Colossians 1:9-14

Title: Live to Please God


Text: Colossians 1:9-14

Introduction:

There are those who just believe in God intellectually. There are those who play the game of religion. God looks for those whose lives will please Him. There are many things a Christian can and should do, but nothing is more worthwhile than to please God Will you be a God pleaser or a man pleaser? Paul prays for you.

Colossians 1:9-14.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For he rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Pleasing God will change your world and change your effectiveness in the kingdom of God. Paul says: focus on these 4 areas! - fruitfulness, growth, steadfastness and thanksgiving.



If you want to please God and glorify Christ then you must start bearing fruit in every good work.

1. Bear Fruit!

a) IN the middle ages there was a huge emphasis on salvation by works. Today we know of people who still think that they need to do something so that they will be accepted by God. They attend faithfully, give sacrificially, and serve unreservedly, accumulating a long list of good merits hoping that they can make themselves feel worthy before God. It becomes a problem when we try to twist God’s hand or blackmail God with our good works, hoping he will bless us more.

b) On the other hand some who read Paul’s condemnation of works-salvation think that they need not do anything. Both these groups of people are wrong.

c) Definitely, works cannot save us because our salvation is based on the grace of God, who sent his son to die for us on Calvary. Whatever was needed to be done for salvation has been accomplished by Christ Jesus on the Cross when he said, ‘It is Finished!’ While it is true that we are not saved by our good works, we are saved for good works, more than that we are created for good works. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 ‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them’.

d) ‘Faith’ and ‘good works’ are not opposites in Christian faith.

e) Paul is not against good works. in fact, he encouraged good works among the churches. In I Thessalonians 1:3 ‘your work produced by faith’, Gal 5:6 ‘faith works itself through love’ and 2 Thessalonians 2:17.







f) Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven (Matt 5:16). Let me give my youthful translation: when we do good works we make God look cool, we make him famous, we make him look good!” When you do true good to another person, God gets all the credit and praise. What better way to please God then? Abound in good works. Let your life be a fruitful tree of good works. When Christian performs good works, God gets glorified.

g) Mother Teresa is a very good example. Even non Christians are awed by her good works and give credit to her faith and the God she worshipped and serve. While Charles Darwin was finalizing his Origin of Species, Swiss humanitarian and Bible-believer Henri Dunant was planning the Red Cross and negotiating the Geneva convention for the care and treatment of wounded soldiers.

h) Church history is filled with examples of Christian who pleased God with their good works. And even recently in the newspaper you would have read of Mr Carstens who wanted to do more than just pray for the poor and he started a wealth foundation to help ordinary Africans get out of poverty. We praise God for people such as these who know God’s will – to reach the poor, the wounded, and the devastated, to bring hope and life into their hopeless and barren life.

i) We may not be Mother Teresa or Mr Petrus Carstens, but we can be that good Samaritan to our neighbours, our classmates, our colleagues, our fellow brothers and sisters, our community. I know of a youth cell group who live a God pleasing life by doing good works.











j) This cell group has a tradition and that is they would have a guys’ and gals’ nite. What they do on these occasions is that the guys will have their own activity while the gals will have theirs. And it was on one of these gals’ nite that the guys decided to do something different and so they decided to go shopping. They went shopping. They went to NTUC for shopping. They bought a lot of things with their own money and it was a trolley load of things when they checked out at the cashier’s counter. After the shopping spree, they divided the things they bought and went to the single-room blocks at Redhill to distribute to the residents there – old, lonely, broken, abandoned, residents with wrinkled faces and dejected look. I am sure when God looks down that nite and saw what they did he must be delighted.

k) You can start with giving a lift to your friends, buying him/her a meal, holding the lift door open for your neigbhours, giving food rations for those who are needy in your community, and keeping a look out for those who are in need. Babysitting for a couple so that they can have a nite off to date. Sharing an umbrella on a rainy day. Giving up your seat in the bus or MRT for the elderly, handicapped or pregnant women. There are many good works we can do and it will take eternity to list all of them for you. Always look for opportunity to do good to someone around you.

l) Fruitfulness should be a natural state of every Christian because a good tree will naturally bear fruit. A tree that is barren means that it is not a good tree. E.H. Chapin said this: To do good is the great thing. It is great not because it makes us feel good, but because it makes God feels good.

We please God by bearing fruit and by increasing in the knowledge of God.

2. Keep Growing!

a) Our age is characterized by the search for knowledge and ‘Knowledge is Power’ is the slogan of the age. Daniel 12:4 prophesied that in the last days ‘many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase’ but the sad fact is that none today is seeking God?”

b) Some Christians also think that they have learned all they needed to know in the early days of their church schooling and are complacently apathetic about growing in knowing God (D.E. Garland). ‘All I needed to know I learned in Sunday School’ may be the attitude of most Christians, which is unfortunate.

c) The recipients of Hebrews had this same illness, the author wrote ‘for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food’. We may have been Christians for many years, 5, 10, or even 20 years, yet our knowledge of God never grows. We still ask the same question – can Christian drink alcohol, must we give tithes, does God hear prayer –Or we become critical of other Christians and even of the church. when we should be teaching and discipling others. We are still babies that cannot handle solid food but drink only milk. Hear again the admonishment of the writer, ‘leave behind the elementary teaching (the beginning word) about Christ, let us press on to maturity’.

d) To grow in maturity as a Christian we must grow in the knowledge of God, we must know him in increasing measure each day. Do you know God more now compared to last year? Or is it the same? Or less? Maturity is not measured by years but by how much we know our God.





e) But we must realize that knowledge alone does not please God, but knowledge that leads to a transformed life. The greater we grow in our knowledge of God, the more our life should be transformed. Knowledge alone will puff up the mind and brings more harm than good. But a knowledge that leads to godly and right living will please God. Every sermon, preaching, Children’s Church lesson, GLI courses, is useless if it does not change lives.

f) Christianity is about consistent growth in the knowledge of God. We please God by increasing in our knowledge of God – knowing God and not know about God. There is a difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone. It is different in knowing SM Lee and knowing about SM Lee. You can know about him through his two-volume Memoir, but you can only know him by having a relationship with him. Similarly, we must establish an intimate relationship with God in order to know him.

g) We can know a lot about God from what people write, from seminars, from classrooms, but you only know about him and not him. As a pastor I have the privilege of meeting up with members and it is through these meetings at Vivo City, Great World City, Velo-city … that I get to know them. We cannot know God through hear-say which becomes heresy if we are not careful; we need to be eyewitness – what we have heard, what we have seen, what we have looked at, and touched with our hands.

h) This kind of personal knowing can only be achieved through spending quality and quantity time with God. Spend time studying his word and not just reading. I hope you know the difference between studying and reading. There are many who read but not many who study. Beginning of this year, I made a point to study the book of Galatians verse by verse, and I took a step further. I not only study the book verse-by-verse but with the privilege of knowing Greek I study the entire book in 6 months in its original language. What I get out of this? Of course my Greek improved but more importantly I think I understand God and know God a little more.

i) Spend time in worship. It is in worship that many people encounter God. God loves his people worshipping him and Psalm says God dwells among the praises of his people. Worship is like going on a date with God. When couple dates, what do they do? They sing each other’s praises and they want to know more about each other. Worship is like that. We sing God’s praises and know him more as we worship him.

j) Spend time in prayer. Prayer is the time when we align our heart with God’s. Prayer is more than shopping time in heaven’s shopping center. Prayer should be a time where we learn to listen to God’s heartbeat and listening to his still small voice. We can learn more about God in prayer than from any renowned bible scholars.

k) While you are busy pursuing your academic studies, professional knowledge, learning the stock market and business trend, do not neglect pursuing after the knowledge of God. Always ask yourself this question: Am I daily increasing in this knowledge of God?



A life that is pleasing to God must be characterized by perennial fruit bearing, continuous growth in the knowledge of God. God will also be excited about us when he sees patience endurance.

3. Patiently Endure

a) Paul says to be ‘strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the purpose of steadfastness and patience’ It is God’s will that we be strengthened with power, that we be strong in our living for him and not to shrink back. Here we are told that we are strengthened not with any power but with the glorious power of God. This power is none other than the power mentioned in Ephesians 1:20 which he brought about in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. It is the resurrection power of God. The good news for everyone is that you are endued with the resurrection power of God; you have a power that is more powerful than all the nuclear warheads added together.

b) This power is not for domineering subordinates, not for controlling cell members, not for abusing others, not for spiritual star wars, but for endurance and patience. It is power for us to live the kind of life that is worthy of the master and pleasing to him in every way. It is a power for living a God-pleasing life.

c) It is the power that strengthens you to live a Christian life at work, home, on the road, at church, school, neighborhood, community, and everywhere else. We need this for endurance and patience.

d) We need this power to outlast the toil and stress and pressure in our world that fights against our desire to live a God-pleasing life. Everywhere around us there are forces that dissuade us from living this kind of life. Advertisements are like soft porn nowadays. Walk along Orchard Road, look at the kind of posters put up, and you will know what I mean. What has cars got to do with girls in bikinis? What has cologne got to do with men in briefs? And many others… …

e) We really need endurance in this time and age to live the kind of life God wants. Endurance has to do with how we handle circumstances. When every corner you turn you meet with temptations to lure you away from living godly lives, you need endurance. We need endurance under difficult circumstances. We need endurance to act in an apparently impossible situation. We need endurance to hang in there during tough times. (Illustration: using the concept of tug-of-war. Ask for two volunteers – a big guy (rep. the world) and a smaller built guy (rep. Christians). Have the big guy pull the small guy towards him. Say: we may not have the strength to overcome the world, but Paul says God can strengthen us. Ask for a bigger size guy (Li Sheng, winner of Strongman Singapore) to help the small guy. Say: When God strengthens us, we can stand against the pull of the world.)

f) I guess for the guys you really need endurance if you are still in the army. Believe me, National Service for guys is a make it or break it moment. In the army camp there are people from all walks of life and to meet with a fellow Christian is rare, it is even rarer to have one that loves to live godly life.

g) When I was in the army (like quite a while back) it was a very trying time and I really needed endurance. In my platoon there were only two Christians, myself and another guy. The other guy, even, today I am not quite sure that he is a Christian. I have Taoist priests, atheists, anti-Christians in my platoon. I have those who smoke, watch pornography, gamble, go for prostitutes during their off days and I stick out like a sore thumb among them.

h) I thank God that for most of the time I could stand strong, but there was times when I fail. Of course I don’t smoke, or go to prostitutes, but I do join them in coarse joking, gambling and drinking. I really needed God’s strength during those times.



i) There is no better way to draw strength from God than in prayer and in constant communion with God. We must also not give up meeting with the saints. One of the greatest dangers for anyone during the tough times in life is to skip church and cell groups because it is among his people that god can renew you and refresh you through the ministry of others. We all know the story of the burning coals. A piece of coal left in the open will die down very fast. But a pile of coals can burn strong and bright to give warmth and light. When you need strength to live for God, never give up assembling together with the saints.

j) But we need patience as well. Patience is about dealing with people. Hendriksen in his commentary wrote, “Patience or longsuffering characterizes the person who, in relation to those who oppose or mistreat him, exercises patience, refusing to yield to passion or to outburst of anger (39)’.

k) You are facing someone difficult in your home, work, school, office? Pastor, I can’t go back home, to the work, to the office, to the doctor. I don’t have the energy what should I do? Ask people to pray for you. Ask people to pray specifically for endurance and patience like Paul prayed for the Colossians. Trust also in God to provide you supernaturally his glorious power to go back home, to the work, to the office, to the boss, to the mother-in-law, to the father, mother, brother, sister… … to those who oppose you and persecute you when you try to live a godly life. Anyone who wished to live a godly life will be persecuted.

l) We only please the devil when we rely on our own strength but we please God when we appropriate his glorious power to live out those circumstances. We please God when we rely upon his power to out last the trying and difficult circumstances and peoples.



We please God by always giving thanks joyfully.

4. Constant Thanksgiving

a) Joseph Stalin considered gratitude a sickness suffered by dogs and no wonder he treated his people viciously and cruelly. During his reign it was estimated that the number of victims is between 4 million to near 10 million.

b) However, gratitude is the basic character of Christian. Gratitude is not one of the characteristics [of any genuine Christian]; it is the primary (Theodore Gill). Gratitude and thanksgiving should and must characterize the entire Christian existence!

c) Nouwen said, “Gratitude in its deepest sense means to live life as a gift to be received gratefully.” This is how apt for this passage. Our passage reads, ‘giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Who rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.’

d) We were destined for the hell, for burning in hell and eternally lost in the bottomless pit. Our only inheritance is outside the city walls where there is gnashing of teeth and where the worms never die. The only kingdom we have is the kingdom of the dead. But God out of his compassion and awesome love did two things for us – he qualifies us! He rescues us! Let us repeat these two great truths: He has qualified us! He has delivered us!

e) The wear and tear of daily living can chip away at our trust in God and our appreciation for the bounty of life in Christ. The great and awesome work of God is easily forgotten in the busyness of the day.





f) It is always easier to complain of the things we don’t have than to give thanks for those we have. Our materialistic culture may be the reason why. This culture breeds discontent. We are fed by advertisers always to want more, and they promise fulfillment, bliss and well-being are just a phone call away, you just need to push a button. To get these things, many ‘max out’ their credit cards and choke up a huge debt. This kind of lifestyle naturally chokes out even the slightest breathe of gratitude.

g) Many times we forgot or have not truly cherished what God has done for us in Christ which we are to be eternally grateful. Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at an early age, wrote in her autobiography, ‘For three things I thank God every day of my life: thanks that he vouchsafed me knowledge of his works; deep thanks that he has set in my darkness the lamp of faith; deep deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward to – a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song.’ She is so thankful for what God ahs done for her in Christ that she has no time to think about what is denied her. (D.E. Garland)

h) The forgiveness of sin and our salvation and liberation from darkness into light should quicken the joy deep within us. It should inspire songs of praise and words of thanksgiving. Our whole being should be dancing with joy inexpressible. Sin cripples and chew away our soul in bitterness and despair; God’s grace in Christ frees us to our full humanity, our human-ness, our true being before our Creator.

i) Forgetfulness kills gratitude. We must always come back to Christmas, Good Friday and Easter to remind ourselves of the tremendous blessings we have in Christ - God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.







j) Always count your blessings. Keep a journal of the blessings God has bestowed in your life. Stop in between your work each day and utter a prayer of thanksgiving before continuing with your task. Have a 60-30 exercise, said a thanksgiving after every 60 minutes for 30 days. Have a blessing box and every nite before you sleep jot down the day’s blessings and drop into the box. Have a count blessing day and count the number of blessings you have accumulated over the month. Find every way and method to keep you from forgetting the goodness of God. We must echo the words of the psalmist in Ps 103 ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits – who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles’.



Our life will please God when we are fruitful in good deeds, constantly grow, face every trial with endurance inspired by his glorious strength and giving thanks always for the forgiveness we have in him.

Diane Komp, a pediatric oncologist, tells the story of Arthur, who developed cancer when he was three years old. He had multiple relapses over a five-year period and was often close to death.

One day, Arthur’s mother called the doctor to ask something that had been weighting her down for years. She said that in the early years of her marriage, she had an affair and left her husband for another man. She became pregnant by him. When he learned of her pregnancy, he gave her something to swallow trying to induce an abortion. It did not work, and he abandoned her. She returned to her husband, pregnant with Arthur. She asked for forgiveness and received his forgiveness. He knew the truth but has always treated Arthur as his own son.

Her question to the oncologist was this: “Do you think that the concoction I drank to abort the pregnancy caused the cancer?” Deep inside her soul she must have felt that her sin caused all this suffering for her son.

Arthur’s mother latter wrote the doctor that she had grown up in a church that preached forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice. In spite of this religious tradition, she had never been able to forgive herself and had rejected the forgiveness that God had offered in Jesus. There was no one in her church with whom she can share her burden. When she finally forgave herself, she underlined every passage in her Bible that referred to God’s forgiveness and was amazed that the burden was finally lifted. The healing of memories and guilt can sometimes be more difficult than healing cancer.

Arthur was one of the first in the country to receive a new experimental drug. It worked. His mother called the doctor to invite her to his wedding. One can imagine that it was going to be a big celebration. How else can we respond to the forgiveness of God? (D.E. Garland)

Celebrate with joy because God has forgiven us. Bearing fruit, growing constantly, patiently endure and joyful thanksgiving – focus on these 4 areas. Want to be effective in the kingdom of God, focus on these 4 areas. I want to please God. That is what drives me. It is not because I can impress God by what I do. Not because of my abilities. I live to hear his “well done, good and faithful servant”. That’s worth every sacrifice, every pain, every misunderstanding. These are building stones for effectiveness in ministry, church, and life. That’s what lifts my motivation, my drive, my effectiveness in serving God and man.

Some need to recommit your life to fruit bearing.

Some need to work on knowing God more intimately.

Some who need to pray for endurance and patience, You need God to strengthen you with his glorious power.

Some need to experience a new the forgiveness of God so that you may experience the joy of salvation and burst forth with thanksgiving to him.

No matter where you are, I want you to come to the altar this evening, to the altar of God’s divine providence and grace. Come! Let us dedicate our lives anew to Him. Let’s us press on to his destiny for our lives.

In Luke 2:52, it tells us “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and maturity, and in favor with God and men”. There are four areas where we see Jesus growing:




1. Wisdom



Wisdom is the ability to translate knowledge into practical application. Today is an era of knowledge, we can get every kind of knowledge from the internet and this makes us people of knowledge. We can be very knowledgeable but not wise. A wise man is one who can apply this knowledge in his life, society and the world he lives in. There are many knowledgeable people but few who are wise. Are we growing wiser each day or are we becoming senile? The Bible gives us two ways (at least) to grow in wisdom: (1) fear the Lord, and (2) ask from the Lord.



2. Maturity



Maturity is about the ability to perform the age-appropriate tasks, e.g. by 12-24 months a toddler must be able to crawl skillfully and quickly. As we grow in years we should also growth in maturity, but sadly there are times when we find strange situation of a 6 years-old in the body of a 60 years-old. Some people are stuck in some stages of their development and unable to perform or behave or think age-appropriately, and when this happens we term them immature. As we grow in years. We must also grow in maturity as well. There may be incidents in life that stunt our growth, then we have to come before God humbly and ask Him to help us to grow in maturity.



3. Spiritual



Jesus grew in favor with God, meaning that he has a good relationship with God. In his interaction with God he seeks God’s pleasure and desire, and he carried out God’s desire. Spiritual growth is more than attending Bible studies, Sunday services, serving in church; spirituality is about our relationship with God. The things we do in life should be a reflection of our intimacy with God and an overflow of that relationship. Are you having favor with God? How’s your relationship with God?



4. Social



Jesus also grew socially – favor with men. He did not just concentrate on his spiritual growth, but grow in his relationship with people as well. There’s a phenomenon in church today, namely, we are so focused on spiritual growth that we have forgotten the social dimension. We are fervent in serving God but failed to build genuine relationship with people we are serving with and the other members of the Body. We have lost the art of face-to-face communication and are more eloquent through SMS-es, email, blog, facebook, MSN etc. We missed the social and relational factor that is essential as a community of believers, as the Body of Christ. The church is a social organization and not just a spiritual organization. We must grow in our relationship with people, among the community of believers and co-members of the Body of Christ.



These four areas of growth - wisdom, maturity, spiritual and social - must be our focus as we develop ourselves as a person and as a Christian. Make an assessment of yourself today, see if you are growing in these four areas and which area do you need to develop in.

Hebrews 10:19-25

In Hebrews 10:19-25, the author gives us two effects of the Christ-event:


1. Our Worship (vv19-22).

The sacrifice of Christ makes our access to God possible and makes worship of the one God possible for gentiles (i.e. outsiders of the covenant and promises of God). Prior to Christ Jesus, non-Jews would have to become Jews in order to participate in the worship of the one God; Christ makes it possible for all nations to worship God without having to become a Jews. This spells equality for all people before God, i.e. there is no special privilege accorded to any people group. Similarly, today there is no privilege for any one, whether you are rich or poor, adults or children, PhD or ITE, CEO or domestic helper; all are on the same level before God.

He also makes us acceptable to God by becoming our high priest and sacrifice. We are led into God’s presence by Christ through his ‘shed blood’ and ‘broken flesh’. We may have different experiences and talents, but these should not be a wall of division, but gifts to be received with gratitude. Rather than allowing our experiences and talents become a cause of division, use them to foster unity and love by serving each other. And this brings us to the second point.

2. Our Fellowship (vv23-25).

Our fellowship should be encouraging and stimulating flowing from the confidence we have in Christ. Do we come together just to do projects or ‘to serve’? Is there any other value besides coming together to plan for projects and programs? Is this Christian fellowship? According to our passage today, I doubt so. Hebrews 10:24 says ‘let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds’ and v25 says ‘encouraging one another’. When these two factors/ingredients of fellowship are missing, that’s when we will start to neglect ‘our own assembling together’.

Our fellowship is a reflection of the reality of Christ’s work to bring people together before God in worship and mutual encouragement. Our presence in a gathering of God’s people or fellowship should be characterized by what we can contribute to the well-being of the Other, rather than what we can gain. Fellowship does demand for our time and energy, but anything that is worth doing demands our time and energy. The nature and quality of each fellowship depends on our understanding of our role to stimulate and encourage one another. Each time we attend a fellowship or church gathering, we must be prepared to do that.

The Christ-event does not affect individuals only; it too affects our social life as well. Our sacramental life should inform our social life. Our worship of the one God should affect our relationships in His one body.

Exercise on Speech Act and Hermeneutics(Part 1)

Divine speech or God’s speech is one of the cores of Christian belief. The possibility of revelation is supported by the reality that God speaks. This theological assertion is very common in the Bible, especially in the Prophets: “The word of the Lord came to me saying …” The Old Testament prophets have the clear understanding that their message is a direct speech of God (God’s speech). This understanding is reflected also in the New Testament, and distinctly so in the Book of Hebrews.




“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son …” (Hebrews 1:1-2, NASB)

“Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ …” (GNT)



The author of Hebrews affirmed that God speaks in the past as well as now, but through different means and to different audiences. The idea of ‘God speaks’ seems to be the guiding principle in understanding the book, and Hebrews 4:12 appear to be the hub of the book.



“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)

Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον καὶ διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς τε καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας … (GNT)



Go do not only speak, but His word is ‘living and active’ and more effective than any weapon. Hence, it is important to know what God says, and also to respond rightly to the God speech. We will explore in the rest of this paper how this core is played out in the book of Hebrews.



We will here employ the help of the Speech Acts Theory initiated by J.L. Austin and developed further by John Searle. This exercise will begin with an exploration of the theory followed by its application in reading Hebrews.

I did not prove disobedient... ...

Dear Hypercritos,

Acts 26:19 - 20, "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance."

1. Did not prove disobeident - when does proving takes place? Things are proved of their real nature and character when they are tested. Paul was able to say that he was proved to be obedient because he had gone through the test. What is the test? The tests are persecutions, imprisonments, sufferings, beaten during the course of keeping to the heavenly vision - preaching the gospel. Paul's true colour was revealed under those hardships and threatening moments. When we are cornered, then our true colours begin to show. What will be our colours when we are cornered? Will we be proven to be obedient or disobedient? Will we compromise our stand when we are put inbetween the rock and the hard place? When we go through the mill, what will come out?

2. Keep declaring - keep declaring, a continuous term, meaning there was no stopping. When we are faced with difficulty and threat when we do something, we can either choose to stop or to continue. Paul said he continue declaring, he did not stop despite all the things that he faced - to point of almost dying. Peter and John did not stop when they were whipped and thrown into prison for offending the leaders of Judaism. james was beheaded for declaring the gospel. Will we keep declaring even when we are faced with impending death? Do we have a present continuous tense for our preaching of the gospel? Or we keep to subjunctive tense in our grammar for 'preaching'?

3. Jews and Gentiles - Paul did not keep his message only for a specific group of people but declare to everyone. Do we segregate people in our mind? Only sharing the gospel with a chosen group of people while there are those who are untounchable? Is there only a privileged people who shoudl hear about Jesus Christ while we exclude other people group?

4. Turn to God & repentance - Pointing the way back to God. Our message must be pointing people back to God who creates them and whose Son Jesus Christ died for them on the Cross. Our message is to uphold the uniqueness of Christ and to show people the truth. Reconciliating men with God. Leading them to the light. Pointing them to the truth.

'I did not prove disobedient', will we be able to say this when we meet the Lord? Would we be able to repeat the words of Paul before the Great White Throne on that day?

I pray that I would be able to. What about you?

Signed,
Katapneuma

Call to Recognize Our Position (Col 1:1)




a) We are called by the will of God. Each of us who served in the ministry is called by God. I believe you serve in Children’s Ministries because you felt the call of God to serve here. This should impact the way we serve and minister to the children. We use the talents and gifts God has given us to invest in the lives of these children. We do everything to the best of our ability. We strive for excellence in the ministry. We are serving God, not anyone else, who has called us and placed us here in the ministry fulfilling different roles that God has ordained for us.



b) We are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We have no other lord or master; we belong only to Jesus Christ. Whatever we do, we seek to glorify our Master Jesus. Our life’s goal should be to please him and in our service we want to give Him the best. We want to do what is best for the Body of Christ (the Church).



2. Call to Disciple-Making (Col 1:1)



a) Paul’s aim is discipleship. He is not Zorro the Lone Ranger. He always serves together with others and focuses on developing other people around him. He seeks to help others fulfill his/her role in God’s kingdom. Timothy is one of Paul’s disciples; in fact, the relationship they shared is like a ‘father-son’ relationship. I pray as we minister to the children we would also develop close, lasting relationship with them.



b) God has placed in our care the children. These are our disciples. Our tasks are to disciple and develop them to become the person God wants them to be. Our task is not babysitting or provides a drop-in for parents on weekend. Our task is nobler than that. We are engage in disciple-making every weekend. Our time every week with the children is precious because we are making disciples for Christ.



So dear people, what we do each week is awesome work. Our obedience to God’s will and the Master Jesus helps to prepare the Church for the years to come. Each week as we teach the children, we are building disciples for Christ Jesus and ministers for God. We are the backbone of the Church. I pray that as we continue to serve in the Ministry, we will come to realize the importance of our task more. We will see and appreciate the trust God has in us to groom His leaders for the Church.

Call to Purposeful and Faithful Living (Col 1:2)


a) In the New Testament all believers are called ‘saints’. The words ‘saint’ and ‘holy’ come from the same root word in the original language, meaning a ‘saint’ is ‘a holy one’. We are ‘holy’ because we are separated out of the world to serve God for a specific purpose. We serve a specific purpose in God’s kingdom. Every one of us has a special function in the kingdom of God. In Children’s Ministries, our purpose is to rise up leaders for the kingdom. Each week as we come to the ministry, whether to teach or lead worship, we have a purpose and our purpose is to train and rise up new leaders for the kingdom.

b) Those who are entrusted with God’s purpose must be faithful. God requires each of us to be faithful in our stations in the kingdom. When we serve in the ministry, faithful living means we treat every task with our best effort. It may also means coming early to prepare for the service or practicing and rehearsing for worship. Faithful living is more than fulfilling a task; it requires us to carry out the task to the best of our effort and with excellence.

2. Call to be a Blessing (Col 1:2)

a) Give you a quiz: if you have a choice would you like to be a caterpillar or a housefly? What is your choice? Both caterpillar and housefly are considered pests. However, I pray that you would choose to be a caterpillar. Why? Because a caterpillar would become a beautiful butterfly after it went through the tedious process of metamorphosis. When it turns into a butterfly it becomes a blessing because wherever it goes it helps to perpetuate life. But a housefly only brings death wherever it goes.


b) As Christians we are called to bring God’s grace and peace to those around us. In our ministry, it may be to help the children to experience the goodness of God and to experience His salvation grace. The children that pass through our hands must hear the gospel before they leave our care. Helping the children to experience the peace/shalom of God is to help them grow up wholesomely and be in a right relationship with God. We are called to bring life to our children – the life of God.



We are called to live purposefully and faithfully as God has entrusted to us the sacred mission of rising leaders for his kingdom to fulfill his purposes on earth. In our ministry, it is important that each week we demonstrate these characters so that our children will also learn to live purposefully and faithfully. We are also called to be a blessing in our children’s life. We will help our children to grow closer to God with each passing week and be the agent through whom they can experience the grace and peace of God. Wherever we go, we should leave behind the fragrance of life and not the pungent smell of death.

得胜的基督羔羊：揭开封印，领受敬拜

经文：《启》5.1-14


以七印密封的书卷：撬不开的困境 (5.1-5)

气氛很僵，一切呈现胶着状态。在天上也会遇到这样的困境？仿佛，天上也不妙，也出了紧张的状况。是的。这个困境说明了上帝在天上的掌权和他对所造之万物的执行力、二者之间有不协调的张力；天，正面临了严苛的考验，执行不力的危机。书卷被紧密地封锁住，没有任何一方可以撬得开。这，不也反映在地上的人的焦虑吗？即没有答案的焦虑；对所遭受的苦难、冤屈、不平、患难，　似乎都没有希望解开。从另个角度思考，在法理上，任何封住的卷子，一旦打开后，其内容就是有效用的，而不再是理论而已。这就仿佛圣旨，言一经读出，就有执行的作用。然而，目前的情况是：似乎一切都没有了答案，

随上述无解而来的哭泣，肯定充满沮丧和无助，充斥着无力感和无奈。然而，作者（或者读者）被带到这种境界，并不是要他们陷溺在沮丧和无助，而是准备他们经验如何经过的释放。为了人能够超越，天必须为人来一次“如何经过”的示范：天先为地上的人切身进入类似困境。

“谁配开这书卷？”：弥赛亚亮相（5.4）

但是，到底“谁配开这书卷？” (参考：《王上》22/20-21; 《赛》6.8)。“犹大支派的狮子，　他已经得胜了”。 就是他，他配！“犹大支派的狮子”是充满政治意味的称呼。不仅凸显某个地理位置。 类似用法，在《启示录》很是普遍。例如：巴比伦 – 就是用换喻 (metonymy) 的方式，以远喻近；总之，这是帝国的符号。犹大 (Judeae) 是个地理位置，使人想起另一个古代的王国，曾经是遭遇挫败的国度。但它也是一个在第一世纪时在罗马西边的、极为重要的地理位置。从那个地方来的人叫犹大人(Judaeans)。这是遇到外人外族时自称用的（若是对着自己人，就说行话：“以色列”）。对这位配打开封印的，他还有另外的称呼：“大卫的根”。再一次，有关国度的思维，回响在侧。毫无疑问，这是标显政治弥赛亚的形象的用语，他就是领导以色列战胜政治敌人、替犹太人建立公义/公平的救赎主（参考：《所罗门诗篇》17.1-42; 《以斯拉四书》12.32; 4Q285残篇，5.4; 4Q252,5.3-4; 4Q161, 3.18）。

安慰：“不要哭泣”（5.5）

焦急的背后有安慰。“不要哭泣”（5.5）。这是对着约翰说的，更是对着那些准备聆听的教会、领受信息的人说的 (聆听，经文) 。

基督是受命完成上帝计划的羔羊 (5.6-7)

站着的羔羊，它好像是被杀过的：这是象征的语言，指基督被挂死在木头上 – 这不是一般的事件，而是发生在公共的事件。但对于羔羊的现身之处，在空间上极为吊诡：被杀的羔羊，在天上。这等于说，基督的死不再是局限于历史、曾经发生的历史事件，而是深具宇宙意义的。基督和上帝同空间：他在天。对于在地上的读者而言，这个信息的意义真的太重要了，因为：这等于说这就是跟随基督的人从今以后看待事情的起点、观点。这个观点，不再是从历史说起，而是从上述具备宇宙意义的场景说起。难道， 这就是基督徒升华自己在地上遭遇苦难时的出路？因为地上不得意，所以只好从天上得到安慰？

基督羔羊接受书卷、打开书卷象征他是受命的，将上帝的救赎付诸实现。但这到底是不是指基督在历史的某个特定阶段发生的事情呢？这种可能性不大。 根据作者对羔羊的陈述，羔羊是“从创立世界以前”的 (13.8)。

崇敬基督，敬拜基督 (5.8-14)

请留意不同段落之间的差别：

4.11：都是单数代名词“你”，而不用“你们”， 但（复活）主和上帝，还是有办法区隔开来。但无论如何区隔， 基督的尊荣、地位几乎和上帝的叠合。 "你是配的，主和我们的上帝，荣耀，尊荣和权能都归给你， 因你创造一切， 它们是藉着你的旨意而被造的。英文圣经NRSV将此处翻译成为： "You are worthy, our Lord and God…” 仿佛主就是上帝。

5.9

此处是新约所见最明显的、关于敬拜基督的描绘。

他们唱新歌：“你是配展开书卷和揭开封印的，因为你曾被杀， 且你为上帝买赎了圣民，就是各个支派、语言和子民和国度。” 公开颂扬基督，运用第二人称“你”。

5.12-13

接受敬拜的两造 12. 竭尽所能的唱道：“被杀的羔羊是配的，你配”领受权能、丰富、智慧、权能、尊荣和荣耀和颂赞。" 13. 之后，我听见天上的、地上的]地底下的、在海里的， 并在它们其中的高唱道：“坐在宝座上的啊， 和羔羊，但愿永远的颂赞、荣耀、权能都归于他。” （运用第三人称）

约翰是一神论者吗？

基督被赋予那么崇高的地位，有威胁到早期信徒敬拜一神（monolatry）的信仰吗？看来还不至于如此。原因：

1. 当上帝和基督一并提及的时候，作者谨慎的以单数动词和代名词来表述（参考：14.1; 20.6; 21.22; 22.3; 但注意：6.17）

2. 作者有能力将二者隔开， 并作出分别的描绘：透过重复的前置词（以免构成概念上的合一，即conceptual unity）以及使用重复紧随前置词的格 (例如：6.16; 7.9-10; 11.15; 12.10; 14.4; 20.6; 21.22; 22.1; 22.1)。

无论如何，基督如此崇高的地位， 对于犹太人而言还是有张力的、让他们感觉不安的。

我们可以这样说，论敬拜的范围上，从《启示录》的内容显示，它也已经超出了早先在天庭的范围：那里局限在活物和二十四位长老的敬拜 (4.9-10; 5.8)，但此处还包括难以数尽的天使 (5.11)，以及在天上的、地上的以及地底下的所有受造 - 无所遗漏 (5.13)。

暂时性的小结：

就算撬开了，它有什么内容吗？卷内写着什么？倒出、揭开宇宙历史（不只是人间或者地上的历史）所发生的种种。


（余德林, 2010年1月22日）

New Year New Beginning

Happy New Year to All of you out there
2009 has been a year of change fun excitement
Wonder what 2010 would bring with it

New beginning is not possible
Cos all things is predicate upon the past
There is no new beginning from the day
The womb breaks open and out comes your head
All things are just repeating itself
If God smiles on you then you may see new things unfold
But there's never a new beginning
New beginning don't exist
Only continuation of the past
Every now and every future
are continuation of the past

Can we really start fresh in a new year
Illusions that is what it is
No way... No way...Absolutely no way
What's past is done...what is coming
Is tied to the past... no past no now no future
Death is the new beginning
As lonh as we live...
There is no new beginning

Death come and take me with you
To a new beginning
One that i can start all things fresh
And leaves no regrets for the nest generation

Why why why why why why
I just don't understand why

Why why why why why why
Why must people fall in love

Why why why why why why
Why must I be the object of their love

Please please please please please
Let me go and set me free

Please please please please please
Let me live my life carefree

Please please please please please
before i suffocate and die

Galatians 1:1-5

Paul, apostle not from men nor through a man but through Jesus Christ and God Father who raised him from the dead, and who [are] with me all brothers to the churches in Galatia, grace to you and peace from God Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins for the purpose of removing us from the present evil time according to the will of God and our Father to whom the glory forever amen. (Own Translation)

1. Paul's apostleship did not originates from or in man. He did not receive the title 'apostle' from some council or organization. He received the commission from Jesus Christ and God. This si so unlike certain 'apostles' of our time who received their title from some manmade council. The more ridiculous thing is that those who dish out the titles do not feel ashamed at all. Who gives them the authority to 'knight' themselves and others as apostle? The only authorized person to give another that honor is Jesus Christ (who gave himself for our sins) and God (who raised Jesus from the dead).

2. Jesus did not climbout of the tomb by himself. It is God Father who caused him to come back from the dead. The resurrection was accomplished by the power of God.

3. Paul has a community that stands with him (the brothers with him). This community to certain extend act as the guarantor of Paul's message and character. Church is a community that backs up the message of her messenger and acts as the discerning body as well. Today we don't see the church members fulfilling this role. The Senior Pastor becoems the gatekeeper and the members are passive. But this was not the way it was...may we regain this precious heritage lost in institutionalized church.

4. The purpose of Jesus' sacrifice is to remove us from this evil age. How many times have we forgotten that life in Christ begins here on earth and not in heaven. We must start to live the kind of life that God intents for us and not slack and wait to go heaven.

5. Jesus die according to the will of God. Jesus said the same thing in John, "this command I receive from my Father, to lay down my life and to pick it up again."

Let Me Be

This world...a cage and press-machine
trying ever so hard to hold you in
and mould you to its liking...

Being different ... not conforming
is such difficult task to achieve...
A battle that seems pointless and futile

Why can't we be different..
Why can't we allow others to be different...
Why can't we set others free to be?

What is wrong with being single...
What is wrong to be not in love...
What is wrong to be alone through life's journey?

People I pray please let me go
Let me be free to be...
Let me go the way I was made to be...

Dear God...give me strength to stand
To endure till the end...
Till I see your beautiful hand