Sermons – Houston Chinese Church

We all do different types of work in our lives. Ministry work. Vocational work. Domestic work. Gardening work. But in work, we may experience foes that undermine our work. They disrupt schedules. They erect barriers. They undo our work. They oppose us. How do we experience favor when we encounter foes that undermine our work?

In the gospels, we read of Jesus' wonderful parables, grand sermons, weighty discourses, and masterful illustrations. We also come across his hard sayings and difficult teachings. We know we should not listen just to the words of Christ that we like, nor ignore the ones we find challenging to hear. We also know we ought to receive them all as the expression of his love, wisdom, and grace to us. But, the fact remains: Jesus' words can be very difficult. How then should we respond to them? We should take them to heart and believe them so that we can treasure Christ as his true disciples.

People respond to the idea of Jesus rising from the dead in different ways. Some think that Jesus had passed out on the cross. Three days later, he woke up. He then died later. Others think that the disciples stole the body of Jesus, and they spread a lie. There's an idea that the disciples fabricated the story of resurrection so that they could gain fame and power. But what does the Bible say about the resurrection of Jesus? More importantly, how should we respond to the resurrection of Jesus?

Our series has been centered on biblical passages where God raises the dead. In Matthew's gospel, there's a unique and peculiar reference to dead saints being raised to life and emerging from their tombs, after Jesus's resurrection, appearing to many in Jerusalem. That moment hints at the earthshaking, life-changing consequences of Jesus's death on the cross.

Our series on spiritual awakenings has centered around passages in Scripture where God raises the dead back to life. Among these, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus stands out as one of the most well-known. This story provides profound insights into how to navigate challenging times when God disappoints us, when we lose loved ones, or when we lose hope amidst suffering.

Many of us will face desperate situations. Terminal Illness. A wayward brother. A lay off. Enormous debt. Relational conflict. Loneliness. Mental illness. We feel like everything we do fails to make things better. What should we do when we find ourselves in a desperate situation?

In our ongoing series, we delve into passages where God raises the dead to inspire faith-filled prayers for God to continue doing the same. We want to see him resurrect the spiritually dead in our lives. Today's passage highlights Jesus's compassionate act of raising a widow's son, which leads the crowds to firmly believe that he is a great prophet sent by God. Just as the prophets of old represented God to his people, Jesus represents God in three distinct ways.

As we press on in a season of fasting and praying for spiritual awakening in our lives, our churches, and our city – let's revisit a story of how God metaphorically moved a mountain in response to a faith-filled request. The raising of the Shunammite woman's son is an illustration of the limits of earthly prosperity and power in contrast to the unbounded mercy and might of the Lord.

Distance strains relationships. Physical distance prevents people from connecting. Think of a long-distance dating relationship. Mental distance occurs when you think of other things when people talk to you. We experience emotional distance when people fail to understand how we feel. If distance strains our interpersonal relationships, then it also strains our relationship with God. What does God do when people find themselves far away from him?

Jacob, a man on a desperate search, seeks to fill an inner emptiness that has been gnawing at him. Earlier, we witnessed his longing for fatherly love and the family blessing. Now, his desire has shifted to the love of a beautiful woman. By the end of chapter 29, he remains oblivious to the fact that he is substituting romantic love for the divine love of God. However, this is the lesson learned by Leah – the character whose story beautifully embodies God's love for the unlovely.

Jacob is a man who has it all but, at the same time, has nothing. He secured the coveted birthright and blessing, but he now finds himself displaced, sent away from the very land he conspired to inherit. He begins to reap the consequences of his efforts to secure a blessed life for himself – to be his own savior. In this chapter, Jacob receives a vision that impresses upon him the accessibility of heaven and all its blessings – not for those who work towards them – but for those who receive them by faith.

If it wasn't already evident by Genesis 27, it becomes clear that the patriarchs were never intended to be paragons of virtue. They were meant to be recipients of God's grace, and many of their stories were crafted as cautionary tales. The poor choices made by all the characters in our story give us an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and deepen our appreciation of gospel grace.

We desire blessing in our lives. We want to be blessed financially. We wish for our bodies to be fit. We hope to do work we enjoy. We long for the approval of others. Many of us have experienced such blessings. But have we ever wondered: why does God bless us? This morning's message will help us know the purpose of God blessing his people, so that we can use our blessings rightly.

The twins, Jacob and Esau, were destined for a tumultuous relationship from the start. Their differences were evident even in their mother's womb. While their particular story contributes to the broader narrative of God's promise to bless and expand Abraham's family, it also offers valuable insights into the nature and extent of God's sovereign grace.

Churches are always at risk of complacency, resting on the laurels of their past faithfulness. While it's fitting to reflect on and celebrate 50 years of gospel fidelity, our focus, as Houston Chinese Church, should shift to the future – to extending our legacy of faithfulness. To that aim, let us place our hope in and hold fast to the great promises of our Lord.

On this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we will see how, if we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, it affects the way we view and think through abortion. At the same time, Jesus is Lord calls Christians into action to push back darkness in the world, especially when it comes to this issue. What do we do when the doctrine of Imago Dei is being trampled on and what can we do, as image bearers, to restore life in the world?

It's easy to overlook God's providential hand of blessing. It works through such ordinary means that we chalk it up to mere coincidence or to the kindness and generosity of others. It really takes eyes of faith to recognize and appreciate the hidden hand of the Lord's favor.

As we start the new year with a fundraising campaign to renovate our new building, let's reflect on our church's biblical identity. Before we expand our space, let's make sure we understand our place in God's mission.

People know how to prepare for Christmas to remember Christ's birth. They set up a nativity scene at home. They hang ornaments of angels on their tree. They read an advent book together. But people may not know how to prepare for Christ's return. How do we prepare ourselves and others for the return of Christ?

During this season of Christmas cheer, we rarely consider the cosmic battle that took place during our Savior's birth. We ignore the blood that was shed and the cries of agony that pierced the silence of those fateful nights. It does a soul good to meditate on these grim realities.

People search for Jesus for different reasons. Some governments search for any mention of Jesus to erase it so that they can eliminate his influence on their societies. Some search for Jesus out of curiosity. Who is this Jesus that we celebrate during Christmas? Some search for Jesus to learn about his teachings. But what is the biblical reason to search for Jesus?

In the first part of chapter one, Matthew places Jesus, the messiah God's people have been waiting for, in the context of redemptive history. Matthew now turns to the human beginnings of Jesus. From Matthew's story about the birth of Jesus, we get a glimpse of who this Messiah is. His identity. His names. The names given to Him by God. Son of David, Jesus, and Immanuel.

Every Christian goes through spiritual winters of the soul where we are forced to ask ourselves, “Has God stopped working in my life?” Advent is his timeless answer to this unsettling question.

In John's Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. By saying, “I AM the True Vine,” Jesus is claiming to be the True Israel who is capable of doing what God's people in the Old Testament failed to do – to be fruitful as a blessing to the nations. If New Testament believers abide in Jesus like branches in a vine, we can partake in the same mission to bear much fruit that blesses others

In John's Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In saying, “I AM the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus makes an exclusive claim that flies in the face of prevailing opinion – that all faiths are equally valid (or equally wrong).

We are surrounded by dead people. Classmates. Co-workers. Fellow Shoppers. Other parents. Their deadness prevents them from understanding spiritual truth. The gospel puzzles them. People will eventually experience physical death. Those who do not believe in the gospel will experience spiritual death – separation from God. How does Jesus help people to overcome death?

In John's Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In claiming, "I AM the Good Shepherd," Jesus is revealing how he views his followers and how he sees himself in relation to them. We can take comfort in knowing how good our Shepherd is and how much he loves his sheep.

In John's Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as God in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Door of the Sheep," Jesus is inviting anyone – who wants to access the sheepfold of God and enjoy the abundance of life therein – to enter through him and him alone.

The second I AM statement that we will explore today is Jesus declaring that He is the Light of the World. What does He mean when He says this? What does Jesus being the light of the world mean for us? Just as light is meant to shine in the dark places, Jesus came to be the light in a dark world. Through our passage today, we'll see how Jesus is the only hope we have in our life and in our world.

In the Gospel of John, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as Yahweh (the LORD God) in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Bread of Life," Jesus is challenging anyone who treats him as a materialistic Savior. He calls us to follow him – not because he's useful to get what we need – but because he himself is everything we need. 

In the Gospel of John, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as Yahweh (the LORD God) in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Bread of Life," Jesus is challenging anyone who treats him as a materialistic Savior. He calls us to follow him – not because he's useful to get what we need – but because he himself is everything we need. 

Many of us are workaholics who find it hard to rest from our labor. Exhortations to observe a Sabbath rest come across as impractical or even irresponsible. But we are worse off when we ignore the 6+1 rhythm of life ingrained in us, as creatures made in the image of God – a God who rested.

Difficult bosses suck the joy out of work. They make the workplace miserable. You always feel like you're walking on eggshells around them. The mood at work feels dark and cloudy because your boss could lash out at any moment. What should we do when we work for a difficult boss?

Difficult bosses suck the joy out of work. They make the workplace miserable. You always feel like you're walking on eggshells around them. The mood at work feels dark and cloudy because your boss could lash out at any moment. What should we do when we work for a difficult boss?

As we begin a new phase of our legacy building project, we want to focus on the mission of our church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Which means our primary aim is to intentionally do spiritual good to others in a highly relational context. So our whole approach to building new facilities is to help facilitate new disciple-making opportunities in the years to come.

If the gospel can give dignity and purpose to the work of a first-century slave, then there is definitely hope for yours. Whether you're the one giving orders or the one taking them, the gospel has the power to reorient your attitude and motivation to do good work at work.

Just as we're prone to idolize work, we're prone to grow idle at work. Both errors stem from a failure to recognize and respect the God-ordained purpose behind our respective vocations. The propensity towards idleness is best addressed by a recovery of a strong Christian work ethic that connects our work with our discipleship to Christ.

Our view of work might fall into one of two categories: live to work or work to live. If we live to work, then we fall into the temptation of idolizing our work. We often think of idols as statues that primitive people worship or inspirational people. But idols represent anything in creation that we love and serve rather than God. Examples of idols include children, perfectionism, leisure, and even our work. How do we avoid idolizing our work?

Some people live to work. Their work is their life passion. Others work to live. They view work as a means to facilitate their real passions in life. Which is it for Christians? How should we view our God-given vocations? Is there meaning and purpose in the work itself? But where do you draw the line, so that your work doesn't end up defining you?

Paul concludes this letter to the Galatians with a final appeal to reject the false gospel they've been entertaining and to invest deeply in gospel-centered ministers and ministries in the church. That's the same response expected of those who have died to a slavish dependence on the world's praise and acceptance. Those who know they are already loved and accepted because of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The idea of walking by the Spirit (or keeping in step with him) is meant to be conducted communally. Imagine a group hike. Not a solo race. And what characterizes a Spirit-led community will be a mutual concern for each other – not an atmosphere of competition or conceit.

Freedom in Christ doesn't give you permission to indulge your flesh and do whatever you want without judgment. To be free in Christ means you're now free to resist your fleshly desires and to walk by the Spirit. To bear his fruit – both in your life and your life together as the church.

Some of us believe that our sins can never be overcome. We cannot escape sexual addiction. Struggle with self-image persists. Self-pity overwhelms us. We've tried self-help counsel. But it doesn't work. Some of us have waved the white flag. It only makes us feel worse. The only way to overcome sin is the embrace of Christian freedom.

The religious and the irreligious may live vastly different lives on the surface. But dig deep enough and you'll discover a common bedrock of legalism. Which explains Paul's concern that Gentile Galatians are on the verge of turning back to their former idolatry – by being more devoted to God's Law! Today's text draws a distinction between mere human religion and true gospel freedom.

As I look back at my 40 years of service at HCC, the most important lessons that God has taught me is to be an “I am Second” kind of a person. This is a person known to be a humble faithful servant of God. There are three biblical heroes that I have learned from that exemplified these qualities, namely, John the Baptist, Barnabas, and the faithful servants.

Today's passage gets to the heart of the gospel Paul preaches. It addresses the Christian's core identity as adopted sons of God. Until we have a clear grasp of our identity in Christ, we will struggle to comprehend our relationship with God and with fellow man. We will also fail to enjoy the freedom of life under the gospel. So how would you describe your core identity?

The main point Paul has been driving home in Galatians is that the gospel is good news for all. New spiritual life and right standing before God was made available to Gentiles through fain in Christ – without expecting them to adopt Jewish law and customs. But that message prompted accusations of playing fast and loose with Scripture, ignoring commands plainly in the text. And it raised important questions about the Law's continued relevance and role in our lives.

Don't be deceived by lies. Hold onto the truth. There are many excellent arguments that show that we are not justified or declared righteous by the Law, but we are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul argues that to supplement the work of Christ is to supplant it. There is only one way to be saved and that is by faith in Christ alone.