- Isaiah 64:8 "We are the clay, You are the Potter. We are all the work of Your hands."
- If a lump of clay has a mind of understanding, can speak and is grateful, it would probably say "Thanks!" to the potter from the time the potter sets his hands on the clay.
- Why? Because we know a potter sets out to create something beautiful out of an ordinary, formless mass. That is his single-minded purpose.
- In the Bible, GOD has often compared Himself to a potter, and His people the clay.
- It portrays not only GOD's sovereign will over our lives, but also His devotion to us.
- He sets out to make us beautiful from our former sinful state of life.
- At other times, GOD's devotion to us is illustrated in the context of a loving relationship between a husband & his wife.
- Ephesians 5:25-27 says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless".
- GOD loves us as a loving husband loves his wife. What ought to be our response?
- If you have already tasted the love of GOD, and are assured of your identity in Christ Jesus, redeemed and loved by GOD, which I have no doubt many of you are, I would like to ask you one question now: Do you desire GOD?
- We often ask people when sharing the gospel, "do you want to go to heaven?". If heaven is as beautiful as the Bible has described in part & the consequence of not choosing heaven is hell, well, most people would say "Yes". But that isn't the question that needs to be answered. Salvation in Christ Jesus is not about going to a place; it is about making it right with GOD.
- You see, before knowing Christ, we were all hopelessly dead in sin.
- Ephesians 2:1 said it well, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins..."
- It goes on to say in verse 4 & 5: "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
- Salvation is only the start of a relationship restored between us and GOD in Christ. Because of His great love, mercies and devotion, we have been made ALIVE in Christ.
- What are we to do with this new life, if it isn't to desire GOD, to please Him, to do His will, and to seek His face?
- If you tell someone who doesn't know GOD to love GOD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind, he will most likely laugh it off.
- That is perfectly normal for anyone hasn't tasted and seen that the LORD is good.
- For those who know GOD, who have tasted and can vouch for His goodness, what are we doing about the first and greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37?
- Does the desire for GOD show up in our lives daily, or only on Sundays when we are with our church friends and pastors?
- Do we go to church expecting to be served or to serve? Mark 10:45 says "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
- Do we realize that the church of GOD is not the building where we gather to worship once a week? WE are the church, right here at our workplace, in the neighborhood where we live, in places where we meet people. When people see us, they see the church. Do they see us serving & loving GOD where we are?
- Does the desire for GOD permeate every area of our life and interaction, in our words, thoughts and actions?
- Do our colleagues who work at least 8 hours a day with us see Christ in our life and a constant hunger and thirsting after righteousness?
- Do they see us seeking to do our Father's will as Christ demonstrated during His time on earth?
- Do they see us pray without ceasing?
- Do they see us praising GOD, or do they see us murmuring, complaining and getting into all kinds of argument which do not honor GOD?
- Do they see the beauty of Christ in our life as we are being molded by GOD?
- Are we fruitful in Christ so that we please GOD the Father? John 15:1-2 says ,"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
- Do they see the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our life, since we are "marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" as stated in Ephesians 1:13-14?
- Are our lives overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, or do we only honour Him with our lips but not our heart?
- Do we carry each other's burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ as stated in Galatians 6:2? Or are we only too happy to be minding our own business while fellow believers struggle to serve, build up the body of Christ & reach the lost?
- Do people see uncommon love, compassion and mercies in us or do they see hatred, apathy and vengeance instead?
- Do they see us giving GOD His rightful place in our life?
- Exodus 20:3 says, "You shall have no other gods before me." Do we take this seriously, or have work, family or even the love of money displaced GOD in our life?
- I don't know about you, but I cannot answer these questions honestly in a manner that pleases GOD.
- Let's not excuse ourselves as GOD's work in progress.
- We all need to repent, ask GOD to forgive us, help us get back on track, and put in our heart an overflowing desire & love for GOD.
- If we can't love GOD wholeheartedly, we can't possibly lay claim to being a child of GOD. Look at Matthew 22:37 again. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
- Jesus certainly wasn't joking when He said in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
- Again Revelation 2:4-5 says "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first."
- GOD's love for us demands a response from us, which is an overflowing love and desire for GOD.
- We will long for heaven only because we want to be with GOD where He is, not because heaven is a beautiful place or because we want to escape from hell.
- Truly I tell you, if we sincerely desire GOD, we would be seeking Him and looking intently into His Word daily, and doing His will.
- We will come before Him daily, confessing our sins, and asking Him to purify us from all unrighteousness.
- We will put GOD first, saying as John the Baptist said in John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less."
- We will, as Romans 12:1-2 says, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
- We will do GOD's work, which, as John 6:29 says, is "to believe in the one he has sent".
- Moreover, we will also obey GOD's call to proclaim the good news of the gospel and making disciples of all nations.
- Sharing the gospel, sharing the love of GOD and making disciples are not the exclusive duties of pastors, evangelists and missionaries; these are the duties of every Christian, for Jesus said in Mark 8:34 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me". What does it mean to follow Christ, except to do what He did?
- We will then be, as John 5:14-16 says, "the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
- Brothers and sisters, whether you are a new or long-time Christian, I urge all of us to at least appreciate and take our salvation seriously.
- Jesus didn't die on the cross so that we can get comfortable after booking a place in heaven.
- He certainly didn't die so that we can get an insurance policy while continuing to live as sons of disobedience.
- He died on the cross so that we can experience the love of the Father as He does, adopted and accepted into GOD's household, uphold the Body of Christ, magnify & glorify GOD's name, and proclaim the LORD Jesus Christ until His return.
- Let the Word of GOD take root in your life, sow generously towards the things of GOD & His kingdom, and yield a return of 100 fold or more as in the parable of the sower.
- This was what Jesus meant in Matthew 6:20 when He said to store up treasures in heaven, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Thomas Tan
Showing posts with label Sermons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sermons. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Actions in encouragement
Sermon notes 220309
Based on sermon by Rev Dr Patrick Lau
Actions in Encouragement
1. Praying for one another
Luke 22:31 Jesus PRAYED for Peter so that his faith fails not, even as Satan desired to sift him like wheat. Although Jesus knew what will happen to Peter, He didn't broadcast or elaborate, but simply prayed for him so that his faith stands in the face of trials
2. Blessing one another in practical ways
Eg. In missions & faith pledge, our giving is an encouragement to 3rd world pastors because it helps them in practical ways
Acts 4:34-35 for there was no needy or lack among them
Prov 3:27 when it's within our ability to help someone, withhold it not from that person
James 2:14-17 faith without works is useless, dead. Help others in practical ways, not just pray for them or bless them in words
3. Spur one another into doing good works as is mentioned in Heb 10:24
Rom 14:19 focus on things that build one another up and edify one another
1 Th 5:15 pursue that which is good, not evil, for all. It's easy to criticize and tear down, but God wants us to do the opposite, which is to build up and strengthen. Be good examples and motivate one another
2 Th 3:6-11 withdraw from those who stir up trouble, who are negative, who gossip. Have no fellowship with them. Imitate those who live in fear of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do our part to lessen, not heap, burden on others
3 John 1:11 follow good examples. Be good examples
Based on sermon by Rev Dr Patrick Lau
Actions in Encouragement
1. Praying for one another
Luke 22:31 Jesus PRAYED for Peter so that his faith fails not, even as Satan desired to sift him like wheat. Although Jesus knew what will happen to Peter, He didn't broadcast or elaborate, but simply prayed for him so that his faith stands in the face of trials
2. Blessing one another in practical ways
Eg. In missions & faith pledge, our giving is an encouragement to 3rd world pastors because it helps them in practical ways
Acts 4:34-35 for there was no needy or lack among them
Prov 3:27 when it's within our ability to help someone, withhold it not from that person
James 2:14-17 faith without works is useless, dead. Help others in practical ways, not just pray for them or bless them in words
3. Spur one another into doing good works as is mentioned in Heb 10:24
Rom 14:19 focus on things that build one another up and edify one another
1 Th 5:15 pursue that which is good, not evil, for all. It's easy to criticize and tear down, but God wants us to do the opposite, which is to build up and strengthen. Be good examples and motivate one another
2 Th 3:6-11 withdraw from those who stir up trouble, who are negative, who gossip. Have no fellowship with them. Imitate those who live in fear of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do our part to lessen, not heap, burden on others
3 John 1:11 follow good examples. Be good examples
Sunday, March 08, 2009
The Power of encouragement
Notes from sermon By Rev Dr Patrick Lau
Prov 18:21 life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Prov 3:27 talks about looking for opportunities to help and bless, because it's in our power to do so.
Prov 15:26 the words of the pure are pleasant words.
It's within our power to build each other up with words of encouragement.
Prov 16:24 pleasant words are sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
Words of encouragement can heal spiritual and physical afflictions.
Prov 25:11 talks about how a word aptly spoken is as precious as silver and gold.
Encouragers often change the destiny of people's lives. An excellent example is Barnabas.
In Acts 4:36, Barnabas, whose name means "the son of consolation" sold his land and laid all he sold at the apostles' feet for distribution to all who have needs.
In Acts 9:27, we read that after Saul was converted, the disciples were afraid of him because they weren't sure if he could be trusted. Barnabas, however welcome him, supported him and testified on his behalf to the rest so that they could begin to trust him. Without that first act of encouragement & acceptance, Paul may never have had the impact and reach as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Barnabas also helped John Mark. In Acts 12:12, we learned that John's house was a house of prayer. In Acts 13:5, John was much encouraged to join the apostles in their evangelistic outreach. Then at one point, he decided to return to Jerusalem. The Bible didn't say why but he could have been discouraged. In Acts 15:36-40, Barnabas wanted to involve John Mark in missions but Paul was against it. Paul was likely put off by John's earlier decision to leave the missions, but Barnabas saw it fit to give John a second chance. He stood firm on his convictions even if it meant being separated from Paul after a heated argument. The advisors of Paul chose Silas, but Barnabas chose John Mark because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Years later towards the end of his life, we read in 2 Tim 4:11 that Paul realised Barnabas's choice of John Mark was right. As he was waiting for his sentence, he asked for John Mark to be brought to him as he will be an asset to his ministry. We can see how Barnabas's encouragement turned John Mark into an instrument of blessing in God's work.
In conclusion, don't despise others, don't tear them down; build them up instead with God's love, and words and acts of encouragement.
Prov 18:21 life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Prov 3:27 talks about looking for opportunities to help and bless, because it's in our power to do so.
Prov 15:26 the words of the pure are pleasant words.
It's within our power to build each other up with words of encouragement.
Prov 16:24 pleasant words are sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
Words of encouragement can heal spiritual and physical afflictions.
Prov 25:11 talks about how a word aptly spoken is as precious as silver and gold.
Encouragers often change the destiny of people's lives. An excellent example is Barnabas.
In Acts 4:36, Barnabas, whose name means "the son of consolation" sold his land and laid all he sold at the apostles' feet for distribution to all who have needs.
In Acts 9:27, we read that after Saul was converted, the disciples were afraid of him because they weren't sure if he could be trusted. Barnabas, however welcome him, supported him and testified on his behalf to the rest so that they could begin to trust him. Without that first act of encouragement & acceptance, Paul may never have had the impact and reach as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Barnabas also helped John Mark. In Acts 12:12, we learned that John's house was a house of prayer. In Acts 13:5, John was much encouraged to join the apostles in their evangelistic outreach. Then at one point, he decided to return to Jerusalem. The Bible didn't say why but he could have been discouraged. In Acts 15:36-40, Barnabas wanted to involve John Mark in missions but Paul was against it. Paul was likely put off by John's earlier decision to leave the missions, but Barnabas saw it fit to give John a second chance. He stood firm on his convictions even if it meant being separated from Paul after a heated argument. The advisors of Paul chose Silas, but Barnabas chose John Mark because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Years later towards the end of his life, we read in 2 Tim 4:11 that Paul realised Barnabas's choice of John Mark was right. As he was waiting for his sentence, he asked for John Mark to be brought to him as he will be an asset to his ministry. We can see how Barnabas's encouragement turned John Mark into an instrument of blessing in God's work.
In conclusion, don't despise others, don't tear them down; build them up instead with God's love, and words and acts of encouragement.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Sermon for the Road: Blessed Family
W
hen is a family considered “blessed”? What is divine love? The apostle Paul described it well in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, It is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Comparatively, human love, as we know it, is frail, conditional, inconsistent, and limited. We tend to love only those who are lovable and who meet our expectation. It is difficult to love those who fail us or who are simply not lovable. This kind of love stems from self-centredness, is nothing like the real thing, and leads to nowhere.
If we will only let God’s divine love take the place of our kind of love, many family conflicts can be resolved in a healthy manner. We will not easily get upset with a family member who fails to meet our expectations. After all, how often do we meet God’s expectations of us? Along with divine love come plenty of graciousness and an endless capacity to forgive. Self-centredness gives way to putting others before self.Divine love also enables us to have a deep reverence for God lifting up His truth in the family. There is no room for evil to prevail in a family dedicated to the Lord. Instead, we will find care, concern, trust, mutual respect, and acceptance.
Commit your family to the Lord Jesus Christ today, and make Him the head of your household. In His presence, there is a fullness of joy. You will then experience the manifestation of His presence, power and glory in your family, and become what is truly a blessed family.
Pastor Sarah
Friday, May 12, 2006
Sermon for the Road: Live wisely
Wise living brings blessings. A person who lives wisely is happy. He brings blessings wherever he goes. Everyone is glad to be with him. He brings no harm or trouble to others. He loves what is good and lives at peace with everyone, be it at home, at the work place, in church or other social contexts. He has wisdom to relate to everyone with prudence and understanding. His life brings honor to God.
Where can we find the sources of wise living? James 3:17 teaches us about the source for wise living, saying
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Wisdom that can bring blessing to everyone comes only from God. One who has wisdom from God purifies his heart from wickedness. No hatred, strife, envy, jealousy, selfish ambition or arrogance can be found in his speech or deeds. He will not quarrel to gratify his ego. He strives to maintain peaceful, harmonious and healthy relationship with everyone. He is a considerate person, watching closely over his own words and deeds so as not to stumble others. He is willing to let go of his high position to submit to his subordinates for the good of everyone. He is humble and gentle, not bossy and prideful. He is merciful and kind, doing good to everyone. He is impartial to everyone and will not show favoritism. He is sincere in his relationship with others, without any hypocrisy. This kind of lifestyle is possible if every man seeks to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom from God.
Are we living wisely? Are our lives a blessing or a headache to others? Are our hearts impure, full of strife, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and pride? May His Word throw light to the condition of our lives! May we ask God this day to purge us from all these wickedness and give us a pure heart that is consecrated to Him to do His perfect will! God can make us wise as long as we come close to Him, confess our weaknesses, and ask Him to help us to live wisely each passing day.
Pastor Sarah
Where can we find the sources of wise living? James 3:17 teaches us about the source for wise living, saying
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Wisdom that can bring blessing to everyone comes only from God. One who has wisdom from God purifies his heart from wickedness. No hatred, strife, envy, jealousy, selfish ambition or arrogance can be found in his speech or deeds. He will not quarrel to gratify his ego. He strives to maintain peaceful, harmonious and healthy relationship with everyone. He is a considerate person, watching closely over his own words and deeds so as not to stumble others. He is willing to let go of his high position to submit to his subordinates for the good of everyone. He is humble and gentle, not bossy and prideful. He is merciful and kind, doing good to everyone. He is impartial to everyone and will not show favoritism. He is sincere in his relationship with others, without any hypocrisy. This kind of lifestyle is possible if every man seeks to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom from God.
Are we living wisely? Are our lives a blessing or a headache to others? Are our hearts impure, full of strife, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and pride? May His Word throw light to the condition of our lives! May we ask God this day to purge us from all these wickedness and give us a pure heart that is consecrated to Him to do His perfect will! God can make us wise as long as we come close to Him, confess our weaknesses, and ask Him to help us to live wisely each passing day.
Pastor Sarah
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Strength of a conqueror (Part 3 of 3)
This is the last part of the sermon series, "Strength of a conqueror". In part 1, we discussed the first element of a conqueror - Firm commitment to prayer. In part 2, we saw the importance of submitting to our Heavenly Father's will. Now in this last part, we see a third element, "Forceful Prayer", in action.
In Luke 22:39-46, Jesus exhorted His disciples to pray earnestly like Him for themselves and against the forces of darkness in preparation for the trial that was to come. It was the only way out for Him against temptation, against the flesh, and against the evil forces. The temptation that Jesus faced at that moment must have been extraordinary although it wasn't described in the Bible. Satan must have gone all the way to stop Jesus from fulfilling God's will and plan. Why? Because unless Jesus is stopped, Satan is doomed. Unless Jesus is stopped, death would lose its sting.
Even as Satan continued to tempt Jesus, He [Jesus] only pressed on more fervently in prayer till His sweat was like drops of blood. It's not unusual to perspire like that when one has just finished a physical workout, but to perspire profusely when praying in the cool of the night or early morning up in the mountain? It must have been a very intense prayer session. The forcefulness of Jesus' prayer paid off. The evil one was finally defeated along with the power of death, as Jesus rose again on the third day after being crucified to death.
Take a leaf from this episode. Instead of sinking in sorrow and troubles, and in the process be worn out mentally, emotionally and physically, let us rise up in the strength of the Holy Spirit and pray that forceful prayer. Pray until our human weaknesses are overcome. Pray until no greed or selfishness is found in us. Pray until we are strong and courageous to endure all hardship till the end. Pray until we are full of faith and confidence, trusting God for victory in our trials. Pray till the power of evil is broken and utterly destroyed. Then, instead of falling asleep as the disciples did, we will experience victory over trials and temptations.
Therefore, let us make a firm commitment today to devote ourselves to a specific time and place in prayer. Set our mind to pray according to the will of God. And be forceful in our prayer, and in doing so, destroying the power of darkness that comes against us.
Pastor Sarah
In Luke 22:39-46, Jesus exhorted His disciples to pray earnestly like Him for themselves and against the forces of darkness in preparation for the trial that was to come. It was the only way out for Him against temptation, against the flesh, and against the evil forces. The temptation that Jesus faced at that moment must have been extraordinary although it wasn't described in the Bible. Satan must have gone all the way to stop Jesus from fulfilling God's will and plan. Why? Because unless Jesus is stopped, Satan is doomed. Unless Jesus is stopped, death would lose its sting.
Even as Satan continued to tempt Jesus, He [Jesus] only pressed on more fervently in prayer till His sweat was like drops of blood. It's not unusual to perspire like that when one has just finished a physical workout, but to perspire profusely when praying in the cool of the night or early morning up in the mountain? It must have been a very intense prayer session. The forcefulness of Jesus' prayer paid off. The evil one was finally defeated along with the power of death, as Jesus rose again on the third day after being crucified to death.
Take a leaf from this episode. Instead of sinking in sorrow and troubles, and in the process be worn out mentally, emotionally and physically, let us rise up in the strength of the Holy Spirit and pray that forceful prayer. Pray until our human weaknesses are overcome. Pray until no greed or selfishness is found in us. Pray until we are strong and courageous to endure all hardship till the end. Pray until we are full of faith and confidence, trusting God for victory in our trials. Pray till the power of evil is broken and utterly destroyed. Then, instead of falling asleep as the disciples did, we will experience victory over trials and temptations.
Therefore, let us make a firm commitment today to devote ourselves to a specific time and place in prayer. Set our mind to pray according to the will of God. And be forceful in our prayer, and in doing so, destroying the power of darkness that comes against us.
Pastor Sarah
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Strength of a conqueror (Part 2 of 3)
This is part 2 of the sermon series, "Strength of a conqueror". In part 1, we discussed the first element of a conqueror - Firm commitment to prayer. Drawing from the same verses in Luke 22:39-46, we can see that Jesus prayed according to His "Father's will" (Luke 22:42).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus had the same human body and emotions just like us. Do you know that it is impossible for Him to endure this cup of suffering with mere human strength? He would not have been able to endure the pain of being flogged and nailed onto the cross. Neither would He have been able to tolerate the nasty remarks, malice, spitting and false accusation of his sinful detractors. It would have been tough for Him to accept the betrayal and the denial of His disciples whom He loved so much, or the fact that He was forsaken by His beloved disciples and Heavenly Father when He needed them most. He was left to carry the sins of the whole world all by Himself and die a slow, lonely, and excruciating death on the cross.
No person in his sound mind would want to go through such sufferings. Which is why Jesus pleaded with God to remove this cup of suffering, if possible. However, even though Jesus prayed so, He chose to submit to His Father's sovereign will. Why? Because He was committed to fulfilling His purpose in this world, and His purpose was to do His Father's will, not His own. He knew that only His death on the cross would complete the plan of the salvation for the whole world. He knew that He was the only answer to this lost and dying world, and that His submission to His Father's will would not be in vain. And because of His submission to God's will, Jesus was resurrected from the dead and exalted by His Father to the highest place, and given a name that is above every name, a name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Doing the will of God may be difficult and trying, but we can take heart knowing that glory and honor await those who stay true to God's will.
Are you struggling with the will of God in your life? Know that your struggle is nowhere near that of Jesus. And because Jesus, as a human could overcome every hardship to do God's will, rest assured that we can do the same. Just surrender your will to God. Ask Him for His grace, strength and wisdom to carry out His will. You will be amazed of His surpassing grace, strength and unfathomable wisdom pouring richly upon your life till it overflows, as you surrender your will to Him. You will receive the necessary power to complete His will for your life. And when God's will has taken hold of your life and run its course, you will receive His honor and praise, even as God is glorified.
To be continued ...
Pastor Sarah
During His earthly ministry, Jesus had the same human body and emotions just like us. Do you know that it is impossible for Him to endure this cup of suffering with mere human strength? He would not have been able to endure the pain of being flogged and nailed onto the cross. Neither would He have been able to tolerate the nasty remarks, malice, spitting and false accusation of his sinful detractors. It would have been tough for Him to accept the betrayal and the denial of His disciples whom He loved so much, or the fact that He was forsaken by His beloved disciples and Heavenly Father when He needed them most. He was left to carry the sins of the whole world all by Himself and die a slow, lonely, and excruciating death on the cross.
No person in his sound mind would want to go through such sufferings. Which is why Jesus pleaded with God to remove this cup of suffering, if possible. However, even though Jesus prayed so, He chose to submit to His Father's sovereign will. Why? Because He was committed to fulfilling His purpose in this world, and His purpose was to do His Father's will, not His own. He knew that only His death on the cross would complete the plan of the salvation for the whole world. He knew that He was the only answer to this lost and dying world, and that His submission to His Father's will would not be in vain. And because of His submission to God's will, Jesus was resurrected from the dead and exalted by His Father to the highest place, and given a name that is above every name, a name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Doing the will of God may be difficult and trying, but we can take heart knowing that glory and honor await those who stay true to God's will.
Are you struggling with the will of God in your life? Know that your struggle is nowhere near that of Jesus. And because Jesus, as a human could overcome every hardship to do God's will, rest assured that we can do the same. Just surrender your will to God. Ask Him for His grace, strength and wisdom to carry out His will. You will be amazed of His surpassing grace, strength and unfathomable wisdom pouring richly upon your life till it overflows, as you surrender your will to Him. You will receive the necessary power to complete His will for your life. And when God's will has taken hold of your life and run its course, you will receive His honor and praise, even as God is glorified.
To be continued ...
Pastor Sarah
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Strength of a conqueror (Part 1 of 3)
This is the first of a 3-part sermon based on Luke 22:39-46:
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, & His disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down & prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him & strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, & His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer & went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up & pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The world is full of temptations and distractions, and the early believers were not spared. Judas fell into the temptation of greed and betrayed his Master in the hope of getting rich overnight. Peter felt intimidated by the servant girl; he was tempted to deny His intimate relationship with His Master, and eventually gave in. The early followers of Christ were afraid of losing their lives. They forsook Him and fled for their own lives at the time when He longed for their presence & support. As believers, we are never free from temptations, however, we can learn to overcome them without giving in to them. Our best example is the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are 3 important elements we can learn from our Lord Jesus Christ from the afore-mentioned verses.
The first important element found in Luke 22:39 is "Firm Commitment" to prayer. Our Lord Jesus was fully devoted to His prayer life. Nothing can move Him from being steadfast in this commitment. He went regularly to Mount Olives and pray. Throughout the four Gospels, the authors recorded that Jesus would withdraw from the crowd to spend His time alone in prayer. He also woke up early in the morning before daylight to spend time with His Father God in prayer. In the day, He did the work of His Father God preaching the Kingdom of God, healing the sick and delivering the demon possessed. After a whole day's work, He set aside time in the evening for prayer. No matter how physically weary He was, He would never miss this wonderful time of communion with God.
Again, when He needed to make an important decision in selecting the twelve disciples, He spent time in prayer. The days before His earthly life ended, He spend time praying overnight. In this passage, we read that Jesus was facing a great struggle in His life. His Father God wanted Him to drink that bitter cup of suffering which He found unbearable. His Father's will was against His. He prayed more earnestly at this time more than ever before because He saw the importance of prayer in His struggle against God’s will.
Have you ever felt a lack of strength to go through each day work? Are you making any important decision in life? Are you struggling, or finding it very difficult to do God’s will? If so, all the more you need to learn to pray like Jesus. Make a firm commitment today to set apart a regular time daily to pray. Seek Him for strength, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel and grace to go through whatever you are facing in life. You will experience the amazing strength of God flowing through. Then, you will be empowered to overcome every situation in life.
To be continued ...
Pastor Sarah
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, & His disciples followed Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down & prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to Him & strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, & His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer & went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up & pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The world is full of temptations and distractions, and the early believers were not spared. Judas fell into the temptation of greed and betrayed his Master in the hope of getting rich overnight. Peter felt intimidated by the servant girl; he was tempted to deny His intimate relationship with His Master, and eventually gave in. The early followers of Christ were afraid of losing their lives. They forsook Him and fled for their own lives at the time when He longed for their presence & support. As believers, we are never free from temptations, however, we can learn to overcome them without giving in to them. Our best example is the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are 3 important elements we can learn from our Lord Jesus Christ from the afore-mentioned verses.
The first important element found in Luke 22:39 is "Firm Commitment" to prayer. Our Lord Jesus was fully devoted to His prayer life. Nothing can move Him from being steadfast in this commitment. He went regularly to Mount Olives and pray. Throughout the four Gospels, the authors recorded that Jesus would withdraw from the crowd to spend His time alone in prayer. He also woke up early in the morning before daylight to spend time with His Father God in prayer. In the day, He did the work of His Father God preaching the Kingdom of God, healing the sick and delivering the demon possessed. After a whole day's work, He set aside time in the evening for prayer. No matter how physically weary He was, He would never miss this wonderful time of communion with God.
Again, when He needed to make an important decision in selecting the twelve disciples, He spent time in prayer. The days before His earthly life ended, He spend time praying overnight. In this passage, we read that Jesus was facing a great struggle in His life. His Father God wanted Him to drink that bitter cup of suffering which He found unbearable. His Father's will was against His. He prayed more earnestly at this time more than ever before because He saw the importance of prayer in His struggle against God’s will.
Have you ever felt a lack of strength to go through each day work? Are you making any important decision in life? Are you struggling, or finding it very difficult to do God’s will? If so, all the more you need to learn to pray like Jesus. Make a firm commitment today to set apart a regular time daily to pray. Seek Him for strength, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel and grace to go through whatever you are facing in life. You will experience the amazing strength of God flowing through. Then, you will be empowered to overcome every situation in life.
To be continued ...
Pastor Sarah
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Sermon for the road: Reward in Persevering Faith
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Trials can either make or break a person. Two persons may face similar trials in life, yet one comes out victoriously and becomes a better person, while the other emerges with much bitterness and is angry with herself and others.
Why is this so? The answer lies in strong & persevering faith, love for God, & motivation.
1. Strong & persevering faith
A person has persevering faith when she stays focused in her purpose in life. She does not live for herself but for her Lord, whom she seeks to please. She is a stable person, knowing at all times what she should do, choosing always to do what is right and good. In other words, persevering faith is living out what you believe.
A person's faith is strong when it sees her through a hard trial; it gives her the needed grace to go through the storms of life without being shaken. This faith comes from her believing prayer life. She believes in the unfailing Word of God. She stands firm upon His promises & prays in faith believing God to do exceedingly beyond what she asks for.
2. Love for God
This is the reason why people press on when the situation surrounding a trial remains unchanged or worsens. When a person loves God passionately, nothing will deter her from doing what is right and pleasing in God's sight even through the most difficult of times. Love overwhelms the pains of any trial.
3. Motivation
What motivation can one possibly have by persevering faithfully in trials? It is the crown of life. Such a person knows without a shadow of doubt that God will reward her with the crown of life if she perseveres to the end. This is the promise of God, that He will come and bring her into His kingdom, where He will wipe away her tears, where there will be no more pain or sorrow. and where she will be found in His glorious presence forevermore.
You may not be able to opt out of a trial, or choose the way a trial turns out, but you can choose your response to it. By trusting God in His unfailing Word and promises, by loving Him wholeheartedly and doing all that is right and pleasing in His sight, and by setting your sight on the crown of life, you will emerge from your trial victoriously and become a blessing to others in many ways.
Pastor Sarah
Trials can either make or break a person. Two persons may face similar trials in life, yet one comes out victoriously and becomes a better person, while the other emerges with much bitterness and is angry with herself and others.
Why is this so? The answer lies in strong & persevering faith, love for God, & motivation.
1. Strong & persevering faith
A person has persevering faith when she stays focused in her purpose in life. She does not live for herself but for her Lord, whom she seeks to please. She is a stable person, knowing at all times what she should do, choosing always to do what is right and good. In other words, persevering faith is living out what you believe.
A person's faith is strong when it sees her through a hard trial; it gives her the needed grace to go through the storms of life without being shaken. This faith comes from her believing prayer life. She believes in the unfailing Word of God. She stands firm upon His promises & prays in faith believing God to do exceedingly beyond what she asks for.
2. Love for God
This is the reason why people press on when the situation surrounding a trial remains unchanged or worsens. When a person loves God passionately, nothing will deter her from doing what is right and pleasing in God's sight even through the most difficult of times. Love overwhelms the pains of any trial.
3. Motivation
What motivation can one possibly have by persevering faithfully in trials? It is the crown of life. Such a person knows without a shadow of doubt that God will reward her with the crown of life if she perseveres to the end. This is the promise of God, that He will come and bring her into His kingdom, where He will wipe away her tears, where there will be no more pain or sorrow. and where she will be found in His glorious presence forevermore.
**********
You may not be able to opt out of a trial, or choose the way a trial turns out, but you can choose your response to it. By trusting God in His unfailing Word and promises, by loving Him wholeheartedly and doing all that is right and pleasing in His sight, and by setting your sight on the crown of life, you will emerge from your trial victoriously and become a blessing to others in many ways.
Pastor Sarah
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Sermon for the road: Let's Lo Hei
The Chinese in Singapore has a tradition of eating “lo-hei” or “鱼生” together with their family, colleagues or friends during the Chinese New Year period. It’s a dish filled with symbolic ingredients, where the partakers will toss its contents high in the air, an act which symbolizes rising success in various aspects of life, before eating them (of course!)
“Lo-hei” reflects the natural desire to be successful in various aspects of life. For students, it’s probably their studies; for working adults, career comes to mind; and for business people, it’s obviously going to be their business. Most Christians would also desire to be successful in some, if not all, of their undertakings at the turn of the year.
As with every year that comes and goes, God may allow certain challenges in our workplace, school, church, etc. To meet such challenges successfully, a believer needs to do more than eat “lo-hei”, and the Bible certainly has something to say in this regards.
Look no further than the book of Proverbs, which is the collection of wise sayings of sages. It observes life and provides invaluable insight into it. The key to success in life, according to Proverbs 16:3, is this: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”.
The first step to success is to commit to the Lord whatever work or ministries we undertake this year. “To commit,” means to entrust or place our plan in God’s care. When this happens, He will be there to direct us and to work through every situation towards His good purpose for His kingdom and us.
The main problem for most people is the difficulty of completely leaving their plans in God’s hands. One possible reason is the lack of faith in God. Man tends to trust in his own understanding, wisdom, strength and power more than God’s. He expects God to do things according to his ways and timing. Because of this, people become unduly worried, anxious and stressful when things do not turn out the way they expect. That’s when discouragement may set in, and eventually leading to a person quitting what he set out to do initially. Failure comes about not because God is unable to help us, but because of our lack of trust in what God can do for us according to His perfect will.
To entrust our undertakings to God, we must learn how to trust in God, and that goes without saying. We must acknowledge the truth that God knows everything, now and in the future, and that His ways are perfect. Leave our undertakings completely in His hands. Imagine God to be our manager and us His workers, whose main responsibility is simply to take instructions from the manager. With God in the manager’s seat, we can be spared from every unnecessary anxiety. No matter what happens, we know that He is in control, and with that comes peace of mind and the much-needed assurance that He will see us through.
God is faithful, and will not suffer us to be defeated, even in the face of steep challenges. We can be confident in God’s guidance, knowing that God will come in at the right moments to guide or instruct us. God is all-powerful; nothing is impossible for Him. All God requires is that we faithfully and obediently abide by His instructions and timing. Know that God loves us, and that His purpose for us is good and not to harm us. Learn to rest in His goodness no matter what happens, and trust Him to “lo-hei” the success of our plans & overcoming challenges.
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, start this year by inviting Him to be yours. Then learn to commit your plans and challenges to God, and let Him do the “lo-hei”.
Join me in the following prayer with sincerity and anticipation of God’s answer:
Father God in heaven,
I want to be a Christian. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He died for my sins and rose again. Please forgive me of my sins. Please come into my life to be my Lord and Savior.
Holy Spirit, please come and dwell in me, directing me in every aspect of my life. Please make God so real to me. Help me know God personally. Set me free from all worry, anxiety and stress. Help me commit my undertakings completely to the loving and mighty hands of God. Bless me with success in my undertakings according to Your will this year.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Sermon for the road: Free from torment
Freedom from condemnation is possible.
To live in condemnation is a great torment. A man under condemnation cannot live in peace and joy. He cannot enjoy his life to the fullness. His conscience bothers him all day long. He cannot forgive himself for the wrong he has done. He finds it hard to sleep at night. Bad dreams torment him. He is a miserable person. He has no freedom from condemnation.
Thank God, however, that Christians can be free from all condemnation.
The apostle Paul had every good reason to condemn himself for the most of his earthly life. Before he became the follower of Christ, he was a very zealous Pharisee & teacher of the Law. He did not know Christ then and was under the great bondage of the Law, which gave him no freedom to do what was right. He lived under deception. He lacked understanding of the truth found in Christ. His human passions instigated him to do things contradicting God's law. These passions were so intense within him that he strove for self-righteousness through his own efforts. As a result, he went all the way to destroy the followers of Christ - he plotted to murder them AND he murdered them. He did not know that he was fighting against Christ who is the Truth, Way and Life.
Logically speaking, after he came to know Jesus, he should feel condemned for all the terrible things he had done in ignorance. But he did not because the Spirit of God revealed the truth that set him free from all condemnation of past sins.
Many people might have experienced similar situations like the apostle Paul. There are people under the strong bondage of uncontrollable emotions such as anger, lust, envy and greed. They know they should not do certain things, yet there is a strong desire in them, compelling them to do such things. This desire causes them to do evil again & again, such as speaking hurtful words to others who offend them; slandering those who have been a threat to them; hitting out at others to take revenge; stealing because of greed; and committing fornication to gratify their lust.
These people live with a guilty conscience and in misery because such sinful desires can never gratify or satisfy. How can one be free from such unproductive lifestyles?
Galatians 5:16 & 18 say "I say this to you: Let the Holy Spirit lead you in each step. Then you will not please your sinful old selves. If you let the Holy Spirit lead you, the Law no longer has power over you."
It's all about our willingness to submit our whole faculties, especially the mind, to the control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be given full liberty to do whatever He decides in our lives. We must be willing to let go our will and to adopt the will of God. His will must be our delight. Our old way of life must change. Stop going on in our stubborn ways! Cease to listen to the urging of our old sinful passion to do evil! Our hearts must be set on following the steps of the Holy Spirit. Tune our hearts to be sensitive to Him. Renew our minds daily from the filth of this world to His truth through meditating on His Word. Be ready at all times to submit our will to do what He wants, wholeheartedly at all times. If we do that, our sinful passion within us will not have any power to convince us to do evil. Our changed lives will become an evidence to the world that we have died to our sinful passion and now live by the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer can our sinful passion instigate us to do things against the Law of God. Then, we are no longer under the condemning power of Law because we have been set free from the power of sin.
As a conclusion, every Christian who submits to the leading of the Holy Spirit can be set free from the torment of condemnation. Do you what to be free from the torment you are struggling with? Please pray the following prayer from your heart in faith:
Father God,
I come to Your throne of grace seeking Your mercy. Lord, I have been tormented by condemnation. I hate my sinful passions of <fill in your own>. My sinful passions keep instigating me to do wrong. This day, I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I appropriate the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. This day, I want to surrender my whole life to Christ.
Jesus, please come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, I give You full control of my whole being - spirit, soul, body. No longer do I want to listen to my sinful passions to do evil. I want to follow You all the days of my life. I want to do what pleases You. Create in me a pure heart and lead me every step that I should take. Please set me free from those sinful passions at work in my life so that I can follow You wholeheartedly.
In Christ's name,
Amen.
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps
To live in condemnation is a great torment. A man under condemnation cannot live in peace and joy. He cannot enjoy his life to the fullness. His conscience bothers him all day long. He cannot forgive himself for the wrong he has done. He finds it hard to sleep at night. Bad dreams torment him. He is a miserable person. He has no freedom from condemnation.
Thank God, however, that Christians can be free from all condemnation.
The apostle Paul had every good reason to condemn himself for the most of his earthly life. Before he became the follower of Christ, he was a very zealous Pharisee & teacher of the Law. He did not know Christ then and was under the great bondage of the Law, which gave him no freedom to do what was right. He lived under deception. He lacked understanding of the truth found in Christ. His human passions instigated him to do things contradicting God's law. These passions were so intense within him that he strove for self-righteousness through his own efforts. As a result, he went all the way to destroy the followers of Christ - he plotted to murder them AND he murdered them. He did not know that he was fighting against Christ who is the Truth, Way and Life.
Logically speaking, after he came to know Jesus, he should feel condemned for all the terrible things he had done in ignorance. But he did not because the Spirit of God revealed the truth that set him free from all condemnation of past sins.
Many people might have experienced similar situations like the apostle Paul. There are people under the strong bondage of uncontrollable emotions such as anger, lust, envy and greed. They know they should not do certain things, yet there is a strong desire in them, compelling them to do such things. This desire causes them to do evil again & again, such as speaking hurtful words to others who offend them; slandering those who have been a threat to them; hitting out at others to take revenge; stealing because of greed; and committing fornication to gratify their lust.
These people live with a guilty conscience and in misery because such sinful desires can never gratify or satisfy. How can one be free from such unproductive lifestyles?
Galatians 5:16 & 18 say "I say this to you: Let the Holy Spirit lead you in each step. Then you will not please your sinful old selves. If you let the Holy Spirit lead you, the Law no longer has power over you."
It's all about our willingness to submit our whole faculties, especially the mind, to the control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be given full liberty to do whatever He decides in our lives. We must be willing to let go our will and to adopt the will of God. His will must be our delight. Our old way of life must change. Stop going on in our stubborn ways! Cease to listen to the urging of our old sinful passion to do evil! Our hearts must be set on following the steps of the Holy Spirit. Tune our hearts to be sensitive to Him. Renew our minds daily from the filth of this world to His truth through meditating on His Word. Be ready at all times to submit our will to do what He wants, wholeheartedly at all times. If we do that, our sinful passion within us will not have any power to convince us to do evil. Our changed lives will become an evidence to the world that we have died to our sinful passion and now live by the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer can our sinful passion instigate us to do things against the Law of God. Then, we are no longer under the condemning power of Law because we have been set free from the power of sin.
As a conclusion, every Christian who submits to the leading of the Holy Spirit can be set free from the torment of condemnation. Do you what to be free from the torment you are struggling with? Please pray the following prayer from your heart in faith:
Father God,
I come to Your throne of grace seeking Your mercy. Lord, I have been tormented by condemnation. I hate my sinful passions of <fill in your own>. My sinful passions keep instigating me to do wrong. This day, I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I appropriate the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. This day, I want to surrender my whole life to Christ.
Jesus, please come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, I give You full control of my whole being - spirit, soul, body. No longer do I want to listen to my sinful passions to do evil. I want to follow You all the days of my life. I want to do what pleases You. Create in me a pure heart and lead me every step that I should take. Please set me free from those sinful passions at work in my life so that I can follow You wholeheartedly.
In Christ's name,
Amen.
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps
Monday, January 23, 2006
Sermon for the Road: Blessing in Affliction
Affliction can be an opportunity to blessing. In this world, people face afflictions of many kinds. Examples of afflictions are sickness, financial crisis, retrenchment and relationship tensions. Afflictions can either ruin or strengthen a person. Christians, however, can benefit from all kinds of afflictions in life.
Facing afflictions with the wrong attitude can add unnecessary pain to our lives. The Israelites' history was a warning to every Christian. They were destroyed because they did not persevere in hard times. They murmured, complained and rebelled against God because of unbelief. God promised to give them a good land. They refused to press forward towards God’s Promised Land. Instead, their hearts were set to move backward into the land of slavery. Finally, they missed the great blessing that God has planned for them. Christians can also miss divine blessings if they refuse to persevere in hard times towards what God has promised.
In the year 2006, we can trust God to give us all the good things that He has promised us. But this promise is not the guarantee of a life free from hardship or affliction. While moving towards God’s promise, we might face various troubles in life. When faced with troubles, we must not give up our faith in Him. If we give up what we hope for, we will not receive the good blessing He has for us.
Afflictions can work something great in the life of devoted Christians. James 1:2-4 teaches us the reasons why Christians must endure all kinds of trials.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Why does God allow devoted Christians to go through hard times? Is it because He hates us? No. His motive is pure and good. He has no desire to harm us. His intention is for our good. His purpose for us to go through hardship is to test our faith (verse 3). Faith that has gone through hard times is precious in God's sight. Just like gold can only be valuable after it has gone through fire; God will reward his faithful Christians who stay true to Him till the end, who have remained steadfast in faith in spite of various kinds of hardship. On the day of our Lord’s return, they will be blessed with praise, honor and glory.
What does the Epistle of James say about Christians enduring trials? The purpose of trials is to test how much Christians can persevere in hardship (verse 3). To persevere is to endure hardship without letting go of our hope. It is to stand firm in our faith no matter how unfavorable the situation is. Perseverance is a good virtue to cultivate. Without persevering in hardship, there will not be any breakthrough in life. Those who do not persevere will not be able to attain great things for God. Perseverance is the key to receiving God’s promises for our life. Thank God for the persevering virtue of Job. He did not quit his faith while facing various tribulations. He worshipped and praised God in the time of great loss. Finally, God blessed him doubly more than what he used to possess. Those who passed the test will find it rewarding.
What can the Christian benefit from persevering in trials? A Christian who perseveres to keep his faith can grow into maturity and become complete in Christ (verse 4). A mature person is not childish. A childish person lacks sound judgment and understanding. No one will entrust any great task to an immature person. A mature person, on the other hand, has sound judgment with the ability to discern what is right or wrong. His maturity comes from years of learning the truth and putting it into practice. To grow into maturity, Christians must cultivate the discipline of learning and living in the truth.
The mature Christian is complete in Christ. He has acquired all the good qualities to live a productive life for God's glory. Through his perseverance in keeping his faith to the end, he grows in his saving knowledge of God. He who knows God can do great things. A godly character will be engraved in his life. Besides, he will also grow in self-control. He will not be tempted and fall into the sins of unbelief and rebellion. He will able to enjoy the reward of his perseverance - the good promises that God has prepared for him. In hard times, he can also grow in his love relationship with God. God is with him to bring comfort and open a way out for him so that he can endure hardship and stand firm in his faith till the end. A mature Christian has no lack of good things in Christ Jesus. Joseph is another good example of a man enduring various hard trials in life. He stayed true to God to the end. God gave him discernment, wisdom and insight. God promoted him to be ruler over Egypt. He was complete in God. He did not lack any good qualities to run the country efficiently and to meet the need of people all over the earth in times of famine.
As a conclusion, let us not be weary in times of tribulations in life. Hard times will come but God’s promises remain unchanged. If we persevere in our faith to the end, we will inherit His good promises for us.
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps
Facing afflictions with the wrong attitude can add unnecessary pain to our lives. The Israelites' history was a warning to every Christian. They were destroyed because they did not persevere in hard times. They murmured, complained and rebelled against God because of unbelief. God promised to give them a good land. They refused to press forward towards God’s Promised Land. Instead, their hearts were set to move backward into the land of slavery. Finally, they missed the great blessing that God has planned for them. Christians can also miss divine blessings if they refuse to persevere in hard times towards what God has promised.
In the year 2006, we can trust God to give us all the good things that He has promised us. But this promise is not the guarantee of a life free from hardship or affliction. While moving towards God’s promise, we might face various troubles in life. When faced with troubles, we must not give up our faith in Him. If we give up what we hope for, we will not receive the good blessing He has for us.
Afflictions can work something great in the life of devoted Christians. James 1:2-4 teaches us the reasons why Christians must endure all kinds of trials.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Why does God allow devoted Christians to go through hard times? Is it because He hates us? No. His motive is pure and good. He has no desire to harm us. His intention is for our good. His purpose for us to go through hardship is to test our faith (verse 3). Faith that has gone through hard times is precious in God's sight. Just like gold can only be valuable after it has gone through fire; God will reward his faithful Christians who stay true to Him till the end, who have remained steadfast in faith in spite of various kinds of hardship. On the day of our Lord’s return, they will be blessed with praise, honor and glory.
What does the Epistle of James say about Christians enduring trials? The purpose of trials is to test how much Christians can persevere in hardship (verse 3). To persevere is to endure hardship without letting go of our hope. It is to stand firm in our faith no matter how unfavorable the situation is. Perseverance is a good virtue to cultivate. Without persevering in hardship, there will not be any breakthrough in life. Those who do not persevere will not be able to attain great things for God. Perseverance is the key to receiving God’s promises for our life. Thank God for the persevering virtue of Job. He did not quit his faith while facing various tribulations. He worshipped and praised God in the time of great loss. Finally, God blessed him doubly more than what he used to possess. Those who passed the test will find it rewarding.
What can the Christian benefit from persevering in trials? A Christian who perseveres to keep his faith can grow into maturity and become complete in Christ (verse 4). A mature person is not childish. A childish person lacks sound judgment and understanding. No one will entrust any great task to an immature person. A mature person, on the other hand, has sound judgment with the ability to discern what is right or wrong. His maturity comes from years of learning the truth and putting it into practice. To grow into maturity, Christians must cultivate the discipline of learning and living in the truth.
The mature Christian is complete in Christ. He has acquired all the good qualities to live a productive life for God's glory. Through his perseverance in keeping his faith to the end, he grows in his saving knowledge of God. He who knows God can do great things. A godly character will be engraved in his life. Besides, he will also grow in self-control. He will not be tempted and fall into the sins of unbelief and rebellion. He will able to enjoy the reward of his perseverance - the good promises that God has prepared for him. In hard times, he can also grow in his love relationship with God. God is with him to bring comfort and open a way out for him so that he can endure hardship and stand firm in his faith till the end. A mature Christian has no lack of good things in Christ Jesus. Joseph is another good example of a man enduring various hard trials in life. He stayed true to God to the end. God gave him discernment, wisdom and insight. God promoted him to be ruler over Egypt. He was complete in God. He did not lack any good qualities to run the country efficiently and to meet the need of people all over the earth in times of famine.
As a conclusion, let us not be weary in times of tribulations in life. Hard times will come but God’s promises remain unchanged. If we persevere in our faith to the end, we will inherit His good promises for us.
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Sermon for the road: How long, Lord?
Habakkuk 1:2 "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence! But you do not save?"
The desperate cry of Christians might be: “How long, Lord?” This kind of earnest prayer might be the cry of many godly people. These godly people might have been so troubled by what they have seen or faced in life. After crying to God earnestly day and night, their situation might not improve but deteriorate instead. They might feel that God has not listened to their prayer. They might become so devastated. This might be the common phenomenon godly Christians face in this corrupted world.
Prolonged unanswered prayer is very frustrating. Waiting for divine intervention can drive one mad! Prophet Habakkuk has faced this situation in his ministry. He saw violence everywhere. He pleaded God to bring salvation to His people. He waited for an answer but God did not reply. He became impatient with God and cried, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help but You do not listen?”
God listened to the cry of Habakkuk for help. He answered every earnest prayer of His righteous people. Habakkuk was a righteous and godly prophet. He interceded faithfully for the salvation of his sinful and rebellious people with great perseverance. God replied his earnest cry. In Habakkuk 1:5, the Lord Almighty answered the cry of Habakkuk:
“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to
do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
The answer of God was beyond what Habakkuk could ever think of or imagine. God was raising the surrounding nations to punish his rebellious and immoral people. His way of solving Habakkuk’s prayer was beyond what he could understand.
Habakkuk was wrong to accuse God for not listening to his prayer. Habakkuk has a problem. He was so overwhelmed with the evil deeds of his people. He was so troubled by them. He lacked spiritual discernment. He did not discern the answer of God for his cry. He also lacked of watchfulness in his prayer. He did not notice the amazing things God was working among the nations. He had limited understanding of what God can do. He did not expect God could do more than what he expected. He would not be in despair and impatient with God if he had gained a heart of understanding and insight into the amazing things that God could do.
God hears our desperate cry for help. His answer might not be what we expect. He can do much more than what we ask for. In His infinite wisdom, He knows what is the best answer for every situation. We will not be despair or impatient with God if we gain an insight or understanding of His infinite wisdom in solving our problem according to His way and timing.
If you are facing the same problem as Habakkuk, can we come together and pray the following prayer in faith:
Our loving and faithful Father God,
I come to Your throne of grace. I acknowledge that Your wisdom is infinite. I need You. I know that You have heard my prayers ever since I prayed to You. Please give me spiritual discernment to discern Your answer for my life situation. Open my eyes to see the amazing things You are working in my life situation. Please help me to be watchful while I am interceding for the problem I face in life. Please give me a heart of understanding and insight into what you are doing in my life situation. Increase my faith to see the great and amazing things You are working in my life situation for our good.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps, cf_tht
The desperate cry of Christians might be: “How long, Lord?” This kind of earnest prayer might be the cry of many godly people. These godly people might have been so troubled by what they have seen or faced in life. After crying to God earnestly day and night, their situation might not improve but deteriorate instead. They might feel that God has not listened to their prayer. They might become so devastated. This might be the common phenomenon godly Christians face in this corrupted world.
Prolonged unanswered prayer is very frustrating. Waiting for divine intervention can drive one mad! Prophet Habakkuk has faced this situation in his ministry. He saw violence everywhere. He pleaded God to bring salvation to His people. He waited for an answer but God did not reply. He became impatient with God and cried, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help but You do not listen?”
God listened to the cry of Habakkuk for help. He answered every earnest prayer of His righteous people. Habakkuk was a righteous and godly prophet. He interceded faithfully for the salvation of his sinful and rebellious people with great perseverance. God replied his earnest cry. In Habakkuk 1:5, the Lord Almighty answered the cry of Habakkuk:
“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to
do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
The answer of God was beyond what Habakkuk could ever think of or imagine. God was raising the surrounding nations to punish his rebellious and immoral people. His way of solving Habakkuk’s prayer was beyond what he could understand.
Habakkuk was wrong to accuse God for not listening to his prayer. Habakkuk has a problem. He was so overwhelmed with the evil deeds of his people. He was so troubled by them. He lacked spiritual discernment. He did not discern the answer of God for his cry. He also lacked of watchfulness in his prayer. He did not notice the amazing things God was working among the nations. He had limited understanding of what God can do. He did not expect God could do more than what he expected. He would not be in despair and impatient with God if he had gained a heart of understanding and insight into the amazing things that God could do.
God hears our desperate cry for help. His answer might not be what we expect. He can do much more than what we ask for. In His infinite wisdom, He knows what is the best answer for every situation. We will not be despair or impatient with God if we gain an insight or understanding of His infinite wisdom in solving our problem according to His way and timing.
If you are facing the same problem as Habakkuk, can we come together and pray the following prayer in faith:
Our loving and faithful Father God,
I come to Your throne of grace. I acknowledge that Your wisdom is infinite. I need You. I know that You have heard my prayers ever since I prayed to You. Please give me spiritual discernment to discern Your answer for my life situation. Open my eyes to see the amazing things You are working in my life situation. Please help me to be watchful while I am interceding for the problem I face in life. Please give me a heart of understanding and insight into what you are doing in my life situation. Increase my faith to see the great and amazing things You are working in my life situation for our good.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
Pastor Sarah
Category: cf_ps, cf_tht
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