9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Worship is more than
the songs that we sing to the Lord. Worship is about our lifestyle; it is also
about our giving to the Lord and the sacrifices that we give unto the Lord as
well. Today I’ll be specifically talking about the singing aspect of worshipping
together. Due to Covid-19, unfortunately, service is done in our own homes and
on our own devices. In this season, God wants to encourage us to see that
online worship is not lesser than physical worship. He wants to draw us into a
deeper intimacy with Him and He wants to reveal the conditions of our own
hearts towards Him and towards worship.
Worship starts from the
heart.
When we first started
this online church service, I was manning the chats at the side and was looking
for comments. Often times, I couldn’t really engage in worship because I was
responding to people.
God convicted me one
day. I repented before the Lord. I realised that I’ve set certain criteria in
order to worship. For me, it would be having a live band in front of me or
having myself with the guitar. So, I was unable to worship from the screen for
the longest time. From that day onwards, I told myself that I was going to sing
out loud when the worship team plays.
Isaiah 29:13
New International Version
13 The
Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their
mouth and
honour me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is
based on merely human rules they have been taught.
Our worship ultimately
stems from our own hearts. It is not based on the different formats of worship.
In the Old Testament, when the Babylonians took the Israelites captive and
destroyed the temple, the Israelites’ form of worship was animal sacrifices. In
Babylon, they changed their form of worship from animal sacrifices to focus on
the studying and teaching of the Torah. Today, what we see and hear is
dependent on our devices. When we were back in church, our voices tend to be
drowned out by the crowd when we were worshipping together and that gave us the
confidence to sing out loud. Right now in our own homes, we might get a bit
awkward singing and expressing ourselves in front of our own family members. Even
though forms of worship have changed in the way we see and engage in worship,
our heart of worship should always remain the same.
John 4:21-23
New International Version
21 “Woman,”Jesus
replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22 You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for
salvation is from the Jews.23 Yet a time
is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the
Father seeks.
Jesus is actually
telling the Samaritan woman that one day, people would not go to the temple to
worship anymore because the temple would actually be destroyed in the future.
Jesus is saying that people worship in the Spirit and in truth from their own
hearts where ever they are. Worship would never be confined to a place or an
environment.
Something for us to
consider today: Have we relied on the church to worship the Lord and connect
with God? Once this routine has changed, do we find ourselves unable to engage
in worship before the Lord? Have our hearts gone astray during this pandemic?
Have we gone far away from the Lord?
God is actually
challenging us to gone deeper in intimacy and worship with Him in this season,
especially when we are isolated from everybody else.
James 4:8a
New International Version
8 Come
near to God and he will come near to you.
Besides making our
hearts right before the Lord, there are some practical things that we can do to
help us to be more engaged in worship. First and foremost, we can wake up
earlier. We can also prepare ourselves through prayer. Another practical thing
that we can do is to have breakfast before service. We can also click full
screen when we worship. Lastly, sing out loud and hear ourselves sing out the
truths of God and declare who God is.
Continue to worship
even though it is hard. For some, our life schedules are all messed up. It is
hard to juggle between work and children. It is hard to set aside time for
worship. Some of us might feel lonely and isolated during this period when we
are not able to meet with people. Some might even be battling with sickness
during this year and have been crying out to the Lord for intervention and for
healing to take place. Some have lost loved ones and are going through grief. During
such times of difficulty and pain, we find it difficult to engage in worship
because the breakthrough that we are hoping for has not been realised yet.
Worship is a way that
we can declare who God is over our lives.
Worship is a way where
we can declare God’s character and His nature over our situations.
I
raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me
I
raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah, in the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!
I'm
gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
Worship helps us to
place our eyes on the Lord.
Worship helps us to see
that our King is alive and that we can trust Him and look to Him in the midst
of our circumstances.
God is here with us in the midst of our suffering.
God is here with us in the midst of our loss.
No matter our condition
or our situation, God wants our worship.
You
are here, moving in our midst
I worship You
I worship You
You are here, working in this place
You are here, touching every heart
You are here, healing every heart
Healing every heart
You're turning lives around
You are here, and You are mending every heart
Even when I don't
see it, You're working Even when I don't feel it, You're working You never stop, You never stop working (You're
the way maker)
Worship is about
communion with the Lord.
Matthew 18:20
New International Version
20 For where two or three gather
in my name, there am I with them.”
God is being enthroned
in our praises and He is ministering to us and working in our lives.
Haggai 2:3-5
New International Version
3 ‘Who
of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to
you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?4 But
now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be
strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you
people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work.
For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you
when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not
fear.’
For the Israelites,
when they came back to the land to rebuild the temple, they felt that this new
temple that they had to rebuild would be nothing like the former glory of the
old temple. But the Lord declares that even though it might seem like nothing,
His Spirit still remains with them.
Likewise, even though
online worship is nothing like coming to a physical church to worship together
with everyone, God is saying, “My Spirit is here with you. Do not fear. I am
still here with you.” Even though the place of our worship looks different, the
presence of the Lord is still with us.
Worship is about
communion with each other as well.
Colossians 3:16
New International Version
16 Let
the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the
Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
As we’re singing
together, we’re reminding each other of who God is, His character and His
faithfulness.
Be encouraged that we
are worshipping together as a body of Christ. God is not bound by our
locations.
Imagine houses
throughout the Klang Valley being lit up as we worship together on Sundays. And
all churches are having their services online. Imagine neighbourhoods all
across the nation being lit up in worship on Sunday mornings. Our corporate
worship is bigger than we think as we worship together and declare the praises
of God together as a body of Christ.
Hebrews 10:24-25
New International Version
24 And
let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,25 not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
As we continue to
worship the Lord together, let’s allow the Lord to survey our hearts and to
renew our hearts with adoration for Him.
Continue to choose to worship
Him even though we don’t feel like it. As we sing out the truths of God, we are
also ministering to our own situation and building our faith in Him.
Let’s be reminded that
we are not alone in this. As we are having communion with the Lord and with
each other, God is not just working in our own individual lives but also
building the church as well during this time.
Worship can begin right
now in our own homes and where ever we are. Online church vs physical church
looks different but God remains the same. Our heart of worship should also
remain the same.
Reflections:
1.Have
you found it difficult to engage in online worship recently? Why do you think
that’s so? What do you think will help you engage in worship better?
2.Are
there lyrics you find difficult to sing about God? What are they, and why do
you feel that way?
3.Is
there someone you know who has found it difficult to engage with church online
or online HFs/CGs? How can you encourage them to not give up meeting up?
We are in Week 4 of the
series “Growing Small to Become Big.” In Week 1, Sis. Joanna Dorai shared about
the commission to reach out together in groups of two. In Week 2, Aunty
Christina shared about the call to fellowship together—that we as a community
of Christ are meant to be more than just a community that meets for coffee
chats. Last week, Dr. Paul Ng spoke about growing together as a community—we
meet together and grow not just individually but also as a body of Christ
together.
Today, my topic is
about “Called to Serve Together.” What do we mean by serve together? In church,
when we think about serving, we often think of a ministry that we signed up for
and once we’re in a ministry, we’re quickly put on a roster and we have duties
and schedules that we follow, we show up at the appointed time, and we do the
things faithfully. That’s what we’re all used to. But when we think about
serving together, we need to realise that together means more than one person;
otherwise you’re just serving alone. And serving together means we serve one
another and together, we move forward with the kingdom’s purpose and meet each
other’s needs. We support one another as we serve together. So we cannot serve
together without serving one another.
1)Why do we Serve?
Mark 10:45
New International Version
45 For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.”
Jesus the Son of Man is
the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When we think of kings and queens and
the highest of the monarchy, we often think that there are thousands of
servants and all their duties are taken care of. But our Lord Jesus is the King
of kings and all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. Yet,
He says He did not come to be served, but to serve. When we say that we want to
be His disciples and when we say that we are growing as a community of our
King, we need to follow Him and His footsteps in serving Him.
Mark 10:45
King James Version
45 For
even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many.
When we are serving one
another, we are actually ministering to one another.
When we think of
ministering, we often think of a Sunday service where the speaker gives an
altar call invitation and when we feel touched by the Holy Spirit and we humble
ourselves to move to the front of the altar and let our elders and pastors to
lay hands on us. And when they pray over us and pray with us, we feel
ministered to. So when we answer a call by someone who needs someone to listen
to them and when we speak words of encouragement and extend help to someone who
needs our help, we are ministering to one another.
To serve is not just
about doing a task or checking off your list or following a schedule; it is
simply to love one another. That is ministering to one another. But it is not
just about serving one another and following God as an act of obedience. Jesus
said to His disciples directly after the Last Supper:
John 13:34
New International Version
34 “A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
When God gives the
commandment to His disciples, He knows that as a community, we are building
relationships with one another. And we need love to build relationships. Every
relationship takes effort. The word “love” is such a strong word and maybe it
feels like it’s too much to ask from me. How can I love someone whom I barely
know in my life group? Not many of us are ready to say that I’m ready to love. But
God knows that when we are in a community, we are building relationships with
one another. Love requires actions. When we take actions to show and to extend
God’s love to one another, we are essentially serving one another.
2)How are we called to
Serve One Another Together?
Matthew 16:24
New International Version
24 Then
Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Jesus said we must deny
ourselves before we say we’re willing to take on the responsibility that He has
given to us. The Bible says that the flesh desires what is contrary to the
Spirit. When we are inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit in us moves us
to want to love and obey God and to serve one another. We often find it much
easier to do the things that comfortable and convenient for us to do. God knows
that it is uncomfortable and difficult to move beyond what is comfortable
before we say “yes” to serve. Sometimes saying “yes” to something scares us
because we fear what is coming after we say “yes.”
To be serving, we must
first be willing.
What are the things
that are stopping us to be willing? Maybe you want to give the best to your
career. There is nothing wrong in pursuing excellence in your career. After a
hard day’s work, we want to scroll our social media mindlessly to take our
minds off things. Some of us want to do online shopping with all the sales
going on. It can get life going and it can be comfortable. What more for some
of us who have young ones to take care of. At the end of the day, we need to
look at what are the areas that is out of our comfort zone and say to God, “I’m
willing.”
Some of us uncles and
aunties have served for many years and have sacrificed so much to growing the
kingdom of God and His church over the years. And today, you feel like taking a
short break. Or perhaps you want to give opportunities to the young ones to
rise up. My uncles and aunties, there is a place for everyone in the kingdom of
heaven. God has created all of us wonderfully and uniquely. All of us have a
special gift. What more, some of us who have gained many years of experience
and have gained so much wisdom in your years of serving. We the younger ones
need you. We need to be serving alongside so that we can learn from one
another. We need to be learning from your wisdom.
Are we willing today?
Galatians 5:13
New International Version
Life by the Spirit
13 You,
my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in
love.
This a letter Paul
wrote to the early churches of Galatia. We are called to salvation by the grace
of Jesus Christ through our faith. Our salvation is not through our works but
it is through the grace of Christ. And Paul said about not using our freedom to
indulge the flesh. Our flesh is always working in contrary to the Spirit and it
is always pulling us away from what the Spirit is telling us to do.
We are all called to
serve one another humbly in love.
Why doesn’t the Word of
God say serve one another passionately in love or serve one another joyfully in
love or serve one another efficiently in love? Instead, it says serve one
another humbly in love. I believe that God is a God of wisdom. He is
all-knowing and He knows exactly what we need before we even knew about it. My
guess is, as we grow closer to one another together as a community, we are
bound to face frictions and tensions. We are bound to have conflicts with one
another. Here’s an example: when we know a new friend, we are often very
polite. We are very careful of what we say, we filter ourselves, we sometimes
even filter the jokes that we make because we are afraid of offending one
another. But with our friends that we are closer to, we feel free with them so
our behaviours and emotions can come out freely. With our own family members,
sometimes there are behaviours and emotions that others have not seen.
All of us are
different. We have our differences and preferences in the way we do things and
in the way we interact with one another. Some of us have pet peeves and we
don’t know each other’s pet peeves. So when we have conflicts and disagreements,
God knows that when we serve like this and grow closer together, we need
humility.
Humility helps us to
serve together with people of different personalities.
God works miraculously
when we humble ourselves.
He knows how to make us
united as a community.
God knows that when we
face conflicts, we always think that our ideas are better than others and He
knows that we need humility.
Philippians 2:3
New International Version
3 Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves,
As a community of
Christ, we are called to love one another.
As a community of
Christ, we are called to value others above ourselves.
The whole central theme
of the Bible is about God’s love for us. God serves because He loves.
Galatians 5:14
New International Version
14 For
the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbour
as yourself.”
To serve is to love.
Love will sustain us if
we serve out of love. If we serve out of our flesh and our own strength, it is
not going to last; we are bound to fall into the temptations of our flesh and
there is going to be a lot of disunity. Therefore, we need to serve out of
Christ’s love for us.
But something is
stopping us. We feel like we are stuck in this pandemic. Many of the duties
that we used to do on the Sunday services when we meet physically, we are
unable to do anymore.
May I give you this
challenge? We need to change what we think serving is in the church.
If you have been gifted
with the spirit of hospitality or you have this people skill, perhaps you can
start to look around in your life group for the people that you haven’t been
connecting well or the people that haven’t been regular to your life group.
Reach out to them with this gift that God has given to you that is unique. God
will be able to use this to touch lives.
If you have the gift of
worship, may I encourage you to look around the life groups and see which life
groups that actually need people with the talent and gift of worship to lead
them into the presence of God—even virtually.
If you’re not so much a
frontline person and prefers to work in the backend, ask your life group
leaders and members what help do they need. If your gift is in exhortation or
understanding the Bible, you can encourage someone new to grow in Christ and to
know how to live a life that is worthy of the kingdom on this earth.
For mothers amongst us
who are dealing with young children, there are other mothers out there that
need your support or share ideas and experience on how you raise your family
together with your husband.
We need to stop waiting
to go back to the good old days because the season is shifting and God is
guiding us on how we can serve one another in this community.
Will we avail ourselves
and follow God in what He is doing in this season?
Let’s stop waiting for
the pandemic to be over.
We need to serve and to
grow as a community of Christ today.
We need to love one
another and the love can only come from the love of God.
Reflections:
1.What
is stopping me from being willing to serve today? What should I do about it?
2.In
what areas and to whom I need to humble myself to, to allow myself and others
to serve even stronger together?
3.What
are my gifts? How can I use that to bless others starting today?
