16 Oct 2014 by Jason Law CM –
DUMC is one of the churches that are well-known for its heart and work for the community. It is from this heart that the church has grown rapidly and strong. Last weekend, DUMC celebrated their Missions Weekend, and on Sunday, the 12th of October 2014, Reverend Dr Greg Paek shared from 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8 about ‘Passing It On”.
What does it mean to “Pass It On”? In order to pass something on, we must first possess something. For Christians, the most valuable thing we have is our New Identities in Christ and everything that comes with it.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-8a
4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
Chosen by God’s Grace (v4)
Reverend Greg put it into context. No matter how righteous we may sometimes feel, during our moments of honesty with ourselves, we know that none of us are exempt from sin, and we all fall short of the glory of God.
‘But then, on the other hand, Jesus shed His blood for us on the cross, forgave all our sins, and gave us the right to enter into His presence. And so we call ourselves righteous. But are we really righteous? How many of us, after we become Christians, we live a 100% holy life, walk holy, eat holy, and so on? There is a sort of paradox here; that is why there is this term – righteous sinner or redeemed sinner,’ he shared.
We still struggle everyday to follow after the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of us are still in the process of sanctification, and we’re righteous because of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ who has washed our sins away. In truth, all of us need the Grace of God.
‘And this is what Jesus has inscribed into our hearts – redeemed – but not just this, Jesus says the world is inscribed into our hearts, and every morning God is saying to us; ‘You are mine! You are wonderfully and fearfully made! You are my crown of creation!’. God loves us! And that very thought – that we belong to God – tells us that we are not alone. God fights for us! And because of that, we can do the things that are according to His purpose, even beyond what we think we can do. This relationship is the most awesome thing we have; a personal relationship with the Almighty Creator, and it is from this that our motivation comes.’
Two venues how Gospel entered among the Thessalonians (v5)
In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, the Bible tells us that the Gospel did not come among the Thessalonians simply by words, but also with the power of the Holy Spirit and with a deep conviction. The Gospel cannot enter the hearts of men through mere words, or articulation, or rhetorical skills; it is far bigger than that.
In Acts 14:26-27, Paul and Barnabas reported about the gospel that had come into the hearts of men through the work of God. Earlier, in Acts 13: 2-3, we see the Holy Spirit setting apart Paul and Barnabas for the work that He had called them to do. ‘What does this tell us? It tells us that mission is not the work of men. God had been there directing them in every detail, and Paul made this very clear to the church – what God has done.’ It is God that opens the hearts of men; He plans, and in time, He will open the door to people’s hearts.
But there was also a second part to it, and this is very important. Reverend Greg shared that in the same verse, Paul also reminded the Thessalonians about how he lived among them. This speaks of a transparent life-style, and in fact, Paul prayed often for God’s direction upon his life, so that he may be found worthy for God’s purposes. The Gospel can only come into the hearts of men through a transparent lifestyle and visible deep conviction.
It is what makes the difference between merely doing the work of God and being a child of God. It is not what we do that is important but who we are. It is the Christlike-life that will become a powerful evangelical tool for God.
Surrounding situations for the gospel workers (v6)
Reverend Greg also shared that this verse 6 of this passage also clearly shows us that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life, all throughout the history of Christianity. These days, we see great persecution of Christians all over the world, in particular, what is happening in the Middle East. Suffering can sap the spirits of Christians, but then along with suffering, there is also something that gives Christians hope.
In verse 6, Paul talks about the inner joy of Christians, joy that is planted in our hearts by God, joy that is unexplainable. Furthermore, no one can take this inner joy from us, no matter what we may go through, we will overcome because of the Lord Jesus Christ that stands alongside us.
This joy and peace from God have been there with Christian missionaries for more than 2000 years. Reverend Greg shared many testimonies about Christians going through persecution, and yet enduring them with great perseverance. Christians that have the privilege of worshipping God freely must not take that privilege for granted.
Pass It On (v7-8)
So, what is it that Christians have to pass on? We know that Christians have been redeemed by God. We also know that we have the great privilege to share to others about God, not just through our own strength which would avail to nothing, but through a partnership with God, with God as Director and the Mover of events. Thirdly, we know that as Christians, we have an inner joy that is planted by God, a joy that cannot be taken from us by anyone in this world.
Most important of all, Christians have a great Gospel to pass on. Our lives must become models of perfection to others, full of the wisdom and perfect in the beauty of God (Ezekiel 28:12). The reputation of the church must have an attraction to others, just like the Early Jerusalem Church that grew because people saw that there was something special about Christians (Acts 2:47). Faith in God must become known everywhere so that it grows in power (Acts 19:20).
Reverend Greg’s challenge to Christians is to ask ourselves what we are doing about our parts in passing on our legacies as Christians. Our God is a God of mission and our mission matters greatly to God.
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