What is Truth?

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

We are entering into Passion week and today is Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly. It is a big day for some Christians as it has a lot of tradition associate with it.

I want to start with John.

John 18:38

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Some may say he asked because he is confused. Some said he was being cynical. But there is something we can gather in Pontius Pilates answer. He does not care. He probably only care what Caesar says. Truth to him is Caesar.

The question is not whether Pontius Pilate care or not but whether you care about truth or not. If you care, then when you listen to sermons on the Internet or YouTube, do you think is it truth?

Today we will see what Jesus meant when he said the truth.

Matthew 4:17

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Jesus started his public ministry using the kingdom of heaven. What does the Bible says about the Kingdom of Heaven? Some passages use the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is synonymous with the Kingdom of God. Jesus is asking the people to repent because the Kingdom of God is near.

Is the Kingdom of Heaven synonymous with the church of God? Some of you may think it's the same. The Kingdom of Heaven is not exactly the church. When the Kingdom of Heaven is mentioned it encompasses the heavens. It includes all of creation including he angels and the church itself. The angels are not the church. The church is us.

The Kingdom of Heaven is now manifested in the church primarily because Jesus is the head of the church.

Is there a difference? Actually the words we use do make a difference.

I went to Teluk Kumbar outreach and I saw a church and I thought the name has changed. Later I saw our Teluk Kumbar and I told the people there that there's another church there. When we mentioned church, we see it in a smaller frame. We don't try to be technically correct. We use the term - our church.

Generally, when we use the word church we are talking about our church and less of the other churches. But when we use the word Kingdom there's no way we can say my kingdom.

We are Kingdom people with a Kingdom purpose and a Kingdom vision. Then we can see beyond our own church. Jesus is the King of his Kingdom.

I want to use goldfishes as an example. When you put it in a bowl it will grow to a certain size but it won't grow to its maximum size. The space will limit its growth. But if you give it a bigger space, it will grow to its potential.

We see ourselves as a church but we also need to see ourselves as part of the Kingdom of God. It will open up a new perspective. It will broaden our vision and perspective and what we do is not about the Jerusalem per se but has a much bigger purpose in the Kingdom of God.

We often use word church and hardly talk about the Kingdom of God. This concept or reality about the Kingdom of God help us understand what happened on Palm Sunday.

Matthew 21:6-9

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.

8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

This is drawn from Psalm 118. The word Hosanna is translated save us. It was a word of thanksgiving and cry that gave praise to God for delivering Israel from the enemies. Hosanna became not just a prayer but became a praise. Son of David symbolises the Messiah. They were singing praise be to God who saves and the person Jesus came as a Messiah.

That praise is not just on earth but also in heaven that the Messiah is praised.

I want to connect this with a same incident in John.

John 12:13

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

The laying of palm leaves were to welcome royalty. The numbers estimated were 2 million. It's a lot of people. Jerusalem was pack as pilgrims came. There are Jews who were in Jerusalem and also Jews who followed Jesus. There were Jews who saw Jesus raising the dead, healing the lepers and healing the blind. What other signs do they need? That's why they say Hosanna to the Son of David.

These people were proclaiming Jesus as the king. The name of Jesus was being lifted up. But something was wrong. When they sang Hosanna, they were already 90 years under Roman rule.

The Romans to be fair compared to other communities allowed a lot of leeway for them to practice their faith. Under that Roman oppression they were waiting for the Messiah king to throw the Romans out of Israel. They were thinking of a military king. They had in mind the Romans would be overthrown and he will reestablish the Davidic Kingdom. They saw Jesus as a political king.

In the 12th and 13th century was 200 years of the crusade. It was known as the Holy War. They saw Christianity as a political Kingdom. Today they say we have learned from the crusades. That Jesus will not set up an earthly kingdom. It's true that if you go to any church, they will say we will not take up arms to create a political Kingdom.

But many Christians still have in their mind an earthly kingdom. They think that the Kingdom of God is riches and cannot get sick. That there will be success and prosperity. That we will enjoy all that the kingdom promises here and now.

When it comes to money, I am very happy at the end of the month because I'm a teacher. Sometimes we get a pay rise so I'm very happy. I also want to be healthy. That's why I go jogging and stop badminton temporarily because when I saw some of my friends I don't want to collapse in court.

But these are not the focus of the Kingdom of God. These promises comes with the Kingdom of God but it is not the focus of the kingdom. It will come along the way but it is not our focus.

John 18:33-37

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate asked Jesus  the question and Jesus answered Pilate with a question. Pilate answered quite smartly and said am I a Jew? Pilate is saying it's your people that brought him.

Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world. He did not deny that he is a king. If this kingdom did not come on earth then it must be from heaven. It is a Kingdom where God rule and reign.

As much as God wants to provide and bless our health, he does bless us but you must understand those are temporal. Temporal means what my mother tells me, you cannot bring it over. None can bring over. When you move over, you don't need this body already, however much you go to the gym. However much money you have. It's temporal. Your successes. You are the leader of a big company. You don't even need to wait till you move over, the day you retire you lose the recognition.

Jesus  is operating a spiritual and eternal kingdom. A Kingdom that will last forever. And he is our Messiah King. That is our focus. We must get our focus right. We are people who is part of a spiritual kingdom.

After this passage, Pilate asked what is truth? Here is where the word truth comes.

Truth has two meaning. One is, it refers to the Word of God. But it also refers to the person of Christ. In this case, it would primarily be the Word of God. It is what the Word of God says. The Word of God that is the sword of the spirit.

The political Kingdom is mainly reigned by the sword. But in the spiritual kingdom it is the truth that bears the power. The expansion of the Kingdom of God or the church it must primarily be truth in the Word of God as it is empowered by the Spirit of God.

We can plan and strategise but at the end of the day, it is the Spirit of God that empowers. That is why when Rev Allan Chan comes it is the Spirit of God that will heal and miracles happens. All glory to God.

I read that goldfish you cannot buy any fish food. They have less protein and more carbohydrates. They can grow until one foot. But you need to give it a big tank and feed the right food. For us to grow spiritually mature, if I tell you that you will pray and you will prosper and will succeed and you will be free from sickness. If I just teach you this, then it's not the whole counsel of God. Paul says he will teach the full counsel of God. 

The other example is this. I asked my wife whether infants need to drink milk for how long. My wife said maybe after 6 months can take some porridge and after some time can eat rice. I'm not syre ya so if not correct go and see my wife. Christians, when you first accepted Christ you will have your issues and burdens. If you just accepted Jesus and the person who disciples me tell me I have to die for Christ I will run away. I am just a young Christian.

20 years down the line the prayer I prayed 20 years ago I'm still praying how to grow? It's a process. The disciple will slowly see and appreciate a Kingdom purpose. You will know Jesus is coming again and that God is more than just the earthly.

Just now I prayed that the message will come with the grace and gentleness and the patience of a teacher. I have grown in the word. I'm a teacher and so I'm a reader. If I don't read the Bible I'll read something else.

We have to be patient because all of us grow at different rate. We cannot  impose on people our standards. In our kingdom context, we cannot take the proficiency approach. Growth is based on the individual's progress. 

I pray that in the church we encourage and edify each other.

What should our pursue and focus be in God's spiritual kingdom? The character and focus on the Kingdom of God. The best passage would be the beatitudes.

In the kingdom of the world it is the rich and famous that gets the applause. Also the powerful and the beautiful. But in the kingdom of God it's the meek and the merciful. The values are different.

Someone's says this. We are in the world but we're not of the world. If the ship is in  the water it is fine. But if the water is in the ship it is disastrous. We are in the world, and instead of the church influencing the values of the world, the world values have influenced the church.

Matthew 5:3-10

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

You will see these are the characters of the kingdom of God. Very different from the values of the world. What makes the kingdom bears kingdom power? It's because of the king.

Revelation 19:11

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

Revelation 19:16

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

The spiritual kingdom of God is where Jesus is the centre of it all.

There are 107 questions of the  WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM. What is the first question?

What is the chief end of man? What is the chief purpose of you?

Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy it forever.

Glorifying God is an enjoyable experience. It is no accident that almost in all the epistles it ends with - To Him be the glory. Amen.

Courage to Move Forward

Sis Melinda Song

Joshua 1:1-9, NIV

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Most, if not all of us, can relate to that exhilarating feeling of anticipation before a major event in life. Often mixed with the feelings of excitement, are other feelings of apprehension and worry concerning what might go wrong. 

Similarly, the Israelites experienced similar feelings of excitement and worry as they camped on the edge of the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, they can look across the Jordan River and see the land of milk and honey promised to Abraham and his descendants almost 500 years earlier. They are so close—but would it ever happen?

It is a time of change - a new season, a new chapter, a new beginning. It was a critical transition from living in tents as wandering herdsmen and feeding on manna, to living in a land with large, flourishing cities they did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things they did not provide, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves they did not plant (Deu. 6:10-11).

In the midst of the excitement and anticipation of this season of change, one of their worst fears was realized. Moses passes away. At this point in the narrative, they had just completed 30 days of mourning for Moses. 

It is time to transition to a new leader and the first thing God said during the commissioning of Joshua was…“Moses my servant is dead”  

Why mention that Moses is dead? 

Because the people could not let go! God took 40 years, a whole generation[MS1] , to take Egypt out of the people and to form a people for himself. God had to raise up a people of faith who are ready to receive the land that God had promised to Abraham hundreds of years earlier. 

Moses is dead BUT God’s not dead!

What the Israelites were about to learn, and what is so important for us, is that the promises of God do not depend on any individual or on particular circumstances, but only on God. God works through people, yet He is dependent on no one individual to bring about His purposes. 

The fact that Moses was now gone would in no way hinder God’s plans and purposes. The future God promised would still be theirs. On John Wesley’s tombstone is written: “God buries His workmen, but His work goes on.” The people had to learn to release the past and embrace the new thing that God is doing in order to move forward and possess the future.

And all along God had been preparing another man to lead the people into their inheritance. 

“Now then, you…”  

The mantle now falls on Joshua. Imagine the pressure stepping into Moses’ shoes. Not merely the high expectations but also the impossible odds. There are numerous tribes and nations in Canaan. There are heavily fortified cities. There are trained armies with powerful weapons. There are even giants in the hills. 

And Joshua’s army? The Israelites are disorganized, ill-trained and quarrelsome. They won a few battles but they are not prepared to conquer a whole country. The end of this forty year marathon is in sight but the toughest part lies ahead. 

Joshua is clearly overwhelmed. 

Illustration: A sergeant in a parachute regiment was a seasoned jumper and one day he found himself sitting next to a lieutenant in the plane who was fresh from jump school. The Lieutenant looked a bit pale so as they approached their jump zone the sergeant leaned over and said, “Are you scared, sir?”

The lieutenant replied, “No just a bit apprehensive.”

The sergeant asked, “Well, what’s the difference?” 

And the lieutenant replied, “Apprehensive means I’m scared with a university education.” 

Whichever word you want to use, Joshua was it.  

It appears Joshua needed a lot of encouragement. 

·      v. 6 Be strong and courageous

·      v. 7 Be strong and very courageous

·      v. 9 Be strong and courageous

·      In verse 18, the people encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous. 

·      In Deut. 31:7-8, Moses told Joshua the same thing – be strong and courageous. 

There is work to be done that will take blood, sweat and tears. Ownership of the land depended on God’s faithfulness, but occupation of the land depended on Israel’s faithfulness (cf. Deu. 30:20). 

God said, “I will give you every place where you set your foot” (v. 3). God promises them the land, but they must take it for themselves. Joshua and the Israelites had to step out by faith to possess the land. 

Joshua will need courage to trust God and do as God commanded. Look at verse nine: "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Don’t forget…

2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

We all stand on the brink of the future. We all have things that are looming on the horizon which may seem to us just as important, as overwhelming, as awesome as anything Joshua had to face. We have our career changes, our educational choices, our treatment plans, our financial responsibilities, our relationship issues, our family plans, maybe even our calling into some kind of Christian ministry lying ahead of us. Like Joshua, we are excited by some of the things that might happen, but also like Joshua, we are sacred stiff of what might happen. 

BUT we can be strong and courageous when we know that it is: 

A. GOD’S PLAN

God’s plans always involve a man. Moses was the Law-giver but God’s man for the hour has to be a military leader to lead the invasion of Canaan.

Although groomed by Moses, Joshua did not presume upon the Lord but waited for his specific summons. God’s calling is our sure anchor when the storms of disappointment, frustration and opposition are unleashed at us.

The first time the command to be bold and courageous appears, Joshua is told that the reason for his boldness is that God is going to use him to lead the people into the land he has already promised their ancestors (v. 6). Joshua is standing at a particular point in the history of God’s people. There are things which have led up to this point and there are things will lead on from it. It’s all part of God’s will and if it’s God’s will, it will be accomplished. Joshua and the conquest of Canaan are all part of God’s unfolding plan. 

Joshua and the Israelites could look to the future with confidence not only because of what God had promised them about that future, but also because they had already experienced the ways in which God kept his promises in the past. 

There’s a future to look forward to, more amazing things in store, great plans that God has for us here and we are privileged to be here at this time, a small part in God’s unfolding plan for this church, a smaller part in His plan for this city, a very small part in his plans for the world.

You are part of God’s will, part of His plan. What are the things God has prepared for you to do? When did you last reassess God's call on your life? What are those things that God has given you a passion for?

Your courage will rise when you have confidence in the call of God in your life, and believe that you have a part to play in God’s plan. There are always going to be things that you, and only you, can do – little parts of His great overarching plans for this world that can be furthered by your participation if you’re bold enough to allow that to happen. 

We can be strong and courageous because it is: 

B. GOD’S PROMISE

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

The reason Joshua could be strong and courageous was because God had bound himself with the promise that He would give the land to the people of Israel. 

Numbers 23:19,NIV

God is not human, that he should lie,

    not a human being, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

    Does he promise and not fulfill?

God cannot NOT fulfil his promise. God must engage to give Israel the victory in all the battles that lie ahead; or if not in all the battles, at least in the most important of them, so that victory for Israel was insured, and the land would be gained for them, and they could possess it. However difficult the opposition, God must ensure Joshua's success. And He did!

Joshua 21:45, NIV

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 23:14, NIV

You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

Where can we find God’s promises? In God’s Word (vv. 7-8): 

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

The Word of God is the secret of being strong and courageous. It is our reliable and constant source for guidance and therefore confidence.

The Hebrew word translated here as “meditate” actually means “mutter”. Joshua and his contemporaries would be constantly reciting bits of Scripture, memorising it, mulling over it. It was to be part of the fabric of their lives. 

Just knowing God’s word is not enough. We ought to also do it. We have to read it and learn it, practice it, weave it into every fibre of your being so that your daily behaviour is entirely influenced by it. 

Fulfilling God’s promises requires us to walk by faith - “every step you set your foot.” God wants us to keep moving with Him. The promises of God may have come from your past, but it is for us claim them today and see them fulfilled in the future. We can't do anything in our own strength. But fear not – we stand upon the promises of God.

We can be strong and courageous because it is: 

A. GOD’S PLAN

B. GOD’S PROMISE

Because it is God’s plan and His promise, we can be assured of:

C. GOD’S PRESENCE

Confidence doesn’t come from looking at what’s inside you; it comes from seeing the One standing beside you. In verse 9, the grace to be strong that is given by the Lord is the assurance of God's presence. "The Lord God will be with you wherever you go." 

The presence of the Lord is not a general concept on the basis of the omnipresence of the Lord, but rather an intimate relationship that marks the believer in Jesus as in a peculiar relationship with his God.

God's presence gives us strength and courage. Think of the way disciples like Peter were transformed by being with Jesus. “How could these simple fisherman speak with such force and power?” the people wondered. Then they remembered they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Being with Jesus changed them. Jesus rubbed off on them. They were scared, they were ignorant, but the presence of Jesus made them bold and gave them the right words to say.

God is no respecter of persons. What He did for them - Moses, Joshua, Daniel - He will do for us. His principles have not changed. He is still in the midst of His people giving victory for every area of life. 

Some two thousand years later, the writer of Hebrews 13:5 quoted Joshua 1: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." We often fail to understand the implication of that statement. 

Illustration: A seminarian once shared with his grandmother that the Greek intensive form of this verse in Hebrews was supposed to be repeated three times to say, "I will not. I will not. I will not." In his excitement, he said, "Look, grandma, at this promise. God is saying, ‘I will not, I will not, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee.’" With a smile on her face she said, "Well, for you seminarians, God may need to say it three times; but for me, once is enough."

It has been said that God plus one is a majority. That had been Israel’s experience throughout the 40 years. In Deuteronomy 32:30 Moses sings: 

How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up? 

God was ever present with the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night ... leading, guiding, teaching. As Psalm 46:1 puts it so eloquently, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.”

Just as God was with Moses, He was with Joshua. And, He will be with you and me. Whether we will be courageous and strong totally depends upon us. Yes, God will be with us, but He is there doing His part. We have to do ours.

TOP is also in transition. Next year is our 40th anniversary. Winds of change are going to sweep through TOP in 2017 and 2018. God is doing a new thing. God is on the move but are we prepared to accept the new things God is doing? 

We need a renewed mindset. Don’t box God in. God is sending new wine and new wine skins. With God we have to expect the unexpected. Circumcision at Gilgal just before the battle? The strange strategy for the Battle of Jericho? How would you have responded?

CHANGE in the hand of the CHANGELESS God is safe and positive, and will yield good fruit to those that respond correctly and embrace it.

What do you face today? This week? Whatever is out there, good or bad, we can meet the adventure and challenge of the unknown with courage because we belong to a faithful God. His faithfulness is demonstrated in His Plan, His Promises, and in His Presence. We can depend on His Word, His love, and His everlasting arms holding us through life. 

Joshua 5:13-19, NIV

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

It is not only the people who enter, but it is the Lord Himself who enters leading the people as they go. He is neither friend nor foe. He has not come to fight but to take over. 

The Lord is in the midst of us. I am going to ask you to join me in a prophetic act. We are symbolically going to remove our shoes to acknowledge the presence of the commander of the Lord’s army and invite Him to take over.

Sis Melinda and the young adults praying for Dr Kio who will be leaving for Sandakan this week.

Here I Am

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Today's message is titled Here I Am. I'm actually working on Ps Ronald's theme that he has been working on for the past month. The past months we have had speakers talking about missions and the commission and also on ministry and I'd like to round up on what we have been working on for the past month.

And I also think it is a good time for this message because we are starting on the first day of the fasting and as we look at the theme of prayer we are looking at consecration to the Lord.

I want to work on what we call the two Ms. That when we give our life to Jesus what exactly do we mean? Do we mean we are giving our finances to Jesus or do we mean we are giving our dreams to Jesus or do you think we are giving our hurts to Jesus? What I just mentioned are all valid reasons of what we actually mean when we say we give our life to Jesus.

And today I want to summarize it up into these two Ms. And these 2 Ms refers to Maturity and Ministry. Most of the time the messages we hear are often in bits and pieces. And it has to be because the preacher is not a miracle worker per se where he can deliver everything in the Bible in one hour. So today we need to focus and it is on one aspect I want to zero in to.

So what happens when after you hear messages for twenty years, you will find that you will compartmentalize bits and pieces. Faith is like that. Hope is like that. Love is like that. Ministry is like that and maturity is like that. But at the end of the day you will find you will end up with a lot of disconnect. Because the Christian faith involves the life of God manifested in us. And that life of God, that eternal life that is manifested in our life does not come in bits and pieces. It is a whole. So here is where I want an hour to connect just these two that most of the time we hear ministry we will sit there and hear about evangelism, about putting our hands to the plough and how we can put time in to further the kingdom of God.

The next day the preacher come up and talk about Christian maturity and then it's a different ball game. We are talking about holiness and how you are going to pursue the Christian life and then we compartmentalize again. So today I want to connect these two.

Some hold that Christian maturity and spiritual ministry are just two phases of one course. Of course now we have the Internet and access to all these media and we read a lot of things. We read about ministers who had fallen into snares and we wonder how come a minister of God also can fall into snares and we say how can he do this and that.

As a church we can do three things when we hear news like that. We want to take the picture nothing is wrong with the church. And that everything is alright. Sometimes things are not alright. The second is that we bury our head in the sand. And then the ostrich says I see no evil, I hear no evil. The third one will be, we try to understand and we try to know what went wrong.

So the question is this. Is the person who is very involved in the work of the ministry must necessarily be spiritually mature? The second question is the other extreme. Can we grow in maturity without being involved in ministry? Can a person continue to grow in God if he or she is not involved in ministry? These are the two ends to a question.

One is someone who puts his hands on the plough, someone who is very involved in ministry, can he still be spiritually not mature? And someone who does not want to get involved, can he really be matured? And this is where I want to connect maturity with ministry.

And I want to begin with our dear friend Moses.

Exodus 3:3-4

3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

The title to my message is Moses' answer to the Lord's call. Here I am. This is Moses' encounter with God. The burning bush encounter.

What does Moses' reply entails? Here I am. It is a phrase often said in the Bible. When Abraham took his son to be sacrificed and God called out to Abraham, Abraham said here I am. When the prophet Samuel was called by God, he said here I am. Isaiah 6 when God asked who will go forth, and Isaiah said here am I, send me.

So this "here I am" when we read it from the Bible we have seen it from the perspective of the call of God. The call of God for a certain commission. We are seeing it from a ministry perspective. And it is true, if you read Exodus 3 and when it comes to verse 10 the here I am, God says now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt. 

When God called him, he said here I am. But when God told him what he wanted him to do I think he panicked. For the rest of Exodus 3 and 4 you will see the conversation where Moses said not me, not me. So is that all there is to the here I am or is there something more to the here I am?

Is the here I am connected to a specific commission, where the here I am is connected to a ministry that God has called you or is there something more? That when God calls you and you say here I am, that mandate we have given to God to use you, is there more to it than just ministry? This is where we want to discover by looking 1400 years after Moses and we come to the New Testament.

Here I want to look at one of the last few letters that Paul wrote. When Paul wrote to Timothy it was believed that he was in this thirties, still young. And Timothy was caring for the church at Ephesus.

1 Timothy 4:12-16

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Here I want to encourage those of you here who is young and sharing your faith, don't let anyone discourage you because you are young.

I want to say that verse 12 do not actually refer to ministry. Verse 12 refers to a Christian life that young Timothy was actually expressing and when people see him people can see someone whose  life is right with God. In speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Someone who has the love of God. Someone who's life is in the pursuit of holiness. This is Christian maturity. And when Paul wrote to Timothy, he's saying your life is important because people will not see you through your ministry per se but they will see you through your life. Be an example, be a pattern, be a model. And this verse 12 is in respect to spiritual maturity.

Immediately after this in verse 13, it refers to the ministry of Timothy. In verse 12, Paul emphasizes his life but in verse 13 Paul emphasizes what he does. In verse 12 Paul tells him to guard who you are. In verse 13, Paul tells him to focus in what he does. There is this connection of maturity and ministry. The two must go and in hand. They are two faces of one coin.

In verse 15 when Paul says be diligent in these matters, it refers to these two, guard your life and fulfill your ministry. The word progress here means we can all see you growing. When you are in a particular ministry there is always space for you to grow in that ministry. It can be in the intensity or the diversity of your ministry, but it can always expand in your ministry.

Last year, the Lord impressed upon my heart to be more kind. The world can do with a little more kindness. For some of us, we can be a little bit more kind to our children. For some of us, a little bit more kind to our spouse. Or to be a little bit more kind to our parents. I am not talking about ministry. But about the family. All of us have got more room to grow in kindness.

My mother is a very insightful person. When I was a new Christian I was very involved in the church running here and there. I would go sweep the floor and wash the toilet. So one day when I'm home she just said "wah in church so hardworking, sweep the floor and wash the toilet, but come home do nothing but sit with legs up and watch TV." So I told myself I better don't come and sweep the floor in church so that I don't have to sweep the floor at home. (Laughs)

I'm verse 16, Paul emphasizes it again. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Here the word doctrine also meant Timothy's teaching ministry. Watch your life and ministry. That you are rightly dividing the word of God so that the truth will always be revealed in your ministry. Paul does not separate maturity and ministry.

If you pursue maturity without ministry, you will not grow. You may say I love God but serving in church is another thing. If a person love God, he will grow in spiritual maturity and will also love the church, the body of Christ, the people of God.

On the other hand, if you pursue ministry without maturity, then you will become like Samson. I'm not talking about anointing. Look at Samson. Samson was born and chosen by God. And he was anointed by God with supernatural power. And if you look at Samson's life, was the will of God fulfilled in his life, the answer is yes because he kept the Philistines away from the Israelites. God raised up Samson so that Samson can protect the Israelites. Samson did his job. But was God's purpose in Samson's life fulfilled? God meant for Samson to be holy and righteous. Samson failed in his life. The life of Samson ended badly. Samson was blinded and lost his power. It was a little sad but I want to emphasize this. Some people who are most spiritually resistant are not the unbelievers but people who have put their hands to the plough, did much for ministry but for one reason or another have not grown in maturity and fallen into snares. They can fall into the snare of bitterness. Some into the snare of brokenness. The problem does not lie in ministry but in maturity.

I have met quite a few people and I have seen some who put their hands to the plough and they work and work and work but they are not happy. They have lost the joy of ministry. To those who are in that position, I want to encourage you, if you have lost the joy of ministry, something is wrong. Because the ministry is meant to be a gift. When you first accept Christ, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And everyone who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, there is at least one gift that will be given to you to do his will. Don't say you don't have a gift. Everyone has. It can be the gift of mercy, the gift of help, the gift of prophecy or the word of knowledge and many more. I want to say that it is a joy to be in ministry and if you have lost that joy, you have to go back and look at the maturity part.

What is your motivation behind your ministry? You must look at how you're doing the ministry and why you're doing the ministry. Spiritual ministry is very different from secure work. In the secular world you go to the office and the boss doesn't ask you why you're doing this and how you're doing this, the boss only tells you I give you a job, get it done. In secular world, it is just about getting it done. But God is different. The spiritual ministry is a ministry, it's not a work. He is more interested in the process than the result. 

When you grow in maturity, you will grow in ministry. When you grow in your ministry, the ministry is a means in which you grow in your maturity. I want to give an example about gym work. My good friend Andrew has recommended me to go to gym. So I say I have to think about it. I asked him why go to gym and he gave a very good answer. He calls me sifu, and he said he enjoys the results of going to the gym.

It's the certain feeling when I crossed the line of the only half marathon I took part in. When I was asked to join I said what for. And have to wake up early for preparation and practice before the run. So much hard work. But when I crossed the line, I thank God I signed up. It was fulfilling.

Ministry is like that. There is always that joy. When the Apostle Paul was about to be beheaded was he crying on his bed? No, a man like him will be singing his praises until the end. The joy of the ministry is very very important.

And here, I'm not talking about just teaching and preaching. I'm talking about you being a helper like when last time we had the big party, about you washing the dishes and driving the people up to Teluk Kumbar. The ministry is the means through which God builds your maturity. You may think you have only a small ministry but you must understand the Christian ministry in the kingdom of God, the result of what you do is very different from the corporate world.

In the secular world, the result can be quantified and the result is short term. In the kingdom of God it doesn't work like that. Spiritual growth cannot be seen overnight.

Recently I came across this thing that really talked about spiritual ministry and ministry in the kingdom of God. It was called the butterfly effect. This theory came from weather forecasting. Weather forecasters have these computers with their modelling for weather forecasting but  they can also get it wrong.

One fine day, this scientist decided to just limit his computer reading to just 6 digits. He thought it was just a fine change. What surprised him was that by the time the computer churn out everything, suddenly the whole weather pattern all changed. And he was so surprised that just a small change in temperature can affect when the tornado will hit and whether there's a tornado or not. And so after studying this came the theory. The layman explanation is this. When a small little butterfly spreads its wings in Brazil, it can determine whether that particular year there will be a tornado in Colorado. He's trying to say a small little change somewhere, it spreads it's wings and move the air a little bit, it affects everything. There is no such thing as an insignificant small change.

What I'm trying to tell you is that you may serve as an usher. A small little thing. But because you shook that hand and smile at the person along the way when the gospel was shared to that person your smile actually made him very open and he accepts the gospel. And the best part is he becomes an evangelist and someday, when we traced back from his big ministry is the fact that you shook his hands and gave him a smile. And this was specifically what happened.

One Sunday school teacher one fine day decided to go and see this person. This person was a book salesman. But he was wondering if he'd be busy if he goes to visit him. He went and nearly turned back when nearing the shop. But in this Sunday school teacher's heart he said he has to go. So he went in and spoke to this book salesman. If I get my statistics right, this book salesman spoke to 100 million. He was the greatest evangelist. His name is DL Moody. But do you know if that Sunday school teacher on that particular day just turned back and DL Moody had not accepted the Lord, it would have been all different. It's a spiritual butterfly effect.

Every little thing that you do for God will have a lasting effect when God piece it all together. I want to encourage all of you. In the kingdom of God there is no small ministry. Every little thing you do in ministry has far reaching results you may never know.

And now I want to ask this question. I'm talking about ministry. That you know as putting your hands to the plough. But when I talk about spiritual maturity, what exactly is spiritual maturity? You may be thinking, oh, must know the Bible a lot. Pray a lot. Is that spiritual maturity? There are many ways to look at it.

One way.

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

These are the signs of spiritual maturity. The two key words are flee from and pursue. When you flee, what are you fleeing from? Then you have to look at verse 10.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

This is about maturity and money. And here it is talking about the love of money being the root of all evil which you can see how verse 6 addresses it.

1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Here it is trying to tell you what are you trying to pursue? I'm not talking about money per se. Whether you are rich or poor. A person who is well off may not have the love of money. The love of money is about greed. On the other hand a person with not much money may actually have a love for money. It's all about the attitude towards money.

Put it simply, what do you pursue when you wake up in the morning? If from the time you wake up in the morning and through the day, the decisions that you make revolves money per se, then you have a love for money. But if you wake up in the morning, what you focus upon is what  Paul is talking about. Are you pursuing righteousness or godliness. Are you pursuing faith or love, gentleness and that reverence for God, this is what is important. That will mark your spiritual maturity. It's marked by what you pursue.  They are important.

1 Timothy 6:13-14

13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

You will find when you pursue righteousness and godliness it is always in the context of Calvary in the person of Christ. It's always to him be the glory.

1 Timothy 6:16

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Before I end, I want to look at our Lord. In Jesus  you will see perfect maturity and perfect ministry. The Bible tells us that Jesus led a sinless life. His life was a perfect life. That is perfect spirituality maturity. But when he went to the cross it was the ultimate ministry, dying for the sins of the world. So when we look at the life of Jesus we see that perfect maturity and ministry merged into one. It is that perfect sinless life that became the basis of that perfect sacrifice.

Now I want to turn back to our friend Moses. I looked at verses 3 and 4 and I stopped there.

Exodus 3:3-4

3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

If you look at the following verses.

Exodus 3:5

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

This word Holy has two emphasis. One emphasis is that God is a being that's different. An otherness about him. But the most common understanding of holiness is that in God there is perfect goodness and no darkness in him. God is perfect morally.

It is the same with Isaiah. He saw the holiness of God when he say Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty.

As much as Moses took that rod and parted the Red Sea and with that rod took the people out of Egypt, it is Moses answering that call of God for ministry but he is also the man who brought out the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Moses is the man who actually gave us that perfect moral character of God that forms the basis of the Mosaic Covenant. He is also the man that wrote down in Deuteronomy that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.

Moses was not only a minister, he was a spiritually matured minister. I would like to encourage all of us. There is no big call and no small call. We are called to put our hands to the plough and it encompasses us saying Here am I.