"The Higher Road; Dealing With Conflicts"

Pastor Andrew Lim

19th December 2010

1 Corinthians 6:1-11: If one of you has a dispute with a fellow-Christian, how dare he go before heathen judges instead of letting God's people settle the matter? Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? Well, then, if you are to judge the world, aren't you capable of judging small matters? Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more, then, the things of this life! If such matters come up, are you going to take them to be settled by people who have no standing in the church? Shame on you!

Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow-Christians. Instead, one Christian goes to court against another and lest unbelievers judge the case!
The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely. Would it not be better for you to be wronged? would it not be better for you to be robbed?

Instead, you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even your own brothers! Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves-- none of these will possess God's Kingdom. Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

*Each of us are called to take the higher road
*Not only are we to do good to others but to be good
*We must act sacrificially and that is the higher road
*We all have different conflicts with work, relationships, even in church
*To solve conflicts, we should just avoid it but we are called to take the higher road
*Tho this may sound logical, is it what God wants?
*The opposite of conflict is peace
*There is so many conflicts in church in the New Testament
*Romans 16:17: I urge you, my brothers; watch our for those who cause divisions and upset people's faith and go against the teaching which you have received. Keep away from them!

* In every conflict Paul encountered, he did not address the issue because he focused on reconciliation. The bigger picture of love and unity

*v7-8 The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely. Would it not be better for you to be wronged? would it not be better for you to be robbed? Instead, you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even your own brothers!

*It is already an utter failure if the conflict remains unresolved or when we focus on our own justice, we think we are always right
*We should solve the conflicts we have with each other before going to other people for help

*Matthew 5:38: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.

*One party must try to go to the higher road, to allow them to slap the other cheek, then conflicts can be solved.
*If both Christians can't solve a conflict, our faith has gone fundamentally wrong
*Jesus did not retaliate but suffered in Christ
*It is better to take the higher road than be a negative witness for Christ
*What about justice?

*Romans 12:19: Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."


*It is not our job to seek vengence
*God will avenge in His timing
*If we turn the other cheek out of love, we will do so cheerfully, lovingly and there will be no room for inner conflicts.

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

The Greatest Gift Yet To Be Opened?

Pastor Ricky Ho

2 Corinthians 9:15: Let us thank God for his priceless gift!

12.12.2010

*Christmas is a time of giving
*One gift that fits all is Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour
*The Gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger
*We shouldn't just give leftover gifts to the needy
*Christmas is a time to remember this indescribable gift
*The giver is important to thank God with
*The Christmas story tells of God's gift of his son to save all people from sin and lostness fits all, for all need to be saved
*This one gift fits all because:
1. This is God's gift
2. This Gift is glorious
3. This Gift is generous

1. *Scripture- God is mentioned almost a dozen times as the wellspring form whom all our ability to provide, to give thanks, and to be generous comes.
*We have at our disposal all of God's power
*Let us remember the quality of the true gift and the true meaning of Christmas
*In God's eternal plan, there is faith, repentance, salvation, eternal life, and the presence of the Holy Spirit

2. Greek word translated 'indescribable' can be translated as meaning unspeakable or inexpressible
*In everything we do, we thank God
*God, in Christ, did something beyond human comprehension and understanding or ability to express
*His Gift is beyond the capacity of human words to describe or express
*God can use ordinary men as an instrument for the glory of God

3. Men can be so cruel without the grace of God but Jesus Christ compressed all our sins to the cross
*God is marvelous
*It is a gift that could originate only in the mind of God
*God's gift is completely out of his grace and is given without regard to the receiver's worth
v15: Let us thank God for his priceless gift!

*John 3:16: For God so love the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life.

* We should relate this relevant verse everyone remembers
*God is not deaf. God knows the no of hairs in our heads, every minute detail and yet, he gave us his own gift.
*It is a gift of eternal value and is absolutely unobtainable under any circumstances except by freely receiving it from God by his grace.
*This gift is the amazing grace of God

Conclusion
*Many of us have been receiving the gift but keeps it in the shelf
*This Christmas should be a time of reflection
*Take him in your life today
*What better season to renew our peace and love with Jesus Christ


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

No Hesitant!

Let us walk in the light of the Lord


-Isaiah 2:5-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

You Better Watch Out...

Sun 5th December 2010

Mark Broadbent

JESUS VS SANTA

For years parents have been threatening their kids that they better be good because Santa is coming. A lot of people feel the same way about God. But what if the story was completely different? What if Jesus came for people regardless of whether they've been naughty or nice?

*Luke 2:8-14: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."


*"Do not be afraid." Whatever that is making you fear, sin in the past or the present, we got to take it away because God is not coming for your sin.
*You can't be the person you want to be or be the person that other people wants us to be
*God is just not a number of infinite forgiving person but he gave us a SAVIOUR
*We are uncondemnable
*He is not just a life coach but a Saviour that saved us
*We have to self-check whether is it us getting the glory or is God getting the deserved glory
*Our relationship is evaluated with how much we need him rather than how much we serve him
*People do what they want to do
*If we need God's grace, all we need is need, all we need is nothing
*The Christian life is not only to be good but to develop a relationship with Jesus
*We need Jesus to come into our lives and be transformed.

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Come

Jesus taught them saying, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."


-Matthew 11:28-30-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Shaken NOT!

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.


-Psalm 125:1-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Jesus Taught

Jesus taught his disciples saying, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."


-Matthew 21:22-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**