Freedom Church Chester

Sunday, 14 April 2019 | Esther 8 // Khumbalani SIbanda | From Victims to Victors (Jesus the better missionary) // Haman’s plan to kill Mordecai had been thwarted and instead he was hung on the gallows he’d prepared for Mordecai. His house and goods were transferred to his God-fearing enemy who had refused to bow down to Haman. // // Those who put their trust in the Lord will find strength and stability in the Lord, their source and Saviour. God fought for Mordecai and he fought for the Jews. // // Whatever our struggle, we only need to be still and trust in God.

Sunday, 7 April 2019 | Esther 7 // Dave Brown The Mask Comes Off (Jesus the better Esther) // The story of Esther tells us: // // - If the balance of power seems against us, that is an illusion; if God is for us, none can be against us // - God’s judgement on sin is absolute // - Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more

Sunday, 31 March 2019 | Keith Cooper // Esther 6 | Warning Signals (Jesus the better servant) // // Once again the hand of God is invisibly at work in the life of King Ahasuerus. Through a night of insomnia, God uses the king to advance his plans. // // God is not in a hurry, but also he is never late. Mordecai simply needed to wait patiently in order to see the providence of God. Haman intended to spend a day anticipating the execution of Mordecai. Instead he was compelled, by God’s good pleasure, to spend the day honouring him. // // So we see God’s good plans for his children. And we see that he can never be thwarted. Let Christ’s will triumph in your life.

Sunday, 24 March 2019 | Elizabeth Linton // Esther 5 | Meekness and Subtlety (Jesus the better Identity) // // Esther’s response to her challenge was to seek God and to encourage the Jews to do likewise – to fast and pray. Esther then risked her life and approached the king, with salvation on her mind. She showed wisdom, restraint, bravery, discretion and respect. Not knowing God’s plans, she played her part, despite personal risk and uncertainty.

Sunday, 17 March 2019 | Andy Lawrie // Esther 4 | Decision Day (Jesus the better mediator) // // Mordecai and Haman are starkly contrasted in their reaction to Haman’s plot. While Haman callously sits down to drink with the king, Mordecai demonstrates his profound grief by tearing his clothes and mourning in public. // // Our world, our country is struck by poverty, homelessness, injustice, persecution. What is the appropriate Christian response? Should we not respond with compassion? With an outpouring of grief? // // We, like Mordecai, like Esther, must be prepared for God to use us, even if it costs us everything. Through his power in us, the world can be transformed.

Sunday, 10 March 2019 | Keith Cooper // Esther 3 | Mordecai Makes a Stand // // Haman was descended from a nation that had been a long-standing enemy of the Jewish people. King Saul had not obeyed God and completely destroyed the Amalekites. Instead he had left descendents - descendants with a grudge. These descendants of the Amalekites now represented the devil's plan to destroy God's people. // // King Ahasuerus honoured Haman and required all people to bow down to him. Mordecai, who owed such duty to God alone, declined to do so. And thus the ongoing enmity between the Jews and their oppressors escalates. // // Conflict and threats like these need not trouble servants of Christ. Though in this life we may experience persecution and hardship, we are ultimately citizens of the heavenly kingdom of God. We are, in a very real sense, safe.

Sunday, 3 March 2019 | Rob Pomeroy // Esther 2 | The New Queen (Jesus the better Saviour) // // In chapter 2, we are introduced to the book’s heroine, Esther. We see the way God works through circumstances and people to achieve his purposes – all of which are leading up to the sacrifice of Christ.

Sunday, 24 February 2019 | Keith Cooper // Esther 1 | Standing firm (Jesus the better King) // King Xerxes was a proud man and he loved to boast about himself. But no matter where he thought his authority came from; all authority comes from God alone. Xerxes’ actions were subject to the plans of God, as we shall see as the story of Esther unfolds.

Sunday, 17 February 2019 | Michael Jerreat // Genesis 13 | Look from the place where you are // // God speaks to us through the ordinary and through the extraordinary. We don’t always understand our circumstances, or the way God works, but we know we can trust him. If we fix our eyes on him, look at the things he show us, we can be sure that he will lead us into his purposes.

Sunday, 10 February 2019 | Dave Scotland // Galatians 6:11-18 | How to Boast // // Let us fix our eyes on the true meaning of that about which God calls us to boast. We boast only in the death, the power of the cross, the triumph of Jesus Christ. Adherence to the law is irrelevant; it does not buy us life or salvation. It is through Christ alone we live.

Sunday, 3 February 2019 | Keith Cooper // Galatians 6:7-10 | Keep it up // // The religious amongst the Galatians were mistaking the point of the gospel – focusing on their appearance and neglecting the poor and needy. God ordains that we reap where we sow. They were sowing self-centredness and self-righteousness – the deep desires of the flesh. That, Paul says will result in a harvest of corruption. // // Rather, a generous spirit, an open-handedness with that which we have received from God after all, will produce a harvest of blessing and righteousness. Paul enjoins us to work hard, to do good to all. Not because we are motivated by a personal increase, in our reward – that would put us back in the first position, the greedy self-reliance. No, we are to be motivated by love – love for God first and for others second.

Sunday, 27 January 2019 | Paul Jackson // Galatians 6:1-6 | Gospel Relationship // The apostle Paul says we are to help one another, to bear each other’s burdens. We help each other deal with sin (their ‘trangression’, verse 1). // // At the same time, we must keep guard on our minds, not becoming jealous of someone else’s gift or position, not trying to become them. We only need to be the person God calls us to be. We only need to become like Jesus – and that is not our struggle; it is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday, 20 January 2019 | Keith Cooper // Galatians 5:16-26 | Gospel Character // // God has lovingly accepted us, so we are free to be motivated to do good works. But the sinful flesh within us is in conflict with the Spirit of God at work in us. Further, the law brings its own challenge: we strain against the law and break it. // // We need to add our will to the Spirit’s leading, so that we voluntarily yield to God’s perfect path for our lives. We need to ensure that we are worshipping God, not idols, not anything or anyone that will turn our hearts away from God.

Sunday, 13 January 2019 | Dave Brown // Galatians 5:1-15 | Firmly Free // For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) // // We are free to love, free to obey, free from slavery to sin, free from slavery to the law. Best of all, we are free to be in God’s presence.

Sunday, 06 January 2019 | Keith Cooper // Galatians 4:21-31 | Grace to the Barren // The law can’t bring life or fruitfulness: Legalism is barren. So if the church goes back to the slavery of the law it will mean barrenness and disobedience to the word of God. It is only by grace that the church can be fruitful and spread across the world.

Sunday, 30 December 2018 | Dave Brown // 1 Samuel 7 | Ebenezer – stone of help // The Ebenezer stone directs attention to God and his work in our lives. It reminds us to look backwards and see the thread God weaves throughout our lives and history. // // Let us always say, “Thus far, the Lord had brought us.”

Sunday, 23 December 2018 | Emma Beddoes // Luke 2:22-35 | Messiah fulfilled // // Simeon recognises that Jesus is the One who was to appear, who was foretold by the Messianic prophets and prefigured by various characters through history before. Jesus was the answer to the foretelling of the prophets and biblical characters; Jesus is the answer to every person’s need today.

Sunday, 16 December 2018 | Keith Cooper // Genesis 22:1-14/Jonah 2 | Messiah prefigured // // Adam, Isaac, Jonah – and others – in their different ways foreshadowed Jesus – the Word who became flesh. They help us to understand the reason why Jesus came. They point us to the only One in whom we should put our hope – the One whose birth we particularly celebrate at this time of year.

Sunday, 9 December 2018 | Rob Pomeroy // Micah 5/Psalm 22 | Messiah foretold // Scripture is saturated with prophecies predicting the appearance of a Messiah. And yet when Christ arrived on earth, few recognised him for the Saviour he was, despite the fact that he fulfilled all these prophecies! // // Today’s sermons considers a small selection of these prophecies and demonstrates how we have every reason to come and adore him.

Sunday, 2 December 2018 | Keith Cooper // Galatians 4:12-20 | Love’s Appeal // // It is possible that Paul had caught malaria and was travelling with the illness. This could account for why Paul looked so unwell, which could also have affected the appearance and function of his eyes. Whatever the case, there would have been some reason for people of his culture to shun him, given their fear of visible illnesses and deformities. And yet the Galatians received Paul with love, refusing to judge him by his appearance. // // God uses the most unlikely people, often when they feel most inadequate. Then he is most glorified. So how we feel does not excuse us from using the gifts he has given us. // // God led Paul to Galatia because of his sickness. Because of his illness, the Galatians heard the gospel. So although this was not Paul's plan, although we would not say that the illness was from God, God was very much able to use this situation. // // Paul now warns the Galatians to return to their original position of