Friday, December 17, 2010
A Journey of Faith - Part 2
If you want to test your faith look at our Lord Jesus the way He respond to those who oppose Him. Grace allows them to say no but it does not excuse them to the consequences. Grace was expressed by not forcing them to say yes. Grace accepts what the people choose.
A Journey of Faith - Part 1
The sermon for today is focus on the Lord's response to the extreme faith of many. It has been always a challenge for those who preach to expose the scripture, to go to the exact and avoid the extreme and the excess. How do you know the extreme? How do you know the excess?
Friday, December 10, 2010
FAKE FAITH
By: Rev. Arnel C. Tan
“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, we’ll try again.”
Luke 5:5
Can you detect fake faith? I’m sure God can, but, can we? We have been so deceived that we cannot detect which is true and phony. It is here that the Lord intervenes and exposes to us how fake we are. Politeness and diplomacy is not faith, they are cultural influences that allow us not to believe and still look good. Being polite is not bad, just don’t call it faith. This is exactly what Simon is showing Christ – the jewish polite way of saying “no fish Rabbi, you’re wrong”.
God knows what’s fake and authentic but we don’t. In other words, the test that God allows in our journey is not for God to know but for us to discover who we are, and be led by the Spirit of God to repentance. Let us not settle for fake faith… it looks good and harmless but it has never impressed God at all. Can we produce or possess the genuine one? The answer is yes and no… ‘yes’ because God is the giver of faith; ‘no’ because we can never produce it on our own.
As Simon treads the journey, the Lord gradually awakens faith in his heart! While God is not hostage to any circumstance, He refuses to hostage anyone to bring them to faith. The Lord’s patience is amazing! Dealing with us in our individual faith-awakening journey, and dealing with us in our congregational faith-awakening journey, we slowly see that what we have cherished is fake! Fake faith, like many cheap products, is affordable… no sacrifices required, no need for surrender too, but when the storm comes, it can’t stand. Fake faith has no durability in it.
In this faith-awakening journey, may we become sensitive to God’s leading that we may recognize the difference between just being polite and diplomatic versus an authentic walk of faith. Remember, faith is planted inside our hearts; it is nourished inside too; it’s roots grow deep so silently that sometimes it looks like nothing is happening. In prayer, wait on the Lord and He will unfold to us the next step. Fake faith is a comfort. True faith is a tested vessel, under a storm-scarred Captain.
“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, we’ll try again.”
Luke 5:5
Can you detect fake faith? I’m sure God can, but, can we? We have been so deceived that we cannot detect which is true and phony. It is here that the Lord intervenes and exposes to us how fake we are. Politeness and diplomacy is not faith, they are cultural influences that allow us not to believe and still look good. Being polite is not bad, just don’t call it faith. This is exactly what Simon is showing Christ – the jewish polite way of saying “no fish Rabbi, you’re wrong”.
God knows what’s fake and authentic but we don’t. In other words, the test that God allows in our journey is not for God to know but for us to discover who we are, and be led by the Spirit of God to repentance. Let us not settle for fake faith… it looks good and harmless but it has never impressed God at all. Can we produce or possess the genuine one? The answer is yes and no… ‘yes’ because God is the giver of faith; ‘no’ because we can never produce it on our own.
As Simon treads the journey, the Lord gradually awakens faith in his heart! While God is not hostage to any circumstance, He refuses to hostage anyone to bring them to faith. The Lord’s patience is amazing! Dealing with us in our individual faith-awakening journey, and dealing with us in our congregational faith-awakening journey, we slowly see that what we have cherished is fake! Fake faith, like many cheap products, is affordable… no sacrifices required, no need for surrender too, but when the storm comes, it can’t stand. Fake faith has no durability in it.
In this faith-awakening journey, may we become sensitive to God’s leading that we may recognize the difference between just being polite and diplomatic versus an authentic walk of faith. Remember, faith is planted inside our hearts; it is nourished inside too; it’s roots grow deep so silently that sometimes it looks like nothing is happening. In prayer, wait on the Lord and He will unfold to us the next step. Fake faith is a comfort. True faith is a tested vessel, under a storm-scarred Captain.
A Faith Awakening Journey Part 2
God will provide simple faith. It is humbling to know that the hard works and many blessings that you enjoy now are not related to your hard work. When you wait is not guarantee that what you want will happen. But God will transform you into the person He wants you to be.
A Faith Awakening Journey Part 1
Without faith it is impossible to please God. However each one of us has our other version of faith which is not right before God. Faith is believing that God will do what is right and wise in His own eyes.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Who Is Truly Thankful Part 2
Misery reveals our real need for help you have no choice but pushes you to cry for help. To some of you who are not use to ask for help believe me that here is corners in life that will teaches you how to ask help.
Who Is Truly Thankful Part 1
A truly thankful heart is revealed when the crisis is over, the danger is gone, success is savored and prayers are answered. In our trials thanksgiving is refined; it is in our triumph that true thanksgiving is revealed.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Sin of Familiarity Part 2
Why fire came out from the presence of the Lord because Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu add something, the incense, the King James version demonstrate it that they mix it with a strange fire. In other words they added mixture that was not specified by God. And the penalty is death. Now for the Part 2 message.
The Sin of Familiarity Part 1
What is the enemy of prayer? It is an answered prayer because more answered prayer more less prayer. What is the enemy of intimacy with God? The enemy of intimacy with God is not away from God. The enemy is familiarity with God and that is our topic for today Sin of Familiarity.
Just in case you cannot view this message due to limitation of our storage in Podbean.com you can e-mail us and request for the message title you want. Please make sure to write your name when you request to davaochinesebaptistchurch@gmail.com.
Just in case you cannot view this message due to limitation of our storage in Podbean.com you can e-mail us and request for the message title you want. Please make sure to write your name when you request to davaochinesebaptistchurch@gmail.com.
Incense of Insult
By: Rev. Arnel Tan
“…..In this way they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded.” Leviticus 10:1b NLT
Incense is supposed to be the symbol of our worship and prayers that we offer to the Lord. It is done for the glory of God and it is a sweet aroma unto the Lord. This also symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ whose sacrifice at the cross is a sweet aroma to the Father. When Nadab and Abihu mixed strange elements other than what the Lord required what was supposed to be an incense of worship became an insult. Here we ask the question, ‘What went wrong? What grievous sin did they commit that made them pay for it with their lives?’
The sin that Aaron’s sons committed in man’s eyes would have been no big deal, but in the eyes of God it was a big deal. God’s wrath was unleashed and their burned cadavers brought a deep sense of fear among the priests of Israel. They did not commit an honest mistake, rather, they disobeyed God! Their being creative went too far… they crossed the line between creativity to blasphemy. This is the sin of familiarity where God is taken lightly and His commands are not taken seriously.
The true worship of God is both intimate and reverent; it is a mixture of fellowship or communion coupled with fear. When our worship of God is not founded on the fear of God, it will not enjoy the friendship and favor of God. Remember, the sin of familiarity is not committed by pagans but by God’s Priests! Those who enjoy unique spiritual privileges in serving God in this temple and are entrusted with the secrets of the Almighty are in great danger of committing this sin. It is not only true of the Old Testament priests or prophets… this is also true to any believer today.
How is this sin committed? I think this sin subtly starts to bud when we make “self” as the center of worship, and convenience as our goal to worship. In other words, it is no longer about God. The desire to be emotionally ‘feeling good’ and the ‘cleverness’ to take some short cuts become the goal of worshipers and those who lead them to worship. When God is not first, the pressure to find new things to make things appealing to the flesh is tremendous. When ministers are bored with doing their duties and the congregation is in a hurry to finish the weekly rituals of worship, the sin of familiarity steps in.
It is in this context that God need to introduce Himself in such a way that refreshes us of His Holiness and revives the ‘fear of the Lord’ in our hearts. Each time we gather for worship, do we really believe that God is present? His Presence brings freedom as well as fire. Pleasure and punishment, at the same time, is at hand every time we worship God. Thank God that this does not occur every Sunday… this is grace to give us space to fear again. The next time we treat God lightly; the next time we become obstacles in the path of which God is to be greatly glorified, be reminded of this story. Let incenses of praise and prayer be sweet-smelling to God, and nothing is so sweet in the courts of God than a broken spirit and a contrite heart. This is the offering He will not despise.
“…..In this way they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded.” Leviticus 10:1b NLT
Incense is supposed to be the symbol of our worship and prayers that we offer to the Lord. It is done for the glory of God and it is a sweet aroma unto the Lord. This also symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ whose sacrifice at the cross is a sweet aroma to the Father. When Nadab and Abihu mixed strange elements other than what the Lord required what was supposed to be an incense of worship became an insult. Here we ask the question, ‘What went wrong? What grievous sin did they commit that made them pay for it with their lives?’
The sin that Aaron’s sons committed in man’s eyes would have been no big deal, but in the eyes of God it was a big deal. God’s wrath was unleashed and their burned cadavers brought a deep sense of fear among the priests of Israel. They did not commit an honest mistake, rather, they disobeyed God! Their being creative went too far… they crossed the line between creativity to blasphemy. This is the sin of familiarity where God is taken lightly and His commands are not taken seriously.
The true worship of God is both intimate and reverent; it is a mixture of fellowship or communion coupled with fear. When our worship of God is not founded on the fear of God, it will not enjoy the friendship and favor of God. Remember, the sin of familiarity is not committed by pagans but by God’s Priests! Those who enjoy unique spiritual privileges in serving God in this temple and are entrusted with the secrets of the Almighty are in great danger of committing this sin. It is not only true of the Old Testament priests or prophets… this is also true to any believer today.
How is this sin committed? I think this sin subtly starts to bud when we make “self” as the center of worship, and convenience as our goal to worship. In other words, it is no longer about God. The desire to be emotionally ‘feeling good’ and the ‘cleverness’ to take some short cuts become the goal of worshipers and those who lead them to worship. When God is not first, the pressure to find new things to make things appealing to the flesh is tremendous. When ministers are bored with doing their duties and the congregation is in a hurry to finish the weekly rituals of worship, the sin of familiarity steps in.
It is in this context that God need to introduce Himself in such a way that refreshes us of His Holiness and revives the ‘fear of the Lord’ in our hearts. Each time we gather for worship, do we really believe that God is present? His Presence brings freedom as well as fire. Pleasure and punishment, at the same time, is at hand every time we worship God. Thank God that this does not occur every Sunday… this is grace to give us space to fear again. The next time we treat God lightly; the next time we become obstacles in the path of which God is to be greatly glorified, be reminded of this story. Let incenses of praise and prayer be sweet-smelling to God, and nothing is so sweet in the courts of God than a broken spirit and a contrite heart. This is the offering He will not despise.
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