Bow our heads and look to the Lord
together.
Our Father, we do thank you for this
opportunity we can be here this afternoon.
Lord, we again confess that we are small
people, and you are such a great God.
We just pray that you'll come through this
afternoon, instead of our smallness, instead of our
limitation.
So we look to you to be our
help, to be our strength, to be our
wisdom, and to be our expression.
Lord, we just commit this time to you,
that you're present with us in a mighty
way.
We look to you, Lord, to be our
help.
We give thanks.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Yesterday, oh, there's some coming.
Is this good enough, Michael?
Yesterday afternoon, we defined discipline as to instruct,
to correct, to train, to improve, and to
mold, to strengthen, and to perfect characters.
And there are two aspects of discipline we
touched yesterday afternoon.
One is to be instructed, we need an
instructor.
To be trained, we need a trainer.
And our teacher, our instructor, our trainer is
the Holy Spirit.
And the instruction is our transformation and confirmation
to the Lord Jesus.
And after instruction, we'll be evaluated.
So after instruction, there'll be evaluation, and so
that we will be exposed, whether we have
learned any lesson from the Holy Spirit or
not.
And so that's the correction that we'll have
to follow.
And also, affirmation or approval.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit, in His gentle way,
does give us the inward joy of knowing
that we have learned something from Him.
There's an inward goodness we experience from time
to time.
That we fail to respond to learn, there's
an inward uneasiness which we all feel.
And so throughout our Christian walk, we'll be
instructed continuously and our lives before the Lord
will be evaluated continuously.
We also mentioned that the purpose of discipline
is so that we'll be able to fit
it together into a corporate expression, a testimony
of the Lord Jesus to express His love
on this earth in fullness.
And second is that we'll be a prepared
people for the life to come as His
sons or as the wife of the Lamb.
To be joined to the head, to be
joined to our King, to assist Him in
the administration of His kingly affairs in the
ages to come.
So we are called with a vocation.
And because we have that vocation, tremendous vocation,
high-calling vocation, therefore training in discipline is
vital.
Because God's standard is absolute.
If there's any adjustment or changes, we have
to be on our part.
Therefore that will require discipline under the Holy
Spirit.
Now we mentioned three areas of how we
are being disciplined.
One is obedience in faith, submission in hope
and sacrifice in love.
Now yesterday we touched about this matter of
obedience in faith.
And I'll just touch a little bit this
afternoon.
True obedience does not ask for reasons.
True obedience does not ask for evidences.
But God says we obey.
And it's after we obey in faith, obey,
then sometime He will explain the reason why
He wants us to obey.
Like in the case of Abraham.
Now for our human beings, it's very difficult
for us to obey without asking for reasons.
We want to know why do I have
to obey.
You know, on a natural level, when you
ask a kid to do certain things, you
say, now why, Ma, why?
Teacher in school asks student to do certain
things, now why do I have to do
this?
Why, why, why?
But in a spiritual discipline, if we acknowledge
He is our Lord and He is our
King, He alone possess the wisdom.
He knows what He's doing.
If we have our absolute faith in Him,
then all reasons disappear.
And that's how a writer.
And that is a lesson we have to
learn for the rest of our life.
Never question His wisdom.
We should always question our obedience, but never
question God's wisdom when He demands something of
our lives.
Now in this matter of submission in Hebrews
12, we touched upon yesterday afternoon.
It tells us the discipline is but a
short time.
But the outcome of the discipline is eternal.
So that we'll become sharers of His holiness.
It's for our good.
Not just for our good, but for God's
glory.
Therefore, we have to submit.
Because the sonship is something for the future
to be unveiled.
So therefore, discipline is but a short time.
So therefore, we have to learn to submit
to the discipline of the Lord.
Now in Hebrews, it's not to despise or
not to think lightly of it.
We heard this morning, Brother Johannes, how often
we overlook or we underestimate the gift of
God that He has given to us.
We shared yesterday that this obedient life is
not in ourselves.
This obedient life comes when the Lord Jesus
comes in and takes up His residence in
us.
It's only through His life we are able
to obey.
It is only through His life we are
able to submit.
It's only through His life we are able
to endure and to hope for the certain
outcome of the future.
So as long as we're willing to submit,
sonship is not an expectation.
But sonship is a certainty.
Because sonship is what God is after.
Now this afternoon, we'll continue a little bit
on this matter of sacrifice in love.
And if you want to, we can turn
to Hebrews 13, the last chapter of the
book of Hebrews.
Now this love is not human love.
Because human love is selfish love.
Only God's love is sacrificial love.
Expects no return.
Just gifts and gifts and gifts.
So humanly speaking, it is impossible for us
to express that kind of love, that quality
of love.
Only the Holy Spirit in us can impart
that kind of love.
So let's review a few things we touched
upon yesterday afternoon.
Verse 1 of Hebrews 13.
Let love of the brethren continue.
We shared yesterday, to begin this love, it's
quite easy.
We can all love another for a short
while.
For a few days.
Maybe for a few weeks.
But for a few months, for a few
years, we find it impossible.
Not just with brothers and sisters in the
Lord.
Even your immediate family.
Your own in-laws.
Your own brothers and their family.
You invite them to come to visit you
for a few days.
You have a wonderful time.
You already enjoy each other.
But you linger on for a couple of
weeks.
They begin to strain.
You wish that you didn't extend your invitation.
Because it became heavier and heavier.
It's almost to the point of unbearable.
Now brothers and sisters, that is human love.
But God's love endures and endures and endures
to the end.
Until we are completely formed.
Until Christ is formed in us.
Therefore, pause a travail for you.
Until Christ is fully formed in you.
So love is a travailing love.
A suffering love.
A sacrificial love.
Now verse 2, it says, Do not neglect
to show hostility to strangers.
And for this, some have entertained injuries without
knowing it.
Now first, we have to love those who
are in a van.
We learn to love them in a van.
Then we are able to love those who
are out of the van.
If we cannot love those who are in
a van, it will be impossible for us
to love those who are out of the
van.
So therefore, the house of God is a
wonderful place for us to learn to love.
It's not a place where we know how
to love.
But it's a place where we learn to
love.
And I think the problem today in Dini
Fellows is that we think in a church
we can love.
And then we discover I cannot love.
And we cannot love each other.
And therefore we get so discouraged.
But church fellowship is a place where we
learn to love each other.
Not where we know how to love each
other, but where we learn to love each
other.
And that will require humility.
Because we have to confess we have no
love.
If there's any love we can have one
for another, it must be of the Lord.
It's superhuman.
Verse 3, we touch upon, Remember the prisoners
as though imprisoned with them.
And those who are ill-treated, since you
yourself also are in the body.
That's extending out the more family, your friends,
strangers, and now those who are in prison.
And brothers and sisters, thank the Lord.
From time to time we do experience that
brothers and sisters that we know of do
have such a love for those who are
confined behind you.
Many of you remember an old saint that
we love so much, now he's with the
Lord, called Ernest Tate.
The Lord began to use this brother by
allowing him to go to prison and visit.
And he was very faithful in visiting those
who are confined in prison.
And because his faithful ministry, many came to
know the Lord.
And maybe that's one of the areas of
the church we have neglected, to minister to
those who are within the jail.
And that will take some sacrificial love.
Because to be in that kind of environment
is not easy.
I remember when I was in school, I
visited a jail once.
It is a scary place.
You go in there, you thought your life
is being threatened.
It's not of the love of the Lord.
No one would do that kind of work.
So brothers and sisters, that will take some
self discipline.
To encourage yourself for the Lord's sake, for
the Gospel's sake, and to visit those who
are in prison.
Now let's get down to something more personal.
Verse 5.
Let your character be free from love of
money.
Being content with what you have.
For he himself has said, I will never
desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.
And I think we can all apply this
verse personally.
Especially in this affluent society we live in.
Everybody is out to get something and more,
more.
We seem to have that mentality, if I
don't get more this year than last year,
then something's wrong with me.
But the writer of the Hebrew says, free
from love of money.
That doesn't mean you should not have money,
but it's love for it.
But once you have love for it, instead
of you using the money, the money possesses
you.
And that will take some discipline to be
set free from the domination of money.
And of course the next thing is that,
being content with what you have.
I think that's the key to the whole
thing.
It's because we're not contented, therefore we aren't
there to grasp.
And the contentment we can be certain, because
the law assures us, he said, I will
never desert you, nor will I ever forsake
you.
Now, do we believe God's word to be
true or not?
I think that is the whole thing.
If God says he will not forsake us,
and he will care for us, he will
not forsake us.
And I think we can be content with
what we have.
Now, this verse will require some real self
-discipline.
Because out there is full of materialistic temptation.
I remember a brother, Dana, in Singapore, he
told us an incident.
A Indian brother came to visit this country,
and one of the brothers, I suppose, in
Long Island, took him to a shopping mall.
He said, now I'll drop you off here,
and you go and look at all those
beautiful shops, and look at the things on
display, and then within half an hour or
so, I'll come by and pick you up.
So this brother dropped off.
So within half an hour or so, he
came back and picked this brother up.
He said, now what do you think of
it?
What is your impression?
He said, I discover there are so many
things here that I don't need.
Brothers and sisters, we should cultivate that kind
of attitude.
There are so many things around us.
According to the strictest speaking, we don't need
all those things.
Because our satisfaction, our joy is not in
those things, but the Lord himself.
Now I always convicted myself when I travel.
If I travel by myself, I don't mind.
If I travel with somebody, sometimes I feel
the grand easy.
I remember I went to Sao Paulo with
Brother Kong.
I mentioned his name.
We went down together for a week.
And he carried a very small suitcase.
But I carried a suitcase twice the size
of his.
And when I came back, I was really
convicted.
Do I need all those things?
And I discovered when I was in Sao
Paulo, I only used half of the clothing
I bought.
I really didn't need all those things.
And I think that's one thing we have
to learn as God's people, to live a
simple life, just simply trusting, relying on the
Lord.
If we are in the family of the
Lord, visiting them, if we need an extra
sweater or something, I'm sure we can humbly
ask them just for a sweater to be
used temporarily.
I don't think they mind.
That will humble us to ask.
But also give our host an opportunity to
serve us in the Lord.
That would be something to serve.
So to receive takes humility.
I mean to give takes humility, but to
receive also takes grace.
So we need to cultivate, not just the
grace to give, but also learn the grace
to receive.
And that will take some self-discipline.
Well, let's move to verse 7.
Verse 7.
Remember those who led you, who spoke the
word of God to you, and considering the
result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Now I was meditating this chapter, I found
that verse extremely interesting.
Two words stood out, considering and imitate.
Now, Hebrews 12, we know we have this
great cloud of witnesses.
They are the historical figures of faith, recorded
in the scripture.
But I believe verse 7 is not those
who are historical, but those who are with
us.
Remember those who, they are leading you, they
are guiding you in the things of the
Lord, who spoke to you the word of
God.
And we admire those people, calling them sisters.
I'm sure you do, as I do.
We admire them.
We admire the servants of the Lord.
And we consider them.
Oh, how the Lord uses them.
The revelation they have received from the Lord.
How are they able to convey the word
of God to us?
They have received revelation, and they share what
they received of the Lord with us.
And how we consider, how we admire them.
But the next word says, imitate their faith.
Now, I think you'd find it quite impossible.
We will admire their gifts, as they stood
up in the platform and shared their beautiful
words, but their lifestyle, life of faith, we
dare not to touch that.
You think of some of the spiritual great
men that we read in biography.
What they have gone through in this life.
We admire them, but do we dare to
imitate their life?
Or imitate their faith?
We think their lifestyle, their lifestyle is just
for them.
It's not for us.
But brothers and sisters, for those who will
follow the law, there's no other choice.
The way of the cross is the only
way.
So the right to challenge, don't just consider,
admire them, think about them, but consider, imitate
their footsteps.
And Paul said, you are the imitator to
me, as I imitate Christ.
Paul did not ask us to imitate him.
He said, you imitate me because I'm imitating
Christ.
So what you see in me is not
Paul.
What you see in me is Christ.
And brothers and sisters, thank God today, we
have many good examples of the Lord's servants,
of those who love the Lord, and they
are always there challenging us.
Are we willing to follow their ways?
The way they love the Lord, the way
they serve the Lord, the way they live
a life of the Lord.
And brothers and sisters, it's worth us not
just to consider, but sometimes to imitate their
faith.
That takes some discipline.
Verse 9, I think verse 9 and verse
7 somehow they are connected.
Do not be carried away by varied and
strange teaching, for it is good for the
heart to be strengthened by grace, not by
fools, through which those who will thus argue
will not benefit.
Not to be carried away by varied and
strange teaching.
I believe verse 9 and verse 7 is
somehow connected.
Because if you read chapter 13, I think
all these things there's a progression there.
But I think because the people, they fail
to consider and they fail to imitate.
Therefore, they will easily be carried away by
strange and varied teaching.
Because in verse 7 it says, those who
spoke to us, they spoke what?
The Word of God.
So there's a check there.
Those who minister to us, what they minister
to us.
If they're ministering the Word of God, we
better think about that.
Consider it and imitate their faith.
If we do that, then we'll be solidly
planted in the Word of God.
We will not be easily taught to and
fro by varied teaching.
And for us to do that, it will
take some discipline.
Because we all have a sense of curiosity.
We're always looking for something new, especially in
the Western world.
Like the cars we have in this country.
Every year we have to have a new
model.
Something new.
And we are always caught by something new.
Something new.
And we are trapped by it.
And of course verse 8 says, Jesus Christ
is the same.
Yesterday, today and forever.
He's unchanging.
So why looking for something new?
If there's anything new, it's in the Lord
Jesus.
Apart from Him, there's nothing new.
And He's always the same.
Of course to us, He's new to us.
But He's always the same.
And I think we can move up a
bit further.
I think this is a challenging one.
Verse 13.
Hence, let us go out to Him out
of the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we do not have a lasting
city.
We are seeking the city which is to
come.
Nothing permanent down here.
No root down here.
We are pilgrims and strangers here.
And our citizenship is heaven.
That would take some revolutionary thinking on our
part to change that mentality that we don't
belong here.
Our root is in heaven.
That would take some change within.
Some discipline.
But anyway, let's dwell on verse 13.
Let us go out to Him out of
the camp, bearing His reproach.
The Lord's love to us is sacrificial love.
And He desires us to love Him with
the same kind of love.
We heard this morning He's looking for that
first love.
That pure love.
And as Father Lance many years told us,
only love can satisfy God.
But if we love the Lord as the
Lord Jesus loved the Father, the last stretch
of His life is out of the camp.
From Jerusalem to Golgotha, while He hangs on
the cross.
On the cross, He displays God's supreme love.
By being rejected by men.
And He was crucified.
So brothers and sisters, if we want to
be true followers of the Lord, that is
the mark of our love.
Are we willing to go outside the camp
and suffer His reproach?
I think in this connection, I just want
to read a little song.
I'm sure you know very well.
Because there is an added verse translated from
the Chinese.
So I think I'll just read this.
I think this song will speak better than
I can.
The title of this song is Many Crowd
the Savior's Kingdom.
I want to be familiar with that song.
Many Crowd the Savior's Kingdom.
Many crowd the Savior's Kingdom.
Few receive His cross.
Many seek His prize and honor.
Few would suffer loss.
For the dear sake of the Master.
Counting all things.
Counting all but drops.
For the dear sake of the Master.
Counting all but drops.
That's verse one.
And to me, that means this person who
wrote this poem, he knows what it means
to go outside the camp.
And bear the reproach of the Lord.
Verse two.
Many long to share His glory.
We all want that.
We all love that.
Few will bear His shame.
That we'll avoid.
Many long to share His power.
Few will suffer loss.
Almost none would for His kingdom count their
all as drops.
Verse three.
Many sit at Jesus' table.
Few walk fast with Him.
When the sorrow cup of anguish trembles to
the brim.
Few watch with Him in the garden who
hath sung the hymn.
Many will confess His wisdom.
Few embrace His shame.
Many should He smile upon them will His
praise proclaim.
Then if for a little while He leave
them, they desert His name.
That's all we are.
And last verse.
For the soul who loved Him truly.
Let war come and blitz.
This will count their dearest heart's blood.
Not their own, but His.
Savior, Thou who dost love me, give me
love like this.
Savior, Thou who dost love me, give me
love like this.
And I think that is the challenge of
this particular verse.
Are we willing to go out to the
house of the camp and to bear His
reproach?
And I think that's something which we all
have to learn.
Brothers and sisters.
That is a real ultimate proof of discipleship.
The ultimate mark of our devotion to Him.
It's not just in the camp.
Are we willing to go outside the camp
and suffer the reproach of Christ?
And therefore, very few will pay the cost.
Brothers and sisters, God's standard will not change.
Whether we pay now or somehow we have
to pay later.
So brothers and sisters, it's really worthwhile while
in this life we encourage one another to
love the Lord and follow Him fully.
All right.
Let's move on to another verse.
Verse 16.
And do not neglect doing good and sharing
for which with such sacrifices God is pleased.
To share what you have is not easy
because we are all selfish people.
We all want to keep things for ourselves.
But if you have surplus, if you have
extra things, you won't mind.
But if you have just one thing and
for that one thing to share with someone
you love, it's not so easy.
You know the story about the feeding of
5,000.
I think that's the principle.
It's when we give it up, God multiplies
and that takes some discipline.
To give up your very life, your livelihood,
it's when you give it up, the Lord
adds and He supplies.
Well, verse 17.
Verse 17.
I think it's come home to all of
us now.
17.
I think we encounter this in most of
our fellowship because there's always murmuring complaint about
those who are in the place of leadership.
Obey your leaders and submit to them for
they keep watch over your soul.
As those who will give an account, let
them do this with joy, not with greed.
For this will be unprofitable for you.
I think this is a universal problem.
Leadership in every locality is often the ones
who will be criticized because it's impossible to
please everybody.
But thank God for those who are diligent,
desiring to serve the Lord and to serve
His people.
If you desire to serve the Lord with
a whole heart, you'll be misunderstood.
That is a price you have to pay.
Even you do the right thing, you will
still be misunderstood.
And so for those who do have some
spiritual responsibility, that is the cost you have
to count.
That is a discipline you have to go
through.
Not react.
Even though you're criticized and people complain about
you, and yet in a loving way, you
should learn to control yourself.
One of the fruit of the Spirit, the
last fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
You don't react to criticism.
You don't react to murmuring.
You don't react to accusation.
Even they are true, you have to take
it in.
Give all the Lord.
That is a proof of leadership and that
is a real mark of self-discipline.
How you react to one another.
The list of things we share in Hebrew
13, natural love will not suffice.
Only God's love can do it.
So God knows how necessary it is for
us to cast ourselves at the mercy of
the Holy Spirit, that only His love can
come through.
So the mark of a self-disciplined life
is a giving life.
It's a life of sacrifice.
It's a life that asks no return.
It's a lay down life.
That is self-discipline.
Now we do have some questions this afternoon.
And if I get stuck, we have a
lot of helpers here.
But sometimes our helpers are very reluctant in
helping us.
I've already asked one or two and they
say, oh no, no, no.
But anyway, I'll do my best.
And if my answer is not satisfactory, you
let me know.
Then I'll refer to others.
Okay?
So do not hesitate to let me know
if you're not satisfied with the answer.
Then I'll call on the other brothers and
sisters.
We have a lot of helpers here.
Okay?
So since we are talking about self-discipline
and sacrificial love, I think they'll be willing
to sacrifice for the brothers and sisters.
Okay.
I think I will answer this question first.
And I think this is a good question.
Before I read this question to you, just
share one personal thing.
Some of you know my father.
He's been serving the law for some time.
Can you hear?
Not too good.
Okay.
I'll speak a bit louder.
But those who know him, someone said he's
a task master.
If you go to visit him in the
Philippines, if he knows that you are coming,
before your arrival, he already arranged meetings after
meetings for you.
And so before I go, I know what
to expect.
Because he's not only my father, but also
I respect his spiritual authority.
So whenever I go, I learn to obey.
I learn to submit.
To me, brothers and sisters, it is a
necessary lesson.
We have to be asked to do things
we cannot do or we don't want to
do.
Then we learn.
When you ask to do things you know
you cannot do, thank God for that.
Because you can only cast yourself at the
mercy of God.
Say, Lord, if it's not of you, there's
nothing I can do.
So brothers and sisters, the last two, three
years, that's one thing I learned, is that
when I'm pressed to the corner, I have
nowhere to turn.
I just turn to the Lord.
And brothers and sisters, every time I turn
to the Lord, he came through.
I remember this last December when I went
to the Philippines, they have their year-end
meeting, special meeting.
And they have four days of special meetings
for the young people as well as four
special meetings in the evening, meetings in the
evenings for the entire gathering.
And as I shared with my father, how
to conduct those meetings and who's going to
take on responsibility, that you know, brothers and
sisters, ended up that I had to assume
all four young people's meetings as well as
all four meetings for the entire church.
And in the midst of those meetings, I
came down with a sore throat.
My voice was almost gone.
But brothers and sisters, it's in that condition
that we experience that the grace of the
Lord is sufficient.
That requires some self-discipline.
The easiest thing is to excuse ourselves.
Now I don't feel good.
Now I have a sore throat.
Get somebody to replace me.
But as you move by faith, exercise some
self-discipline and believing that God's strength is
sufficient and his grace is enough, then you
really know what it means to live by
his life.
Otherwise, we'll never learn.
Now you remember Brother Kong shared with this
gathering for many times.
When he was young with Brother Ni, even
on the Lord's Day, Brother Ni would just
send a little note and no warnings.
You know, if the note says, I come,
then Brother Ni will speak.
Right?
If the note says, you go, then Brother
Kong has to speak.
And that note always comes just the last
minute.
Brothers and sisters, that is a discipline like,
always be ready.
Always be on the alert.
Always be watchful.
Always be prepared.
And I think that's very challenging.
Not just for ministry, but for all phases
of our Christian living.
Be on the alert.
Always be watchful.
So I thank God for those who are
above me.
And sometimes they ask me to do things
that I don't want to do.
But I learn to do in love and
service.
And that's how we learn Christ.
Okay, now let's get to this question here.
In the Christian walk, is there a place
for good habits?
For example, prayer time, systematic Bible study, and
witnessing.
Brothers and sisters, as Christians, we have to
cultivate good habits.
God put Adam and Eve in a garden
of Eden and asked them to cultivate.
To work, to cultivate, to guard, to dress.
And it was to live a disciplined life.
If the garden is to be properly cared
for, they had to exercise some discipline.
There's a timing for carrying things.
Now, I don't know about you, dear, but
we are very poor.
We do not know how to take care
of those household plants.
Some people give them to us, but within
a few months they all die.
We just don't know how to take care
of them.
But I know there's a timing.
There's a timing.
You only can water your plant so many
times a week, or once a week, or
twice a week.
And so, just so much.
Not too much, not too little.
Just so much at a certain time.
And brothers, because we do not have that
kind of a habit, that kind of a
cultivation, we ruin those things.
And that takes discipline.
That takes discipline.
So we are to live a cultivated life.
We have to cultivate good habits.
So brothers, prayer time.
Yes, we need to set aside time for
prayer.
If you don't set aside time for prayer,
you will never have time for prayer.
You have to set aside time for reading
your Bible, or you'll never have time to
read Bible.
As one brother says, we do not...
How did he put it?
You do not find time, but you buy
time.
You do not find it, you buy it
at a cost.
Because there's always something to do around the
house.
The moment you wake up, there are many
things to be done around the house.
But you have to buy time to spend
time with the Lord.
And it's when you buy time and spend
time with the Lord, those times are precious.
So brothers, we need to cultivate good habits.
To learn, to pray, and to study the
Bible.
And as far as witnessing too, I think
we ought to cultivate.
I think we have neglected that area of
witnessing to the end.
So I think we need to cultivate that.
I think Brother Dan has shared with young
people in Singapore some of these vital things,
fighting the good fight, is that you have
to determine in your heart that so once
a week or so forth, you will witness
to one person.
I think sometimes it's necessary.
For those who are lazy like me, sometimes
you have to discipline yourself to do some
of those things, by the grace of God,
by the grace of God.
Now, I have to confess, I share some
of these questions with some brothers.
And of course, this systematic way of reading
the Bible, of course, has to be, you
know, daily.
If possible, in my recent experience, if some
of those small books in the Bible, don't
read just one chapter.
If it's just two or three chapters, why
not read through the whole book?
You get a better picture.
That's my experience.
Because when I was in school teaching, I
only read a small portion.
Now I have more time, so I have
read many chapters.
And you have a different perspective altogether.
So we need to cultivate reading our Bible
systematically.
Now, the next part of the question is,
in other words, is there a place for
method?
Now, I really don't know what really means
by method.
Method means one chapter a day, or one
book a day, or whatever that means.
But I think we ought to read it
in light, as the Holy Spirit enables us
to read and to digest.
I think the important thing is to read,
that we can draw light from the Lord,
receive light from him.
So I think in this connection, I would
suggest, brothers and sisters, to those who do
not have this book, I think the Search
Ye the Scripture by Fr.
Neate is a very good book to look
into.
That book has many ways that we can
approach and read the Bible.
So I would suggest that.
And then the last phase of this question
is that, is our walk with the Lord
totally spontaneous as in charismatic experience?
Let me read it again.
Maybe we can get it clearer.
The answer is no.
Because if you just let things go, then
there's no discipline.
And spiritual life is a disciplined life.
I think Brother Spark put it this way.
To be filled with the Spirit is basically
Spirit-controlled.
I think that answers all the questions.
And Spirit, God's Spirit is a spirit of
order, not a spirit of confusion.
So it cannot be just anything and everything.
So I think that is a good thing
to remember.
To be filled by the Spirit is really
Spirit-controlled.
Now, is the answer satisfactory?
If not satisfactory, then we can refer to
the other brothers.
If you have any questions, we can come
back to it.
This question, how can we be sure when
it's the Holy Spirit speaking or when it's
our flesh, ourself?
How can we be sure?
Now, the answer is that experience will tell
us.
This is not something you can find out
from a book.
It's that as you walk with the Lord,
you learn to walk in the Spirit.
And the Spirit will tell you whether you
are in the Spirit or you're in the
flesh.
Or otherwise, you will never know.
Another thing is that we have the Word
of God.
The Word of God is Spirit.
So if what we share does not agree
with the Scripture, then we know it's not
the Spirit.
So we have the Word of God.
And I think the next thing is that
we have the Church to confirm whether we
are in the Spirit or not.
You probably share, cannot edify the brothers and
sisters, and the Church, I believe Church has
wisdom because Church is linked up with the
head.
Something wrong with the member, the head knows
and the body knows as well.
So I think this is not a matter
of teaching, but this is a matter of
experience.
As you live in the Spirit, as you
live in the body of Christ, intuitively, you
will know by experience.
So it's something that we cannot teach, we
cannot learn by a book.
It's by your walk with the Lord, in
love and obedience, in submission, and we learn.
Okay, we can go to the next question.
Can you give any guidance on telling the
difference in our walk, in our heart, sorry.
Can you give any guidance on telling the
difference in our hearts between prompting by the
Spirit in our own personal compulsion?
That is, compulsion, discipline of the Spirit versus
compulsive discipline.
The prompting of the Holy Spirit is always
very gentle because the Holy Spirit is like
a dove.
He will never force His way into us.
He always seeks our cooperation.
So that's one of the markers of the
Holy Spirit.
He will never force His way into us,
but He will come in a very gentle
way and in a very persistent way, but
not in force, not forcing His way in.
But He is very persistent.
But on the other hand, anything out of
self is always very strong.
You know, self is very strong.
It will come through in force.
It will just come right in.
So I think we can tell the difference
is in the Spirit and the flesh.
The Spirit is always gentle and always inwardly
to seek our Spirit to cooperate with Him.
He never forces His way into us.
So I think the prompting of the Holy
Spirit is always gentle.
For example, I know we all experienced during
the worship time, many times the Holy Spirit
prompted us that we should pray and worship.
Many, many times.
But somehow we just ignore the prompting of
the Holy Spirit.
And yet, later when we walk out, we
ask the Lord for forgiveness, we still have
peace.
Even if we have quenched the Spirit, but
He never forced.
He never makes us so uncomfortable.
He will only go so far.
If you are not willing to cooperate, you
say, all right, maybe next time.
So therefore the Holy Spirit is very patient.
He did not succeed.
If He did not succeed this time, He
will try again.
And He will keep trying until you give
in to Him.
That is the word of the Holy Spirit.
Now we have one more question.
This was just handed to me a few
minutes ago.
And I'll read the question here.
In Hebrews 12, 10, the writer indicates that
the objective of discipline is so that we
may share His holiness.
Would you please elaborate on what it means
to share His holiness?
Let's look at that verse to read it
together.
Hebrews 12, 10.
For they discipline us for a short time,
seem best to them, but He disciplines us,
or God disciplines us, for our good, that
we may share His holiness.
Yesterday we shared about the purpose of God's
discipline.
God's discipline is to bring many sons to
glory.
All the sons, like His beloved son, share
His same nature.
That means share His holiness.
Share His glory.
According to the Romans, we are told, we
are not only called, but we are justified
and sanctified.
And the end is what?
Is glorification.
God alone is glory.
According to Romans, we have a share in
His glory.
Therefore, we are created in His image and
His likeness.
So therefore, we have the potential to share
His holiness.
And so, Brother and Sister, I think it's
quite clear.
Therefore, discipline is necessary so that Christ Himself
can be incorporated into us.
So why the discipline?
So that Christ may be formed in us.
So as we shared yesterday, when we are
disciplined, we know we are loved.
When we are disciplined, we know we are
in the family.
Now, if you are in the family, you
bear the image of the Father.
So when you see the Son, you see
the Father.
And because the Father wants you to be
like Him, therefore, He disciplined you so that
you can reflect Him and can be like
Him.
So therefore, discipline is for sonship.
And sonship is to be like Him, the
Lord Jesus.
So we know that God is family God.
He loves His begotten Son.
But He also likes to have many sons,
to fill the whole creation with sons.
So Brother and Sister, so it's a very,
very wonderful thing to know that whatever we
are going through in this life, in the
end, it's glory because it's sonship.
So I think in this verse, I think
it's quite clear that to share means to
enter into fellowship, something in common.
So what He has is ours.
All that is of Him is for us.
But to enter into all that is His,
we need to be disciplined.
We need to be taught.
We need to be instructed, we need to
be corrected, to be strengthened, to be changed,
to be adjusted, so therefore, we can fit
into Him.
So I think that's part of the discipline
that we go through.
And I think this life we have on
this earth is a life of discipline.
From the day we're born again to the
day we see the Lord's face, will be
a continuous life of discipline because God is
a perfect God.
God is God of fullness and He will
not lower His standard.
Thank God for that.
We have the Holy Spirit who is working
all these things out for His purpose and
for His glory.
Now, are you satisfied with some of these
answers?
If you're not, please let me know so
we can refer to the others.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah, sure.
I think the question he referred to is
our normal walk with the Lord.
Our normal walk with the Lord.
And I think in your case could be
an exceptional situation.
So somehow, God, and He comes in and
intervenes in your situation.
Maybe someone else can answer that question.
Now, I think the question that was asked,
I think, is our daily normal walk with
the Lord.
And I think there are cases that are
exceptional.
In the sovereignty of God, He allows those
things to happen.
And therefore, He treats those things in a
very special way.
But you don't have that experience every day.
You only have that experience that one occasion,
for that one particular case.
So it's not a normal, everyday thing.
It's a very special thing the Lord allows
us to go through.
Well, someone wants to respond to...
Brother Ernie, do you want to respond to
that?
Yeah.
Yes.
Brother Ernie, how about you respond?
Yeah, you don't have to.
I think that what our brother shared with
us has to do with the matter of
discipline.
Sometimes what we view to be spontaneous is
actually a result of discipline that was a
part of our life previously.
Sometimes we may not see it as a
fruit of something that had happened previously in
our lives.
So I think that probably there is a
thought among some of us that the Christian
life is a spontaneous matter where we don't
have to be in a place where the
Lord is dealing in our lives and imparting
Christ to us and these kind of things.
But we somehow, the Holy Spirit just comes
upon us and just always, supernaturally, works through
us.
Now certainly, there will be times when I
think that will happen.
As our brother said, I think those are,
for the most part, exceptional.
But when we are talking about a daily
walk with the Lord, most of the beneficial
things that come out of our life will
be a result of the discipline that we
have yielded to through the Holy Spirit's work
in this way as well.
Some of the examples that our sister gave
about this experience that she had, certainly that
is an exceptional case that our brother said.
And we can also, whatever gift that God
has given us, there's discipline in the use
of those.
It's possible for us to have a gifting
and it not be exercised.
I forget the other thing she's talking about,
being able to speak in spiritual language.
Paul said in the Corinthian letter that he
spoke in tongues more than all of the
Corinthian believers and they were apparently doing quite
a bit of it themselves.
So he must have disciplined himself even in
the use of that particular gift.
But that, I don't think, is just a
rule out of us that when the need
is present for us, that our God is
able to manifest Himself in a miraculous way.
But I think all of us feel like
we're having to live on that level.
It's got the powerful, full speed ahead all
the time and I just don't believe that's
possible.
Yes, maybe I'll just conclude.
Christian life is not just individual life.
It's basically a corporate life.
For example, this afternoon, three o'clock, you
want to be here, you have to be
here at three o'clock.
That is discipline.
On the Lord's Day, you have to meet
at a certain place.
Well, that is a discipline.
We have to go to a certain place
to meet with the saints at a certain
time.
You can just go and say, oh, I
feel I have to go now and you've
got to be nobody there.
That's what we mean by discipline.
Church life is a discipline life.
For example, prayer meeting, during some weekday, week
evening, you have to be there at a
certain time to be praying.
Now, remember in Richmond, England, they're very, very
strict.
If you're late for the prayer time, the
door will be locked.
You better be on time.
That is part of discipline.
I think in this country, we are lacking
in that.
We need to be disciplined as God's people.
And in concluding, there's one chapter that is,
you find the marks of discipline.
That is 1 Corinthians 13.
Has all the gifts, all the manifestations, everything,
Paul said, there are nothing but if there's
no one, no sacrificial love.
That is the mark of a discipline life.
A life in the Spirit.
It's just the love of God overflowing Him
and through Him.
So I think that is most important.
So should we just bow our heads?
Our Father, we do thank you that we
are so inadequate.
Lord, so small, but you are so big,
so great.
So we just ask that you increase our
capacity, Lord, to know you.
But Lord, to know you, Lord, to increase
our capacity, you must do all the adjustment.
Lord, make us a people that are willing
to be adjusted and readjusted again and again,
Lord, until we can fit into what you
desire us to fit into.
Lord, the image of Lord Jesus.
Lord, we thank you for this time that
we can share one another.
Lord, we just commit ourselves to you.
We praise thee.
We thank you for the Holy Spirit who
is doing what humanly, what we humanly cannot
do.
And so we just ask the Holy Spirit
to take charge and take what's been shared
and work in our hearts.
Lord, I do teach us how to love
you, how to obey you, how to submit
to you, and Lord, how to live a
life as a living sacrifice that your heart
may be satisfied.
We give praise, give thanks in the precious
name of Lord Jesus.