(Further reflections on “Scaffolding”—Sunday 14-May-2023 and “We Cannot But Speak”—Sunday 21-May-2023)
We are here because God has used someone to share and preach the Gospel where Christ is not heard (Romans 15:20). We are grateful for those who are, or have gone before us, living their life as a scaffold in God’s kingdom.
In turn, we also see our life as a ‘scaffolding’ of God’s kingdom in Vietnam. We will keep winning others over for Christ; keep building/equipping/training disciples towards maturity and Christlikeness in the context of Jesus’ Body, the church (cf. Ephesian 4:11-16). That’s a lot of work! Yes, but it has never been about our work but His.
When someone hears the Gospel and starts to believe and follow Jesus, his/her life cannot be the same. Why? It is because those who have seen Jesus and heard His word believe, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).” The Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ the foundation for faith (what we believe) and life (how we live). Thus, believers and followers of Jesus cannot but speak of what they have seen and heard.
Those who have seen and heard, they cannot but speak of Jesus, who is the resurrection; the cornerstone; and the salvation (cf. Acts 4:1-22). Think about this for a minute. This is quite intimidating and a tall order- believing and telling others about Jesus who was raised from death to life and He is alive; telling others that without Jesus, who is the cornerstone, all the things people build or try to achieve in their life will be futile and and will collapse; telling others that there is no salvation outside of Jesus in today’s plurality of worldviews. Picture yourselves telling these things to your bosses, managers, staff, coworkers, friends, relatives, etc.
Those who did not see and hear Jesus’ work and word (though they might have been going to church for some time), cannot but find themselves being ‘muted’ and feeling either frustrated or numbed most of the time (if not all the time) in speaking about Jesus. There might be a host of psychological or emotional or traumatic reasons that people have, but it will boil down to the hard truth, that is, fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of persecution or oppression. And those fears are real, for the nature of the Gospel is not welcoming and offensive to those who have seen and heard but decided not to believe in Jesus. When we tell others about Jesus and they reject it, remember it’s not us that they reject but Jesus. And this is not our failure, but theirs. And when we are being persecuted or oppressed for Christ’s sake, it should not be a surprise to those who have seen and heard and believe and follow Jesus, for it’s not exactly us that they hate, but Jesus. He had been hated by those who do not believe.
Having said the above, there will always be two responses, mainly, (a.) Want to be the same—cannot but keep Jesus privately; and (b.) Cannot be the same—cannot but speak of Jesus publicly. The former ignores what they have seen and heard and be silent about Jesus the whole year, except Christmas and Easter. The latter cannot but speak about the name of Jesus, whose name is above all names, whom they have seen and heard, whom they are in communion with daily through reading His Word and prayers, and whose way they are boldly living and whose name they are publicly proclaiming.
‘Want to be the same’ or ‘Cannot be the same?’ Though the consequences will never be yours, the choice always is. In His name,
—
Pastor Lap
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