1 Corinthians – Salisbury Baptist Church

Judgment in the Now and Judgment in the Future

27th October 2024

God's judgment operates in two distinct ways: His interventions in present history and His final Judgment at the end of time. While He sometimes brings immediate judgment upon nations and churches in this life, as seen in the Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, He also has a formal Judgment moment! At the end of the age. Christians will face the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ where their works will be tested by fire and non-Christians similarly face final Judgment in the Lake of Fire of the Book of Revelation. Those who reject God's free offer of righteousness given through the Gospel face an eternal judgment, precisely because they have left themselves "in their sins". Christ's forgiveness through Christ's sacrifice offers complete cleansing from all unrighteousness for those who come by faith to Christ, confessing their sins. The severity of both God's judgment and His forgiveness are both the outworking of His perfect righteousness and justice.

Interpreting the Second Coming

13th October 2024

The Second Coming of Christ involves a moment known as the Rapture, where believers, both dead and alive, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This event, described in 1 Thessalonians 4, is a key part of premillennial interpretation of end-time prophecy. There are more events to occur mentioned by the Books of Daniel and Revelation needing to be understood as to when and how they fit in with this eschatological model. The "Lord's Return" involves more than just a "rapture". If the Rapture takes the Christians away, what then happens with the population left behind on earth and how do the politics work out with the struggle Israel has with surrounding nations? The operations of the Antichrist and the machinations of the nations are far harder to interpret from the Book of Revelation and its later chapters. While there are different views on the timing and nature of Christ's return with His saints, this 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 passage provides clear details about the reunion of believers with the Lord in the sky. Understanding these teachings offers comfort and hope for Christians, assuring them that they will always be with Christ after this reunion with Him.

Unpacking the Millennium

29th September 2024

Post-millennialism is one of three major theories about the Biblical millennium, the other two being Pre-millennialism or A-millennialism. These three descriptors are actually adjectives describing the Return of Christ with reference to the timing of the 1000 years of the “Millennium”. Post-Millennialism pictures the 1000 years as being a successful period of Church influence such as to bring about the dawn of a better world. Initially, in times of conservative Christianity, this was seen as due to the success of Christian mission introducing “a bright new world of peace and happiness”. Later Post-millennialism, still with an optimistic note, but with more liberal understanding of the influence of the Church, explained the expected uplift as due to scientific advancement, ethical improvement of society and/or evolution. Post-millennialism of this sort sees the societal uplift due to causes such as evolution or technological advancement. Post-millennialism today sometimes seeks to fit in with Liberal theology reinterpreting the Gospel, with the uplift as caused by social or technological progress. Finally, when focus is taken back to what the Book of Revelation actually says, Revelation 20:4-6 describes events that seem to contradict post-millennial interpretations.

Life is Short; Eternity is knocking at the door

14th July 2024

We are all in the play of life and we have a very significant line to act out. The play does not go on endlessly. Our most important part to play is when we answer to the Gospel Call. The sermon explores how time is short, not only due to our limited lifespan, but also because of God's prophetic timeline and the passing nature of this world. The preacher highlights Jesus Christ as the centre of the Gospel, focusing on His unique role as both fully God and fully man. The preacher urges listeners to recognise the fleeting opportunity to connect with eternity through Christ, stressing the importance of making this decision while the moment is here.

Three Prongs of the Gospel

30th June 2024

A more comprehensive view of the Gospel includes not only Christ's death for our sins but also His incarnation and resurrection. It highlights the critical role of the Holy Spirit in transforming believers' lives and providing spiritual assurance. By understanding and embracing the full Gospel, Christians can experience deeper spirituality and recognise the world's need for the ministry from “the Spirit of Truth.”

The Full Gospel: From Advent to Resurrection, Ascension to Glorification and Return of Christ

16th June 2024

The Christian Gospel, extends beyond the birth, death, and Resurrection of Christ to also include His ascension, coronation and promised Second Coming. It highlights the essential belief in Jesus's physical return to fulfil prophecies and bring ultimate judgement and salvation. With references from Acts and Matthew, the sermon reinforces the certainty of the message about the public nature of Christ's return, urging believers to remain vigilant and faithful.

The Limits to our Liberties

4th February 2024

"Now in those letters across from chapter 2 in 1 Corinthians through to around chapter 10, he keeps addressing something that was very important for in his mind that the Corinthian church should understand, and that was that there are limits to our liberties. It's not just the fact, as Greek culture proposed, that a man or a human being could be unrestrained. There's nothing outside of a himself or herself. That needs to be taken to limit what their freedom is. And although that was a culture back in ancient land, and although much of our education has sprung up from the influence of Greek training, nonetheless, that's never really died out in popular understandings that man is the measure of all things. It doesn't mean man and not woman. It means humans. Humans within themselves can do anything."

Maranatha the Lord is Coming

21st January 2024

"It really raises a question about the longevity of people who are Christians and serving the Lord as to how long they last the distance before something gets them. And it raises the question about can someone who once was blessed of God be a Christian? And can someone who once was blessed of God end up being under his severe curse of some sort?"

Progressive Revelation

21st January 2024

"I don't know whether you're aware of the fact that Jesus sees you as not necessarily able to take what he really wants to tell you. Are you aware of the fact that the Bible, in all of its teaching, examples what the theologians now call progressive revelation. And progressive revelation is nothing to do with contradicting some earlier truth and saying it was wrong. It's not correcting things. But it is the fact that God always has the problem with humanity that we humanity can't take in all the things he'd want to tell us."

Pilgrim’s Sanctification Part 1

7th January 2024

"The book is about Pilgrim's Progress. And what is actually the progress that we make in the Christian life that's later than when you first get converted to Christ. Being converted to Christ is when you find the forgiveness of sins, when you receive eternal life. But it's post that, after that. But it's before you get to the River Jordan and go over and receive the benefit of Jesus' resurrection, helping you be resurrected to go to heaven. The book's all about the progress of the Christian."