Bishop Reynaldo Domingo's Site

 

NOTE: This is the transcript of Bishop Reynaldo Domingo’s message as one of the plenary speakers during the Lausanne Philippines Congress last 25-27 October 2007 at the UCCP Cosmopolitan Church in Ermita, Manila. To download the Powerpoint presentation of this sermon, please click here.

Good morning, fellow servants of the Lord.

As God’s workers, I hope we enjoy fulfilling the task entrusted to us. There is a song which was popular a decade ago, the lyrics of which is lifted from Isaiah 52:7 which says:

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him
who brings good news, good news,
announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness -
our God reigns, our God reigns

We, who are called by God to bring good news to the perishing, to announce peace to those in trouble whether physically or emotionally, to proclaim news of liberty and freedom to those oppressed and enslaved by sin – with the triumphant note that in this age and in the age to come, our Master surely reigns – affirm, what a great privilege we have.

What great privilege it is to be called to the ministry and be employed with God Himself as our employer, who assured us of spiritual, emotional, physical and material sustenance. I say so because the Scriptures affirm:

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NASB)

“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NASB)

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11 NASB)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NASB)

Yes, ours is a privilege call to effect healing to the brokenhearted and to those in pain, to restore wholeness to the physically sick and emotionally devastated, to usher into the kingdom of God those who are bound to eternal perdition – besides being God’s agent in the transformation of societies as salt of the earth and light of the world. – This is our calling. In spite of our weakness, our hard-headedness, and our occasional disobedience – still He called us to this highest of all callings.

However, very heavy responsibilities are connected with this highest call. And these responsibilities are entrusted to us to fulfill unadulterated by any human selfish motivation.

A. We are called to be holy.

The Scriptures declared:

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7 NIV)

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV)

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 NASB)

The Biblical requirement on holiness is for all believers. Holiness is not an option, it is a must. And as Christian workers, we should be an exemplar of holiness.

When we look closely and observe the pages of the Scriptures, it is easy for us to see that God never required us:

- to be all knowing like God,
- to be all powerful like Him,
- to be present everywhere at the same time.

But, with regard to His moral attribute of holiness, the Scriptures strongly commanded us:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”(Matthew 5:48 KJV)

Not a few Christians are undergoing a severe spiritual crisis in their lives, a spiritual crisis created by:

- their sincere desire to follow the admonition to be holy as the Father,
- and the reality of their own human experiences which are in opposition to the required holiness which Christians know should characterize their life

Paul, in the early years of his Christian life experienced this spiritual crisis – we can sense from the 7th chapter of Romans the agony of his soul. Let me quote verses 15 and 19.

“For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate… For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” (Romans 7:15,19 NASB)

Let me repeat these two similar things that Paul said:

1. “…I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

2. “…For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.”

It is easy for us to see the agony of soul that Paul had undergone. But Paul never stayed in that spiritual condition. He recognized it, he exposed it in our behalf, and by the grace of God he overcame it. He clearly stated in his letters to the Corinthians and Thessalonians believers what had happened afterwards:

“…Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 RSV)

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV)

“You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10 NIV)

We see here that Paul began with that spiritual crisis and ended with a holy, righteous and blameless life. All those with genuine Christian conversion had undergone this spiritual crisis, but they never stayed in this stage, although others lingered for a little while. Eventually the genuineness of their conversion took effect; they learned to heed the prodding of the Holy Spirit; they appropriated for themselves the available and ever-sufficient grace of God that resulted in their living a life that is holy.

In the Scriptures there are workers in the Christian ministry like us who will suffer a great loss and eternal punishment. They are those who will be deceived by their own sinful hearts. The prophet Jeremiah warned us. Said he:

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)

To help us, Christian leaders, not to be deceived by our sinful heart, the Lord Jesus presented to us a scenario that will happen on judgment day. In His Sermon on the Mount which we can read in Matthew 7:22-23, He said:

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23 NASB)

Yes, that judgment day scenario refers to preachers to whom Christ our Lord will pronounce a devastating and uncontestable judgment, “I never knew you; depart from me…” – The acid test of the genuineness of our faith and the legitimacy of our call to the ministry is not our diplomas, not the position that we have, not even our capability to expound the Scriptures – but by the holiness of our whole being.

“As He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written, be holy because I am holy.”

Let me reiterate: WE ARE CALLED TO BE HOLY.

B. We are called to fight the good fight of faith.

“This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son… that by them you may fight the good fight.” (1 Timothy 1:18 NASB)

This was the instruction of Paul to the young worker Timothy. The fight that he was conveying to us which was very much understood by Timothy is the fight that has to do with the FAITH:

- faith in God,
- the struggles in connection with this faith,
- the state of mind and attitudes as the faith is being communicated to the world of men,
- the undivided devotion to Christ for this faith to be victorious.

These are some of the meanings which I believe was in the mind of Paul, which Timothy understood very well.

We are called to fight the good fight of faith and to do so:

Firstly, we must not look on the secondary causes of whatever happens n our lives. Instead, we must look on the primary cause – our loving God.

One of the many events in the life and ministry of Apostle Paul portraying his struggles of faith, the state of his mind and attitudes, and his undivided devotion to Christ, is the story that happened in Philippi. Paul and Silas were successful in their ministry in Asia Minor when God called Paul to Macedonia through a vision. Here is the description of the Scriptures:

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:9-10 NIV)

In obedience to the call of God, Paul and Silas went to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonia. There in Philippi, Paul cast out an evil spirit from a slave girl. This slave girl practiced divination to earn money for her masters.

When the evil spirit left the slave girl, she could no longer predict the future, and her master lost their source of income. As a result, the owners of the slave girl were enraged and were full of revenge on Paul and Silas. – Let as read the continuation of the story.

“But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said ‘These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.’ And the crowds rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:19-24 NASB)

As Paul and Silas were in pain due to the beatings and blows, suffering inconveniences and humiliations in that inner prison, it is not hard for them to say:

- Lord, did we not fully obey You when You called us here through a vision?
- Lord, did we not fulfill the task You have entrusted to us to witness for You and usher into the kingdom those You prepared for eternal life?
- Lord, did we not act in accordance with the leading of the Holy Spirit when we cast out the evil spirit from the slave girl?
- Then why is it that You, our all-powerful and loving God, allowed these things to happen to us?
- Why is it that You allowed us to be put in disrepute?
- Do we deserve these beatings, these stripes, and this humiliation?

But those were not in the minds and hearts of Paul and Silas. Instead, their action revealed the state of their mind and emotion was, and let me quote the verse that followed:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.” (Acts 16:25 NASB)

Paul and Silas never complained; they never questioned God. Theirs was a happy submission to the will of God. They did not focus their attention on the secondary causes of that given event:

- the evil reactions of the owners of the slave girl,
- the unjustified decision of the magistrates who ordered them to be stripped, beaten and jailed,
- the jailer who put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stock

Instead, Paul and Silas focused their attention on the primary cause – who is God Himself, their loving and sovereign God. This was one of the many experiences of Paul that gave him the moral and spiritual authority to formulate teachings on the Christian way of life and ministry. Thus, when he wrote some books of the New Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he told us:

“In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV)

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB)

The same idea is taught in Hebrews:

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

We are all familiar with the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, the son of Jacob in the Old Testament. – Joseph from age 1 to 17 lived a life of ease and luxury in his father Jacob’s house. But at the age of 17 to 30, thirteen years in all, he experienced a life of severe temptations and sufferings.

- Propelled by jealousy, his brothers threw him into a pit to die, but afterwards they sold him as a slave.
- He was bought by Potiphar to work as a slave in his house.
- As he was faithfully doing his work in Potiphar’s house, Potiphar’s wife had sexual interest on him.
- Because Joseph would not give in to the request of Potiphar’s wife to have sex with her, he was imprisoned.

To read the biography of Joseph in the book of Genesis, one will observe that the repeated commentary of the Scriptures on Joseph was: “And God was with Joseph.” Towards the end of the story, as the book of Genesis is about to close, Jacob – Joseph’s father – died and was buried.

Joseph’s brothers, for fear that he might exact a revenge on them, used their father to ask for Joseph’s forgiveness. – Let me read to you this beautiful passage:

“So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father charged before he died, saying, “Thus you shall say to Joseph, ‘Please forgive, I beg you, the transgressions of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.’”…. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? AND AS FOR YOU, YOU MEANT EVIL AGAINST ME, BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THIS PERSONAL RESULT, TO PRESERVE MANY PEOPLE ALIVE.’” (Genesis 50:16-20 NASB)

Joseph learned to focus on God and not on the people that caused him pain and sufferings. He did not look on the secondary causes; rather, he looked on God – the primary cause. As God’s workers, we are enjoined to fight the good fight of faith. And to do so we must strongly dissuade ourselves from intently looking on the secondary causes of our pains and sufferings, but focus on the primary cause – our loving and sovereign God.

Secondly, to fight the good fight of faith, we must walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 said:

“For we walk by faith and not by sight.”

The Scriptural admonition is: Do not walk by sight.

- To walk by sight is to live a life following one’s own understanding, one’s own opinion.
- To walk by sight is to live a life dictated by our own sense perception.
- To walk by sight is to live a life contrary to what the Scriptures says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

- To walk by sight, then, is to live a life leaning on one’s own understanding.

Among the twelve spies whom Moses sent to spy the Promised Land, ten of them walked by sight while the remaining two walked by faith. Moses met the twelve spies and commanded them to spy the land of Canaan, the land that God will give to the Jews. He gave them instructions on what to look for. For forty days, the spies stayed in the land and afterwards, they came to Moses and gave their report. All the twelve spies gave their report to Moses – and they were united in this report.

- The land did flow with milk and honey.
- The people of the land were strong.
- The cities were well fortified and very large.
- The people who lived there were people of great size.

The twelve spies agreed together on their report, but they differed on their recommendations. In fact, their recommendations were diametrically opposed to each other.

- Ten of the spies recommended that they should not go ahead with the plan, for they will be defeated by the people of the land.
- Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, recommended to Moses that they should go there and possess the land.

In their recommendation, the ten spies were influenced by what they saw. Their recommendation was borne out of their own assessment of facts:

- The inhabitants of the land were too strong and of great size. In comparing themselves to the inhabitants – they believed they were too small and their military too weak.
- The cities were well fortified, and they would not be able to enter the walls.

Again, the recommendation of the ten spies were borne out of what they saw and understood. On the other hand, the two spies, Joshua and Caleb – walked by faith. So what is walking by faith then?

- To walk by faith is to be solely influenced by what the Word of God says.
- To walk by faith is to learn to close one’s eyes to rational things that are contrary to what the Scripture says.
- To walk by faith is to say “yes” to God and follow Him without any qualification.

The two spies closed their eyes to the fact that their military was weak, while the military of the inhabitants of the land was strong. The two spies did not look on the well fortified cities, but:

- They looked on their God who told Moses to send twelve spies to the land which He is going to give to the sons of Israel.
- They looked on their God, who is the God of the impossible.

 their God who delivered them from Egyptian bondage.
 their God who parted the sea and allowed them to cross over on dry ground.
 their God who fed them manna for many years.

All these things were impossible with men but made possible by God.

These were the data in the minds of the two spies when they recommended to Moses to go ahead and possess the land. Their parting words to Moses and the whole congregation was:

“…do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:9)

We Christian workers are called to fight the good fight of faith, and to do so, we must walk by faith and not by sight. We said before that to walk by faith is to follow what the Scriptures mandated even if it is contrary to human common sense. There are biblical examples that can be cited, and we will study one such event.

During that time, the Lord Jesus Christ was known only as the son of Joseph and Mary, a carpenter and a rabbi. During that time, He was not yet known as the incarnate Son, the Savior of the world. The setting was Lake Genesaret. The Lord Jesus borrowed Simon Peter’s boat and requested him to move the boat a little distance from the shore. He then sat at the boat and taught the crowd. When he finished teaching the crowd, He approached Peter and told him to go fishing.

We can deduce from the response of Peter that conventional knowledge forbade him to obey the command to fish. Peter said:

“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” (Luke 5:5a NIV)

There are two legitimate reasons why Peter should not follow the command to fish. Firstly, fishing is done during the night and not at day time. Secondly, it is not prudent for a seasoned fisherman to follow a command to fish from a carpenter and a rabbi who knew nothing about fishing. – But instead of saying “no,” Peter said:

“…But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5b NIV)

Again, let me repeat what I have been saying: WE ARE CALLED TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH – and to fulfill that call, we must discipline ourselves to WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. – Peter disregarded sight data; he disregarded conventional wisdom; he obeyed the command by faith.

These days we are facing sin in all its modern sophistication. Like Lot of old, our righteous souls are distressed and tormented by the filthy lives of men around us. So in the midst of this raging lawlessness, let us affirm before each other and before are God our calling:

- that we are called to be holy.
- that we are called to fight the good fight of faith,

for us to give glory to our God; for us to present an alternative lifestyle before the community of people with whom we live, and for us to be this world’s leaven.