The Rich Young Man

June 9, 2013Mark 10:17-22

Key verse: Mark 10:18By John Mark Fabie

This is the practical application for our passage last time, Psalm 16:2. This time let’s talk about the characteristic of a good thing and how do we say that God is good. Last time, we talked about the different perceptions we have on the word good where we realize that it is very relative for we differ in our standards. Example, a passing grade may be a good thing for you, but for others who are high achievers, they don’t want that for they think they should get a higher one. Sometimes, exclusivity happens because each church has different doctrines in worshipping God. Some require certain training before they are deemed deserving to preach as a minister while some do it by grace. In America, football is better than soccer but the opposite goes for Europeans. We are all so different. In the Philippines, basketball is preferred to baseball but the opposite goes for Americans. All of us have different characteristics in viewing these things.

Let us talk about the standard of good in God’s eyes? God sets the standard of goodness. When the Bible talks about goodness, it means God’s standard of goodness. Jesus is the standard of goodness, God himself. Our standard should be God’s standard. The one who set the standard is the standard Himself. Psalm 100:5, the Lord is good, He is supremely good, He is perfectly good, completely, absolutely good, and he is no better today than He was thousand years ago. Hebrews 13:8 attests to that. Before the world was created, He was good, and until now, He remains the same.

Maybe some of you are thinking, all of us are good. Why? Because we have our own standard of good, such as for this rich man, following the commandment. These standards, as you adhere to them, you start thinking of yourself as good. Many of us maybe studying real hard, not wasting time playing DOTA, and not cramming, for some doing their best to save money, others being a good law-abiding citizen. And when they see themselves doing this and they compare themselves to others who are considered “bad” such as Bin Laden, Hitler, or even an ordinary person like Maki (everybody laughs), you say smugly to yourself that you are the better person. But if that is true, then the Bible partly loses its point, because our true standard of goodness is written here who is Jesus. If Jesus did not exist, your good thing can be the standard. And if we compare ourselves, it should always be to Christ. John Lennon famously said that he was more famous than Christ. And then somebody shot him in the back, killing him. And all he had, gone. The man in our text wanted to know how he measured up and where he stood with God.

Let’s read Mark 10:21 and talk about the rich young man. Maybe some of us see this man as a “good” man. All of us know Moses, David, and Peter. All of them are “good” too. Moses led the Israelites during the Exodus, David was a man after God’s own heart, and Peter was one of Jesus’ top disciples, but all of them fell short when the trials came. Moses struck the rock twice, David committed adultery, and Peter denied Jesus. Even our leaders in the church, we see them as “good” and competent in leading us but they, too, fall short of the glory of God for they too have their weaknesses and are sinful. Basically, we are all sinners by nature, and if we take away Jesus in our life, nothing will remain but sin. Just this week, some of my co-interns noticed how I was not eating and they realized that I was fasting. During one duty, I was quite irritated by some people with which I vented out to one of my friends. He then rebuked me and said, “Nagfafasting ka,” (You’re fasting). And I was surprised! I even joked to myself, “Buti pa siya, alam” (Good for him that he knows). And this person was not even a Christian. Another person noticed me reading and asked what I was doing, to which I replied that I was reading a commentary. This shocked her, and said, “Christian ka pala, akala ko loko-loko ka,” (I didn’t know you were a Chritian because you like to joke around and pull pranks on people and stuff). Eventually, she said, “Share-an mo naman ako,” (Can you share with me?).

We think we’re good, we follow the commandments, and obey God, but the day will come that God will test you and you would realize that you’re only human. A basic example of this is the rich young man wherein he followed the commandments. But when God said, “Sell of your possessions and follow me”, this man’s face fell, for he cannot bear to part with his riches. Even though this man followed the commandments, he too, fell short of God’s standard of goodness. But let’s read Mark 10:21a, and realize that despite this man’s own greediness and selfishness, we can see that Jesus still loved him. Jesus looked at this man although this man fell short on God’s standard, He loved this man. “Follow me,” but still this man, he said no, he couldn’t give it up. A person may be morally perfect, but spiritually, it may not be the case. In Hebrews 12:1, sin easily entangles us so we are unable to follow Christ, and so the author urges us to throw it. But it’s not as easy. This rich young man, he couldn’t give it up. Throw of your sin, everything, and he refused. But let’s testify that even though this man fell short of God’s glory, let’s testify the goodness of the Lord. Even though we have shortcomings and we are can never reach the standard of God, God showed His goodness and grace. Do you know when God fist revealed His moral goodness to us? It is in the first five words of Genesis 1:1. When God created the world, all His creations He said to be good. One of the Hebrews name for God is Elohim which means infinite strength and absolute faithfulness. God’s name not only defines His omnipotent power but as well as His faithfulness. In Genesis 1, God was essentially saying, “I have created, faithfully loved, nurtured and gave my highest attention to this creation.” So the goodness of the Lord should begin in all of us. God is taking care of His creations and we humans are the ones who keep destroying it. The Lord is committed to our welfare. In Psalm, “the lord is good to all, has compassion to all that he has made. Likewise, a mother having borne a baby, no matter how ugly the baby may look, the mother looks at her child as the most beautiful baby in the world and will love the baby faithfully. That’s exactly God’s disposition towards us, His unconditional love towards us. It reveals that when God created us, before creating us, even as He was planning, He already loved us so much. And that’s the goodness of the Lord, even though we are sinners and ugly in spirit, still God sent His one and only Son to give us goodness, to lead us to God’s standard. Remember John 3:16.

But despite all of God’s faithfulness and absolute goodness, we still doubt His love, still asking questions of “Why Lord? Why? Why is there still suffering? Problems? Struggles?” Why do people doubt the goodness of God? The rich young man doubted the goodness of the Lord. There are two reasons why men doubt the love of God. One of them is that people do not want to live an uncomfortable life. People do not want pain, struggle, problems, and sufferings, that’s why they doubt the goodness of the Lord. Bo Bo Sanchez said, “Nothing just happens.” When Jesus sees us, He sees something good in us and wants to recreate us into His masterpiece. He sees us as a diamond in the rough, or gold that ain’t pure yet. Our trials and struggles, they don’t “just happen”, there’s always a good purpose behind these things. Let’s learn not to focus on them but on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Jesus is good, and He makes our life very good. Second is, we doubt Him because He doesn’t give us what we want but let’s see the absolute faithfulness and love of God upon us. Jesus reveals himself to be a good man reflecting the goodness of the Father. Jesus died on the cross to save us, even though we fall short of His standard of goodness. Can we open our bible to Psalm 34:8a? Let’s put our faith, belief, and trust in God, that whatever happens, let’s learn to say, “Nothing just happens.” Are you in pain? Struggling? Suffering? That’s good, it is good, it is very good. Jesus is planting himself in your heart, that you may learn faith. He’s gonna break you first but he is good. I pray that our standard of good becomes Christ and we realize the goodness of the Lord.

Song for the Day: It's Good (Love's Not Safe) by Sidewalk Prophets

Apart From God, I Have No Good Thing

June 2, 2013 By John Mark Fabie

Psalms 16:2 – “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing.”

Just reading the verse, we already have many interpretations and points of view in regards to the message it brings. In essence, even as little as one verse or as big as a whole passage, God has a personal message for those who read and meditate on His word.

In truth, I don’t have a background about the Psalms 16 although commentaries say that it is a psalm of atonement. The message I’m about to share to you came from Don Carson’s For the Love of God, Volume 1.This book, if read day after day guarantees that within two years, you’d be able to finish reading the Bible. Don Carson’s book is where my previous message about Genesis 5 came from and this time Psalms 16:2.

Disabilities and the Sovereign Goodness of God

John 9 - Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (By Luke Lucero) May 26, 2013

(Inspired by “Why Was This Child Born Blind?” and “The Works of God and the Worship of Jesus” sermons by John Piper)

Today we’re going to talk about disabilities and the sovereign goodness of God. Disabilities break into life in various forms. It can be in genetic mutations, or after a traumatic accident, an illness or infection, and even thru aging alongside the inevitable degenerative processes. Despite the U.S. being a country that is quite advanced in terms of medicine and its technological application, 20% of their population has disabilities, which is still a big proportion. Even a church is not immune to having “disabilities” as well. As such, fundamental questions about God’s goodness in light of these disabilities are faced by the pastors, shepherds, and shepherdesses alike, being surrounded by a number of people that may as well ask them such questions regarding God’s goodness or maybe challenging the truth that if God has a good design in all the things that He creates, would then the existing disability of a person be also be a part of His “good design”. How then do we respond as Christians? For us to hear from Him, we must learn to submit our heart to Him and His Word to be able to understand what His purpose is on why we have such disabilities. In this passage we will talk about two things:

The Bookends of the Christian Life - May 12, 2013

(Book authored by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington – the passage contains certain phrases and sentences that the speaker duly recognizes as coming from the book) by Abraham Rosario

     As taken from the book, “Think of your life right now as a lone bookshelf.” So we know that a purpose of a bookshelf is to contain books, and we usually see these in a library. Our life as a Christian can be likened to a bookshelf in which the books that we put into represent things that we want to do or that we are doing now. According to the book, there are two kinds of books which can be put there, spiritual and temporal.

Faith, Finances and Freedom (Sun, May 5, 2013)

2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

(2 Cor 8:9 explains the way a person can become truly rich by being free from the entrapment, enslavement, and idolatry of money.) Perhaps even more than being a slave to sex and romance is the enslavement to money. In this sermon we consider: What is your view of money? Who owns your money? What should you do with your money? Is money your master who rules and controls you, or your slave whom you control and rule over? 

When you look at the Bible, Jesus talks about money more than about sex. Sometimes you may not think that money is not that big of problem, but it is subliminal, it doesn't attack you as obviously like sex does, and it is a problem of all human beings. In fact, the first temptation of Christ is about money. Satan tempted Him, "If you are the son of God, make this stone bread." So in saying, Satan says that you need this bread to survive, and what's the other meaning of bread? Money. But Jesus rejected this, He said, "Man does not live on bread alone but on the words of God." Man does not live on money alone. The devil's temptation is to makes us a slave of money, so even if we are not thinking about it, we are controlled by our thought of money.

Let us examine what the Bible says about money in 3 parts:

1. Faith: Who owns your money? You?
2. Finances: What should you do with your money?
3. Freedom: Is money your master or your slave?

Work It Out Because God Is Working In You

Philippians 2: 12-18 (April 28, 2013; Dr. Ben Toh) Key verse: Phil 2:12b-13

“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you...”

Phil 2:12-13 is about sanctification. This verse is perhaps the best verse in the Bible that explains what sanctification is and how it works. 3 things/points about sanctification:

1.    What it is

2.    What it does

3.    What it is like

God's Grace for Each One of Us – April 28, 2013

Shepherd Timothy Mayers

Romans 8:18-27; KV: John 3:16

I have question for you before we start, "What is suffering/trial for you?"

An Overview of Revelations (Apr 21, 2013)

April 21, 2013

• I pray that you may come to know and understand Revelation as much as John's Gospel and Genesis. Revelation is the culmination of the entire Bible.
• Read one and a half chapters of Revelation each day for the next 2 weeks. 
• Choose a question and share what you learned today at next week's Sunday service.

1. What is another name for Revelation?        The Apocalypse

2. What is the meaning of Revelation or Apocalypse?

In the west, apocalypse conveys the meaning of catastrophe, disaster, or terrible things befalling the earth, a last judgment. In a sense, this is true; because God will destroy the power of Satan when Jesus comes again. But the word actually means "unveiling" or "uncovering." What was hidden, God will uncover, so that we can begin to see and understand what the end times will be. The last words of Revelations say, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev 22:20). Basically Revelation tells us that our greatest hope as Christians is that Jesus will come again very soon, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, like a thief in the night, when you don't expect it. That's the hope of not only 1st century Christians but even Christians throughout the ages.

What Happens in Heaven? (Revelation 4-5) Sun, Apr 21, 2013

Revelation 4:1-5:14; Key Verse: Rev 4:2 (Sun Apr 21, 2013)

"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it."

Questions. What is God like? What happens in heaven? How does this apply to my life on earth?

Short answers : 1) God--who is on a throne in heaven--is sovereign; he rules the world. 2) All beings around God's throne are worshiping God. 3) All of life is worship. Why? If the book of Revelation has a single theme, then surely it is God and his greatness, which Rev 4-5 will show.

HOW TO PRAY - April 7, 2013 Sunday Service Message at Valenzuela - Dr. William Altobar

Matthew 6: 9-13

What is prayer?

I asked the listeners what is prayer? One of them answered me, “Prayer is asking God to give you something".  Another one said "It’s a silent communication with God and meditation of His word.”  Some said, "Asking GOD what the future holds.”  And I believe that all of their answers are correct.

Prayer, as we define it from dictionary, is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks to God. But the delicate and profound meaning of prayer is to not only ask God about the things we want but instead, to help us focus mainly on what God wants for us. His heart and His will. There are two ways on how to approach GOD in prayer.

April 14, 2013 - Sunday Worship Service Message - Valenzuela

Romans 5: 1 – 9; Key verse: Romans 5:3-4

• Justification (Ro 5:1-2)

The word justified in this passage is repeated twice, first in v. 1, “since we have been justified through faith” (italics added), and the last in v. 9, “Since we have now been justified by his blood” (italics added). Justification is a wonderful thing for us believers in Christ, for we know that through faith and through the blood of our Lord, that we (filthy sinners as we are) have been made right in the eyes of our God. Our sin with which our Lord and Savior gladly took from us by sacrificing himself on the cross so that we can enter His kingdom.

SUMMER BIBLE CONFERENCE 2013

“For even for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

 –Mark 10:45

                                                    Mar 29-31 2013

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

         The UBF(University Bible Fellowship)-Philippines celebrated their Easter Summer Bible Conference on the 29th up to the 31st of March 2013, and was held at the Bankers village, Antipolo City. The venue is under construction but once it is finished, it will become the new Bible House. As of now, only the walls, the stage, the flooring and cemented pillars could be seen, and there’s no roof yet, so they improvised something else that served as their roof which was good enough to protect them from extreme heat. There was also an equal division of labor. Some shepherds were assigned to buy groceries while most shepherdesses or prayer mothers in to cooking, and the other shepherds were at the technical preparation while the others were assigned as cleaners. All in all they had 88 attendees.

SUMMER BIBLE CONFERENCE 2013

                                                                                                        Mar 29-31 2013

Key Verse: Matthew 20:28

               “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

            It was a hot summer indeed but did not stop the church in continuing its yearly tradition of holding the much awaited Summer Bible Conference for the year 2013. The Summer Bible Conference is a yearly conference held by the UBF Church done not only in the Philippines but also in other chapters of UBF all over the world. It usually lasts 3-4 days, and bible studies and presentations are the usual activities done. For this year’s Summer Bible Conference, the event was held at Banker’s Village, Antipolo City which is where the house church for the Antipolo Chapter is located. The dates set were March 29, 30, and 31, which coincides with the Philippines’ celebration of Holy Week which has been the custom of the church to coincide this celebration with the conference.

A Real Man Vs. Counterfeit Men (Jn 19:1-42)

Sun, Mar 31, 2013 (Easter Sun Service)

John 19:1-42; Key Verse: Jn 19:5b, 14b

"Behold the man!" "Behold your king!" (ESV)

What is a real man like? Why and for whom did Jesus die? This sober text that covers Jesus' trial, crucifixion, death and burial can be divided into three parts:

1. Who Jesus is (Jn 19:1-16, 19-22): Man and King.
2. How Jesus died and Why (Jn 19:17-42): The King crucified, pierced and buried. He died for God.
3. What Jesus accomplished: Life through his death (Jn 1:4; 6:35; 11:25; 14:6).

Love Without Discernment (Rev 2:18-29)

Sat, Mar 30, 2013 (Day 2 Easter conference)
Revelation 2:18-29; Key Verse: Rev 2:25, 28 (1 Kings 16:29-33)
"...hold on to what you have until I come." "I will also give the morning star."
     
Loving more but tolerating false teaching. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Jesus commends the Ephesians for persevering in sound doctrine (Rev 2:2-3). But Jesus also rebukes the Ephesian church for losing their first love (Rev 2:4)–their love for the brethren. The church in Thyatira has the opposite problem. Indeed, Jesus commends the congregation in Thyatira because their love for their fellow Christians has actually increased over time (Rev 2:19). But Jesus rebukes this church for tolerating false teaching within their midst (Rev 2:20). Unlike Ephesus that shows discernment without love, the Christians of Thyatira are loving, but not discerning.

Compromising and Defiled (Rev 2:12-17)

Sat, Mar 30, 2013 (Day 2 Easter conference)
Revelation 2:12-17; Key Verse: Rev 2:13a, 14a (See Num 25:1-9; 31:16)
"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me...Nevertheless, I have a few things against you..."
Like the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamum faces intense persecution from the God-hating Roman empire and their fellow Jews. But the church in Pergamum also faces an enemy from within, a seductress who entices God's people to commit spiritual adultery.

The Riches of Poverty (Rev 2:8-11)

Fri, Mar 29, 2013 (Day 1 Easter conference)
Revelation 2:8-11; Key Verse: Rev 2:10b (Zechariah 3:1-9)

"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown" (NIV, 2011). "I will give you the crown of life" (NIV, 1984).

Seven letters speaking to churches through out the church age.

Discernment Without Love (Rev 2:1-7)

Mar 29, 2013 (Day 1 Easter conference)

Revelation 2:1-7; Key Verse: Rev 2:4 (Exodus 25:31-40)

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first" (NIV, 2011). "You have forsaken your first love" (NIV, 1984).

Last year (2012), while I was in Manila, I preached 3 sermons on Revelation:

• The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1-20).
• Christian, Listen Up! (Rev 2:1-3:22)
• What Is Heaven Like? (Rev 21:1-22:5)

Each message to a church is what the Spirit says to all churches.

The Words Moses Spoke (Deuteronomy 1:1-46)

Sun, Mar 24, 2013

Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Key Verse: Deut 1:1

"These are the words Moses spoke..."

What is Deuteronomy about? Moses speaking/ preaching/ teaching God's word to his people for the last time. Deuteronomy consists primarily of speeches/"sermons" (three of them) that Moses gave to the Israelites shortly before he handed over the leadership to Joshua. Like a senior pastor after having led his congregation for 40 years and who is about to pass on the baton, Moses gave his prophetic farewell sermon for the last time as their senior pastor and leader. It is his last will and testament given to all Israel east of the Jordan on the plains of Moab (Deut 1:5), just before their entrance into the Promised Land. Moses' aim in his final speeches is to ensure that the people will remain faithful to God; his speeches would prepare them to conquer Canaan and then live faithful lives in their new land. (A few key verses are Deut 6:5; 10:12-13; 30:19-20.)

Shepherds (Christian Leaders) Are Not To Lord Over Others (Mt 20:25-28)

Sun, Mar 17, 2013

Matthew 20:21, 25-28 (Mark 10:37, 42-45; Luke 22:24-27)
Key Verse: Mt 20:25-26 (Mk 10:42-43; Lk 22:25-26)

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you."

"You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you."

"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that."

Theme: What is Christ-like Christian leadership like? It is interesting that Jesus' answer begins with a resounding negation.