It’s About Time

Plodding On

Sermon preached @ NTBC on 190807

& Acts 18:1-17

Introduction:

Having ministered in Thessalonica and gotten chased out in matter of weeks; then traversing through Berea where a group of noble believers ascertain the veracity of his message; onwards to Athens, a city of paganism and intellectualism, Paul must be weary by the time he arrived at the cosmopolitan city of Corinth. Hence his remarks in 2 Cor 2:2-3.

How did Paul carry on with weariness or even discouragement?  The Lord appeared to him in vision by night. Three things that kept Paul going:

I.                   The Directive from the Word of God

a.     Exhortation, “fear not”

b.     Instruction, “speak and keep not silence;” “I have many people in this city”

c.      Assurance, “I am with you.”

II.                The Commitment to the will of God

a.     Paul stayed on for 18 months after God’s appearance

b.     Paul endeavored to teach the Word of God

III.             The Confirmation via the Works of God

a.     The Conversion that resulted from his commitment to the directive

                                                             i.      Jews – Religious folks

                                                           ii.      Gentiles – moral and immoral

b.     The providence that assures of God’s working

                                                             i.      Gallio ruled that Christianity is a religio licita (legitimate religion) and thus enjoys state protection

                                                           ii.      Paul didn’t have to make a defense for his case

                                                        iii.      Sosthenes was beaten up by the mob but eventually was converted, cf 1 Cor 1:2.

We can anticipate times of exhaustion followed by discouragement. What will keep us plodding on in the Lord’s work? 

It has been a busy fast week(s).  I don’t even recalled what has transpired except that it was rainy throughout. Now how bad can that be?  Very bad, I suppose, when you can’t remember anything at all.

Has been working on a sermon based on Acts 18:18-28, decided to focus largely on Apollos rather than on Paul’s third missionary journey to Ephesus. Hence the outline:

I.                   A messenger with an incomplete message

a.     He was a learned & cultured man

b.     He was well-versed in OT Scriptures

c.      He knew only the baptism of John

                                                             i.      John’s baptism is preparation of Israel to meet her King

                                                           ii.      Christian baptism is the believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

d.     He is lacking in Christian truth

                                                             i.      He accepts and anticipates the Messiah’s arrival

                                                           ii.      He acknowledges the promises but ignorant of its fulfillment in Christ

                                                        iii.      He is unaware of the death & resurrection of Christ; the baptism of the Holy Spirit; the Church.

II.                A man with a teachable Heart

a.     He allowed Aquila & Priscilla to expound the Scripture more accurately to him

b.     His willingness implies a teachable and humble heart.

III.             A Servant whose enhanced efficiency benefits others

a.     His giftedness enhanced the ministries of others

b.     His enhanced depth broadens the breadth of his ministry from Ephesus unto Achaia.

c.      His gift of teaching is much appreciated by Paul

                                                             i.      Esteemed as co-laborer

                                                           ii.      Esteemed as a brother in the Lord

                                                        iii.      Esteemed as a value-added servant of Christ

 Well, well, well. . . . Man Utd has only garnered 2 points since the opening day of EPL.  Having played 3 games, seven points behind the current leaders, city rivals Man City.  Such is the drastic change with Ronaldo and Rooney out of the picture due to unforeseen circumstances.  whar a shame, what a shame, what a shame!Football pundits are sure to speculate lots of stuff and the pressure would be mounted on the Utd players wanting to score their first win.  Ferguson is probably planning lots of stuff to stem the tide of draws and losses. 

Chelsea must be smarting with glee at Utd’s falter for they too suffered the same problem at the start of the season that caused them to play catch-up for the rest of the season, and failure to retain the championship crown for the third year running.

Liverpool as usual, falls below expectation.  I’m not sure how many fans have given up watching it play at times. I know I have switched channels because it becomes so predictable. 

I hope star hub’s transmission of football channel 27 improves as many have complained of its lousy video quality.  Not sure if anything can be done or if it bothers them.  This is rather disappointing. I don’t care so much about the presenter as much as watching the game itself. These pundits are just trying to say something to kill time and earn a dollar for themselves.  I don’t think these folks love the game that much.  Trust me.

 Don’t know why but this weekend of football seemed rather boring for my liking.  Strange.

  We spent a night at the Oriental Hotel that’s along Raffles Ave. the main reason is to watch the NDP fireworks at the bay front.  A special package was made available and my wife was keen to sign up for it.

She has always liked watching fireworks.  The one that serves as best we’ve seen was in a small town in IA. Can’t remember if that special fireworks show was in Union, or what.  That was way back in the summer of 1996 when I was doing internship at Fellowship Baptist Church in Marshalltown, IA.  Bro Katzer brought us there for that 4^th July fireworks.  A unique small town where the folks would drive a small parade through main street with town folks of all ages participating. It wasn’t anything fancy compared to any major cities’ standard but it was no less fun. The Catholic church of the town hosted the special meals where folks paid a reasonable amount. It was a festive occasion no doubt. 

The firework was held at night, and being summer, you can imagine what time it got started!  Nobody complained.   From the vantage point that we had, we could see many cars where folks from other towns drove in to watch the fireworks display. 

It appears that this town has a tradition (no idea when it started) where it puts up a show of this magnitude.  The whole fireworks lasted 45 minutes.  Before the show started, an announcer stated over the PA that they have collected few thousand dollars for the following year’s fire work display. So it appears that this fireworks is the desire of town folks (and those from out of town), and they gave generously towards it. I am sure the various fund raising acts contributed towards it too.  My wife and I felt so much a part of the fanfare.  Thanks for the memories, folks. Sorry that I couldn’t recall the name of your town!

Back to present day. The firework here however lasted only 15 minutes though not small in terms of the amount of fireworks and intensity. I think this is a South American company that produced the show.  The fire works was excellent but what made the experience new was that we viewed from 16^th floor of the hotel so that gave us a new perspective with regards to watching fire works show.  Amanda was enthralled by the show.

How many people watched last night’s show? 27,000 were what I gathered from the MC of the show, which was a downer least to say.  Thankfully, it was a short 10 minutes’ torture before the show began. By the way, those 27,000 in attendance comprise only of those who paid for tickets to see it from the viewing gallery which of course, was the best place to watch the whole shebang. Others who prefer FOC watched from buildings or along the road, and riverwalks. We saw several boats on the river that “parked” for a good view. Of course, people on board must have paid a sum for it too. It’s the best time to capitalize on the occasion for extra pocket change!

The stay at the Oriental Hotel was enjoyable albeit expensive but my wife felt refreshed by the short getaway, so that’s great.

  Sven Eriksson was much criticized for his failure at the last World Cup with regards to England’s failed campaign in the midst of heightened pre-world cup talk.   Now that his Manchester City is doing well at the start of the new EPL season, people in particular, the media appeared to be ‘shocked” and some even suggesting that City could be the surprise of the season. 

I can’t help but think that these people are either incredibly stupid or just plain stupid, period.  There is a fundamental difference between being manager of England and that of a club. Erickson was known for his club successes prior to hire by England FA.  While one could call up any world class English player to form the national team, it doesn’t mean automatic gelling of players to form that cohesiveness or teamwork.  Because these players spent more time playing and training under a different coach and style, it takes a while before it can do anything substantial. Whereas at club level, the manager gets the players to train on set pieces on a daily and weekly basis. The camaraderie is easily formed and understanding builds through weekly doses of EPL if not championship league or UEFA ties.  The England manager often encountered deliberate attempts by club managers to deter the calling of their key payers through “injuries.”  The club manager knows if a player is truly injured or not. He can benched or sell away the player if he is not up to mark at club level.  Not being called up for one’s country may not directly jeopardize one’s football career though it certainly adds feather to the cap, so to speak.  Beckham may have had some difficulty, but his club performances is so well coupled with England’s dismal performances literally “forces” Mclaren to issue recall to the former captain. What a load of pride to swallow!Would Erickson do well for Manchester City this season? I think so but perhaps not at the top-four placing for starters.  It’s time for this underachieving club to at least attain top-ten spot this season and helped boost the fans’ morale seeing they’re often overshadowed by their more glorious rival, United. 

With MU having drawn two games and two “R”s missing, it will be interesting to see the resilience of this team this season. Carlos Tevez may once again prove to be the man for the hour.  And that’s my thought for this weekend.

 Well, Spurs didn’t perform well under spotlight and Roy Keane’s Sunderland certainly stole the thunder from them yesterday during EPL’s opening day.  Newcastle made a strong statement regarding their seriousness for top spot contention this season under Big Sam.  Liverpool almost blundered had it not been for Steven Gerrard’s curling free-kick to give them a 2-1 win. A nicely taken one I might say.This evening, Arsenal almost lost the opening game given Lehman’s blunder.  Their resilience and “no more pushovers” are starting to show. Reminds me of the previous Arsenal’s team’s firmness.  Personally, I think their show of no pushover is helpful to deter team from playing non-football on the pitch.  Of course this works only if they are one in mindset for unity is strength. 

We’ll see how Chelsea and Manchester Utd will fare later on.

 The much anticipated English Premier League (EPL) starts tonight.  Football pundits have already pitched their predictions and cast their aspersions on different teams (invariably loading more pressure on the shoulders on the newcomers or expensive new signings before the first kickoff).Who am I rooting for?  I don’t really know. I used to have favorite team that I support come sunshine or rain. Years later, having mellowed, I prefer to enjoy teams that play well and deservedly top the table.  One thing for sure, I am not rooting for Chelsea because of the antics they have come up with particular via Jose Mourinho their manager.  Apart from that, every team deserve my respect at least until they start playing afoul.

I don’t think Liverpool will deliver the expected performance even after signing the most expensive play this season in the person Fernando Torres.  Manchester United will be one of the top contender, doubtless. It will be interesting to see how Carlos Tevez fit into the program after the controversial weeks following the ownership.  Come to think of it, sometimes I think these professional players are like olden days slaves. They belong to somebody except they are lavish with riches and lived in disgusting opulent fashion. 

Many are doubtful about Arsenal’s ability to stay on top-four given that their Thierry Henry is now at Barcelona. I think their manager’s sly fox and uncanny ability to train youngster will defy odds. I predict they will be top-three.  Wishful thinking? Will revisit here when the season ends, shall we?

Spurs will be “almost there but not yet” team again. I know it is hard to stomach their London neighbor’s success and despite a few seasons’ attempt to displace it, they haven’t been successful. Keep trying.

Reading is another team that many think might go the way of Wigan Athletics.  I think they will do equally well because Steve Coppell is quite different. He has that quality of being a world class winger as well as manger. Some players aren’t good managers.  Anyway, that’s my prediction.

Newcastle fans will either boo the new manager out or he will endear them to himself. Given Sam’s track-record he might just rein in Jim Barton.  Looking forward to Michael Owen playing consistently this season. 

Sven Ericsson will be under tight scrutiny since this is his first real job after his England managerial position.  Many aren’t writing him off because his track record as domestic team manager had been sterling thus far.  Of course, Thai people will want to see how their former PM will fare in his new role as owner of Manchester City.

Well that’s my off-the cuff preview of EPL that’s starting tonight.

Yesterday was Singapore’s National Day. It was the first time that the annual parade was held at the bay front with the skyline as the backdrop. A beautiful sight I might add.

The fireworks, precision marching by the army and other like contingents were good although the main showcase was a little disconcerting for me. One, it plays on geomancy fused with New Age spirituality. Of course, the world doesn’t mind nor do they even care about it.  Most Singaporeans don’t think critically, or rather, are culturally shallow, to discern some of the implications. Often, if the westerners do it, then it should be alright.

My mind asks the question, why resort to such things? Isn’t there enough creativity without having to indulge in such new age spirituality? In my mind, it rings hollow, void of originality, steering always in the safe course of action – that which sells. 

No, I am not ranting about the celebration, just the use of the above that rattles me.  Otherwise, I celebrate our nation’s growth, tenacity and vibrancy. I appreciate the Old Guards who paved the way for those behind to excel. My gratitude to the Lord for his providential watch care over this little red dot.  The freedom of worship and a place where my family lives and grows.

I don’t think the decision to switch was an idea that came about the previous night but a series of decisions and concessions that brought about the ultimate move.  If that be the case then the last couple of years spent at Northland were a rather unethical time considering he teaches contrary to truth. I was at the Heart Conference when he gave a workshop that refutes the Church Growth Movement of which he is now a part of.  Two things cross my mind – either he lacks credibility in his research in that he could not distinguish between facts and otherwise, or he denies his actual research in order to join CGM. 

What disappoint me more is the cross-swords between bloggers in the Sharper Iron forum.  Of the 20 pages I read, most if not all did not bother to state why it was wrong for Zichterman to switch camps. All I gathered was motive questioning, postmodernist mindset and shallowness of discussion. None I observe offers the biblical reasons why Zichterman has gone to the deep end.  That was disappointing and does not augur well the current state of fundamentalism.  One was saying that Zichterman is growing – but into what? It’s like saying we’re glad that he is seeing the light – but then it was not the light at the end of the tunnel but an oncoming train.  So should we be glad that he is seeing the light? No. absolutely not.

Emergent theology is an unbiblical mindset and fundamentalists ought to have been able to state clearly the objections – scripture based and is consistent in applying the biblical principle of separation.  Unfortunately I don’t see in that particular blog. 

Waiting for more light to be shed about the incident

Last Friday we brought Amanda to visit a few kindergartens within reasonable distance from our home.  To some, it is kind of late to enroll her. She is due to start nursery this coming January.  For us, we just thought she is ready for social interaction rather than getting a head start in education. 

Being a year-end child there is a slight disadvantage in terms of cognitive development and other factors involved. Thus our reluctance to enroll her in playschool etc this year. 

Our first visit was best as it turned out.  A BP church kindergarten. Had a good conversation with the principal and appreciated the philosophy behind the school.  The next visit was a surprise. A Pentecostal Methodist kindergarten. When asked about moral education, the administration says: “yes, we do provide it – we say grace before we partake of food, devotion time as well as year end Christmas concert etc.” so much for education! 

Another trip to a catholic run kindergarten reveals the “catholicness” of the school.  Didn’t want the little to be confused by different catechisms at her age. Reformed theology is better route to take at this point.  

Will continue another day.