RECAP last week's sermon – Matt 7:15-23 – the false prophets were IN the circle but OUT of salvation.
• Right believing leads to RIGHT LIVING. It starts on the INSIDE. It is a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ.
• Draw close to Him every day and you’ll see your life changing.
It is not religion that changes you. It is not the Christian way of life that changes you. It is Jesus Christ.
• May we all grow to KNOW Him, not just KNOWING ABOUT Him, because knowing about Him will not change us; it fills our mind with knowledge.
• When we draw near to Him, in worship, in our devotion, in prayer, He touches our heart.
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Rom 8:28-30
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Our lives have been marred by sin. God’s plan is to restore us back to His original intent.
• He made man to have fellowship with Him in the Garden of Eden. The first man and woman walks with God in perfect communion, until sin came in between and destroyed that relationship.
• This image, which is perfect, has now been damaged and distorted by sin.
God did not discard this marred creation. He is going to rid sin and restore that beauty and glory. What would it look like then, for our lives to be restored back?
If Genesis 1:26-27 tells us God made us in His own image:
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
• In all of God’s creation, only human beings are made “in His image”. We are treasures to God!
To restore us back to perfection, it will mean bring us back to “His image” pre-Fall.
• What is this image? If we put flesh onto this “God’s image”, what do we get?
• JESUS. Col 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Heb 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”
That’s God’s purpose. We are to be like Christ.
• Eph 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
• We are not called to become god – to rule and take charge of our lives – BUT to be LIKE Him. Many prefer to be god – they are not seeking to be LIKE God, they wanted to BE GOD.
• They want to take control of their circumstances and future. They want to run life independent of God. And then find themselves, at the end of the day, making a mess of it.
God’s design is for us to live UNDER Him and grow to be LIKE Him, in true righteousness and holiness.
• His ultimate concern is our CHARACTER. Not our comfort and not our competence.
CHARACTER COUNTS
God’s concern is NOT COMFORT. We have heard many messages about the blessings of God for our lives - for our health and wealth, and for our happiness and success.
• God is good. He is the source of all our blessings in life, including health, wealth, happiness and success. But these are not the sum total of God’s will for us.
• It does not make sense. Why God pours out all these blessings upon us only to see us leave them all behind one day, at death? Why would our comfort on earth be His goal?
Will God heal us? Yes. Will God grant us success at work? Yes. Will God bless us with happiness? Yes. Is these all to life? No!
• But will God ALWAYS heal us? No. Will God ALWAYS grant us success? No. WHY NOT?
• His ultimate concern is your CHARACTER. If you need to go through a difficult time to learn patience, He will allow it. If a trial is the only way you will learn to be forgiving, then He will grant it.
• If you can learn humility from success, I believe He will grant it. If you can be generous even when you are wealth, God will bless you with it, and MORE!
It is not health, wealth, happiness and success per se but what these are turning you into. If they are changing you into the likeness of Christ, God will allow them.
Circumstances mould us. Life experiences affect us, we know. God uses them.
• That is why Romans 8:28 says, “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
• WHAT PURPOSE? 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”
God’s purpose is for our lives to be changed, into the likeness of His Son Jesus, in all true righteousness and holiness.
• He will use everything on earth – trials, sufferings, pains, challenges, and all your experiences in life – to accomplish this goal.
• So we should not expect heaven on earth. And earth is not heaven.
• Why would He bring heaven down on earth when He can bring you there to enjoy the real thing?
When I reached this point, the Lord spoke, “Earth is a “potter’s wheel”. I put you on it to mould you. If you allow me to work on you, you will soon be like My Son!”
• He is not our servant, here to serve our needs. He is the Potter; we are the clay in His hands.
God’s concern is NOT our COMPETENCE – that is, what can I achieve for Him?
• Between competence and character, which would you choose?
• I know what you would say, BOTH. Frankly, we need both. But when you are pressed with a choice, I know what you would choose.
Ask parents. Between having a very competent but less noble child, and having a good child but less competent, which would you choose. I think we know the answer.
• We’ve seen in the news lately of top leaders in government departments, both locally as well as in many other places like China – how they were caught cheating, getting themselves into illicit affairs and being charged in courts.
• Even the society recognises the importance of character. It places character above competence.
When you look for a job, you need references. I’ve done that for many, including those who are going to the seminaries. They sent me letters of reference or questionnaires (2-3 pages long) to fill up, seeking information about this applicant – his conduct, character, his relationship with people, his emotional state, etc.
• There will always be ONE QUESTION right at the start: How long have you known the applicant? Or How well would you say you know him? Very well, well, average…
• God is concern with our CHARACTER! Watch your character. You won’t go wrong.
CHARACTER IMPACTS
When you look at Christ, what really moves you? What really change you?
• Are you moved by His miracles or His compassion, by His ability to walk on water or His forgiving love for Peter?
• Are you moved by the way He raised the dead, or by His words of mercy for the woman caught in adultery?
I don’t know about you. I’m moved more by His heart than by His hands. I’m moved by His character more than by His miracles.
• I’ve changed more by WHO He is than by WHAT He can do. I respond to His love and mercy. I’m touched by His grace.
1 John 3:1-2 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
• When we see Him again – at that time, we shall see Him as He really is – then we shall find ourselves just LIKE HIM, perfectly like Him.
• In the meantime, we are all work in progress. Be patient. It will take the rest of your life. Trust Him. He will not fail.
I started preparing the thoughts for this sermon on Tuesday, at least to get a theme for Bernard to prepare the songs. I was thinking through these verses the whole of that afternoon, about the need to watch our character and be Christlike.
I was still thinking about it as I drive to fetch Siew Yee at her office. As I reached the place and waited for her, I received the email in my phone. I was quite stunned actually. It reads: “Maturity in the Christian life is measured by only one test: how much closer to His character have we become?” by Elyse Fitzpatrick. God spoke!
Focus more on building CHARACTER. Encourage one another when we see good character qualities like someone showing kindness, or being honest, or being generous, forgiving…
• We tend to praise others for their competence, which comes quite naturally to us. We praise people for their skills and talents.
• But we do need to make an effort to praise others for their good character qualities. We don’t usually do that.
Remember, God is far more interested in what you are than in what you do.
• Your character is what you will take into eternity.
Dear friends, put your trust in Jesus Christ. He is your Saviour. He died on our behalf to save us from sin and reconciled us with God. Only in Christ can we find true meaning and purpose to life, and live the GOOD life. We cannot reproduce this LIFE by our own strength. New Year’s resolutions, willpower, and best intentions are not enough. It cannot give you a good life. Invite Jesus into your heart and let Him change you.
