Stir Up the Gift

Rev Lawrence Seow

How many of you here have been in TOP for 37 years? Wow, I see some hands. God is a faithful God even if we have not been faithful. We may have failed God but God have not failed us.

I want to tell you a story. Some scientists did an experiment. They put a monkey alone in a room. Please, I'm noy saying you people are monkeys okay? It's just a story. And they shone a bright  light at the monkey. And they poured water on the monkey. And they made a lot of noise. And the monkey was frightened, nervous and he panicked. The stress level was very high. Then they stopped everything. Then they put another monkey inside the same room. So there are now two monkeys. They did the same thing with the light, water and sound. This time the two monkeys did not panicked. They were more calm. What they found out is that they needed one another. If the monkeys are like that so are Christians. We need one another. We are one in the body of Christ. As we celebrate 37 years we must learn to honour one another.

Most of the time we want to receive honour. But we must learn not just to receive but to honour one another. Then the church becomes stronger. We won't be so selfish. We will be more giving. By the way, that's not my sermon ya. I have not started yet.

Now I am ready to preach. I promise Pastor Grace I will go slow and not walk around so much. But if I forget and walk about, she must follow me.

Today my message is found in 2Tim 1:6. Only one verse.

2 Timothy 1:6

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

So Paul says I remind you to stir up the gift. Please tell your neighbour don't sleep. If you sleep you cannot stir up the gift. I told this story last night. I better tell you this story. If you sleep I will wake you up.

There was this man who always sleep when the pastor preaches. So the pastor wanted to teach him a lesson. True enough when the pastor preached the man slept. So he whispered to the congregation "how many of you are going to hell?" Then he shouted, "if you are STAND UP!!!". So this man woke up and stood up. Then he realised he is the only one who stood up. But he was quick on his feet and he said "pastor I don't know what you said but you and i are the only ones standing up". (laughs)

These 37 years I want to remind all of you to stir up your gift. First thing is that you have a gift. Please tell your neighbour. You have a gift. Some may not be so well educated or may be poor. You think you are not very smart. But it does not matter. If you are a child of God you have the gift.

As a child of God the Holy Spirit comes into your life and you have the gift. In fact sometimes it's the smart people that don't have the gift. They think too much. Don't feel ashamed of yourself. You have at least one gift.

Some have two gifts and some have multi talented gifts. Praise God for that. If you are one of those, don't be proud. Some have only one gift. Like me. God has called me to preach the gospel. That is God's gift to me. And nobody has every gift. This gift is from God. You cannot choose your gift. It is from God.

No one can stir up the gift for you. God has to stir it up? You have to do it. You must have the desire and hunger to ask God. To stir up the gift.

How many of you love satay? When the man is doing the satay, he needs to fan the flame. Today I want you to make satay. You have to stir up the gift. I cannot do it for you. It's like barbecue, you have to fan the flame.

If everyone stirs up their gift, can you imagine how strong  the church will be? The problem is many come to church but do not exercise their gift. Ask yourself. How long have you been in church and are you exercising your gift? Are you making satay? Many is not so the church is not as strong as it can be. Do you want TOP to be a strong church? Amen? So what must you do? Stir up your gift.

Ephesians 4:11

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

We need these gifts in church or we invite these gifts to church. Are you with me? Who are the apostles? They are the ones sent out. They plant churches. Who are the prophets? The ones who prophesy to the church, about the future or what's happening in the church. Who are the evangelists? They are the ones that proclaim the gospel. The Pastor's oversee the flock and oversee the congregation.

What is the difference between the pastor and evangelist?

Pastor Gideon is a pastor and I am an evangelist. So let me tell you a story to illustrate it.

One day pastor Gideon is cooking in a cabin in the forest. He saw me running and there was a big Bear chasing me. So he knew I was running for my life. He called me to come into his cabin. I ran towards the cabin and the bear was catching me. Just before I reach the open door, I side stepped the door and the bear ran into the cabin and pastor Gideon quickly closed the door. So I told pastor Gideon the bear is his. And I'll bring in more bears. And Pastor Gideon has to "bear" with them. Some christians are bears. If you are one don't be a grizzly bear. Don't be a polar bear. Try to be a Koala bear.

Some are teachers. They are those who master the word of God and make it very clear to the students. I pray God will raise up such people. There may be apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists here.

There was this 80 year old widow. She lost her husband ten years ago. She has never dated anyone since the husband died. Now there is a 90 year old wanting to date her. So she dressed up . And was excited. When she came back she was very angry. So the daughter asked what happened. She said she wanted to slap him. So the daughter said did he try to get fresh with you? She said no, I had to slap him to wake him because I thought he was dead.

So I need to know you are awake. You don't let me do all the hard work and you are just seating there. You must response. You must say Amen. You must lift up the level. Today is your 37th anniversary. You got to be excited. I am sweating already.

Romans 12:6-8

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

These are not all the gifts. These are some of the gifts and it's not a study of the gifts. In Bible school it takes one semester to study all the gifts. Today I have only 30 minutes. So it's not a study.

Gift of prophesying, to serve, to encourage, lead or have mercy. Use it for the glory of God. Maybe  you can cook. Then cook with love. Our spirit is very important. Like those who do worship. The spirit is very important. Be thankful you can serve. You are not there to show off. Or you complain that you have to play again. The same when I preach. I come to bless you.  That's why I give 100%. It may be my last sermon. When I cross the road it may be my last. Yes! How can we know what will happen? So you must also listen like it's your last message. A coconut may drop on you when you go out. How would you know?

In Delhi, a 5 year old girl was gang rape. In Spain, 81 men were raided for pornography. In Bangkok, security guard ditches his wife after winning a one million dollar lottery. Russia, St Petersburg, businessman threw a man into the ditch for touching his car. All these happened in a day. It's a mess up world.

If the church is sleeping, how can we touch the world? That is why my message is stir up the gift. Our spirit in which we serve is very important. We come to God as a sinner. We deserve hell but he saved me. He forgave my sin. And put the Holy Spirit within me. I have at least one gift and we are to stir up that gift to be a blessing. Can we not do that?

For your 37th anniversary, stir up your gift. Some of you are encouragers. Your gift is to encourage. Not everyone is on the mountains. Some has a lot of problems. If you are an encourager, you lift them up. It can make a big difference. We must come prepared. Some people are depressed. You know what that means? Like an elephant sitting on a fat woman. They have a mountain of burdens on them. We are a body of Christ. Not everyone can be a preacher or a worship leader. I appreciate your worship leader. When brother Vive said he was collecting the offering, he took out his wallet and gave. I knew a pastor who said to collect the offering but he himself did not give. When you are up here people are watching you. You have to do it for the glory of God. When you did not give the offering you are sending out a wrong message. You may be a giver but when up there you have to be an a example.

You may be in the backstage. But you are just as important as the preacher. When a boy loves a girl, he will tell his friend. Look at Mary. Look at her eyes, and her hair, her beautiful eyes and lips like cherry. But a boy will not tell his friend, look at her kidneys, and her liver or her intestines. You may not see the kidney or intestines but they are Important. Without the kidneys your eyes will close.

You just use your gift. Are you with me? We all have at least one gift. And sometimes it takes a long time to discover your gift. Once you discover it ask God to use the gift to bless the body. And when the body is strong the church can touch the world. Just look at Jelutong. No need to look too far. Your commitment can translate into action.

You may say it's not fair I'm a kidney or intestine. Your reward is not on earth. Your reward is in heaven. Are you living for the 30,000 days here? That's just 82 years. Uncle Ho has passed 30,000 days. He is living on bonus. So what do you do with that time, to make money , be successful?  In heaven God won't ask you what house you have or how much you have in your bank.

I'm here to remind you to live for eternity. 30,000 days pass by very quickly and one day we have to go. I pray I go preaching. Just like that. There are only two ways you can die. Either you die in your sins or you die in Christ. Amen? So today I want to ask you. Are you in Christ? Or are you in your sins? If you are in Christ you must stir up your gift.

Rev Gideon Lee and Ps Grace cutting the cake together with the church board.