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.
- freedom from disturbance; tranquillity, calmness, restfulness
- 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.
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| Many thanks to my interpreter Mallyssa |
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