5 October 2002

Sermon

By Clarence Singam

Worship

Sermon

Potluck

Often small things give rise to large consequences. By now it is well known that a memo was circulating in the FBI or CIA that an attack had been planned on September 11, 2001. But the memo was ignored and now the rest is history. Similarly on D-Day during World War II, the weather had been really bad and stopped the Allied Forces from landing in Normandy. But a short reprieve of bad weather allowed the fateful landing and the tide of the war was changed.

Similarly in Acts 1, tucked away in a town were twelve people who the Roman Empire did not care about but from whom started a movement called Christianity, which is the world's largest religion today. I don't think the apostles had any idea what they were starting. Many of them like Peter and Paul subsequently, thought that the world would end in their lifetime. You can see this in their writings. It is only later on that they began to realise that the world would not end before they died. This comes out quite clearly in Peter's epistles and Paul's letter to Timothy prior to his execution.

Today we are about 40 people sitting on the floor in a chalet in Sentosa. People don't really care about us or what we are doing right now. In the eyes of the world we are an insignificant bunch of people — perhaps even a bunch of losers — gathering together as others in the many chalets around us. But in the economy of God, perhaps something else is happening. Perhaps what we have here is the start of another phase in the empowerment of a people of God. Another phase in the history of Christ's work in this country.

Perhaps 50 or 60 years from now, if we do this right, people will look back at this rag tag beginning and see a momentous work of God — a work in which God restores the dignity of a people who are outcasts in the church in Singapore.

As in any beginnings, it is important that we set the right course. That we get our bearings right so that our journey reaches the destination that God has in mind — the establishment of his rule and kingdom in our lives and those who would come after us.

I believe that there are three things that the Lord wants us to remember as we embark onto this next phase of our journey as a body in Christ. These can be found in the book of Acts 1.

1. Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

I often come across as very liberal theologically and sometimes even somewhat crass but you know, I never ever step onto a pulpit without first ever asking the Lord to fill me with his Holy Spirit. Because there is a recognition, that the work that you and I are doing is a work of the Spirit. The Bible is clear: unless the Lord builds the house the builders, you and I build in vain. The house will not stand. If it is to be the Lord's house then the Lord himself must build it through us. And the Lord will only build through the Holy Spirit.

The book of Acts starts off by saying that the very instructions of Jesus were instructions that were given through the Sprit. It was not something that he did on his own accord but through the Sprit.

I come from a charismatic background, so the next few minutes of my message will reflect this charismatic bias. When you look at the books that Luke wrote, you will notice that much of the language that Luke uses was the language of the Septuagint. The Septuagint was the generally accepted Greek translation of the Old Testament. Whenever Luke speaks of the Holy Spirit, he uses the terminology of the Septuagint. This is quite unlike the other New Testament writers.

This is important, because whenever the OT speaks of the Spirit coming upon people, or filling people, it is always in the context of empowerment for service. The Spirit comes upon the judges and they judge, the Spirit comes upon Samson and he does works of strength. The Spirit fills the artisans of the tabernacle and they are filled with wisdom to do works of sacred art. When Luke speaks of the Spirit he does the same.

So it is here that Jesus says, don't rush off!! Wait!! Wait to be filled with the Spirit who will give you power to carry out the commission I have given you. Today he says to us to : Be filled with
the Spirit. Be animated by the Spirit. Be gifted by the Spirit. For without the Spirit's guidance and empowerment this body and this service that we are setting out to build is but the work of flesh. It will be a work that will not last. It will be a work that will end with us.

So whatever we do, let's get one thing straight right here and now. If Safehaven, if this service is to be a body and an experience that is going to change lives and build people, it will have to be run by people who are filled who empowered by the Spirit of God. Seek constantly this filling for without it we are nothing but clanging cymbals.

2. Get Your Priorities Right

The apostles asked Jesus "Lord are you now going to restore the kingdom in Israel." Their priorities were wrong. They got it wrong on two points:

i. They were living in the past.

The apostles came from a people that were a subjugated people. They were looking for a return of their glorious past. They were looking for a restoration of the golden ages of King David and King Solomon. But the Lord was not interested in the past. He was focused on the transformation of the present. They were looking to the Jerusalem of Solomon but Jesus was looking at the Jerusalem of today.

Why are you here today? If you are looking for a service that can replace your churches in the past, if you are looking for the same experience that you got from you churches of the past — the same worship, the same sermons, the fellowship — then it just isn't going to happen. That is not the focus of the Lord in this ministry. He wants to do a new thing. Not a rehash of the old thing.

ii. They were looking for power and dignity.

I believe that God wants to give us power and to give us dignity but that is different from what these apostles were looking for. They were looking for a power and a dignity that came from outside. That came from having a glorious kingdom and a great army. The power and the dignity of God is a dignity and power that comes from within. But these fellows were looking for something from the outside.

But this is understandable because they were a rejected people. They were a subjugated people. In some ways we too are like that. Like them, we live under a foreign power. We live under a dominating power — the power of heterosexism. The power of fundamentalism that interprets the word of God to exclude those it cannot understand. So it too is natural if we develop an attitude that asks God for a successful Safehaven and a successful service so that we can show them out there that we don't need them. That we can do it just as well ourselves.

But that would be a wrong priority. I asked myself, "Why are we having this service?" We have been wanting to have a service for almost a year now. We attempted many times but it never really got off the ground. But now — here we are today. I want to ask you, "Why are you having this service today? Is it because a church pastor consistently says insensitive homophobic comments from his sacred pulpit? Is it because Arthur got kicked out of his church? Is it because we want to show THEM that we don't need them?" If these are the reasons then this work will not last.

For Jesus the only valid reason is for you to want to come together, that the witness of God may shine through this body. For Jesus the only valid reason is that the Gospel is preached in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria until the outermost parts of the world. The only reason Jesus will accept for a Safehaven that we become a body that is a witness to the gay, the lesbians, the bisexuals, the transsexuals and to straightest most person in the world. Can I challenge you today, to give your life to this cause — to give your life to be a witness for the Lord Jesus.

You don't need to be able to stand up here and speak. You don't need to be able to stand up here like Sam to sing or Alan to play the keyboard. You don't need to be a cell group leader. You don't need to be a committeee member. You don't need to be no nothing! You need only to be with Jesus.

When the apostles looked for someone to replace Judas — someone who could join them in this adventure of being a witness for Jesus — they did not look for gifting, they did not look for eloquence, they did not look for wealth. They looked only for one who had been with Jesus.

You and I are called to a very simple thing. To just be with Jesus and as you and I are with Jesus, as we live our lives with Jesus — his life will flow through us. His light and his love will flow through us. And this light and this life is what will transform those who come into contact with us. So it is not about restoring the glory of the past, it is not about showing an irresponsible church that we can do without them, it is not about gay pride, it is not about out, proud and loud! It is about being with Jesus and being a channel of Jesus' life to others.

3. Don't Look Into The Sky

The angels asked the apostles, "Why do you keep looking into the sky?" Why are you waiting around here. Look down. Look around. Stop looking into the sky.

The apostles thought Jesus would return in their lifetime. But as the years grew by and as they aged, it became apparent to them that Jesus would not be returning in their lifetime. The fact is over two thousand years have passed and Jesus has not returned. Some people were saying that Jesus is going to come back at the dawn of the Millennium. Then the year 2000 came and he didn't come back. Then these people say, "Ah…but the Millennium only starts in 2001!" Well 2001 has come and gone and he has not returned.

Frankly, I don't really care when Jesus is coming back. I don't care if he is coming back soon. He beckons me to stop looking at the sky. So many Christians are so busy looking at the sky — so busy trying to be spiritual that they are of no earthly use. We don't want this service to become a looking into the sky service. We don't want people to come here on a Saturday afternoon, sing their hallelujahs and then return to the world with absolutely no change in their lives. We don't want that kind of service.

We want a service that is grounded in our real lives. We want a service that is transformational. We want a service that will change lives so that more and more Christ is reflected in our lives every time we step out from this service.

So can I say to the deacon's committee, run this service so that lives are transformed. Run this service so that souls are energized. Run this service so that Jesus will increase in every nook and cranny of our lives. So that his Lordship will grow and will increase and will shine forth in your lives.

Stop looking into the sky. Look around you. Look at the Jerusalems, the Judeas, the Samaria and the outermost parts of the world that need to hear and to see the life of Jesus in you. Look around. Go forth and live out your life in the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

I want to say it again. We are not at a point of small beginnings. Whether this work will be a work of heaven or the work of flesh, will depend on you and I getting our bearings right. It will depend on you and I asking to be filled with the Spirit. It will depend on you and I getting our priorities right — to be with Jesus and let his life flow through us. It will depend on you and I living out a faith that is grounded in the real world. Without these, we will not prosper, we will not grow as a body.

Let's pray. Some of you here today, have become disconnected from the Lord. Today he calls you to get reconnected. He calls you to invite him back into your life. He calls you to beckon him back into fellowship and living with you. As we pray, will you do that today. Get reconnected if you need to and perhaps there are those whom you know need to get reconnected to the Lord, lift them up before him right now.