Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

For the Third Sunday after Epiphany (22 January 2017), Rev. Geoff McKee continues his discussion of epiphanies (revelations) about Jesus by reference to Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-23).

He looks at how Jesus’ first preaching and the calling of his first disciples reminds us how and why Christians should fulfil their kingdom responsibilities joyfully. As usual, the Scripture is at the beginning, with the text of the sermon below that. You can download the sermon as a PDF file by clicking HERE. [Read more…]

Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon for 15 January 2017 takes John 1:29-42 as its scriptural basis.  Geoff discusses how the season of Epiphany must not obscure the fact that there are many epiphanies (great revelations) to be had about Jesus. This section of the Bible includes epiphanies for John the Baptist, Andrew (Scotland’s patron saint) and Andrew’s brother, Simon Peter. Find out how St Andrew was first-called by Jesus and how the simple revelations from the story perhaps have greater meaning for our daily Christian lives than the high, theological ones.

As usual, the Scripture is immediately below (New International Version). After that, comes Geoff’s sermon. You can download the sermon as a PDF by clicking on this text.

John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

[Read more…]

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his followers to ask Jesus if he (Jesus) was the promised Messiah. This seems a strange question when you consider what John had already witnessed in relation to Jesus. It seems John was in that place of doubt and insecurity – when you wonder if your life as a Christian has been a waste of time. In this sermon, based on Matthew 11:2-11, Rev. Geoff McKee draws parallels between John and other notable Christians from the more recent past. He also discusses what this means for our own lives.

The Scripture (Matthew 11:2-11; New International Version) follows immediately below. After that comes the sermon. You can download a copy of the sermon in PDF format by clicking here. [Read more…]

The Scripture for the Second Sunday of Advent is Matthew 3:1-12, which tells of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus’ coming. Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon discusses how we live in ‘the wilderness’ and how we are called by Christ to be the people he has formed us to be, committing our lives in service to him. The Scripture follows immediately below and then Geoff’s sermon. You can download the sermon as a PDF, if you wish, by clicking here.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

I arrived early at the War Memorial in Lossiemouth this year for the annual Remembrance Sunday community act of worship.

Some people were gathering already and one gentleman came over and introduced himself to me. He wasn’t a church goer but as we chatted he said to me, “I might just go to the service in the church later”. And, to his credit, he did; and it was good to welcome him.

I remembered him a few days later and I thought to myself, ‘It was no small thing that he did’. [Read more…]