Bishop Reynaldo Domingo's Site

 

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TEXT: HEBREWS 11:4

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.  

INTRODUCTION

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A. THEIR LIVES SPEAK

1. The lives of New Testament and Old Testament saints still speak to us.

- Their lives and ministry are speaking to us, and we should emulate them and follow their example.

- In Hebrews 11, several OT saints are enumerated. They are the men and women of faith.

- Other names were not mentioned but those who know Bible history can identify them. They were introduced as those “who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames.” (Hebrews 11:33-34) They were Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego.

- There were also allusions to the NT saints:

“Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. … They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11:36-38)

- Some of these things happened during Paul’s time. Before his conversion, he persecuted the church. After his conversion, he and his fellow Christian leaders and also those common believers, experienced these persecutions, hardships and death.

2. Hebrews 11 described the saints in the “Hall of Faith.”

- Common believers: Abel, Enoch

- Family of believers: Noah

- Head of the Jewish race: Abraham

- High government official: Joseph, Daniel

- Lawgiver: Moses

- Progenitor of Christ: Rahab

- Judges: Samuel, Samson, Jephthah

- King: David

- Prophets: no names mentioned

- Saints of the OT and NT: multitudes of those mistreated, persecuted and killed

3. There are two examples in the Scriptures where God categorically stated that their lives have spoken.

- One is in the Old Testament:

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4

- One is in the New Testamet:

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14:3-9

4. Why are these two saints recipients of such commendations from the Lord?

- Was their service to God of higher value than the services of Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Elijah, Paul, Peter, John, James, etc?

- I think not. Their contributions to the advancement of the Kingdom of God is far lesser than that of the prominent OT and NT saints.

- There are two things that merits our observation regarding them.

- First, the Christian concept of offering.

* In my understanding, the Christian concept of offering ought to be the concept of David in what he said in 1 Chronicles 21:24:

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

* When Abel offered his sacrifice to the Lord, he saw to it that it would please God, and he achieved his goal. The Scripture says:

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Genesis 4:4b

God spoke well of his offerings. Hebrews 11:4c

* The central reason was because Abel sought first to be righteous before he presented his offerings.

By faith he was commended as a righteous man. Hebrews 11:4b

* The application is this: when we offer anything to God, the requirements for our offering to be accepted and to please the Lord are the following:

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

Because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law… Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me. Jeremiah 6:19b,20b

- Second, the Christian concept of money or material possessions.

* When we analyze the story of the woman with the costly perfume, we will see a deeper concept of offering that pleases God.

* Let us look at the story again.

* The perfume that she poured on the Lord Jesus was a very costly one. The cost is more than a year’s wage of an ordinary laborer. In Philippine peso, it might cost around Php130,000.00 to Php150,000.00.

* No one asked her to give it. She didn’t give it to impress anyone; in fact, she was even criticized by the disciples.

* The woman gave what was likely the most valuable thing she had as an act of worship. She didn’t give it out of necessity; she did not know that the Lord Jesus will be crucified shortly. She gave it out of love.

* The application is this: the Christian concept of money is defined by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:10:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

* There are many who give to the church, yet are victims of the love of money. These people cannot measure to the Macedonian spirit:

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. 2 Corinthians 8:1-3

2. SO DOES MINE

1. There is a story about a Christian missionary couple who were invited by a university in Communist China to teach.

- They were made to sign a contract stating that:

* they will not read the Bible outside of their rooms.

* they will not speak to their students about Christ or Christianity.

* they will not distribute any magazines or reading materials about Christianity.

- Since they had no choice, the couple agreed and signed the documents. 

- At the beginning of the school year, they were introduced to the school as husband and wife.

- At the end of the school year, and before they left the school, a convocation was held in honor of them.

- When the time came for the students to talk, the brightest student in the room stood up and said: “If being a Christian means having a life like yours, then I want to be a Christian.”

- All the students, even some of the faculty members, stood up and said the same.

2. The Scriptures commaned us to live in such a way that our lives will reflect the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture says:

You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. Matthew 5:14,16

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 2 Corinthians 3:2

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

CONCLUSION

There is an old song that goes:

Do we live so close to the Lord today,
Passing to and fro on life’s busy way,
That the world in us can a likeness see
To the Man of Calvary?

Can the world see Jesus in me?
Can the world see Jesus in you?

- Can the World See Jesus in You, Leila Morris (1917)

Their lives speak… So does mine.

NOTE: To hear the hymn “Can the World See Jesus in You,” please click here.

 

NOTE: To download the Powerpoint presentation of this sermon, please click here.

TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 4:9-10

And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.

A. JABEZ: THE MAN

- Jabez was the head of a family of the tribe of Judah.

- He was an ordinary Old Testament saint.

- His biography is written in only 2 verses — 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

- He was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary power with God.

“God granted Him what he requested.”

- He was an ordinary believer whose performance in life earned for him to be called:

“… more honorable than his brothers.”

- But why was he named Jabez?

His mother named him Jabez, saying: “I gave birth to him in pain.”

- Jabez was born during a time when his mother was full of grief. There are many possible reasons for this:

* Perhaps when Jabez was in utero, his father deserted his mother.
* Perhaps his father died.
* Or perhaps the family experienced a great economic crisis.

- But the most important thing for us to remember about Jabez is not the meaning of his name but his power with God.

- He was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary power with God. — As the Scripture says:

“And God granted Him what he requested.”

B. JABEZ: HIS PRAYER

Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.

Jabez’ prayer can be divided into 2 categories:

1. General Category Prayer

“Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed…”

- Jabez was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary perception of God.

- God has a plan for each of us, even while we were still in the womb.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘plans for your welfare and not your calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

- When Jabez prayed his prayer, he is wanting for himself nothing more and nothing less that what God wants for him.

- He left entirely up to God to decide what the blessings would be and where, when, and how he would receive them.

2. Specific Category Prayer

“and enlarge my border”

- This is the first of the 3 specifics.

- This is a prayer for material blessings.

- The possibilities were:

* Wealth during that time was measured by the number of flocks and herds a person owns.
* His pasture land was insufficient for his growing number of animals.

- In the mind of God, the poorest of His children is stated in Deuteronomy 28:12:

“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”

- God even decreed that the wealth of the sinners is pledge for the righteous.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Proverbs 13:22

“and that Thy hand might be with me”

- This is the second of the 3 specifics.

- This is a prayer for spiritual vitality.

* It is a request for an unblemished relationship with God.
* It is a request for a deepening experience with God.
* It is a thirst for God.

- This is a prayer that calls for a moment by moment victory over self, sin and Satan.

“and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm”

- This is the third of the 3 specifics.

- This is a prayer for physical protection and care.

C. JABEZ: A BIBLICAL ANALYSIS

- Aside from the two verses we have just read many times over, there was no other record on the life of Jabez.

- How will we able to know and discern the reasons why he received those he prayed for, to be of help to us?

- When faced with this kind of dilemma, our main recourse is the:

* unchanging character of God
* unchanging standards of God

- This is what we believe characterized Jabez’ life.

1. Jabez’ Economic System

“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33

- There are two kinds of people.

* believers
* non-believers

- They have the same needs.

* what to eat
* what to drink
* what to wear

- These represent the whole material needs of man.

- There are two different ways of meeting the needs.

* The believer seeks the righteousness and kingdom of God.
* The non-believer concentrates his efforts on his livelihood instead of God.

2. Jabez’ Motive in Doing Things

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

3. Jabez’ Prayer Habit

- Jabez was in the habit of asking God.

- This habit of asking God conformed to God’s instructions.

“Ask and it will be given to you.” Matthew 7:7

“You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2

CONCLUSION

“There’s a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Amid the splendor of golden streets, beautiful mansions, and choirs of angels that Peter shows him, Mr. Jones notices and odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse – it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. “You really don’t want to see what’s in there,” he tells the new arrival. Why would there be any secrets in heaven? Jones wonders. What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there? When the official tour is over he’s still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure. Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr. Jones almost knocks him over in the haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. “These boxes all have names on them,” Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, “Do I have one?” “Yes you do.” Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. “Frankly,” Peter says, “if I were you… . ” But Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the “J” aisle to find his box. Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition, and he lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so may times before. Because there in Mr. Jones’s white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth… but Mr. Jones had never asked.” – Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez

 

 

 

 

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TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:1-7

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

INTRODUCTION

- The book of Ephesians has six chapters.

- “Chapters 1-3 are principally the doctrinal elaboration of the great theme, and chapters 4-6 teach what should be the practical consequences of it for human life and relationships… (It) expounds the great theme of this whole epistle, the purpose of God in Christ for his church…” from the Tyndale New Testament Commentary

- One of the great themes of the Epistles is in Ephesians 4:3:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

- The purpose of Christ was contained in His High Priestly prayer in John 17:11b.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one.

A. UNITY: ITS BIBLICAL MEANING

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:3-6

1. Creedal Unity

- The passage explains creedal unity, or belief in:

a. one Lord
b. one faith
c. one baptism
d. one God and Father of all

- The Apostle’s Creed captures this creedal unity.

- Creedal unity is a must. It is a necessary component of unity.

- However, creedal unity is not enough to achieve the unity of God’s people.

2. Common Community Enthusiasm

- Common enthusiasm of a community of people outside of Biblical creedal unity might be devastating and destructive at times.

- One example of this is the current turmoil in Mindanao as a result of the aborted Memorandum of Agreement between the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines).

- One Biblical example of this is the disastrous result of building the Tower of Babel.

- Common enthusiasm of a community of people within the scope of Biblical creedal unity is a great help to achieving the unity as prayed for by Jesus.

- Commendable as it may, what is lacking in common community enthusiasm in achieving Biblical unity, the unity Christ prayed for, is the direction of the Holy Spirit.

…keep the unity of the Spirit… Ephesians 4:3

3. Unity of the Spirit

Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives. Ephesians 4:3

- To achieve the unity which Christ prayed for the church – His body – all concerned must follow the direction of the Holy Spirit.

- What are some of the things which we must be aware of in ourselves and for our group (IRM) to achieve the unity which the Holy Spirit gives?

- First and foremost, we must rid ourselves of all sin.

- Next, our concept of sin must be enlarged through the reading of the Scriptures and prayer.

- If we fail to daily submit ourselves to God in prayer, fail to seek the will of God for our particular responsibilities in a given day, fail to read the Scriptures – then disunity ensues.

- The Scriptural counsel and command to us to be able to achieve and maintain the unity that the Holy Spirit gives is contained in Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your path.

B. UNITY: ITS OBJECT

- To whom did the Apostle Paul give the command to do [their] best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives? Let us read verses 1 and 3 again.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received… Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit…

- In the book of Ephesians, there are three groups of people, namely:

a. the saints or “called out ones”

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints… Ephesians 1:15

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received… Ephesians 4:1

b. the Gentiles or the uncircumcised

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised‘ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)… Ephesians 2:11

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles… Ephesians 3:1

c. the Jews or the circumcised

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)… Ephesians 2:11

- The command or instruction to “keep the unity of the Spirit” is given only to the saints or the “called out ones.”

- Therefore, we who received Jesus as our Lord and Master are the ones who must keep the unity of the Spirit.

- The other groups are not given the command to do so.

C. UNITY: ITS REQUIRED VIRTUES

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

- We may observe that the content of verse 2 is stated before verse 3.

- In my understanding, verse 3 (“make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit”) is achievable only when the content of verse 2 is happening to the saints.

- Thus we may say that the prerequisites to be able to keep the unity of the Spirit are the following Christian virtues:

a. humility (kababaan o pagpapakumbaba)

- Friedrich Nietzche, a 19th century philosopher and enemy of Christianity, developed and marketed his philosophy which says, “Might is right.”

- There are a lot of examples of this in Philippine politics.

- The desire for power and authority was also observable in the two sons of Zebedee.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”  ”What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory…” Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Mark 10:35-37,42-43

- The teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ is the exact opposite of what Friedrich Nietzche is saying. — In His Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus said:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

b. meekness (kaamuan)

- Meekness is a twin virtue of humility.

- “Prautes” is the Greek word for meekness.

- It is the attitude and response of the strong and powerful towards the weak and powerless who insulted him or did him wrong.

- Being meek is an attitude that will not insist one’s rights if it will result in the progress of the kingdom of God.

- The difference between humility and meekness is that humility is what you show to an equal, while meekness is what you show to someone who is less in stature than yourself.

c. patience (pagpapahinuhod)

- “Makrothymia” is the Greek word for patience.

- It is fortitude in the face of sufferings.

- It is choosing not to take revenge against others who did something wrong to you.

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19-21

CONCLUSION

When we make these Biblical truths as our barometer in our goal to achieve unity, our questions are:

- Are we having it now?

- Are we near to achieving it?

- Or are we far from realizing it?

 

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.

 

NOTE: This message is part of a sermon series in IRM Marikina on the book of Ephesians. To download the Powerpoint presentation of this sermon, please click here.You may want to download the Edwardian Script and Papyrus fonts before opening this file to ensure that everything opens correctly.

TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:17-32

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.  You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

INTRODUCTION

“Ephesus was a leading commercial and cultural city of the Roman Empire. It boasted of the great pagan temple of Artemis or Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. But it was also the leading city in debauchery and sexual immorality. Some historians rank it as the most lascivious city of Asia Minor.” – from the commentary of John MacArthur

A. GENTILES’ CHARACTERISTICS

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do…” v.17

1. The Gentiles: Who Are They?

Any person who
- is not a Jew
- does not belong to the Jewish faith
- is not a believer of Jesus Christ
- is not a born again Christian

This is authenticated by 1 Thessalonians 4:5, “… not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God…”

2. The Gentiles: What Are They Like?

 ”So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” vv.17-19

a. Mentally futile

- Human action is determined by what is in his mind.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7

- Thus, the believers strive to please the Lord, while the unbelievers strive to please themselves.

- The unbelievers plan and resolve everything on the basis of his own thinking. He becomes the ultimate authority of actions and decisions.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:21-22

b. Darkened in understanding

- The unbelievers are unable to see for themselves the light of God, because the truth of the Gospel is foolishness to them.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

- No matter how educated the unbelievers, still they are incapable of knowing God or the things of God.

- They are like the people described in 2 Timothy 3:7, “… always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

- The natural mind or the unbelievers’ mind is darkened. They are incapable of knowing the things of God, or the things of the Spirit of God.

- It is possible that the unbelievers are very religious persons:

* like Nicodemus before his encounter with Jesus
* like Paul, before Jesus met him at the Damascus Road
* like the rich young man who religiously followed majority of the laws of the Ten Commandments

- Just the same, they may be religious people but remain darkened in their understanding.

c. Separated from the life of God

“They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God…” v. 18

- To explain the characteristics of the unbeliever, let me borrow the illustrations from the Christian Life Manual of My Hope Philippines, from the Franklin Graham Crusade.

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

 

 ”He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy.” Titus 3:5a

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18a

d. Lost all sensitivity… Given themselves over to sensuality

“Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” v. 19

- As was stated in the beginning of this message, Ephesus was the most lascivious city of Asia Minor.

- The 1000 priestesses in the temple of Diana were women whose way of serving the goddess Diana was through giving their physical body to those who worship in the temple.

- Sexual perversion is rampant in the whole world today. There are many deaths related to AIDS in Africa, and even in the Philippines.

- I have ministered to some people who admitted to sexual perversion. They are filled with ”…every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

 B. BELIEVERS’ POTENTIALS

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” vv. 22-24

1. The ability to “put off” and “put on”

- To put off the character traits of the old self and to put on all the characteristics of the new self is available only among Christians.

- There is no similar command or instructions in the whole Bible for unbelievers to put off the old self.

- The test in order for us to prove the genuineness of our salvation is the ability to put off sin and put on righteousness.

- When we buy a piece of real estate, we see to it that the title is clean, that there is no one squatting in the property, that the title is transferred to our name, and that the property will give us greater revenue in the future — All these we do for our temporal good.

- Will it not be of greater importance that we carefully secure our eternal estate through testing ourselves if we have the ability to put off the old self and put on the new self?

- If we subjected ourselves to this test and find that we are incapable of putting off and putting on, then we are not really Christians — We are bound for hell.

2. Putting Off… Putting On

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” vv.25-28

- We must remember to do the following:

* putting off falsehood, putting on truth-telling
* putting off anger, putting on calmness and tolerance
* putting off stealing, putting on respect for others’ property

3. Putting on to be like God

“… and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” v.24

- No person can be like God in being:

* all knowing
* all powerful
* ever-present
* unchangeable

- But all Christians can be like God and has potential to be like God in:

* righteousness
* holiness