GLORIFICATION

The Church and I (Eph 1)

2012-02-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

Sermon snippet by Rev Andrew Peh

For the next few weeks we will be doing a pulpit series known as “The Church and I”. It is
our hope that we will come to know more deeply what it means to be in the Church (whether it is the Local Church the One Holy Apostolic Church).

10 ways to kill the church

1. Passivity:
Here am I Lord, send him/her.

2. Lethargy:
Church is spectator sport, too tired to bother.

3. Insensitivity:
Brutally frank when comments are not solicited.

4. Apathy:
S.B.C. “simply bochap”. Growing insensitivity to the needs of others, no compassion and feelings for each other.

5. Negativity:
Meditate on how wonderful the church would be if it weren’t for the pastor. Eager to tear apart and destroy.

6. Promiscuity:
Not just the physical but also the spiritual where we are easily distracted in the midst of worship, to pay attention to our ‘idols’.

7. Superficiality:
not willing to be vulnerable. Allow casual small talk to take the place of genuine sharing and discipleship.

8. Mediocrity:
Just content with mediocrity and console ourselves that mediocre offering can be offered to the Lord.

9. Individuality:
It’s all about me, wanting all that happens in church to pander around ourselves. “Blessings all mine” mentality. Go to church for what you can get out
of it.

10. Bad
Theology: Insidious and causes truth-decay in the church.

Churches in Singapore have grown to become middle class. Many believers compartmentalize
their lives into 3 parts: worship, work and play, but that is not all, we often mess up the order as well. We worship our work, play at our worship and work at
our play. The established church is far more dangerous to the church than any heresy or schism.

Many of our identities are tied in with our possessions, the power we exercise over certain groups of people but for Paul, what makes for the core of his identity is his connection with Jesus Christ.

Reflection questions:

How connected are you with Jesus Christ?

How does your rootedness in Christ define your behaviour?

Rev 2:4 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

The Church and I: One New Humanity (Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

2012-02-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

Ourtext today makes three primary points:

1.Divisions are real (vv.11-12)

TheJewish practice of circumcision and their observance of many ordinances andreligious regulations created a sense of superiority among the Jews andcontributed to their sense of disdain for the Gentiles. At the sametime, these practices and attitudes created a strong anti-Jewish backlash amongthe Gentiles. One of most visible expressions of this distinction and hostilitybetween Jews and Gentiles was found in the temple. There, a wall divided theinner court sanctuary -- which was open only to Jews - from the outer court,which was also open to Gentiles. Insiders and outsiders.

This inscription contains the ominous words, "Whoever is captured will have himself to blame for his subsequent death."

Christiancommunity is an unnatural unity, unlike a lifestyleenclave in which a shared interest brings people together [e.g. fishing, golf]. The New Testament Church was anything but ahomogeneous group. It was made up ofJews and Gentiles, young and old, slaves and slave owners, male and female. It had a host of characters from exprostitutes, ex priests and ex practitioners of magic to fishermen, zealots(the terrorists of the first century) and tax collectors, collaborators withthe Roman establishment!

Therewas a far greater ethnic, economic, political and social diversity than we havein Singapore today. Their resultantbehavior caused the Romans to call them “The Third Race.” [1]Their life gave credibility to their faith and the truth of their message (IJohn 4.20). The Church as community alsoprovides a living statement of God’s truth to the world.

Animosityand divisions can arise when someone seeks to manipulate people and/or eventsfor their own ends. It may be that there is pride in rule-keeping and those whodo not keep the same rules are slighted/snubbed. It may be that a pet interpretationof doctrine is emphasized and used as a litmus test for belonging to the “in”group. In Singapore, a Church filed injunction against bible college board overdoctrinal difference in 2008, only resolved in 2011. Or, it could be thatsomeone wants to wrest leadership from the pastor or elders and rallies a groupof people around himself to accomplish a coup d'état. Sadly, difference ofopinion regarding music and worship style is also a frequent cause of divisionin the church.

Reflection Question: Today are we recognized as being a thirdrace? People who are the living proof of God’s truth in the world?

2.Christ is our peace (vv.13-16)

Inspite of this long history of division between Jews and Gentiles, Paul writesthat Christ "is our peace" (v.14). Paul uses a number of phrases andimages in verses 13-16 to describe the broad scope of Christ's reconcilingwork. In short, Paul says that Christ has eliminated the root causes of thehostile division between Jews and Gentiles. Both groups are reconciled to Godthrough the cross.

Far and near. First, Paul says that those who oncewere far off -- the Gentiles -- "have been brought near by the blood ofChrist" (v.13). In using this image of far and near, Paul cleverly borrowsfrom the prophet Isaiah who once distinguished the Jewish exiles who were faroff in Babylon from those who were left behind in a decimated homeland (Isa. 57:19[2]).And just as God had once restored the Jewish exiles, now, in Christ, God woulddo the same thing for the Gentiles.

Jewsand Gentiles focused on their differences. But, as Paul infers, both groups hadthis in common: each had known theexperience of being estranged from God. The sacrificial life and death of Christwould benefit all who would believe -- both Jew and Gentile.

Dividing wall.Second, Paul says that Christ has broken down the dividing wall thatrepresented the hostility between Jews and Gentiles (v.14). I noted earlierthat this dividing wall in the temple kept Gentiles from having access to theinner court of the temple where they could worship God. Instead, they werebanished to the outer court where they had to contend with the noise anddistraction of the merchants and moneychangers. The wall was a constantreminder that the Gentiles were second class at best. Paul says that Christbroke down the dividing wall in order to make both groups one and offer bothgroups equal access to God.

Abolish the law.Third, Paul says that Christ "has abolished the law with its commandmentsand ordinances" (v.15). At first blush, this statement seems to be at oddswith the comment of Jesus when he said, "Do not think that I have come toabolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but tofulfill" (Matt.5:17).

Christ has dismantled,disarmed, put to death and made a public spectacle of those things we humansconstruct to make us feel special and superior --things that cut us off from God and from one another. And in their place, Godhas reconstructed one new humanity in place of the two (v.15) and hasreconciled both groups to God in one body (v.16).

Christis our peace. If only Christians will honor God by life style within thecommunity of faith. As Paul said to theChurch at Corinth, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts to beknown and read by all.” (II Cor.3.2). Jesus lived, died and was raisedfrom the dead to create the community of faith!

3.The church is God's new dwelling place (vv.17-22)

Thisis the image that Paul uses here: Christ demolishes the old order so that hecan build the new. In this "one new humanity in Christ" -- whichwe call the church -- Christ is reconciling former enemies and constructing anew temple where God can dwell.

The old temple,because of its dividing wall, had been a painful symbol of alienation andseparation between Jews and Gentiles. But this new temple will be thesymbol of reconciliation and unity.

Illustration:A woman recently remarried after beingwidowed for several years. As is often the case, both she and the widower thatshe married decided that they would each sell their old houses and buy a newhouse together. That way they could grow into their new home together ratherthan one needing to make all the adjustments of coming onto the other's"turf."

NewTestament scholar Francis Beare makes a similar observation about the way inwhich Christ formed "one new humanity" from the Gentiles and Jews.Beare writes that it was "not by the victory of one part over another,(not) by the conversion of the Gentile world to Judaism, but by the harmonious union of the warringelements into something altogether new. . . The Gentiles, who were'alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, are not beaten into submission tothe religion of Israel, but are given an equal part in the making of thenew (humanity)."

Paulmakes several observations about the nature of this one new humanity -- thechurch:

Both groups will have equal access toGod. We hear a lotabout access today. Paul says that in Christ, both groups -- former enemies --now haveequal access to God. This access is based, not on the law, noton ancestry, not on circumcision, but on the cross of Christ. Based onGod's initiative and on God's grace and mercy.

Both groups will have full rights ofcitizenship. One of theissues in last election has to do with immigration -- specifically, what rightsto afford to immigrants, the permanent residents. Many Singaporeans want thedemarcation to be clear that PR’s do not have the same rights and privileges asdo citizens.

Paulsays that both groups -- Gentiles and Jews -- are full citizens and members ofGod's household. This one new humanity in Christ is to offer space for all to meet and toexperience God's presence and welcome. Godwill only dwell where God's people are living out this one new humanity. Thechurch is to be living proof of God's mighty power to reconcile. When we arenot willing to live in reconciled relationships, we should not expect God to bepresent in our midst.

Application

1. Distinctions have their place but are not to beworshiped. Ethnic and national and political and denominational identities willalways be a part of who we are. These distinctions bring with them richtraditions and customs and tastes -- all of which are to be celebrated as giftsfrom God.

Anydistinctions in the human family are not an appropriate basis for deciding who is part ofthe body of Christ -- or for determining one's status, or forassigning human worth, or for apportioning power, or for making judgments aboutgood and evil. God takes the initiative to extend grace and to offer a place inGod's family for all who will respond to Christ with a faith that expressesitself in a willingness to follow.

2. We aren't ultimately responsible to fix the broken worldin which we live. That's a relief. Paul says that God is already gathering up orreconciling "all things in (Christ), things in heaven and things onearth" (Eph. 1:10)and that Christ has already broken down the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2:14). Some of you maybe thinking, well, if God has already done the work of reconciliation -- ifChrist has broken down the dividing wall -- why is there still so much divisionin the world and even in the church? And if Christ has already done the work ofreconciliation, then what is our role? What is left for us?

Ourjob is three-fold:

1. Our role is to not rebuild barriers.While Christ has broken down the dividing wall, we humans continue to constructbarriers to make us feel superior to others: education levels, economic status,ethnicity, Christians by birth vs Christians by confession and choice. When wemake these distinctions the basis for excluding some, or for showingfavoritism, we are guilty of rebuilding the barriers which Christdismantled. The same is true when we react to differences of opinionby taking sides and gossiping, the split will widen, more harm will be done tothe church members, and our message to the world will be further compromised.

Whilewe are not to rebuild barriers, neither are we to tear down the temple that God isbuilding. The text from 1 Corinthians 3:17 has strongwords in this regard.

Reflection Question: How would you see yourself? Are you part ofthe demolition team or the construction team in God’s house? Why?

2. Our role is to tell the truth about the power of Christ'sreconciling work. Many other Jewish Christians in the first century were not particularlyinterested in telling the truth about the radical nature of God's reconcilingwork in Christ. They were not particularly interest in having the Gentilesshare equal access to God. And so they insisted that Gentiles jump through all kinds of hoops: be circumcised and observe all manner of rulesand regulations. Essentially, they insisted that Gentiles become Jews if theywished to be part of God's family.

Paul refused to fallinto this deception. He told the truth about the extraordinary thing that Godhad done in Christ. The truth is: no more walls; no more exclusive access; nomore second class folks. The truth is one new humanity.

Reflection Question: What sort of deception do we perpetuate inour midst that would birth “insider vs outsider” groupings?

3. Our role is to follow Christ in the way of peace.

Thisis our role: not rebuilding walls; not destroying God's temple; but instead,telling the truth about the amazing scope of Christ's reconciling work andfollowing Christ in the way of peace.

DietrichBonhoeffer’s Life Together (London: SCM Press, 1970), p. 15) mentions at least three tools forreconciliation that we can employ in church:

(1)Confession,

(2)Forgiveness and

(3)Reproof.

Eachis important for building true community (see esp. Acts 4.42ff; II Tim. 3.16).

[1] TheThird Race is an actual description of early Christians by a pagancontemporary in the 1st century. He called them "the third race".

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_third_race#ixzz1lS3cXMDd

[2]Peace, peace to those far and near.: says the Lord,”And I will heal them.”

The Church & I : Christian Submission in our New relationships (Eph 5:21-6:9)

2012-02-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Mr Daren Lee
When we come to a relationship with Jesus Christ, our existing relationships becomes new because of Him.

V21: Christian submission is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul mentioned that submission in 3 areas:
1. Wives and husbands;
2. children and father;
3. slaves and masters.

To put this verse in context, i.e. v 15-21 there is no period (full stop) after the phrase, " filled with the spirit." Instead a participle follows, rendering the "filling of the holy spirit" and "being submissive" as one i.e. the latter i.e. of "being subject (or submitting) to another out of reverence for Christ" following from the former.

We are to "submit to one another" as a fish would adapt to water. But is this true today? Illustration of his re-dedication to God: He had a new love for the word, new fervency to pray. All these are evidences of a Spirit-filled life. Yet he noticed that he continued to struggle with submission. It doesn't get easier with time also. Is there something more fundamental that we need to deal with? The verse tells us we are to submit to one another our of 'reverence for Christ'. Our new submission is possible because it is rooted in our identity in Christ. In Lk 9:23-24, Jesus' invitation to follow him is a call to submission, to deny ourselves daily so that Christ will reside in us. We are called to practise submission on a daily basis.

Many are afraid to submit ourselves to another for fear of losing our identity, having to give up our personal rights etc. But when we practise true godly submission, we are going to receive the new me, the new identity in Christ. Power is the rule of the day in our world but Christ denied himself and gives us a new power to live. We are able to do so because for once in our lives, through Christ we know that we are of infinite worth. We now have a new identity to relate to others. Our surroundings continue to be filled with unreasonable bosses etc. they have not changed. But now desiring to deny ourselves daily, we are no longer the same. We can respond differently now that we know we are infinitely loved by Christ.

This is how it can be practiced: v 22 submit yourselves... To your own husband... Added in by the modern translators. Wives to your own husband as you to Christ:

1. Submission and love of husbands and wives

2. obedience of children and nurture by parents

3. Obedience of slaves and forbearance of masters.

Rather than emphasizing on the women, the slaves and the children, the focus is on man (Emphasis of man to be submit is mentioned 3 times). Focus on man:

love your wife as your own body: 5 languages of love: gifts, words of affirmation, quality time, touch and acts of service. The way you feel most loved is typically the way your express your love. But it may not meet the need of your spouse. Figure out your spouse's love language.

Illustration: A talented and creative artist, an enthusiastic radio-show host; a happy mother and wife — no one would doubt the preciousness of Muriel McQuilkin's life — until her decline into the darkness of Alzheimer's disease.

Muriel spent the last decade of her life battling Alzheimer's, while her husband, Robertson, battled critics of his decision to stay home with her. Robertson's decision became controversial when he resigned as president of Columbia Bible College to care for Muriel full time. With his 22-year career at a peak, many urged him to put Muriel in a nursing home and continue with "God's work."

Many urged him to put Muriel in a nursing home and continue with "God's work."

God's work, Robertson concluded, was taking care of his wife. "There are others who can lead the Bible college," he said, "but I am the only one who can care for Muriel." He didn't debate the ethical value of her life. The McQuilkins' story is about abiding love. "I wrote a book on ethics; I even researched euthanasia," Robertson said. "I know the issues. I am keeping a promise: 'til death do us part. I made my decision because I love her. I thought, Here's my lover; what can I do to make her life easier?" "When will you put her in a home?" "When someone else can take better care of her than I can."

To the oft-asked question, "When will you put her in a home?" Robertson always answered, "When someone else can take better care of her than I can." That never happened. Robertson kept his promise right up until Muriel's death in September 2003, feeding her, bathing her, loving her even when she could only respond with grunts and groans. "Love takes the sting out of duty," he says.
All of us who peek into the McQuilkins' story receive lessons in love. Robertson painted the portrait of Christian marriage as that of Christ and the church. He loves His bride even when she doesn't show love in return.

"Of course, love is designed to be reciprocated," Robertson says, "but true love is not about how lovable the object is but rather the heart of the one loving." Robertson notes that the decision to stay home with an ailing loved one is not for everyone. "My story doesn't always help people struggling with this issue," he says. Some people may not be old enough to retire from their jobs; some might not be physically strong enough to lift a sick person; some might not be emotionally strong enough to handle it. "I was fortunate to be in a position that I could do what I did," he says.

In Muriel's case, perhaps God used her most profoundly in her mental darkness. Their story has been published many times and has spurred countless marriages to deeper commitment. One afternoon Robertson received a foreign magazine with their story in another language. "See there, honey, you're preaching all over the world!" he told Muriel.

Since Muriel's death, Robertson speaks at churches, conferences and universities on the topic of love and marriage, most often sharing his lecture "Six Things Muriel Taught Me About Love." Through it all, their journey of love lives on and encourages many.

Chinese New Year Message: An Opportunity to Mend (Gen 43:24-34; John 21:9-14)

2012-01-27T00:28:00.000-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

Chinese new year is a special time when we not only catch up with our immediate family but also with the extended family. These often appear in our visitation list for Chinese New year. Yet, how often have we experienced the abrupt deletion of one or two families over time. What happened? Usually these are dropped because there is some grievance with them that never got resolved. Especially when the link-pin to that family is gone (e.g. grandma etc.), the visits are discontinued and the list just got shorter and shorted. Sometimes the distance is created bvy years of neglect, misunderstandings, differing perspectives regarding the elders of the family... everyone has a story, a justification why we should skip this home and that.

As we come to this time of the year, particularly this evening (CNY Eve with the tradition of Reunion dinners), we will notice who is missing from the table and has not been invited to come. We will call to mind the ones we want to continue not to visit the next day. We make these decisions to avoid:

· being reminded of the matter that led to thisstate of affairs

· having to deal with it

· having to apologize and make good whatever itwas

· the awkwardness of having to meet and receivethese persons

· being disappointed yet again, if there is noresponse or if things are not going to be mended the way we perceive theyshould be.

This morning we want to think about these ruptures and the family and how we may respond to them as believers celebrating Chinese New Year. After all, in God's eternal plan, he will be calling to all the 4 corners of the earth to bring together those who are in his family. We will all then share the same heaven, see each other for ever. Amongst this group, we will certainly meet people with whom we have had differences, fought legally in court. What would we do then in heaven if we do not attempt to restore some measure of peace at least our part in the responsibility?

How are we to answer the Lord's instructions given in Matt 18:21-22, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to 7 times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not 7 times, but 70 seven times.' Rom 13:8 says, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." If you feel the person owes you, then make that debt even more outstanding than it has ever been before. That's what Paul is saying. We have not come to 70 seven times.

Jesus also says in John 13:34-35, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you may love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' Ever wonder why the remaining relatives who are not believers never want to cross that line to believe in Christ? They can't see how Christ's love can be genuine if 2 believing sets of relatives continue to keep up the rebuff. Peacable and peacemaking are to be the character of the children of God.

John 15:12 "This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you." 1 John 3:1-3, 'See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as He is pure.' If our rift is with non-believers, we want to become like Jesus before he appears. We show that we belong to Jesus when we are able to imitate the Lord: to lay aside our grievance against someone, forgive and extend once again that hand of kinship/friendship. Surprise them this festive season, be prayerful tonight as you gather your family together for the meal.

How will we do this?

· Pickup that phone number that we’ve chucked away for a long time. Invite thisperson to your home for dinner tonight. He/she can only say, “No, I have otherplans.”

· Put that family back on that visitation list andjust ring the door bell tomorrow. It’s unlikely that they will turn you away.

By doing these, you would have:

· Sown seeds of peacemaking in just that one phonecall or that one visit

· Demonstrated what the Lord has done in yourlife. More than all that you’ve ever said to this family, this act or attemptat receiving the other will speak louder than those words.

· Pleased the Lord more than you can ever imagine.

The challenge to us then is this: Think of Matt 5:46-47, “⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the taxcollectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only yourown people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”Does Jesus make a difference in your life when it comes to loving those whomyou find difficult to love?

Remember the admonition Paul gave in Rom 12:17-21, “17 Donot repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes ofeveryone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace witheveryone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’swrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says theLord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on hishead.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil,but overcome evil with good.” Can we leave our accumulated anger in the handsof God and let him take from us the right to repay those who have caused usloss and pain? Will you make the first move in imitation of Jesus Christ? Willyou allow this embedded pain to be healed after all these years?

Yet, we are always waiting for the other to make the firstmove. Our pride will not let it go. We are fearful that if we make the firstmove, it would mean that “I am admitting that I was at fault.” Think of Josephmaking that first move to usher his brothers into his house for a meal. Jesusmade that first move to invite his disciples for breakfast by the shore. Bothmen knew that there were outstanding matters regarding the people they weregoing to eat with, yet they did not hesitate to open their arms to love. Can wedo any less?

God is never far away when we learn to make peace because Heis the ultimate peace-maker who alone is our inspiration. It was God who hadintervened and blessed Esau in the years that Jacob had not seen him so that hehad no thoughts of getting back at Jacob when they met again. God had not beenidle all that time, but had prepared his brother. Similarly, it was God whogave Joseph perspective regarding his slavery and exile to Egypt and the yearsof suffering so that he could embrace his brothers who had done him in yearsago.

After all these years, what new perspective has God givenyou regarding some of these buried grievances, a new way to view the past? Haveyou experienced that grace that Joseph was able to show to his siblings?

God honors our efforts to make peace and He will yetsurprise you, just like he did with Jacob. God is a specialist in mending brokenrelationships, pray and invite him to give you courage and bless your effortsto make that first move.

Illustration: Chancing One’s Arm

A dispute between two leading noble families of medievalIreland, the Butlers (Earls of Ormond) and the FitzGeralds (Earls of Kildare)was resolved in 1492 by a brave act and a magnanimous response. Black James,nephew of the Earl of Ormond, fleeing from FitzGerald's Geraldine soldiers,took sanctuary in the chapter house of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.Though he had the upper hand, with his soldiers surrounding Black James and hismen, Gearoid Óg FitzGerald, Ireland's premier earl, wished to end the bloodyfeud between both families. He concluded that feuding was foolish since bothfamilies worshipped the same God in the same church. So he pleaded with BlackJames through the Chapter House's oak door to meet him to negotiate a peace.Black James rebuffed all requests. FitzGerald grabbed his spear and chopped ahole in the door with it. Then, having explained how he wished to see peacebetween the families, the Earl thrust his hand and arm through the hole toshake hands with Black James. It was a risky venture; any of Black James'sheavily armed men could have hacked the Earl's arm off; however, James grasped hishand and opened the door. The 2 men embraced and ended the dispute. Can we learnto be like them, to “take a chance” in reaching out to someone inreconciliation this festive season?

New Beginnings (Phil 1: 3-6)

2012-01-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

Sermon snippet by Rev Helen Hoe
Paul have had a great start in the letter. He says, “being confident of this”and ends with “will bring to completion.” It is as if those verses were like life'sbookends. In between we are held by God's grace.

Began: He initiates to start a good work in us. Makes that first move, maybe wewill not move at all. Recall Christian journey, we are mostly running away,deaf to the Lord. Not one time, God takes initiative and takes personalresponsibility to continue in our life. There is a good work that he intends toaccomplish in our lives. He will not rest till the good work is completed. odis not like man, he does not leave things unfinished. Our future does notdepend on human will people but on the fact that God is our partner, the one.joint partakers of grace.

How are you? The polite answer is, “I am fine.” Most of us feel we have some parts with nowords to describe. For the moment, we are not all right. But it will change. Weare God’s work in process. Our role is tosurrender, to place ourselves in God's hands and to trust the Master Designeras he shapes us. We may not see too far, we hope to be able to do that.
2 areas:

1. Withone another: so much healing is needed. Many of us are hurt because of unmet expectations. Thank God for last ourTownhall meeting last week. There was that mutual expectation, commitment to oneanother and to the body (the Church) despite the disappointments. Paul sawpeople through eyes of faith to the time when God has completed his work. The readers were not ongood terms with each other and no amount of preaching will change that. In the same way, we need topray fervently for the Lord to heal our spiritual myopia, for patience, forthose who have disappointed us. One particular area: hurts: pastor often hearhurts from married and single people, from parents... is this, “The going-on is so tough”. Pastorcan offer the work of God to pray for them. God is not done with us yet. Ourhope is not in the next therapy and strategy, we have so much with and in God. God canheal us.

How to be patient with ourselves? We may have started out well in the journey ofobedience with the desire to know his word and will. Yet, we can become jaded,bogged down by life's share of despairing situations. What does it mean? In his9 years of ministry, Paul shared that "Thrice he was beaten with rods..." despite all that, Paul’s passion and zealcould not be shut down. There was an internal strength that will not be bashed bycriticisms that can resist being shakened. Isour passion level high enough? Pastor Andrew shared a song during Christmas Daywritten by Laura Story. In it are the words, “ For who am I to serve him, attimes I feel discouraged, how many times will you pick me up? How far willit... A long as you are seeking on face, you will be given sufficient grace foreach day.” Laura Story's Song: Grace Let's be patient withourselves.

2. Withpeople around us: We need healing with our community of faith as well.

Commitment : Is it a bad word? (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

2012-01-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Mr Charles Loh

In the passage, we are told how Paul endured dangers, betrayals for the gospelfor Christ. He was committed to a cause he believed in. Today, commitment is not something that isupheld as we see divorce rates rising, where the turnover in just about everyother company is an issue and worshipers taking membership seriously is anissue. What is commitment? It is a strong whole-hearted belief in a systemdemanding our support in terms of time and energy. If someone is committed, it'sclearly visible in his actions. How does our commitment to church measure up? Howdo we view the announcements which are outside the scope of our participation? Whatcan we say about our commitment and relationship with the church?

CAUSES FOR LACKOF COMMITMENT TO THE CHURCH

One’s diluting commitment is a gradual process of wanderingaway. No one is blatant enough to disappear suddenly.

1. A falteringrelationship with God: In Rev 2:4, Paul chided the Ephesians with having left theirfirst love. Many of us go through the up’s and down’s in our Christian life.When we come down, we give up serving and detach ourselves from community offaith. We allow our spiritual life to be like a yoyo. We need to guard ourspiritual lives and have an accountability partner to keep us on track. Commitourselves to be godly, find someone to walk the journey with us. Let us constantlyask ourselves the question that Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Make it a habit to read the bible daily.

2. Priority ofthe church is low in our lists of priorities. Engaging in sports, keeping fit, supporting ourfavorite football club, catching up with In-laws, we are often carried alongwith so many activities. When the competition for time becomes more intense,that prayer meeting will be dropped, but that golf game will remain. Let us reviewour priority list. What comes first? Where do I place God and thatattentiveness to events that are related to Him?

3. Technologyhas hastened our pace of life and we commit ourselves to more activities thanever before. Social media brings many people to our attention even more thanbefore. Are we slaves to technology? Among the 7 things we always have by ourside is our ipad, handphone etc. We feel lost without them as want to stay intouch and we want to be reachable. We can be giving one or two hours a day inthese online activities. We must not underestimate the impact of technology inour lives as it saps away sour energy to do anything else. Many of us havegrown up with it and we may not be able to imagine a world without them. Let uslearn to be conscious how technology can impact our lives. Let us jealouslyguard our time for activities with the church.

4. Concept ofchurch is changing: Apparently, Singaporeans move 3 times on average. MoreChristians are moving from church to church as well because the praise time isnot good, we are not getting much from sermons. Moving from church to church isnot what it used to be. This phenomenon was rare just a few years ago. While wecomplain that many things done in church are not the way we like it, it'snormal. Running away does not help. I would encourage you to step right in.

In Charis, we want to think connectedness. We have 3 congregations but we stillhave a long way to go to think one church. We still have a long way to go t,reach out and deliberately get to know each other. W2 is much younger theirenergy will have positive impact on the others. Can we partner them to reachout to a relatives and friends? We want to work at establishing that spiritualand emotional tie with the church. This year, we will be promoting the idea ofone big extended family. Let it becomethe focal point of our family.

5. Breakdownof values: increasing young adults are unwillingly to commit to marriage. In 2010two in seven marriages end in divorce. This is also a serious problem amongChristians. When we accept worldly values our spiritual values become diluted,our commitment will then diminished. We want to strengthen spiritual values inChurch. We want to choose to lead godly lives based on the Bible. How can we express our willingness? Sign upfor membership and baptism and be willing to be identified with the church, makeknown your desire to live daily as a disciple of Jesus. Uphold the church bypresence, prayers, gifts and service. Choose not to attend because it is boringor that church has nothing to do with you.

Baptismal/membership questions touched on:

· Loyalty to God: Among the top 3 concerns andpriorities highlighted by our LCEC members, discipleship topped the list. Goddesires to see us grow in our discipleship, growing deeper in the word. Can we continueto believe God's plans for us when we encounter difficulties? Let us participatein the church’s program to build our own relationship with God.

· Loyal to the church by our presence, prayers, giftsand service body life: joining the familyin its various get-togethers. Make effort to befriend those who are shy. Takethe challenge to know everyone in the congregation. It’s about making effort tojoin cell. Let us not stay in comfort zone, especially the new ones from othercongregations.

· Commitment to the Great Commission: church mission. Itis our responsibility to evangelize those in our midst. We have 3 evangelismSundays where we can bring our friends. Make our church a hospital for thosewho are unwell. Don't turn it into a museum. Seize every opportunity to sharethe gospel, we want to serve the church financially. Our offering has been flatin the last 2 years and our giving per person is declining. $1.94 million wasour target last year but we received much less, lower by $200,000. We want togrow in missions and social concerns, but how do we do that if our offeringdoes not grow in tandem. Tithing is not old testament law, it is part of ourworship today. From 2011 years to 2015 be strengthened and reach out, we willhear about how to reach out. Identify with the theme for ourselves. BishopSolomon said last week, "church is not a spectator sport, we need to beactive participants."

We need to start by centering around our relationship with Christ.
Commitment is a good thing when we commit ourselves to things that areimportant to us:

· Relationship with God and Relationshipwith his body, the Church
Remember our call to share the gospel with others. Evaluate how you are keepingour membership vows. Make firm commitment to the Lord in 2012.

Advent Series: Secret Revealed (Rom 16:25-27)

2011-12-29T01:29:00.000-08:00

Snippet ofsermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

This morningthis last paragraph in our text is a doxology. The word “doxology” comes fromtwo Greek words: “doxa” which means glory and “logos” which means word. Adoxology is a word of glory. Paul wants to wrap up his letter by offering up aword of glory to God and not to himself. To glorify something is to drawattention to it or to shine the light on the wonder of something. He shines aspotlight on God and the gospel.

How does God get glorified? How Does God SeekHis Glory? First, I want you to notice how God goes aboutgetting glory. Many Rulers Have Other Ideas About Getting Glory. Manyhave sought it through their power, riches, wisdom, and influence. They havedone so at the expense of others. They do it by keeping their people poor,uneducated, and powerless. Many attempt to gain power, influence, glory bykeeping others just a bit beneath them and they will use anything to do it:race, gender, politics, wealth, health, where you live or even what kind of caryou drive

Thereare an infinite number of good ways Paul could have given glory to God. Hecould have listed the attributes of God. Yet here at the end of the letter tothe Romans, he decided to takes a different tack.

· Paul writes that God seeks His glory by makingHis children strong! He is able to establish you in accordance with the gospel,Isn't that great?! God plans, purposes, and commits all the resources of heavenitself and the holy Trinity to make His children strong in the faith. . But when Paul speaks of our beingestablished, he means putting us on solid, stable ground so that nothinggets to you, or shakes you up, or throws you off balance.

Reflection Question:

· What usuallyshakes you up and throws you off balance in your Christian faith and witness? Haveyou ever had the desire to be established?

· How may you allowGod’s dynamite to work in your life?

Thisis the goal of all Christian teaching in the New Testament (and especially thegoal of the letter to the Romans) that we believers might be brought to thatplace of security where we are not shaken by things. God seeks His glory bymaking His people strong. Interestingly, Paul uses the word “dynamite” describingvividly the sort of power that we are connected to when we trusted in thegospel.

It is God himself who is responsible for thisthrough the dynamite of His power. God did that with Abraham, who was an idolworshiper. Abraham could not tell the truth about his wife. He was always lyingabout her because he thought that would save him from difficulty. He hadvarious character faults but God stabilized him, established him, and broughthim to a place where he became one of the great names of all time. God did thiswith Moses and David and, of course, with Paul himself. God broke him, softenedhim, changed him and put him through circumstances that Paul did not understandat the time. This finally established him, so that no matter what came, heremained strong, steady, trusting and certain. That is the great good news ofthis letter. "Now to him who is able to establish you..."

· God is glorified by creating in believer's hearts thatdesire to obey Him (v 27)

Thisgospel has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith. Thisis the goal of our faith: to bring glory to God by obeying Him from faith. Realfaith in Jesus Christ produces obedience and obedient lives make God lookglorious. That's what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before others, so thatthey may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is inheaven." Here's the purpose of God strengthening us. To make usobedient by giving us hearts that believe He is worthy of our allegiance. By Hisword and the present help of His Spirit we now can obey Him. When we get saved we're not only acquitted bygrace we are also transformed by grace. Grace not only forgives us it changes ourhearts. It changes what we value, cherish, prize and treasure up in our hearts.This is the word of God's promise in Ezekiel. He says,

"I will give youa new heart and put a new spirit within you and I will remove the heart ofstone (hard and unresponsive) and give you a heart of flesh ( living andpliable) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statuesand you will be careful to observe My ordinances." The realityof justifying faith is made manifest through the changes God has made in us inChrist.

ReflectionQuestions:

· Have you glorified God through theobedience that comes from faith, confidence and trust in Him? How can you beginto obey more consistently? Which area should you begin with?

· The third way God is glorified here is when allnations believe and obey him through the faithful proclamation/revelation ofthe secret that has been concealed for a long time.

You can hearechoes of chapter one, where Paul said that he was "set apart for the gospel which He promisedbeforehand through the revelation of His prophets in the Scriptures concerningHis Son Jesus.” This gospel did not begin with thecoming of Jesus. It had its origins in the promise of God or command of God ineternity past. God promised the coming of Jesus as early as Gen.3:15 when Godtold Eve that a child of a woman would prevail over the enemy of our souls. Hesaid, the serpent will "bruise His heal but He will crush his head."

Illustration:Have you played the game Reversi before? Reversi (also marketed by Pressmanunder the trade name Othello) is a board game involving abstract strategy andplayed by two players on a board with 8 rows and 8 columns and a set ofdistinct pieces for each side. Pieces typically are disks with a light and adark face, each face belonging to one player. The player's goal is to have amajority of their colored pieces showing at the end of the game, turning overas many of their opponent's pieces as possible. The player with the most pieceson the board at the end of the game wins.

Imagine the worldis the Reversi board. It appears that God’s world is going to be completelyreversed, the dark pieces overcoming the light pieces. That’s how some of usare thinking that perhaps God has gone on tea-break leaving the world to driveitself to the ground. But the doxology lifts our heart upwards to sound thefact that the game is not over. Adam and Eve had made the wrong move but itwill not ruin God’s plan forever. When we read theOld Testament you find men and women puzzled as to how God was going to puttogether all its great promises and themes. There is the promise of therestoration of Israel. There is the promise of the forgiveness of anindividual's sins. There is the mighty promise of the healing of the nationsand the cessation of war. Then it began to unfold. Jesuscame. He was the secret. He would be theone who would bring to pass all the tremendous promises and themes of the OldTestament. That is what Paul means when he says that the mystery was "hidden for longages past, but now revealed."

And these promises are for ALL nationsnot just Israel. It’s not an “Ang Moh” faith. The secret that needs to berevealed is that the gospel promises are meant for all who believe in Jesus forthere is no distinction for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory ofGod. That is the mystery, the secret that we mustbegin to share. Paul in hisdoxology reveals that God intends to add to his battle strategy, all the othernations and races. He intends to unite both Jews and Gentiles into one body.All that God is, wrapped up in a Person and given to you and to me -- the onlyhope we have of ever discovering the glory that God intended for us as humanbeings: Christ in you, the hope of glory. The subversive element is planted ineach person when they respond to the Lord Jesus Christ.That isthe radical, powerful secret of authentic Christianity: Christ in you, the hopeof glory.

Reflection Questions

· Do you know that mystery? Do you know it, not only inyour mind, but do you live it? Picture our lives as a reverse game board. Whatwould it look like? The Holy Spirit works in us to establish us, turning oursinful selves on their heads.

· Are you actively cooperating with the Spirit inobedience to the gospel, living out the change that Jesus has been sent intothe world to effect? It is the knowledge of it and the living of it that turnsChristianity into an exciting adventure. It may be demanding, it may even bescary, but I can guarantee you one thing: It will never be boring, because themystery is at work.

· God is glorified whenall the Gentiles come to the obedience that comes from faith in the gospel. There is this global, cosmic aspect that will bringthe glory of God to a crescendo. The presentcreation, which began at the beginning of the heavens and the earth, has longsince grown old and is passing away. But gradually through the centuries God has been buildingup a new generation, a new race of beings, a new kind of man which the worldhas never seen before---better even than Adam. But he has had a goaland a purpose in mind that he intends to fulfill, and the instrument by whichhe is doing it is the Church. This is something we can never fully grasp, butit involves the education of the whole universe.

Reflection Question

· What can you do to be part of this new race that can be involvedin the education of the whole universe about the ways of God?

CONCLUSION

Do not lose sight of what God isdoing. The world cannot see it. It has no idea what is taking place. But youknow, and you can see it, so do not lose heart.

Advent Series: Apostolic Instruction (I Thess 5:16-24)

2011-12-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Snippet of sermon by Rev Helen Hoe

Background : Paul was in prison but he was able to continue his work. He wanted to get the good news out to the people. When we talk about being strengthened and reach out, we need to begin rebuilding our inner life in 3 aspects:

1. Cultivate a heart of Thanksgiving: 1 Tim 6:17The Love of money is the root of all evil. Things of God will pale in comparison when we cherish this love. We do not want to join the world in our grumblings. While complaining makes us feel better in that it enables us to get our frustrations out, it also giving the devil a foothold to spread discontent and discord. Psalm 77:3 talks about growing seeds of bitterness in each others' lives. Choose rather to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving. While it is true that it is alright to complain to God (psalm of lament), something happens inside us when we give thanks. We need to build that tank of resource: giving thanks. Do we compartmentalize our life or is the Lord the Lord of all aspects of our life? Build that tank of resource. Problem: our daily routine our priorities shifted to look like that of the world. We are to pray without ceasing. We must practise keeping that posture of prayer throughout the day. Many of us discontinue our conversation with God when we close our Bibles after our quiet times.

2. Grow in Discernment: When we lift our hearts to God, we become alert to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophesizing (i.e. declaring the mind of God in the power of the spirit). We must learn to test everything, even the prophecies. Be mindful that we can be so sincerely wrong. It is possible to find someone sharing in all earnestness, yet what he shares does not gel with the Bible. The Bereans Acts 17:11 searched the scriptures daily to check things out especially the conflicting views about God's will. We need to grow in our discernment.

3. Rest in God's Promise. 1 Thess 5:23-24 God is able to minister to our whole being. Until we reach the end point: the coming of the Lord, we look forward to God's kingdom come. Our lives need to tell a different story.

Reflection Questions
1. Have we allowed the seeds of bitterness to grow in our lives? What can you this Advent, to grow the resource of thanksgiving.

2. What would you say about your alertness to the Holy Spirit? Do you run what you hear from prophets through the scriptures to check things out? What would the issue be?

3. What is one promise that I desperately need to stand firm till the coming of Christ?

Advent Series: Taking the Long View - 2 Peter 3:8-15a

2011-12-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

Snippet of sermonby Rev Tan-Yeo

INTRODUCTION
The media has gone wild over the 2012 craze.This Mayan calendar thing has almost eclipsed the relevance of the SecondComing of Jesus. Are the two events one and the same? Is it possible that theLord Jesus will use December 21, 2012 as the date of his return to the earth? Allspeculation is vain, but there are some very important Bible facts that havenot changed, even though many are, even as we speak, throwing out any and allBible beliefs, and swallowing hook line and sinker all the Mayan Myths.Nostradamus, Church prophets, New Age Humanists, New World Order followers, andall the internet websites in the world cannot change the validity of the Bible.

This letter, 2 Peter, was written to young believers to rescuethem from spiritual disaster. The seductive influence of new and forcefulteachers in the congregations was already destabilizing the faithful. They wereattracting a following that was growing with high-sounding promises to bringbelievers to a hitherto unknown “freedom of experience (2:19). It was Peter’sintention to expose the false teachers and also to alert the congregationsabout guarding against error less they are deceived from the truth. Today inour text, the Apostle Peter shifts hisattention from false teachers (which were in the previous chapter) to Christiansin the community. Generations of believers have found in the eternal Godalone a true refuge and satisfying dwelling place. By contrast, the newteachers are entirely content with the world as their home, and look for noother. This is because they do not know the Lord, either in his compassion orin his justice.

SERMONPROPER

THE LORD’SCOMPASSION: Many times when coming to parts of scripture likethis one here, I would not be thinking God’s compassion. When he comes and hepresses the red button “delete”, I think of the people who will be left out. BUTagain Peter reminds his readers that there is something they must keep in mindwhen thinking of the parousia of Christ. In vv. 8-9 Peter recallto them the nature of God asdifferent from men. Time and Eternity are two quite different entities, andsince God is eternal and man finite, they look at time in different ways.The quote is from Psalm 90:4 where man is pictured as "numbering hisdays" while God is "from everlasting to everlasting." Ineternity there is no time, i.e. past or future, but only the present. Thus "time" and "delay" arevirtually meaningless to God, and man must learn to adjust to that.This should help us greatly in facing the centuries that have passed since NewTestament times.

3:9 LONGSUFFERING TOWARD US: MoreoverPeter was anxious to reverse his opponents who insisted that the seemingdelay in the parousia is proof that God is untrustworthy infulfilling his promises. The Apostle Peter who had witnessed the love of God inJesus explained that it is not faithlessness or even slowness tardiness whichdelays the coming of the end, but because God is patient! The word is makrothumeo,"that quality by which God bears with sinners, holdsback his wrath, refrains from intervening in judgment as soon as the sinner'sdeeds deserve it, though not indefinitely" (Bauckham).God’s mercy moves Him to prolong the day of salvation. Instead [Not theusual contrast word but a strong contrast word meant to awaken the hearers] Godis patient [PresentActive Indicative: He keeps on staying patient. I am learning aboutpatience these days… patience is not about having the offending element taken away.No… patience is an exercise in enduring the troubles, the injuries and offensesof the one who grates us. So Patience is not without sacrifice or value.Imagine the Lord suffering the indifference of man, their cursings, their finger-pointing,their ignorance and arrogance… and not acting to repay them for all of these…that’s patience. He keeps at showing mercy and delays his return for that veryreason that someone may turn, repent and be saved. [Alla but]That they may,with that delay, make that once and for all decision to make space for thetruths of God for the love of God.

Sowhen those who do not understand this truth about God go ahead and rant at God,do not join them. Don’t join in all that scoffing. The word for “scoffing” onlyappears another time in the whole NT in Jude 18. Jude 18-19 reads, ‘They saidto you, “In the last times there will be scofferswho will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the people who divide you,who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”’These mockers were also the false teachers who interpreted God’s mercy andforbearance as betraying divine impotence or negligence.

Peterreminds us that the non-appearance is because God is still keeping the dooropen… waiting.

Reflection Question:

1. What then isleft for us to do in view of God’s compassion? Can we share God’s compassion,God’s heart to rescue? We make it our urgent task in life, to ensure that God’scompassion is not “wasted/abused” by our non-action/ indifference. The veryfact that you are placed next to someone who does not know Jesus is God’sassignment for you. Let his compassion be rewarded by our diligence to save onemore from destruction.

Behind His apparent delay is a heart that is not willing thatany should perish. Many scriptures establish that fact, notably 1 Timothy2:4, Romans 11:32, 2 Corinthians 5:19, and Ezekiel 18:23 (let’s take a look atthem). He has made provision for all to come to repentance, but if theyexercise their God-given free will to refuse He cannot prevent it, for it isthat free will which marks us out as men and not animals or robots.

Many of us haveplenty of cool ideas about the end of the world. It is just a separation of thedevoted followers and the nominal followers of God… we are mostly also notthinking unbelievers. Then God metes out the punishment to all the differentgroups. A mild closure… after all how scary can it get. We also secretly hopethat there is a safe place to catch all (those who have not professed faith inJesus)…

THE JUSTICEOF GOD

At least twice in this passage is the description of the end.There is nothing cool there. Jesus will come like a thief in the night and thenthe destruction of the present heavens and earth will take place. Itwould be as previously stated, by unceasing fire, totally destructive. Everything as we know it is going to meltor dissolve into nothingness. Think of the expensive homes that we haveinvested our monies in… all things material will not be preserved. Thestructure (Gk. stoichea) of the universe would melt and thepresent civilization of men would disappear. There is no safe place to be. Formany of us, it’s like yes, I know but isn’t all this just scare tactics used bythe Apostles to control people and exercise power over them.

Chuck Colson is right when he says: Notto believe that there will be a time for the reckoning of all accounts, for theconsummation of history as we know it, is not to believe in a just God. For Christians the great eschatologicalhope is that Christ will return and judgment will be rendered, accounts will beset straight, the scales balanced, wrongs righted, and we will live in the loveof God for eternity. This is why most Christians are able to affirm what theapostle Paul said, that to live is Christ, to die is gain.

In view of God’s justice,

Reflection Questions

2. Examineyour priorities, how much of your time is for laying up treasures on earth,only to watch them burn up in the day of the Lord?

3. Howcan you re-prioritize your life if the fiery end is a certainty?

4. Arewe asleep basking in the sunshine of God’s Kingdom oblivious to how the daywill turn out?

RESPOND WITH THE DAY OF THE LORD IN MIND
Only those who diligently lived out their pilgrimage on earth willbe spared. Set against the fearful background of the Day of the Lord, how arewe to live? The false teachers lived as men of the world in contrast to thosewho know the truth. Today, even within the church, there are teachings thatpromise their listeners that spiritual hunger and heavenly aspirations can findcomplete satisfaction in the here and now. There is no urgency to long forJesus’ coming. It will merely be an enhancement of the happiness solely in thisworld. Nothing spectacular. The end isgoing to be a smooth ride out of the turmoil, just like the way we go throughthe rides at the Universal Studios. After the scary explosions, come the calm. With striking incisiveness Peter returns to his exhortation togodly living.

· 3:14BE DILIGENT: Peter now returns to his word of 1:5 and 1:10 "bediligent," to urge a practical result of their forward-looking hope. Jesushimself had raised the question: "When the Son of Man comes, will Hereally find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8). He left the question hanging inthe air, waiting for each hearer to answer in his own heart. Petersuggests a diligent response that seeks to avoid the shame of the false teachers("spots" and "blemishes"), has dealt biblically andhonestly with any personal failure and therefore has found peace that passes understanding. We need to make every effort, hasten to exert yourself give it due diligence and make that once andfor all decision not to waver but be found to be spotless (i.e. unsullied) and blameless (that cannot becensured, blameless, without rebuke) and at peace with Him. Illustration: Talking about spots and blemishes, my girlsare growing up and increasingly we notice these on their faces. However, they arestill not too conscious or even if they are, they want to appear pretty coolabout them. Their resolve to put the cream on their spots each night is weak…they waver and just let them be when they are too tired after a day in schoolor when they think the spots are improving a little. My husband is particularabout them so when he sees them appearing on the faces of my girls, he will runafter them with the Daktarin, his miracle cream, and smear it on the blemishesand spots every night. He goes at them with a vengeance.

Reflection Questions:

5. Whatabout you when it comes to the spots and blemishes that continue to be in us?Do we decisively work at them with the intention that they are removed for thesake of Christ? Or do we simply let things be or keep wavering in ourresolve to deal with the parts that sullies our lives and our witness toJesus Christ?

Advent is the perfect timeto clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a season for training in righteousnessfor those who desire peace with God. By reflection and prayer, by reading andmeditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of peace woulddesire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might take place. Checkthe blemishes and the spots:

ReflectionQuestions:

6. "Duringthis season of Advent, let us daily make an Advent examination. Are there anyfeelings of discrimination toward race, sex, or religion? Is there a lingeringresentment, an unforgiven injury living in our hearts? Do we look down uponothers of lesser social standing or educational achievement? Are we generouswith the gifts that have been given to us, seeing ourselves as their stewardsand not their owners? Are we reverent of others, their ideas and needs, and ofcreation?

These and other questionsbecome Advent lights by which we may search the deep, dark corners of ourhearts.

Many of us believe in God but haven’t come round to believing inGod-in-me. Many of us believe in God in heaven, but we haven’t come round tobelieving in God-on-earth. This is to take the short view about the end. Don’tlet this advent season go to waste. Let the Holy Spirit stoke the kind of firein our worship and devotion that can truly change our hearts.

Peace is the heritage of Christians and its presence indicates onewhose expectation of the return of Christ has given a sense of balance andproportion despite whatever chaos the world may present.

Greatest Hits of the Old Psalm 73 & 150 The Psalms in Worship

2011-11-20T23:35:00.001-08:00

Snippet of sermon by Rev Dr Andrew Peh

The United Methodist Hymnal includes the Psalter which has been the liturgicalsource book for Israel. They demonstrate the myriad ways that the people of Godworshipped Him. Ps 121 is a Song of Ascent which they often sing going up toJerusalem for the big festivals. The Psalter also contains songs of lamentstoo, communal praise and laments, individual praise or laments; response andemotions. Israelites ensured that they worship together. They were completelyopen to the Lord and were not afraid to bare their individual or communal anguishto the Lord, asking for the destruction of their enemies. The Imprecatory Psalms,in particular, invoke evil upon their enemies. Ps 137 e.g. is one of those thathas been modernized and sung expressing their anger with the Babylonian. They laidopen their emotions to the Lord and allowed Him to change them. They conversedwith God and commit seemingly hopeless situations before the Lord. There isanother group of Psalms known as the wisdom psalms. Ps 1 is an example and it serves as thedoorway to this hymnbook to keep ourselves with the Lord.

Reflection: How has all thisincreased your understanding of worship in the community?

Sermon Proper
Ps 73 is attributed to Asaph: The Psalmist looked around andobserved that those who opposed God are prospering even though they have onlydisdain for God. Conversely, the faithful ones are having a tough time. Thisdisquiet was put to rest when he entered the sanctuary of God. Instead of beingblinded by the temporal, Asaph interspersed his verses with this word 'Selah'.This is an instruction to the singers/readers to pause and to ponder. In thebusiness of our lives, we need to be still that despite all the injustices, Godis still on the throne. Played a song with “selah” that cause us to pause: WhomHave I by Voices of Praise.
·        Devotional Ps 23 a being acquainted of the providential care forus.
·        Doctrinal : Ps 51 anatomy of sin. ps 137 the omnipotence,omnipresence and omniscience of God is made known. Ps 119 reminds us of theprimacy of the word of God in our lives. An acrostic Psalm the depth and thenriches that we have to understand god through our praise.
·        Doxological: Giving glory to God. Expressions their praise forbim. Simple song of praise of God. psalm 150 is a doxology.

Reflection questions:

Take time to ponder on the presence and the goodness of God...Quiet times are punctuated by snores for some of us. If we take care toruminate on the word of God the way cows chew on the cud to extract all thegoodness on the grass, God draws near and from our hearts will break out a songfor him.

Sooffer up your lives

Holyand acceptable

Awilling sacrifice

Preciousin my sight

Butin all that you do

Rememberall I want is You

From “Praise looks good on you” byDon Moen.

THE GREATEST HITS OF THE OT: WISDOM PSALM (PSALM 37)

2011-11-20T23:10:00.001-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

“Life is the sum ofall your choices.” – Albert Camus

Inlife we make choices constantly. You are all choosing what to write down everyminute that I am talking. You are making choices constantly. You get up in themorning and you decide how long to brush your teeth or whether or not to brushyour teeth--I hope you do not decide not to brush your teeth, and which clothesto wear, you decide what to say to people, you decide where to park. Many ofthe decisions are small, but life is just full of choices and wisdom literaturerecognizes this. It says, "Don't be so naïve as to think that you are notalso making moral choices; you are." Today we look at wisdom Psalms thatare part of the wisdom tradition in theBible. We make decisions every day; everything we say and do is the result of adecision, whether we make it consciously or not. For every choice, big orsmall, there's no easy formula for making the right decision. To most people, thebest you can do is to approach it from as many perspectives as possible and thenchoose a course of action that seems reasonable and balanced.

We live in a day in which Tolerance isgod; everything is to be tolerated. Nothing is right or wrong; it is just aquestion of whether it is right for you. Many people do not believe in any absolutetruth. The biblical notion of wisdom, on the other hand, counters that, and ifyou want to help counter it, just introduce wisdom literature to people andsteep them in it and it will help overcome the nonsense of the notion thatthere is no absolute truth, because wisdom literature says, "This iswrong, this is right and which are you going to choose." It is alwaysoffering the paths of choice.

SERMONPROPER

What are Wisdom Psalms and what is thepurpose of these Psalms? This type of psalms shares the same thrust as theother Wisdom literature found in the Bible. That thrust is didactic/instructional:to direct the people of God into a godly way of life; to give God’s peopleconcrete examples of how God wants us to live our life. These psalms alwaystalk about two ways: X&Y. There is always the good choice and then bycontrast the bad choice. These psalms emphasize the good as opposed to the bad.E.g. Psalm 1. It talks about choices. "Blessedis the person who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the wayof sinners, sit in the seat of mockers." This is the X. “Donot do that; that is a bad choice.” But, by contrast, is Y,"His delight is in the law of the Lord and on his statutes he meditatesday and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of waters, yields its fruitin season," all kinds of good things. Then again, this isbad, that is good, this is bad, that is good, back and forth, back and forth.And throughout such psalms you are always going back and forth. It is almost likewatching a tennis match. This is very effective. It actually is a veryeffective way of giving people basic ethical guidance. The righteous and thewicked are put side by side for contrast and emphasis is given regarding theconsequences depending on what we choose.

· Ifyou live a certain way, say X, then this and this will happen.

· Ifyou live a different way, the Y, thensomething else will happen instead.

It reiterates God’s blessing on therighteous, those who in faith obey the Law, and God’s judgment on thewicked. As the people of God sang thesePsalms, they exalted truth and ensured that this wisdom is passed down from onegeneration to another through song.

Certainly in Psalms and Proverbs, and I think in the entireBible, righteousness is a matter of relationship.

· Righteous people are not perfect. (1)

· Righteous people are simply people who relate rightly toGod.

Likewise, wicked people do notrelate rightly to God. The righteous relate rightly to God because therighteous recognize God as God.

The righteous relate rightly toGod by seeking to know God and to obey God.

But the wicked rejectGod and God’s ways.
The wicked rejectGod because the wicked want to be their own gods.
And the wicked reject God’s waysbecause the wicked want to do things their own way.

Among other things, the Psalm weare looking at this morning, Psalm 37 recognizes the frustratingreality

· that the wicked often prosper,

· and the righteous often suffer.

This seems unfair.

· The righteous try to live God’s way.

· The wicked reject God and live their own way.

And yet… the wicked often seem tohave it better than the righteous.

Because of this reality, we are often tempted in 2 ways:

· [1] The first is thetemptation to envy the wicked for their apparent success. All around us, thewicked prosper and succeed in evil schemes. So you might be tempted to askyourself, "Whybother with the difficulties of righteousness? What good is my righteousnessdoing me?"

· The second is like it, and is the temptation to shrink back fromGod's promises because of the trials we see the righteous going through. Thedevil whispers to us "Did God really say that He would give you a gloriousending to your story?"

So itis not surprising that that there are people who have turned their backs onGod. When pain runs deep and there are no answers orreasons then it turns to anger and then emptiness and the feeling of beingforsaken. If YOUhave ever been punished for doing the right thing, ifyou’re a good guy who seems to always finish last… then Psalm 37 is for you. Itis Acrostic in the original Hebrew Acrostic meaning that each of its stanzas ofdouble verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew Alphabet whichmakes it easy to remember in Hebrew. But when we look at the Englishtranslation, it makes it hard to and somewhat difficult to outline.

DustinM. Wax, a contributing editor and project manager at lifehack.org; also afreelance writer and university instructor in Las Vegas, NV, wrote and share somestrategies how people usually make their choices.

1. Getting Past Pros and Cons

2. Analyze outcomes

3. Ask why – five times The Five Whys area problem-solving technique invented by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota.

4. Follow your instincts

But over andabove these strategies, thePsalmist testifies to the over-arching importance of reckoning with God inevery choice that we have to make. Of the many ways of making decisions, thewisdom imparted in this Psalm is to weigh all and everything in the light ofour relationship with the Lord. This must become our priority in all instances,particularly when things look so good for those who plan and do evil.

Why should we listen to this Psalmist?Vv 25-26 tells us that the author is in his old age and so what he declares tobe wise/foolish had come out of his lifetime of reflection on the ways of therighteous and the wicked and of God’s dealings with each.

Because God watches and knows the ways of the righteous and thewicked, the Psalmist encourages the righteousness to take these 7 steps:

Step 1: Don’t Fret.

David knew that it is hard toavoid fretting. That’s probably why the words, “Do not fret” arerecorded three times in the first eight verses of Psalm 37. David, Paul,and Jesus each command us not to fret, not to be hot, furious, burning withvexation, become angry. Here is the place where you can use the advice to becool, a recurring theme. To remain unfazed (not worried or upset) by theprosperity of the wicked at the expense of good and honest people.

The best way not to fret is to getour eyes off the wicked and on the Lord.

Steps 2 and 3: Trust in the Lord… anddo good.

These 2 steps are inseparable;neither can exist without the other. Trust is literally to throw yourself ontothe Lord, hands free and believe that God would catch you. When we cannot trustthe Lord, we cannot do the good things that God commands us. Why? Because wewill be terrified and cannot afford to not protect ourselves and thereforechoose not to do the good we know God wants us to do. V31 The law of their Godis in their hearts; their feet do not slip. Faith and trust are alifestyle, and they involve action. Real faith always includes obedience,and obedience includes doing the “good” things God commands, even if it meanssacrifice, I will do without. Continue to live by the law of God inside you,continue to walk the way you’ve always taken, the obedient route. Yes we maystumble (be overthrown, knocked out, lying prostrate; we will not be cast out,hurl down) but the Psalmist is sure that the Lord will uphold (provide thesupport for) such a man and bless him. That is why trusting Godand doing good cannot be separated.

Step 4: delightyourself in the lord.

What doyou delight in? What is your greatestsource of gladness? For some of us, when we think of the Lord, we have a sourfeeling… we think that with God isalways “no”… so thinking God while it is a must, may be a negative for us. Wethink that we will not receive what we want if we asked the Lord… he’s just onestern parent in heaven… only favourites get their desires. So it is possiblethat when we think delight, we think we know best and it is not found in theLord. But speakingfrom his own experience, plus the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, (6) thePsalmist says that when we delight in God, God gives us the desires of ourhearts. Contrary to what we might think, God desires to bless us if only wetake time to understand how God can meet our deepest longings. I rememberedlooking at this verse and with great excitement penned it down in one of mycards for memory: here is a blank check of sorts… with one condition attached. If I trust and see God as the source ofgladness in my life, he will not disappoint me. He will ensure that my desiresare met.

Step 5: Commit your way to the Lord.

This one is tricky. It means morethan we may think. Commitment is important.

Deep, satisfying relationships—like marriage, friendship, and discipleship—require commitment. Our commitmentto God is important… but, here in Psalm 37.5, being committed to God isnot the point. But the word here has theidea of “rolling something onto something else.” The idea here is that we are"roll" the burdens of life over onto the Lord. The Lord has not askedHis children to carry the burdens of life alone. He tells us that bring them toHim, Matt. 11:28; 1 Pet. 5:7. We do not have to bear the heavy burdens of lifeall by ourselves. We have a God who cares and commands us to bring our burdensto Him! Inthe middle of the storms of life, let us learn the truth that we are not inthem alone! We are to commit our "way" to the Lord and trust Him totake care of us. This was the resolve of Job when he was called upon to suffer,Job 1:20-21, Job 23:10 “10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, Iwill come forth as gold.” ; Job 13:15 “¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely[a] defend my ways to hisface.”. Let this also be theresolve of our hearts this morning!)

Step 6: v 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

Again, please trust me when I saythat the original Hebrew includes the idea of sitting still with God insilence. David is telling us to tell God about our problems… and thento sit quietly with God and wait. And this waiting patientlymeans 1) whirling(participle) 2) writhing, suffering torture (participle) 3) towait longingly. These 2 words are almost direct opposites. It’s easy to be stilland silent when there is little that unsettles us. But there is this idea ofbeing twisted in pain, suffering torture waiting for the resolution to our state and we are advisedto be still. That means exercising self-control and forbearance/restraint inthe face of what is glaringly unfair. There will be hardships for a time whilewe wait for relief from God.

Step 7: Refrain fromanger (blowing the breath through the nostrils) and turn from wrath(poison/rage/indignation).

Drop/let go of your anger andleave behind your wrath. We all get angry andoutraged at receiving the short end of the stick when we had not done wrong. Andlest we forget, for the third time, David reminds us, “Do not fret — it leadsonly to evil.” This reminds us of what God said to Cain in Gen 4:7 “that sin iscrouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”when we are indignant, we are likely to sin. And sin he did, he killed hisbrother. The Apostle Paul also gave us two especially helpful commands aboutdealing with the anger we all feel at times. “‘In your anger do not sin’ “Donot let the sun go down while you are still angry…” (11) Let the Lordvindicate you. If we sincerely desire God to help us to obey these 2 commands,then we can ask for… and receive God’s help.

These steps are nota one-time thing.

Some days we need to go throughthese steps several times. Remember, the seven steps areright there in Psalm 37. We can review these seven stepswhenever necessary. And as we practice these sevensteps, we can enjoy God’s presence and God’s peace even in the storms of life.

CONCLUSION

It is easy to make choices from our indignation, ouranger. Have you reacted because you felt that God is too slow and you have totake things into your own hands? What has been the outcome of those decisions?Were any of them near what the Lord had promised? Peace, inheriting theand/earth… something that translates to inheriting all things that count andare significant? Or has it been your practice/habit to set aside the law of Godwhen you are making decisions? When you tell yourself, “This thing has verylittle to do with God… and God’s ways are good to hear in church but notpractical, I will just make the most sensible decision.” How many of us do that all the time?

Which jobshould you take? What car should you buy? Should you ask him to marry you? Areyou ready for another baby? Is this house right for you, or should you keeplooking before you make an offer?

Reflection Questions:

1. Would your Christian life always be a life that islived only on Sundays? Would your Christian values be put aside when makingdecisions regarding your children and what you wish for them, for your owncareer? Or would you hunger and thirst after the God who draws near and showyou that the righteous live superbly blessed and upheld lives? What will it befor you?

2. What is your trouble? Who do you envy? Come to the Onewho sees and hears and lays them at his feet.

[1] Introductionby Matthew Hoover

Greatest Hits of the OT: Imprecatory Psalm 59

2011-11-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

Snippet of Sermon by Mr Chan Yew Meng
We are held accountable always in this life. Our world is filled with peoplewho play the blame game. Our culture prizes success and control, and we try sovery hard to deny – the darkness, self-deception, and overall disorientationthat characterises much of life. We are not immune from holding grudges, experiencinganger, depression when persecuted by our enemies.

The superscription in this Psalm informs us that the historicalevent behind this Psalm is probably the one recorded in 1 Sam 19. After Daviddefeated the Philistines, Saul sent men to keep watch over David's house inorder to have him killed. The Psalmist's claim of innocence is found in v 4.Saul had a grudge against David for out-shining him in the last battle with thePhilistines. This envy led him to be oppressed by the evil spirit. However,Psalm 59 is about David not Saul. The Psalmist's requests are listed down fromv5-13. They are frightful requests, requesting intervention in very drasticmeasures. He prays for vindictive judgment to fall on enemies. Besides Ps 59,there are many other Psalms e.g. Ps 7, 35 and 137. Some of the ideas we comeacross in the Psalms are: God will rain fire and brimstone upon the wicked(Psalm 11: 6); if you forget God he will tear you in pieces (Psalm 50: 22 ); ifyou trust in riches instead of God, he will kill you, and while you're dyingthe righteous will laugh at you (Psalm 52: 5-6); the righteous will rejoicewhen they see the wicked being dismembered by God and they will bathe theirfeet in the blood of the wicked (Psalm 58: 10); God will fill the nations withcorpses (Psalm 110:6); God is praised for slaughtering little children in Egypt(Psalm 135: 8; 136:10); and God is asked to burn people to death (Psalm 140:10). All these are very disturbing to the sensitive conscience. How can weutter such curses? How can Christians utter such petitions in the spirit ofvengeance? How can we reconcile these prayers with Jesus’ command to love ourenemies in Matt 5:43-44? Some Christians try to explain away these disturbingverses saying that the psalmist wrote before Christ and therefore belong to pre-Christianethics so we can ignore them. But this creates problem for us. Which parts ofPsalm can we then deem as being included as scripture? Such verses are alsoquoted in the New Testament e.g. Rom 11:9-10.

While these psalms are not positive and pious, like alllaments they are honest expressions of pain in the face of grief and endings.We should not attempt to "Christianize" these psalms by pretendingthey are something they are not. Yet neither can we exclude them as"sub-Christian." Rather, weneed to take them seriously as a valid biblical response to God in prayer fromthe depths of our humanity. Since we accept these psalms as Scripture for thechurch, we need to allow them to inform our theology rather than using ourtheology to change the psalms.

In these Psalms, we are confronted with the realities of lifewhere believers use honest-to-God language with perfect freedom, withoutdisguise. They confront us with true nature of world in which we live. We discover how the Psalmist deals with fears,hurt, anger and desire to take revenge. The Bible does not pretend thateverything recorded in it is holy anger and we cannot use them to justify ouranger. What we have here are real responses to evil. It is good then to approachthese psalms in faith, recognizing that the language regarding the enemies isdirected to God. It is the Psalmist asking God to activate that which will letthem reap what they sow. It does not ask God for the ability to retaliate,rather it asks for divine action: “rouse yourself, come to my help and see”.God is urged to become involved and take action regarding their pleas. What wehave in this Psalm is a very desperate Psalmist.

V5 incorporates the curses on the community level: Punishmentfor all the nations, the non-Israelite people. The force of v 5 & v6 is thesame as that in v7 & v8. In these places, the Psalmist implores God to holdingthem in derision, to show no mercy to enemies. No matter how drastic things are,the Psalmist continues to make bold statements of confidence in v 9-10. Whilethese declarations at the crises make them look foolish, the Psalmist believesthat he is not alone. He can do something. The Psalmist decides to wait for thedivine response and trusts in the saving power of God. He will laugh and overpower them. In order toappreciate these psalms it is essential to consider how to present the conceptof justice.

The Mosaic Law forbids private vengeance. In Deut 32:35 “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In duetime their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushesupon them.” The Psalmist’s petition to “break theirarm” is to be understood as a champion making a righteousness request to God.He expects God to act on his behalf, to function within the divine parametersof the OT law. Yet there is a certain risk involved in reading these Psalms asthey are likely to convict us of our own guilt. We are often God’s enemies andour own enemies. Uttering these words, we will come to realize our own violentnature. Most people will not subject themselves to the Messianic promise, the gospelbecause they want to pick the good bits and ignore the bad bits.

God will not turn away from terror of evil humanity. He is aComforter of those who mourn. The raw speech of rage can be submitted to theLord. In order that YHWH will take seriously the issue raised by the victim, heneeds to surrender to God and trust in the Lord who will avenge him. He is notto take revenge by himself. Human evil and how God will help his people. Are weconfident to pray that prayer?

Believers in the 21st century are faced with a similar fate. Whatdo we wish to say regarding these human evil that surround us? How do we apply thetruth about evil in our lives? These Psalms can impact in us at 2 levels.Illustration: There was Bishop who was orphaned as a young child. Both parentswere murdered and the murderer was never found. He became an orphan. Once hewas called to the death bed of a man. Without emotion, he performed the last ritesfor the man and assured him that His sin has been forgiven. In his confession, the dying man had confessedto being the man who had murdered his parents. After absolving him of sin, thebishop walked to the corner, took a gun and shot the dying man in his face. Forus forgiveness of our enemies is not easy to achieve. Our anger and hurt makesthis even harder. Yet the admonishment in the Bible says in Psalm 37:8 “Refrain fromanger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”

Anger is when it possesses a man leading him to inflict painrecklessly. Provoked to works and actions, the angry person will regret them whenthings are over... the hostile atmosphere spreads doom. But when we are able tobring our anger under control, it can enable a person to fulfil the demandingtasks. It is important to recognize that we have a spiritual task athand to transcend ordinary enemies. We cannot depend on human strength alone toconfront evil, the demonic... the poor, just and sick. If we are not victims,these psalms challenge us to identify with oppressed and suffering, acknowledgewickedness in the world. Could we pray for people trampled down by powersbeyond their control like the way Jesus prayed for the enemies?

Entire community can benefit from vast riches of the Psalter when it is used. Thegreat German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer prays the Psalter daily in his cell inthe Nazi Prison of Tegel. Throughout his life, he not only read the Psalms, butwas spiritually formed by them as he became one of the greatest prophets andmartyrs of the modern Church. His simple yet rigorous discipline of reading thePsalms daily was instrumental in his spiritual formation and the development ofhis courageous spirit.

The incarnate son of God that hears the hurts of all human beingsbefore God and prays for us has known torment, death and enemies deeper thanany of us. He knows us better for he himself was a true man for our sake, canbecome our prayer because it was also his prayer. Bonhoeffer writes in LifeTogether: “Apsalm that we cannot utter as a prayer, that makes us falter and horrifies us,is a hint to us that here Someone else is praying, not we; that the Onewho is here protesting his innocence, who is invoking God’s judgment, who hascome to such infinite depths of suffering, is none other than Jesus Christhimself. He it is who is praying here, and not only here but in the wholePsalter … He prayed the Psalter and now it has become his prayer for all time?… Jesus Christ prays the Psalter through his congregation …

Nowthat Christ is with the Father, the new humanity of Christ, the Body of Christon earth, continues to pray his prayer to the end of time. This prayer belongs,not to the individual member, but to the whole Body of Christ. Only in thewhole Christ does the whole Psalter become a reality, a whole which theindividual can never fully comprehend and call his own. That is why the prayerof the psalms belongs in the peculiar way to the fellowship. Even if a verse ora psalm is not one’s own prayer, it is nevertheless the prayer of anothermember of the fellowship; so it is quite certainly the prayer of the true ManJesus Christ and his Body on earth.”

Walter Brueggemann, who is one of the most prolific writersin the area of Hebrew Scriptures, has produced two interesting books in thisarea: Spirituality of the Psalms (2001), which runs to 76 pages, and his longerThe Message of the Psalms (1984), which runs to 205 pages. Walter Brueggemannpoints us to a two-fold movement of faith in these imprecatory pslams. First,we move from a settled orientation to a season of disorientation. Then, we moveon to a new orientation that comes to us as a surprise gift of God’s grace. Ofcourse, this cycle continues and repeats itself throughout life. The “stunningfact” for Brueggemann “is that Israel does not purge this unrestrained speechbut regards it as genuinely faithful communication” with God. Thatis no less true today than it was 3,000 years ago when the Psalms were firstwritten.

Reflections:

1. Bring yourbitterness to the presence of God and allow the light of Christ to bring reliefso that you can pray, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they aredoing."

2. What aresome of our pains that we need to entrust into God’s gracious hand.

Greatest Hits of the OT: Psalm of Lament Psalm 13

2011-10-31T00:51:00.000-07:00

Snippetof sermon by of Rev Dr Maggie Low

LamentPsalms are number one in the collection of Psalms as they form the largestnumber. There are only 30 psalms of praise but there are 40 psalms of lament. Wesee that the people of God were often bringing their complaints to God. Christiansoften have this misconception: Good Christians are supposed to praise the Lordall the time, they are not supposed to question God for the things that they donot understand and the unfairness of it all. When we live this conception, we fail to admitour true feelings and to be honest before God; we end up suppressing orrepressing them. The Psalms of Lament shows us how to express our disquiet toGod so that we can encounter Him in a deep and personal way. Ps 13 is a goodrepresentation of a lament psalm.
Thispsalm lists 3 things that we often complain about:
1.God 2. Himself 3. Enemies
1. V1: Complain aboutGod. Isn'tthat an audacious thing to do: to complain about God to His face? Testimony:There was a Church member who met with multiple losses at one time: He lost Hisjob, lost his girl-friend, his mom was diagnosed with cancer and a while later,his dad too. She asked if he had told God how unfair it was for him to gothrough all these altogether. He shared how fearful he was that he could notutter his complaint about God, “What if God strikes me dead for complaining to God.”To register a complaint is an act of faith because it is in complaining that werecognize God as One who cares and does not forsake us. Because we know He issupposed to protect and defend us, in faith we complain, “it doesn't seem likeyou Lord.” That helps to keep us clinging on to Him. God recognizes that we aremade with emotions, and God cares about our emotions. To be angry and sad arenot bad in themselves because that's what makes us human in the face of pain,fear, rejection, loss, abandonment. God cares. If you bring to him yourstruggles, you will be able to hear him speak. If you do not complain, you arelikely to turn away from him.
V2 Complaining abouthimself.It is ok to tell God our pains and sorrows, our inability to comprehend what'shappening in our lives. Illustration: a woman who had been widowed for 10 yearsbut never got over it. When asked if he had brought his mother to a counsellor,the son replied that there was no need. It would be sufficient to just pray andtrust God. But God wants us to pour our hearts to him so that he can heal us. Haveyou been keeping them all inside? Do we believe in God who is empatheticwalking side by side with us? We always point to Job as our example, beingstoic about his loss, Job 1:21“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I willdepart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD bepraised.” We fail to continue to read and discover how Job began tocomplain for the next 37 chapters. Godwas patient with Job, willing to hear him out and it was in this complaining,that he encountered God himself.
V3 Complain about hisenemies:Enemy in the singular refers to death here. Foes in v 4b is in the plural referringto friends, colleagues, family members etc. Have you been played out by friends?Abused by a family member? What are you facing at work: backstabbing, people takingcredit for the work you do, people accusing you wrongly? Christians also haveanother misconception that we should forgive and not get angry with our enemies.But immediately we suppress our hurts, get depressed, find ourselves releasingour pent up anger at our family members. It takes time to heal a wound and itis no use simply to put a plaster over a deep wound. We have to squeeze all theinfection out of the wound first; be it our anger, our desire for vengeance. Thelonger they remain inside of us, the more they will fester and create much moredamage. We need to release it to God who can heal us. When we turn to the Godof justice and leave our hurt with Him, we are ready to be healed.
Godgives us permission to complain. He invites us to bring to him our struggles. V3-4 is the call for help and the Psalmist believes that God can see and answer.“MY God” tells us that this psalm is a personal psalm of lament. Jesus utteredPsalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Whyare you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”when he hung there on the cross. Between God and us is a committedrelationship. God will respond because we are his children. We need to cling tothis personal relationship that we have with God.
Eventhough the front part is filled with complaints, in V 5-6 the Psalmistreveals and affirms his confidence in God. It is through complaining that we trulylearn to rely on the character of God. God is/has
1.Khesed: v 5 “I trust in your unfailing love.” Dr Maggie shared about an old lady thatlived in her then husband-to-be’s house. She was destitute when her childrenmake off with her money. Her husband’s family took her in and looked after hertill the day she died even though they were not really related. This is a wonderfulexample of Khesed. That's what God does to us: He takes us in and takes care ofus. Unfailing love.
2.I will sing because God has been good (גמל gamal ) to me. His praise of God isbased on the character of God. Instead of the usual Hebrew word “tov” thePsalmist used an interesting word in Hebrew: Gamal which means fullness,bountifully, comprehensively, exhaustively. 帮人帮到底 idea.
Godcares deeply for us and he has his own timing when it comes to responding. The manmentioned earlier in the sermon did find a job, an excellent girl-friend. Hismom came to know the Lord. Although his dad has passed away, he came to knowthe Lord as well. Previously he was always resistant to the gospel. This isGod's Gamal. God invites us to bring our sorrow, our laments to him. Tell himabout your enemies, because he is your personal God. Look at his character, hangon to God's goodness which will surface in his own time. Truly live for God, listento Him. Walk that path towards God.
REFLECTION EXERCISE
1. Are you worried because life isunfair? Have you been betrayed by friends? Are you angry with yourcircumstances? Simply be honest with him, take these things to him in prayer.
2. Ask the Lord to help you see his unfailinglove (Khesed) and his goodness (Gamal).

Greatest Hits of the Old Testament Psalm 103: Psalm of Praise

2011-10-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

Snippet of Sermon by Dr Andrew Peh

Ps 103 is sometimes known as the Mount Everest of the Psalm of Praise.

We are a forgetful people. Devise ways not to forget people: naming places,building monuments after them. How are we do? With all the gizmos that we hv,have we become smarter. We are dependent on them. Object that should rightlyserve us becomes that which we are enslaved to. UMH 66 Praise My Soul O King ofHeaven.

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Father-like He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,

Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

Frail as summer’s flower we flourish,
Blows the wind and it is gone;
But while mortals rise and perish
Our God lives unchanging on,
Praise Him, Praise Him, Hallelujah
Praise the High Eternal One!

Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

This Psalm is attributed to King David. It is one of the bestloved Psalms. Henry Francis Lyte wrote it in 1834 based on this Psalm. As thestanzas move along, we can see how the Psalmist praises the Lord. Note theexpansive pattern in this Psalm of Praise:

· V1-5 His personal praise. Individual

· 6-18 He enjoins his people, the community of God to praise. Communal

· V19-22 The whole of creation. Global

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/5Kernels.html

The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth Rock nearly 400 yearsago knew nothing of the affluent times which you and I enjoy today in thisgreat country of ours. The next time youand I are tempted to complain about inflation and the state of our economy,remember the following:

During that first long winter at Plymouth Colony, seven times asmany graves were made for the dead as homes for the living. The ship which wasto bring food and relief brought 35 more mouths to feed, but not an ounce ofprovisions. Touching indeed is thepicture of William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner, consistingof a plate of clams and a glass of cold water, to thank God “for theabundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand.”

The Pilgrims didn’t have much, but they possessed a greatgratitude and it was upon this very thing that America was built. Thesestalwart people, strong, devout and sincere were the timbers upon which ournation was founded.

For many of those first thanksgivings they had a custom of putting5 kernels of corn upon each empty plate before dinner was served. Each memberof the family would pick up a kernel and tell what they were thankful for. Itwas to remind them that the very first Pilgrims were in such dire straits thattheir allowance was only 5 kernels of corn per person each day. In the 5 grains of corn we can remember 5 things to praise God forusing Psalm 103:1-5.

1.The Kernel of Forgiveness

Verse 3a: “…who forgiveth all thine iniquities…”

From the depths of our hearts, a sense of gratitude should wellup. We don’t deserve forgiveness, but Hegives it to us anyway.

2.The Kernel of Redemption

Verse 4a: “…who redeemeth thy life from destruction…”

The Lord not only saved our souls from hell, but He also redeemsour lives from the clutches of the devil. Satan is bent on damning our soulsand destroying our lives. But thanks be to God who redeems our lives fromSatan’s power. All one has to do is take a look at our penitentiaries,

3.The Kernel of Healing

Verse 3b: “…who healeth all thy diseases…”

Just as surely as some disorders of the body can be cured bymedicines and surgery, so the soul of man can be cleansed, purged andpurified—and made whole when God the Holy Spirit is allowed to possess us completely.

4. The Kernel of Love and Compassion*

Verse 4b: “…crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies…”

The loving kindness and tender mercies of the Lord accompany ourlives every day.

5. The Kernel of Satisfaction and Renewal*

Verse 5: “…who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thyyouth is renewed like the eagle’s.” When we seek God’srighteousness, He grants it. But that’s not the end. Verse 5 also says that Godwill renew our youth like the eagle’s. I am constantly being renewed,refreshed, and revived in my soul and God is doing it all!

No wonder then that the Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that iswithin me, bless his holy name!”

In 1 Sam 7:12 it was recorded for us how the Lord gave Israelvictory over the Philistines. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah andShen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”” Pastor Andrew’s friend decided to makeit a point to raise an Ebenezer to recount how the Lord has journeyed with him.Ebenezer means Stone of Help in Hebrew. Before long, he had a rock garden in hisroom.

Many of us need a spiritual audit to take stock of the many thingswe have taken for granted. A neuro-theologian shared his research on how thebrain works: our brains shut down when we rest and it takes 800 000 connectionsthat will help us recall yesterday when we wake up. That’s transparent to usbut it works every morning. Last week, we learned that God is the Divine Insomniacthat watches over us, not so much that he cannot sleep but because he will notsleep. Isn't that something that we can give thanks for? Do we take our familyand friends for granted? Do we cherish them to spend time with and be spent forthem? These are tangible ways of being thankful.

Forget not all his benefits. It is a natural thing to break out in praises.William Law wrote, “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world:It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms oris most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that Godwills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heartalways ready to praise God for it.”

Reflection Exercise:

1. Doyou have a heart ready to thank God? When have you asked for grace to see Godin the best and the worst that life has to offer?

2. Do a spiritual audit account for someblessing that the Lord has given you in the past week. Remember not to forgethis benefits.

GREATEST HITS OF THE OT : Psalm 121 (A psalm of Ascent) With God through time

2011-10-26T01:37:00.000-07:00

Sermon Snippet by Dr Mark Chan

What are some metaphors used to describe time?

1. Carousel:History is a never ending cycle doesn't sit well with our experience.

2. Arrow:Time is like an arrow propelled forward, it has direction and is goingsomewhere. This model turns history into deterministic force. We are constantlymaking adjustments to the number of possibilities before us. They call to usand we make the adjustments to take into the future.

3. Journey: Timehistory or life is a journey en route to a land that God has called us to. We turnour backs to something and move on to something else. This sense of time,marching on and hurrying along, becomes more acute as we grow older. History isnot a succession of meaningless episodes. God is the Lord of time and history isthe arena in which God moves. Time is the platform on which God acts. What isGod doing?

· PAST: How should we respond to the past? We are to discern the sovereign handof God in our lives. We are where we are today because of the grace of God. Godhas been very good and has given much. Dine so much. All those seeming soloencounters. He had orchestrated all the events in your lives to make you the personthat you are. While there are also days of disappointment and failure, when weput the good and bad together, overwhelmingly the good overrides the bad. Joyis quenched when we focus on

a. theone thing that went wrong and forget the many things that went right.

b. whatwe do not have and forget what we already have.

The ability to jump out of bed and see what's around you isnot accidental but a gift from God. But one failure can loom so large as to blanketout all of God's blessings. We have life and breath and every step we take istaken in mercy, in the atmosphere of grace. The past cannot be changed but canonly be transformed/transfigured. There is no reverse gear in time. History isirreversible. Words hastily spoken cannot be retrieved. The Apostle Peter couldnot go back in time and choose not to betray Jesus. Judas was painfully conscious that there wasnothing he could do to change the past. But unlike Peter, Judas could not dealwith this failing past and he allowed it to overwhelm him and choke the lifeout of him. Pioneers of the future are prisoners of the past who allow theirpasts to be transformed to become a platform of the future. Gospel is aboutturning mistakes into the possibilities of the future, forgiveness, relief fromthe mistakes of the past.

Reflection Questions:

Which memories need to be brought to the Lord for transformation and healing?

· FUTURE: Brace ourselves for the futuretime platform onwhich God acts, how then shall we live? Cultivate a spirit of curiosity like childrenconstantly asking questions. What are you teaching me? What is God telling us? Someof us stay perpetually in a state of apathy born out of failure or apathy bornof achievement. “I've been there and done that. Now we’ll just cruise along.”Apathy that comes out of learning from the past, being open to all the excitingpossibilities that God has in store for us.

Law of entropy: Just as marriages will not cruise along ifleft to their own devices will also die over time, it is the same with the Spirituallife. We need to take active step to nourish it. Unless new energy is pumpedin, it will wilt. Just like the way we look after our physical health, payingloads of money to check our cholesterol level etc., have we done a spiritual check-up?Have we grown too big for God? Cultivate a holy curiosity about God. Commityourself to the exciting possibilities that God has in store for us.

Reflection Questions:

a. Whatis this new thing that I am learning? What do I need to pay attention to whatGod has done and is doing? What is he asking me to do to partner him in thework that he has in mind.

b. Whatmust I do to relinquish control over my life? We cannot change the past but Godis not done with us yet. Use that as a launching pad to the things God wants todo. Plan no surprises. Ask God to surprise us, relinquish control.

c. Areyou prepared to say, “Whatever it is, I believe you have my best interest at heartand I will trust you.”? Is this a risky step? Trust God in the present.

· PRESENT: About the God who follows us in the present. Trust God in the unexplored future.As the pilgrims go up to Mt Zion singing this psalm, they were singing in theabstract. Along that journey, the Psalm gives us assurance. From a distance,pilgrims could see the end but in between, there are still some hazardous partsto conquer. They may be accosted by bandits, suffer exposure to the sun. . along way more to go, Psalmist reminds us of God's presence. Journey is stillahead, still have dangers. Exposure to the burning suns, post guard forprotection, our diviner body guard. Divine protector. Hills: places where pagandeities thrive.... Looking to alternate gods. Financial markets etc. our helpdo not come from other sources but from Yahweh Covenantal God. What is he like?

· Close at hand, He will not let yourfoot slip. He promised to be there in an instance. Quick as lightning, catchingus when we fall. It is so easy to take a wrong step so this is very comforting.

· Our God will not ever sleep. We canrest in peace and go to bed without worries because the Divine Sentry iswatching over us. He doesn't go off duty as long as we are on the journey.Human sentries will sleep, but God will not.The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. Onthe night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, andfishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forestto spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from thesecurity of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded andtaken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middleof a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualizeda wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn brokeand the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Lookingaround, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to hisutter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feetaway, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there allnight long. (Our Daily Bread, October1995) In the same way God protects us from the heat of pressure. Heprotects us from danger on the outside: conniving colleagues in our office,crazy people who detonates bombs... Yet He protects us from the inside too. Notjust physical internal viruses that destroy the body but those insidiousdesires, wickedness, from ourselves not just from others. He protects us from thatwhich destroys the way we think, generating unholy thoughts, from insinuationsfrom the devils, from evil tendencies that fester in our spirit from time to time.

Just as the pilgrims were invited toworship the pagan gods that they met on the journey, we will also experiencethe invitation to worship other gods: to trust our educational abilities.Should we heed these calls?

This psalm is for people on a journey.It is not something abstract. All of us are on the journey: some into a newjob, becoming a father or mother... for others, it is a journey to a scary place,to unemployment, a new opening, new relationships, journey into the unknown,the cancer ward, a failure in examination.

Reflection Question:

a. Whereare you on the journey? Are you poised for an unknown situation? What keeps youfrom trusting in the Lord?

b. Whatare some of the competing voices calling out to us to put our trust in them?

Life is not a colorful carousel... it is not a cycle of fatalistic journeys comingout of the past and rolling into the future. We need a holy curiosity tofurther the agenda of God. Can I trust and look out for the lessons to belearnt? Can I look forward to the new and exciting things that God has in storefor me? Can I trust that He will continue to do great things for us, mindfulthat God has a great future for us?

Trust in this God who watches overus, Be faithful to One who is faithful. He is at work in our life. What will ourGod do with you, for you to you?

I recommend this lovely song by Cliff Richard The Faithful One

THE GREATEST HITS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Ep 5:19; Col 3:16; James 5: 13)

2011-10-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Snippet of Sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

HYMN BOOK

Why are wetaking time to look at the Psalms, this "book of praises"? Many of usare familiar with the modern worship songs. Why bother with an old collectionof praises? We are exploring the Psalms for the next few weeks because I hopewe can nurture still further our responses to God in worship. There are so manyways to respond to God found in the Psalms that we haven’t really explored inour lives.

The whole collection is put under the heading of praise. Butwhat exactly does praise mean? Often we equate it with thanksgiving, but whilethis is part of praise, it is not the first or most important part. “The dead do not praise the Lord,all those gone down into silence” (Psalm 115:17). Death is characterized by lack of praise;on the other hand, life manifests itself in praise. When we pass from death tolife in placing our trust in Jesus Christ, we have passed from a life ofpraise-lessness to one that is continually filled with praise. There cannot betrue life with God without praising him. Praising God and being a livingcreature belong together in the Bible. Praise is an act of religious memory; weare from God and en route (on the way) to God. It is a corrective to pride andarrogance, because it helps us to remember that we depend on God and are God’screatures.

Is praise unnatural for you? You feel you almost have toforce it out of you? Have you wondered why? Around the 2nd century, A.D.,Claudius Ptolemaeus espoused a model to explain the motions of the heavens. Inwhat was after that known as the Ptolemaic system, the Earth was the center ofthe Universe and all other celestial bodies (the stars, the sun) revolvedaround it in concentric circles. This Geocentric model was accepted for over1000 years by the vast majority of Europeans to be the correct cosmologicalmodel. This understanding came to form the basis for a very important spiritualbelief—that humans were at the center of the Universe! But in 1543 NicolausCopernicus revealed this primordial error and proved that, in fact, the Earthwas not stationary—it was only one planet circling around one of billions ofstars. His discoveries were the keys that unlocked the mathematics of theUniverse, and the Copernican Revolution was born. The people of the time werenot excited about his discovery. Earth no longer held a preferred place in thecosmos, and as a result, neither did humanity. Man’s ego took a bashing withthe revelation shared by Copernicus.

This is thesame with us in our relationship with God. Previously, before we paid attentionto God, all of life revolved around us… what we thought up, what we built, weattributed all them to ourselves. “白手起家”But when our attention is drawn toJesus Christ, a “Copernican Revolution” sort of re-orientation took place. Webegin to reckon with a God who claims the central place in our lives. All oursuccesses we can no longer be attributed to our hard work and efforts but giftsfrom the Lord, the Giver.

When our praises are scarce, perhaps we havenot really come to see God as the centre of our lives… we have difficultytaking our place among all that exists around us, with the rest of creation astotally dependent on God for all things.
Reflection Question: Does that explain your lack of praiseor participation in praise? Is our God,the source and root of all your life? Where is God vis-à-vis everything else in your life? Where are you in the practice of praise?

Aswe praise continually, our identities as the created ones, dependent on God forall of our lives will be repeatedly affirmed in us. That will open our eyes tothe many gifts of God that remain invisible to us for so long.

PRAYER BOOK

The Psalms take our human life, in all its dimensions, veryseriously. And in this book of praise are many sung prayers, full of “heart”and full of feeling. They are born out of the everyday interactions of ourlives, in our deeply felt blessings and joys and our deeply suffered pains andhurts. There are approximately 50 psalms that are cries of pain. It is a typeof prayer with which we are not very familiar and are not comfortable. But itis a thoroughly biblical form of prayer, occurring in both the Old and NewTestaments. We learn from the Psalmist the language of faith seeking answers toheartfelt questions: “Why?” (Psalm 10:1) and “How long?” (Psalm 13:2). Theseimply, “I do not understand what is happening” and “I cannot hold on muchlonger!” for the afflictions which all of us can identify with: sickness (Psalm6:3), danger and mistreatment by others (Psalm 6:8), loneliness and alienation (Psalm31:12), shame and humiliation (Psalm 4:3), old age (Psalm 71:9) and death(Psalm 28:1).

Many of us become fearful of expressing our doubts about God. Wealmost feel that we need to dress up our raw emotions before we unleash them (letthem loose) before the Lord. But the Psalmists show us that God is not troubledabout those emotions as we are. In many of thesePsalms, we find the Psalmists coming to wrestle with God, to argue with theLord. A large number of them also show us how their thoughts turned at somepoint to a place of rest where their hearts and minds are finally submissiveand receptive to what God would bring to pass, even if it is completelydifferent from what they had wanted. As they waited on the Lord in prayer andopened their hearts to his will, they were able to gain strength, find theresource to backtrack, to return, etc. The pain is in our lives because of themisalignment between our goals and God’s purposes. It takes that wrestling,sorting out with the Lord till we are aligned with His will that brings rest.

Reflection Question: Where do yougo when you are disorientation due to your afflictions? What is our recoursefor the experience of a gaping lack/hole in our lives? Do we leave the church, curl us somewherewith our unresolved anger, our existing doubts, etc.?

The Psalmistpoints us to the way: We need to return to the One who is able to re-orientateus. God is not afraid of you coming to wrestle with him. Where are you in thepractice of prayer? Nothing in our experience is foreign to our God, or tooconfusing and conflicting for Him.

CONCLUSION

All our experiences in life cannot be separated fromexperiences of joy and sorrow and in the Psalms we have a rich resource. In itwe find resources to

·        give praise for God’s ongoingand gracious care in our lives—orientation.
·        Expressour need when our lives take a turn for the worse
·        Expressour thanksgiving when we experience God’s deliverance and help.

PuttingGod at the centre is not just a personal pursuit, but the responsibility of thecommunity. Aligning ourselves to God’s purpose and call is not just a personalassignment but the responsibility of the community. It is our individualexperiences of praise that feed the communal praise on Sundays. It is ourindividual experiences of prayer that contribute to the communal plea at ourprayer meetings.

Reflection Question: How are we doing individually in the praising the Lord? Howare we doing individually in praying to the Lord? How are we doing communally?

[1] **From her earliest childhood yearswriting simple songs and poems with her father, through her twelve years as anoverseas missionary, to her present, multi-faceted career as an author,lyricist/songwriter and conference speaker, Mary has always been adept at usingwords to communicate her heart to others. She is the President of CQK Records& Music of Dallas, Texas, a company which creates and produces songs in apanorama of musical styles for a variety of audiences, She is the host of"I Write the Songs," a nationally syndicated radio talk show,especially created to inspire and instruct the more than 40 million aspiringsongwriters in the U.S. Mary is a frequent public speaker and seminar lecturerand teacher of songwriting in her popular Living Room Seminars. She is aContributing Editor for The Internet Writing Journal ^®. Youcan visit her website at: www.cqkmusic.com. You can reach Mary by email.

PARENTS & THE SACRED WALLS OF PROTECTION

2011-10-09T01:33:00.000-07:00

Snippet of sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

INTRODUCTION

Posted on 11 Sep 2011 Kiasu mums now tag along on dates and even follow kids to parties.

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/758350/would_you_mums_tag_along_on_dates_and_bring_kids_to_thai.html

This is some mothers’ attempt to keep watch, to be around, to be available, to guide. Biblical values such as

1. Virginity until marriage

2. celibacy in the single life

3. faithfulness during marriage

We want to affirm that the biblical standards of morality are universal and timeless. They are applicable to all generations, to all societies, and to all subcultures. They apply to New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, and your community just as much as they applied to biblical Corinth and Rome.

SERMON PROPER

Our text takes us to the time of the exile in the life of Israel. It has been twelve years since the reformation under Ezra, and the coming of Nehemiah. It brings us to the continuation of the work commenced by Zerubbabel in the matter of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It is intensely interesting, because in large measure it is autobiographical. Nehemiah tells his own story, with a freshness, and a vigour and transparent honesty which are full of charm. He had news about Jerusalem and was burdened by the thought of the ruins lying where exiles were beginning to make home. He carried his burden in prayer and the Lord answered him by opening a door of opportunity to go and complete the defense for the returning exiles.

Nehemiah and his men are engaged in a serious work. In fact, the future of Jerusalem and of Israel itself depends on the successful completion of their project. As they labor, they provide a valuable illustration for the church that must stand fast to God’s calling to be a holy people, a people belonging to God to declare …. Into his marvellous light.

If only that were true of the church. Carroll, Web Editor for Juicy Magazine, offered the following comments when interviewed for this article, "Christian is just a title. The belief system, morals, values, and responsibility that come with that title isn't always practiced the way it is taught. Religion doesn't stop "Christians" or anyone else from answering to their flesh, it a real deal relationship with whatever higher power you answer to, that weighs in on the decisions people make." “Christians do not have a special immunity to these lusts and temptations.” We know Christians who were the ones to have caused breakdowns in their marriages and that of others… Rev. Michael Robinson, M.S. a News Journalist and Christian Relationship Counselor made these observations: “When church members and pastors commit adultery (e.g., sex with a partner, other than one’s spouse) and fornication (e.g., sex before marriage) – sexual immorality - this inappropriate behavior violates and erodes the spiritual faith and trust that people fervently want to ascribe to the Christian church body. Once people lose trust in the church body and God, valuable spiritual capital is squandered. The anathematic behavior of sexual immorality can create chaos, confusion, infidelity and hedonism within a church congregation.”[1] But worse still, the light on the hill (Our witness) is compromised, it’s darkened. No one can see it like before. It is easy to go away saying, it’s just my own failure… nothing to do with the church. But we never only represent ourselves when we are in Christ.

Reflection Question

1. What have our friends and family members said when they meet with unrepentant couples, living together unmarried, cohabitating? What spiritual capital is being squandered?

Part of the brokenness in our witness is sexual immorality in the church. It needs to be attended to not just by individuals, but all of us as Nehemiah demonstrates in his task. From the mission of Nehemiah, we learn the importance of building sacred walls. Nehemiah gave the people in Jerusalem the challenge to rise up and rebuild the walls. Each family was to rebuild the wall closest to his home. Everyone was to help with wall building. From Eliashib the High Priest to the merchant, goldsmith and countrymen all were assigned a place to work. No one was too good not to work.

Nehemiah demonstrates how important it is that everyone should begin over against his own house.

Reflection Question:

2. Is there a piece of ruined wall in my household, my own neighbourhood? What would it take for you to arise and repair it?

The community of faith, the community at large, need to see that it is possible to live against the flow. It is possible to stay pure as an individual, as a household. What would some of the restoration work that we need to do?

1. THE WALLS OF PRAYER: In the Bible, we read about Job and how he would pray for his children. Job 1:4-5: “4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.” He was concerned that during these feasts, the children may have offended the Lord in their drunkenness… in case they sinned while they were partying. Are you worried about the young people that you have influence over? Sometimes we have lots to say to them, but we never remember to pray for them to the Lord.

2. THE WALLS OF PROTECTION: If parents work together, there is one thing they can control: the home environment. How can you improve the protection for those who are impressionable at home? Think of the forms of entertainment that you make available to your children and youths who come visiting your home? What other alternatives can you provide?

Learn from each other about the current fad/interest that captures the attention of our young people. Be that winsome adult that keeps a look-out for your neighbour’s children. You may just be the person to persuade, dissuade, successfully the child/young person who is no longer open to the counsel of his/her parents. Who can you be that winsome adult to?

3. THE WALLS OF GODLY WISDOM: For most children sex is a taboo subject about which they receive little accurate information, especially from their parents." “Parents, in [the educators’] view, have simply not done their job to protect their children, fail to affirm their sexuality, and even discuss sexuality in a context of moralizing, so we need ‘professionals’ to do it right. Parents in trying.” The answer? Instead of simple information, our programs have turned into full-blown sexual instruction for youth! It covers, in detail, sexual desire, AIDS, divorce, condoms, masturbation and much more. Yet it nearly excludes any mention of abstinence, marriage, self-control and virginity. They are actually promoting sex to children. The reasons for avoiding premarital sex have been minimized or removed. Many believe that telling children not to have sex is naïve and that we must provide any and all information to prepare them for WHEN—not if—they have sex. Sex education has been broken since its inception and—like many things in our culture—we blindly follow it, never asking any questions. But sexual instruction is one part in a system that turns an innocent young mind into a lusting sexual being.

In addition, children of varying ages are taught to be tolerant of all forms of sexual expression. Worse yet, teens and even small children are being exposed to alternative lifestyles without even parental knowledge. Under the banner of tolerance, parents have been removed from teaching their children and establishing proper morals. The seeds of tolerance and mass information have not helped children to make better—healthier—choices about their lives and futures? While this may have been the original goal, the system has been hijacked and the goals perverted.

How can the church take on this role to teach our young people and children the biblical principles regarding this aspect of life?

Let us educate them by watching over our own lives, our choices, the part that we have been assigned to build. There is so much that the church can do to demonstrate the blessedness of following God’s instructions about this part of life. A clear message from one family is nothing compared to the onslaught of immoral messages our children receive in a day. But if every home and family represented in church can sound the same message, children will learn the powerful bond that sex within marriage creates.

4. THE WALLS OF MUTUAL ENCOURAGEMENT: An officer on the battlefield aimed his cannon toward what he thought was the distant enemy. Just before he fired, the commander, looking through his field glasses, shouted, "Your aim seems perfect, but stop! They are not the enemy; they are our own people." Not all of us are wise all the time knowing what to do that will be in the best interest for our young people. It is easy to criticize this parent or that parent for it. Did you ever think that when you aim criticism at God's people so thoughtlessly, you are actually aiming your cannon at the Lord of your brethren? Rather, be empathetic, particularly to those who tries but are crestfallen when all their best efforts appear to go down the drain. Be there to encourage, be there to strengthen the weak knees and the drooping hands.

5. UTILIZE THE WEAPONRY THAT WE HAVE AT HAND TO SPEAK UP, OBJECT, MAKING KNOWN OUR CONCERN OVER PROGRAMS THAT ARE INTRODUCED COMMUNALLY. Speak up against pornography and promiscuity. Speak up for the beauty of sex as God intended. E.g. The basic instructor's guide for CSE (Comprehensive Sexuality Education) run by Aware (in the year 2009[2]) 2 years ago in our schools as part of the school curriculum to teach children about sex. Concerned parents acted to sound the alarm to protest against it as it contained lines which condoned homosexuality and stated that anal sex was 'healthy' if consensual and done with a condom. Think of the latest forum protest about a giant size advertisement plastered on a building, using almost entirely one side of the Cathay building for display.

Denis Distant Denis' Protest against Offensive Ad wrote to protest against the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore and the owners of the building who did not have the muscle or the moral will to remove the advertisement (Published on Oct 1, 2011). Some of us are purposely placed by the Lord to make decisions of this nature to guard the hearts and minds of society. What would the Lord require of you in the face of glaring indecency?

CONCLUSION

Years ago, Theodore Roosevelt noted, "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; . . . and who, . . . if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Where do you see yourself in this picture? Is your face marred with dust and sweat and blood for daring to come forward to do something to erect the walls and be standing tall? Are you being pelted by unfair criticism as you are serving Christ by raising alarm bells in the church community? If so, keep on going and God will reward your efforts. Or do you recognize yourself as one who tends to be critical of others? If so, it's time to quit the demolition team and join the construction crew. — Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Let all of us come with a fresh commitment to get our hands dirty to help erect the sacred walls for our young people.

[1] http://www.thechurchreport.com/index.cfm?objectID=138221

[2] http://www.we-are-aware.sg/2009/05/07/chronology/

PURITY ... A PRICELESS COMMITMENT (1 TIM 4:12-16; Judges 13, 17)

2011-10-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

Snippet of sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan

INTRODUCTION

For the last two weeks, we have heard about the evolving context in which we live in and how we are assailed by explicit images and messages at every turn—television, movies, magazines, and even at car shows. If you turn on the TV, you see scantily clad women on MTV, and HBO. You can go to the super market to see magazines with half naked models and articles about sex. The internet is full of pornography sites and pop-up adds that take you to adult personal sites.

What Bugs Me Posted on 14 Sep 2011 singaporeseen.stomp/china_models_strip_to_promote_cars.html

Is this even legal? China models strip to promote cars

Posted on 18 Sep 2011

SIM's orientation games are sexist and humiliating: Stop such nonsense, please

SERMON PROPER

In today’s modern world, everywhere you look, there’s sex and very rarely is it between two married people. It’s seen as an indispensable component to make an event popular, an item desirable.

In 1 Timothy 4:12–16, the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy, the young preacher, to strive for purity in all areas of his life—including speech, conduct, love, and faith—so that Timothy’s ministry would not be despised by his hearers. Today’s generation of young believers and also those who are not so young desperately needs to be inspired to live pure lives—to be a remnant of purity in their generation and bring glory to their Creator and Savior.

Even the most committed Christian experiences pressures to barter off purity—of thoughts, media choices, conversations, and actions—for popularity and acceptance. But God takes purity very seriously - and so must we.

What constitutes sexual immorality? According to the Bible it includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, rape, and lust. The popular culture around us is suggesting with a loud voice that anything short of sexual intercourse is not sex and therefore not sinning. But that definition of sex does not line up with the Bible. Jesus said, "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Sexual sin ranging from lustful thinking to perverted behavior is rampant in the world today.
Reflection Question:
1. How much of sexually explicit material are you exposed to?
2. How much of these materials do you make available in your life/household?

Biblical values such as

· Virginity until marriage
Song of Songs 4:12 “ ¹² You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.” Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 “4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you're ready.” This advice is repeated 3 times through the Song of Songs to demonstrates the urgency and seriousness of this charge. Why? Because love is a very powerful emotion. Song of Songs 8:6-7 says, “Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it.” We must not underestimate the intensity of this emotion known as love. It is a dangerous thing to love. She knows now what the demands of love will be, and she is ready to wait until his love comes to demand her. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” God often compares his relationship with his people as that of a marriage. When their devotion turns to Baal and other idols, God’s passion burns with rage. He accuses his people of adultery, spiritual adultery. How important it is then for His people, us, to keep from being devoted to many different partners throughout our lives. We are to reflect his single-minded devotion to his people in our relationships.

· celibacy in the single life, "To the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried . . . But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion [engage in immoral behavior]" (1 Cor. 7:8,9). Sexual relations outside of marriage is forbidden because it destroys personal relationships and a secure society.

· faithfulness during marriage "Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband" (1 Cor. 7:2). Prov 5:15-20 “¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. ¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? ¹⁷ Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. ¹⁸May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. ²⁰ Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?”

There are many situations that can test the faithfulness of couples during the marriage. In Song of Songs 2:12 are these words, “Catch the little foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.” The blossoming love like the vineyards, can be threatened by unwelcomed parties. It takes both parties and their supporting network of families and friends to make their marriage a successful one. We want to catch “the little foxes”, seemingly insignificant yet clever parties that can ruin a marriage.

These values are considered ridiculous and old fashioned - even to some Christians.

Remember that God created sex to be a beautiful expression of love between a man and a woman who are joined in marriage. Since sexual activity can result in the creation of a precious, eternal, human soul, it is obviously very important and valuable; therefore, Satan does his best to pervert it.

EXPOSING THE LIES THE DEVIL USES:

1. "God gave me these drives and desires so it must be okay to satisfy them." - We are not helpless animals who must yield to every thought and feeling and desire, we control our desire because we realize the consequences of an act would be harmful for any number of reasons. This principle of expressing and/or controlling our natural desires and drives also applies to sex. The desire for intimacy is certainly not sinful in itself, but for an unmarried Christian, it is an area where we must exercise the fruit of self-control and yield to the Lord's will. I Thessalonians 4:3-5 says: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God..." That verse is about as clear as it could be regarding God's will. (See Psalm 37:4-5, Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 32:8-11, Psalm 37:3-5, Psalm 119:1-7, 9-16, 97-105, Proverbs 3:5-7, I Thessalonians 4:1-7, Galatians 6:7-9, Jeremiah 29:11-13).

2. "It's just too hard to follow God's commands. No one is perfect." - When we allow ourselves to believe that it is too hard to walk in God's Ways we deny the power of the Holy Spirit who is with us always to convict, comfort, and empower us to walk an upright life. (See Philippians 4:13, Psalm 1:1-6, Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 111:7-10, Psalm 112:1, Psalm 119, Proverbs 3:1-8).

3. "Everyone is doing it so what's the difference?" - The difference is Jesus. If you call yourself a Christian then you have decided that you want to follow the ways of God - not the sinful ways of this world. The only person we should be influenced by is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our example and the standard we should measure our lives by. We are not to be dragged down by those who follow the ways of this world, we are supposed to be lights and witnesses wherever we go so that we cause them to follow Jesus and His Word! Walking the path of righteousness and purity is not always easy but it is the ONLY way for any Christian who seeks to obey God and receive His blessings and rewards both now and for eternity. (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 12:2, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 2: 6-8, Galatians 6:7-9, Proverbs 3:1-8, Proverbs 12:26, Hebrews 11:6, 2 Timothy 4:7,8, James 1:12).

4. "I cannot stop the thoughts that come into my head." - The most basic thing we can do to maintain purity is guard our hearts and minds. Lustful thoughts and images are often the first weapons Satan uses in the battle for our minds. Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - think about such things." Through Christ we receive a renewed mind and this verse makes it clear that we can control our thoughts. (See Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:13-19, Psalm 19:14, Colossians 3:1-3, Romans 8:5-8).

5. "We are getting married anyway." - Great!! Then surely you must want to build your marriage on a foundation of obedience to the Lord and respect for one another. A healthy Christian marriage consists of two people who are committed to obedience to Christ above all. God cannot bless sin so if you choose to build your marriage on sin rather than on obedience to Christ, you will reap the consequences of that sin rather than enjoy the blessings of God.

In God's eyes, sexual intercourse is a privilege belonging only to a man and a woman who have committed their lives to one another in marriage. They share their bodies because they have first vowed before God to permanently share their lives, hearts, and spirits. This is not something to take lightly. (See II Corinthians 6:14-18, Hebrews 13:4, Romans 6:11-23, Galatians 5:13-25, Galatians 6:7-9, I Thessalonians 4:1-7, I Corinthians 9-20).

6. "What goes on between two consenting adults is their business." – This lie implies that once we reach adulthood we have the freedom to do whatever we want regardless of what God thinks. But the opposite is true because some of the indicators of maturity and adulthood are that we are able to be responsible, consider the consequences of our behavior, exercise self-control, and use wisdom. Which adult problem would you be willing to trade for temporary satisfaction to the flesh - unwanted pregnancy? Abortion? sexually transmitted diseases? AIDS and the probability of death? As Christian adults let's commit to yielding our rights, freedoms and desires to Christ instead, and our awesome God will reward our obedience both now and when we stand in His presence for all eternity. (See James 1:12, Romans 6:22-23, I Corinthians 6:12-20).

7. "I love and need the person I am involved with so much that I could never leave this relationship even though I know that what I am doing is not pleasing to God." - If you are a Christian, participating in a relationship built on sin will never bring you the love and satisfaction you desire, no matter how happy you think you are now. If you have been living with or sleeping with someone out of wedlock, or even if you are heading down that path by dating an unbeliever, I am sure you have felt the gentle tug of His love and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (See I Corinthians 6:13-20, II Corinthians 6:14-18, Colossians 2:9-10, Galatians 6:7-9).

8. I have gone too far to come back now." - We can never go beyond the reach of God's grace and forgiveness when we repent and turn from our wicked ways. He promises that when we repent, the Blood of Jesus washes us white as snow. If we do not believe that we must believe that Jesus died on the cross for nothing and His Blood is not powerful enough to cleanse us. As Christians, we always have the opportunity to face our sin, repent, and start over when we fall. (See Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13,14, Isaiah 55:7,8, Titus 3:3-7, James 4:7-10, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:12, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 12:1,2).

9. "I just can't stop." - The devil is very good at convincing human beings that they can never change but that is true only as long as we believe that lie. As soon as we realize that through Jesus Christ we can do all things, the lie no longer has power over us and neither do the bondages and sins that accompany it. As you go through this process, remember that you are healed, cleansed, and set free through the Blood of the Lamb. Trust in Him and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower you as you forsake the sins of the past. You are a new creature in Christ and He will bless you and enable you to walk the path of purity. (See Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, James 4:1-10, Romans 8:1-13, 1 Corinthians 6:13-20).

THE ROLE OF PARENTS, SIBLINGS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD

Song of Songs 8:8-9 “⁸ We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? ⁹ If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.” If she is assessed as being like a wall, strong and sturdy, and resistant to the appeal of impurity, then they can build on her a tower of silver (a symbol of strength and purity). She is totally trustworthy. But if she is assessed from her behavior as being like a door that opens itself to all who call, then she must be protected from herself and ‘enclosed in boards of cedar’ (kept under lock and key), ensuring that no one can take advantage of her. We have been placed there like lifeguards on the beach. Lifeguards are supposed to watch and prevent accidents from taking place near the water. The Lord continually calls out to us, “You are your brother’s keeper”; your sister’s, your son’s, your daughter’s keeper… you are your date’s keeper. Do not become desensitized to the impact of sexually irresponsible behaviour on them. Time spent teaching future husbands and wives about God’s design for sex is surely a priceless commitment.

CONCLUSION /WHAT CAN WE DO?
1. How can you stay pure and re-commit yourself to sexual purity? Find a friend to hold you accountable.
2. As a parent, how can I avail myself to attend to any question or doubt young people may have regarding their choices in these areas? Is there a situation I need to address at home?
3. What separates me from atheists and agnostics in this area of sex? Am I distinguishable from agnostics and atheists that I follow Christ?

GLORIFICATION

The Church and I (Eph 1)

The Church and I: One New Humanity (Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

The Church & I : Christian Submission in our New relationships (Eph 5:21-6:9)

Chinese New Year Message: An Opportunity to Mend (Gen 43:24-34; John 21:9-14)

New Beginnings (Phil 1: 3-6)

Commitment : Is it a bad word? (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

Advent Series: Secret Revealed (Rom 16:25-27)

· God is glorified by creating in believer's hearts thatdesire to obey Him (v 27)

· The third way God is glorified here is when allnations believe and obey him through the faithful proclamation/revelation ofthe secret that has been concealed for a long time.

CONCLUSION

Advent Series: Apostolic Instruction (I Thess 5:16-24)

Advent Series: Taking the Long View - 2 Peter 3:8-15a

Greatest Hits of the Old Psalm 73 & 150 The Psalms in Worship

Reflection: How has all thisincreased your understanding of worship in the community?

Reflection questions:

Sooffer up your lives

Holyand acceptable

Awilling sacrifice

Preciousin my sight

Butin all that you do

Rememberall I want is You

From “Praise looks good on you” byDon Moen.

THE GREATEST HITS OF THE OT: WISDOM PSALM (PSALM 37)

SERMONPROPER

Step 1: Don’t Fret.

Step 4: delightyourself in the lord.

Step 7: Refrain fromanger (blowing the breath through the nostrils) and turn from wrath(poison/rage/indignation).

These steps are nota one-time thing.

CONCLUSION

Greatest Hits of the OT: Imprecatory Psalm 59

Greatest Hits of the OT: Psalm of Lament Psalm 13

Greatest Hits of the Old Testament Psalm 103: Psalm of Praise

Father-like He tends and spares us; Well our feeble frame He knows. In His hands He gently bears us,

GREATEST HITS OF THE OT : Psalm 121 (A psalm of Ascent) With God through time

THE GREATEST HITS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Ep 5:19; Col 3:16; James 5: 13)

CONCLUSION

PARENTS & THE SACRED WALLS OF PROTECTION

INTRODUCTION

SERMON PROPER

CONCLUSION

PURITY ... A PRICELESS COMMITMENT (1 TIM 4:12-16; Judges 13, 17)

INTRODUCTION

SERMON PROPER

EXPOSING THE LIES THE DEVIL USES:

THE ROLE OF PARENTS, SIBLINGS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD

Father-like He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,