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The Gathering Vision

Because we are loved, we love and serve Christ in Community through Commission for His glory

Because we are loved:

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.(1 John 4:10)

What is love?

The biblical definition of love is something we find difficult to grasp because every other expression of love we see in the world is selfish and corrupted. The bible always defines love as committed, costly and sacrificial.

John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Why does the verse say that we haven’t loved God? How can you say that? I’m a loving person and I think I would love God!

To get an accurate picture of ourselves we need to look at the Bible. And the Bible is pretty descriptive about our condition.

Rom 5:8: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 5:10: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by his death, much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved through his life.

It says that we were enemies of God by nature and by our actions. Enemies hate each other. Living in constant rebellion even though we’ve been created and sustained by God. Instead of finding our pleasure, joy and identity in God our Creator…we’ve found it in cheap substitutes. The god we worship is not the One true God but created beings and created things which are not worthy of worship and pleasure. So we find pleasure, purpose, security and identity in our jobs, family, friends, money, technology, entertainment, sensual pleasures and the biggest idol we worship is ourselves. We fail to see how we’re truly bound and worshippers of these idols. The worst part is that we don’t even know that we’re enemies of God. Eg: child and Father.

Now let’s answer the question: Do we really love God?

Because God is Holy and Just. He can’t simply overlook and pardon the sins of people. If He’s a Righteous Judge, he’ll need to punish people for their sins. And the Bible says that “The wages of sin is death”. Eternally we are separated and destined to face God’s wrath because we were enemies of God.

And so this is love….

Even though we were enemies of God deserving nothing else but the righteous judgment of God, God sent His one and only Son – Jesus to rescue us. And this rescue act happened not in great pomp but by dying a horrible death on the cross for your sins and mine. 2000 years ago God executed His righteous judgment on sinners by nailing the sins on the cross. Jesus died for you so that the title of being an “enemy of God” could be removed from you forever and so that you could now find your joy, identity, purpose and security in God and not in the things of the world as we once did!

Was it committed? Yes, he endured a painful, agonizing death on the cross to save us from the wrath of God.

Was it costly? Yes, it cost him his life and dignity….just imagine the Creator of the world dying as a criminal. But because his righteous death was accepted by God, He was raised from the dead three days later demonstrating that we could also experience life with God when we put our trust and faith in Jesus.
Was it sacrificial? Yes, tremendously sacrificial. He died for his enemies….people who don’t deserve such a sacrifice and a gift. But he did it out of love.

Therefore, this committed, costly, sacrificial love of Christ forms the basis and the reason for everything that we do.

We love and serve Christ:

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matt 22:37)

Q. What does it mean to love the Lord with all our heart? What does it mean to love the Lord with all our soul? What does it mean to love the Lord with all our mind?

Again this love is a committed, costly, sacrificial love that we are talking about here. And the word Lord is important because it means “we belong to Christ, He owns us, He is our Master, He is supreme in authority and He decides what’s right and wrong in my life”.

Looking at this verse is there any aspect of your life which shouldn’t be surrendered to God? Nothing! All our heart, all our soul and all our mind! The good news about Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins drives us to respond in whole hearted surrender.

And this is what we as humans struggle with. We are okay with people as long as we don’t need to submit to them. Nobody tells us what to do. Nobody tells us what’s right or wrong about my life! And it’s to that….that God says: “Love the Lord……..”

And often people like the idea of a loving God who would do so much for us. But they stumble and stutter at the demand of surrender. Especially what’s being asked out here: whole hearted surrender! What we fail to understand is what was done for us. If we truly knew and understood the depth of the sacrifice of Christ, we would have no other option but to explode in praise, gratitude and self-surrender!

A person who truly sees his sins being nailed on the cross will respond by placing his affections, will and mind completely on the foot of the cross.

Q. Why does God want us that kind of commitment and surrender? Why not half hearted surrender?

Because God is glorified when His people live completely surrendered lives to Him. That kind of obedience, commitment and surrender to God tell about His value. Inevitably what we’re proclaiming through our “surrender” is that God is so valuable, so treasured, so important, so honoured that He deserves my utmost devotion and surrender. And half-hearted devotion won’t communicate that. Half-hearted devotion belittles His glory and diminishes His value. It’s not right and worthy of our King and Lord!

Secondly, we need to understand that whole hearted surrender is for our good. We were created by God for His glory. When we love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind….we will be satisfied! Nothing else and nobody else in the world can give you that satisfaction. Your Creator knows what’s best for you and what will give you the most joy. Whole hearted surrender displays God’s glory and gives you immense pleasure because you’re fulfilling the purpose of your life.

When you hear the words…surrender, devotion, whole hearted commitment, does that ring true of your relationship with Christ? Also, another thing that I believe is critical out here is our loyalty to Scripture.

You can’t love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind apart from Scripture.

The way you treat Scripture in your life often speaks about your devotion. Why? Because God speaks through His Word. And then your obedience to God’s Word speaks a lot about your commitment. In other words, you want to know what your surrender and devotion is like? Look closely at your attitude towards studying and obeying Scripture.

In Community:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24, 25)

Another key aspect of our faith is that it is lived out in the context of community. John Piper says “Eternal security is a community project”. What he’s trying to say is that you cannot live your Christian life apart from Christian community. One of the biggest heresies of this age is the heresy of having Jesus as your “personal Savior”. Now let me clarify what I mean by that. I’m not talking about personal faith in Jesus. There needs to be personal faith applied in salvation. Your parents’ faith or friend’s faith cannot save you. You need to personally trust in the finished work of Jesus. Secondly, I affirm that Christ relates with each and every one of us personally and intimately…that’s the joy of the Christian life. However, the heresy that I’m talking about is a personal salvation that’s isolated from other believers where they aren’t involved and they don’t speak into your life and neither do you do the same for them.

And the gospel does address this issue. The gospel in fact fuels our love for our brothers and sisters because it has lifted off the focus from ourselves and cause to think, love and care for others.

I love this verse from Hebrews because it talks about a kind of an intentional thinking and observation about our brothers and sisters…why? Not simply but because we want to encourage them. In fact the word “stir up or spur” actually in the Greek means to trigger, kindle and fan into flame one another to what? Love and good deeds.

When was the last time that was the thought process or reason for coming to a GC? When was the last time that was the mentality you had before you came to a Sunday morning Gathering?

When was the last time you met up with a believer with the intention of fanning into flame his love for Christ and his love for his brothers and sisters? Doesn’t this passage cause you to reflect on your life in the same way?

And that’s why we meet in GC’s each week. Gospel Community allows you to open your life to other believers and have them walk with you as you live out your faith.

And it’s a command….do not neglect to meet together as some are in the habit of doing but strengthen each other and all the more as the Day of the Lord approaches. And it’s a serious question to ask ourselves. What kind of priority do we place on community life? By that I mean the intentional thinking, meeting and acting to encourage your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Through Commission:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9)

It’s just interesting how this verse is framed. It doesn’t start out by stating the task or the mission but by mentioning a description of the identity. The identity defines the action.

Believers are chosen, favourite, picked out ones by God. Have you ever wondered what it must be to be chosen by God? All of us get excited when we’re picked out for a certain privileged task in our college or workplace. Just imagine being chosen by God. It goes on to say that we’ve got kingly responsibilities! We are chosen by the King of Kings to be His representative on earth! Wow.

A multitude selected to be set apart and consecrated for a very important task. We are a people who have been chosen to be His property! This identity, task and privilege should blow our minds. The reason for that is the next half of the verse which says “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We’ve been chosen to declare the excellencies of God who called us out of ignorance, ungodliness and idolatry leading to hell into the pure, extraordinary presence of God! What a transformation!

What a great privilege! What a wonderful God!

What would it mean for you to look at your co-workers, neighbours, and people of the city and be God’s representative to them declaring His excellencies and telling them of how he called you out of darkness into his marvellous light?

We weren’t supposed to have this privilege. We didn’t deserve it. We deserved hell but God in His mercy though Christ saved us and now appoints us to be His chosen representatives to a lost and dying world! Feel the weight of that grand purpose! Doesn’t every other purpose pale in comparison to this? What other purpose are you living for? Remember this has to do with your identity. If you see yourself as an employee, you’ll do your best to please your boss. But if you see yourself as a rescued and appointed priest of God….what will your job description look like? What will your lifestyle look like? What will your conversations with people look like?

For His glory:

What is the end purpose of all this? Why do we love and serve Christ? Why do we immerse ourselves and serve each other in community? Why do we passionately seek the lost with the gospel?

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36)

His glory! For Him alone.
It’s from Him (Because we are loved)
And through Him (we love and serve Christ in Community through Commission)
And it’s to Him (For His glory)

It’s not for the Gathering, it’s not for some personal accomplishment of ours…but the end goal is the glory of God. Seeing Him be magnified because we know that He initiated it, He sustains it and He accomplishes it! How does that speak to our hearts that struggle with self-centredness? Let’s evaluate…when we think about all that we spoke today: loving and serving Christ, in community, through Commission, what’s your biggest motivation for doing all this? If we’ve had any other motivation, what would it mean for us to repent of that sin and trust in His purpose of doing everything for His and only His glory!

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The Cost of Obedience to God’s Calling. (Nehemiah 4:1-8)

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Nehemiah-4.mp3″]

Last week we looked at Nehemiah 3 and learnt that the walls we build are not the walls of separation but of distinction. God did not call us to separate ourselves from the world, people and the culture around us. In fact, he wants us to be involved in the affairs of our culture but as distinct people of God living exemplary lives for the Glory of God.

Today our text is Nehemiah 4:1-8.

Nehemiah was a cup bearer to the King and when he heard the news that his people who came out of exile were in great distress and shame because the walls of Jerusalem were broken down; his immediate response was to go to God in prayer.

He wept and mourned for days, repented of his sins and asked God to intervene and help him find favor in the eyes of the King. In response to Nehemiah’s prayer, God turns the King’s attention to him. When the King gets to hear Nehemiah’s condition he grants him permission to go build the walls and not just that, he also permits him to take any resource needed to build the walls.

Nehemiah in obedience to Gods calling upon his life leaves for Jerusalem and starts inspecting, planning and gathering people. In Nehemiah 3 we see the building work already started. Almost everyone participated and it seemed like a well thought strategy, everyone started building the walls in parts and at different locations.

Just like Nehemiah God has a calling on each one of our lives, some of you have already discovered your calling and some of you are yet to hear from the Lord. As a church God has called us to be a blessing to the city of Mumbai, to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus.

Remember, the first step, the key step, the only step that will lead us to fulfillment of our calling is unconditional obedience to God’s word and his calling just like Nehemiah stepped out in obedience and saw God’s blessing in everything he did.

I don’t how you view obedience but let me tell you it’s not an easy thing to do.

When I was growing up like I said, I was born in a Christian family and I was told that if I live an obedient Christian life everything will work out fine for me. ‘God will make you successful and bless you with great wealth and comfortable life. Look at those families settled in America and doing well, they are prayerful people, regularly attending church and reading their bible every day. They are good people blessed by God, and that is what God wants for all his children, a wealthy, successful and a comfortable life.’ There were some of the statements made.

But here’s the thing no one told me. They never told me that obedience to God will also lead to suffering, opposition, persecution & insults.

When Nehemiah stepped out in obedience to God, he faced opposition and insults. It says in Nehemiah 4:1-3

“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious, completely enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews. He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the heaps of dust and rubbish, even the ones that have been burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should get up on it, he would break down their stone wall.”

Obedience is not easy. We have to pay a cost for following Jesus. Wish I could tell you that Christian life is a bed of roses if you followed Jesus’ commands, but that would be a lie.

Let me warn you beforehand that obedience demands a cost. A Christian life is a life of battle, you have to fight it.

1Tim 6:12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I think of people who talk about prosperity & comfortable life as ones who’ve never read the Bible carefully. Because when I read the bible and especially the words of Jesus it goes completely against the teachings of this world.

In Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

How many of you find this easy to obey?

I remember once as a young boy I quoted these verses to my Father when he was insisting that I should plan my future and find ways to make money to survive. He got really angry on me for saying that.

He even told me that too much involvement in the church was driving me crazy and that I should restrain myself from it.

2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

The first opposition you will face will be from your own flesh.

Gal 5:17

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

When God calls you to obedience your own flesh will come against you with raging war,

Your SELF will fill your mind with doubts like ‘Does God really mean that I need to go against my natural cravings, isn’t that the way God made me?’.

Your SELF will fill your minds with unbelief like ‘Does God really exist, is He really looking at me while I’m watching pornography? Well I can’t see him.

You SELF will provoke you to compromise and manipulate the scriptures like ‘God is loving and gracious and I don’t think he would mind me getting involved in small little sins here and there.’

Your flesh will be your greatest enemy.

But the good news is Rom 7:23.

But I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

God is at work since the day we surrendered our lives to Christ. The Bible says that Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death. Even Jesus suffered a painful death for the sake of obedience to God. In his flesh he desired that God would take away the cup of suffering but yet he said not my will, but yours be done.

And what kind of suffering did Jesus endure?

Isaiah 53:3-12

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

The question I want to ask you today is, How far are you willing to go when it comes to obeying God?

Are you willing to endure suffering and persecution and insults?

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

1 Peter 3:17

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

You own people will stand against you for doing things that doesn’t fit their agenda.

You colleagues at work will hate you, and mock at you for your beliefs and steps of obedience.

You will be dragged & questioned by evil people for proclaiming the gospel

1 John 3:13

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

But here’s a promise from the Lord.

2 Cor 4:8-12

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Nehemiah had to face opposition for being obedient to God.

And how do we respond to opposition? Jinson beautifully explained it a few Sundays back in quoting Romans 12:17-21

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In the story of Nehemiah what really stood out to me was verse 6 –

So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

They did not give up on what God called them to do even in the face of opposition, persecution and insults. And eventually God fulfilled his promise and the wall was built.

And how did the people react?

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

More trouble…

As we close in, let’s reflect on the cost we will have to pay to be obedient to God word. How far are we willing to go? What will be our faithful response?

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A Distinct People of God called to live Exemplary Lives. (Nehemiah 3)

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/a-distinct-people-of-god.mp3″]

Last week Jinson shared a beautiful sermon on ‘Our response to Opposition while serving an unstoppable God’ from Nehemiah chapter 2.

We learned about the Unstoppable might of Gods plan unfolded in the life of Nehemiah, the significance of waiting & our faithful response while facing opposition.

Today let’s look at Nehemiah chapter 3.

After reading through chapter 3 you must have already realized that this chapter is a bit different from all the other chapters, the chapter is all about who built which part of the wall and that’s it.

Most people skip chapter 3 when they’re preaching through Nehemiah and commentaries are very short on this chapter. One of the best books on Nehemiah is “Hand Me Another Brick” by Chuck Swindoll and nor does he address chapter 3 in his book.

Basically, Nehemiah chapter 3 is where the rebuilding of the walls begins. The purpose for which Nehemaih was sent is now in progress.

As we see the walls being rebuilt, there are 2 questions we need to ask ourselves.

First Question – Why were the walls being rebuilt?

Yes, we did talk about it in the earlier chapter that the walls were built to protect the people from their enemies. But do you think that God really needed a wall to protect his people?

Second Question – What walls are we supposed to build around us today?

Most often as Christians we can conclude that the walls are the walls of separation; separation from the world, separation from the society, separation from the culture around us.

I’ve been a victim of this conclusion people made from the scriptures. Growing up in a Christian family I was always asked to separate myself from the world and to live a holy life. Psalms chapter 1 was always read out to me in defense to that lifestyle.

‘Do not stand in the way of sinners
Do not sit in the seat of the scoffers’.

But that’s not the truth. Our calling is not to build walls between ourselves and society. The point is not for us to separate ourselves from the culture around us.

Let’s turn our bible to Jeremiah 29:41-9 and see what God is saying to his people.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

God says to his people to find their welfare in the welfare of the city. The false prophet came and told the people to separate themselves — something that we are tempted to do today — but that was not what God had for His people).
We must remember that we have been called into the world — to be in the world, but not of the world.

Jesus Christ when he was in this world demonstrated that lifestyle for us. He was often found among unbelievers, tax collectors, people who were rejected by society and the religious people of that generation, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Just last week I was having a conversation with one of my friend in the office and he said to me, ‘If we ignore the fact that Jesus was the son God and just a mere man, what he said and did while he was on this earth would look quite offensive to the current generation Christians’. He was a radical man with a radical approach to life and people around him.

In John 17:13-18 Jesus said,

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them,for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Often a wrong understanding leads Christians into wrong behavior towards others.

As Christians we can go to work and never interact with people from other religious backgrounds, we distance ourselves, we judge them wrongly, look down on them for their beliefs, never participate in their fun activities, avoid going to movies with them, avoid parties etc.

Remember, God is always on a mission and as God’s children we are on a mission. There must be proximity to the people who don’t know Him in order to show them who God is. So, why rebuild these walls then?

The walls are much more to do with Distinction.

While we are not called to separate ourselves from the world, we are called to be the distinct people of God. We are different from people who don’t know Him. We have been ransomed by Jesus Christ, bought back from the world. We’ve been saved from Satan, Sin & Death but we’ve also been saved to a newness of life, one in which our lives look drastically different than the world looks. And our desire now should be to put this newness of life on display and making the distinctions obvious so that it can be the aroma of life to some.

I believe that the wall around Jerusalem should be thought of us analogy to the wall of distinction around God’s people today. Not a wall to separate, but a wall to identify.

But here’s the beautiful thing, Jesus went outside the wall, he went outside the camp. And so are we called to live.

Not just are we called to live outside the camp but we are called to live Exemplary lives, one that Glorifies God in everything we do.

We see a snapshot list in Hebrews 13:1-16, a kind of lifestyle we are called to live.

• Let brotherly love continue.
• Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
• Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
• Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
• Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
• Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
• Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
• Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood, therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
• Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
• Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
The first section of this text talks about the importance of distinction. The second section talks about how we use that distinction to give ourselves away outside the walls (the camp).

It’s a privilege to be called a distinct people of God and our response is to faithfully serve him and live for His glory till the last breath of our lives.

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Why is Church boring?

This is one question I often asked myself when I was a young boy and maybe you asked the same one at some point as well.

After many years now, when I look back I can see how graciously God led me to find the answer to that question and so let me share why I personally found Church boring when I was young and what really changed in these past years.

In attempting to answer this question please note that I am not referring to any particular church or congregation but it’s a general view.

Here’s why I felt church boring:

1. I never knew what God’s Love truly meant.

I was born in a Christian family and for 17 years all I knew about church was that no matter what, we have to go to church every Sunday without fail and anyone who doesn’t go is a sinner who will one day end up in hell.

And because of that knowledge I would regularly go to church with my parents and siblings. It worked well for us until we were kids because the Sunday school kept us entertained. The boredom started when we stopped going to Sunday school.

On the other hand, I was a pretty bad student in my school and felt rejected by my teachers, neighbors and even by my father. A hopeless young guy like me found pleasure in sin and would indulge in all unwanted activities and ungodly friendships.

Until one day an old man visited our home and my Mother asked him to counsel me. Instead of talking to me at home, he took me to a park and all I remember is him telling me how much God Loves me; a love so deep that God sent his only son to die for a worthless, hopeless and rejected person like me. He told me the story of Jesus all over again and all that while I kept weeping for I knew that God had touched my heart.

The day I truly understood God’s love, church worship became more meaningful because it was then that I could express my love and gratitude to God in praising and worshiping him.

2. I did not bother to know the purpose of my Life.

It hurts to see people who never feel the need to find their Life’s purpose. I was one among them.

After knowing God’s Love my next journey was to find the purpose of my existence. In a world of consumerism where people exist just to consume and survive we often fail to understand the true purpose of Life.

We are taught that life is about the survival of the fittest and you got to do whatever possible to get to the top. Parents teach them, schools promote them and companies encourage these ideas.

After much struggle with the forces outside me, I finally came to a realization that my Life is meant to Glorify God. That is it! That is why I am created and that is why I exist.

It sounds mean, right? Glorify God? What about me & my life?

I did struggle with those questions but I learnt that my greatest satisfaction and fulfillment only comes from Glorifying God. We are objects of God’s affections made to have an intimate relationship with a loving Father.

It can’t be about making lots of money or else every rich man would have been happy, which is not the case. It can’t be about reaching the top position in a company as well or even becoming the top businessman.

When I learnt that my purpose was to Glorify God and that true fulfillment in life will eventually come from God, Church became a training ground to learn more about this God and what it means to glorify Him.

3. I found no joy in reading the Bible.

I found the Scriptures too heavy, unapproachable and disconnected from the thoughts and views of our current generation. Especially the old testament books always would put me off.

Have you ever felt so?

As I continued going to church and listening to sermons and talks by godly men I began to realize how wrong I was in my understanding. I learnt that the scriptures were not only approachable and applicable even to this generation but I also experienced the life-transforming power of the scriptures in my life as well as others around me.

I grew in love with the Bible as I systematically started reading through it. It gave me direction for life and helped me mature in my faith.

My love for the scriptures encouraged me to go church even more.

4. I failed to see people the way God did.

In church you will find all kinds of people, some who will always encourage you, uplift your spirits and then there are others who like to poke their head in everything you do, say things that put us off and so on and so forth.

I’m sure you’ve experienced these kind of people.

The people who come across negative are often people who are still struggling and are yet to mature in their faith. Yes, they are imperfect people. But guess what, Church is supposed to be a place of imperfect people, Isn’t it?. Jesus died for the sick & sinful people of this world.

If I expect the church to be a place where only perfect people should meet, then I am the first one to be thrown out because I am still an imperfect guy and I will be imperfect until the Lord comes.

I often looked at people with a judgmental attitude and never enjoyed their company and would end up hating them even more.

All I needed was to see them the way God saw them, the way God saw me, imperfect yet loved ones, purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Who am I to judge them when God doesn’t? The beauty of the church is about a perfect God connecting with imperfect people like us and to one another and fulfilling His purpose.

When I started looking at people the way God did, Church became a place to hang out and share the pain & the joys with every brother & sister.

Conclusion

Church is not a place, it is people; wherever God’s people meet it’s the church. The church is who we are as the people of God, an outward expression of what is being accomplished through the life-transforming message of the gospel.

We view the church as a family, a redeemed people being reunited to God and one another through Jesus Christ.

It is our desire that everything we do as the church would be a reflection of that message. We also desire that as the gospel changes the hearts of God’s people that change would flood into the streets of Mumbai and the world around us.

Categories
Sermon

Our Response to Opposition in serving the Unstoppable God.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Nehemiah-Jinson2.mp3″]

One of the most challenging issues to deal with as Christians is responding to opposition. How do we respond to people who ridicule us and oppose us for doing what God has called us to do? In the midst of that how do you initiate or continue doing something that God has called you to do?

Wouldn’t you agree? The question seems simple but all of us agree that it isn’t so simple. So we’ll attempt to answer this question and some others as we look into the text today.

(Read Nehemiah chapter 2)

 

It’s been a joy reading through Nehemiah, right? I’ve seen how Nehemiah’s prayer life and devotion to God has impacted my own prayer life. It’s an amazing story of how God restores the hearts of the people to Himself. The physical condition of the wall pointed to the spiritual condition of the hearts of the people. It was in ruins! And God chose a man disconnected from the people and from the situation in Jerusalem to come and lead the people out of misery. When you think about it, it’s astonishing how God operates. He doesn’t nominate and select the people we think are the best fit but God selects people who are willing to humbly submit to His leading. Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the king was chosen by the King of Kings for a much greater calling…redeeming God’s people!

Let’s jump into the text.

1. The unstoppable might of God’s plan

v8 And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

v9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

In V8, Nehemiah makes a statement saying that God’s hand was upon him and therefore the king responded to his requests favorably. V9 is now a description of that favor.

Nehemiah doesn’t land up in his home town all alone. He arrives with an entourage! Who all are there in his company? Officers of the army and horsemen. This shows the authority that backed this decision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Not only did he have letters for the governors of the province but he was also accompanied by the officials of the palace to add credibility to the whole order. It’s pretty clear that this was a work of God. It wasn’t Nehemiah’s convincing ability or friendship to the king that made this possible. God worked in the heart of the king to not only show favor but also fully support the initiative. How Sovereign and awesome is our God?

On the other hand in v10 we also see the tension and the opposition that Nehemiah faces. Sanballat was a governor of the Samaria region and Tobiah was probably his secretary. It says that it “displeased them greatly”. The Hebrew words for that actually describe it as a strong emotion that actually makes a person tremble or shake with rapid motion. Just shows how angry they were by this decision. Now why would they have a problem with “someone who came to seek the welfare of the people of Israel”?
These men concluded that the elevation of Jerusalem virtually meant the depression of Samaria; that, indirectly, Nehemiah had come to lower the dignity if not to lessen the prosperity of their state, and they counted him an enemy.

That’s how dangerous envy and jealously can be. It’s not just a trivial feeling that can be overlooked. It will result in disastrous end.

James 3:16 says “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

These two characters will be mentioned a lot in the course of this book as they try various deceptive means to thwart this whole plan. The truth is they weren’t fighting against Nehemiah, they were fighting against God Himself. And that’s a scary position to be in because if you’re fighting against God, there’s only going to be one victor! God.

Shouldn’t that encourage you and I today? God’s plan is glorious and unstoppable! He is redeeming people and drawing people to Himself from every corner of the earth. Nobody or nothing can stop his plan. Why? Because God Himself is the one working in hearts and creating circumstances for people to respond to him. People who oppose this plan do not fight against man but against God! That should encourage us as we step out and share our faith every day. The question isn’t if God’s plan will work or not….God’s plan is unstoppable! The question is “are you on God’s side today”?

2. The significance of Waiting before Acting

V11: So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose….

It seems like a short statement but it’s loaded with implications for our faith. Nehemiah got the approval, letters and even officials from the Persian King. What would you and I do if we were in his shoes? We would go to Jerusalem…convene a meeting with all the elders. Tell them that we need to start building and just do it, right?
I find it intriguing that Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem and waits there for 3 days. What do you think he did in those 3 days? He prayed. Even though it’s not explicitly mentioned in the text, but I think it’s quite possible that he spent those 3 days praying and asking God to act.

I think that’s the case because:

1) In chapter 1 when Hanani comes to him and shares the sad state of affairs of his people and the city, he responds with prayer and fasting for months.

2) In chapter 2, just before he makes a request to the king, he prays and asks God for help.

So there’s every reason to think that this might have been the purpose of the wait in Jerusalem before he went ahead and did something.

And it’s got huge implications for us today. The reason why waiting on the Lord and praying is tough for many of us is not just because we are impatient. I think it’s because we struggle to believe that it’s God who actually acts and works through us! We want to hold on to every ounce of control so that in the end if it works out, we’d be able to take the credit/glory for making an active contribution.

Let’s try and apply it to our own lives:

1. How much of waiting on the Lord in prayer goes into the important decisions of your life? Where to live? Where to move to? Which job to take? Which school to go to? Whom to marry? What kind of lifestyle to have?

2. When you think about reaching the city and planning strategies, are you really asking the Lord for direction and guidance or are you trying to work things out with your own intellect and ability?

I’m not saying that having a plan is wrong. It’s important and in fact as you even see in Nehemiah’s story…he had a plan. He knew what he wanted even before he made a request to the king. In v12-16, we learnt that he inspected the walls, formulated a plan and then spoke to the people of Judah. It’s good to have a plan but what I’m saying here is often we make decisions and plans expecting God to bless it but neglecting the need to seek God before we make those decisions and plans. And sometimes we make our plans sound so Christianized and spiritual, but we need to ask ourselves: is God really in all of this?

Proverbs 16:1-3 offers us some help:

The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.

Jesus being the Son of God would often retire to quiet places to meditate. Obviously he had plans and knew exactly what he was doing on the earth. But still he understood the significance of waiting before acting. How does that speak to our hearts today?

3. The faithful response while facing opposition

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim[a] in Jerusalem.” [ V17-20]

We see Sanballat, Tobiah come into the picture once again. This time along with an Arab named Geshem. What they did this time is accuse Nehemiah of rebelling against the king. Defying the king’s orders. What they’re probably referring to is Ezra 4 when the Persian King commanded the Jews to stop rebuilding the walls. This time however, as we’ve seen Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem with the blessing of the king.
What I find interesting is that Nehemiah doesn’t respond to their taunts by showing them the king’s letter or retaliating with more insults, he responds by a declaration of trust in what God would do. And that’s remarkable. He realized that this whole plan and mission wasn’t his own agenda. It wasn’t his own random decision to come to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. God awakened his heart to the situation in Jerusalem, God gave him favour in the sight of the king…all he did was respond in obedience. Even in v12, he makes that very clear.
And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.

Therefore, he knew that it would be God who would also finish and complete the whole rebuilding task. “God initiates, God sustains and God completes what He plans to do”: A clear understanding and faith in the person and plan of God enabled Nehemiah to respond in that way.

Often the reason why we react in retaliation or frustration to insults is because we fail to believe in the character and promises of God. Because we don’t believe in some aspect of the character and promises of God, we want to take matters into our own hands and we retaliate.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear 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. (Rom 12:17-20)

What this means is that our God is just and that He will bring about judgment on those who act wickedly towards us but let God be the one who judges. In this case, trusting in the Justice of God enables us to
not take revenge and show love and concern to our enemies.

The fact is that all of us deserved the wrath and judgment of God because of our sins. God is Holy and He tolerates no evil and no sin. We on the other hand are sinful not only in our actions but are sinful by nature. Therefore, by nature you and I are enemies of a Holy God. But God showed His great love and mercy on us by sending His one and only Son Jesus to die for your sins and mine. All your sins were paid for on the cross and God’s judgment was poured on Jesus instead of you and I. Christ showed grace when we didn’t deserve, so now we show grace even to our enemies.

How do you respond when faced with insults for your faith? How do you respond when people mock you and ridicule you for doing what God has called you to do?

As God calls us to be obedient to Him, as He draws us into more areas where we’ll need to trust Him, we’ll often face opposition. This is going to happen to us personally as we look to obey God’s call on our lives and even corporately as we seek to honor him together as a family. In both cases, we know that God’s plans are unstoppable: Nobody or nothing can stop Him. We’re called to wait on Him in prayer before we act so that we know that it’s God who acts and works through us. And this helps us respond graciously to our enemies as we trust in God’s character and His promises.