My name is Duncan. I am currently studying in This is the last part of the sermon from Pastor How on September 30, 2007. Titled [Total and Immediate Obedience]
August 11, 2007. Heart of God Church moved into the new premise at Singapore Post Centre, Paya Lebar.
Although it was really exciting and fun, Pastor How and Pastor Lia felt the risk of having this new place. They were wondering how they could pay for this place.
The monthly rental for this place cost like a car. They were wondering how they could continue to pay this rental for the next 3 years to come. They knew that if we cannot continue to pay for this place, everything they have worked for will be lost. The church would go bankrupt, and everything for the past 11 years will be wasted.
August 25, 2007, Pastor David sent an e-card to Pastor How. On this e-card with the quote of John Wimber.
‘The economy of the kingdom of God is quite simple. Every new step in the kingdom costs us everything we have gained to date. Every time we cross a new threshold, it costs us everything we now have. Every new step may cost us all the reputation and security we have accumulated up to that point.
It costs us our life.
A disciple is always ready to take the next step. If there is anything that characterizes Christian maturity, it is the willingness to become a beginner again for Jesus Christ.
It is the willingness to put your hand in His hand and say, I’m scared to death, but I’ll go with you. You’re the Pearl of great price.’
-John Wimber
To risk everything for the past 10 years, and to put everything on the line.
As we grow older, we begin accumulate many things. We have much more to lose. We are no longer reckless and no longer on fire for Jesus Christ; we began to pull back a little by little.
But Christian maturity is to have child-like faith again, to become a beginner for Jesus Christ again. It is a willingness to say “God, I have nothing to lose, everything You’ve given me is Yours anyway, God I’m willing to risk it all over again.’ And to Pastors, this is the real Christian maturity. And I strongly believe this.
Some of us may be Christians for more than 5 years, some just for few months to a year. Pastor would like to challenge us, to be reckless and radical for Jesus again.
During the rest of the sermon, Pastor shared about three types of Christians who will not go very far with God.
1. ‘If’ Christians
These are the conditional Christians. Their love for God is conditional.
They make prayers like
- ‘If you do this for me God, then I will do that’
- ‘If I prosper, then I will tithe’
God does not work like that.
2. ‘But’ Christians
They have an excuse for everything
- ‘God I want to go to church, but it is raining’
- ‘God You said I must love my neighbour, but You haven’t seen my neighbour’
- ‘God I want to be a Christian, but I have Parental Objection’
I love my church because even the Army guys are amazing, for example Melvin and Nicholas, they could have said something like
‘God I want to go back to church, BUT I’m really very tired’
‘God I want to serve in church, BUT I want to spend time with my family’
But Praise be to God, this generation of Army guys have no buts.
Another group I’m amazed is that those people who are living in the north area of Singapore.
They could have buts of saying that our church is too far, but they have no buts once again.
Luke 14:16 - 24
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in herethe poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
If we give excuses like that, God will surely then look for another generation.
3. ‘But first’ Christians
Christians who wants to serve God, but always asking God to wait.
- ‘But wait first God, till I get a job’
- ‘But wait God, let me first finish my O Levels’
An A Level guy heard God calling him to serve as soon as possible. He promise God that he would start serving in Church right after exams, but, without much notice he enters Army, he promise God again that he will serve him right after Army.
Look, after Army will be university, after university, he starts to work, next he will start to have a family. Gosh… By the time he really start to serve in church he will be already 60-70 years old.
His best years of his life were not given to God, but all on fulfilling what he wanted.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE VISION OF OUR CHURCH!!!
To raise up a generation of people who are willing to give God the best years of their lives and God will use this generation to impact all levels of society and all walks of life!
THEN WHEN?
