General Service in Malang, May 08, 2011 (Sunday Morning)

CHILD SUBMISSION SERVICE.
Jeremiah17:7-8
17:7 " Blessed isthe man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
17:8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

No matter how great a human life in this world is (smart, rich, etc.), he can be illustrated as two things as follows:
  1. As baby who has no power without his mother.
  2. As a tree (wood, human flesh) without water.
    In heat, it will become dry and weak, until become perished forever.
How great our life in this world is, without God we can do nothing.
Let us always prioritize God and put our hope in God.

The practiceis as a tree planted by the waters. It equals to shepherded life,who always has close relationshipwith heavenly living water (the personal of God);
  1. Having relationship with the living water of the Word, through the perseverance in Bible Study Service with Holy Communion.
  2. Having relationship with the living water of Holy Spirit, through the perseverance in General Service.
  3. Having relationship with the living water of God's love, through the perseverance in Worship Service.
The results are as follows:
  1. "… And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green,…"
    It means that the hands of Good Shepherd protect us from all distress and accident, our faith does not fall, and we keep hoping in God.
    It is God who will solve all the problems and temptations.

  2. " … And will not be anxious in the year of drought,…"
    It means that the hands of Good Shepherd are able to care us physically (daily life, good future) and spiritually (living in the righteousness, holiness, and being faithful in the ministry).

    If we do not live in the righteousness and holiness, it equals to a spiritual life who is not cared, in sickness until spiritual death.
    If children are wrong, we should not let nor support them to do that.

  3. "…Nor will cease from yielding fruit. "
    It means there are fruits, until the last fruit, that is our life become as perfect as God and ready to welcome Jesus' second coming.
    Maybe at this moment we still feel bitterness, but we must continue to be shepherded. The small bitter fruit will grow and become sweet fruit.
GENERAL SERVICE
Matthew26:14-16
26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
26:15
and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
26:16
So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Matthew26:1-5is the tidings about the Passover.
Matthew26:6-13is the preparation for the Passover (preparation for the death of the Lamb of God).
Matthew26:14-16 is the betrayal to the Lamb of God.

Judas betrayed Jesus as the Lamb of God (Lamb of Passover).
For us who get God's trust, be careful! Even from that there is betrayal.

Why?
Because Judas Iscariot went to a fellowship with the priest, who was clearly conflicting with Jesus. It equals to entering the wrong fellowship, that is fellowship without the true teaching Word.

Fellowship without the true teaching Word is not a fellowship, but a conspiracy to drop someone.
The example is the Herodians and the Pharisees who gathered together to entangle or make Jesus stumble.

Why did Judas go to a fellowship with the priest?
Because Judas maintained the desire and the interest of the flesh (self-interest).
In this matter, Judas preserved the desire of money.

The consequence was Judas betrayed Jesus, until perished forever. It equals to the broken clay pot and will be perished forever.

The fellowship of the body of Christ starts from marriage, shepherding, between shepherding, until the international body of Christ.
If we marry not based on the true teaching Word, it is not a fellowship but a conspiracy. That kind of marriage will never unite and will never reach spiritual marriage.
If a fellowship is not based on the true teaching Word, there will be conspiracy, only talking about the other's faults, etc.

Conspiracy only leads to perdition.
Hopefully all of us can believe it. May God give faith to us.

John5:2-4
5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gatea pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
5:3
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
5:4
For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

Bethesda means mercy.
It is God's mercy if Jesus comes to the earth planet.
Sinful people were thrown away to the earth and Jesus came to the earth, not to the other place, such that we can be helped.

Bethesda has five porches, which denotes five continents in this earth.

False fellowship (fellowship without the true teaching Word) equals to the disabled fellowship (the fellowship of the blind, lame, and paralyzed), and it is happening worldwide.

As it happens in this world, there are more fake things than the original one.
False fellowships are more in this world than the true fellowship.

In the beginning, false fellowship seems good and peaceful, as the disabled in Bethesda can help each other.
False fellowship seems good, peaceful, and united. They can work together each other as long as there is no shake.
But, when shaking comes, they must bescattered.
  1. If the shaking is positive, they will race to get it by eliminating the others.
  2. If the shaking is negative, they will race to run, and do not want to be blamed.
False fellowship seems good only in the beginning.
Therefore, let us not be proud of something physically!
Let us keep holding on the true teaching Word in each our fellowship.

Remember the people in Jerusalem who was shouting "Hosanna" to Jesus in the beginning, but in a moment, it was changed to "Crucify Him!"

There are three mains sickness in the false fellowship as follows:
Ad. 1. BLIND
II Corinthians4:3-4
4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Being blind spiritually = rejecting the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which is the image of God (the true teaching Word).

Gospel Word = the Word which preaches the first coming of Jesus, His birth until His death and resurrection, to bring sinful people to believe Jesus and be saved.

The true teaching Word= the Word which preaches the second coming of Jesus as the King of kings and Heavenly bridegroom, to purify and perfect the congregation.

Why do many people reject the true teaching Word?
Because there are many lives maintaining the hardness of heart (golden calf idolatry).

If one keeps the hardness of heart and rejects the true teaching Word, the clay pot will be filled with flesh desire (evil and unclean desire) and self interest.

If there are self desire and self interest, one will become "blind".
The examples are as follows:
"Food" really determines our body and life.
May our heart can be opened and believe, before any proof as Judas the traitor.

The practices or the signs of spiritually blind people are as follows:
  1. Mark 10:46
    10:46. Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

    Sitting by the road = Christian life on the street,which means as follows:
    • Not being shepherded, but walking about.
      The consequences are as follows:
      • Has no peaceful life.
      • Will meet lion or Satan who also walks about (falling in sins and getting lost, being mislead by false teaching and got lost).
      Be watchful! A pastor should not carelessly give the opportunity to preach the Word to the other people.
      If another people come and bring false teaching, it equals to get a lion entering the sheep's pen.

    • Not prioritizing the Word = not being solemnly hearing the preaching of the Word,the heart and mind tend to walk about.
      The consequence is the seed of the Word is eaten by birds. It means that life has no spiritual satisfaction and will fall in carnal satisfaction (unclean sins, etc.).

  2. Becoming a beggar,it means as follows:
    • Begging, cannot giving the others, doing too much counting with God.
      Judas Iscariot always did count with God. At the end, he himself was not counted.

      Let us check our heart. Usually, we can sacrifice everything for the other matters (travelling, working, etc).
      How when we are doing something for God?

    • Cannot worship God= being spiritually withered.
    • Serving and ministering God with the aim for getting physical matters.
      He is a beggar, not God's bride.
      If we really become God's bride or wife, all our life and our self desire must be submitted.

  3. Mark 10:50
    10:50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

    Wearing dingy garment (the beggar's garment) = preserving old life in sins, starting from hatred.
    The chief priests hated Jesus.

    Do not hate anyone, although we are hurt!

    In a marriage, if husband hurts the wife (a blind husband), the wife should not hate the husband. Do not become blind!
    There should be one who becomes the light to help the others who are blind.

    There should be no hatred sins, any sins, up to the peak of sins that iseating, drinking sins (smoking, drinking, drugs abuse) and marrying and being given in marriage sins (sexuality sins, wrong marriage)!
    Be careful!

    Wrong marriage must be confessed in front of God. Every problem has a way out based on the Word of God.

    Life who preserves the old garment will get angry when he is advised.

  4. Facing impossibility.
  5. Living in suffering.
    In sins, there are only sorrows, sorrows in the world up to the darkest darkness in hell (suffering forever).
    Do not be fooled or fool the others (by agreeing them doing sins)!
Remember!
Spiritually blind is started from not being solemnly when hearing the Word, until rejecting the Word.
It is not because of physical foolishness, but because of the hardness of heart. It equals to preserving the flesh desire and flesh importance.

Mark 10:46
10:46. Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

Blind people with the practice or the sign above will not be able to come to Jesus.
Jesus will come to us.

Jesus does not will if we are in spiritual blind condition,therefore Jesus passes in the middle of us through the preaching of the true teaching Word = God's mercy and kindness.

If we as sinful people can get the true teaching Word, the true shepherding guiding us to the right life and marriage, it is God's mercy and kindness.

Let us appreciate God's mercy and kindness, while many lives are waiting for it.

The restoration process from God to the spiritual blind life is as follows:
  1. Jesus comes close to us.
    Sinful people have no power to come to God, even they will hide from God (as Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden).

    If the true teaching Word is preached, it equals to Jesus comes close to us.

    Our attitude is coming close to God,it means as follows:
    • Being solemn in ministry to God.
      Starting from trying not to become late in ministry, especially in General Service on Sunday (which is a holiday).
      For life who still comes late in Tuesday and Thursday ministry because of working, etc, we should pray to God!

    • Being solemn in the preaching of the Word.
      If we are not being solemn in the preaching of the Word, it equals to going farther from Jesus, and problems will come close to us.

  2. Jesus calls.
    Mark 10:49
    10:49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
    Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."


    Jesus' calling is when the true teaching Word shows our sins and condition (when we are touched by the Word).

    God calls us individually. The Word touched us will not be the same as the Word touched the others.
    Do not judge the others, because it will make not be helped!

    When the Word touches us, there is priority or main opportunity for us to confess all our sins and condition, to express all our heart contents to God. It equals to a very close private relation to God.

    If one still likes to express our heart contents to the others, even in social media, etc, it shows that that life is still far from God.

    Do not become as Judas who preserved his dirty entrails until he burst open in the middle and being perished!

    If something is clearly not according to the Word, we should not ask again! We should throw it away!

  3. Jesus asks = offers help to us.
    Mark 10:51
    10:51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
    The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."


    Our answer is such that we can see God. It equals to seeing the true teaching Word (this is our main need, spiritual blind life).

    Do not only prioritize physical blessings but remain blind. It has no mean.

    Being able to see the true teaching Word means as follows:
    • Being able to hear the Word solemnly (start from today). Do not be sleepy, etc.
    • Being able to understand the Word.
    • Being believeable and sure about the Word.
    • Practicing the Word.
    If we can practice the Word, we will see and experience the wondrous things from the Word.

    Psalm119:18
    119:18. Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.

    The wondrous things from the Word start form renewing our lifefrom clay pot to become golden pot (dark life becomes light). It is the biggest miracle.

    Ephesians5:8-11
    5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you arelight in the Lord. Walk as children of light
    5:9
    (for the fruit of the Spiritisin all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
    5:10
    finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
    5:11
    And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

    The fruits of renewal of life are as follows:
    • The fruit of good deeds.
      Starting from not harming the others, until being able to overcome evil with good.
      In daily life, in trading, etc., we should not harm the others!
      If a student is not honest in a test, it equals to harming the others.
      If priests serve God but keep doing sins and do not live in purity, it equals to harming the others.

    • The fruit of righteousness.
      Do not take side with the other people or the other matters! We should take side with the true teaching Word!

    • The fruit of truth.
      We shall live in the righteousness, and we should not take part nor agree with any sinful deeds!

    • Following God = being shepherded to the true teaching Word (not being shepherded to human life, etc.).
      If we see human life or the other matters, we will be easily waved.
      Be shepherded to the true teaching Word, that is following God!

      Mark 10:52
      10:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

    Furthermore, physical miracle will also be happened. Impossible things will become possible.

    Why we have not experience physical miracle? Because we are still spiritually blind!

    If we can see the true teaching Word, that is listening to the Word solemnly, understanding, believing, and practicing the Word, and there are the fruits of the renewal of life (spiritual miracle), we must be sure that soon we will experience physical miracle.

    We will experience miracles one by one, until the biggest one, we will be renewed as perfect as Him.
God blesses us.