Bro Kenny Song
If you
are surprised to see me up here…you are not alone. I am just as surprised when
pastor asked me to take this last Sunday of the year. Pastor Gideon has been
very gracious towards sharing the pulpit. We have all been blessed by Bro Koay,
Sis Melinda and Bro Vive's pulpit ministry. I always look forward to
home-cooked food. Bro Koay's is like going to theological seminary, you get
doctrinal gems, my wife…she loves to tell stories, much like our Lord with his
parables and bring across hard truths simply and Bro Vive, being a corporate
man bring biblical truth systematically to all of us. Aren't we all blessed?
Me? I
don't think you guys have heard me… but if Jesus can use a donkey, hopefully he
can use me. But please don't address me as a donkey after service :)
Since
this is the last Sunday of the year, I would like all of us to look at
ourselves in the context of TOP and ask ourselves this simple question. Why am
I here? Why am I in Tabernacle of Praise? Why did God place me within this body
of Christ? I want you to hang on to this question.
If you
have a US dollar, (Bro Jacob, he always has some in his wallet?) you will find
the Latin words E Pluribus Unum. It is the motto found on the Great Seal of the
United States. A symbol of an eagle holding Olives on one claw and 13 arrows on
the other. This words are on a ribbon held by it's beak. A committee of the
Continental Congress consisting of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson, adopted the phrase E Pluribus Unum, which means “out of many, one” and refers to the idea that
the United States is one nation consisting of several different states. Out of
many, one nation. Today, the country has grown from the original 13 states
(much like Malaysia) to 50 states but the vision remains the same: From the
many states, and from different races, backgrounds and nations of origin, one
united nation, the United States of America. Out
of many, one.
Paul could very well have used this motto in 1
Corinthians 12 in his description of the
church as the body of Christ. He uses the physical human body as a metaphor for
the church, an analogy to explain how the church is designed to function in the purpose of God.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
One Body, Many Parts
12 The body is a unit, though it is made
up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it
is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we
were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of
many.15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to
the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if
the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it
would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body
were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an
ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the
body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body
be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need
you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”22 On the
contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23
and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And
the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our
presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members
of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that
there should be no
division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each
other. 26 If one part suffers, every
part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of
it.
The bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And
Paul chose to use this body of ours as analogy, and I say this is the best
analogy, even better than E Pluribus Unum.
Because v18 says God has
arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to
be. Not the pastor, your department head or
your cell leader, but God.
I was
recently involved with IMU Healthcare in developing a campaign that addressed a
core issue with healthcare in Malaysia. The CEO I dealt with (an Adventists)
has been in Healthcare in Malaysia for the past 35 years and he says this. It
has become a huge business, often driven by business goals. Look at all the
hospitals that are expanding. Gleneagles, Loh Guan Lye, Adventist etc. There
are quotas to achieve, equipment to pay off and beds to fill. To some, being a
doctor has become a job, not a calling. He says Adventist Hospital's motto was
simple, "God Heals, We Help".
Surgery
testimony - Incidentally, I was assigned to take a photo sequence of a gall
bladder operation at Adventist Hospital and I saw how once a patient goes under
anaesthesia, the surgeons and his team hold hands around the patient and prayed
before the procedure. (God heals, we help).
Today,
it is said that when a patient enters the hospital, we see Dollar $igns walking
in. This is because of the one doctor, one patient system. Doctors are rewarded
for procedures, not the health of the patient. They are required to bring back
a return of investment by the hospital for million dollar equipment. They are
to fill the beds due to the expansion programmes of the hospitals.
So IMU
takes on a different approach. Doctors will be salaried and rewarded for the
health of a patient. They are not rewarded because they performed an operation.
You may hurt your back and before an x-ray is performed, the chiropractor takes
a look at you.
One
patient, a team of caretakers. Because…listen to this…the body is an organism
and to ensure the health of that organism, every
part of the body has to be healthy. Dietician, patient counselling,
treatment, physiotherapy are all part of a plan to empower patients to be responsible for their own health and to
take care of their body.
Now
let's step back and look at the church today. We have so many programmes and
methods to grow the church…in the name of God…to expand His kingdom. The
question is…like healthcare, has it become a kind of business run like an
organisation rather than a calling led by Christ?
Yes,
we are the body that God needs, to establish his kingdom, but there is a
difference…we are NOT THE HEAD. Christ is. Not just the head but also the
cornerstone of the church. It is God that adds to the church.
Several
times in this passage Paul makes the point that though it is made up of many parts and consists of many members,
they are all part of one body. Notice what he says beginning in verse
12: This body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its
parts are many, they form one body.
Today,
let us see what we can learn from this passage and how it applies to you and me
within this body of Christ, Tabernacle of Praise.
1. WE NEED EACH
OTHER.
Notice
what Paul says in verse 21:The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”
And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” Nor, as Paul says in
verse 15, would the foot cease to be part of the body if it said: “Because I am
not a hand, I do not belong to the body.”
The
bottom line is this: In the body of Christ, we need each other, and we belong
to each other. We understand that no one can rightly say: “I’m useless. I have
nothing to offer.” And no part of the body can say, with an attitude of
superiority, to another part of the body: “I don’t need you.”
Maybe
you’ve heard the story about a visit D.L. Moody made to a prominent Chicago
businessman. The man said to Moody: “I believe I can be just as good a
Christian without the church as I can be with it.” Moody said nothing in
response. Instead, he went over to the fireplace where a fire was blazing to
give heat against the winter cold. He removed a single burning coal and placed
it on the side. The two men sat in silence as the hot coal died out. “I see,”
said the man. “I’ll be in church on Sunday.”
Some
people believe they don’t need the church, they don’t need to come to church,
they don’t need to be part of the church in order to live as a follower of
Christ. They think they can go it alone in the Christian life. They think they
can be “lone ranger Christians.”
We
belong to each other in the body of Christ. We need each other. When you are
cut off from one another, the fire of our faith and love can grow dim.
There
is nothing or no one who is too insignificant to be an important part of
the body of Jesus Christ. Remember that! What you do and who you are.
There
are many unsung heroes in TOP. Things many of us takes for granted. Who does
the PowerPoint for the announcements each Sunday? Yi Lin (claps). Who plans the
Worship and Duty Roster each week? Alvin (claps). Who prepare the Communion for
us each first Sunday of the month? Who is overseeing the renovation of our 4th
Floor sanctuary? I always marvel at Bro Wilbur's resourcefulness and energy
(claps). What I'm trying to say is what we do for God is never too
insignificant or unimportant. Why? Because it is in service for the king of
kings and Lord of lords. Is what Bro Koay, Bro Vive or Sis Melinda does more
important than what Bro Wilbur does? No!
I like
that illustration by Pastor Lawrence about us seeing the eyes, the nose, the
arms and legs of a person yet the parts of the body hidden like our liver,
heart and kidneys are just as important if not more so. That's why they're
called vital organs. We don't see them, but
they are vital to the health and function of the body.
2. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER
Though
this is obvious, it needs to be said – and understood. We differ from one another for good reasons.
I am very different
from my wife. I hate spoilers, she loves them. She likes fiction, I only read
non-fiction. She loves to dance, I only dance on the badminton court.
Recently she was
videoed doing a Nyonya Dance performance. And she proudly showed me the video
before bed. 5 minutes long the video! After about one minute, I handed back her
smartphone and she got offended! Didn’t watch until finish (laughs). I ask you how
to watch until finish? 5 minutes you know? Then I found an escape clause. I
said if I showed her a football match how long will she watch the video? I
think less than 30 seconds la. We are different but we celebrate our
differences and that adds diversity in our lives. Maybe that's why opposite
attracts.
Paul says is v17 If the whole body were an eye, where
would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the
sense of smell be?
A body that is all
eyes or all ears or just a giant foot isn’t a body. Each member of the body of
Christ, is unique, distinctive, irreplaceable, and different. There has never
been a member of Christ’s body just exactly like you. Or me. And there is a particular
role in the body that God has uniquely designed each of us to perform. The body
of Christ, thank God, we are not made up of cookie-cutter Christians - like the
gingerbread man! All look the same.
We
all differ from one another. We have been designed by God to complement one
another – that is “complement” with an “e.” We were designed by God to fit well
together. To work well together. To play on each other’s gifts and strengths. With each member doing his/her part for the
healthy functioning of the whole.
I am always
encouraged by my cell members. Each of them have different gifting and all of
them is always ready to serve. But you need them to serve in their gifting and
they take it like fish to water and ever so willingly. Bro Koay is our
emergency facilitator. Anyone who cannot take the word that evening goes to
him. He is ever-ready. In fact I think he shares better when you ask him last
minute. That's why he's so good for funerals (laughs). But don't ask him to
song lead. He admitted he used to be tone deaf but I think he has improved
tremendously. Bro Alan is our impromptu song leader. The Choong brothers offer
their homes as emergency venue.
Bro Rodney and
Andrew are our event managers. They can organise anything easily. But with
Rodney so busy nowadays, Sis Joyce have stepped up. And our tax collector is
Sis Esther. When it comes to collecting money, she is queen. We collect for
homes we support. The cell is also a giving cell. And I have a very capable
assistant cell leader in Bro Tommy. Always faithful in all that is asked of
him.
All of them are very
different. That is why Sis Joyce testified that even though there is an age
gap, she fits right in. And through the cell, Bro Hooi, Tommy, Andrew have
become a part of this body of Christ.
How many of you
enjoyed the Christmas dance performance? They gave their time and talent over
months of practice. If you asked all my cell members to do that dance, I think
you'll faint first. We all have different gifts because we are different parts
of the same body.
Last but not least,
3. WE ARE CALLED TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER IN THE BODY
In verses 25 and 26,
Paul says there is to be no division and no dissension in the body, but every
part should have respect and concern for one another. Every part of the body
should care for one another.
When one part of the
body is hurting or in pain, the whole body feels it. If you accidentally kicked
the curb and hurt your foot, would you mouth say "padan muka?" And
when one member is honoured or has a reason to celebrate, the whole body shares
its joy. As Paul says in Romans 12:15, we are to “rejoice with those who
rejoice” and to “mourn with those who mourn.”
The way we care for
one another is by knowing one another and by entering into each other’s joys
and sorrows. By sharing our hopes and disappointments, our hurts and
heartaches, our victories and our struggles. We come alongside one another to
support one another and to spur one another on. To love one another. That is
also why the cell is the perfect place to develop meaningful relationships.
We serve as a
family. We honour one another above ourselves. We bear with one another. We
pray for one another. We comfort one another. We encourage one another. We
share with one another. We forgive one another. We bear one another’s burdens.
And in so doing, we fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)
Let's recap what
this passage teach us. Within this body of Christ:
- We need each other
- We are all different
- We care for each other
This is a story about four people named Everybody,
Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody
was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did
it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody
thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could
have done.
Sometimes we can be
like that in church.
Do you remember the
questions I asked at the beginning?
Why am I here? Why am I in Tabernacle of Praise? Why
did God place me within this body of Christ?
Or I
can put it in another way.
• Have you found your distinctive role, your
ministry function in the body?
• Have you looked for it? Have you prayed
about it?
• Have you asked God to show you where and
how you fit best in the body?
Sometimes
we think we volunteer our services. Do slaves volunteer? The Bible calls us
love slaves because we have been bought with a price. He paid our
ransom. We are not serving the church. We are serving God and one another.
Let us
reflect on whether we have found our function in this body of Christ. As we
enter 2016, let us put our hands to the plough because many makes the load
lighter. Labourers are indeed few. We can't do everything but by doing
something all of us can fulfil God's plan for this church, which is you and I.
Let's take our walk with God to the next level in 2016 and serve in an area of
our calling. Pastor will be sharing on GST at watch night service. Come and
find out what it is.
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