CCIC-SJ Sermons

When Jesus ascended to heaven and left this earth, it would have been very easy for there to be a letdown and for the disciples themselves to feel let down. However, Jesus made clear to the disciples that this would not be the case. They were to wait in Jerusalem for a period of time, after which the Holy Spirit would come upon them and empower them to be Jesus’ witnesses (Acts 1:4, 8). When the Spirit came upon the believers on Pentecost in Acts 2, it was a signal that “it’s on,” even today. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a lame beggar, bear witness to the gospel, and show that God's work and his kingdom are still advancing through the church.

In Acts Chapter 2, Jesus promised his followers that they would receive power to fulfill God's plan, regardless of their race, background or language they spoke.  Through Christ, we are all united with one common mission in life. Listen as Pastor Bruce Wong elaborates how these "power ups" enable disciples to "talk the talk" and "walk the walk."

This message gives the historical background of the Book of Acts andsets up the series of messages on Acts, which is really not about theacts of the apostles.  Rather, it is about the acts of God toestablish the church and to empower the fulfilling of the GreatCommission through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is about thecontinuing work of Christ after the completion of His redemptive workon the cross.  Acts tells about how the Christian faith spreadthroughout the known world all the way to Rome, the capital of theRoman Empire.  We see how the gospel of salvation was shared withgentiles and how the Holy Spirit is the one who powers ministry,evangelism, and church growth.  We see that Jesus' resurrection,ascension, and return motivate Christians to live for Him and be awitness even unto death.  We learn lessons from the lives of JudasIscariot, Matthias, and Joseph (Barsabbas), and it all inspires us totruly live for God by His grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What does the bible say about how to bring unity, and what

does that unity mean? Doctor Hans Wilhelm explains how

there can be unity within diversity.  He speaks from the books

of Acts, Galatians and Revelations.

Racial discrimination seems to be rising all around us. As Christians, what is our responsibility when we see racial injustice? Guest speaker, Dr. Frank Anderson, preaches on – "The Beauty of The Bride: Why We Must Respond to Her Temporal Racial Blemish."   He speaks from the Book of Revelation 19

"The Blinders of Babel" is a timely message on the need for believers to have Unity in Christ. Pastor Linson Daniel presents a compelling case of why the construction of the Tower of Babel was based on uniformity, superiority and ethnocentricity, which went against God's plan for mankind. God intervened by creating multiple languages to encourage diversity in the human race. And yet, through the Holy Spirit, believers are united by God's one message of grace.

Many are taught to get the most out of life. Work hard and play hard since you only have one life which ends in death. This outlook usually ends with doubt, disappointment and even despair.  On Easter Sunday, Jesus established the ultimate game changer — when he rose from the grave and gave believers the hope of life beyond death: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The resurrection of Jesus gives us a new outlook and a living hope. Now we can live with a new outlook that gives us peace, contentment, and joy even as we face the challenges of life.

How do we respond to Jesus' love and sacrifice for us?

As we look forward to celebrating Easter, I want to share a story in the Bible that is often lost in the shadow of the main events of Jesus' betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection.  It is about a woman who anointed Jesus with a precious ointment and how the disciples reacted to her act.  This woman is not named in the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, but in the Gospel of John, it says she is Mary, the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.  She came to Jesus with a jar of costly aromatic oil, made of pure nard, a special kind of perfumed oil, and she poured it on Jesus' head.  This ointment was worth about an average worker's annual income.  Because it was so expensive, this aromatic oil was put inside a sealed alabaster jar.  This woman broke the jar and poured it ALL out on Jesus. 

But when the disciples saw what she did, they became angry at her. They scolded her: "Why this waste?  This ointment could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor."   I believe they were angry at the woman not because she anointed Jesus but because she used such a costly ointment. Isn't an ordinary oil would do the same job?  Why waste such an expensive pure nard perfume? 

I think most of us would have reacted the same way as the disciples. I know I would.  Before I invest my time, money, and energy into anything, I calculate if it is worthwhile and ask, "what is in it for me?" Unfortunately, this utility kind of value system is often reflected in my relationship with others and God.

But Jesus stopped His disciples from scolding the woman and said, "For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial." And then He said something that is mind-boggling, "Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." 

The past few days, I have been thinking about this story.  Why does Jesus say what this woman did was beautiful?  What makes her different from the rest of the disciples and worth remembering for what she had done?  What does this story teach me about my attitude in serving Jesus and others? 

I always thought of being practical, emphasizing utility and usefulness as good virtue.  But this woman shows that act of love goes beyond utility.  Jesus had talked about that he was soon to be crucified.  The disciples didn't really get it.  But this woman heard it and took it to heart.  She took the opportunity to offer her most precious ointment to refresh Jesus before His death to express her love and gratitude for Him.  She did not calculate how expensive the oil was as the disciples did, nor did she expect something in return from Jesus. No, she did it out of pure love. 

Isn't this the way Jesus showed His love for us? Christ Jesus, as the Son of God, not only gave away all His riches and glory to become a man, but He sacrificed His life to save us from sin and death.  He knew that Judas would soon betray Him, Peter would deny Him three times, and the rest of the disciples were all about to flee when He was arrested. 

And we would be no better than the disciples. We are also calculating individuals like them.  Although we doubt if it would be worthwhile to be all-in to love and serve Him, Jesus never thought it was a waste to spend His life for us.  He was determined to die on the cross for sinners like you and me. 

This is the love of Christ that we need to meditate on this Passion Week.  Maybe when we take into our hearts Jesus's unconditional love and His total devotion to us, which has no calculation of how unworthy we are, we'll see the beauty of Jesus' love, and our hearts will be changed.  And then, our love for Jesus may be like this woman, worthy of being remembered.

Matthew 21:1-11 narrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. While the general hope for the coming of the Messiah had always been there for the Jewish people, the sentiments rose to new heights during this Passover. Could Jesus be the long-awaited Messiah-king who would free Israel from its oppressor? As Jesus came into the city, the people ascribed to his authority and triumph. Yet, little did they know, the Messiah-King would be like nothing they have expected. This king did not come to free the people from the Romans and to restore the prominence of Israel. But this king came in humility to free the world from evil and to take away the sins of the world through his sacrificial death on the cross. He will come again in power and glory as of the King of Kings. How might Jesus' humility, servanthood, and sacrifice move you into actions on this Palm Sunday?

James concludes his epistle by addressing the topic of prayer. Prayer is crucial to the Christian life as it is the way that we can communicate with God. James encourages his readers to pray in all circumstances, to pray in faith, to pray in community, and to pray in righteousness. Hopefully, we can all be encouraged to make prayer more regular in each of our own lives.