Sunday, 27th July 2014
Today we have 2 young missionaries – our sister Wanda and brother Joshua – back from Thailand mission trip share their testimony.
Sister Wanda points out 4 things she experienced on the mission trip:
1. Preparation: She got a very short notice to go for this mission trip and did not have enough time to prepare. Preparation is very important in our life. We should be prepared and equip ourselves all the time as God may call us anytime.
2. Blessing through us: She shared, at this stage we might not know the purpose of our life. But we can be the blessing to other people. Likewise, God put her in New Zealand and surely He will use her to bless this land.
3. Being Served: During the mission trip, other people are helping to do washing and cleaning. For a moment, she thought we are here to serve, not to be served. But God sends people in our lives to help, so that we can do the greater and bigger things. Galatians 6:9 ” Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
4. Change the world: We have the ability to change the whole world and it starts from you. We change, and hence the world. It starts from you.
Joshua’s Sharing:
Brother Joshua shared the activities they had with children included teaching Chinese, singing Christian songs, painting school and so on. Last year during the mission trip to Africa (Tanzania), he had luxurious hotels, but this time he had to sleep on the ground with cockroaches crawling but had a good time with children and visiting the village. Happiness in the world depends on the wealth we have, but children in Thailand are happy and really do not care about the money.
He shared a story, about an old man trying to save the starfish by the seashore. He tries to throw back all the starfish to the ocean to save their lives. One day a man asked him why he is throwing starfish back as it is not possible to save all the starfish. The old man replied: he may not save all, but at least he can save one life. Likewise, we may not bring all the people in Christ, but at least we can spark the light and love Jesus in their life. Even if one person is saved, it will make the whole world different to that person.
As time passes on, our passion, the burning fire and desire to preach gospel dies slowly. Thailand mission trip helps Joshua to regain the passion and wanting to do more. His sharing ends with a question, what can do to keep fire burning?
Sermon: Understand Jesus’s Heart
Rev. Daniel Poon
Understanding parents’ heart is very important, as it is one of the 10 commandments. In Exodus 10:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” As Jesus has respected all the commands from our heavenly father, we too need to respect our God, Jesus Christ.
Rev. Daniel guided us to better understand our Lord Jesus’s heart through the following scriptures:
Mathew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Along with technology development, it is also destroying and making the earth polluted. No matter how hard we try to recover the environment, it cannot be corrected and can be resolved only by our Creator. One day our physical body will perish, how can we save yourself? We can be saved through the eternal life. Should we stay back and wait for Jesus to come back? What do we need to do? What does Jesus want us to do? 1 Timothy 2:4 “ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Jesus does not want anyone to miss out in the kingdom of heaven.
1. Imminent Heart: In Matthew 9:35 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” Jesus used last 3 years of his life to preach gospel. He traveled through villages, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. In the story of Jonah, God sent him to the great city of Nineveh, so people can repent and can be saved. But he tried to run away from God. God found him inside the fish’s stomach, at the end Jonah accepts to take the mission. On the other hand, Jesus was sent to earth, so we can be saved. He had the imminent heart, and obeyed all God’s commands with no hesitation.
2. Compassionate Heart: In Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ” Many times in our life, we do not bother to change our life. We might think everyone’s life is like this so why should we try to change. But Jesus said “knock, the door will be open, ask and it will be given to you”. Jesus is the solution and he is the answer to every question.
3. Pastoral Heart: Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. People do not like being guided, because we have our own idea, value and knowledge. Dream can put people to die, plan can put the people off, but Jesus never gives us the wrong direction. We will find the blessings, If we humble ourselves and follow Jesus’ pastoring, as well as being the blessing to other people.
It is very important to recognize, “Why do we need Jesus”. Punishment day will come, but today is a day full of mercy. In John 4:35 “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” We might not think we are ready yet to tell people about Jesus. Start to prepare yourself today not tomorrow. Share good news to people today and blessing will move through you. Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”