Sufficient for Ministry

Bro Kenny Song

Over the last 8 months, me and my wife in particular have been undertaking some new journeys. We are really experiencing some stretching and it's all thanks to our Pastor Ronald and Jasmine.

When Pastor Ronald first moot the idea of raising pastors from within TOP, two names just seemed to naturally pop into my mind. Without consulting them, I told Ps Ronald ya, I've got two names. It is very easy to volunteer names you know? I guess you all can guess which two names that was. Pastor Ron was saying that instead of looking for a pastor, we should consider looking for someone in-house.

Personally, I'm a believer of that because I run a business. And when we run a business, rather than bringing in talents, we prefer to nurture talents from within and give them the opportunity to rise up. The reason is because they understand the culture of my company, they already know the people within the company and you have less risks. It made sense to me but strangely I never saw it from the perspective of the church. I saw it in my business but I never considered that there are sons and daughters in this church that can rise up to that role. So I volunteered the two of them and a lot has happened over the last 8 months. When I look back I am really in awe how God led the people involved up till this stage.

I spoke to Bro Koay if this is something he would consider, and he told me he was already being headhunted by the Methodist because they are building a new campus and is looking for Christian lecturers. Because he is going to retire this year. And Bro Koay shared with me that if he had a choice he would of course want to serve at TOP because this is the only church he knew and belongs to. That gave me the confidence that we are on track.

Then my wife. Of course I don't think there's anyone who knows my wife better than me. I've always felt that a day would come when she would serve God in a greater measure, but never in my mid I would have envisioned or seen her as a pastor. It came to a point where both of them had to make a decision. But it was not an easy one. Because it's life-changing. When both of them met Ps Ron, you all heard the story, our bro Koay at that time went through yes, no, no, yes, no and yes! And in the end he said yes!

When my wife also said yes, Pastor Ron called me to ask whether I will release my wife. The first question I ask her was "do you sense the call?" She said yes, and who am I to refuse, I'm going to have to deal with God and believe me, he's the BIG BOSS and you don't mess with the BIG BOSS. So I gave my blessing even though at the back of my mind, she's still very much needed in my business as a key person. I just believe that as we take care of God's business, God will take care of our business.

But once you say yes, the feeling of inadequacy or insufficiency can sometimes dawn on you. Naturally, because it is a life-changing decision, answering the call not to man, or the church but to God.

Which brings me to today's message. I titled it "Sufficient for Ministry". We all often feel inadequate when we look at the tasks before us. I know I sometimes feel like that. But as we look into the word of God, it brings great comfort to know that God is NEVER limited by our insufficiency.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Noticed Paul talks about his personal insufficiency, and yet he balanced it with the fact that his sufficiency is from God. And everyone here in leadership position may find the task at hand overwhelming and you may feel inadequate, just like how Paul did in this passage.

PAUL’S PERSONAL INSUFFICIENCY (v. 5a)

Paul was a confident man. Saul of Tarsus referred to himself as being "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee. He was a learned man and a persecutor of the church.

Confidence, however, is one thing; claims of self-sufficiency are quite another. So Paul was quick to renounce any measure of self-sufficiency, saying, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us” (v. 5a). Paul was sincere.

By emphasising his insufficiency, Paul consciously relate to Moses’ insistence of his inadequacy when God called him to lead Israel. Remember Moses?

But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my LORD, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the LORD said to him,

“Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”  (Exodus 4:10-12)

Subsequently, Moses proved that in spite of his natural insufficiency, God made him sufficient. This pattern (human insufficiency — divine sufficiency) became the pattern for the calls of the great prophets of Israel.

Gideon’s insufficiency (“Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house,” Judges 6:15), was met with the Lord’s sufficiency (“And the LORD said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man,’” v. 16).

Isaiah’s insufficiency (“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!,” Isaiah 6:5), was countered by one of the Lord’s seraphim bearing a burning coal with which he touched Isaiah’s mouth (cf. vv. 6, 7).

Jeremiah’s insufficiency (“Ah, LORD GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth,” Jeremiah 1:6) was allayed by the Lord (“But the LORD said to me, 'Do not say "I am only a youth"; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak (v. 7)

God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him made possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources. - Oswald Chambers

Grandfather story time. I was playing with Caden one time and he wanted to keep one of his toys on a shelf that was beyond him. He stretched all he can but cannot reach. He tiptoe also cannot reach. And he's not allowed to climb on chairs so he got really frustrated.

So grandpa came to the rescue. I told him to take his toy, then I carried him up and told him to put back the toy himself.

Did I do it for him? No. Did he put back the toy himself? Yes. Could he have done it on his own? No.

Moral of the story? I love my grandson and will of course help him when he can't do it on his own. All he has to do is ask.

So Christ will carry you and all your burdens, if you will let Him.”

There is nothing wrong in having and honing our gifts or abilities. It is just that we should not put our dependence on it instead of reliance in God. Our help comes from the Lord.

PAUL’S GOD-GIVEN SUFFICIENCY (vv. 5b, 6)

Only a man like the Apostle Paul, is humbly aware of his complete weakness can know and prove the total sufficiency of God’s grace. Thus Paul is able to balance his negative declaration, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves,” with the positive counterpoint, “but our sufficiency is from God” (v. 5). And Paul goes on to explain that his sufficiency comes from two things:

1) the sufficiency of the new covenant

2) the sufficiency of the Spirit.

New-covenant sufficiency.

First, the new covenant of Christ was and is a ministry of transformation, whereas the old covenant of Moses did not bring about transformation.

The old covenant began auspiciously, as in Exodus, with the giving of the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 19, 20), the reading of the Book of the Covenant (cf. Exodus 20:18 — 23:33), and the people’s unanimous response, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do” (24:3). Following the people’s promise, everything of significance was doused with the blood of the inaugural sacrifices — half the blood on the altar and the other half on the people and the Book of the Covenant (cf. 24:6, 8). The reason for this blood-drenching was to emphasize the seriousness of sin and to teach that the payment for sin is death.

But the weakness of the old covenant became immediately apparent. The people who promised “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do,” and again, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” couldn’t do it for one day (24:3, 7)! This is because though the old covenant law was good, it was an external ordinance, and the blood of animal sacrifice could not take away sin.

After generations of repeated failure, God promised a new covenant to Jeremiah, recorded in 31:31-34, which prophesied the contours of transformation:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

The promise of internal renewal (the Law within, an intimacy with God, a personal relationship with God, and true forgiveness) all prophesied radical transformation.

Then, when Christ came to the final hours of his life and held up the cup at Passover saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), it was as if he laid his hand on that passage in Jeremiah and said, “This day this Scripture is fulfilled before your eyes.” Jesus Christ effects the radical transformation of the new covenant by his shed blood. Millions of such transformations have been worked in the lives of men and women for the last 2,000 years, and we ourselves share the same transformation in Christ.

Paul’s point, in respect to himself, is that at the moment of his conversion and calling he had been made a minister of the new covenant. At Paul’s conversion Christ had said:

“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles — to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:15-18)

The Paul was thrilled over this. As he later wrote to Timothy, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (1 Timothy 1:12, 13).

Can we imagine Paul's feeling? It was a privileged to be called of God, to serve him.

Sometimes, we feel that we are doing God a favour by serving. Especially when we are gifted in certain natural talents that make it so easy to excel in those areas. We need to be careful. We serve because we love him and we are willing vessels for him to fulfil his kingdom purposes. Nothing else. It's so easy to get carried away when we are praised for doing a good job. Don't get me wrong, encouragement is biblical, taking God's glory is not. We are called to encourage one another, but we need to acknowledge that without God, all we do is just performance.

And herein lay Paul’s adequacy. It was totally of God — “but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant” (3:6). Like Moses and the Old Testament prophets after him, Paul also was made “sufficient in spite of insufficiency by the grace of God”. This universal principle has been the experience of God’s faithful servants.

“God chose me because I was weak enough. God does not do his work by large committees. He trains somebody to be quiet enough, and little enough, and then uses him.” - Hudson Taylor

Paul lived out his ministry with the unlimited sufficiency of the new covenant. The transforming power of the gospel attended all his ministry — transformation in many places including Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, and even Rome — always with an inward change of the believer.

Holy Spirit sufficiency.

The corresponding promise to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the new covenant was Ezekiel’s promise of the Spirit:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26, 27)

We referenced this scripture in Lesson 3 at Care Group Friday night.

And Paul references this promise as we see in verse 6 in its entirety: “who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The problem with the old covenant was that the written Law (here called “the letter”) provided no power to obey it because it was not accompanied by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit.

Last night, at Care Group, we discussed on what is one of the most important function of the Holy Spirit, and as usual, our teacher-pastor Koay said it was "Empowerment".

The Law wasn’t bad. In fact, it was the holy, just, and good expression of God’s will, and innately spiritual (cf. Romans 7:12, 14). And the Law itself did not kill. Rather it was the Law without the Spirit (the Law as “letter”) that killed.

Under the new covenant through Christ, that condition changed for the better by means of the Holy Spirit who writes “not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (v. 3b) and therefore enables the obedience of which Ezekiel prophesied: “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (36:27).

Paul had an tremendous advantage over Moses. Moses was charged to minister the Law to a stiff-necked people who would not obey it, but Paul was called to minister in the transforming power of the Spirit to a people who would be empowered to keep the Law under the new covenant.

I'm sure all Pastors will prefer to be in Paul's shoes rather than Moses. And the good news is that they are!

What a glory it is to proclaim the gospel of the new covenant in Christ’s blood — to proclaim radical transformation (“If any man in Christ, new creation!,” 2 Corinthians 5:17, literal translation) — to proclaim the Spirit’s empowerment to keep God’s statutes — to preach complete forgiveness.

When I was first saved, I had the privilege of going to Billy Graham's crusade in Singapore. So many responded at the altar call with the song "Just as I am…" was sung. He preached a powerful salvation message. Never could I have imagined that someone like Billy Graham could have felt inadequate delivering a sermon.

In August 1955 someone wrote a letter to The Times deploring Billy Graham’s recent invitation to preach at Cambridge University. Billy Graham’s approach, he argued, would be “unthinkable before a university audience . . . it would be laughed out of court.”

Mr Billy, age thirty-six, was experienced, but the thought of speaking at Cambridge weighed heavily upon him. His biographer William Martin notes:

Graham, ever insecure about his lack of advanced theological education, dreaded the meetings and feared that a poor showing might do serious harm to his ministry and affect ‘which way the tide will turn in Britain.’ Had he been able to do so without a complete loss of face, he would have cancelled the meetings or persuaded some better-qualified man to replace him.

40 years later in his biography, he wrote:

I have been deeply concerned and in much thought about our Cambridge mission this autumn.... I do not know that I have ever felt more inadequate and totally unprepared for a mission. As I think over the possibility for messages, I realize how shallow and weak my presentations are. In fact, I was so overwhelmed with my unpreparedness that I almost decided to cancel my appearance, but because plans have gone so far perhaps it is best to go through with it.... However, it is my prayer that I shall come in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit.

The great evangelist chronicled his weakness and his need of the Spirit’s power. Billy’s arrival in Cambridge was unsettling. The opening night was Sunday, November 6, the day after Guy Fawkes Day, a day of fireworks, bonfires, and general revelry. Billy met with C. S. Lewis, newly arrived in Cambridge, and the conversation went well, though Lewis’s parting remark was unsettling: “You know you have many critics, but I have never met one of your critics who knows you personally.”

Billy Graham preached for three nights, but the results were modest. His sermons were, by his own estimation, too academic. He knew that he was not getting through to the students’ hearts. He felt he was preaching to please his audience rather than the Holy Spirit. So Billy Graham sought the Lord.

On his third sermon, Billy Graham set aside his university-focused sermons and preached to ordinary human souls. Billy Graham’s weakness plus the all-sufficient, transforming gospel of the new covenant plus his dependence upon the Holy Spirit crafted a mighty ministry in Cambridge. Afterward John Stott wrote his praying congregation, “Only eternity will finally reveal, how much was accomplished during that week.” Another great evangelist came to Christ that week, David Watson.

Those whom God uses have always been aware of their insufficiency and weakness, be it Moses or Gideon or Isaiah or Jeremiah or Paul or Peter or John. And it was their insufficiency that invited the sufficiency of God.

God is not looking for gifted people or people who are self-sufficient. He is looking for inadequate people who will give their weakness to him and open themselves to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the transforming grace of the new covenant.

If God is calling you, do not hide behind your weakness. I don’t know what he may be calling you to do — it may be missions, it may be teaching a Sunday school class, it may be ministering to children, it may be to serve wit the worship team, it may be stepping up at work or doing something you sense a call to do. But if he’s calling you, don’t say you cannot — your weakness is the ground for his calling. Follow God, and he will use your weakness as an occasion for his power.

And if you are feeling terrifying stirrings within your soul as he nudges you outside your comfort zone, where you will be out of your depth (but you know that he is calling you), give your weakness to him and accept his sufficiency.

This is the way it was for Moses and for all the prophets and for the apostles and for all who follow in their stead — everyone who serves the Lord. God uses people who are weak because of their unique ability to depend upon him. Remember, there are no failures in the work of God. It's impact can only be measured in eternity.

I just want to say this for our two pastors. They are gifted and they are very different. My wife is a natural leader in the sense that she can plan things and execute them and she's got good administrative skills. Our Pastor Koay is a teacher. He opens his mouth he must teach already. But those are their natural gifting. And I believe God has given those gifts. But one day, they are going to realise it is not about our abilities. It is not about the gifts that we have. It is about God working through us and there will come a point of time when they are going to feel insufficient and that on their own, they cannot do it.

But the comfort is this, they are in the same company as Paul. Take comfort in the fact that as we serve, it is mandatory that we rely upon God to take us through. Amen!

Emotional Healing

Pastor Yoong Ying Wah

It's a pleasure to be here this morning. A little bit of introduction. I'm married with one wife, that's important to know nowadays and two children and two grandchildren. My grandson is already 6 years old and my granddaughter is 3 plus. I've been living in Melbourne for the last 28 years.

Some churches bring me in for one whole week where I may do three sessions of counselling a day. And some churches have been bringing me in for the last 14 years. I've not come out to Penang for years and years except for the last few months I come about two times. I come not only for individual counselling but also for special meetings and weekend meetings. They also have different cell groups taking me out for breakfast, lunch and dinner and when you minister to one person, you bless everybody in the group because everybody knows that person.

An example was 2 years ago, I flew to KK after transit in KL so I told them tomorrow please no counselling because I was too tired. Just take me out for the 3 meals. So one pastor brought 3 ladies to come along and before I could start on my Char Koay Teow in KK, I felt God asking me to talk to a lady on my right.

I asked her why do you worry about money when God has given you so much money? Money should be the last thing you're worried about. Wah…she panicked and said I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be worried about money. I think I took up my mother's habit. Blame the mother. The mother was not there to defend herself. So when I wanted to start on my Koay Teow again, I saw something in my spirit and I asked why you keep scolding your husband. He's the nicest man you can ever find in this world. Wah, she almost burst into tears.

Had it been somebody I'm church telling her that she'd probably say you go and mind your own business. But I don’t know her. She said ya, I keep worrying about money so I take out my stress all on him. I spoke to one person, 4 people repented. Sometimes we think counselling we just sit down but this just saved me two hours of counselling because God just cut I'm like that.

And she had to be a very brave woman not to change after that. Sometimes we have very set ideas, so I told God I want to be creative. You'll never know what hits you. God is creative. We are the one that make God so boring. Some people go up to the pulpit and we say aiyah we know what he's going to talk about. I hope I'm not one of them.

Sometimes we have very set ideas but God is a creative God. Through the years, over 20 years, I've counselled many emotional healing on individual cases. You can't imagine the pain I come across. All kinds of depression, suicidal cases and those sexually abused people.

Then drop there I went into severe marriages issues. I've never met somebody who married to torture the other person. But a good marriage is more than just good intentions. You must know how to make it work. So a lot of people do not know sad to say but they don't ask for help. Most of the cases that comes to me already ICU cases. Incentive care. Terminal. The pulse is already about to become straight line. They try to fix it themselves so they medicate. So instead of helping themselves they poison themselves. So they end up in ICU. By the time I come in to find out what poison have they been taking and all the he wrong ways of dealing with each other.

Last few year I've also been doing ladies seminars. It's very interesting because a lot of things I don't plan. Now I'm moving into the youths too.

The youth ministry to really reset the thinking of young people. Yesterday I spoke about what it means by falling in love. What is chemistry? Examine and remove all these myth about chemistry and so on and so forth. And to give them the biblical standards of proper understanding. This world has a lot of voices for the young people. God has open the door for me to speak to the youth to readjust them. So instead of just looking at the pure beauty of a girl we should be looking at the inner beauty. The world tune the mind at the outside beauty. I always say guys, you can get the most beautiful dog in the world but if it keeps biting you, don't care how beautiful you'll still kick it away.

I never wanted to write books, but in the last few years I wrote books mainly for ladies. About emotional meltdown and how to change your husband without nagging and how to forget the past and so on. We always tell people to forget the past but how?

Two years ago one Singaporean bought my book and wanted to meet me with her husband. When I landed from KL, I saw on the cover of the Business Times was a full page of them and their family fortune. I am a simple man and don't have that kind of air. I have nothing tangible to offer them. They actually wanted intangible wealth. They realised that their tangible wealth can cover only a certain distance. God has been teaching me to lay hold of intangible wealth. Look for gems in the darkness. I was wondering what God was leading me to.

Last year in PJ, an American came to stay in a house I was staying in. He was there for 2 weeks. One night his host cannot have him so my host had him on board. And while fellowshipping he asked me about my life story. And he told me to write everything into a book and he said if I've nobody to edit for me he said to send to him and he'd pay for it to be edited. I was so shocked he was so keen on my life story.

He's a professor of missions for 36 years in charge of a doctorate programme at a seminary. Little did he know I started writing 6 months ago but halfway I stopped because I was not sure and had no bearing. It was God who sent this man for one night to come to the he house to tell me to finish it. So I told God I'll finish it. But I hated writing books because so much details.

Two days later in a cell group I asked one person if he knew anyone who could edit my book for me and he said he's a book publisher. Give it to me. I almost cried at Starbucks but men don't cry publicly. We only cry in the shower.

For many years as I counsel people one on one, some people can just fall asleep. I was offended because someone is talking and they find it boring. Then I realised that everyone who fall asleep are demonised or demon possessed. The demon would knock off their conscious mind. Because when I speak the word, it cuts like a surgical knife. When I counsel I cut like a surgical knife. I am a spiritual surgeon. I cut line upon line. Their conscious mind were knocked off so they cannot hear the words that is coming out. I don't look for demons. They will appear and knock off that person's conscious mind.

So this morning anyone feeling sleepy? Too early to do any deliverance. I always tell people when I speak nobody fall asleep. It's not that I'm very good, it's just that people dare not fall asleep.

Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

To do the work of God you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A man of the word is made at the Bible College. But the man of God is made in the wilderness. In the wilderness God destroys you. You come out depending on the Holy Spirit. But the man of God and depend on the theology. Nothing wrong with that. But too often some of us take our brain and our knowledge as God. We treat out knowledge and our mind as though it's God. No. What is bigger than your mind and all the experience that you have gone through?

 As a young boy, I grew up in Kuala Lumpur and once in a whole I'll followed my father to Stadium Negara.
At about 6.30 in the morning, when the air once upon a time still fresh. Up there I saw all these old men doing Tai Chi. As a curious young man I was wondering what they were doing. They say it's good for blood circulation as you move your arms and legs. Also it is good for self defence when your enemy attack you take his force and pushbutton away. And you are left unharmed.

We Christians may not do physical Tai Chi. But a lot of us do spiritual Tai Chi. When the word of God come from the he pulpit to you, you say that word is for this fellow, so accurate and you hope he's paying attention. What you did was when you got the word of God you pushbutton away to someone else. They will say this word is for you. This is not for me. And when they leave the service they wonder why God never speak to me.

God does not gossip to you about somebody else problem. If he speaks he speaks to you not about someone else. He loves you and wants to help you change. So tardy every word is meant for you, not for your neighbour.

How many of you come to the church to torture or intentionally give your pastor problems? How many of you decided not to grow spiritually for the next ten years? It is illogical. Nobody intentionally do all of that. We never come to church to do it intentionally. But what is the reality? Some goes from church to church and criticise. After criticising, then go to another one.

It is important to know how to administer emotional healing. Nobody intentionally want to hurt another.

There's this man who had cheese on his beard. He went to the room and he said the room smells funny. Then he went on to the kitchen and he said his kitchen also smelled funny. Then he went into the living room and even the living room smelled funny. Looks like the whole house smelled funny. So he said he better go get some fresh air. He went out to the verandah, sniff sniff sniff and he said the whole world stinks. To him the whole world stinks. It's not because the whole world stinks but it's because he did not remove it from himself. Often we have something we are to deal with and we did not remove it in our life.

What you know about yourself consciously may not not necessarily be the truth about yourself. You may not be who you think you are. In counselling I realised 95% of those who think that that's the problem is actually not the actual problem.

One time I spoke to a church at Sungai Buluh In Selangor. It's a place where leprosy is treated. Leprosy is where you do not have feeling so when you scrape yourself you don't feel it. The same with many churches. They are so wounded they don't feel anymore. They built walls and say they don't want to feel anymore. So that they can't be hurt but at the same time can't be loved. In that state they can't feel other people so when they step on other people's toes they don't even know. They are shocked and said I did not hurt you. What's wrong with you? That's because they have emotional leprosy. Who's the real you and real me?

Computer. What's the real computer? The real computer is not just the screen. It's the screen and the CPU but many think it's just the screen.

If knowing the truth brings freedom then why are Christians who is more than qualified still struggling?

Two days ago I was supposed to fly in to Singapore to help a couple. One of them the in-law asked me to go down to help their son-in-law and daughter. That son-in-law speaks in 150 countries. A big Christian organisation. And he also speaks in all the churches in Singapore. A strings of qualifications, Masters in Psychology and counselling. To him, he said he tried to fix his marriage and he said if he can't nobody can. He wanted to divorce his wife actually. He trusted his knowledge but it's more than that.

One time, God showdown me the pictures of a horse. There was this horse that was galloping on the spot. And the people asked the horse why are you running on the spot? The horse was tied by a thick rope to a stake. All Christians want to advance but because of unresolved issues, you keep galloping on the spot. Cut off the rope for people and you'll see them move forward.

Head knowledge does not change how you live life. It just change how you think about yourself. Many decisions we make is because of our unconscious mind.

Many think they think it's what they know because they read the bible. Moments of discovery comes when it expose what you know in your conscious mind and what your unconscious mind does.

Otherwise it's just head knowledge. They you just know it but you are not it. You know of it but you can't do it. You talk it but you don't walk it. Many Christians are in this kind of state. The devil is a better theologian than many of us. He has been around and even used the word against Jesus. Although he knows the word of God he's still the devil. You may know the word of God but you may not change.

You make me so angry. You make me angry when I'm a nice man. We blame others for our actions. I had this man who came to talk to me and asked me to talk to his wife so that he does not have to beat her. He blamed his aggressiveness on his wife. I was wondering and asked him why she is so powerful  can make him beat her but cannot make him love her? It is obviously not in her hands. He's blaming her for beating her.

It's the example of a tiger cage. No matter how I rattle the tiger cage, you won't hear a tiger roar if there's no tiger in there. Too many of you already have a tiger in there. God send somebody to rattle that tiger cage of yours to have you deal with that tiger in there. But we ended up blaming the messenger from God.

What is your unconscious thought? It was once your conscious thought. It was pushed aside and became unconscious thought because it was suppressed. And as Christians as you grow in the word of God that became alive in us, but so are your past issues. The main reasons why Christians failed to progress is that they often blame the devil. Too often we blame it on the devil. Because of the emotional mess in us we self destruct. Most Christians self destruct because of emotional problems never dealt with. Your wounded self.

One day a lady came to see me because she had a new found love in Melbourne. She was having an affair with a colleague. She didn't want a divorce because of a bad name to her family. But she still wants to enjoy this new found love. As I talked to her I realised she was not intending to give him up. So I had to tell her God said if you repent I will restore you but if you insists on going your way I'll let you go. All of us Christians have the hand of God covering us. The anger of God is not coming to slap your backside but to let you go. My grace and mercy kept you but it's not a license to live in sin. To sin deliberately. If you continue I'll let you go.

That lady who committed adultery suddenly called the church to complain about me. The moment God let you go, you're no longer under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

In another case a wife really hate the husband. He could not understand because he took her for a holiday and even bought her a new car. She insisted on sleeping in another room. She went to a lawyer and wanted to divorce her husband. The lawyer brought her to Christ and found her someone to guide her on what a good Christian wife should do to her husband. She learnt all those things and still hate the husband. This time worst. Now you know what you're supposed to do and you can't do it. So she became suicidal. It was tormenting.

She could not even stand the husband touching her at all. We happened to know the person who was following her up so typical of me I just asked if you've heard of any lady who doesn't want her husband to touch her. She jumped up when she realised this was a divine appointment.

So I met her and I asked why do you hate your husband? She said I hate my husband because he asked me to do banking and to drive here and there in the hot sun. I asked if I can pray for her.

Holy Spirit come and search her heart. After a while she said yes I remembered 5 years ago he did this to me so I hate him. So I prayed Holy Spirit search deeper. I remember now, 10 years a go he did this to me. Holy Spirit search deeper. And then suddenly, she just cried out.

17 or 18 years ago when they were still boyfriend and girlfriend he imposed himself on her sexually. And she said when that feeling came out it felt like it just happened seconds ago. The feeling is so real and the anger she had on him as a boyfriend then is still very much alive. So much so that even though the husband has changed to be a better person what had locked up in the unconscious she couldn't forgive him. And it came out finally.

I asked if she wants to forgive her husband and she said she always wanted to forgive him but I didn't know what it was. Now I know. So I prayed for her. She went home told the husband come back to the room. That night, Tarzan met Jane. Imagine that. But don't imagine too hard alright.

A marriage about to be destroyed because of one thing that happened a long long time ago was saved. The root was not dealt with.

Some things that hold us are personal secrets. One of the worst is sexual mistakes. You normally cannot pray it away. You need someone else to pray with you. Especially for young girls. For the young man it's enjoyment but for the girls it'll mess you up.

What you don't talk out you will act out. External things don't help you. It is important you seek help and deal with it.

Many people are corrupt in their mind. That's why they cannot get rid of it until somebody talk and pray with them.

If you wonder why you can't move forward seek help. Talk to God and God will arrange a suitable person for you.

Pastor Yoong Ying Wah praying for the congregation.

The Temporary Necessity

Pastor Peter Seow

Good morning, my name is Peter Seow and I bring you greetings from Canning Methodist Church. I grew up in church, Sunday School, Youth Group, I grew up in Church services and is one of the musician in our band. Thank you musicians for a great job today. We worship God together not just with our voices but also with our instruments.

I came to answer the call for full time ministry and I started with children's ministry, and my wife served the youth. Very good ministry. I pass the children to her youth for her to bring them up. We did that for many years but before that I was a music teacher at Yamaha Music School. But I gave that up and became a full time minister.

At that time I though God, I've gone full time already, I've sacrificed earning lots of money. I have a lot of joy serving in church and I thought that was it. That I will grow old in church and enjoy my retirement in serving God.

But that was not so. When teaching Sunday School one time on Missions Month and I challenged the kids if you hear God's call, don't reject it although you're young, God can still use you. Right after that I heard God speak to my heart, what about you Peter? If I call you will you go? I said no la God, I serve you full time already, my work is here.

Next year, same thing again, Mission's Month, I began to preach and also challenged the children to response to God's call. Then God spoke to me also. At the end I said, if I can preach it, I must live it. And so I said I will do that and I will answer the call.

And I searched for Mission organisations to join. So I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators because I feel that if I should do missions, the Word of God is important and the Word of God is eternal, it would not be destroyed. And at Wycliffe they translate the word of God into the language that the people are speaking.

I have some slides to show my family. When we answered the call to go missions our kids were quite small. Like 2 years old and the eldest was 9. Now they are all quite grown. David is the eldest, he's 22, Daryl is 19 and Hannah is 15. The first 2 have already gone to university and we have Hannah with us at Papua.

History of the Gospel in Papua 

In 1855, two German missionaries - Otto and Geisler, landed on Mansinam Island, Papua.

They knelt, prayed and claimed Papua for God The Gospel spread - first to coastal areas and then to the highlands.

Local believers became evangelists bringing the Good News to the highlands interior.

The Gospel in Danama

We work with a people group called the Walak. They are from the central highlands and about 5,000 strong, not more than 10,000. When the missionaries went to the highlands, the village chief Tenggino who is now about 60 years old, rejected it because he was not sure what kind of news it was. When the local evangelists came he killed some of them.

It was only after years later he heard the gospel and then received it and not only him but the whole village. They burnt all their charms and they turned to the saving love of Jesus Christ.

But because God is not in their own language it's like a foreign religion. So it's preached in Bahasa Indonesia but that's it their language. Their language is Walak. But there's no Scripture or writing system in Walak. That language has sounds that we don't have. It was strange to my ears when I first heard it. And we had to analyse the language and work out a language system for them.

Here I'm with Tenggino and Minagi. Tenggino the village chief was a warrior. He used to fight and kill and conquer other villages and protect his own village. But since the gospel came he has become a very gentle spirited person. But he is very strong. He wants the Bible in his own language. We are keen to bring the word of God to them if not by reading, by hearing. 

Types of Translation Programs 

1. Traditional translation 

You live in the village spend 20 years, learn the language, their writing system and after 20 or 25 years the nNew Testament is published. Not even the Old Testament. That's how long it takes.

2. Mother Tongue Translation

Work with a local speaker where together he does the translation because he understands the language. All you have to do is give him the education and he works on his own and you're the consultant helping him to translate. That's faster, maybe 15 or 10 years.

3. Oral Translation 

This is what we're doing now. We want them to get the word of God as soon as they can. We translate through speech. We record it, put it in the computer and analyse it, checked and work on it and bring it to the village. So they get to hear the word of God.

One Story  

1. A basic set of 25 stories are first drafted in Indonesian so that it can be translated into the local languages that need it.

2. We have 6 languages that come together 4 times a year for a month at a time. 

3. A consultantnt is at hand to check their work.

4. Computers are used to record and input data. Wireless network provide a repository so that all data is saved on local server. 

5. Checks are done and feedback given by consultant. Materials are the corrected and revised.

Revelation 7:9-12 (NKJV)

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

Be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.”

It's amazing verse that shows what it's like at the end of the age. After being there for 12-13 years, I'd like to make a proposition to the church. Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. It's not the main priority. The mission call is to meet a target or goal. Missions is only the vehicle to that goal. What is the ultimate goal? What has God called you to do ultimately. Worshippers.

God wants us to be worshippers.

John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad!

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.”

“Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God….

Like all great works of art like movies or novel, it's the last scene where the lasting impressions happen. It's meant to leave a lasting impression or impact on the people. That's like what we read in the final pages of Revelations 9.

The scene or finale ends with worship. People of all nations and different tribes and tongues all together worshipping God. That's what we will be doing when we get to heaven. This is what happens when Jesus returns. A new heaven and new earth is established. People worshipping God our creator. So why is missions important?

… But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.”

Worship also the fuel to missions.

I led worship in church as a youth for many years. And I can say that it was worship that fuelled me to missions. How can I sing and not be prepared to do what we sang. So we challenged ourselves, Angie and I and we said if we can sing that, we can do that. Worship is the fuel for missions.

How can we preach God if we don't cherish God? I cannot sell an iPhone if I'm using an Android.I sell iPhone but I like Android. Cannot work right? It does not make sense.

Why is missions important?

There are still many tribes and people yet to be represented before the throne of God, that have not been reached. If they can't get the good news, they cannot believe in him and if they cannot believe in him, they cannot call on him and if they cannot call on him, they cannot be saved and if they cannot be saved how can they worship God?

“The story of missions the whole world over shows that the success or failure of missions has always been dependent on whether those brought to Christ had the Scriptures in their own language or not.”  G. Campbell Morgan

If you do missions in China, you will preach in Mandarin. But if you go to a small village that speaks Han you'll need to preach in Han. This kind of thinking. If they cannot read the Scripture on their language how can they hear?

As of September 2016:

• 6,909 living languages (Ethnologue)
• 636 languages with full Bible translated
• 1,442 languages with New Testament translated
• 1,145 Bible portions or stories translated

=> At least some portion of the Bible has been translated into 3,223 languages.

<    50% of the world’s languages.

There's still a lot of work to be done and that's what we are doing at Wycliffe. And many other organisations are doing the he same also.

What is the goal of missions?

The gladness of people in the greatness of God.

The Psalmist proclaims let all the people praise Thee O God. Let the nations be glad and sings for joy. This is a very well used verse. This God that pursued us with his love, loved us so much that he sent his only son who talked to us and crucified on the cross and in doing so he redeemed all of humanity that they may be reconciled back to their creator. This is a very basic message of what we believe in as Christians. It's good to be reminded that there are many others who do not know this fact.

I've been a Christian now for 40 years. Every time and I pause and think and reflect on what God has done for me I'm deeply touched. I remember I was not who I was 40 years ago. I was a sinner. Rotten and dirty. I know I am. I know the thoughts in my heart and mind and I do struggle just like you too. When we got older we forget that we came from that state. We haven't arrived yet, we're still being sanctified and renewed daily. On our own we are helpless.

But God knows that, and it took him to came down to lift us up. We cannot climb up. He stooped down to save us. It was this God that created the heaven and the earth coming down to save us. Isn't that amazing. It's so amazing. That's why we sing that song Amazon Love and the sacrifice that he's given for us. Not everyone knows this fact.

More than half the world's population still need to know about Christ. These people have no one to tell them there is a way out. Will you respond and speak life to this people and bring the good news to them.

How should missions be carried out?

It should come from a point of passion. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching.

I want to end with a story in Papua. Although man does the work of mission, ultimately it is God who does the work.

Mission is supremely the work of God.

This is the story of Stan Dale and Phil Masters.

These two has been serving in Papua for many years back in the 1950s. They have reached the Dani people and they wanted to go to the Yali prople. They are very fierce warriors and they are scary too because they also eat human flesh. They believe if they eat their enemies, they'll gain their power. Their believes turns them to their animalistic side of their spiritual being.

These two families wanted to make contact with the Yali people. The Yali people out of fear conspired to kill these two. They shot him with an arrow and technically should have died but didn't. So they were also very frightened of them because they didn't die and they have white coloured skin.

So as they went back after meeting the people they were ambushed. Stan Dale stayed back to talk to the Yali people and he put his hands up and said don't shoot. But one of the Yali shot him from behind and it hit his armpit and he pulled the arrow out and broke it and threw it away. Then more shot arrows at him but Stan just pulled the arrow out and broke it. They got more panic as he was not dying. They became desperate. At the end of it they counted as many as 50-60 arrows were shot at him Stan knew he won't survive this. At last he dropped and died.

Next was Phil. As the tribe surrounded him he didn't run and just stood there with arms open. They shot him. They were surprised because usually the enemies run. It got them curious. The news got all around the world and more than ever people were praying for the Yali people than ever before.

The missions authorities went in and arrested those people who they heard were the killers. Killed 5 of them and put one in prison. With all these violence, that Valley was closed and that no gospel was going to go through.

God's plan was different from man's plan.

A few months later, a family called the Newmans had a missionary pilot took them to go to Mulia. This was a new Canadian pilot who was a professional and a good pilot. He was new to the place. At that time it was hard to read the Papua terrain. It was bad weather and instead of landing on Mulia it crashed in the same Valley. All died except for one boy Paul. Nine year old Paul Newman knew he was the only one alive. He lost his glasses and couldn't see and wandered in the valley for a few hours.

Then he came across a Yali man called Kusaho. He was one of the few that was against the killing of the missionaries. Kusaho saw this white boy and he said he must protect this white boy. He took him in and protected him for a few days. Here's an amazing story because here is a primitive Yali taking in a white boy.

The rescue mission in helicopter came and they saw that the plane crashed and probably no survivors. Two weeks earlier two expats were killed here so they are keen to quickly leave.  But then as they were preparing to leave, they saw this white boy running towards them, Paul Newman. And they were so surprised and shock that there was a survivor. Then they heard the story of Kusaho and how he protected the boy. A bridge was build from there.

The missionaries convinced the Indonesian government to release that one Yali man because he knew NP matter. Two years later, the Yali people invited the missionaries to visit them. God opened the door that was shut tight. It was God who guided all these things. He managed all these situations. We are just blessed to be called to this mission.

Although Stan is dead his son is there doing pastoral work and translating the Bible. Because God is doing the work there is no failure. We cannot not go just because we fear failure. We just need to be obedient and just work alongside God. He determines the end.

We can enter alongside our Master in this work in different ways:

• We can go to the mission field
• We can give to the missionaries and the mission organisations
• We can pray for the missionaries and for their work

ALL of us can do something.

All of us can do something. Because want to see the nations worship God.