6 October 2013

Praise and Worship: Today we sang a song which was my first time hearing it. As the song goes for some time, I realised it's actually quite nice. So when I came home, I became glued to the clip below and now it becomes like a song I've heard before. Another amazing song from Hillsong. I'm sure you feel the same like me too!

1. In Jesus' Name - Darlene Zschech

Topic: Continuing the Series of The Power of Right Believing

Right believing is not about believing long enough. It's about believing in an object that is right. That object is our Lord Jesus Christ. We know it is true because our faith is in Christ. Our right believing has to be in the right person.

When World War 2 ended, there were refugees who hid in caves and assumed that the war is still on. Afterwards, someone went in and shared with them that the war has ended.
What we are doing now is telling people that the war has ended. God has reconciled with us. Satan has been defeated and the powers of darkness vanquished. The people were in the cave with the wrong believing. Sharing the gospel with your family and friends is telling them the reality. God is just telling us to come home to love and provisions. The world of God is big.

John 8:31-36
Verse 32: The truth cannot make you free if don't know the truth. You need to know the truth to be set free. So what is the truth Jesus brought? Look to John 1:1-3.

John 1:14-16
Verse 14: The word became flesh for us. The word is full of grace and truth.

John 1:17
Verse 17: Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. "Came" in Greek is singular verb. It means grace is the truth that sets us free.

John 8:31-36
You can serve God with a slave or son-like attitude. We serve with the spirit of the son. A servant cannot cry Abba Father. Many of us have the servant attitude at work. If today you are taking over your father's empire, you look long term. For example, you do your utmost in customer service.

The love of God is such that He loves us though we were enemies. Christ didn't die for the goody people. Look to Romans 5:5-11 to see the love of God. Keep on reading.
Verse 7: Would you die for someone good?
Verse 8: God demonstrated His love while we were sinners.

God is a judge and He cannot spare sin. But yet He is love, sins need to be punished. So he sent His son to die on our behalf for us to live.

Verse 9: We shall be saved from wrath through Him. We are delivered from His wrath and because of this, God will never be angry with us ever again.
Verse 10: We shall be saved by His life. It's not our life.
Verse 11: We have now received the reconciliation.

Back to John 1:14-16
When Jesus was born, He was born the King of the Jews. When Jesus was at the age of 12, He could answer questions that astounded the Rabbis.
Since young, the Jews were taught to ask questions and never be afraid to ask whereas Gentiles are taught never to be heard. That is the reason Jews grow up very intelligent.
Jesus came to be used and to serve you. You end up with something you never had before so that you can serve Him.
The Jewish has a beautiful word for Grace. It is 'hesed'.

Verse 16: "... grace for grace". The word "for" is defined as "in place of".

A good pastor points people to Jesus Christ. Pastors and leaders can never replace Jesus Christ.
On this verse, Pastor saw a picture of a fresh wave coming to shore to replace another wave. When Jesus cried "It is finished", a wave broke out. God's law is magnified and grace and love are manifested.

God has died for you so that He can declare you righteous and at the same time maintain His righteous. This is called right believing.

Some Christians are believing it wrong. They think that one day the rooster will come back to roost. They think that one day God will come back to punish them for the sin they committed 2 years ago.

Law demands from bankrupt men. Grace is all about supply. We live in a world of demand. Many of these demands are legitimate. Demands to complete your work, family or boss. You need to wake up everyday and be reminded of that wave-after-wave illustration. Be supply minded. Thank God for the supply of grace in that situation of yours.

Jesus is always making people whole. Holiness is a by-product of wholeness. We have holes on our body. Jesus' wave comes splashing on you to fill those holes. Just when you thought that wave has gone, another wave comes to fill you up again. The thing you shouldn't try to do is through your own works.

God's grace is greater than sin. If sin today can stop His grace, it means sin is greater than grace. God's supply of grace is far greater than sin. What stops God's grace is your self righteousness.

Many of us think we are 30% good. With that, you receive 70% grace. The 30% wave that comes is wasted. Do not trust your own flesh. Take the total grace of God.
Before God can give grace, grace has to be appreciated. Don't glory in the flesh. You think you're pretty, there's someone prettier. You think you're smart, there's someone smarter.

Grace is not empowerment. Grace produces empowerment.

To put it bluntly across:
If God wants to get the glory, let God do ALL the work.

The period of Mount Sinai was a period of pure grace. It was based on His holiness. Every fresh complaint brought forth new grace. During post Sinai times, the people were under the covenant of the law. Every complaint brought death.

The law was given in Exodus 20. Exodus 19 tells us the reason for the law. Men told God to bring it on, confidently think they can keep the law. Notice right after men said that, God changed His tone and took a step back. God never had this tone before this. Before this, they were under the covenant of grace. It was based on His goodness.
After 1500 years of being under the law, Jesus came.

The strength of sin is the law. Before we can be good givers, we need to be good receivers.

Study the following chapters for better understanding:

On the parable of the kingdom: Before Matthew 13, there was something that happened in Chapter 12. In that chapter, Jesus talked about rejection. Jesus left Israel and went to the sea, to address the Gentiles. In Matthew 14, the head of John the Baptist was severed.

Matthew 14:12-17 talked about Jesus hearing the news. Knowing that, He could have killed them in one word. But He did not because His first coming was for grace, not a coming for judgement. In the second coming, God will come to judge only the non-believers.
Verse 13: Jesus went to a deserted place upon hearing the new of John. So why did He want to go there? He went there to grief. You need to know Jesus was fully man and had feelings. Notice multitudes followed Him.
Verse 14: Jesus healed those who followed Him from their sick. It seems that every man's wickedness brought forth waves of grace. God's grace is greater than your weakness.
Verse 15: Jesus told the disciples that the multitude can stay, just give them food to eat.
Verse 16: But the disciples said they only have 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Hallelujah. Do we need to read on?

Pastor then illustrates riding on the waves onstage. Imitates Michael Jackson and amused the audience.
Learn to ride the other wave. Don't keep staying on one wave. Otherwise you'll be beached.

Whether its healing for your body, financial lack, He multiplies your lack.

In Matthew 14, it is grace upon grace.
Verse 36: Those who touched His garment were made perfectly well. It seems like after those verses of rejection, there were more grace for His people.

In closing,

John 1:10-12
All of us are in verse 12. In verse 11, "He came to His own (neuter), and His own (masculine) did not receive Him."
He came to His own 'things' (referring to His creation), and His own (referring to 'men') did not receive Him. That was the rebellion of men.

Your past mistakes cannot overrule your tomorrow. His grace always supplies.

Jesus is grace and truth coming your way. One thing that stops that is your own efforts and pride.