Thoughts from the Sunday sermon
I was thinking back to the sermon on Sunday, and some thoughts came to mind.
1) Caring for others: As Christians, we belong to a community of God's people, and we should be reaching out to those who are unsaved. Firstly, how much do we even care about the people in our community? Many churches face problems of people leaving, and often it's because they do not feel welcome in the church. I myself have seen cases where people left church, and not many people bothered about them (largely it was the leaders who attempted to maintain contact). Are we in a community just to be in our own comfort groups? Or do we also care about others in our community?
Secondly, I'm beginning to notice that quite a number of newcomers (at least for my church) are Christians looking for a church to settle in. It's our job as people of this church to show care towards these newcomers and help them feel welcome. While not a lot take the effort to mix with them, it's encouraging to see that there are some who really take the effort to get to know them better.
Thirdly, as God's chosen people in this fallen and sinful world, our job is to evangelise the lost and to bring them to come to know God personally. But how much do we care about the people around us? We often feel worried about what others would think of us if we tried sharing the gospel to them. But what would God feel if we didn't try? Thinking back to my on testimony, if my friend didn't try sharing the gospel to me, I may not have found out that she is a Christian. Then where would I turn to when I wanted to go to church? Also, sharing the gospel is our duty, and it's up to God to touch the heart of the person we are sharing to (ie. we should be careful not to force-feed the gospel, but just share it out of care for others).
2) A personal relationship with God: As Christians, we read and study the Bible on a regular basis. Some of us are Christians for only a few months, some are Christians for many years. However, though the Bible is a fundamental part of Christianity, Christianity is not JUST about the Bible. Ultimately, being a Christian is to have an ongoing personal relationship with the living God, and knowing the Bible well is a means to this end. Yet, it's SO easy to just study the Bible for years, and never have a relationship with God. It's REALLY scary, isn't it? Do we have a personal relationship with God?
3) Approval of God and not of man: Living in this fallen world that's filled with worldly desires, we stand out among the crowd when we choose to follow God's ways. People do notice this, and some do admire our faith and ask us about God. But most people will feel that we're strange and weird people who do not know how to enjoy life. Many times, we succumb to peer pressure and pursue worldly desires. However, shouldn't we be seeking approval from God instead of man? Remember, man looks at the actions, but God looks at the heart, and He alone knows our motives. For me personally, I've reached the stage where I've learned to answer to God alone, so often I don't care what people think of me, even if they think I'm weird.
1) Caring for others: As Christians, we belong to a community of God's people, and we should be reaching out to those who are unsaved. Firstly, how much do we even care about the people in our community? Many churches face problems of people leaving, and often it's because they do not feel welcome in the church. I myself have seen cases where people left church, and not many people bothered about them (largely it was the leaders who attempted to maintain contact). Are we in a community just to be in our own comfort groups? Or do we also care about others in our community?
Secondly, I'm beginning to notice that quite a number of newcomers (at least for my church) are Christians looking for a church to settle in. It's our job as people of this church to show care towards these newcomers and help them feel welcome. While not a lot take the effort to mix with them, it's encouraging to see that there are some who really take the effort to get to know them better.
Thirdly, as God's chosen people in this fallen and sinful world, our job is to evangelise the lost and to bring them to come to know God personally. But how much do we care about the people around us? We often feel worried about what others would think of us if we tried sharing the gospel to them. But what would God feel if we didn't try? Thinking back to my on testimony, if my friend didn't try sharing the gospel to me, I may not have found out that she is a Christian. Then where would I turn to when I wanted to go to church? Also, sharing the gospel is our duty, and it's up to God to touch the heart of the person we are sharing to (ie. we should be careful not to force-feed the gospel, but just share it out of care for others).
2) A personal relationship with God: As Christians, we read and study the Bible on a regular basis. Some of us are Christians for only a few months, some are Christians for many years. However, though the Bible is a fundamental part of Christianity, Christianity is not JUST about the Bible. Ultimately, being a Christian is to have an ongoing personal relationship with the living God, and knowing the Bible well is a means to this end. Yet, it's SO easy to just study the Bible for years, and never have a relationship with God. It's REALLY scary, isn't it? Do we have a personal relationship with God?
3) Approval of God and not of man: Living in this fallen world that's filled with worldly desires, we stand out among the crowd when we choose to follow God's ways. People do notice this, and some do admire our faith and ask us about God. But most people will feel that we're strange and weird people who do not know how to enjoy life. Many times, we succumb to peer pressure and pursue worldly desires. However, shouldn't we be seeking approval from God instead of man? Remember, man looks at the actions, but God looks at the heart, and He alone knows our motives. For me personally, I've reached the stage where I've learned to answer to God alone, so often I don't care what people think of me, even if they think I'm weird.
posted by Guangrong at
11:51 pm
