Arise! Shine!

Vision Casting Sunday

Rev Gideon Lee

This morning I give you a broad picture or direction where the church is heading for the next two years. If you do not understand what I am saying it's okay. But as we continue it is important that as a church each and everyone of us here have to support and participate. Doesn't matter if you don't fully understand. 

Before I go into my message I want to say a few things. I want to welcome my friend here Rev Tony Phang. I understand that he is a Manchester United fan so we will pray for him and all you Liverpool fans say? You'll never walk alone. 

The other thing I want to say is regarding what's happening in our country where JAIS raided the Bible Society of Malaysia. The BSM is a ministry that prints bibles in several languages. You can go and get it here and find bibles there if you cannot get certain translations in the book stores. They are an important ministry to churches here and if you notice we are supporting them through our harvest missions. 

About 300 Malay bibles were confiscated. We need to understand that JAIS is at state level and what they did was not according to the law, raiding without a warrant. Whatever they have done and as a church we need to respond correctly. This is with regards to the word Allah where they say Christians cannot use it. And since this word is in the Malay and Iban translations they were confiscated. 

Some is saying that Allah is not a word we use so what's the problem and use Tuhan instead of Allah. Read from our notice board and you'll see why we are standing so firm in the use of Allah. As a church we want to respond correctly to this. They say they want to protest in front of our churches, that does not mean we go and protest in front of their mosques. But as a citizen of Malaysia we need to know our rights. The freedom of religion and the freedom to profess our faith. So as a church we need to stand firm with respect to the law. 

Of course very important is we have to pray. Some people say why every problem we just pray. Why not taking action? I think we are missing the point when we think prayer is not a positive action. This is the best thing we can do in any situation. This morning can you bow your head and commit this situation to the Lord. 

I want to encourage you in your quiet time commit this need to the Lord. I am going to say that things will get worst. This is just the tip of the iceberg. This has to happen before the return of our Lord so don't be discouraged. These things must precede the coming of our Lord so look towards the coming of the Lord. 

How many of you remember my Christmas message? I spoke about Emmanuel, God is with us. I say that we can claim this Christmas message when we are frightened. Remember the bible said fear not, not no fear. And we need it for 2014. Do not be afraid. Price increase, fear not. How many of you have felt the price increase especially all the hawkers after the new year? Electricity increase. Fear not! Semua naik, gaji tak naik. Whatever it is, fear not. The second was when we are lonely. That he is with us. Sometimes we can be in a room full of people yet feel lonely. We can claim this promise that God is with us. And finally we can claim it when we are in sorrow. I said that Christmas may not be the best time for everyone. Like when you have just lost a loved one. We remember them and that they are not with us. And we think how are we going to face the new year. But we can claim on this promise. 

After Christmas what did I talked about on the last Sunday? I talked about Joseph and Mary. How they had to flee to Egypt. I talked about how Joseph obeyed. I talked about how after Christmas life has to go on. 2013 will end and we have to embrace and go into 2014. I talked about how Joseph trusted the Lord when the angel spoke to him. Friend we have to trust God for 2014. Joseph never said a word, he just obeyed. He was someone that trusted God completely. As we enter 2014, we have to trust God completely. I encourage you that in 2014, we need to take care of our loved ones. Look at how Joseph took care of Mary and Jesus. I am not saying that we are not taking care of our loved ones but in 2014, with the obstacles we need to take care of them not just financially but also emotionally and spiritually. 

I also said we need to take care of those that matters to the Lord. We need to reach out to these people who matters to the Lord. We will kick start our Christmas with the community. We took a break last year so this year we will start again. 

How many of you remember my watch night service? I spoke about how God likes to do new things. When we are saved we are an old creation? No, new creation! In 2014 we are going to do new things. I don't want 2014 to be the same old same old. That's why I say Arise! Shine! Our new theme. I am the kind of person who believe that when it's time to work we work but when it's time to play, play. When we work we give 101%. We cannot be doing the same things and expect the same results. 

But I know some don't like new things because it involves change. We don't like change. How many of you come in and see someone else sitting at your place. And you got angry. Can't they see that's my chair. It's got my print on it. And you like that old hymn, "I shall not be moved". (laughs)

But I need to prepare you. 2014 is going to be a year of new things. We will do new things that the Lord is leading us to. 

I shared with the English congregation but I'll share with you since we're all here. We are looking at starting a ministry at Gertak Sanggul. If you look at the island of Penang it's like a turtle and Gertak Sanggul is at its tail. It was started after the tsunami. It's a small fishing village. Some say it's not a potential so why go there? Maybe Butterworth or Bukit Mertajam. I want to go where God is leading us because where God leads us the ministry will be successful. 

We need to build TOP according to the design that God has given us. Let's do what God has given us to do. We are going to plant a church there. Right now they have only about 5 or 6 in the church and I pray that God is going to do a work in the church. I heard that it's a place where the gangsters "buang" people there. That's what we are called to do. To reach out. Our mission have not changed. But the theme is our emphasis and for the next two years it's Arise! Shine!

I am going to talk about that mentioned in Isaiah so you must not miss church. 2014 is going to be about doing new things. Not just doing new things but meaningful things. Never mind if you don't understand but just support. 

If you look at our Arise! Shine! It's different from the bible. It is with the exclamation mark. I asked the leaders at the leader's retreat whether we should have the exclamation and I am so glad that all the leaders want the exclamation mark as it is something we will emphasise on and go to work.

So it is not arise and shine but Arise! Shine! Come on everybody, Arise! Shine! Louder, I can't hear you. Arise! Shine!

We need to arise. What does it mean? It means whatever you are doing now, 2014, you need to up your game. 2013, if you are just an ordinary member in 2014, you need to be serving. If you are not doing anything in 2013, find a ministry in 2014 and serve. If you tell me you don't know where to serve, come and see me and I'll tell you where to serve. 

Instead of complaining ask yourself are you serving? When you are contributing, the church will be better. 20% of the members are doing 80% of the work. What happened to the 80%? Many of the cell leaders are crying out for helpers. Some can sing and worship lead. Where is your contribution? Oh pastor I just give my offerings, pay my tithes. Thank God for that but are you serving? Don't say you got no time. 

This is a real story. I had a friend who said he got no time. He has to work. One day he got into an accident and spent one month in the hospital. In the hospital he was so free. God asked him now got time or not? I am not saying God will break your leg but God will find ways to get you to be with him. Please don't say I am too old or too young. In the church of God there is a place for everyone. Every age group. If not I will create a ministry for you. We need a men's ministry. A ladies ministry. But where are the leaders? Someone who will come to me and say they want to put their mouth and their money on a ministry. A senior citizen ministry? 

Two years we will focus on this. I also mentioned that God wants to change names. Every time God changed a name there was a new thing that God did in their lives. When you have a new name there's a new start and new possibilities. 

The bible says where your treasure is there is your heart. Every thing is a matter of the heart. If your heart is for the things of God, 2014 things will fly. You remember Rev Anthony mentioned about a church that collected 7 offerings in a service. When they asked the pastor how he did it, the pastor said where their treasure is that's where their heart is. 

We have just finished the third floor renovation. It's almost finished and it's bigger than here and it's beautiful. Don't go down as I want it to be a surprise. After the third floor we will renovate the fourth floor. It is going to be awesome. 

But I need your help. I want you to put your hands into your pockets and pray for your wallet. Where your heart is. Do you know Maybank has shifted out of the second floor. We are not going to be looking at another building or land. If God willing we can get the second floor. And if God give us the first and ground floor? Praise the Lord. 

I remember what pastor Marcus mentioned. This is the time for TOP to be "ang". You know what is "ang"? Not that we want to be famous but let's lift Jesus up. 

God also like to do new beginnings. Behold he wants to do new things. This is the time for TOP. Let's join our hands and work together. We want to empower our leadership. I want you to look at our mission. 

We want to empower the people of TOP to rise up. Not only empower but also the discipleship of our people and we want to concentrate on evangelism. 

How many of us have shared with someone the message of the good news? Many times we don't do it because we are afraid. Afraid what people will think of us. But a survey said that most people do not share because they don't know how. But in 2014, we want to train you on how to share your faith. We need to be sharing our faith if not how the church is going to grow? Or leave it to the pastor. God has called each one of you to share the gospel. Not just the pastor. But every believer. Are we doing it?

So 2014, Arise! Shine! Remember we shine because the glory of the Lord rises upon you. So are you ready? We ere going somewhere so I pray every one of us get on board. When the church do something, support it. I am not saying you don't ask questions, I am just saying at the end of the day, even if you don't understand get on board. Like I say, if it is of God, it will prosper. If it is from God, let's not stand in the way. If it is not, it will just fail. 

In closing I want to warn us. As the church move you will get opposition. One of the tool the enemy use is the word discord. He comes in and sow disunity among the people. It starts when people begin to murmur and complain. Just take the example of the children of Israel when Moses was leading them. Instead of taking three months to reach the promise land it took forty years. Let's not sow discord. If you don't understand come and clarify. Don't get into the spirit of grumbling and complaining. This is one of the main tool the enemy uses and all of us needs to guard against this. 

So 2014, let's Arise! Shine! No options.