Sermons from Pastor Nathan Hedt

Jesus says, 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.' 

Mission is costly. God's mission to restore the world (and you and me) cost God the Father his very Son (John 3:16) and cost Jesus dearly (2 Corinthians 8:9). But God's heart is generous and gracious. As we enter into God's mission, as we share in God's grace and generosity, our hearts are also changed so they reflect God's heart more clearly.

This sermon helps connect our financial stewardship with the heartbeat of God in mission.

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 15th September 2019.

You can download a sermon outline (which can serve as a bible study) and secret proportional giving pledge form from this link. 

Enjoy!

 

What is Jesus' vision for his church?

Jesus' vision is that the church would be healthy. John 15 clearly shows what this kind of health looks like, that it is drawing strength from him, the vine, that it is bearing much fruit, loving, and joyful.

Jesus' vision is that the church would be mission shaped. In John 20:19-23, Jesus sends his followers, in the power of the Spirit, in the same way that the Father sent Jesus.

Jesus' vision is that the church would be multiplying. So many of the parables and pictures Jesus used of the Kingdom of God have multiplication at their heart. Disciples multiply disciples. Leaders reproduce leaders. Seed bears much fruit.

A healthy, mission shaped, multiplying church joins Jesus on God's mission to bring restoration to all things.

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 8th September 2019.

It can be enhanced by viewing the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

'Evangelism' can be a word that evokes anxiety in Christians, or images of street preachers yelling at people. Who wants to be like that? But God has gifted some in the church to be evangelists, and called the whole church to do the work of evangelism. We don't do this in our own power - we do it empowered by the Holy Spirit. The whole church can support the work of evangelism - which is simply sharing the good news of Jesus with others - through the gifts of all people, including prayer, hospitality, and care.

This sermon is the third in a series on mission, preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 1st September 2019. 

It can be enhanced through viewing the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. 

Enjoy!

 

The gospel - the good news, that Jesus does for us what we could never do for ourselves - is the power of salvation. But it is also the power of mission. Not our own power, but the power of God for a lost and broken world.

When we understand that the gospel is good news for us - each of us, individually - we come alive in faith. When we understand that the gospel is good news for everyone, we come alive in mission.

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 25th August 2019.

It's accompanied by the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link. 

Enjoy! 

Our mission series kicks off with a surprising passage - Ephesians 4:7-11, where Paul writes that only together, with everyone in the church using their God-given gifting, can we grow and become mature in Christ.

The calling of the pastors and leaders is not to DO the ministry but to EQUIP God's people to do the ministry!

We introduce the metaphor for the mission life series: the restoration of a classic mini. God's mission is to restore not just us, but ALL THINGS in Christ. And we get the joy of joining in with that and being part of it!

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 18th August 2019.

It can be enhanced by viewing the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.

Enjoy!

'Be on your guard against all kinds of greed,' Jesus says.

'Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' 

Yet this message is the antithesis of modern consumeristic culture. Jesus had strong words about what true wealth consists of. To one man who approached him, Jesus told the parable of the rich fool, which could be summed up by the No Fear T-shirt slogan: He who dies with the most toys...still dies.'

So what does it mean to be truly rich? What do we do with wealth? How do we respond to the looming reality of our own death? And how can we be rich towards God?

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church

on Sunday 4th August 2019. It can be enhanced by viewing the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.

Enjoy!

 

Many of us as Christians feel guilty about our prayer life. Jesus' disciples even asked him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.' Jesus' teaching about prayer helps us move from guilt to knowing an intimacy with God through prayer.

This sermon was preached on Sunday 28th July at Pakenham Lakeside Church.

Enjoy!

This is a contemplative sermon on Luke 10, the account of Mary and Martha.

Enjoy sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Blessings!

This sermon was preached on Sunday 21st July 2019 at Pakenham Lakeside Church.

Enjoy!

 

'We're on a mission from God.' A famous line from the classic movie, The Blues Brothers. But it's also true of us! 'Mission' simply means 'sending.' We see in the Bible that God is a God of mission. He is always reaching out in love to restore and reconcile a broken world. God the Father sends Jesus. The risen and ascended Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. And in the power of the Spirit, Jesus sends his followers with the message of good news, forgiveness and resurrection.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends seventy two ordinary disciples in his name and his authority to carry on his mission of healing and bringing the kingdom of God. We, too, are sent into the joy and challenge of God's mission.

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 7th July 2019.

It can be enhanced by viewing the Prezi zooming visuals found at this link.

Enjoy!

 

Depression affects many people. In 1 Kings 19 we find a depressed prophet - and we see how God graciously helps him, body, mind and spirit.

Depression and mental illness have physical, psychological and spiritual aspects. Our gracious God cares for us and brings restoration in each of these areas.

This sermon was preached at Pakenham Lakeside Church on Sunday 23rd June, 2019.

Enjoy!