![Self-Righteous Response to Undeserved Mercy [Jonah 2]](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts116/v4/95/5a/cc/955acc3b-c837-5a21-360a-9fd079916c06/mza_2997741519981402397.jpg/250x250bb.jpg)
Episoder
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
Paul brings the defence of the gospel he preaches to a climax, when he spoke of how he rebuked
Apostle Peter when Peter was not walking in step with the truth of the gospel. Paul would not allow anyone to misunderstand that Jesus alone is not enough for salvation, and that it must be supplemented with laws and regulations.
The gospel can be threatened in current times here in Singapore too, in at least these 3 ways.
1. Testimonies
Instead of focusing on how Jesus forgives us and changes us in holiness, Christendom today is dominated by testimonies of health and wealth, success and prosperity. It is not that God cannot give His people health and wealth, but when our testimonies are predominantly rooted in success or prosperity theologies, it confuses the true gospel- for the gospel is not about "get rich" or "get well", but it's to "get right!" Jesus calls us to "lose our life" for His sake, & not "live our best life now." Let our conversations, teachings, prayer and thanksgiving therefore be more about "holiness", and not so much about "happiness" (in a superficial way).
2. Tongues
There are some quarters who teach that if you do not speak in tongues, you are not saved (for they say, you do not have the Holy Spirit). This is wrong, and it confuses the gospel.
3. Table of the Lord
A new teaching that taking the Lord's Supper heals you of physical ailments is sheer superstitious voodoo unsubstantiated by the Bible. It also distracts people from the remembrance of the gospel.
Like Paul's defence of the gospel, let's learn that we need clarity, commitment and courage in our day too. May God help us to keep in step with the gospel and to defend the gospel well.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
â12 men testified theyâd seen Jesus raised from the dead, proclaimed that for 40 years, never once denying it,â despite beatings and torture.
âIn Watergate 12 of the most powerful men in the world couldnât keep a lie for three weeks! [But] 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible!â
These were the words of Charles Colson. He and his people could not keep the lie going, and were eventually exposed in the Watergate Scandal. But the apostolic preaching that Jesus is risen from the dead is the consistent message in the early church, because it was no lie.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a most fundamental doctrine. Take away the resurrection, then there is no gospel. If there is no gospel, then there is no way for sinners to be saved.
But if there is the resurrection from the dead, then just as Jesus rose from the dead, so will you (those who believe in Jesus) when He returns.
May this message help you to know the gospel, and encourage you in your spiritual journey and service unto the Lord.
-
Mangler du episoder?
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
There are many races, many languages & many religions in the world, but there is only one gospel of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.
Whether you are a Jew, or a Greek (Chinese, Indian, Malay, Caucasian), we are all saved by this one worldwide gospel.
The gospel to the Jews is no different from the gospel to the Gentiles.
There is therefore no need to become a Jew to be saved.
There is no need for circumcision or festivals for salvation.
In fact, Baptism does NOT save.
The Lord's Supper does NOT save.
Tongues do NOT save.
Church attendance does NOT save.
Your good works do NOT save.
The gospel is simply "Jesus paid it all". Jesus alone died and rose again to save us from all our sins.
Jesus alone saves!
This worldwide gospel is for the world. And this worldwide gospel also unites the world.
The church is thus to display this unity in the gospel to God's glory.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
Just because one possesses some spiritual gift does not mean that one can use it indiscriminately in the church worship services. Worship must be orderly. And spiritual gifts are therefore to be used judiciously.
Orderly worship allows for edification of the saints, a proper reflection of the nature of God- that He is the God of order, and not of chaos, and thirdly, a proper witness to the unsaved in our midst.
Disorderly worship, on the other hand, makes proper edification difficult, reflects poorly on who God is, and causes the unsaved to think Christians are out of their minds.
Thus, there are rules that God gives to ensure orderly worship, even with the use of gifts. Find out what they are in this sermon. You will also learn how you can better serve God with true humility and discernment.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
Scams and hoaxes are commonplace in our day.
False teachers have also existed for a long time.
How can Apostle Paul assure the Galatians that his message is true and reliable?
He explains his message was a direct download from the Lord Jesus Christ in a supernatural revelation.
He also stated categorically that he did not consult with any man thereafter.
The fact that this persecutor will become a preacher, and that his message is consistent with the faith of the Jerusalem Apostles, show that his gospel is the one true and reliable message that broke from Heaven.
Paul's gospel is no man's gospel. It is from God alone.
It is the only message then we must depend on in order to be saved.
And it is the message we must defend at all costs.
May we determine to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Let us make the gospel explicit and central in all our ministries and relationships.
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
What exactly is the gift of tongues? Is it speaking a language? A heavenly language? Or gibberish?
What is the purpose of tongues? To draw near to God? To pray more effectively?
Are tongues to be freely used in church?
These questions and more are answered in the sermon.
Paul, in this passage, shows how spiritual gifts are used or not used in the spirit of love.
He does so by comparing the gifts of tongues & prophecy.
He helps us see how building up of other brethren is a central focus for the use of spiritual gifts.
And that is the way of love
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
God gives His people spiritual gifts to serve one another.
Instead of doing so, many in the Corinthian church flaunted their more prominent spiritual gifts and despised others.
So Paul now writes in 1Co 13 about love and how spiritual gifts are to be employed in love.
Paul speaks about the priority of love. Like a husband who gives flowers to his wife but who is also cheating on her, spiritual gifts without love is useless.
He speaks about a portrait- love is not just lived in the realm of good intentions. Love is about having the right motivation. It is also bearing the right manifestations. In 15 descriptions, Paul helps us grasp what true love is.
He then speaks about its permanence. Love is permanent, and contrasted with the impermanent spiritual gifts. So instead of lusting after spiritual gifts (the more prominent ones), pursue love instead, and serve one another.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
If you discover a miracle cure for all cancers, I suppose you will do your best to confirm and protect the recipe. You will make sure the medicine is pure and unadulterated. You will share with the world that others may be helped by it.
Whilst we do not have a miracle cure for all cancers as yet, we do have an even greater cure- a cure from all sin! That cure is none other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is only one way man can be saved. It is in Jesus and His finished work alone. This is the singular message of salvation for all the world.
False teachers have corrupted this one gospel during the times of the Apostle Paul, bringing the Galatians into a bondage by adding to the gospel of grace legalism or self-righteous works like circumcision. Thus, Paul wrote vigorously and bluntly to remind them of the essence of the true gospel, and to warn of the high stakes of turning away from it when one adds to it.
Because there is only one gospel, may we learn to define it clearly (so that we may depend on it and delight in it), defend it courageously, and declare it consistently (with our life and our lips).
-
By Brother Hanniel Sinon
God is merciful even if we demand justice to be done. In Jonah 4, Jonah expresses his complaint before God. He is angry that God would be merciful to a people who didn't deserve it. But little did he know that it was precisely in his nature to act in such a way, for he is a merciful God.
The big question of Jonah 4 is... how can God be just and merciful at the same time? We know that it is not an either/or but a both/and. He is just to punish sin, and also merciful to invite people to repent and believe. He is just to punish his own Son who didn't deserve it, and merciful, that those who deserve punishment are spared.
Yet there will come a day where mercy will be withdrawn and justice will be served. Where will you stand on that day?
-
By Pastor Sin Yu Fei
In Jonah 3, we witness the imminent destruction of Nineveh because of their wickedness. Although they deserved it, God in His mercy, sends Jonah as a mediator to warn them, giving them opportunity to repent. If they do, God would relent of the judgment he was going to bring upon them.
Isn't this akin to the Gospel? Just as Nineveh faced judgment for their sins, we too stand under God's judgment due to our own sins. But praise be to God that He sent Jesus as our mediator so that through Him, forgiveness of sins is made possible by His sacrificial death. When we repent and believe, God relents from the eternal wrath we deserve. Praise be to God for His mercy!
-
By Brother Luzerne Cheng
The disobedient prophet who defied God in Jonah 1 finds himself tossed overboard and in the heart of the sea. In the belly of the fish, Jonah reflects on the judgement from the God who is just. And also, God's mercy for the undeserving prophet. Yet Jonah 2 ends off with a puzzling end, where Jonah sinks into self-righteousness. Jonah 2 confronts our hearts which are prone to self-righteousness even after receiving the great gift of mercy and grace in the Gospel. The Gospel of Grace (Ephesians 2) reminds us that there is no room for self-righteousness or pride because grace is a gift to the undeserving not a reward for the deserving.
-
By Brother Raynor Cheng
We have many surface reasons to disobey God, but the big root issue is that we do not fear God enough. How can we know we truly fear God? In Jonah 1, we see a prophet who fearlessly disobeys God, which results in God's supernatural storm.
Fearless disobedience towards God results in death, not just in this life, but in the life to come. How can we escape this impending death? Only by looking to God for help in Christ, who by His death and resurrection gives us rescue from certain doom.
-
By Pastor Paul Choo
The book of Leviticus is filled with Costly Sacrifices, Clean Living and Constant Awe.
1. Costly Sacrifices - the sacrificial animals were first bled, then skinned, then chopped into pieces, then thrown into the endless flame of fire on the Altar to be completely consumed by the fire. This was a type of Christâs bloody death at the hands of Jews and Romans (Isaiah 52:14) AND unimaginable sufferings at the Hand of God the Father (Lam. 1:12,13).
2. Clean Living - the Israelites were given many rules/laws so that they could lead a clean life that differentiated them from the peoples around them. These laws were given in a seemingly haphazard manner (ie, sacred and secular laws alongside each other) suggesting that there should be no division between the sacred and the secular in our lives.
3. Constant Awe - the pillar of cloud/fire was an awesome picture of the constant powerful presence of God (who lived in their midst).
Our Responses.
As Christians, do we offer costly service instead of convenient, casual and comfortable âserviceâ? Do we strive for Clean living so that our lives âshine before menâ and open the door for us to lead men to eternal life? Are we living in constant awe and awareness of Godâs presence and power? May this sermon encourage us to confidently serve God and sacrificially serve men. (Mat. 28: 18-20)
-
Our final sermon in this 3-month Leviticus series ends with a call to obedience from God. We learn.
1. The Premise.
The basis of obedience is a relationship with God, who delivered Israel from the Egyptian bondage.
2. The Persuasion.
God offers rich blessings of prosperity, peace & His presence to His people if they should obey, with a language that resembles the Genesis account of life in Eden.
3. The Punishment.
Disobedience will result in the reverse of all the blessings attached to obedience. And God will escalate them if Israel persists in stubborn rebellion. The threats turn out to be real, as the passage reads more like a prophecy when one knows the history of the nation.
4. The Problem.
The root cause of their rebellion is the "pride of their power". They will forget God in the midst of their prosperity.
5. The Promise.
God in His infinite mercy will still bless Israel, not according to the Mosaic or Old Covenant of self-righteousness that was established at Mount Sinai, but according to the Abrahamic Covenant of blessing through the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, the offspring through whom all nations will be blessed. Israel (and us all) can be saved if we confess our sins and humble our hearts, and ask God to circumcise our sinful hearts.
Leviticus is a book about drawing near to God. And the key is Jesus. It is a book jam-packed with Christology- from the offerings, to the priesthood, to the cleansing, to the Day of Atonement, to the Feasts, to the Jubilee, and to the Abrahamic Covenant. May you draw near to God through Jesus Christ!
-
By Pastor Sin Yu Fei
At the hill of Calvary where Jesus faced crucifixion, two criminals were also condemned to die alongside Him. While one scorned and ridiculed Jesus, the other acknowledged his own wrongdoing and repented.
This compelling story emphasizes Jesus' readiness to extend grace and forgiveness to those who humbly admit their sins, repent and turn to Him, regardless of their past deeds.
Today, just as then, forgiveness is available to all who turn to Jesus in faith.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the confirmation from God that Jesus successfully paid for our sins, and defeated death through His death. So how did Jesus die? And what did His death accomplish?
1.Painful Death.
He suffered immeasurably- at the hands of man and most of all, at the hands of God the Father. His greatest agony was being forsaken by the Father at the cross.
2. Powerful Death.
He did not die in a whimper. God attended to His death with 2 powerful and supernatural phenomena- the tearing of the temple veil and the resurrection of saints with the breaking of the tombs. God is saying, "Pay attention!"
3. Purposeful Death.
Jesus' death opened a Path of Reconciliation, and offered the Promise of Resurrection. So, we see His forsakenness leads us to forgiveness. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In Him, we can be given eternal life.
This message is a message of hope for both seekers and believers.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
Jubilee is to be a celebration in Israel every 50 years. On this special day, the trumpet sounds throughout Israel, announcing the emancipation of all Hebrew slaves, the return of all land to the rightful owners, and the proclamation of liberty for all. It is also a continuation of another year of Sabbath for the land. Jubilee also falls on the Day of Atonement, whereby the High Priest seeks forgiveness for Israel.
The Jubilee reveals the heart of God- His compassion, generosity, kindness- for His people and especially for the poor. It tests the commitment of Israel- if they will love and care for one another, especially for the poor amongst them. And it is important in their calling to be a holy and distinct people in the midst of foreign nations.
Sadly, Israel never kept the Jubilee as far as biblical records go. But where they failed, the Son of God, Jesus, fulfilled. He alone is the one who can fulfill the prophecy of Isa 61:1,2 to set the captives free. Jesus is our Jubilee, for He died to pay for our debt of sin. May you turn to Jesus for true freedom and forgiveness of sin. May God's people live out lives of love!
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
The 7 feasts of Israel mark 7 special times or periods for the nation to remember God by.
They help the people to rest and to remember how God saved them, led them, provided for them, & forgive them.
This yearly calendrical observance also marks them out as a holy people unto God.
But from another angle (informed by the New Testament authors/ apostles), we can see the 7 feasts from a Christological persepective too. In other words, these feasts are pictures that point us to Jesus Christ! Come and see how they manifest His person & work in both His 1st Coming and 2nd Coming, and learn that God honours His Son in the calendar of world history.
-
By Pastor Chee Keen
The grace of the Gospel is not intended for individual blessings alone.
The grace of the Gospel is meant to overflow into the communal life of the church.
By grace, believers can walk in the Spirit and enjoy victory over sin in daily living.
By grace, as believers walk together in the Spirit, we will also bear one anotherâs burden in the community.
This demonstrates that we are bearing the fruit of the Spirit together in the church.
This accomplishes the life the gospel creates in the fellowship of believers.
-
By Pastor Jason Lim
The Levitical priests submitted to a higher standard in Leviticus 21, for they are to be holy, clean, sanctified and unblemished in their ministry unto God.
Whilst those specific prohibitions are uniquely for the Levitical priests, the principle of holiness in service is applicable for priests of God.
So we see the principle of being "sanctified to serve" in 3 groups biblically:
1. Christ the Lord
Jesus is our sinless, holy, innocent and unstained high priest. His virgin birth and holiness in the face of the Temptation are crucial for our salvation and for God's glory. He alone, is "sanctified to serve" as our Great High Priest.
2. Church Leaders
Church leaders or pastors/elders are given higher qualifications. And they are not qualifications regarding IQ, wealth, societal status or networks, but regarding character and holiness primarily. Church leaders are thus also to be "sanctified to serve."
3. Christians
All Christians are priests- 1Pe 2:5,9. And we are to offer sacrifices of praise/generosity/lives and proclaim the excellencies of God. And in order to do just that, we are to abstain from fleshly passions and conduct ourselves honorably before the world. The church is therefore also called to be "sanctified to serve".
- Se mer
![Keep In Step With The Gospel [Galatians 2:11-14]](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts116/v4/95/5a/cc/955acc3b-c837-5a21-360a-9fd079916c06/mza_2997741519981402397.jpg/80x80bb.jpg)