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I'd like to begin right away in the sermon. So let me begin with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is introduced as the 45th president of the United States of America this year. The inauguration process took some four to five days. It was an elaborate process in that there were many components to his inauguration.

Of course, the swearing-in itself is the ultimate point. But before that, there were dinners and balls and luncheons. Donald Trump would also have to go on a street parade, and there was even a prayer service that was held. So there were many parts, long process, several days before he was officially announced and introduced to America as the president of the United States.

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Now, when we come to our King, Jesus Christ, what would that inauguration be like? What would be the introduction of His public ministry look like? We've been studying the book of Matthew and the book of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, really seeks to display Jesus as our King. The first ten chapters of Matthew is about the Revelation of the King.

We began in the first chapter and it tells us about the King's ancestry, then we looked at the King's arrival – His birth and the names that were given to Him. Then we saw how the wise men from the East would come and adore the King, worship the King. For the past two weeks, we looked at the ambassador of the King, John the Baptist, who went before Jesus preaching the message of repentance.

So this morning, we come now to the fifth “A” and it is about the anointing of the King. It's part of this inauguration process, if you would like. So in Matthew 3, which you have just read, there are three components to this inauguration.

3-PART INAUGURATION OF JESUS

Number one, there is the baptism of Jesus in the waters by John the Baptist. Number two, there is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, coming down upon Him like a dove; and number three, there is a declaration from heaven that says, “You are My Son, with whom I am well pleased.” So let me run through these three components and then I'll make application to your life and my life.

1. Baptism of Jesus

So, number one, let's look at the baptism. This is rather strange, the Bible tells us:

Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan [pastor: the River] to John [pastor: the Baptist], to be baptized by him.
(Matt 3:13 ESV)

Why do I say it's strange? It's strange because John the Baptist was baptizing people unto repentance…

“I baptize you with water for repentance…
(Matt 3:11 ESV)

The baptism of John was for repentance, it's for people who know that they are sinful and want to turn from their sin. So when Jesus came to John…

John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
(Matt 3:14 ESV)

John said: “I need to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?” I mean, John knew that Jesus is sinless. Jesus had no sin to repent of, so it will be not appropriate for Jesus to come to be baptized for repentance, so John would have stopped Him.

But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
(Matt 3:15 ESV)

But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now.” I know it's true, I'm not a sinner, I've never sinned. There is not a single sin in my life, but let's go ahead with it, let it be so now. Why? For it is fitting, it is appropriate for us to fulfill all righteousness. This is the right thing to do, this is God's will.

Now, why then would the sinless Son of God enter the waters for sinners? I think the reason is this: God is intending for both John and Jesus, for us, fitting for us the two of them to be about this public ceremony that declares the ministry of Jesus Christ. So this is a ceremony that will tell the world what Jesus is to do, what He is here for. So it was appropriate for them to go through this, to show the world what Jesus' ministry will be like.

So you say, what is the ministry of Jesus to be like? I think by this act of going into the waters of repentance though He needed no repentance, Jesus is saying, “I am coming to sinners, for sinners, with sinners.” This was a symbol to declare His identification with sinners. He is saying, “I am not a sinner but I will take my place with sinners.”

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In fact, I think commentators would tell you that by Jesus entering the waters of baptism, He is symbolizing also His death, His sufferings for the sins of the world. They quote Mark 10, for example, verse 38 where He said to the disciples who wanted to be the top one or two on his right hand, left hand:

… Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
(Mark 10:38 ESV)

He says, “If you want to, then are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” Are you able to take this cup of suffering that I will take [that is] the sufferings I will bear on the cross, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? The word baptism or baptize is not just about water baptism. The word baptize in the Greek really means to be immersed, baptism is immersion. So let's read it this way: or to be immersed with the immersion with which I am immersed.

I'm looking forward to the cross, I will be immersed in suffering, I'm going to die. If you want to be with Me on my right hand and left hand, are you able to be immersed in that suffering, in that death? That's what Jesus is saying. Again, in Luke 12, He says:

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
(Luke 12:50 ESV)

I have an immersion to be immersed with, how great is my distress until it is accomplished. I'm looking forward to the completion of that suffering and sacrifice on the cross. So when Jesus enters the waters of baptism, this was a symbol that says, “I am sinless but I'm here for sinners. I come to sinners to be with sinners. I identify myself with them, I take my place with sinners, I'm going to suffer for their sake.” And really, this marks the entire tone of the life of Jesus Christ. He will continuously be with sinners. We read that the religious leaders there were very upset.

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
(Matt 9:11 ESV)

Wah, you say you're a man from God, but why would you eat with the sinners of our day? Why would you eat with tax collectors and sinners? That was what He did everywhere He went – with sinners. He would heal the sick, He would touch the filthy, the spiritually unclean as it were, He was always with them. In fact, on His… at His death, the Bible tells us:

… he… was numbered with the transgressors;
(Isa 53:12 ESV)

He was crucified between two thieves. So Donald McLeod, he says:

“[Jesus] did not, as incarnate [pastor: meaning God who became man], live a life of detachment. [Instead] He lived a life of involvement. His mission was fully incarnational because he taught men by coming alongside them, becoming one of them and sharing their environment and their problems.”

He was so much with men, for men. Actually, Apostle Paul makes it the most extreme and clear when he said in 2 Corinthians 5:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2 Cor 5:21 ESV)

For our sake He (that is God) made Him (that is Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin. Jesus who knew no sin is now made sin; He's so identified with us, He drank in our sins as it were so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. This is the ministry of Jesus Christ and his inauguration at Jordan was a symbol of that all. It was a public declaration I am for sinners, with sinners, I came to sinners.

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2. Anointing of the Holy Spirit

But the second part of this inauguration is that of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So the Bible tells us:

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
(Matt 3:16 ESV)

When Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water. Why immediately? Nothing to confess, nothing to repent of. And as soon as He did that, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.

So the Holy Spirit came in the form, shape of a dove, like as a dove and you say, why did the Spirit come upon Jesus at this time? Well, subsequently the Bible tells us why. The Spirit came upon Jesus to empower Jesus. Jesus Himself said in Luke 4:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
(Luke 4:18,19 ESV)

All that He is going to do is done in the power of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus came down incarnate as man, veiled, hid His divinity and lived a life of ministry fully reliant on the Spirit's empowering. Acts 10 tells us:

… God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
(Acts 10:38 ESV)

Jesus did it in the power of the Spirit. But faith… Maybe one more verse for you – Hebrews 9:

… Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God…
(Heb 9:14 ESV)

How could Jesus face that cruel death on the cross? How could He be so courageous in the face of such horrendous torment? He did it through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. So when you look at this inauguration, the Spirit of God coming upon Him was a picture of enabling, enabling Him to teach, to perform miracles, to heal, but also a picture of enabling Him to sacrifice and to die.

Now, this picture of a dove may not mean a lot to Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, to many races in the world. But to the Jews then, a dove symbolizes sacrifice because for the Jews, they are told in the law how to sacrifice to God, what you can use to sacrifice to God – lamb, goats, calves, bulls, but these are very expensive animals, right? You eat wagyu steak, you know, wah, very expensive and it's not easy for everyone to be able to offer all these offerings.

But God has a special animal that probably everyone can afford and that's the dove. And so the dove is a picture of sacrifice, and so it's an appropriate emblem that He will be empowered by the Spirit, Spirit that enables Him to sacrifice.

3. Declaration from Heaven

I'm leading to something and we come now to the third component and that is the declaration that you are my Son. Matthew 3:17 says:

… behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
(Matt 3:17 ESV)

You can read it very simplistically or you can understand that actually, this is taken from two passages in the Old Testament. The first part is taken from Psalm 2:7 where it says:

I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. (Psa 2:7 ESV)

“You are my Son”. The second part is taken from Isaiah 42 and where it says:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights…
(Isa 42:1 ESV)

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What is Isaiah 42 about? Isaiah 42 and running up to Isaiah fifty-something and so on is going to speak about the promised servant. In fact, theologians will call Him the suffering servant. This suffering servant will be crushed, will be put to grief, He will have to make His soul an offering. This suffering servant is none other than God's Son Himself, Jesus Christ. “You are My Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

It was God's will, it was the Father's will that Jesus would come to sinners, to be with sinners and to suffer and die for sinners. Isaiah 53 tells us:

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt…
(Isa 53:10 ESV)

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him, to crush His Son. I couldn't say that to my son, to my sons. I don't think I'll, I don't think I'll ever be able to say it is my will to crush Shawn, to crush Matthias. I don't think it is possible in me, I can't find it in me at this time to say it is my will to put my sons to grief and that he will be an offering. I can't figure what that means. It's amazing, but that's what God says about His Son.

So as Jesus enters the waters for repentance, saying, “I'm coming for sinners, I'm going to die for sinners,” God did not say, “Oh, this is such a terrible thing, I don't want Him to do that.” No, God actually said, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased. He's doing what I have determined for Him to do.” Jesus recognizes that, He says:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
(John 6:38 ESV)

The cross is God's will. His suffering is God's will. His death is God's will. This is the heart of God. So when you look at the inauguration of Jesus Christ, it was not one of pomp and pride, it was one of suffering and sacrifice.

By the way, in this text, you see the Trinity. The word Trinity never appears in the Bible but the teaching of Trinity is clear, for example, in a passage like this, you have the Father, you have the Son, you have the Holy Spirit.

And there's one thing I want to say about the Trinity is that their heart is to sacrifice, because God is love and love is sacrifice. The death of Jesus Christ to pay for our sins is in the very heart of God. It's not as if the Father is having a titanic struggle with the Son and the Spirit is not willing to empower, but the Father wills it, the Son would execute it and the Spirit will empower the Son.

It is the generous, gracious heart of God we see in this passage. Human religions say you've got to work your way up to God, you've got to earn God's favour and love. But the Bible tells you, God so loved the world He gave His Son, God comes down to us. You say what is the life and ministry of Jesus about? Right here, you see that: I am coming to sinners, to be with sinners and to die for sinners.

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My friends, if you're here today and you do not know Jesus, let me say this: don't try to work your way to God because you'll always fail. You can never do it because our works are filthy. We are so corrupted by sin none of our works would count before God.

But this is the love of God: He will save you not because you are good, He will save you because He is good. This is His heart, His amazing, generous, gracious heart that gives His Son as a ransom for your sins. Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who takes away the sin of the world.

JESUS' MISSION & OUR MISSION

I could end here because I have finished the exegesis and the application of the text and you'll be “yay, early lunch today”. But I think I want to say one more thing. It's a little bit offbeat; it's not really directly from the text. But as I think about how Jesus is sent, as He would have prayed later on in John 17:18…

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
(John 17:18 ESV)

“As you sent me into the world” – Jesus is saying in His prayer to God before He's going to the cross, you sent Me into the world, I came to die for this world, I came to seek and save that which is lost. Lord, I pray, “so I have sent them into the world”.

Our King came for a mission to save the world and our King now leaves us also with this mission to reach the world. Now we are not sent into this world, the disciples of Jesus Christ are not sent into the world to die, to pay for the sins of the world; we are not. We are not worthy, we can't.

But we are sent into the world to point people to the One who has died and paid for the sins of the world. We are sent to be a witness of Jesus Christ. We are sent as ambassadors of God beseeching, imploring people to turn from sin, to repent and to believe in the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. We are sent and this is amazing because if you think about it, religion doesn't tell you you're sent.

Major religions, many religions in general do not tell you you're sent. Many religions will tell you, if you want to follow our God, stay pure, stay holy. And you know what they do? They stay in monasteries, they live far away, they go to the high mountains, they go separate from the world. They don't want to be close to the world, don't want to be like the world, don't want to eat like the world, dress like the world, behave like the world, they want to be far apart from the world. To them, that's what ultimate godliness looks like.

But the Christian faith is the opposite. If you really want to be godly, if you really want to glorify Me, don't hide there. Go into the world because that's where I sent you. Live right in Punggol. Don't live in Coney Island; there's only a cow there, or I think he's dead already.

But live right in the world. Why? To reach the world, to tell the world about Jesus – this is our mission. As Jesus came with a clear mission to seek and save that which is lost, we are here on a mission. Christians, if you know Jesus, if you believe Jesus, you have a clear mission from God. You're here sent in the world, to love your neighbour, serve the city, make disciples.

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WHY ARE WE NOT MISSIONAL?

But do you know what? Many of us don't quite do this. You say, why don't we do this? How many of you are really satisfied with your life that you're really missional, that you are reaching people, helping people come to know Jesus? How many of you are really satisfied? I'm not satisfied with my own life; I think I'm terrible at this.

Why are we not missional? As I think about it, let me give you three simple reasons why I think we are not because these are reasons that I think about.

1. Contamination

The first reason, I think, is we are scared of contamination. Don't go into the world because very sinful, very dirty, very contaminated. Aiyoh [colloquial expression for apprehension, shock etc], live with those people. they are very sinful. So I don't want to go there.

Maybe this is influenced by the way I was brought up. When I was young, I learned this proverb in Chinese: 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 [jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi]. Basically in English, it means you will become like the company you have, you'll become like the people you keep company with.

So if your friends are rotten apples, you'll also become a rotten apple. If your friends are great people, you'll also become a great person. So, the world you know is sinful, it's not godly, they don't love God. So don't be in the world because you will become like them, you won't love God, you are sinful, you have a bad lifestyle. So stay out.

So what happens is, many Christians today, we live in what we call a Christian bubble. Ah, must be careful about who I choose to be friends. So all my friends must be church people. I don't want all those 阿猫阿狗，猪朋狗友 [ā māo ā gǒu, zhū péng gǒu yǒu, disreputable comrades], I don't want those friends already. Now I choose good friend so that I'm more holy, I become godly.

I send my children to Christian school because go to those neighbourhood school, look at those shoot spider, throw…. Wah, those bad boys, don't want them to be there, don't want my kids. I want to wrap them in the Christian bubble. Are you someone like that? Because you're scared that the world would influence you, so you create for yourself this bubble that isolates yourself.

You know Jesus never isolated Himself. It's amazing. He's the most holy man that ever walked on the face of the earth, but His holiness does not consist in Him wrapping Himself in a bubble. Hey, don't touch me ah. Ee, ee [colloquial exclamation for disgust], you sinner and publican go away. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:2 ESV)

The most holy man went and receives sinners and eats with them. Again…

And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30 ESV)

… why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? These rogues, these bad people, rascals of our society, the down-and-outs, the people who are despised, why would you go and eat and drink with them?

By the way, when you think about this, please don't think about Jesus going to Shangri-La Hotel and going to Peony Court and having yum-cha [dim sum and tea in Cantonese] with these sinners and publicans. I don't think He'll go Shangri-La. I think if there's an equivalent, He might have gone to (I hope I'm not irreverential by saying this, but I hope you get the picture), He will be going to Harry's pub. You know what's pub, right? I mean you are so holy you have never been to one, all you go is coffee shop. I know, alright.

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But, I think, where will these people be found? Do you think they will be found in those high-class fine dining restaurants? No, probably pubs, probably Hougang Street 42 Block 435 downstairs coffee shop, and where the uncle, ah chek [both uncle and ah chek refer to middle-aged or elderly man] with tattoos all over will be eating their peanuts and drinking their Anchor beer, and their legs there and shouting all sorts of vulgarities, talking all kinds of filthy talk, because that's what sinners and publicans probably would have done in those days too.

Did Jesus hide in the Bible college? I'm here to teach the Bible, stay away from Hougang Street 42. I'm here, don't come there. No, I think our Saviour, He might have been in church preaching but He will go out to these places and be with the lost. Can you understand how radical that is? It is so radical that the Pharisees were shocked at that.

So next time, if you see me in coffee shop eat peanuts and drink my coke, I don't drink alcohol, but let's say you see me in coffee shop with those tattoos, please don't accuse me first hor [interjection similar to ok or alright]. And some of you, maybe I'll catch you in Harry's pub. Maybe you can say, “Pastor, I'm missional here.” But it's all about obeying the “sentness” that God has given to us. So why, Jesus, why would you do this? Jesus answered:

… “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick [pastor adds: I've come to save the sick].
I have not come to call the righteous but (I have come to) sinners to repentance.”
(Luke 5:31,32 ESV)

That is the heart of our Saviour. So Jesus says, as God has sent me into the world, He has sent his disciples, you and me, into the world (John 17:18). You know, He was very explicit when He said:

I do not ask that you take them out of the world…
(John 17:15 ESV)

I'm not praying that once people get saved, they immediately go to heaven. You know, how nice that would be? Wouldn't it be great the moment you trust in Jesus, you are plucked out of this world and you go into heaven? You don't have to sin. I mean, I'm struggling with sin today. I am sure you are struggling with sin in your life. You must be frustrated with sin in your life and how you long for that day you will never sin again.

How wonderful if I'm saved and I go straight to heaven. I will glorify God better there, I think, in many other ways. I'll be there having great fellowship with other Christians. I'll, we will never be selfish and sinful and by the way, I sing terribly here, I'll sing much better there.

So for many reasons, it will be good for us to go straight to heaven. But Jesus says no, I did not pray that you will take them out of the world. Why? Because we have a job to do, we have a mission to accomplish.

But how, how about the contamination problem? I'm scared, you know. I'm very fussy one, everywhere I go, I wash my hands. I'm very careful about my soul. How? Well, would you want to hear what Jesus says about that? He says stay right there, but this is what I pray, I pray, “God, you will keep them from the evil one.”

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
(John 17:15 ESV)

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Jesus' way is not that you isolate yourself in a Christian bubble, but that He will pray that the Lord will keep you. Extremely difficult for you to believe, but this is what you have to trust Him – that my Saviour prays for me and is still praying for me that my faith will not fail, and that my Saviour prays for me and He gives me and God gives me the Word of God that sanctifies me, keeps me apart. How? Not by me isolating myself physically but by myself fortified in the Scriptures; I'm set apart because of truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
(John 17:17 ESV)

So the idea of Jesus is not that we are out of the world, but that we are in the world. We are in the world but not of the world. We are in the world but the world is not in us. A boat is meant to be in the waters, but don't let the waters get in the boat. The Christian is meant to live in this world to impact the world, to shine light in the world but the truth of God and the prayer of Jesus keep the waters from the boat. Sanctify them in the truth.

My friends, I think this is where the balance of Christian living is. We gather as a church, we gather for teaching, preaching, we gather for small groups, CGs, DGs. Why do we do these things? So that we may strengthen ourselves, we may be sanctified in the truth. But if your whole life is only about coming to church, you have also missed the point. You come here to be strengthened, but your mission is when you get out into the world, love your neighbour, serve the city, make disciples of Jesus Christ.

We come for a purpose and we go with the purpose. It is wrong, I think it's very wrong if all our life is only spent in church. Jesus didn't do that. But it is also wrong that you will spend your whole life outside church and not be strengthened in truth; the water may get into your boat.

So be with Jesus that you may then go for Jesus. David Platt says, “God has not redeemed you to dwell in a Christian bubble. He has redeemed you to spread the Christian gospel.” So why don't people go? People don't go because fear of contamination.

2. Too Comfortable

Now, let me give you a second reason why people don't go, and it's rather personal to this church. The second reason why people don't go is another “C – it's about comfort zone, it's about being too comfortable. You know why we won't be missional? It's too comfortable, it's too comfortable. Status quo is perfect. Let things stay as it is because it is so comfortable, but Jesus says no.

You know, Gospel Light is a church of now 29 years, we're coming to our 30th anniversary this November. When we first started and after 10 years or so, we had our own little building at 360 Dunearn Road. And this is a picture of the church in those days, cute little young ones, today become monsters already, I mean grown up already.

And in those days, I remember very clearly that the goal and the vision of our church is to remain a small cosy family church. I think there was a number, like 200 to 250. I think that was the vision Pastor Paul had and he said, “I think it's at 200, 250 that we know one another well, we can care for one another, we know one another's names and we are a good happy family,” and that was the message we all believed in. Yah, keep the church small because when it's too big, we can't handle it.

Timestamp 0:34:34

It was really comfortable in those days, fun, nice. I know all the uncles and aunties today because of those days. We knew one another inter-generationally; it's so cosy, beautiful. But there was a church camp where two American preachers came to town to be our camp speakers and I think it was either en route to Batam or on the way back that they had a conversation with Pastor Paul and asked him about church and so on, and Pastor Paul says yah, that's his goal – church of 200, 250 people.

And these two pastors, I can't remember which one, asked Pastor Paul this flat-out, blunt question, something to this effect: “Who gives you the right to decide how big or small God's church should be?” That was like a… Pastor Paul shared it and he says this was like wow, hit him and being a humble man, he reassessed his premises and the church began to understand we are here on a mission.

We're not here to enjoy. Now, we do enjoy family togetherness in the body of Christ; because of the Gospel, we can see one another as brothers and sisters. But that's not the whole goal of the Christian life, that's not why Jesus left us here. The missionality has to be clear and I think we began to reassess and from then onwards, I believe the church began to see people added to the church, on a steady progressive way.

How many of you were in this picture, can I see? One, two three, four. Hey, don't bluff leh [exclamation used for emphasis]. I don't see you, you must tell me ah. I see four. Any other hands? Five, six… You know how old they are. Anyway, out of this whole group, six was the original, maybe, 200. If the church… imagine, if we had said no, keep it small, things might be very different today. Comfort can kill.

Now, let me tell you another reason why comfort is… this comfort thing is so dangerous, because when we are too comfortable, what happens to you? What happens when you are too… Okay, let me give you an example. You know the chairs we have? We made the chair rather comfortable but we said cannot be too comfortable, so we didn't have armrests, didn't make it so cushy like the Golden Village [a local cinema operator] type because your pastor here fears that when you sit on such a comfortable chair, you sleep, that's right.

When you are too comfortable, you fall asleep and you know, when the church is too comfortable, the people all fall asleep. Someone said this, “Ever wonder why people fall asleep in church? It happens. We've all seen it.” Some people say it's because you went to Zouk last night, you watched English Premier League, blah blah blah, but he goes on.

“We slouch down and settle in for an hour or so, as singers and storytellers and preachers and teachers take their turns filling our ears. And almost without fail, at least one of us nods off while listening to the greatest story ever told [pastor added: the Gospel of Jesus Christ]. The church was not meant to be like this. The church was meant to be on its feet, in the world… The church was meant to be sent.”

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You know, one thing that would absolutely transform the way you attend service, partake in the listening of God's Word is when you know you are on a mission. You know SAF has a hard time training soldiers? I mean when I was a recruit, a soldier, I “bo chap” [uninterested] ah. What training to be soldiers? Aiyah [an exclamation], please lah [an interjection], when is there going to be a war? So I “bo chap”. Sorry, all the SAF personnel here, confessions ah.

But really, I mean, I see no urgency. Aiyah, strip rifle – will never use it one ah. I would never want to put it to my mind anyway, just get it over and done with, please. But all it needs is one skirmish and all Singaporean men and maybe even women will wake up our idea and go through training with a whole different mindset, don't you think?

When the church doesn't see that we are on a mission, we fall asleep. You're so comfortable, aircon, Sunday, wah quite comfortable chair, sometimes can sleep a bit, and then got good food downstairs. Okay lah, come lah. But that's not what church is meant to be.

A consumer church always thinks about me, myself and I. I come to church to be fed. Church is seen as a dispenser of religious goods and services. I'm like the entertainer, the dispenser of goods and services; you just come to consume. People come to church to be fed, to have their needs met, to have the professionals teach their children about God. That's a consumer church but a missional church is different.

A missional church is a people sent on mission. Now we come to church to be encouraged, to be taught, to be fed but fundamentally, we know that this is not the real work. If you think the real work of a Christian is to come and hear a sermon, woah, you've got it all wrong. The real work of the church is to be out there in the world making Jesus known. Now that then transforms the way I come to church. I need to be strengthened, taught, equipped, trained so that I can be more effective in this spiritual warfare.

So why do we not go? Because I fear contamination, I don't believe Jesus is able to keep my soul, I don't want to invest my time in learning the Scriptures. Why don't I go? Because it's too comfortable, frankly, it's too comfortable. I have good friendships with my neighbour. I've a good colleague and if I tell them about Jesus, maybe they will not like me anymore. I want to remain as it is, too comfortable.

3. Competence

The last reason why I think people don't go is because of the third “C” – competence; it's a competence factor. I'm not equipped to tell people about Jesus.

I'm scared because I do not know even how to start, because I've been told by others, just ask this question: if you die today, where would you go? I've tried that many times and people always don't want to talk to me after that, I don't know why. And even if they say, “Yah, I don't know where I'm going, can you help me?” I don't know what to say after that.

So, you're not competent, you're not able to help people in an effective winsome way. That's why we're not missional, simply because we're not trained. If you've never learnt how to ride a bicycle and people ask you to ride a bicycle, you won't go, right? But if you're taught how to ride it, hey, maybe I'll do it.

Timestamp 0:42:30

So I say all this as “koyok” [snake oil colloquially], sell “koyok” for XPRESS Your Faith (an evangelism training). I said it like a joke, but I don't mean it as a joke. I really think that if you're clear about the mission God has given to you, you will and should invest your time to learn and be equipped to how to do it.

You know you have… I think the problem with Singaporeans is that we have so many goals. My goal is to be able to upgrade to this semi-detached house. My goal is so that I can drive that fancy car. My goal is so that my two kids can become the top scholars in PSLE. My goal is so that people would know that I am successful.

You know you have so many goals and for these goals, you'll be happy to invest all kinds of time and money but for that mission, goal that God has given to you, you pay no attention. Something is really wrong if you think like that, because what is your life about? Things and stuff, or is it about eternal souls fulfilling the same mission that Jesus was sent to fulfill?

Hey, I'm not saying that this course [i.e. XPRESS Your Faith] is going to suddenly turn you into Apostle Paul. I wish it could, but no. But I think this is going to be an effective, helpful, simple way by which you can share, begin to share the Gospel. I really think so. I mean I've tried it and I want more of our people to be able to do it. My friends, this is not for me. This is for Christ, this is for you to honour your Saviour. I hope you'll buy my “koyok”, alright, XPRESS Your Faith.

But let me say this: besides the fact that you need to be trained and equipped for this, don't forget that evangelism is not really, not really what you can achieve. It's what the Spirit of God achieves. In Acts 1, we're told that:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8 ESV)

The ability to witness for Jesus is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hey, let's face it, today I can't convince any one of you to buy a pen from me. I'm very sure, I'm a bad salesman. So if I can't convince any man to buy a pen from me, how can I expect any man to turn his life around based on the message I give, the Gospel? Not possible in my mind.

But if it is the Gospel of God, it is empowered by the Spirit of God, then I say yah, that's all I need to do: tell people, proclaim, explain, witness. That's all I need to do and it is the Spirit of God who works in hearts. It's a relaxing journey to witness in a sense, because the burden of conversion is not upon me. The responsibility to be faithful and clear, yes, it's with me, but the burden of conviction and convincement is the Spirit's work. I mean the Bible tells me so…

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (John 15:26 ESV)

The Spirit of truth, He will bear witness of me; it's the Spirit. As you take the Spirit's work and share, it's the Spirit that works in that man's heart. John 16 verse 8:

… he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
(John 16:8 ESV)

And so it is the work of the Holy Spirit and I say to you, if you feel incompetent, if you feel insufficient, number one, get equipped, be familiar with how to do it. And then when you step out, do it in confidence, dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Timestamp 0:46:35

Jesus, as our King, did not get inaugurated in pomp and pride, but in sacrifice and in humility. He was here on a mission. Would the church today be on a mission? I pray Gospel Light will be a missional church. A missional church is where every one of us is on the mission. I pray we will not just be an attractional church.

You know what's an attractional church? Attractional church, what does it mean? It doesn't mean that your pastor is attractive, that's not what it is. An attractional church is where the people in the church believe that we are to sit here and attract people, wait for people to come to us. So it's very much wait for people to come. The missional church is the opposite, we don't wait for people to come, we go out into the world. If Jesus waited for people to come to God, no one will come to God. He came to sinners and we've got to go.

I thank God for ministries in our church, little initiatives we've tried to go out into the community, to knock on doors in Punggol. We see new ministries start. This is a simple ministry where English is being taught to non-English speakers and the hope, of course, is not just to teach English but to love them and to eventually share with them the Gospel. Some of them will be joining us this coming Friday for our Good Friday service. We've Simon who goes out to the student care centre that we have and he teaches the kids about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he goes through the Bible stories.

We start this student care… We are not good at these things, we've never done this but we want to do this to serve the community and to reach the people for Christ. And this is a picture of our youth leader, Yu Fei. What's he doing? Playing basketball, you know he spends a lot of time playing basketball? I tell you something alright. He… I think he has played in all the basketball courts in Punggol. Really, he's looked at where on the map where the basketball courts are and he goes. He goes and he makes friends with the people there, and by the way, he's a very good basketball player, second only to me in Gospel Light. Wen Liang, correct right? He's second… Oh, no, no, no, that's not the point.

He's a very good basketball player but when he goes to play basketball, he's not there to win the game, he's there to win friends, he's there to make friends. And you know, over the course of these few months, many young people have come to our church because one man is on a mission. I'm with him in the same discipleship group, I know his heart. I know he's not there to play basketball. Of course he enjoys it but he's there to reach the youth. His goal, his desire is to be able to “conquer” all the courts in a sense of knowing all the groups that play and to lead them to Christ. These are pictures that he has had over the years making friends.

Missional where you live, work and play. It's not complicated. You don't have to wear a suit and say I'm the preacher, you listen to me. That's not missional life. It's incarnational, you're being with them. Now these guys probably smoke, drink. I don't know whether Yu Fei goes to Harry's pub with them, I don't know, I've never asked him that. They probably talk all kinds of things that are inappropriate but my brother strengthens himself with the Scriptures and says, I am sent on a mission, I've got to be about this. Would you do that?

Timestamp 0:50:40

We have little ministries that we've had, great works that people are doing, small groups of people taking the Gospel to the poor in Chin Swee, York Hill, their daily bread. We've the kids' club ministry and so on and so forth. Hey, but it takes a whole church to be a missional church. It takes every single one of you in Toa Payoh, in Ang Mo Kio, in a factory you work in, in a school you teach in, in an army camp you're in.

Every one of us, every one of us, every one of us a missionary, then church to you is not a bore nor a chore, but it's a joy that we can be strengthened here that we may then go out in God's power to reach the world. My friends, Jesus came on a mission. He sent you on a mission.

I want to end with a song, not that I'll sing it, but I end with a song which I like and my wife tells me is one of her favourites. It's a song we've not sung in Gospel Light for 15, I don't know, 10 over years, so much so that our worship leader Jonathan Chong has never heard it before. But it's a song that shocked me when I first sang it, sang it long time ago.

It's a song called ”So Send I You”, old-fashioned hymn. When I first sang it, I was like “wah lau” [oh dear], this is ridiculous. I want to quit, man, because the words go like this, Stanza 1:

So send I you to labor unrewarded, [pastor: I don't have a problem with labouring but labour unrewarded]
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown, [pastor: wah, this is getting serious and I've to sing these words?]

Stanza 2 doesn't get better. It goes on to say:

To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing– [pastor: I don't really want this, you know]
So send I you to toil for Me alone

Argh… stanza 1 like that, stanza 2 like that, stanza 3 like that, stanza 4 like that, I want to vomit already. Why should I do this? The amazing thing about this song comes right at the end, just one line and it settled it for me: “As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you.”

Jesus went through all that for me. He entered the waters to be with me, for me and now rescued from sin, I'm sent. Would the grace of God in your life lead you to be missional? Would you say, “Here am I, send me.” Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Leading generations into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ is a mission statement of this church, is a mission statement in my life and I pray it will be a mission statement for your life. Singular, clear, focused because there're so many goals I can subtly collect in my pockets. To achieve a little bit of fame, to achieve a little bit of wealth, to achieve a little bit of success here and there and then I neglect the mission that God has sent me for.

This morning as you reflect, reflect about Jesus. He's not a Donald Trump, He's not any President of the United States nor President of Singapore. He's the suffering servant who knew no sin but was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him – such amazing grace, such love. This is your Saviour, behold Him. And this is what He says, “As the Father has sent me, even so send I you.”

Would you worship Him with your lives? Would you be about God's business? Would you gather in church to be strengthened so that you may be scattered to serve the nations? Would Gospel Light be a church where people come to consume or would it be a church where people are on the move for the work of God? May God today revolutionize your life, change your mind, cause you to turn and may He be glorified as you live, work and play the Gospel out wherever you are.

If you're here with us, and you do not know what the Christian message is all about, let me say it's all in this inauguration, don't you see? Jesus came to be with sinners. The Spirit enabled Him to sacrifice Himself. It is the Father's will that His Son will be crushed, that you will not be crushed. So today, turn from your sin, believe in Jesus that you may be saved. May God bless each of you.

Father, bless Your Word today to every heart, draw lives to Yourself, and be glorified through us. Thank You for Christ – incarnate, fully involved, generously giving of His life that we may be saved. Bless each heart, once again. We thank You in Jesus' Name. Amen.

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