Success for 2018

Rev Lawrence Seow

Joshua 1:1-9 

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant gave you. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

MOSES IS DEAD       

Leave the past behind

Israel knew Moses was dead (Deut 34:8)

The Israelites grieved, mourned for Moses 30 days

Many people are still trapped in their past, they cannot lay hold of the future

They have no future because they cannot let go of what happened in the past

Past hurts…relationships…failures…disappointments (we all have them)

Past success…glories and achievements…laurels and reputation…seniority…education and experience

Life can get very complicated and sometimes we become confused and conflicted

Here are a few real-life scenarios:

A woman is in a loveless marriage...it’s a toxic relationship...but she has 2 young children...wants to walk out on the marriage but has to consider the kids

A man suffers a stroke...he was very active before...now immobile...considers ending his life (conflicted)

A husband whose wife is more successful...she is busy...has no time for him...he feels neglected...meets another woman...a young divorcee...begins a relationship

A man with elderly parents...he has failed in life...wants to migrate and start a new life elsewhere...but his duty to his parents holds him back

We are conflicted souls...a bundle of contradictions...a paradox of inconsistencies, even among the very best of us

Conflicting thoughts...emotions...beliefs and passions (full of contradictions)

Psalm 90:10    our years are 70 or 80...the best of them are but trouble and sorrow

Moses is dead!

Break that fixation…paralysis that results from always looking back

This applies also at the church-level…forget the past – people who have come and gone, great times, bad times…highs and lows…what you’ve accomplished OR failed to do

CROSS THIS JORDAN       

Cross Over – A New Start

The River Jordan is below sea level – deep and turbulent during rainy season, but slow and sluggish during the summer

Where Jesus was baptised…

Israel had to cross this river to enter the Promised Land…it was in their way

There will always be obstacles and hurdles in the way of The Promised Land

Giants were waiting for them across the Jordan

There will be daunting challenges ahead, intimidating situations and uphill tasks

The devil will even send roadblocks and distractions your way

God never promised it would be easy or smooth sailing…if you don’t cross this Jordon you’ll never enter the land of Promise

Diamonds are formed after undergoing tremendous heat and pressure...deep under the earth’s crust...carbon material

BE STRONG & COURAGEOUS

Go the distance – boxing parlance for finishing the fight

Do not quit or stop half-way – no matter how tough or bad it gets

Heard it before, and you need to hear it again – the Christian race is not a 100 meter dash; it is a marathon

It’s not how well you start but how you finish that matters

A pastor was preaching one Sunday when he spotted an old friend in the service. He asked a deacon to invite this man (obviously very wealthy and successful) to lunch after the service. During lunch, the man broke down and sobbed. He told the pastor how they had both grown up as teenagers in church, and while the pastor answered God’s call, he had pursued his career and achieved success. But after so many years, he knew deep inside he was not where God wanted him to be. And all his secular success and accomplishments could not make up for it.

Sad truth is many Christians start out well but they relax along the way…get complacent and stop pressing on

Story of the man who found an eagle’s egg

This is why we need God’s Word – meditate on it day and night, keep us focussed and strong (read text again)

Your mind is the control tower

When we think God’s thoughts we think the most powerful thoughts

Sermon notes courtesy of Rev Lawrence Seow

Application in the Preaching of Grace

By Bryan Chapell

Goal of this lecture: To see how grace motivates and enables powerful application of Biblical truth for obedience and hope.

1. What is Application?

So you preached a fantastic sermon. Dr Rayburn's "So what?"

We are not ministers of information. We are ministers of transformation.

• The duty God requires of man.
• What the Scriptures principally teach
• What preachers principally preach

• The personal consequences of expounded truth.

We may know a lot of meaning but if we do not know it's significance, we do not really know it's meaning.

• Eg. What is the significance of the truth of the trinity? It's about a relational God.
• Eg. What's the significance of justification is by faith alone? Maybe it's to know that it's what Jesus did and not your good works.

• The attitude or behaviour a Biblical truth requires.

What should my heart do in response to this? Out of the heart are the issues of life (Prov 4:23)

• Application of biblical truth is not only about behaviour but about the attitude of the heart. If we can change behaviour but the heart has not changed, what is it's significance?
• We tend to focus on the exposition of Scripture and not on its application.
• Topical exposition where the source is from the text but the development is from everywhere else, we can use the word to say what we want. We need to get the topic, the main points, sub-points all from the text. Say what God says and not what I think. That is Expository preaching. Explanation, Illustration and Application all comes from the text.
• Explanation (exegesis, organisation, outline, argument) is not our goal in Expository preaching but it's Application.

What is important doesn't help you if you don't know why it's important.

The young may hear the Bible explained while growing up but they hear no relevance to their lives. They also did not see the impact of the word in their parents' lives. So they leave church once they leave the home.

2. How Important is Application?

• Broadus - "The main thing to be done".

• "If we leave it to men's choice to follow what is taught them, they will never move one foot. Therefore, the doctrine in itself profits nothing at all. - John Calvin (Sermon on 2Tim 4:1-2)

• Our Generational Experience (sola Spiritus)

Theologians sometimes objects to application because it's not the Pastor's job but that of the Holy Spirit. And that if we do try to apply we limit the work of the Holy Spirit. The Sola Spiritus (Spirit alone) argument.

• Just as we explain what the Spirit must ultimately interpret, we must apply what the Spirit will ultimately apply.

• Our Personal Ethos

The perceived character of the speaker.

Logos - verbal content. The written text.

Pathos - emotive content. Not just the message but the manner in which we say the message. If manner contradicts the message, which will we believe? Our manner has to reflect our message.

Ethos - credibility + compassion

Are you speaking truth or are you a truthful person? The most persuasive part of your message is whether you care or not.

• Logos - Explanation - Principles (least remembered except maybe the topic or inspiring thought)
• Pathos - Illustration - Demonstrate (last one likely to be remembered or the first one)
• Ethos - Application - Particular

(I will remember if I strongly disagree or the one I strongly agree)

This is only true as external memory. But there is also an internal memory, the message itself has a redemptive impact. We remember more than the content of the message, we remember the messenger (credibility and compassion). You can trust me but more than that you trust the word I represents. If application is avoided we damage the message. Move from the general to the particular application.

3. What are Perspectives on the "Place" of Application?

Traditional Practice: At the conclusion of the Exposition (ie at the end of the sermon; But consider advantages and disadvantages of Puritan tradition).

• Application that goes at the end of a sermon is a Puritan tradition. It follows a theological essay. Doctrine development from various passages. Followed by the uses. They became ministers of information instead of ministers of transformation. They were not thinking of how people were hearing. We have been thought to preach in an academic model.

Homiletical Advice: In each minor point's "Exposition" (ie integrating meaning and significance to expound understanding of the biblical text).

 

• Deductive Model (inverted pyramid)

The Homiletical advice means the Explanation, Illustration and Application is not the structure for the whole sermon but for each point. The introduction includes what and why. The application begins the message and not an afterthought. People are thinking even as we go along. We deduce the application from the principles.

• Inductive Models (conversational pyramid)

Application/Illustration, Illustration/Application and Explanation. Give people a reason for the subject. The reverse methodology is to start with the particular to the principle. That's where most people are at. We relate to our situations. We present the issues first and then what biblical principles apply.

• Integrated Models

Application from a Rhetorical need. ("Put a man in a hole" = Communications Model) And they want to know how to get out of the hole. Identifying the burden of the text.

Application from a Biblical FCF (Fallen Condition Focus). Identify a redemptive burden = Pastoral Model.

The "Swiss Cheese" effect of 2Tim 3:16-17, Rom 15:5. These are the holes in us. What is going to make them complete?

The Fallen Condition Focus Process.

• Identify the Big Idea of the text. The what question.
• Identify the Concerns causing the text (in context). The why question.
• Show how we Share the struggle (mutual condition). The how question. Mutual condition. How are we like them.

Pastoral effect: Truth❓Struggle

God gave you truth to help you with your struggles. Instead of burdening people we are shepherding people.

The common denominator of all the great preachers of all time is that they gave people hope.

Explanation, Illustration and Application are all needed for full exposition of a Biblical Text (though each has been debated in preaching history); but we still have questions regarding proportion, order and components.

4. What are Appropriate Proportions for Application?

We have a generic model but there is no generic congregation. Age, interest, occasions are decisions we make based on the demographics. We vary our Explanation, Illustration and Application proportions depending on who we are preaching to.

• It is the preacher's responsibility to both think of their congregations' capacities and necessities.
• Generic Model
• 1/3 Explanation
• 1/3 Illustration
• 1/3 Application 
• Appropriate Proportions for Application.
• The Seminary Error
• 2/3 Explanation
• 1/3 Illustration
• 1 sentence Application 
• The Popular Error
• 1 sentence Explanation
• 2/3 Illustration
• 1/3 Application 
• A Pastoral Model
• Audience - needs, learning, expectations, hostility
• Text - nature, subject
• Occasion

5. What are the Components of Application?

• Components of Explanation of Text.

General Processes

• Repeat it. Repeating is explanation.
• Re-state the truth in more familiar terms.
• Define terms or Describe people or events.
• Proof or Argument.

The most common is no. 2. We re-state in more familiar terms to be helpful to people. We know when not to keep going when it's clear and convincing. That's when we start applying.

• The Components of Application
• What should I do?  - Instructional Specificity. The what question. What does the text require me to do, believe, accept, change etc.
• Where should I do it? - Situational Specificity. Good application = situational specificity = Instructional Specificity. Where will it make a difference? Where should I do it? This is through the who door. Who needs to hear this? We don't identify them but their situation or struggle.
• Why should I do it? - Proper Motivation. The right things for the wrong reasons are wrong.
• How should I do it? - Proper Enablement. We may preach the first three but if we do not address the how, we are not just negligent but also cruel. How to do what you are told to do in Christ.

6. Prudent use of Application Options

• Open the horizon
• Reverse the train
• Turn the radio on
• Love a Puritan and a Parable.

7. What troubles us about Application

The four questions that application addresses are What, Where, Why and How.

• The Courage required to be specific. Considered the "Breaking Point". The call to change. Transformation hurts. It requires a confrontation with people. It's hard because we fear rejection.
• The interpretation required to be specific.
• Mistaking duties required by the text. Eg Jesus wore sandals, so we wear sandals. Samson is strong when he had long hair and weak when he had short hair, so we should all have short hair?
• Requiring duties not developed from the text.
• Not matching tone to task. Eg We angrily tell people they need to love.
• Confusing a "good idea" with a Biblical mandate. Eg You should have a 20 minute quiet time every morning. It's a good idea but not a mandate. A church can go to war over a good idea.
• The sense that the Holy Spirit is limited by requiring specific duties.
• The Grace that may be denied by requiring specific duties.

Is it ungracious to talk about duty?

1. To redeem from an empty way of life is gracious. 1Peter 1:18
2. To teach to say NO to ungodliness is gracious. Titus 2:12
3. To lead to the blessings of obedience and godliness is gracious. 
4. To teach that there is discipline for disobedience is gracious.

What is ungracious with regard to duty?

1. To teach that there is merit in obedience is ungracious.

Eg Sunday school teacher saying: If you are a good little girl, Jesus will love you. There is blessings in obedience but no merit in obedience. Isaiah 64:6

2. To teach that God rejects for disobedience is ungracious.

Romans 8:39. We are dependent upon the grace of God. Your obedience is not the basis of your acceptance or rejection.

3. To teach that God does not require godliness is ungracious. Lev 19:2, John 14:15
4. To teach the law apart from grace is ungracious.

You teach what is required but if it's not in the redemptive context of God it damages people. It is through grace that people response to obedience. The provision of God in Christ.

1. Teaching the "Deadly Be's" alone. They are not wrong in itself but is wrong by itself.

1. Be Like eg Be like Barnabas or David or Abraham except non of them were sinless. The exception is Jesus. But if you asked someone to be like Jesus you'll get 3 response: I can't. I can (The young rich man). Despair. Paul says follow my example even as I follow Christ (the redemptive context).

2. Be Good. It's not wrong in itself but wrong by itself. How good? We are required to be holy. Your status before God is not what you do but who you are in God.

3. Be Disciplined. Eg read your Bible, pray and go to church. After preaching that what do you say? Read more. Pray more. Go to church more. How much more? Do God love you more because you pray more? What did we make God to be? That he can be bribed by our works. We can't buy the affection of God or buy favour from God.

2. Teaching Polarities of Perspectives alone.

Liberal Christians vs Legalistic Christians. These are the two ends of the faith spectrum. The legalists says Moral Don't eg smoke, drink, gamble, modest dressing

Liberals says Social Do's eg care for the poor, environment, orphans, widows, tolerant. What it both does is to say your standing before God is based on what you do. They are not wrong in itself but wrong by itself. It's not a bad thing, it's bad theology. It's not based on works. 

8. How do we Properly Apply?

Regular use of ALL FOUR questions of Application. What, Where, Why, How.

• Provide Instructional Specificity (answering the What question):
• The specific instructions derived from and proved by the exposition's concepts and terms.
• The importance of "expositional rain".

What it is:

Consistent use of main points and/or sub-point key terms in applicational instructions. 

What it does:

Establishes your scriptural rationale.

Maintains your scriptural authority.

Overcomes the "Breaking Point".

We want to take them from truth to struggle. From principle to particular.

• Provide situational specificity (answering the Where question).
1. Identify where in real life the concept applies. Focus on what's appropriate for that group.
2. Be concrete by going in through the who door. If I try to speak to everyone, I will end up speaking to no one.
3. Spotlight one situation, then move quickly "unroll" (ie identify other situations your people face where the expositional principle also applies - "Don't fence me in").
4. Illustrate the application vs explanation - discover the motivation power of illustrations vs clarification power. The primary purpose of illustration is not to clarify but to motivate. To show how truth operates in real life eg a Human Interest Account.

• Provide Biblical Motivation (answering the Why question)
1. Love over Fear (self-protection)

If the primary purpose of serving God is so that he loves you, you are actually serving yourself. If we motivate by fear rather than love, they cannot serve him. Why do we do things for God? Because we love him. Biblical fear is not terror. It's reverence. He never punishes his children, to impose penalty to damage you for wrong. He may hurt you but he won't harm you. Christ took ALL the punishment on the cross. God disciplines not punish.

2. Gratitude over Gain (self-promotion)

We are not bribing them. If we are faithful we will want what he wants.

The motive hierarchy (Why should I do what God requires?)

• Love for God (motivated God's gracious character in the text). This has to be the first motivation. We live and die for him.
• Love for others (motivated by love for those our God loves). If we love God above all else we will love all that Jesus loves.
• Love for self (motivated by love for the person my God loves). There is a proper love for self. There are self destructive people who hates themselves. We need to remind people they are God's special people and they are the temple of the Holy Spirit and it's okay to love themselves.

The motivation layers (maintaining proper reasons for repentance)

• What can change.
• Fellowship
• Blessings
• Our assurance
• His delight in our actions
• Discipline
• Conviction
• What cannot change
• Sonship
• Welfare
• His affection
• His desire for our good
• Destiny
• Justification (no condemnation)

In Christ-centred (grace oriented) preaching the rules don't change; the reasons do.

Luke 14:27 Rom 15:4

9. How does God reveal his gracious character?

Answer: Through "Christ-centred exposition" that discloses the grace in all Scripture culminating in Christ.

• Alternative Approaches (Redemptive/Historical; Doctrinal Instruction; Relation Interaction; Literary Motif)
1. Predictive of the Work of Christ

Prophecies in the OT.

2. Preparatory for the Work of Christ

John the Baptist. Passover. The sacrificial system. Tabernacle. Jesus tabernacled among the people. All has been a dead end to prepare us for the perfect sacrifice. He will provide what we cannot provide for ourselves. 

3. Reflective of the Work of Christ

The most common way of identifying God's grace in our lives. The still small voice of God to Elijah who ran into the dessert after a great victory. He called a stiff neck people his treasured possession. A faithful God who gave land back to the unfaithful. He reveals his gracious character in taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves. His affection drives them to obedience.

4. Resultant of the Work of Christ

This is after Christ, the epistles. How can we sinful people now go boldly to the throne of God. It's the result of the great high priest that have made the way for us. The Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf.

• Universal Approach (Two lenses to uses in all contexts)
1. God's nature which provides the work of Christ.
2. Our nature which requires the work of Christ

Ask what does this text tell me about God and what does this text tell me about me. When we ask these questions, it will help us see the redemptive plan of God.

10. What is the Purpose of Expounding Grace from All Scripture?

• Too many people confuse their Who and their Do (ie confuse their justification with their sanctification). The young ruler asked "what must I do?"
1. What we do does not determine who we are
2. Who we are determines what we do

• Faithful exposition shows the "imperative rests on the indicative and the order is not reversible" (Deut 5:6; Epistle structure Heb 10:14).

If you capture that truth, it will change all your relationships with people.

11. How does Expounding Grace enable the Application of Scripture?

How do we discover the power for Christian Living. What gives people the power to obey God?

• Knowledge is Power.
1. Proper knowledge  - What honours God and Blessed US (Doctrine and Duty). What to do and Who God is.
2. Who you are. You are human. Susceptible to sin. Vulnerable and helped by practical; But they are also Redeemed - loved by the father, united to Christ, in-dwelt by the Spirit = New Creation - 2Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20, 1John 4:4.
• Love is Power.

What is the primary reason the Redeemed sin? Because we love it. How do we overcome love for sin? A greater love!

1. What is the source of love? 1John4:19 - we love because…
2. What is the effect of love?
1. Holiness: Love to walk with him. John 14:15 - If you love  me… Titus 2:11,12 - The Grace of God teaches us.
2. Service: Love of what and whom he loves. 2Cor 5:14 - the love of Christ controls. Matt 25:40 - as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Not just obedience but want to.
3. How to build love? Means of Grace (prayer, fellowship) is not Means to Grace (not what we do to obtain favour) (what if we see it as bread and not barter).

Conclusion: Filling up the heart with the Power of Grace.

Bryan Chapell is the Senior Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, IL and President Emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is known globally as an established preacher, teacher and speaker especially in the area of homiletics. Bryan has also authored several books, including Unlimited Grace, Each for the Other, Holiness by Grace, Praying Backwards, The Gospel According to Daniel and The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach and Christ-Centered Preaching—a preaching textbook that is now in multiple editions and languages. Bryan and his wife, Kathy, have four adult children, a growing number of grandchildren. He lives rich with friends, fishing and faith.

Rebuilding Your Temple

Rev Tony Phang

Good morning! It is so good to wake up in Penang. I told my wife, any invitation from Penang please don't turn it down. We are so excited to be with you all this morning and to be reunited with Ps Ronald and Sis Jasmine. As you know Ps Ron was our Bible School president and I still remembered the first week he was in Bible school, he summoned every student to go and see him one by one. I was wondering what I did wrong but when I went to see him, he asked me my name, what I do and what are my dreams and what was God calling me to do and he prayed for me. I was so impressed. And the three years in Bible school was a tremendous blessing to me. He was a good example to me and I learnt a lot from him.

He in fact taught me how to preach so this morning if I preach something wrong, please don't come and see me.

2 Chronicles 29:1-5 (NIV)

1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary.

This morning the title of my message is rebuilding your temple. I'm not talking about a physical temple but I'm talking about a spiritual temple.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

You yourselves are God's temple. This morning I want to talk about having an intimate relationship with God. Why it is needful. And why it should be the most important thing to do as a believer.

And from the Bible I will show you who you are and what you do and what you have is determined by your relationship and your walk with God. Jesus said in John 15 that without God we can do absolutely nothing. Without connecting to God we cannot bear fruits. In order to bear fruits we must have a relationship with him. A connection with him.

Just like the branch and the vine.

John 15:4 (NKJV) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Your success in life is connected to your relationship with Christ. I'm not talking about you being more religious but rather to have a relationship with a living God. Somebody say amen to that.

Last 2016, in the month of May, I said to my wife I have not seen my girls. My daughters for 18 months. And I said to my wife I miss them. I want to hold them, I want to hug them and I want to go out with them. Can you arrange and buy tickets and help me to get over there. So my wife who couldn't wait to get rid of me bought me a ticket, so my flight to the States will take me to Hong Kong, 31/2 hours, the to Dallas 12 hours and then to Springfield 11/2 hours.

But on the day of my flight, at 4 in the morning, my wife told me that my flight was cancelled because of bad weather. But my clever wife, still couldn't wait to get rid of me found me a replacement ticket. A different route to take me to the States.

The new route would take me to Hong Kong  31/2 hours, plus 10 hours transit. Then to London 13 hours, London Chicago 9 hours and then to Springfield 11/2 hours. So I literally flew around the earth. When I saw the new route I was so discouraged. My wife and my family knows I really don't like flying. But I want to be with my girls. So thinking about it for a while, I said I'm going. I decided I was going to endure the trip because I want to be with my daughters. It's because I love them and my relationship with my daughters is very precious

 and they are important to me. I want to talk to them and I want to hug them.

When Christ was on the cross and when he cried out with a loud voice, it is finished, and yielded out his spirit, and the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The tearing of the veil was very significant. More than just a miraculous and sovereign act of God, the tearing of the veil was the expression of God's love towards us, so that we are no longer separated to God. He loves us and he longs to be with us. There were no more barriers anymore.

When our daughters were still with us we sometimes go for vacations. I always tell my wife make sure we get connecting doors in the hotel. We have to book two rooms. And once we get to our rooms I'll tell Katherine and Vicky I want them to keep the door slightly open, don't lock it. And they'll protest, dad give us privacy. That's because I love them and I want to be able to hear their voices and their laughter, and to be able to hear them when they call me and to be able to see them anytime I want. Because I love them. We have a relationship. So my daughter can come to me freely.

Now you know why the veil was torn down.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Today, we can come and enter boldly and freely into God's presence without any difficulties, or observe any OT religious practices because of what Christ has done on the cross. God sees his relationship with us as something precious, so precious that he was willing to send his only begotten son to die for us so that we can boldly come to him. We are important to him.

The problem today is that some Christians do not share the same sentiments as God. That's why some Christians don't spend time with God or not at all. They think that coming to church once a week is sufficient enough. And they wonder why they are suffering. Or why they are in bondage. Or not bearing fruit. We are just the branch and without the vine we cannot bear fruit. Without connecting to Christ, you and I cannot bear fruit. It is impossible. That's why they are not fruitful. What we do and what we are is dependent on our relationship with God.

Without God it is impossible to bear fruit.

2 Chronicles 29:1 (NKJV) Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah[a] the daughter of Zechariah. 

Hezekiah was a good king. And some Bible historian calls Hezekiah was the second best king of Judah after King David. The Bible said he did what was right in the sight of the Lord during his reign. And under Hezekiah leadership, the Syrians were defeated by him. The economy of Judah grew and prospered. And when he died the Bible said that all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honoured him. The people loved Hezekiah. What was the secret of his success? He inherited a nation that was backslidden. He inherited a nation that was once ruled by evil and irresponsible Kings. He inherited a nation that was once invaded and held captive by their enemies and they're still carrying the scars of slavery. What did he do to turn this mess around?

The Bible says he first opened the doors to the house of the Lord and repaired them. Hezekiah first assignment was not the economy, it was not military or healthcare, or the security of the nation but his first assignment was to restore Judah's spiritual state. He cleaned the temple of its rubbish. It was setting the temple in order.

Why? Because the temple was abandoned for so many years. It was neglected, unkempt and when he became King, he instructed the Levites and the Priests to clean the temple spiritually. Why was the temple so important, because the temple was the spiritual life of Israel. It was in the temple that prayers were offered, sacrifices were offered, the law were read and offerings were given. It was in the temple that Israel worship and commune with God. The temple symbolises Israel's relationship with God. And that was the first thing King Hezekiah did, setting the temple in order.

Now church, let me ask you a question this morning. How is your temple? How is your spiritual life? Is it important to you? Is it in order? Or did you abandoned it. Or did you neglect it? Is your bible covered with dust? If it is, you need to set your temple in order. You need to do some cleaning and get the rubbish out so to speak.

In Revelations chapter 3, Christ chastised the Laodicean church for being lukewarm. He said in verse 20, behold I stand at the door and knock.

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Christ said he was standing at the door, he was left outside the church waiting and knocking. This is rather strange because isn't Christ the head of the church? If he is the head of the church, why is he outside waiting and knocking, waiting to be invited in? He is the head of the church ma.

If I see Ps Ronald standing outside your church and knocking on the door, hoping somebody would open the door for him, I would ask pastor where is your key? If Jesus cannot enter the church, why? Because he does not have the key.

Let me ask you a question. Who do you usually give your house  keys to if you go on a vacation? Do you give it to a stranger? Or people you hardly know? Or people you just met? You give to your family members or somebody you are close to. Why? Because you have a close relationship with them. It's all about relationship. Jesus was left outside because he doesn't have the key to go in.

The Laodicean church did not give Jesus the keys because they don't have a close relationship with Jesus. They treated him like a stranger. Someone they see only once in a while. Someone they don't have a close relationship with. Many people go to church but in reality, some do not have a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

Some people say this verse is for unbelievers and it's not true.  It's used for Evangelism. It's to the church not unbelievers. Jesus was talking to the Laodicean church.

Revelation 3:22 (NKJV) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Notice that despite not having the keys, Christ still knocks on the door, hoping that someone would hear his voice. Hoping that someone would open the door. Hoping that someone would invite him in. Relationship with God is important to God. Do you have a relationship with God? Is your temple kept unkempt? Is your temple neglected? Do you seek His heart, his will and obey him?

When a lawyer asked Jesus which is the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. And he also said this is the first and the greatest commandment. Before you love anyone or anything else, you have to love God first. Hezekiah knew and understand that the destiny and the prosperity of Judah was connected and dependent on their relationship with God.

Until today people still ask me and Christine why do we go to Africa? Is it because they pay you well? No. If I tell you how much they pay me you will be shocked, 17 years in Africa no EPF. 17 years. We go there because of a relationship with God. I go there because Christ said I'm going to do a work in Kenya  and I want you to join me. That's why we went.

Do you think I really want to go? Not me. I did not want to go. I even prayed I did not really want to go. But eventually I went because I have a relationship with him, deep enough to trust him that all things will be fine. It's not because of money because there is no money there. I trust him that he will take care of me and my children.

Today my wife and I are very blessed. My children today are studying in the Sates with full scholarship. We don't have to pay a cent. God took care of us. God showed how good he was to us during those17 years. It was not easy. There will be days when there's no water for months and without power for weeks. Here, when there's no power or water, you call right? That water or power will be restored in 2 hours. There you call nobody answers. Security was bad, life was different. Culture was different and it was a huge adjustment for us but we hung in there. There were times the ministry was hard.

One day my wife was so broken she wanted to quit. One of our orphan, a girl at our orphanage, about 12, 13 years old, a beautiful girl, a song leader, has a lot of potential died. Christine received a call, where a leader said this girl died at the village. We were sad but what made us even sadder and angry was that she died because of female circumcision. She was forced to go through that. My wife was so heartbroken, she wants to quit the ministry. I'm not joking.

17 long years we hung in there because of this relationship with Christ. I've met pastors who pastors their church for 20 years that had 10 people. 20 years and I wondered why they still stick in there. Why don't they just quit and go home? Why? Because of this relationship with God. Life is hard. Life is not getting better. This is the truth. Our world is not getting better. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation.

Didn't Jesus said the wise man builds his house on the rock? Didn't he said the wind and the flood will come, the rain will come and beat on that house? But that house will remain standing, why? It was built on the rock. There was a connection. If you want to survive the trials in this coming storm, you got to have a relationship with Christ. We cannot afford to be casual in our relationship with God. In such a time like this.

The revival that started with Hezekiah began on the inside of the temple first. After the temple was set in order, then the people went out into the city of Judah and broke every sacred pillars of idolatry in every town and every villages and threw down all those altars at high places. It began in the temple then it moved outside. It began with the people then when things changed on the inside, then it changes the outside. Change must begin in your heart.

Church, as a Christian, your outside is a reflection of your inside. And the inside is your heart. For example, If your heart is filled with anger, hatred, jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, you have no ability to change the world. In fact, you are going to add to the problem.

But if your heart, your inside is touched by God because of a relationship and you are full of peace, love, joy, full of mercy, you are going to make a difference in the world. If you want to change Malaysia you have to change first. If you want to bear fruit and change your circumstances you must start by examining what's in your inside, your heart, your temple and your relationship with God.

Let me close with what Hezekiah said. Listen to the words of this prophet.

Haggai 1:5-6 (NIV)

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

It looks like the people of Judah was working so hard but they were not receiving the result from their hard work. They were not getting the returns from their investment. It was obvious that something was not right. Have you gone through this experience? The returns are so little when you work so hard. So what's wrong?

Haggai 1:8 (NIV)

Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, ” says the Lord.

Build the temple. Put God first. Put your relationship with God first. Then you will have enough. God wants you to succeed and prosper. But you have to set things right in your life and family first. Build your temple. And when you put God first other things will fall,I to place perfectly.

Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added to you. But it has to start with you first. How is your temple? How is your prayer life? How is your Bible reading? It's time to come back and built the temple.