Chinese New Year Message: An Opportunity to Mend (Gen 43:24-34; John 21:9-14)

Snippet of Sermon by Rev Tan-Yeo Lay Suan


Chinese new year is a special time when we not only catch up with our immediate family but also with the extended family. These often appear in our visitation list for Chinese New year. Yet, how often have we experienced the abrupt deletion of one or two families over time. What happened? Usually these are dropped because there is some grievance with them that never got resolved. Especially when the link-pin to that family is gone (e.g. grandma etc.), the visits are discontinued and the list just got shorter and shorted. Sometimes the distance is created bvy years of neglect, misunderstandings, differing perspectives regarding the elders of the family... everyone has a story, a justification why we should skip this home and that.


As we come to this time of the year, particularly this evening (CNY Eve with the tradition of Reunion dinners), we will notice who is missing from the table and has not been invited to come. We will call to mind the ones we want to continue not to visit the next day. We make these decisions to avoid:

·         being reminded of the matter that led to this state of affairs

·         having to deal with it

·         having to apologize and make good whatever it was

·         the awkwardness of having to meet and receive these persons

·         being disappointed yet again, if there is no response or if things are not going to be mended the way we perceive they should be.

This morning we want to think about these ruptures and the family and how we may respond to them as believers celebrating Chinese New Year. After all, in God's eternal plan, he will be calling to all the 4 corners of the earth to bring together those who are in his family. We will all then share the same heaven, see each other for ever. Amongst this group, we will certainly meet people with whom we have had differences, fought legally in court. What would we do then in heaven if we do not attempt to restore some measure of peace at least our part in the responsibility?


How are we to answer the Lord's instructions given in Matt 18:21-22, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to 7 times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not 7 times, but 70 seven times.' Rom 13:8 says, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." If you feel the person owes you, then make that debt even more outstanding than it has ever been before. That's what Paul is saying. We have not come to 70 seven times.


Jesus also says in John 13:34-35, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you may love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' Ever wonder why the remaining relatives who are not believers never want to cross that line to believe in Christ? They can't see how Christ's love can be genuine if 2 believing sets of relatives continue to keep up the rebuff. Peacable and peacemaking are to be the character of the children of God.


John 15:12 "This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you." 1 John 3:1-3, 'See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as He is pure.' If our rift is with non-believers, we want to become like Jesus before he appears. We show that we belong to Jesus when we are able to imitate the Lord: to lay aside our grievance against someone, forgive and extend once again that hand of kinship/friendship. Surprise them this festive season, be prayerful tonight as you gather your family together for the meal.


How will we do this?

·         Pick up that phone number that we’ve chucked away for a long time. Invite this person to your home for dinner tonight. He/she can only say, “No, I have other plans.”

·         Put that family back on that visitation list and just ring the door bell tomorrow. It’s unlikely that they will turn you away.

By doing these, you would have:

·         Sown seeds of peacemaking in just that one phone call or that one visit

·         Demonstrated what the Lord has done in your life. More than all that you’ve ever said to this family, this act or attempt at receiving the other will speak louder than those words.

·         Pleased the Lord more than you can ever imagine.

The challenge to us then is this: Think of Matt 5:46-47, “⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” Does Jesus make a difference in your life when it comes to loving those whom you find difficult to love?

Remember the admonition Paul gave in Rom 12:17-21, “17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Can we leave our accumulated anger in the hands of God and let him take from us the right to repay those who have caused us loss and pain? Will you make the first move in imitation of Jesus Christ? Will you allow this embedded pain to be healed after all these years?

Yet, we are always waiting for the other to make the first move. Our pride will not let it go. We are fearful that if we make the first move, it would mean that “I am admitting that I was at fault.” Think of Joseph making that first move to usher his brothers into his house for a meal. Jesus made that first move to invite his disciples for breakfast by the shore. Both men knew that there were outstanding matters regarding the people they were going to eat with, yet they did not hesitate to open their arms to love. Can we do any less?

God is never far away when we learn to make peace because He is the ultimate peace-maker who alone is our inspiration. It was God who had intervened and blessed Esau in the years that Jacob had not seen him so that he had no thoughts of getting back at Jacob when they met again. God had not been idle all that time, but had prepared his brother. Similarly, it was God who gave Joseph perspective regarding his slavery and exile to Egypt and the years of suffering so that he could embrace his brothers who had done him in years ago.

After all these years, what new perspective has God given you regarding some of these buried grievances, a new way to view the past? Have you experienced that grace that Joseph was able to show to his siblings?

God honors our efforts to make peace and He will yet surprise you, just like he did with Jacob.  God is a specialist in mending broken relationships, pray and invite him to give you courage and bless your efforts to make that first move.

Illustration: Chancing One’s Arm

A dispute between two leading noble families of medieval Ireland, the Butlers (Earls of Ormond) and the FitzGeralds (Earls of Kildare) was resolved in 1492 by a brave act and a magnanimous response. Black James, nephew of the Earl of Ormond, fleeing from FitzGerald's Geraldine soldiers, took sanctuary in the chapter house of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. Though he had the upper hand, with his soldiers surrounding Black James and his men, Gearoid Óg FitzGerald, Ireland's premier earl, wished to end the bloody feud between both families. He concluded that feuding was foolish since both families worshipped the same God in the same church. So he pleaded with Black James through the Chapter House's oak door to meet him to negotiate a peace. Black James rebuffed all requests. FitzGerald grabbed his spear and chopped a hole in the door with it. Then, having explained how he wished to see peace between the families, the Earl thrust his hand and arm through the hole to shake hands with Black James. It was a risky venture; any of Black James's heavily armed men could have hacked the Earl's arm off; however, James grasped his hand and opened the door. The 2 men embraced and ended the dispute. Can we learn to be like them, to “take a chance” in reaching out to someone in reconciliation this festive season?

New Beginnings (Phil 1: 3-6)

Sermon snippet by Rev Helen Hoe
Paul have had a great start in the letter. He says, “being confident of this” and ends with “will bring to completion.” It is as if those verses were like life's bookends. In between we are held by God's grace.

Began: He initiates to start a good work in us. Makes that first move, maybe we will not move at all. Recall Christian journey, we are mostly running away, deaf to the Lord. Not one time, God takes initiative and takes personal responsibility to continue in our life. There is a good work that he intends to accomplish in our lives. He will not rest till the good work is completed. od is not like man, he does not leave things unfinished. Our future does not depend on human will people but on the fact that God is our partner, the one. joint partakers of grace.

How are you? The polite answer is, “I am fine.”  Most of us feel we have some parts with no words to describe. For the moment, we are not all right. But it will change. We are God’s work in process.  Our role is to surrender, to place ourselves in God's hands and to trust the Master Designer as he shapes us. We may not see too far, we hope to be able to do that.
2 areas:

1.      With one another: so much healing is needed. Many of us are hurt because  of unmet expectations. Thank God for last our Townhall meeting last week. There was that mutual expectation, commitment to one another and to the body (the Church) despite the disappointments. Paul saw people through eyes of faith to the time when God has completed his work. The readers were not on good terms with each other and no amount of preaching will change that. In the same way, we need to pray fervently for the Lord to heal our spiritual myopia, for patience, for those who have disappointed us. One particular area: hurts: pastor often hear hurts from married and single people, from parents...  is this, “The going-on is so tough”. Pastor can offer the work of God to pray for them. God is not done with us yet. Our hope is not in the next therapy and strategy, we have so much with and in God. God can heal us.

       How to be patient with ourselves?  We may have started out well in the journey of obedience with the desire to know his word and will. Yet, we can become jaded, bogged down by life's share of despairing situations. What does it mean? In his 9 years of ministry, Paul shared that "Thrice he was beaten with rods..."  despite all that, Paul’s passion and zeal could not be shut down. There was an internal strength that will not be bashed by criticisms that can resist being shakened.  Is our passion level high enough? Pastor Andrew shared a song during Christmas Day written by Laura Story. In it are the words, “ For who am I to serve him, at times I feel discouraged, how many times will you pick me up? How far will it... A long as you are seeking on face, you will be given sufficient grace for each day.”  Laura Story's Song: Grace Let's be patient with ourselves.

2.      With people around us: We need healing with our community of faith as well.

Commitment : Is it a bad word? (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

Snippet of Sermon by Mr Charles Loh

In the passage, we are told how Paul endured dangers, betrayals for the gospel for Christ. He was committed to a cause he believed in.  Today, commitment is not something that is upheld as we see divorce rates rising, where the turnover in just about every other company is an issue and worshipers taking membership seriously is an issue. What is commitment? It is a strong whole-hearted belief in a system demanding our support in terms of time and energy. If someone is committed, it's clearly visible in his actions. How does our commitment to church measure up? How do we view the announcements which are outside the scope of our participation? What can we say about our commitment and relationship with the church?

CAUSES FOR LACK OF COMMITMENT TO THE CHURCH

One’s diluting commitment is a gradual process of wandering away. No one is blatant enough to disappear suddenly.

1.      A faltering relationship with God: In Rev 2:4, Paul chided the Ephesians with having left their first love. Many of us go through the up’s and down’s in our Christian life. When we come down, we give up serving and detach ourselves from community of faith. We allow our spiritual life to be like a yoyo. We need to guard our spiritual lives and have an accountability partner to keep us on track. Commit ourselves to be godly, find someone to walk the journey with us. Let us constantly ask ourselves the question that Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Make it a habit to read the bible daily.

2.      Priority of the church is low in our lists of priorities.  Engaging in sports, keeping fit, supporting our favorite football club, catching up with In-laws, we are often carried along with so many activities. When the competition for time becomes more intense, that prayer meeting will be dropped, but that golf game will remain. Let us review our priority list. What comes first? Where do I place God and that attentiveness to events that are related to Him?

3.      Technology has hastened our pace of life and we commit ourselves to more activities than ever before. Social media brings many people to our attention even more than before. Are we slaves to technology? Among the 7 things we always have by our side is our ipad, handphone etc. We feel lost without them as want to stay in touch and we want to be reachable. We can be giving one or two hours a day in these online activities. We must not underestimate the impact of technology in our lives as it saps away sour energy to do anything else. Many of us have grown up with it and we may not be able to imagine a world without them. Let us learn to be conscious how technology can impact our lives. Let us jealously guard our time for activities with the church.

4.      Concept of church is changing: Apparently, Singaporeans move 3 times on average. More Christians are moving from church to church as well because the praise time is not good, we are not getting much from sermons. Moving from church to church is not what it used to be. This phenomenon was rare just a few years ago. While we complain that many things done in church are not the way we like it, it's normal. Running away does not help. I would encourage you to step right in.

In Charis, we want to think connectedness. We have 3 congregations but we still have a long way to go to think one church. We still have a long way to go t, reach out and deliberately get to know each other. W2 is much younger their energy will have positive impact on the others. Can we partner them to reach out to a relatives and friends? We want to work at establishing that spiritual and emotional tie with the church. This year, we will be promoting the idea of one big extended family.  Let it become the focal point of our family.

5.      Breakdown of values: increasing young adults are unwillingly to commit to marriage. In 2010 two in seven marriages end in divorce.  This is also a serious problem among Christians. When we accept worldly values our spiritual values become diluted, our commitment will then diminished. We want to strengthen spiritual values in Church. We want to choose to lead godly lives based on the Bible.  How can we express our willingness? Sign up for membership and baptism and be willing to be identified with the church, make known your desire to live daily as a disciple of Jesus. Uphold the church by presence, prayers, gifts and service. Choose not to attend because it is boring or that church has nothing to do with you.

Baptismal/membership questions touched on: 

·      Loyalty to God: Among the top 3 concerns and priorities highlighted by our LCEC members, discipleship topped the list. God desires to see us grow in our discipleship, growing deeper in the word. Can we continue to believe God's plans for us when we encounter difficulties? Let us participate in the church’s program to build our own relationship with God.

·      Loyal to the church by our presence, prayers, gifts and service body life: joining  the family in its various get-togethers. Make effort to befriend those who are shy. Take the challenge to know everyone in the congregation. It’s about making effort to join cell. Let us not stay in comfort zone, especially the new ones from other congregations.

·      Commitment to the Great Commission: church mission. It is our responsibility to evangelize those in our midst. We have 3 evangelism Sundays where we can bring our friends. Make our church a hospital for those who are unwell. Don't turn it into a museum. Seize every opportunity to share the gospel, we want to serve the church financially. Our offering has been flat in the last 2 years and our giving per person is declining. $1.94 million was our target last year but we received much less, lower by $200,000. We want to grow in missions and social concerns, but how do we do that if our offering does not grow in tandem. Tithing is not old testament law, it is part of our worship today. From 2011 years to 2015 be strengthened and reach out, we will hear about how to reach out. Identify with the theme for ourselves. Bishop Solomon said last week, "church is not a spectator sport, we need to be active participants."

We need to start by centering around our relationship with Christ.
Commitment is a good thing when we commit ourselves to things that are important to us:

·      Relationship with God and Relationship with his body, the Church
Remember our call to share the gospel with others. Evaluate how you are keeping our membership vows. Make firm commitment to the Lord in 2012.