Sunday, 10th April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Live Out the True Faith
Philippians 2:15-16a says, “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.”
We know God rules and reigns, but the environment and our surroundings always make us live in fear. There are new virus variants, there are wars, there are economic crisis… it seems that we cannot change anything but to accept the reality. Gradually we lost the motivation to make a difference, to be the salt and light of the world, instead, we give in to the world. At the end, we just give up. There is no longer anything that can give us hope, we blend into the darkness, and we cannot shine for God.
God wants us to be the light in the dark, to live in the world but out of the world, to be blameless and harmless. It’s easy for us to find fault in other people but difficult to find fault in ourselves. We must examine ourselves, because we tend to be self-righteous and selfish, we cannot see the wickedness, pride and sinful natures of ourselves. God wants us to live truthfully, to be true to others and to ourselves. Stop pretending and lying to ourselves, don’t let the world influence us. We only need to live under the fragrance of Tree of Life, simple and natural.
Also, we need to learn to love ourselves and accept who we really are. It’s not about being luxurious but to live truthfully. We are all created with a purpose, we must find our purpose and then we can see how much we are loved and valued by God. When we really know who we are and really love ourselves, then we can love others.
Intercede for this Generation
Isaiah 62:6-7says, “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, And give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
How do we pray? Do we pray with a burden for the Kingdom of God? Or do we only ask what we want and never really ask what God wants? We are all self-centered and often take things for granted. God wants us to intercede for this generation day and night, to see the needs of others, and to cry out for the nations.
James 2:13 says, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Where is our merciful heart? Mercy triumphs over judgement. One day we will all face judgement, but when we show mercy, we will be blessed and the judgement will not be shown to us. We don’t show mercy because we see our own benefits more important than others.
Mark 9:35-36 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
We should also cry out for the healing of the nations. Jesus went around and preached the Good News, He was searching for the poor and needy, and have mercy for them. God has also given us the authority to show mercy and to preach the Gospel.
Stand in Position to Shine for the Lord
Philippians 2:15-16a “And perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.” To shine in the darkness, this is the life we must live out! What is our position? Where God puts us in right now is our position. Do we believe where we are is where God wants us to be? We don’t stand in the position to fulfill our own desires, but to shine for the Lord. God has a special purpose for us to be where we are right now, but can we really see this purpose?
Esther 4:14 “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther was made the queen because God allowed it, even though she might have doubted at first, but at the end, she chose to stand in her position and saved the Jews.
God wants us to shine for Him in the darkness. We must live out the true faith, to intercede for this generation, and to stand in the right position to shine for the Lord. Jesus has already died and rose again for us, are we willing to take this new life and serve God? By showing mercy to others and to deny ourselves. God has an expectation for us, not to be an average Christian, but to be the salt and light of this world. Today is the day to respond God.