International Church of Bishkek
  • Home
  • Livestream
  • Sermon Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact Us

Audio now available for April 28th - Acts 9:19-31 "Saul: Growing in Faith through Preaching, Opposition, and Encouragement"

30/4/2013

0 Comments

 
In our text today we are privileged to walk alongside Saul as he takes his first 'baby steps' as a follower of Jesus.  Of course, these are no ordinary baby steps of faith (he immediately is in the synagogue preaching that Jesus is the Son of God!).  And so we notice that the transforming power of Jesus can change people at any level of society - Peter and John were fishermen; Saul is highly educated in the Jewish law, a Pharisee of the Pharisees.  The love of Jesus transforms people from all backgrounds!  According to our text Saul's early growth in faith is from 3 primary dynamics - Preaching (learning by doing), Opposition (learning under pressure), and Encouragement (learning from others).  We pay special attention to the 3rd of these dynamics as we meet a man called Barnabas (which means 'the son of encouragement').  He takes a risk by coming alongside Saul when everyone else is afraid of him and brings him to the apostles and to the community.  These kind of relationships are fundamental to healthy church life!  We want to be a church that specializes in these kind of encouragement (discipleship) relationships!  Plan to attend our Discipleship Forum May 31st 6:30pm to explore Scripture together as we talk about how to promote these relationships at ICB!
0 Comments

Audio Available from April 21 - Acts 9:1-19 "Saul's Deep Transformation; Ananias' Courageous Obedience"

23/4/2013

0 Comments

 
In the expanding movement of the kingdom of God on earth, we come to a story of deep significance.  This is the story of Saul's radical transformation.  One of the most vehement opponents of the early followers of Jesus, he meets the Risen Jesus himself in most dramatic fashion.  The extent of the change in his life may be seen by comparing 9:1 where he is 'breathing our murderous threats against the Lord's disciples' with 9:20 where we read that 'he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God'.  Meeting Jesus caused a 180 degree turn in his life direction!  As we follow the rest of the NT story of course we realize that this Saul becomes the Apostle Paul who will play a key role in taking the Good News of Jesus to the Gentiles, helping the news spread as far as Rome by the end of Acts, plus he will be the one who writes many of the letters that comprise our New Testament.  In the process of observing this story we may have confidence to know a couple of certainties - first that Jesus really is alive and He longs for people to come to know Him.  Saul discovered this and was transformed.  Secondly, we learn that God is still entrusting the kingdom of God on earth to ordinary but faithful people.  We learn this by looking at the other main character in our story - 'a disciple named Ananias'.  He hears the word of the Lord in his life and obeys.  In the process of obedience he meets Saul and is involved in the poignant moment of transformation in Saul's life.  We are invited to respond to these certainties by 'seeing ourselves that Jesus really is alive and receiving the gift of life He came to offer' and by being one of those faithful people like Ananias who 'heard and did' what the Lord asked of him. 

Download mp3 here or listen below.
0 Comments

Audio now available for April 14, 2013 - Acts 8:26-40 "Philip: Hearing, Doing, and Observing God's Amazing Grace in Action"

16/4/2013

0 Comments

 
This is a story of grace from beginning to end!  Philip, by means of hearing the voice of God and doing what He says is given the gracious gift of participating in a life-changing event in the life of his new friend - the important official from Ethiopia.  This official has 2 strikes against him - he is a foreigner and a eunuch.  In both instances he is seen to be an outsider according to the ceremonial Jewish law.  He, however, is transformed by the love of Jesus as he listens to Philip explain the story of Jesus beginning from Isaiah 53 where he had been reading. We see God's grace in multiple ways through this story.  First we see God specifically pursuing the Ethiopian by taking Philip away from the very successful ministry in Samaria (Acts 8:1-25) and sending him to meet with this man.  Then we imagine them reading through the prophet Isaiah and coming to Isaiah 56:3-7 where there are very specific words of promise and hope given to those who are eunuchs.  Finally we observe that in the supernatural disappearance of Philip following the baptism an opportunity is given to this Ethiopian to observe firsthand that the Jesus through whom he as just been transformed is indeed the One who has ALL authority over heaven and earth.  The other response we draw from this story is the challenge to follow the example of Philip in truly listening for the voice of God in our lives and doing what He tells us! 
0 Comments

Audio Now Available for April 7th, 2013 - Acts 8:1-25 "Scattering, Sowing, Reaping: the Kingdom Bursts out of Jerusalem"

9/4/2013

0 Comments

 
We pay attention today to the historically significant event that is the first geographic expansion of the Christian church from the Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria.  This is the beginning of a Journey of which we are still a part as the Good News of Jesus spreads around the world.  In this story we are introduced to 3 characters each of whom has a different heart attitude toward God:  Saul - his heart is directly opposed to the idea the Jesus is the Messiah - Savior (this will be radically changed in Acts 9!); Philip - we know from ch. 6 that he is known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom and we see much evidence of it in our story; Simon the sorcerer - he believes and is baptized but still needs to be challenged about the condition of his heart!  From this story we take the challenge to evaluate our own heart to be sure that it is pure before God!  We also celebrate the reality of the message of Jesus beginning its outward journey to reach all languages, peoples and nations! 

Download the mp3 here. 
0 Comments

Audio now available for EASTER SUNDAY, March 31 from Luke 24 "Learning from the Two with Burning Hearts!"

2/4/2013

0 Comments

 
As we celebrate this foundational event of Christian faith today, we meet and journey with the two who meet the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  We pay attention to how the story unfolds and learn that by the end of their walk with Jesus there could be no doubt in their minds that this truly was the Risen Jesus they had been talking with!  Through our observation of the details of this story we learn that we too can Know for Sure, Celebrate with Joy and Amazement, and Live with Purpose in light of the real, historical event of the resurrection of Jesus.  He is Risen Indeed!

Download the mp3 or listen here.

0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All
    1 Peter
    1 Thessalonians
    Acts Ch. 13 To 28
    Acts Ch. 1 To 12
    Advent 2013
    Announcements
    Easter 2014
    Ephesians
    Fruit Of The Spirit
    Habits Of Prayer Jan2016
    Hebrews
    Hosea
    Isaiah Series
    John
    John Part2
    Jonah
    Malachi
    Micah
    Psalms Of Ascents
    Psalms Summer 2016
    Psalms - Summer 2016
    Revelation
    SALUTATION
    Second Look
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Study Helps

    RSS Feed

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
  • Home
  • Livestream
  • Sermon Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact Us