Tawa Baptist

On this rock…

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/EOvjOUfDwZE

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 21 Jun 2026 – On this rock… by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Clear identity
  • Stable leadership
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You don’t own a cricket bat just to oil it. The purpose of a cricket bat is to score runs. Of course, a bat cannot score runs by itself. It needs to be guided by the hands of a skilled cricketer.

Likewise, you don’t buy a tea pot just to keep it on the shelf looking pretty.

The purpose of a tea pot is to brew tea. But the pot cannot make the tea by itself. A person needs to pour the water and add the leaves.

You don’t purchase a tractor to leave it sitting in the shed. The purpose of a tractor is to do work in the field. However, the tractor isn’t going to operate itself. The tractor needs a driver.   

The church does not exist for itself. The purpose of a church is to carry out God’s mission, his purpose in the world. But the church cannot carry out God’s mission by itself. The church, which is the community of God’s people, is built up, guided and moved by the Spirit of Jesus.

Over the past couple of weeks our messages have been in support of the work of Arotahi, our New Zealand Baptist missions organization. Two weeks ago, we heard how Mary said yes to God’s call on her life. And last Sunday we heard how Jesus is our way home to God.

In today’s message we listen in to Jesus’ conversation with his disciples about building his church. From Matthew 16, verses 13-20, we read… 

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This morning’s message is about building the church. Not the bricks and mortar construction of church buildings, but the spiritual and relational formation of a community of people who believe in Jesus. The church is the people.

As he talks about building his church community, Jesus has two things in mind: clear identity and stable leadership.

The Christian church gets its identity from Jesus and it requires stable leadership; leadership that is guided and sustained by the Spirit of Jesus.   

Clear identity:

Front and centre of today’s reading is the importance of having a clear sense of identity; we need to be clear about who we are. Without a clear identity, the church risks being assimilated into the surrounding culture. We don’t want to lose our saltiness, our distinctiveness, and become just another club.

Some of you may be familiar with the Avatar movies, made by James Cameron. This series of films features a fictional people known as the Na’vi. The Na’vi have blue skin. They live close to the natural world and they care for it. The Na’vi have a clear sense of identity. They know who they are and what they value.

When the Na’vi’s world is invaded by corporate raiders wanting to steal the planet’s natural resources, the Na’vi do not assimilate. They stay true to who they are. They remain clear on their identity and hold to their values.

The Na’vi have a saying, ‘I see you’. More than just a way of greeting people,

‘I see you’ is an acknowledgement of who that person is, deep in their soul.

It conveys respect, understanding and value for the person.

‘I see you’ is often accompanied by the gesture of moving one’s hand from the forehead to the chest, signifying trust and profound spiritual connection.    

As human beings we have a deep longing to be seen, in this way, by someone. We even have a word for it; intimacy. Into-me-see.

In verse 13 of Matthew 16, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The Son of Man is Jesus’ way of referring to himself. Jesus is asking, ‘Who do people (in general) say I am?’ It is a question of identity.

The disciples reply, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Each of these people were servants of God, his spokesmen.

Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead. Herod’s conscience was haunting him after he had John killed.

Elijah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets. He lived during the time of king Ahab and queen Jezabel. Like Jesus, Elijah confronted false religion and afterwards was taken up to heaven. Unlike Jesus, Elijah used violence.

People at the time of Jesus believed Elijah would return to herald the coming of God’s Messiah. In fact, it was John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus.

Jeremiah was probably more like Jesus than any of the other prophets.

Like Jesus, Jeremiah was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And like Jesus, Jeremiah, challenged the Jewish nationalism of his day, without resorting to violence. He had the unpopular task to telling his people to submit to their enemies. Sadly, the people paid a high price for not listening to Jesus or Jeremiah.   

In some respects, calling Jesus a prophet was no small thing. The Jews of the first century did not think God had spoken through a prophet in 400 years. And while it is true that Jesus was a prophet, this title is not adequate for him. Jesus is more than a prophet. The people of Jesus’ day did not see him, not properly.

So Jesus said to his disciples, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter nailed it. Peter sees who Jesus really is.

Messiah is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘anointed one’. Christ is the Greek equivalent. In Old Testament times, God selected someone to be a prophet or priest or king by having his messenger pour oil over their head; oil being a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s anointing.

Jesus is God’s anointed one. He is not just a prophet. He is priest and King as well. More than this, there is something qualitatively different about Jesus.

He is in a league of his own. He is the Son of God. There is no other prophet, priest or king who comes close to Jesus. No other with the same standing.  

As Son of God, Jesus knows the mind of his Father. Indeed, Jesus reveals God the Father. To see Jesus is to see God.

Only God can reveal God, and so Jesus affirms Peter’s declaration, saying: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter… 

The name Peter means rock. It’s like Jesus is saying to Peter, “I see you. You are a rock, strong, dependable.”

Two points of application here. Firstly, our discovery of Jesus’ identity must be a personal discovery. Peter was not following the crowd. His perception of Jesus was not influenced by the surrounding culture. Peter was able to see who Jesus really is because God revealed it to him personally.  

Being a Christian is more than simply knowing about Jesus. Being a Christian means knowing Jesus through a personal relationship with him. Recognising who Jesus really is, on the inside. Understanding that he is Lord of life and death, that he alone is righteous; and therefore, worthy of our trust and obedience. To see Jesus is to have an intimate spiritual connection with him.  

Only God can reveal God. We need the Holy Spirit to turn the lights on in our mind and spirit if we are to see Jesus. 

The second point of application is this: We don’t define ourselves. Jesus defines us. Peter was not always called Peter. His given name was Simon. Jesus gives Simon a new name (a new identity) and a new purpose.

The surrounding culture we live in says, you can create your own identity; you can define yourself. Our surrounding culture is at odds with the gospel of Jesus. We don’t create our own identity. Our identity and purpose are intimately entwined with Jesus. It is in discovering who Jesus is, for ourselves personally, that we discover who we are and why we are.

A cricket bat is not a cricket bat until it is in the hands of the batsman. Without the batsman, the bat is just a piece of wood. Jesus is the batsman.

A tea pot is not a tea pot until it holds the tea. Without someone to pour the water and add the leaves, it is just a pretty ornament, an empty vessel. Jesus is the one who pours the water and makes the tea.  

A tractor is not a tractor until it is put to work in the field. Without the driver, the tractor is just a hunk of metal sitting in the shed. Jesus is the driver. Jesus defines us.

We do not know who we are or why we are without Christ. Jesus shows us our true self and he helps us to fulfil our God given purpose. More than that, Jesus defines the church (the body of believers) and he enables the church to fulfil God’s mission.         

Whenever someone asks me what the vision of the church is, my answer is always the same, Jesus is the vision. Jesus is God’s vision for the church. No one can improve on him.

Stable leadership:

The Christian church gets its identity from Jesus. But for the church to have a sustainable future, it needs stable leadership; a team of people who will steady the ship and make decisions that are in keeping with the will of Christ.

After Peter makes his personal discovery that Jesus is God’s anointed one, the Lord then goes on to appoint Peter as leader for the early the church. In verse 18 Jesus says: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it…”  

The word translated as church is literally assembly, as in the assembly of God’s people. As already mentioned, the Christian church is not a physical building or even an institution. The church, as Jesus describes it, is a gathering of people who can say with Peter, “I see you Jesus. You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”    

That Jesus is building his church on a rock speaks of stability. The church has a secure, strong, dependable foundation. So strong in fact that the gates of Hades shall not overcome it.    

Hades is the Greek name for the realm of the dead. Some English versions say the gates of hell, but that translation is misleading. Hades is not the same as our modern concept of hell. We think of hell as a place of torment and demons and destruction. But Hades, in this context, is simply a metaphor for death, no torture or suffering implied.

Jesus is saying his church will be stronger than death. Indeed, those who are part of Jesus’ church (his assembly of people) will be raised from the dead.

The church on earth may not appear that strong or robust, but it is eternally secure, not because of Peter but because of Jesus.

As we have already noted, the name Peter means rock. When Jesus says that the apostle Peter will be the rock on which he builds his church, he is speaking poetically. In plain language, Peter will be the leader of the early church; his leadership will give stability to the church community, like a rock foundation gives stability to an actual building.

Now when we think of leadership, we picture the person at the top. But that is not the picture Jesus gives us of leadership. According to the logic of God’s kingdom, the leader is on the bottom, like the foundation of a building. The leader paves the way for others; the leader supports others.

Providing stable leadership includes setting standards for the community; making it clear what is acceptable and what is not. In verse 19 Jesus says to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;

This verse has been prone to quite a lot of misunderstanding over the years.

In popular culture, there is this idea that Saint Peter stands at the pearly gates, deciding who to let in and who to turn away. But this is not what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 16. Peter does not decide who gets into heaven. That is God’s decision.

We are better to understand the keys to the kingdom of heaven as the gospel concerning Jesus. As we heard last Sunday, Jesus is the way to God the Father. Therefore, the key is believing in Jesus. But how are people to believe in Jesus unless someone tells them the good news about Jesus?

Peter and the other apostles opened the door to the kingdom of heaven by their witness and preaching about Jesus. For example, in Acts 2 at Pentecost, Peter opened the door of the kingdom for 3,000 souls when he called on those present to repent and believe in the risen Jesus.

Likewise, in Acts 8, Peter and John opened the door of the kingdom for the Samaritans, by praying for those who believed in Jesus to receive the Holy Spirit, which they did.

And then, in Acts 10, Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the Gentile, Cornelius and his household. By doing this Peter was laying the foundation, paving the way, for all peoples to enter God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus.  

Of course, Peter was not doing this on his own initiative. Peter was responding to the impulse of Jesus’ Spirit.

Jesus continues addressing Peter saying, “…whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.”

Binding has to do with what one forbids or prohibits, while loosing has to do with what one permits or allows.

During the first century the Jewish Rabbis had responsibility for interpreting the Law of Moses. Their interpretation either bound certain things (meaning it was prohibited), or it loosed certain things (meaning it was permitted).

Jesus is the word of God. In Jesus we have someone greater than the Law of Moses. Indeed, Jesus is the true interpretation of the Law. Peter has just confessed Jesus as the Son of God and so Peter (and the other disciples) were given the responsibility of interpreting the teaching of Jesus. [1]

To be clear, it is not that Peter makes a decision and heaven then endorses it. No. It’s the other way round. Peter is not the initiator of new directions for the church, he is the faithful steward of God’s prior decisions. [2]

Jesus’ words to Peter here are a promise of divine guidance. If Peter is like the cricket bat, then Jesus is the batsman guiding Peter. If Peter is like the tea pot, then Jesus is the one who fills Peter with the water of his Spirit and the tea of his word. If Peter is like the tractor, then Jesus is the one in the driver’s seat. The Spirit of Jesus is guiding Peter in accordance with God’s will in heaven.

We see an example of the Spirit’s guidance in Acts 10. Just before Peter went to preach the gospel to Cornelius (the Gentile), the Lord gave him a vision of all sorts of animals both clean and unclean, saying it was okay to eat them. This happened three times to reassure Peter it was okay to fellowship with Gentiles.

This vision gave Peter authority to loosen the tradition around food and fellowship so that the gospel of Jesus could spread. Without this direction from heaven, Peter could not have opened the door of God’s kingdom for Cornelius and other Gentiles.    

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jesus builds his church; the community of his people. Two things are crucial for building the church. Having a clear identity in Christ and having stable leadership, which is guided by the Spirit of Jesus.  

For more than 140 years New Zealand Baptists have been involved globally in planting and building churches by training pastors and evangelists and supporting church associations so that churches are equipped to grow.

In particular, New Zealand Baptists have helped to plant churches in Tripura, a northern state of India. We have worked alongside these churches for 87 years. Now, with local growth, there are 1,000 Baptist churches with over 100,000 members who collectively make up over 60% of all the Christians in Tripura.

The Tripura Theological College is the only theological college in the state.

To serve such a large population, it needs support to train people to interpret God’s word and provide stable leadership for the church.

Following this morning’s sermon (while we are singing our closing song) the stewards will take up the special Renew Together offering for the work of Arotahi. Some of this money will help support the building of Jesus’ church in Tripura.

Now though, let us pray…

Jesus, you are the one who builds your church. Our identity is found in you. You define us. Help us to stay true to who we are in you. Bless your church, here in Aotearoa and overseas, with stable leadership guided by your Spirit. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is the church? Why does the church exist? What is the purpose of the church? What is God’s purpose for you in relation to his church?
  3. Why is having a clear sense of identity important for the church? Where does the church’s identity come from? How do we strengthen / maintain our sense of Christian identity?
  4. When did you first ‘see’ Jesus? How did this happen for you?
  5. Why is stable leadership important for the church? What does stable leadership look like?
  6. Discuss / reflect on Matthew 16, verse 19. What does verse mean? What does it not mean? In what sense did Peter unlock the doors of the kingdom for people? What does it mean to bind and loose?    
  7. Who are you?

Bibliography:

  • R.V.G. Tasker, ‘TNTC: The Gospel According to St Matthew’, 1963.
  • William Barclay, ‘Gospel of Matthew Vol. 2’, 1967.
  • Michael Green, ‘BST: The Message of Matthew’, 2000.
  • R.T. France, ‘NICNT: The Gospel of Matthew’, 2007.
  • Craig Keener, ‘The Gospel of Matthew – A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary’, 2009.

[1] Green, page 180.

[2] France, page 627.

Tawa Baptist

The Way Home

Scripture: John 14:1-7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/L8xoKm0YL8g

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 14 Jun 2026 – The Way Home by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus is our hope (vv.1-3)
  • Jesus is our way home (vv.4-7)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Having a home, a place to live and belong, is foundational to our wellbeing.

It is a deeply seated need; essential not just for our physical survival, but for our soul and spirit too. Having a place to call home gives us a sense of security and connectedness.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 117 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to persecution, conflict or violence. That equates to 1 in every 70 people on the planet and it doesn’t include those hundreds of millions of people around the world who are homeless in their own country due to poverty.

Today we continue our annual Renew Together campaign in support of Arotahi, our New Zealand Baptist missions organization. The Renew Together campaign runs during June, culminating with a special appeal next Sunday.

Today’s message draws on part of Jesus’ farewell discourse in John 14, where the Lord talks to his disciples about the eternal home he is preparing for them. Jesus is the way home to God. From John chapter 14, verse 1 we read…

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There are two main points to our message this morning. The first is that Jesus is our hope. The second is that Jesus is our way home.

Jesus is our hope:

Hope and home are two words that go together. They are almost spelt the same, just one letter difference. Swap the p for an m and your hope becomes a home. More than mere spelling though, our hope is often intimately entwined with our desire to find and make a home.

Hope is believing you have a good future. Or to say it another way, hope is knowing your future is secure. When you don’t have a home, you look for one, in hope. You imagine what that home will be like. You look forward to finding a home, a place where you can be secure and belong.   

Let me tell you a story, an allegory, about the hope of finding a home.

Once there was a small boat carrying refugees across the ocean to a neighbouring country. The refugees were not safe in their own land and were looking for a new home. A place where they could be secure and find peace.   

During the night a storm blew up capsizing the boat. Most of the those on board managed to swim to a nearby island but not everyone made it.

Once ashore one of their number, a young man in his thirties called Josh, emerged as their leader. He found water, built a shelter, made fire, caught fish and took care of the sick and injured.

The survivors loved Josh and depended on him; he possessed a wisdom beyond his years. His kindness kept them calm. Although stranded on a remote island, this small group felt safe with Josh, much safer than in the war-torn land they had escaped from. In many ways Josh became their home.

After three years on the island, a ship was spotted on the horizon. It was headed straight for them. At first the survivors were excited. It looked like they were going to be rescued.

But when they realised it was a pirate ship, their joy turned to terror. Josh was not afraid though; he saw this as an opportunity. If he allowed himself to be captured by the pirates, he could escape the island and then come back to rescue the others. It was a daring plan, but he knew going away was the only way to secure his friends’ future.

Josh’s community were deeply troubled by the idea. They wanted to keep their leader with them. Josh was their security. All their hope was wrapped up in him. But what could they do. They were not strong enough to fight the pirates and no one else was going to help them.

Sensing how they felt, Josh reassured them he would return one day and take them to be with him.

The next morning the pirates anchored in the bay and sent a raiding party ashore to scavenge what they could. Josh went out to meet them while his friends hid in the trees. Quite unaware of the other survivors on the island, the pirates kidnapped Josh and sailed away. Josh had saved his friends by surrendering himself to evil men.

At first, those left on the island were distraught, thinking Josh was dead and the plan had failed.

But after several weeks, an airplane flew over, dropping supplies to the island by parachute. There was a note with the supplies. It read, “I made it and I’m coming back for you.” The survivors took heart and lived with the hope of knowing their future was secure. 

For those who need me to connect the dots, the Josh in this story represents Jesus and the survivors on the island are like Jesus’ disciples. The pirates are the pharisees who took Jesus away to be crucified and the supply drop is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 1 of John 14, Jesus says to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…” Why are the disciples so deeply troubled?

Well, Jesus has just been explaining that he has to go away and leave them for a while, by which he means he is going to surrender himself to evil men and be killed.

The disciples are understandably upset by this. They have sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus, including leaving their homes and families. Indeed, Jesus has become their home and their security. Now they are going to be separated from him, the one they love and depend on, the one they have invested all their hope in.  

With this in view Jesus reassures his friends that the separation is not permanent; but it is necessary if he is to secure their future. Jesus is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, that is in heaven. The preparation Jesus has in mind here is his atoning sacrifice on the cross.  

There are times in our journey of faith, when Jesus feels very absent. Times of darkness when our peace and joy are stolen. Times when our prayers don’t seem to make it past the ceiling and our heart feels empty. Times when all we can do is wait out the spiritual winter in faith and hope.

In stillness and trust is your salvation. The Lord has not forgotten you. He will return for you.

In verse 3, Jesus promises to come back for his disciples and take them to be with him. Just as Josh had to leave the island to find the means to rescue his friends, so too Jesus had to leave this world (via the cross) in order to save us.

Most commentators agree Jesus is talking about his second coming in glory here. After Jesus died, he was raised to life by God on the third day. Then he appeared to his disciples for 40 days before being taken up to heaven.

Ten days after his ascension, the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost and is still being poured out. One day, we don’t know when, Jesus will return for those who love and trust him. That is our hope, a hope which is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

Jesus is our hope and Jesus is our way home.

Jesus is our way home:

Another story for you. This one is a true story about finding my way home; one I’ve told a couple of times in sermons. When I was about four, I got lost, separated from my mum, in Chartwell Square. Chartwell Square was, at the time, Hamilton’s largest shopping mall.

At first, I felt fine. I just walked around looking up at everyone. But it didn’t take long before I started to get upset. The mall was new and big. I wasn’t familiar with it and I had no idea where to find my mother.

The adults around me were friendly enough but as is often the case with adults, they were not much help. They didn’t know where my mum was or even who she was.    

For some reason (perhaps God put the idea into my head) I decided that my best bet was to return to our car, which at that time was a burnt orange Mark 1 Ford Escort (similar to this one); relatively easy to find. Being the 1970’s no one locked their cars, so I let myself in and waited.

I just wanted to go home and I knew the car was my way home. Eventually my mum did return to the Ford Escort, relieved to find her son safe and sound.

In verse 4 of John 14, Jesus reassures his disciples that they know the way to the place where he is going. Thomas, who is known for his doubt and his honesty, says: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

To which Jesus famously replies: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…”    

Jesus was going home to his Father, in heaven. Therefore, Jesus is the way home. We come to God the Father by being in Christ.

To put it another way, Jesus is like the car in my story. Find the car and you are guaranteed a ride home. Find Jesus, remain in him, and you will be taken to God the Father. Jesus doesn’t just give you directions on how to get to the Father. Jesus takes you to God the Father himself.

The emphasis in these verses is on Jesus being the way to God the Father. Access to the Father is only through Jesus. The idea that Jesus is the only way to God is offensive to many people these days. It comes across as arrogant, like Christians think they better than everyone else.

Well, Christians are not better than everyone else. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. As one of my lecturers (Brian Harris) used to say, ‘We are all sinners and we are all sinned against’.

A Christian is not better than others. I Christian knows they fall short and is relying on Jesus’ righteousness.

While it is true that Jesus is the only way to God the Father, it is also true there are many ways to come to Jesus. We human beings have only one heart, but there are many blood vessels leading to our heart.

Some people come to Jesus because a friend introduces them. Others encounter Jesus in a dream or through a miraculous intervention in their life. And still others (smart people like C.S. Lewis) work it out logically, rationally.  

Whatever way we might come to Jesus, we won’t really accept him (not properly) until we know our need for him. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The horse will only drink if it is thirsty. It is our need, our thirst, our hunger, which makes us open to receiving Jesus.   

Someone might say, what about those who don’t know anything about Jesus? It’s not an even playing field, especially if you are born in a country that is not friendly to Christianity.

Well, God is fair. He takes all those factors into account. We don’t know how God will work things out in the end, but we do know he will do what is right by each person. The worst we can expect is justice. The best we can expect is mercy.

Jesus also said he is the truth. We (in the west) tend to think of truth as a body of knowledge, or a system of belief. Something is true or false; it is fact or fiction. For example, it is true to say the sun rises in the east, but it is false to say the earth is flat.

And while that captures part of what truth is, it is not the whole picture. Jesus takes a broader view, a more relational view. Jesus says he is the truth. Which means, truth is more than just a body of knowledge or a system of belief. Truth is a person; someone we can relate with.

The body of knowledge Jesus passed on to us (his teaching) is true because Jesus is true. If we think of our faith as a house, then Jesus is the foundation of the house.

When the foundation of a house is straight and true, the walls are straight and true. The doors and windows open and shut easily, the picture frames hang properly, the roof doesn’t leak and everything else is level.

But if the foundation of the house is crocked or untrue, the rest of the house will be out of square and prone to problems.     

We can trust Jesus’ word to us because Jesus is true. We can build our life on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching and know that the house will stand, because Jesus is on the level. He is faithful, reliable, trustworthy, strong.

Another example of what Jesus means when he says, ‘I am the truth’.

It’s like the difference between whole foods and processed foods. Whole foods are foods which are eaten in their natural state (or close to it). Things like fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, grains and boiled eggs. Whole foods have a high nutritional value. They sustain you through the day.

Processed foods (on the other hand) have been altered or modified. Processed foods, like biscuits and white bread and fruit loops, tend to be high in sugar and carbohydrates, but low in nutritional value. They give you a quick pick me up, they make you feel good for a short while, but they don’t sustain you. They let you down over the long haul.

Receiving the truth of Jesus is like eating whole food. It is high in nutritional value, it sustains you. It doesn’t let you down. You can rely on it.   

Jesus doesn’t just tell us things that are true, he embodies the truth in himself. Jesus shows us the truth by his example. The Lord practices what he preaches. Jesus says, ‘love your enemies’ and when his enemies strike him, he turns the other cheek.  

The suffering of Christ shows us Jesus is trustworthy. He is true. You can rely on him.

Jesus completes the trifecta by saying, “I am the life”. Now, most people today think of life in merely physical terms. If you are breathing and your heart is beating, then you are alive. That is a relatively narrow definition of life. Again, Jesus takes a broader view, a more relational view on life.

In Christian understanding, life is connection. Specifically, connection with God.

The life of a plant depends on its connection with the sun. A plant can survive through the night, but if the night never ends, the plant will die. For a plant, life is connection with the sun.

Likewise, the life of a human being depends on their connection with God.

We can survive through the dark night of the soul, when it feels like God is absent, but if we are separated from the light of God for too long, we will die.

Without a real connection with God, our heart may still beat and our lungs fill with air, but our spirit will be dead. We will lose the capacity to give and receive love. We might exist but existing is not the same as living.

Eternal life is not existing forever. That would be a kind of hell. Eternal life is never ending connection with God. Eternal life is intimacy with God, forever. Life that is worth living. Life that never grows tired. Life that keeps its wonder and vitality.

Conclusion:

In verse 7 of John 14, Jesus indicates it is through him that we are able to have intimacy with God. Jesus says to his disciples, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Very simply, Jesus shows us God. If you want to know what God is like, if you want intimacy with God, then look to Jesus, remain in him. To remain in Christ is to stay connected to God, the source of life. As we remain in Christ, the Spirit works through us to create life-giving connections for others.   

Putting it all together, God is our home and Jesus takes us home to God, so stick with Jesus.

This year Arotahi is building homes; physical bricks and mortar which serve as places of security where people can connect with Jesus and each other.  

In partnership with the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship, Arotahi is building hostels in Bangladesh for children. In addition to this, Arotahi is building homes here in Aotearoa, New Zealand for people who face barriers and adversity, including former refugees.

These homes will provide safe and stable spaces for people to live and belong. They will be rented at social housing provider rates to ensure affordability.

The rent received will contribute to the care of the children in the Bangladesh hostels.

Over the years to come, the value of these local homes will grow, creating a lasting legacy that will contribute to Arotahi’s future work.  

Let us pray…

Jesus, you are the way home to God. You are our hope, our security, our place to belong. Make us fruitful as we remain in you and wait for your return. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is a home? Why is home important?
  3. Why are the disciples so deeply troubled? Why did Jesus have to go away?
  4. Have you ever been lost? What happened and how did you find your way home? 
  5. Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ statement: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. What does it mean that Jesus is the way? What does it mean that Jesus is the truth? What does it mean that Jesus is the life? 
  6. Why do we need to remain in Christ? How do we stay connected to Jesus?
  7. Do you know someone in need of connection? How might you reach out to them? 

Bibliography

  • R.V.G. Tasker, ‘TNTC: The Gospel according to John’, 1960.
  • William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of John: Vol. 2’, 1975.
  • Bruce Milne, ‘BST: The Message of John’, 1993.
  • Leon Morris, ‘NICNT: The Gospel According to John (Revised)’, 1995.
  • Gary Burge, ‘NIVAC: John’, 2000.
Tawa Baptist

Mary Said Yes

Scriptures:   Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 2:13-15, Luke 2:41-50,

Mark 3:20-21 & 32-35, Luke 14:31-33 and John 19:25-27.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/cBEKGkHA5rE

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 7 Jun 2026 – Mary Said Yes by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Saying yes requires faith
  • Saying yes changes you
  • Saying yes costs you
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Yes, is a powerful word. Yes, makes things happen. Yes, can change the course of your life and sometimes the course of history.

Some yeses are relatively low impact, like when someone asks you for the time or when they ask you to open a jar of pickles and you oblige. Other yeses cost you more and cannot be taken back, like enlisting in the army or agreeing to start a family.

Today we begin our annual Renew Together campaign in support of Arotahi, our New Zealand Baptist missions organization. The Renew Together campaign runs over the first three Sundays in June, culminating with a special appeal on the 21 June.

Today’s message draws on the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Let’s read how Mary said yes to God, from Luke chapter 1, verse 26…

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be calledthe Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Today’s message is about saying yes to God: saying yes requires faith, saying yes changes you and saying yes costs you. Let’s continue with the faith that’s required to say yes to God.

Saying yes requires faith:

A river is a powerful thing. Sometimes deep and calm, other times wild and rough, but always moving forward. A river nourishes the land; it serves people, plants and animals alike.

God’s purpose, his redemptive will, is like a river; powerful, life-giving, unstoppable. Saying yes to God’s purpose for our lives is a bit like climbing into a whitewater raft. It is an act of faith. It requires courage.

Whitewater rafting puts you close to the action. It’s not some easy pleasure cruise. You are bound to get wet. Sometimes the water is slow moving and you need to paddle quite hard. Other times its swift and raging, and all you can do is hold on.

The thing with the river of God’s purpose is that we never know what’s around the corner or when it will end. Our best bet is to stay in the raft, follow the instructions of our rafting guide (the Holy Spirit) and take care of others on the river with us.

When Mary said yes to the angel, it was like she was climbing into a whitewater raft. Mary’s yes required real faith. She didn’t know what she was in for.

As far as yeses go, they don’t come much bigger. Mary was a teenage girl engaged to Joseph the carpenter. For Mary to get pregnant while still engaged was a huge risk for her personally.

Worst case scenario, she could have been stoned for what others would have wrongly presumed to be her infidelity. More likely though, Joseph would have been obliged to divorce her, which would leave Mary a single mum with little or no means of supporting herself financially.

For Mary to say yes, in this cultural context, was brave indeed. It required a high level of trust in God to provide for her. She really didn’t know how her yes would play out.

Mary’s faith was rewarded though. After Mary said yes in faith, God confirmed his call and gave Mary encouragement along the way. When Mary went to her cousin Elizabeth, it was as the angel had told her. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist and greeted her warmly.

On returning home Mary was not stoned and Joseph did not divorce her.

He stuck by her. Mary’s yes was supported by Joseph’s yes.

Later, after Mary had given birth to Jesus, the holy family received a visit from the wise men, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then, when at the temple, the elderly Simeon and Anna, both spoke prophecies over the Christ child. God confirmed his call.

Mary pondered these things in her heart, not really understanding their meaning or where it would lead her.

In speaking about Mary’s faith in saying yes to God, we must also acknowledge God’s faith in trusting Mary with his son. God could have gone with a far safer plan, but he didn’t. God relied on the help of a vulnerable young woman.

God’s choice of Mary is interesting in itself. Mary embodied the righteous poor. The Lord worked through ordinary human beings (like Mary and Joseph) who were willing to say yes in faith. This shows God trusts us. Will we trust him?

Saying yes to God requires faith. Saying yes also changes us.

Saying yes changes us:

At the start of the Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey, Gandalf asks Bilbo to come on an adventure with him. Bilbo is not sure. He takes a while to say yes.

Gandalf says, “You’ll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back”.

And Bilbo asks, “Can you promise that I will come back?” 

To which Gandalf replies, “No. And if you do… you will not be the same.”

For some, the call to overseas mission work is like Gandalf inviting Bilbo on an unexpected journey. There Bilbo is, minding his own business, enjoying his garden and his books, when quite out of the blue a wizard interrupts his hobbies and his peace. Bilbo does eventually agree to follow Gandalf on the journey, but he has no idea what he is in for.  

Saying yes, changed the direction of Bilbo’s life. He did return to the shire, but he was not the same. Saying yes to God, set Mary on a journey of change too.

Parenting is a journey that changes us. We embark on that journey not knowing what we are in for. You have settled times of course, but you also get blindsided occasionally. There’s no terror like a parent’s terror.

Not long after giving birth to Jesus, Mary and Joseph were forced to flee to Egypt. They became refugees, living in exile, for a couple of years. Being away from home in a forced exile is no easy thing. Having to learn a new language and new customs. Not knowing anyone. Trying to fit in. Missing loved ones. Eventually, though the holy family were able to return to Nazareth.

Those sorts of experiences shape us; they change us somehow. We return from a cross-cultural experience seeing the world and own culture differently.

Another scary moment came when Jesus was around twelve. The family had travelled to the temple in Jerusalem for a feast and, when it came time to leave, Jesus was left behind by accident.

When Mary found Jesus again (three days later) she said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this. Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

Jesus replied, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he was saying to them.     

Even at twelve, Jesus knew who he was, but his parents were slow to catch on.  They did not understand their son. We might think we know Jesus, but do we really? Jesus won’t be tamed or domesticated. He will surprise us.

On another occasion, when the adult Jesus was preaching to the people, his mother and brothers heard about his ministry and thought he was out of his mind. They tried to take charge of him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd. Jesus was not out of his mind. He was in God’s will.

When someone told Jesus that his mother and brothers wanted to see him, he replied: 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Saying yes to God redefines our relationships with others. To say yes in obedience to God is to choose a new loyalty.

Saying yes to God requires faith and it sets us on a life long journey which changes us. Mary also discovered that saying yes to God would cost her.    

Saying yes costs us:

Over the past couple of months Robyn and I have been watching the TV programme Grand Designs New Zealand. Grand Designs documents the house building process from architectural drawings to new build and lived in.

At the beginning of each show Tom Webster (the host) asks the owners what their budget is and at the end of the show he asks them what it actually cost. Almost every time the owners end up going over budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Building houses usually costs more than you expect.

Saying yes to God is like building a house. It takes time and energy and despite your best laid plans, there will be hold ups and challenges and frustration and it will cost you, probably more than you expect.

A hundred and twelve years ago thousands of men said yes (in good faith) to the call of king and country to go overseas and fight in the first world war. When these men enlisted, they had no idea of the real cost of war. Many did not return and those who did were not the same. The war left its mark.

Saying yes to God is like enlisting in the army. You give up your freedom and your comfort for a time, and you follow orders, so that others may be set free.

Saying yes to God will cost you in blood, sweat and tears. You won’t be the same on the other side.

In the gospels, Jesus tells a parable or two about counting the cost of discipleship. In Luke 14 the Lord says…

“…suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Saying yes to following Jesus, means surrendering our lives to the Lord’s purpose. It means saying no to many other things. No to the selfish pursuit of fame, fortune and our own grand designs. Not to mention the more painful decision of saying no to family at times.

Saying yes to Jesus may cost us dearly, in this life. It certainly cost Mary.

In John 19 we read something of that cost…

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother… 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”

From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Mary saw her son die in the worst way imaginable. We often talk about Jesus’ sacrifice, and it is right that Jesus gets the glory; but Jesus’ sacrifice was also Mary’s sacrifice.

The bond between a mother and a child is profound. I imagine, next to Jesus, no one at the foot of that cross felt the anguish more than our Lord’s mother. As the prophet Simeon had said to Mary in the temple over 30 years earlier, “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Mary was able to take comfort in knowing Jesus’ death was not in vain; that her son’s death meant our salvation. Mary knew Jesus’ resurrection.

We might not know (in our lifetime) how our saying yes might serve God’s purpose and benefit others. That’s okay. We do know God does not waste anything, especially what we offer in love for him.

Whatever our yes may cost us, God is able to restore in full measure. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away and then the Lord restores again. Orientation, disorientation, new orientation. (It’s the cost that changes us.)

Conclusion:

Saying yes to God reminds me of the Mainland cheese ads. ‘Good things take time.’ Mary’s yes was a life-long response. As a teenage girl, Mary may not have known what changes her yes would bring about or how it would cost her, but Mary saw it through in faith that God would work it all for good.

As New Zealand Baptists we have said yes to ongoing partnerships with Christians across Asia, with Maori in Aotearoa and with people in other parts of the world. Our work and relationships are for the long haul.

Our goal, our hope, is to see gospel renewal in all places and for all people.

This doesn’t happen quickly; it takes the faith and work of many generations continuing to say yes to God’s purpose of salvation.

Mary’s yes begs the question: What is your yes to God? What is our yes?  

A question like that may leave you feeling burdened. Yet another thing to do and another thing to feel bad about if it doesn’t get done. Saying yes to God doesn’t just mean doing things for God, as important as that is. Saying yes begins with receiving what God wants to give us, by his Spirit.

Grace comes first. We can only give to others what God has given us.

Without the Holy Spirit, Mary would not have been able to bear God’s Son. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot become vessels of God’s word either.

So the question becomes: What particular grace has God given you to share? What grace has God given us?

If you are not sure what God has given you, then ask him to reveal it.

You probably won’t be visited by an angel, as Mary was. Often the grace we have been entrusted with is so familiar, so natural to us that we take it for granted, not realising the treasure we hold in these jars of clay.  

Let me finish now with a prayer written by the people at Arotahi…

God, you who first spoke yes, are the One who breathed life into being.

You, who drew close, spoke to Mary, calling her to bear your hope into the world. Teach us to listen to the movement of your Spirit, and to walk humbly in your ways, so that we too may say yes, echoing the love and openness that Mary showed. Weave our response into the fabric of your kingdom work: to notice the faithfulness of others, to nurture the seeds of courage, and to invite others to say yes. May our yes be to the work of justice and renewal: to stand with those at the margins, and to go to the places you call, from here to the ends of the earth. Like Mary, may we carry your hope. May our yes join with your work, so that your kingdom of justice and peace may take root in our world. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Imagine being Mary. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel? How might you have responded to the angel? Why was Mary’s response brave?
  3. How did God confirm his word/call to Mary? How has God confirmed his word/call to you?
  4. In what ways has God shown trust in you?
  5. What is your (personal) yes to God? What particular grace has God given you to share?
  6. If you have been saying yes to God for a while, how has this changed you?
  7. What has it cost you to say yes to God? In what ways has your yes served God’s purpose and benefited others?