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Glory Witnessed – Luke 2:8-21

Good evening everyone. Merry Christmas and a warm welcome to all who have joined us in the hall and tuned in online as well. We’re glad you’re with us and we pray that everything that is being done here today would serve you well and draw you nearer to Jesus. 

During the month of December, we’ve been going through a short sermon series titled God’s Glory Revealed – and what we’ve been seeing is that among all the festivities, food and family gatherings, let’s not miss the point of Christmas. 

The point of Christmas is about God revealing His glory to us through His Son Jesus – God revealing His character qualities, His beauty, His worth through His Son Jesus. Before I begin, I’d love to pray for us.

On the 19th of November this year, the world had witnessed a major spectacle. Yes, it was the Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia. We won’t talk much about the outcome of the match, but nevertheless it was a major spectacle.  

Over 1 Lakh people watched the match live in the Narendra Modi stadium. Everyone who was a somebody was there present at the stadium from SRK to Asha Bhosale. Our PM and HM were also present for the match. And this was just within the stadium – on TV there were about 300 million people who watched the match live. And despite this just being a sporting game, it garnered such huge attention and media coverage. 

And yet, if we go back a little over 2000 years ago there was a history altering moment which took place – when God sent His Son Jesus to the earth. This was the most glorious event in all of human history. All of the Jews in the OT eagerly waited for this to happen and yet it happened in obscurity. 

It wasn’t published anywhere. It had no coverage. It wasn’t attended by heads of state or religious leaders of that time. In fact, the invitees for this event were ordinary shepherds. But they witnessed glory!! And so today we’ll be following the journey of these ordinary shepherds to understand what was this glory that they witnessed with their own eyes. Maybe there are some take aways for each of us as we follow their journey. 

  1. Joy (v8-12)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

The passage starts out by describing these shepherds who were on a night shift. Until this moment, they didn’t even know that they were invited. 

And then an angel of the Lord appears to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and the verse tells us that they were “filled with great fear”. 

And maybe that’s an automatic reflex action – the moment we realize that we’re in the presence of God (Holy God), our reflex action is fear thinking “I’m in big trouble, I’m in danger because I’m sinful, I’m unworthy”.

But the response of the angel (representing God) is so interesting. The angel responds by saying “Fear not” – don’t fear. 

(Parents / kids) And the reason for not fearing is because the angel came as an agent to bring good news of great joy! And this good news of great joy was not just meant for these shepherds or a specific group of people alone. 

This good news of great joy was meant for “all the people”. Which includes everyone in our family. Everyone in our neighborhoods. Everyone in our workplaces. Everyone in our city. Everyone in our country. Everyone in the whole world.  

And then in v11 – the angel goes on to describe this good news of great joy. He said that in the city of David (Bethlehem) a child was going to be born who is a Savior, Christ and Lord.

  • Savior: Someone who was going to save, rescue & deliver
  • Christ: Anointed One, Messiah who was promised in the OT
  • Lord: Supreme authority, Controller, Master, Ruler

And so in that way of describing Jesus, the angel was basically dropping a hint on what Jesus was coming to do. He was coming to save and rescue us from something. 

Some kind of serious trouble that we’re in, and Jesus was coming to save us from that. He was the one was expected and promised right from Genesis. He was the one who will be the supreme authority overall. 

And just as the shepherds heard that, I’m sure they were expecting this to happen in a palace. They would have expected to be invited to the “Buckingham palace” of the day. 

But to their surprise and astonishment, they are told that this Jesus who is Savior, Christ and Lord would be found in a stable. 

And instead of a nice, comfortable cushion, Jesus was going to be placed in a manger – which is basically a feeding trough for animals. 

And I can imagine them being taken aback by that. I wonder if they asked the angel to repeat the sign again because it doesn’t make sense. 

As confusing as this seems to be, God was telling the shepherds and all of us, that His Son Jesus was not coming to this world to Lord it over us. He was coming to humbly serve us – even if it meant being embarrassed and humiliated by sleeping on a feeding trough for the first night on the earth. 

He has not come to make you afraid, He has come to give you Joy. He is Your Savior and Lord. He’s not come to enforce His authority over you. 

He has come to serve you by humbling Himself no matter what the cost. In all of this – I can see that here is our God who is not finding reason to go away from us, but is  drawing near to us and that’s why it brings us Joy…Great Joy.

But not only does it bring us Joy, it also brings us

  1. Peace (v13-14)

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[d]

Just right after this encouraging message by the angel, a multitude of heavenly host break out into the most amazing Christmas carol song. 

Last night we had such an amazing time singing Christmas carols (with the mic, sound and music) and now think about what it might have been to have witnessed a choir filled with all the heavenly hosts singing songs of praise. I can imagine the shepherds being speechless witnessing all of this. 

And now take a look at what they were praising and singing.   V14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[d]

They start by praising the greatness and uniqueness of God. (Glory to God in the highest) He is all-powerful. He is all-wise. He is all-knowing. There is nothing in all of creation which can be compared to Him. 

He is of a different league altogether. And even as the song talks about the greatness and uniqueness of God, it tells us that God has come to make peace among those with whom He is pleased.

And let’s ask ourselves – who is God pleased with? The one who reads His Bible everyday? The one who attends church every week? The one who doesn’t use foul language? The one who doesn’t drink? The one who doesn’t smoke? Who is God pleased with? 

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7,8)

We simply cannot please God in our sinful nature – no matter who we may be – we might be super-spiritual like the Pharisee or unspiritual like tax collector – either way we are on the same boat – we cannot please God. 

And so that poses a big problem. So if we cannot please God, then how is God going to maintain peace with us? That’s the problem right? 

Which is why Jesus had to come. Jesus came to the earth so that He could live the life which we needed to live but couldn’t live. He lived a perfectly pleasing life unto God. 

Then when He was 33 years old, He died the death that all of us deserved to die as enemies of God. Imagine if you or I were a hostile enemy of the king of the land (monarchy), what do you think would have been our judgment? 

Jesus took that punishment upon Himself and died as our representative – our substitute on the cross. 

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

    and with his wounds we are healed. (Isa 53:5)

He was buried and on the third Day He rose again so that whoever may repent of their sins and trust in Jesus’ work for them would now be “made” pleasing to God thereby maintaining a permanent relationship of peace between us and God. 

So not only does it bring Joy and Peace but is also evokes 

  1. Praise (v15-20)

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Let’s remember that the shepherds were still on their night shift. They are supposed to guard the flock but upon seeing this great sight and proclamation from the heavenly hosts, they immediately leave for Bethlehem and found that things to be exactly how it was described to them. 

And V20 mentions that they returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them. 

That was their response to the birth of Jesus something so marvelous that they witnessed. 

Let’s take a moment to pause and ask ourselves – as people who are on this side of the cross – where we’ve not only seen Jesus’ birth but His death and resurrection, what should our response be to the good news of Jesus? 

Shouldn’t we be praising and glorifying God in response to who Jesus is and what He came to do for us? And if we are not experiencing that sense of joyful praise in our hearts, could it be that we’ve allowed other things of the world or anxieties to steal that from us? What is God calling us to repent of today? 

Or maybe we haven’t yet believed in Jesus and today as we’ve heard that good news of Jesus, our hearts have been moved to realize that our need to repent of our sins and trust in Jesus’ work for us and make Him our Lord. Then here’s the opportunity to do that today in response to the good news. 

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Glory Anticipated – Luke 1:39-58

Good morning church and those watching on Zoom. We’re back on Sunday and we’re back to our Advent series. And we’re one week away from Christmas. When someone would ask what I remember about Christmas growing up I always said biryani. Because my mom would make biryani around Christmas time. But nowadays I’m realising that it’s not just good food I associate with Christmas but good weather too. At least for us Mumbaikers. All throughout the year we have extreme heat, then humid rains then more humidity post-monsoon and finally November comes along and we have good weather. It’s not too hot neither is it too cold, it’s like a perfect balance. And also, our electricity bill comes down during Christmas. That is a Christmas blessing. You’re not using the AC and we’re using the fans less, so there’s a beautiful low amount on the electricity bill.

And another thing about the days leading up to Christmas is just simple excitement we have. Maybe you’re looking forward to time off work, you’ve got a holiday planned, or a family visit or a nice get together with others in the city, or a simple time with family and friends. And maybe in some of your offices there’s a slowdown, colleagues are soon to leave or left for holidays, clients are on leave, the agencies you work with are also slowing down. I’m sure many can relate to the feeling of excitement and building anticipation when the day your leave starts looms closer.

And this feeling of anticipation has been going on for several hundreds of years, even back in ancient Israel. Of course, they weren’t anticipating the December Christmas. But they were anticipating a promised Saviour. A Messiah that would deliver them from all their enemies.

You know a long time passed since Israel last heard any kind of prophecy. History tells us that around 400 years passed between the last prophecy and Jesus’s birth. During these 400 years the world change in significant ways. Israel was ruled by Persia. Then Alexander the Great came along, defeated Persia and promoted the Greek culture. Then Alexander the Great died and then Israel was ruled by Antiochus Epiphanes, who brutally persecuted the Jews and did not allow any religious freedom. After that the Romans came into the picture. They taxed the Jews heavily and controlled all they did. The Jews by this time have all the hope in them squeezed out. The only thing they’re clinging on to is that one day, a Messiah is going to come and deliver them from their enemies. It’s prophesied in the Scripture that they have, which is the Old Testament for us. There are passages like Jeremiah 33:16 which says that Jerusalem will live securely and Judah will be saved.

Jer 33:14-16 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”

It goes on to say “17 “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.””

It goes way back in Genesis 49:10

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him;[a] and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

This is a brief backdrop into the setting we find ourselves in. This is where Mary is. Where Elizabeth is. We can safely assume that Mary knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah.

And when she goes to Elizabeth and calls her blessed then she breaks out in a song of praise, probably understanding the Lord’s promise is being fulfilled.

In her response we see why we should also break out in a song of praise, why this passage is good news. In fact, this passage shows us our utterly helpless condition and what God did about it that will leave us thanking Him.

So what are the things we see that make us want to break out in a song of praise?

1) First is that God sees our helpless condition and helps us

In the beginning of her song, Mary says

“My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant

I’m looking at specifically verse 48 which says, “for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant”. The phrase humble estate in the Greek is a word Tapeinósis (tape e no sis) which translates to lowness and humiliation. Here Mary is saying that her life was that of a lowly person, and she was really a nobody. But not only that, this Greek word it pointing towards a lowness where she understands her spiritual capacity or rather lack of it. One of the resources call it abasement, it means your lowering yourself to a point where you see your lack of uprightness and that leads you to a place of helplessness and need.

In fact that’s the real spiritual condition of us all is that of littleness and nothingness. This passage mentions the kind of people God opposes, the proud of thought, the haughty sitting on their thrones, the rich who do not see their need for God. This is who we are. We are that tapenosis. We are of low estate.

We don’t deserve to be looked at.

It’s like a criminal, who was found guilty of raping a little girl, and the people of the village catch him, beat him up with sticks, punching and kicking till he’s barely alive. And they leave him there to die. This beaten up criminal is covered with wounds, his ribs are broken, his eyes and lips are swollen, clothes are torn, he’s trying to survive by crawling towards a safe place. At night the rats eat his open flesh. Who will want to look at this criminal? Who will even care? More than that, he doesn’t deserved to be looked at because he’s guilty of a great crime.

This is actually our spiritual condition. We deserve to be punished for our sin and left like that criminal. Because our crime is going against God. We think we don’t need God, we’re finding comfort in our possessions and we’re seeking more. We think we’re the God of our life and we’re good people. But we’re nothing like that, we’re just like that criminal.

But the good thing is that God looks at your humble estate. He’s the only one who will because He made a way to make you lookable again. The Bible says that God is too pure to look at evil but He can look at you because you’re not evil but pure in God’s sight because of the one Jesus Christ.

That leads me to the next point. How does God do this? Or what is the basis? It’s because of His mercy.

2) He remembers His mercy

In v54 and 55 it says

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

God remembers His mercy. And it says “as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever”. In other words, He remembers His promise, His covenant that he made to the people of Israel.

The promise, the covenant is His basis of looking down on the humble estate of anyone. I mentioned Jeremiah 33:14-16 earlier where God says He will fulfil His promise made to Israel and Judah where a righteous Branch will spring up for David and will execute justice and righteousness. It’s not only in Jeremiah but it goes back to Genesis in a verse that Saju mentioned last week. Genesis 3:15 says

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[e] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This is God talking to Satan, proclaiming that the woman’s offspring, that is Eve’s, will bruise the head of the serpent. Theologians call this proto-evangelium, or the first gospel, the first good news.

It’s not like He forgot His promise or the covenant He made. It’s saying that He showing mercy because He made the promise.

This promise was to take away the sin of the world, to take away your sin by suffering in a brutal way. In Isaiah 53:5 is say

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

And then in Romans 3:21-25 is says

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Conclusion

What do you have to do here? There are a couple of things to note from this passage. It says those who have humbled themselves, God has exalted. Elisabeth calls Mary blessed for believing that were would be fulfilment of what was spoken by the Lord. And then there’s verse 50 which says the His mercy is for those who fear Him.

She’s called blessed because she believed. She’s called happy because she believed. She adopted a posture of humbling herself to a point of acknowledging her deep need for God that God exalted her.

It goes to show that we need to have a that posture of daily accepting our need for God and believing in the One who forgives us. And to those who fear Him, that is obey, respect and honour Him, they will receive mercy.

What did Mary do to deserve this favour from the Lord? Nothing. But she did come with a humble heart, because she understood her weakness and depended on the mighty God, who exalted her.

So, is it with you. You come to God not with a Performance Improvement Plan but with a heart of repentance and belief. Because blessed are you who believe. You come with your sin in humility and God will not condemn you but forgive you in Jesus name and exalt you to a place where you remember your place as a son and daughter of the Most High God.

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Glory Promised – Luke 1 : 26-38

We are beginning a 4-week Advent series on the occasion of Christmas. Speaking about Christmas a few things to clarify, 25th Dec is certainly not the day when Jesus was born, the exact date we don’t know. We celebrate Christmas because it gives us an opportunity to remind and share the Gospel to our hearts first and then to others.

Importance of the Gospel

The Gospel is the most essential truth that our hearts need to hear again and again. Of all the things we expect from the church, expect for them to regularly point our hearts to the Gospel, to Christ. We live in a world where people are running after new age philosophies, teachings and experience to entertain themselves and also to find joy and hope for themselves, but as a believer we ought to understand that its only the Gospel that gives us the right perspective and points out hearts to long lasting joy, happiness and fulfillment.

The Advent Series

We have named our Advent series “God’s Glory Revealed”, where ‘Glory’ in this context means ‘the exalted status of God in Christ’ or ‘the divine radiance and presence of God revealed in and through Christ Jesus’. In this series we will explore the purpose and significance of God’s glory revealed in and through his son Jesus’
The title of todays sermon is “Glory Promised”, and we are looking at the passage Luke 1:26-38.

Why promise? – Because if all began with a promise. The passage from Luke 1:26-38 is the initiation of that promise, also known as the Annunciation story.

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he created man in his own image and likeness. He created man to have fellowship with him, but under his rule and dominion, walking in obedience to his statues. But man disobeyed God and rebelled against him, he ate the forbidden fruit and was alienated from God.

It was the serpent who tempted Eve to ate the forbidden fruit. In Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpant “I will put enmity between your offspring and hers, and between your offspring and hers; he (referring to Jesu) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” This is where the first promise appears in the Bible mentioning about Jesus.

Around 700 BC, in Isaiah 7:14, God speaks through prophet Isiah to king Ahaz who was facing a political tension, reassuring to Ahaz that God is with them, says “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with you)” In Micah 5:2, the promise is comes with some more clarity –

Micah 5:2 (ESV):
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.”

Luke 1:26-38 describes to us the moment when God, in his great wisdom executes his promise, that will change the course of mankind forever.

A divine intervention

Luke 1:26-38 describes God divine intervention when he send the angel Gabriel to a virgin women called Mary, an ordinary women who finds favor in the sight of God.

The word ‘favor’ means ‘approval’ or ‘an act of kindness’. It was an act of kindness
shown by God that reached out to Mary, not because she was great or holy. She was just an ordinary person like us.

Mary’s response

In response to God’s intervention, we see Mary obedient response, she says “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”
Today we will stop right here, and will continue with the rest of Jesus’s birth story in the
coming weeks.

What I want us to focus from his passage are two things –

  1. God’s divine intervention in our lives
  2. Our response to God’s interventions

God’s divine intervention in our lives

What if I told you that this very moment we are in is orchestrated by God. Though it might look a bit chaotic for some – The fact is He planned this day and moment well in advance. This sermon is the exact message he wants you to hear (or read) just as
much as he orchestrates every other moments in our lives – the good, the bad, the ugly, the happy ones etc

Psalms 115:3, Divid writes, “Our God is in the heavens, he does all that he pleases”

Our moments may not always look divine as it was for Mary but it still an divine intervention, an act of kindness he is showing towards us. Why? – To give us another opportunity to hear, to know and understand the truth, where he is revealing his great love for us – convicting us of our sins and reassuring his love and presence, giving us another opportunity to search our hears, repent of our present sins and put our faith
back in Jesus and to to trust Him for all things. It’s just like the moment described in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says “Behind, I stand
at the door and know. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me”
What does it mean to open our hearts to Jesus?

Our response

Our Response – Just like Mary he is expecting is to respond saying “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”

It may seem impossible for your to chance or experience any kind of transformation in your lives but the word says “there is nothing impossible for the Lord”

Ponder on these two verses as we conclude –

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 (ESV)

Romans 10:9 (ESV):

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Conclusion:
If you believe today, this very moment is a divine intervention of God in your lives, I want to encourage to respond like how Mary did.

May God bless you

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Pursuing a God-glorifying Climax – Acts 28 : 30-31

As we reach the end of the book of Acts, chapter 28:30-31 provides a visual of a camera panning out on our protagonist, Apostle Paul. It shows us what he is doing during the last days of his life and gives us conclusions about who he has become and
what he continues to do.

From this, we can conclude that Paul lived a life of relentless commitment to the Gospel
and unwavering dedication to the mission of God. This is a beautiful climax in Paul’s life and ministry.

Now, let us contemplate: What if the camera were to pan out on us today? What would the audience see and conclude about our individual journeys? What kind of person have we become since we were born again? What is the mission of our lives?

Regardless of what we are doing in life, I believe that every Christian’s life should have similar conclusions as Paul’s. It may be on a different scale and in a different context, but aren’t we all called and commissioned to live a life of relentless commitment to the gospel and show unwavering dedication to the mission of God? The answer is yes.
Here are some scriptures to support my statement above.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV):
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Isaiah 43:7 (ESV):
“everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV):
“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.”

Now, suppose we go to Apostle Paul and ask for advice on how to achieve such a climax in our lives. Here are seven pieces of advice he would give us. There could be more, but here are seven that come to my mind.

  1. Embrace and experience the transformative power of the Gospel in your lives.

There is a moment in our lives when we are justified by faith. However, there is also another aspect where we are sanctified by Him, being transformed into the image and likeness of His son, Jesus. Unless we are all truly experiencing the transformative work of the gospel in our lives, we will fail to reach such a climax in our lives.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV):
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come.”
Galatians 2:20 (ESV):
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me.”
Romans 1:16 (ESV):
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

  1. Learn to endure adversity, pain & suffering

Adversity, pain, and suffering are part of our sanctification process. Through these experiences, God draws us closer to Himself and helps us grow and mature in faith. Jesus never promised a life of comfort.
2 Corinthians 11:24-27 (ESV):
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from
robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure.”
John 16:33 (ESV):
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

3. Listen & teach sound doctrine

I believe Paul would put a very strong emphasis on sound doctrine, especially when it comes to the understanding of the gospel.
1 Timothy 1:3-4 (ESV):
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.”
Galatians 1:8-9 (ESV):
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him
be accursed.”
1 Timothy 4:6 (ESV):
“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”

4. Cultivate a non-judgmental and sacrificial love towards others

Love should be at the center of our life and ministry. Without expressing the love of Christ, everything else becomes a meaningless pursuit. We can only show true love if we have experienced that true love from Christ.
Philippians 2:17 (ESV):
“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”
Romans 5:8 (ESV):
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV):
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

  1. Focus on Christ’s power, not personal strength

The reality is that we cannot overcome the world and the challenges within it solely by our own strength. We need God’s power to guide and sustain us.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV):

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

  1. Cultivate a heart for fervent prayer life

As a Christian, prayer is crucial because it demonstrates our dependence on God when we pray and plead with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV):
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Ephesians 6:18 (ESV):
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”
Colossians 4:2 (ESV):
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

  1. Be ready to die for Jesus

Philippians 1:21 (ESV):
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
2 Timothy 4:6-7 (ESV):
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”