Lord’s Day Message: Basic Lessons for Christians (14) – Apply faith to our work or study
- Working (or studying) without anxiety (Mat.6:24-34; Luk.12:22-31)
24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Mat.6:24-34)
- Knowing God is our only master (24) – in our living we need a lot of necessities (including money), yet they are used for our living, not as our master
- Discerning which is more essential or valuable – life or food, body or clothing (25)
- Recognizing our ability is very limited (27)
- Yet God knows what we need and He can supply everything we need (32-33)
- Our attitudes/learning in work (or study)
- Giving ourselves and our work to God’s hand
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”– 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (Jam.4:13-16)
- Working faithfully
10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? (Luk.16:10-12)
- Working for the Lord
22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Col.3:22-24)
- Going to the Lord for rest
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat.11:28-30)
- Having a heavenly goal and being rich toward God (Mat.16:26-27, 6:19-21; Luk.12:16-21)
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. (Mat.16:26-27)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat.6:19-21)
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luk.12:20-21)
Message Next Week: Combined meeting – special topics
Church Meetings/Time/Place
Home Meeting: 29/8 Mon., 7:30pm, (7:00 dinner)
Richard & Flora’s
Pursuing of Uni Students: 30/8 Tue. 7:30pm, Yulin’s
Sisters Meeting: 31/8 Wed. 10:00am, Anne’s
Prayer Meeting: 31/8 Wed. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall
Pursuing of Words: 2/9 Fri., 8:00pm, David’s
Young People Meeting/Home meeting for Adults：
3/9 Sat. 7:30pm, Sam & Hannah’s
Announcements:
- We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today and hope that you can leave your information for us to contact you in the future. After meeting please stay for lunch and enjoy the love feast together with us.
- The church will have a Spring Conference from October 1 to 3 (Sat. to Mon.) and will invite Brother Titus Chu to share the messages. Please remember this in our prayer. For practical serving, Brother Patrick Li will be the coordinator.
After lunch on 18/9 Lord’s Day we will have the annual clean up of the hall. We hope many brothers and sisters can participate. For the assignment of cleaning work, please register and fellowship with Brother Richard Cui and Sam Li.
- The church would like to encourage the young people (with their parents too) to attend the conference in Cleveland in the end of this year. If you are interested to go, please contact Brother Yulin Wang or Thomas Wu.
<Reminder>
- Brothers and sisters, please come on time and bring your own bible to the meeting.
- During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence and not to walk around or to wonder/talk too laud in the kitchen.
- When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts as someone may have food allergy.
Please refrain from bringing uncooked food for the love feast so we may lighten the work for the serving ones in the kitchen.
Intercession:
- May the Lord bless the gospel friends among us that they can know how precious the Lord is and are willing to believe in Him.
- Pray for the Basic Lessons for Christians in the coming Lord’s Day meetings that every brother and sister can receive the life supply and grow stably in the Lord.
- Pray for the new believers (David Hu, Gerald Huang, Bangde Liu, Peter Zhang and Michael Qiu, 5 brothers and Li Li, Mandy Zhou, Leonie, Berry Fei, and Jessica Li, 5 sisters) May the Lord establish them in the church life and bless their growth in life.
- Pray for the brothers and sisters or their relatives who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them sufficient grace. Pray especially for the health of Brothers Shanwon Chow and Sister AhSeng Chow.
- Pray for those year 12 students among us. May the Lord give them wisdom to meet the needs of the exam and help them to know His presence as their encouragement and timely help.
Serving This Week: (Aug. 28)
- Message: Thomas Wu & Yulin Wang
- Breaking the Bread: David Tan & Patrick Li
- Serving Bread and Cup: Sam Li, Jason Wang, Sean Dong & Richard Cui
- Cleaning: Brett & Linda Family, Sean Dong & Wei Qiong Family, Lisa Tao Family, Bill & Christine Family
- Kitchen: Julie & DD
- Children: Supervisor – Terri, Singing – Jono/Pris, Teachers – Chris/David
Serving Next Week: (Sep. 4)
- Message: Yulin Wang
- Breaking the Bread: Raymond Young & Thomas Wu
- Serving Bread and Cup: Richard Cui, Sean Dong, Patrick Li & Chuan Ma
- Cleaning: Brett & Linda Family, Sean Dong & Wei Qiong Family, Lisa Tao Family, Bill & Christine Family
- Kitchen: Baoling & Lydia
- Children: Supervisor – Jessie, Singing – Sarah/Vasya, Teachers – Elsa/Lian
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