Humility

Rev Gideon Lee

I know that 2015 is a year of uncertainties because of the GST. Many of you are unsure so maybe with that you also consider it when you made your Faith Promise. Remember it's called a faith promise. So I know as much as you use your rationale thinking, nothing wrong with that but let us trust God. If we just give based on what we can then it's not faith. Let's trust God and continue to do the work of faith. We are a people of faith. Amen?

The other thing I want to say is that the church had a way of decimating information. When someone is sick or is admitted to the hospital, who do you call? Jesus! Wah you all people of faith. Make sure you do that. Who do you call on someone earthly? Pastor! No. You call your cell leader and then you can call your pastor. Then we will know what to do. Sometimes the problem is we don't tell. Call your cell leader or your pastor. If you cannot reach me you can text me. If you don't tell your pastor cannot read your mind. If you want it P&C no problems. Just call me and tell me. We want to show member care. I hope you hear what I'm saying. So who do your call? Cell leader. So what happens if you are not in a cell who do you call? Pastor. No, go and attend a cell.

If you are planning to get married, you'd need to also work with the church. The first person to call if you want to get married is to tell your parents and parents-in-law. Tell your cell leader as well and then your pastor. We only marry members in our church. So you have to attend regularly and you must attend premarital counselling. Both have to be Christians. Counselling is at least 3 to 5 months. Wah! It's about one or two lessons a month. I do not want to rush. And if there are deep rooted issues we may ask you to defer. It is not automatic even though it is pre-requisite. And don't book your wedding dinner venue before you talk to me. I want to walk with you on this journey so check with me first to make sure I'm around. Including your wedding invitation. 

Let's turn to the book of Luke. 

Luke 14:1-14

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

14:8-10Ref – Pr 25:6, 7

​1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.

5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Jesus was in the house of a prominent person and engages the religious leader, the Pharisees. He was hopeful to influence and speak into their lives. He saw a man that was sick and he asked if it is lawful for him to heal the man on a sabbath. Jesus knew that they classify healing as work. He wanted to influence them by saying that the rules of the day will not help that man but God is the one that can help this man. They knew the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. 

He also gave another example of a mule that fell into the well. Whether to help the mule. 

Then he spoke a parable of a wedding dinner. How many of you have been to a wedding dinner? Who sits at the main table? The bride and the groom. And at the wedding dinner table is a number. So we check which table is ours by the number. As a pastor I have been to many wedding dinners and most people think that pastors sit near the main table. Nearer to the bride and groom. 

Those days they have a u-table and the bride and groom will seat at the bottom of the "U". The seat of honour is the seat nearest the couple. They want to seat near them but Jesus said don't do that and don't think too highly of yourself. Instead seat somewhere humble and if the host ask you to seat nearer, it's an honour. 

Today I want to talk about humility. We are going to be at the marriage of the lamb at the great banquet table. It does not matter who you are and how much you have and how important you are. We are all going to be there. 

Sometimes we think we are overly important. That's how the Pharisees see themselves. It's not how great we are but how great he is. When we come to the Lord it's about him. 

Imagine I invited Joshua for breakfast. And I cook him 5 scrambled eggs. Then out of the 5 eggs the fifth egg is rotten and I accidentally added it with the other 4 eggs. I can think the 4 eggs can cover the bad egg. And I cook and serve it to Joshua. That's what we do with God. We try to do all the good we can for God and bring that to him. But Jesus is try by to tell us that we don't come to him with how much good we have done. We are sinners saved by grace. Remember it only takes one rotten egg to mess everything up. 

Jesus emptied himself. Considered himself as nothing. And God exalted him and gave him a name above every other name. There is a place for good works. But the equation is that we are saved by grace. Our good work is an expression of our gratitude to him. Jesus is telling them that they need to humble themselves. 

A research showed that most people think more of themselves. And we become proud. It's all about him. Coming to him it has to be with humility. In the corporate world we try to look good for our bosses. But the important thing is that God sees what you're doing. What ever we do it's unto him. 

I understood this principle when I was working in the corporate world. And God exalted me as one of the youngest in that position in the company. It's not me, it's him who exalts. 

We're all going to be at the grand banquet at the marriage of the lamb. We don't choose where we sit. God decides and it is him who exalts the humble. 

We are all prideful people. Remember this morning I talked about surrender. The more I surrender the more I see God in my life. We had a wonderful time of worship at the youth. Bro Aaron preached. I almost got saved a second time. It was a wonderful time of worship as we surrender to God. He will exalt you. 

Chinese New Year is coming soon. I asked someone if they have painted their house and they say no money la. No time la. They say Chinese New Year cookies are very expensive. I didn't even see any oranges. Come to church and we give you three oranges. Three enough la. 2015 we have to trust that God knows what he is doing and he will preserve his children.