A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 1 November 2020, Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, Holy Communion Sunday, by Timothy Chan. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 107:1–7, 1 Thessalonians 2:9–13, Matthew 23:1–12.
Good morning sisters and brothers in KUC, also friends who are joining our service through facebook livestreaming. It is good to see all of you this morning. We thank God all our brothers and sisters who are helping and serving to make our church service smooth and possible. Today the scripture helps us to understand what attitude we should have when we are serving. Before we look into the scripture, let us have a short prayer:
Loving God, we thank you for your love. Help us to be a humble servant and help us to understand how we should serve you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Today we are reading Matthew chapter 23, and if you remember, last month we were reading in Matthew chapter 22 that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the lawyers were challenging Jesus with different sensitive topics, hoping to find mistake and evidence to persecute Him. However, Jesus responded with wisdom and did not fall into their trap. After being challenged by them, it is now Jesus’ turn to challenge the pharisees and the scribes. Jesus was very straightforward, listing out their hypocritical gesture and behaviours, and revealing their selfish motives behind all their religious appearance. He also criticized them for failing to be a real servant, because they are self-centred.
When we read scriptures about Jesus condemning the Pharisees, some people would think about their church leaders immediately, and I pray that we are not on your list. It is sad but also true that religious leaders are also sinners, we all make mistake. Therefore, it is important to know that our faith is built on Jesus Christ, not on a particular person. A friend of mine is very obsessed with a particular pastor, and he would watch all his sermons, not only 1 time, but sometimes 3 times, 4 times. At the end, he would judge all the other pastors and preachers based on this pastor he admires, to a point he would agree with some of his questionable behaviour and teaching. After several years, when this pastor was involved in a big scandal of corruption and was put into jail, my friend was in disbelief. After that he stopped going to any church.
Why I am sharing with you this story? Friends, for Jesus said to the crowd: “for you have one teacher, and you are all students. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.” As a Christian, we have to ask ourselves, do we put our trust and faith on the people we see, or do we put our trust in God and God alone? As a leader of the church, we have to ask ourselves, do we see ourselves as superior, or we should see ourselves as a student also, learning and growing with everyone?
This message is challenging us to put our trust in God. People may fail us, but God will not fail us. Our friends, our pastors, books, music, the Bible are all instruments God uses helping us to deepen our relationship with God. Therefore, the purpose of service is to bring people closer to God. In the same way, after we enjoy a good sermon, good music, and being cared for and prayed for, do we recognize the presence of God in our lives?
Secondly, we need to formulate our own understanding of faith. Jesus said in the beginning: “Therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.” Even though Jesus condemns the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, but he didn’t deny what they were teaching! Jesus even recognized what the Pharisees preached by asking the people to follow what they teach! Just like my friend I mentioned earlier, if his faith and understanding of God is not built on his pastor he worshipped, he would not have left the faith.
As I mentioned in one of my sermons before, most of our KUC members have been to different churches before coming to KUC. We received different nourishment, and we grew into who we are as Christians all in different ways. Some of us are used to intensive Bible studies, some of us are used to praise and worship, some of us are used to fellowship, or cell group. Whatever it is, we also have our own reasons attending KUC. It does not mean we have to deny what we have learned and how we grew up as a Christian, but it is an opportunity for us to review how we were nourished, and how we should live out the teaching, even we may not agree with how others practiced it or perceived it.
In our second reading this reading, Paul reminds the believers in Thessalonia that it is the work of God to help us apply the teaching in our lives, he says “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” We receive the word of God from different people, but it is God who works in us who believe. We are growing because God works in all of us, and by having faith and belief in God, we are allowing God to work in our lives.
Friends, indeed, there are tons of different sermons online on youtube, we could listen to as many sermons as we wanted, but if we are not allowing God to work in our lives, all these sermons would mean nothing. In the same way, however a bad sermon it might be, if we allow God to work in our live. God can use anything to bring changes and breakthrough in our spiritual life. Therefore, friends of KUC, it does not matter if we have different tradition or practice. What is important is that we all have this one heart for God, allowing God to work in our lives through different ways, different people, and different circumstance.
Finally, friends, we are all called to serve, not because pastors ask you to serve, we serve because we are willing to serve. We serve because we have this relationship with God, and we have allowed God working in our lives. We serve not because we want to be famous, not because we want the admiration of other people, we serve because we see the people who are in need, because we see what we can share and do to make the world a better place. We serve not because we are better than others, we serve because we want to be a better person. No matter how we are serving, God wants us to have this humble heart. Jesus said “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Jesus himself humble himself, to wash the feet of his disciples and to a point he sacrificed himself. We are all called to learn of his way, the humble way.
To be humble is to see and think of the needs and well-being of others. For Jesus has always used the word servant to describe the mentality of serving. It is a challenge for all of us, whether we want to achieve our own agenda or we really know the need of the church and people. There is a different between these two. One is when someone assume what you need and offer what they think you need. One is when someone listen to you and offer to you what you need. While we are serving or helping others, we always think we are doing our best, thinking we are selfless and doing the best for others. However, being humble is to connect with people and build relationships with one another. To be humble is to listen attentively, is to walk with people, spend time with people, and be there for them. This is what God has been doing. He promises us he would always be there for us. He would walk through the darkest valley with us, and his name is Immanuel, God with us.
Friends, it is my prayer that we can all be a humble servant for God. In today’s reading Paul said he is like a father to his people, the objectives are “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” Brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all called into his kingdom and glory. The kingdom of God is not a past tense, not only a future tense. The kingdom of God is here and now when we follow Christ to proclaim the Gospel, justice, and peace at where we are. First, we must build our trust and faith in God. Secondly, we cultivate our faith by allowing God to work in our lives. Finally, as we are serving, we are serving willingly and humbly, like the way Jesus serves. Together as one, let us pray:
Our Lord our God, we thank you for salvation and the love you have for all of us. We ask that you put this yearning in our heart that we would build a deeper relationship with You. We pray that we open our heart, inviting you to work in our lives, moulding and transforming our lives. May you guide every one of us and our church KUC to be a humble servant, to bring your Gospel, justice, and peace to our community. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, November 01, 2020
