Date: 26-03-23
Preacher: Shyh Dan
Title: What can hinder us from becoming a church that God desires?
What can hinder us from becoming a church that God desires?
I am especially heartened to have the privilege to listen to Bro Dan’s maiden message. It spoke directly to me and I believe he also came through in like fashion to the whole congregation, for when I observed the congregation during the delivery, all eyes and ears were on him, the messenger. And I believe that is why I hit my notebook the moment I finished lunch to record my thoughts to do justice to God and to Brother Dan.
Also to help Bro Dan was Sister Sheue Horng who was also doing her maiden work as a translator. She was GOOD!
Bro Dan highlighted 3 reasons we can hinder God from building a church that God desires and these are summarized below:
- I do not need you
This is often the case when we feel our relationship with God is just between Him and us and we do not need anyone else. It is kind of cosy and most of us can relate to that. It could also stem from the feeling that to need someone else means we are weak and most don’t want to feel that way. - Neither hot nor cold
It is interesting that Bro Dan framed the second reason that way. To him our love for wealth and other desires could hinder God from building a church He desires for when we no longer put Him first, we will blow hot and cold. And God doesn’t like that. - Neglecting what God desires us to do
Bro Dan quoted Luke 11:42 to support his third reason although the framing of reason is plain enough to understand.
There are 2 gems that I wish to share in this message and the first is ‘the eyes of the world may see the weak as useless but in God’s eyes, the weak is indispensable’ and He would often use the weak to confound the strong on earth.
The second is from Jude 1:24, ‘Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy.’ This verse gives me hope that we can be perfect in His eyes.
So, in a way, both Bro Dan and Sister Sheue Horng delivered their work for God this morning with a ‘blameless’ score of 100%. What more can I ask to be part of this Body Life?
