Monday, December 29, 2008

Naomi in Myanmar

From the 29th Dec to the 19th Jan one of our partners, Naomi Penney, will be on a mission trip in Myanmar.



Naomi writes:

The team will be visiting Kalay, Mandalay, Myitykina and Yangon; running 3 day seminars in each location. They are aimed at pastors and their wives but others will be welcomed if there is space (and money to pay for their food). The guys will be running fairly practical sessions in biblical preaching skills for the pastors, while the girls' team will be aiming to encourage the women who attend with straight bible teaching.

Steve is doing - Preaching with Purpose - based on the book by Jay Adams
Ted is doing - Why preach; What is preaching; The preacher; What to preach; How to preach
Joseph is doing - 1. Understanding Literary types, context of books or of a passage, dangers of direct application of scriptures, etc. 2. Select a passage. 3. Read it many times. 4. Study its context. 5. Determine the big idea 6. Turn the big idea into a sentence. 7. Find sub points from the passage. 8. Form a conclusion for your sermon 9. Determine an introduction for your sermon.
Naomi is doing - Studies in the book of Hebrews
Norma is doing - Studies in the book of Exodus
Jill is doing - Studies in the Gospel of John


Prayer points:

- That the team will remain healthy and safe while travelling.
- That we'll handle with grace the inevitable last minute changes that occur in a culture like Myanmar.
- That local authorities won't hinder the running of the seminars.
- That many will be able to attend.
- That we will be godly and speak God's word faithfully.
- That we will be able to communicate well and share in peoples lives. That we will have good translators when we are speaking to groups.
- That God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine will meet the physical and spiritual needs of his people in Myanmar. That he will break down barriers and unite them in love for one another. That he will grow, strengthen and equip his church depsite and even through the hardships they face.

Naomi

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Rhys & Cris in Currarong

From 28th December until 5th January Rhys and Cris will be on a Scripture Union Beach Mission at Currarong.

I became a Christian at age 10 through the ministry of a scripture union beach mission (at Easts Beach Kiama), so I am really excited that Rhys and Cris are taking this opportunity to share about Jesus with people who might not otherwise hear about him.

Please join in praying for Rhys & Cris:
- for opportunities to speak about Jesus with the campers
- that they would be good witnesses of Jesus in all that they do and say
- for good working relationships with other team members
- for energy and enthusiasm for the duration of mission

Friday, December 19, 2008

From the Dean - Materialistic Christmas

Christmas is a time when the whole community can agree on enjoying themselves. It is a time of family, fun and food. It is the time of giving and receiving presents and messages of goodwill from old friends.

In this way, Christmas is good for society. It is good that we take time out to relax and enjoy ourselves. It is good that we keep up contacts with family and friends. It is good that we keep the retail industry busy and profitable. It is good that we are able to be generous and teach generosity to another generation. It is important to preserve our cultural heritage.

Even such an ardent opponent of Christianity as Richard Dawkins would not like to stop Christian traditions like Christmas. He would not want to purge our culture of its Christian history. He has expressed his opposition to de-Christianising greetings like "Happy Holiday Season". He professes to enjoy singing Christmas carols.

This year the calls about Christmas being too materialistic have been muted. The Prime Minister's desire that we spend freely so as to boost the economy has made materialism in Christmas 2008 morally responsible, if not mandatory.

But can Christians agree with the materialistic celebration of Christmas? Should we not stand against such crass hedonism and debasement of spiritual issues?

The debasement of spiritual issues in Australian society is often pretty crass, for the hedonism of our society is often expressed in alcohol-fuelled stupidity.

Materialism as a philosophy of life is a self-defeating, inadequate sub-human myth. The idea that "there is nothing in reality other than matter" reduces all of us to worms, to dust and ashes. It makes values, virtues and, even thought, into nothing other than the twitching of disordered grey matter. Justice, love, mercy, and kindness are all nonsense in a materialistic universe. They are all the tools of the masters to manage and oppress the masses.

And the hedonism that flows from philosophical materialism is also a self-defeating and inadequate myth. Those who say “let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die” - pursue a goal of pleasure that always evades them. They often hasten their death while missing out on the pleasure and pleasures of life.

So how can Christians share in the materialistic hedonism of Christmas?

The Bible does not advocate the opposite of materialism or hedonism. The opposite of materialism is the denial of matter and the opposite of hedonism is the denial of pleasure. Combined they lead to a miserable asceticism that finds no joy in the pleasures of this world. This is never the teaching of the Bible. According to God such a denial of the pleasures of creation is the teaching of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

The trouble with materialism and hedonism is not that they are completely wrong, but that they profoundly distort the truth. The truth is that God has created the material world and this created world is good. It is to be received with thanksgiving to its creator "who provides us with everything to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). We are not to worship the world like materialistic hedonists in idolatrous sensuality. Rather we are to worship the world's creator with thanksgiving and joy - for his wonderful creation.

All this comes into sharp focus at Christmas because at Christmas time Christians celebrate when God becomes man. We celebrate the creator becoming part of the creation. It is even more forcefully expressed in John 1:14: "the word became flesh".

Though God is Spirit and those who worship him must do so in Spirit and truth (John 4:24), in the person of Jesus, God is incarnated - becomes flesh. So our spiritual worship is to include the enjoyment of God's creation.

That is why we celebrate by giving presents and rejoicing in the good things of creation - feasting with our families. This is why Christmas is a time when the community as a whole can agree on enjoying themselves.

However, there is a profound difference with our non-Christian neighbours. They enjoy the music of the carols while we enjoy both the music and the lyrics. Even an anti-God "cultural Christian" like Richard Dawkins, can enjoy singing the carols with the rest of the community. But Christians enjoy the musical emotions of lyrics that express our deepest delight.

Non-Christians celebrate the food and the family - while we celebrate God become man with food and family. They enjoy giving presents and feasting with their family while we enjoy God become flesh by giving presents and feasting with our family.

For at Christmas we Christians rejoice in the creator of food and family who has given the ultimate presents - His Son to the world and the world to His Son. "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Children's Christmas Concert

Children's Christmas Concert at the Cathedral, Monday 10am. Details here:

Financial Crisis

The global financial crisis may provide better opportunities for the gospel. As people's faith in the market is shaken, they often question their worldview. This is a great time to be promoting the gospel - the best product on earth.

Pray for those who have lost or will lose their jobs. Members from TBT have already been laid off, sadly.

Read more at this article at the New York Times.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

2009 Summer Sesssion

Our 2009 Summer Session (the old Summer School) will be on how to do ministry in the city. That is, how to do ministry in an urban environment.

We've asked Mark O'Dohonue to speak and offer wisdom and insight. He'll open the Scriptures at the beginning of the evening. Mark is on the staff team at Bishopsgate in the heart of London, so it well qualified to speak on city and urban ministry. Mark will speak about the unique advantages of city ministry and how to minimise the problems of city ministry. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the great opportunities that we have in the city. Mark will speak at the first two Summer Session evenings - Tuesday January 20 and 27.

I will be taking the last two Summer Session evenings - Tuesday February 3 and 10.

On all four evenings we will be sharing a meal together beforehand. It's a great opportunity to gather for fellowship and to think about how to do ministry, how to best reach the city, how to overcome the problems of city ministry, how to make the most of the great advantages that we have located right in the centre of our city.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Not the TBT Strategy

Christmas at the Cathedral

Christmas at the Cathedral is always fun and exciting. This year is no exception. Here are the details.





Anyone want to read the Bible and pray?

This post over at the solapanel picks up on something that I have been thinking a lot about recently as I've been thinking about TBT.

You might have noticed that as we've asked people to prayerfully consider how they might be involved in serving next year, one of the options on the 'Looking forward to 2009' form is to meet with someone one-to-one to read the Bible, and we've also asked if you'd like to be trained in how to meet up with someone to read the Bible.

We heard on Sunday night that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling with us. It is in the Word of God that we come to know God. And he has given us the Bible, the words of God, so that we can come to know who he is and what he has done for us in Jesus. It is through his word that the Spirit works in us to change us to be more like Jesus. It is in his word that our sin is exposed and we are convicted of the need to repent.

So how are you going in your prayer and Bible reading? Why not get together with someone from TBT next year to read the Bible together regularly. Not sure how to do it? Then let us know and sign up to get some training next year so that you can be better equipped!

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Bible Talks Vision

We've spent a lot of time thinking and praying this year about who we are at The Bible Talks and what we are trying to do. On Thursday 4th December we launched our new vision and strategies. If you have been looking closely, you'll notice that our new vision has been on the Sunday outlines for the last two weeks.

So what is our vision?

VISION
To glorify God by reaching the city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How are we going to, under God, try and achieve that vision?

STRATEGIES

Pray
Pray: for an outpouring of God's Spirit to serve him better and save the lost.

Gather
Gather: to be equipped for service. Teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness.

Follow
Follow: to be disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Serve
Serve: to love as Christ loved and served us.

Witness
Witness: Proclaim Christ in our city by preaching the gospel.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

International Names at TBT

Next year at the Bible Talks we have some big name speakers for our edification and growth.

* Our Dean, Phillip Jensen will continue his Hebrews series throughout the year. Phillip will also bring us a topical series on the Holy Spirit in late summer.

* Dr William Phillip will open God's Word January 11. Dr Philip is the senior minister of St George's-Tron Church of Scotland, in the centre of Glasgow.

* Mark O'Donoghue will be speaking to us at our Summer Series (the old Summer School) on the unique challenges of urban ministry. He'll also preach at TBT on Sunday 25 January. Mark is on the staff at St Helen's, a church community in the heart of the city of London.

* Mark Ashton is our guest on the 8th March. Mark is speaking at Mens Convention this year, and we've asked him to speak to us at TBT. Mark is the rector at The Round Church at St Andrew the Great, Cambridge.

* William Taylor will open the Scriptures with us on August 16. William is the is on the staff at St Helen's in central London .

* Mark Dever will be our guest August 23. Mark is the senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington DC.

We are blessed to have these wise and godly men bring us God's Word.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Men's Convention 2009


Next year THE BIBLE TALKS men will be attending Katoomba Men's Convention over 27 and 28 February. The topic is the book of Daniel. The speakers are Al Stewart (ex TBT), and Mark Ashton who will be speaking at TBT the week after.

Further details are here. We will not need accomodation, since we are departing 6am Saturday morning from the Cathedral (with the obligatory good coffee) and returning Saturday night, so we can be fresh for church on Sunday.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Phillip Jensen's Hebrew's talks online

5 of Phillip's Hebrews sermons from this year are now available to download from the Cathedral Website.

Jesus: Greater than Angels

Jesus' Greater Salvation

Jesus the Greatest Man

Jesus the Greatest

Jesus Greater than Moses

End of Year Party

*** RSVP ESSENTIAL ***

When: THIS Friday night (12th December)

What time: 7pm – 10pm

Where: 308 Pitt St, Sydney (Princeton Building, between Bathurst and Liverpool Sts). Feel free to meet outside the Cathedral on the forecourt at 6.50pm to walk over with other people.

How much: $5 for BBQ dinner

Please RSVP by Thursday 11th so that your name will be on the list at the concierge desk and you can get up to the BBQ area on Level 7. Any problems, ring Mike on 9265 1673 (will forward to his mobile). No RSVP, no dinner, and no entry to the building.

Look forward to seeing you there!

RSVP to: info@thebibletalks.org.au

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

TBT Vision

Tomorrow night, Thursday 4th December at 7pm in Upper Chapter House, we will be launching our Vision and specifying some of our strategies to help us achieve this vision. We are beginning with dinner and it costs $5.

Parking is available in the St Andrew's Carpark or the forecourt. RSVP to info@Thebibletalks.org.au if you have not already.

Monday, December 1, 2008

7 December at TBT

This week at The Bible Talks we are beginning the Psalter. We'll obviously pick it up with Psalm 1. Please read it and ponder the Blessed Man (v.1). What is the difference between the righteous and the wicked? To whom do they listen? Where is their focus? What passages in the New Testament have a similar feel to Psalm 1 (or, the more technical question: what genre is Psalm 1?).

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

TBT this Sunday - 30 November

For this week, read up 2 Timothy 2:1-13 and Psalm 46. Chris Moroney will open God's Word for us.

To get you thinking about it: What do you expect of your leaders? What is the correlation between preaching and suffering? Who does this passage refer to?

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Chris Moroney finished with this poem on Sunday night. It's worth repeating here.

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit
Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colours will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Defender of the Faith

HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, turned 60 last week. This makes Prince Charles the longest-living heir to the throne in British history. It also raises the question of whether he will ever be king. After all, if Queen Elizabeth II lives only as long as her mother, that means adding another twenty years to her reign. The Man who Would Be King would then be 80 himself. The math is not on his side.

Even so, the Prince has been working on changes he proposes to the 1953 Royal Titles Act. The most significant proposal is this -- Prince Charles, if crowned as King, wants to be known as "Defender of Faith" rather than "Defender of the Faith." This represents a seismic shift, but it perfectly fits the postmodern Prince.


Read the rest here.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

City Ministry

One of the things we have been thinking and praying a lot about at The Bible Talks is how we can best do city ministry as we seek to reach those who live in the City of Sydney, as well as those who work in the CBD or come to church with us in the city because we are at the centre of lots of traffic networks.

I came accross this sermon by Dr Tim Keller during the week that I thought I'd share with you all as food for thought. Tim is the Senior Minister at Redeemer Presybterian Church in New York City and heads up their ministry to the city of New York.

Friday, November 14, 2008

New Sermon Series - 2 Timothy

On Sunday Night at The Bible Talks Chris Moroney (Senior Minsiter at the Cathedral) begins a 3 week series from 2 Timothy. The sermon this week is entitled 'Sincere Faith'

To prepare, why not read:
Isaiah 11:1-11
2 Timothy 1:1-7

Thursday, November 13, 2008

November Social

This Saturday we are going to meet at the North end of Bondi Beach at 3pm and walk to Bronte where, weather permitting we'll swim, play some cricket and relax in the sunshine. We'll probably grab dinner from the infamous fish and chip shop.




Come and join us!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Free Money for New Lives

To cut a long story short: A large group of Moore College students are taking the free money the government is giving away on Dec 8th ($1000 for each child you have if you get family tax benefit A) and using it to support three things.

They are:

* Anglicare’s “Carramar House” - a safe house supporting pregnant women;

* Women’s Forum Australia - a great organisation who exist to promote Women;

* to produce a high quality TV Style advert showing the real devestating effects of an abortion, and helping people get in contact with loving support and care.

If MTC students give half of what the government is giving them, we’d be looking at $150,000. If many Sydney Anglicans joined them - the sky is the limit.

Check out the video below for more information.



What are you going to do?

This week

Phillip will be preaching on 'The Word of the Judge' from Hebrews 4:11-13.

In preparation, read Psalm 33:1-22 and Hebrews 4:11-13

We'll also be sharing in dinner together after the formal part of the gathering, so remember to bring a gold coin with you and don't eat dinner beforehand!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Women's Evangelistic Prayer Breakfast

Are you a woman who works in the city?

Do you have friends, family members and colleagues who don’t yet know Jesus?

Would you like to join with other like-minded women from TBT to pray that these people would come to know Jesus? To pray that our conversations would be seasoned with salt and our words wise? To pray for opportunities to speak of the hope that we have?

Then join Mandy at Café Rush from 8am-9am tomorrow - Thursday 30th October to pray. You can even grab a coffee and some breakfast at the same time.

Café Rush: 263 Clarence St, Sydney (just a few minutes from the Cathedral, between Druitt and Market Sts)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Update from Maiko in Japan

Japan – 24 October 08

Dear Friends,

How are you? I got back to Amagasaki-city safely in the first week of October. It is an early autumn here with nice cool breeze. The five week Australian assignment went very quickly, however, it was wonderful and meaningful period of time. It was very encouraging time to meet my brothers and sisters in Christ who had been faithfully remembering me in their prayers and had heart to proclaim the gospel in different parts of the world. Moreover, I had several opportunities to visit student ministry on campus during this visit. These opportunities made me to realize again how important and valuable to bring the young people to Christ and to nurture Christian students. If you could praise and pray with me as follows to our Father in heaven, I would appreciate it.


Praise and give thanks to God for:

*blessing time in Australia for five weeks and for rich fellowship with supporters and churches and friends and for safe return to home in Amagasaki-city.

*Inter-denominational women’s meeting in Hanshin region held on 9/October. This meeting has been around 25yeas in Hanshin region, which includes Amagasaki-city. We had a Christian soprano singer, Atsuko Kudo, as a guest this year, who sang beautifully to praise God and shared her story how she came to know Jesus as her personal Savior. There were over 400 of women in the meeting. Praise God that he moved many of those women by using her songs and testimony.

Pray with me:

*Mukonoso Megumi church will have house party on 2-3/November. Please pray that our fellowship and conversations will bring glory to the Lord.

*KGK Hyogo Block students Weekend Away will be coming on 21-22/November. I will be speaking at the evening meeting on Friday the 21st. Please pray for my good preparation and for students committee to organize programs.


May God bless you in coming months

Love in Christ, Maiko

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Parking in the Cathedral forecourt

If you are parking in the Cathedral forecourt, then please make sure you get a voucher from the front office. The city parking rangers will now book any car in the forecourt without a voucher, except on Sundays and Thursday morning.

The vouchers are in the front office. The underground parking still requires a voucher.

This new policy is to stop people without Cathedral business from parking in the forecourt, of which there are plenty.

The Conversation Hour: Will Graham

Last week on the ABC's Conversation Hour, Will Graham was interviewed. Will is the grandson of Billy Graham, and from the interview, lives for Jesus Christ.

It's great to see that Billy Graham had a great Christian influence not only at the major events, but also in his family. It's encouraging that he is constantly turning the conversation to Jesus and what he has done.

Listen here. The first half of the interview is Will Graham (25 mins), the second is an artist, which I didn't listen (so can't comment!).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Bus adverts in London

Read an interesting story here.

We know there is a God, and he wants us to relate to us through Jesus.

Sydney Synod

On Tuesday night, Sydney Synod enthusiastically endorsed GAFCON’s Jerusalem Declaration.

Read it here.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Archbishop's Address at Synod

Peter Jensen's address at Synod is very helpful for us to hear, especially in the light of TBTX (reforming TBT to be on a mission footing).

Listen here. Watch here. It's 2 hours in length. Grab a cuppa and turn off the TV!

The Chatroom: Mark Driscoll

Kel Richards and Phillip Jensen chat about the recent cyclone that came to Sydney - Mark Driscoll. Listen and watch here.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Welcome to the world Zac!

This morning at 3.57am, Isaac William Turner was born. Zac weighed in at just under 4kgs. Both he and Ness are well and are now at home. Check out some pictures here.

Join with Mike and Ness in giving thanks for the safe arrival of Zac and ask that he might grow to know Jesus as his Lord and Saviour

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

TBTX

The Bible Talks Explosion is approaching fast. It's an event designed so that we can think about better reaching the City and the CBD for Christ.

Its on 4pm - 7pm on Saturday 18 Oct.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Dinner after church

This week after The Bible Talks we will have dinner together. Bring a couple of dollars to cover the cost, and we'll see you there.

Reflections on 1 Peter

I was talking with Jen, one of our student ministers yesterday morning and we were reflecting on how helpful 1 Peter is at keeping our perspective right - holding in tension the struggles and difficulties of this world, which are seen and felt and very real, with the great hope of eternity in heaven, which can seem far off and distant, yet is far bigger and better than anything of this world.

The troubles of this world are real: disappointments, unemployment, illness, relationship difficulties, unrealised expectations and struggles with sin that seem unending to name a few. At times they can seem overwhelming - and indeed like the only reality. Just getting by day to day can seem like enough.

And we can get so caught up in just surviving that we lose sight of the fact that as Christians we have so much more to live for. This world is not the end! We have a restored relationship with our heavenly Father. We have the promise of eternal life. We have been freed from the power of sin and have been given his Holy Spirit, that works in us to change and transform us as we await Jesus return.

We do still sin and we do still live in a sinful world where we see its effects. But we are not of this world, we are now 'aliens and strangers' in our temporary home awaiting the new creation.

So how are we to live? Let me quote from 1 Peter 1:13-16 (from my trusty new Holman)
Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance, but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy


That's what I'm working on this week.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

October Prayer Diary

It's the 1st of October, so it is Day 1 of our new prayer diary that we handed out on Sunday night.

Isn't it exciting to think that together we are praying for our great city and the millions who don't yet know Jesus?

Missed out on getting one on Sunday night? Grab one from the info table this week and join with us as we pray and ask God to bring about change in us and in his world.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Driscoll's 18 Points

Unless you were at the recent conference, you wouldn't know what 18 points Phillip Jensen was talking about in his most recent From the Dean.

Here is a summary of the 18 Points. And here some of the bishops and church planters respond to them.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

From the Dean: On Driscoll

Recently Sydney has had the pleasure of hearing an American preacher, Pastor Mark Driscoll. In a two-week period he spoke in many venues, including the Cathedral.

In the Cathedral he twice addressed a packed gathering of Christian workers. His second address was a challenge to our evangelistic ministry of the gospel in this city. He lovingly told us of eighteen problems that he saw we had. It was an address that has caused some considerable discussion amongst Sydney's evangelical community.

Since that address I have been approached by many people wanting my opinion on Mark Driscoll and in particular on his critique of Sydney's evangelism. As one of those who invited Mark to speak to us, I am keen to keep the conversation going and to ride the enthusiasm that he has engendered amongst the next generation of Christian leaders.

I hope to look at the eighteen points in subsequent articles but before doing that I think it is important to make some general observations about listening to criticism.

Mark Driscoll is a fine Christian man, gifted and blessed by God to undertake a great ministry in his home city, Seattle. He loves the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. He upholds the great Reformation doctrines of grace and seeks to teach the Bible as he reaches the lost with the Gospel. His gifts in oratory and communication are enormous. He is a great evangelist: able to communicate with his generation, making the gospel clear and its claims compelling.

His address to us in the Cathedral was more that of a prophetic preacher than an expositor of the Bible. He spoke as a Christian friend about the problems he sees we have. As such, it is important that we weigh what he says (1 Corinthians 14:29).

There are three obvious mistakes that we can make concerning such a message and messenger.

The first mistake is that of reactionary defensiveness. He was hard-hitting and critical. He said things that can make us feel very uncomfortable. He said them with force and vigour. He was calling upon us to change our ways. All of this can create defensiveness within us. We want to argue with him and explain ourselves.

There are many ways that we can defend ourselves. We can find fault with his manner or his choice of words. We can look for holes in the logic or point out the minor errors of fact especially about Sydney. We can qualify what he has said to the point where we have domesticated his main points. Or we can complain about what he failed to address (e.g. some find fault in his attack on young men because he did not speak to young women - as if he was supposed to say everything).

Some people are unhappy with his rhetorical use of hyperbole, generalisations, stark contrasts, lack of nuanced discussion - but in all this he is not dissimilar to Jesus' preaching. He is a man who confronted us with hard questions - we must be very wary of our own defensiveness.

The second mistake is to become a sycophantic follower. Mark is a remarkable man with many clear and great insights but he is not the only one, nor is he always right about everything, nor would he want people to follow him instead of Jesus.

The prophet is without honour in his own country but has great honour overseas. It is humorous to hear of the respect that our preachers have overseas, and the honour that overseas speakers have in Australia.

We have had many compelling preachers come through our city over the years. Each arouses a new generation of enthusiastic followers. Over time we get used to the arrivals and departures of the John Stott, Dick Lucas, Billy Graham, Bill Hybells and Rick Warren. We have been blessed over the years by books and tapes from Francis Schaeffer, Tim Keller and John Piper. America is full of great preachers and leaders who influence Australian Christianity. Mark is not the only voice to listen to and learn from. It is immature to think that any single person is the answer to all our problems.

Mark Driscoll's challenge to us is timely and helpful. But his criticisms may be more helpful than his solutions. The gulf in church life between a denominational church in Sydney and an independent church in Seattle is quite enormous. Our theological perspective on church and ministry is also quite different.

This is not to say we have nothing to learn from him or that we should not change what we are doing in the light of his challenge. But just as defensiveness is wrong, so is slavish sycophancy.

The third error is to do nothing.

It is manifest that if we are going to reach our community we must change. Mark has challenged us to change and I believe he is right. Much of what he said is already in the Diocesan Mission statements. But having them in mission statements and putting them into practice are two different things.

I was glad to host Mark speaking to us because he is challenging us to change in the very direction that we want to change. But it is all too possible to spend time weighing what he said rather than doing anything about it. He has caused a real movement in the camp - it is important that we capitalise on his visit and bring in change.

Those who are defensive will oppose any change. Those who are sycophantic will wait till Mark returns to tell us what to do. Both errors we have to avoid. If Mark never returns it will be a shame and our loss. But it will be an irrelevance to his message - for his challenge to us was to get moving, to take initiative, not to wait around to be told what to do next.

Phillip Jensen
28 September 2009

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Day of the LORD

As promised, a little late, here are the references to the Day of the Lord.

Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

Isaiah 58:13 "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;

Jeremiah 46:10 That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Ezekiel 13:5 You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD.

Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion;sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,
11 The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Amos 5:18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light,
20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.
14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Acts 2:20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

1 Corinthians 5:5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Women's Evangelistic Prayer Breakfast

Are you a woman who works in the city?

Do you have friends, family members and colleagues who don’t yet know Jesus?

Would you like to join with other like-minded women from TBT to pray that these people would come to know Jesus? To pray that our conversations would be seasoned with salt and our words wise? To pray for opportunities to speak of the hope that we have?

Then join Mandy at Café Rush from 8am-9am on Thursday 25th September [and the last Thursday of every month thereafter (30th October and 27th November)] to pray. You can even grab a coffee and some breakfast at the same time.

Café Rush: 263 Clarence St, Sydney (just a few minutes from the Cathedral, between Druitt and Market Sts)

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Men's Social Night

This Saturday at 6:30 we are having our Men’s Social event. We will have steak n fries in the city then head down to the new TBT offices for a game of “500”, or whatever takes your fancy.

But I challenge you all to a game of 500 (not at the same time).

Meet at the Cathedral (George St door) at 6:20 on Saturday night .

If you are running late call me on 9265 1673 (which is directed to my mobile).

Women's Afternoon Tea

Today from 3pm at Mandy's in Glebe. If you don't know the address ring 9265 1673 and we'll let you know.

Here's a sample of some of the food we'll be enjoying ...



Feel free to drop in any time throughout the afternoon. We'll order some Thai for dinner at around 7pm.

Looking forward to hanging out with my sisters in Christ.

M

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

So, what are you reading at the moment?

A couple who were visiting at The Bible Talks on Sunday night asked me what I was reading at the moment (apart from the Bible).

I shared with them that I was currently reading The Consolations of Theology, available at Moore Books. Edited by MTC lecturer Brian Rosner, it also contains contributions from other MTC lecturers Andrew Cameron, Richard Gibson, Peter Bolt and Mark Thompson. It's not an easy read, but by looking at a great theologian from the past (such as Boethius, Luther or Lactatius) it demonstrates the great comfort that a true understanding of God can provide the believer. I've really appreciated the insight and practical reminder of the great hope that we have and the comfort it provides.

When they asked me for any other recommendations and I gave them my 3 other favourite reads. I try and read each of these books at least once a year, with another person if at all possible.

They are The Cross of Christ, John Stott, Knowing God, JI Packer and A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Don Carson. I'm pretty sure that each of these 3 are available at the Cathedral Bookshop - why not pick one up after church on Sunday?

Monday, September 15, 2008

Escape - Friday 19th September



Join other Christians from all over Sydney for a relaxed dinner and good conversation this Friday night!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

From the Dean - 14 September 2008

The other day I went to the optometrist. It is a strange thing to look at glasses instead of looking through them - leaving aside the difficulty of looking at your glasses carefully when you do not have them on! Glasses are designed to look through, not look at. They are supposed to help us see the world in sharper focus. But, if the lenses are distorted or even dirty, they can distort your vision of the world instead of clarifying it.

For the last couple of centuries western civilisation has been looking at the world through the lens of the public media. The prophets have been the journalists as they mediated and explained the world to society, and ourselves to us.

Journalists have had to fight hard to avoid their message being compromised. They have had to resist the seduction of the media owners' profit motive as well as the government's desire to control public broadcasting. But the fight has become irrelevant in the face of the electronic revolution that is overtaking the world.

The revolution in electronic technology has overwhelmed us. Now anybody can speak to anybody within a few seconds without censorship. We no longer need the public media to describe the world to us. It is like laser surgery - we can see the modern world without our glasses.

Mark Scott, the General Manager of the ABC, is reported as saying: “We are seeing a great transformation from the era of media barons and public broadcasters, controlling all that was seen or heard or read, to a great democratisation of media where anyone, anywhere can report or comment or analyse, and find an audience.”

Naturally such an open and free system has created all manner of problems. For example, the revolution has given rise to the spread of pornography, the availability of on-line gambling, and the rapid dissemination of misinformation. Human sinfulness will always use the technology of the day to rear its ugly head.

Yet the advantages of the new world of communication so vastly outweigh the problems, that it is overpowering all other media. As the telegram is no longer available, so the newspapers, mail, fixed line telephones, and large commercial TV stations are all undergoing threat. Even some basic books, like dictionaries and encyclopaedias, seem to have a limited future.

Today we access information rather than read. We relate technologically rather than physically. Our “friends” on Facebook are people we have never met and yet are more important and even more real to us than the people living next door.

Advertising in mass media has paid for reporters to research and recount the news of the day. Smaller readership means declining advertising revenue. This in turn reduces the quality of journalism - which further erodes readership.

For some time regular readers have noticed the blurred line between editorial and reporting. All news stories have become editorialised. In one sense it is impossible to report without opinionating. All stories are biased summaries. However, objective reporting has been replaced with intentional subjectivity.

Journalists have long argued for the importance, even necessity of their profession. Their commitment to fearless, impartial investigation and exposure of the truth is said to be the necessary foundation for a free and democratic society. But the lack of professionalism, their clear bias, their involvement in creating the news rather than reporting it, their stereotyped way of framing stories, all belie their claims.

Fast disappearing are the reporters who reported what happened. Today journalists create the news by stimulating conflict and then “reporting” on their own homemade stories.

The high moral ground of concern for the truth has become just empty rhetoric used to gain readership and credibility. The moral imperatives of professional journalism are about as believable as “Truth, Justice and the American way”. It is only believed within their own circles.

The public media are now in the optometrist shop trying to look at themselves.

This week the journalist Paul Sheehan complained of the traditional media's political bias concluding “Everywhere there are signs of growing cynicism with the media: an unwillingness to pay for what can be obtained free on the internet, a refusal to shuffle through the old media information portals, and a contagious knowingness and irony about the traditional media's self-proclaimed role as moral guardians and custodians of the public good.”

And Mark Scott expressed his desire for the future of the ABC as “to create a service - online and on television - that allows citizens to watch for themselves key democratic processes and public events: unmediated, unfiltered.”

Unmediated media is a wonderful idea. It is impossible, because the media is the message. But it is a wonderful play on words as well as a great ideal to pursue. To let people speak for themselves and to be heard without intermediaries distorting their message. How wonderful to put the speaker and the hearer in direct contact with each other. This is the electronic revolution that the public broadcasters are struggling to keep up with.

This is the media revolution that Christians have been wanting for years. It suits us as the printing press suited us back at the time of the Reformation. It enables us to speak directly to the world without media distortion of our message.

It is like that greater media revolution that happened in the first century. Then all intermediaries were abolished as God became Man and removed the sin and judgment that separated us from God. Now we no longer need mediums, priests, sacrifices, temples or gurus. Now we are in direct contact with God in the man Jesus Christ. Only the man who is God can be the mediator between God and man.

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5f).


Phillip Jensen
14 September 2008

Sunday, September 7, 2008

From the Dean: The Foundation of Father's Day - 7 September 2008

It appears that Father's Day is about 100 years old - at least in the USA where it was started.

Australia's history of celebrating Father's Day may be different. Unlike most of the world, we do not follow the American date of the third Sunday in June. But finding the source of our celebration is not as easy as discovering the American foundations.

There are two common accounts of the commencement of Father's Day in the USA.

The first comes from a mine disaster that killed 361 men. A Methodist Episcopal Church in Fairmont, West Virginia, held a special service on July 5th 1908 to celebrate fathers, seeing that so many had died in the tragedy.

The other foundation of Father's Day in America is more personal. It was the story of Mrs Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. When she was 16 her mother died in childbirth leaving six children. Her father, a civil war veteran, raised the children as a single parent. Sonora's deep appreciation of the father lay behind her desire to honour fathers. It was while she was in church on Mother's Day 1909 that she thought of celebrating fathers with a special day.

With the help of the ministers fraternal and the YMCA she organised the first citywide Father's Day. Her plans were to hold it on her own father's birthday (June 5), but could not organise it in time. So it was held on the third Sunday in June 1910.

It seems that from these two events the modern idea and celebration spread across the nation and from America across the world.

It is not surprising that both ideas were connected with church. Not just because, in the early twentieth century, the church was the centre of social organization - but because family, honouring parents, giving thanks, and fatherhood are all such integral parts of Christianity.

It is not surprising that the celebration went beyond the church into the community as a whole. Fatherhood is part of creation. It is intrinsic to humanity and the concern of the whole society.

What is surprising, and very sad, is the failure of much modern fatherhood. There is today a failure to take paternal responsibility, matched by the failure to respect honour or value fathers and fatherhood. Words like "patriarchal", "paternalism" and even "father" itself are seen as derogatory terms. Through divorce, de facto relationships and sexual permissiveness, the "absent father" is becoming all too common, as many single mothers are left to raise their children alone. More concerning still is the danger involved in the growth in numbers of de facto stepfathers.

Christianity has an important contribution to make to society on the subject of fatherhood. We are committed to the Creator God whom we know as our Father. He has always been the Father. For all eternity, before the creation of the world, he was the Father. He is the one upon whom all human fatherhood has been modelled (Ephesians 3:15). He is called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6, 2 Corinthians 1:3, Ephesians 1:3, 17, 1 Peter 1:3, Revelation 1:6).

Our focus on Jesus does not distract us from the Father. Just the reverse, it models for us the relationship of Father and Son and introduces us to God as our Father. Jesus is God the Son become man. And as the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus is also the Son of God, just as all who are his people - the Christians - become the children of God (John 1:12-13).

The work of Jesus was to do the will of his Father. Ultimately Jesus will hand his kingdom over to his Father as he is subject to his God and Father (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Jesus' work in dying and rising for us brings us to his Father. For Jesus is the one and only way to the Father (John 14:6). It is as the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus is poured into our hearts in rebirth that we come to call the almighty creator of the universe and judge of all the world: "our father" (Romans 8:15f, Galatians 4:6).

Fatherhood is built into creation and is central to Christianity. This is one of the bridges by which society can understand the Christian message and by which Christians can make contribution to society as a whole.

As Christians we know the importance of honouring father and mother. It is built into the very commandments of God. We also know the importance of being a father who loves and provides, protects and disciplines his children as God does for us.

We live in a society that is confused about gender roles, unsure of how to raise boys, and with a generation of adult men unwilling to make commitments or undertake responsibility for others. It is the individualism that atheism teaches. It is miserable and lonely for many men as well as women. It fails to reproduce itself as the birth rate drops well below sustainability.

The message of the Bible was never more needed in Australia than today. Let us be bold to declare the greatness of our great God and Father. Let us be bold to uphold the importance of fatherhood in the structure of a healthy society. Let us train up our boys and young men to rejoice in the privilege of taking on the responsibility of becoming fathers. Let us encourage fathers to stick to their task of raising their children in the fear and nurture of the Lord. Let us invite all Australians to come into the family of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.





Phillip Jensen
07-09-08


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Thursday, September 4, 2008

Fathers Day at TBT

This Sunday at TBT is a special Father's Day meeting. Phillip Jensen will speak on the topic of Disparaging Fathers. The passages to read up and examine are Romans 4:13-25, and Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-6, 16, 17:15-21.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Lectures on Thomas Moore - 4 Sept 2008

Peter Bolt, lecturer at Moore Theological College will be delivering two free half hour lectures at the college (1 King St, Newtown) on Thursday 4th September at 7.30pm. They will be exploratory of Thomas Moore's life, and illustrative of his christianity.

THOMAS MOORE AND THE RUM REBELLION
200 years ago Australia had its only military insurrection. Thomas Moore was amongst those who signed the order for William Bligh¹s arrest. Bligh, in turn, placed him on the list of persons prohibited to leave the colony.
What does the founder of a theological college have to do with an armed Overthrow of the Government?

THOMAS MOORE THE PHILANTHROPIST:
THE MAN WHO GAVE AWAY $1.67 BILLION
Thomas Moore is on BRW's All Time 200 Rich List. We continue to benefit from Moore's generosity, but how much did he actually have, and where did his money come from?

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Prayer Points – Maiko Watanabe

Japan – 28 August 08


Dear Friends,

Hello from hot and humid summer in Hyogo, Japan. I am being part of three different conference and camps in this summer. East Asia Regional Conference 2008, EARC08, which is an international student’s conference in East Asia, was held in Tokyo for a week in August. Students and staff workers of student ministry from fifteen different countries attended this conference. Bible talks were faithfully and powerfully spoken by Gideon Yung Wai-Yip from the book of Nehemiah. We also enjoyed fellowship in a small group and fun going sightseeing etc. Furthermore, our communication language was in English during the conference. Each session was interpreted, so the attendants could understand what speakers said. However, many Japanese KGK students faced difficulty in communication with brothers and sisters from other countries. It was good opportunity for each of us to expand our knowledge and thoughts for East Asia and to experience in communicating under limited condition.



Praise God with me:

* that the word of God faithfully preached at EARC08 and for God’s wonderful work in East Asia.
* that CSK camp, high school students’ camp, had a lot of blessing for four days and that one of the campers came to decision to repent and to be baptized during the camp.



Prayer points:

* for student ministry work in East Asia, especially for those under persecution and those in pioneer work
* for those who came to CSK camp this summer, that they would remember what they learnt from the word and grow in the love and grace of God.
* for my time to visit churches, supporters and friends in Australia
* I am visiting Australia 3/September – 7/October.


Thank you for your prayer support,

Love in Christ,

Maiko Watanabe

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Don at TBT

Internationally renowned author, speaker and theologian Don Carson will be at TBT this Sunday (31-Aug-08). Church commences at 6:30, and it should be a great night to be reminded of the truth of the gospel, to be encouraged, and to be edified in Christ.

Don will be speaking from James 1:12-25, so read up & prepare.

This is combined FIX and TBT production.

Women's Evangelistic Prayer Meeting - Thursday 28th August

Are you a woman who works in the city?

Do you have friends, family members and colleagues who don’t yet know Jesus?

Would you like to join with other like-minded women from TBT to pray that these people would come to know Jesus? To pray that our conversations would be seasoned with salt and our words wise? To pray for opportunities to speak of the hope that we have?

Then join Mandy at Café Rush from 8am-9am on Thursday 28th August [and the last Thursday of every month thereafter (25th Sept, 30th October, 27th November)] to pray. You can even grab a coffee and some breakfast at the same time.

Café Rush: 263 Clarence St, Sydney (just a few minutes from the Cathedral, between Druitt and Market Sts)

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Burn Your Plastic Jesus - where to meet

On Wednesday night we've got 2 meeting spots:

* 6pm for dinner at Sussex Centre Food Court (Level 2); enter via Sussex or Dixon Streets.

* 6.50pm at McDonalds at the Entertainment Centre.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Friday, August 22, 2008

From the Dean: Colin

I do not know who named him Colin, but personalising him only increased the pathos of the baby whale in Pittwater. Separated from its mother the calf could not be persuaded to go into the open sea, nor could humans provide for it inside Pittwater. Each day brought starvation closer.

Words are such important tools in moving our opinions and affections. The name Colin moves us from calling the whale "it" to "him". Similarly calling it a "baby" instead of a "calf", affects our response to the tragedy.

The sight was sad, even forlorn. To see the poor confused creature nuzzling into boats was pathetic. Our inability to help the poor animal was frustrating. There were so many different ideas on what to do but no one in any authority able to help.

Then came the question of killing it - or should I say "him" or "the whale". We did not talk of killing Colin. That would be murder. Killing sounds barbaric even immoral but murder is by definition wrong. For murder involves wrongful killing. There was even talk of it being wrong because killing whales in Australian waters is illegal. As if legality determines morality rather than morality determining legality.

Some people spoke of killing the whale as wrong. "Other alternatives should be attempted." "While there is life there is hope." So ran the arguments as the week came to an end.

But when all other alternatives ran out, the best experts in the field (a rare and strange field to be an expert in - "how to deal with deserted whale calves") declared that there was no hope. Then came the dreadful word - the whale would have to be "euthanased".

We have just had two weeks of the Olympics where the noun medal has turned into a verb ( e.g. "More British than Australian athletes medalled.") English has this wonderful capacity to keep expanding its vocabulary in this way. So turning the noun "euthanasia" into a verb "to euthanase" is a natural if unpleasant linguistic evolution

This linguistic evolution is driven by the powerful political forces behind the move to legalise so called "mercy killing" of humans. To normalise (to use a similar evolutionary verb) the word euthanase is a very important part of the argument. We have to develop language that makes killing acceptable.

We have done this with abortion. We no longer allow abortion to be called murder. It is not even killing. We remove any stigma of having an abortion by talking of terminating and termination. Termination is a neutral sounding medical procedure rather than a moral choice to end the life of the embryonic or foetal child.

Let us be clear in our language about what we are doing. It enables clarity of thought when making moral choices. This is especially needed with heart rending and difficult choices - such as killing the young whale.

To kill is to cause the death of some other living creature. It is never something that we should do without respect for that life. So we are never to drink the blood of the animal we kill (Genesis 9:5). Nor are we to kill in a cruel and unnecessarily painful fashion. Killing is to protect ourselves and to live. All eating involves killing something.

Murder is more than killing, it is wrongful killing. But not all wrongful killing is murder. For murder is the wrongful killing of another human being. Not all killing of another human is wrong, though the burden of proof lies with those who want to start war. Killing a whale may be the wrong thing to do but it is never murder.

To confuse whale killing or any animal killing with murder is to make a very serious error of categories. It is the confusion of the moral order of humans and other animals. Humans alone are created in God's image and protected by God's edict "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man" (Genesis 9:6).

Humans have responsibility for the animals but animals do not have responsibility for us. You can blame a human for cruelty but you cannot blame an animal for cruelty. They do not kill out of cruelty - that is part of human sinfulness - they act out of their natural instincts when they kill.

Euthanasia can mean "a painless death". In this sense palliative care can be a form of euthanasia. But today the word is used to mean "painless killing" or "killing motivated by the desire to end pain". We have been doing this to animals for a long time - but the pressure is to do the same to humans.

Again the issue is the category confusion between animals and humans. To those who do not believe in God humans are not made in the image of God. Christian belief appears irrelevant to them and they would argue should be irrelevant to society.

To such people we can appeal to the intuitive notion that humans are different morally and personally to animals. This is why we have to beware of the attempt to humanise animals (e.g. calling the baby whale Colin). Or we could appeal to the intuition that questions who should/could take responsibility for another human life.

If these intuitive arguments fail then we can point to the inevitable negative outcomes of legalising the killing of humans under this guise. It pressures old people to give up on life. It makes them fearful of seeking medical attention. Those who stand to inherit will be morally compromised by the decisions they make. The list of arguments is extensive. These cannot purport to be moral arguments but then the people we are arguing with have already renounced Christian morality.

It is very sad to kill a whale calf. But no police force is out looking for the mother to charge her with wilfully abandoning Colin - her baby.

Phillip Jensen. August, 2008.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

City Bible Forum

City Bible Forum has an exciting night planned tonight. All of our groups that meet in Upper Chapter House will be beginning an In Christ series, that will dovetail with the sermon series at church. We are also growing our number so we will be reshuffling the groups tonight.

See you there: 6:30 for dinner, 7pm for Bible Study.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Women's Evangelistic Prayer Meeting - Thursday 28th August

Are you a woman who works in the city?

Do you have friends, family members and colleagues who don’t yet know Jesus?

Would you like to join with other like-minded women from TBT to pray that these people would come to know Jesus? To pray that our conversations would be seasoned with salt and our words wise? To pray for opportunities to speak of the hope that we have?

Then join Mandy at Café Rush from 8am-9am on Thursday 28th August [and the last Thursday of every month thereafter (25th Sept, 30th October, 27th November)] to pray. You can even grab a coffee and some breakfast at the same time.

Café Rush: 263 Clarence St, Sydney (just a few minutes from the Cathedral, between Druitt and Market Sts)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

News from Maiko in Japan

August, 2008

Dear Friends,
It has been quite a while since I wrote last newsletter. Sorry for taking a long time to write this. So, I would like to share with you some of the things from ministry in Japan for past months.

I had a chance to spend a time for deputation in Australia for 6 weeks from the end of August last year. It was blessing and good time to visit supporters and churches by sharing how God had been working in his people in Japan and how he used both KGK and church ministries to build the body of Christ. It was also my first visit to Australia since I had left there in January 2006. It was good time of catching up with my friends and of looking back my time there. I remembered how God trained and shaped me to be more like Jesus during the time both at churches in Sydney and at SMBC and in a relationship with Christian friends.

KGK, student ministry
The first half of academic year is over now. We had more contacts with first year students in the passed semester than this time of the previous years. Many of those are keen to learn the word of God. We learnt from Ephesians at weekly night prayer meeting during the semester. It is the theme of this year relating to the verse from Eph4:13 that “Both you and me are growing children of God”. It was good opportunity for them to learn how they read the word and how they could apply it to their own lives. Many ofthem did not have an opportunity of Bible study in a group before, which is common outside of KGK. It has been my challenge at the Bible study how I could encourage them to think through and to share their thoughts in a group. And, I have been learning a lot from them.

Kick off Camp
KGK ‘Kick off Camp’, commencement camp for students was held in Osaka for two days in June. Praise and give thanks to God that his word faithfully preached by Grahame Smith, CMS-A missionary, and other KGK staff worker and that many new students came to the camp. It was blessing time for students to see other Christians in their age and to have fellowship with, since not many churches here have so many young people in their age.

New campus group started to meet at Kobe city University of Foreign studies this year. Students meet weekly during Wednesday lunch time for the Bible study and prayer. We had been praying for this campus group to start meeting again and God answered to our prayers. Megumi and Masaru who came to our welcoming event in early of the semester are the first year Christian students and leaders of this group.
They are so excited to start a Christian group and to hear God’s answer to prayers. If you could remember them in your prayer, it would be great.

Mukonoso Megumi church ministry
Bible study group
Bible study opportunities started at both weekly night prayer meeting and women’s weekly day meeting. This is new learning style and good change in our church. We are learning from the Gospel of Luke now, which I found that it is good to expand our understanding of God by thinking on our own and by listening to what God teaches to other people.

‘Team M’
We started a meeting for university students called ‘Team M’ in April. M for ‘Team M’ stands for “MURASAKI” which means purple colour in Japanese and which reminds us about Jesus on the cross. The name of this group came from that we are a group of people in Jesus. It was another answer to our prayer to start a group for university students. Four to five students plus myself meet once a month for singing songs, Bible study and prayer. It has been such a blessing to have young people in our church and to nurture them.

Yuki is one of the students in ‘Team M’ who decided to follow Jesus as her personal Savior and who was baptized in the end of June. She brought up in a non-Christian family but started coming to Sunday school of our church through the contact of her Christian friend 10years ago. She has changed in her thinking and in many ways since she decided. Her Christian friends and people in church came to joy that God had answered to prayers and that he had brought her to God’s family. Please pray for her faith to grow and her witness to non-Christian parents.

Praise and prayer points
*Praise God with me for ‘Team M’ and his love and care for the students.
*Pray for Yuki, her faith to grow in the knowledge of God and her witness to non-Christian parents.
*Pray for KGK new campus group at Kobe city University of Foreign studies.
*that guidance and wisdom of God will be given as I nurture young people.
*My partnership with CMS-Australia will finish in the end of February 2009. Please pray for my future path.

Maiko,
August 2008

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

From The Dean (10 Aug)

What is an “evangelical”? There is a series of similar words that are commonly confused such as “evangelical”, “evangelism”, “evangelistic”, “evangelise”, “evangelist” and “evangelicalism”. These words carry so much meaning to the initiated but are quite confusing to others.

They all start with “evangel” for they are all about the gospel. “Evangel” is the anglicised version of the Greek word for gospel. These different English words are just different grammatical forms of the word gospel.

Evangelise is a verb. It means to preach the gospel.
He evangelised (preached the gospel to) the crowd.
Evangelist is a noun. It refers to the person who preaches the gospel.
I pray that my grandson will become a great evangelist (preacher of the gospel).
Evangelism is a noun. It refers to the activity of preaching the gospel.
Her evangelism (preaching the gospel) was mainly through letters.
Evangelistic is an adjective. It describes an activity as gospel preaching.
The Billy Graham crusades were essentially evangelistic (gospel preaching).
Evangelicalism is a noun. It refers to the gospel preaching movement that spread from the 18th century to today. Its early leaders were men like George Whitfield and John Wesley.
There are many organizations that have Evangelicalism (the gospel preaching movement) as their origin.

But the most important and yet complicated word is “Evangelical”.

“Evangelical” is both a noun and an adjective. Some people use it in negative way, they use it to indicate “over-zealous salesmanship of beliefs”. These beliefs may or may not have anything to do with the gospel.

However Christians use the word “evangelical” quite differently. We use it as a noun to refer to somebody who believes the gospel and bases his/her life on it. And we use it as an adjective to describe an activity, organisation or person that accepts and promotes the gospel.

In one sense it does not matter how words are defined. They come into fashion and are altered by usage. Yet these words have particular meaning within Christianity. We use them to pinpoint particular views, movements and people. The key word here is “evangelical”.

The popularity of the word “evangelical” to describe the eighteenth century movement has given rise to its specific meaning.

It was a Protestant movement. So it accepted the great reformation truths such as the authority of the Bible, the finished work of Christ in his sacrificial death for sin and justification by faith alone.

But the evangelicals had particular emphasis upon regeneration and conversion - upon being born again and repenting. So it was a movement that called upon Protestants to wake up and repent. It called upon the Protestants to respond personally to the gospel.

In one sense any and everybody who believes the gospel is an evangelical. It is like the words Catholic Orthodox or Charismatic. Anybody who is Christian at all would want to say that they are all these. Catholic refers to the universality and wholeness of Christianity. To be orthodox is to be faithful to the teaching of Christ. To be charismatic is to accept and use the gifts given by God. All Christians of any or every brand would claim to be evangelical, catholic, orthodox and charismatic.

But yet these are the terms used to distinguish us from each other. The Anglo-Catholics (commonly called the High Church) were a nineteenth century movement. They tried to take the Anglican Church out of Protestantism and back to pre-Reformation days and practices. They emphasised the priesthood, rituals and a Roman Catholic understanding of the sacraments. This was their evangel - their gospel - but it was in opposition to the Evangelicals.

Similarly in the twentieth century the “Charismatic movement” came with a new emphasis. Their concern was the ongoing experience of the Spirit in the life of the believer expressed especially in extraordinary and miraculous experiences. This was in opposition to evangelicals whose emphasis on the ongoing work of the Spirit was in regeneration and the sanctification of the believer.

The first Christian ministry in Sydney was that of an evangelical. The chaplain of the first fleet, the Rev Richard Johnson, was an evangelical. The great evangelical leaders: William Wilberforce and John Newton (of anti-slavery and Amazing Grace fame) selected him for the post. He was followed by a strong succession of evangelical ministers - not the least the great Samuel Marsden.

Sydney Diocese has always retained this evangelical emphasis. We are heirs of the Protestant Reformation, seen in our Anglican prayer book and 39 articles of belief. We are heirs of the Evangelical Movement - preaching personal conversion through the regenerating work of the Spirit. We believe and preach this way, using the gifts (charismatic) of God to build the universal (catholic) church with the correct (orthodox) gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ contained in the Scriptures.

The centrality of the saving work of Jesus in the Gospel that we preach means that our identification is as Evangelicals rather than as Catholic, Orthodox or Charismatic.

Because the word “evangelical” is a theological and gospel term, it is much more important than “Anglican”. Anglican can refer to your theology - especially amongst Anglican Evangelicals who accept the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. But in general usage Anglican means “connected to the Church of England”. It is has become an institutional, organisational, cultural and even ethnic term without any particular gospel.

Thus it is important to be an Evangelical first and foremost and an Anglican secondly. Evangelicals have more in common with each other, irrespective of their denomination, than they have with Anglicans who believe a different gospel and way of salvation.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

TBT: 10Aug

This week at TBT we are looking at the idea that now we are in Christ, we are to be involved in preaching the Gospel.

We're also meeting, interviewing and praying for the Sholl's, who are just about to head to Mexico to play their part in preaching the Gospel to the nations.

In preparation, please read Psalm 96, and 2 Cor 5:16-6:10.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Simply Christianity


Our next course of Simply Christianity begins tonight, in Upper Chapter House (right next to the the Cathedral). This is a compressed 4 week course. All welcome to attend, $7 for course notes.

Inquiries to 8915 1976, or email us.

City Bible Study resumes tonight

After a 5 week hiatus, CBS resumes tonight in Upper Chapter House. Dinner from 6:30, study from 7pm. See you there.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Tonight at TBT (3 Aug)

Dinner is on tonight. Dont eat beforehand.

Installment 3 in our in Christ series. Read John 15:1-17, and Psalm 80.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

World Truth Night (Tonight)

Tonight is World Truth Night. Our regular Bible Studies in Upper Chapter House are taking a hiatus and will return next Tuesday.

Last minute bookings for tonight's World Truth Night (in the QVB) can be made by email us (details on right). Two course dinner and coffee costs $30.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Celebration Dinner

You are invited to celebrate our great and humble King, Jesus Christ, at the Celebration Dinner this Saturday (2nd August) at 6pm at St Andrew's Cathedral.

Nathan Jones, a regular from TBT will be preaching.

If you are able to help out, helpers areneeded from 3pm.

Friday, July 25, 2008

TBT Wedding

Saturday at 2:30 at the Cathedral, regular TBT members Rhys and Cris will be married. Come along and support them in this step in their lives. Pray for them, not necessarily for their wedding, but for their marriage together.

See you there.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Bread of Life

TBT’s mission to Sydney’s marginalised and homeless people, known as Bread of Life, needs extra helpers. This mission is undertaken in conjunction with St Michaels Church Surry Hills.

Every fourth Sunday of the month a team from TBT assists in preparing and cooking breakfast for 60 – 80 marginalised and homeless people. The aim is to provide ‘bread for the day & bread for life’. We also hold a small church service which aims to bring the gospel to people who would otherwise not hear it.

We meet at 7:15am in Surry Hills and are usually finished by 10am.

If you would like to help out please call Adam Ellis on 0411 752 293.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Mc Stac

We've moved! It's official. We've moved from the Cathedral Offices, to Mc Stac (Ministry Centre of St Andrew's Cathedral).

Our old phones still work, but the new TBT phone is: 02 8915 1976.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Phillip Jensen in the SMH

Phillip Jensen was a recent contributer to the SMH opinion page. Thing was he didn't write the article. The SMH, without asking or seeking permission took his chatroom (which is a converation with Kel Richards) on Catholicism and turned it into what appears to be a rant, taken completely out of context, and without the questions and clarifying statements.

Read the article here, and see the chatroom piece here (download of file is large)

Escape: 26 July


Thursday, July 17, 2008

World Tim Day (TBT Social)

July Social – Picnic at Oatley Park
Sat 19th July, 11.30am – 4.30pm

Join with other TBTrs for a picnic at Oatley Park. It’s World Youth Day, so a great chance to head away from the eastern suburbs. And it is also Tim Hogan’s birthday, so he’s declared ‘World Tim Day’ and invited us all to come and indulge with him in a BBQ or Picnic. Come and hang out, play some Frisbee and eat together. The wet weather plan is to head to Tim’s house at Malabar.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

From the Dean: Polygamy

What kind of nation is Australia? This is a question that is answered in several ways. It is sometimes answered by describing the way in which people live. Or it is answered in terms of our historical heritage and culture. Or some people answer in terms of what they want Australia to become or think it should be.

Some people do not care because they are more interested in their own lives than the social context in which they live. They unwittingly assume that individual freedom is normal rather than a particular feature of today's society. They are gullibly unaware of how much their freedom relies upon other people. The recent collapse of some loans in America warn us again “that no man is an island” complete unto himself.

We all live in community. Society sets for us boundaries and possibilities. It influences and affects our opinions and behaviour. Even the most rugged individualists are moulded by their social context.

This is not an easy time in history to raise children. Gone are the protections of agreed social constraints. Now every child is on their own - negotiating gambling, alcohol, sexual experimentation, drug-use, powerful cars, depression and suicide - all by themselves, or worse in the company of confused peers.

The pressure on young people to conform to the fashions and behaviour of their peers, or of mass media entertainment, or to school policies is, at times, intense. The teenagers' inexperience in discernment while given unprecedented freedom and independence makes them vulnerable to dreadful mistakes. And yet they have to learn to negotiate the shoals and depths when parents will not be around to make decisions for them.

There is no real point in describing the nation by the political pattern of “a democracy”. For that describes the form of government, not the nation. There is much more to the nation than the present form of government. Furthermore, Australia's “rule of the people” is limited to a choice every few years of which elite will make some decisions for us.

So what kind of nation is Australia? To promote individual freedom our governments have chosen the course of multiculturalism for the past thirty years. It is better than the racism of the White Australia Policy. It is a reasonable way to include the migrants that we have invited to work with us for our common wealth. It enables people to enjoy equality before the law. It is part of the Christian culture of hospitality to sojourners and refugees.

But multiculturalism is a failed and impossible dream. Nobody wants to create a bi-lingual society let alone a multi-lingual nation. No other language than English is ultimately accepted. Everybody has to learn it if they are to function as full members of society.

Rather, multiculturalism is a redefinition of Australian culture to the lowest common denominator: usually commerce and money. It is a method to assimilate migrants slowly. The migrants are made to feel welcome with their culture but their children will be different and their grandchildren will not be able to talk to them.

We have welcomed Muslims into our nation. Now some of them want polygamy legalised. Deep in Australian culture is the Christian taboo on polygamy. Wherever Christianity has travelled it has weaned society off the terrible practice of polygamy.

But if you believe in Islam then four wives are permitted to a man. That is their culture. Is Australia going to be so multicultural as to accept this?

If you believe in the atheistic non-judgemental self-determination of individual freedom then any woman who willingly wants to be wife number two, three or four should be allowed to be so. And if you are sexually amoral and say everybody should be free to do as they please “in the privacy of their own home” - then you can chose to be wife number twenty-four or concubine forty-four if you like. And if you believe in de facto marriages, then polygamy has nothing to do with the state anyway.

Previously, Christians have been able to persuade society that polygamy is bad for women, bad for children, bad for poor men who miss out on the joy of family life, bad for society as a whole, and ultimately bad for the rich men whose souls are corrupted by their power over women.

Muslims argue that polygamy should be permitted because it is already happening and people want it - (but then again that’s the case with child pornography). They express concern that all their wives should be protected not prosecuted by the law. Why, it is asked, do you permit a man to have four divorces but not four wives at the same time? Why argue for homosexual marriage and not polygamous marriage?

It will be interesting to see if atheistic feminists want to argue for the right of women to choose their own marriage arrangements or against the appalling abuse of women that polygamy implicitly and inevitably involves. Maybe they will solve their conflict of interests by mounting a case for polyandry. Now there is a winning argument if ever you have heard one!

Australia is a nation that has inherited a Christian culture. It is therefore a tolerant and open society that tries to limit law and government to matters of fundamental creation ethics - like life, death, marriage and raising children. It is a culture that welcomes others to share in our common wealth and blessings. But our culture is not endlessly flexible. To recreate Australia as a culture-free model of individual amorality is not so much a dream as a nightmare. Some time we have to say “thus far and no further” - for the sake of our children if not our migrants who want to share in our blessings.

Jesus said …“from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:5-9).

Monday, July 14, 2008

2008 Bible Studies

A summary of our Bible Study Groups for 2008. Contact us here for joining.

City Groups

City Bible Fellowship: Tuesdays 6.30-9.00pm
The City Bible Fellowship is conveniently located right above Town Hall station. With groups catering for old timers and those starting out, it's a great way to enjoy friendly encouragement as we get to know Jesus better, pray, and learn to live as God desires.
6.30 for dinner ($5, order by lunchtime or BYO)
7.00 for group time
8.30 supper together
Upper Chapter House, St Andrew's Cathedral.
Free parking under St Andrew’s House.
Contact Mike Turner: ph 9265 1673

Includes Simply Christianity groups
Simply Christianity is about just that: simple Christianity. It is based on an eyewitness account of a life that changed the world forever. Nothing more, nothing less. Over 5 weeks we examine what the Gospel of Luke has to say about plain, simple Christianity. We’ll also have supper together afterwards along with the other groups that meet in the Upper Chapter House.
Contact Mandy Curley: ph 9265 1601


City Bible Xtra: A city small group in association with the City Bible Forum
Thursdays 6-8.15pm
We meet at 6pm for dinner ($15) and fellowship time, then join together with others from The Bible Talks for Bible study and prayer. An ideal group for city workers and interested work colleagues.
Scot’s Church, cnr Margaret & York Sts

CITY (2 groups)
* Tuesday 7.00pm – Kent St
* Wednesday 7.00pm – Pitt St

Two city Bible studies with a difference, where we meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives – in the comfort of a city lounge room!

Suburban Groups

SOUTH
Thursday 7.30pm - Mortdale
If you live in the St George area, this group is for you! Our goal is to encourage each other by studying God’s word and meeting together regularly.

NORTH
Wednesday 7.30pm - Lindfield.
If you live north of the Bridge, then this is your group.

EAST
Wednesday 7.30pm - Kensington
* Two relaxed & comfortable groups that meet in separate homes to study the Bible & pray.
* Thursday 7.30pm - Coogee
We meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives in Coogee.

Certainty

Click here.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Burn Your Plastic Jesus


There are few Christian leaders in the world who have generated as much discussion over the past few years as Mark Driscoll. He is widely regarded as one of the most effective Christian communicators in the world.


Driscoll's hometown is Seattle. It's here he founded Mars Hill Church with a Bible study that was, "about the size of an average Mormon family". Today 7,000 people go to Mars Hill Church.
Driscoll is an intense Bible teacher, who identifies with today's "Cool Calvinist" movement, as well as past reformed heroes like Spurgeon and John Calvin himself. At the same time, he's not afraid of using extreme language and colourful stories to make his point, including references to Snoop Dogg, Pamela Anderson and bloodsports.

Burn Your Plastic Jesus is the biggest event of Driscoll's first visit to Australia. In it, he'll be taking a blowtorch to the modern, plastic picture of Jesus, "a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life."
Instead, Driscoll wants to take a fresh look at Jesus in the New Testament. As he says, "In Revelation, Jesus is a prize-fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone BLEED. That is a guy I can worship."

On August 27, Burn Your Plastic Jesus will be an evening where your views of Jesus are powerfully challenged. An evening where you rediscover the Jesus of the New Testament. An evening where your life might well be changed forever


Get tickets here.