"Let the Fruits show the Tree"

What!! The pastor actually copies his Sunday Sermon outline?!

I was very surprised to come across an article in the internet with the same passage outline and the sermon preached in Church, 2 Sunday ago. 

Sermon Plagiarism? Not sure whether this is acceptable, but I feel that a pastor shouldn’t do this. I actually try other similar sermon outline for his message on my own and it is easily done. Why didn’t he try it out on his own?

The Pastor preached on a 5-fold ministry of the church from the passage in Eph 4:11-13 = (1)Apostles; (2)Prophets; (3)Evangelists; (4)Pastors; (5)Teachers. Many of the Charismatic churches use this passage as the basis to appoint their leaders as Apostles. Also in 1 Corinthian 11:28, Apostle Paul stated that: “in the church God appointed first of all apostles, second prophets,  third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of  healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those with speaking in different tongues.

Go, google “Fivefold ministry” and you will have a better understanding. The leaders are going to appoint an Apostle that is outside their founding leaders. What a big title! Another preacher stated that an apostle is the highest rank, like the General in the army. [I am sure he misunderstood the word, “first” in 1Cor 11:28].

Question Now, who appoint these ministries? Why is there a need to appoint Apostle?

 Answer: God

Question: So, how do we know that someone is appointed by God for a ministry?

My Answer: Let the fruits show the tree. You know that it is an apple tree by looking at its fruits. That is how God chooses it to be an apple tree. If people are blessed by your teaching, then you know what God has appointed you to be. In the same way, if every time you speak, crowd of people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, then you will know what God has appointed you to be. Likewise, it is for all other ministries and leaders.

Question: So, we don’t need to actually give people label and title?

My Answer: Exactly! The label and title comes naturally after a while when people see your fruits. Just keep doing what is passionate and what you know God calls you to do. Let the fruits that you bore be the label that people will tack on you. This is how God’s calling is. We should call those serving in full-time Christian ministry as “servant of God” rather than preacher, pastor, etc. Then after a while, let people see their fruits and their title will change to be Teacher so-and-so, Pastor so-and-so, Apostle so-and-so, etc.

Question: So, don’t need to appoint Apostle, meh?

Answer: Don’t need, lah.

Matthew 12:33 (NRSV) "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for THE TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT."

Agape

Sermon reflection: The sanctity of Life

Actually, the passage on Leviticus 17 is not about calling us to respond with:

“Lord, what can I do for you?”

or

“Lord, what do you want me to be?”

The whole passage is about BLOOD. And blood is LIFE (verse 14).

(Ya lah!, the word “blood” keeps repeating in the whole passage)

When an animal is killed, the blood is taken out and the animal dies. In Leviticus 17, the Israelites were told not to anyhow dispose the blood or even eat (or drink) the blood (verse 4 and 10).

If the animal is used as a sacrifice, the blood must be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting (verse 4). If the animal is slaughtered for food, the blood must be poured out on the ground and cover with earth (verse 13). Here, we see that when death occurs, it must return to the LORD. (The tent of meeting is GOD’s presence (v4). The earth (v13) belongs to GOD). So, life or death, the animal belongs to God.

We all know that God is the creator and giver of LIFE (Genesis 1 & 2). So this passage reminds me that God is also the receiver of DEATH. Whether I live or die, I belong to GOD. Likewise for every creatures that have life, including animals and human. Do not take the life (which is the blood) and offer it to idols or abuse it by drinking it. Only God has the right to life.

It’s all about putting God in first place of my life, even if I were to die (Lev 17:1-9). Secondly, it’s all about the sanctity of life - the life of people (Lev 17:10-16). That pretty much sum up the GREAT COMMANDMENT – love God, love people (Luke 10:27.28).

It calls me to my relationship with GOD and with people. It’s not about doing things for GOD. Neither do I need to be someone for GOD. It’s like the story of the footprint in the sand.

OK, so I need to always look at all people with respect, they too have the rights of life as they are also created in the image of God, no matter how lowly they are in society.

The most important in this earth is LIFE, it last for eternity.

Sermon thoughts: Submission between spouses!!

OK, I am going to put my head on the chopping board and blog about submission in a marriage! :(

Well, that’s because last Sunday, our worship sermon was on 1Peter 2:12-3:13.

This is by far the most sensitive issue for Christian marriage. I remember way back about 20 plus years ago when I was attending this young adult cell group in San Jose, California. One newly married couple spoke strongly against submission. The wife, a Taiwanese lady but raised in America claimed that the passage was “a mistake” in the Bible. Her American husband smiled and nodded. The discussion centered mostly on cultural issues, where submission was a Middle East ancient culture which women normally submit to men (father, brother, and husband). So, the group unanimously agreed that submission in marriage is subjective to culture and does not apply to Americans. Hooray!!

Back track couples of years when I was student in Polytechnic trained under the para-church, Navigators. In one of the leadership training session, my ministry leader made a profound statement which I still remember till this day. He said, “In any organization, system or animal group, there must only be one head (one leader). If there is no head, it is a demon. If there are 2 or more heads, it is also a demon. There must be only one head.” On reflection, this apply also to a family, there must be one head (one leader). Even in the Trinity Godhead, it is the Son submitting to the Father and never the Father submitting to the Son.

OK, so why can’t wife be the leader at home and husband submit to wife?

I know it is very hard for the sisters to swallow if I said that God told Eve that he (referring to Adam, her husband) will rule over her (Gen 3:16) after they sinned. Before they sinned, Eve is Adam’s helper (Gen 2:18-25). To be able to help someone means that you must be capable in order to be of help. It is only after they sinned that Adam is designated as the ruler of the home.

Frankly, I am ok that my wife wants to be the leader of the house. Since she wants to take leadership and there can be only one leader so that it is not a “demonized” home, I do my part and give love, respect and consideration to her (1Peter 3:7). But, sisters, bear in mind one day, you need to stand before God and answer Him: “Why do you want to be the leader of the home?”

Finally, to sisters who are not yet married: marry only a Christian man whom you can accept him as the leader of the home. If you can’t, he is probably not good for you.

Agape :)

Sermon Reflection: 1Sam 28 & 31 – How to live/die well?

Sunday morning …

To live or die well – listen to the voice of God. That was the gist of the sermon as the preacher said it loud and clear.

But how does one listen to the voice of God?

Have you heard God or the Holy Spirit speak directly to you?

Maybe the preacher was talking about obeying the commandments in the Bible? For Saul, God’s voice is through the Prophet Samuel. So does it mean listening to the voice of God is from the Pastor’s sermon? Or is it, to listen to the voice of God means whatever you learn from the Bible, just follow and do?

Doesn’t sound right, leh. :(

If I can listen to the voice of God like King David, using what they call a Urim, or have a prophet like Nathan, then easy lah!

But no such things already - no prophet, no Urim, cannot hear God speaking directly to me, only the Bible.

Ai yah, why the preacher never tell the congregation how to listen to the voice of God?

Maybe she did, I was not attentive.

So this good sermon has a difficulty… How to listen to the voice of God in order to live well?

That set my sermon reflection as I left the sanctuary yesterday morning.

******

Sunday afternoon …

Thinking about what was going on through the week …

I was supposed to finish 10 pieces of a subsystem before the month end of July. At room temperature, all the pieces were working perfectly. However, as I tested over the temperature range of -30 degree Celsius (or Centigrade, if you like) to +70degC, I noticed that 4 pieces failed marginally at -27degree. I could conveniently brush it off and “just close one eye” so to say, as it will not adversely affect the overall system when this subsystem is used.

But, I felt that I should do things right. It was a matter of having a right conscience and listening to that small still voice.

As a result, I kept trying to find what caused the faults, and repeated the testing at -30degC. It was very tiring and finally, at the last day and last minute, I completed the 4 pieces.

Praise the LORD! Trying to maintain a clear conscience has its price.

Is listening to my conscience also considered as listening to the voice of God?