Silliman University Church Reflections

Greetings — On behalf of the Silliman church council chairperson, Dr. Angel Alcala we extend our warmest greetings of peace in Jesus Christ on your 85th anniversary. As your church history was being read, familiar names of your pioneer pastors and lay leaders were mentioned e.g. Campos, Malahay, Madrazo, Tabuena, Antonio, Villavito, Antone, Ursos, Lezama. Names which have their counterpart in Silliman which suggests that our histories and our ministries are perhaps intertwined. I thank you for inviting me to share God’s word on this important day.

1) Household of God.

Let me first dwell on my understanding of the phrase “household of God.” in your anniversary theme.

In the Creation Story in Genesis, the household of God represents Adam and Eve and all their descendants. Gen 1: 26 says, “Let us make man in our image after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish, birds, cattle and wild animals and all creatures that crawl on the ground.” In the broadest sense, the family or household of God is humanity in general (who are created in God’s image) who are to be stewards of the whole Creation, all the descendants of Adam and Eve whom God wished to bless. For God created Adam and Eve for a purpose, and God blessed them and commanded them, “be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth. (Gen. 1:28ff)

God blessed the whole household, all races, all nations, for they all sprung from Adam and Eve.

In the NT sense, however, the household of God refers to the new creation. When Jesus came, every discussion of God, His Creation and his fellowship changed. 2 Cor. 5: 17-18 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Therefore, in the narrower sense, the household of God refers not to humanity as a whole, but to the fellowship of believers, the church of Jesus Christ. And there is a distinct purpose for this. All those renewed creation, reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ who have been forgiven their sins and who possess eternal life are especially called to do God’s work. They have been elected to do God’s mission; and the church exists only for mission. Without mission, we are not the church.

To the extent that the witness of the church, has “blessed” the non Christian world, to that extent the household of God encompasses more than the Christian church. In the same way that Abraham was called by God to be the father of nations and through whose faith God’s blessings was to flow to all nations (Gen 11:1-3), so the church is called to be united in the spirit, one body, one spirit, called to one hope of your calling, one Lord one faith one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4: 4-6) so that the whole world may be renewed.

The household of God then is the fellowship of believers who reach out to proclaim Christ (kerygma) and to witness to Christ through service (diakonia). It is a Biblical injunction that defines the church and helps the church organize itself to do God’s mission.

2) Doing Christ’s Will in context

Having clarified what the household of God means, we come to the main point of your theme – Doing Christ’s Will in Unity and love. How do we do our kerygma, and our diakonia? Or in everyday language, how do we do Christ’s mission?

Acts 4: 29-32 – “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Thy servants to speak Thy word with all boldness (kerygma); while Thou stretchest out Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed, through the name of Thy Holy Servant Jesus…(diakonia) and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of Jesus with boldness. Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common.”

Notice that Christ’s will or purpose is that his servants act directly on their surroundings. He wants them to speak like a servant the Lordship of Christ with boldness. He wants them to heal and give signs of God’s power. He asks them to be one in heart and soul. He asks them to love and share what they have.

As a church, we are called to transform not the world but each other. Sometimes we are too macro oriented. We do not have millennium development goals, what we have is faith, and a church willing to live out that faith in the particular area we are assigned. How boldly do we speak of Christ in San Carlos City? What problems of disunity have we solved through reconciliation of different sides? How have we expressed our united witness with the Roman Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostal?

There was a time when doing Christ’s will was simple but difficult. It meant standing against the Roman world which was a slave empire that demanded loyalty to the emperor. The problem with Caesar, some times was that he claimed to be the Son of God.

In the times of emperor Nero and Diocletian, the emperors compelled everyone on pain of death, to proclaim Ceasar as Lord. The early Christians were taught to recognize only one Lord, Jesus is Lord, and so they suffered the consequences of their faith. So we had martyrs.

Our mission then and now is the same, proclamation of God’s word in Jesus Christ (John 14:6); salvation through the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and “serving in Christ” expressed in thanksgiving through good works. The good news we preach is holistic, involving salvation from sins that lead Christians to live new, ethical and moral lives; to become partners in economic, political and social well being of individuals and society. “They will know we are Christians by our love” is a song that captures this spirit.

Mission must stand on two feet. First it must stand on Kerygma proclaiming the Good News, i.e., bringing people to Christ and strengthening their faith. Second, it must stand on diakonia – proclaiming Christ’s love, serving the poor, healing the sick, teaching, rebuilding individual and corporate lives.

Our diakonia is well established. Institutionally, this is reflected in the work and mission of Silliman University and the teaching ministry, Silliman Medical Center and the healing ministry; our prophetic ministry our advocacy of human rights, socio economic programs to help the poor, exhortation for moral and ethical living in community. But there is one more thing we need.

3) We need to serve in unity and love

Diakonia means to serve. But we are no ordinary servants. We are called to serve Christ, to serve in unity and love for his glory and honor. Paul expresses it this way:

Phil 2: 1-7 – “fulfill my joy by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself; let each one of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men.

We conduct our servant ministry in humility aware that our ministry is our offering to God and our way of praising Him and giving our thanks. We commend to God all our efforts knowing that God is pleased by our offering of ourselves and our efforts. We do not rest in our service because we await the day of hope when the Lord shall consummate His plan for the whole creation, “when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of Christ and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11: 15-16)

As Ignatius Loyola once prayed, “a servant gives, and does not count the cost. Fights and not heed the wounds. Toils and not seek rest. labors and not ask for reward. We seek only to know that we do God’s will.

While we are united in and for Christ, we confess that we are still a community in need of salvation. We continue to be broken up by our own sins and idolatries. As we strive to unite with others, more churches come to proclaim the Gospel as if other churches are not already doing so. The same problem of overzealous proclamation of Jesus Christ regardless of the presence of evangelizers in the area, is causing much recrimination, “sheep stealing,” self-righteousness and disunity among churches and within churches. Indeed the Gospel can be a cause of disunity!

Related to this is a narrow emphasis on the sufficiency of “salvation” or justification. According to Dr. Everett Mendoza, UCCP resident theologian, the doctrine of salvation has two aspects. “First, salvation means justification, meaning the remission of sins through God’s unconditional forgiveness, which is received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The sinner is reconciled to God and so regarded righteous by God even if actually the person continues to be subject to sin….Salvation refers to a new relationship that God has established with sinners. It is a relationship of a forgiving God and a sinner that sincerely asks for God’s forgiveness.” “Since it is a relationship, both parties are bound in a mutual obligation to be faithful to one another. God offers to be faithful to forgive; on the other hand, the forgiven sinner pledges to turn away from sin and to live righteously.”

“The second aspect of salvation is known as sanctification. God’s forgiveness carries with it the seed of a new life that gradually matures but never reaches perfection in earthly existence. The new life grows in holiness in obedience to the Lord. As Eph 1:10. says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Mere acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior is no guarantee of salvation. Beyond the verbalization of faith in Christ, is the necessary inner change that is instilled by the Spirit. For we have been forewarned that “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven…I will declare to them, I never knew you; go away from me…” (Matt. 7:21-23)

There are many other manifestations of sin in our midst, which also divide the church: pride, intolerance, prejudice, loose living, comfort seeking, self-righteousness, bigotry, hatred, hypocrisy, legalism and others.

Did you notice that when the church achieves something good, someone will find something bad to say about the achievement? When we discredit one another, our witness suffers. It reveals that we lack Christian charity. God’s mission suffers when we claim credit for God’s achievements. When we serve the church we should do so in great love of God, not in great love for our ancestors of faith. They loved God, not themselves.

This reminds me how we need God’s Spirit to keep us persevering even when we are attacked by our own brothers and sisters. Let me illustrate this with a story. “A child said to his mother, you never say anything bad about anybody. I think you would have something good to say even about the devil. Well, the mother said, imitate his perseverance.”

We fail in our kerygma and diakonia because the inner change in our lives brought by the Holy Spirit has often not happened. We do things for the church, still for our own purposes, not for God’s purposes. We fail to worship God because we love ourselves more. As Paul warned in 1 Cor. 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have no love, I am a clanging cymbal. If I have faith that can move mountains but have no love, I am nothing. Etc.

Let me then end with this summary point. In summary, it is all a matter of commitment to Christ. How committed is the church to its mission? The early martyrs gave their lives to preach Christ. What are we willing to give up, for our Lord?

A notorious disgraced politician who became a born again Christian spoke to a large university audience. He was talking about his commitment to Christ. “I am willing if necessary,” he said “to die on behalf of the Savior.” And a young student said, “Nothing is worth dying for.

To which he replied, if there is nothing you are willing to die for, then I submit you have nothing to live for.

Is your commitment to Jesus Christ worth giving your life for? If not then, what are you living for?

Happy Anniversary to UCCP SAN CARLOS CITY May your commitment to Christ increase in the years ahead.
 
(Sermon delivered UCCP San Carlos City, May 31, 2009)

A blessed Trinity Sunday to all. During the Pentecost season, we focus on the third person of the Trinity, the one less recognized in the unity of God in three Persons — the Holy Spirit. We look at the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit and see how important the spirit is in moving us today. God the Father, we understand as the Creator; God the Son we know as the Redeemer; and now God the Spirit, the presence of God today that makes things happen.

Let us draw lessons about the work of the Holy Spirit from the man named Nicodemus.

He was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish Council. He came to Jesus at night and asked, “Rabii we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs you are doing unless God is with you.

Then Jesus answers him “Truly, truly I say unto you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man re-enter the womb of his mother and be born again? Jesus: “What is flesh is flesh, what is spirit is spirit.

Being born again is being born of the spirit. Seeing with new eyes of faith, living in eternal reality now, believing in the Son of Man, who will be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (3:16)

Nicodemus is a decent, godly man impressed by Jesus miracles. But something about his mind set, prevents the spirit’s power? Where does it come from? Elevation. Take Maria Christian falls. At the base of the falls is a powerhouse. Above the falls is Lake Lanao hundreds of feet above. Elevation enables the waterfall to create the power. If there was no elevation, if Lake Lanao and the powerhouse were in the same level, there would be no power. We must allow the elevation of God to create the power in us.

What was Nicodemus difficulty with the power of the spirit?

1. Nicodemus was too elevated, comfortable with his own power.
The Sanhedrin was the Highest Council of Israel. It would be equivalent to the Supreme Court cum Congress today presided over by the President. It was made up of teachers, lawyers (Pharisees) the landed families, the Chief Priests and the Sadducees who interpreted Jewish Law, investigated and judged minor offenders. Like the Philippine Senate investigating the case of Hayden Kho, in aid of legislation.

The Sanhedrin was not really the power source. It was tolerated by Rome, to appease the Jews. It gave them the illusion of self government, gave them enough comfort, so they would not have to resort to rebellion or seek to overthrow the government.

Nicodemus belonged to this chamber. He was a proud Jew, not eager to let Jesus take his power, remove him from his job and position of power, comfort zone. Note that his position of power, hinders the power of the Holy Spirit in him. Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Power of God.

2. Nicodemus is a timid, indecisive, fearful witness of Jesus
When the Sanhedrin discussed the controversy over Jesus in Jn 7:50, many condemned Jesus as blasphemer. He can forgive sins? What? Is He God? Is this son of the carpenter, the Messiah? But if he was the Messiah, there were two dangers: 1) the Romans would require the Sanhedrin to quash the pretender to Jewish power; 2) If the people believed in Jesus, then the power of the Sanhedrin would be undermined. The Romans would be relying on a powerless Sanhedrin. And so the Sanhedrin decided to discredit Jesus. They belittled Jesus: “Will the Messiah come from Galilee?

To his credit, decent and timid Nicodemus protested. The Council was dealing with Jesus too rashly. He wanted to give Jesus a chance. He said, “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing? (7:50)

Nicodemus was a learned, decent, godly man, but the Spirit was not with him. He understood the world through his own logic. He could not accept Jesus as the Messiah. The Law says, the Messiah would be a conquering king. God cannot change that or maybe God could. But he feared the Orthodox conformists in the Sanhedrin. He did not want to be accused as one coming from Galilee.

There’s a story of a man who was being trained as an evangelist. He would bring a tract entitled “Would you give your life to God?” knock on doors and hand out the tracts hoping for a discussion and for commitments. One day he knocked on this particular door. He heard some movements inside so he knocked again and again, even though no one came. Finally a man appeared, took the track and slammed the door in his face. The evangelist returned to that house a week later. This time the man opened the door immediately and asked the evangelist in. Inviting him inside, the man was brought to a room where a sturdy rope was dangling from the rafter. The man said, friend, when you knocked on the door last week, my head was in that noose. I was ready to jump. But since you were so persistent, I decided to go down and see who it was. And you gave me that track. Thank God, God spoke to me through that track. I knelt down and gave my life to the Lord.

3. Nicodemus is a man who picks up the pieces

Because Nicodemus, defended Jesus Christ (7:50) so meekly (i.e., without spirit) in the Sanhedrin, he allowed the mob to rule. And the inevitable happened. Jesus was crucified. All a good man needs to do to let evil flourish is not to do anything.

After he died, Nicodemus was one of two men the other Joseph of Arimathea, who brought down the body of Jesus Christ from the cross for burial. He took down the body of the greatest man who ever lived. It was all sentimental superfluity. In 3 days, that body would be lifted. He picks up the pieces of things that are broken.

Reflection questions: Nicodemus is still alive today in spiritless churches. I know a church: No pastor. No tithes. Choir does not practice. No mission. No Sunday School. Too much elevation of the members. Not born of the spirit. Spirit cannot work.

1. Are we like Nicodemus, zealous in protecting our comfort zones?
2. Are we like Nicodemus, proud of his position of power, confident of his orthodoxy? God will not surprise him with new things?
3. Are we like Nicodemus, decent, god fearing, fair but timid witness of Jesus, not yet born of the spirit?
4. Are we like Nicodemus who procrastinates, acts too late, sentimentally, superfluously?

(Sermon delivered June 7, 2009, Silliman church)

Back when I was a college student, a famous writer wrote a book called Small is Beautiful. I forgot the author’s name now but I remember that he begun a new way of thinking. His point, its all a matter of perspective.

Our text this morning talks about tiny seeds. Small things that grow into new life, that become big trees, a tiny seed like a mustard seed, that becomes a big tree. Small insignificant things that become beautiful, useful and great. And Jesus was referring to “the kingdom of God …is like …a seed. A mustard seed.”

Jesus words seem to indicate that there is so much wonderment in big things – big numbers, big and powerful people, big machines, big cars, big cities, but we are missing the fact that all the great things are just in a tiny seed.

This reminds me of the story about a traveling man who was taking a long train trip. He was looking out the window of the train and every so often he would burst out with the words, “wonderful!” The passing scenery, the faces of passengers, the animals in the meadows, the trees, the sky, small details which elicited from him glad expressions of enjoyment.

Finally one traveler overcome with irritation asked him, “How come, we are bored with all the ordinary things we see, and you are having the time of your life saying Wonderful! Wonderful!

He answered, “until a few days ago, I was a blind man. A great doctor has just given me my sight and what is ordinary to you is “heavenly to me.” A matter of perspective. Heaven is here, we are just not looking.

How come, the less you see, the more you appreciate what you can see? And the more you see, the less you are thrilled of seeing the many things you do see? The less opportunities you have, the more appreciative you are of your achievements.

How is that like the kingdom of God?

1. First we need to understand that the small seed is so complex in itself.

Within that tiny seed, is a possibility, just a possibility of a great crop or a big tree. We do not know how the seed grows, but one day, it will bear fruit, and we will say, wow what a big fruit tree!

Think about this, a mustard seed, is like a fertilized egg. A mustard seed can become a big tree or it can become nothing. A fertilized egg can become a beggar. The possibilities are many, but one possibility is that the egg could be the greatest boxer that ever lived! A great statesman, a great singer. But who can tell, which one will it be?

You see, our lack of wonderment is because we think we know how nature works? In truth, we do not know. Two seeds in the same place can grow similarly or differently. Or one dies and the other grows. Something insignificant becomes significant. This is like the kingdom, it is imperceptible, unexpected and then you realize it is there.

When Jesus proclaimed, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand! He was really telling us, yow! What you are is what you are, but you can be part of something you never imagined. Just a possibility opens up. It all depends on your faith perspective.

2. A mustard is the smallest seed. And then it becomes a large tree that brings much blessing.

As far as Jesus was concerned, the kingdom of God started small and weak, through his ministry. But a day will come when it will become great and powerful. Has this not become a reality today? Aren’t there billions of people who believe today? But Jesus was just one person, a tiny seed. Now that seed is you and me, and Silliman church, and the UCCP, and the Christian world. We should not judge the significance of the kingdom by its small beginning.

3. Why parables?

Parables (from the Gk word parabole) are stories taken from ordinary life used to drive home a spiritual or moral truth. Similes, comparisons, analogies, metaphor, allegory, proverbial sayings.

Obviously, the kingdom of God, is beyond our experience. I don’t think it is just something of the planet earth. I don’t even think it is about the Solar System. Or the Milky Way. It is something that spans the eternal heavens. There are no words to explain it.

That is why Jesus used parables. Revealing the truth is more than putting truth to words. Our words are limited by our experience. What we need in order to understand God’s realm – God’s space and time — is to have alert, awake and inquiring minds. We need faith to understand. The truth is really self evident if we can see with eyes of faith. A seed is ordinary or special. We all know the vastness of the universe. We all know, we do not know. It is all matter of faith. With faith, the kingdom is in our midst.

The kingdom of God breaks open in our midst just by believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Amen.

(Sermon delivered Silliman Heights, June 14, 2009)