PENTECOST • 15

What are some defining characteristics of the Spirit-filled People of God?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 5 september

Matthew 18:15-20

God’s people are characterised by reconciliation

  • READ

    Our passage sits amidst a bigger section where Jesus addresses what it means to follow Him together as His Body, the Church. Great leaders are expected to be like humble children and serve among the lowly (Matt. 18:1–5); followers must be careful not to stumble other believers (18:6–7), disciples must pay close attention to their inner life (18:8–9) as well as care conscientiously for one another so that not one is lost (18:10–14); and to keep in Christian fellowship through generous hearts that are constantly ready to forgive (18:21–35). It is in this context that the Lord speaks to the question of what to do when “a brother” (another church member) “sins against you” (hurts or offends you).

    The nature of the church is defined by the presence of Jesus among people gathered, with Christ as the basis and focal point of the gathering. This is expressed in his words, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (18:20). There is camaraderie and brotherhood and sisterhood, with each member being of great value, and where no member is thought of as superior to any others. Hence, the Church is a Spiritual Entity and a Spiritual Reality. It is not some kind of volunteer association of like-minded individuals for a good cause, neither is it a charity purely concerned with social justice, or even a social institution bound by national borders. It is in fact, a fellowship of believers united with one another in Christ Jesus under his headship.

    Therefore, any fellowship that claims to be gathered in his name, must conform to what Jesus teaches and expects of it, and must also constantly check themselves against his standard.

    Here in our passage, Jesus lays down His desired approach and standard for conflict management. First, He instructs the offended/hurt party to go first directly to the other person and “point out the fault when the two of you are alone.” If this is done in a humble, loving manner, and if both parties are sensitive and obedient to the Spirit and Christ’s desires, then confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation may occur.

    If that doesn’t work, then the next step is to approach the offending person with “one or two others,” to benefit from outside perspectives and avoid misunderstandings or later manipulation of who said what. If the offender is stubborn, then it is time to “tell it to the church” for a public airing of the issue and resolution. This is because, when church members injure one another, it is not merely an individual who gets offended or hurt, it is a spiritual matter, harming the body of Christ. Each step outlined by Jesus is to be undertaken in the hope of healing and restoration.

    Often, when an offending person insists on his or her own way, Jesus seems ready to kick them out of church by saying “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” However, since Jesus often interacted with Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and other unsavory outsiders, and engaged them with much grace and compassion, we should think more deeply about his meaning. Consider how Jesus, Himself was accused of being “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19). Would that kind of heart posture reflect a condemning, punitive attitude? Hardly. Whatever we see from Jesus’ ministry, far from shunning them, Jesus commands us never to give up on them, never to stop reaching out in love to them, always to yearn for grace to restore what has been broken. In fact, Jesus’ answer to the question of forgiving “Lord, if a brother sins against me how often should I forgive?” Jesus’ “seventy times seven” response means “as long as it takes” (vv. 21–22).

    In passing to the Church Christ’s mantle of authority to forgive, (v. 18-19) Jesus is saying if we in the church do not forgive and heal, who on earth is going to do it?

  • REFLECT

The ministry of reconciliation is at the heart of any church’s mission. The church has not been given the power to “bind” and to “loose” (v. 18) because it is always right, but because it continues the Lord’s work in the world. primary language is one of confession, restoration, and reconciliation when offenses and divisions occur.

This ministry begins in the family, in the home. Over these next 3 months, (Sep – Nov) As we begin to “Move with Christ for Life@Home”, will you take on Christ’s authority and mission and pray for reconciliation in your own natural family and spiritual family (LGs, DGs & Kampongs)? Start with the first person/s that come to mind.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 6 september

Exodus 12:1-14

God’s people are marked by a cruciform life

  • READ

    The Passover is a major festival for the Jews. It started with God’s “passing over” the families of Israel, who had their doorposts and lintel (v.7) marked with the blood of a healthy male lamb (v. 5). Without this sign, every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals (v. 12) would be killed. The blood on the doorposts was the assurance of safety. The Passover meal, which is eaten during the festival in celebration of that night, was specified by God. Passover was immediately followed by the Exodus event, where the Israelites were led out of slavery in Egypt and embarked on their journey to the promised land of Canaan. Every year from the time they reached Canaan, they were to celebrate the Passover “as a festival to the LORD” for every generation (v. 14).

    During the last week of his life, Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples. In that last Passover meal with his disciples, instead of remembering the Exodus event as Jews normally would, Jesus turned the focus of the cup and the bread towards himself:

    26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” (Matt 26:17-30)

    In doing this, Jesus transformed the Passover meal from one that looked back to a past exodus event, to one that pointed towards a new exodus event - a new covenant about to be forged through his death on the cross.

    Paul wrote, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor. 5:7). Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; Heb. 10). As the people of Israel were charged to “remember” and “celebrate” the Passover event, so the disciples are now commanded by Jesus to “remember” him (1 Cor. 11:23–26).

    God’s redemptive purposes now find their fullness and fulfilment in Christ through His crucifixion. In Christ, believers receive the forgiveness of God and are now reconciled to Him. In Jesus Christ, God saves people now and it is by God’s grace that we have been “saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). In the Lord’s Supper, which points to Christ’s death, God’s grace is given to sinners (Rom. 5:8) so we might live in the relationship of love and trust that God intends, both with God and with others. This is entirely achieved by God’s “amazing grace.”

  • REFLECT

    Recall and reflect on an episode of reconciliation and forgiveness in your life. What freedom did you experience? How were you or someone else changed/impacted by it? Give thanks to God for His work of reconciliation in your life.

reading for: Thursday Night, 7 september

Romans 13:8-14

God’s people embody and express the law of love

  • READ

    Love is the defining characteristic of the Church. It defines the attitude, behavior, and norms by which the believing community lives and breathes. This love expresses itself in the love of God and of neighbour. The two are simultaneously inseparable.

    A neighbour is not limited to a member of your Life Group or Kampong or people living in your neighbourhood. Loving God and neighbour is the practice by which Christian communities undergo testing, whether we have remained as communities defined by the law/commandments or have become new communities in Christ. When we abide in love, we have fulfilled the law (v. 8).

    What does it mean that love fulfills the Law? How does love fulfill the law/commandment? Take a close look at the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20:3 – 17. The first 4 commands have to do with loving God (v.3-8). The remaining 6 have to do with loving neighbour (v.9-17).

    3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

    4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

    7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

    8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

    12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

    13 “You shall not murder.

    14 “You shall not commit adultery.

    15 “You shall not steal.

    16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

    17 “You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour's.”

    When we are empowered to love God and neighbour, the spirit of the law - what God actually intended through the commandment, is fulfilled. Loves does what is good to a neighbour. It builds communities. It is much more than a sentimental feeling. It expresses itself out in the form of justice, ethical actions and fair practices. It overthrows covetousness and greed and builds faith communities that are characterized by practices of radical love and generous hospitality.

  • REFLECT

    Consider how you have loved God and neighbour this year. How might sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ be the most loving thing you could do for your family, neighbour and friends?  

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 8 september

Psalm 149

God’s people are defined by exuberant praise

  • READ

    This hymn is sung acknowledging that the God of Israel is the Lord of Creation, and it celebrates God’s kingship and sovereignty. With great energy, the psalmist calls God’s people to sing praise with song (v. 1–4) and sword (v. 5–9). Seven times, the people are invited to praise God (v. 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9b). Central to the psalm is the “faithful (ones),” mentioned at the beginning (v. 1), the middle (v. 5), and the end (v. 9) of the psalm.

    The psalmist begins with four appeals to rejoice (v. 1–4). The faithful are to praise God with a new song and this “new song” is not merely new hymn with new words but rather, a new hymn that joyfully declares and embodies God’s salvation and glory. This new song is to be sung “in the assembly of the godly” (v. 1), especially when the community gathers for worship.

    In verse 2 God is the “Maker,” the creator of all, and of Israel especially (Ps. 100:3; Isa. 44:2). This God is also the “King” of the “children of Zion,” the Israelites (Ps. 5:2; 44:4; 84:3). The people’s praise is to be accompanied by dancing and the music of instruments, namely, the tambourine and the lyre (v. 3).

    Verses 3 - 4 points back to Exodus 15:20–21, where Miriam and all the women danced and sang with tambourines after God opened the Red Sea and the Israelites had crossed it. Dancing, a form of praise, was a common activity (2 Sam. 6:21–23; 1 Chr. 13:8). Tambourines were a big part of festive celebrations (Gen. 31:27; 1 Sam. 10:5). The lyre was a triangular instrument that had a sounding box with three to twelve strings, was played with either fingers or a pick, and was used for celebrations (Gen. 31:27; Job 21:12), for praise (Ps. 33:2; 81:2) and in public worship (Ps. 98:5).

    Verse 4 also provides the reason why the godly should celebrate before God: Israel’s God has taken pleasure in His people and has adorned the ‘humble with salvation’. Salvation was not achieved by the Israelites’ own cleverness or strength (2 Sam. 23:10, 12; Ps. 20:5).

    The second half of the psalm focuses on praising God, accompanied by wielding swords instead of melodies accompanied by dancing and musical instruments. In verse 5 the psalmist invites the faithful to “exult in glory.” In the OT, “glory” connotes honor, splendor, beauty, magnificence, radiance, and even might (2 Kgs. 14:10) and strength (Prov. 20:29). Hence the psalmist calls on the godly to celebrate their God-given strength and might, and to “sing for joy on their beds”.

    In verse 6, the psalmist now invites the people to give high praises of God will be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands (v. 6). These verses depict Israel as mighty warriors and recall earlier holy-war traditions (Num. 21:21–35; Deut. 2:26–3:7; Joshua 6).

    In the last line of verse 9, those wielding two-edged swords will execute both vengeance on their enemies and the “judgment written” and the psalmist declares that all these warring deeds that the faithful will perform is “glory” for all of them, for which all should “Praise the LORD!”. Therefore, this psalm is reflective of the events of its time calls the faithful to rejoice in a saving God who will make them victorious in battle.

  • REFLECT

    Do you notice our dancers expressing worship at the back of the worship hall on Sundays? How might you use your own body as an instrument of worship on weekdays? In unity with others in your Life Group, choose and sing a song together in faith that best captures what you see God doing in your midst.

Season of PentecostCNL