Sermon Date: 2008/12/07

Sermon DATE: 2008/12/7

SCRIPTURE READING: John 16:33
SERMON: How to interpret life in light of God’s word.
讲道题目: 如何在生命中解讀神的話

I. Last week we talked about the Bible being the greatest treasure in our life. Our greatest treasure does not lie on possessions for they will deteriorate. Our greatest treasure does not come from our relationship with love ones, for love ones will depart from us one day. But the Bible will never deteriorate. The Bible is the word of God. It confirms our relationship with God which will go on long after our relationship with love ones ends. The Bible helps us to understand the meaning of our life.
The Bible is our greatest treasure that promises us life abundant. Sometimes people find a treasure chest but can’t open it because they can’t find the key. Sometimes people find the Bible but they can’t find hope and future in their life because they don’t understand the plans of God. In fact God has good plans for us. Unfortunately we don’t read His word careful enough to understand it. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Today let’s talk about the key to that treasure chest. It is the way to read and understand the Bible so that we get the key to abundant life.
II. Everybody in the world wants to have life and have it more abundantly. But what does abundant life means? We Chinese look at abundant life as having health, longevity, wealth, success, filial piety from the children, benevolence to the public, contribution to the society and most importantly refrain from sickness and suffering. If you possess most or all of the above people will say you have achieved abundant life in this world. Nowadays, in order to prove the blessedness of their life people tend to show off their abundance in front of others. They want to compare and even compete with one another to show how abundant their life is. In the past people just wanted to keep up with the Jones (i.e. their neighbour’s family). Now they are not satisfied just to keep up with the Jones. They want to do better than the Jones. There is nothing wrong with being motivated by this driving incentive for proof of abundance in life. But as Christians and children of God, do we just do what others do without a nobler and Godly reason for the purpose of our existence?
We all have experienced attending to our frail sick elderly love ones at their death bed. We prayed for their restoration of health and for prolongation of their life. When they turn for the better, we praised the Lord for listening to our prayers, not knowing that as the psalmist said, no matter how long your life is, “we finish our years with a moan.” (Psalm 90:9) Our hearts go out with the new immigrant parishioners who are struggling to find jobs in this new land. We pray for them and with them to get a good job that will give them good prospect and security to settle down and bring up their family. When they get a job, we thank and praise the Lord. We say the Lord has listened to our prayers. We then continue to pray for more stability and prosperity for their life and work. Unconsciously, we pray for promotion in the job, we pray for increase in salary for the position, we pray for larger houses, we pray for more possessions… until in the end we ask for materialistic things more than any thing else. I am not saying we should not praise the Lord with parishioners who have found a good job, moved into a bigger house, have a raise in salary, or have bought a new car etc. We should thank God for them and with them. What I am saying is this. What about in times of trial and tribulations? What about the time when brothers and sisters have lost their jobs. In this time of economic depression being laid off is not something uncommon. Is it? Do we have the trust, courage, faith and enthusiasm to pray with the parishioners who have lost their job as much as we do with the parishioners who have found a good job?
III. I do not want to give you a hard time. But I have to challenge you to face some issues you are afraid to face. Although it is a taboo, yet it is a reality. How do we pray to God in faith and thanksgiving when life doesn’t seem to be giving us what we ask for? What is your take for God’s word when life seems to be overcome by suffering? I pray the Lord to give us wisdom to solve this problem by the power of His word.
1. Suffering is a reality in the world.—Since Adam sin had entered the world. All creation has to suffer and toil until this day. The result of sin is that our flesh has to perish. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Sin has ruined men’s body, mind and soul. It has ruined the relationship between men and men. It has ruined the environment where men live. This is the reality of our life on earth. Thank God we Christians do not live in a life that ask for refrain from sickness and suffering. We do not ask for longevity and prosperity. We ask for eternal life through our belief in Jesus as the Christ.
2. Suffering moves us to hunger and thirst for eternity.—Looking straight to the reality of suffering, we recognize in the first place that we are living in a meaningless world. If we chase after fame, it is meaningless. If we chase after health and longevity it is meaningless also. It is wise to look at the Bible which says, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Here the Bible awakens us to put our focus on things that are eternal rather than things that are temporal and meaningless. God has used suffering and meaninglessness to lead us back to His eternity. That’s why the writer of Ecclesiastes said, “I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” (Ecclesiastes 3:10-12)
3. Suffering enhances our relationship with God in the deepest level.—Our life should be a life of faith. It should be established after the relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Christ is founded on our experience in life which involves us with Christ’s great love and faithfulness. Upon this foundation we dedicate ourselves to him and give our best to him. Yes we usually know we have to give thanks for most everything in life. When we see beautiful sunshine, abundant supplies for our daily needs, warmth and love in the family, opportunity to work… we thank the Lord for we have experienced his love for us. Please excuse me for saying it candidly. Such experience of the love of God is only superficial. We are experiencing the Lord’s blessings but not the Lord himself. We are weak human beings. When we see our blessings have changed into something not so promising, we begin to question the Lord. When we see suffering instead of blessing is coming its way, we start to doubt the love of the Lord.
Job has a great awakening word to say in this. He said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5) Job experienced losing everything men count as the most valuable on earth—wealth, health and family. But because of the love of the Father, Job experienced the presence of God in his most difficult times. In times of his most desperate need God is with him. In times of tribulation the company of God gives us experience of the most genuine part of life. In the midst of trial and tribulations, with the experience of the Lord’s presence, we establish the faith to overcome hardship. As a result we experience the privilege of seeing God with our own eyes. This is the real blessing of staying together in the presence of the Lord.
God uses suffering to build up faith hope and love in Christians. He let them experience His grace more deeply. There we find the love of God. Like the apostle Paul who walked with God in times of trial and tribulations. He said these victorious words, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
IV. This morning you and I are facing a big dilemma. On the one hand we envy the relationship that Job and Paul experienced. But on the other hand, we say to ourselves, “this is too much for me. I don’t think I can pass the test.”Let’s hear once again the promises that come from the Bible—the precious word of God: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (I Corinthians 10:13) “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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (II Corinthians 12:9)
Jesus was preparing his disciples for the time when he would not be with them. He knew that things would be very difficult for them, and he was urging them to have faith that he would be with them always.
So much of what the disciples faced after Jesus' crucifixion is reflected in today's world.
Therefore Jesus encouraged them, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
May we all have abundant and victorious life knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Amen

Sermon Synopsis
I. The Bible helps us to understand the meaning of our life.
II. What is abundant life? Is it health, longevity, wealth, success…or is it trial and tribulations?
III. What is your take for God’s word when life seems to be overcome by suffering?
1. Suffering is a reality in the world.
2. Suffering moves us to hunger and thirst for eternity.
3. Suffering enhances our relationship with God in the deepest level.
IV. We say, “This is too much for me. I don’t think I can pass the test.” But Jesus said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”

信息大纲
I. 圣经帮助我们明白生命的意义。
II. 甚麽是丰盛的生命？是健康，长寿，财富，成功。。。还是试探和磨炼？
III. 当生命被痛苦所煎熬时你怎样看神的话？
1. 痛苦是世界的现实。
2. 痛苦推动我们饥渴地爱慕永恒。
3. 痛苦把我们带到与神最深层的关系。
IV. 我们说，“这个试炼太难熬了，我顶不住。”但耶稣说，“你们可以放心，我已经胜过世界了。”