Compromise

Compromise. It is a word often used to defuse a heated situation, to come to a mutual understanding, or to develope a solution to most problems between individuals and/or parties. But sometimes, there is a call for NO compromise. Today, I am going to address something that requires absolutely no compromise, and that is who God is and what He is about.

Hebrews 5:13-14 (New International Version)
13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

"Father, I pray right now, it is You who is speaking and none of Jon Ngan speaking, may Yours bring conviction and empowerment for us to do Your will. In Jesus name I pray, amen."

As an aspiring preacher, I have often wondered what would my life message be. What kind of style would I adopt? I listen and read about a lot of pastors/preachers and the messages they preach and the style they adopt, but recently God told me to look at one preacher whom is the Big Kahuna of all preachers. Jesus Christ.

On one hand, Jesus is gentle. He teaches about love, grace, healing, blessings, forgiveness, etc etc. That is all great, and it is all true. But one thing about Jesus, he did not compromise. He was not a people pleaser. Evidence? Remember how he flipped the tables, called the mob a brood of vipers? That was certainly not people pleasing! When it came to HARD truths, he spoke it! Causing some of the disciples to leave him! This is true, its in the bible! All of which I will quote soon. Many of us like to think that Jesus is Mr Nice Guy and all He wanted was to make people feel good about themselves. But my friends, that is so not true.

You see, like how my pastor Matt Fielder said, you change the methods, but you do not change the message. Often, we preach the resurrection but not the crucification. What do I mean? The Resurrection life brings blessing, brings healing, brings peace, brings joy, brings all kind of wonderful things. BUT.. we sometimes forget in order to get the resurrection, there has to be a CRUCIFICATION. I'm not suggesting we hang ourselves on a cross and beat ourselves to death. But I am merely asking, has there really been a death to self?

It is so easy to read the bible and only take what we like, and leave out all the things that don't sound too "nice" or "flowery". Oh that might offend people! SO WHAT? It is the truth! Whom are you pleasing? Men or God?

Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:4
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Now, lets go to our focal verse of the day.

John 14:1-4 (New International Version)1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

This was Jesus speaking. When I first read it, God asked me, "Jon who do you think I was speaking to?" I replied, "Believers / Christians of course." BUt God corrected me, He was speaking to the disciples!

Now, I hope that is shaking or stirring some of you.

You see, in the book of John, Jesus did tremendous things. He changed water to wine, he heals people, he feeds five thousand people with two small fish and 5 loaves of bread, he walks on water, its amazing stuff! People will naturally be flocking to him, all wondering, WOW! Who is this guy?But then, Jesus goes a little deeper. He talks about the bread of life, which is of course himself, which says that the only way to God is through Jesus. Notice what happens next.

John 6:60 (New International Version)
60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

These were his DISCIPLES questioning, the people who followed God. The minute things started getting a bit hard and challenged them, they started questioning, and worse still, in verse 66, they leave!

Now, think about it this way, if the messages preached and the stuff taught was not pleasing to you, what are you gonna do about it? Will you be them? Or will be like the remaining disciples whom Jesus promises a place in heaven at the end.

John 6:68-69 (New International Version)
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Do we truly believe that the ALL of word of God is true and eternal, or are we being selective of what we wanna accept or throw away?

It is a burden for me, and I am truly heart broken to see that many people are deceived into thinking that as long as they turn up to church on a Sunday, they can do whatever they please on Monday to Saturday.

Let me throw another truth to you, there are MANY CHRISTIANS, but very FEW DISCIPLES. The word disciple means, "to follow after", and I think all of us who have received Christ should not just stop at that, but to really pursue and seek Him and whats on His heart.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

I challenge us as people who are comitted to following Jesus as well as become more like him to not just preach rosey nicey things, but to lay down certain truths as well. You see God is many things, He is a Father, a Friend, a Provider, a Lover, a Healer, but He is a King as well. God is not called a just God without reason. He is not father christmas or the fairy godmother, but He is full of integrity and character as well.

The first thing I wanna talk about, is sin. To many, sin has become more of a legalism thing rather than a relational thing. We think, just because we don't smoke, drink, have pre marital sex, swear, murder, steal or all this outward things, we think we are all good! The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated in English as "sin" is hamartia, which literally means missing the target. Salvation is reconciliation and a genuine relationship with Christ. Sin is an absence of that genuine relationship. You see, look at Jesus. He was called sinless. He did not do anyt of the things I mentioned before because He was always intimate with God. Always.

When you are close with God, you wont feel the need to do any thing that God does not desire you to do, in fact God will convict you bout such things. So if there is an absence of such conviction, answer this, how is your relationship with God?

In closing, I will leave you with this, who is truly in control of your life? God, or you? What I have said, I promise you, is not Jon Ngan trying to be a big meanie and raining down judgment on people, but I truly sincerely believe it is what God is saying.Sometimes, truth is easier to believe than lies, why else would Jesus say this:

John 8:42-47 (New International Version)
42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

God does want to bless you, He does want to heal you, He does want to do all kinds of things for you, but remember, before you wanna enjoy the resurrection life, you have to crucifiy your flesh first, which means totally submitting yourself to the will of God.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness AND all these things will be given to you as well.

It says seek first AND it will be added on, not SO it will be added on. Thanks for reading this guys, bless you all heaps! Praying for all of you.