Love your neighbour (Survivor)
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Watch Mike from Survivor: Redemption Island give up his reward of spending an afternoon with his mother (after 30 days away from home), and instead give his 6 opponents the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones, quoting Matt 22.39 @ 10:00.
Matt 22.39
“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
Matt 5:13-16 – Church in the marketplace
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Matthew 5:13-16
Church in the marketplace
Introduction
- E Stanley Jones, no.1 problem of church = irrelevance (not meaningfully connected with the real world outside, therefore making little or no impact)
- lost influence in marketplace, neglected responsibility to be salt and light where we are
- ref Lord’s Prayer “Your kingdom come, Your will be done”
- not just individuals, but entire environment of marketplace
- Christians feel confined to church building 4 walls, marketplace arena of the devil
1. Spice up the marketplace as salt of the earth (v.13)
- Ed Silvoso “Anointed for business” – government, business, education // heart is to body
- early church saw marketplace as their parish/do ministry
- witnessing as a way of life (+ signs and wonders) e.g. Acts, 40+ in Acts, only 1 in religious place (3:1-10)
- Acts 18:1-3 – partners in ministry + business (Paul, Aquila and Priscilla)
- // today, millions of Christians called to full-time ministry in the marketplace
- full-time followers of Jesus Christ (not just pastors and missionaries)
- potential to be generals in God’s kingdom
- salt, indispensable, precious commodity for trade (salary = “salt money”)
- seasoning, flavouring for food
- preservative, prevent food from spoiling
- 40% professionals are Christians
- challenge to be the best you can be in your workplace (bring added value, pursue excellence)
- we can spice up marketplace, as long as not lose our flavour
- salt can lose saltiness when contaminated
- not go around condemning other people
- NT says nothing about protests, confrontation, boycotting, petitions against sin (Jn 3:17)
- not point out unbelievers’ sins, but stress God’s forgiveness, to repent and accept His grace; those passages confronting sin is addressed to believers, within the church
2.Shine in the marketplace as light of the world (v.14-16)
- light in contrast with darkness, knowledge versus ignorance
- seek opportunity to perceive truth about Jesus through lives of Christians
- light can lose effectiveness by being hidden
- v.14 ref Jerusalem on a hill, seen from far
- v.15 bowl/basket, big bowl for grain
- in difficult work environment, natural to hide our identity as Christians (defeat purpose of witnessing)
- v.16 shine our light through tangible/practical good deeds
- goal/purpose = glorify God
- if we remain hidden/not visible, people may praise you as a person, not God
Conclusion
- survey of views of institutions (Mar 2010)
– banks/financial institutions 22% yes, 69% no
– large corporations 24% yes, 65% no
– churches/religious organisations 63% yes
- we are change agents in our marketplace
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Always be prepared
Sunday, 13 September 2009
What would you do if you knew that you only had 1 month left to live? How about 1 week? How about 1 day? Would you live your life any differently, do all the things you always wanted to do, but never got the opportunity or time to? There’s something about the urgency of time when we know that our end is near. Somehow we abandon rational or logical thinking, such as saving up for a rainy day, or the perspective that we work hard today so that we can enjoy in the future. I believe that it is something that God tries to remind us, yet only when we realise the brevity of our fleeting lives, that life is short, and that many endeavors and goals in life are temporal, without eternal value or significance, that we stop to ponder and gain perspective of what is important and what we should focus on in life.
Jesus exhorts his disciples in Mk 13:33 to “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come” and elsewhere, in Matt 24:42 to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Time and time again, throughout the New Testament, there is a consistent and imminent message, “The kingdom of heaven is near.” One day, sooner or later, Jesus Christ is coming again. As Christians, we have the assurance that either we will die and be united with Him in heaven, or He will return in our lifetime to reign over heaven and earth.
As we study the book of Revelation, there might be times when we ask ourselves, what relevance does the end times have with my life? Ask yourself, if Christ returns tomorrow, would you be ready to give an account for your life? What would be the things you wished you had done or accomplished, for yourself, for your family, for God? What would be the words that you would regret not saying to your loved ones, your friends, your spouse or children? Would you regret not spending more time or money on the things and people that matter most?
Don’t live your life simply for tomorrow. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself … Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33-34) Live for Christ today. He exhorts us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Lk 9:23). Let us proclaim His good news with boldness and urgency, since “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise … He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:8-9). May we always be watchful, always alert, always prepared.
Temptation of Jesus
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Temptation of Jesus
Matt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12, 13; Lk 4:1-13
A summary of exegetical insights into this familiar passage on the 3 temptations of Jesus.
Temptation to be (from Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus)
1. Relevant (stones)
2. Spectacular (throw from temple)
3. Powerful (kingdoms)
3 temptations correspond 3 worldly sins (1 Jn 2:12-17)
1. Lust of the flesh (stones)
2. Lust of the eyes (kingdoms)
3. Pride of life (throw from temple)
3 Ps of temptation
1. Pleasure (stones)
2. Possessions (kingdoms)
3. Power/Pride (throw from temple)
See also
21st century temptation and the 1st Sunday of Lent
3 Temptations of Leadership – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Nouwen’s understanding of Leadership
A first eleven: leadership
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