Gospel Power | Romans 1.16-17

I preached my first sermon at Grace church today, entitled “Gospel Power” (Rom. 1.16-17), which I wish to dedicate to the memory of the 5 missionaries – Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, & Roger Youderian – who 66 years ago this weekend, on 8 Jan. 1956, were martyred in Ecuador, killed by the Huaorani Indians.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

#JimElliot

Slides here – bit.ly/gospelpowerRom1

Key points:

1. The gospel is … the power of God.
2. The gospel is … for salvation.
3. The gospel is … to everyone who believes.

Response/Application

• Be unashamed
• Live out the gospel
• Be strong & courageous

Main idea – The church/Christian life is all about the gospel; the gospel is all about Jesus.

#gospelpower #romans1 #powerofgod

Ways to reach God’s world

As many countries and parts of the world go on lockdown, isolation, or quarantine, many short-term mission trips might be currently cancelled or put on hiatus, so what else can we do, when we cannot GO, as Jesus commands in the Great Commission? I was reminded of this set of videos, materials by OMF titled “6 ways to reach God’s world.”

What are ways we can reach God’s world? (Summary)

• Learn
• Pray
• Go
• Send/Support
• Welcome
• Mobilize

More information and details, videos & group discussion guides here.

#6ways

God’s mouthpiece

In Exodus 4, Moses is seen to question or doubt God for choosing him to lead His people out of Egypt. Even after his encounter with God through the burning bush, God’s revelation of His name “I AM,” the provision of the staff, the miracle of the leprous hand as well as the promised miracle of water from the Nile turning to blood, it seemed to be still not enough for Moses to be convinced. Finally, God says to him, “Who has made man’s mouth … Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Ex. 4:11-12). Even with this promise, Moses still pleaded with God, and eventually Aaron was sent to be his mouthpiece.

Throughout salvation history, God has appointed men and women to speak forth His words to others, such as the judges and prophets of the Old Testament. To Jeremiah, he said, “If you return, then I will restore you—Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become my spokesman” (Jer. 15:19). Jesus, in describing and promising the Holy Spirit after His ascension, encouraged His disciples about standing in front of the authorities for the sake of His name, “do not worry about how or what you are to say, for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matt. 10:19-20). Paul in his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders, described his primary ministry given by God, “For I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Is Jesus really God? (Matt. 16.13-17) | Josh McDowell

As part of his CRU speaking engagements in Singapore, we had the privilege of having Josh McDowell speak at our morning service on the topic “Is Jesus really God?” from Matt. 16.13-17. Years back, I was able to attend an apologetics talk he gave, but did not get to talk to him.

Work out, work in

Every time you attend a Christmas or Easter service, perhaps you have been
challenged or encouraged to share the gospel with your loved ones or friends. It could have been in
the past or even during a time like this coming weekend, as we spend more time reflecting or focusing on the gospel and the
message of the cross.

Paul writes about this in Phil. 2:12-13, “Therefore, my dear friends … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” There is an amazing balance of responsibility when it comes to our salvation, the work of the gospel in our lives. On one hand, God tells us in His Word to “work out” our salvation, and yet on the other hand, He reminds us that it is He who “works in” us to will and act out His purposes. It is the ultimate truth that at the end of the day, it is both God and us that works for the sake of His glory.

What does it mean to “work out” our salvation? A quote often attributed to Francis of Assisi sums it up this way, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Our lives, and all that we are and do, not just our words, should represent and reflect Christ and His gospel message. Do our words and our lives match up? Are people stumbled because we say one thing, but we do another? Do our actions scream out way more glaringly our values and what we believe in, more than what we claim to profess? How can the message and the messenger be more aligned, more congruent, more consistent?

Simultaneously, we need to acknowledge and recognize that it is God who “works in” us, to direct our hearts, head and hands for His kingdom purposes. If not, then we labour and toil in vain as we would only rely on and depend on our own strength, wisdom and abilities. Yet it is also a challenge as it would involved surrendering our own will to God’s will. Jesus said, “Yet not my will, but Yours be done.” What does God want for us to give up, let go or lay at the cross, so that God can work in and through us to accomplish all He has willed and purposed for our lives?

As we step out of church each Sunday, may we experience more of His joy and grace through the gift of salvation and allow the gospel to grow and resound in our hearts, and through us to the ends of the earth, to the praise of His glory.

Growing the gospel, loving the world

Credit: Bil Keane

As the world braces itself for yet another Christmas weekend, we are constantly bombarded by media advertisements, shop and brand campaigns, shopping mall events, all capitalising on this special festive season. Pretty lights, decorated streets and malls, secular Christmas songs, gift shopping and giving, the glitz and the glitter encapsulates the consumerism that has shrouded the true meaning of Christmas, often even in the hearts of Christians?

Do the simple gospel truths and good news of the baby Jesus born to save the world still continue to capture our hearts each Christmas? Or do we slowly begin to see the gospel grow smaller and smaller in our hearts each year, especially if we have been Christians for a long time? As John Piper writes, “Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller.”

How can the gospel get bigger in our hearts? When grace gets bigger; when Christ gets greater; when His death gets more wonderful; when His resurrection gets more astonishing; when the work of the Spirit gets mightier; when the power of the gospel gets more pervasive; when its global extent gets wider; when our own sin gets uglier; when the devil gets more evil; when the gospel’s roots in eternity go deeper; when its connections with everything in the Bible and in the world get stronger; and when the magnitude of its celebration in eternity gets louder.

As the last week of Advent begins, let us remember the words of 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” May we experience God’s love anew this Christmas, and with the love we receive from Him, let us pray for opportunities to love the world and the lost, that they may come to know His love through the Lord Jesus Christ. May God teach us to love as He loves, and may the gospel message ring clearly in and through our lives, to the praise and glory of God the Father!

What’s wrong with the world? (Romans 1.18-2.24)

http://orpc.sg/happenings/sermons/whats-wrong-world-0

Where is the love?

The Black Eyed Peas – #WHERESTHELOVE ft. The World

People killing, people dying
Children hurt and you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek?
Father (x3) help us
Send some guidance from above
These people got me, got me questioning
Where is the love?

This chorus from a song by the Black Eyed Peas in 2003 encapsulates both the state of the world as well as the burning questions on many hearts. Why do we live in such a broken and messed-up world? Why can’t people just love one another? After all, “all you need is love,” isn’t it?

Unfortunately, or sadly, no. God’s word teaches us that mankind, because of our sinful nature, continually chooses to disobey and reject God. They, instead, worship creation rather than the Creator God. It is not finite human love that is the answer to the world’s problems.

God provided the only solution through His Son, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for the world by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. For Christians, Paul exhorts us not to be ashamed of the gospel, as “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1.16) What the world needs, and has always needed is love, the love of God, which alone will lead us to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

Nailed to the cross

Nailed to the cross on a Friday. How is that good? (Rom. 5:8)

Facing the task unfinished

Facing a task unfinished (We go to all the world) #TheTaskUnfinished

http://omf.org/blog/2016/02/01/the-global-hymn-sing-facing-a-task-unfinished/