Morling Tuesday Chapel: Know the times

Speaker: Connie Duarte (Baptist Convention of Canada. Missionary in Portugal for 20 years.)

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13

When Connie was in seminary, she aspired to be anything but a missionary. Whenever missionary speakers came, she thought, “what if this was me one day”? Eventually she got the call to be a missionary.

There are various tricky situations we encounter in life. For example:

Someone works for the government, which subsidises work-related lunches. One day that person’s company had lunch with another company and the other company paid the lunch. However, everyone got the receipt and claimed it even though they didn’t pay for it. The person’s colleagues started pushing him to make the claim too so it won’t look suspicious.

A university student had to do a group assignment for a course. Other people in the group didn't want to do any work and made her do all the work, then they lied to the lecturer at the end of the course saying the she was the only one in the group who didn’t do any work, and she gets failed.

1Chronicles 12:32: “Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do…”

How did those guys know what to do? How did they know the times they were living in?

Students should learn to think critically. Not meaning looking at things negatively, but to look at things as they really are. What are we reading, what are we seeing, how can we discover the truth, and identify when the truth is being twisted? What is happening in the world stage? Who has the power and why do they have it? How to explain all of these things to people who don’t belong to the Western world, who hold very different views?

Aspire to be life-long learners who can apply the bible to our times.

Understand the word, understand the world, and know what to do with what we know.

Men from Issachar were not priests. So, this call is not restricted to ordained ministers.

Acts 17:10-11: We need to be students like people of Berea.

To search the Scriptures and find out if it’s true.

They receive the message with great eagerness and examine the Scriptures to see if what Paul says is true.

We don’t always get it right. We need people who lovingly says, “can we go through that?”

What would happen if no one ever questions what they were taught? Eg. Slavery vs abolition of slavery.

Sometimes the gifts we were given are too scary. Don’t fight it though. We can’t but God can. Every type of call is vital. Rejoice in your own call and other people’s calls.

Personal thoughts and reflections:

During morning tea before Chapel, I saw Rev Lau, the senior pastor of our church. We had a chat and he asked me why did I come and study at Morling. I told him that my father passed away at that time and several coincidences happened which made me believe God wanted me to study in the seminary. Furthermore, I wanted to study God’s words firsthand and not through the highly digested materials and opinions provided by the speakers in church sermons. 

At that point in time, I had already done some pretty useful Christian courses. However, although I may take useful notes from some great resources and talks, none of them were my own material. While I may identify strongly with some of the practical tips and testimonies, none of those came from my own experience, and I wasn’t producing enough materials out of my own life experience. I felt like a “copy machine” or “note-taking machine”, just passing on some “good articles and talks” by others, which was rather similar the “forwarding option” of Facebook and other social media. 

It was in Morling that I really started developing my critical thinking skills, and I am thankful for this, because it gave me a much broader perspective. I pray that God give us more wisdom from our life experiences so that we are not just quoting other people’s stuff without any reflection, but that we really do become discerning people who know our times and know how to apply the word of God to our times.

Morling Tuesday Chapel: The Fullness of God

The place where the missionary Dr. George Leslie Mackay came ashore onto Taiwan! Looks like he was kneeling in prayer in this artwork! Photo taken from a trip to Taiwan in 2016.

Speaker: Rachel Stuhr

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-19

Have you ever had someone come to you and say, “I’ve been praying for you a lot” (in a serious way, not just out of politeness)? Rachel had a lady whom she doesn’t know well said to her she has been praying for her. She prayed for her marriage, her being a good exemplar for others, her faith, her spreading the word of God, etc. This prayer of Paul is similar.

The prayer is motivated by the many blessings we have in Christ.

V14: “I kneel before the Father.” People kneeling to pray. To kneel to pray is to indicate urgency/desperation/earnest.

The Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name… We pray to the Father, the origin of all creation.

Greek: Pater=father, Patria=family. The two words have similar roots. We derive our origins from the Father, the One whom we come from, the source of everything we know.

Sometimes we are focusing on the things/issues we are praying for, but not on the One whom we are praying to. It’s about God.

It is the Spirit, and Christ in us who give us the strength we need. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Without Christ dwelling in our hearts, what do we have? Exams and assignments are less urgent compared to eternity.

Know and understand the love of Christ. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” It can be quite unconceivable that God can love us this much. What would happen if we all kneel on our knees praying urgently for the people in our lives?

“That you may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God”. The fullness of God. The Spirit will strengthen us when Christ lives in our hearts.

Take this prayer and read it again at home and ask ourselves, “what would it look like if I was doing this?”

Often, we pray for people to feel better/do better/other practical things. What happens if we pray that Christ dwell in their hearts, and change them from the inside out? We can’t force anyone to come to Christ, but we can pray for them. Pray this prayer for them because that is what we can do.

Personal thoughts and reflections:

Today’s Chapel resonated with what has been happening in my life lately again. Last week I made an urgent trip to Taiwan to visit my terminally ill aunt. Although she became stable enough to be discharged from the hospital, she still doesn’t have the desire to be visited by church people or get baptized. So, although the practical aspects of my intercessions for her has been answered, this amazing extension of life is pointless if there is no growth in faith. After all, she is in great agony from the effects of the cancer itself as well as the side effects of the cancer treatment, and an extension of life means an extension of these physical and psychological agonies. Meanwhile, no one can force my aunt to come to Christ. Therefore, I should make the prayer more Christ focused, and praying for Christ to dwell in her heart, so that she can be changed from the inside out.

The emphasis on “kneeling” in today’s talk reminded me of the time I went on a government funded CPD program to Mackay Memorial Hospital in 2016. In my spare time, I went to the Barnabas School of Missions and heard a message by Dr. Allen Lien, a famous evangelist/ medical doctor in Taiwan who went to Africa, who exhorted us to “Pick up the lost tradition of getting down on your knees to break the ground with the groundbreaking prayer!” And a prophetic prayer by another organisation where the intercessor told me “get down and pick up” some of the things I’ve dropped!  At that time, I already knew in my mind the Spirit was telling me to get down on my knees and pray with urgency every day, but my flesh found it hard to do because I was either in the situation of excessive comfort during holiday times, or excessive busyness during Morling College semester times.There didn’t seem to be any stimuli of enough magnitude that made me felt I had no choice but to drop down and pray with urgency.

Well, the situation has changed lately. Ephesians 3:14-19 is a good prayer I can do when interceding for my family in Taiwan… on my knees that is!

Addit 8May 2018:
After a week of break from the hospital, my aunt got admitted into hospital again on Saturday 5May, bleeding more profusely than before.
On Monday 7May, she decided to get baptised.
On Tuesday 8May, she got baptised.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: The Armour of God

Topic: The Armour of God

Speaker: Michael Frost

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Before the foundation of the world, God allows you to hear about Jesus. This was His plan all along, the eternal plan of God. A world restored, renewed and repaired.

We need to read chapter 1-2 Ephesians before Ephesians 6:

Ephesians 1:18-23: That power is the same as the power that rose Jesus from the dead. A magnificent vision of our identity in Christ.

When we face the schemes of the devil/deceiving forces:

V10: be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Jesus wins, because we inherit the same power as the power which rose Jesus from the dead.

Schemes of the devil:

1)      Attempts to destroy the unity of the church.

Disunity, factionalism, etc. See Ephesians 4: There is one body and one spirit. People get worried about people getting sick because they offend the god of the fertility, etc. There is only one God. Any fracturing amongst Christians is a scheme from the devil. Do not be angry and give the devil a foothold.

2)      False teaching.

Hold fast to the truth in Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves… Ephesians 4:14-15.

3)      Temptations to ungodly living.

Live in fidelity to the values of Jesus. You can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person… has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:5-7.

Paul’s message: Keep calm and armour up!

V11: Therefore, put on the full armour of God…

V14:

Belt of truth: The truth about Jesus: there are no other gods!

Breastplate of righteousness: From Isaiah 59:17. Our God Yahweh is righteous, and He is the one who saves. Put on the character of God! Ephesians 4:24, put on the new self! Build a rhythm of life about service, sacrifice, etc.

V15:

Shoes of readiness (gospel of peace): Jesus came and preached peace. It’s a gospel of peace. From Isaiah 52:7. Root your life in the person of Jesus, share the gospel with every chance you get. If you really want to learn something, teach it.

V16:

Shield of faith: it’s faith that will repel false teaching, temptations to ungodliness, etc.

V17:

Helmet of salvation: Ephesians 2:4-5. It is by grace you have been saved.

Sword of the spirit: Which is the word of God. Word that build us up to follow Jesus. Hold on to the words of God. Luke 4:3-4, Jesus replied 3x using the words of God.

Be rooted in the truth about King Jesus, holding onto faith in his kingship no matter what; be shaped by the hope of salvation through his work on the cross, in order that you live holy lives that reflect his reign; be always ready to tell others about him, as revealed to us in his Word… so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand!

There are two letters to the Ephesians: This one, and one by John of Patmos 35 years after: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Revelations 2:2-5.

Take your stand… but don’t lose your first love for Jesus! Seek Him, yearn for Him, desire more of Him! Knowing is one thing, but loving the King with all your heart, that is our destiny/vocation/calling above all else.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: Instructions for Christian Living,anger and forgiveness

Topic: Instructions for Christian Living, anger and forgiveness

Speaker: Edwina Murphy

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-32

Oscar Wilde: brilliant playwright author. Fell to disgrace and imprisoned for gross indecency with men. Wrote a 50,000 word letter about himself whilst in prison: the gods has given me most everything… but I allowed myself to be lured… perversity became to be as the sphere of passion... desire in the end become a madness. Taking pleasure where I pleased… I was no longer the lord of myself, no longer the captain of my soul. I ended in horrible disgrace.

V17: You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. Christ is a real living risen person who transforms us in our lives.

V19: They have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity. If we seek pleasure, we end up with nothing.

V22: Putting off the old self: Just like when we have deteriorating disrupted clothes, we shouldn’t even bother washing them! Just throw them!

V23-24: Be made new in the mind: put off the old self, and be transformed, renewing of the mind, and put on a new self. God is giving us his righteousness to put on, clothed with Christ.

V25: How we speak. First it tells us what not to do: Put off falsehood. What to do: Speak truthfully (in love of course, as we see in other parts of the Bible). Because we are members of one family.

V26-27: In your anger, do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. We know of righteous anger, eg. angry about treatment of refugees, etc. Be angry, but don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down while you still feel angry, or it gives the devil a foothold!! We are trying to be transformed into the image of Christ, but anger will disrupt that process. Edwina reminds us that one of the way to reduce anger is by getting enough sleep!! If you did not get enough sleep, everything is irritating. The whole world is already silly, foolish, and aggravating, but when you’re tired, you find it more irritating.

V28: If you have been stealing, must steal no longer, but work using their own hands, so they can help those who are in need. When Edwina was 6, she went to the store and saw a roll of sticky tape and it was 29cents. She got the sticky tape, didn’t pay for it and left the store. When they got home, her mother sees a roll of sticky tape in her bedroom, and asked her where it came from, so she replied it’s from the store. Her mother loaded everyone in the car, and made her confess the store manager. Although the store manager laughed it off, Edwina already felt quite troubled by it in her mind before they returned to the store. Ever since then, Edwina was careful that if someone hasn’t charged her for something in the shop that they charge her! And not only should one stop stealing but one must work with their own hands. It doesn’t say “to meet your own needs”, but “so you can share with those who are in need”. Use the money for the community. These are things we can do in putting off the old life.

V29: Build others up according to their needs, so it will benefit them. Everything we do should be for the building up of the community.

V30: Do not grief the Holy Spirit: do not hurt one another and destroy the community. Don’t hurt God by destroying His community. Before saying something in anger/make fun of another person, we need to stop and think. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee/marker of our final redemption, so that one day all of these will no longer be a work in progress, but we will make it.

V31-32: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, etc. Anger is a really serious problem. You have to stop. Instead, we have to be kind and compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ, God forgave you. Forgiveness opposite of anger. Just as in Christ: this is the model.

Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who, along with her father and other family members, helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. She was thrown into the concentration camp by the Nazis for her actions. She survived but her father and sister died in the camp. She was evangelising one day when one of the Nazi guards in her concentration camp came up asking for forgiveness. Corrie struggled greatly in this and finally lifted her hand, felt a jolt of lightening go into her hand and down to the Nazi man, and she was able to forgive the man by the power of God.

However, with God, we cannot rely on past experience. Many years later Corrie had Christian friends who betrayed her, and she couldn’t forgive again. Then she sought help from God. It was initially very hard: she had two weeks of sleepless nights. Then it got gradually better. Edwina gave the analogy of when one rings the bell in the city: When you let go of the rope, it continues to ring for a while before it stops. That was what it was like when Corrie eventually forgave her Christian friends, and eventually she had peace. We need to trust God over our thoughts first, and don’t be surprised if it continues to “ring” for a while initially.

Edwina had a friend said to her: You treat them according to your Christian principles, but I live in the real world. This friend allowed the root of bitterness grow in her heart. Edwina’s tip: Don’t kill the rats by drinking the rat poison yourself. When God tells us to forgive, we may think it’s wrong but trust it anyways.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: What is Unity?

10 May, 2016

Topic: What is Unity?

Speaker: Graham Hill

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

We’ve all seen conflicts/infighting in church life, which can sometimes get quite dramatic. For many, church life is not that of unity and harmony.

Paul challenges us to Christian unity.

Christian debate in Sydney: One side claiming the power of the Holy Spirit. The other side claiming they have the Gospel and are rooted in the word.

Is unity at all costs our goal? What does true unity look like? Where is it found?

V3:

Differences exist. Making every effort to maintain bond of peace. Earnestly endeavour. We don’t let go of our differences readily. Beneath those differences is a basic unity, core unity that holds us together. Paul didn’t say produce unity, but to maintain unity. It’s not our job to produce unity. The work of the church is to maintain unity in the bonds of peace, the work of the Spirit.

There are two kinds of unity that emerge in the life of the church. One is internal unity that is expressed through disagreements and differences. Analogy of Graham and his brothers: at the dinner table they argue with each other, but at their school, if any of the siblings get picked on, they stand up for each other. The other type of unity is externally imposed: No room for disagreement, everyone has to conform, and those that conform are rewarded, those that don’t are punished/excluded.

V4-6:

Seven ways of unity, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all: this is where unity is found. With these seven ways, there is room for discussion, Paul didn’t give the specifics of each. It’s not a theological creed, but a unity we experience together.

Maintain bond of peace: not arguing, bickering, etc. It’s easy to pick apart people’s weaknesses. When you’re in Christian leadership, your weaknesses are in constant display. So it’s important to see the best in each other. Embrace your new identity, let go of resentment and hostilities. Rwanda was the model Christian society, 85-95% claim to be Christians before the genocide. Then Tutsis murdered Hutus because they got too focused on the external differences. Internal unity transcends external differences.

Paul frames the gifts in grace. Unity in response to grace. Analogy: In the human body there are many cells, hair cells, muscle cells, etc. and these cells don’t get together to ask how they are going to function. They simply function.

V11-16:

Our unity is not only forged through graces, bonds of peace, but also forged through service and mission. This is the age of participation. (Previous era was the age of representation). This is the age of priesthood of all believers! The church is being renewed globally as a consequence. Ministries are everywhere. We need the apostles (pioneers, plants, launch movements, guards the truth), prophets (disrupt and disturb the status quo, confronts the usual questions and asks the provocative questions, calls the church back into faithfulness), evangelists (communicate the gospel in attractive ways), pastors, teachers. These gifts are distributed throughout the body of Christ, not just the clergy. If Morling produces a person who becomes the best preacher of Australia, that’s a failure. Because the gifts are supposed to build up and multiply themselves. Our job is to multiply the gifts, to release the whole body to the work of ministry, not just to do ministry myself. If the gifts are well developed, it’s not only inwardly focused, but outward focused. All of the gifts in maturity produces unity not only internally within the church but as external witnesses/mission in the world.

President Carter decided to build a memorial to honour those who served and died in the Vietnamese War and opened up the competition for public entries.

Maya Lin won: a Chinese-American student in Yale University. In the wall, we see our face reflected. Maya Lin believes in the touch of a human hand, and being part of a story that is bigger than yourself.

Some veterans thought this is elitist/degrading which soon resulted in bitter disputes. Politicians reopened the competition, and the winner was “the Three Servicemen”. When the memorial opened, Maya Lin wasn’t invited. Today, hardly anyone thinks about the Three Servicemen, but Maya Lin’s wall becomes the “Wailing Wall” of the Americans, to become part of a drama that’s bigger than themselves.

We can be like the three servicemen: cold, externally imposed unity but internally torn about, rigid, something of the past.

Or we can be like the memorial wall: Rage and heal, connect, become part of a community that is real and organic, live and vibrant, that draws them into a new humanity.

The choice is ours, together, to cooperate with the Spirit as He draws us together.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: A prayer for the community

3 May, 2016

Topic: A prayer for the community

Speaker: Karina Kreminski

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Book of Ephesians chapter summaries so far:

Chapter 1: Apostle Paul dazzles us with all the blessings set out for us in Christ on a banquet table.

Chapter 2: How these blessings applied to people’s lives. One new humanity.

Chapter 3: How all of these has affected Paul himself.

Karina is the godmother of her niece. She desires to pass on her faith and blessings to her.

This desire is most clearly expressed in this prayer of Paul. Prayer for Paul is integrated into everything, a person of prayer, so we see prayer in many parts of Ephesians.

This prayer displays Paul’s heart for God and heart for the church.

He prays at this point because he knows the formation of disciples is not an easy process. He’s fervent/passionate about this. Paul’s communicating to the Jews and Gentiles, who were hostile against each other. It’s hard to break down the walls. Prayer is needed for true discipleship to take place.

What do you pray for a community of people who are struggling to get along?

V16: People would be strengthened in their inner being with power through His spirit. This inner being is not a gnostic spiritual inner you. It is the new creation we are in Christ. “The inner man”.

V17: Secondly, he prays that Christ would dwell in people by faith. It’s not an impersonal force like Star Wars which we tap into when we need force. It’s the presence of Jesus dwelling in us. Faith in Christ is a joy, not a burden. We rest in Him. We are being grounded in love. As we are praying for the new creation/indwelling of Christ in us, we are being grounded in love, so we are a people embodied in love in this world. The joy of His presence.

V18-19: Paul praying that people might comprehend God’s incomprehensible love. Fully grasp and absorb the love of Christ. That we might together absorb the love of God, and understand the love of God. If we want to know God deeper, love is the foundation, a love relationship with Him, not just sitting there as a concept. As we know Him, we realise how much more there is to know, and how much more there is to love. It can be an overwhelming feeling realising how much we don’t know. But as we relate to God, we find it’s not overwhelming or disempowering in a negative way.

It’s difficult to absorb all of these. As we are overwhelmed by God’s love, we have to embody it, and live it out. Loving each other is costly and it’s not easy. It takes a lot of passion to build a harmonious community that is to live out love. Pray that this new creation in us might grow. Transformation of the community. It’s not easy, that’s why Paul prays, and that’s why we need to pray too, for our local community. 

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: Mystery

26 April, 2016

Topic: Mystery

Speaker: Ian O’Harae

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13

There are times when we want clarity, there is not clarity.

V1-7: Talks about mystery: something that can only come from revelation. Symbolic or metaphoric significance, using the correlation of husband and wife to Jesus and His Church.

V2: Surely, you’ve heard about the administration of God’s grace that’s been given to me. A mystery with a purpose.

Mark Twain (the great 19^th Century theology): two most important days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why.

V6: Gentiles are heirs together.

Question of our identity: these days it’s not like first century where it’s just whether you’re Jew or Gentile. It’s who am I?

In Christ, we are new creations.

V7: Gift of God’s grace: the mystery made known to Paul by revelation. Gospel help us understand this. New humanity.

You’re a Christian: what difference does it make?

Some are born in a Christian home while others don’t have that privilege.

V10: Displays this through the church? Uses everyday people like us. God chose Paul despite his horrible past. If God can use him, He can use you.

Identity issues today:

1) LGBTIQ community: Wrestling with sexuality, even in and amongst Christians. Not to demonise them because it’s not an unpardonable sin. Who are we in Christ? Don’t be gay bashers, but be manifesting the love of Christ.

2) Intersectionality: the way we conceive us as individuals.

3) Transhumanism: a movement (Stephen Hawking is a big mover in this), plan to bring people back from the dead by freezing their brains and then resurrecting them with artificial intelligence. Humai, 30Nov 2015: We can clone your DNA. You can download your experiences into Nanotechnology. A company claims that it’s developing technology to bring people back form the dead!! Humai claims the technology will be available in 30 years’ time!! http://humaitech.com/

Also, just a little theology excerpt from Erickson's on God's creative work vs humans!

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: Eulogy and Emulation

5 April, 2016

Topic: Eulogy and Emulation

Speaker: Tim MacBride

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22

Eulogy: speech in praise of someone.

We usually do it in funerals.

We also do it as speech in praise of God.

Ephesians is eulogy, inspiring us to praise God.

V11: Once, we were excluded. Gentiles were treated as second class people. Labels and status, who’s in and who’s out. Before we heard the gospel and respond to it, we are the excluded ones, who miss out on grace. So remember what we were saved from.

V13: Now, we are included. Through the blood of Christ. So that we are at peace with God. It doesn’t just stop here…

V14-15a: We have peace with one another. In Jesus, we have a far superior revelation, of God in flesh.

V15b-16: Peace not by works or trying very hard, not world leaders gathering to think up the best solution or hippies singing songs of peace. Peace brought about by God’s actions, not our own. Brought about by the cross, the work of Christ.

V17-18: By the work of the Spirit.

V19-22: We are no longer foreigners or aliens, but members of God’s household. In Christ, we are being built together, to become a dwelling that God’s Spirit lives in. Bringing us back from estrangement from one another and from God.

Emulation:

For example, “go be like this hero!”

No racial barriers:

We don’t just tolerate. We rejoice in the diversity. Get different insights in God and the Bible in such a diverse group that we can’t get in a less diverse group. Intercultural Bible reading: a researcher did a study, the same parable told to different groups, the young white males turned the discussion into how one should do your wealth, the group of older women turned it into how to raise your children, etc.

No class barriers:

If we’re wanting to emulate God and end the dividing walls of hostility, we also have to cross these barriers. Don’t adopt the prejudices of our group. Don’t look at the poor and think they brought it on by themselves, “waste of tax payer’s money” etc. Imagine what would it be like if God looks as us this way? We are incapable of rescuing ourselves, why should we look at others the same way?

V15b-16: this is God’s purpose. Peace brought about by God’s actions, not our own.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: The riches of Christ

15 March, 2016

Topic: The riches of Christ

Speaker: Marc Radar

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Joel Osteen is heavily criticized, especially by evangelicals, for prosperity gospel, which reduces bible to the materialistic blessings and reading the bible in very literalistic ways.

This passage talks of incomprehensible riches, the rich resources of God, applying into our salvation. Another words, if God is seated on the penthouse, we’re not on the lobby, but on the penthouse with Jesus.

This is not to be read in a prosperity gospel type of way. But if prosperity gospel has difficulty with suffering, we have trouble dealing with power.

We received the revelation of the riches in power and resources of God.

In chapter 4-5, Jesus takes these principles of rich resources and applies it to the mundane activities of everyday life, such as husband wife relationships.

Leaving church buildings to go where the people are: do we have any languages of power and resource in our mission? What do we expect of God at the end of our ministries?

V5 Paul says before we made the conscious decision to accept Jesus, we were dead. Paul expects that people will come from the dead to life; orphans to sons and daughters of God.

The resources God gives us demands a return. Sometimes our expectations are so low that we are like the servant who buried the talent under the ground. (Refer to the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30).

When we have low expectations, we do not get disappointed. Whereas prosperity gospel is on the opposite end of the spectrum with an unrealistic expectation.

We have a vision of renewal of everything in Christ, which require great power and resources. When our expectations are disappointed, we should turn to God and ask, “will you give us more power?” As we serve, and meet people where they’re at, we should still be drawing resources on God, which is available through Christ.

When the work of God is complete, we don’t just go, “that’s pretty alright, 6/10”. We will forever praise the name of our God, for what He has done!

It’s not about water views and fancy cars, but the outpouring of the work of God in our lives.

We are recipients of all that God has revealed in Christ, power found in the name of Jesus, and we shall never be the same.

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: Prayer Changes Things, starting with the one who prays

8 March, 2016

Topic: Prayer Changes Things, starting with the one who prays

(Coincidentally this week marks the beginning of the 30 day fasting prayer in the church I am currently attending! Way to go!!)

Speaker: Anthony Petterson

God limits His sovereignty in some ways or else we will all be robots! Does prayer change things? Why pray? If God is totally sovereign, why should we pray? Or if God limits His sovereignty and leaves free choice for our unsaved friends, why pray for them since it's their own choice? We pray because it changes me? That's a selfish reason to pray! Any theology that justifies us to not pray is going down the wrong track!

God is totally sovereign but we are responsible! If sovereignty becomes fatalism and we use this as an excuse not to pray, then we are going down the wrong track!

God sovereignly uses His people's prayer for His sovereign works.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

First Paul thanks God for the people of Ephesus.

We know God is our father by the work of the Spirit. We are Christian because God has opened our eyes to the reality of who Jesus is. And the Holy Spirit continues to open our eyes so we may know Him better. Not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him relationally. We cannot understand the Bible without the work of the Spirit in us.

Paul doesn’t pray for fresh blessings, but to open the eyes of God’s people so they might know God better, as well as what God has already done for them (so we realize what God has already given us).

However, sometimes we use prayer as a tool for manipulation: about showing our devotion so God will give us good things!!

V18:

Firstly you may know the hope to which he has called you:

Without hope and God in the world… Last year Lifeline Australia received its largest number of calls in its history!

We might know the riches of His glorious inheritance:

NIV translation: Our inheritance as Christians, new heaven and new earth.

The other translation: Understand that they are the Lord’s inheritance. We may face persecution in our age when we stand up for Jesus. What gives us perspective in all of this is that we are the Lord’s glorious inheritance. Therefore, we should also live in this way as well: The rest of the book of Ephesians teaches us how.

V19:

The incredible power available to those who believe:

The resurrection powerfully proves He lives, but that’s not the end. The exaltation of Jesus as the risen Lord proclaims that He reigns forever. Exalted Jesus at God’s right hand (Psalm 110, 8). This is the reality right now (not something in the future). And one day Jesus will return and every eye will turn to Him. The power that raised the exalted Jesus is not only the power that lead us to faith, but the power for us to live life as God’s people! God is at work in you and me, so we press on in faith, hope and love. Many people don’t see these realities though, living as if there’s no judgment day, etc.

Additional learning from today’s theology class (taught by Andrew Sloane): We need special revelation if we want to know God. Unless our blindness is overcome, we cannot see and respond rightly to God and the world. How do we make sense of the events in the world? It is having been spoken to by Yahweh and responding to Yahweh that Samuel is able to perform God’s works. For God to speak is for God to communicate in human patterns: God stooping down to communicate with human beings.

My personal reflection: A lot of great things do happen when we pray, such as our personal transformation and blessings to the people and environment around us. But the most central of it all is a desire to know God, and communicate with God! Our relational journey with God!

Morling Tuesday Chapel Ephesians: Big Picture Christianity

1 March, 2016

Topic: Big Picture Christianity

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-14

Speaker: David Starling

Small-picture: Egocentric, my ministry, my kingdom, my blessings, where does God fit into my plans?

Big-picture: Ephesians 1, in Christ, reorientates the centre, where does my life fit into God's plans?