source Audio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjxSZ7YojHk
It was many years back. I can’t remember exactly how many years when we landed in Kansas City. We were in a very small building. There probably less than a hundred intercessory leader and suddenly a handful of Chinese who has functional Chinese language. We were very bold at that time. We tried starting a little Chinese Training Program. We have a couple by the name of Mike and Brownback, they said yes we’re going to try! And guess what we have a few students I think about 4 and 5 students. And they didn’t only try it. They tried a very long short term training program, a nine months to a twelve months training program. And guess how many graduated from that program, Ezra.
Many years later the Lord says time for you to come back and we remembered we were praying, many hands of people were praying for God’s heart for this place for the Chinese. And he will hear story from Mike Bickel about the Chinese focus from their heart. Sometimes we think God is really joking, but he wasn’t’ joking. It’s just that a handful of Chinese in a small building with a calling from God to make a big impact in the Chinese world, that doesn’t make sense. Located not in the west coast, not in the east coast but right in the middle of America(Kansas City) and the Lord showed the prophetic voice back in the 80’s that one of our biggest influences will be in the Chinese speaking world. In fact some of you might have heard the story that prophetic voice told Mike Bickel that one day there’s some kind of equipment, the hands of the people in China, they can see your preaching in Kansas City.
The most interesting thing was it is unplugged, there is no wire. They were right in the middle like a rice paddy field and they were watching you live. You have to understand in the early 80’s there is no such equipment. Personal computer has just been brought out not too long ago. It was 64 bit green in color and most people haven’t touched it yet. You know it was 64 bit, you have to teach the computer how to work before the computer can work for you. I’m telling you those stories because most of you are old enough to remember.
So the prophetic voice says one day, you unplugged, they can see it full color. Many of them will follow what you are doing in Kansas City. So here we are the biggest gathering of Chinese so far. But many years later we will look back this is a significant beginning this is a not what we call bit because 20% of world’s population is Chinese. This cannot be bit.
I want to share with you a few things before we go to our teaching today in fact it is related to God’s answering prayer. You know we prayed for a long time. I personally prayed a long time for pastor couple to lead. In fact I prayed very specifically. I said God send us a couple that you chose they have to be theologically trained. Not just they learned it by themselves but hey have learned it from you and they are trained in a proper theological institution. And they must be filled by the Spirit. They can’t be too young they can’t be too old because they have to lead the young people and the old people have to take them seriously. But they have to be married, a couple, it can’t be a single person because for us Chinese getting married is a very big deal. Every Chinese New Year our grandparents and our parents remind us when you are going to get married, if you’re not married. You know the red packet, I don’t know whether everybody practice it, when you receive it reminds you that it is time for you to give. It is not time for you receive it is time for you to give the envelope now.
You see Chinese culture is very complicated. So I have to pray very specifically. So when pastor Shell came, I pray even honestly whether God has chosen them and I shared with them you know I suspect that my suspicion is correct God has chosen you but in a year time it will be clear that the spirit of God will confirm it. And true enough in one or two year God began to establish them in all over the world and in this place. The grace of God is working in their lives in a clear way. And then I also prayed God send us song bird, worship leaders, singers. You know every song is beautiful to Jesus whether it is in tune or out of tune.
You know I remember some older folks in some church that spring in certain dialect, in a Taiwanese dialect. You see whether it is nice or not nice. You know you don’t understand it whether it is good or no good my Jesus like it. You know something about singing in tune that is important. So I prayed God we need people who can sing because the first few years the Hot and bow, nobody wants to go. The presence of God is good, strong, Jesus liked it but people don’t quite like it. So the young people won’t want to come. So I prayed Lord send us prophetic singers. Last night you were in the prayer room I said, “Lord publish that one send it all over the world”. These twelve years of night and day prayer, you know it is time to open shop and God send us a singers and musicians. And I also prayed that God would get young people as far as spiritual mothers and fathers and God is doing that.
You know this is the movement of young people. If you are 35 you are old. Forget what I said. I know it doesn’t fit into a Chinese mind. But all of you here I want to say that God is on the move and God move quickly. I’m giving just a signal. He will move quickly because he has to do a quick work of righteousness. The time is short.
The world is changing. The Chinese world is changing and the rule of Chinese in the world is changing and the Chinese church is standing at the very crucial crossword not only in the body of Christ but on the world stage. I want to share this to you I haven’t shared this publicly before. This is not part of the message but I want to lay this fold before you to set its context.
I believe that we’re standing in a moment of time where the Chinese church is facing what I call the 'Constantine moment'. That means AD3-4 Century in church movement. So what is happening is this, the Chinese church that is in China who had been living underground or existing and flourished underground for the last 50 years or so is beginning to stand at a crucial crossroad of finding an expression within China at a crucial age. And also the overseas Chinese Church is facing a dynamic shift in their relationship in the Chinese church in China.
Now I want to just bring you back in world history and church history. At the time of 4th C, A D 300 ~ 400, the most established Empire is through the western world is the Roman Empire. Pax Romana the midgrade Roman Empire with all their interstate road and great technology and military and no one would know within a short period of time of Rome. There is a tribe from the west and the north called the gothic tribe comes in to invade Rome in such a way to literary destroy all the civilization in the western world within a quick period of tribe. That is the scenario in church history. Now what is happening at the church at that time?
For the first hundred years the church is underground because the Roman Empire does not tolerate Christianity. In fact the first 300 years of church history was written in the blood of the martyr. In 313 in the city of Milan northern Italy, the decree was issued that they begin to tolerate the existence of Christianity. So Christians begin to come out, surfaced, don’t have to hide for their life. By the time the emperor Constantine. He begins to not only say, Christian can exist, he honor Christians. He almost not by decree Christianize the Empire by that time more than 50% of the population of the Empire was already Christian in the underground. They are fervor vibrant, they have to choose Christ and face suffering and persecution and death. And then Constantine was moved to become a Christian and Christianize the Empire.
Now to be a Christian is no longer blood, sweat, tears, and death. Now to be a Christian means opportunity for promotion, business networking, and a lot of good things because the emperor trusts Christians and Christians have good work ethics, they have good integrity. And Constantine move the capital to the east, to modern Turkey, Istanbul today. And if you think that move is not significant, it is highly significant because in 70 years Rome will fall. Rome will fall under this barbaric tribe. But the seed of Christianity was preserved in the east.
So what I’m trying to say is this the Chinese church, todays Chinese church is no longer facing fears of persecution as it was even 10, 20 years ago. in fact churches in China today is entering large cities. Some of them worship openly, there are some large churches that meets publicly who are not three self-church and they have big good sound system, overhead projector, anything you see in Taiwan, Singapore you can see in China. And the Lord has blessed our brothers and sisters, some of them became very wealthy, some of them became very influential. You know those days some of you might remember we have to smuggle bible into China. And every time we do a gathering, everything we do we have to sponsor outside. Today China is the biggest Bible printer in the worlds. There’s more Bible being printed in China than anywhere in the world with permission with license this is no underground. And today a lot of events, the brothers and sisters in China are very generous they are beginning to support events out of China they are beginning to support missionaries. And today the expression of Christianity in China is no longer an underground kind alone of gusting places there is still persecution but in the city there is toleration.
You are beginning to hear the Chinese Christian of China talking about conquering the 7 sphere of society, Education, media, business, family, government, etc. How can an underground church talk about those kinds of things before. All the church was dreaming was worshiping God and preaching the gospel from place to place on a very grasp full level. So they said change is coming. The Chinese churches have to decide which way to go.
During the time of Constantine the sudden change caught many Christians by surprised. Many Christians become very prosperous, very influential. The church become very political because now there’s a lot of money involved, there is a lot of power involved, there is a lot of networking involved. You know who do you know? Who so you not know?
First 300 years there was nothing like that. So there was a group of Christians who tried to preserve the purity of devotion by going into the desert. So at the same time when this was happening there was a monastic movement that begins in Egypt and it became such flourishing movements. There’s a lot of monk in the desert praying and fasting. And it was that time there was some travelers who came from all over the Egypt to learn this four most spirituality and praying and fasting in the bible. And one of the people was a man from Ireland called Patrick. So the monastic movement in Egypt impacted the monastic movement in the church in Ireland.
Now I’ll paint you a picture right now. So Christianity is now big on turkey on the east Constantine, and then sown Egypt God is rising up, monastic movement, praying and fasting in God. And then invasion came down to Rome, destroy all the civilization from the greatest empire they became barbaric tribe. Secular historian called it the dark ages. Then there was a transfer of DNA from Egypt to Ireland. A mission movement begins in Ireland that is over monastic form with praying and fasting. Then one person preached and then 10 people got saved they organized themselves the 10 men and they give themselves to deep spirituality. And then this movement begins to spread. Now you remember the church structure in the Roman Empire is all shaking because of the invasion, everything is weak. So come away from Ireland not any form of Christianity form the monastic form they don’t just spread fast. They study the scripture. They study classical knowledge of Greek. They become the wisest people in their community. The next 300 years the Irish monks begin to establish community all over the dark focus of western civilization. There was a saying if you meet a person who can speak Greek at that time he is probably an Irish man. Greek language is a classical language only spoken by intellectual man.
So why am I saying this? Because the Chinese church right now especially in China have to decide which way to go and a lot of forces are influencing the Chinese church right now. They are looking to the east, they are looking to the west, they are looking to the south, and they have to find a model. The older generation know how to carry the cross go to jail 40 times to spill blood, to spill tears, to spill sweat. But the young generation says I don’t know how to bleed, how to sweat, and how to have tears. I don’t know that. I know how to conquer the seven mountains(Rome), how to use the law to establish my church, how to write intellectual argument and philosophy and writings to influence the society and public societies, how to use technology.
Now these are things that the former generation of China doesn’t even think of. So there is a gap. So the young generation is saying the older one is good but we don’t really live in the same time. We got to look everywhere to find our model. That creates urgency for us because we are very burden to ensure that the church in China to find an expression in God’s will.
You know one of the strength of the overseas Chinese church for years is the solid theological foundation. Because we are people who love teachings we are Chinese we must have teachings. Teaching is the main point. That is why the so called the charismatic renewal didn’t take root in the Chinese church because most of this charismatic leaders doesn’t have solid theological foundation. Because most Chinese churches leader don’t take that charismatic leader seriously, the way they quote their scripture, they write things, so many holes. Their gift is real, their passion is real, their fruits are real but the Chinese people don’t just measure that. They want to see the theological think. So that is why it did not take root so theological foundation is extremely important in the Chinese world.
So the movement that needs to impact the Chinese church in the 21st century needs to be the ologically substantial. But not just dry theology, not just knowledge. Get to drop about one foot down to the hot. It has to be theology with passion and experience in the knowledge on God. It has to knowing God. Not just knowing about God. but knowing God and walking with God in Christ Jesus.
Second thing very important is music. There is something about music. The best theology can be encoded in music and ship it globally. You know a lot of theology, I mean the Wesley brothers, a lot of this orthodox theology was not taught but was sung in hymn. That is why the Chinese church won’t sing any other thing other than hymn because he got a lot of theology. So it is very important that whatever that goes and impacts the Chinese church need to have strong element of worship and music because then theology and heart will come together in reality. With these two elements, then the Chinese church will not have fear to engage in the full work of the Holy Spirit.
So this evening I would like to just leave about 4 or 5 point with you the rest you probably have to read from what I call quest for theology with passion for God high. I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit to be our teacher tonight because this is the subject matter that is in the heart of God to eternity.
Father we ask that your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God, the spirit Christ would teach us all truth tonight. We ask that as your servant speaks from the scripture the words will burn in the hearts of my brothers and sisters. We ask that Lord what we bring Home will not just be a few verses in our hearts but a burning heart. And we will also understand what hour we are living in and the urgency of the hour, that we understand why you gathered us this weekend in Kansas City together before you. It is you who gathered us we stand before you Lord. Speak tonight and pears to our hearts in Jesus name, AMEN.
.....................................................
I’m going to take you to the final chapter of the entire Bible. one of the best way actually, a good way to read the Bible is to read from the back to the front. Why? If you watch a movie, if you have seen the last episode you don’t have to watch the front one. I’m sure some of you loves Korean Soap Opera, a lot of twist and tur, right. For me, I go straight to the last episode then my heart won’t beat so fast in between. You’ll know who is alive and who is dead in the end. So we’re going to start from behind, last chapter, verse 7, 12, and 20. You know Revelation 22:7 he says, “behold I’m coming quickly."
Now when he said behold He is not just saying look, it is a word that basically ask you behold, everybody turn your head, behold and look with attentiveness. Behold I’m coming quickly. After you pay attention the next few words are the most important. He said I’m coming quickly. Now this book was written more than 1,900 years ago. If he said those 1,9000 years ago and he meant it how much more he meant it today? But he knows our human nature. He knows that if he said once we may not get it, so before he finish the final chapter of the Bible he said it three time. There are very rare occasion in the scripture God says the same thing three times, very rare. In fact during the time when Joseph was interpreting the dream of pharaoh, pharaoh has two different kinds of dreams and Joseph told him these dreams. And the reason why you got it twice is that you can’t change the consequences. It is that when I said is established. Now this one he said it three times. All God has to do is only say it once but because he knows how we will react so he said it three times. Verse 12, and behold I’m coming quickly and then verse 20 again he says, “Surely, certainly, yes anything you can add to it. Truly, truly, most assuredly, anything adjective you could find, I’m coming quickly. Now he said I’m coming that is fine but he said I’m coming quickly. Can you feel it? Most of us can’t. Can you feel the urgency and the passion of his heart to come? Why is he so passionate in coming quickly, why? Why is he consumed with the passion to return? It is because he is in love, because he is married. He is coming back to get his bride but there is a slight problem. His bride is not so much excited for his coming. I don’t know about you but there is a lot young people around here. We watch them first time say hello, within three months later, Mr. and Mrs. Somebody. They got married three months later. Over the summer so many people got married.
You know in between we so some premarital counseling so I got to hear a lot of stories. I’m not volunteering that ok so this is not part of the announcement. But basically sometimes when you are under hot pursuit of somebody you can’t wait to take a breath. It is like this, if you are a girl and somebody really likes you, there is brother who really loves you, like really, really, really loves you. In this country there is a border line of who’s talking. Everyday he’s there waiting. Sunshine he is there, snow he is there. He would text you 20 times a day. What do you want to eat? How are you feeling? What flower do you want? He is coming hot. You’ll say, “Oh let me just think for a while… let me just pray over it.. I need a space... Slowdown... Cool it we need a little space.”
Now I’m kind of making joke out of it but this is true even that intensity is not even close to this. He is coming quickly. He wants to come he is coming for his bride that he redeemed but his bride is not remotely exited for his coming. Actually it is like this, she is not remotely, not interested but it’s like she is saying to her husband why don’t you leave your cellphone and I’ll call you if I have need of you. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. You girls know what happened when you say that it means you like but you don’t quite like, you are just trying to be nice. Don’t call me I’ll call you. I’ll show up in prayer meeting when I like. When I’m free, I’ll come. Don’t come back yet. When I finish everything I need to finish I’ll call you. Revival is ok because revival means you come and then you go. Three years is good enough but second coming, this must be demons. This is the most important point.
You know revival comes, three years later no more revival you’ll go back to your lifestyle, that is ok. But second coming of Christ means after you’ll come you’re not leaving. You are coming back to take everything. I love you Jesus but not that much. That is our problem. I don’t know what else to describe to you. That is our problem and he will not return for a bride like this. He is the king of kings by the time he come back we will be crying out, “Come” but he will do everything to bring us to that place. Every positive, negative factor he can put into the pot and cook. Feel the bride's cry in 100% agreement with the Holy Spirit, come Lord Jesus, Come.” Because he loves us he will not let us go. Most of us have no idea how much he loves us to the point where the scripture says in 2 Peter 3, “The long suffering of Christ”.
I want to read this to you so that you know we are theologically sound. You are going to turn your Bible right tonight because I want you to go back and quote the Bible and not quote me. This is a passage about the second coming.
2 Peter 3:3-9
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
The Chinese use Qianlong. I turned that what is not strong enough, because some translation said patience, but I like the New King James Translation that translates from it to 'long suffering' because it describes how long he suffers. He wants to come but he can’t come because if he comes too many people will die. So his zeal, and his passion, and his love push him to come. His mercy holds him back.
Now just try to feel with me right now. You live in a perpetual state where you want to come but you can’t come because your zeal push you to the maximum, your mercy pull you back. So you live in that state until your bride is ready, when the full justice can be released so that mercy love can all come into perfect balance. That is called long suffering and we as a church has a rule in that dynamic in the long suffering of Christ. Save his love and passion for as, he will come right now because he wants us right now. He wants us right back then but he has to look at the multitude of souls that has to be saved.
I want to just walk you to the Jewish wedding custom. It is also in your hand now I hope. So I’ll give you a very brief one, the three major pattern of Jewish wedding. The first part is what the modern people call engagement but it is heavier than the modern engagement. It is actually the first part of weeding. The second part is the Chuppah, the consummation of the marriage, wedding day. And the third part is the feast. They celebrate for at least 7 days. So you have three parts but there is a gap between part one and part two. When the son of the father grew up he will look for the bride for his son. He will look around and say wow that girl id good, that girl has a good family background, has a good character. But if he is a good father he will normally discuss with his son and say, “Do you think it’s Ok?” So if the son says, “Ok father I respect your decision chose whoever you know...” So the father will bring the son and he’ll bring lots of gifts and a contract, Ketubah and the bride price, Mohar. So they go to the perspective bride home. Remember that Abraham ask his servant to look for a bride for his son, Rebecca so he sent his servant to bring a lot of gifts far, far away.
So this is all in the bible, they go in there and discuss the contract. Now if the father of the bride looks at the contract like they will be his daughter treating well then he will agree. And the contract normally includes how many times the daughter can visit their home. Then if the father of the bride is good, he will normally look at the daughter and say, “What do you think? Do you like that man? I like this one but do you like him?” If the signal goes to the other side and says this is a possibility, what will happen is the bride groom will take up the cup to the bride.
Now it is very important because the father has accepted the contract but the bride must say yes. So if she accepts the cup of the bride and she drinks it, she is saying yes. Now remember, all the price goes to the bride’s family. She gets nothing. She only gets a husband because she gets everything from the husband’s house now she gets nothing and they are total stranger to one another, they haven’t met. So if he is a smart man he will bring a personal gift maybe something that has been with him for a long time or maybe his mother passed it to him. He will give it to his bride because a contract has been accepted and she has drunk the wine, they are husband and wife. It is done. They are married but they are still stranger.
No comments:
Post a Comment