Wednesday, September 24, 2008

09-14-08 Sermon Review

True Worship
John 4:19-26

We are currently studying the major topics that arise in Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, and today, we come across the topic of worship. If you remember the context, you will notice that Jesus had just confronted the Samaritan woman by bringing up her relational problems. Though the Samaritan woman might have brought up this issue concerning worship to avoid talking about her shameful relational matters, she receives an answer that once again confronts her. Jesus' explanation of true worship puts us in the same place. The usual issue that is brought up concerning worship today is similar to the Samaritan woman's question: where should we worship, what shall we sing, what instruments should we play? But Jesus reminds the Samaritan woman that true worship is not a matter of singing, but rather, a matter of personal engagement. Here is what I see in what Jesus says about true worship.

There is only one way to worship. Verse 24 is quite telling. It states, "God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." The Greek here that is translated "must" stresses the utter necessity of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. There simply is no other way. God is very serious about the worship He receives; it is not a trivial matter to Him. There were those who tried to worship God in their own terns and their stories do not end with a happy ending. Take for example Saul. He was asked to wait for Samuel, but because of his impatience, he lifted up the sacrifices before Samuel's arrival. This cost him the throne. Or take a look even further back when the law was first instituted and the worship in the tabernacle first took place. Nadab and Abihu came with "strange fire," and therefore God took their lives. Aaron, their father, was not even allowed to weep for them. Or what about the early Church? Did God take His worship lightly after the cross? Ananias and Sapphira wanted to worship by giving an offering. But because of their lie, their worship was tainted and God took both their lives. God is really serious about the worship He receives, and therefore, we should take great note that Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, "Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." So then, how shall we worship?

We must engage with spirit and truth. Now what does spirit and truth mean? Most people usually take it to mean heart and mind. They conclude that worship must be given to God that requires both your emotions as well as your thoughts. Now, that's not a bad interpretation, but it still is more vague than the passage explains. I believe that spirit and truth points specifically to regeneration and God's Word. Now, let me tell you how I come to that conclusion.

What is the Spirit? In chapter three, we did an extensive study on regeneration. One verse in that chapter is significant: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). What I think this means is that apart from regeneration, all of us are dead. Take for instance what Paul writes to the Ephesians: "And you were dead in your trespasses and sin" (Ephesians 2:1). Therefore, when Jesus says that we must worship God in spirit, He is saying that we can not worship Him if we are not saved because if we are not saved, we have no spirit. No one can value God and no one can see God for who He is if they are not illumined by the Spirit to see God through Christ. Therefore, I believe Jesus is teaching the utter necessity of salvation in order to worship God rightly. You need to be right with God before you worship Him. If you are here today thinking you are worshiping God and have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, your worship is not pleasing to God. Repent and turn to Christ before you come and worship.

What about truth? The use of truth in the Gospel according to John is quite interesting. Jesus claimed to speak the truth (8:45). In Jesus, truth is realized (1:17). Men practice the truth (3:21). Jesus taught that the truth sets us free (8:32). Jesus calls the Spirit the Spirit of truth (15:26). Jesus called God's Word the truth (17:17). And finally, Jesus claimed to be the truth (14:6). There are more, but if you take all of them into account, we see one common similarity regarding truth in the gospel according John. That is: truth points to divine revelation. Truth is what God has spoken and revealed to mankind in the various ways that He has. That is why I believe that Jesus is pointing to the Bible, God's revelation, as the standard for worship. Those who desire to worship Him must worship Him according to what's written in the Bible. Some might say, "But the bible was not yet fully written when Jesus spoke these words!" Yes, that is true, and that is why I did not say truth is the Bible. Truth is, once again, divine revelation. The only divine revelation we have as those living after the cross and the apostolic era is the Bible. That is why Jesus' words point to the Bible as the guideline and the standard for our worship.

This being said, we conclude that worship is more than just singing. It's living according to the Bible's teachings! You can't say you worship God when you disobey the government by sneaking into R-rated movies. You can't say you worship God when you toe the lines of purity. You can't say you worship God when you get an abortion. You can't say you worship God when you are hoarding material things for yourself. You can't say you worship God when you are engaging in music that degrades women and flaunts sexual promiscuity and shows contempt for government and promotes materialism and disdains absolute truth claims. You can't say you worship God when you are denying fellowship and service in the local church. Someone who lives this way is not worshiping God because his life does reflect the principles and commands of Scripture.

Now, that looks a lot like legalism. But why isn't it? This is why I believe this passage is so important to get right, because if you don't you'll either become extremely legalistic or a extremely emotional. Look back with me to verse 23. Jesus says, "But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." Jesus is implying that up to this point, the true worshipers could not worship in spirit and in truth. But what makes the difference between those of the past to those during Jesus' day and now? Simply Jesus! It is because Jesus is here that we are able to worship in spirit and in truth! We leave sin and live holy lives because we strive after Christ. Forsaking sin in and of itself is not worship. Legalism is not worship. It is because we see Christ as infinitely better than sin, infinitely better than this world, infinitely worthy of our lives, that we worship in spirit and truth (i.e. embracing salvation and obeying His commands). This sort of worship makes Christ look beautiful, and therefore, the one practicing such worship is not really practicing legalism. Jesus sends the Spirit, and Jesus is God's full revelation (John 16:7; Hebrews 1:1-4). Jesus in this one statement is making Himself the center of worship.

What an awesome God we have who demands our worship, is worthy of our worship, and a pleasure to worship. Remember as you come before God to worship Him, that you come only by Jesus' cross. And if you have been washed by His blood, let us lay down our lives to follow His revealed will for us. I reiterate the same plea that Paul asked of the Romans, "Therefore I urge you my brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1). Stay strong and God bless!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

09-07-08 Sermon Review

Living Water
John 4:10-15

In our last sermon, we went through the conversation that Jesus had with the Samaritan woman rather quickly, and therefore, we were unable to touch upon some of the major topics that are discussed in this passage. One such topic is the teaching concerning living water. To get as much out of Jesus' teaching as possible, we will ask ourselves three very pertinent questions.

What is this living water? - It is the Holy Spirit. Now the reason why I can say this so plainly is because John 7:38-39 makes it pretty clear. Jesus once again uses the imagery of living water, and John clarifies for us that this living water that Jesus speaks of is none other than the Spirit.
Jeremiah also used this term calling God the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13). Water is also tied to cleansing and frequently associated with the Holy Spirit such as in Titus 3:5 as well as with the concept of Baptism. By delineating the Holy Spirit as living water, Jesus is emphasizing the regenerating, saving work of the Holy Spirit. This all fits together when we remember that the Holy Spirit is the agent that applies salvation, and that Jesus Christ is sovereign over the Holy Spirit.

How does this living water affect our lives? - It springs up to eternal life!
Apart from this living water, we can not know eternal life. The water itself is not eternal life, but the water produces eternal life as suggested by the text. The imagery is quite fitting in that it presupposes that the we have a thirst. What we thirst for is the redemption from our sin, relationship with the Father, and salvation in Jesus Christ, and how the Holy Spirit quenches our thirst is by applying the finished work of Christ upon our lives, cleansing us from sin, and causing us to be born again into a new spiritual being. If we consider this, we realize that Jesus is teaching the Samaritan woman the exact same thing He taught Nicodemus. He did not change the requirements for eternal life, kingdom life. He was consistent with his teaching, whether it was for a high profile Rabbi of the Jews or an unknown woman among the Samaritans.

How then do we obtain this living water? - Jesus simply tells us to ask of Him.
There is no price for this living water, and it can not be obtained by works. By inviting her to ask Him for this water in vs 10, Jesus is urging her to trust in His graciousness. If only they would ask, Jesus will give. Now, if it's so easy to obtain eternal life, how is it that many have not taken the offer? And I think the answer is in verse 15. The reason why the Samaritan woman could not obtain this water immediately was because her eyes could only see the physical, blinding her from her spiritual state and the eternal life before her. It was only after Jesus so kindly guided her to see how in need of a Savior she was could she really embrace Christ as the source of life. Many will not take the offer because of their own blindness towards Christ and lust towards the world.

Now, where are you? Have you asked Christ of the living water and satisfied your soul's thirst for God and His life? Or are you like those in Jeremiah's day of whom God said, "They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13)? Look, Jesus is here and offers you living water! But it will require you to look at your self and humbly accept your pitiful state. Only those who are broken and contrite will ever plead with the Savior for this living water. For only the broken and contrite can enjoy the satisfaction it brings. Oh taste eternal life and feel the joy it brings! Stay strong and God bless!

08-31-08 Sermon Review

Jesus Christ at a Well
John 4:1-26

One of the reasons why I like the Gospel according to John so much is because of passages like the one we have for today. In these 26 verses, we see how a special picture of Jesus ministering to one Samaritan woman.We can learn a lot from seeing His example and therefore, though there is much in this text that we will revisit later, I would like to give you a snapshot of how Jesus approached ministry in our passage for today.

Jesus the Cross Cultural Missionary - In the beginning of the passage, we see that Jesus had to leave Judea because of the possible conflict arising from the Pharisees regarding His baptism (though John is quick to remind us that it wasn't really Jesus baptizing). Jesus decided to cut through Samaria in order to get to Galilee. To say that the Jews despised the Samaritans would be an understatement. Pious Jews would actually take the longer journey by crossing the Jordan river and traveling up the east bank in order to avoid the Samaritans completely when traveling north. Still, the fastest route was to cut through Samaria and therefore preferred by most Jews, and Jesus was taking this route as well. What is interesting to see is that Jesus, when they stopped by a well, asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. The woman responds quite astonished, and John explains why, "For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." This probably means more along the lines of "For the Jews do not use the same vessels with the Samaritans." The Jewish deemed the Samaritans unclean and therefore would not use the same vessels for water or food that the Samaritans used. What's amazing is that the Jews considered the vessels used by Samaritan women to be even more unclean. If Jesus was to drink the water from that the Samaritan woman provided, He would be doing something that was culturally taboo.

What's amazing is that Jesus extended dialogue with this Samaritan woman regardless of such cultural implications. We so often neglect ministry to others because of our differences. We neglect the wayfaring stranger. But both the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus needed the Gospel. We ought to learn from Jesus' example.

Jesus the Counselor - Often when I read this passage, I am amazed at the myriad of questions the woman raises and the patience of Jesus Christ to answer them all. He carefully guided her through the conversation and did not at once rebuke her for her ignorance or inability to grasp the spiritual teachings He was giving her. Though the woman kept changing the topic, Jesus calmly guided the conversation back to what was really important and helped her understand the truths He was teaching her. Though He was tired and thirsty, He was willing to work with the woman at the well so that she might learn of salvation. Learning from His example, we ought to be patient with those who are slow to learn and work with people where they are at.

Jesus the Confronter - Though He was quite the counselor, Jesus never feared confrontation. Before the woman at the well could fully understand Jesus' teaching on the living water, she had to recognize how incomplete and unworthy she was before God Almighty. But Jesus did not confront her thoughtlessly or insensitively. He gently guided her and helped her recognize her state before God by telling her of the relational mess she was in. Though confronting sin is important, there is a manner in which to go about doing it.

Jesus the Christ - In the end, the conversation ends with Jesus mentioning to the woman that He is the Christ. If he were to simply help her with her relational mess, He would not have helped her at all. What Jesus valued above all was that people come to understand who He is. Our ministries ought to be the same. When we minister to others, we need to point them to Christ. My professor tells me that everytime someone comes in for counseling and asks, "Can you help me?" he replies, "I can't." Surprised, the one coming in for counseling says, "Then why am I here!?" To which my professor replies, "Because I know Him who can help you!" What the woman needed was not her life problems to be fixed. She needed life. She needed s Savior from sin. She needed redemption and salvation. Jesus Christ offered Himself to her and in doing so, He gave her exactly what she needed. Let us not for when ministering to others that giving them Christ as Savior and Lord is the greatest thing we can do for them.

Jesus has set us an example of minstering to others in our passage today. We should ask ourselves, am I following Jesus' example? Am I making myself available to others? Am I serving beyond cultural bounds? Am I being a good counselor to others? Am I confronting sin with grace and mercy? Am I making it my objective to help others see Christ as Lord and Savior? If we remind ourselves of these things and Jesus' example when we minister to others, we will help many people see and savor Jesus Christ. May God use us as we pursue to imitate Christ! Stay strong and God bless!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

08-24-08 Sermon Review

The Wonderful Wrath of God
John 3:36

We come today upon a topic that is nto very popular in America: the Wrath of God. Many pulpits have abandoned even the thought of it. To be honest, I would not want to speaking on this either. The topic is not very welcome, and I experienced that first-hand when sharing the gospel with people on the UC Berkeley campus. Still, I would be doing you a disfavor and robbing God's glory if I skip over this topic. Now, I know that to some of you, the idea that God is angry is repulsive. So before I got in depth, let me first remind you that the wrath of God is an aspect of God's nature. It is like a face of a diamond, whose reflection works together with the others to bring forth the diamond's brilliance. God's love, God's kindness, God's mercy, all of God's attribute can not be fully appreciated and enjoyed if we ignore God's wrath. Secondly, we must remember that God's wrath is different from human wrath. With that said, let us delve into this heavy subject and see what the Bible affirms for us today about God's wrath.

Wrath that is Divine - The Bible speaks unapologetically of the source of wrath - God. There is a mountain of passages that affirm this. Just search "wrath" on Biblegateway.com and see how passages pop up. It is unquestionable, the wrath that we face as sinners is the wrath of God. Thoguh many Christians feel ashamed to speak of God's wrath or even try to assure the unbelieving that God is nor a God of wrath, God is unashamed of His wrath and clearly reveals it to the world. Many have tried to explain away the wrath of God as anthropomorphism (i.e. God is not really angry, but human expressions are used simply to describe). But one must ask, "What about the love of God? Is that anthropomorphic as well? And what of the actual instances where God revealed His wrath not with words but with judgment?" Another explanation some give is that God was a God of wrath, but now in the New Testament, God is a God of love. Now, think about that for a second. Did God evolve? It is absrud to think that God goes through changes, especially God who is perfect and claims that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The statement is also very misleading. The New Testament is even more so clear abotu God's wrath than the Old Testament. Take Revelations for example. No one can read that and say God is not a God of wrath. Someone who says that he can not believe in a God of wrath tells us more about himself than what he believes about God.

Wrath that is Just - The Bible speaks consistently of the righteous aspect of God's wrath. God's wrath is so righteous, that when facing His judgment, the sinner can only say that he deserves it. It is so righteous that the angels glorify God for unleashing His wrath on those He wills (Revelations 16:4-6). It is so righteous that the martyrs cry out for God to unleash God's wrath on those who have slain His people (Revelations 6:10). It is so righteous that Christians are commanded to leave room for the wrath of God (Romans 12:19). It is so righteous that the saints will rejoice when God lays down His judgment (Psalm 58:10). No sinner in hell will ever comlpain of what he has received. While our anger flows from our pride, God's anger flows from His holiness and righteousness. John MAcarthur so insightfully states, "God could not be a God and be holy and be wholly good if He didn't react to evil... You cannot be holy and tolerate unholiness."

Wrath that is Dreadful - The Bible speaks boldly of the terror of God's wrath. It is amazing to see how bold men are to challenge the wrath of God. Revelation 19:11-16 gives us a picture of God's wrath. Jonathan Edwards in his famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God writes, "The words are exceedingly terrible. If it had only been said, 'the wrath of God,' the wrods would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is the 'fury of the wrath of God.' The fury of God! The fierceness of Jehovah! Oh how dreadful that must be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them?" Some of the most horrifying statements in the Bible are reserved for God's judgment. The examples that Scripture gives are both terrifying and sobering.

Wrath that is Eternal - The Bible speaks clearly of the eternal nature of God's wrath. For how long will God be angry with sinners? Forever... period. Annihilationism, a belief that God onyl punishes souls for a certain time and then removes them from existence, has been welcomed in many churches, but the doctrine does not stand up to biblical evidence. Daniel 12:2 clearly states that "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." The Bible time and time again makes it very clear that hell is eternal. How can we explain this? Why must God punish for all eternity. God is an infinitely lovely God. A sin against an infinitely lovely and deserving being can only be recompensed with an infinite punishment. The great mind Jonathan Edwards reasoned thus, and it makes sense for those who have a high view of God's worth.

Wrath that is Escapable - The Bible speaks graciously of the salvation from God's wrath. Oh teh joy of knowing that the end of the story isn't after my fourth! How gracious of God to provide a way of escape! But notice, not all will escape. Many will choose their own sins over God and endure the wrath of God. Soul, if you are clinging to your sins, remember the wrath of God that is upon you and flee to Christ. God's wrath upon you was put upon Christ. Macarthur states, "And above all, I believe the greatest demonstration of the wrath of God ever given was given on Calvary's cross. God hates so deeply that He actually allowed His own Son to be put to death.. He would not hold it back even from His own son. That's how He hated sin." Or as the Apostle puts it, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all" (Romans 8:32).

The wrath of God is very real. It looms over our heads and upon all the wickedness in the world. God has been very patient with us. He lets the sun shine on the righteous and the wicked. He lets all people enjoy the pleasures of life. We must stand amazed at this, but we must also recognize that His mercy will one day stop, and His righteous wrath will be unleashed. I want to leave you with this thought: Apostle Paul described God as "Him who justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5). The God who so hates evil, who must punish evil, who cringes at evil, He gave up His one and only Son so that He might justify the ungodly. Do not make sport of God's love on the cross. Embrace it and thank Him for such amazing mercy. May God be gracious to you and allow you to do so. Stay strong and God bless.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

A Precious Hymn

After our praise leader found out that I love this song, he has been gracious enough to play it time and time again during our Friday night prayer meetings. There are only a few things that can stir up the soul like an amazing song full of biblical truths. The song is "I Know Whom I Have Believed" and it speaks of the wonder of God's grace and the great assurance of salvation from knowing Christ. It does not get much better than this.

I know not why God's wondrous grace to me He hath made known
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own

Refrain
But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've entrusted unto Him against that day

I know not how this saving grace to me He did impart
Nor how believing in His Word wrought peace within my heart

I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing us of sin
Revealing Jesus through the Word, creating faith in Him

I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me
Of weary ways or golden days, before His face I see

I know not when my Lord may come at night or noonday fair
Nor if I walk the vale with Him or meet Him in the air

My youth student should know by now that the power of this hymn comes in one single word that begins the refrain: "but." Such contrast from the verses to the refrain so well states the power of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And of course, the words by themselves, though they are so powerful already, are aided by a wonderful melody that is so fitting for such lyrics. It is my prayer that more songs like these will be on the lips of our Church members day and night.

Friday, September 5, 2008

08-17-08 Sermon Review

The Greatness of Christ
John 3:31-36

A few weeks ago, the games of the twenty-ninth Olympiad took place in Beijing, China. There is something exhilirating about seeing the best challenge each other to claim the title of the greatest in the world. One of the highlights for me was watching Usain Bolt of Jamaica destroy the competition in both the 100m and 200m dash, claiming world records in both events, and then later, joining the 4x100m relay team for Jamaica and setting once again another world record. Before the matches, Usain Bolt showed off his fancy gold shoes and claimed, "I'm number one." With a 100m time at 9.69 seconds, no one would disagree.

While I was so captivated by the games, I was gently reminded by my Father that, fun though it may be, the Olympics is an event to display for the world the greatness of man. We must remind ourselves of what true greatness is before our petty claims take over our minds. When before the greatness of Christ, we realize how immensely stupid our claims to greatness actually are. When we stand before Jesus Christ, we are but candles in front of the sun. We are like water drops before the ocean. We are but a speck of sand while He is the mountain. Jesus Christ is so great.

In the precious passage, John the Baptist ended his remarks by stating, "He must increase, but I must decrease." In the passage for today, he explains why this must be so. We find at least four differences that exist between Christ and us that makes Him so much greater than us.

A Difference in the Quality of His existence - The passage starts by affirming Jesus' heavenly origin: "He who comes from above is above all." Jesus, though being fully man, is also fully God. No one else in all existence can lay a claim on that! Compared to this heavenly Christ, we are but those of the earth. This is very interesting in that Jesus is described as one "who comes from heaven" while we are described as "of the earth." I think this is also pointing to the fact that Jesus had no beginning; He always was, is, and will be. But for us, we were created, and in this sense we must take "of the earth." We are reminded of creation when God formed the human body with the dirt of the ground and blew life into his nostril. What a difference! The disciples had an appropriate response when, after seeing Christ calm the sea, they said in fear and wonder, "What kind of a man is this?"

A Difference in the Validity of His Testimony - In the court of law, witnesse are deemed credible only if they were eye-witnesses. Therefore, the judge will only accept eye-witness testimonies and the rest is called hearsay evidence and is dismissed. That is a good illustration of the difference between Christ and us. Christ comes from heaven and has seen heavenly things. We, on the otherhand, know nothing of heaven other than that which is given to us from above. Christ speaks of what He has seen; we speak of what we have heard. We must point to something outside of ourselves; Christ points to Himself.

A Difference in the Measure of His Spirit-empowerment - Christ also is given the Spirit "without measure." What is this "Spirit." We must first recognize that there are two types of "filling" in the Bible. The first type is the Spirit-filling that is given to all Christians through the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. The second type is the Spirit-filling given to individuals in certain circumstances to give boldness when speaking the Word of God (Acts 4:8; 4:31; 13:9). Men in ministry can only pray for such filling and can't claim it. We desperately ask for Spirit-empowerment during our preaching. We are left to God's grace whether He sends His Spirit or not. But Christ, He is not in such position of mercy. God freely gives to Him such power for ministry. What He speaks is always true and authoritative. "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God." Every word coming forth from Christ are the very words of God.

A Difference in the Extent of His Authority - God has given into our hands the authority to rule over the animal kingdom, to some specific men to rule in the local church, and others to rule in government. But to no one else but Jesus Christ has God given "all things into His hand." The power of that authority is emphasized in the next verse as judgment is given to him "who does not obey the Son." He is Lord over the Church, Lord over creation, Lord over angels, Lord over all. Who can match such sovereignty?

This list was not even exhaustive from what I see in the text, but we see that Christ is too great for us. It was such a Christ that was crucified in our place on the tree. The mountain was flattened for the speck of sand. The ocean was dried up for the water drop. And the sun was extinguished for the sake of the candle-light. What great act of mercy and love. Our salvation is great for our Savior is great. May our constant reflection on the greatness of Christ humble us and also encourage us as it reminds us of what precious blood was spilled for our purchase (1 Peter 1:17-19). Stay strong and God bless!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Please Pray for India

You might have heard of some of the persecutions Christians in India are facing right now. I heard of it through an online source and the situation seemed to be very dangerous for many of our brothers and sisters. The situation has only gotten worse since the time I heard of it. Phil Johnson retells the story of Graham Staines, a missionary who was martyred in India ten years ago, and explains what is happening in India. It is extremely encouraging to hear of how the Christians have been reacting towards such violence. Please take the time to read and pray for that nation. You can find the post here.