Today is the last Sunday of the year and I want to remember this day so I’m writing about the message I heard during our worship service earlier. Actually, I had a not-so-ordinary Sunday worship service experience today that’s why I decided to blog about it.
Sunday has always been the Lord’s Day for me. In fact, I think I’ve only missed 1 or 2 Sunday worship service this year and I really praise God for enabling me to be faithful in attending the worship service. But because I was so caught up with the busyness of the Christmas season this week, I decided last night that I will not attend the service today. I even intentionally woke up very late this morning because I’ve already planned to do some household chores in the morning instead of going to church.
So I woke up late but I still continued to do my regular quiet time in the morning. Before I start, I told God in my opening prayer that I really want to end this year and start the new year right so I asked Him to speak to me personally and I was really looking forward to God’s new revelation to me for the coming year. But God is really funny sometimes because instead of giving me a new revelation, He gave me a simple test of obedience. I was really serious about not going to church today but the message that God has clearly given to me as I meditated on Matthew 12 during my quiet time is this:
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. -Matthew 12:8
So when I saw this verse, I said “Lord, really?!! Why, I told you already I’m not really going to church today!” And then I started wrestling with God and told Him all the excuses I can think of why I won’t be able to make it to church today. I told Him it’s already past 8 and our worship service starts at 9 so I’m sure I’m going to be super late if I will change my plan. But the more I try to reason out to God, the more I realize how lame my excuses are, so in the end, I gave up and told Him, “okay Lord, I’m going now. I know I’m going to be late, but I’ll try my best to come just in time for the message.” So I took the cab instead of my usual FX ride. Praise God that indeed, I was able to arrive right after the praise and worship part and just before our Pastor gave his message. Truly, there is blessing in obedience because I can’t explain the joy I felt after listening to our Pastor’s year-end message. The Lord really knows what I really need to hear at the moment so I’m really glad that He enabled me to obey. Our Pastor’s message today was about how to stand firm in the Lord and I want to share it with you because I was really encouraged when I heard this message.
How to Stand Firm in the Lord
- The Blessed Exchange. If we want to stand firm in the Lord. we need to make thatserious decision to give up our life, our dreams, our selfish ambition, pleasure and all the things that this world is offering, for the sake of our relationship with Christ and God’s kingdom agenda.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. (Phil. 3:7-8)
2. Be Patient and Stand Firm. Being patient is really a challenge for most of us today because we live in a world where everything is done in an instant. So when God delays His answer to our prayer, we lose our patience and start grumbling, and sometimes we even give up and turn away from God. But God wants us to be patient and wait for His perfect timing so we really need to be patient and trust God that He will give the desires of our heart when the time is right.
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:8-9)
3. Hold to the Teachings Passed On. God usually uses people and delegated authorities who will guide us in our journey with God. But God also promised that there will be false prophets and teachers in these last day who will try to lead us astray so we really need to stand firm and hold to the teachings that our leaders have passed on to us.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings[a] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thess. 2:15)
4. Do not be enslaved by anything . One sign that we are not standing firm in faith is when we get addicted to something other than God. So we really need to guard our hearts and ensure that God remains to be the highest good in our life.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
5. By Faith We Stand Firm. Faith is simply trust in God alone. In order to overcome sin, we need to trust in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. (2 Cor. 1:24)
6. Have an Intercessor. More is accomplished in prayer than doing all the work so we really need to pray that someone is really praying for us.
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.(Colossians 4:12)
7. Give Yourself Fully to the Lord’s Work
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
So there. I’m glad that God enabled me to obey today and I did not miss this wonderful message to cap my journey with Jesus this year. Plus, I was able to spend some quality time with my closest friend in the church after our service so I’m really glad that I was able to spend my time wisely. Thank you, Lord Jesus for your faithfulness in my life. 🙂
No Ordinary Day 