The Foundation of Our Peace/ The Practice of Peace

Chu Thanh 4.10.11

1 Thessalonians 5:13-14

References: Romans 12:18, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Colossians 3:15

One thing that puts us in darkness and in unrest is when there are arguments within the family. The foundation of our peace is built on the same principle in the church. We are a family that has the same destination. Paul gives us advice on how to be in union and peace with one another.

Although we share the same blood with our family members, we are our own individuals. In God’s family, all of us are separate individuals with different abilities. There is unity in this diversity and it makes up the body of Jesus Christ. We can be different in every way yet we can stand together in harmony under one God. This is what draws the world’s attention to us.

When the church loses its peace, is when the people in the church allow their differences to get in the way of fellowship with one another. People looking for peace will try to find it in the church. However, when the church loses its peace, it will be seen as ineffective in the eyes of the world. No one wants to go to a church where the silence and awkwardness prevents us from feeling the love of God.

The peace that comes to us is the result of what Jesus did on the cross (Romans 5:1). The world, without Jesus, could never have peace. We can speculate all we want about how to create a peace amongst us but without the blood of Jesus, it is impossible. Jesus suffered so much from the cradle to the cross and it is a shame to not desire and run after the peace he has made available to us.  We need to pursue it, chase after it. We need to seek it in active involvement.

V14

1) “Warn the idle”

How often do we notice that the person sitting next to us isn’t there anymore? When we see that a brother or sister has missed church for a couple weeks, we should help them and warn them. We need to be there for one another.

2) “Comfort the timid”

 When a person is not doing well, we can’t just sit there and tell them it will be okay. We need to show them that everything will work out for good. We need to show them the section in the word of God that applies to the predicament they are in. These truths will comfort them. This is why we study the bible word by word and chapter by chapter. We do it in hope that when the time comes, we can bring comfort to one another with the word of god.

3) “Hold up the weak”

To hold up something in the Greek means to hold that object so close to yourself so that it won’t fall apart.

Guest Speaker: P.V. Russ

Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus was a great story teller and a lot of the things he taught were in a parable. One main thing he would teach was about the kingdom of God. All these stories had a point and teach us something about God.

As the pearl merchant found out, all his little pearls could not beat his love for that one, special pearl he had been looking for. He sold all he had to purchase the pearl. Jesus is telling us that cheap things and valueless things will never fill our hearts. We were created to know God and to be in a relationship with the living God. Long before we were born he loved us, he knew us, and he put his love upon us.

When the love of God touches our hearts, we come to realize that he is more beautiful than being successful, having the cool cars, and the big house. Jesus is more beautiful and it grabs our hearts. As it cost the pearl merchant everything he owned it will cause us everything to receive the kingdom of God. This doesn’t mean we need to sell all our possessions. We can love the things we own but we need to love God so much more, so that if we lose everything, we really don’t lose much at all.

Brotherly Love

1 Thessalonians 4:9

Christianity is not too much about what you have and don’t have, or how big your church is. The one thing that separates and distinguishes Christianity from all other religions in the world is love. It is how the world will know that we are the disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s not about what goes on inside the four walls of the church but about how we interact with one another outside the church. Love is the hallmark of Christianity.

1) Love origination: V9 We have been “taught by God to love one another”. Of all the writers in the bible, from King David, to the prophets, to Paul and John in the New Testament, none are able to teach the topic of Love better then God. This is because love originates from God.  It begins with God. It will be demonstrated by God. The love of God is the central force that motivates us to love one another. It creates in us a new divine nature that is quickened by the Holy Spirit. We should now have this ability and nature that allows us to love a way we have never loved before.

There are millions of fish in the oceans. There are ugly fish, pretty fish, big fish, small fish, etc. They are so different but they all have one thing in common, they all swim. This is because it is in their nature to swim. Similarly, when we become believers, we naturally love.

2) Love outward expression: V10 Paul says that the love of the Thessalonians has been expressed and they have been doing well. However, he urges them to continue to love even more. He advises them to keep on loving, to love better and longer. How do we do this? V11.

a) Lead a quiet life: Don’t stir trouble or arguments by your zealous and passionate belief in something.

b) Mind your own business: Don’t get into people’s business. Don’t gossip. Do the task you were assigned to do, not dig into someone else’s.

c) Get to work: don’t be lazy. Paul says to “work with your own hands”. For the Greeks, people who worked with their hands were considered as lowly as slaves. To the Jews, every Jewish boy was taught to learn a trade regardless of his background. The Vietnamese culture can be in conflict with God. Working with our hands is an honorable thing. Earning an honest living is not a bad thing.

3) Love impression: V12 if we love one another, we will “earn the respect of those outside of the church”. The world will chase after fame, money, and power but we should chase after love. The only way that we can make our “invisible God” visible to those who don’t see Him is to love one another. Love provides growth internally for us. A loving environment in the church will help us to grow steadily.

The hallmark of Christianity is about love. It will become the glorious mark to the world and they will know the Lord through our love for one another. More importantly, loving one another pleases the Lord.

Sexual Purity

Sanctification:

V3 God wants us to be holy. He wants to set us apart for his purpose. The moment you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. He will not allow you to be in anything immoral. Every day, he will mold you and shape you to be sanctifies as Jesus Christ. We should yield the members of our body into sanctification. God demands that we separate ourselves from evil. Sexual immorality is something that has gotten in the way of the church.

It wasn’t normal for the men to have just one wife in the past. Many men went out and engaged in plenty bad things. That was the culture in the day. However, this is also the culture of our day, today. The sin that Paul saw in the people of his day is the same as that in our day. This is a serious problem. God has called us to sanctification.

Subjection:

V4 Bring the members of your body in subjection to control. Watch what you allow your eyes to see and body to do. Bring your body in subjection to your spirit. We need to starve our flesh and feed our spirit. We need to starve our flesh to death. Contrarily, we need to feed our spirit with sermons, fellow Christians, and the bible. Eventually, the flesh will no longer be heard. Our bodies will be disciplines.

Separation:

V5 When the world around us is saying that it is ok to have sex; we need to close our ears to it. It is ok for us to have sex, God made it for us. However, it is only ok between a man and woman in marriage.

Judgment:

V6 In our culture, men get away with doing sexually immoral things. The woman is the one that takes the short end of the stick. The man needs to realize that the girl they are taking advantage of has a father, mother, brother, or sister. That person may be a person in the Lord. You may think that you will get away with it but you won’t. Even if no person finds out, God will take care of it. He knows and your sin will be judged by him. You will be forgiven but there will be severe consequence.

Empowerment:

V7-8 God did not call us to be unclean but to holiness. God is nudging and tapping us. He is calling us to return to Him, to confess to Him, so that He can restore us and sanctify us.

What Pleases God?

1 Thessalonians 4:1

When Jesus was on earth, he saw a man that had been demon possessed. Jesus got on a boat and went to the place where the man was to set him free from the demon. He saw a young boy who was dead with his mother mourning beside him. Jesus gave him life again. He saw a multitude following Him and realized that they were hungry. He fed them. There were many instances in the bible where Jesus went out and did good. But why? Jesus would say, in John 8. “I always do the things that please God.”

This should be the goal and desire of our lives, pleasing God.

1)      It is a radical principle. It changes our lives. If we lived our lives with this method that Jesus used, everything about us would be changed.

2)      It is a flexible principle. Pleasing God doesn’t require us to constrict ourselves to a list of do’s and don’ts. We are called to be obedient to the moral law of God. We aren’t trying to please these laws, but please the one who had given them.

3)      It is a progressive principle. There is no end in pleasing God. We can never reach the fulfillment of it. The more we please the Lord, the deeper we want to please Him. It takes us from one level to another.

What do we need to do to please God?

Colossians 1:9-14

1)      Fruitful living: being fruitful in every work. Bearing fruit for the name of Jesus. As a vine produces its own fruit; Jesus produces His own fruit, us. Are our lives similar to a bowl of fruit? Our lives should be like this. When people walk by us, they should want to come and receive something from us the way they would a beautiful bowl of fruit.

2)      Increasing in the knowledge of God: knowing God and increasing in our knowledge. The way we know God should be more then it was yesterday, last month, and last year. A lot of people know a lot about Him but don’t have knowledge about him in a profound and personal way. Paul says if we want to please God, we must know God.

3)      Strengthened and powerful living: living a life pleasing to God means that you are strengthened by His glorious power. This power in unlimited. God’s power is everlasting. It will continue to carry us through. The bible suggests that we will be strengthened by the lord’s might. Powerful living pleases God. It shows that we are tapping into the power that the Holy Spirit provides. When we depend on Him, it pleases God. We receive powerful living from God so that we will have patience and longsuffering.

4)      Thankful: giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance, pleases Him.

What Every Pastor Should Be

1 Thessalonians 3

Paul’s sacrifice, protective care, and appreciation of the church demonstrated his heart for them.

1. Sacrifice: Paul was able to endure pains we couldn’t even think of; being whipped, beaten, slandered against, stoned, and more. However, being away from the church was something he could not handle.  He sent Timothy to the church to encourage and strengthen them. This was an act of selflessness.

a)      It was a great loss of companionship for Paul to part with Timothy. They had been on this missionary trip with one another with endless trials, pains, and tribulations. Timothy was side by side with Paul for months, but Paul was willing to send him away. This left Paul by himself.

b)      It was a great loss in personal comfort. Timothy was there to help Paul and comfort him. He was the one who would make sure Paul had a meal to eat or a blanket to sleep with. Sending Timothy away created a void in Paul’s heart, but he loved the church in Thessalonica enough to do it.

2. Protective Care: Paul told the church that they, along with every other Christian, are destined to severe trials. We as followers of Christ have been appointed to tribulation. Everywhere around the globe, there are struggling Christians. Paul knew that Satan would put afflictions upon them was sending Timothy to establish them in a secure faith and foundation. He wanted to make sure the church was still intact with God.

3. Appreciation: The church’s continuation in the Lord was what Paul, Timothy, and Silas were thankful for. Paul probably didn’t receive much from the church because they were such new believers. Paul didn’t need anything from them. He was just happy that the church shared the same faith in Christ that he did.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

Paul defends himself to the church in Thessalonica against all the accusations against him. It could have easily been misunderstood that Paul had forsaken the church or that he had abandoned them.

Love: V17 Paul loved the church but he was taken away from them by force. His love for them was compared to an encouraging father. He loved them with as a mother loves her baby (V7). Paul’s love for the people was unlike the usual. He was so attached to these people who he had only known for a short period of time. His love, however, was not exclusive. He loved people everywhere, not just in Thessalonica. He loved God’s people.

This is a pattern for every minister of the Gospel, to love God’s people. When Paul was taken away from them, he still prayed for them every time he thought about them. He wasn’t with them in person but he was with them in spirit.

Care: V18 Paul wanted to see them “face to face”. When you see a person face to face there is an intimacy and fellowship that cannot be felt on the phone or computer. Paul wanted to be with them. It is a sorrowful thing for a leader to not have the desire to be with God’s people.

Jesus came down to Earth and became human so that he could feel our pain and sorrows, to experience the things that tempt us and hurt us. Jesus searched for the missing sheep and lifted them upon His shoulders and gave them rest. Caring is about commitment, about sacrifice, and putting away our own agenda to make time for others. A challenge for us is to become the shoulder of Jesus for people.

Discernment: V18 Paul wanted to go and see them but “Satan had stopped them”. Satan is powerful and we can’t underestimate that. He is here to cause havoc in the lives of the people of God. However, God is more powerful though and be can’t even begin to fathom how much bigger it is then Satan’s. Paul had that spiritual understanding of when God wanted him to stop.

Sometimes Satan will shoot arrows at us and we will hold grudges against the people of God because we lack the discernment that it is a work of Satan.

 Joy: Paul’s joy was to see people open their hearts to receive Jesus as their lord and savior. They were his joy and his crown. The people were what Paul had lived for.

Jesus’ life was the same. He saw the cross and because of the joy before Him, He endured the pain. Jesus was God, He had everything. He was Lord of Heaven, he could calm the storms. Jesus had it all but He became a man and endured the shame because He had joy in the hope that we would be saved.

As Christians, our joy should be to see the salvation and success of God’s people the way Paul and Jesus did.

How They Receive the Word of God

1 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Paul states that the gospel message he proclaimed was the word of God. He presented it with great conviction and passion knowing that it has the power to change people’s lives. The people received it, valued it, and honored it as the word of God.

The message that we present must be from God. Only then will the word be at work in the hearts of the people. As teachers, we have to approach students knowing that they are struggling.

Pray for your pastors and teachers. Pray that they will not lose heart and be discouraged. Pray that the message coming from them is unrestrained. Pray that they will spend time to seek the living word and drown themselves in it. We need to receive the word in all seriousness and honor unto God, the way Paul presented it.

New Year Message: The Secret to a Worry-Free Life

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you” -1 Peter 5:6-7

The reality or worry: 

For peter to address the word “anxiety” to the church meant that it was something real and practical. The people in the church worried a lot about the things that normal people worry about. Worry is the same as it was generations ago. It is an issue that confronts our hearts every day. People worry about school, employment, family, and more. All sorts of things can be bombarded into our minds and cause us to worry. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that we will not encounter the things that make us worry. It is a reality that we cannot escape. We have become a worry sick society. Hospitals have recorded that stress and worry cause obesity, heart attacks, ulcers, depression, nervous breakdowns, and even cancer.

Peter knew that the church was worried about many very serious matters. However, he never told them to deny it, run from it, or ignore it. In our society, people try to distract themselves from their anxiety with several things but it never makes it go away.

The release of worry:

We can’t run from it, hide from it, or pay it with money. However, you can give your worry away. God is powerful, caring, and gracious enough to willingly take on our worries. Peter said to cast our anxieties to the Lord.

In order to do this, we need to humble ourselves and trust in God. We can’t be caught up in the things of this life. We should be at the feet of Jesus and pour our hearts out to Him. Jesus invited the weary to come to Him and He would give us rest. God doesn’t want us to carry our burdens on our shoulders for our entire lives. We have to give our burdens and worries to the Lord.

The result of a stress free life:

When we allow the shoulder of God to carry our burdens, we will begin to recognize the power of God in our lives. People will care about us but they don’t have to power to care for us the way God can. The God who created the universe is not an uncaring or impersonal God. Our God is real and He loves us. We can cast all of our worries to God.

The Marks of a Man of God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-6

What are the things that separate a person for the exclusive use of God? Although there are many factors, these are three of the most challenging.

1.       Faithfull in their mission

V1. When Paul came to Thessalonica, it was not a glorious coming but it was also not a failure.

V2. They have previously suffered and were mistreated.

Paul was exclusively chosen as an apostle to preach to the gentiles. He received a vision from God to go to Europe. The first city they reached was Philippi. God anointed Paul with the ability to cast out demons. Paul was on the right path with the Lord. However, this landed him in jail. The little girl Paul casted the demon from could no longer predict the future. The owner couldn’t make money anymore. The people arrested and whipped Paul even though he was a roman citizen.

Most of us would wonder and question whether we were where God wanted us. We would ask God where He was and why he had forsaken us. We would begin to doubt the mission and purpose of God in our life. Paul didn’t do this. He began to pray and sing to the Lord. The chains binding him in the prison cell were broken. He didn’t run away from the prison. He stayed and preached to the prisoners. Paul didn’t run from the place that God had brought him. Paul was faithful in his mission.

If we received a mission from God today and were arrested and beaten, we would go back to our family. We would go to the hospital to treat our wounds. We would take a long break and go on a long vacation. Paul didn’t do what we would do. He remained with God and stayed faithful.

The church of Thessalonica didn’t come into existence by a parachute from the sky. It took faithful men and women like Paul and Silas. Our mission may not be to travel around the world, but we need to evangelize to those around us and pray for them.

2.       Fearless in the message

V2. Paul and the apostles were bold, courageous, and fearless. They didn’t stop or quit declaring the gospel even in tribulations.

There were mobs and riots in Thessalonica that cause Paul to have a sudden departure. These people took the opportunity to accuse Paul of being like every other religious leader that passes by. Paul wrote to the church to address the accusations. They wouldn’t have come with their backs still bleeding.  They didn’t run in the face of trial and conflict. They had been tested with fire. They didn’t make anything up. They were real. Their message was real.

The message was directly from God. It was given to us to share with everyone else. God entrusted us with the message and wants us to share it with fearlessness.

3.       Fresh in their motive

V4-5

Paul’s motive was pure. His intention was not to please men but God. He didn’t use words to butter people up and flatter them. He didn’t have a hidden agenda. He came as he was, hiding nothing, to declare the gospel. The men and women that God uses have nothing to hide.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

1)      The gospel begins with the fact that God had chosen the Thessalonians for His divine purpose.

2)      The gospel is linked to change because when a person receives the word of God, they will be changed. No one can be the same when they come into a personal contact with the powerful message of the gospel. The Thessalonians were changed. In this radical change they received:

a.        V4 A new foundation. The ground that the Thessalonians stood on changed from sinking sand to solid rock. They once stood in synagogues trying to figure out the meaning of life. Jesus came and gave them the knowledge that they were so desperately seeking. They began to live upon a new knowledge, a new foundation.

b.      V4 A new family. Paul referred to the Thessalonians as brothers loved by God. The word brother is an intimate word. These people were so closely knitted by the blood of Jesus Christ that they were able to see and treat each other as family.

c.       V9 A new focus. They turned to God and away from idols. Instead of worshipping images built of stone, they broke their habits of bowing down to those statues and worshipped the true God. They no longer looked to these lifeless idols.

d.      V10 A new future. They had no future. When the message of Jesus Christ came, they received a new hope in Him.

3)      The gospel compelled the Thessalonians to become followers of Jesus Christ. The gospel didn’t come to them sugar coated. They knew that to follow Jesus meant that they would be persecuted, yet they received it with joy.

Not only did they imitate the messengers that brought them the gospel, they became examples to other new believers. They were only followers of Jesus Christ for a few weeks but already, they became known to all others throughout Europe. They had no pastors or leaders at the time, but they had the Holy Spirit.

The Impact of the Gospel

 ⁴For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

Paul had only been with the church for a couple days but they already had faith, hope, love, and endurance in Jesus Christ. Paul explained to them why it was that he was so certain about their eternal position in the Lord.

V4 The believers were chosen by God: Jesus loves us and His love doesn’t end. It continues day by day. The love of God is irrevocable. Under that perfect and fathomable love, he has chosen us. He chose us out of a divine election because of his love; Deuteronomy 7:6-8. He predestined the day that we would receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. He chose us before we were even born.

V5 The believers had power to preach: Paul was sure of the election from God of the church of Thessalonica because they had come to know Jesus Christ through the sharing of His word. They were chosen by God because when the gospel came to them, they ran with it. They didn’t receive the gospel merely with words, but with the power of the Holy Spirit. When the spirit moves, empowers, and anoints, the words we preach are not only words. We need Spirit lead preaching that only comes to us through prayer. When this happens, the word becomes power.

The Word of God is power. Let it speak for itself. Let the message be significant and the messenger be insignificant. We should preach the Gospel with passion and conviction. When we do, it is not words; it is the Holy Spirit speaking.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

 ¹Paul, Silas, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.²We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. ³We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

-1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

V1 These were the people that God had called at the moment.

Paul was regarded as small person with a very big heart. He wasn’t the most handsome man in the world. In fact, he wasn’t attractive at all. He was a man who truly understood the meaning of God’s calling and God’s Power.

Silas was a prominent leader among the leaders of the early church. He volunteered to go into the missionary field with Paul. He sang praises to God in the prison the cold prison cell that lead people to faith in Christ.

Timothy was a timid and shy person who would rather hide in the crown then stand among thousands preaching. It’s amazing to see him stand next to Paul in the ministry.

Sometimes we’re so into the physical appearance of a person that we neglect people who are small. If we allow ourselves to be stuck in the mentality of this world we can lose out on the calling of God for our lives. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were small people who did great things despite their physical flaws.

V1 The church in Thessalonica didn’t exist by man but by God the father and Jesus Christ. It was a church built in God. Paul greeted the church with grace and peace.

V2 Paul was thrilled to hear from the church. He had missed them a lot and longed to learn of their well being. When he discovered that the church was thriving, he thanked God and prayed continuously for them.

V3 When thinking about the church in Thessalonica he was thankful for their:

1.       Faith: Paul thought about the warm faith that was in action and the fruits that were produced by it.

2.       Labor: He thought about the labor they went through because of their love for God. It wasn’t small labor; it was hard, bloody, sweaty labor. These people were burnt out for the cost of the Gospel. These people loved God unconditionally.

3.       Endurance: They endured if the face of difficulty. They rose above the storms and pressed forward in the hope they have in Jesus Christ.

Backround of The Church of Thessalonica

Lessons to Learn in Thessalonians

Sunday Morning Chu Thanh 10/17/10

Background of 1 Thessalonians (References found in: Acts 16-17)

The region of Thessalonica was named after Thessalonica, the half sister of Alexander the Great and the wife of the general. It was at wealthy city with many roman officers. The location of commerce attracted many Jewish merchants. They took advantage of the commercial trading. The harbor attracted a lot of evil and immorality because of the links it had to other regions.

During Paul’s second missionary trip, he saw a vision of a man in Macedonia. He was weeping for Paul to come and evangelize to the city. Paul, Timothy, Titus, and later Luke, sailed across the Aegon Sea to Europe. They first stop at a powerful well established city. Paul casted out a demon from a girl and this landed them in jail. Paul traveled to Thessalonica and went into the synagogues to preach. Paul’s central message was that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. The Greeks in the synagogues heard Paul’s message and received Christ. The Church of Thessalonica came into existence. This church would not have come into being without the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit in Paul.

We are a Pentecostal church seeking the power of the Holy Spirit. However, God has already given us the power but we are not doing anything with it. The church would not have come into being without the deep guidance from God.

The Jews that kicked Paul out of Thessalonica followed Paul and tried to stop him from preaching. Paul went south to Corinth and continued preaching. Paul looked back and his heart yearned for the church back in Thessalonica. Timothy later gave word to him that the small church was still thriving and growing.

Paul was impressed to write to Thessalonica:

1)      He encouraged the new believers to stay faithful in spite of trials and persecution.

2)      He wrote to refuse the false charges that were put against him.

3)      He wrote to talk to them about the returning of Jesus Christ and the last days.

 Christians who are expecting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ we shouldn’t have room for:

1)      Idols in our heart, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

2)      Slackness on service, 1 Thessalonians 2:9

3)      Division in fellowship

4)      Depression 1 Thessalonians 4

5)      Sin

We don’t want Jesus to come and see us indulging ourselves in these things. If he does, we will bring shame to Him.

What will be written on your tombstone?

Sunday Mornings Chu Thanh 10/10/10

2 Timothy 4:6-8

" ⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Paul’s final words give us a guideline of how to live and how to die.

3 Perspectives Paul looks from

1) The present V6: Paul saw his death as a last sacrifice to God. Paul was saying that he lives to declare the love the God gives and will die as a sacrifice to God. Every step that Paul took was devoted to God. His life was given unto God even as he took his last breathe. Paul said that his death was nothing more than a departure. He was leaving this world behind but setting off into eternity. He knew that being absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. Paul faced death with great courage, as much as he faced life with it. There was no fear. He looked at the present and saw that he had given his whole life to God. There were no regrets.

2) The past V7: Paul looked at his past with satisfaction. He had given every effort for the kingdom of God. He lived according to the calling God set forth before him. A lot of us fight and quarrel over useless issues. This is worthless. The spiritual battle is the thing worth fighting for. Paul had lived his life with the full armor of God on. Paul stood upon grace and acted upon faithJ. He was able to build the church, cast out demons, heal the sick, and bring multitudes to Christ. No enemy could touch him because of this armor he had put up. He had fought the good fight victoriously and noblely.

Paul now was alone, sitting in a cold sell with no one. Perhaps he heard the whispers of the enemy. He didn’t listen to those voices. Paul didn’t stop midway and chase other things. He never forgot about God. All that God had given him to do, Paul had done. He had finished the race.

The messages that Paul preached, he had lived out. He had no regrets about it.

3) The future V8: Paul looked toward the future. His life devoted to God will bring him great reward as God crowns him with the crown of righteousness. Many people don’t look forward to the appearing of God because they don’t know anything about it. The crown of righteousness is ready in heaven for those who love the Lord and have patiently waited and longed for His appearing.

When Paul died, his tombstone would probably have read “Paul fought a good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith”.

When we die, what will be written on our tombstones? We need to look ahead of us and examine the direction we are going toward. When we arrive at our destination, will we be able to say that we had given our entire heart to Jesus?

Paul's Charge

Sunday Mornings: Chu Thanh, 10/3/2010

2 Timothy 4:1-4

 ¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

These are the last inspired words written by Paul the Apostle as he prepares to be executed.

Paul’s Charge

V1. The seriousness: the charge that Paul gives is in all seriousness. He is bringing us to Heaven’s courts, charging us to do this charge under the witness of Jesus Christ. This is a commission handed to us by God in a strict and serious manner.

The honor: Because it is from Heaven’s courts that we receive this charge, it should be the highest honor for us. Being an ambassador of God is the most honorable thing above all else.

The focus: Spiritual focus is what Paul had in prison as he sitting along in a cold cell, awaiting his death. “Paul did not focus on the visible success of Timothy’s ministry but on the excellence of his service” –John MacArthur. It’s not about us, how prominent we are, how powerful we are, or how big our church becomes. It is about the excellence in our faithfulness to the calling in which we were charged.

V2 Preach the Word: We can’t make excuses saying that only pastors and preachers preach. Preaching only means to announce the good news. All of us are called to preach. Every genuine believer in Jesus Christ has a message to proclaim. God didn’t give all of us the ability to preach in front of thousands of people with efficiency and fluency. However, our abilities shouldn’t be our focus. We are to preach the Word of God regardless of our talents. The focus is that the Word of God will speak for itself and change people’s lives. The wisdom and ability of man only goes so far. God’s word is powerful.

Be ready: Be prepared in readiness, urgency, and vigilance. Preaching the Word is not a light matter, but a matter of life and death, redemption and condemnation. We should preach the Word in season and out of season as fountains of living water for people to draw from whenever they walk past us.

Relevancy and Practically: We should preach the Word to correct, rebuke, and encourage. Some people ask for apologetics and proof for God’s existence so we need to know the Word well. Others have been living in sin their entire lives and only need to hear that they are heading in the wrong direction. We should be able to preach to each person according to their circumstance.

Be Patient: No one comes to God unless the Holy Spirit intervenes in their heart. We need to be patient and wait upon the power of God.

Reason for Paul’s Charge

V3-4 People only listen to what they want to hear. They will create their own teachings. They will gather people around themselves so they would be told what they want. They will start to turn their ears from sound doctrine and listen to myths. We need to bring light to their ears.

What are we to do?

Sunday mornings, Thanh Tran 9/26/10

 10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:10-16

Live the Word of God V10-11Timothy had seen Paul in the good times and bad times. Timothy has known Paul long enough to realize that Paul was a man that lived the word that he preached. If he preached holiness he would live a holy life. If he preached righteousness then he would live righteously. Christianity has a lot to do with doing the basic things well. EX NBA players are magnificent athletically. The only way they were able to reach that point of excellence, they had to master the basics. Following the doctrine consistently is a basic thing that many of us still haven’t achieved.

Live by the Will of God V12 Paul says that all Christians who desire to live a Godly life will become persecuted. Living a Godly life exposes the ungodliness in other people and they will begin to hate you. Paul suffered because he obeyed the will of God. Acts 13-14 Paul is in Lystra. He met a man crippled man and under the guidance of God’s spirit, Paul told the man to get up and walk. The man jumped up and was healed. A crowd was formed and the priest came out of the temple ready to sacrifice to Paul. The crowd wanted to make sacrifices to him. Paul tore his clothes and told them not to worship him. He said he was only a man. As a result, the crowd became angry and Paul was stoned. Paul says that living in obedience to God’s will, will cause us persecution, but we should do it.

Live for Other People V13 Paul realized that the days ahead would grow even worse, people would get worse. The church has to live up to its challenge and calling. Humanity will grow darker and the only way to solve this problem is to bring the Gospel to the lives of these people. We can’t depend on society or government to change the hearts of people. We need to bring light into this world by the Word of God.

V14 We need to carry on even in the face of suffering. We should live for the spiritual well being of other people. Each of us need to embrace the challenge and live beyond ourselves and start living for other people. While others stumble in darkness, we need to continue in what we learned. As we are living for other people, keep in mind that we won’t even realize whose lives we are changing.

Live in the Word V16 The bible is not a book that men made. It is the Word of God. The bible is complete, true, and trustworthy.

1) The bible is unique in its continuity. It is written in different languages, countries, and circumstances. Despite this, the bible still speaks in unity. From beginning to end, the bible was knit together perfectly.

2) The bible is unique in its survival. No other book in this world has ever been attacked more than the bible and survived.

3) The bible is unique in its honesty. The bible exposes the sin of humanity. It brings truth and righteousness to a sinful world.

4) The bible is unique in its influence. The bible has changed more lives than any other book because it is the Word of God.

5) God uses prophecies for building proof that the bible is His word. It is impossible for one man to fulfill even a few prophecies. God gave prophesies all throughout the bible, and Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of them.

The bible is true and we can trust it. We can live in it and lets its power manifest in our lives. Live in the Word.

Allow God’s Word to Speak to Us Let the word of God convict us and mold us into the people we once were, passionate and loving. Our outlook has changed, our mentality has changed. We no longer worship the way we used to. Let’s let the word of God bring us back to him.

It’s Getting Worse

Sunday Mornings 9/19/10 - Thanh Tran

 ¹But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
 ⁶They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
2 Timothy 3: 1-9

There was a man whose wife cooked his eggs wrong. The man shot his wife. The daughter went to the neighbors and the father shot the daughter and the neighbor. He also shot a man that saw.

What would Paul say about this?

V1 We are living in the last days. Paul says that during the last days, there will be terrible things going on. Paul would say that what we are seeing now will be even worse as time goes by. The heart of man will continue to spin out of control in a downward spiral. It will get worse and worse, until Jesus comes back. Paul is telling us about the human condition. There are 19 conditions of man’s sinfulness and depravity, but they can be summed up in three categories.

1) Self love: V2 Paul says that in the last day, men will be lovers of themselves. Selfishness is the basic root of sin and from this, all other sins will arise. It’s no wonder why Jesus said that his disciples should deny themselves, crucify themselves daily, and pick up their crosses. When the love of self happens, other sin will branch out.

They will become lovers of money, pleasures, lust, rather then lovers of God. If people love themselves, they will love money. They will strive putting money first, before family, friends, and do anything they can to make money. EX. There was a man who owns half the city of Newport Beach. During the process his wife divorced him, and his children abandoned him.You become proud and boastful. You can identify these people because they are “know it alls”. On the inside, they know nothing. Parents urge their kids to become doctors and engineers for the purpose of making themselves look good. These people are prideful and selfish and boastful.

2) Rebellion: V3 These people are disobedient to their parents. Usually if they don’t obey their parents, those children won’t have any respect for any other authority either. They are unable to be subjective to anyone who has any authority. They become unloving. Without a love for family, society will have big problems. EX. In Florida there was a group of schoolmates who got together and plotted to run away from home. There was a 15 year old girl who got scared and wanted out. The group abused the girl and murdered her. Afterward, they all went out for ice cream with no sense of guilt. They were headstrong, out of control. When the home is broken, there will be problems in society. When the home becomes a boat of demonic activity, the children will rebel.

3) Ungodly things: V5 People will have a shadow of Godliness. People will look at them and think that they are really holy. They will see a form of Godliness but on the inside there is absolutely nothing. They are hypocrites. EX. There were people in Israel who claimed to know God. When they prayed, they prayed loud and made it know. When they fasted, they would blow trumpets. When they tithe, they show off what they give. On the inside, these people were snakes. Jesus looked at them and called them “white-washed tombstones”. The tombstone is clean, but on the inside, there are dry bones. EX. There was a youth pastor that was giving a funeral. At the funeral he said he was close enough to them to call them his mom or dad. Six weeks later, he was arrested for killing them. He was stealing from their checking account. He had a mask, and when he took it off a murderous, corrupt face emerged. 

V8 Jannes and jambres. Exodus 7-8 These men were the magicians who opposed Moses before the Pharaoh. They were they men who imitated Moses when he performed miracles. Satan can do miracles and he can empower his people to do miracles. However, his power is limited and is no match to God’s. In our time, people will do the same. We need to have discernment to determine these things.
The sad thing is that Paul was writing to a church. He was addressing the conditions of the people in that church. This is very sad.

3 Things the church can do
1) the church is in a spiritual warfare. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but with powers and strongholds that will intensify. We are commanded as soldiers of Jesus Christ to put on the full armor of God. We can’t go to battle leaving behind any armor.
2) Have doctrinal discernment. Test every message with the word of God. There are people who will try to deceive us. They would perform miracles and wonders, but they are actually false teachers. If we don’t know the bible and the full counsel of God, how will we distinguish form right and wrong.
3) Be faithful until the end and be faithful to our tasks. The battle belongs to God and has been won by Jesus. In the meantime, we need to keep being faithful to God and fulfill our tasks.

Vessels of Honor

9/12/10 Sunday Mornings - Thanh Tran

2 Timothy 2:21-26
²¹If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
 ²²Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Purity (v. 21-22)
Desiring to be a honorable person before the Lord means desiring to be pure before Him. The people that God chooses to use are holy and pure people. God doesn't seek people who are well trained, but people who are pure vessels. Striving for holiness and purity is something that will allow God to use us for his work.

But how do we cleanse ourselved from impurities and maintain that holiness? Simple. Run away from evil, and run toward the things of God. Flee from "youthful lusts" and run after faith and righteousness. Surround yourself with the company of other christians so that you can run with people who will encourage you.

Manifestation of Spiritual Discernment (v. 23)
We have to have the ability to understand what is right and what is wrong. You are no longer a "container" filled with knowledge, but a representative who is able to use that knowledge. There are many people out in the world who love to argue and to prove themselves. We are not to take part in those useless quarrels. They lead to nothing and edify no one.

Gentleness (v. 24)
When we talk to people, we should approach them with a tone of gentlness. We shouldn't be people who pick fights and love to quarrel, but people who are able to teach. People will receive more when we speak to them with gentleness, not when we speak with resentfulness.

Humility (v. 25)
Being humble is not neing weak. Jesus was humble but He sure wasn't weak. Being humble is not about winning arguments but about winning people to Christ. Humbleness give us the ability to correct people and draw them near to to God. We want to show people love and bring them to Jesus, not push them further away.

Compassion (v. 26)
As vessels of honor, we need to recognize that the people who approach us with quarrels and bitterness, are truely hiding themselves underneath a mask. Underneath the masks are hurting people who have been captured by the devil. These people have stayed away from God and developed a coldness. If we realize this and have compassion then someone's life can be changed. Take the life of Jesus for example. Every time Jesus did anything for people stemmed from His heart of compassion. Jesus knew the people were lost and confused. We should act with the compassion that Jesus had.

If we walk this life in purity, righteousness, gentleness, humbleness and compassion, we can become vessels of honor.

How Do I Pray Effectively?

9/11/10 Saturday Night - Anh Viet (Phillip Ma)

Matthew 6:11-13
  ¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
 ¹²Forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 ¹³And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

When praying, we have to recognize our connection with God as one through a father-child relationship. God has adopted us as His sons and daughters. We need to pray, with the realization that God has a plan and He will one day carry through with His will.

Good prayer includes:
A) Requests for daily physical needs (v.11)
We should pray for our daily physical needs, such as practical necessities. Ask God what is enough for today. Lift our burdens up tp God and He will provide for us. The prayer has ten lines but only 10% of it is to ask God for our daily physical needs.

B) Requests for daily spiritual needs (v.12)
The need to have spiritual bread is vital in our walk as christians and something that we should pray for. A very important spiritual need includes the forgivness of sins. We need to ask God for forgivness daily so that we can come before the Lord with no barriers. Asking for forgivness daily doesn't mean that we are forsaking our salvation, but is a tool to break down walls between us and God. For example: In a marriage, a couple might get into an argument. Realizing that they have a problem and need to solve the issue doesn't mean they are no longer married. It only means that they are eliminating anything that seperates them.

C) Requests for spiritual protection (v.13)
As humans, we tend to walk as close to sin as possible, without sinning. God wants up to flee from those temptations to sin, not divulge ourselves in them. Because God does use those temptations to build our character and endurance, we need to pray for God to protect us and help us to withstand temptations when they do come.

This prayer is an outline for us to follow when we pray, not something to reapeat ritualistically. Remember to pray for physical needs, spiritual needs, and spiritual protection when you pray this week! :)