2We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 4:13
There is an adverb in the greeting from Paul to the Thessalonians that reminds me of my father, who passed away 20 years ago today. My parents left the tiny island of Taiwan over 55 years ago to serve as missionaries in a country they knew little about before leaving their own country. My parents were hard workers, struggling and laboring in a foreign country where they probably knew not one word in the local language when they landed on its soil. He could be often found working and praying at three or four in the morning. He was a living example of the adverb adialeiptós that I would read much later in life in the Greek of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Even difficult circumstances can bring about adialeiptós (incessantly, without intermission) good work in us. In this case, Paul incessantly thinks and prays for the Thessalonians. Some people who leave such a profound effect on you that it compels you to talk to them. Some people’s candor and work are something so noble you cannot help but thank God and cheer them on. To remind them to weep – but not to weep like those with no hope (see 1 Thess. 4:13). In Paul’s case, it was not one person but a whole church. His remembrance and reflection about the work of these Thessalonians resulted in one implication that evoked his perpetual thanksgiving and constant prayer: they responded to the Gospel. The Gospel reminds us that we are being conformed to the image of the Son. It also reminds us that we labor with the same tools, hands and feet as others but with different motives and results. In many cases we do the same thing but with a different song in our hearts. Paul was not there involved with the day-to-day, but he got the pleasure of knowing that the presence of the Lord is sufficient. He learned from this early church community a good lesson in life for disciples of Jesus: that the same Spirit that hovered over the waters in Creation is holding Gospel communities together in their work also. They worked (for each other and in the city) because they had faith in (trusted) the Lord. They toiled in difficulty even if things did not work out because God’s love loved them first. They bore down under pressure because their hope was in Jesus. And this is the nature of the day’s labor for believers. One good work evokes another good work and one “constantly” evokes another “constantly.” We work sometimes by remembering other believers’ work. The Thessalonians received the Gospel message that rang out without intermission, and they responded by working together incessantly. And while Paul may not be present to get involved with the day-to-day activities, it is not as though he was not working with them. Perhaps at three or four in the morning, you could hear him calling on the Father in heaven and mentioning the Thessalonians also. Lord, make me a person who cannot stop thinking about You and my fellow brothers and sisters. Help me to see the work of my local church and my fellow saints in the workplace. Matthew 5:1-2
We all teach whether we intend to or not. That’s especially true for those of us who follow Jesus. Admittedly, there are times when we are painfully aware of people watching us, listening intently to what we say, scrutinizing our every move. At other times, we are scarcely conscious of how we are being heard or seen. We assume that people’s attentions are elsewhere. But surprisingly, they are watching and listening, even when they seem not to be. If you doubt that claim, ask any parent of a teenager! Not many of us think of ourselves as teachers. Our modern conception of teaching is something that happens in a classroom. For some, it’s easy to disdain the classroom which seems far removed from what we call “the real world.” Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach!” But such an attitude impoverishes our own practice of living and teaching. Jesus models a different vision for teaching. As a Jewish Rabbi, Jesus integrates two vital aspects of teaching – instruction and practice, teaching and example. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Gospel of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Jesus embodies everything He teaches and teaches all that He embodies. As theologian Stanley Hauerwas puts it, “[Jesus’] life is but a commentary on the sermon, and the sermon is the exemplification of His life.” Jesus’ teaching as recorded in Matthew 5, which we know as “Sermon on the Mount” will be the focus of our next sermon series. Please note that I use the word “leader” in the widest possible sense. You may not feel like nor think of yourself as a “leader.” While you don’t have what appears to be “official” leadership roles in your current season of life, you are still very much a “leader” in my sense of that word. As a faithful disciple, we are an informal mentor to our many friends, serve in various areas of church ministries, and invest in a new generation of believers. In other words, we are every bit a leader as those who serve in more acknowledged and public leadership roles. So, please know that these reflections are meant for you too! One initial observation as we begin our journey “up on a mountainside” with Jesus. Teaching is so much more than just words, Matthew strikes a resonant chord with his readers by noting that Jesus “went up on a mountainside and sat down.” For his Jewish hearers, those actions vibrate with meaning. Matthew paints a picture of the Sermon on the Mount that harkens back to Israel’s formational moment as a covenant people: Moses going up Mt. Sinai to receive the gift of the covenant for God’s people. Matthew’s intent for this picture is inescapable. Jesus is the One who is to come who is greater than Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), who is bringing a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) to the world. But there is a notable and important difference in the setting between Mt. Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount. As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says so vividly, “You have not come to a mountain … that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm … to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them” (Hebrews 12:18-19). No, Jesus’ setting is remarkable in its understated ordinariness and, perhaps more importantly, in its welcoming hospitality. Jesus sits on a hillside with a group of His disciples talking about a new way of being human. Refreshingly, He uses remarkably direct and down-to-earth language, free of religious jargon. He speaks with little fanfare and with no drama. Except what He says will change the world, turning the world upside down by turning it right-side-up. That’s worth paying attention to. Matthew 3:16-17
The featured speaker at a particular dinner was a Catholic nun, and the only reason that this was unusual was that the dinner was a gathering of triathletes at Ironman Canada in 2006. The nun, Sister Madonna Buder, was not there to give a trite invocation before the meal but was a veteran participant asked to say a few words of encouragement to her fellow competitors. Nicknamed “Iron Nun,” Sister Madonna would become in 2012 the world record holder in her age group and the oldest person, at eighty-two, to complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run that makes up the Ironman Triathlon. A competitor herself with several age-group world records in several running events to her name, she wanted to remind that group of dedicated performers that the most important thing about them was true about them before they had performed at all. That evening her message was simple, “Tomorrow, when things get tough out there, remember, you were loved into existence. If you get discouraged and want to quit, if you get injured and can’t finish, if things don’t go the way you hope even though you have trained for this day for months or even years, even then remember: You were loved into existence.” Which was also true about Jesus. Before there was a single miracle, there was a voice. Before there was a single act of world transformation, there was an affirmation. Before Jesus had done anything for anyone, something was done to and for Him. He was baptized in the Jordan River and this word was spoken over Him: “This is My Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 3:17). While commentators affirm this passage as a kind of inauguration of the work that Jesus is about to undertake as Messiah, it’s a subtle but crucial point worth pausing on as we consider what it takes to serve well: before He had done anything, Jesus was already known, already loved, and already pleased His Father. This is important, not only because it is true and wondrous, and gives us great comfort, but also because it affirms a critical truth that disciples need to know: Resilient believers are grounded in something other than their success as a Christian. Resilient believers have a grounded identity. Their sense of self is not dependent upon the affirmation of those who celebrate them for their successes or laud them for their accolades. Truly resilient believers are grounded in the reality that they are already known and already loved, and are secure in that reality even when their circumstances are most unpredictable. The good news of God is that we are loved before we have accomplished anything. God is well-pleased in us before we have done anything to please Him. We are loved into existence. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and even if we fail in our efforts, as we surely may; God’s love for us never fails. God will complete God’s own work in us, and someday the justice will roll down and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign forever. Let this truth transform you. Let this deep truth deepen you. Let the love of God ground you. John 21:1-14
The Gospels tell the story of Jesus’s post-resurrection appearances. We hear about Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, and others at the tomb; we are told of those who met Jesus on the way to Emmaus; we read of the disciples gathering in an upper room, first without Thomas and then with him; and finally, in John 21, we hear this story of how the disciples, having gone back to their old occupation of fishing, encountered the Risen Lord on the beach. The Gospel of John can often sound very mystical and metaphorical. There are long theological passages about Jesus and other long theological passages spoken by Him. There are many acts performed by Jesus as “signs.” There are dramatic prophecies. But when the author of John decides to tell a story, he tells it with many vivid details – from Peter being so excited that he jumps into the water naked, to the precise count of fish in the un-torn net, to the charcoal fire and the fish breakfast Jesus prepared. (Luke 24:42 tells of how, when Jesus appeared in the upper room, He ate broiled fish to prove to them He was not a ghost.) I don’t know about other church experiences during the COVID years, but here at FECC Fullerton, we ceased to meet together for in-person worship in early 2020 and went for about one year, worshipping on YouTube. We first gathered again together in person early 2021. Our service with masks on and chairs distanced from each other, singing along to a keyboard, but we were together and we sang and we read the Bible and I preached and we received the Eucharist. When we gathered together for in person Easter Sunday 2022, indoors, our YouTube Easter Sundays of 2020 and 2021 strongly echoed in our minds. 2022 was the first Easter together. Then we celebrated Holy Communion in person again. I had presided over many Holy Communions as the pastor of the congregation since 2019. There were renewed joy in being together in person. Bible readings struck home. Pieces of the liturgy took on new meaning. The presence of the Risen Christ was palpable. The hymn, “We Know that Christ is Raised” that I’ve sung many times before struck me in a new way, especially this verse: We know that Christ is raised and dies no more. Embraced by death, He broke its fearful hold, and our despair He turned to blazing joy-- Alleluia! I thought, and think now, of those disciples on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius. Confused, caught between the old and the new, puzzled by their post-Resurrection meetings with Jesus, fishing in the dark and catching nothing. And then, all of a sudden—daylight, fish, and the one they loved most welcoming them to breakfast, “Come and have breakfast.” Embraced by death, He broke its fearful hold; and their despair—and ours—he turns to blazing joy. Alleluia. Lord, turn my despair to blazing joy. Amen and be filled with Your fullness—and then to share it. Amen. Today, we gather as a family of faith in joyous celebration and thanksgiving for what God has done in the 35 years of the life of our church, FECC. We have come this far not on our own but by the grace of God. From our mustard seed beginning in 1988, God has done amazing things, above and beyond what anyone could imagine. Through the ministry of this church, souls have been saved, lives transformed by the Gospel, and people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ through baptism. Praise be to God, our Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord. God has chosen to accomplish the work through His faithful servants, our sisters and brothers who, through the years, labored tirelessly and sacrificially in response to God’s call to partner in His work. I want to take this opportunity to thank Pastor Joseph Lao, our founding and Sr. Pastor for 34 years, past and present Directors, Deacons, Pastors, and countless coworkers. You and I stand on the work and foundation that they built for us, and we would be remiss if we did not pause to remember and thank God for them.
If we are honest though, through the years, we have not always gotten it right; no one is perfect. For this reason, we also come before the Lord acknowledging our shortcomings and confessing our need for His forgiveness, grace, and redemption. With His grace, we will move forward. We can take a lesson from driving. The rearview mirror is critical for safe driving. But if we spend all of our time looking in the rearview mirror, our journey will almost always end badly. We need to glance at the past occasionally for perspective and clarity. The rearview mirror is designed for reference, only for glancing from time to time, not for staring. As we celebrate our 35th anniversary, I want to share with you from the book of Nehemiah: “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (4:6) I believe that the work God has for us as a church is not completed. We are only halfway done. There is more yet to be done. Just like work on the wall, our work will not be accomplished by one person or a few people, but by all of us working together, as “we all return to the wall, each to our own work” (4:15). If the work is to be completed, we will need all hands on deck for the “work is extensive and spread out” (4:19). And we have the confidence that the work will be accomplished because “Our God will fight for us” (4:20) Like Nehemiah, as we continue to work on the assignment God has for us, we will encounter challenges and opposition from without. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we faithfully navigate an ever-fluid world and an ever-changing culture. We will also encounter challenges and difficulties from within, that may threaten to divide and conquer us. May God give us wisdom, discernment, faith, and courage in navigating both. May our constant prayer be, “Lord, now strengthen our hands” (6:9). As we work together, humbly submitting to God, our Father, we will be able to say to the Lord, “The wall was completed” (6:15). Sisters and brothers, on this anniversary, let us come together and give thanks to God for all He has done and seek His grace for where we have come up short of His will for us. I also want to invite each and every one of you to work together as partners of the Gospel. May we do so by glancing at our rearview mirror for reference, but placing our gaze and focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. For His Glory! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
In seminary, not only there are classes on how to interpret the Biblical text in English, but there are also classes on Biblical interpretation in Hebrew and Greek (The technical term for these later classes is “exegesis”). In my Greek exegesis class, one of the assignments was on Ephesians 3:14-21. I don’t remember every grammatical point I learned while working on the passage, but I do remember immersing myself very deeply into the text, thinking about what each word meant, how it was used elsewhere in the New Testament, what Paul might be trying to tell us by using it in this context. Studying the passage so very closely, I came away with the distinct sense that Paul’s sentences simply overflow with words. Even if you are reading it here for the first time in a while, you may get that sense, too. Paul’s prayer here for the church in Ephesus is extravagant. He wants them to be strengthened with power, to have Christ dwell in their hearts, to be rooted and grounded in love, to understand the “breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, to know His knowledge-surpassing love, and to be filled with God’s fullness. It is an amazing prayer when you think about it. I am exhausted just trying to summarize it! Paul is so excited, so astounded by the love of God, and so desperate for us to know how extravagant the love of God is that he can’t control his metaphors and syntax. How do you know something that surpasses knowledge? New Testament scholar and Pauline theologian N. T. Wright wrote in his book, “Surprised By Hope,” “Paul was good at richly mixed metaphors: in 1 Thessalonians 5, he says that the thief will come in the night, so the woman will go into labor, so you mustn't get drunk but must stay awake and put on your armor. As the television programs say, ‘Don't try that one at home.’” It’s a very audacious prayer. Working through it word-by-word years ago, it became a prayer for me and all of those I love, in the hope that we would experience God in all His breadth and length and height and depth. There are many other prayers in the Bible which are good to pray through for ourselves and the world around us (The Lord’s Prayer, for instance), but this is certainly one to add to your list. Two weeks ago, I preached on John 15 and how God wants us to abide in Him so that we may bear “much fruit.” The extravagant love of God is meant to produce an extravagant amount of fruit in our lives. It ought to remind us that, when we are being stingy, (whether it is with money or love or grace or kindness) “God is extravagant.” God has given this whole beautiful world for us to enjoy, and we are fighting over trivial issues like whether the church ought to have a new carpet, for instance. Instead, we ought to be praying that we, His people, might have the power to comprehend together, what is God’s breadth and length and height and depth. I think we ought to try that one at home. And in church, and at work, and everywhere. Lord, help us to know the love that surpasses knowledge and be filled with Your fullness—and then to share it. Amen. Isaiah 1:1-3
If you’re around my age, you might remember a classic series of television ads in the late 70’s that were as entertaining as they were informing. In the middle of some crowded, conversation-filled room, two people were talking about their investments. Then, one of them would say, “Well, my broker is E.F. Hutton. And E.F. Hutton says . . . ” Suddenly, the room became completely silent, everyone leaned in eagerly to hear the wisdom of E.F. Hutton. The voiceover would clarify, in case we missed the point, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” Would that this were true when God speaks! Sometimes it is. Other times it isn’t. Sometimes we pay attention to God’s words. But sometimes we don’t. Ambivalence about listening to God isn’t new. It was true centuries ago among the Israelites. Sometime in the eighth century B.C., the prophet Isaiah had a vision in which he heard the Lord speak. God’s message was not just for the children of Israel, however. It was for the whole earth, indeed, the whole universe: “Hear Me, you heavens! Listen, earth!” (Isaiah 1:2). The hosts of heaven and earth should pay attention to God’s words which, in this case, contained an indictment against His people for their rebellion. One result of this rebellion was that Israel did not know or understand God and His ways (Isaiah 1:3). In this, they were even less perceptive than animals. Whereas the “ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger,” God’s own people did not know God. Why did they not know the God who had redeemed them and formed them as a special people? The most obvious reason is that they did not listen when God spoke. Or, perhaps they listened, but soon forgot what the Lord had said. They rejected not only God’s commandments but also His revelation of Himself. When God spoke, they did not listen, nor did they obey. You and I can learn from their example to do otherwise. We can hear and respond positively to the call of Isaiah to listen when God speaks. By God’s grace, we can set our hearts to hear God so that we might indeed know God and His ways. If we’re going to hear God speak, we’ll need to quiet other distractive sounds and voices. If we’re spending every free moment on our phone, for example, it’s not likely that we’ll be in a place to hear God’s voice. The same is true if you’re somebody who prefers the sound of your own voice. Hearing God, really hearing God, requires us to learn to be quiet. Listening to God will also be disruptive at times. Well actually, most of the time. We will be disturbed when God confronts our sin and calls us to right living. God’s word will be disruptive in a different way as we hear the Good News of His love for us in Christ, a love that never lets us go, a love that transforms us and every aspect of our lives. No other disruption is more merciful, more restoring, and more needed today. So, as Isaiah calls us to, let’s be ready to hear from God. When God speaks, may we listen! May our prayer be, “Speak, O Lord, and I will listen! Amen.” John 15:4
In the metaphor of the vine in John 15, Jesus declares that He is the vine and His father is the vine-grower. The careful pruning of branches as part of a growth process. In recent years, we have experienced a stripping and a violent cutting down of things that once were fruitful and flourishing. Things that seemed to work pre-COVID no longer work now. How can the Living Vine speak into life in today’s world? Nothing that I write today will be able to change your circumstances, yet my hope and prayer is that it can change your center. The word “abide” is used nine times in nine verses in this passage. The word as it is used here means: “to remain, to stay, not to depart, to continue to be present and to be held.” It is not a static word. It is an active word, an active response to God’s presence in the face of pain. It is an invitation to believe, to faithfully follow, to persevere and to continue to trust, even and especially when the news can rob us of any hope and peace. The vine remains steady, strong, and steadfast. The vine resists quickness and easy-fixes, just like this writing isn’t a quick fix, because abiding is slow. The vine invites us to resist productivity and instead to be present. If the pandemic did anything it changed my perception of production, which was stripped of any extravagance during the pandemic. Productivity looks different now. The simple vine is our life-giving source that we can return to time and time again in times of anxiety. Our Christian life has a center and a source. The soul of our service and ministry also has a soil. The vine is our starting point, our base, our origin, our beginning and our end. The vine is the Alpha and the Omega and everything in between. The vine is not separated from pain but proximal to it. The vine sustains all things by God’s powerful word in the midst of the storm. The vine also holds us when we stand in the tension and waver between abiding and being apart. The vine invites us to return and remain without question as to why we fluctuated in the first place. To return to the vine is to return to the root: it is thick, strong, deep, and wide. The vine does the work. Our work is only to remain connected as we abide. The fruit we bear will flow from that living connection. I believe the soil is the steadfast and unconditional love of God that nourishes the vine, which in turn holds us and upholds us. The Vine is Jesus and we are the branches in desperate need of abiding. Our service and ministry, indeed every ounce of our lives, must depend on being connected to the vine. May you be deeply rooted in the soil of God’s love and may you be held and upheld, sustained by the source. May the soul of your discipleship grow a thick and deep root in the soil of God’s own love. My hope is to remind you to stay connected to the soil of God’s own love for you and your community. Abide in this love today. The harvest of this abiding will come tomorrow. There’s nothing more that you need to produce today. The vine invites you to be present today. Be present to yourself, to God, and to others. We are in this struggle with one another. You are not alone. Luke 9:24-25
Back in January 2021, there was a BBC article with the headline: “Elon Musk becomes world's richest person as wealth tops $185bn.” As it turned out, Tesla stock value had increased dramatically at the time, propelling Musk (founder of Tesla) ahead of Bezos (founder of Amazon). Elon Musk’s response to the news of his material prominence was rather amusing if not impressive. When Twitter announced that Musk was now the world’s wealthiest person, he tweeted, “How strange.” Followed by, “Well, back to work . . . .” Elon Musk is an unusual person, to say the least. Though he is wealthy beyond what any of us might imagine, he is curiously uninterested in “gaining the whole world.” In fact, he is not sure the world is going to be around for much longer. Musk is spending half of his fortune to establishing “a self-sustaining city on Mars to ensure the continuation of life (of all species) in case Earth gets hit by a meteor like the dinosaurs or WW3 happens and we destroy ourselves.” Ironically, both Elon Musk and Jesus are less than enthusiastic about “gaining the whole world,” though in different ways. For Musk, the problem lies in the fact that the world might be destroyed someday. For Jesus, the problem with gaining the whole world is what you give up in return. Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). If we seek only for success in this world, if we desire only to save and enrich our earthly life, then we will lose our life. Even if we remain physically alive, we will lose our inner life, our eternal life. What ought we to strive for if not for earthy life and financial gain? Jesus said those who want to follow Him should “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). He suggested that we must not be “ashamed” of Him and His words (Luke 9:26). Rather than seeking our own benefit, we should seek instead to give our whole life to following Jesus, to being devoted to Him and His teachings. Elsewhere, Jesus urged us to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). The top priority of our life should be to live intentionally each day with God as the ruler of our lives. We should seek God’s ways in all that we do, offering all we are to God and His purposes. Yes, in a sense we are giving up our lives to Jesus. But, in the process, we are receiving His life in return, abundant life, life as God intended it to be, both in this age and in the age to come. When that happens, we become immeasurably rich, not in dollars, but in God. We have confident hope in “the riches of His [God’s] glorious inheritance in His holy people” (Ephesians 1:18). Though we begin to experience God’s grace right now, we look forward to the time when God will “show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7) Elon Musk is worth only $248 billion these days. Nobody can even measure just how rich you are in Jesus Christ. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
When it comes to our faith, God doesn’t intend for us to stand still. He wants us to keep moving and growing. In fact, God’s plan for His children includes a lifetime of prayer, praise, and spiritual growth. The journey toward spiritual maturity can and should last a lifetime: As Christians, we must continue to grow in the love and the knowledge of our Savior as long as we live. When we cease to grow, either emotionally or spiritually, we do ourselves and our loved ones a profound disservice. But, if we study God’s Word, if we obey His commandments out of love for Him, and if we live in the center of His will, we will not be “stagnant” believers; we will, instead, be growing Christians and that’s exactly what God wants for our lives. Many of life’s most important lessons are painful to learn. During times of heartbreak and hardship, we must be courageous and we must be patient, knowing that in His own time, God will heal us if we invite Him into our hearts. Spiritual growth need not take place only in times of adversity. We must seek to grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord every day that we live. In those quiet moments when we open our hearts to God, the One who made us keeps remaking us. He gives us direction, perspective, wisdom, and courage. The appropriate moment to accept those spiritual gifts is the present one. Are we as mature as we’re ever going to be? Hopefully not! When it comes to our faith, God doesn’t intend for any of us to become “fully grown,” at least not in this lifetime. In fact, God still has important lessons that He intends to teach every one of us. So let’s ask ourselves this: what lesson is God trying to teach me today? And then go about the business of learning it. I am offering a 6 weeks discipleship boot camp in English from July 8 to August 20: one class on Saturdays at 9:30AM to 11AM and another on Sundays 11:30AM to 1PM. Join me to learn to live as a His Story Maker! “Maturity in Christ is about consistent pursuit in spite of the attacks and setbacks. It is about remaining in the arms of God. Abiding and staying, even in my weakness, even in my failure.”—Angela Thomas Jesus in me loves you & so do I, pe |
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