Devotional for the Week —11 January 2010

Devotional for the week – 11 January 2010

Sermon Title: A Golden Key
Scriptural Text: Revelation 3:14-22

Introduction

Edward Chesterton was a good storyteller and to his son, the famous GK Chesterton, he was the man with a golden key. With this “golden key”, Edward Chesterton opened the doors to many stories of adventure, magic and mystery. If you had a “golden key”, what would you find when you unlock the doors to the ministries of the church? When you unlock the doors to the past, present and future, what do you see or hope to see? Has God been with us or will He be with us in our every activity?

Reflecting On The Past

Let’s unlock the door to the past and walk through some of the activities that our church had organised in 2009 – The 63rd Bedok Methodist Church Anniversary Celebrations, vacation bible camps, equipping ministries such as “Building Bridges in the Community”, the young adults ministry, our support of the Boys’ Brigade, WSCS’s Mother’s Day lunch, Christmas High Tea, the Trinity Annual Conference and 40 Days of Community. At this point, do you feel proud because a great number of activities were organised or are you more interested in the blessings that God has granted through these activities? There were lessons on courage and faith in venturing into new grounds and cultivating and bearing the fruits of the Spirit. There were also memories and experiences shared which bonded the church members and inspired some. What lives have you touched or healed through your ministry? Have you made an effort to count for the Lord?

Nurture the Next Generation Now

When you unlock the door to the future, what do you hope to see? Do you hope that your children will grow up to be leaders in the church and/or in the workplace? What kind of leaders would you want them to be? Do you hope to see yourself leading others in peace and your fellow church members listening to the word of God? Do you wish for revival in the church? If so, what are you doing now to enable your hopes to come true? There are many things which you can do. For instance, you can start by encouraging your children to pay attention during sermons instead of getting them to draw during sermons so that they can be kept quiet. The word of God brings truth and freedom which will save them for trouble when they grow up. Do not underestimate your children’s ability to understand matters of God or their ability to recall the word of God when they grow up.

Conclusion

Old church pictures speak a thousand words. When you look at photographs of the church and their activities, do you wonder “what has happened to this person or that person?” and “what are they doing now?” Likewise, when you look at the photographs of the activities in 2009, were you there and if not, why? Our future depends on what you do today. In Revelations 3, God says that He stands at the door knocking and if we open the door, He will come in and eat with us. In all your endeavours done in God’s name, invite God in. He will make your work light and there will be joy & strength in your service. Remember the Israelites as they walked 40 years in the desert? Even their shoes did not wear out! If you try to work without God, everything will be done in vain. With God in your camp, you will realize that He will sanctify your past, bring meaning to the present and hope for your future.

Prayer Response

Dear God, thank You for Your message today. I pray that I will take time out today to recall what I have done in 2009, what I hope to achieve in 2010 and the years to come. Bring to my mind the steps You would like me to take in order to achieve Your will for me in 2010 and help me to obey. Help me never to be too busy to do Your work. Help me always to seek Your view, instruction and blessing for every activity that I carry out for You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.

Devotional Based on a Sermon by Rev Fred Tan

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