9th Nov 1997 | Expository Preaching - Rev. Canon Jim D |
5th March 1998 | Christianity vs Fung Shui - Bishop Chen Fah |
3rd May 1998 | Forerunners for Christ (Matt. 3) |
17th May 1998 | Christian Stress Management - Recipe for peace |
21st June 1998 | Temptation - Why do I give in ? How to stop (Matt. 4) |
Introduction and Biblical
Basis.
Expository Preaching is indispensable to Christianity.
Why is it relevant to us today? It is relevant and indispensable for three
reasons.
FIRSTLY, God is the supreme communicator. Indeed, he is communication. This is part of what the doctrine of the Trinity means. Apart from his internal relations within the Godhead, he communicates with Mankind. And down the ages, he has used men and women to be his messengers. He did it through the prophets of Israel namely Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Malachi etc. In the New Testament, He did it through the apostles. Paul encouraged his young associate Timothy “to preach the word” (II Timothy 4:2). Preach means to cry out, herald or exhort. Preaching should stir a man that he pours out the message with passion and fervour. A power comes from the word preached that will affect the lives of listeners.
SECONDLY, preaching is Our Lord Jesus’ commandment to us. (Mark 6:6-12). He sent out the twelve and the seventy to preach. The Great Commission that our Lord Jesus Christ has given to his disciples is to teach the whole nation to obey God’s command.
THIRDLY, 2 Corinthians 4:4-5.
shows that by the inspiration of God’s spirit on preachers, many whom have
been blinded by the worldly forces will be able to see the Glory of God
through the face of Christ.
Definition.
Expository preaching is preaching that derives its content
from the Scripture directly, seeking to discover its divinely intended
meaning, to observe its effect upon those who first received it, and to
apply it to those who seek its guidance in the present. It consists
of deep insight into and understanding of the thoughts of God, powerfully
presented in direct personal application to contemporary needs and problems.
It is definitely not a dreary, rambling, shallow verse-by-verse commentary,
as many imagine. Nor is it a dry-as-dust presentation of academic
biblical truth, but a vigorous, captivating analysis of reality, flowing
from the mind of Christ by means of the Spirit and the preacher into the
daily lives and circumstances of twentieth century people. (Ray C. Stedman
1996)
Historical Background.
During the early Christian Church, the great reformers
Martin Luther and John Calvin exalted the preaching the word of God .
John Calvin, in his Institutes emphasised that the first and major mark
of a true church was the faithful preaching of the word.
In the Puritan and Evangelical age of the 16th and 17th century, great men like John Wesley and John Whitfield were certainly powerful preachers. Their preaching ministry knew no boundaries. Across the Atlantic ocean from the heart of Britain to America, their zealous, passionate and eloquent preaching held their audience to their seats and their standing postures. They would beg the listeners to be reconciled with God through the illumination of the authority of Scriptures. In the 19th century, great legendary preachers like C.H.Spurgeon and D.L.Moody were men of God supremely called by our Lord to preach the word who is metaphored as a two edge sword piercing the hearts of thousands bringing down their knees in conviction that Jesus is Lord.
In the early twentieth century, the ministry of expository
preaching was euphoric with the emergence of expositors like Dr. John Stott
, Dr Martin Llyod- Jones and Dr Don Carson. Their expositions of
the biblical truth has convicted many to study the word of God seriously.
Nature and Characteristics of Expository Preaching.
FIRSTLY, the essence of exposition is explanation. The preacher must adequately explain the passage to the congregation so that the explaination leads them to a true and practical application of the passage.
SECOND, an expository message deals with ONE BASIC passage of the scripture. References to other scriptures that are relevant and supportive of this passage are brought into teaching, but there are subordinate to our main passage.
THIRD, an expository message has HERMENEUTICAL INTERGRITY. In other words, it reproduces the significant elements of a passage in the same balance, and in the same intention as that of the original author.
FOURTHLY, the expository
message must have movement and direction.
Finally, an expositor must have FOUR OBJECTIVES in the delivery of the message.
(a) Firstly, accuracy- “Is what I am saying accurate with the scriptures?”.
(b) Secondly, he must wrestle with authenticity - “How does God want to change me personally?”
(c) Thirdly, the good expositors thinks about clarity – “Can a guy come off the street, sits down, and understand most, if not all of what I’m saying?”
(d) Fourthly, the expositor thinks of practicality
– Dull expository preaching usually lacks creative application and evokes
two complaints. Some will say “it sounds like the same old thing.”
Another complain may be “It’s true enough, but so what? What difference
does it make?
CHALLENGES AND
APPLICATIONS :
1. Consider the following shortlist of important
“Expository” characteristics / principles :
3. PERSONAL APPLICATION : Who can / should do “Expository Preaching” ?
5th April 1998
"CHRISTIANITY VS
FUNG SHUI (GEOMANCY) "
Bishop Yong Chen Fah
INTRODUCTION
The Chinese culture is
5000 years old. It is an intricately mixed system of culture, philosophies,
religion, etc. It will be sad and unfair if we generalise and say
that it is entirely unBiblical and throw everything away. We need
to evaluate our culture case by case, adapt and use what we can and reject
those which are unBiblical.
We have to be reminded that we are often prejudiced by our educational upbringing. Those of us from brought up from Chinese schools are often very pro-Chinese culture and on average anti-western (including Christianity which is viewed as western religion). Those of us from western-style schools would on the other hand be likely to easily dismiss anything mystical or superstitious elements very often found in cultural stuff but more likely to accept western ideas.
In evaluating fung
shui, let us treat our culture with respect and yet be Biblical.
WHAT IS FUNG SHUI ?
Fung = wind / Shui = water
The Chinese look upon nature not as a dead inanimate fabric but as a living breathing organism. They see a golden chain of spiritual life running every form of existence and binding together, as in one living body, everything that subsists on heaven or on earth below ... the whole system of 'fung shui' is based upon this emotional concept of nature.
Fung Shui is based
upon the ancient classics but it was formulated and systematized by Wang
Chi and other Sung Dynasty scholars (1126-1278 AD). According to
these scholars, there was believed to be one abstract principle in the
beginning which was the first cause of all existence. When it first
moved, its breath produced the great male principle (yang) and when it
rested it produced the female principle (yin). The energy vitalizing
these two principles is ch'i. in simple terms, fung shui
speaks of "yang dwelling fung shui" and "yin
dwelling fung shui".
THE
YANG DWELLING FUNG SHUI
According to living people's
dwelling fung shui, it is the location that affects people.
According to Chung Yuen Scholar's writing, "Fung Shui and Location",
The Yang dwelling fung shui deals with the following aspects :
"This book of the law shall
not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
Then you will make your way prosperous and have good success." (Joshua
1:8, 9)
If one wishes to select or buy a house, there are some logical and scientific physical principles which we can use and apply (which is only faintly connected to fung shui philosophy), ie
It is to offset the long-term effects of bad fung shui that good grave sites are chosen. Of course, it takes an expert to pick the site and even to pick the day on which excavation can begin. To disturb the earth in any way, either by building on it or by digging into it is to run serious risk of being affected by bad fung shui. The task of the fung shui expert is to ensure that such action does not bring about misfortune.
Why cant Christians believe in yin dwelling fung shui ?
BHAT
GWA OR REFLECTING MIRRORS
The many theories of fung
shui are not necessarily understood by most people. The general
use of Bhat Gwa mirrors all over Hong Kong and South East
Asi is a good example of this. These little hexagonal mirrors can
be seen everywhere: in windows, opposite doors, in shops, temples and scattered
somewhat randomly around most homes. These mirrors are supposed to
reflect bad fung shui back to where it came from.
One well-known example of the use of such mirrors is to be found as the result of the purported bad fung shui of the American Consulate in Hong Kong. For the last few years, since the major terrorist scares in the world, the building has had special mirror glass in its windows. The reflections cast back by these windows face directly into the Hong Kong Government's legal department and all the way along the legal department windows these Bhat Gwa mirrors can be seen, directing the bad fung shui reflection from the consulate. This is a result of the arbitrary decision of clerks in the legal department.
As Christians, we should not be unduly worried by how to 'reflect' back or be protected from bad luck or bad fung shui, for the Bible says :
"Because he loves Me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name ... With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation." Psalms 91: 14, 16
"But he who listens to Me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil" Proverbs 1:33
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