R.E.A.C.H

Topic: R.E.A.C.H
Speaker: Rev.Renny Khoo
Date: 23/02/2020

Introduction

This is our 3rd year in discipleship journey and this year focus is on reaching out using the
acronym REACH which stands for Readily Exceedingly Available to Connect to Humanity.

1. Discipleship journey focus a lot on transformation and not just getting information and
knowledge but life lived out. We do things for God not to win favour from Him. Instead,
we want to serve God and man out of appreciation and gratitude for what he did for us. We
have been bless so that we can continue to be a blessing to others especially to be gospel
bearers as shown in the four quadrants of our faith stations from connecting, equipping,
mentoring to releasing.
Jesus engaged with his disciples in a life transformation process and we are also in that
process to transform us to influence others too.

2. Complacent – Consumer – Connected – Committed – Compelled
Jesus call us out of our complacent culture to be gospel bearers to bring the lost back to his
kingdom. We must not just be a consuming Christian or else we will miss out His call to
bless others with all the resources given to us as selfish consumers. In order to mature in
Christ we need to grow in connecting to others as a community since relationship is the
key to grow to maturity. That is why we must belong to a connect group to engage with
one another.
We are saved and justified by faith but need to continue to be sanctified to overcome all
our shortcomings. We are to grow in commitment to serve and give whatever we can in
order to make an impact for God's kingdom just like the little boy offering his 2 fishes and
5 loaves of bread and God used them to feed 5000 people. We are reminded to store up our
treasures in heaven that have eternal values by winning souls for Christ.
We are also to beware that sometimes blessings can be an obstacle to serve God due to the
demands of our commitment to matters that draws us away from God. So it is necessary to
get the correct perspective to be good stewards for the blessings from God.
Rev. Renny shared her experience of how she is bless with a new place of stay and is
reminded that "much is given much is required of you", so she managed to use new place
to host visitors and be a blessing by sharing. However we must not do it out of obligation
but find joy in serving and giving because we are compelled by God's love. We love
because He first love us.
Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus command us to go and make disciples of all man...
When Jesus made a difference in our lives we cannot hold back but share with others. We
are to respond to his call and count it a privilege and not an obligation since we are
compelled by his love to go empowered by his authority. So we are to grow from
complacency to consumer to being connected and committed to allow Christ’s love to
compel us to reach out for the lost for His kingdom.

Questions for discussion:
1. Share a testimony, an experience where you reached out to others or how others have
reached out to you.

2. Complacent – Consumer – Connected – Committed – Compelled
Where are you in the above? Describe what it is like in said stage. What would it take to
move to the next stage?

3. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied
grace (1 Peter 4:10).What are some gifts you like to affirm, for yourself and for others in
the CG? How do you plan to steward these gifts?

DJ Walk

Discipleship Journey 2018 - Part 2

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. Radical Discipleship is all about Christ, Character and Calling, this is the central message of Radical Discipleship. Yes indeed, they are the 3 C of Radical Discipleship.
2. Yes, I would love to have this Big Three C as my journey compass, with Christ in my vessel, with the Holy Spirit as compass to steer ny vessel, I can build up my characters and fulfill my calling by the Lord.

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. The 4 Cs - Consumerism, Carnality, Compulsiveness and Conformity are inherent within my carnal man and the arguing with my spiritual inner man all the time. It is so easy to give in and follow the ways of the world. They challenge every step of our dicsipleship calling and discipline.
2. In order to counter the 4 Cs, we need to cultivate Surrender, Personal Discipline and Empowerment of the Spirit, so that authentic discipleship can occur. To me, the hardest one will be Personal Discipline follows by Surrender. Cultivating spiritual discipline is not something that will happen without works and discipline. 

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. Jesus discipled his disciples from fishermen to become a committed and radical disciples. He cause them to transform with His own life. They observed and saw how he operated and they became like Him.
2. My personal encountering experiences with the Lord are many but they could be rather spontaneous at times. Although not consistent, I still have a desire to encounter Him more in my life and being to be transformed.

Discipleship Journey 2018 - Part 1

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. Things and events usually capture my full attention, people may capture my full affection. But it is not always in this sequence. Sometimes, things are more important than people and people got ignored by me or used by me to perfect an event or things to do done. 
2. Am I growing as a disciple of Christ? Yes albeit slowly and at times stagnant and a bit retarded. Events and people in life caused me many bruises and I get offended and that is when my growth halts and zero growth. Reading is on-going. In all things, have a kingdom-mentality, we serve a risen saviour who wants to see all men be saved.

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. Holiness and humility are like the pair of hands, they are siblings connected at the heart. Without holiness, it is impossible to please God. But yet, as marks of true disciples, how do holiness and humility look like? It is how we treat our neighbours through our daily living, our staff, people lower than us, people who serve us, are we forgiving, fore-bearing, encouraging, building up other people who are around us?  This is where actions speak louder than words. The "walk the talk" part of our life.
2. What influences me to cultivate the appetite for holiness and humility? Being with Christian brothers and sisters who are like-minded and practise holiness and humility. Reading and meditating on the Word of God to understand the calling of God upon my life. 

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. This sounds like a mathematical theological question to me. So in Discipleship journey equation, this is how to write this equation down: Why + What => How or rather Why => What + How. The Why definies the What and determines the How. So it all starts with understanding WHY.
2. I love these 5 Defining Questions so much that I actually make use them in my preparation of paper, presentations, talks, sermons and even thesis arguments. Yes, they are that good!

• Why is it so important?
• If it's so important, why is it so neglected?
• What is it all about?
• What makes it so difficult?
• How can it be best accomplished?

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. The depth of spiritual life ensures sustainability and anchors multiplication. This is especially so in the life of a church within a community. On a personal note, spiritual maturity is what we want to pursue but whether we accomplish maturity or multiplication, that still depends on a few other things, such as calling and resources. 
2.  Radical discipleship is very important for the church to sustain and grow continuously. It will become part of the ecology of the church community.

Chewing and Thinking:-

1. My personal conviction about discipleship is that with proper and prayerful execution, it will bring about a healthy and sustainable ecology for the church community and generations will be taken care of. Corporately, discipleship will very much depend on the leadership's commitment and skills of executions.
2. On my personal preference, I am a strong executor / doer but I love to be with people and see how people are transformed through our programmes. So, it is a mix. 

A Journey of Breaking Free

Topic : A Journey of Breaking Free

Text : Galatians 5:1-15; Romans 6:1-14

28 January 2018

The pastoral team and church leadership are inviting everyone to a journey together - the Discipleship Journey.  In life, especially in our Christian faith journey, we don’t need to know everything before attempting something new, we don’t need to be an expert before serving in a ministry, it’s a journey of faith, a journey of learning to give room for God to act, for Him to lead and for us to trust and follow.

Pastor Edmund Chan, in his book “Radical Discipleship” talked about “The Five Defining Questions”. Eg. on the topic of “Breaking Free” :

Q1. Why is breaking free so important for Christianity?

Q2. If it is so important, why is it so neglected?

Q3. What is breaking free all about?

Q4. What makes breaking free so difficult?

Q5. How can it best be accomplished?

Breaking Free is important for Christians because that is the main ministry of our Messiah, the main reason why Jesus was sent to us. To proclaim good news to the poor. “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4:18-19; Gal. 5:1)

Jesus’ work is finished on the cross, He was crucified, died, buried and resurrected. But we did not die to many of the sins in our life, especially in our mind set, that is why as Christians we are still bound in many ways and have not experience the total freedom in Christ.  (John 19:28-30; Romans 6:1-7)

A journey of Breaking Free requires our _______

* Repentance – metanoia (Greek) – change of mind. Changing the way we view or do things, from our way to God’s way (according to the teaching of the truth.)
* Rekon dead to sin (Romans 6:11-14)

EDWJ – 7 Jan “Finding our way back”

Sin is pushing God out of the place He has reserved for Himself. It is something that move us away from dependence on Him. To restore our relationship with Him we must repent.

* Resurrection

To experience resurrection, we must go through the process of “Crucifying, dying. Burying”, and God will bring about the resurrection in us.  Such process is known as sanctification & transformation.  Transformation is not changing from one person to another, but rather bringing to life (revive) what was dead in us due to sin.

Conclusion :

A journey of breaking free begins with repentance. Repentance is the path that leads to life. As we make progress in our movement towards God, sin gets pushed out of the way, ongoing process of sanctification and transformation sets in.

Questions :

1. Jesus said “It is finished.” Share the implication of these words to you.

2. What are some of your struggles, concern or fear in “dying” to sin? If the above mentioned is not a struggle, concern or fear for you, share how you overcome such thoughts?

3. Self-sufficiency is idolatry, an underlying sin of trusting in yourself and bypasses the divine. How much are you trusting God or yourself in life? How would you like your CG to help you in breaking free from such sin?

Certificate in Church Ministry 2018

Let’s Journey! - Discipleship Journey

7^th Jan 2018

Rev Renny Khoo

Sermon Outline

Topic :  Let’s Journey! - # discipleship journey

Text    :             Col 2:6-7

         
   Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Col2:6-7)

1.  Introduction: Let’s Journey!

 This journey is the call for us to go on with Christ in the same way we received Him.

For example, when we experience God’s goodness, like when He died for us, what did it feel like?        How can we keep this first love?

However, what does it mean ‘to journey on’?

It means to take a series of steps, one step at a time.

2.  Let’s Journey: Grow in Spiritual Vitality

a. The journey is about progression, not perfection.

    Eg. we can take 4 steps forward and then  2 steps  backward. 

It is about taking a series of steps from where we are at the present moment.

 Along this walk, God meets us (God Moments!) where we experience God and hear His voice.

 Thus, it is really important for us to learn to be sensitive to God.  Little moments may lead to defining moments and breakthroughs may be at our doorsteps or thresholds.  So we got to make a decision at that precised moment or the opportunity will not be ours to take.

b. The journey is about growth, not deliverance.

     The journey has a purpose and destiny.  Eg. Do you want to take it up?  We can cry out to God during distress but we can put Him aside too.  However, growth is not like this! We need to have a relationship with Him.

3.  Let’s Journey: Grow in Relational Maturity

a.  The journey is about a relationship with God.

God wants to empower us as He walks together with us. So it is important for us to be accountable in how we walk with Him and build this relationship with Him.

b.  The journey is about a relationship with one another.

As we journey with God, we are also journeying with one another. We need to build our relationship with one another. As we walk together, we have relational growth with one another i.e. we can help one another in overcoming our human problems. Thus as time is the essence, we need to join a CONNECT GROUP  to sharpen and be accountable in our walk with Christ.

4. Let’s Journey! Together.

 What kind of a journey? It’s Discipleship Journey.

Our discipleship journey is a redemptive journey.  “Jesus said: Come one come all!”

So we can or need to start over because Jesus has redeemed us .  We can feel God all over again.

Conclusion

‘May we learn to claim and receive in a spirit of Thanksgiving, may we learn to walk with God and one another.  May we have ears of faith to hear your words’

Questions:

1.  Share your initial impressions as you see this word – ‘Journey’.  What are some pictures, key words, experiences associated with this word?

2.  Read Col 2:6-7 again.  How do you understand (in bold and underline),.. “walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,...”

3.  In the context of Discipleship Journey, share your intents, reminders to self, action or growth plan as a response to one of the following:

  The Journey is about a Relationship, with God and with one another.

   The Journey is about progression, not perfection.

  The Journey is about growth, not just deliverance.

Inner life of a Disciple

Inner Life of a Disciple 

Sister Evon Foo

Discipleship and DiscipleSheep

The Good Shepherd’s Disciple‘ship’ and Disciple‘sheep’
John 10

Ps Renny Khoo

28 May 2017

Shepherds refer any leaders leading any group.

The Lord as shepherd over Isrealites and they are often referred as flocks.

2 Metaphors 1 Statement

Use of metaphor by Jesus to teach truth

1) “I am the Door” 10:1-10 (Psalm 118:19-20)
Door a legitimate passageway. The sheepfold an enclosure made of rocks, with a door. The Shepherd would guard the flock(s) at night.

Door is the legitimate passageway.
Exclusive and inclusive door.

Exclusive - Jesus as the only door / gate.

Inclusive - Whoever enters through that door shall be saved.

Video illustration on recognizing voice of Shepherd in farm in Norway

The thieves and robbers would have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. False shepherds can only steal. Jesus comes to bless, benefit and satisfy the daily needs of the sheep (v10). Jesus gives life to sheep.

Twice Jesus said – “I am the door; only He makes it possible for the sheep to enter through the door. Not only have life but abundant life. An exclusive door. Today in pluralistic society, often Christians are said to be narrow minded. All roads lead to Rome? Christianity is about a living relationship, not simply religion. A crude illustration about  5-6 holes in our body. Yes, door is exclusive but also an inclusive door; v9 states WHOEVER enters. The choice is for us today - either we receive or reject Jesus in our lives.

2) I am the good shepherd 10:11-21

Dies for the sheep - not as martyr but as subsitiude 

Knows the sheep - know everyone by name, Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God.

Brings other sheep into the flock - 

Takes up His lie again - 

God's hands upon my life could mean two things - 

Favour in our life as blessed

Teaching through down experiences 

“I am the Good Shepherd” 10:11-21
Contrasting himself to false shepherds, He called them “thieves and robbers (bandits),” now he described them as “hirelings.” Jesus the GOOD Shepherd.

i) He dies for the sheep 10:11-13
Five times, Jesus affirmed the sacrificial nature of His death (v 11, 15, 17-18). Not martyr but a substitute.

ii) He knows the sheep 10:14-15
An intimate relationship between God and His people (John 17:3). He knew Simon (John 1:42) and Zaccheus (Luke 19:5). He knows each sheep and it's nature. Jesus knew the disciples personally. Jesus loved His own (John 13:1).

iii) He brings other sheep into the flock 10:16
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He died for a lost world, and His desire is that His people would reach a lost world with the message of eternal life.

iv) He takes up His life again 10:17-21
His voluntary death was followed by His victorious resurrection. We can have a living relationship with Him.

3) “I am the Son of God” 10:22-42

“I and the Father are one” in 10:30. He is speaking about unity, not identity. John 10:36 is also crucial because it gives a double affirmation on the deity of Christ. First, the Father sanctified (set apart) the Son and sent Him into the world, and second, Jesus stated boldly, “I am the Son of God.”

Jesus invited them to believe, if only on the basis of His miracles (10:37-38). If they would believe His miracles, then they would know the Father, and that would open the way for them to know the Son and believe on Him. It was simply a matter of examining the evidence honestly and being willing to accept the truth.

Fully and wholeheartedly following Jesus

Two very important messages from our Good Shepherd

Disciple Ship
Don’t sit on the fence. Enter through the Door.
BCCM logo and start from Kudat

Let us also be Carriers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. v16 is an exhortation to go and bring other sheep. Who are the other sheep that God is calling you to bring into the sheep fold. What are their names? May we catch a new passion.

Disciple Sheep
Judith Fain- Shepherding in Israel is a wonderful metaphor for discipleship. In many countries, sheep spend their lives in fenced-in pastures where they spend most of their time grazing and milling about. Many Christians seem to think that the great commission is a matter of getting sheep “into the pen” —inviting people to accept Christ, the high point of their spiritual lives. In Israel, however, where grass has difficulty growing in the arid soil, sheep must know their shepherd, following him obediently from pasture to pasture. There, shepherding is a much more active task.

illustration of Fain's observations about the three flocks merging and then separating

It is not so much the “pen” we inhabit, but the shepherd we follow. Some sheep come running as soon as their shepherd calls, but some struggle to obey his lead, going astray whenever temptation strikes. It takes a lot more energy to follow a wandering shepherd than to be cooped up in a pen!

Church, no time for neutrality. God calling us to follow Him fully and completely. In our spiritual pilgrimage, the Devil’s strategy is to draw disciples away from Christ fully. Key word is FULLY. The Devil, the thief will steal our time, and our vigor, make us tired, make us too busy, kill our energy and creativity so that we do not have time for God. We either rush through life or operate on an autopilot mode of just cruising along life’s journey, that this will eventually destroy our relationship with God. We end up listening to the voice of the world, our friends, and missed out listening to the voice of our Good Shepherd. Follow God superficially and not wholeheartedly. Worst, pseudo following.

May we ask God for fresh hunger and delight that we might follow God wholeheartedly.

Join a Connect Group!

Questions:
1) Share how Jesus is a good shepherd to you.

2) A sheep is expected to hear the voice of the shepherd. Share 2 distractions that is preventing you from hearing his voice.

3) How can we remain faithful in DiscipleSHIP - connect others to God?
OR
How can we remain faithful in DiscipleSHEEP - wholeheartedly following the Shepherd?

IDMC 2017 Take Away - Personal Reflection

Wh

What have I learned in this IDMC 2017 ?

What are my takeaways from this conference? Was it the bag, the pen, the conference book or the nametag?

I have learned a lot from the past IDMC conferences. I have different take-away lessons for each of them. It does not necessary make me a disciple maker, it caused me to re-align myself to God's mission and vision, it made me realised my true destiny and it helped me to re-postured myself before the Lord. 

On the last day of IDMC 2017 at Miri, we were asked to pen down what is our take-away from this conference. I wrote the following prayer in a breath. I wrote down the first line and had no idea what to write for the next line. It was like the Holy Spirit downloaded to me what to write. As I penned the thoughts down, towards the end I was thinking to write about my home-coming to heaven and enjoying eternal life but instead, I was moved to tears. I wept as I wrote the last few lines. 

This prayer is like my heart-beat prayer to God. I realised that after half a century, I have many flaws, I have failed time and time again. Would I  be able to make a difference? Would I be able to rise up tall? 

What I have in this one life, 

the little time that I spend on earth, 

loving the few people God brings to me, 

solving problems related to my living on this land, 

leaving a mark, a legacy for the next generation, 

a testimony of His glory, 

how God could use one life 

to bring about transformations 

that have eternal and Kingdom values.

Devotion during IDMC - Foundation of your life

Foundation of your life

Rev Edmund Chan

17 Feb 2017

Miri Meritz Hotel

2017 Miri IDMC Devotion during Opening Session

Foundation of your life

Matthew 7:24-27

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

To Jesus, The most important thing is our foundation, In fact, there is nothing more important than the foundation.

This is a parable of Contrasts - to appreciate Contrasts, first note the similarities :-

Similarities :-

1. Similar men - both are equally good, clever and resourceful
2. Similar desire to have a house - it was not one wanted a temporary shelter or half-hearted
3. Similar focus to have a house - both were very sure and very focus
4. Similar design of the house - from the outside, the houses looked the same
5. Similar skills - both are capable
6. Similar Knowledge - they both know how to build a house
7. Similar resources to build the house - it was not one has less finances 

Up till this point, we realise that the "foolish" man is actually not "foolish". He has the resources to do things and has the same desire and same focus as the first man. 

Contrasts :-

1. One decided to invest in the foundation in terms of time and money. He built carefully from the bottom up.
2. One decided to spend litte money and little time in building the foundation. He wanted to build the house really fast and took little care about the foundation.

Faster to build on sand and cheaper to build on sand and from ground level up, it looks the same. 

Watch your foundation.

As we know it, there were two totally different Results :-

Major Implications - 3 Critical Paradign Shifts :-

1) From Beautifying the Facade to Building the Foundation

"a wise man and a foolish man" V 24, 26

Rev Edmund Chan told the story of the Great Tree of Singapore planted by the Senior Founding Premier The Late Lee Kuan Yew that was featured by the newspaper front page, asking the people to be like "The Tree planted by Lee Kuan Yew". A young tree expert took notice of the photo and realised that it was actually dying. He went to the site and investigated and found out that was true, they put cement to surround the tree as "support" but it has caused the root unable to spread out and it was dying from the inside. Outwardly, it was a gorgeous green living tree. 

We all could look like that tree :- from ground level up, we look good and great, we are doing many good things, But from ground level down, it is dying from mal-nutrition. Take care of our root and foundation! 

2)  From Knowing the Word to Doing the Word

Those who hears these words of Mine and put them into practice. V 24

Knowing, loving, serving and becoming more and more like Jesus. Become a disciple of Jesus and share with others. This it the key thing to do. 

3) From Seeking a Storm-free life to having a Storm-proof life

"it did not fall beacuse it has its foundation on the rock" V 25

Learn ther truth and apply the truth - transformed and pass on the substances. Speak with substance or vacuuum ?

We cannot do God's Word without first reading God's Word. But after reading it we must be committed to doing it.

Conclusion : What is the Foundation of your life ? Upon what are you building ?
Bible is the foundation of our life. Word of God is the foundation. To witness the faithfulness of God and pass it on.

Steps in Mentoring :-

1. Discover the truth
2. Do / walk the truth - Apply the truth
3. Reap the benefits
4. Pass it on - reproduce our kind

Sad facts :-
60% of Christians do not evangelise
70% of Christians do not have devotions.

The Lord is saying : I care for your foundation in life and want you to be firm and sure so that I can use you in the kingdom of God. Kingdom mentality for this earthly living. Work on the Foundation.

My reflection :-
We have heard it before in Sunday Schools, this is the parable of the Two Builders - one wise and one foolish. We sang the actions song and still sing it today. I always thought how foolish was the builder who built on the sand. He has no wisdom and he probably lacks finance or doing it half-heartedly. But it is about two similar men having similar desire to build similar house with similar resources and one failed because he did not pay attention, he did not spend time and finance on building the foundation. We can build on the sand or rock, the foundation is the most important.

Interestingly, on the 19 February 2017, Pastor Renny shared on the same passage during our Sunday Sermon on Rock or Sand. 

Celebration of Spiritual Habits

Celebration of Spiritual Habits

Pastor Renny Khoo

22 January 2017

1 Timothy 4;7b - 8

1 Timothy 4: 7-8 

Context of this verse, to train ourselves in godliness as it has its values in this present life and life to come

What are the spiritual habits ? 

What would be some of the spiritual habits we would like to have as compared to the physical habits that we practice. Some examples would be Bible reading, scripture memorisation, prayer, worship, evangelism, service and stewardship. The practice of spiritual habits is an indication of the transforming power of God in our lives.

There is a powerful relationship between discipline/ habit and being a disciple.

How does this occur in practice?

The key is submitting ourselves to be trained.

1)   Training is a retooling experience

 2Tim 3: 17 Proficient and equipped for good work

Hebrews 5: 14, 12: 11 trained by practice to distinguish good from evil

Retooling is making changes in order for us to further improve. It can be gradual and incremental. It is making minor changes to align ourselves.

Training is an indirect way of establishing spiritual habits in order to know God better. It puts in motions positive events in our experience with God. Spiritual habit are regimes to keep us fit for service so that we are fully fit and ready to answer the call of God. It is to attain a quality of spiritual strength and stamina which is otherwise impossible. The more we do it, the better we will be. Training is a retooling experience.

The Training enable equipping for good work.

2) Training requires effort

The word train comes from the Greek word gymnós, where the word gymnastic is derived.

In this age of constant debate between grace and work, the balance between grace and effort will bring upon an understanding that God opposes earnings but urges effort on our part. We must actively participate in order to bring about the results that we expected.

This is consistent with the Bible as it exalts us to “running to get the price”, “working hard”, “facing danger”, “suffering”, “pressing on”, “labouring”, “competing as an athlete” and “working hard as a farmer”.

D.A Carson - People do not drift into holiness. Apart from grace driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith and delight in the Lord.

We need to submit ourselves to be trained but all in the light of grace from God. We can “catch up” on our “cheat days”

Grace-driven effort

Disciplined grace Vs Cheap grace

A balance of our efforts to cultivate good spiritual habits. God honors and urges effort from us. 

Grace is given to us as free gift 

3) Training is best done in a community

Have a friend and family member to support your effort to train.

Richard Foster - (Celebration of discipline), “The disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our relationships with our husband or wife, our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbours.”

In establishing spiritual habits, it is essential that we belong to a community of faith or Connect group as we help one another on our journey. It is the best place for our spiritual habits to be formed, encouraged, celebrated, challenged and trained.

In conclusion, Ps Renny shared the story of a legendary Sportman from 2500 years ago. He is Milo of Craton, he was a 6th-Century BC Wrestler from the Magna Graecian city of Croton, who enjoyed a brilliant wrestling career and won  many vicotories in the most important athletic festivals of anceint Greece. 

His strenght was desrcibed as legendary :-

He carried a bull on his shoulders, and to have burst a band about his brow by simply inflating the veins of his temples. 

And this was how he trained, he carried a calf when it was young and until it was a 4 years-old bull.

The illustration of Milo of Croton’s training is an example of incremental physical transformation over a period of time.

Practical ways of celebrating spiritual habit are, be reasonable, start “too” light, be consistent but remember grace – “catch up days”, “cheat day” and always improving – retooling.

Maturity comes when new habits slowly take over our old habits.

The key to inner transformation is to submit ourselves to training habits until they become second nature to us. It is not about information but as we train, we are continuingly form as a disciple conforming to a true follower of Christ.

Lessons to learn from Milo :-

1. Start "Too Light" - be reasonable
2. Be Consistent
3. Always improve - retool

The key to inner transformation is to submit ourselves to be trained.

Questions

1.    Some of the common spiritual habit include: Bible reading, Scripture memorisation, prayer, worship, evangelism, service and stewardship.

Choose one of the habit to share your experiences, thought or questions.

Share if you have plans to retool one spiritual habit this year?

2.    How do you understand joy, delight and celebration in light of training?

3.    Share how by belonging to a Connect group you are training (helping) one another to follow Christ.

The marks of a disciple of Christ

The marks of a disciple of Christ

Joseph Tang

15 January 2017

1 Corinthians 11:1

 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Matthew 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

What makes a disciple ? What makes a believer ? 

Be a believer and then a disciple. There is no difference.

Commitment and surrender. 

The journey of a disciple of Christ

With Him - Being

Being with Him is to deny ourselves.

In Him - Growing

Appetite in growth 

1 Peter 2

Stuck in growth

Hebrews 5:14

Like Him - Growing To Be

John 15:35

You will bear much fruits.

Questions:- 

How has your being a non-being with Jesus contributed to your growth or stagnation (or even regression) in Him ? 

People can come to Jesus yet unable to receive from Him. Are you experiencing this ? What do you do to prevent this from happening ? 

Name an area you are (or will be) working on for the good of many, that they may be with Jesus.

Another Notes taken for this sermon :-

Title : Marks of a Disciple in Christ by Pr Joseph Tang on 15 Jan 2017

Text : 1 Cor. 11:1

The marks of a disciple of Christ is the embodiment of Christlikeness and its characteristics in the life of the believer.

What makes a disciple?

" He is someone who is committed to deny himself, take up the cross and follow Jesus"
(Matt.16:26)

What makes a believer?

"Anyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved"
(Rom.10:9)

The Journey of a Disciple of Christ

a) With Him - Being

Relationship Stage
- We must build a deeper relationship with God and men through word and prayer.

- We must draw nourishment from the vine and remain in Him so that we will bear fruit because without Him we can do nothing (Jn.15:5)

- Be a good student under the master until we have received power from above and ready to be sent. Being precedes doing.

b) In Him - Growing

Intimacy Stage
- We must create space for Jesus and his living word in our lives.

- We must come together and testify about God's goodness in our lives e.g. Connect Group.

- We must moved on from infant milk to solid food as we mature in the word.

c) Like Him - Growing To Be

Transformation Stage
- We will be transformed into christlikeness.

- Certainly we will bear much fruit.

- The fruits of the Spirit will be manifested in our lives.

- Others will know that we are God's disciples.

- God's name will be glorified.

Questions

1) How has your being or non-being with Jesus contributed to your growth or stagnation (or even regression) in him?

2) People can come to Jesus yet unable to receives from Him. Are you experiencing this? What do you do to prevent this from
happening?

3) Name an area you are (or will be) working on for the good of many, that they may be with Jesus.

👆 is sermon notes, shared by Pr Joseph Tang on 15.01.17 was forwarded by Elder Yin Leung.

Discipleship: The Basics

Discipleship: The Basics
8 Jan by Ps Renny Khoo
Text: Matthew 28:18-20

I. Crisis of Discipleship
- we are facing a crisis of discipleship
- size ≠ health
- opposite of maturity is not immaturity but apathy
- goal of discipleship is Christlikeness

II. Clarifying terms in Discipleship
a) - Disciple - a follower of a master; primary term used in the Gospels to refer to Jesus' followers; false separation of "Christian" and "disciple"
- Discipleship - the state of being discipled; two important elements of understanding discipleship are Journey and Obedience (see III)
- Disciple-making - making disciples beyond the 4 walls of church; does not occur with Christians only but non-Christians also; multiplying our lives and inviting others to follow Christ

b) The premise - Matt 28:18-20; Jesus said it; Jesus modeled it

III. Clarion call to Discipleship
Participating in the Great Commission requires one thing - a transformed person . To experience this, there must be two ingredients:

a) Journey - a journey is marked by progress rather than perfection; becoming a disciple is a process, and failure is part of this process; belonging to a Connect Group sustains us along our journey.

b) Just do it (obedience) - obedience leads to encounters and experiences that can produce transformation from within; agreement with what the church believes in is not the same as having faith.

To be a disciple of Christ is to submit ourselves to the transforming power of Christ.

To Journey and to Obey is a call to persevere.
- (video of baby bear running away from lion)
- don't give up in our journey
- God will always enable us and empower us; we go through a roller-coaster of emotions but He is with us
- Let us: continue to deepen in Word and prayer; join Connect Group; cultivate safe space for each other's journeys; respond positively to God's call to us as disciples!

Questions:
1. How do you understand Discipleship?

2. A disciple refers to Jesus' follower. Share your experiences as Jesus' follower, especially the journey on living the transformed life.

3. Share your experiences on how belonging to your Connect group is part of discipleship. Think of who you might like to invite to be part of your Connect group.