of the other. Yet, cases of non-believers coming to faith because of a faithful significant other are few and far between. If you are single seeking a spouse, seek one that serves Christ.Israel had a problem with compromise, marrying pagan wives and thus marrying their gods, breaking the first commandment that God is to be worshipped exclusively. Ezra sees that Israel’s sins have piled up to heaven, and he prays and fasts for mercy. Repentance is required in the rebuild, and we need leaders that pray on behalf of the people. We have forsaken God’s commandments and our guilt has reached heaven. Yet, Christ died as our substitute on the cross, incurring the wrath of God in our place, that we might no longer be slaves but through his mercy be adopted as children of God....

We Have Forsaken Your Commandments

The rebuild requires complete devotion to God’s word, that we would obey and live his word, trusting the hand of God’s grace. In a culture where the Bible is challenged, and in a world that pulls and pushes us away from God, we need to take time to pray that God will help us believe in the inspiration of scripture by faith. The Bible is not merely a historical text or a text of laws, it is a notebook written by God to us that we might come back to him. May we learn from Ezra and set our hearts on God and his word, not confusing knowledge with obedience but being doers of the word.

The Hand of the Lord My God Was On Me

Seduction, suffering, and slander of God’s people left the temple unbuilt so God’s prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, called the people out on their inaction. Haggai rebuked God’s people for prioritising building their own houses while God’s house remained in ruins. Rebuilding the temple was necessary to rebuild relationship with God. We cannot waltz into the presence of God without him making a way to meet us on his terms: the temple was that holy mediating place. Israel’s rebuilt temple was eventually destroyed, but we have a living temple in Christ. May we not be too busy building our own life that we forget Christ and his church. Use your gifts and passions to meet the needs of the church and the world.

Seduction, suffering, and slander of God’s people left the temple unbuilt so God’s prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, called the people out on their inaction. Haggai rebuked God’s people for prioritising building their own houses while God’s house remained in ruins. <br>Rebuilding the temple was necessary to rebuild relationship with God. We cannot waltz into the presence of God without him making a way to meet us on his terms: the temple was that holy mediating place. Israel’s rebuilt temple was eventually destroyed, but we have a living temple in Christ. May we not be too busy building our own life that we forget Christ and his church. Use your gifts and passions to meet the needs of the church and the world.

Let the House Be Rebuilt

God’s people are prone to experience seduction, suffering, and slander. The world seduces us with compromise — that if we adapt our beliefs to fit the culture around us we would be supported.Christians are judged more by their reactions than their actions. We don’t plan to be seduced, nor do we plan to react badly to displeasing situations. Yet, neglecting to compromise, we experience suffering and slander which is liable to silence and oppress us. May we not cave in. May we stand firm on Christ and his words, lest we be ashamed of him and he be ashamed of us when he returns.

Make a Decree That This City Be Not Rebuilt

Church is not a consumeristic product or spectator sport, it is a commitment that calls for investment from all hands on deck. Rebuilding the church requires an altar of our God, obedience to God’s word, all hands on deck, and is marked by tears and joy. The early starts of the rebuild centred on repentance and desire for God’s word as Israel remembered following the ways of culture led to exile. Those who knew the first temple wept when the foundation of the second was set as they recalled their fall from grace and their burden of sin and shame. Yet, many shouted with joy as they celebrated their release from exile and their arrival home.

They Built the Altar

In exile, Israel wept. They were spiritually distant, unsure of God’s promises, and caught in complete darkness. These last few years of lockdowns have caused frustration and loss, and we are now coming out of the rubble and must work together to rebuild the house of the lord. The rebuild begins with God, who never gives up, but promises to rescue his people. God’s plan for his people is good, and he won’t leave them by the rivers of Babylon for ever.Rebuilding the house of the lord requires a reordering of our life and loves around Jesus, the perfect fulfilment of God’s renewal and rescue. He is the greater temple, and a temple that cannot be destroyed. The world wants us to rebuild our lives on our own, but Christians are meant to be a city on a hill, established in Christ and seeking first his kingdom, not our own. Everyone matters to God, and is required to be part of the fulfilment of his promise. Let us resolve and commit to rebuild.

Rebuild the House of the Lord

The tomb is empty: if it weren’t, all the Romans and Pharisees needed to do was go to the tomb and show Jesus’ body to his disciples. Yet, his body was never found. Furthermore, women, who in the first-century were not valid witnesses, were the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. One of the women was Mary, a former prostitute, and when she bows down before the risen Jesus, he receives her worship and comforts her.Every day, we fall short of the expectations required for us to be considered “good enough” for “the good place” but the story of Easter is that Jesus is good enough, loves you no matter what you’ve done, and has died a substitutionary death to defeat the darkness and bring us into his glorious light. Evil will have its day, and one day Christ will return to usher in a new heaven and earth, wiping away our tears, and ending suffering. Until then, may we be a City on a Hill that stands for Jesus’ truth, love, justice, and hope, trusting that he is risen, and triumphant o...

Easter Sunday 2022

How should we feel about the death of Christ? We ought to remember that it was a death undeserved in the place of a life undeserved, Barabbas. Like Barabbas, we have all committed treason against the king of the universe through rebelling against him through our sin, making a mess of the life he’s given us. Like Barabbas, we are responsible for the debt we owe yet Christ took our place and paid the debt of sin for us, dying the death we deserved for sin and satisfying the wrath of God.When Christ cried ‘it is finished,’ the temple’s veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that God has made a way for man to come receive eternal life instead of a tomb, and a feast in heaven at the table of the Lord.

Good Friday 2022

I  was listening to some of these and I felt like I was a little bit closer to jesus and god at the same time. I&#39;m only 11 and this is the best thing I have ever heard so keep up the good work. (p.s. my fave one is the lamb of Jesus )

Why I luv this

Sermons from City on a Hill: Melbourne, a church committed to Knowing Jesus &amp; Making Jesus Known. For more resources, visit <a href="https://resources.cityonahill.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://resources.cityonahill.com.au</a>.

City on a Hill: Melbourne

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