Sermons on Simon On Cyrene:

Good News And A Warning

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 10, 2021

Jesus will come again and establish his kingdom. Great news! But when he does, 'one will be taken and the other left.' It's a sombre warning. For one group, the result is death. We need to understand this message to understand why Jesus had to go the cross.

We’re following Jesus and his disciples on their journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. As Jesus travelled, he taught about ‘the kingdom of God.’ But the Pharisees don’t see much sign of it. So they ask Jesus when it will come. It’s a sensible question! Jesus tells them that the kingdom of God ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:20-37

Denomination: Baptist

Psalm 69. From Sinking To Singing.

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 12, 2021

This is an outline for a Bible study. Psalm 69 describes David's experience. It contains remarkable prophecies concerning Jesus and his ministry. And it presents a picture of the Christian life that is true for many of us.

‘FROM SINKING TO SINGING’ Read Psalm 69 Q: General impressions? INTRODUCTION Psalm 22 and Psalm 69 are the two most-quoted psalms in the New Testament. Both ‘messianic’ psalms Both psalms of David. Both psalms of lament. Psalm 22 more popular with preachers. Psalm 69 contains curses ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Dos And Don'ts Of Salvation

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 22, 2021

A defibrillator can’t save someone while it’s in its cabinet. It has to be taken down and operated. In the same way, Jesus’ death and resurrection don’t save a person unless a person makes use of them. A person has to respond to them. There are some 'dos' and 'don'ts'.

In recent years something new has appeared on many high streets: defibrillators. Defibrillators can be life-savers if someone suffers a heart attack. They aren’t only on high streets, of course. I like to do ‘Park Run’ (when it’s happening!) and lots of Park Runs have defibrillators. You often ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-30, Psalm 14:3, Psalm 53:3, James 2:17, James 2:26  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Defining Moment

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 27, 2021

There will be moments in our lives when our choice will determine the direction of our lives. That was the situation for the people of Jerusalem on the day when Jesus entered the city on a donkey.

INTRODUCTION All of us are making choices all the time. Most of the choices are completely inconsequential. But sometimes the choices are really important. A long time ago I taught some lessons on business ethics. I read various books on business ethics and based my lessons on them. One book ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:28-44, Zechariah 9:9, Hebrews 3:7-8

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection A.1 / Coronavirus - First Response / Go To God First

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 9, 2020

In Isaiah 22, Isaiah imagines Jerusalem's response to a crisis - an enemy attack. The city prepares - but forgets God.

This is an approximately daily reflection in response to coronavirus. As of 9th May, the number of people infected has passed four million and the number of deaths is 275,000. In the UK, we've passed the peak. But around the world the graph of infections against time is showing little sign ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 22:8-13

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection A.2 / Coronavirus - First Response / Prayer Brought An End To A Plague

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 9, 2020

Three examples of God's people praying in response to a plague

Some Christians are asking why we’re experiencing this pandemic. Is coronavirus a judgement from God? Are we living in end times? Interesting questions! But I started yesterday on the subject of prayer and I want to continue with that theme a little longer. First and foremost, we as God’s ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 8:30-31, Numbers 16:32, 2 Samuel 24:15

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection A.3 / Coronavirus - First Response / We Should Grieve

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 9, 2020

Scripture calls us to 'weep with those who weep’. We grieve over suffering. We should also grieve over sin.

In my first two Reflections I considered prayer. Our first response to coronavirus, as a church and as a nation, should be to pray. Another response we must make is to grieve. Paul wrote in Romans 12:15, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’. Some weeks ago I travelled up ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:15

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection A.4 / Coronavirus - First Response / We’re All Lepers Now

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 9, 2020

Jesus was amazingly sensitive to a leper. It's a great example of how we need to be, because, in a sense, we're all lepers now.

Early on in the coronavirus outbreak in the UK Boris Johnson sent a letter to every household in Britain. The fact that he did this, and the content of the letter, highlighted the gravity of our situation. Boris Johnson’s key instruction was: stay home. We stay home in order not to pass on, or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:12-13

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection A.5 / Coronavirus - First Response / We Ask Why. But We’re Cautious In Forming An Opinion

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 9, 2020

Looking at coronavirus - is there a bigger picture? We need to look, but we also need to be cautious in interpreting what we 'see'.

There are many ways to ‘see’ things, not with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of understanding. In the previous 'Reflection' I reflected on Jesus’ sensitivity to different people he met: a leper, someone who was deaf, someone who was blind. Jesus ‘saw’ each person as an individual ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:28

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.1 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / How To Approach The Question

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

We should ask whether God has a purpose in coronavirus. It's a logical and reasonable question to ask. But we first need to think about how to even approach the question.

In my second Reflection I wrote: “Some Christians are asking why we’re experiencing this pandemic. Is coronavirus a judgement from God? Are we living in end times?” In my fifth Reflection I noted that the Daily Express [an English newspaper] had asked another question: “What does the Bible say ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:10-11

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.2 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / God Responds To Sin And Oppression

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

The title is 'God responds to sin and oppression'. That's a very basic thing to understand in our process of thinking about coronavirus! Not only that, God responds to sin and oppression in an appropriate way. The plagues of Egypt show us this.

We’re looking at three questions. Is coronavirus a judgement from God? Are we living in end times? And, what does the Bible say about COVID-19? Today we’ll look at some general principles about how God responds to a situation he doesn’t like. 1 Kings 6:1 tells us that ‘In the four hundred and ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:7

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.3 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / Pestilence Is One Of God’s ‘standard’ Ways Of Judging

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

We are asking if God might be behind coronavirus. Is sending a plague the kind of thing God might do? Yes, it is.

Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels – Habakkuk 3:5, speaking of God We’re looking at three questions. Is coronavirus a judgement from God? Are we living in end times? And, what does the Bible say about COVID-19? These are hard questions! Today I will think about ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:5

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.4 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / The Old Testament Prophets – Still Relevant Today!

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

The Old Testament prophets are relevant to our question because their major theme is judgement, and because God's great act of judgement at the end of the Old Testament may be a foreshadowing of his judgement of the whole world in 'End Times'.

Starting with my next Reflection I will look at some passages in the Old Testament prophets. I would love to dive straight in, but I feel that some sort of introduction is in order. First, the Old Testament prophets take up more of the Bible than the whole of the New Testament! We believe God ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:2

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.5 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? Isaiah 1, God’s Indictment On Israel

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

God's arraignment and indictment of Israel: rebellion, and the evidence for it.

At last, we’re looking at the prophets! We’re starting with the ‘prince of the prophets’, Isaiah, and we’re going to take a look at Isaiah 1. Yesterday I quoted 1:2: Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.6 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? Isaiah’s Oracles Or ‘burdens’, Fulfilled Or Could Be Fulfilled

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

Events that may be indicative of 'End Times' in Isaiah 13-22; reasons for God's judgement

In chapters 13-23 Isaiah pronounces a series of ‘oracles’ regarding eleven neighbouring nations. This part of Isaiah is often referred to as ‘the oracles against the nations.’ But Isaiah doesn’t introduce his oracles as ‘against’; he uses the phrase ‘an oracle concerning…’ Oracles don’t have to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist