Update No. 430
Good Morning, Redeemer Family
Sermon Recordings
This week, Fraser explored the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus 36:8–38:31 to show us that the Christian life is entirely built upon, and fueled by, the grace of God. Pointing out that the Tabernacle literally sat on a foundation of silver ransom money, Fraser reminded us that we cannot dwell in God’s presence without a ransom; a cost ultimately paid by the blood of Jesus. It is only through this staggering, costly grace that we are freed and empowered to respond to God. That response takes shape in joyful, exact obedience, where we reject the "cheap grace" of following our own subjective feelings and instead submit to the authority of Scripture. It also empowers us to surrender our vanity; just as the Israelite women willingly gave up their prized bronze mirrors to build the basin of cleansing, Christ’s ransom transforms our hearts so that we lay down our own self-glorification to reflect His glory instead.
If you weren’t able to make it on Sunday or if you’d like to listen to this sermon or any previous sermons, they’re all available here… or you can just listen below.
Can’t wait until Wednesday to listen to our latest sermon? Good news, you don’t have to! Our sermons are now (generally) uploaded by 8pm every Sunday.
ReMemer Church
Wednesday In The Word
Our next Wednesday in the Word is on Wednesday, July 1st, from 7:15pm at the Rogers (68 Fernleigh Street)! This is open to anyone and everyone (13+), and if you’ve got younger kids that need to come along, they’re welcome to hang out too!
Be sure to reflect on these questions as you read the passage so that you can come prepared to share!
What did you find interesting about this passage? Why?
What questions come to mind when reading this passage?
What do we learn about people from this passage?
What do we learn about God (or Jesus) from this passage?
In light of this passage and what we’ve discussed, how will you practically apply it this week?
Our discussions will be based around Luke 11:14–23, but feel free to engage with the rest of the context reading as well.
Context Reading: Luke 11
Focus Passage: Luke 11:14–23
Tea & Testimony
Our next gathering is THIS Saturday, June 27th, from 7pm at the Flemings (146A South Road, Spotswood)!
What to expect? Good things. What to anticipate? God’s faithfulness. Are expectation and anticipation the same thing? No, no they’re not. Should good things and God’s faithfulness be both expected AND anticipated at Tea & Testimony? Yes, yes they should.
Prayer & Fasting Weekend
Our Prayer and Fasting Weekend is coming up on July 4th–5th. Everyone at Redeemer is encouraged to take part in fasting over the weekend in whatever way is appropriate for you and your family.
The idea is that, as a church, we seek the Lord’s direction, asking that He would shape us both as individual members of His body and as a church community. We are praying that we would grow a deeper appreciation and love for God, and that He would sanctify us so we can be useful for the good work He has for us. We want to grow in our Christlikeness, look beyond ourselves, and discern how we, as individuals and as a church, can make Him known throughout New Plymouth, New Zealand, and beyond.
The times set aside on Saturday are for us to come together for an hour of dedicated prayer. We don’t expect everyone to make it to every gathering, but if you could make it to at least one, I’m sure it will be a great encouragement and benefit to you and to everyone gathered.
Session times and locations:
Saturday
7AM-8AM: The Moratti’s - 1/21 Paynters Ave, Strandon
12PM-1PM: The Isbister’s - 17 Waiwera Place, Merrilands
5PM-6PM: The Fleming’s - 146A South Road, Spotswood
Sunday
9AM-9.30AM: Church
What is fasting?
If you aren't super familiar with the practice of Biblical fasting, hopefully the following excerpt helps. It comes from an article called 'The Biblical Rationale For Embodied Spiritual Practices' by Dr. Michael Emlet in The Journal of Biblical Soul Care. It’s definitely worth a read!
Is fasting Biblical?
Though not a sacrament, the practice of fasting appears throughout Scripture. God instituted fasting from food and drink as a spiritual practice long before anyone was talking about the health benefits of it! It was a regular part of individual and communal life for God’s people in the Old Testament, often associated with prayer or mourning over sin. For example, consider that, in 2 Samuel 12, David fasted for his son’s life; in 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah when faced with a great enemy army; and in Joel 2:12 the Lord called Judah to “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
The New Testament assumes the regular practice of fasting, and Jesus gives the only instructions related to it: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your father who is in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16–18)
We see examples of the early church fasting before important decisions, such as the appointing of Paul and Barnabas for missionary work (Acts 13:2– 3) or the appointing of elders in the new churches (Acts 14:23). It’s important to note that both eating and refraining from eating throughout Scripture are to be done with God in mind (1 Corinthians 10:31).
How is the physical practice of fasting helpful spiritually?
First, the time you would have spent preparing and consuming food is spent in prayer or reading of Scripture.
Second, physical hunger serves as a reminder of our spiritual hunger (or lack thereof ). Do we have the attitude of David in Psalm 63:1: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water”? Too often, when I fast, I am reminded that I don’t hunger and thirst after righteousness. An empty stomach reminds me of what I try to fill my life with apart from God. My physical experience makes me more attuned to my spiritual state.
Third, experiencing the absence of food points toward the generous provision of our heavenly Father. Much of the time in the affluent West, fasting is a chosen discipline, and not one forced upon us by food insecurity. Our temporary, freely chosen abstention especially prompts thankfulness for God’s care and bountiful provision and reminds us to pray for others who lack basic food and nutrition.
Fourth, put another way, fasting reminds us of our creatureliness. Psalm 104 is a song to God, the Creator and Sustainer of life. Addressing God, the psalmist says in verses 27–28, “These [that is, all your creatures] look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”
Fifth, practising this form of physical self-denial and restraint helps set a pattern wherein bodily appetites (for food, entertainment, sex, etc.) are submitted to God.
These [bodily] aspects of life in Christ are important to recognize because they have been neglected at times. But nothing I have written here bypasses the soul, as if our bodies allow unmediated access to our Father in heaven or bodily practices automatically result in sanctification. New life in Christ comes through the renewal and cleansing of our hearts by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are new creatures because we have new hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). And yet, engaging the bodily context in which we live is critical for our spiritual formation even as we trust that God the Holy Spirit is working in us “both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
What should we conclude from this biblical survey of embodied practices associated with worship? Both the Old and New Testaments provide biblical warrant and directives for the use of our bodies in relationship with God in everyday discipleship. Discipleship is sensual, linking the mind with eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands. Regular bodily practices tutor the hearts of God’s people toward Him and His kingdom. Through our bodies, we literally “taste and see” that He is good.
Term 3 Rosters
Term 3 Rosters are now up on the church website. Be sure to take a look and let me know if you have any clashes that need to be resolved. You can simply search your name, and all the dates that you are serving will come up (just be sure that the roster has loaded before you search). An “Add All to Calendar” will appear, and if you click it, a file will be generated that, when opened, will add each item to your calendar on your iPhone or Android device.
What Are Our Kids Learning?
On Sunday, the children learned about a time when the Israelites rebelled against God’s chosen leaders. Even though Moses and Aaron had faithfully led the people out of Egypt, a group of men named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram gathered 250 followers to challenge them, essentially saying, "You're not the boss of us!" But rejecting God's chosen leaders meant rejecting God's plan. God showed up in a powerful way to prove that He is the one in charge, judging the rebellion by causing the earth to open up and sending fire to consume the 250 men. When the rest of the people complained again the very next day, a terrible plague broke out—but Aaron bravely rushed in to offer a sacrifice and stop it.
We talked about how Aaron's brave rescue points us straight to Jesus. When God's judgment was falling, Aaron stood between the living and the dead, risking his own life to make atonement for the people's sins and save them. But Jesus is an even greater Rescuer and High Priest! Like Moses and Aaron, Jesus was rejected by the very people He came to save. But Jesus didn't just risk His life to stop the plague of sin and death; He actually gave it. On the cross, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice to completely save everyone who trusts in Him!
Their memory verse is:
“Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God.” - Deuteronomy 9:3
North Island Biblical Counselling Conference
We would love to encourage our church family to attend the upcoming North Island Biblical Counselling Conference! Hosted by the New Zealand Biblical Counselling Association (NZBCA), this event is a fantastic opportunity to be equipped to faithfully care for one another using the Word of God.
Conference Details
Speaker: Dr. Stuart Scott (Professor of Biblical Counselling at The Master’s University and Director of Member Care with ACBC)
Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church, 77 Rogers Road, Manuwera, Auckland
What to Expect
The weekend is split into two connected themes, focusing on how genuine heart-change naturally leads to better care for our church family.
Pre-Conference: A Christlike Mindset
Friday, 18th September 2026 The pre-conference addresses the central battleground of personal change: pride versus humility. Dr. Scott will expose how pride resists change and how cultivating a humble heart opens the way for genuine transformation.
Main Conference: Christlike Love
Saturday, 19th September 2026 Saturday shifts focus to the "one another" passages of the New Testament. You will learn what it looks like to rely on the sufficiency of Scripture to build up the body of Christ and how biblical counselling is simply a natural extension of normal Christian living.
Want a preview? If you want to get a feel for the teaching before signing up, the NZBCA has recently uploaded the video recordings and session notes from this year's South Island conference to their YouTube Channel.
You can also follow NBCA on Facebook and Instagram
Reflection
“Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of our church… The world finds in this church [that teaches cheap grace] a cheap cover-up for its sins, for which it shows no remorse and from which it has even less desire to be set free. Cheap grace is, thus, denial of God’s living word, denial of the incarnation of the word of God. Cheap grace means justification of sin but not of the sinner… Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without the discipline of community; it is the Lord’s Supper without confession of sin; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ… Costly grace is the hidden treasure in the field, for the sake of which people go and sell with joy everything they have. It is the costly pearl, for whose price the merchant sells all that he has; it is Christ’s sovereignty, for the sake of which you tear out an eye if it causes you to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ which causes a disciple to leave his nets and follow him… Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which has to be asked for, the door at which one has to knock… Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer