The Trinity (Part 1 of 2)

30th May, 2010

Written By Rev. Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han 

John 1:1; Colossians 2:9; John 14:16; 16: 8, 12-16; 1Corinthians 12: 4-6.

Main Idea: The Trinitarian God is really one God.

Objectives: a. To help you to appreciate the Trinitarian God and build a strong personal relationship with Him. b. To help you to clear your confusion about the Trinitarian God.

A. Introduction.

- The word ‘Trinity’ is not in the Bible. It is a theological term not a biblical term. By theological we mean that it is a term which best expresses what we believe the bible teaches. By not biblical we mean that the word itself is never used in Scripture. But it is definitely pure biblical teaching!

- The gist of the Trinity teaching is like this: one God in 3 persons: Father, Son, Spirit. God is one in his essential being but in this being there are 3 persons. Though they are 3 persons they do not compete with each other. God reveal him self to human beings like us in 3 forms.

- The 3 persons are distinctly clear in the one true God. The Father is 100% God, the Son is 100% God and the Spirit is 100% God.

- The Apostles’ Creed was one of the earliest creeds and shows the belief in the Father, Son and Spirit. You still remember, “I believe in God the Father almighty, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, …”

- A word of caution: do not allow Muslims or Cultists to accuse you of believing in 3 gods. This is their simplistic way of making you feel stupid or confused.

B. To understand the Trinity we begin with Jesus (John 1:1)

- John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.”

- Was he a person? Yes. He was a man. 1Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” He had personality: He had feelings. Matthew 14:14 “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” He had a mind. Philippians 2:5 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

- Was he God? Yes. He existed from the beginning (John 1:1). He was creator. John 1:3 “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. He was fully God (John 1:1).

- He was worshipped Matthew 2:2 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” He forgave sins. Matthew 9:2 “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

C. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead.

- The Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as another paraclete. John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever”

- A paraclete (Greek, parakletos) is one who comes alongside. When Jesus called the Holy Spirit ‘another’ paraclete, it means the Holy Spirit is a person just as much as Jesus is a person.

- Take note the Holy Spirit is never an ‘it’ but a ‘he’. John 16:8, 12-14 “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”

- Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words that cannot express.”

- The Holy Spirit has personality. Acts 5:32 “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

- The Holy Spirit has feelings. Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

- The Holy Spirit has a will. Acts 16: 6-7 “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.”

- The Holy Spirit is God. He is creator. Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

- He is called God. 1Corinthians 12: 4-6 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

- For today, we can see distinctly the Trinitarian godhead. I pray that you will see that the Trinitarian Godhead is real to you. It is not something for your knowledge and information only. I pray that as you are clear of the Godhead in 3 persons, the next time I preach to you the second part, you will find Trinity is very practical, it is in your life.

D. Conclusion.

- You see why it has to be Trinity? He can get personal with you and He is real to you.

What is the purpose of Jesus clearing the temple?

23rd May, 2010

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

Aldersgate’s Sunday

John 2:12-25

Main Idea: The special relationship of Jesus with God

Objectives: a. To teach that we need a special relationship with God like Jesus. b. To teach that our bodies are temple of God and we need to take good care of it.

A. Introduction

- This is one of the rare occasions in the 4 gospels where Jesus was angry, aggressive and he cleared the temple as if he had the authority to do it.

- On what ground Jesus clears the temple as recorded?

- This is where we need to examine some background information and; we have to some explanation on what he says.

B. What is the purpose of Jesus clearing the temple?

- Now, why Jesus was so angry with what happened in the temple courts? Verse 14 says, “In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.”

- The temple here signifies the whole of temple and its surrounding areas. This includes the various courts as well as the holy place. The trading must have been done in the outer courtyard, the court of the Gentiles. The reason for the practice was at the convenience of those who could buy the sacrificial animal. People who came to worship from a distance, they could not bring with them the sacrificial animal.

- Money changers also took the opportunity because worshippers are only allowed to do money offerings in the approved currency. The other currencies were not acceptable was because they bore the Emperor’s image or they contained the image of idols. For whatever the reason, the rule required that money changers must be somewhere at work!

- Jesus made a whip from cords and used it to drive out all the traders with their goods, including the animals meant for trading purpose. He also overturned the tables of the money changers.

- It is clear that it was not so much the physical force that was used as a moral power to empty the courts. One commentator (H. E. W. Turner) said it was the blazing anger of the selfless Christ rather than the weapon which really cleared the temple courts of their noisiness and the mixture of all other goods.

- Who was Jesus who dared to do it? On what ground, what authority he could do it? Who asked him to do it? Was he not afraid of the consequence of his action?

- Simply put, what is the purpose of Jesus clearing the temple? The answer is found in verse 16 and the verses that follow. In verse 16, Jesus said to those who sold doves, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?”

- What Jesus objected was the practice of trading at the temple courts. His motive was the reverence for my Father’s house. The temple court was supposed to be a place where Gentiles might go to pray or meditate in the temple. They could do it with peace. But now, it had been turned into a market place, which certainly affected the atmosphere of temple worship.

- Upon seeing the action of Jesus, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 which says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” It is very clear again and again throughout the gospel of John, the writer’s aim is to show Jesus to be the Messiah. John wanted to show Jesus’ actions throughout the gospel as having a special relationship with God. John wanted to show that Jesus behaved like that because of His calling as Messiah. John is showing the readers, may be all the more, the Jews, at that time, that in Jesus, God is working out His purposes of salvation for mankind.

- So, in theological term, Jesus clearing the temple was a messianic action.

- In verse 18, we see the Jews demanded that Jesus authenticated His action with a miraculous sign. The Jews expected their Messiah to perform mighty miracles to prove that He was Messiah!

- But Jesus was to be manipulated by the Jews at their timing. He had his own timing to prove so. So He said in verse 19, “Destroy the temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

- Brothers and sisters, you see again and again, in Jesus’ ministry, He is all the time focused on His mission of salvation on earth. It is number one thing we need to give ourselves priority also.

- The Jews had mistaken what he said to refer to the physical temple which took 46 years to build.

- But, after the death of Jesus, His disciples knew then came to understand what Jesus meant by the statement he made, “Destroy the temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

- They knew that the temple referred to his body. His body was to be a sacrifice for man’s sin once and for all, to bring about forgiveness of our sins.

- Jesus’ word for temple denotes the shrine, the sanctuary, the very place where a deity, a god lives. It may be applied to us as believers also. It is advocated by apostle in 1Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” For this reason, today, I preach to you in the name of Jesus, your bodies are temple of God. Do not sin with your bodies. Your bodies are holy temple of God.

- No matter what, Jesus’ use of the word, temple probably implies that God lives in him in a very special way.

C. Applications

- a. John Wesley’s special relationship with God is like that of Jesus’ special relationship with God. Please do not misunderstand me. I mean John Wesley modeled after Christ’s relationship with God, the father. Can you also do the same? Take a look of Wesleyan movement on holiness through class, society and bands. He mobilized Christians to strike personal relationship with God through these means.

- B. Your body is a temple of God just like Jesus’ body is a temple of God. Do you see how sacred is your body. If only realize it more and more, otherwise, we will sin more and more using body. Sometimes, we treat our body like a pig treats its body. A pig, after it is washed, it will literally gets itself dirty again and again.

D. Conclusion

- Do you see how precious and important are you in the sight of God? Do you still want to sin with your body, mind and soul?

What is the big deal about Jesus changes water into wine?

16th May, 2010

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

John 2:1-12

Main Idea: Water is changed to wine revealed the glory of Jesus.

Objectives: a). To teach that miracle always reveals the glory of Jesus. b). To challenge the congregation to do the mission that Jesus has done on earth.

A. Introduction

- I believe we are all attracted by miracles. We believe in miracles, otherwise, we cannot be here praying to God in the name of Jesus and listening to sermons and worshipping God. We believe in the miracles of the resurrection of the dead, the resurrection of Jesus, for example.

- For us Christians, as disciples of Jesus, all miracles must lead us to believe in God in the person of Jesus and obey Him and He is glorified.

- By no means, miracle performers are glorified. If we do so, then, we face the danger of making a person God/ deify a person/ make a person deity. This is against the first and second commandments.

- Let us take a close look at the miracle of Jesus changes water into wine and how it glorifies Him.

B. The first powerful miracle of Jesus – Changes water into wine.

- The context was a Jewish wedding feast. It was a custom even among poor people because the guests brought gifts, including provisions. Jesus and his disciples would have been viewed as family for this purpose. However, they had no gifts to bring along. That would have caused Jesus’ mother, Mary to draw his attention to the situation. It was hardly a plea for a miracle, but he had some responsibility for it, and surely he could do something to meet it!

- Jesus’ reply was in verse 4, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?...”My time has not yet come.” This is probably Jesus also shares his mother’s concerns. And here, the hour refers to his task of bringing the kingdom of God, which will climax in his death and resurrection. The work of bringing God’s kingdom has been given by his Father, and the Father alone can determine when it begins, not his mother.

- The instrument used in meeting the need of wine is clearly significant in a Jewish setting. Jars of water originally designed for the purpose of ritual cleansing for people who come to the wedding feast, now, after Jesus prayed over them, they become jars of wine for the purpose of celebrating the mercies of God. Among the holy, pious Jews, wine was almost exclusively used for religious purposes.

- As I meditate on the passage, I asked the question, “What is the big deal about Jesus changes water into wine?” The answer is found in verse 11, “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

- What is the big deal? The miracle of changes water into is to manifest the glory of Jesus. This great account of the first display of glory of Jesus by miraculously providing enough wine in an embarrassing situation may point to the full salvation that Jesus come to bring. As people were distressed from the situation of embarrassment, from no wine, John, the author wanted to use the provision of wine to testify for Christ’s saving mission in the world. This, Jesus knew right from the beginning. And He focused on it and he even used this miracle to show it.

- Please take note that the result of the miracle, the wine, is for everybody, all the peoples who come to the wedding feast. The wine here symbolizes the kingdom of God, the eternal life, which Jesus offers is for everybody. Eventually, this eternal life is made known to Nicodemus in Chapter 3.

C. Applications

- Let us not just become amazed by this miracle, by all means, let it impacts our life.

- Firstly, you can see that miracles have their godly purpose. A miracle that is performed by God must glorify Him, not any other human being. This is our Christian theology. It must always draw people to God in the person of Jesus, especially salvation in Christ. In this wine miracle, verse 11 says, “…Jesus disciples put their faith in him.” Otherwise, all miracles will remain as mere satisfaction of our human desire for entertainment, not more than a cinema show!

- Secondly, the wine miracle shows that Jesus is glorified in order to show mission in this world. He showed the miracle to demonstrate God’s power in providing salvation. Right from the beginning, he had this mission in his mind. He is full of strong sense of mission. All his miracles recorded and not recorded point all human beings to salvation in God; get people to worship God; get people to become disciples of Jesus. Will the choir presentation; choir ministry which we want to begin again show people the path to God; salvation in God?

- The wine miracle must help us to be like Jesus to be full of strong sense of missions on earth. Do you live for Jesus sense of mission on earth? If you do, you will great transformation in life. If you live for yourself, and yourself only, you will have no answers for your problems of selfishness, greed, hatred, anger, etc.

- Thirdly, “your life can change water into wine.” I put this sentence in quote and unquote. What it means is this, our lives can impact others life as hold dear the mission of Jesus to your heart. As you sacrifice for Jesus, people will be impacted by your life, as you give yourself to others. As you give yourself to others, you become a miracle, you change water into wine.

D. Conclusion

- Can all that you achieve in life be attributed to Jesus? If so, you are a miracle.

Accountable Parents Raise Accountable Kids

2nd May, 2010

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

Ephesians 5: 31

Main Idea: To be accountable to our children

Objective: To teach the congregation to use their life example to impart in their children’s life the character of accountability.

A. Introduction.

- Today I do not preach as if I am there and I already master the subject. I am very much working towards it.

- Do you find any trouble in getting your children to tidy up their rooms; throw the garbage; clean dishes and plates after eating; getting them to do their homework; training them to put back the items used, etc?

- This is actually to do with responsibility, also called accountability.

- However, it is a great character for the practice of our life. It is not popular among our children. It is easier to do your own things and not have to answer to anyone. But that is not how life works.

- Without accountability, society would be chaotic. Without accountability, homes can degenerate into chaos. Many have this problem because a family member refuses to act responsibility toward the rest of the family.

- My sermon title this morning (evening) is accountable parents raise accountable kids. Can you be accountable to your children in order to use yourself as an example to train them to be accountable, as a character?

- The bible teaches us on the value and character of accountability.

B. Accountability involves submission and obedience.

- I agree with Josh McDowell and Dick Day in their book, “How to be a hero to your kids” that says, “Accountability is closely associated with 2 biblical concepts of submission and obedience. “ If I am willing to be accountable, that means I am humble enough to submit to others and obey, please or serve them. This is our reverence for Christ.

- Apostle Paul listed ways to live a lifestyle of being filled with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” It is so spiritual, God fearing to be submissive to others. It is very spiritual to be accountable to others. It is a godly character.

- Becoming accountable and responsible is a crucial part of growing up and becoming a mature, balanced human being.

- To be accountable means submitting to others and ministering to their needs rather than always being worried about your own need.

- It takes a secure person who knows he is accepted, a person who feels significant because he has been show genuine appreciation. If we accept and appreciate our kids they can learn to be accountable.

- So, can you be accountable to your kids? The best way to teach accountability to your children is through your example. It is not them in charge and you have to be under them. It is about being humble and submissive enough to give your children permission to call you to account when you act in an unloving, irresponsible manner.

- Yes, they may not be always fair in what they think is “unloving,” and they may often see things from their child’s point of view, but making yourself accountable to your children provides an invaluable bridge of communication between the 2 of you. As your child or whoever you look after, watches you be accountable, he will learn to be accountable. You and I need to do effective role modeling before our children or those who are under us.

- My wife reminds me of my promise to my children and holds me accountable. My children observes it and learn. She reminds me not to promise something to my children and later I cannot fulfill it. Unless I am very sure it is going to happen, otherwise, do not say anything to promise.

C. Kids aren’t afraid to hold you accountable.

- My kids hold me accountable for what I do and say. I told them to practice orderliness in making beds and tidy up their room. There was one time I did not do my job, and I ask them to do it. They reply that I had not done either. They hold me accountable. I have to do it. I still struggle on this and sometimes I forget to do it.

- Every Monday, as long as I am around, my kids hold me accountable to bring one person out for special appointment. Praise the Lord most of the times I make it and I teach them accountability. Dad is responsible for what he says.

D. Good intentions don’t automatically become reality.

- However, how do I deal with the question of how can be a father, a husband, who is supposed to the head of the family, the leader in the family, and at the same time, be subjected myself to my wife and children.

- I believe I am a servant-leader who is strong, matured and humble enough to say to my wife and children, “I want you to hold me accountable.”

E. Accountability and role-modeling go together.

- Brothers and sisters, as you are accountable to your children or children who are under you, then, you are providing a very good example to your children or children who are under you. You may be a grandmother, an auntie, an uncle, a teacher, etc. You are in a position to influence the children who are under you for Christ as you give good modeling to them through your accountability.

F. Being accountable makes discipline easier.

- Being accountable to your kids or those kids who are under you, may put you in some tight spots, but it also lays groundwork for following through with discipline when it really counts.

- Because through your accountability, they really know that you are close with them and love them, you earn their respect; they will take your discipline positively.

- As I am accountable to my children, and when I ask them to say sorry to one another in the family, they do it. By the way, I also say sorry to my children to my wife and children. Nowadays, we practice like this: one has to say, “I am sorry and the other has to say, I forgive you.” This is to make sure each one of us mean it from our heart. We learn from Rev Thomas Lau.

G. Being accountable takes humility and patience.

- As you humble yourself in accountability, you need to be patient also with one another. And your family will grow in relationships and your family will be happy.

- Do you owe an apology to your family? Have you failed in anyway in your accountability to each of them? Have you been humble and patient with your children and wife and husband or those kids under you?

H. Conclusion.

- I pray that you will realize the big deal about accountability.

- If you are practicing it is your reverence for Jesus. It is living according to the word of God.

- It is a great character.

Train a child in the way he should go

25th April, 2010

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

Proverbs 22:6

Main idea: Train a child to fear God

Objectives: a. To challenge the congregation to give priority to train a child to fear God. b. To challenge the congregation to train a child in his or her characters.

A. Introduction

- How challenging is it to nurture (or disciple) your children? Some of you may face babies or young children who used to get sick and you became very anxious; children who have behavioral problems like computer games addiction; watching pornography; stealing; lying; cheating; not respecting people; wasting money; disability to appreciate what has been done for their good; fighting with others in school or even in Sunday school; do not realize the importance of education and character development though you try to discipline and train them, etc. Your children may have kept disobeying you? As you look back, do you ask what has gone wrong?

- Let me preach to you this morning (evening) that it is because of the major reason that we have given wrong things to a child. We have given so many things like computer games, education. Clothing, food and nutrition, best comfort, best school and the best facility, etc, but we have either fail to train our children in the way they should go or we neglect to train them in the way they should go.

- Brothers and sisters, we can be successful in our careers, we may live in comfortable homes and driving nice cars, but if our children (the next generation) are not trained in the way they should go, we will have no peace, harmony at home; we may not enjoy our old age.

- Please do not misunderstand me. It is not a burden to be parents and therefore, you do not want become parents. It is a privilege given by God to be parents. Family with children is God’s idea and it is instituted by God.

- Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

B. How to train a child in the way he should go?

- What is the meaning of training here? Training means you need to be dedicated and committed to repeat over and over again what is right, it may repeating an action, an attitude, a idea, a pattern of thinking or behavior, etc. Now, remember, these repetitions are for the purpose of doing the right things or the truths. For Christians, we say, to do what God desires us to do in the Bible. And this is everything to do with the next phrase, in the way.

- What is the way? The right way, the way of wisdom (Proverbs 4:11 ‘I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.’), not children’s way.

- When you train your children in right way, then, proverbs, you equip your children throughout his life or her life that he or she will always stick to doing the right things. Of course, until old age, he will not depart from it.

C. Applications

- For us Christians, we have the bible in our hands; it is a privilege for us to own it. It is the authority and basis of how we train a child he should go. The bible says we must train our children to fear God/ honor God/ obey God. How? I find that there is a lot homework to do. This is the homework and the constant challenge.

- Proverbs 3:5,6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your won own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.’ Can you train your children to do it? To fear God like that?

- The second point of application is the right way is the way of characters. As you train your children to form the concept of fear of God in his life, you must show him how this God whom he fears is expressed in his life. How God in the person of Jesus is shown in his life? How his life reflect Jesus? It has to be the godly characters. And these characters building like responsibility, love, honesty, compassion, boldness, patience, obedience, humility, etc, really take time and it is a long process. We need the filling of the holy spirit to do it. You need to do a lot of modeling.

- You need to spend time with them in order to bring across the fear of God and do character building.

- Listen to this powerful illustration of an axe cutter to show you how we must prepare our children to face the sinful world and stand up for Jesus and become His strong disciples. It shows the importance of training our children to be God fearing and in character building. This wood cutter can use an axe to produce the maximum numbers of trees he cut everyday. From the start, it is 100 trees everyday. After a while, the production decreases to 20, 30 and 10. He is fired from his job. He wanted to kill himself and but he met a sage, a holy man, a wise man. This wise man just laughed and laughed at him, telling him not to be so stupid to get suicide, but he just need to find out the reason for the decrease in production. The answer is because he has not sharpened the axe, the tool.

- As your children are facing the world, have you given them a sharp axe in the form a godly character, God fearing and with all godly characters? Do not think that education along will make the axe sharp enough.

D. Conclusion

- Are you convinced to train your children to fear God and build up in his godly characters.

How to live as husbands and wives (Family value, series 1)

18th April, 2010

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

1Peter 3:1-7

Main Idea: Fear God in your marriage

Objectives: a. To challenge husbands and wives to fear God in their marriage. b. To teach husbands and wives how to treat one another.

A. Introduction

- For those of you who are married, have you faced any challenges in your marriage? Any disagreements? Any tensions? Any Frustrations? Any hurts?

- You may be seeking answers to your challenges and you may find that you face deadlock. You do not seem to find a way out and some of you may think of ending your marriage.

- If your marriage is very good and happy, then, I must congratulate you and you may like to share with others in small groups and in other occasions. You must especially witness about your marriage in front of other people.

- Today, we are embarking on a passage out of only a few marriage passages in the bible. I pray that it will inspire you to be better wives and husbands.

- Let us see what 1Peter 3:1-7 tells us how to live together as husbands and wives.

B. Wives, be submissive to your husbands (verse 1)

- This passage on marriage is very much in the context of Chapter 2. What has been said by Apostle Peter there affects the present passage. Especially in 2:13, 14, Peter urged the readers, for the sake of God, to submit themselves to every authority instituted among men, namely the king, supreme authority, governors, etc.

- That is why in verse 1 here chapter 3, Peter says, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands…” You see the submission done in the context of submitting to authorities instituted in those days.

- Now, please do not misunderstand the passage as encouraging you to get married with non-Christians. The context at that was such that there were Christian wives who were converted to Christianity and then, they had to face their unbelieving husband.

- Their submission to their husbands was made very challenging because the common practice in that society was for wives to follow the husband’s religion. Now, Peter really addressed this issue.

- He teaches them to submit to their husbands who do not believe in the instruction of God’s word. How the wives were to do it? It was an uphill task. The answer is not to verbally preach to them and won them over to Christianity. It was done through the behavior of the wives, as taught in verse 1b, “…they may be won over without words by he behavior of their wives,…”

- The submission of the wives through behavior would help their husbands to see their purity and reverence to their God (verse 2). They should not emphasize outward appearance like braided hair and wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes (verse 3). Instead, they should emphasize the inner self beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight (verse 4).

- Why? It is because the holy women the past like Sarah who put their hope in God submitted to their husband and do what is right and do not give way to fear (verses 5, 6). Now, from these 2 verses, you see that the Christian wives are not to submit to their husbands that they need to embrace the husbands’ religion. Otherwise, apostle Peter cannot use the example of Sarah, who fear God. What they need to do now is to respect the husbands for their belief and the same time, they need to prove to their all the godly characters like purity, reverence, not emphasizing outward wear, be gentle and quiet in spirit, and they would do fine.

- I can see that what apostle demands of Christian wives at the time and also very today is this: in wives, there must be a strong sense of fear of God. Otherwise, you cannot understand why he asks wives to be submissive to husbands (for it is commanded by God to submit to authorities), to be pure and reverent, and to be gentle and quiet in spirit. All these characters point wives Godward, fear God/ respect God/ honor God. Is this also relevant for today?

C. Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives (verse 7).

- Then, the instruction for the husband is very brief. I can understand why it is such a short paragraph. For if a husband is already a Christian, then, it is not so much of an issue because the norm of the society is for the wives to follow the husband’s religion.

- However, if the wives are not Christians yet, the husbands cannot force her to accept his religion also, as he instruction says that husbands need to treat their wives with respect as the weaker partners. They are supposed to be co-heirs of God’s salvation in the eternal life. As husband respect their wives as a weaker partner, then, the husbands will not be hindered in prayers. In his worship and belief of God, service for Jesus.

- Again, like the Christian wives, Christian husbands who treat their wives with respect, Peter similarly brought out the point that they must fear God in their marriage. They respect their wives because God desires theme to do so.

- I strongly believe that as husbands and wives fear God, no matter how we are challenged in our marriage, there is going to be a way out.

D. Applications

- How wives submit to their husbands? How do you fear God in your marriage? I strongly feel that all our problems of submission have to do with our sin of self-centeredness. It can be the problem of husband and wife. If you are willing to go to God with self-centeredness with lots of prayer and seeking God for a way out, as you fear God by obeying His commands in the bible, you will let go and you will submit to your husbands.

- How husbands are considerate towards their wives and respect them as weaker partner? How do you fear God in your marriage? Why husbands do not respect their wives, not love them? Again, it can be deal to self-centeredness of both sides. Can you deal with that sin by producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit? When you do so, of course you will love and respect your wives.

E. Conclusion.

- You see why I keep emphasizing fearing God in your marriage. You need to keep telling yourself, in God’s word, He expect you to do this and that.

Are You Alive To God In Christ?

4^th April, 2010

Romans 6:1-14

Main Idea: Be A Living Disciple of Jesus

Objectives a. To teach that disciples of Jesus cannot go on sinning against God. b. To teach the congregation on to be alive to God in Christ.

A. Introduction

- Have you ever kept on sinning against God in the person of Jesus? You know it is wrong, you just keep doing it.

- You can be doing it just because you always have Jesus to forgive your sins. After all, Jesus is very forgiving. You reason with yourself, you are not a perfect person, you sin first, and then, Jesus will definitely forgive you as He promises in the bible. And so, some Christians have the mindset that on Monday to Saturday, they take their liberty to sin against Jesus and they believe that however much the sin is, on Sunday, once they ask for forgiveness of their sins, all their sins are cleansed.

- This is exactly the practical issue of holiness that apostle Paul is dealing with in today’s passage.

- That is why he ask the question in verse 1, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

B. Shall we go on sinning?

- Apostle Paul immediately gives the answer in verse 2, “By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” He is really telling Christians can no longer live in sin. How can you as a Christian sin against Jesus habitually from Monday to Saturday?

- He justifies his answer with the following verses in the passage. It is eye opening and there is great learning and reminder for all of us today in this Easter. Through verses 3 to 4 he teaches that the readers then and of course all of us today since we are baptized into Christ’s death, we are now buried with Him. And now, we are raised from the dead through the glory of the Father and now we can live a new life.

- A Christian, after being converted, after going through baptism, he now must live a new life, a different life from before his conversion. He is no more the same person as before, who had no power over sin, who sinned against God all the time. Now, let us from verses 5 to 10, how Paul explains about the new life, new creation in us as a Christian.

- As Paul explains in detail about the implications of baptism, he says in verse 5 that when we are baptized in Christ, in His death, we are also united with Him in His resurrection. This resurrected life, new life, is a life where our old self, the life before conversion, which was crucified with Christ. Now, this new life, new body is no more a slave to sin. If you, after conversion, you still habitually sin against Jesus from Monday till Saturday, and you expect Jesus to forgive on Sunday, then, I like to question your conversion. Was it a genuine conversion? Because a new life in Christ is no longer a slave to sin. Because in verse 7, it says, anyone who has died in Christ and buried with Christ has been freed from sin.

- So, Paul now emphasizes that this new life has Christ who rose from the dead is now living in a Christian. And this Christ who died once for our sin will not die again, He died to sin once for all. Paul is really teaching that since this resurrected Christ is now living in us, He gets us to live unto God.

- The powerful Christ who overcomes death and sin, the resurrection power of God is now in us, can we now choose to continue to live in sin. Paul’s answer is strictly no.

- That is why in verse 11, he says, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Once you have the resurrected Christ in you, you have the resurrection power (the power which raised Jesus from the dead), you will choose to live a new life, you will be alive to God in Christ. You will have all the power to overcome your sinfulness.

- Then, Paul goes on to show his readers and all of us today how we can be alive to God in Christ today in verses 12 to 14. Now, before I go into the details of how to be alive to God in Christ, you must remember that I keep telling you that Paul says the resurrected Christ is living you and so I keep telling you that the resurrection power that caused Jesus to rise from dead is also in you. With this resurrected Christ living in you, any temptations that come along, do you believe you overcome them or not?

- No wonder, Paul can remind you and me in verse 12, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desire.” If his readers had no means to overcome temptations and sins, Paul could not teach that.

- Not to mention verse 13, “Do not offer the parts of body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life…” But now, in later part of verse 13 he is able to say, “…and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” How can this be done, because of the resurrected Christ, who is living, who has the resurrection power.

- Of course now, sin cannot be our master as Paul says in verse 14. As we are under the forgiving grace of Christ, not law, where we have to hard to obey the law.

- I can read and understand from verses 12 to 14 that we ourselves to exercise our will power, as Paul reminds us, “… do not let sin reign in your mortal body… Do not offer the parts of your body to sin… offer yourselves to God…offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” All these words and phrases show that we need to use our willpower to choose to be righteous, only the resurrection power becomes effective in us.

- This is how you can be live in God in Christ.

- With explanation of the text today, may I preach in the same of Jesus Christ to you that if you choose to continue to sin against Jesus from Monday till Saturday, then, on Sunday, you expect Jesus to forgive you sins again and again, then, you are proclaiming to the whole world, to the people around you, your loved ones, relatives, your colleagues, your neighbors, etc, your Christ is dead. Your Christ is not relevant to your life at all; your Christ cannot save you from your sin; your Christ is not a living God; your Christ is your slave who is made to forgive your sin at your command; and the most scary implication is this: YOU ARE YOUR OWN GOD AT THE CENTRE OF YOUR LIFE, YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN JESUS IN YOUR LIFE!

- If we sin against God habitually all the time, we end up we are all the time we are the ones who crucify all the time and we do not want Him to resurrect!

C. Applications

- Let us do some very serious applications now with the above teaching of Paul on how to be alive to God in Christ.

- (1). To be alive to God in Christ, you need to exercise your will power to do God’s word and at the same time you need to be empowered by the Spirit of Christ (the resurrected Christ); (Romans 8:5-11). God does not force you to do the righteous. If so, He should have made you to be a robot. He gives you the freewill to choose the right thing. When you choose the wrong path, way, ideas, sins, etc, you suffer the consequences. That is universal truth. But when you need to choose the right paths, choose to do His will and you encounter difficulties, you have the resurrection power of Christ, you have the Christ living in you to help you. Let us read Romans 8:5-11. You see the spirit of Christ help you to overcome sin?

- (2). To be alive to God in Christ, you need to be like a living fish in the sea; not a dead fish, a salted fish. We are all living in a fallen world, a sinful world. But we can be a most powerful disciple of Jesus with the Christ who lives in us and we can choose a life that is not sinful like the rest of the sinful world. We can be like a living fish living in a salty sea, without being salty. Only with the help of the living Christ, resurrected Christ living us in helping us to overcome sin and temptation. Unlike a dead fish, a dead Christian, who has no Christ in him, of course, now, salt, the sin of the world can now enter his body and become salted, sinful. Brothers and sisters, without the empowerment and presence of the resurrected Christ in you, you become a dead salted sinful Christian/ fish.

D. Conclusion

- You need to constantly prove to the world, the people around you wherever you go that you are alive to God in Christ. Can you now see why Jesus matters so much to you?