Foundation Church Belfast

Love has left the building

The church at Ephesus is a busy church, getting on with lots of ministry and standing up for the truth. They may have expected nothing but commendation from Jesus as he spoke to the seven churches of Asia Minor, but a shock was in store – the very existence of the church was in doubt.
What could possibly be wrong with a church that is doing so much activity? The answer is that they have lost their first love, abandoning the initial reason they engaged in loving, Christ-honouring service in the first place.
The message to the church at Ephesus is very relevant for us today: there are many churches who are externally very active but yet love has all but drained out of the church – and this can be sensed by all who are in contact with the church.
How can we prevent becoming a loveless church? Or how do we respond if we recognise some of the Ephesian spirit in ourselves? This message seeks to answer such questions.
Main passage: Revelation 2:1-7

He is there and he is not silent

Why is there something rather than nothing? In other words, why is there existence rather than non-existence? This is the basic philosophical question facing all humankind according to playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. The answer that we provide to this question is more than conceptual – it will necessarily shape our lives, our ethics, our morality and our society.
In the Bible we see a God who not only exists but who also speaks: as Francis Schaeffer wrote, ‘he is there and he is not silent.’ God makes himself known and knowable through revelation, the revealing of knowledge of him that we would not otherwise have.
In the biblical book called Revelation, we are presented with the God who speaks and reveals himself; reveals his sovereignty, his presence with his people and the liberation of his people through the gospel.
This is all spoken to a group of churches in Asia Minor (part of the Roman Empire) who were soon to be facing opposition because of their Christian faith. They needed to know that God is there and he is not silent.
This message is crucial for the church of today, as objective truth is progressively undermined by our culture, and as increasing opposition to the historic Christian faith is experienced.
Main bible text: Revelation 1:1-20
Main points:
God is a God who speaks
God is a God who rules
God is a God who communes
God is a God who liberates

Discovering Joy in Contentment

In the final message in our series through Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we look at contentment, an under-rated and yet desperately needed virtue, especially in our contemporary world where contentment is hard to come by.
Main Bible text: Philippians 4:10-20
Main sermon points:
The shape of contentment
The effects of contentment
The source of contentment

The Substance of the Christian Life

In the eight message in our series through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, we see Paul’s description of the substance of the Christian life. Paul had to be crystal clear on what the Christian life is all about because it was coming under attack from a group who masqueraded as Christians but their lives demonstrated they were anything but.
Main points:
The substance of the Christian life
The parody of the Christian life
The outcome of the Christian life
Bible passage: Philippians 3:12-21

Ultimate Joy In Christ Alone

In our seventh message in the series through Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, Noah takes us through our ultimate source of all joy – Christ – and Christ alone!
Main text: Philippians 3:1-11

Two Keys For Impacting the City

In the fifth sermon in this series, we look at the two keys Paul gives the Philippian church to impact their city. Therefore if we want to impact Belfast with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to understand and use the same two keys that Paul lays down.
The two keys to impacting the city:
Gospel Transformation (using the tools of the Word and prayer)
Gospel Integration
Main bible text: Philippians 2:12-18

Finding Joy in Gospel Community

Sermon preached by Stephen Moore.
Main text: Philippians 2:19-30

The Joy of Gospel Unity

In the fourth message in our series through St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we look at Paul’s central challenge to the church – a call to deep unity.
Unity is essential for the healthy function and impact of a church in the world, but also for healthy internal dynamics within a church. The kind of unity that Paul envisages is based on humility, a form of love that considers others more significant that ourselves, the kind of love that gives and gives without the expectation of anything in return.
It is only possible for us to consistently demonstrate this kind of love when we realise that at the centre of the Christian message is humility, the humility of Christ freely giving himself for his people.
Main text: Philippians 1:27-2:4
Main points:
Gospel Unity in the World
Gospel Unity in the Church