Why and How We Witness Sermon Reflections

(Combination Reflection from the last two Sunday Sermons. Passages are from Acts 1:1-11 and Mark 3:13-15)

John Stott: "We should not ask, "What is wrong with the world?" for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, "What has happened to the salt and light?"

Discovery: In Acts 1:8 its says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." There is a difference between being a "witness" and "evangelizing." A witness is a noun while evangelizing is a verb. Jesus calls us to "be" something rather and "do" something.

This concept is echoes in Mark 3:14-15 when he calls and appoints the 12 apostles. It says, "He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and have authority to drive out demons" The first thing that Jesus calls us to when we choose to follow after Him is to learn to "be with him" before we go and "do" anything for Him.

Application: Our "doing" flows out of our "being" with Him.

This is a spiritual principle that I need to come back to time and time again. Am I connected to the vine as stated in John 15? Is my life marked by spiritual deprivation or by spiritual nourishment each and every day? The holidays have always been an interesting time throughout my Christian life. Whether in school or now in adulthood, it is easy to take a "vacation" from God during the busyness of the holidays. The problem is that this actually a time in which I need to be even more closely connected to Jesus. Otherwise there is a clear lack of patience and grace in my life, especially towards family members.

I am also challenged by the fact that Jesus's call is more than just to "be" with Him. In fact, He wants us to become "like" Him. His call for us is to be His "witnesses." The word "witness" comes from the word "martos" which we where we get our modern word "martyr." What does it mean to lay our lives down by testifying to what Jesus has done in our lives? If the life of faith is just about receiving from God, it leads to a warped sense of reality. Take for example James and John in Mark 10. They are so self-absorbed and self-centered in their "being" with Jesus that all they are only concerned about is whether they can sit at the right and left or Jesus when He sits in glory. I really hope this isn't my mindset! I don't want to be preparing my accommodations in heaven while neglecting my calling here on earth. I want to go deep in my life with God but I ultimately want that knowledge and love to spill over in far reaching ways. I don't want to just be a "nice" pastor but I want also want to be courageous in seeking and saving the lost.

The highlight of the weekend had to be on Saturday. Our church went to deliver gifts with the Angel Tree program through Prison Ministries. One of the young women from the Chinese congregation came and joined us. One of our Chinese deacons shared with her the Good News in the car and I got to pray for her and lead her to Christ. It was a beautiful picture of our witness flowing out of our being. In addition to blessing children with parents who are in prison with simple Christmas gifts, we were also able to naturally share with a young women in our own church who Jesus was first through our actions and then through words.

Prayer: Lord, let my life reflect what is says in John 12:24: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

"Who Do We Witness to?" Sermon Reflection

Luke 15:25-32

(This is a combination reflection from my large group talk to the AACF Davis group as well as the Sunday sermon).

Discovery: In Luke 15, Jesus tells a trio of stories that essentially tell the same thing. Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg summarize it best in their book "Becoming a Contagious Christian."

1. Something of value was lost.

2. An all out search was called to find this lost object.

3. When this lost object was found, there was a joyful celebration.

Jesus is also addressing three groups of people as he tells these stories. To each group He is challenging them to understand God's heart.

1. Pharisees: In vv. 1-2, we see them looking down their noses and judging Jesus for His behavior. By telling them these stories, Jesus is wanting them to change their hearts and attitudes.

2. The sinners and tax collectors: Jesus is telling these people (in the presence of the religious leaders) that God has been eagerly seeking after them and desires for them to be found.

3. The disciples: They are learning to follow after God. Jesus makes it clear that they should be associating with the least, the last, and the lost with the intention of sharing the Good News of Jesus.

Jesus wants to find and welcome the lost and He wants those who follow after God to do the same. In addition, he warns us to not be like the Pharisees who want nothing to do with this.

Application: The character of the older son is based on the Pharisees. They are smug in their self-righteousness and have a lack of compassion towards "sinners." Ultimately, the Pharisees miss the whole point of God's grace. Similar to the older son in the parable, they are so self-absorbed and spiritual twisted that they can't see the miracle of their lost brother being alive and safe.

This is my challenge as well. Am I so self-absorbed that I can't see the true nature of God's grace? I love how God's grace is unconditional and how it is always accessible to me. I love the fact that even though I fall short of God's glory, His love reaches and extends to me no matter what I do or where I am. I love how God's grace is so precious to me.

The problem however is that I am called to extend this same grace to others. In particular, I am called to extend this grace to people who sin against me. This same grace that is unconditional and without limits is the same grace that I am called to exhibit to everyone. This grace isn't always as precious to me.

The challenge of this passage is that the story of the older son is left unresolved at the end of the parable. How does he respond to the father's heart? Does he go back in and celebrate with his "lost" brother or does he stubbornly stay outside and refuse to participate in the celebration. The bigger question is, "How will we respond?"

Prayer: Help me not only appreciate Your grace but to live it out. Teach me during this Christmas season to extend grace to members of my family that I have a hard time extending grace to. Deliver me from my Pharisaical heart and attitude!

"Doing God's Will" Sermon Reflection

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discovery: Paul is very clear what God's will is for all believers. Here in 1 Thessalonians he gives this very challenging three-fold imperative: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." That is as straight forward as they come.

Application: Alas, the challenge is to actually do something with God's Word...

Are we "joyful always?" This seems like an impossible feat. The only way to do this from a human perspective is to fake it a majority of the time. But Gordon Fee states that, "the emphasis on joy is not so much the experience of joy, but the active expression of it." I read this as "Will I choose to be joyful in my response to people and situations even when it is negative or hard?" My honest response is, "NO!" The only chance I have it responding in joy each and everyday is to start each day with the right perspective. The only way that I have figured out how to do this is to start the day in reading the Word of God and journalling about it.

Are we "praying continually?" This two seems impossible to do on our own. We either have to become monks and nuns or we have to adopt a "new age" approach to prayer in which everything we do is some pseudo-spiritual watered-down version of true biblical prayer. F.F. Bruce states that this verse actually means to "persevere in prayer." It means that regardless of how slow God seems or how insurmountable the odds may be, we are called to diligently and faithfully pray.

Are we "giving thanks in all circumstances?" Paul speaks of giving thanks over 30 times in his writings. Giving thanks was deeply rooted in Paul's theology. He truly believed that everything happened for a reason. He believed that nothing, not even suffering and death, had the final word. The last word was reserved for God and God alone and that word was always resurrection and life. Paul teaches us that giving thanks is rooted in the supremacy and sovereignty of God. This is the only way that I can explain how so many fellow brothers and sisters who suffer through so much can emerge on the other side with a song of praise on their hearts and mouths. Thanksgiving is truly remembering that God is in control.

Prayer: Help me do your will each and everyday. Stretch me me to be joyful. Instill in me a hunger to pray with perseverance. Give me a bigger view of You so that thanksgiving will flow from my life.

"How do we Give?" Sermon Reflection

Luke 16:1-15

Discovery: A common problem for many Christians is that we compartmentalize our faith. There is a separation between "spiritual" and "mundane" things. Things such as reading the bible, going to church, giving tithes and offerings, etc. are consider "spiritual" while other things such as working, shopping, and saving are considered more "mundane." This is definitely not what Jesus had in mind when he called us surrender our lives to Him.

Our passage today seems strange at first and a little confusing. In this parable of the dishonest manager, we see a character who clearly has major character flaws. Knowing that he is going to get fired, we see the dishonest manager go and make backdoor deals with some people who are indebted to his master and cuts them a nice deal. What is particularly jarring to us "good" Christians is that Jesus affirms this dishonest manager's mentality. In v. 8 it says, "The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly." It is important to note that the master commended the manager for his shrewdness and not his dishonesty. There are a lot of technical definitions for the word "shrewd." I would define it as "street smarts." This guy is knows how to survive and he knows how to leverage things to his benefit.

Application: A few things stood out to me in this passage.

1. Context: The previous chapter (Luke 15) Jesus lays into the Pharisees for their self-righteousness and hard hearts. He tells three parables about how God is the one who seeks, saves, and loves the lost (parable of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son). Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they have missed the mark and are out of touch with God's heart. Here in Luke 16, Jesus is talking to his disciples. He is also warning his disciples to not "miss the boat" like the Pharisees.

2. Call to be shrewd with our money: For the disciples, the area in question is money and how they will manage money. The call of Jesus is to be shrewd money managers just like the character in this parable. I told the story of a customer at Bank of American in Hawaii where I worked part-time as a teller. He would bring in a dozen malasadas (Portuguese donut-like confections) almost every week to our branch. We loved the Malasada Man. Whenever he walked into our branch, we would bend over backwards for him. Even if you were closing up for the day, people would open up their window and have him come to front of the line because he came bearing tasty treats. Not only was the Malasada Man very sweet and generous... he was shrewd. This weekly $5 investment gave him privileges and service that even the best of our business and Prima customers could only hope to get. This is what Jesus is talking about! In fact, Jesus says in later part of v. 8 "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." This is unfortunately so true.

3. How can I/we be shrewd with our money and our witness? We are right in the heart of the holiday shopping/craziness. I believe the challenge from our passage is not "don't give into the materialism of Black Friday" but rather "how can we exercise godly spending during this holiday season." I know for a fact that our church family is good at finding deals. Rather than just finding deals for ourselves or our loved ones, could we also be shrewd in finding deals for others? What would it look like to buy something extra (i.e. a scarf or sweatshirt) and gift it to a neighbor or friend? What would it look like to pick up a great deal for toys for a niece or nephew and buy another for your neighbor who has a child the same age? Wouldn't this be a great way to open doors in relationships and bridges in friendships? Jesus says it very clearly in v. 9, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." He continues in v. 11, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" I hope we really will step up to the challenge to be shrewd in our monetary witness.

Prayer: Lord, help me be "street smart" with my money and creative in my monetary witness as I move into this holiday season. Please lead our church as we experiment with some creative shopping exercises to not only bless those who don't have as much but also our seeking friends whom we will bring along for the experience.

Matthew 25:14-30 Sermon Reflection

Why do we give?

Discovery:

The parable of the talents is found in the middle of two teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 25: 1-13 we see the parable of the 10 virgins. This parable tells of 5 foolish and 5 wise virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom. The wise ones came prepared with oil for their lamps and thus were ready when the bridegroom came in the evening. The foolish ones were not prepared and thus had to go and buy oil and thus missed the arrival of the bridegroom. The moral of the story is that we need to be prepared for the coming of Jesus.

In Matthew 25:31-46, we see the story of the sheep and goats. This describes the return of the Son of Man in which he separates the sheep from the goats. The ones that are chosen and blessed are those who showed mercy and compassion to the "least of these brothers of mine." The ones who are separated and judged are those who didn't not serve the least, the last, and the lost as if it were Jesus Himself. These are led into eternal punishment. The moral of this story is that we will all need to give an account for our lives.

The parable the talents is perfectly placed between these two stories. If the parable of the virgins is about anticipating the return of Jesus and if the story of the sheep and goats is about the judgement of Jesus when He returns, then our story is about the "in-between" time. It is essentially a lesson of how we should live our lives.

Each of the servants were given wealth (talents) that the master wanted invested and multiplied. It is a story of biblical stewardship. In verse 15 it says that the servants were given talents "each according to his abilities." Our parable reminds us of a very simple yet powerful truth: everything is from God and we are merely stewards of God's wealth.

The sad part of this story is in regards to the one bad servant. While the other two invest and return the initial investment two fold, the bad servant doesn't do anything with it. He simple buries it and is content in not losing it. His remarks in vv. 24-25 tells us of his view of the master, "Master I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you."

My main point in my sermon was that bad theology leads to bad giving. If our view of God is small, tight-fisted, legalistic, and ultimately cold-hearted then our giving (as many other areas of discipleship) will be limited and shallow. But if we know that God is gracious, generous, extravagant, and flowing with love then our lives will reflect our theology.

Application:

My view of God has become too small.

My good friend Pauline Fong came and shared with us this past Thursday at our monthly Joint Soul Care about her ministry with InterVarsity and her new position as Regional Director of the Northwest region. As I was hearing her speak, I was fondly reflecting on my days as a campus staff worker with IV. I remembered how hard it was to fundraise and the internal turmoil that I experienced from it. I remember having to overcome my parent's objection to me being a "full-time beggar" and my own personal sense of failure and inadequacy in this area of trusting God. And yet, it was through fundraising that I truly experienced living by faith. When I first started, I didn't know if I could raise enough to be on staff for more than a year and yet God provided so that I could spend 5 of the best years of my life living, trusting, and serving Him.

The challenge for our family now is to continue to be stretched in terms of trusting God with our finances. I have to keep remembering the thrill that I received every time I would get my monthly statement from IV and see a new name on my donor list. One of the best donation was a gift of $5 from a elementary student at MVCCC. This little girl was just someone that I got to know when I came back and served at the church during the summers. To see someone who was so young take the time to give $5 to my ministry was so touching... in fact it was inspiring.

I realize that I am now on the giving end of the exchange with my fellow ministers of the gospel. I need to remember to think, pray, and support those who are on the front-lines of ministry and missions. I need to remember the call to be not only be a good steward of my money but to be a great steward of God's blessings to those who are actively serving the King. I still need to walk in faith in this new phase of my life. I still want to experience the thrill seeing God come through and save the day.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 25:35

Prayer:

Remind me of the countless ways that you blessed me throughout my life. Help me be a great steward of the ability to bless my fellow brothers and sister through the share of Your wealth.

Name Change for MVCCC Worship!

This week's entry will be a departure from the ordinary.

Check out and support Ellie Fun Day:

On Sunday, we had Elton and Sarah Lin come and share about Ellie Fun Day. I would encourage you to go and check out their new social enterprise. http://www.elliefunday.com/

What's the new name?

The main thing that I wanted to write about was the name change for our English congregation's worship. Here is a little description of the new name: "Intersect."

James 1:22 states, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

The vision of Intersect is to be a Church Family that hears the Word of God and applies it together. Our Sunday Worship is a time in which our lives intersects with God's activity. As we worship, pray, fellowship, and learn, we want God to speak into our lives and to transform us from the inside out.

What's behind the name change?

Over the last year or so, God has really been blessing our congregation and church. We are "growing up" and beginning to form our own unique identity. In the past, I have balked at the idea of a name change because I didn't want to do it just for the sake of change. But it became clear that our church family was entering into a new stage of life in which a name change seemed appropriate.

The reality is that our church family has been striving to "intersect" with God's Word for a long time. There are stories upon stories of our members wrestling with the implications of God's Word upon their lives. As I have been saying as of late in many of my sermons, "It is all about application!" and to see our church members strive to do this has been really encouraging to me as a pastor. The names "Intersect" isn't really anything new... it is just a word that articulates what has been going on here in our Church Family for some time.

Personal Note:

When I first became a Christian, my youth pastor taught us how to do our Quiet Times. He first told us to get a journal and then he said that we should write in it every day. He told us to divide it into two major sections.

The first section was "Discovery." After reading the Bible, we were suppose to write down the various things that we learned from that day's reading. What new things stood out to you? What are particularly interesting or convicting about the text?

The second section was "Application." What does this mean in your life? What was I suppose to do with what I just learned? What was God wanting me to change?

He told us that that the section on "application" should always be bigger than the section on "discovery." It's good to learn new things about God but it far more important to spend the time to write down the applications for my life. It is far easier to find the things from God's Word that was interesting but than it is much harder to find specific applications for one's life. Ever since I started journaling, I have struggled to find enough honest things to write down in my "application" section so that it would as long as if not longer than the "discovery" section.

20 years later I am still struggling with this challenge and yet still dutifully press on in trying to apply what I read each and every day. The rhythm of my devotional life has not changed since I first started. Discover and apply. Discover and apply. Discover and apply.

This is what we are trying to do together at Intersect...

Mark 6:30-44 Sermon Reflection

"How Do We Serve?"

Discovery: The question of how we serve is not about mechanics or methodology. It is about understanding and living out the heart of God. In our passage today, we see Jesus' heart. Our challenge is to emulate it.

After a successful ministry venture, in which Jesus sent out the disciples two by two to proclaim the gospel and to drive out evil spirits, the whole group gathers for a time of debrief. In v. 31, Jesus noticing that the crowds were gathering again and thus not giving his disciples even a chance to eat he suggests, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

When they do get to this quiet place, our text tells us that people had already gone ahead of them and were already there when they landed. Our key verse is v. 34, "When Jesus landed and saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."

Application: How would you have felt if you were one of these disciples? Your expectation was that Jesus was going to give you a time of rest and now it feels as though the needs of other people are creeping into that space. In the sermon, I talked about the whole story of how Jesus responded to the people and what it means to follow in his footsteps.

For those who have gone through the InterVarsity Mark Manuscript study, you may be familiar with one of the key questions and observations from this passage. Who was the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 for? Was it for the crowds or was it for the disciples?

Clearly the crowds benefit from this miracle. They see the compassion, the wisdom, and the power of God all manifest during this time. But the ones who were most impacted by this miracle had to be the disciples.

Jesus is teaching, demonstrating, and modelling what it means to have God's heart. When Jesus looks at the crowd, he doesn't see them as a nuisance or inconvenience but rather as an opportunity to show the mercy of God. By recruiting the disciples to break the groups into small groups of 50 and 100 and to hand out the food, Jesus is pushing them out of their comfort zones and reminding them this simple truth: ministry is about interacting and touching people's lives. By taking the 5 loaves and 2 fish and performing a miracle of provision, Jesus is telling the disciples: I can take what little you have a multiple it a hundred fold.

This is the lesson for the disciples and it is our lesson as well.

Prayer: Jesus, help me see every person who comes across my path as an opportunity to serve versus an obstacle to overcome. Help me get back to the "bread and butter" of discipleship by getting back involved in the lives of our church members. Take what little I have and what little I give and multiply it for Your glory sake.

1 John 4:19 Sermon Reflection

"Why Should We Serve?"

Discovery: Many things in life are "caught" and not "taught." This is very true in the Christian life. The principle of serving and loving is not something that we do because someone told us to. It is something that is modeled to us and thus we learn to emulate it. 1 John 4:19 tells us this: "We love because he first loved us." God set the example of how to love and serve. We need to simply reflect this to the world around us.

Application: It's one thing to know the truth but it is another to live it out. This love that God demonstrated to us is not some sort of philosophical idea or intellectual principle. It needs to be a living reality. We need to ask ourselves the question, "Am I experiencing the love of God for myself firsthand?" In addition, we need to be asking the question, "Am I loving and serving others in the same way that God loved me?" We need to do a little inventory of our lives to see if love is truly flowing in and out of us.

The reality is that being loved and loving others is not easy and thus there are real barriers and obstacles that prevent us from doing it. For some, they have never experienced the love of God at all. They have not acknowledge the fact that God is the seeker and savior of the lost. Others have become calloused in their hearts and thus have forgotten that they were once counted among the lost. One way to know if you have a calloused heart is if you have fallen out of the practice of repenting of your sins. As we get "older" in our faith, we begin to simply accumulate our sins until it reaches a boiling point before we come to the cross and repent of them. For others, they simple stop coming to the cross at all.

The only way that we can love and serve is to ask God to pour out His love anew into us today. We need to remove things such as sin that blocks our ability to receive this love but most importantly we need to choose to turn our hearts towards Him again. We can't settle for a broken, defeated, lesser life. We need to settle for nothing less that experiencing His love on a daily basis. This is why we love and serve... because He first loved (and continues to love) us.

Prayer: Lord I love being at the foot of the cross. Help me find my way back "home" to this place each and every day.

Luke 9:18-27 Sermon Reflection

"Who is called to serve?"

Discovery: In vv.18-22, Jesus asks two questions of His disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" and "What about you? Who do you say I am?" Jesus is not interested in doing some market research here. He is wanting to know if His disciples truly understand the meaning of following after Him. Even after Peter responds, "You are the Christ of God," Jesus goes on to tell them what that statement truly means.

He says that road to the cross is marked by three things: denying self, taking up the cross daily, and following Him. In vv.24-27, Jesus acknowledges that there are real temptations that would prevent us from following in His footsteps. The temptation to save one's life and to attempt to profit the world are real and tempting alternatives to the three-fold call to follow Him. Jesus warns however that there are real consequences to these choices and He ends our section by pointing to the promise of eternal life.

The simple answer to the question, "who is called to serve?" is this: anyone who chooses to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. The road to the cross is not easy and there are real temptations and challenges but the heart of serving is found in following His example.

Application: The question for us today is what is your faith marked by? Are you someone who is saving your life or are you someone who is losing it for Jesus and the gospel?

Is you life marked by vanity and success? These are just two ways in which we are holding on to our physical lives and striving to accumulate the "toys" of this world.

Is your life marked by immaturity and irresponsibility? These are two others ways in which we are trying to hold to a mirage of our lives being free from responsibility and duty and seeking to fill ourselves with the pleasures of this world.

Is your life marked by control and rigidity? We want to be in the driver's seat of our lives and thus it is difficult to allow Jesus to lead us and direct us in directions that we are unfamiliar with.

Ultimately we need to evaluate our lives through the three-fold call to follow after Him.

Is your life marked by the ways that you deny yourself and elevate Jesus and others?

Is your life marked by the ways that you take up the cross daily and strive to live your life in service to Jesus and to be His ambassador of grace to the world around you?

Is your life marked by the ways that you are following after Him? Does your day start by asking that God's will be done in your life rather than your own will?

Prayer: Lord, help me take a long look in the mirror so that I can truly see if I am following in your footsteps everyday. Help me get back to the basics of discipleship of starting each day asking that Your will would be done in me and through me.

2 Cortinthians 13:5-11 Sermon Reflection

(I was guest speaking this past weekend and I never got to post the final sermon for our Corinthians Series. So here it is)

"Parting Words"

Discovery: At the end of the movie "Saving Private Ryan," Tom Hank's character last words to Matt Damon's character Private Ryan is this: "Earn this." As we see at the end of the movie, we see how these parting words totally changed his life. I only hope that my last words would leave as powerful of an imprint on someone's life.

Paul's parting words in his letter to the Corinthians is also meant to leave an indelible imprint. Paul mentions in the beginning of chapter 13 that he plans on coming and visiting again for a 3rd time but that the nature of this visit may not a pleasant one. As always, there is something that needs to change in the lives of the Corinthians. In v.5, Paul says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith: test yourselves." Paul is not telling them to doubt their salvation nor is he questioning the authenticity of their conversion. Paul is merely turning the tables back on those in the church who had been testing and questioning Paul's apostleship. Paul is merely placing a mirror in front of their faces and asking them the same questions that they had been asking him. It reminds me of Jesus' words in regards to judging others, "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye" (Matt. 7:4).

Paul continues in v. 8 by saying, "For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth." The litmus test of whether or not one has "failed" the test of faith, is to look at the evidence in one's life. Paul uses the term "truth" here. The definition of truth is "a standard or guide." But truth is not merely propositional statements or doctrinal beliefs. Truth is where our beliefs intersect with our actions. All along in his defense of his ministry, Paul points back to the truthfulness of his life's action. His beliefs and actions line and point back to the "truth" in his ministry. He challenges the Corinthian church to do the same.

Application: The call to do this serious self-reflection and personal accountability is a daunting challenge. I found myself this morning in one of my regular struggles. I love my children. I am so grateful for them and I know that I am blessed to have them in my life. Yet at the same time, I find myself losing my patience with them all quite frequently (especially in the mornings as I try to get them to school on time). In my frustration and anger, I usually snap at them or raise my voice. After I drop them off and my emotions settle down, I find myself time and time again feeling guilty and ashamed. I always question why I can't be more patient with them and my prayer is always the same: "Lord help me be a more patient father."

It struck me this morning that I just want God to to take away my problems. I just want Him to "zap" me or something so that I don't have these bouts of frustration or anger. It dawned on me this morning that I am not willing to put in the work to become more patient and loving. I realized that I know the truth (be a patient father) but I don't always live it out in my life. It felt as if God was putting a mirror to my face and asking "what do you see?" and "what do you want to become?"

Similar to the Corinthian church, there is always something that needs to change in my life. I want my life to be marked by this kind of truth where my beliefs and actions intersect.

Prayer: Help me Lord live and grow in truth. Let my convictions and beliefs continually intersect with everyday challenges and opportunities. And thank you again for my kids. :)

Why We Worship: Isaiah 6:1-8

"The Movement of Worship"

Discovery: There is movement in worship. We move into the presence of God and in doing so we are moved by Him. This is what happens to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8.

Isaiah has a supernatural and transcendant experience of being in the presence of God. He sees seraphs who have a total of six wings. Normally wings are used for flying but in the case of these seraphs, two pair of wings cover the eyes and feet. This symbolizes the humility required to be in the presence of God's holiness. In fact, in v. 3 these seraphs were calling out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Isaiah's reaction is initially strange but understandable. He cries out in v. 5: "'Woe to me!' I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Isaiah realizes that he is standing before the holy God and unlike the seraphs who have their eyes and feet covered as signs of respect for God's holiness, Isaiah is looking at God face to face.

In vv. 6-7 we see a seraph taking a live coal from the alter and putting it to Isaiah's "unclean lips" and thus sanctifying and purifying him.

Finally in v. 8 we hear the voice of God calling out, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah responds by saying, "Here am I. Send me!"

Application:

The reason why we worship is because we need to have a change of heart similar to Isaiah. The first part of worship is moving into the presence of God. In doing so, there are things that are praiseworthy (i.e. Isaiah seeing the Lord high and exalted and the train of His robe filling the temple), there are things that are awe-inspiring (i.e. the voices of the seraphs causing the doorposts and thresholds to shake and to have the temple filled with smoke) and there are moments of repentance (Isaiah's honest and heartfelt confession of sin).

But the movement of worship doesn't allow us to stay where we are. Instead true worship moves us to change and to be transformed. We see that God purifies Isaiah, we see God calling Isaiah, and we see Isaiah responding. I love the movement of Isaiah's heart and attitude throughout this passage. He goes from being awe-struck, broken, and repentant to becoming purified, redeemed, and emboldened.

This is what should happen to us as well as we worship the Lord. I remind you that God is holy. There needs to be a healthy measure of awe and reverence for Him. I also remind you that we need to seek to be purified. We too are a people of unclean hearts and lips and we live among a people of unclean hearts and lips. We need to seek God's forgiveness and grace everyday. In addition, we also need to hear the call of God and seek His Kingdom. He wants us to move from places of fear and insecurity to places of faith and boldness. He wants us to share the Good News of His saving grace that we ourselves have experienced firsthand.

Prayer: Let there be movement in my life! Purify my heart of all the sin that so easily entangles and free me to be bold in living my life passionately for You.

Who We Worship: Basic Church Sermon Series

"Who We Worship"

Intro: We started a new series this past Sunday. It is entitled "Basic Church." We will be looking at various aspects of the life of the church. This week is focused on worship.

"Worship changes the worshipper into the image of the One worshipped." Jack Hayford

Discovery: This week we are looking at the object of our worship: God Himself. We talked about a number of different aspects of God's character but I am going to focus on just one for this blog.

The One True God: In Mark 12:28-34, we find the familiar verses that contain the Great Commandment. When posed with the question, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus answers, "The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." When thinking of the Great Commandment, we often focus on the later part (love God, love others) and we simply read over the first part of Jesus' reply, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."

That verse comes from Deut. 6:4 and it is known as the Shema. It is arguably the most important verse in all of Judaism. It is the centerpiece of the both the morning and evening prayers of every observant Jewish person and it is often the last words uttered before one dies. The Shema affirms the core theological tenant in all of Judaism: The monotheistic essence of God. The Jewish people have professed this faith and confession despite all the obstacles, challenges, and persecutions that they have faced in their long history. Despite the odds, God's people have kept the faith and continued to trust in their God despite both external and internal challenges. Jesus affirms this core truth as He answers the question about the greatest commandment.

Application: The question for us is whether or not we have this kind of faith. Do we have a faith that can withstand the challenges that come our way. I am not talking about apologetics or philosophical arguments. I am talking about a loyalty and fidelity to this One True God. The Shema testifies to the unchanging nature of God. Not just in essence but in character. Our worship is about looking and giving praise to a God who is unchangeable, unshakeable, and unstoppable. This is the God that we worship! He is the God who never gives up on His people and continues to seek them out no matter how far they have strayed.

When we worship, we need to remember who we are worshipping. The Shema reminds us that God is the One True God whose essence and character has never changed. Let this truth sink in and wash over you this week as you spend time in devotionals, prayer, and worship. May you experience His love and presence in new ways this week in your individual times of worship. Especially for those of us who have a heavy burden or dealing with impossible circumstances... remember to look towards the One who never changes and always remains the same.

Prayer: Remind me Lord that you have never changed and that Your affections for me have never ceased. May my worship to You be inspired and strengthened by this truth. Let my life of worship lead me to become more and more like You.

Sermon Reflection: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

"Sufficient Grace"

Discovery: Paul says in v. 8: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me." Paul is speaking of this mysterious "thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan." Whatever it was, it is clearly something that Paul agonized over and fought with. He says that this thorn in the flesh "tormented" him. This word torment literally means, "to strike with the fist or to beat." Paul was being beat down and struck down by this mysterious thing and all he could do was call out to God and do so repeatedly.

We don't know how long Paul called out to God but we do know it took him three times before he received an answer from the Lord. I can't even begin to explain how this feels like the story of my life. To call out to God and to not initially hear anything back in return. It is frustrating and often demoralizing experience.

Application: And yet the response of God always come... just not in the ways that we expect or hope. In v. 9 God's response to Paul is this: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." God is not suggesting this to Paul (or to us) as a possible solution: He is stating a reality. God's grace is sufficient and his power is somehow magnified and exemplified in our moments of weakness.

These "thorns in the flesh" are realities of life. They are often used by Satan to undo or harm us. But the good news is that whatever Satan intends for harm, God intends for good. How else can you explain the heart of a mature Christian who is able to draw good things out of terrible circumstances. Its because they see the hand of God in their lives.

I also strikes me that these "God-moments" in which we are weak and calling out to Him happen all the time. In fact, it seems like His love, power, and presence takes on new significance whenever we are down and out. God's "sufficient grace" is truly amazing during those times.

Finally, I realize that like Paul my expectations are not always in line with God's will. My reaction to pain and difficulty is to simply ask God to take it away. When He doesn't, my sinfulness comes out in full force. I fail to see that God is desiring to show Himself to me even in those difficult times. In fact, He is trying to show me the full extent of His power and majesty in those moments of personal weakness. I just fail to see that when I am looking for the easy way out.

Prayer: Lord, help me this week look for those God-moments in which I am weak and in need of your sufficient grace. I pray that you would show me Your glory and Your strength to me throughout this busy and hectic upcoming week.

2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Sermon Reflection

"True Humility"

Discovery: False humility is commonplace in our my culture (Asian). I can't tell you how many times my mom would say to house guests, "Oh dinner didn't require that much effort" (when in reality she slaved away in the kitchen for hours getting things ready). It is also commonplace in the church as well. When someone complements you on a ministry task that is well done the "proper" response is to say something along these lines, "Oh Praise God!" or "I couldn't have done it without Him!" Don't get me wrong, I think humility is a good thing. It's just that true humility is something that is really difficult to understand and grasp. I love this quote by John Ortberg, "We'd like to be humble... but what is no one notices?" This seems to be our dilemma.

If you read this passage, you would think that it has nothing to do with humility. Through this section, Paul defends his apostleship by "boasting" of all the things that he has accomplished or done. Paul readily admits that he is talking like a fool and not as God would (v. 17). Why would Paul debase himself down to the level of his critics and opponents? Paul's boasting was necessary in order for him to answer the most damning accusations of his critics. It was necessary for him to do an "apples to apples" comparison with some of the most damaging statements by his opponents. For example, in v. 22 Paul deals with a few of these comparisons: "Are they Hebrews? So am I? Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I?" Apparently Paul's opponents use the fact that he was not born in Judea (he was from Tarsus which is in modern day Turkey) as a sign that he is less "Jewish" or qualified to speak on spiritual matters. Paul uses this section to dismiss these silly comparisons.

Paul also uses this section to make a clear distinction between himself and his opponents. His critics use comparisons to Paul to tear him down and elevate themselves. Rather than seeing Paul as someone on the "same team," they seek to undermine his authority and try to "steal" away as many sheep as they can from his flock. Paul demonstrates that he is not interested in using comparisons to tear others down or to elevate his own stature or promote his "brand." Paul is not interested in building his own kingdom but rather he is interested in seeing the Kingdom of God go forth to all the places that the gospel has not gone.

Application: I believe that Paul challenges our cultural understandings of what it means to be humble as well as challenges a deeper issue in our heart of wanting to feed our pride. I believe a good working definition of humility is knowing your true worth and repenting of the sin of pride.

Even in Paul's "boasting" it is clear that he is not trying to use it to impress people. Paul knows his true worth. He was a persecutor of church and a sworn enemy of Christ who was saved that day on the road to Damascus. His life and ministry can be summed by this his own word in 1 Timothy 1:15:, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst." This is not false humility. Paul meant these words and he backed it up by living it out.

Paul's example here in our passage also challenges our cultural understanding of what humility is all about. Our understanding of humility is often associated with terms such as quiet, passive, unobtrusive, proper, appropriate, and nice. Paul's example here is quite the opposite. It is bold, assertive, confident, defiant, fearless.

I am struck by the fact that Paul really understood his true worth (a sinner saved by God's amazing grace) and the result of this understanding propelled him forward into a life of fearlessness and boldness. You could say that Paul was not living for himself anymore but by humbly understanding his true worth, he began to live his life for Christ. In fact he puts it much better when he says, "I 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 Song of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20

Prayer: Teach me to have this kind of humility. Remind me each day of what you have done for me. Help me begin each day reflecting on how much you have loved me and how far you have taken me from the person I used to be.

2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Sermon Reflection

"Learning to Discern"

(This entry is one week late)

Discovery: Even as Paul is defending his apostleship in the later half of 2 Corinthians, we see his true feelings for the Corinthian church come through.

1. Paul clearly loves the Corinthian church. v. 2: "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy..." He treats them as if they were his own children and he wants the very best for them.

2. Paul is also worried about them. v. 3: "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be lead astray from your sincere and pure devotion." Paul wants the church to hold to a "sincere and pure" faith. One that is devoid of personal agenda's, politics, power, prejudice, or self-centeredness.

3. Paul is protective of the church. v. 4: "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you received a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough" Paul warns against being lead astray by those either adding to or taking away from the essential message of the gospel. Any form of heretical teaching takes us away from the core essential truth of Scripture which tells us that we are sinners redeemed by grace.

4. Paul defends his apostleship again to the church: In vv. 5-12, Paul speaks to this issue. We will not get into this section here but Paul makes it clear that it is not his eloquence, preaching style, giftedness, or strength of personality that qualifies him as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is his life, example, and love for the churches that sets him apart and that will ultimately prove his apostleship.

Paul ends our section by warning the church to be aware of false prophets within their midst. In vv. 13-15, Paul states that these false prophets masquerade as apostle of Christ. His warning is that we have to very careful who listen to and how we discern the message they are telling us.

Application: Discernment does not come naturally. It is something that we need to learn, practice, and apply. Discernment ultimately requires effort.

Discernment is a synonym for perception. In Isaiah 6:9 it says, "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing but never perceiving." This verse helps us see that there is a difference between "seeing" and "perceiving." In the same way, discernment requires hearing, seeing, feeling, and thinking through the various things that we hear in our lives and taking the time and effort to discern and perceive what the intended message is really about.

I shared a number of "tools" that we have in learning to discern the various things that we hear. Here are just a few of them:

1. Cross checking with Scripture.

2. Consulting with someone you trust who is older or more spiritually mature than you.

3. Doing some homework and getting a historical and contextual understanding of a specific topic or issue.

4. Comparing it with the life of Jesus and to ask the basic question of "what would Jesus do?"

I don't mean to trivialize this discipline of discernment. There is no cookie-cutter way of doing it nor is it a simple as following a 1-2-3 step approach. I am personally challenged nowadays to do a little of #3. I realize that it is really easy as a Christian or as a Christian leader to give out or follow really glib "one-liners" and spiritual "sound bites." But the good news of Jesus should never be reduced to this. I am challenged to have a bigger picture of God and to have a bigger picture of the church by having a historical and global perspective of God. I want to be able to lead our congregation through the various theological challenges and controversies that always see to come our way by discerning them through both a historical and global perspective. I believe this is the best way in becoming both mature and responsible world Christians.

Prayer: Help me Lord put in the effort to grow in the area of discernment. Help me not have a impulsive or knee-jerk reaction to things but teach me to press into difficult issues and to discern and learn from them.

2 Corinthians 10:1-18 Sermon Reflection

"Christ-Focused Ministry"

Discovery: One of the themes found in 2 Corinthians is Paul having to defend his apostleship. Chapters 10-13 focuses on Paul's defense of his ministry. In our passage, his critics accuse him of being "two-faced" in his relationship with the Corinthian church. v. 8: "For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." Paul alludes to these judgements in the opening verse of his section. v.1: "I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!"

How does Paul address these slanderous remarks? He is clearly not going to get dragged down to the level of these critics nor is he going to fight fire with fire. In fact, he clearly warns against using "worldly" means in addressing any accusations thrown our way. vv. 3-4: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

Application: Paul speaks of a better way: a Christ-focused way of doing ministry and living life.

1. Christ-focused ministry stems from meekness and gentleness. v. 1: "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you..." Wow! If I were Paul, this is what I would be tempted to say, "You ignorant, immature, spineless babies! Do you know who I am?!? (or something to that effect...). Instead, Paul begins this difficult section by pointing to the meekness and gentleness of Christ himself. It takes an incredible amount of self-control and maturity to look past the situation and circumstances of people judging you and instead to look at the example of Christ. This is definitely an area that I have a lot of work to grow in.

2. Christ-focused ministry is ultimately about building people up and not tearing them down. v. 8: "For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it." Why is it that the "tearing down of people" seems to be so rampant in the church today? Why does it seem like pastors, ministry leaders, and denominations spend way too much time bashing one another? This is just sad and wrong.

3. Christ-focused ministry is focused on God and not on others. v.12: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." Comparisons are not helpful. Especially in ministry and unequivocally in the spiritual life. They ultimately lead us into bad places. Comparisons lie at the heart of Christian legalism. A legalist finds validation in the ways that they are "right" and the ways that others are "wrong." Paul will have none of it. Paul goes on to say that while his critics "boast" in themselves, he will only "boast" in the Lord. The word "boasting" is used 12 times in 2 Corinthians, far more than any of Paul's other letters. It literally means to "to glory in." While his critics "glory in" their wisdom, accomplishments, and judgements, Paul will only "glory in" the task that God has given him. v.13: "We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you."

Paul goes on to subtly remind the readers and his critics that the ultimate goal of believers is to see the Kingdom of God expand. While his critics may be wanting to "tear him down" or criticize his speaking abilities and integrity, Paul reminds us that a Christ-focused ministry is all about the gospel going forth into new territories and not about "reworking" something already established. vv. 15b-16: "...Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory."

Ultimately the proof is in the pudding. In the end God's judgement and commendations are the only ones that matter. v. 18: "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."

Prayer: Lord help me not compare myself with others. When tempted to fight back and defend myself against the criticisms that inevitably come up, help me practice the gentleness and meekness that you showed, help me practice the "building up of others" that I would want personally extended to me, and help me "glory in" You and You alone and not anything that I can accomplish.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Sermon Reflection

"Indescribable Gift"

Discovery: In many ways, v. 15 should be the introduction of this section: "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" This indescribable gift is Jesus and a proper response to this gift would be that of gratitude. Good things come from a place of deep gratitude. Generosity, humility, kindness, servanthood, faithfulness, and love are just a few examples.

In our section today, Paul continues his teaching on generosity. He states in v. 6: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." The main point of this sermon is this: We harvest in proportion to our planting.

Application: So what are you planting? We can get frustrated and confused when we don't see the harvest in our lives. The harvest can be things such as a deeper relationship with God, evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, or even seeing our friends and family come into a relationship with Jesus. The reason why we don't see the harvest in our lives is due to the fact that we are not regularly in the practice of planting.

In my own devotional life, I really appreciated getting out of my routine and heading off to our mission trip a few weeks ago. It served as a great "reboot" for me to get back into the practice of journalling. I don't know what it is about journalling but I realize that I don't properly reflect on my life unless I am putting the pen to the page. Journalling to me is just one way that I am "planting" seeds in my life that will ultimately lead to a harvest of righteousness and holiness.

In my witness, I also need to carve out some extra time in my daily busyness to allow for encounters and conversations. If I am in a rush to get in my car and leave the house or if I only have a certain amount of time to pick up the kids from preschool, this prevents me the extra space in my life to stop to have conversations with my neighbors or parents of my kids' classmates. But when I do leave some room in each of my daily transitions to stop and talk with people, I see this as a great opportunity to plant seeds in my relationship with people that in turn will lead to harvest of transformation and salvation.

Our harvesting is proportional to our planting. Let us be faithful in planting those seeds today.

Prayer: Lord, help me be faithful in planting seeds in my relationship with You and with other people. Help me overcome my fear, laziness, and apathy as I do this. Thank you for the indescribable gift of Jesus in my life and help me have a heart of gratitude as I seek to follow You.

2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Sermon Reflection

"Heroically Anonymous"

Discovery: My favorite Red Sox player in recent years has been Hideki Okajima (even though he is currently in the minor leagues). When he first came over in 2007, he was cool as ice and incredibly reliable coming out of the bullpen. In many ways, he overshadowed the much hyped Daisuke Matsuzaka. When asked by reporters how he felt about being overshadowed by Dice-K, Okajima replied through a translator, "I am happy being a hero in the dark."

Being heroic doesn't always happen when the spotlight is on you. In fact, there are countless numbers of parents, teachers, spouses, service people, and ministry leaders who serve anonymously yet heroically.

In our passage today, we see Paul talking about the important task of transporting the generous financial gift that the Corinthian church has taken up for the home church back in Jerusalem. Paul desire is to be "above board" and transparent in the administration of these gifts. He states in v. 21 :"We are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men."

Paul does this by selecting Titus as well as two unnamed individuals who will help transport this gift back to Jerusalem. They are simply referred to by Paul as "the brother" in v. 18 and "our brother" in v. 22. Both come with an incredible track record of service and faithfulness to the Jesus and the church. Paul chooses them based on their character and integrity and not just because of giftedness or charisma. Though they are nameless in this passage, their value is far from useless.

In v. 23, Paul states that these two individuals are the "representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ." These are words of high praise coming form someone like the apostle Paul.

Application: The church is full of nameless servants similar to these two unnamed brothers. They may not always be in the spotlight as they serve and love others but they are clearly doing the Lord's work. The challenge for us is not to simple appreciate and admire these "heros in the dark" but rather it is to emulate them.

People who serve behind the scenes set an incredible example for all of us (especially those who are more upfront). They remind us that we are serving God and not ourselves or others. Upfront leaders need to understand that we walk a very thin tight-rope. In our service to God, whether it be preaching, teaching, leading, or counseling, it is very easy to give God the glory and receive a little bit for ourselves as well. Theses "heros in the dark" remind us that that service is about giving God the full glory and not trying to deflect some for ourselves.

People who serve behind the scenes also set an incredible example of humility and sincerity. Service to God is not about boosting our ego or self-esteem but it is about sacrificially laying our lives down so that others can hear and experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Those in upfront ministry need to remember the humility and sincerity of these "heros in the dark" and to be reminded that it is only God's affirmation that matters at all.

I shared on Sunday about our kitchen team at the Navajo mission trip. I have never seen a more hard working and dedicated group of people. Every morning when I rolled into the kitchen, they were already hard at work getting breakfast ready for everyone. Mind you breakfast started at around 7am so they must have been up hours beforehand. No matter what time of day I walked through the kitchen during that whole week, the kitchen staff was quietly, patiently, and wonderfully cleaning, prepping, preparing, and organizing our various meals and snacks. Even well into the night, they were there slicing fruits for the team to eat. They simply did not stop in serving us.

Even though the kitchen team did not have a direct role with the children's VBS, youth program, or adult ministry during the week, they made it possible for the rest of us to do our jobs well. Moreover, they set an example for me as to how to approach the mission trip. There were times that I was tired and wanted to check out but whenever I saw the hard work of the kitchen team, I was reminded to not give up and pull my weight on this mission trip. They were truly an inspiration to me on this trip.

Heros inspire. Heros lead others. Heros don't always have to be on the front-line or in the spotlight. In fact some of the greatest are never seen by others. They remain nameless to us but not to God.

I ended my sermon by talking about the movie Apollo 13. My good friend Jim from college loves this movie because the true heros are the engineers. :) As many who have seen this movie can attest, it was the amazing people at the Command Center in Houston that made the rescue of Apollo 13 possible. They took what could have been a potential tragedy and major blemish on the Space Program and they turned into one of its most greatest moments and shining examples of its strength and resolve.

This is what it really means to be a hero in the dark. I pray that we would aspire to follow their example.

Prayer: Lord, search my heart and teach me through the many examples and models you have given me of people who labor tirelessly for you without an recognition. I repent of the ways that I want the credit that I feel is due to me and instead I want to learn to walk the way of the cross for You and You alone.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 Sermon Reflection

"Excelling in the Grace of Giving"

Discovery: I just got back from our Navajo Mission Trip on Sat. Night. It was an incredible experience. The only way to fully understand is to "come and see" as Mother Teresa would say. In yesterday's sermon passage, Paul starts off by pointing to the great example that is set by the Macedonian church. In vv.1-5, we see the model of what it means to be a godly church with a deep and mature faith. What is most impressive is not just what the Macedonian church did but how they went about it.

v. 2: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." Circumstances did not dictate their generosity and joy.

v. 3: "I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own." They gave in a truly sacrificial way.

v. 4: "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." They took the initiative in giving.

v. 5: "And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." They had the correct priorities. They gave to God first and then to others. It wasn't an either/or situation for them. Generosity had no limits for them.

As I was saying on Sunday, this is the kind of church that I want to be a part of!

Application: This is Paul's challenge to the Corinthian church and to us as well: Excel in the grace of giving. We need to be careful in seeing this passage as a challenge rather than a comparison. If we read this with certain cultural lens, we can interpret this as a guilt trip or a manipulative comparison. It is important to shed any cultural bias and read this as Paul intended. He believes that the Corinthian church is able to grow in this way and thus he challenges them to step up to the plate.

The key verse in understanding this challenge is found in v. 7: "But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (NIV)

Paul affirms the areas in which the Corinthian church has in fact excelled: faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love. But the one area of growth is in the "grace of giving." The root word here in this phrase is not "giving" but rather it is "grace." In the NASB translation, this phrase is translated as "gracious work." At the end of v. 6 of the NIV, this same exact word is found and it is translated as "this act of grace." This word refers to the practical and tangible expressions of God's grace that the church is called to live out. God's grace is more than a spiritual principle, theological statement, or philosophical idea. It is a real, practical, and ultimately radical application of our faith in God.

At its heart, "excelling in grace" requires sacrifice. It is a call to give up control over one's life, finances, creature comforts, lifestyles, and expectations. It is about remembering what God has done for us and then passing on that same generosity, forgiveness, and sacrifice to others.

The Corinthian church does many things well, but it lacks in this area. Paul thus challenges the church to grow and mature by learning to excel in this "grace of giving," of practicing "gracious work," and performing "acts of grace." It is about giving to others in practical and tangible ways that same grace that God has given us.

John Wesley said this about how we should live out God's grace:

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can."

I couldn't agree more.

Prayer: Thank you for reminding me this past week on the Navajo Mission trip that You are clearly at work in this world. Thank you for the challenge and inspiration in my own life to continue to lay my life down for You and for the sake of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 7:2-16 Sermon Reflection

"No Regrets In Loving One Another"

Discovery: The notion of having "no regrets" is a very good and honorable mantra and motto. It causes us to take risks, step out of our comfort zones, and not dwell on things of the past. In a biblical context, this idea of a "regret-free" life is clearly found within the context of relationships. There should be no regret in regards to our relationship with God (Luke 9:62: "Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'") nor should there be any regrets in loving others.

Paul, in speaking about his relationship with the Corinthian church, shares openly about the struggles and challenges that he faces in ministry. Paul readily admits that sorrow and difficulties are a reality of life for any believer. However, in v. 10 Paul makes the distinction between godly sorrow and earthy sorrow: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow bring death."

The obvious difference is that godly sorrow has God's fingerprints all over it. Paul states in v. 9 "...For you became sorrowful as God intended..." In the NASB translation, it says, "...made sorrowful according to the will of God." God will often allow sorrow to come our way because He desires to accomplish something through it.

Application: No one likes sorrow. Most of us try everything to avoid it at all costs. The subtle lie of the Enemy is this: "Don't allow yourself to get hurt or disappointed by anyone. Protect yourself because no one else will."

This is extremely effective and we see the results of this all around us. People avoid getting involved in church, ministry, friendships, and community because it is always safer to keep these things at an arms distance. Sorrow and disappoint are inevitable in any of these endeavors and we can avoid it by simply standing on the sidelines.

But Paul tells us in this passage that we will miss out on the joys of relationships and community if we live like this. Paul points to his relationship with Titus and the great encouragement that he gained from him. Paul points to the even greater joy and encouragement that he received when Titus told him about the prayers and concerns of the Corinthian church for him. Though discouragement, regret, remorse, challenges and difficulties are real in ministry and relationships, Paul points to the encouragement, friendships, support that he receives from his the Corinthian church and Titus as far better.

Dear friends, don't let your fears, doubts, worries, and concerns rob you of the joy that is found in faithfully pouring out your heart in service, ministry, and community.

Prayer: Lord, let me live with no regrets in loving You and loving others this week. Especially as I prepare for our Navajo mission trip next week, empower me to give my whole heart to the people that I will be meeting with no constraints.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 Sermon Reflection

"Being a Temple of the Living God"

Discovery: The main point of this section can be found in v. 14: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers..." Because this phrase is an imperative statement, it can also be translated as "Stop yoking yourselves..." This has obviously been a problem for the Corinthian church because they are constantly conforming to the society around them instead of conforming themselves into the likeness of Christ.

Most traditional and contemporary teachings regarding v. 14 deal with marriage and relationships. The principle is that we should not be "yoked" to someone who is not a believer or spiritually compatible. Yet the implications of this verse and the principles found in it extends far beyond just these things.

In vv. 14-16, we see a series of 5 questions that tap into a number of different aspects of our lives.

"For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?"

"Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

"What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?"

"What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"

"What agreement is there between God and idols?"

These highlighted words and the contrasting words associated with them shows us that there are many things that are cannot be yoked to the things of God. The contrast is stark and absolute. Paul's charge is to stop yoking ourselves with things that are not of God.

Application: Paul's corrective challenge can be found in v. 16: "For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

There are three key things that makes us a temple of the living God:

1. "I will live with them" God desires to live in the midst of His people. Just like the wandering Israelites had the tabernacle of God in the midst of their camp during the 40 years of wandering, so too does God want to live in the midst of (not around, near, or adjacent to) His people.

2. "and walk among them" God walks to walk in and through freely in our lives. Our youth pastor Pat gave a great analogy about this. When we have people over to our house, we usually clean the public space where people hangout and mingle. But there is always that drawer or closet (or in our case a whole room) in which we stuff all of our junk. We are okay with people walking around and looking at the parts of the house that we deem acceptable but we would never want someone to look in that messy drawer, closet, or room. God wants to walk freely in and through all aspects of our lives.

3. "I will be their God and they will be my people." This is a reoccurring promise to God's people. It is repeated over and over because we tend to forget that we are God's prized possession. God is the author and initiator of this covenant relationship and He reminds us over and over that His plans for us and good and trustworthy.

Friends... stop yoking yourself to bad things and let us start living as temples to the living God.

Prayer: Help me turn away from the things that don't lead me to You. Help me instead to allow you to inspect all aspects of my life and strive to live for You.

Exodus 17:1-7 Sermon Reflection

"Jesus the Rock"

Discovery: I had the privilege of guest speaking this morning at Tri-Valley Bible Church in Pleasanton this morning. This was a follow up sermon from Exodus 16 that I spoke on previously when I was there. The two long standing issues of spiritual amnesia and a spirit of entitlement are dealt with once again in this section. Israel has already forgotten about God's provision of water as seen in Exodus 15 as well as the provision of food in Exodus 16. Their spiritual amnesia is demonstrated by their attitude of "What have you done for me lately?" Worse yet, the Israelites accuse God and Moses of wanting to kill them, their children, and their livestock (v. 3) out here in the desert through thirst. The danger of this spirit of entitlement is not just that it is selfish, immature, and silly but that it removes God from His rightful place and puts us on the throne of our lives. Rather than serving God, the expectation is that He should serve us.

Application: The real issue for the people of Israel during this wilderness wandering has to do with the condition of their hearts. They simply cannot and will not trust God. Their focus is on what is seen rather than what is unseen and they hold onto their past experiences rather than trusting God as they move forward in faith. And yet, the main point of this passage is that God is using the wilderness to refine and refocus their faith. The Exodus is not just about rescuing Israel from Egypt but it is also about removing Egypt from Israel's heart.

Clement of Rome says this about the spiritual purpose of the wilderness: "After this [Red Sea crossing], Moses, by the command of God, whose providence is over all, led out the people of the Hebrews into the wilderness; and, leaving the shortest road which leads from Egypt to Judea, he led the people through long windings of the wilderness, that, by the discipline of forty years, the novelty of a changed manner of life might root out the evils which clung to them by a long continued familiarity with the customs of the Egyptians."

The Apostle Paul states it as such in Ephesians 4:22-24: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Ultimately God reveals Himself to His people as He always does. Rather than wrath and punishment for their doubt, sin, and accusations, God provides for them the water that they desire. We see God's character here in our passage: His mercy (withholding wrath) and His grace (provision of water through the rock). The Apostle Paul would comment on this passage later in 1 Corinthians 10:1-3: "For I do not want you to ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ." We see the mercy and grace of God in the provision of water through this rock in Exodus 17. Paul reminds us that Jesus is that rock which demonstrates God's mercy and grace.

Prayer: Lord, help me avoid the pitfalls of my former ways and remind me of my new identity and calling in You. Thank you for Your mercies that are new every morning and a grace that words cannot express.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Sermon Reflection

"Reconciliation: Our Christian Motivation"

Discovery: Paul speaks about reconciliation in our passage today. v. 18 states, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." Reconciliation implies a change in relation. We reconcile our checkbooks so that the amounts are correct, nations reconcile their differences which leads to a cease-fire, etc. Reconciliation is about us correcting something that is wrong. But Paul's use of reconciliation is the reversal of the "normal" usage. God is the one who reconciles with us and not the other way around. He is the one who gave His Son and He is the one who didn't count our sins against us. God is the chief character in this act of reconciliation. We are merely the beneficiaries. Paul makes it clear that God's heart is about reconciliation.

Moreover, the church is called to be reconcilers as well. The later part of v. 19 and the beginning of v. 20 states, "...He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors of Christ..." Notice how its states that "He has committed to us." It does not say that "we committed to this." When you are committed to a mental institution, you don't willingly sign up for that. Someone else does it for you. Reconciliation is both the heart of God but also the primary mission of His followers. It is not optional.

Application: The church is too often defined by what we are not instead of what we are. We draw lines in that sand that determine whether you are on the right side of the wrong side. We take good and godly things such as theology, convictions, and beliefs and use them are tools to divide and judge rather than to witness and convert. When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus, we see what reconciliation is all about. Reconciliation is about stepping over and erasing those lines that people draw. Time and time again, we see Jesus stepping across these religious and cultural lines (Samaritan woman, Syrophoenician woman, etc.) in order to bring the Good News of God's salvation. In the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus teaching His followers to live in such a way that runs counter to the desires of our hearts as well as the culture of this world.

Reconciliation needs to permeate all of my life. First off in my interpersonal relationships, I need to be quick in forgiving versus stubbornly fighting. When it comes to ministry, I need to focus on those outside the church walls as well as those who are already comfortably within them. In addition to my "job" as a pastor of this congregation, I need to live out my "calling" as an ambassador and committed reconciler.

On a personal note, I recently been looking over some of my old journals when I was in high school. I am quite embarrassed by the things that wrote down. My natural tendency is to distance myself from that young man and to think that I have somehow "grown up." Reading those old journals instead reminds of the work of reconciliation that God has been doing in my life. I can clearly attest to the fact that it has always been about God doing the work.

Prayer: Oh Lord, where do I start... Remind me how much you love me and allow that love to forcibly flow over into the lives of my loved ones, community, and stranger alike. Help me lead our church in maturity. Help us be defined as people who live out your heart of reconciliation with one another and the community around us.

Luke 13:18-21 Sermon Reflection

Missions Weekend

Guest Speaker: Pauline Fong (IVCF)

Discovery: Pauline shared this past Sunday from Luke 13:18-21. She talked about how Jesus used the imagery of the mustard seed and the yeast to explain the expansion of the Kingdom of God. She explained that at many different levels this was a difficult and controversial teaching. Jesus used a common weed (mustard seed), a negative symbol (yeast was often used in Scripture as word picture for the pervasiveness of evil), and a woman to describe the dynamics of the Kingdom. But at the heart of this teaching is a dramatic and radical concept that God can and will use the simple and small things to do the incredible and awesome.

Application: This passage is very appropriate when we think of missions because God can and will use the simple things that we have to expand His Kingdom. Pauline shared a number of stories in which God used people's gifts, talents, and availability to spread the good news of the Gospel. It was inspiring to see how God used these different people to share the gospel with people who have never heard the gospel before.

I realize that most of my duties at church deal with shepherding and caring for those who are already believers. This pastoral calling is one that I really enjoy and thrive in. However, I am reminded this weekend that there are many people who are not within the family of God because of personal, intellectual, and spiritual barriers. Being missions minded is about crossing and overcoming these barriers in order to share the Gospel. As much as I enjoy being a part of our church family, I also want to see this church family expand through our witness and steps of faith. Especially at a small church like MVCCC, it isn't about coming up with new programs or methods. Rather it is about intentionally reaching outside of our normal relational circles and inviting them to glimpse into our lives. This call to cross barriers and introduce people to Jesus in this natural and relational way is one that truly inspiring to me.

Prayer: Help me have the heart and willingness to cross barriers for You so that others can experience what I have in You.

2 Corinthians 4:1-18 Sermon Reflection

"No Longer Much Afraid"

Discovery: The main verses for this week come from vv. 16-18. This is Paul's exhortation to the church in the midst of the problems and difficulties of ministry life.

1. Don't lose heart: v. 16 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." It hard for us to have the proper perspective in life when things are difficult. It is easy for us to give up or to "lose heart." Paul reminds us that it is only through faith in Jesus that we can have the proper perspective when it comes to dealing with the struggles of life. It may seem like we are "wasting away" but faith allows us to see that there is something deeper happening within us.

2. Don't get bogged down with the "here and now": v. 17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." Our problem hardly seem "light and momentary" but that is what Paul calls them. He tells us not to be fixated on the problems of this world. Otherwise, we miss the bigger picture. We end up being paralyzed by our present situations and not seeing God deeper activity in our lives.

3. Don't put our focus on the things that we can control and understand: v. 18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." It is hard to focus on the unseen. It feels silly, irresponsible, or blind. Instead, we rather "struggle" with our present situation because it seems more responsible, practical, and godly. The reality is that that we enjoy a certain level of control when we try to handle our own problems. Giving up this control is the real issue. We need to acknowledge, understand, and ultimately surrender the questions, problems, and struggles that we are going to. We cannot fix them! We need to turn to the only One who can...

Application: I shared about the book, "Hind's Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard. I have always enjoyed this allegory of the Christian life. I can relate with the ways that the main character Much Afraid is someone who desires to move from the valley of Fearing to the High Places that the Good Shepherd promises to lead her. I can also relate with the ways that the two guides that the Good Shepherd gives her are Sorrow and Suffering. Who in their right mind would choose to have these two as their traveling guides in life? Yet these are the two that the Good Shepherd has given her.

Needless to say, I don't enjoy sorrow or suffering. Yet when I look back on my life, I can see how His presence has been most intimate to me during these times. Truth be told, I would still rather avoid these two things if it were my personal choice. However when I am confronted with these two things, I hope my response is not "Why are you doing this to me, Lord?" but rather, "God what are you trying to teach me in the midst of this?"

Prayer: Give me a humility that doesn't try to fix my own problems. Instead give me a heart that asks the right questions in the midst of life's difficulties and surrenders to You.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 Sermon Reflection

"Marked By Glory"

Discovery: Verse 12 is the verse that stood out to me the most in this passage. "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." Paul is talking about a hope that comes from the surpassing glory of Christ. If the Israelites in the Old Testament could experience the glory of God through the Law, how much more should we experience the glory of God through the sacrificial love of Christ?

Moreover, Paul goes on to say that we can/should be bold about this hope. Previously, there were barriers that prevented us from seeing and experiencing the full glory of God. Paul refers to the veil that covered Moses face and the veil that covered our understanding of God's Word. But verse 16 states that this is no longer the case in Christ: "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

The word for glory in the NT is the root word "doxa." It refers to the splendor, radiance, majesty, and preeminence of God. In the OT, we see the glory of God through various images of divine transcendence (i.e. burning bush, parting of Red Sea, Moses' face shining with the glory of God, etc.). In the NT, we see the glory of God personified in the person of Christ (John 2:11 "This, the first of the miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."). In our passage, Paul states that we are marked by His glory and are called to share this with the world around us.

Application: I confess that I have a very weak and small picture of God's glory. Just the other day, I was running late to pick up my son and I made it just in time before the 6pm cutoff (afterward 6pm, we get charged $1 per minute that we are late). I remember saying out loud, "Praise God!" I remembering catching myself right when I said this. Giving praise and glory to God has to be much more than just thanking Him for helping me through life's inconveniences.

I love verse 17: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." I want to have the freedom, boldness, and courage that comes from experiencing His glory each and everyday. Rather than being limited or veiled in my understanding of God's activity in my life, I want that freedom and boldness that comes through this transforming faith.

I think this quote from Marianne Williamson which Nelson Mandela used during his presidential inaugural speech in 1994 expresses my heart's desire.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Prayer: Let me experience Your glory anew this week so that I can have the freedom and boldness to be a shining light to the various people that I come in contact with this week.