I Recently Heard...

Bonnie Stebbins
Church in the Rock - Melbourne

I recently heard a speaker say, “The Christian life is not about knowledge, it is experience.” Yes, I do pray to know more about God. I want to understand his ways, to understand his heart. But even more, I want to experience his love, live in his grace, dwell in his presence. John 15 encourages us to abide in Christ. This means to draw our every breath of life each day from Christ. The life of Christ will flow through us and bring forth his life to those around us. It will also draw us toward God. Charles Spurgeon said, ”Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus. Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus.” If you are abiding in Christ you will experience that drawing into the presence of God. Prayer will not be a burden or obligation, but a joy. Prayer will be your very lifeline to Jesus. You will not only know him, but experience him. You will feel his love, receive his grace, be filled with his power, and hear his words of encouragement. Will you allow the love of Jesus that is in your heart to draw you to him? Will you let prayer gush forth from you and experience Jesus?

Justice

Tony Hauck
Church on the Rock - Melbourne


It’s hard to see injustice all around us and not get angry. But it is comforting to know that, ultimately, no one escapes justice.

(Mat 12:18-21) Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.

Jesus is coming again, and will see to it that every man, woman and child receives justice, except one. (Acts 8:32-33) He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.

Jesus is the only man who will never receive justice. Throughout eternity the one great injustice will stand, an innocent man killed for the sins of others, and they will never be called to account for it. He chose to sacrifice His own justice to become a gift to us. Romans 5:8 calls this the demonstration of His incredible love. The next time you feel you’ve been treated unjustly, think about this.

The Worthiness of God

Pastor Gary Stebbins

Church on the Rock - Melbourne

When I come home after being gone for several hours, my dog will get very excited, jump up and down, and many times rolls over on her back in what looks like a total act of submission. Or, perhaps she just wants me to pet her stomach. In any case, she acts like she adores me and worships the ground on which I walk.

If you look up the definition of the word worship in the dictionary, one definition is: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power (Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary). In different words, worship is the celebration of the worthiness of God. God is certainly worthy of our worship.

When my dog rolls-over on her back, she may not be worshipping the ground on which I walk, but she certainly is excited and glad to see me. As we approach God, whether privately or in a church meeting, should we not have excitement in our heart at the thought of worshipping Him?

The supreme reason for human existence is to worship God, our Creator. Worship is a natural response from God’s people to:

1. God’s Love - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NAS).
God’s desire is for all men to be saved and for humanity to be restored in their relationship with Him.
2. God’s Presence - When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent (Exodus 33:10 NAS). When God appeared to Israel as a pillar of cloud they were awed by His presence among men and worshipped Him.
3. God’s greatness - Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3 NAS). We should always be in awe at the limitlessness of God, of the “breadth and length and height and depth”, of His incredible love for mankind.
4. God’s mighty deeds - But when the crowds saw this (lame man healed), they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men (Matthew 9:8 NAS). The people were constantly amazed as God worked miracles, healed the sick, and raised the dead. God is performing the same miracles today.

True worship is not a lifeless ritual, but the response of a heart that has fallen in love with God. True worship is not just an emotional response to external stimuli, it is based on an understanding of who God is that comes out of that place of revelation. True worship, regardless of how it is expressed outwardly, begins as an attitude of the heart that has experienced the eternal life of God.

As we come together to pray and worship God, may we find ourselves excited and in awe of who He is, His love, His presence, His greatness, and His mighty deeds.

How about you? How do you respond to God? How do you worship Him? What is it about God that causes you to want to shout and jump up and down and celebrate His worthiness?