Harvest Missions Sunday

Bro Terence Ooi and Deborah Chan

It's been two years since we last came. We are in a transition and we thought that we'd be back to our jobs but it looks like God has other plans. We were thinking of calling our bosses if they have a place for us back in KL.

But people contacted us and we see missions in East Malaysia, where there are the two horns of Sabah and Sarawak. These two horns form 40% of the poorest of poorest in Malaysia. So we will be based In Sabah for ministry. I want to say thank you to the church for your prayers and support.

One of the struggles we had was our son being just one and how can we provide for him in a third world country? But I want to tell you church that God has never allowed us to lack. In Cambodia they deal in the US currency so we receive in ringgit and it was concerted to USD so you imagine how that affected us. But God has never allowed us to lack.

I'm going to ask my wife to share a little of Cambodia to you. Let's welcome her.

Sis Deborah showed some Powerpoint slides and reveal some real problems in the mission fields in Cambodia and the work they are doing that help make a difference.

I've never been to a church for their first service and it's a service for harvest mission. We'd think you’re here to celebrate.

Deuteronomy 8:10-14

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

How many of you say it's time to settle down? When you have your first house, now it's time to settle down. Or when you have your first kid, or even when they become teenagers, then it's time to settle down. Or after your retirement, then it's time to settle down.

I'm going to talk about something sensitive. I'm going to preach about serving. You now have a new sanctuary so maybe you think it's time to settle down. People labelled us as missionaries and I find it sometimes offensive. I'll tell you why.

I was at a church and I don't know anyone except those on the stage and someone asked me what I'm doing. He asked if I'm a missionary and I said I am. And he said I'm too young to be a missionary. We get that all the time. I find that it's a very romantic notion to be a missionary. You pack your bags and leave your job and go on missions. But I often ask myself what am I doing here. How is Seth going to go to college? What is so romantic to be a missionary?

Many think a missionary should be older and perhaps poor. We had people bring us gifts and they brought us rice as if we don't have rice. Nothing wrong with it but it's just that many think missionaries are poor. What really gets me is that people think we are missionaries and they are not.

Abraham was the first missionary and so was Paul. Joseph was a reluctant missionary. Moses was a hesitant missionary. Joshua was a courageous missionary. What about Peter? When the disciples was looking for a leader, Peter stood up. It took an act of somebody stepping up before God can use and a miracle takes place.

The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, but the great commission is to go into all the world. The great commandment must go hand in hand with the great commission. You cannot love God with all your heart and don't go. Turn to your neighbour and say you are a missionary.

It is not reserved for those with a special calling. If not Jesus would not have given the great commission.

Is missions giving to the poor or to go on mission trip? No. Mission is the heartbeat of God. If mission is God's heartbeat then it has to be our heartbeat. And if it's our heartbeat then we have to go.

What does it look like?

1. Missions is not inward looking

This is obvious right? It's about stepping out but sometimes it's something we ignore. I can be in missions but not have a missional thinking or heartbeat or mind-set.

Some people say you do your own thing and I do mine. Like I want to support a school but has conditions. Like they say the school must have their name on the school. Is that missional thinking? What's the purpose? Or have you heard Pastor's message not relevant to me or that there's no impact. Is that missional thinking? Why is it just about ourselves? Missions is not inward looking. A church or Christian who is not missions minded have missed the point. Look at the cross, it's about missions. So that you and I can be saved. Nothing about us. It's about the unsaved.

A Christian who is not missions minded is missing the point.

2. Missions involve sacrifice

Obvious right? All the feasts in the old testament involves a sacrifice. What do you have today? All of us are educated, have talents or wealth. It's sacrifice.

2 Samuel 24:24

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

A lot of our offerings or stepping out don't cost us anything. I want you to look at the real meaning of sacrifice. Why is it important? Because it caused Jesus, God and heaven everything. Please don't won't walk out ya. I'm not saying we be like Paul who was imprisoned and shipwrecked but think of your sacrifice.

3. Missions begins at home

This is my favourite. I'm no less a missionary than a homemaker or an accountant or a pastor. How can we say we are missional when we are not a missionary at home. Are you serving your parents? Or serving your spouse? Then your mission field is where you are. You have to learn to serve at the core of influence where you are. How can you love others and not your own family? Parents serve your kids. Mission begins at home. 

Don't go to camp and conference and be hyped up but you cannot serve your family.

Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

When I was 12 years old my mum said "I'm going to give you the house keys." All I think of is I can go out to "ponteng" and to go to my favourite places because I can go where I like. But my mum said to me that night, do you know why I gave you the house keys? Because I trust you. I was about to break that trust.

And Jesus said he is giving you the keys to the kingdom. It's an honour and a responsibility. Let's not break that trust.

The worship team sang that song, go to the ends of the earth. Do we really mean what we say? Do we mean our worship. The great commission, that we'll got to the ends of the Earth.

There was this man John who went to China and preached the word. Thousands came out and got saved. One of the girls that got saved got kicked out of the house. He asked a teacher there where is the girl. She's outside the gate. He asked if the headmistress can help. And the headmistress said they already have 5 mouths to feed and they don't have enough rice. John gave his last 5 dollar and said he'll come back. That man is Bob of World Vision. World Vision started with one man trying to help one child in one country with just $5.

Our first service at the newly renovated sanctuary.