WORSHIP SERVICE 16TH DECEMBER 2012
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In his sermon Pastor V. Nenglian emphasised on the need and importance of spiritual preparedness as we usher in Christmas this year. He gave an example of how pioneers (road builders) used to make a geographical recce of the local area before roads were laid. Their objective was to find the shortest and straightest path between two places. Similarly with the wedding season in full swing the pastor warned us that most people are often caught up in the superficial perfection to have a grand wedding on a particular day and are unprepared/unplanned to face the years as a married couple. This often leads to a breakdown in a marriage; the root cause being the focal preparedness having been misdirected.
Proverbs 16:1 speaks of how the wise will plan their future to be with the Lord. This is the best insurance policy that one can invest in. No one can delay or prevent the judgement of God hence it is imperative that while we are in a state of preparedness our sole goal must be to consolidate our spiritual future with Christ. When our endeavour to be with God and our preparedness merge together the fruits that will be borne will certainly be sweet. The pastor, however, warned us that being humans we are prone to give credit of our success to ourselves. We must be humble and never misconstrue our spiritual and physical triumphs as fruits of our own labour. Our success is not a result of our merit but a reward from God and this is achieved when we exercise our faith in Him.
The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the state of preparedness of Joseph in accepting the challenges that God had placed in front of him. A religious man, he was faced with the embarrassing dilemma of having his betrothed pregnant without his knowledge. This could have severe social implications on the woman and according to Judaic law he was permitted to seek compensation for this insult. On the contrary he displayed exemplary attributes which we as Christians must imbibe.
Joseph was:
A man of his word: Having committed to a matrimonial alliance with Mary he stood by her even when he could have easily untied himself from this bond.
An obedient man: He steadfastly abided by the laws of betrothal and abstained from consummating his relationship with Mary till the birth of baby Jesus.
An honourable man: Having been assured by God that his fiancée was pure, he supported her and refused to humiliate Mary by revoking the engagement of marriage between them.
A God-fearing man: He proved his deep spiritual faith by following God’s instructions not to be disheartened and not abandon Mary.
These are the hallmark traits of a man who is committed and prepared in his fellowship with God.
The thing most of us fear is humiliation in the public eye. This is seen as a fall from grace and loss of respect of fellow human beings. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a brave woman who ultimately proved her spiritual commitment to God by remaining fearless of the social ramifications of being pregnant outside wedlock. She put her trust in God and displayed the courage to face social stigma. This is the kind of courage and perseverance that the Pastor felt is desperately required to combat the issue of corruption that has plagued our homeland Lamka. If by being steadfast and honest we are to have a lower standard of life so be it. It is better to be pure and honest rather than have a thriving economy and way of life based on the foundation of corruption. From Mary’s life we can aspire to be like her.
Mary led a clean spiritual life. Despite her initial hesitation and fear at the prospect of being pregnant out of wedlock she willingly and fearless embraced her fate on realising that it was all a plan of God.
She was not afraid of the humiliation that she would be subjected to at the hands of society if the news of her pregnancy was revealed and if her betrothed Joseph refused to no longer accept her. She placed her faith in God and was richly rewarded.
Her priority was to please and be steadfast in God and His wishes and not to placate society. This is possible only if one has a strong and immovable conviction in and commitment to God. Most of us would have been cowered down by social pressures and refused to accept or agree to be God’s handiwork.
Her association with godly and spiritual people was one of the reasons why she was able to pursue in her commitment to fulfil God’s plan for her.
As a congregation of believers we are faced with the question of our state of preparedness in our fellowship and commitment to God. This takes place at the mental, physical and spiritual level. Alone we can never take a step forward. It is only with faith and belief we can secure our future with God.
By- Grace Hangzo
Media Team
