Sermons on Simon On Cyrene:

How Do We Respond To Easter? Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 7, 2022

John tells us that we respond to God's agape-love by loving one another with agape-love.

How do we respond to Easter? (THIS WAS A TALK FOR A FAMILY SERVICE. IT HAS SOME POWERPOINT SLIDES TO GO WITH IT. IF YOU’D LIKE THEM, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT SIMON.BARTLETT@VIRTUALITY.CO) Two weeks ago was Easter Sunday and some of us were on holiday. But Easter Sunday wasn’t the END of Easter. It ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-12

Denomination: Baptist

You Are The Salt Of The Earth Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 23, 2022

Jesus calls us to be the salt - the preservative - of the earth. He warns us against losing our sense of mission. Or, considering the Greek, perhaps he is warning us against being pushed off course. But either way, his message is: stick with it.

Today, after a bit of a break, we’re returning to Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. Can you remember how Jesus starts his sermon? What was his first WORD? Jesus’ first word is ‘blessed’. ‘Blessed’ means happy or fortunate. Jesus wants us to be blessed. He is going to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13

Denomination: Baptist

Do Not Resist Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jun 25, 2022

Many Christians believe that in Matthew 5:39 Jesus is calling us to pacifism. If that was the case, he would be negating the Old Testament! Jesus does call us to nonresistance, but in certain situations only - as his examples show. He isn't pacifist and he doesn't call us to to pacifism.

INTRODUCTION I trained to become a Baptist minister at Bristol Baptist College. While I was there, a Canadian couple called Tom and Rebecca Yoder Neufeld gave a talk. The Yoder Neufelds are Mennonites. Mennonites trace their origins to the Anabaptists, and the Yoder Neufelds were at Bristol ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42

Denomination: Baptist

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

Joy In Trials?!

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Feb 18, 2022

The idea that we could find joy in trials seems very strange. But it makes sense - and it could radically change the way we respond to the trials that inevitably come.

We’ve now reached the last in our series of ‘Messages of Encouragement’. And we’ve come to a very difficult piece of teaching! ‘James’ – whoever James may be – tells us TO CONSIDER IT PURE JOY WHENEVER WE FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS! Wow! That sounds crazy! How can we understand it? The general ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Sermon On The Mount / The First Three Beatitudes Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 3, 2022

In the Beatitudes, Jesus states eight or nine things which result in us being 'blessed' - meaning, happy or fortunate. They are right at the heart of being right with God and they are very different to the things which most people think will make them happy or fortunate.

INTRODUCTION Last week we finished our series of six talks on the theme ‘Great Messages of Encouragement’. We’re now starting a new series of talks on the Sermon on the Mount. I don’t know how many talks we’ll have on it, but it will be more than six! What is ‘the Sermon on the Mount’? Well, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Sermon On The Mount / The Second Three Beatitudes Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 5, 2022

In the fourth, fifth and sixth Beatitudes, Jesus continues to describe the child of God. He or she hungers and thirsts for righteousness, shows mercy and offers God a pure heart. We consider what Jesus is asking for.

INTRODUCTION Last week we started a new series on the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount starts with nine statements that Jesus made which begin, ‘Blessed are.’ ‘Blessed’ means ‘happy’ or ‘fortunate’. We often call these statements ‘the Beatitudes.’ If we asked people in the world ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Sermon On The Mount / The Seventh Beatitude Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Mar 12, 2022

'Blessed are the peacemakers.' We all too easily think in terms of fight or not fight. But Jesus gives us a clear goal when we are in or see situations of conflict.

Note: this was a talk for a family service which children come to. So we’re only covering one Beatitude and it’s fairly simple. Over the past two weeks we’ve started to look at the Sermon on the Mount. This is a sermon preached on … you guessed it! … a mountainside. It’s the longest of Jesus’ ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Denomination: Baptist

A Great Message Of Encouragement

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 8, 2022

At the start of 2022 most of us probably feel that the future looks very uncertain. We want to hear God's message of encouragement. As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, God had a great message of encouragement for them.

THE SCENE I’d like you to imagine a scene. It’s about 1500 B.C. We’re in a wilderness a little to the south of the Dead Sea in what was then Moab and is now Jordan. Around us there are people, tents, and animals. The people look tough, weather-beaten. For forty years they’ve been living as ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Great Messages Of Encouragement #2: Strength To The Weary

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 15, 2022

In Isaiah's day Judah was invaded by Assyria, threatened by Babylon and ridden with sin. And yet, Isaiah offers a wonderful message of encouragement: 'they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.' How is that possible?

Last week we started a series on ‘Great Messages of Encouragement’ in Scripture. Today we’re going to look at a great message of encouragement in Isaiah. It’s at the end of Isaiah 40. Isaiah writes: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31

Denomination: Baptist

The Glory To Be Revealed Series

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Jan 22, 2022

Paul tells believers in Rome that ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’. But what is this glory?

PRE-TALK OR CHILDREN’S TALK Before Priscilla and I got married I used to keep a scrap book. In 1988 I cut out this picture from a newspaper. It’s of Linford Christie at the Seoul Olympics. He had never before competed in the Olympics but at Seoul, he won the silver medal. Four years later, he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-25

Denomination: Baptist

The Siege Of Jerusalem

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on Feb 1, 2022

We probably don't like to think about God's justice. The siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, in A.D. 70, forces us to. In this event we see God's justice but we also see that God protected his people in a time of wrath.

Note: this was a talk I gave to a small afternoon congregation. I wouldn’t give it in our main morning service. INTRODUCTION We’re presently following the theme of discipleship, picking up some of the big things that are part of being a follower of Jesus. But it’s good to have some variety so ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-41, Luke 19:41-44, Luke 21:2-24

Denomination: Baptist