Service 20 July 2025
God is Love.
God is Love.
Visiting Preacher Nicola Snoek
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 - Jesus sends out seventy followers, not with strategies or guarantees, but with vulnerability and trust. Their mission, like ours today, feels risky and uncertain, yet it reflects God’s broader plan for all people. From this story of Jesus’ sending, we’re reminded that success isn’t measured by outcomes alone. Jesus calls us not to results, but to faithfulness. Even when we feel small or under-resourced, our efforts matter because we are part of God’s unfolding promise, like Abraham journeying without full clarity. Our calling is to be present, prayerful, and faithful, as we trust in God’s purpose beyond what we can see.
Luke 9:51-62 - Today’s reading marks the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. His journey is challenged by rejection. This aspect makes Jesus’ disciples upset and angry, mirroring how we often respond when denied or misunderstood. Potential followers also struggle when Jesus asks them to follow “now”. Through Jesus’ teaching, we are invited to focus on God’s purpose rather than people’s judgments. His teaching reframes rejection as part of discipleship and urges us to fix our eyes on the destination, not human approval. True transformation comes when we follow Him boldly, leaving behind what hinders us. In other words, our identity is shaped by God, not popular opinion.
Luke 8:22-39 - Luke’s Gospel contrasts the disciples’ fear during a storm with Jesus’ call to faith. in their fear, Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” This is not to criticize, but to call them into action. This echoes our fear in our unexpected situations. Faith, as Jesus teaches, is not passive but active, opposing fear. A demon-possessed man who were rejected and hopeless came to Jesus and was restored. A way to use our faith is shown through this demon possessed man, not though Jesus’s disciples. Then he was sent back to transform his village. His faith became a witness. The message is clear. Faith empowers us to face storms and overcome, not by escaping but by returning our problems with Christ’s power.
Filmed on the lands of the Gadigal People, Rev Suli highlights two milestones in the Church this year – 40 years of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, and 40 years since we declared ourselves a multicultural church.
Proverbs 8:1-5, 15-31 - Wisdom is more than knowledge. She is God’s guiding presence that brings the deep meaning of God’s creation to the human life. Proverbs 8 portrays Wisdom as a woman, calling people to embrace God’s order rather than foolishness. Wisdom existed at the beginning, shaping creation like an artist carving a masterpiece. Wisdom is not just a virtue to possess, but the Master enabling us to live rightly. The Gospel of John echoes this, linking Wisdom to Jesus, the Logos. Just as ancient kings carved laws of justice, we are called to shape our lives with divine order. So listening to Wisdom leads to life while ignoring it leads to failure.
Genesis 11:1-9: The story of Babel highlights humanity's misguided attempt to avoid future punishment by reaching heaven. For their wrong desire, God to scattered them and confused their languages. While diversity in language and culture poses challenges, it also reflects God’s purpose. The Tower of Babel was built on the consequence of sin, not repentance. So misunderstanding and confusion are inevitable. Pentecost reverses Babel through the Holy Spirit. God calls us to face challenges and extend ourselves beyond comfort zones.
Acts 16:16-25 - Paul and Silas, on their second missionary journey, encountered a demon-possessed slave woman exploited by her master for financial gain. Though she could predict others' futures, she was trapped in her own misery. Recognizing Paul and Silas as spirit-filled men, she called them slaves of the Most High God. Paul, rather than judging her, commanded the spirit to leave her. The story highlights human struggles and the theme of "being thrown into" difficult situations. Despite facing imprisonment, Paul and Silas remained faithful, praying and singing in jail, illustrating that trust in God provides strength even amid adversity and uncertainty.
John 14:15-27: Jesus’s farewell message is spoken in a conditional form of language that our society is using to maintain our system, make transactions, or even manipulate. Yet, when Jesus says “if,” it is not to place conditions on love, but to reveal a deeper promise that we will never be alone. His use of “if” speaks to our human nature, drawing us not into a system of requirements, but into a relationship grounded in peace and love. Unlike the world's conditional exchanges, Jesus’ message contrasts human manipulation with the unwavering love of God. When we seek our hope in God—not in worldly advantage—we begin to see how even our ordinary language can become a doorway to God’s extraordinary love and peace.