Favoritism Forbidden
Written by Rev. Law Hui Seng
Posted by Teresa Han
22nd March, 2009
Jame s 2:1-13
Main Idea: To teach that as God is very concerned about the poor and so must we.Objectives: a. To teach against favoritism against the poor. b To teach that helping the poor is a spiritual act. C. To mobilize the whole church to help the poor.
1. Introduction
- Some of us may have prejudice against the poor like we may underestimate them in all ways; we may not want to mix with them; we are scare that they may take advantage of us; we treat them differently from the rich because they cannot repay our kindness; we think they are dirty; they may harm us, etc.- We pray that God forgives us for all the prejudices because we neglect Jesus teaching and we may have even forgotten about Jesus’ teaching on love.- Matthew 22:39, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Also found in Leviticus 19:18, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”)- Let us turn to the passage today to learn how the word of God teaches against prejudice.
2. Context of Prejudice in the days of James.
- The opening verse of chapter 2 says, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”- This immediately sets the context for the Christians then, it includes the author, James himself, that they were all servants of God but also of Jesus Christ. The term Lord, Kurios in Greek, is used 11 times in this epistle of James, it refers to Christ primarily as the resurrected Lord.- The author James is trying to show the readers then, and of course all of us today that in view of the return of the resurrected Christ who is going to judge us, we must not practice favoritism, or prejudice against the poor in the passage.- This is because God has elected the Christians and the poor. This is found in 1:18, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” Then, in the passage today, 2:5, “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”- There are very strong teachings in the Old Testament with regards to the poor. Take for instance, in the book of Psalm, you can find 2 pictures about the poor. The first picture is in Psalm 72:1, 2, “Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” The first picture about the poor is this: The ideal king will act like God and defend the rights of the poor.- The second picture about the poor is this: The poor call boldly upon God and he can assume his help because they are poor. Psalm 69:32, 33, “The poor will see and be glad – you who seek God, may your hearts live! The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.”- In the New Testament, Jesus in Luke 5:20, He even says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” The poor people can be holy people not because they are poor but because they have total dependence in God.- No wonder the author James says, in verse 5 in today’s passage, “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”- You can see from the book of James that he clearly believes that the poor have a very important place in the church because of the strong teachings by Jesus.- One of the implications of Jesus’ teaching about the poor is this: True faith has no place for social distinctions of the world. An example in the passage today is prejudice against the poor as stated in verses 2-4 where Christians in James’ time discriminated against the poor stranger and showed favoritism towards the rich stranger who came into the church. They invited the rich to sit on a good seat and only asked the poor to sit on the floor.- The Old Testament also teaches against favoritism or partiality. Deutronomy 10:17, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”- If God does not practice partiality or favoritism, then, Christians must not do so.
3. How not to practice prejudice.
- James helps us not to practice favoritism. See how he charged the readers and the Christians then verse 6 and 7, “But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the one who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?”- You see favoritism towards the rich is equal to insulting the poor. And by practicing favoritism, you could end up slandering the noble name of Jesus as the rich people may sometimes tend to do. It must have happened to the rich people who entered the church. They must have done it.- Let us see how James helps his readers and the Christians then and all of us today how not to practice prejudice and favoritism.- James gives us a very important principal to help us not to practice favoritism.- The principal is very precious and simple. It is simply this: You break one law of God, you break the rest of all the laws of God. Have you ever thought of it? I find it very enlightening. It really dealt a blow to all of us who sin against God in so called big way or small way. You commit one sin, your body and whole being sin against God. You break one law of God, you break all. Praise the Lord for this enlightenment.- No wonder, James says in verses 8-11, even if you love your neighbor as yourself, but if you show favoritism, you sin and you are convicted by the law as law breakers. Verse 10 clearly says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumble at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.- So, do not practice favoritism and pronounced judgment on people without mercy.- Verses 12 to 13 says, “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to any one who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!- The dictionary says the definition of mercy is “A kind or forgiving attitude towards somebody that you have power to harm or right to punish.”
4. What do you have more than others?
- Sometimes we are in that position that allows us to punish people, James says you need to be merciful. You do that, then, you can do more than others.- You know in life, we tend to take people for granted, we may be indifferent to others. At the end of the day, we may have nothing more than others. What do you have that others do not have? As disciples of Jesus?- 1. I pray that you will not practice favoritism by helping the poor. Helping the poor is something very spiritual as it is God’s desire for us to do it. When you do it, then, you have something that others do not have. This family of Rose whom we identify we can continue to help by giving money to buy material for the building of her home in May. We welcome used material of all kinds like woods, sinks, doors, windows, toilet bowls. After your house renovations, you may like to donate the usable items to the BM ministry to help other poor brothers and sisters in Tudan Preaching point.- 2. You must change your attitude towards the poor. To help yourself, you need to tell yourself that Jesus loves them and that you must love them willingly. Then, you will be able to overcome the barriers of bad smell, untidiness, and all the negative thinking about the poor. The best way to help yourself is to go and visit them; or, just simply talk to them.- 3. Stop practicing favoritism against other races. Remember Jesus loves you as much as He loves other races. You overcome this barrier, then, you enjoy doing mission.
5. What is your stand now?
- Do you want to remain where you and continue to practice favoritism? Or, you will like to repent and show mercy towards the poor people? Repent from practicing favoritism?
6. Conclusion
- You need to develop a merciful heart, then, you stop practicing favoritism.
Word Became Flesh
Written by Rev Law Hui Seng
Posted by Teresa Han
8th March 2009
John 1:1-18 Word Became Flesh
Main Idea: To help the congregation to realize that Jesus is Word became flesh.
Objectives: a. To emphasize who is Jesus (the identity of Jesus); b. To show the greatness of Jesus. c. To help the congregation to see what can Jesus do now.
A. Introduction.
- Do you have a need? I am sure you do. Do you have a problem to solve, a challenge/crisis to deal with? Some of us right now will feel it because you are in the midst of it.
- As your pastor, I always try to sympathize with you and I go all the way out to serve you. I always tell you that you can find the answers in Jesus. Jesus has the answer to deal with our life and death matter. He always gives you an answer to your problem.
- Do you believe or trust that Jesus can do so? Many disciples of Jesus (Children of God) in our midst cannot do so.
- One of the greatest obstacles in coming to Jesus and allow Him to deal with our needs and problem, we do not know Him enough for us to trust Him just like that.
- In order to find an answer in Jesus, we need to hunger for God and yet we do not know Him well.
- A lot of us have not really known Jesus is the Word became flesh. A very crucial belief where it will determine whether we get personal with Him or not; we obey Him or not.
- Let us be humble and learn from John who is this person Jesus.
- John’s purpose of writing the document in his days was stated in John 20:31, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
B. Who is Jesus to John?
- This passage is actually very difficult to understand but as I meditate on it, I find that I need to use very simple language to help you to understand it so that you understand Jesus better and help you to get personal with Jesus.
- Who is Jesus? According to verse 1, 2, they say, “In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
- So, who is Jesus? He is the word and He is God as He is with God. Why was Jesus here called the Word? Your word expresses your hidden thought. If you want to speak to someone, you communicate with words. Jesus must communicate with us using words.
- Verse 7, John considers Jesus as the light.
- Verse 14, it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
- Word became flesh is human being. God became a human being. What better terms can God help human beings know him personally. By an animal, an idea, a philosophy, a system, an idol, etc.
- Verse 18 says that Jesus is at the God the Father and He makes Jesus known. You see Jesus is one of the Trinitarian God.
- As you come to know who is Jesus, you will see how great is He.
C. How great is Jesus?
- After we know Jesus we naturally know how great is He. If not, we cannot worship Him.
- Verse 3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Verse 14, it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
D. What can Jesus do?
- Verse 3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Verse 4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”
- Verse 5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
- Verse 7 says through the light all men might believe.
- Verse 12 says those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
- Verse 13 says Jesus will give birth to us.
- Verse 17 says Jesus will give us the truth.
E. How do you deal with Jesus now?
- You have to deal with Him at the human personal level. You need to respond to Him as a person, the whole individual. Obey Him as a person. You cannot compartmentalize your life anymore.
- You need to do mission. You must sense the need of why Jesus need to come as a human being. And so, you sense why the Penans need missionaries.
F. Conclusion.
- Jesus is word became flesh. What else can match that?
Posted by Teresa Han
8th March 2009
John 1:1-18 Word Became Flesh
Main Idea: To help the congregation to realize that Jesus is Word became flesh.
Objectives: a. To emphasize who is Jesus (the identity of Jesus); b. To show the greatness of Jesus. c. To help the congregation to see what can Jesus do now.
A. Introduction.
- Do you have a need? I am sure you do. Do you have a problem to solve, a challenge/crisis to deal with? Some of us right now will feel it because you are in the midst of it.
- As your pastor, I always try to sympathize with you and I go all the way out to serve you. I always tell you that you can find the answers in Jesus. Jesus has the answer to deal with our life and death matter. He always gives you an answer to your problem.
- Do you believe or trust that Jesus can do so? Many disciples of Jesus (Children of God) in our midst cannot do so.
- One of the greatest obstacles in coming to Jesus and allow Him to deal with our needs and problem, we do not know Him enough for us to trust Him just like that.
- In order to find an answer in Jesus, we need to hunger for God and yet we do not know Him well.
- A lot of us have not really known Jesus is the Word became flesh. A very crucial belief where it will determine whether we get personal with Him or not; we obey Him or not.
- Let us be humble and learn from John who is this person Jesus.
- John’s purpose of writing the document in his days was stated in John 20:31, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
B. Who is Jesus to John?
- This passage is actually very difficult to understand but as I meditate on it, I find that I need to use very simple language to help you to understand it so that you understand Jesus better and help you to get personal with Jesus.
- Who is Jesus? According to verse 1, 2, they say, “In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
- So, who is Jesus? He is the word and He is God as He is with God. Why was Jesus here called the Word? Your word expresses your hidden thought. If you want to speak to someone, you communicate with words. Jesus must communicate with us using words.
- Verse 7, John considers Jesus as the light.
- Verse 14, it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
- Word became flesh is human being. God became a human being. What better terms can God help human beings know him personally. By an animal, an idea, a philosophy, a system, an idol, etc.
- Verse 18 says that Jesus is at the God the Father and He makes Jesus known. You see Jesus is one of the Trinitarian God.
- As you come to know who is Jesus, you will see how great is He.
C. How great is Jesus?
- After we know Jesus we naturally know how great is He. If not, we cannot worship Him.
- Verse 3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Verse 14, it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
D. What can Jesus do?
- Verse 3 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Verse 4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”
- Verse 5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
- Verse 7 says through the light all men might believe.
- Verse 12 says those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
- Verse 13 says Jesus will give birth to us.
- Verse 17 says Jesus will give us the truth.
E. How do you deal with Jesus now?
- You have to deal with Him at the human personal level. You need to respond to Him as a person, the whole individual. Obey Him as a person. You cannot compartmentalize your life anymore.
- You need to do mission. You must sense the need of why Jesus need to come as a human being. And so, you sense why the Penans need missionaries.
F. Conclusion.
- Jesus is word became flesh. What else can match that?
Sunday School Sunday
Written by Pastor Law, posted by Peter Yong
15th February 2009
Proverbs 22:6 Training that teaches the total child
Main Idea: To teach the congregation to see that their main mission towards their children is to train their children in the way they should go.
Objectives: a. To explain the meaning of Proverbs 22:6. b. To challenge the congregation to teach their children to differentiate the right from wrong.
A. Introduction
- I am sure that those of you who have children you sometimes experience frustration, pains, and hurts in bringing them up.
- You may constantly struggle a lot and realize you need a lot of wisdom to nurture your children; to disciple them.
- Sometimes you may even run out of ideas how to help your children to overcome his or her attitude, habitual and behavioral problems. You may have even prayed to God for divine intervention and you still may not get an answer.
- As your shepherd I sincerely desire to preach to you this morning that the answer is all in bible. You need to search the bible for answers.
- What I am preaching to you this morning is really a verse out of hundreds of verses on children nurture or children discipleship. It is an often quoted verse on children discipleship.
- How do you help your children grow to overcome his or her habitual, attitude or behavioral problems? How do you nurture them to be honest, responsible, polite, hard-working, humble, God fearing, etc?
- One general verse which can address your needs is this powerful verse: Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
- Let us use our heart, mind and soul and everything in us to examine this verse.
- I pray that after you realized the rich meaning of God’s word in Hebrew, you will be doers of God’s word.
B. Train.
- The Hebrew word for this has to do with inside of the mouth – the gums, palate, or the roof of the mouth, and it refers to the use of a bit or bridle that is placed in the mouth of an untamed horse. This is used to make a wild horse into submission.
- James 3:3 gives further explanation of the use of the bit. It says, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.”
- It is necessary to train or bring a child into submission, so that he will obey us and therefore turn about his whole direction.
- This getting them to turn from their own evil, selfish ways to obey Jesus Christ.
C. A Child.
- The same Hebrew word, ben, for child used here is found in several others places in the bibles. The examples are:
- 1Samuel 4:21, “She named the boy Ichabod….” Child here refers to a young infant who has just been born.
- Genesis 21:14, “Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy…” In this case, the word Hebrew word child here refers to Ishmel, who was 15 years old.
- Genesis 37:29, 30, “When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, ‘The boy isn’t there!” The Hebrew word for the child here refers to Joseph at the age of 7 years old.
- Genesis 34:5, “When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock…” The Hebrew word for child here refers to Jacob’s daughter who was of marriageable age.
- The time span here for “a child” can be from infancy until the age when he leaves home to marry.
D. In the way he should go.
- This phrase more literally means “in keeping with child’s way” or “in accordance to the way he was designed by God.”
- Parents must discover child’s way and adjust their training to it.
- The child’s way may refer to his temperament that was ordained by God, his creator. Therefore, within the framework of the principles of God, train the child according to his temperament or in keeping with his characteristics.
- Take for instance, we cannot train a sanguine (optimistic and happy, extrovert) the same as we will train a phlegmatic (unexcitable, cool and steady, introvert) or a choleric (hot, quick, active, practical strong-willed, very independent, extrovert) the same way as a melancholic (analytical, perfectionist, gifted and introvert).
- He must be trained in the way that God designed for him.
E. And when he is old.
- The word “old” here does not mean 60 or 70 years old! It refers to a male child when he begins to grow hair on his face or when he begins to enter the age of maturity.
F. He will not depart form it.
- What a fantastic promise! God has promised that a child will not depart from his parent’s training if they have done what God asked them to do.
G. Did God go back on His promise?
- Immediately some of you may cry out that you have given good training to your children and yet they go their rebellious way. Therefore, you conclude that God did not keep His promise.
- I would like to share with you some biblical principles about children nurture.
- Some parents absolutely believe they have given their children proper training when they do not have a right to claim to this.
- It takes more than living a good example and taking them to church every Sunday.
- It takes more than loving and providing for them.
- Let me quote an example from Beverly LaHaye book, “How To Develop Your Child’s Temperament.”
- There was a family of 4. The father and mother loved each other very much. They were patient, soft spoken, and kind to one another. Rarely the whole family missed church on Sunday. But one important and tragic mistake was made.
- These fine parents never insisted that their 2 children obey them, and the day came when the children followed their own desires instead of obeying their parents. Both of these children married unbelievers and they were divorced.
- They were not walking with God and the parents wonder why.
- Children have to be taught to obey their parents so they will obey God.
- God’s requests of parents are: a. Bring your child under subjection. B. Teach him obedience. C. Turn him from evil toward Jesus Christ d. Train him according to the way God designed him. E. Train him from infancy to the time he leaves home to marry.
- God’ promise then is this: If we have fulfilled God’s requests, our child will not depart from our training when reaches maturity.
- One of God’s requests is training them to obey parents and God. We fail to do that, then we cannot expect Him to keep His promise.
- Some parents have failed to bring their children into subjection while others have failed because they stopped the training too early in life or stated too late.
- What do parents do when they realize they are already negligent and time is passing by so quickly? You may think that your children have already grown so big that it seems hopeless that any change is possible.
- There is hope because nothing is impossible with God.
- Consider the following steps, regardless of what stage your children are in, and trust God to bring about a change in their lives: (Ideas by Beverly LaHaye)
1. Recognize and admit the areas of your failure. Ask God to show you where you are weak and be willing to name the problems, like, pride, inconsistency, wrong priorities, irritability (tending to get angry at small things which are being said or done), permissiveness (allowing too much freedom especially on sexual matters), etc.
2. Confess them before God and ask For His forgiveness.
3. Prayerfully and lovingly confess it to the family members you have offended and pray they will be forgiving.
4. Ask God to help you change your habits and develop a new plan to correct the old.
5. Have faith that the Holy Spirit will change your life and trust God to correct the wrong you have done to your children.
6. Begin living from this new point in life and not under the guilt of the past.
- Keep in mind that your Heavenly father is even more desirous than you are in making you a successful parent, but you have to follow His principles.
- Parents, if you have followed the above 6 steps, then, you can lift your head high and enjoy life and your children. Don’t be impatient to wait upon the Lord to bring about a change! Love your children just as they are and wait patiently for God to work in their lives.
H. God does not expect perfect parents.
- But He does lay down few basic requirements for training children. We can fall short in many areas, but God does expect us to train them in obedience and bring them to subjection under parents.
- Teaching obedience is more than giving instructions. It is instructing and then insisting on the child’s compliance. Too often we tell the child what we want him to do, but we neglect to insist that he does it.
- Beverley LaHaye quoted an example of a fantastic missionary, after 20 years of service, he was not given the privilege to take over the leadership of His mission organization because of his refusal to carry out orders the way he had been instructed. The heads of his organization loved and admired him and they were fully aware of his great contribution to mission organization, after so many years of service as an assistant, they could not trust him to be the overall in-charge because he consistently refused to carefully follow instructions. He did not fight or argue but he always did things his own ways. Somewhere as a child, absolute obedience was not insisted upon. Consequently, he missed a great opportunity in life to head a great mission organization and he had to go through this traumatic experience.
- Effective training of our children can be summarized as the formula according to Beverly LaHaye: Instruction + Love + Insistence = Effective Training.
- The most important challenge of being a parent is not to be perfect, but to teach the child to one day take full responsibility for his own life.
I. Teaching your child right from wrong.
- As you train your child to take responsibility for his own life, you need to teach him or her to differentiate right from wrong.
- When do children know right from wrong? Lying, stealing, cheating, breaking promises are all acts that even good children commit.
- Dr Lawrence Kohlberg, professor of Education and Social Psychology at Harvard University, says children up to the age of 10 rarely are capable of what most adults regard as “pure” moral judgments.
- Until the age of 10, a child’s understandings of morality come, not from any abstract ideas of right and wrong, but from his feelings about what will happen to him. He obeys rules to avoid being punished, or he is nice to other people so that the others will be nice to him.
- We adults believe that children understand right and wrong the same way we do.
- It is a wrong understanding. What matters most to the young children is what actually happens, not the motivation behind the wrong act.
- Very often we reacted emotionally to what the bad things our children have done, not because of the behavior itself but because of the motives behind them.
- When a child takes a toy from the shop without payment, we parents or adults understood it as stealing. We feel guilty about the bad behavior of our children.
- But today as we understand our children better, we are more at peace with ourselves. We learn that before the age of 10 they are not capable of moral judgment.
- But then, we must make effort to train and help them in their moral development.
- It is very important to help them to understand that God does not approve of lying, cheating, hitting one another and stealing.
- So, do not get panic when your children steal, lie, cheat, etc. Instead, use the experience to train him to tell him it is wrong to steal, lie, cheat, etc. He must correct himself from his wrong actions.
- He must correct it with God by confessing his sins, and then he must make say sorry or apologize to the person whom he has sinned against. This will produce a signal in him that he had better not do it again. He must understand that a wrong deed is displeasing to God, mommy and daddy, and finally, to the victim of the circumstance.
- The best time to teach and discuss morality is when a child has done something praise worthy or when he is indecisive about a problem. It is beneficial to the child to have to come to a decision by himself on certain issues.
- Take for instance, Mary has promised Sally to go over to stay a night at her house. So, Sally is very excited and looks forward to her companionship and she makes plan to for her. Then, Mary received a better invitation that is even better where there is party. Now, she is forced to make a decision. Her parents give her the right to decide but encouraged her to think about the moral issues behind her dilemma. She needs to be told how she will disappoint her good friend and even hurt her. She needs to be asked what if somebody does it to her what she would feel. With all the guidance, hopefully, she will not break her promise to Sally.
J. The importance of parental authority.
- As a child learns to differentiate the right from wrong from parents, she also learns to submit to the loving leadership of his parents. Then, one day, he will also know how to submit to the other forms of authority which he will face in future.
- Children who do not respect leadership will become rebellious and confused.
- However, a child who submits to the loving authority of his parents will learn to submit to the loving leadership of his heavenly father.
- Regardless of whether we like it or not, a little child relates his parents to God. He sees God just as he sees his earthly father.
- Parents’ lives must reflect both authority and unlimited love so that they might best represent the divine nature of God.
- Children learn the tender mercy of God through their parents’ love for them.
- But our God is also a God of divine authority. To represent God with love and not with authority is as serious a misrepresentation as picturing God as absolute authority without love.
- Therefore, a child who does not respect the authority of his parents and a child who has been allowed to disobey his or her parents can hardly submit to the authority of God.
- A child must submit to his or her parents’ authority, then to the leadership of his or her pastors, church leaders, BB and GB officers, i-youth advisors, Sunday School, teachers in schools, police, employers, and finally responding to the majestic authority of the Lord.
K. Children learn by watching.
- As parents train their children to submit to their authority, take note also that, if you desire them to obey you, or God or other authorities, how you live your life is far more important than what you say or try to teach.
- Children learn best by watching what their parents do.
- Dr Howard Hendricks who authored the book, “Teaching to Change Lives”, has produced a bright disciple in the person of Dr. Bruce Wilkinson who authored the book, “The 7 Laws of Learner”, both experts in Christian education have greatly impacted my by their books; Dr Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, said that in family living you cannot impart what you do not know. You cannot teach your child what you have not experienced.
- Before a parent can develop a child’s desire for spiritual things, he needs first to have a spiritual experience with Christ himself and then a plan for continual growth in the Lord.
- The greatest weakness in Christian homes is parents who try to teach their children principles contrary to what they themselves are living.
- Then, how you can help yourself to become the kind of parent your needs? (Ideas by Beverly LaHaye)
1. Recognize that Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin.
- Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…”
2. Repent of your self-will.
- Luke 13:3, “…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
3. Receive Christ as Lord and Savior by turning your life over to Christ and making Him Lord of your life. When you invite Him in, He will cleanse you from your past sins and give you wisdom and guidance, including how to disciple and train your children in the way he should go.
- John 1:12, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
4. Remember to let Jesus Christ direct the daily decisions of your life.
- Proverbs 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
- Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
L. Conclusion:
- As you are filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, you will disciple your children: you will train your children to be Christ-like. This is what matters the most
15th February 2009
Proverbs 22:6 Training that teaches the total child
Main Idea: To teach the congregation to see that their main mission towards their children is to train their children in the way they should go.
Objectives: a. To explain the meaning of Proverbs 22:6. b. To challenge the congregation to teach their children to differentiate the right from wrong.
A. Introduction
- I am sure that those of you who have children you sometimes experience frustration, pains, and hurts in bringing them up.
- You may constantly struggle a lot and realize you need a lot of wisdom to nurture your children; to disciple them.
- Sometimes you may even run out of ideas how to help your children to overcome his or her attitude, habitual and behavioral problems. You may have even prayed to God for divine intervention and you still may not get an answer.
- As your shepherd I sincerely desire to preach to you this morning that the answer is all in bible. You need to search the bible for answers.
- What I am preaching to you this morning is really a verse out of hundreds of verses on children nurture or children discipleship. It is an often quoted verse on children discipleship.
- How do you help your children grow to overcome his or her habitual, attitude or behavioral problems? How do you nurture them to be honest, responsible, polite, hard-working, humble, God fearing, etc?
- One general verse which can address your needs is this powerful verse: Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
- Let us use our heart, mind and soul and everything in us to examine this verse.
- I pray that after you realized the rich meaning of God’s word in Hebrew, you will be doers of God’s word.
B. Train.
- The Hebrew word for this has to do with inside of the mouth – the gums, palate, or the roof of the mouth, and it refers to the use of a bit or bridle that is placed in the mouth of an untamed horse. This is used to make a wild horse into submission.
- James 3:3 gives further explanation of the use of the bit. It says, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.”
- It is necessary to train or bring a child into submission, so that he will obey us and therefore turn about his whole direction.
- This getting them to turn from their own evil, selfish ways to obey Jesus Christ.
C. A Child.
- The same Hebrew word, ben, for child used here is found in several others places in the bibles. The examples are:
- 1Samuel 4:21, “She named the boy Ichabod….” Child here refers to a young infant who has just been born.
- Genesis 21:14, “Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy…” In this case, the word Hebrew word child here refers to Ishmel, who was 15 years old.
- Genesis 37:29, 30, “When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, ‘The boy isn’t there!” The Hebrew word for the child here refers to Joseph at the age of 7 years old.
- Genesis 34:5, “When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock…” The Hebrew word for child here refers to Jacob’s daughter who was of marriageable age.
- The time span here for “a child” can be from infancy until the age when he leaves home to marry.
D. In the way he should go.
- This phrase more literally means “in keeping with child’s way” or “in accordance to the way he was designed by God.”
- Parents must discover child’s way and adjust their training to it.
- The child’s way may refer to his temperament that was ordained by God, his creator. Therefore, within the framework of the principles of God, train the child according to his temperament or in keeping with his characteristics.
- Take for instance, we cannot train a sanguine (optimistic and happy, extrovert) the same as we will train a phlegmatic (unexcitable, cool and steady, introvert) or a choleric (hot, quick, active, practical strong-willed, very independent, extrovert) the same way as a melancholic (analytical, perfectionist, gifted and introvert).
- He must be trained in the way that God designed for him.
E. And when he is old.
- The word “old” here does not mean 60 or 70 years old! It refers to a male child when he begins to grow hair on his face or when he begins to enter the age of maturity.
F. He will not depart form it.
- What a fantastic promise! God has promised that a child will not depart from his parent’s training if they have done what God asked them to do.
G. Did God go back on His promise?
- Immediately some of you may cry out that you have given good training to your children and yet they go their rebellious way. Therefore, you conclude that God did not keep His promise.
- I would like to share with you some biblical principles about children nurture.
- Some parents absolutely believe they have given their children proper training when they do not have a right to claim to this.
- It takes more than living a good example and taking them to church every Sunday.
- It takes more than loving and providing for them.
- Let me quote an example from Beverly LaHaye book, “How To Develop Your Child’s Temperament.”
- There was a family of 4. The father and mother loved each other very much. They were patient, soft spoken, and kind to one another. Rarely the whole family missed church on Sunday. But one important and tragic mistake was made.
- These fine parents never insisted that their 2 children obey them, and the day came when the children followed their own desires instead of obeying their parents. Both of these children married unbelievers and they were divorced.
- They were not walking with God and the parents wonder why.
- Children have to be taught to obey their parents so they will obey God.
- God’s requests of parents are: a. Bring your child under subjection. B. Teach him obedience. C. Turn him from evil toward Jesus Christ d. Train him according to the way God designed him. E. Train him from infancy to the time he leaves home to marry.
- God’ promise then is this: If we have fulfilled God’s requests, our child will not depart from our training when reaches maturity.
- One of God’s requests is training them to obey parents and God. We fail to do that, then we cannot expect Him to keep His promise.
- Some parents have failed to bring their children into subjection while others have failed because they stopped the training too early in life or stated too late.
- What do parents do when they realize they are already negligent and time is passing by so quickly? You may think that your children have already grown so big that it seems hopeless that any change is possible.
- There is hope because nothing is impossible with God.
- Consider the following steps, regardless of what stage your children are in, and trust God to bring about a change in their lives: (Ideas by Beverly LaHaye)
1. Recognize and admit the areas of your failure. Ask God to show you where you are weak and be willing to name the problems, like, pride, inconsistency, wrong priorities, irritability (tending to get angry at small things which are being said or done), permissiveness (allowing too much freedom especially on sexual matters), etc.
2. Confess them before God and ask For His forgiveness.
3. Prayerfully and lovingly confess it to the family members you have offended and pray they will be forgiving.
4. Ask God to help you change your habits and develop a new plan to correct the old.
5. Have faith that the Holy Spirit will change your life and trust God to correct the wrong you have done to your children.
6. Begin living from this new point in life and not under the guilt of the past.
- Keep in mind that your Heavenly father is even more desirous than you are in making you a successful parent, but you have to follow His principles.
- Parents, if you have followed the above 6 steps, then, you can lift your head high and enjoy life and your children. Don’t be impatient to wait upon the Lord to bring about a change! Love your children just as they are and wait patiently for God to work in their lives.
H. God does not expect perfect parents.
- But He does lay down few basic requirements for training children. We can fall short in many areas, but God does expect us to train them in obedience and bring them to subjection under parents.
- Teaching obedience is more than giving instructions. It is instructing and then insisting on the child’s compliance. Too often we tell the child what we want him to do, but we neglect to insist that he does it.
- Beverley LaHaye quoted an example of a fantastic missionary, after 20 years of service, he was not given the privilege to take over the leadership of His mission organization because of his refusal to carry out orders the way he had been instructed. The heads of his organization loved and admired him and they were fully aware of his great contribution to mission organization, after so many years of service as an assistant, they could not trust him to be the overall in-charge because he consistently refused to carefully follow instructions. He did not fight or argue but he always did things his own ways. Somewhere as a child, absolute obedience was not insisted upon. Consequently, he missed a great opportunity in life to head a great mission organization and he had to go through this traumatic experience.
- Effective training of our children can be summarized as the formula according to Beverly LaHaye: Instruction + Love + Insistence = Effective Training.
- The most important challenge of being a parent is not to be perfect, but to teach the child to one day take full responsibility for his own life.
I. Teaching your child right from wrong.
- As you train your child to take responsibility for his own life, you need to teach him or her to differentiate right from wrong.
- When do children know right from wrong? Lying, stealing, cheating, breaking promises are all acts that even good children commit.
- Dr Lawrence Kohlberg, professor of Education and Social Psychology at Harvard University, says children up to the age of 10 rarely are capable of what most adults regard as “pure” moral judgments.
- Until the age of 10, a child’s understandings of morality come, not from any abstract ideas of right and wrong, but from his feelings about what will happen to him. He obeys rules to avoid being punished, or he is nice to other people so that the others will be nice to him.
- We adults believe that children understand right and wrong the same way we do.
- It is a wrong understanding. What matters most to the young children is what actually happens, not the motivation behind the wrong act.
- Very often we reacted emotionally to what the bad things our children have done, not because of the behavior itself but because of the motives behind them.
- When a child takes a toy from the shop without payment, we parents or adults understood it as stealing. We feel guilty about the bad behavior of our children.
- But today as we understand our children better, we are more at peace with ourselves. We learn that before the age of 10 they are not capable of moral judgment.
- But then, we must make effort to train and help them in their moral development.
- It is very important to help them to understand that God does not approve of lying, cheating, hitting one another and stealing.
- So, do not get panic when your children steal, lie, cheat, etc. Instead, use the experience to train him to tell him it is wrong to steal, lie, cheat, etc. He must correct himself from his wrong actions.
- He must correct it with God by confessing his sins, and then he must make say sorry or apologize to the person whom he has sinned against. This will produce a signal in him that he had better not do it again. He must understand that a wrong deed is displeasing to God, mommy and daddy, and finally, to the victim of the circumstance.
- The best time to teach and discuss morality is when a child has done something praise worthy or when he is indecisive about a problem. It is beneficial to the child to have to come to a decision by himself on certain issues.
- Take for instance, Mary has promised Sally to go over to stay a night at her house. So, Sally is very excited and looks forward to her companionship and she makes plan to for her. Then, Mary received a better invitation that is even better where there is party. Now, she is forced to make a decision. Her parents give her the right to decide but encouraged her to think about the moral issues behind her dilemma. She needs to be told how she will disappoint her good friend and even hurt her. She needs to be asked what if somebody does it to her what she would feel. With all the guidance, hopefully, she will not break her promise to Sally.
J. The importance of parental authority.
- As a child learns to differentiate the right from wrong from parents, she also learns to submit to the loving leadership of his parents. Then, one day, he will also know how to submit to the other forms of authority which he will face in future.
- Children who do not respect leadership will become rebellious and confused.
- However, a child who submits to the loving authority of his parents will learn to submit to the loving leadership of his heavenly father.
- Regardless of whether we like it or not, a little child relates his parents to God. He sees God just as he sees his earthly father.
- Parents’ lives must reflect both authority and unlimited love so that they might best represent the divine nature of God.
- Children learn the tender mercy of God through their parents’ love for them.
- But our God is also a God of divine authority. To represent God with love and not with authority is as serious a misrepresentation as picturing God as absolute authority without love.
- Therefore, a child who does not respect the authority of his parents and a child who has been allowed to disobey his or her parents can hardly submit to the authority of God.
- A child must submit to his or her parents’ authority, then to the leadership of his or her pastors, church leaders, BB and GB officers, i-youth advisors, Sunday School, teachers in schools, police, employers, and finally responding to the majestic authority of the Lord.
K. Children learn by watching.
- As parents train their children to submit to their authority, take note also that, if you desire them to obey you, or God or other authorities, how you live your life is far more important than what you say or try to teach.
- Children learn best by watching what their parents do.
- Dr Howard Hendricks who authored the book, “Teaching to Change Lives”, has produced a bright disciple in the person of Dr. Bruce Wilkinson who authored the book, “The 7 Laws of Learner”, both experts in Christian education have greatly impacted my by their books; Dr Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, said that in family living you cannot impart what you do not know. You cannot teach your child what you have not experienced.
- Before a parent can develop a child’s desire for spiritual things, he needs first to have a spiritual experience with Christ himself and then a plan for continual growth in the Lord.
- The greatest weakness in Christian homes is parents who try to teach their children principles contrary to what they themselves are living.
- Then, how you can help yourself to become the kind of parent your needs? (Ideas by Beverly LaHaye)
1. Recognize that Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin.
- Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…”
2. Repent of your self-will.
- Luke 13:3, “…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
3. Receive Christ as Lord and Savior by turning your life over to Christ and making Him Lord of your life. When you invite Him in, He will cleanse you from your past sins and give you wisdom and guidance, including how to disciple and train your children in the way he should go.
- John 1:12, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
4. Remember to let Jesus Christ direct the daily decisions of your life.
- Proverbs 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
- Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
L. Conclusion:
- As you are filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, you will disciple your children: you will train your children to be Christ-like. This is what matters the most
Be Doers of God's Word
Written by Pastor Law, posted by Peter Yong
1st February 2009
1st February 2009
James 1:19-27
Main idea: To challenge the congregation to obey God’s word.
Objectives :(1) To explain that obeying God’s word is practicing scriptural holiness. (2) To mobilize the congregation to do a social concerns project.
A. Introduction
- Margaret Thatcher, one of the former prime ministers of Britain, says, “No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only had good intentions.”
- Three frogs sat on a log and one decided to jump off. How many frogs were left on the log? Three, just because we decide to do something doesn’t mean we will actually do it.
- One guy said to his friend, “When a person walks, I know if he has been a soldier?” The friend asked, “How do you know?” The guy said, “From the way he moves his step, I will know.”
- The greatest misunderstanding towards the doctrine of “Justification by faith is we believe that accepting Jesus we will be saved. Then, in our daily living we do not need to pay the price for the sake of Christ. This type of gospel is called the cheap gospel.
- If a guy really falls in love with a girl, when the girl meets with a problem, this guy will express his love for her through actions. Similarly, if a person really believes in God, he will express his faith in this God through his actions.
- If we are Christians or not, it can be seen from our action.
- The passage today has very strong message of do not mere listeners of God’s word but be doers of God’s word.
- James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the world, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
- This was truly the spirit of the early Christianity, be doers of God’s word.
- In the midst of persecution, they still need to be doers of God’s word. It was where they could stand up for Jesus and proved they were genuine Christians.
B. Descriptions of Doers of God’s Word.
- Let us see how the author of the book James describes doers of God’s word.
- Basically, the descriptions are found in verse 25. Doers of God’s word is described as:
- Verse 25, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”
- This was such an encouragement to the Jewish Christians as they were rewarded for their obedience to God’s word. They really needed that kind of encouragement as they were persecuted for their belief in Christ. Now they knew their obedience to Christ will not be in vain. They were hopeful of a future reward for being doers of God’s word.
- On the other hand, a persons who does not do God’s word is described in
1. Verse 23 and 24, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like”
- It was a gentle way to rebuke the disobedient Jewish Christians in the midst of persecutions.
- Forgetting about yourself was really a bad thing. That meant you did not know your identity and you were not conscious of your own self. Nobody liked to be in this kind of situation.
C. How should the doers of God’s word behave themselves?
- This is where author gets very practical. This is where he is very down to earth in his instruction on details about the Jewish Christian daily living.
- I consider these instructions as scriptural holiness. It is instructions revealed by God to a writer and how to live a holy, righteous life.
- They are so useful that you start to ask how God is so concerned about details like that in our life.
- This is how God desires Jewish Christians and even all of us as disciples of Christ today behave.
- (1). The first instruction is most down to earth. It deals with our temperament and emotion. It could the problem of lots of people, including Jewish Christians and Christians and Christians today. It is recorded in verse 19,”…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… Praise the Lord that quick to listen; slow to speak; slow to become angry, is practicing scriptural holiness. Being able to control your anger is holy. In terms of discipleship, if you can control your anger you are considered as becoming more matured. God in the person of Jesus desires you to be slow to speak and slow to anger. Can you do that?
- James even justify man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. That is it. Ability to control your anger is an expression of your holiness. It is something that God desires. If controlling your anger is God’s desire, then, being angry is your desire.
- And most probably the anger has caused the Jewish Christians lots of moral filth and make them to become so evil, therefore James writes in verse 21, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent …”
- When you are angry and you do not control your anger you tend produce moral filth like cursing, scolding, speaking words meant to destroy your husband, wife, children and parents. When you are angry you tend not to think of consequences of your attentions. In most cases you will take actions that please the devil. You will entertain the ideas of the devil. The devil tells you to entertain your pride and you will do it. The devil asks you not to be patient and do not reason things out, you will do it.
- If you can control your anger, you are removing the moral filth and the evil desires in you.
- James has an ever ready solution on helping the Jewish Christians to practice scriptural holiness. He teaches us how to control our anger. The answer lies in the later half of verse 21, “…accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” It is basically the word of God that helps you to control your anger.
- Personally, the word of God in the Ephesians always helps me to control my anger. Ephesians 4:26, 27, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
- And also, I am reminded by the word of God in Galatians 5:22, 23 on the fruit of Spirit like patience and self-control. When I am angry, I choose to be filled by the Holy Spirit and I bear the fruit of patience and self control. I practice scriptural holiness.
- (2). The second very practical instruction that James give for the Jewish Christians in the midst of persecution and helping them to pay attention to their daily living behavior is concerning the use of their tongue. This is where he says in verse 26, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
- The ability to control your tongue is practicing scriptural holiness. You can imagine this is linked to the instruction above on how to control your anger. When you are angry, you tend to say negative things and so James now say, you need to control your tongue. Being able to control your tongue is holy, righteous. It is religious! So, how well have you controlled your tongues
- In mandarin we say, “Disaster comes from the mouth.” It may sound an exaggeration but there is definitely some truths in it. Especially words that hurt the feelings of people; words that look down on people; words that are tearing down the self esteem of people; words that embarrass people, etc.
- Take heed of James’ teaching that the expressions of your tongue represent your religion or your faith. Failure to control your tongue is deceiving yourself and not telling yourself the truth and your religion is worthless, useless.
- (3) The third practical instruction that we all can do is this: in verse 27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. God desires us to practice scriptural holiness by taking care of the widows and orphans and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world.
- In the past you may have the impression that praying a lot is holy; preaching the gospel is holy; coming to Sunday morning worship is holy; but today, you really learn that holiness has its social dimensions. Taking care of orphan and widows are considered as social holiness in John Wesley’s term. It is also called works of mercy.
- This year, in view of the theme of GMC, “Spreading scriptural holiness, transforming our nation,” we do not only emphasize preaching the gospel to the lost but also emphasize social concerns ministry. Right from the beginning of the year, the social concerns committee has identified a poor family in BM ministry, Tudan Preaching Centre with the help of Pastor Chan Jing Mei.
- Rose is a single mother, an Iban lady in her 30s with 2 children, all of whom were baptized by me in the year 2006. One is 21 years old, a down syndrome child; the other one is 12 year old. You may get to know the family later in the power points. She is working part time earning RM450 per month as a cleaner at International Hotel restaurant. She receives a social welfare help of RM75/ month from the government. She has to spend RM100 on one son for schooling; RM70 for electricity and water bill; she needs to spend RM100 for transportation to work everyday. The rest is for her food. She cannot afford to build a higher house to avoid flood. Our church now needs to come in to help to repair or rebuild their house that is prone to flooding. You will see her plight later on in the power points.
- Rose and the 2 children may not be considered as widow or orphans but they definitely demand our attentions for they deserve our love and care as they are poor. You are called to give towards building her house; you may put on the envelop the label for “
D. Conclusion
- In conclusion let me quote again verse 22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
- Let us apply the word of God today by giving to help the single mother and the 2 children to rebuild their house.
- There was one lady who carelessly drop her Hundred thousand check into the septic tank. This beautiful lady with a beautiful dress, pinching her nose to fight against the bad smell, she was not daring to even try to bend down into the septic tank to pick the check. As she jump up and down and shouted for help, she attracted the attention of passers by. Many came to surround her and gave all kinds of wonderful opinions to get the check. Someone suggest getting 2 sticks to pick up the check. Another said a big scoop can be used to pick up the check. Another said using a hook to do it.
- Just when everybody is busy suggesting the best method and do nothing, an old lady bend down and used her hand to pick up the check. The reporter rushed towards her and asked, “You are not bothered by the bad smell?” The old lady shook her head and said not at all.
- We do not need too complicated plan because it will cause us not daring enough to take step forward.
- We do not need a wonderful plan because it does not help us to achieve anything.
- We do not need a beautiful slogan as it will make us forget what we really to do.
- There is no point in coming up with the best method, most wonderful method, the most complicated method without action; it is much better to use the most stupid method that can do the job.
- No plan is the best if you do not take action to carry out the plan.
- No word of God will be the best if it is not carried out. The word of God will become the best if you do it
- Do not merely listen to what the word of God says, do what it says.
The Spirit - The Breath of God
Written by Pastor Law, posted by Peter Yong
26th January 2009
John 20:19-23;
Acts 2:1-4
Main Idea: Appropriate the Holy Spirit in you to do ministry.
Objective: To challenge the congregation to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to serve God.
- Introduction.
- Why the spiritual power experienced by the first century Christians is not something we can also experience today in our church?
- The simple explanation is we cannot have the fruits without the roots.
- What are the roots we are talking about here? It is the infilling of the Holy Spirit; the Pentecost. The empowerment of the early disciples by the holy spirit had bear much fruits for the early church.
- Two of the great revivalists of a past generation were Jonathan Edwards and Charles G. Finney. Jonathan Edwards viewed revival as a sovereign act of God which could in no way be influenced by man’s preparation. Charles Finney disagreed with Jonathan Edwards and he believed that God was always ready to bless His people with revivals and we men and women could have revivals whenever we are ready to pay the price in heart preparation.
- The day of Pentecost showed that both were right and both were wrong.
- In Acts 2:1, it says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.” The Holy Spirit came down only “when the day of Pentecost came…”
- No amount of self-emptying or heart preparation on disciples’ part would cause the Holy Spirit to come down on any other day.
- But this sovereign act of God coincided with deep humbling on the part of the disciples. The spirit would not have come upon men and women in whose hearts are not prepared for the Holy Spirit to fill.
- The 10 days of waiting and prayer had produced the result of what is stated in Luke 24:49, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
- At the Pentecost God’s sovereign purpose and man’s essential preparation came to maturity, and immediately there followed the divine intervention of God. There were 3 supernatural phenomena.
- Explanation of the text.
- The early church (first century) Christians and disciples of Jesus experienced the supernatural Holy Spirit visitation in Acts 2:2, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind come from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
- This was their first recoded encounter with the supernatural Holy Spirit. It was an experience of 120 disciples of Jesus; it signified the mysterious renewing and purifying of the Spirit in the church.
- And the second supernatural phenomenon is recorded in Acts 2:3, “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” This was an individual experience, symbolizing the Spirit’s melting, warming, purging ministry.
- The third supernatural phenomenon is recorded in Acts 2: 4,6, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them… When they heard this sound a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
- This was the outcome of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early disciples, they all became witnesses to the fact that many languages became one.
- This historical descending of the divine Holy Spirit had great implications for the first century disciples and for all of us today.
- When they received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, they were no more behaving as described in John 20:19 , where after the death of Jesus, the disciples locked themselves behind the closed doors because they were fearful of the Jews.
- After they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, they became very bold. Acts 2:46, 47 say, “Everyday they continued to meet in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
- The who gathered in
- In their effort to explained, they mocked and said, “They have had too much wine.”
- Peter stepped forward and spoke to the Jews in their face and said the Christians were not intoxicated but they were filled with another spirit. So, in Acts 2:17 and 18, he quoted the Old Testament prophesies from the book of Joel 2:28-32 and interpreted it, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
- Impacts of Being Filled by the Holy Spirit.
- The extent of how much the Holy Spirit had transformed the lives of the waiting and praying disciples was shocking.
- After they experienced the effects of being filled by the Holy Spirit, the risen Christ became real to them. They preached as if Christ was with them. They received entirely new insights concerning the Old Testament scriptures.
- Even Peter was able to link the prophesies of prophet Joel with the present situation and said, “…this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” (verse 16)
- And the Apostle Peter’s sermon which was authoritative and sharp produced deep conviction in his audience.
- In Acts 2:37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the cut and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘What shall we do?’”
- Peter’s sermon left a deep impression on their minds of the hearers, and they were baptized. In Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day.”
- One of the most significant changes in the attitude of these former unbelievers of Jesus was that their willingness to preach the gospel and so many thousands into the early Christianity movement. Such was the powerful impact of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early disciples of Jesus.
- How can that transforming power of Holy Spirit take place in our lives?
- Now, we must allow the first message of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ with regards to the Holy Spirit impact our lives.
- The message is taken from John 20:19-22, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After that he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
- Symbolic Act of Christ’s Breathing
- Let us understand the symbolic act of Christ’s breathing. It was breathing into the disciples.
- The word “Spirit” is derived from the Latin spiritus, it means breath.
- The Greek word for the Spirit, pneuma, also means wind or breath.
- The Hebrew word for Spirit, ruach, has the same meaning.
- It was the Breath of God which produced order out of chaos in the beginning (Genesis 1:2). Man became a living soul by God breathing into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7)
- With this in mind, let us see the meaning of the symbolic act of Christ’s breathing into the disciples. This was where Jesus revealed to them the source of their power.
- First, Jesus blessed them with peace twice (John 20:19,21)
- Next, Jesus gave them the great commission, 20:21, “… as the father sent me, I am sending you.”
- Then, Jesus imparted to them the Spirit in verse 22, “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.”
- You see, without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would be powerless to do Christ’s commission.
- This was really a foretelling of the coming Pentecost. It teaches us a valuable lesson.
- As if Jesus is saying to his disciples and all of us today, “ All you have to do is to breathe in, to take the Holy Spirit I impart to you now. He is the power to enable you to fulfill my commission.”
- The disciples breathed in what Christ breathed out.
- On the day of Pentecost, God breathed out, Acts 2:2, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heavens and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
- The early disciples breathed in, and verse 4 says, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit…”
- When disciples like you and me breathe in or receive the Holy Spirit, just as when we place iron in the fire, the fire enters the iron and the iron will acquire the properties of the fire.
- Dr J. Wilbur Chapman, a noted American evangelist who with Charles Alexander exercised a mighty evangelistic ministry around the world, was at one time deeply concerned at the lack of fruitfulness in his ministry.
- “What is the matter with me?’ He asked Dr. F. B. Meyer. “So many times I fail, so many times I am powerless. What is the reason?” Dr F. B. Meyer answered, “Have you ever tried breathing out 3 times without breathing in once? Dr Chapman realized the need to be filled by the Holy Spirit to do ministry.
- You have the Holy Spirit and You need to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
- Paul says in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ.”
- 1Corinthians 3:16, Paul says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you.”
- You need to realize that being filled with the Spirit is something that involves conscious decision. You need to go for it and desire it.
- You may possess the Holy Spirit but you may not be filled with the Holy Spirit.
- There is no point in having a check of RM1000 in my pocket if I do not know it is there; or if I do not its value, I will not use it.
- I have received the check in the sense that I possess a piece of paper. But actually, I have not received it until I present it at the bank an receive its value in cash.
- If this is true, it is our part to breathe out, to exhale from our lives all that is impure and unworthy, and then, to breathe in, to consciously allow the Holy Spirit to fill us
Tithes and Offerings
Written by Pastor Law, posted by Peter Yong
18th January 2009
Deuteronomy 12:5-6
Main Idea: To teach the congregation to tithe and give offerings.
- Introduction.
- A little girl was given two dollars by her father. He told her that she could do anything she wanted with one and that the other was to be given to God on Sunday at church. The girl nodded in agreement and asked if she could go to the candy store. With visions of all that she could buy with her dollar, she happily skipped toward the store, holding tightly to the 2 dollars in her hand. As she was skipping along, she tripped and fell and the wind blew one of the dollars into a storm drain. Picking herself up, the little girl looked at the dollar still in her hand and then at the storm drain and said, “Well, Lord, there goes your dollar.”
- Sadly, many of us Christians have the same attitude toward giving. First me, then God.”
- Many years ago a certain woman was preparing a box to be sent to some missionaries in
- The lesson is plain: no gift for God is too small for him to use.
- A missionary returned to his home city, where he announced a collection for foreign missions. A good friend said to him, “Very well, Andrew, seeing it is you, I’ll give 500 dollars.”
- “No,” said the missionary, “I cannot take the money since you give it, seeing it is me.” His friend saw the point a said, “You are right, Andrew. Here is a thousand dollars, seeing it is for the Lord Jesus.”
- We Christians ought to give more liberally. Liberal givers are like trees, which, after their lower branches have been cut, grow all the better and bring a larger amount of fruit.
- There are so many verses and parables in the bible about giving in the bible.
- Do you know that there are 16 out of 38 recorded parables of Jesus have to do directly with money and possessions?
- On the whole bible, there are over 500 verses on the subject of prayer: about 500 verses on the subject of faith; but there are over 2000 verses on the subject of money and possessions.
- The message is clear. Money is a significant part of who we are, of how we live out our journey of Christian discipleship.
- It is important whether we are a small child with our first allowance, or a young man or woman with our first real job, or an adult.
- Money and possessions are a central issue in Christian discipleship. They are the most important part of our responsibility before God.
- Let us turn to Deuteronomy to uncover the critical importance of the text today on money and possession.
- For the people of
- Furthermore, the offerings themselves can be separated into votive offerings and free will offerings.
- Bring Your Tithes
- Let us examine the passage today on tithing.
- Deuteronomy 12:5-6 “But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go, there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifice, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.”
- You can see, we are to bring our tithes, one tenth of our salary before the deductions of EPF and etc, to our place of worship. For the Israelites, that place was the temple, for us today, that place is the church, the place of worship and the gathering of the community of faith.
- I believe in tithing, and I have always believed in tithing to the church.
- But tithing is not a divine commandment passed down by a rigid Old Testament God to the people of the twentieth century. Our eternal destiny does not hang in the balance of our willingness to be a faithful tither to the church.
- Paul chooses another term as a guideline for giving when he writes to the young churches of the first century. He calls for proportionate giving. We are to give in proportion to what we have earned, in proportion to what we have accumulated, in proportion to what we possess. We are to give in proportion to how we have prospered under the grace of God.
- Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.
- Tithing is really a symbol of planned giving. It is a symbol of a faith promise plan in our lives. A tithe is reasonably costly. When we tithe, we know that we have given significantly.
- Tithing helps us give significantly in a systematic way. It is a planned share in the purposes of God. Tithing reminds us that we are all stewards and not owners.
- A tithe is a guide toward responsible, healthy, significant faith promise giving.
- A tithe represents what you plan to give to the ministry and mission of the church.
- It is your plan, freely decided upon.
- It is not arm twisting of any kind. It is promised out of your financial means, and cheerfully given. A tithe is the amount we bring weekly or monthly as an act of worship. To the church, each week or each month, you should bring your tithe.
- Bring your Votive Offerings
- Next, we are committed to bring our offerings. The bible knows at least 2 kinds of offerings which have connection with our lives today.
- First, there are the votive offerings. Votive offerings are part of a vow or promise, or they represent a specific act of thanksgiving to God, or a personal act of devotion.
- In the Old Testament times, the people regularly brought their tithes to the house of worship. Then, perhaps once or twice a year, they would also present a votive offering. It might be an offering of thanks for a good crop, for a financial windfall, or for an inheritance.
- A votive offering might be an act of thanksgiving for deliverance from serious illness or other loss.
- Sometimes, the psalmist would cry out with a prayer of thanks to the God who had “lifted him out of the pit” (e.g., Psalm 40:2)
- A votive offering might be a promise to God made in the midst of a crisis or at a time of impending crisis.
- Bring your Free-Will Offerings.
- The biblical witness also speaks of free-will offerings. Such an offering is just what it seems to be.
- It is unplanned, unstructured, unexpected, out-of-pocket offering on the spur of the moment. There are few Old Testament rules about the free will offering.
- The free will offering is given out of a sudden impulse of love, out of felt needs, out of pocket.
- It is the envelope in your worship bulletin when you arrive on a Sunday morning that invites a response for a specific cause. It is the call for a special disaster relief offering due to flood, hurricane, etc.
- Free-Will offering, it is the offering that says, “Whatever you are able to do, whatever you feel led to do right now, whatever you feel called to do, whatever you have to give here is a very specific human need on our doorstep.”
- The test today is an amazing ancient writing with a high level of contemporary relevance.
- Conclusion.
- It all adds up to a single central truth: As we give of any monetary amount, we are primarily receivers and transmitters of the love of God in the world. Ultimately, that’s what any giving is all about.
- A rich man once asked his friend, “Why am I criticized for being miserly? Everyone knows I will leave everything to charity when I die.”
- “Well,” said the friend, “Let me tell you about the pig who was lamenting to the cow one day about how unpopular he was. “People are always talking about your gentleness and your kind eyes,” said the pig. “Sure, you give milk and cream, but I give more. I give bacon, ham, bristles. They even prickle my feet! Still, nobody likes me. Why is this?” The cow thought a minute and replied, “Well, maybe it’s because I give while I’m still living.”
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