Intro: Introduce yourself and what’s the ‘new’ thing with you today?
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I will start with a quiz.
[picture to be shown on TV – http://sagamer.co.za/img/evolution-phone.jpg]
What can you observe? Trend changes fast esp IT/gadget trend. Ie. One funny trend is from big size, it evolves to smaller size. Then to bigger size for bigger screen.
Anyone know how old is the bible? The Bible was not written in one specific year or in a single location. The Bible is a collection of writings, and the earliest ones were set down nearly 3500 years ago.
Now let’s turn to the bible, Heb 4: 12
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
What do we mean by the word of God is living and active? Meaning the word of God is ever-green, applicable to us 3.500 years ago and in today’s and future generation. In fact, God takes the bible so serious that nobody is allowed to change the content (Revelation 22:18-19). This is because the bible talks about human heart and human heart remain unchanged – That we are born with sinful nature (thankfully also with a good conscience). The bible is applicable to any race, young or adult, singles or married.
What are some examples of sinful nature? Lying, stealing, impurity, proud, evil thoughts, murder, etc. We don’t have to teach someone to be lazy or selfish. By nature, at least most of us are lazy or selfish.
Anyone here got operation or get cut deeply from knife before? My nose surgery experience and my father’s surgery without anesthetic (only antiseptic).
Why the word of God being compared with double-edged swords? Very ‘sharp’, cut our heart we we read it. God is like our best surgeon and the bible is like his surgeon knife. In any surgery, there is a consent form which you need to voluntary sign to give consent for that surgery. Nobody can force you to sign that consent form if you do not want to. Question is do we allow God, the spiritual surgeon to operate our heart.
Recently, I have lunch appointment with a guy. His mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (2c stage). Some advice given to his mother to undergo chemotherapy but his mother is too scared go through it. She could not endure the pain and side-effect during or after the chemotherapy sessions.
Of course for short term a person won’t need to face up those pain and suffering during or after the operation. But the bad news is that person might not able to recovered in long run. By the way, I am not advocating chemotherapy is the best cancer treatment. I am just quoting a real-life recent example to relates to a point.
Conversely, for a person who is willing to undergo the operation (either physical or spiritual), that person will feel a lot of pain during or after the operation. But the good news is after some time, the person will get cured and feel refreshed (Acts 3: 19).
Of course, not each we read the bible, we need a big spiritual operation. But there will be times in our life or whenever God feels necessary, we can sense that God wants to move, cut, convicts our heart. And when those moments came, try to be sensitive to it and allow our heart to be operated by the word of God which is good for us at the end.
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Summary: Many things can become obsolete and out-of-date. Last time is Nokia, then BlackBerry, then Iphone, then Samsung, then XiaoMi. Fashion trend also changes. Cat, correct?
But, the heart of men always the same which explains why bible is never become too old and out-of-date. We don’t need a “new” bible. We just need a new heart, new mind and new perspective when reading the bible. . It has changed many people in the past. It can changes us today and it can continue to change us in the future.
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For those who are searching for new meaning of life, new life direction or new life-purpose, I wish that you can find so from the timeless bible in this new year 2015. If you wish to join us again, we have Sunday church service at 10.30am or another similar gathering like tonight two weeks later.