Growing My Influence
Notes
Transcript
Mentimeter :
Mentimeter :
How many social media accounts do you have?
How often do you check your social media in a day?
Have you shared spiritual things on social media?
Social Media in the Pandemic
Social Media in the Pandemic
Singapore has more phones than people (50%), with 84% using social media actively
People are using social media on the train, on the bus, queueing up to buy food, at the grocery store.
We see phone zombies everywhere, and we usually are one too, like it or not!
During the pandemic, more people have started using social media than babies were born!
Pandemic fatigue
Pandemic fatigue
Pandemic fatigue is “a feeling of exhaustion from the changes that the pandemic has brought about, as well as feeling a sense of dread and irritation with the constant news of the pandemic”, as described by Dr Geraldine Tan, director and principal psychologist at private clinic The Therapy Room.
Everyone had a sign of resignation when then new restrictions were announced, just when it seemed life was going back to normal, we could even go to church every week.
But as cases rose, we knew that something like this was inevitable.
We are stumbling day by day, with no end in sight. What is our role in a tired world?
Hong Kong - Singapore Bubble
Hong Kong - Singapore Bubble
COVID-19 keeps it pushing back the bubble, will it ever open? How can it open safely? No one knows, we’re just stumbling through this whole thing.
Let’s open the book of Romans to understand how we can be a light in a world stumbling through a pandemic.
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
The author of Romans is quoting Isaiah 8:14 & 28:16
Isaiah was a prophet during a great war between Israel & Assyria, and he was warning Israel that if she continued to put their trust in Assyria, this ‘rock’ they thought would save them would be their downfall.
But if they chose to put their trust in God, they will not be put to shame.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
King Hezekiah thought that if he gave the king of Assyria all the money he had, he would be safe.
Trusting that Assyria would keep their word, Hezekiah chose to give away the money in the temple, going to the extent of stripping the gold from the doors & doorposts of the temple.
Despite Isaiah’s warning, Israel chose to make Assyria their rock instead of God, and this trust in Assyria would become the stumbling block when the king of Assyria attacked them despite the money Israel gave to him.
If only they had chosen to put their trust in God instead.
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
Paul quotes this text because he sees his fellow Jews make a mistake which was as terrible as putting their trust in Assyria.
Their own religion, which had become focused on pursuing righteousness by works, had a stumbling block to achieving therighteousness they so desperately sought for.
Instead, the Gentiles were freely receiving righteousness attained by faith, a concept the Jews could not comprehend after years of pursuing perfection in keeping of their laws.
Adventist Global Church Member Survey
Adventist Global Church Member Survey
In 2018, the Adventist church released the results of the Global Church Member Survey, where they surveyed tens of thousands of members from all over the world on a multitude of topics.
In their research, they found that almost 90% of Adventists believe that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone.
This is expected, because that’s what we believe - salvation by grace through faith, a concept that the Jews had great trouble with.
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
The Jews prided themselves upon their zeal for God and for His law.
The sad history of the Jews is that, in spite of their great religious zeal, they did not attain righteousness.
Their outward show of perfect obedience was a cloak for inward corruption, where they appeared holy but their hearts were full of pride and sin.
Despite given the right knowledge in the scriptures, they showed more zeal for keeping the law rather than for God, trying to earn their way to heaven instead of having faith in God.
Paul hope that if such zeal could be directed toward the true way of righteousness, faith in Jesus, the Jews might be able to be saved.
The second question in the Global Church Member Survey shows that we have more in common with the Jews that we would like.
Despite 90% of us kowing that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, 41% strongly agree and 28% agree that they will not go to heaven unless they keep the law perfectly.
This means that 70% of Adventists believe that keeping the law is necessary to go to heaven, even though our doctrines state the exact opposite, that faith in Jesus is the only way to eternal life!
Like the Jews, we seem to have more zeal for keeping the law than for faith in God.
The law, which we Adventists know so well, has become a stumbling block to our very own salvation.
BBC
BBC
Adventists live modest lives, with a strict code of ethics. They don't smoke or drink alcohol, and recommend a vegetarian diet. Meat is permitted, but only following the Biblical commandments on clean and unclean food.
- BBC - 30/07/2009
Even to the world, Adventists are more well known for what we don’t eat and don’t do, rather than our faith.
Our friends probably know us better for the things we don’t do on the Sabbath and our dietry restrictions than our faith and love!
And that’s so sad.
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Paul is quoting Deuternomy 30:12-14, where God tells Israel that they have already been given the way to salvation, they don’t to try to ascend up to heaven or descend down to hell to find salvation.
Hundreds Jewish laws that had to be kept perfectly every single day made it so hard to be saved it seemed like you had to cross heaven and heaven in order to do it.
We as Adventists do the same, we focus so much on keeping the law that we forget that the law has nothing to do with being saved at all.
Our children grow up thinking and believing that being an Adventist is very hard (so many thing we cannot do!), when that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Just confess that Jesus is Lord and believe He was raised from the dead, we will be saved. Its that easy. Anyone can be saved.
But we don’t believe it.
Among the many sweeping changes the Covid 19 pandemic has brought about in its wake, a greater awareness of mental health issues is one of them. Suddenly words like anxiety, depression and trauma have entered our everyday parlance, particularly post the virus’ lethal second wave. More people are facing existential crises, questioning the purpose of their lives; and there’s a lot of anxiety around death (dying, as well as losing a loved one), and a heightened fear of being alone. - GQ, 20 May 2021
COVID-19 has brought an existential crisis to the world, but we have the answer: Just call on the name of Jesus.
But the world doesn’t know, because we haven’t told them.
Adventists don’t know, because no one has told them.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Paul was quoting Isaiah 52:7, where Isaiah is telling Israel what the good news that would soon be brought to them because they chose to rely on God instead of Assyria.
That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
The welcome that greeted the feet that brought victory over the Assyrians in Isaiah is the same kind of welcome that greet the feet of those that the good news of the gospel.
Who is going to tell the world about the good news of the gospel, that this COVID-19 ravaged world is only temporary and that Jesus is coming to take us home?
Who is going to tell Adventists that they don’t have to be held hostage to the law to be saved?
Who is going to be that beautiful feet that brings the good news that we only have to call on the name of Jesus and we will be saved?
Waiting for Good News
Waiting for Good News
Confessing to my wife that I liked her, waiting for the ‘good news’
Appeal:
Appeal:
In these times when we can’t meet, when worship isn’t certain, let us be the feet that bring good news.
Let us use social media tell the world that is stuck at home that they can call on the name of Jesus and find hope, peace and salvation.
HCS Sharing Jesus on Facebook
HCS Sharing Jesus on Facebook
Better Heart, Better Mind, Better Spirit
Better Heart, Better Mind, Better Spirit
Topics Include:
Dealing With Failure
Beating Burnout
Learning to Relax
Brokenness to Wholeness
From Weakness to Strength
The whole of the 3rd Quarter will be focusing on topics that help us to have a better heart, better mind and better spirit.
This is an opportunity to invite your friends & family to attend with topics that they would be interested in.
Invite them by WhatsApp, by telegram, by Facebook, by Instagram, maybe even pick up a phone and call them.
Whether or not we are worshipping in church, invite them to hear the good news of the gospel through topics that are relevant to them.
Be the Beautiful Feet
Attend the Hope Channel Singapore training on Sharing Jesus on Facebook
Share our Jurong Church Facebook posts & YouTube clips on social media
Share our 3rd Quarter Series: Better Heart, Better Mind, Better Spirit with your friends & family
Share our worship service
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
In these times especially, people need the Lord.
But how can they call on the one they have not believed?
How can they believe in the one they have not heard?
How can they hear unless someone tells them?
We are called to take the light of the gospel to a world that needs it desperately.
Let us be the beautiful feet that brings good news!