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Well, today as I have said is a special weekend because our nation celebrates our 50th Birthday and whilst, we have all these festivities and so on, there is one man who is sorely missed by the nation, isn’t it?  And it will be our late founding Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

He is a respected man in our land.  We know that from the massive outpouring of grief during his funeral a few months ago, but for the Jews, for the Hebrews, for the nation of Israel, they also have their heroes and indeed they have a long illustrious line of heroes.  You will think about father Abraham, you may think about king David but there is one man of particular interest for us today and his name is Moses.

Now Moses, without a shadow of a doubt is one of the greatest, if not, the greatest of the Old Testament throughout history.

Moses is the man uniquely chosen by God to deliver the nation from bondage, from slavery in Egypt.  Moses gave up everything.  He gave up his ah … his royalty, he gave up the possibility of becoming maybe the next Pharaoh, he gave it all up to be with the people of Israel to suffer with them.

I mean, Moses was extraordinary.  He met with God out of a burning bush.  He confronted Pharaoh, waged war against the most powerful man on earth then.

I mean, he called down the 10 plagues. It’s like a battle a war against the false gods of Egypt. Moses led the nation out of Egypt across the Red Sea, led them for the next 40 years.  He alone met with God at Mount Sinai, received the 10 commandments came down with a glow on his face that people could not see him because he was so glorious.

Moses was the one who gave instructions about the building of the tabernacle where God’s special presence resides.  I mean, Moses was amazing.

He is responsible for the first five books of the Bible but what does God say about Moses.  Well the Bible is equally. Arr … complimentary of this man.

The Bible says:
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
(Exodus 33:11 ESV)

Very unique, for this hero of Israel. “Not so with my servant Moses.  He is faithful in all my house.  With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.
(Numbers 12:7-8 ESV)

And then again in Deuteronomy:
There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him.”
(Deuteronomy 34:10-11 ESV)

Fast forward, thousands of years later, around the time of Jesus, well, Moses is still very revered and well respected, we see that Jesus Himself said that the Israelites, the nation of Israel, the religious leaders set their hopes on Moses.

They looked to Moses and the first five books and the law in particular, they regard him highly and then the leaders themselves say,“we are disciples of Moses.
(John 9:28 ESV)

Thereafter, the Bible has a lot of mentions of Moses about 70 times mention of Moses in the New Testament.

Now, that’s a lot and the legacy of Moses lives right up till today.  You speak to any Jew, you speak to people who are Hebrews, and they will tell you, we follow Moses.  Thousands of years, I mean Mr. Lee Kuan Yew we mourned his loss several months later but I am not so sure what it would look like ten years later, fifty years later, hundred years later. Maybe the future generation might have long gone forgotten about our founding Prime Minister, I don’t know, but for thousands of years, people still regard Moses. Great guy!

But today, we’re going to talk about not just Moses, because we’re going to focus on someone even greater than Moses, that’s the whole idea of the Book of Hebrews that Jesus is truly great.  The supremacy of Jesus that He’s greater than the prophets, He’s greater than the angels, and right here in Chapter 3, He’s greater than Moses, that’s what we’re going to look at.

Look at the words:
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house, for Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.”
(Hebrews 3:1-3 ESV)

There is a comparison between Moses and Jesus. The reference here to Moses is clear. Moses was complimented in that he was faithful in all of God’s house, now of course, we know he had some errors, some mis-steps here and there but by and large overall he was really faithful but there is someone who is counted worthy of more glory than Moses and that is Jesus and so the author here makes a comparison and then it tells us we need to consider Jesus.

I mean, He is greater. Now, you say why is Jesus greater than Moses?  The author proves it to you:-

Number 1:
He says, “Jesus is greater than Moses because the builder of the house has more honor than the house itself.
(Hebrews 3:1-4 ESV)

What’s a house? The house here represents or refers to the people of God, the nation of Israel.  So the logic is, this now Moses is great guy wonderful but at the end of the day, Moses is just part of the people of Israel, he is one of them but Jesus is the builder of these people, of course, He is greater!

Logic number 2:
Jesus or rather let me show also this interesting phrase in verse 4, the builder of all things is God.
(Hebrews 3:1-4 ESV)

By the way, this is one of the clearest verses to prove the divinity, the deity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the builder, the builder of all things is God, Jesus is God, clear!  Second Logic.

Why Moses or Jesus is greater than Moses?

Because Moses was faithful as a servant but Jesus as a son.
(Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV)

When I read this, I think about Batman, you watch Batman? Superman? Batman? And you know Batman is about Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne has a servant called Alfred, right? Alfred.  You’ve watched the “Dark Knight Rises”, “The Dark Knight,” don’t know what, I can’t remember, but you never heard “Alfred Rises,” you never heard about “Alfred, The Butler,” I mean, nobody makes a movie out of “Alfred, The Butler” because truly Bruce Wayne is greater than Alfred because Bruce is the son and Alfred is the servant, so it’s clear.

Jesus is greater because He is the Son, Moses is the servant and then,

The third logic, why Jesus is greater is because:
Moses did not really speak about himself but Moses ministry was to testify of things that were to spoken later.
(Luke 24:44 ESV)

He’s gonna talk about Jesus. Jesus, Himself knew that, in Luke 24 he says, “Moses spoke about me.”

and then again in John 5 Moses wrote of me,
(John 5:46 ESV)

and then in Acts 28, Paul preached Jesus from the Law of Moses so if you look at all these.
(Acts 28:23 ESV)

It’s clear that the logic of the author is a solid one. Moses is a great guy but let me tell you, Jesus is greater!  Greater, because He is the builder of the house, He is the Son and He is the ultimate fulfillment whereas Moses is just the foreshadowing of it all.

Now if you really think further, you see how Moses is great or Jesus is greater, with a little comparison here.

Now Moses, what did he do?
1. Great guy, because he delivered his people Israel.
2. Great guy because he saved them from slavery to Egypt. 3. Great guy because he gave up all of these world’s glory.
4. Wonderful chap because he crossed the Red Sea.
5. Amazing person because he sets up the tabernacle.
6. He delivered the law from God to the people and ahh … 7. it was contained in tables of stone and his ministry through the Leviticus priesthood is a very clear one,
8. reminding people of their sinfulness day after day.

So very wonderful important character in the Bible. Regarded, respected by all the Jews.

But consider Jesus today, when he:
1.    Delivered not his people but he delivered his enemies. Jesus came for his enemies. He came to die for his enemies not those who love him but those who hate him.
2.    Jesus delivers us not from slavery to a particular monarch or human King but he came to save us from sin, death and hell. Absolute bondage no one could break through but Jesus came and He is able to save us.
3.    Jesus gave up the glories of heaven.  He gave up the communion with the father. He gave up everything not just what this little world could offer.
4.    Jesus crossed the river of death.
5.    Jesus, Himself is the temple of God. He did not need to set up something else.  He said, I am the temple, in John, the Gospel of John.
6.    Jesus did not just deliver the law, he fulfilled the law. He absolutely fulfilled it in every aspect.
7.    Jesus didn’t just write the laws on table or stones but he gave it to the hearts of those who have believed in Him and
8.    Jesus did not just remind us of sin making us feel miserable about ourselves but Jesus came to forgive us of our sins.

Now, if you push this line of reasoning it is very obvious Jesus is greater, so the author here says something very reasonable, “Consider Jesus.”
(Hebrews 3:1 ESV)

I mean it’s important Moses should be respected but there is someone even greater and that’s Jesus. Now it’s 10 minutes, 15 minutes and I’ve finished explaining Hebrews 3, verses 1 to 6, really that’s all there is.

We can close shop here, you can switch off, can go home and said, “All right, Pastor, I’ve learnt one truth, I learnt one thing, Jesus greater than Moses, you said so what!” Huh! So that’s the question we asked.  So why? Why?

Why does the author take pain to make a comparison and say well, “Consider Jesus.” What’s the problem?   What’s the problem?  This, I think is the key to understanding this passage. You got to know what’s the problem? What’s the context?

The issue at hand here is this, the Jews, the Hebrews, maybe because of persecution, because of fear, because of peer pressure, they are now tempted to leave Jesus and go back to Moses.  See, you’ve got to understand, these are guys who were raised in the Mosaic Law.  They are familiar with it, for their whole life they’ve been conditioned, obey the Law and maybe God will have favor upon you.

Now recently, maybe recently, they’ve converted, they repented of their sins, believed in Jesus Christ and so they followed Jesus but persecutions come, peer pressure around them. Maybe out of fear, maybe this is not quite the right thing, they are tempted to leave the grace, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and go back to Moses to justify themselves, to earn favor with God, to find acceptance with the father.

So, in the light of such a pressure such a tendency, the author of Hebrews says, “Stop!” Don’t leave Jesus and go back to Moses, Jesus is greater, in one word, the problem and the setting of Hebrews 3, verses 1 to 6 is the problem of legalism.

“Wah! Big word, Pastor.” I told you it’s a bit “chim” [local dialect colloquial which means "deep". Used to describe something or a situation that is extremely hard to understand or comprehend. Variants include nouns such as chim-inology, chim-ness] but it’s gotta be a word that you’ve got to see first.  They’re stricken with this; they are possibly going to be stricken with this problem of legalism.

You say, “What is legalism?” It’s not even in the Bible, I agree with you.  This [book], this word is not even in the Bible but this concept is very much in the Bible.  It’s a dangerous problem.  What’s the problem?   What’s the definition of legalism?

Legalism is obeying the law to earn God’s favor. Simply put, I’ve tried and cut as many words as I can and give you the essence of it.

Legalism is obeying the law to earn God’s favor.

So I obey the 10 commandments. Why? So that I earn God’s favor, so that God will be happy with me, so that God will now love me, so that God will now accept me to go to heaven, so that God will now be dispensing of all my sins, so I obey so that, God can finally embrace me -– that’s legalism!

Why do I offer the sacrifices?  So that God will like me.  Why do I help the poor? So that God will like me -– that’s legalism.

Legalism is obeying the law to earn God’s favor.

Is this a big problem? Absolutely! Because it is not just for the people of ah ... this author’s writing. In fact, this problem is so severe there’s a whole letter, whole book in the Bible that deals with this one problem. You said which book? Which letter deals with legalism? The book is Galatians.

It’s called the “Galatian Error.” Actually, the “Galatian Error” is equal legalism.  What’s the problem? The people at Galatia are trying or are in danger of slipping to that understanding that I need to obey God to earn God’s favor.

Now, let me give you a jet tour through Galatians. Jet tour, really fast. No time to sight see. Fu..umm .. fly over, that’s it!

We start off with Galatians 1, it says, “Eh.. I’m so shocked with you guys. I told you about Jesus, I told you how He died for your sins, how there is grace in Him, you’re forgiven, His grace is sufficient but how come you so quickly desert that and turn to a different Gospel?”
(Galatians 1:6 ESV)

You turned to a different way of saving yourself, you ... you start to think that you can save yourself by obedience to some of the rituals and rights and laws.

That’s why, he goes on chapter 2, I told you it’s a jet tour. Chapter 2, it says, “Eh, please know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, don’t leave Jesus and go to Moses.  The law of Moses cannot save you, stay with Jesus that’s his point.”

Why? Because by the works of the law, no one will be justified.
(Galatians 2:16 ESV)

Chapter 2 verse 21, if you can justify yourself by the law, then Christ died for no purpose if you could save yourself.
(Galatians 2:21 ESV)

Why did Jesus have to come to die? Legalism doesn’t work; otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come.

He goes on to say in Chapter 3, jet tour, “no one is justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith,”
(Galatians 3:10-11 ESV)

You say, “Pastor, why can’t we be justified by the law?  Well, because, if you are under the law, you are under a curse, what kind of curse?

The curse is this. Everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them, you’ll be cursed.   You want to … you want to earn God’s favor by obedience? Then, make sure you obey everything. If you don’t, it doesn’t count.  Wah.. this kind? “jialat” na! [local dialect colloquial, which literally means, "sapping strength". Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation].  Imagine you said to your son, “if you don’t obey me in everything, you are not my son.” But your son is going to throw his hands in air, is hopeless! Indeed it is hopeless!

Therefore, no one is justified before God by the law.  So Chapter 4, he says, “eh how, how can you?  How can you turn back again?  You came from trying to fulfill the law, you believe in Jesus, how come you so quickly turned back to, to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world who slaves you want to be once more again.    You observe the days, the months, the seasons, the years.”
(Galatians 4:9-11 ESV)

You try to observe all the rituals and ceremonies, to justify yourself, how can you do that? Why would you do that?”

I mean, Jesus has set you free.  The Gospel of grace, God, sending His Son to die for you, sets you free, so stand firm, don’t mmm … fudge around, don’t go back, do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1-2 ESV)

This burden of slavery of trying to obey in order to earn God’s favor.  That’s why you don’t need to be circumcised to be saved - its obedience to the law. So, legalism - pervasive problem.

I mean, Paul has to address it in Galatia, the author has to address it to the Hebrews, you say how does it look like in church today. I tell you how does it look like? It looks like this.

I come to church so that God can save me, now I’m putting it very crudely, very bluntly, because you’ve got to see it. Out of a group like this, there may be some who come to church weekly so that this is your kind of a time chit. You know how you go to work you punch your card right?  This is what time I appear.  This is what time I leave. So every Sunday, you are punching your time chit, punch, punch, punch, punch, punch, so that at the end of life, you can stand before God and God, “look at my time chit. I was a very good churchgoer, very faithful, I come before the Pastor comes, I come every week even when I am sick, I come. So God, you see I’m a good guy, I hope I’ve earned your favor.”

That’s what? – Legalism.

“See God, I’m … I’m so active in ministry in this church. I do so many things. I am in children ministry, I’m the worship team, I… I… I helped out in the York Hill work, I lead a care group, see my, I have only 4 limbs but I do 5 things.  I am an amazing guy.  So God you’ve got to love me.”

“Hey, God, I’m a good boy today you know I didn’t sin, I didn’t do that thing which I did yesterday so surely this must count and matters somewhat with you.”

So this kind of thinking sips into us. It’s very natural, in fact, every, I say this. I think I am right in this, every other religion, east, west, north, south, whatever … Angmoh [local dialect colloquial which literally means "red hair” - a term for people of Caucasian descent], Indian, Chinese.

Every religion in this world operates on legalism. I will get a better life because I’ve been good, that’s it.  Your better life can be the next life?  Reincarnation? Whatever? But I’ll get a better life because I’m good. That’s the thinking - Legalism.

Every religion tells you that. Some of you in church maybe legalists, because you say, “Oh, I didn’t do my quiet time, tsk… sssshhh. I didn’t read my Bible, so I think God will not love me today.” So, you feel very lousy because yesterday you didn’t do your quiet time. God is going to tekan [malay:Bully/Torture/Put under pressure. Military slang for punishments] me and I’m going to get it from you and he hates me now.

Or you say, “God, yesterday my quiet time 2 hours. Today, all my events will “顺顺利利”[shun’4 shun4 li4 li4, local dialect colloquial which means smooth going/sailing] all my events will be smooth because you love me and I am such a good boy.” This performance mindset, this is actually a heart of insecurity, you know that. That you are not really confident of God’s unchanging love for you – and so we slipped to being goody-two-shoes, in order to earn God’s favor - Legalism.

Now, legalism is a big problem, how do you solve it?  How do you cure this disease? It’s very important to cure this disease because this problem of legalism is totally ineffective in salvation. I’ve already showed you why it’s ineffective, no one will be justified by the works of the law, it’s ineffective, you try your very best but we’re never good enough. God is so holy, we are so sinful, no matter what you do, you are never good enough.  So by legalism, no one will be justified.

I tell you, it is not just ineffective, it is offensive to God.

God hates legalism.  Say why? Very simple, legalism is coming to God in pride and say, “God you are indebted to me, because I’ve been good.  You’ve got to save me.”  It won’t work because God tells us, “Salvation is a gift not of your own doing.  Why?  It cannot be your own doing; it cannot be a result of works so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

Legalism is coming to God and say, “God, I’ve been a good boy, you’re indebted to save me, here am I.” Now, God hates that because you are trying to get glory. So it may seem fine for us but it is ineffective, your works don’t count and it is offensive because you’re trying to boast before God by your works. Legalism doesn’t cut it.

However, it’s so instinctive in all of us isn’t it?   All of us are such natural self-justifiers. It drives many things we do today. Your obedience, you going to care groups, you serving in ministry, you coming to church, a lot of that motivation maybe legalism, the desire to earn God’s favor by obeying His laws.

Now, what’s the cure? What’s the cure to this disease that is so pervasive? This disease of legalism.  The cure, as the author says is to consider Christ.
(Hebrews 3:1 ESV)

The word, “consider “means to think long and hard.  It’s not a casual glance but really to consider Christ and it goes on to say to hold fast, to hold tight.
(Hebrews 3:6 ESV)

Sounds very similar to what Paul says in “stand firm” and “stand therefore.” Say, “what do I think about Jesus, well, consider Jesus.  How he is the creator of the ages, the sustainer of all things, the Lord above all, yet the same great God who incarnated to be man, who is now our pioneer to open the way of salvation, who is now our brother, to be one of us, to now, who is our mediator, who is our faithful and merciful High Priest.

Consider his grace, consider his sacrifice, consider that he said, it is finished, hold on tight and don’t let go.

Because if you don’t consider Jesus, you’re going to slip into legalism. You’re going to slip into justifying yourself by your own works. I suggest to you that’s why as a church, we must always be preaching Jesus.  You know why churches after a while, lose the Gospel because our tendency is never to drift towards Jesus if we don’t actively consider Jesus. We’re going to drift towards works. We’re going to not have a spiritual people but a moral people and that’s very very different.

That’s why I think, when you raise your kids, I often say this, when you raise your kids, don’t just give them the law. Don’t just tell them do this, do this, don’t do this, don’t do that, do this do this, you’ve got to help them see Jesus that they may find new life in Jesus.  That’s why our children ministry, we want to go for the Gospel because the law can’t save. That’s why in our pulpit ministry; it’s got to be the Gospel.  We’ve got to stand firm in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ to change.

Now, as we consider these things about coming to the Gospel, to be centered in the Gospel, to be saturated in the grace of God, this question will arise.

“Pastor, then are you saying the law is bad? “Walua!” [local dialect colloquial, which means an exclamation of shock same as  Wah Seh is from Hokkien word] you make law sound like “jialat”[local dialect colloquial which literally means "sapping strength". Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation] better don’t mention the law. Law is bad.”

Is the law bad?  Is the law bad?

You give law a bad name? Huh, now I want to be clear, law is not bad.

Paul says, “What then shall we say that the law is seen by no means and yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.”
(Romans 7:7 ESV)

Now there are many reasons why God gives the law, there are many, don’t be over simplistic in it, all right.  The scriptures does give you very ah… a full picture of the purpose of the law but one real clear purpose of the law is to reveal sin to us.

I picture the law as an x-ray machine.  Now you think you are fine today, you look beautiful, handsome, you are sprightly, hey, but one day, this guy brings an x-ray machine, shines it upon your body and on x-ray they could see a whole big tumour in your tummy.  What did the x-ray machine do? Shows you your disease!

Now we stand before God and we think ah, we are actually quite a good guy, I compare myself with others, I don’t have many character flaws, I’m not a murderer, drunkard, adulterer, but take God’s law and shine it on your soul and you see that you have spiritual cancer.  See how terribly sinful we are, to see that we are actually very proud and selfish that we are people who are covetous, we are people full of anger and hatred and unforgiveness, to see that we are full of, we’re … our heads are full of adultery, greed and jealously and that we have many gods in our lives.

The x-ray of God’s word shows us up.  Now, when we go to x-ray machine and the x-ray shows you your cancer, what do you do?  What do you do? You cry, yes, you cry?  And when people know God’s Word, the law - you cry, you should cry for your sin, right? But what do you do with x-ray?

Have you seen this guy who sees the tumour in his x-ray and then he goes to the x-ray machine and says, “Please, save me! Save me from my cancer!”  Anyone seen that before? No! No one runs to the x-ray machine to save him.  He runs to the doctor and that’s precisely the point.

The law is not a bad thing.  It’s very useful to show you your problem but please don’t go to the law and say, “law, please save me.” The law cannot save you. Only the doctor can and Jesus is the spiritual doctor who came to save us from our sins, so law is not bad but realize its limitation is to show you your sins but it cannot save you from your sins.

“But Pastor, then is clear that the law is not a bad thing but what about obeying the law? You, you make it sound like obeying the law is a bad thing?” Is it a bad thing to obey the law?   It can be a bad thing, it can be a good thing, it depends on why you obey the law.

You see:
Legalism is about obeying the law to earn God’s favor.

Now, don’t … don’t throw out this obeying the law.  Problem is not about obeying the law; the problem is the second part, to earn God’s favor.

So the whole issue is your reason, your motivation. Obeying the law can be a good thing if you love the Lord, but it could be a terrible thing, if you try to bribe God and earn his favor! So it depends really!

Let me put it to you in this way:
Legalism says you obey so that God loves you.

Ah, I go to church so that God loves me. I do my quiet time so that God loves me.  I serve in church so that God loves me. I am doing all these so that I can save my skin.

What does the Gospel say?
The Gospel says:  God loves you so you obey.

Do you see the radicality of this Gospel message?  It’s totally different.  Absolutely different! You don’t obey to earn God’s favor but God loves you unconditionally and when you have encountered this grace deeply in your heart, you go and you obey not to earn God’s favor but because you love God.

Remember the encounter Jesus had with the woman caught in adultery. Jesus didn’t say to her, ”Arrr, you go and sin no more, then I see whether I forgive you or not, right?” That’s what we would have said, “go be a good person then I’ll forgive you.”  Jesus flipped it the other way round in the Gospel when he says, “neither do I condemn you, now you are sinful, but I don’t condemn you, I forgive you and then he says, “go and sin no more.”

God loves you so you obey.  You don’t obey so that God loves you.  You obey because God loves you but you got to wrap your head around this because I know it’s difficult because by nature by instinct and for every religion in the world it tells you this.

That’s why we need to consider Jesus, get that Gospel clear, deep into our hearts, so that we will really have real change from the inside out.  We’re not going to do things, go care groups, serve in ministries, to earn God’s favor.

I mean, that’s self-centered, it’s obedience without adoration but when it’s Gospel-infused, oh, its radical and it gives God great glory. Because now you really served for God not for yourself. You really want to pursue Godliness for God not for yourself.  It’s only possible in the Gospel.

Now I am greatly indebted to the book of Romans for theology.  It is fascinating if you think about it.   Look at Romans 5, it says, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the holy spirit.
(Romans 5:5)

Now, if you just read Romans 5 and chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in fact, you would know that Paul’s reasoning is, we are all sinners, you can’t justify yourself by the deeds of the law and God so loved us that He commended his love towards us while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So, it means when you were not worthy you did not, you did not do anything that merits favor, He favored you, he loves you and he poured into your hearts His love.

Now what happens after that?  Is that he says now that you have encountered this love, love God, by the mercies of God now present yourself a living sacrifice
(Romans 12:1)

And when you really do that, the expression of it will be seen when you love your neighbor as yourself and look at this, love is the fulfilling of the law.
(Romans 13:9-10)

So what is the biblical order for the Gospel transformed life?

God loves you first, not you obey first, God loves you first, you encountered that grace, and now you want to serve others because you love God and when you do that, you really fulfilled the law. Never invert this. So many of us, we do this; we love one another so that maybe God will be happy with me? And love me? No! It’s top down, it’s Romans 5 to Romans 13, don’t reverse Romans 13 to Romans 5. It’ll be tragic. It’s very simple.

Christine Hoover says this:
Is the explosive power of the Gospel. Because when you have encounter with the radicality of this Gospel, it frees you from yourself because you don’t have to serve yourself by justifying yourself in works anymore.

You are truly freed, truly freed from having to prove your worth truly, freed from this performance trap, truly freed and enable to serve and to live for God and the sake of others.  That’s grace!

Biblical balance grace doesn’t lead us to legalism, neither leads us to licentiousness or lawlessness but there is liberty, but use this liberty not for yourself but for God and for others.  There is no other way you can have true liberty except in the Gospel.  No other way.

Collin Hansen says:
The Gospel of grace now gives us more power than we ever had before to obey God’s law; albeit with radically changed motivation.

“Cheh! Say very “chim ah” Collin what are you talking about??”  Well, look at the next phrase he says:

So while we are freed from the law, as a law, as a system of salvation, we are freed for the law as a way to be liberated from self in service to God and others.

I know I’ve“chim”you guys out and you’re probably saying, what in the world is happening on National Day?

But I think there is no more than important message than a message that centers us in the Gospel of grace because we are such legalist-addicts, you know that. We are always questioning our quiet time, our sins, our attendance in church and there is this wicked part of us that thwart and twist all that, as a means to bribe God because we have not been firmly entrenched in the Gospel of grace. We see people reserving their lives, we see people not giving of themselves, we see people locked in to their little world. Why? Because they have not encountered grace in a radical way in their souls, in their hearts.

We see people today still coming to church trying to earn salvation. Why? Because they have not understood that grace is sufficient to set you free and let this grace spilled over from salvation into your sanctification, and then into your service so that our lives will be one that entirely glorifies God.  That’s why it’s so important. Now I understand why John says, “the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
(John 1:17 ESV)

Moses gave a good thing to us, don’t despise that. The law is wonderful, the law is a necessary x-ray machine to help me see my problem but Moses’ law is not going to save me.  My obedience is not going to save me.  Jesus is going to save me. He is the great physician, grace comes through Jesus Christ.

This morning, you might have been someone who has been attending church service since you were five, now you are 15, now you are 20; you are wondering when will it ever be enough for me to be good enough for God. I tell you, you will never be good enough for God.  You are never worthy of God’s favor but this amazing Gospel truth - God loves you even when you are unworthy and He gives you His Son, turn from your sin and believe in him and you will be saved.

Some of you today are living in guilt and fears and insecurities, you are in worries and panic because you just did some terrible thing and you feel that God will never forgive you.  Let me tell you the grace of Jesus is greater than all our sins, know this and let this liberate you from yourself so that you may liberate yourself for the sake of God and for others. I pray this message of the Gospel will be the central message of our church, of our lives, so that there will be a true radicality in all of us.

Not that kinda reserved,“kiasu, kiasi”, [local dialect colloquial: kiasu means to be afraid of losing and kiasi means to be afraid of dying] and kind of a life style where we are always trying to save ourselves but a life where we can give of ourselves because God has given himself for all of us. My friends, today, Moses is a great guy but Jesus is greater. Preach, saturate, consider deeply the Gospel of grace for yourselves.

Let’s bow for a word of prayer together.   How amazing is the grace of God.  No prince, no ruler, no Albert Einstein could ever conceptualize a glorious plan of salvation as God did. With such radicality He could love His enemies, give of His best – Jesus, so that we might be saved.  This, my friends, is the Gospel of grace.

If you are here today, hoping to chalk up some points, scratch that all out, because none of your points are points to God.  All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, the Bible says.  But Jesus has chalked up all the points you need, He has fulfilled the law, He has lived that perfect life and it’s going to credit that righteousness to you when you turned from your sin and believe in Him.  You said, “How can this be?” Oh yes, that’s why we are going to praise God forever and ever in the heavens above.

What amazing grace! And this grace could be received in your hearts this day, when you repent and turn to Jesus?  Would you do that this morning? You said, “Moses is great. It’s good to be a good person, it’s good to be obedient but Moses can’t save me.  I realized only Jesus can.”  He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, so friends, would you come to Jesus today?

I speak today to all my brothers and sisters in Christ, maybe this legalist in you have spilled over into sanctification and service.  Obeying God is a great thing but why? Do you obey today, why? So that you may prove yourself worthy?  So that you may not lose His love? Then folks, you have not been established in grace and you are going back to Galatians.  Why do you want to turn to those poor elementary things of the world when there is a marvelous grace of Jesus that covers all our sins?

My friends, don’t you yearn for that kind of life that is all about Jesus - how do you get there?  You get there when the Gospel gets to your heart; you get there when the grace of Jesus goes deeper into your soul. So pray that God will show His love to you more and more that it’ll radically change the innermost part of your being and when we do that, God will do his work and he’ll be glorified through us.

Jesus is greater because he brings in the grace and we thank God for that, don’t we? Whatever it is you need to speak to God about, take this time and I pray it will be a blessing to you, you’ll walk out of this room renewed, refreshed, reinvigorated by the explosive power of the Gospel.

So Father, we thank You this morning for speaking to us, bless Your Church, bless each one here.  How we thank You today for that amazing good news of Jesus Christ, save souls and draw Your people nearer to Your heart. We thank You that we stand today in Christ alone, we ask all this now in Jesus Name, Amen.

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