The Salt and the Light of the World

Rev Jeremiah Abel

This trip has been tremendous because I'm meeting people from 40 to 50 years ago that asked if I remember them. There was this Malay lady at registration that seems to remember me. I asked why is your name Trainee? She ran over and said pastor, I was at TOP when you were pastor. She's here and they even had a sleep over at our home before. Can you imagine that? I've had the same kind of encounters in Singapore, Alor Star and Ipoh. That's the joy of ministry.

How many of you like GST? You are smart. I thought many Malaysians don't like GST. You better love and like GST. You know why? Look up.

It is very appropriate that you look into this again. You need to understand this. I think you have a prophetic ministry coming soon. You need to check this out because Jesus is coming back soon. You need to be careful because there are all kinds of teaching and these are the last days.

Your theme is good and Ephesians 4:14-16 is very important and needful. Read it for me please.

I want to thank the Lord for the worship team. You sang some wonderful songs.

Matthew 5:13-16

Believers Are Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Is this particular teaching of Jesus reaching out to you or not? Who is the Lord addressing? You! You are the salt of the earth. If it loses its strength and quality what good is it?

I like the guava or jambu. I say guava because if you say jambu, is it the green or red ones? It is nice but you need salt and assam to bring out its taste. In Taiwan, Pastor Caleb would get me guava. The scripture is very clear, we are the salt.

Jesus also say we are the light of the world. Jesus is entrusting each one of us as the salt and light of the world. And the light cannot be hidden. So Tabernacle of Praise cannot be hidden. People of Penang need to know we are the salt and really the light that shines forth.

The light is put on a lamp stand so that it can be seen. If you look at these two verses the church needs to see its potential. Tabernacle of Praise needs to recognise this. I want you to remember three words.

1. Believe
2. Potential
3. Action

What do you believe? What's your believe? Today the church is not teaching the whole gospel. Now they sang the song I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe the Holy Spirit. I believe in the new life and the crucifixion and I believe he conquered death and he resurrected and he's coming back again. That's the song my daughters sang and we need to believe. We have a heavenly father and loving father who knows our every need. He knows all about us.

There are two great prayers in some old denominational churches. The Lord's prayer. And it must be done reverently.

What's the next one that the evangelical churches have forgotten. What is that? The Apostles' Creed. Who said that? Where did you hear that? From the Methodist Church. It's a great doctrinal statement. They made sure that they were repeating that. Until some times it becomes meaningless but they repeat it. I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus the Son….

We need to understand this because this is our belief.

Romans 10:9

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Salvation only comes from Jesus Christ. And we need to pray for the lost. Many of the "Ms" are coming to the Lord. Millions are coming to the Lord. What does Acts 4:12 says?

Acts 4:12

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Whose name is that? Jesus. No other name.

And John 3:16. All of us know that. Jesus is the only one. 

Luke 19:10

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

We need to understand this. Salvation is by no other means. Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. There are millions that are lost.

The homosexual community uses a rainbow flag as symbol. What does the Bible say about the rainbow, it's a promise that God will not destroy the world again. But what did God said about the homosexuals in Sodom and Gomorrah? It's an abomination to the Lord.

Philippians 4:13

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

You have strength for all things in Christ who empowers you. You have such potential church. You are self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I was flying from here to Canada and there was this lady by me who asked for water. She took a number of pills. She's Chinese educated but I thought I should pray for her. So I asked if I can pray for her. And so I did. The next moment she digs in her bag and took out biscuits. Biscuits, where got room in my luggage for it. She gave them to me and then she pulls out her passport and she wanted me to know her name. The address was in Taichung. I called Caleb in Taiwan and I told him what happened. So I told him to check her out. And he told Pastor Caleb that if I go to Taiwan to go see her. We all have opportunities to share.

1 John 4:4

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

Who are these agents? Demons. But the Bible tells us greater is he who is in you that he who is interested the world.

The third one is action.

Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

The gospel has already reached all over the world. You can be a witness and a blessing. Be a witness and blessing. Time is coming along and we are living at the very end of the church age.

Matthew 28:19

Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Events are pointing to the coming of the Lord. And we cannot be sitting here, pay our tithes and believe that the pastor and the board will do all the work. It is the work of every one of us.

John 4:34-35

34 Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work.

35 Do you not say, It is still four months until harvest time comes? Look! I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields and see how they are already white for harvesting.

Jesus loves everyone. It was a hot afternoon and he sat there and asked his disciples to get some food. He was at Jacob's well. All the disciples left. He knew who was going to come. So this lady came with a pot of water. Jesus asked for water to drink. This was a Samaritan women and Jesus as a Jew was asking for water. Jesus said living water. She said who are you? If you read the whole chapter you'll see how Jesus identified himself. That's when she realised she needs the living water.

The disciples came along and saw the woman running away. They ask Jesus to eat the food and that was what Jesus said verses 34 and 35. What is his will and pleasure? To share the gospel to others. All of us have work and role to do. You can witness to someone that me or pastor Gideon cannot do. There are people waiting to hear the word of God and the salvation of Jesus.

You are the salt and light of the world. Let us see our potential and share the gospel to the world.

SaveSave

Lesson 2 - PROCLAIMING GOD IN CHRIST- THE MISSIONARY CALL

The centrality of God in Christ forms the centre and the reference through which the apostle Paul perceives the Christian faith. A thorough understanding of Pauline thinking reveals him as a coherent thinker. He is indeed a theologian par excellence. Nonetheless, a careful study of Paul's letters also, at the same time, reveals a deep care and concern that Paul has for the flock. He visited the churches that he had planted and wrote letters to instruct, admonish and encourage them. Paul had a pastoral heart. However, there is a third and more important role that I believe defines him. It is the role of a missionary. Even as we see the theologian or the pastor in Paul, it is important for us to realize that the missionary fervour in him is finally the key to understanding him. Perceiving Paul as a missionary helps us understand his letters. Paul did not conceive of his mission as successful if his converts initially believed his gospel and then lapsed. Thus, his letters were part of his missionary work, written to encourage believers in their newfound faith. The crisis point in Paul's life, the turning point in his understanding of God and religion is recorded in Acts 9: 1-18. It is his encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus which brought about both his conversion and his calling. Paul understood his calling as proclaiming God in Christ to the Gentiles. However, Paul's ultimate goal was not his mission. For Paul, the motive for the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles is to bring glory “to the only wise God through Jesus Christ”(Rom 16:27)

1. Paul's Conversion and Calling

Acts 9:3-6

3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 "Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. 6 "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.

Acts 9:15-16

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

2. God's grace in Paul's calling

Galatians 1:15-17

15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

3. Prophetic dimension of Paul's calling

Galatians 1:15

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased .....

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

Jeremiah 1:5

5 Before I formed you In the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I

appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Isaiah 49:1

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.

4. Proclamation through the means of Prayer and the Word

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith.

Ephesians 6:19-20

19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will

fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Romans 10:17

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

5. Perseverance in the faith

1 Corinthians 69-11

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Acts 9:15-16

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

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I want to start with this word, Mission Impossible. We grew up with this movie. Why do I start with this? Last time the person receive the mission on a tape and it self destructs. He never fails in his mission. The last one I saw the lady was better than Tom Cruise. Forgot what's her name.

Why I start with this? To really understand Paul we need to know him. In question 3, we ask what best describes Paul. He was not an academic theologian. He was a theologian that is mission oriented. Why is it mission impossible? He was just a man just like us. So we need to ask ourselves this one can do or cannot do?

He persecuted the Jews and now he has to preach to them and some more the gentiles. The Jews don't mix with the gentiles. It would be like mission impossible but at the end of the day he got the job done. How to I know? Because we are all here.

Incidents in our life more or less define us. All of us or many of us are defined by specific incidents in our life. For some if they have a broken marriage, they may say everything is alright for me until I met this man. That was the turning point for that person's life.

The defining moment in Paul's life is on the Damascus Road where he had an encounter with Jesus Christ. Acts 9, 22, 26.

Acts 9:1-5

1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.

Acts 9:17

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Paul himself said he saw the Lord. Exactly what he saw we don't know. It may be the resurrected Jesus with his nail print hands. Paul studied to be a rabbi, a religious teacher and he was top of his class. His intellect did not develop after his encounter with Jesus Christ. It was already there. He just used it to persecute the Jews. He judged Steven and also other Christians. He would have heard testimony after testimony. We do not know what state he was in but he is someone who has persecuted followers of Jesus but at night he probably was also thinking of Jesus but more in persecuting him, being murderous at heart. He was a man not at peace. That is when the words of the gospel starts to bear meaning. Crisis point and turning point in his life.

I want to work on this encounter thing. I am not anti Pentecostal. I believe in signs and wonders but I believe in a balanced view.

I've had people who came and tell me that I saw Jesus and he was standing at the door. After one month, she said she saw Jesus again. And then a third time she told me that she saw Jesus again. After the third time, I asked myself why Jesus didn't visit me? Jesus appeared to Paul. What happened to him?

Acts 9:15-16

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Often we forget verse 16. We are not looking just at Paul's conversion but his commission. My first take on encounter is that if the Lord come to you in a vivid encounter and you see him in his glory, I would say he has something for you to do.

Some of you may say it's only Paul. Let's look at Moses at the burning bush. It not only burn the bushes but also Moses.

Of course it was very nice for Moses to encounter God but at verse 10 you see the commission.

Exodus 3:10

So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

So after the third time I asked the lady why did Jesus come to you three times? I asked if Jesus wanted her to do something. After that I never heard from her again.

This is the technical term of what we call a calling. For Paul it was a missionary call. I'm not saying God will not come and visit you. There may be a strong presence or visions but if God comes to you all the time, you have to look at what God wants you to do.

I want to look at this word calling. Paul saw the Lord and Ananias came to him. Paul's writings like the ones we have in Galatians 1:15-17, you see what Paul's calling was like.

Galatians 1:15-17

15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

You will find the "set me apart from birth" and "called me by his grace".

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

You find the word grace appears 3 times.

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—

"Servant of Christ Jesus" and the word "set apart."

What was on Paul's mind when he wrote all these. When Paul was called he had this awareness that his calling was by the grace of God and nothing to do with his abilities. The word grace appears because Paul wants to emphasise that it is not because of his abilities. If it's his abilities there may be others better than him. It was to show that God chose him because of his sovereign will. Paul is saying if he did not choose me he would have chosen somebody else. He was dispensable.

It was also a prophetic call, a call that's was in line with the prophetic call of the OT prophets.

• It was a personal call

It was not someone else telling him he should do this. If God wants to call you he will speak to you directly. The prophet will affirm what's in your heart. There is a personal dimension. God through prophets will affirm the calling.

• It is always purposeful

God had a specific task for Paul, a mission.

• It is providential

God not just called but he also equipped Paul for the mission.

Let's look at these three in the life of Paul. God called him personally in that encounter. He was called for a purpose and it was providential. It helps us to understand the question "do you have a calling?".

When we take this calling in a specific manner, like the Damascus calling then you are called. Take missionary. Take TOP for example, not all 200 of us will be called as missionaries. If that happens, pastor Gideon will have an empty church on Sunday. Not everybody is called to be an evangelist or pastor. The call is for a function. You may then say you no need to do anything since someone is already called to do something. Before you enjoy your lazy chair I want to say this.

All of us are called to do evangelism but only a few are called to be an evangelist. We are supposed to do missions but only a few of us are called to be missionaries. Sometimes we give to missions fund or go on short mission trips. We do missions but that does not make us a missionary.

Pastors are called from the root word Shepherd. They are to care for the flock. A pastor will be someone who is also able to teach. He needs to not only care but to feed the flock. The shepherd caring for the sheep is a good analogy. You may care for the sheep but if it's not fed, they will die too. That's just like the Pastor's call. These are the two main roles.

Do you know that each and everyone of us is also called to care for one another? Each of us also have to edify one another. All of us are called to do pastoral work. The sense of the nature of the work but only a few of us are called to be a pastor. That is a specific call.  

Why am I spending so much work on this calling? I read a report about Pastors that dropped out and it's very high so the report asked the question why? They have a lot of reasons but I would say it has got to do with this calling. It is personal, purposeful and providential and you will not drop out.

We need to be very careful. We are all called to so missions but if you are not called to be a missionary do not do it. There is this physical and spiritual realm. Why do some become missionaries when they are not called? Sometimes it's because the church called because there's a need. Or they say pastor told me I have a calling so must go. Or another may say why you go? Because my wife ask me to go. You will find you won't last.

The calling have to come from the the Lord God Almighty.  I've had young men in their early twenties who said they have a calling and those are very important decisions. The first thing to ascertain is does he really have a call. If yes, then God's plans are higher than our plans.

Church growth movement.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2

1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.

You will find these two words. Prayer and message.

Ephesians 6:19-20

19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

There's also pray and word.

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Our Christian faith has an objective and subjective elements.

In situation A, we have someone who tells his friend you are a sinner and Jesus died for you. And you tell him if you don't have Jesus you will not go to heaven. You go to hell. You did not pray before you went to your friend.

In situation B, you prayed and you say the same thing to this person. But you listened as you speak. Pastor Geoffrey went with me to share with a colleague. And my friend said I have to think about it. Pastor Geoffrey kept quiet for a while and then Pastor Geoffrey spoke and my friend accepted the Lord. When you are sharing the gospel to someone you must be in a prayerful stance. You are not just dealing with the intellectual but also the will of the person.

Or you may go to the person and say you want to accept Jesus or not. If you do I'll pray for you.

What's the difference between the three? The first one you do it based on your own strength. You may argue till Kingdom come and he will not accept Jesus.

The second one is you understand that conviction come from God, it's a heart thing and the spirit of God will touch the heart. That's the subjective part. The objective part is that the words will speak to the head.

The third way the person may accept the Lord but he may not really know what that means. The person may end up believing in a false gospel. A person with a false gospel has a closed mind. A person who does not know the gospel is more open. Like in prison, those who don't know the gospel is in the prison cell but those with false gospels are like the hard core criminals locked in maximum security. It is very difficult to break through for these people.

The power of God comes with the presence of God. When I pray for you I'm trying to bring the presence and power of God into your life. The gospel is good news.

Sometimes at crusades we have so many go out but we have little results. They want the healing but not the healer.

Let's look at what's happening in America. I'm not against mega churches.

The church growth movement from the 80s until now we have many movements like the healing movement, the faith movement, the holy laughter movement. Then there is the church growth movement and it is defined by numbers.

They believe that you go into a neighbourhood of rich people you do not preach about bread and butter. They will tell you they drive a Mercedes and have no material needs. But in a poor neighbourhood then it makes sense. They do a demographic survey and your preaching has to be structured to their needs. The ones who do the survey don't even have to be a Christian, they are only doing a job. So the pastor will ask the surveyor what to preach and it works. Because it's based on surveys. So the non Christian tells the pastor what to preach. It became men oriented. They preach what the people want to hear and when you do that they'll come.

Do we want to preach what the people want to hear or what God wants the people to hear?

We are proclaiming the gospel not promoting the gospel. That's the difference. When people like Paul, when they preach the gospel of God they are trying to make men into God's image. To grow more Christ-like. But when you are promoting the gospel you are trying to make God into man's image.

And you actually have another golden calf at the bottom of the mountain when Moses is up in the mountains looking to God. It is like what we have here. That's how we distort the gospel.

The proclamation of the gospel must primarily be by prayer and the word. This without fail is what the Lord will bless.

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Questions

1. Which of the following descriptions best describes the apostle Paul? Theologian, church planter, pastor , missionary
2. What should be our motivation when we engage in evangelism like?

When we say ministry it can be like driving the van or ushering or playing in the worship team etc. Why? It's because I want to bless the people or because the church has a need or because the pastor say so or because it's fun. All these may be reasons. But what was primarily in Paul's thinking when he was called? Paul was given a mission and he wants to accomplish his mission. He has a mission to the gentiles but in Paul's writing do you see his focus was the mission? This is where we come back to lesson one. The centrality of Jesus Christ. For Paul, this was the ultimate motivation that everything he does will bring glory to God. If Paul's total focus is on the mission then the mission is an end and he'll do anything where the means justify the end.

For example if he wants to plant a church in Corinth and it's not working he may do what's necessary to accomplish the mission of planting a church in Corinth including maybe bribing the officials? Growing the church becomes an end but does it bring glory to God? That's the question. When you do it for the glory of God you are not stressed by the result. When you do ministry based on this you are relieved of the stress. Because mission and ministry in not our end, it's always for the glory of God.

God is more interested in the means than the ministry success.

In America 80% of churches are small churches in the suburbs with less than 100 in their congregation. The young leave to go to the cities and the old goes to heaven so their size is always small. So when these pastors are asked why they do it, they just say because they are called and it's for the glory of God. For all we know these will be rewarded more in heaven.

It is always good to remind yourself that there is no better concrete summary than the reformation summary.

Sola fide

Sola scriptura

Sola christus

Sola gratia.

And the last one is Soli Deo Gloria, to the glory of God alone. Ministry may be difficult but ministry will be full of joy.

The apostle's call was a missionary call and for us every ministry we do we are called to do it for the glory of God. God expects us just to be faithful. He is interested in us and not what we achieve.

SaveSave

It's Okay to Cry

Rev Gideon Lee

Sometimes we can come to a place where we must be dignified because men don't cry. Psalms 6 must be read with Psalms 51 because they are Psalms of repentance. At this point of writing he was a very broken man. In his brokenness we will see how he placed his hope in God.

Psalms 6

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Note that David is not saying to God not to discipline him but not to discipline him in his anger.

David was in such anguish that even his bones were in agony. This was how intense it was for him.

Verse 7 onwards show the turning point of David's repentance. Earlier he was just pouring out his heart. He turned from the negative to the positive.

Your prayers are not in vain this morning. God accepts your prayer.

Our heavenly Father loves you. The Christian life is most of the time filled with abundant life. Sad that sometimes we walk along with a papaya face. Sad face. The Bible says rejoice in the Lord and I say to you again rejoice.

But our Christian life is also sometimes a life a tears. Solomon says there are times for tears. Tears are neutral. It can be tears of joy or sorrow.

A good cry before the Lord helps us to release that tension. Tears are also beneficial for our health, it lubricates your eyes and also remove irritants. When things get in your eyes you start to tear up. Tears are beneficial for our spiritual wellbeing. Some songs as we worship and connects with God we cry because God touch us.

At Bible school there is the altar and it's a place where we soak it with our tears. There are cushions at the altar where the students go up front to cry before the Lord. It was a sacred time. I remember seeing people cry at the altar.

Part of what I do is weddings and funerals. At weddings we shed tears of joy but at funerals we can sometimes be so numb that we fail to empathise with the family. It becomes routine to you. Like doctors who are so used to treating people that we can become very rough with our words. That's why doctors are now taught bedside manners. We can become so numb to sin.

That is why I felt I should share this message not just for you but also for me. That is to not take God for granted.

David wrote this Psalms because he purposely sent Uriah to the battle front to be killed because he wanted to marry Bathsheba. The prophet told Nathan that because of what he did the child will not survive. I can imagine David was at the bed grieving for his son who is dying because of what he did.

On our day we can become numb to the call of God in our life. We can hear God speaking clearly to us and we ignore him. Or his commandments, we become numb and take it lightly. Don't get me wrong. I believe in his grace and mercy but let's not forget that he chastises those he loves. He considers you his own. Like how we chastises our children. Let's not harden our heart and take him for granted.

We become numb to the call of God, sin and his conviction. We become so cold and so hard. David was different. He wrote Psalms 6 and 51. It was not a victory shout. He was in pain and was in anguish.

David at this point was on his way back to a right relationship with God. He is not there yet but was on his way to restoring his relationship with God. But there will be tears along the way.

The type of tears are the tears of sorrow as in verse 1. Sorrow is a feeling of deep distress. God confronts our sin just as in David's life and there will be tears of sorrow. Not just on what he did but who he did it to.

Not just the act but it is God whom he sinned against. That he sinned against God and fell short. The first step is not knowing you sinned but that you sinned against God.

Psalms 51:4

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

David understood that he was sorry for what he did to God. When will we realise that we have sinned against our heavenly father. Are you ready to return to God? Remember the story of the prodigal son? He asked for his inheritance, squandered his life but came to his senses when he had to fight with pigs for food. He wanted to go back to his father's house to be a servant. He was willing to trade his position as the son to be a servant. Just as he was coming and from still afar, the father did something a Jewish man is not supposed to do.

His father ran towards his son, a Jewish man will not do that. The story of the prodigal son is about the love of the father. He hugged him and gave him a kiss. He told the servants to bring clothing and put a ring on his finger. He couldn't care less what the people were thinking. He was in full view of the people. This was what God did for us.

David also cried tears of anguish in verse 2 to 7. He was in such deep pain that his bone hurt. It was through a period. Not just immediately but it was for a period.

How many of you have been in such a desperate situation that you just cried before the Lord and you wet your bed with tears. Sin affects us emotionally, spiritually and physically.  That was what David went through.

Don't you think sin affects you physically? When we are in stress we are affected physically. Our blood pressure go up, you can't sleep, your immunity goes down and you lose your appetite. If you sleep around, it will also have consequences to your sin. Physically.

Spiritually also it will make a divide between us and God. Our relationship with God won't be as good or sweet as it used to be. 

Psalms 51:17

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

Contrite heart means crushed by the weight of sin. God's chastisement will come if we continue to sin. We can play church. I have to say this. If you continue to hurt God and sin, we will face his chastisement.

There were tears of repentance in David's heart. David came before the Lord offering a contrite heart and tears of repentance before the Lord. God will still restore David, that's why he's known as a man after God's heart.

There was this traveling evangelist and after his meeting he took a train to his next destination in the morning.

In the train sitting with him was a young man who was downcast. He looked worried and stressed.  He struck a conversation with this young man hoping to help him.

The young man opened up to him and told him his life story. He said he used to be a wild child and was a handful for his parents. He said it was so bad he punched his father. And on that day his father said as much as I love you, you can no longer stay in this house if you continue like that.

So he left the house but he said three weeks ago he got saved. So he wants to get right with his parents to see them and say sorry. He was not sure he would be accepted. So he called his father that he wants to come back. He said if you still want me back tie a white ribbon on the apple tree outside the house. If he sees it he will come down and if he do not see the ribbon, he would move on.

So he told the preacher if he could see on his behalf the white ribbon because he could not bear to see it. As the train approached he looked out and he said you don't have to worry. Not only was there a ribbon on the apple tree but ribbons were all over, every branch and fence and a big cloth with the words "Welcome home my son".

There is always a place for you to come back. God will not turn you away. If you come back to God like David there will always be reconciliation. My prayer for you is to never harden your hearts.

Lesson 1 - THE CENTRALITY OF GOD IN CHRIST

Have you ever wondered why, in interpreting the 13 letters of the apostle Paul, different people have drawn different conclusions about what exactly was on the apostles’ mind? To adequately answer this question, we need to first determine what is most important in the apostle's thinking? The first priority is to inductively determine the centre of Paul's thought. Many different themes have been taken as the Pauline centre. Justification, reconciliation, 'being in Christ', salvation history and the imminent apocalyptic triumph of God are examples of such themes. All these themes do portray specific areas of Pauline theology but they cannot be used as the centre of Paul's thought primarily because they express the work and promises of God rather than His person. These themes concern what God does rather than who He is. Take for example the theme of justification. If justification is used as the centre of Paul's thought, we will be elevating the gift of righteousness above the person who gave the gift. Taking justification as the Pauline centre will suppress other parts of the Pauline gospel. The only theme that can be taken as the centre of Paul's thought that adequately covers all aspects of the Pauline gospel can only be the person of God himself. Pauline theology, therefore, revolves around the centrality of God in Christ.

The centrality of God in Christ can be inductively derived from looking at the following
passages/verses.

1. God and Christ

Rom 11:36

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever Amen.”

1 Corinthians 8:6

"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from Whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

Colossians 1: 16

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

2. The gospel of God in Christ

Galatians 2: 20

"l have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 3: 26

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,”

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5

"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as l

proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For l resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.”

3. Unity and Living for Christ

Phil 1: 20-21

"20 I eagerly expect and hope that i will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Phil 1: 27

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then,

whether i come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, l will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”

Phil 3: 7-11

"7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, l consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose l have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

4. Pre-eminence of Christ

Colossians 1: 19-20

"19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

5. Righteous living

Colossians 3: 17

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

1 Corinthians 10: 31

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

6. Salvation History

Ephesians 1:3-6

"3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in the accordance with his please and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

1 Corinthians 8:6

“yet for us there is butane God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

Questions

1. Why is it important to determine the centre of Paul's thought?

2. What is the difference between the ’righteous living’ of a Christian and that of a Buddhist?

When a Buddhist do good works, it is impossible to bring glory to God. His righteous living cannot glorify God because he does not know him. The righteous Christian living at the end of the day brings glory to God. A Buddhist can be good but cannot be godly. A Buddhist can qualify Commandments 5 to 10 but not Commandments 1 to 4.

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Last week we talked about God, there's us and then the blessings. Everything that God has done for us. We worked on what was in the centre of Paul's teaching and study. Often we take the blessings as the centre and that's where we went wrong. There is a trend of thought, and it's something we want to address. A lot of things happened in the 80s. It was something cultural and sociological. The interpretation of the gospel was affected by the civil rights movements and the hippies era.

You will find at the end of the 80s, the positive thinking gospel came out. After that, we have the faith movement or the faith gospel. Then came health and wealth, which is the prosperity gospel. Now we have the gospel of grace. These are some things we must bear in mind. The early church was not an ideal church. What's happening now was also some of things that happened in the early church.

When the Kingdom of God expands, it will not expand without opposition from without and within. The devil won't leave you alone. We often get into leadership because there is a need and we are approached. But in leadership you realised it's not so easy and you get to face the opposition. The early church was much like that. And that's normal. The devil is hard at work and the heart of men is full of wickedness.

Positive thinking movement had only verses that's supporting positive thinking with those verses in red. All these biblical themes cannot be the centre except God himself. The centrality of Paul's thinking is Christ. Does the Pauline Letters teach that the centre is Christ? If you make a statement without biblical support, it will just be a personal statement. Today we have to look into the Bible and see what is on Paul's mind.

The ideal thing is to go book by book. That is what we call an inductive study. I gave you the statement that the centre of Paul's teaching is God.

Why do we say that Paul's centre is God himself?

Romans 11:36

For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things, to him be the glory forever! Amen.

From

Through

To

In everything that is written, Paul is saying that it is from God, and what is maintained and sustained is through God and to him is the glory. For Paul, it is the person of God and his glory that occupies his mind. It not only apply to Paul but also many of the writers of the NT and OT.

1 Corinthians 8:6

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came, and for whom we live; and there is but  one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things came, and through whom we live.

From whom and for whom and through whom.

God in Christ. Paul's centre is not just God but God in Christ. Many of the Pauline Letters actually exalt Jesus.  Paul's centre is the person of God and his glory.

In the letters to the Colossians you will find they are situational letters to address specific problems. At the Colossians there was the Colossian Heresy. There was some teaching on ceremonialism. There were certain types of rules to obey. It's what we call ritualism and it was required for your salvation. There was also ascetism and also secret knowledge including angel worship. These are called the Colossian Heresy or an early form of Gnosticism.

Colossians 1:15-16

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

This addressed the angel worship.

Colossians 1:18-20

18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

That the fullness of God is in Christ.

These verses help you pick Paul's mind. And you see him as a man that when he sees the problems in the church, the Holy Spirit hovers over him as he writes to address these problems.

The second one I want to work on is the gospel. What exactly is the gospel?

The Galatian Heresy is different from the Colossians. There were Judaizers (Jewish Christians) who are teaching that to be saved, a person needs to believe in Christ, e=which is perfectly fine and also to follow certain OT rites. (eg Circumcision).

Faith alone does not save. It must be faith with works of some of the law.

Galatians 1:6-7

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Some translation calls it a different gospel. There's this word - the gospel of Christ.

Paul needed to address this because he was contending on the truth of the gospel of Christ. How does Paul answer them.

Galatians 5:1-6

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Paul contends for the centrality of Christ. That it is faith in Christ without the practice of the law like circumcision.

Galatians 3:26

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

Gospel of Grace

Faith gospel

Prosperity gospel

Positive thinking gospel

These words like grace or faith is a theme of the gospel. There is no gospel of faith or grace and definitely no gospel of prosperity or positive thinking. There's only the gospel of Christ or God.

How do I know this? It is because I checked the bible. I used to go through the bible and concordance looking for specific words. Praise God for technology. Now I just search and all the verses comes out!

1 Corinthians 9:12

If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Romans 15:16

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Except for Ephesians 6:15 that talks of the gospel of peace, but there is a reason for that. It is always the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ.

I had a conversation with a Christian who asked why is it that his non Christian friends are more successful in their business. He could not understand. To me his centre is the gospel of prosperity and his centre is not Christ.

Another talked about how he prayed so long and is still not healed. Then he said his faith is also less now because his prayers are not answered. That to me his centre is the gospel of faith and not God or Christ.

What do you think the apostle thinks about when he wakes up? How much money that he'll earn that day making his tents? I don't think so. I think this is what Paul thinks about when he wakes up.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When he wakes up in the morning it is Jesus he is thinking of. This man is Christ-saturated. I'm a physic teacher ya, so I use the word saturation.

I want us to look at Heresy and Cults.

Jehovah Witness - Jesus was a created being

Mormons - the Bible is not complete

Oneness Movement - Jesus is God the Father

Moonies - the wife is the Holy Spirit

These are labelled as cults. They must be labelled heretical before they can be called cults. They must all get the person of Christ wrong.

There was a time I thought cults don't concern us until it happens to someone I know. Then I realised the danger of not being grounded.

Today we don't hear of so much of these cults. The game have changed. The problem we are facing today are the blessing gospels. Yet these gospels believe much of the same things we believe. The problem is when they actually tell you that you are saved through the blood of Christ, they put a full stop there. Their sermons will draw you to the blessings. They will tell you, you are saved, but after that they tell you their gospel of blessings and whether it's centred on Christ or not no longer matters.

Are they heretical? I do not want to use this word. I would use a diluted or distorted gospel. So the question is are you saved? If you are one of the cult, you are not saved. I formulated this. If it is this dilution of the gospel, you are at best a spiritual baby and at worst an unbeliever.

I do not know whether you are exalting Christ or exploiting Christ. Whether you wake up thinking about Jesus or money. If you have a church like that how do you measure spirituality. If times are good they will thrive. Their state is dependent on the financial state of the economy. But if the economy is in a downturn or if there are persecution, who will be found standing. They will probably be the first to cabut! The question is are you found standing if you are persecuted. That will qualify you of being more than a spiritual baby.

The devil or opposers of God will always recycle his tricks. They may at best be a victim and at worst a messenger of death.

The gospel is the gospel of God or the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 1:20-21

20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

For Paul, Christ is the source and secret of Paul's continual joy, for in Paul's life, he found  all its meaning in Christ. His most precious possession is Christ.

What is one thing you cannot afford to lose? I have been listening to the hymn "It is well with my soul". The writer went through a lot, even his business failed. All things in our life, like our career or our wealth or health is not something we can anchor our life on. There are certain things that we hold close to our life. Some hold on to their careers, some their family, and some their health. Their world collapse when the things they hold close to disappears. Nothing can be a secure anchor except Christ who could be your security in life.

Look at the apostle Paul. His most precious possession is Christ. To live is Christ and to die is gain. A lot of people say they want to go to heaven. When I ask them why they want to go to heaven, they will say because there'll be no more tears, it's a nice place etc but if you ask Paul, he'll say it's because my Christ is there.

Everything he does revolves around the person of Jesus Christ. All of us as children of God will have that seed. How far we go along  our road will depend on us, how we magnify Christ in our life.

What about holiness?

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Paul did not pursue holiness for holiness sake but for the glory of God. It always revolve around Christ.

Why are Christians running on the spot? It all boils down to this.

The centre of Paul's life is God in Christ. Christ-saturation. Ask if this has been your focus? If you have not you would have been the same now as you have been before.

I want to talk about the word of God. The one thing that mark my Christian faith is the word of God. I have a certain biases and often it's through our experience.

I know someone in ministry that moved though the spirit. We are all ministers of God but we cannot be all. Some are called to be pastors, or evangelist, prophets or teachers. That's why we cannot be all. But whatever we do we have to be grounded in the word. The person today is moving in the spirit and when I talked to him, he says to me not to be a Pharisee. Does what we do concur with scripture? But he says the spirit of God has spoken to me, end of the story.

Whatever we do in ministry have to concur with the word of God and the Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God. Theology will help you know about God. But it does not mean that you know God.

A person can know about God without knowing him. But a person cannot really know God without knowing about him.

The apostle is someone who knows about God, but more than that, he is someone who knows God.

There must be a head knowledge and a heart experience.