14 October 2012

Topic: Panoramic View of God's purposes

A testimony of a man in New Jersey who was removed from addiction to pornography.
Another testimony of a couple who was healed from cyst in one of her ovaries.

Pastor to share a panoramic view of God's plans and purposes for us. Pastor asked how many have actually noticed that the world is not perfect and is a fallen world? Jesus will return. Only when He returns then it will be a perfect world. This earth we are in is not what God ordained it to be. Man wasn't meant to feel bored. That is why the bible calls death as an enemy. The last enemy to be put under Jesus feet is death. Something in us, the image of God, tells us that death is not meant to be. That is why we cry at funerals.

The prayer: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven in essence means abundance, peace, healing that is in heaven will also be present on earth.
When God made man, He said it was very good. The rest He created were just good. God created man last so that we can enjoy all the good. Our bible says God supply all our needs and we shall not want. Whereas the world says He supplies our needs but not wants.

God gave an oversupply of blessings when He just created Adam and Eve, because it is just 2 of them. He is always a superabounding God. He instructed man to eat all trees and told man not to eat from the only tree. So why did God created that tree? This was a demonstration for man to have a free choice. It is just like tithing. It is to recognise Him as your source. This is the secret which the world doesn't understand. The 90% goes further than the 100% of the world. When you acknowledge God, He blesses you more and more, you get richer and richer.

If God were to use His power to stop Adam from taking from that tree, it would not be a free choice. Just like many men dream of being able to control his wife. In reality, this will not last because we are not created to enjoy robots.
You can say you have the free choice and not be bothered about the consequences. It's true you have a free choice. But if you place your finger in the fire, it does not mean that you will not face the consequences.

God is love. But He is also justice. If there is no justice, there will be no order. Therefore sin must be punished. It is just like you hating the disease in your baby. How much you hate the disease is how much you love your baby. It is the same way as how much God hated sin. He hates sin just as much as He loves you. So, somebody has to pay for sin. Adam and Eve wanted to pay for their own sins by demonstration of covering themselves with "salad dressing". It was God who clothed them with coats of skin. It was a beautiful picture of His son dying for our sins. The covering Adam provided is not perfect because it was through man's effort. The covering provided by God is perfect.

God then said to the snake that the woman's seed will crush your head. God was actually prophesying the virgin birth. It was not too long ago that it was found out that the placenta of the mother does not go to the baby. Sin is in the blood but Jesus came through royal blood. It is only through innocent blood that the guilty can be forgiven. In the past, the blood of bulls and goats last only for a year. Jesus blood last eternally. We love Him much because we are forgiven much.

Ever since sin came forth, depression, sickness, poverty and ultimately death came in. But the devil does not know when Jesus is coming. That was why he instigated the fight between Cain and Abel. Its ultimate purpose is to stop Jesus from shedding the blood for all mankind.

The negative effects of the earth are still present today. Some may think that it is God's will not to heal anyone today. But it that is true, definitely the bible will show at least there is someone who wasn't healed when Jesus walked on earth.

God will never force good righteous life, blessings and other good things in your life. He respects your free choice.

Romans 5:20
The verse says that law entered. This word "entered" is pareiserchomai - come alongside, come in by stealth. This shows that it was not God's agenda. However, man was proud and challenged God that they are able to keep the law. The law came on the side. It was not given for man to obey. Law was given so that sin (offense) will increase. So at the end of the Ten Commandments, God provided man to bring sacrificial animals. David, Solomon and other great man of God were blessed because they offered burnt offerings. It was only when man started to worship other gods and stopped burnt offerings that caused the blessings to stop. You know these burnt offerings were only temporal. Jesus' blood takes away all your sins and lasts a lifetime.

Do you think you need grace in this life? When Jesus saved you, do you think you were really good? If that's what you think, it's very likely you are not saved.

We still need laws to govern nations. But how many know that it is only to guard the outward manner of man. We believers are under grace. If you have to command someone, it means that person is lacking of that thing. God wants you not to commit adultery and love your wife. God wants you not to steal because He will provide. Adam and Eve were led to believe that God doesn't love them.

The logic of unbelief is really stupid comparing with the simple belief of a little child. Many of us don't stop and think about it. How beautiful is the belief of child-like faith. All along God's main agenda is to save man.

God did not give up His arch angels for you but instead He gave His most precious. See how valuable you are to God.

Pastor jokes that the sermon just started.

People may claim that why does the good suffer? There are no good people that suffer. We do not really know who is really good. Some may appear good for an ulterior motive. The very fact that you ask this question means that you think that there are some good. But Jesus said there are none good. Jesus came to make dead people live. There's no degree of goodness for anyone, just like no degree of bad.

A drowning man is only ready to be saved when he gives up. We interpret events in life like how can the righteous suffer? The bible says the days will only get worse and worse. It is the presence of the church that prevents more crisis that are happening.

Luke 13:1-17
Verse 1: During that time, Galileans were killed. The Romans must have came to Jesus and "told" Him of that.
Verse 2: Then Jesus answered them by asking if those Galileans were the worst sinners? What He means is that all man are all the same - sinners.
Verse 3: Jesus said unless you repent, otherwise you may perish. The word "repent" means to change your mindset. We need to know and accept Jesus as our protection so that we will never have to perish.
Jesus wants to cover you under His wings, away from the bad of the world.
Before we judge or criticise anyone, we need to reflect. We like to criticise to look good ourselves. If not by the grace of God, that person could be you.
Verse 4: Siloam was where the blind man's sight was restored. The Romans despised the people of Galileans. When Jesus came, He levelled everyone in status and saved everyone.

Do you know how much powers of darkness are coming for you if not for God's mercy on you?
Verse 5: Unless you know the true God, you will not perish. Back then, no one believed.

Pastor points out that we really need God's grace. We should stop the criticism-of-others type of nonsense. We are all the same if not for His mercy and grace.

Verse 6: A certain man had a fig tree. It did not say who this man who planted it. In fact, it was planted by somebody. The fruits are grapes- wine.
Self righteousness comes about when you say why do good people suffer. These are the people who rather find fault with God than themselves.
A fig tree is a picture of the law and there were no fruits to be seen.
Refer to Deuteronomy 22:9 to read on the fig tree.

Verse 7: The keeper is Jesus himself. For three years God's ministry was on earth.
Verse 8: It is the fourth year. The word "fertilise" is dung in KJV. So what is dung?
In Philippians 3:8-9, dung is all your so called achievements people are proud of in the natural. In verse 9, it says it is only through the righteousness of faith. A lot of people are still holding onto their own righteousness. Jesus couldn't find enough "dung" to save Jerusalem.

There is no logic of you being 30% good and 70% bad kind of theory.
It doesn't mean we are perfect. It means our standing with God is perfect. Now that you are born again, your new identity is in the risen Christ. What good works you do cannot change your own self.

In closing,

How much of grace do you really need? Some always think they have a part to play. Even today, there are still people who are still hankering on their life. That is the reason you are disappointed. Look away outside your self, look at Christ.

From now on, you will not be judged on who you are, or through your thoughts. You are only judged by the death of Jesus Christ. Literally God is saying, start to identify yourself. The bad thoughts are not the real you. The real you has been crucified on the cross and is now at God's right hand.
Depression is being occupied with yourself while being happy is to be occupied with Christ.
The moment you realise that, you become Christ occupied. We need all of His grace. Many major events are now happening around the world. The world and the smarts are coming to an end.

In the bible, when the children of Israel yearned for quail eggs in the desert, God made quails flew low for them. When God breathes and sends His grace coming for you, things will happen for you. You don't have to strive or compete.
Many of times we thank God for the close encounters but we do not thank Him for protecting us from the unseen. We need His grace even for the air we breathe in everyday.

If you act like you only need Him in your life, Jesus will extend His wings. If you have something to do this week, trust in Him, He will bring you through. Do not worry about what is next to come because His manna comes fresh everyday. Jesus has already gone into your Mondays, Tuesdays and has already removed all the danger. What you need to say during your meetings or presentations and your feeling have already been well taken care of.

Be cool and rest in Him!