1/31/2016

Preacher: Pastor Ashley Olsson

Topic: Light of the World

GRACE – GOD’S RICHNESS AT CHRIST EXPENSE

Thinking about his light and how Jesus wants us to be the light of the world and how he has a purpose for each one of us to bring about his ultimate purpose.

With the illustration of two pictures in our mind. The first picture is imagining you are on the titanic, which is picturing your life as if you were on the titanic because everyone on earth will die unless the lord Jesus comes back we would die. But we know reading the bible that, there is a day coming when the world will pass away when the heavens will start to tremble and shake.

The bible tells us clearly that the “world that we see today is passing away”. It’s like the titanic that’s on a voyage which will come to destruction which is the reality. We don’t think about that very often because we are like the people in the engine room of the titanic and we are busy about our work just keeping things running, we are like the cooks in the kitchen of the titanic just preparing our food and doing the things we have to do every day, we are like the maids making the bed in the titanic. They have a job to do, we have a job to do, we have our lives to live, we have to be in the university, our business, on the streets, we have to be doing what we do but there is a purpose for doing what we do. Just as the people on the titanic are getting from one place to another so are we getting from here to home but that journey will finish. So whatever job we are doing, we are part of that big ship; we are part of that purpose to get from A to B. So that’s the first illustration we all should imagine which is our lives are on the titanic and we all going down because that’s the truth. The titanic we all know crashed due to an iceberg. Our titanic might be a road accident, plane crash, heart attack, a building collapsing … we don’t know but its goanna happen. But between now and then what are we goanna do to serve God?

The second picture to imagine is that you are a light house, a light of the world. So we are talking about two things today which are ships and water. Where do you fit in the picture? What is your role on the titanic? What are you going to do? How is God talking to you? What is he preparing you to do? What little action could you do that might change someone else’s existence because it can be that simple and profound. Your simple word, action, look or smile can do something none of us here can do. So it doesn’t matter what size or shape or history or education, God has a job for you and you are definitely on the titanic and you are a light house. We all get to receive God’s Grace because Jesus paid it for us. And by just believing, by faith we get connected with God. And when we get connected with God the power comes on and then we shine and without any power we cannot shine. However the connection might still be there, but sometimes we sin and the light of God is not feasible in our lives. We might have had a Bad week, you failed, said some stuffs, did some crazy stuffs, you didn’t hit a 100%, you failed. We can sit all day and focus on our failure, regretting about the past and feeling guilty but we have Jesus to focus on who knows our weakness. When we fail, we so caught up turning the focus on ourselves and having self-pity on ourselves even though we are guilty we still think about ourselves. But now that we are Christians we can still feel guilty in that time but the bible says “put your faith, your eyes on the author and the finisher of our faith”. So instead of focusing on our failure we should focus on Christ Jesus. We should stop being self-pity or focusing on ourselves or being selfish. We should believe in the word of God who says that “if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins”.  So when the light doesn’t shine sometimes we are challenged but all we need to do is to believe, it might go off sometimes but it will surely shine. And the more consistent we get with God, the more mature we grow up. The bible says “ you are the light of the world, the city set on a hill cannot be hidden” let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven”.  When you are connected with Jesus, the word of God, and the Holy Spirit that’s when your light will shine. The lighthouse helps the ships to stay away from rocks and dangers. The purpose of a lighthouse is to shine, to warn and to guide people.

The bible says “he gave gifts to men but to each one of us grace was given” He gave gifts to each and every one of us. We all have different gifts according to the grace that was given to us by God (Mr. A’s gift is different from Mr. B’s gift and vice versa). We are all called to do something different and you are not called to be anyone else but you because God made you to be you. It doesn’t matter how pretty, tall, beautiful, fat, smart you are, God will use you even if you are a toilet seat. He doesn’t care about your past; God can use you to accomplish his good works. Each one of us has a gift for every situation, wherever you are in your life God can use you.

Not everyone is a captain on the titanic, but everyone has a part to play. So whatever your position in life, whatever you are, you have a gift for that situation. So, each of us are different because we have different functions to play in the house of God. We tend to compare ourselves to so many other people even in our Christianity we compare ourselves to people better than us instead of us looking to the grace of God and asking him to empower us to use our Gift for his kingdom. Instead of looking at other people’s gift why not come to God with the little gift you have and ask him to bless you with it and for him to use you. So, are you using the gift God gave you? (Act 26:18).  You cannot lead someone beyond where you are, so if you focusing on your failure, you won’t be telling people on how Jesus can forgive you because of your self-pity. The main point is using our gifts even in the midst of failures and also by using how gift to point people to Jesus. So how would God use you to guide others?

In our world, we tend to focus on the really important people and we don’t understand that the simple gift or simple activity that we can do make so much difference.

How are you using your gift? What can you do in your own environment? The main purpose is to warn people and to keep them on the path and get them off the rocks.  The bible says “we are one body” and when we work together by the Holy Spirit we form the church which is the means of directing people to God. So whether your function or your gift is a small one or a big one use it in the measure of the faith that you have. So whatever your function is, whether you’re cooking, laying the beds, or working in the engine room or whatever your function is in the church you have a gift to fulfil.  So what is your gift?

So the main picture of the titanic is to remind you that your whole journey is going to come to an end. Whatever you are doing, my challenge to you today is what function or what gift are you going to use to shine for God. Don’t let your sin, self-pity stop you from shinning your gift. So what’s your gift?

Prayer - Forgive me for being selfish, wash away my sin, guilt, and all my emotions, forgive me for being self-pity, self-focused, Lord Jesus I look to you and you are my answer.  

Ask him to get your eyes of your failure and get them unto Jesus. You can use me Lord Jesus, am different, I don’t care where I am, you can use me.

November 3, 2013, by Peter Morgan

The way we introduce ourselves to other people forms our identity. We form our identity with what we do, what we wear, what we have, what we drive, etc.

How do we get our new identity? Many people build their identity on worldly things that are fleeting. One good example is wealth. Wealth gives us a sense of financial security but at the end of the day it is not the one that brings us back to God. Another example is social connections. Many people define who they are by how many people they know. It is good to be social but people come and go all the time, only God remains faithful until the end.

As Christians, we need to know that when the blood of Jesus Christ justified us, we were given a brand new identity. We are now the children of God. Why is it important? It is because our new identity will determine our strength and our path with Jesus.

Our new identity also means that we have new privileges and roles to fulfill. We are the ambassadors of the Kingdom of God; we have to represent the Kingdom in all aspects of our lives. When God comes to use and gives us the brand new identity, God will give us the strength and the ability to fulfill His purpose. It is not by or strength but by His grace.

Nevertheless, there are many examples in the bible that doubt the new identity that God gives them. One example is Gideon (Judges 6:12-16). When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” But instead, he responded, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” The Lord confirmed that He is sending Gideon to save Israel, but Gideon raised doubt by saying that his clan is the weakest and he is the least in his family. He did not pay attention when the Lord called him as a “mighty warrior”. All he could think about was his circumstances.

We have to remember that when we are justified, our identity is no longer based on what we have or what we could to, but based on what Christ has done for us.

Romans 8:15 – The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Jesus come to release us from the identity what we thing we have because this old identity separates us from God. God sent Jesus to help us unwrap the old identity and put on us a new identity in Christ. It is because we cannot do it with our own strength. The preacher illustrates by using a pair scissors to cut of his old polo shirt because he cannot do it with his own bare hands; he needs the power from God. He then put on a brand new coat – his new identity.

When we are justified, the old identity is no longer significant. The new identity is the one that we need to embrace, develop and nourish.

October 27, 2013, by Ashley Olsson

Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in response to our faith. The second we confess our sins to Him and accept Jesus as our savior, God justified us to be part of His kingdom, to be His child.

In the Old Testament, Israelites used to sacrifice animals for the atonement of their sins.  Not to be mistaken, these sacrifices had to be performed in faith. Our faith is the response of God’s call. We can be saved only by faith. God demonstrates His love for us by sacrificing His one and only son. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that cleansed our sins and our debts once and for all. All we have to do is to response in faith to God’s final call, receiving Jesus into our lives as our savior.

The preacher described sinners as the broken remote control car with no antenna and battery. They lost the connection to God and the power of God in their lives. Justification allows God to put back the antenna (restoring the connection) and putting batteries (giving power) for all those who repent to be part of His kingdom again.

Acts 13:39

Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Romans 3:24

And all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified though faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sanctification is an internal and continuous imputation of righteousness after one is justified. Imputation of righteousness is the injection of Christ’s characteristics into our justified self, making us more like Him.

Sanctification is a cooperative effort. Justification is the same for all man, including ordinary people, up to “big” sinners such as murderers, adulterers, drugs addicts, and the list goes on. However sanctification is different for different people. It depends on how much we respond to God’s call to be imputed with His righteousness, how much do we want to be close to Him, how much do we want to be like Jesus Christ.

The preacher used the example of a plant. Sanctification is when God makes you to be part of Him, the bigger trunk, allowing you to grow in faith. Slowly but surely our roots will go deeper, looking for more nutrition to support our growth. We will look deeper and more for God’s word and His presence and His love to sustain our new born Christian life, and the journey continues until the time we breathe our last breath.

2 Cor 3:16

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Col 3:10

And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

October 20, 2013, by Ashley Olsson

Faith is confident belief in the truth. Faith does not rest on logical proof or evidence. However, we need to ask ourselves, it is a saving faith?

We put our trust in many things without really thinking about the reason behind them and/or the consequences of the actions. For example, we put our trust on people around us, on our experiences, on our knowledge, on our circumstances, and many others. There are many things that have been a part of our lives that we do not think carefully and deeply about resting our trust and faith on them. One good example is the social norms, which is what we believe guiding our social compass. Another example is religion, which consists of a set of practices and beliefs. We put a lot of trust to other people. We trust the doctors to perform operations, we trust teachers for our children’s education, we trust the taxi drivers to take us to our destination in time and safely, we trust pharmaceutical companies to tell us the amount of drugs to take when we get sick, and the list goes on.

We make conscious choice every time. Sometimes, our will could possibly lead us to make decisions that could destroy our lives. The preacher used an example of a heroin addict that he once helped. He explained that she was miserable, she lost her home, her family was crumbling apart, and her children were abandoned. But yet, she still made the conscious choice of taking the drugs. It was true that she was addicted. However, she was also fully aware of what the drugs have done to her, her life and those around her. At the end of the day she was the one making the choice to consume the drug.

There is also what the preacher called as situational ethics. It is when we make decisions based on circumstances, instead of based on the truth. What is wrong is wrong and what is right is right. We would be upset if the cashier at our grocery store overcharges us RMB 10. We would want to set things right and get back what is ours. However, would we have the same eagerness to do the right thing when they undercharge?

Any faith is based on personal choice. Whatever we believe is OUR CHOICE, but make no mistake, there is a spiritual war going on right this very moment and each moment we have to make the choice. It is time for us to make the choice to put our faith in Jesus - the saving faith.