Psa 31:14-16 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." (15) My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. (16) Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Rev Irwin is impressed with two things about DUMC – we pray (call upon the name of the Lord) and we are mission centric.
(Rev. Irwin uses an iPad. I still have not found enough reason to get one.)
Psa 119:37-39 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; [and] quicken thou me in thy way. (38) Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who [is devoted] to thy fear. (39) Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments [are] good.
Every member is is requested to get involved. One ought to feel the obligation to serve – to give something back. Membership has its responsibility. A membership in a church calls for volunteered servanthood. A membership in the Kingdom of God calls for total submission (note: no longer an option).
The call to servanthood in the Kingdom of God can only be answered in Cana: “whatever he tells you to do, you do.”
LKW and apanama both retired and wrote books. They are both nation builders. LKW said he’d give everything to see Singapore as a nation. He said if one gets into it for personal interests then forget about it because it’s about the nation and the future generations. This is the same in the Kingdom of God, it’s not about ourselves but for the lost.
The Absent Member
Joh 20:24-25 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. (25) The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.Thomas was absent when Jesus showed up. It’s sad when the members of a church are absent in the church when they can commit to social functions.
It’s a time of darkness in the whole world. This is the time that every member must show up.
Rev Rutherford ministered to a Chinese congregation of 80. He was surprised to see it grow into 1000. They invited a pastor from Indonesia and he brought them to the streets and these young people’s life is so infused with the life of Jesus. It’s important to show up when Jesus is present.
We don’t know why Thomas was absent. We can only infer that he probably lost hope. To him, Jesus was dead. In some churches, the life is dead. There is no passion. Thomas could not believe anymore. Some are disappointed like Thomas, they see no star in the sky. Thomas is a picture of those who have withdrawn when the member servanthood is most needed – people who don’t take calls, who thinks Japan will take care of themselves.
The Refusal (Reluctant) Servanthood
Jon 1:1-3 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: (2) Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. (3) But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.We need to listen to the Holy Spirit to receive our specific assignment.
Jonah was a servant called by God to do something in a needy situation. If there is a time when we need to answer the call it is now. God is looking for somebody to accept his assignment. In Jonah, a speaking God spoke to people who listen and obey.
Jonah did not want to serve due to racial prejudice – he was worried how he would look in the eyes of others. It was a selfish thought.
We need to choose Nineveh of obedience or Tarshish of Refusal (the city of “have it your way”). It could be near or far. It could be the baby in your arms, it could be leading a cell group at your home. But if we choose to be obedient we will have sweet fellowship with our Lord.
To flee from God’s present is the run away from doing. When we refused to be engage with the business of the living God, we are also refusing the friendship / fellowship of God. We may still tithe and go to church but we would be merely doing our duty as a servant. Are we always going to be found sleeping at the back of a boat? Are we accepting our responsibility?
Japan is not to far away from Malaysia. How can we leave 99.6% in that nation now knowing God?
Sometimes God has to cast us out to the cold to rid us of our lethargy. A story is told about Romania. A farmer was travelling in a horse cart in a blizzard. He was a woman with a baby. He let her climb on. The woman was drifting into unconsciousness. The farmer took the baby away and push her off the cart. The woman started to walk and then run towards her baby. She came back alive after running.
The Servant Who Went Beyond Boundary
Luk 10:25-29 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (26) What is written in the Law? he replied. "How do you read it?" (27) He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (28) You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." (29) But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"The man in the story set the boundary of who his neighbours were.
1. We need servant members who seize opportunity.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, the man who was robbed was wounded, naked and could not speak. He had no identity. God wanted us to help one another without prejudice.
Gal 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
2. It only takes one person to care for one another.
3. We have to move beyond our normal boundary. Don’t keep doing the same thing time and again.
The Good Samaritan took care of the wounded man, clothed him, put him in a place and paid for him.
4. When we serve the stranger, we are serving Jesus.
5. We need to practice reckless faith.
The woman with the issue of blood, the boy with the 5 loaves and 2 fish, etc. all practiced reckless faith.
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