God's Way or No Way

Topic : God’s Way Or No Way 上帝的方法或根本无法可行

Text : John 约翰福音3:14-16

Ng Kien Lock

25 Aug 2019

Understanding biblical narratives in the perspective of those in the story as well as what the author intended for the original audience is important in order to understand its original intention and message. Just like Musang King means king of durian to us Malaysian, but can be misunderstood as king of civet to foreigners if they literally translate the word Musang to English. 

The problems of life is mainly caused by us wanting to do things our way like the famous song sung by Frank Sinatra 'My way.’ However, God requires of us to follow His ways in order to enjoy fullness of life. This can be illustrated in John3:16. 

To fully understand John3:16 we must begin from John3:14-15 where Jesus was having a conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus. It was a conversation between two Jewish Rabbi, who fully understood their cultural background and the historical events relating to the account of Moses, wilderness and the bronze snake. They understood it without going into details just like Malaysian understood the Musang king. 

 • Important to understand the biblical narratives in the perspective of those in

 the story as well as what the author intended for the original audience.

 清楚了解圣经故事中的内容及观点，及作者对原始听众的意图是非常重要的。

• To understand John 3:16, we must begin from John 3:14-15.

 要了解约翰福音3:16，我们需先了解约翰福音3:14-15

Nicodemus and Jesus were both Rabbis.  He was too busy during day and might be worried to be seen by other Pharisees, so he came during the night.

Genesis 3

Man's Way :- Adam and Eve weaned leaves to cover their naked bodies.

God's Way :- God made them. Coats of skins.

Numbers

Man's Way :- Isrealites asked for serpents to be removed.

God's Way :- God asked them to make bronze serpent on a long pole in V8.

Whoever bitten by serpents, could look to the serpent and live and not die.

John 3:14

A discussion if the Torah

Even so

The Repentance

V7 the people came to Moses

Man's method of salvation

Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from. Them. And Moses prayed for the people.

• The background to this story is in Numbers 21:4-9.

 民数记21:4-9的故事背景。

• John 3:16 is a parallel to John 3:14

 约翰福音3:16与约翰福音3:14-15是平行的

1 John 4:10-11

For God so loved the world

Whoever believes in Him, will be saved

• Keywords in John 3:16

 约翰福音3:16的关键词

What is God's Way?

1) Love

Deut 3:5 the Lord your God Loved you

Ahav in Hebrews

In Hebrew, Love is not Agape, Love is to do and show in actions.

Matt 22:37-40

Deut 6:5

Lev 19:18

All about God Loving us and doing things for us.

2) Faith

To Believe we need faith

• Application to Life 应用

God's way is the only way.

John3:16 is a parallel to John3:14. V14-15 reads 

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 

Jesus and Nicodemus remembered their past historical events in Numbers 21:4-9 whereby anyone bitten by a snake, sent as a judgement to the people by God because of their sin, will live by looking at the bronze snake on the pole. John 3:14 reminded the Israelites of their sin towards God, the judgement due to sin, and the provision of God’s salvation as in John3:16, where God sent his only begotten son to save us. Jesus in place of the bronze serpent and the cross resembles the pole. Sin has to be judged and penalty of sin is death. God is just, He cannot remove the judgement but instead provided a solution, His way, by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins to save us and there is no other way. However we must repent of our sins and believe and trust in his way to be saved. God's way is all about love and faith. 

The word love in Hebrew requires love to be practical, follow up with action, as God did by sending His son to die for us and demanded of us in Deuteronomy 6:5, Mathew 22:37 to love God with all our heart, soul and strength. God requires of us to believe Him and trust Him in following His ways and not our ways to enjoy the fullness of life. 

From Susan Bong :-

 John 3:16 great expository sermon on thinking like the Hebrew which will allow us to connect the verses to the context it was spoken. How John 3 16 is related to Numbers and why there is a serpent on Moses staff that carried out many miracles. Moses led the people thru the desert for 40 years and the people saw the hand of God in their journey yet they disbelieved, was unfaithful and complained. Thats when God sent the serpents after them. But the serpents and calamity continued to befall the Isrealites. Becoz Loving a person does not mean loving without punishment when a sin has been committed. Love does not obliterate punishment but coming to terms with the wrong that has been done and providing a way to return to the grace. God sent His son as the “Grace” so that He can be the way the truth and the light for us to return.

Questions for discussion 

1. Share one new insight into John 3:16 that you never knew before. How does that change your perspective on this verse or the way you read your bible now? 

2. Share one of your recent experience when you got into trouble and tried to solve it your way, what was the outcome? And how did the situation change when you choose to do it God’s way? 

3. Hebrew understanding of love is beyond lip service, it is to show by way of action, e.g. to protect, to provide, to give. How are you expressing this love for God, for your church, your Christian community and for your neighbour?

The Workers are few

TOPIC: THE WORKERS ARE FEW 

TEXT: MATTHEW 9: 34-38 ; ROMANS 10: 11-15 

REV. TIMOTHY WONG 

18 AUGUST 2019 

During one coffee session with a friend/supporter in KK, Rev. Timothy had a conversation with this supporter’s friend, who is a pre believer. As they got into conversation, Rev. Timothy asked this pre believer what he did for a living. The pre believer replied that he holds a job that is so unappealing that most people would shun taking it. It turns out he was a tomb maker. When he heard that Rev. Timothy is a missionary in another country, he exclaimed: ”I thought my job is unappealing but yours is even more unappealing!” 

Why is missionary work unappealing to most Christians? It was a command given by Jesus more than 2000 years ago and today, even after all the years this calling is still shunned by many. In Matthew 9:34-38, Jesus saw the crowd as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” And he told his disciples “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest fields.” 

Trees bear fruits in their time and season and when the fruits are ripe for picking, the farmer cannot ask the fruit trees to delay the fruit ripening to another more appropriate time. Fruits not picked will eventually drop and rot, causing loss to the farmer. A farmer may not be able to pick all the fruits by himself if he has a lot of trees. He would need workers to help him to harvest the fruits. 

This analogy of fruit harvesting can be applied to the sending of missionaries (workers) to share the gospel with people in other lands (the harvest fields). 

I) Workers need to go The gospel was brought to China only about 200 years ago. Hudson Taylor was asked by one Chinese convert why his country kept the gospel for more than 1000 years before bringing it to China. We are believers today because years ago, someone left his comfort zone and the comfort of his home to bring the gospel to our forefathers. Are we keeping this gospel just to ourselves and within the church? Will we wait for another 1000 years before we are willing to go beyond our church to share the gospel with other people beyond our borders? The workers are few, but we still need some workers to go to reach out to others beyond our comfort zone. 

II) Workers need to be sent (Romans 10:11-15), Mission is not just an individual’s calling it is also the church’s calling. It is the responsibility of the church to send out missionaries. “How can they preach unless they are sent?” (verse 15a). There is a general attitude among some church leaders that the church should look after the harvest within their vicinity before venturing further afield to other countries. We should look after our own backyard first. Even in the early days, the church leaders in England objected to sending missionaries to the Far East, arguing that if God wanted the heathens to be Christians, He would be able to do so without any help. In the same way, some church leaders also objected to Basel mission to China. If the church had listened to these objections, would we be Christians today? The church needs to be visionary and look beyond its backyard. 

III) Workers need to be supported There are some workers who are willing to go, but they lack the support of their home church. They cannot find enough sponsors for them to go out to the field. Some missionaries had to return as the financial support was not enough for them to carry out their work. Missionaries are human and they face the same problems as other people. They need support and encouragement. Sending church need to keep in touch and continue to support their missionaries spiritually, emotionally and financially. 

Summary: 

Mission work takes many forms: It may involve preaching the gospel, social work, community development work, teaching, medical and health care but underlying all these is outreach work and teaching and training of believers. 

The 3 Ps of mission work: Pioneering work, Parenting of young churches and Partnership with local believers so that they are trained and equipped to continue the work when the missionaries leave the country. The church today needs to be challenged to think about sending missionaries, to pray for missionaries and to talk about mission work so that it would not be a calling shunned by Christians. 

Questions for discussion: 

1. Do you personally know of any missionary from your church? Where are they sent to and what type of mission are they involved in? 

2. Is mission work something you find unappealing? How the church in general and we as individual can be involved in mission work? 

3. What mission strategies should the church use in order that the mission work be impactful and sustained in the places where their missionaries are sent?

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

Ephesians 3:14-20

11 August 2011

Cathie and Brendon Clancy

Ephesians 3:14-20 

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power , together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

Cathie shared on the song “You First Love Us”. That was the song inspired by the Holy Spirit. To remind us that we love Him because He first loves us. Worship is responsive to the love that is eternal, to the love He has for us, as we respond to His love, just like the Father’s heart. 

Cathie shared her spiritual life normally has conversation with the Holy Spirit internally and externally. She likes the song “Daddy God”, which is sung to the Father. The son, Jesus, sang to the Father in heaven. Jesus came to the earth to reveal the Father, and showed us how the relationship began. She has the same relationship as Jesus with the Father. Jesus lives in us, we are called to worship Him. Jesus died to connect us to the Father. That revelation is clear to us. We have that relationship because of what Jesus did for us. Let us give glory to God. It is so wonderful. 

During her mission work in China, a woman brought her 9 years old daughter, Jessica to her. She had back pain for years, and the mother did not want to give her any more medicine. The Holy Spirit told Cathie, that one of the girl’s leg is shorter. She sat her on a chair, and told her that one of her leg was shorter by about 1 inch. Her parents were there. The Holy Spirit spoke to Cathie that Jessica’s shorter leg is to grow. As she spoke to her, her shorter leg grew to be in equal length with the other leg. She brought her to walk, initially she could not walk properly, later she walked well. That was a miracle! 

God works powerfully, anywhere, any time. You and I have to be ready. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. As Cathie preached and shared testimonies about God’s goodness, faith grows in the heart. Whatever you need, He is able to bring to you. When Paul prayed thousands of years ago, it was powerful. We have the same power today! 

The 3 things Cathie shared today on “Home Sweet Home”. (Psalm 119: 103) How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Every word of God is sweet, sweetness is anointing. The presence of God destroys confusion, destroys sickness, destroys fear, destroys anxiety and worry. 

The first thing God wants us to stay sweet is in our hearts. (Proverb 4:23) “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Guard our heart from attitude, bad attitude, from the culture that the world is throwing at us, from any impure thoughts. So we can guard our heart by guarding our thought. Guard our heart in forgiveness. then there will be light in your heart. Protect you heart in thought. Do not let your heart be troubled. When Cathie had 4th stage cancer many years ago, the first thing she had to do was to forgive all who have offended her. That released her from the power of darkness. She was healed. 

A second place where God wants to keep us sweet. Our home where we live, are like the ARK, a place of refuge, a place for safety, a place of rest where we come home after work, where we have daddy, mummy, brothers and sisters, where we can have our meals together, where we can talk to one another, where we can pray together. It is where a family connect, living out the Word together. Sometimes there may be argument, but it is the fun and joy of being together, that bring sweetness to the home. There may be times that you have to say “I am sorry”, in front of your children, even it is not your fault. 

The third place where God wants us to stay sweet: (Philippians 2: 2 - 3) “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” The church is a place where people can grow in God. Can get to serve one another. The functions of ministries in the church are to help one another to grown spiritually, to fellowship with one another, work together. 

The 3 places to maintain “Home-Sweet-Home”: 

1. Your heart: 

2. Your home. 

3. The church: 

Psalm 19

Say sorry to one another. 

Questions for reflection: 

(a) Do you stay sweet in your heart, happy most of the time? What causes our heart to feel sweetness or bitterness? How do we guard our hearts so that life will continue to flow from it? (Pro. 4:23) 

(b) Do you have meals with all your family members daily? Do you share what you encounter in the day with your children/parents? What role does God wants you to play at home? How can you be a contributor of peace in your home? 

 (c) Phil. 2:2-3 how like-minded are you when it comes to the church? Are you able to see BCCM KK E as your family, playing host when a stranger come into your home? Affirming and exhorting the younger one (physical age and spiritual age) in your home, helping those who are weak and need comfort? What more can you do to make this spiritual home a place where everyone wants to come home to?   

Rich Toward God

Topic : Rich Toward God 

Text : Luke 12: 13-21 

4 Aug 2019 

Rev Ngui Au Sze 

Introduction 

The background to the passage This is the parable to the rich fool. Jesus was teaching in a large crowd with the disciples on how to confess their faith even if it meant that they will be arrested by the authorities and come before judges. 

1. What provoked Jesus? (vs 13-15) Jesus was annoyed with the man who ask a questioned regarding his family inheritance dispute while Jesus was trying to encourage the disciples that in the future they may have to face hardship for their faith. The man’s question showed that he was more concerned about his inheritance and well-being rather than his faith thus disturbing Jesus teaching. Jesus reminded him that there are more important matters beside riches and inheritance. 

2. Why is the rich man a fool? (vs 16-20) 

a. An abundant harvest = a good agriculturalist He was a good and careful farmer and knew how to cultivate his land to yield good harvests consistently. 

b. Storing up grain = “saving for a rainy day” He was wise enough to store up grain for those lean years of harvest and building bigger barns to store even more grains to create a bigger buffer for the eventual extra lean harvest. 

How to store the grains is just as important else it will rot and be of no use in the future. 

c. How long a life = in God’s Hand The farmer is considered a wise man in every aspect in his stewardship of his crop and harvest however he made the mistake that he thought he is in control with the length of his life in this this world. He was called a fool because he had accorded finite things with infinite value and as a result before dawn came, his live ended. 

3. Rich toward God (vs 21) He was a fool because he was not rich towards God for he did not acknowledge God who had provided rain and sunshine for the abundant harvest that had made him very successful. He had made no acknowledgement of God in his life nor did he feel God had anything to do with his life. He does not think of God and his relationship with him but only of his crop and the enjoyment of his life. We do not know when Christ will come again or will we meet Him first. We cannot control the infinite with the finite and therefore we must prepare ourselves to meet God anytime. Unlike the foolish rich man who thought he could have control over infinite matter, we must live a live that is prepared to meet God face to face and, in the process, cultivating a deep intimacy with our Lord. 

Conclusion 

The question we need to ask in our lives is that is our material abundance sufficient to meet the weight of meaning, significance and joy that we seek. It is only when we are rich towards God that He can grant us the confidence that we are worthy of love and honour and in right relationship with God and neighbour. These are the pursuit of infinite things that we should be after. 

Reflection questions: 

1. A man asked Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance with him. Is this a good solution to solve this problem? Why or why not? 

2. How do we store up things for ourselves? 

3. What does it require to be rich toward God? Are there other ways beside what was shared in the sermon?