Beautiful feet
1. I am glad to announce we will be meeting for the 6th time this Thursday at 1 pm (2nd floor). I am even more glad that words have started to translate into action, in that for the upcoming Easter season, we will organise a screening of The Passion for our colleagues - probably in 3 instalments, on 2-4 March 2007 lunchtime.
2. As I was sharing with the group last week, for those of us who are in a "traditional" church, the 40 days leading up to Good Friday is Lent, a period of reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice. The period of "40" has a few parallels in the Bible, including the following:
(a) the 40 days of the flood
(b) the 40 years of wandering during the Exodus
(c) the 40 days of Jonah's warning for Nineveh
(d) the 40 days of Jesus' temptation
3. The first three examples have a recurring theme of judgment and mercy. The 40-day flood was the manifestation of God's judgment on an ungodly world. But at the same time, Noah and his family were shown mercy through Noah's faith (Gen 6:5-8, Heb 11:7).
4. The 40 years of wandering in the desert was God's judgment on the unbelieving generation of Israelites who did not believe that God had prepared Canaan for them. At the end of the 40 years, God showed mercy again - and let the people into Canaan - not because they were good, but simply because He is a God who keeps His promises.
"After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The Lord has brought me here to take possession of the land because of my righteousness."... It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deu 9:4-6
5. Then there are the 40 days of warning given by Jonah to the Ninevites (Jon 3:4). Again, the Ninevites were subject to God's judgment. But when they repented, God showed compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened (Jon 3:10).
6. The fourth example is Jesus' temptation. There is no parallel theme of judgment/mercy here. This is natural, because Jesus is the only one of us who is not subject to judgment, because he has no sin. He survived Satan's temptation, there was no judgment and correspondingly no "need" for grace. This is the crux of Jesus' sacrifice. He eventually suffered judgment on the cross, even though he was not subject to it. Because of his sacrifice, our own sin is miraculously forgiven.
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Cor 5:21
7. During this period leading up to Good Friday, let's reflect on God's mercy and put that reflection into action. If you love your colleagues and friends, you will share the good news. It is the best thing in the world. If we are not sharing it, then we don't love our colleagues and friends the way we should. It's time to repent, and then act.
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent, as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:13-15
Let's strive to have those beautiful feet.
8. Finally, let me share with you one little anecdote about Methuselah. Methuselah is the guy with the longest life span in the Bible - 969 years (Gen 5:21-27). He was Noah's grandfather. Do you know what his name means? "When he dies, it will come". To me, this is such an amazing demonstration of God's mercy. God chose the guy with the longest life span ever - and He said when this guy dies, IT WILL COME. Man had 969 years to repent. He didn't. When Methuselah died, the flood came.
9. We don't have 969 years. We don't want to take advantage of God's grace and say we'll wait till tomorrow. It's 37 days to Good Friday. Who knows what will happen between now and then? Who knows if even tomorrow will come? Whether it's the screening of the Passion or your own personal witnessing to your friends, colleagues or family, time is shorter than we think. Act now!
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
2. As I was sharing with the group last week, for those of us who are in a "traditional" church, the 40 days leading up to Good Friday is Lent, a period of reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice. The period of "40" has a few parallels in the Bible, including the following:
(a) the 40 days of the flood
(b) the 40 years of wandering during the Exodus
(c) the 40 days of Jonah's warning for Nineveh
(d) the 40 days of Jesus' temptation
3. The first three examples have a recurring theme of judgment and mercy. The 40-day flood was the manifestation of God's judgment on an ungodly world. But at the same time, Noah and his family were shown mercy through Noah's faith (Gen 6:5-8, Heb 11:7).
4. The 40 years of wandering in the desert was God's judgment on the unbelieving generation of Israelites who did not believe that God had prepared Canaan for them. At the end of the 40 years, God showed mercy again - and let the people into Canaan - not because they were good, but simply because He is a God who keeps His promises.
"After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The Lord has brought me here to take possession of the land because of my righteousness."... It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deu 9:4-6
5. Then there are the 40 days of warning given by Jonah to the Ninevites (Jon 3:4). Again, the Ninevites were subject to God's judgment. But when they repented, God showed compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened (Jon 3:10).
6. The fourth example is Jesus' temptation. There is no parallel theme of judgment/mercy here. This is natural, because Jesus is the only one of us who is not subject to judgment, because he has no sin. He survived Satan's temptation, there was no judgment and correspondingly no "need" for grace. This is the crux of Jesus' sacrifice. He eventually suffered judgment on the cross, even though he was not subject to it. Because of his sacrifice, our own sin is miraculously forgiven.
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Cor 5:21
7. During this period leading up to Good Friday, let's reflect on God's mercy and put that reflection into action. If you love your colleagues and friends, you will share the good news. It is the best thing in the world. If we are not sharing it, then we don't love our colleagues and friends the way we should. It's time to repent, and then act.
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent, as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:13-15
Let's strive to have those beautiful feet.
8. Finally, let me share with you one little anecdote about Methuselah. Methuselah is the guy with the longest life span in the Bible - 969 years (Gen 5:21-27). He was Noah's grandfather. Do you know what his name means? "When he dies, it will come". To me, this is such an amazing demonstration of God's mercy. God chose the guy with the longest life span ever - and He said when this guy dies, IT WILL COME. Man had 969 years to repent. He didn't. When Methuselah died, the flood came.
9. We don't have 969 years. We don't want to take advantage of God's grace and say we'll wait till tomorrow. It's 37 days to Good Friday. Who knows what will happen between now and then? Who knows if even tomorrow will come? Whether it's the screening of the Passion or your own personal witnessing to your friends, colleagues or family, time is shorter than we think. Act now!
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
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