Selfless Obedience

Bro Vive Supramaniam

It is a privilege to be able to deliver the word of God this morning. I have been having an invitation at least once a month to minister and it has enlarged me and I am thankful. Our pastor is ministering at a church camp in Ipoh and sister Melinda is ministering at Haggai. We also just had 6 heroes who just came back from Nasi Thong. A lot of hard work I was told. They had to plant 30 poles weighing up to 30 kg each. They had to dig the ground first. Worst were the barb wires. So we thank God that Topians are everywhere answering the call to serve. 

I titled my message 'Selfless Obedience'. The two clips talks about Abraham and Jesus. It talks about sacrifice. But before the sacrifice there was obedience. Abraham obeyed and sacrificed his son and Jesus obeyed and went to the cross. 

The bible says a lot about obedience. The Ten Commandments spoke about this commandments and we see how important the concept of obedience was to God. Deuteronomy 11:26–28 sums it up like this: "Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed."

What is obedience? 

To understand the term you need to go back to the bible dictionary. 

According to Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary a succinct definition of biblical obedience is "to hear God's Word and act accordingly.” 

Eerdman's Bible Dictionary says, "True 'hearing,' or obedience, and involves the physical hearing that inspires the hearer, and a belief or trust that in turn motivates the hearer to act in accordance with the speaker's desires."

Biblical (Hebrew) - shama means “to hear intelligently; to consider and consent with contentment; to diligently discern and perceive with the ear; to give ear”

Biblical (Greek) – hupakouo means “to listen attentively; to heed or conform to a command or authority”

In summary, biblical obedience means, simply, to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and obey his Word.

In 1Samuel 15 we will go through the life of king Saul and his obedience to God. Let's read the whole chapter. 

1 Samuel 15

Saul Spares King Agag 1 Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. Saul Rejected as King 10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.” 17 So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

This gives us a picture of a king who disobeyed instructions given to him by the prophet Samuel. King Saul was given a clear instruction through Prophet Samuel to destroy the Amalekites and EVERTHING that belong to them. This was because of what the Amalekites have done to the people of Israel years before, when they came out from Egypt. Amalek was the grandson of Esau (Gen.36: 12). His descendants, called, Amalekites, were the relentless enemies of Israel. We read in Exodus 17:8–16 When Israel came out of Egypt and passed through the wilderness, the Amalekites attacked them. God gave the Israelites victory, but the evil was never forgotten. 

We know from Deuteronomy 25:18 that this attack is cowardly because they attack from behind, preying upon stragglers who are faint and weary. God gives the Israelites victory over the Amalekite army, but this does not wipe out the entire nation. God specifically commands that a future generation blot out the memory of this people, and this command is recorded for Israel’s posterity.

God command that in future they will be destroyed. God gave king Saul specific commands to destroy them. 

In Deuteronomy 25:17–19 God said,

Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and cut off at your rear all who lagged behind you; and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.

He started well to attack and to destroy them. But he did not kill Agag and some of the choice livestock. He spared Agag and his family. Because of this disobedience it affected the Israelites in the future. 

1. Partial obedience is disobedience. 

Saul does most of what God has instructed him to do but he did not obey God completely. And Samuel saw this as sin. Saul only obeyed God’s command to the point that it made sense to him. Saul figured it was unreasonable to destroy the fine livestock. He probably thought that was just an oversight on God’s part. Saul assumed that God wouldn’t mind if he spared Agag, the king, as a trophy of his great victory.

Why did he spare Agag? The king of the enemy is the biggest prize of winning a war. 

When Germany won the World Cup, what did they do? They paraded the trophy in an open top bus. They were celebrating. It is the same in the past, they will parade the enemy king and to show them off. They will humiliate the king of the enemy. 

Saul’s disobedience does not stem from compassion. I think we may safely assume that Saul’s sparing of Agag, along with his sparing of the best of the flocks and herds of the Amalekites, is really self-serving.

First, Saul doesn’t even see what he did as wrong. In verse 13, he says “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions…” He has? Second, in verse 14, he blame-shifts and denies disobeying. Samuel confronts him with the sounds of bleeting sheep and the lowing of cattle. Samuel can hear the animals. He knows they have survived. If Saul had carried out the Lord’s command, there would be no animals left and certainly not Agag, their king.  In verse 15, he shifts the blame onto the soldiers. Then he reaffirms that he totally destroyed the rest. How could he have “totally destroyed” some, but not all? He’s admitting that he didn’t completely carry out the task, while at the same time saying he did carry it out.

Third, Saul again says he obeyed and refuses to repent. After Samuel calls him out in verses 17-19, in verse 20, he says, “But I did obey the Lord.” He’s still not willing to admit he’s done anything wrong. Saul even offered "godly" reason for his actions. He hadn't done what God told him, and yet he tries to portray himself so wonderfully. When Samuel asked about the presence of the spoils, Saul blamed the disobedience on his soldiers, rationalising that they were preserved for sacrifice to the “LORD your God.”

Was God pleased? God was not pleased. Can we make the same mistake? Can we disobey God and convince ourselves that we obeyed God? 

John Woodhouse wrote the following in his book titled “1 Samuel” - "Has it ever crossed your mind that you might compensate for some disobedience to God's word with regular churchgoing or generous giving or even disciplined praying and Bible reading?"

The Road of Disobedience is littered with Excuses. Saul has a lot of excuses and some of it seems to be very religious. Do we have excuses today? When we did not obey him completely do we give excuses? We got to check our heart and our motive. Are we really obeying God?

After all the excuses, Samuel says this, to obey is better than sacrifice. Rebellion some say is as bad as witchcraft. The consequence of Saul's sin is that he was rejected by God as king. It led to Saul's downfall. In 1Samuel 13 he also disobeyed God so this is not the first time. Partial obedience is also classified as rejecting the Word of God (verse 26).

To know what God commands us to do (or not to do), and then to disobey, is to willfully rebel against God. No ritualistic worship, no ceremonial activity, overrides the evil of such sin. 

2. Obedience is not optional. 

The day we are saved we obey. Obedience is action. It is being submissive to God. Hearing his word and doing it. In 1Samuel 15, Saul had very good instructions. 1Samuel 15: 1 “Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord.” I want to rephrase Samuel’s reminder: “Saul, it was God Who made you king over Israel. Because of that fact, you are obliged to obey His commands.”

King Saul was given a clear and precise instruction. The Orders (verses 1-5) was clear. God was not vague in His command. God called Saul, very specifically, to destroy the Amalekite nation. But he choose to disobey

Christ was the perfect example of obedience. He was perfectly obedient to God. The selfless obedience of Jesus Christ to the will of God his Father, through which the redemption of humanity is accomplished. Christ sets an example which believers are called to imitate.

He became man, he humbled himself, and he became obedient to death—death on a cross, Philippians 2:8. Jesus came and obeyed for us, precisely because he knew we couldn’t do it on our own. Jesus alone is the truly obedient one.

Our motive to obedience is love. It is our expression of love to God. The world view obedience in a very negative light. The world view it as something that is being forced. They perform it out of concern of punishment. Children when asked to clean their room does it for fear of being punished. 

Obedience starts with love. If you love me you will obey what I commanded. As his disciples, we follow Christ's example as well as his commands. Our motivation for obedience is love:

We see obedience in relationship to fearing God but God sees it as motivated by love. Love is the underpinning of our love for God in an outward expression. We don't obey him because we have to but because we want to. 

Just as God did not make Saul king of Israel because his own merits, neither are we God’s children today on the basis of any personal merits of our own. 

Our sins have been forgiven simply because of the marvelous grace of God (Eph 2:8-9). The Apostle Paul goes further, and adds, “…Ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor 6:19b, 20).

TOP is going through a series of evangelism. In cell groups too. To bring the good news to the world. That's a commandment given to us. Are we obeying the great commission? Do we take it upon ourself to obey?

MH17 tells us the fragility of life. I pray that all of us will be bold to share the word of God. That we will take every opportunity to obey God. There are many other commandments we are called to obey. Our obedience is always in alignment with God's word. 

Obedience is crucial in the Christian life. Sacrifice without obedience is simply an outward performance of a religious duty or act.

A study of the Bible and of human history reveals that man's obedience to God's will has always brought man happiness, and disobedience has always brought unhappiness. 

For this reason we have in the Bible an emphasis on obedience. God said, "The things I command you, observe to do". Deuteronomy 12:32. Again, "If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land". Isaiah 1:19.

Christ himself set the example of obedience to the Father's will. 

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him". Hebrews 5:8,9. 

Christ said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" John 6:38. 

Christ said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven" Matthew 7:21.

True obedience flow from our heart in gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord. 

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1

Friends, this account in history reminds us that although we have a choice, obedience is not optional!  Those who belong to God obey Him. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to Him. - Colossians 2:6

I grew up near an airfield and I lived to see fighter jets. I wanted to be a pilot but my mother said no. More fighter jet crash in training than in a war (laughs). A MIG29 fighter jet is an amazing aircraft with incredible capabilities. But there is one thing that a fighter pilot requires above all else. That the aircraft reacts completely to his control. The fighter pilot has the control stick to steer the plane and every action the plane has to response. Can you imagine what would happen to the plane of it refused to follow the commands of the pilot? It had to respond to how the pilot wants to control the plane. If it were to have "a mind of its own" regardless of how remarkable that might sound, it would end up grounded. 

Same with our mind. How many of you know that the Lord wants us to obey him? He wants is to obey him, calling us to a selfless obedience. He wants us to serve him and to give our very best. 

Disobedience brings defeat, discouragement and ultimately death. In contrast the Outcome of Obedience is victorious life in Christ Jesus. 

A child of God is able, with a heart after God’s own, to learn to walk in the path of obedience.

Bro Vive delivering his hard hitting message.

How To Make Your Walls Fall Down Flat Part 2

Rev Gideon Lee

III. v.3-5 ISRAEL HAD A PARTNER

A. Israel's partner was none other than God Himself! He was in absolute control of the battle, He was leading them, and He was the guarantee of their victory!

(Ill. The visit of the Captain of the Lord's Host - Josh. 5:13-15. Remember that He came to tell Joshua that He did not come to take sides, He came to take over!)

B. As we face our walled cities and the obstacles of our lives, it is a blessing to know that we do not have to face them alone, Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5, or in our own strength, John 16:13; Phil. 4:13!

C. No obstacle is insurmountable as long as we face it in the Lord!

(Ill. A moment ago, we spoke of the power of God's promises. For a moment, let's talk about the weapons we have been given to fight the battles.

1. The Word of God - You and I have been blessed by the Lord in that He has given us a perfect, inspired, infallible, inerrant record of His Word. The Word of God is called the "logos". This word speaks of the entirety of the revealed word of God. It speaks of your Bible. When Paul was listing the armor that is to be worn by the saints as they battle the enemy, he mentions the one offensive weapon we have and that is the Word of God, Eph. 6:17. You see, the Bible is like a vast armory. In this armory there are weapons of every description. They have been specifically designed to fight particular battles. It is interesting to note that when Paul mentions the Word of God as a weapon of spiritual warfare, He does not use the word "logos". He, instead, uses the word "rhema". This word means a particular Word of God. If we continue to think of the Bible as an armory filled with swords of all descriptions, then the "rhema" would be a particular sword for a particular battle. This truth is illustrated by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Mount of Temptation. When the devil tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Jesus responded by saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Here, Jesus also used the word "rhema". Each time the devil attacked our Lord, Jesus walked into the armory of the Word of God and chose just the right sword for each attack. Each time, Jesus went into the Deuteronomy section of the armory and carefully selected just the right sword He need to stick the devil.

Folk, the same principle will work for you and me! God has a word for what you are facing. However, if you don't know your way around the armory, then you will not be able to select the right sword. It is imperative that we learn this Book so that when the day of battle arises, we will be able to grab the right sword and vanquish our enemies!

2. Prayer - Far too often we ignore the great power that has been given to us in prayer! Prayer is far more than me just taking my grocery list to the Lord and reading it off. Prayer is my entering into a conversation with the God of the universe. I speak to Him and He speaks to me. I am able to tell Him about what is on my heart and He is able to tell me what is on His heart. Prayer has the ability to get things done! You see, we have been given some pretty awesome promises in the arena of prayer.

A. God has promised that He will hear our prayers - Jer. 33:3; Isa. 65:24.

B. God has promised that He will answer our prayers - John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:14-15.

C. God has promised that He will help us pray - Rom. 8:26-27. (Ill. Essentially all true prayer begins with God. He speaks to our hearts and we offer the prayer He lead us to pray back up unto Him. This is the way to pray in the will of the Father!)

(Ill. The power of our prayers - J. Sidlow Baxter - "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our argument, but they are helpless against our prayers!" (Ill. Hannah, Samson, Elijah, Elisha, Abraham, etc. Thank God, prayer has the potential to change any situation! It is sad, however, that prayer is given such a minor role in the modern church. The old fashioned prayer meeting has gone the way of the horse and buggy. But, you mark it down, those churches and individuals who have held onto the promises, power and the practice of prayer are seeing their walled cities conquered!)

I. Israel Had A Problem
II. Israel Had A Promise
III. Israel Had A Partner

IV. v.6-21 ISRAEL PREVAILED

A. Ill. The context. Israel marched around the city in obedience to the Lord and they prevailed! (Ill. The absurdity of the command! Can you imagine how the people in Jericho must have reacted? They saw the armies of Israel approaching their city and they probably thought that they were about to be invaded by the enemy. Then, just as Israel came near the city, they turned and began to march around the walls. I can see those inside Jericho as they ran to see where the Israelites would mount their attack. However, instead of attacking, the soldiers, and the priests merely marched around the city one time. All that was heard was the sound of the ram's horn trumpets and the pounding of the soldier's feet upon the ground. This was repeated for 6 days. By this time, the people in Jericho were no doubt mocking and jeering the Israelites. Then on the seventh day, they compassed the city seven times. When they had finished that seventh lap, the priests gave a long blast on the trumpets and the people of Israel shouted with a great shout! It wasn't the shout of an attacking army, it wasn't a shout of fear, but it was a shout raised in praise to their God Who had promised them the victory. When the people shouted, the walls fell down flat and Israel ran into the city and utterly destroyed it. Theirs was a great victory!)

B. There are some reasons why Israel experienced victory at Jericho:

1. They had a Word from God - (v.2-6) 2 Tim. 2:15; John 16:13

2. They believed God - (v.8-20) God said it, that settled it! Do we really believe God? Mark 11:22; Matt. 21:21-22!

3. They acted in faith - (Ill. Heb. 11:1; 11:6) (Ill. I John 5:14-15, James 1:8)

4. They did it God's way - (Ill. This is the secret to success!) His way may seem too hard, too slow, or as in this case too foolish, but His way is always the best way! (Ill. Isa. 55:8-9)

5. God gave them the victory - (v.20-21)

C. God's church will prevail, Matt. 16:18; God's people will prevail! You can prevail in whatever situation you are facing right now! Take a lesson from Israel, God has promised us the victory - 1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 4:17; 1 John 5:4

Conclusion: What kind of walled city are you facing right now? Does it appear to be unconquerable? Do the walls look too high and do they appear too thick? Does it seem that victory is absolutely impossible in your case? Let me remind you that if your walls haven't already fallen down flat, they can! They can fall right now! You need to take a lesson from Israel and start handling your Jericho's God's way. Will you come before Him this morning with whatever your need is? Will you bring it to Jesus right now! He excels in doing the undoable! He can poss the impossible, think the unthinkable, do the undoable! He is still a miracle working God! Greater than obstacle, able to move any mountain, stronger than any barrier you might face today. Bring it to Him and watch Him work it out!

Many thanks to pastor Gideon for his notes for this week's sermon.

PEACE in a Troubled World

Kenny Song

Your pastor messaged me two weeks ago and asked what I am going to preach about? Not another Titanic he laughed. Maybe the World Cup? I was honest with him. I said I don’t know yet.

But today I know. If not I wouldn’t be up here. It is something that was stirring in my heart for the past week. And the tragedy that just happened made it all the more relevant. We are all saddened by the MH17 tragedy, especially since MH370 is still unresolved. Then on Friday’s cell, I saw how important it was for our members when they are going through personal struggles. And yesterday, someone posted the particular scripture that I am using for today’s message. I know today, God has a word for some of you here.

So what is the topic? What is the one thing that the world have tried to find but it has been elusive. What is the one thing that men and women seek but cannot find?

Church, that word is PEACE. 

But first of all, let me qualify what we mean when we say Peace. Here is what the dictionary says.

1. freedom from disturbance; tranquillity, calmness, restfulness
2. a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.

That is the world’s definition of Peace. Notice, it is the absence of something. Absence of disturbance or trouble. Absence of war or conflict.

That is NOT the peace I want to talk about.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Note that here it is not the absence of something. It is the presence of a person. The presence of God. The presence of Jesus. The presence of a saviour. THIS is the peace I want to talk about this morning.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

While the world screams anxiety, anger, frustration, loss and more, God enters into our midst and says, "My peace I leave with you,” and humanity needs it so.

The world is in turmoil. There is war all the time at different places of the world. Right now, Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides and the conflict is escalating. The war around Ukraine and Russia is said to have caused the shooting down of MH17. Back home, we have other crisis. Religious and racial tension. Political instability. Economic uncertainty. Rising cost of living. Our weakening education system. 

I am not even talking about our personal problems. Our work. Our relationships. Our finances. Christians and non Christians alike struggles with these issues. So what is the difference?

I think if Pastor Roland is here, he may ask me to step down already.

It is a picture of gloom isn’t it? The world we live in is not all rosy and nice. It is a world with full of troubles. Is it a surprise? What did Jesus say? “In this world you will have trouble”. He is talking to the ones that believes in Him. So christians, we are not spared of troubles.

That is why I never tell an unbeliever, if you accept Jesus, all your troubles will be gone. Your life will be perfect. There will be no more sorrow, or heartache, or pain. That’s a lie. Anyone here who no longer has problems the day you become a Christian please put up your hand. Anyone? I’ll want to know your God (laughs).

We know that’s not true. And I can see it in my own family. How many of you remember the testimony of my family’s salvation the last time I shared? That was Part 1. It was wonderful right? You may say how wonderful, the whole family saved in one night. Wow!

Well, here is Part 2 and it is not so nice.

My father was an only son. So he was very fervent in ancestral worship. It was left to him to continue that. That was one of the struggles he had in becoming a Christian. It was a major hurdle for him. 

The first night after we attended church having travelled from Alor Star, we slept at my brother's house. He was sleeping downstairs. In the middle of the night, we heard him scream. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! We all ran out and he told us that he dreamt that his father (my grandfather) took a big piece of wood and hit my father for abandoning him. For betraying him by becoming a Christian.

But to our surprise, he just told us to go back to sleep. It's okay. I have called out to Jesus. He had the peace of God. That was very unlike the father I knew. My father before he became a Christian was a worrier and a fearful man.

Then back in Alor Star a few weeks later, the police arrived at our house one evening and arrested my brother for CBT. A crime he committed before he became a christian. I heard my brother told his wife when he was handcuffed away, he said don't worry. Everything will be alright. We believe in Jesus now. 

The miracle was that the arrest was on a Friday in Alor Star so it was a holiday and no press was there. Then he was moved to Penang for court hearing and arrived Sunday, which was a holiday in Penang and again no press was there. It never appeared in the newspapers. God was merciful.

In prison, my brother was placed in a cell with a man on death row. So my brother shared about his salvation and about Jesus. This man finally asked my brother, who is this Jesus you are talking about? In prison, they had only packed rice with curry. So they would keep the paper wrapper in order to use it to clean themselves or have something to read. My brother kept his papers on a window sill. When this man asked him, my brother felt the prompting to look at those papers. Lo and behold, on one of the paper was a painting of Jesus and his 12 disciples at the last supper. My brother showed the man and told him this is the Jesus that can save his soul. That was my brother’s last supper in prison after his case was settled and he was discharge.

My brother today is actively serving God in church and he has been delivered from his gambling vice.

Our relative's accusation was that bad things happened to our family because we became Christians. But in spite of all these challenges as babes in Christ, we learnt one thing. We have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back no turning back. And through it, we put our trust in Him and his PEACE that surpasses all understanding was our portion. It is very hard to describe how at those times, we really felt God’s peace as a family.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Song family experienced that first hand. And we saw for the first time what scripture meant when it says:

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So today, I am going to lift the gloom off how we see the world by helping you turn your eyes upon Jesus. Peace I leave with you. That’s what He promised us. And how do we attain this peace?

Just now we read in Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The answer is in the verse before that. Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I remember the day when we took Papa Song to the hospital for the doctor to tell him he has pancreatic cancer. My father used to be an anxious person. He is a worrier. At one time he was under medication after a near nervous breakdown. His experience of being on the death train to work on the Burma railroads during the Japanese occupation impacted him greatly. But on that day when the bad news was told to him, he was a changed man. He was a man that loved God and trust Him, even if it meant looking at death face to face. He had PEACE that surpasses all understanding.

He said if God extends his life he is ready to continue to serve him. If not, he is ready to go home. That is a peace no man can give except Jesus.

Are you going through some struggles in your life? Are there storms that are raging in your life and it seems hopeless. If it is troubling you, I want to remind you of this passage in the bible.

Mark 4:35-41

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

These were fishermen so they are not unaccustomed to raging seas. But this must have been a huge storm. Maybe much like what you are going through. Storms of financial crisis. Health struggles. Relationship breakdowns. Just remember this.

You are not alone in the boat. Jesus in on board with you. The bible says he will never leave or forsake you.

Second, he spoke Peace, be still and the storm heed his command. He can stop that raging storm in your life. You just need to trust him.

I want to end with this little thought. When you sometimes makes a call to a service centre for technical help or for online banking, you hear these word, "sila tekan 1 untuk Bahasa Malaysia, please press 2 for English" (laughs). Then it goes through several other commands before the dreaded "please hold" and you hear their advertisements. Then comes, "We’re sorry, but all our service personnel are busy, please hold" (more laughs). And this can carry on for a while. And you ask, give up la, and you put down the phone. 

Maybe that's what they want you to do. And your problem is not resolved. So after a while you decided try again. And you hear once more “sila tekan 1" (laughs).

What I am trying to tell you is that in the storms of your life, let his peace reign in you while you wait upon him. Don’t hang up. God’s line is never faulty or disconnected. He is never too busy. It is all about His timing and his timing is always perfect. Don’t hang up, because he won’t hang up on you.

And while you wait upon Him, have this assurance that he will carry you through. His grace will always be sufficient for you. And rest in Him knowing that our father in heaven always reserve the best for his children.

Many thanks to my interpreter Mallyssa

How to Make Your Walls Fall Down Flat

Rev Gideon Lee

Joshua 6:1-21

1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[a] to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.'

HOW TO MAKE YOUR WALLS FALL DOWN FLAT

Intro: Israel has finally crossed the Jordan. They have prepared themselves spiritually and they have, thus far, followed God's orders to the letter. Now, they are ready to begin the conquest of the Promised Land. They are ready to claim for themselves the land that flowed with milk and honey. However, like most things in life that are worth having, it wouldn't come cheap!

For Israel, Jericho would be a benchmark. It was at Jericho that they would flex their muscles and experience military victory and conquest. Now, just for a moment, try to put yourself into the shoes of the average Israelite soldier. For most of these men, Jericho was the first city they had ever seen that was surrounded by huge walls. It must have looked like and absolute impossibility to many. However, they listened to the instructions they were given by the Lord and they saw those massive walls fall down flat.

This morning, many in these services may question the fact that we are preaching from a book that is old and that is all about battles and wars. It is my opinion that the book of Joshua is very relevant to today's Christians. Folk, we are living in days of battle and spiritual struggle. We need to know how to fight. We need to know that our God is able to give the victory. We need to know how to follow Him to that victory. Joshua teaches us those valuable lessons!

Just as Israel faced the formidable walls of Jericho, you and I face walls and obstacles in our lives as well. We need to know how to overcome them as we march towards the victory. This passage holds that answer for us today. Let's watch Israel conquer Jericho and as we do, let's let the Lord teach us How To Make Our Walls Fall Down Flat.

I. v.1 ISRAEL HAD A PROBLEM

A. Ill. Jericho is known as the oldest city in the world, in Joshua's day, it was surrounded by a system of two massive stone walls. The outer wall was 6 ft. thick and about 20 ft. high. The inner wall was about 12 ft. thick and was 30 ft. high. Between the walls was a guarded walkway about 15 ft. wide. Israel's problem was that they had a city to conquer, but there were some extremely huge walls in the way.

B. As we go through life, we have obstacles that we face as well. Perhaps it is a lost loved one we would like to see the Lord touch and save, a lost community over which we are burdened, a ministry from the Lord that we feel inadequate about, family trouble that tears at our hearts and leaves us wondering what to do, financial trouble that stresses us to the limits of our patience and faith, a besetting sin that constantly crops us in our life, or any of other a million things!) 

C. We must learn not to look upon our obstacles as dead-ends, but as opportunities for the Lord to work in our lives!

(Ill. The great Apostle Paul had such an obstacle - 2 Cor. 12:7-10 - This attitude is foreign to us this morning. Yet, we must come to realize that the power of God is best revealed in and through us when we are unable to handle life. God is more clearly visible when we are totally out of the picture! In a sense, that is what He did with Israel here. As we will see, He completely removed them from the equation! The victory at Jericho was all God!)

II. v.2 ISRAEL HAD A PROMISE

A. As Joshua and all the men of war stood looking at those walls around that great city, God had a word of comfort for their hearts! Here, God promises Israel the victory before they ever attack Jericho! He lets them know about the conclusion before they ever enter into their battle!

B. As we face our obstacles, whatever they may be we can do so with confidence, because we have the Lord's promises as banners to march under:

1. We Have His Promise That Our Weapons Are Powerful Through God - 2 Cor. 10:4-5.

2. We Have His Promise That Our Battles Have All Been Arranged By The Lord - Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17.

3. We Have His Promise That Our Ability Is Limited Only By Our Faith - Phil. 4:13; Eph. 3:20.

4. We Have His Promise Of Power In The Day Of Battle - Eph. 6:10.

5. We Have His Promise Of Ongoing Victory - 1 Cor. 15:57.

6. We Have His Promise That We Will Never Fight Alone - Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20.

7. We Have His Promise That When The Battles Are Ended, We will Celebrate The Victory In His Presence - John 14:1-3.

C. As we face the walled cities in our lives, we need to learn to believe the Lord, to take Him at His Word and trust Him for our victories! (Rom. 4:21; 2 Cor. 1:20)

(Ill. I Jesus did not save you for you to be defeated! He saved you for the victory and He will be there all the way to help you secure it for His glory! Will there be trials? But, there will also be victory - Luke 22:31-32.)

Many thanks to pastor Gideon for his notes as I was away and could not find a replacement to transcribe this week's sermon.

Burden Bearing Buddy

Rev Gideon Lee

What did I share about last week? From Psalms where I say evil will not triumph over good. The Psalmist says that evil seems to be winning but at the end of the day the righteous and God will win. 

And the week before that I spoke about stop being afraid. How? By standing on God's word and promises. We have to stop being afraid. Go and look at the blog and see the sermon that is transcribed every week. The link is in the bulletin. As I preach there is a flow and agenda so go and refresh yourself. It is also posted on TOP's Facebook page. 

Mat 11:25-30

Rest for the Weary 11:25-27pp – Lk 10:21, 22 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

How many of you have burdens in life? All of us have burdens right? I would expect 100% of you raising your hands. I want to talk to you how we can exchange our burdens to God. He says I will give you rest. As I read the scripture I never come across a light burden. All burdens are heavy. 

What is your yoke? What is a yoke? I preached this at Youth service once and a smart aleck asked if I was talking about an egg yolk. Here is the picture of a yoke. 

It's heavy, burdensome and cumbersome. It's wood is rough and heavy. It is a pair carried by two. It's for a pair of animals. This how it looks like. 

For beasts of burden like cows. 

There was a story about Jesus before he was released into ministry. Jesus was a carpenter and they had a specialty. His family's specialty was to make yoke. Jesus was so good at it that many come from far to come and have him make the yoke. He customises the yoke so goes the story. 

I was telling the Hokkien service that new chairs are coming that is comfortable because they are ergonomic. Made to fit their body. Jesus made the yoke customised for the animal. 

My message is called "Burden Bearing Buddy". Jesus is the master at making yoke. That's why it is light and easy. The word easy actually means it's fitted well. His yoke even though it's heavy and hard, it's made light because it's fitted well. 

Jesus says come to me. Last week I talked about not looking at our circumstances but to look to God but today I am saying let God take your burden. 

How many of you remember when you came to God? We felt like a burden was taken off from us. Sin is heavy. It's a burden. Also note that the yoke is made for two. But we seem to like to carry our problems on our own. Come to him. That's the difference. The yoke is made for two. You don't have to carry it alone. 

Both buffaloes have to walk. One buffalo cannot say to the other he will not walk. Both have to walk to relieve the burden. 

Sometimes when we come to a service we lay all our burdens at the cross but after service we come back to the cross and carry our burden back home outside the church. 

God is asking you "are you burdened?" Come to him. 

There is also the burden of righteousness. You become a Christian and you see there is so much to do. Sometimes ministry is tiring. Or reading the bible is tiring. Or to serve at church is tiring. And as we do all these thing we grow tired because we have been doing it with our own strength. Jesus says come to me. Reading the bible can become a bore. Coming to church is a chore. Coming to prayer meeting is a huge  burden. Reading the bible makes you feel sleepy. Someone says the best cure for insomnia is to read the bible. Why is doing all these tiring? It's because we are doing it in our own strength. Coming to church is supposed to be exciting. Not like some dragging themselves to church like its a funeral. 

Doing it alone you can burn out. When you do out of your own strength. Most of the time we don't do it. We have to come to him and put on his yoke. How? Spend time in God's presence. Just take some time to be quiet with God. When I'm sending my children to school that's my time with God. When I'm waiting to send my children to school, I spend time with God. No hand phone. No Facebook. 

Adam spent time with God in the garden. He enjoyed God's presence. We do all we do in church because we love him. We serve because we love him. Our burden can be light this way. His way is different from our way. We get tired when we do it on our own strength. God says come to me. It's well fitted. And he's next to you. 

God set us free from sin so that we can bear one another's burden. What was the law God set for us? Love the Lord your God and love one another just as God love you. How, he bore our burden for us and took our curse. 

Come to church is the same kind of commitment as if you are in a marriage or family. If God has planted you in this church it's as if till death do you part. God planted us in this family for better or for worst. So when asked about going to another church I will just say God planted you here till death do you part unless God called you elsewhere for a purpose. 

I asked someone which church you go and he says my church is internet. I play worship songs and then stream the message and pay my tithes online. If that is the case why do we come to church? We come to church not just because of the worship or message but it's because we are a body of believers. We come for one another, pray for one another. 

When you spend time and have fellowship with your very best friend you come out refreshed. That's what would happen when you fellowship with God. There's an exchange and you come out refreshed. 

I end with this story. 

One day this man moved into this new landed house in Penang. It's a new house and they have to cleaned up the garden of lalangs and weeds. The father told the son to remove a rock and take it out of the garden. Unknown to the son, that small rock on the surface is actually bigger under the ground. He tried and tried and cannot so he felt so dejected he came to see the father. The father asked if he used all his strength and he said yes, feeling a little insulted. The father said no son you did not use all your strength. So the father went with the son and both of them managed to remove the rock. That's how we are. Sometimes we do it on our own strength and do not rely on the fathers strength. We are not alone. 

Spend time in God's presence before you do anything else. It's your relationship with God. Until we do that the burdens in life is very heavy. It can be finance or health. It feels heavy right, like it's going to break your back. This morning as we come to the Lord's table allow Jesus to come in and carry that burden with you. 

Bro Vive and the board praying for Sis Jane who is leaving for a mission trip to China on her own.