Sunday, 24th December 2017
Pastor Eunice Choo
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
This morning Pastor Eunice taught us a new phrase, called the ‘Kairos Moment’, on the other words it means the right moment, the opportune moment. Life is a series of changes, a process from ‘old’ to ‘new’, and from just ‘time’ to the ‘Kairos Moment’.
“Dear woman, that’s not our problem”, Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4)
Jesus told His mother at the wedding that His time has not yet come. Jesus knows His timing, but do we know ours? Pastor Eunice shared with us that we need to seize the Kairos Moment of our lives. Daniel did not know his prayer will put him in the lion’s den, Ruth did not know after she followed Naomi she will meet Boaz, and David did not know when he dropped of his brother’s lunch he will end up fighting Goliath.
The Kairos Moment may come anytime. Today Pastor Eunice used the stories of three people in the Bible to teach us how to seize the Kairos Moment:
- Esther – who changes the fate of her people
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Mary of Bethany
Become the Key Person in the Kairos Moment
Esther became the key person at the key moment. Everyone has the Kairos Moment, and Esther held onto hers. She was the last women recoded in the Old Testament. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means myrtle tree, but her name was changed to Esther, which means star. God changed her name also represented that He’s changing her life.
“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
During the Esther era, people wanted to kill Jews. Esther married the king who killed his wife when he was angry. He was an emotional king and Esther may had lived in fear all her life. In Esther 4:14, she was asked if she’s willing to be the key person for the moment.
“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law. I will go in to see the king. if I must die, I must die.” (Esther 4:16)
Esther’s reply was brave and at the end she saved the Jews people. She chose to stand up to be the right person at the right time.
Respond to the Key Calling in the Kairos Moment
Our lives are lived for a higher calling. Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blessed Virgin Mary, responded to the key calling of her life and the right moment.
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end! Mary asked the angel, ‘but how can this happen? I am s virgin’” (Luke 1:31-34)
Mary was called for a very dangerous task, at the time if a woman give birth before she’s married, she’s very likely to lose her fiancé, and be stoned to death. But instead of saying no, she responded to God with faith.
“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38)
Mary said ‘yes’ before she even know that one day her son will die on the cross before her eyes. She responded anyway and was proven faithful. If we don’t live for this Kairos Moment then our life will end up worthless.
Make the Key Offering in the Kairos Moment
“Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus – the man He had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray Him, said, ‘the perfume was with a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.’ Not that he cared for the poor – he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, ‘leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me’” (John 12:1-8)
Mary of Bethany was willing to offer the best, possibly the perfume she saved for her wedding day, to Jesus. She did it at the Kairos Moment as Jesus was soon going on the cross afterwards.
Are we willing to make the key offering when the time comes? Let us all seize the Kairos Moment and don’t let our lives be wasted on this earth!