The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
00:00 Good morning everybody. Uh the sermons are up uh there. Next week William is
00:07 preaching on 1st Samuel 16, a man after God's own heart. I'm going to do a
00:13 second part of Samuel 1st Samuel 15 saw selfdeception and then Dr. Peter will be
00:21 taking us through 2 Samuel 12 the Lord's beloved. We are in a session of looking
00:27 at King David. Okay. Uh I was actually asked by Alex and John to expand a
00:35 little bit on this. I think me and Waong we are in the same group, right? Waong we are doing me and Waong will be
00:42 chairing the entrepreneurs group. There's another group for the CEOs. We have another group for STEM, another
00:49 group for creative arts. We also have another group for those who coming into
00:54 the workforce. So this program has been very heavily structured to be relevant
00:60 for all of you at different levels of your work. So do try to come and uh be
01:06 blessed at it. Okay, let me start on
01:12 why this is a difficult sermon before we do a prayer. So how many of you are
01:18 familiar with the word the elephant in the room?
01:24 Right? because this text smacks right of it. The elephant in the room is when you
01:30 have a text and something is so glaring but people don't want to talk about it.
01:36 So the definition I think out there is a major problem or controversial issue
01:43 which is obviously present but avoided as a subject of discussion. So in preparation for this sermon, I went
01:49 through the usual suspects, you know, Tim Keller, John Piper, all you reformers like to listen to them and
01:54 everyone avoided it. And this text has this verse, this section, and if you
02:01 Google it, is a subject of tremendous discussion. Now go
02:08 attack the Amalachites and totally destroy all that belongs to
02:13 them. do not spare them. And here is where we start to crawl, get
02:21 a big the elephant comes out. Put to death men and women,
02:28 children and infants, cattle and sheep, camel and donkey.
02:35 So here's a commandment from God to kill
02:40 everyone, including babies. And so people wrap their head around that. Now here's a
02:48 problem because you have that in the Old Testament. Yahweh Yahweh says that. But
02:55 in the New Testament, Jesus says, "Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you." In
03:02 the sermon on the mount, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other
03:09 cheek also. So people say, "You know what? Your New Testament God tells you
03:15 to be a doormat. Your Old Testament God tells you to go and
03:21 kill children. Well, so today's sermon I better display
03:26 myself. Now I I'll tell you why we struggle with this. And when we read
03:31 scripture, you know, we we don't realize that we read it with sometimes by
03:37 blocking out certain verses. You know, I was reading Psalm 139. You know, such a
03:42 famous Psalm. Search me, God, and know my heart. People quote this all the
03:48 time. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there's any offensive way in me and lead me in the way
03:54 everlasting. You all know that, right? Have you noticed whenever people quote this, they never quote the verse before
04:00 it, the immediate two verses before it, you know what it says? It says this, "If
04:06 only you, God, would slay the wicked. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
04:13 and abore those who in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hated for them.
04:20 I count them my enemies." Did you notice nobody reads that? Everyone reads the last few verses, but
04:26 that verse is sort of censor it out, you know. So, here we have this really major
04:31 elephant. is not just the Old Testament. So that flies right against the Matthew
04:37 text. Here is David saying he hates and here Jesus says love. And so today
04:45 we look at the Amalachite genocide. And the word genocide simply means I
04:51 wipe out everybody. And we want to understand a topic which I think is quite relevant to us, rarely
04:58 spoken, the idea of justice. because this is a story of justice. So
05:04 let's come before God in prayer. Lord, this is a difficult topic. I ask for
05:11 humility as I just struggle through this text and that you be with me as I share
05:19 and if I'm wrong, be open to correction. And we ask that
05:24 your word doesn't come back north. In Jesus name we say this. Amen. Right. Today
05:32 uh we are looking at the story of kings and the trajectory is about King David.
05:40 But we start with another king first, King Saul who starts off well but ends up being really a horrible king. And so
05:48 today the theme is about kings. When we take part two in two weeks time we will
05:54 look at a very famous verse obedience is better than sacrifice. But today we are
05:59 going to look at kings. All right. So let's just start reading the text.
06:05 Samuel said to Saul, this is beginning chapter 15. I'm the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel.
06:12 So listen out to the message from the Lord. Then just I just read it. I'm going to jump past that. Verse four. So
06:18 Saul summoned the men and mustered them at 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 from
06:24 Judah. When you hear that number there 210,000
06:29 this is not a skirmish this is a major war that is a that is a big fight you
06:37 know Saul went to the city Amalach and set an ambush in the river then he said to the Kennites now this is quite
06:43 interesting go away leave the Malikites so they do not destroy you along with them for you showed kindness to all the
06:49 Israelites when they came out Egypt so the Kenna moved away from the Malachites now the first thing here is God's
06:55 concerned about what? Collateral damage. And notice again, it's about justice because you showed kindness. So I'm not
07:02 going to wipe you out. Then Saul attacked the Amalachites all the way for Hav to sh near the eastern border of
07:08 Egypt. He took a king of the Amalachites alive and all his people he totally destroyed with a sword. But Saul and the
07:15 army spit Aag and the best of the sheep and the cattle, the fat cows and lambs. Everything that was good. These they
07:20 were unwilling to destroy completely. Everything that will despise and be they totally destroyed. Then the word of the
07:26 Lord came to Samuel. I regret that I made Saul king because turn away from me
07:32 has not carried out my instructions. Samuel was angry. He cried out to the Lord all that night. Early in the
07:38 morning, Samuel got up and went to meet Saul. But he was told Saul has gone to Camel. There he sat on a monument in his
07:45 own honor and turned and gone down to Giggal. Now the the next two verses are
07:50 quite funny if you understand the Hebrew. When Samuel reishim said, the Lord bless
07:56 you. I have carried out the Lord's instructions. Hallelujah.
08:03 He's basically saying Hebrew, I heard the Lord. But Samuel says, what's this bleeding of
08:09 sheep in my ears? What is this loing of the cattle that I hear? Or is like,
08:14 really, I just hear the sound of animals. Saul answered, the soldiers brought them
08:21 from the Malachites. despair the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed
08:26 the rest. Enough, Samuel says to Saul. Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night. Tell me, Saul replied.
08:32 Samuel said, Although you were once small in your eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel, the
08:39 Lord anointed you king over Israel, and he sent you on a mission, saying, "Go and completely destroy these wicked
08:46 people, the Malachites. Wage war against them until you have wiped them out." Why
08:51 do you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the
08:56 eyes of the Lord? But I did obey the Lord. Saul says, I went on a mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed
09:03 the Amalachitis and brought back a king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was
09:10 devoted to God in order to sacrifice them to Lord your God and Gilgar.
09:16 God, I did it for you. You know that's the text. Huh? But Samuel says, "Does
09:22 the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to
09:28 heed is better than a fat rams? For rebellion is like the sin of divination, arrogance, like the evil dartry. Because
09:36 you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king." Let Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I
09:42 violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the man. So I gave it to them. Now I beg you
09:48 forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord. I'm going to look at this very completed topic in
09:55 three sections and we'll start with men's section. So man's justice.
10:01 So I want you to contrast these two verses right the first is the reason for the
10:08 commandment and it's about justice. I will punish the Amalachites for what
10:14 they did to Israel. So number one, God punishes sin. Now you can disagree with
10:22 the way the punishment is carried out, but that is the overriding
10:28 arc of the story. The king punishes.
10:34 Don't miss that. Huh? So what did Saul do? Well, he decided,
10:39 you know what? I'm going to obey 80%. 20%.
10:45 Yeah, I think okay. But Saul and the army spent a best of the sheep and the
10:52 fat cows and lambs those they were unwilling to destroy. Everything despise the week. They totally destroyed. No
10:59 problem killing children and babies but sheep cannot. Now you know why? If you just I give you
11:06 a bit of Middle Eastern history of that time. The Amalachites are a nomadic tribe. They are actually
11:13 associated with the So this is the line of Esau actually distant
11:19 cousin. And if you're a nobelic tribe, what are your assets?
11:24 Bitcoin. Your assets are sheep. Basically, he's saying 210,000
11:32 men go to war. I'm going to have casualty. God, you telling me I'm going
11:38 to sink in cost for war and come home empty-handed? Come on, I need to recover
11:44 my cost. So, I su some shipla.
11:50 That's the way to look at the text. So, here's what I want to pick up. The
11:55 horror walls reveals man's capacity for selfdeception. Most wars are start on a
12:02 grounds that build noble, you know, political, economical, ideological. Just look at the Russian invasion in Ukraine
12:09 and speak to Russian about it. I think I think Yidia knows it. We had a Russian
12:14 boy from our church came, they would defend it to the ends. But here's the point. The real reason is actually
12:20 prophet, you know. And the biggest profit is actually land. Now, you know where we are going with this, huh?
12:26 Because we're going to take another elephant in the room. So when the Japanese went into China via
12:33 Manuria, what did they tell the Chinese? Hey, we're here to slaughter you and we're going to get into Nanking and rape
12:41 everyone and kill. Thank you very much. No, what did the Japanese tell the Chinese?
12:47 We're going to liberate you from the white man. That was the narrative. We're going to
12:52 come and save you. And they never saved China. They became
13:00 very evil oppressors. So I want you to pick up a little bit about this and I highlighted it right.
13:08 Verse 13, I've carried out the Lord's instructions. Verse 20, I obeyed the Lord.
13:14 Hello, you obeyed 80% not 20. No, I obeyed. I obeyed.
13:20 So that's why the text has a lot to do with deception. And the worst kind of deception is selfdeception, you know.
13:28 And at the end he admits, you know, I was afraid of a man I gave into them. He
13:35 wanted to look strong because everyone who went to war took
13:40 prisoners. That's what they did. Build a monument to themselves like what
13:46 Napoleon did. And they they they had to profit. That's how empires expand.
13:52 That's how you become famous. And so he wanted to be like that. That's
13:57 what the story is going. He has become like the Amalachites.
14:04 That's what the story is trying to say. And this is something I want us to look
14:09 at because the story is telling on an ability we all have. The ability to hold two truths.
14:15 This is what really I should believe. But man, that's that's really hard. So
14:21 I'm I'm going to believe this. That is the tension. And in this case, the
14:27 motivating factor was fear of repercussions. I want you to hear this.
14:33 This is the town of Oldun in Germany. And if you go there, there's a big
14:39 monument there. And it shows
14:44 Jewish prisoners of the Holocaust waving because the Allied forces have come.
14:50 This is a very famous story. At the end of the war, General Patton
14:56 moves in to Germany and he secures the town of Urwun and there is a
15:03 concentration camp called Buchin. And because he's at the end of the war,
15:09 Nazi Germany is trying to get rid of evidence. And as he lands there, what he sees down there is exactly what you fear
15:16 it is. Those are burnt bodies. They were trying to burn bodies in incinerators.
15:22 And Patton, you know, promptly vomited. This is this is general, right? And what
15:28 he did was he called the people of the town of Wema which is just next to it
15:34 and he parked dead bodies onto a truck. I'm I'm sorry to this difficult sermon
15:40 so bear with me. And he said look the soldiers were going to take this and
15:45 burn this in the inside incinerary. You guys knew nothing about it.
15:50 The camp is outside the town. Do the soldiers come over to drink? Yes. Do you
15:57 not meet people from the camp? Yes. Do you know this was happening? No.
16:04 No. We knew nothing. We didn't know this was happening.
16:11 We're not aware. And so this was recorded and you can get
16:16 this in YouTube. On April 7, employees of Odon Town Council, the town mayor Schneider and his wife and local factory
16:24 owner Tilo Merman were forced to inspect the camp and witnessed the conditions at first hand. The mayor and his wife
16:29 committed suicide that same night. We didn't know, but we knew
16:35 there script on a scrap of paper before that. Following the liberation of Bushinwald camp on April 11, more than
16:41 1,000 Waymore residents were forced to see the appalling conditions with their own eyes.
16:48 We didn't know but we knew or I choose not to know.
16:57 Why? Because if I had tried to help those who
17:03 were having injustice brought onto them,
17:09 I can't bear the cost. So I rather go back to my church on Sunday and give
17:15 more money. and I think my sacrifice should appease God and I blot this out.
17:20 That's the way the text is going. And on a larger picture, faith is often not
17:27 about the inability to believe but the refusal to believe.
17:32 And so this morning we talk about injustice. Imagine somebody from FBC who
17:38 came from a family say a Hindu family and he came home and told his parents I
17:45 became Christian and the family kicked him out and he sat next to you in church
17:53 the next week and he cried and he said I got kicked out.
17:58 What would you do? Because if you helped him,
18:04 it will cost you. That's the point of the text. So you
18:10 rather than say this is the job of the pastor,
18:16 I will pray for you and you have just become like the priest
18:21 and the Levite who walked on the other side of the road
18:26 when they saw the man whied by prison by robbers.
18:32 This morning I want to talk a little bit about persecution.
18:39 And a lot of us don't face it. But let me tell you today, there are people who have given their
18:46 lives to Jesus and have suffered much. And this morning the Lord asks you,
18:56 where is your voice for that?
19:02 I want you to listen today because this is a sobering topic. And the first thing
19:08 the Lord tells you, we are scared. Hands up, that's me. But here's the danger
19:15 that fear will lead to selfdeception and says, you know what, not my problem.
19:22 And then you ask yourself, what does the great commission say?
19:27 Go and make disciples of what? All nations.
19:34 And those who do that suffer and those who become believers from
19:40 different backgrounds suffer. And you ask where is the church? I want to just
19:46 build on this. Now second thing is something I think Esther co Susanna Co's
19:51 daughter taught me an article she wrote. It's called incrementism. You know you want to kill a frog you
19:57 ball the frog slowly. Afterward the frog dies. He didn't know you were being bald. So it starts with
20:03 sheep like she look s yo bro sheep only upper pal
20:09 but you see today is sheep tomorrow is a mealite women really hot babes man who
20:17 cannot I go on I go on coffee miss big girl all the Christian girls
20:23 women who man so it's Malikite women after that
20:31 what's the problem before you know it, it pushes you and it puts God at the
20:37 side. That's the way the text is trying to say. Now, I want you to see that in terms of persecution because what you do
20:44 is that I first come and tell you, you know what, you can't use this kind of language in
20:51 church and then you are scared so you keep quiet. Then they tell you, you know what? If people come and visit your
20:58 church, you cannot have any religious signs on it. You see where it's going.
21:04 You know what? If you going to put a church at a place where certain groups, you cannot go there. You know what? And
21:12 that's exactly how some churches just die because they ring
21:18 fence you once, then they test you, then they ring fence you twice again, and then they gag you, you know, and your
21:26 faith just disappears. Selfdeception buries the guilt to
21:31 respond to injustices by acts of sacrifices. That is the main calling. Putin can kiss mother Mary as much as
21:39 she wants, but he will answer to God for the war in Ukraine. But if you watch
21:46 interviews with Putin, in his eyes, I did what is right to protect Russia.
21:55 And going to church and taking the emblems, he will go back and says, "I've
22:00 done my religious duties." But when he sees God, the blood of the Ukrainians, he has to
22:09 answer. I want you to think this as you see where is our role in this. Because when you look at a picture like that and you
22:16 look at that blonde woman and that, you know what's the thing? They're probably churchgoers like me and you.
22:23 They probably went to church on Sunday. And probably when they saw in a distance the smoke came up from the camp, what
22:30 did they do? They just turn their eye the other way. I want you to just build on that. Now,
22:35 let we go on the difficult one. God's justice. This one is hot potato. We're going to look at the elephant now. Now,
22:42 when you look at two texts, 1 Samuel 1:3, we look at it. Let's look at Deuteronomy 25:17. Remember what Amalach
22:49 did to you along the way when you came out Egypt when you were very worn out. They met you in your journey and
22:54 attacked you lagging behind. They had no fear of God. So, let me tell you the stories. As the Israelites was passing
23:00 through, Amalcch came and he cut the convoy and the ones at the back he attacked. And so God called Aaron to war
23:08 with them. You know the stories. When Moses arms were up, the Israelites
23:14 prevailed. When Moses arms was down, the Amalachites prevailed. So he got her and Aaron to hold his hands up and they won.
23:20 That's another sermon for another day. But look at this. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies
23:26 around you in the land he's giving you to possess inheritance, you shall blot
23:32 out the name of Amalecch from under heaven. Do not forget this is very like
23:39 an emotional God. This is justice. Justice. Okay. So, let's do that. Now, I
23:45 want to hear you another story. So we want to talk about what the Amalachites are in the Bible as opposed to say the
23:51 Canaanites or the Hittites and the Moabites. All right. Today Abelites
23:56 essentially look at Jewish writers liberal writers look at the Malachi as a fall. What do they represent? Now in
24:02 Esther there's a story about a man called Haman. When Ham saw the Modi who a Jew were not kneel down now pay him
24:08 honor. He was enraged. Yet having learned who Modi's people were they are Jews. He's gone the idol of killing only
24:15 Modi. Instead, Haman looked for way to destroy all Morai's people, the Jews.
24:21 That's genocide. Who's Haman? Let me tell you what the test call. He's called
24:27 an aagite. Hey, sounds familiar. Aakite. Where have I heard that? King
24:34 Aag. So, there are two things the text is telling you. Whenever the Old Testament
24:39 tells about Amalachites, they are hellbent on what? Wiping out the Jews. That's one.
24:46 two, you have now what we call a textual problem because if all the Melikites were wiped out
24:53 then how did Hmon come to exist? You follow us. So let me give you first
24:59 a few apologetics and we go into applications. Uh today's sermon a little bit long. I try not to look at the clock
25:06 but I go over time today. One the word genocide the language is hyperbolic. So
25:12 people can't tell you, hey, your Christian God are very bloodthirsty. Let me give you three defenses. It does not
25:17 literally mean every single living person. The Amalachites are still around just few chapters down the road. They're
25:22 there. How did they exist? And the the more telling one is canonized. The book
25:28 of Joshua uses the word removing and driving out after chapter 12. You know, that's another sermon in itself. But
25:35 Deuteronomy 7 is very clear. You have to destroy them totally. How can you destroy them totally and then remove and
25:42 drive them out? Tada logic. So one defense is hyperbolic language. Meaning
25:47 when a guy tell you I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to wipe the floor off you know doesn't mean literally that
25:55 I'm going to kill you at the basketball court you know is rhetorical language. So that's one and this highly supported
26:01 because how else do you explain that malakis are still around? This just few chapters down the road they're still
26:06 around. Unless you tell me the king in between now and him being killed later,
26:12 his concubine came to him. They had great sex and he produced a lot of babies which is crazy. So you cannot go
26:18 around that. That's one. The second is this literal. Some people are very determined. You must take the Bible
26:24 literal and it's a fair point. And they say this because the Amalachites is described as being determined to wipe
26:31 them out. And therefore even as a baby they are predestined for destruction. Ah
26:37 that's the language we are going to get into trouble. But the way they describe this to be fair preceding the war they
26:44 were given opportunity to repent and you find this in Exodus the two text is there because God sends a hornet before
26:52 them to scare them and because of that Rahab becomes a believer that's what the
26:58 book of Hebrews says. And what is Rahab? Canaanite. The point being the same with Pharaoh,
27:05 God's war is redemptive. So that's the second one. Huh? But let me tell you my
27:11 preference. Okay? But this is what I think suits a narrative best. You don't have to agree with me. All right? And
27:16 after that, we go back to the text. Have you sort of always asked yourself how do
27:21 you explain Goliath? Let's talk about another war. Goliath is a giant. You know, have you read the description of
27:27 that? It's biologically impossible to have that height. And then when you look at the spies, when they enter the
27:34 promised land, what's the first thing they see? Giants. And at the end of the
27:39 book of Joshua, a tribe is called the Anakites. Sounds like Malikites.
27:46 They also giants. So this is what I think best suits the narrative. And you
27:51 don't have to agree with it. I think the warfare is actually demonic. The Amalachites like the Canaanites have
27:58 the descendants of the Nephilim among them. The Nephilim are found in Genesis 3, the sons of God, angelic beings who
28:05 come on earth and breed. And the point of the second fall is the hybrid mixing
28:12 of human sin and spiritual warfare. I think this makes a lot of sense when you go to Ephesians. Hence, the account of
28:19 the spies who arrived the promised land had giants. The Anakites, Numbers 13, giants. The Hebrew word haram which is
28:26 the word tears here is the same as hmmon for when the giants came. And why?
28:32 Because the real function of this wholesale blotting out is to prevent
28:37 Israel going into idolatry. What it is is spiritual warfare. That's the trajectory to New Testament. Let me
28:44 quickly go through this. The other thing is when you look at the Hebrew, there are few words used for killing harak and
28:51 hamid. But the word used in this text is haram. Haram is very similar to another
28:58 word in Arab I won't mention here is to be devoted to destruction. All right.
29:04 The blotting out therefore isn't ethnic cleansing. The book of Joshua opens with Rahab.
29:12 Rahab is Canaanite. And if you know Akan an Israelite also was designated haram
29:17 because he took things he wasn't supposed to. So therefore, what is the idea here? I'm trying to rush it. The
29:23 idea is to separate so there's no sinful influence. Okay, sorry, a bit of academia here. So let me just go through
29:30 the main point. Warfare narratives in the Old Testament is rechanled in the New Testaments as spiritual warfare
29:38 against powers and principalities that seek to take captive our thoughts and
29:43 that of others. In the same way Israel better anyone both Israel and not
29:49 Israelite who lead them into idolatry the church today batters forces that
29:54 hold us captive to our self-image. What did King Saul do the moment he won? He
30:01 built a monument to himself.
30:06 And so Saul tells him arrogance is idolatry. When we do not seek to blot
30:14 out sin, we give the enemy a foothold. It's only sheep. Well, that's how you go
30:20 in there. And Ephesians tells you, do not let the sun go down your anger or you give the devil a foothold. This
30:26 repeats itself again. Small little things you think you can tolerate. That is how spiritual warfare comes in. All
30:32 right. Demonic forces have always worked through deception. And in war, the
30:39 society can generate peace through violence or intimidation of violence and through manipulation. We're going to
30:45 take a bit more of this in next sermon. And here's my main thing. Unfortunately,
30:52 many Christians today respond to but is mass in external piety. I forgive you. I
30:57 forgive you. But your way you behave, what forgiveness? No, you go to church. Yes. No. You you go before TV and say
31:03 the Lord told us to forgive. Then the next word that comes out your mouth is wow that's inflammatory.
31:09 Now I'll tell you why this chong thing is important because what the text is telling you the
31:16 hardest commandment for us in this war is to love your enemies.
31:22 talking about genocide. During the genocide against the tootssis, a pastor asked to
31:31 came to a pastor. You trust a pastor, right? To go into a church. He brought them to church, locked the door, and the
31:39 hoous came with matches and massacred everybody. Wow. Some people really don't want to
31:45 hear the sermon anymore already. But you have to hear a bit of this. Do you know what was the term
31:52 hutu pastors were calling tootssis
31:59 from today's sermon are Malikites
32:04 that's the point when North Americans sorry to any Americans here yeah when
32:10 European settlers entered into North America this well documented and they saw red Indians do you know what they
32:17 call red Indians Canonites.
32:22 When Oliver Cromwell started a crusade against Catholics
32:28 in Ireland, do you know what he called Catholics? Canonites.
32:35 Now, why am I bringing this up? Because of the second elephant in the room.
32:40 Because of this. And it breaks my heart when I am in a
32:47 chat group and someone says 65,000 people died
32:55 and a Christian replies they are Malikites.
33:01 You're completely missing the point. It's a terrible traversity.
33:08 You have a right to believe in your theology Israel today is the incarnation
33:14 of the biblical Israel. You have the right. Others do not believe that.
33:20 But to go into a chat group and tell people that genocide and the suffering
33:25 of children is appropriated by Old Testament text like that. And I've seen I've seen many
33:33 you know in my view is an abomination to the word of God. Sorry but I I really
33:39 get upset. Believe if you want in physical Israel
33:45 but God loves all people and every suffering we should weep. So then how do
33:52 you seek justice on the way of the cross? So let me tell you then what he
33:57 does and you you maybe see where we're going with this. Besides taking sheep, he did two things.
34:03 He took Agak alive and maybe that's why we get Haman
34:08 because of this fellow. See, but we know Leon A dies. They slaughtered him. They killed him also. Number two, he said
34:17 that a monument is honor. Now in warfare in olden days, every time
34:23 the war, they will keep the king alive and kill everybody else. Why? Because if you keep the king, what does it make
34:29 you? It makes you an emperor. Or to use biblical language, you are now
34:36 what? King of kings. You see where we're going with this? I am king of kings. And
34:43 because I'm king of kings, I put a monument in my honor. And so here's the
34:48 key verse today. We're looking for kings. You know although you once small your own eyes did you not become king
34:59 I know you do do you need to seek approval out there by intimidating
35:05 people didn't go make you more than a conqueror that's a trajectory
35:13 so if you go to Mongolia there's this huge monument to Genghish Khan
35:19 do Do you think Turkish people will ever go and visit this?
35:26 If you know your history, Turkish people will go and spit at this because of what
35:31 Gingis Khan did to Turkey. You can say that for the Persian Empire
35:38 if you follow your war history. But the text is telling you about the heart of man. And the fundamental sin is we want
35:47 to be king in our lives. We want to decide what is right and is wrong
35:54 and that is why war start. All right. Saul feels the need to be respected by
35:59 others for his military victory. But God already proclaiming king his own own eyes is still small. People who feel the
36:08 need to use violence or abuse their place of authority to get what they want are the same.
36:14 The ability to dominate is what gives them a sense of fulfillment.
36:20 So all of you in leadership position whether it's an elder, a CEO
36:28 and you sit on your table and the cler walks in there and you sit like that. Okay, you go and do that and after that
36:35 wow feel very shock you know thai. Do you know it's the same principle?
36:44 That's what the text is driving to you know but keeping a as prisoner
36:52 you have to respect me and if you don't respect me
36:59 I'm going to fire you. That's how bullies talk. Two weeks time
37:06 we'll talk about school violence. But the real King of Kings came, was
37:14 sped at, was humiliated, and died on the cross as a criminal.
37:21 And he shows us how we fight for justice
37:28 in this country and out because victory is the blood of the Jesus. Let me give
37:34 you a few ideas. Biblical justice aims to make those who
37:40 oppose you recognize your shared humanity and dignity you owed as a bear the image
37:47 of God. What is injustice? Injustice strips you of dignity.
37:53 So if I treat my staff badly, right? I I yell at my staff, why you so
38:01 stupid one? You do not do your job. AI will replace you. You know, hello. You know not you don't buckle up. Huh? You
38:09 have no job. You should be thankful you work for me. What did I just do to the guy?
38:15 I demean him as a human being. What does he think he wants to do to you? You're
38:21 not around. I'll wipe out your whole computers and put a virus in it. Because to him there's justice. Now,
38:28 before you think I'm offline, huh?
38:34 Why do I think the narrative of the spiritual warfare is the most correct?
38:42 Tell me why a 14-year-old boy can stab a 16-year-old
38:47 girl 200 times if there wasn't a demonic force behind
38:52 it. You give me a better explanation.
38:58 So what we do? You start from a generous assumption that those who hate you also
39:04 carries their own pain and struggles because we're image bearers. What Saul
39:10 did was to replace the image of God with his own image. That's why you'll find
39:18 Saul says rebellion is divination. The Hebrew word is actually divination. You
39:24 have gone into the occult you know seek their well-being through peace and love and humble engagement. I have a client
39:32 now who I cannot tan but he pays my bill so I cannot tahan I wait for the day where I can really whack the guy you
39:39 know I see his face I cannot tahan but he
39:44 pays my invoices what to do. So what do I do? what I'm very good at
39:52 doing. I am an expert at being passive aggressive
39:59 because I insult you without you knowing what they just insult me
40:05 and then I play you against your partners divide and conquer. So that
40:11 when you have three partners and they say I want to sack this architect because I cannot tan his mouth I already
40:16 b the other two partners. I keep the guy who that's war out of war.
40:22 But what I'm seeing is that when I see him, I don't see him as a human being. I see what
40:29 I see the hurt he did to me. You see where we're going with this? And
40:35 so you start with a generous assumption that that guy who ging you every day at
40:41 work come to Delta. Jord Alex, you guys really owe me for advertising.
40:46 But you know when you're at work, you feel you're being toxic because your senior manager is gagging you. Your
40:52 colleague at the site is stabbing you. Have you ever considered when he went
40:58 home he could have problems with his family? He is like you. He bleeds. You know
41:06 because the son of God came and died for me. He tabernacled and became flesh. He
41:14 walked among sinners and if you and I cannot have empathy for people who we
41:20 dislike, we are not image bearsers of cross two. So this is what I want to get at on
41:28 because we rarely talk about the public realm. The process of biblical justice
41:34 today is therefore active nonviolent opposition to injustice
41:40 which challenges power structures without force. This approach actively confronts
41:46 injustice and demonstrates a kingdom where love, grace, and forgiveness
41:52 prevails. So if you occupy the White House
41:59 and vandalize the place and then get on your knees and pray and people take a
42:05 video of it and post it on left media, what do you think people who hate
42:11 Christianity think of Christians? They see you as worse than them.
42:22 You you you know you know the my struggle with Christians nowadays is that I tell you another one. You want to
42:28 get a into a fight with a Christian now go into chat group and argue about three things. Okay. Charlie Kirk
42:37 Israel and the mother of all disputes Donald Trump.
42:44 You just imagine it. You go into a chat group where there are two Christians and a group of non-Christians and the Christian will say Donald Trump is sent
42:50 from God. Hallelujah. The other guy just ging back. This fellow his mouth cannot control one. You cannot believe him. Uh
42:57 you start to fight law. And what you don't realize the devil has
43:03 just taken captive your minds because at the end of 40 messages you
43:08 think they remember who won. They just see immaturity.
43:14 You know why I know that? Because I'm guilty of it. You just ask the Delta group.
43:21 I I'm guilty. You get me going h Peter knows I go on a rant on.
43:27 And no better example in Malaysia exists than the long drawn battle to seek
43:34 justice for missing pastor Raymond Co.
43:40 I want us to end on this and pause. Because one you can give into fear and
43:48 say I don't want to know this then like king Saul
43:55 you have given it to selfdeception two
44:00 the family could have fought this the way king saw fought for personal interest or like the way the Malikites
44:07 fight we fight fire with fire and we push
44:14 and the repercussions will be the casualty of the church. They did none of this.
44:20 In the wisdom, the family went on one simple line. The same which Paul did in
44:26 Rome on the law as to say, "You got a problem with me, you take me to court."
44:34 People don't disappear off the streets of Malaysia. Doesn't matter whether what religion you
44:40 are, what race you are, you do not disappear off the streets. and we will
44:47 fight you on that on the courts for how long it takes.
44:55 On November 5th, the court
45:01 would deliver a verdict that way. How long has the fight been?
45:11 Five years in and out. I know some of the lawyers
45:19 they receive bullets in their mail. Ask that way later.
45:27 They never swayed. They never gave up.
45:32 And most importantly, they never stopped loving those who
45:39 hated them. And so when people see Christians doing
45:44 that, they don't see a fight. What do they see?
45:51 We pray, they see the God we worship.
45:58 So whether you are just having a conflict at home
46:03 or in church, you cannot stand somebody or at work. Remember, there is a
46:11 spiritual war going on for your mind and your heart. And it's teaching you to continue to hate someone,
46:19 not to work with someone in church. When you see that person, all you see is the
46:24 pain and what you call justice is really vengeance.
46:31 But if you can think that we share the same humanity,
46:37 we are made in the image of God.
46:42 That the guy there who hates you bleeds.
46:47 You can then understand why Jesus says to love those who hate you. Because
46:55 loving those who hate you isn't getting on a national TV and making a big statement about it. You can read into
47:01 that whatever you want. The Greek understanding of loving is your action. My emotions can follow
47:07 later. So let's just say I cannot love the guy. I cannot stand him because he really did
47:15 this to me. He didn't. But by my actions, I would I would try
47:21 to love him by saying, "Look, Yen, you know, needs this help and we need to do that." Love is an action. Is not me
47:28 feeling good about you. So, here's the good news. You you can still not t people in church, but you can love them.
47:35 And if you cannot love people in church, what makes you so sure you can love your enemies. And the thing that really
47:40 breaks my heart, I want to say this in love, and I'm not referring to anyone in particular,
47:47 is when Christians cannot work together. Because when you do that, you actually
47:52 falling into this text. You know, you're saying, Anna, I I go to this, I do that, I'm serving very much. Yeah. But
47:58 obedience is better than sacrifice. You can be involved in any ministry. You
48:03 can be holding any leadership role. You can even be an elder. But if you cannot
48:09 even hold a conversation with someone who you really feel backstabbed you,
48:16 let me tell you that's spiritual warfare
48:22 because you see this again and again. Uh uh they did it to me because I'm Chinese. They did it to me because I'm
48:29 Indian. They did it to me because I'm like that. The elders, they all like that one, you know. Bully people one,
48:36 you know. could be true. But you must understand the battle is for hearts and minds. And if you cannot
48:43 start in the small area, you cannot stop start at sheep. You cannot go to loving
48:49 your enemies. And so I want to end today
48:55 by asking us to pray for November 5th
49:02 that the verdict, however it goes,
49:09 the church will be behind Susanna Core
49:16 and Esther Core and the rest of the family. that it does not matter how the verdict
49:24 goes on 5th of November. By the blood of the lamb, we have
49:30 already warned and we will show them we will still love
49:36 this country, love those who hate us, turn the other cheek and bless Malaysia.
49:45 Amen. Let me ask that to come up. That way is
49:52 the son-in-law of pastor Raymond Co. I'm going to give him a few minutes to just
49:58 share his heart and then we are going to pray for him and his family. So that way
50:03 the floor is yours. You got three and a plus minute. Take five minutes. Whatever you want to say.
50:09 Hopefully not too long. Good morning everyone. Uh I bring greetings and love
50:15 from both uh Esther and Susanna. Um they can't make it today because they are still abroad. Uh but they will come back
50:21 in time for the of course for the 5th November like what you have heard. So what I thought I'd do this morning is
50:28 try to condense uh 8 years into two plus minutes. Okay. Uh to give you right
50:34 context uh because five minutes. Okay. Right. Yeah.
50:40 um to provide the right context and background and also uh not make any
50:45 assumptions that uh everyone has been forming uh of course cuz it's been long time. Yeah. So it's been now 8 years on
50:53 since uh Pastor Raymond's uh enforced disappearance. Um if you've been following uh you also have seen that the
51:01 police have not been forthcoming about their investigation nor have they actually recharged anyone. And after 8
51:07 years that's quite uh indicative of the scenario that we are in right.
51:13 So in 2020 uh a civil suit was filed and now on 5th November after multiple
51:18 hearings uh the court will pass the verdict on whether the authorities will be held liable for one and forced
51:24 disappearance which actually just means unlawful obduction or detention with the
51:30 support approval or quisiance of the state simply just means um that it was
51:35 done uh from higher authority up. Yeah. uh of course uh in the in between the
51:43 many years there's also been what we call as a special task force report and you know Malaysia we have a lot of task
51:48 forces uh and in that particular report it did highlight that from their investigations
51:56 they are putting the uh let's say cause on rogue officers but if you read into
52:02 it a little bit more rogue officers simply just mean someone else did it not as as from a high authority authority.
52:10 So this is a very important point. Yeah, salient point and I hope you understand
52:16 the slight differences there. Very subtle uh but also shifts the scenario.
52:22 So what the family is swinging for is one death in custody because typically in
52:28 cases of enforced disappearance the victim is uh secretly killed and evidence is concealed. So actually when
52:35 they said evidence is on you to produce something you're like well I we don't have anything to produce right. So
52:41 number two uh misphienceians which simply means unlawful exercise of authority. I think we heard a little bit
52:47 about abuse of authority this morning in public office uh where public resources were allegedly used in abduction of uh
52:55 pastor Raymond and also three others. Again, if you've been following a case, there are multiple uh other cases which
53:03 have similar lack of better word modest operandi
53:08 uh and also negligence in the investigation itself. They have allegedly failed to trace, track and
53:14 charge the main suspect uh where there was a a car was found at a police
53:20 training center or pul. So that means there was number plates etc. Um so in
53:25 this day and age in terms of tracing people um yeah apparently we this person
53:31 can't be found. Yeah. So on the 5th of November uh if you can
53:37 be at the high court at 3 p.m. uh to be with the family and hear the verdict to show support. I think as Arnold said
53:44 um well whichever the uh verdict goes and I
53:50 think this is the part where the family needs uh you as the church right police
53:55 say they are still investigating but after 8 years uh there's still no sense of justice of course on this side no
54:02 closure for the family so the family is seeking answers to the many questions uh
54:08 please pray that we will have a fair and just result closure and author authorities to be held accountable. So
54:14 we are called to stand up to injustice in a lawful manner. Um and that's what
54:19 we did right to go to the courts. So thank you for the support from SBC on
54:25 this long journey with the family uh and for the justice we seek. Can I add one thing?
54:32 You try this morning we're trying to see put yourself in the shoes of the other person. I want you to ask yourself, a
54:40 mother, two daughters, and a son, what 8 years does to you
54:48 as a family when you have no idea
54:54 what happened to your husband and father.
54:59 That is the call of us to stand with those who have suffered.
55:07 So I call you today to pray with me as we pray for that way and again October
55:15 5th if you feel led we will see you at the high court in KL. You want more details
55:22 you can approach me approach Linda. Lord God, we like to pray for that and Esther
55:29 and Susanna and the family for courage
55:35 on this 5th after 8 years. We pray in your mercy
55:41 that the verdict will go as they won and that they will see justice.
55:48 But as your word says today, justice belongs to you, oh Lord.
55:56 And if human courts fail, you will not fail.
56:02 And so we know we have victory in the cross. And we know Christ will come again. And one day every tear will be
56:09 wiped away. And every sword shall be reshaped into plast.
56:16 And the lion will sit with the lamb. Be with the family. Give them courage.
56:22 however way the the verdict goes and may they draw comfort
56:28 they do not fight alone that Lord we as a church in ABC will not
56:34 give into fear and so right now like to continue this because it's very easy to not talk about
56:40 these things and then talk about our usual sermons about our struggles and our pain and and yes there's a place for
56:48 that but there's a place for us in the public realm and this morning. You are leading into that.
56:56 Let us be your agents of justice by loving those who oppose us
57:05 by showing that all humanity has dignity.
57:11 And in the same way they exiled people in Babylon
57:17 were asked to bless that country and prosper that country. Christians all over as souljourers and
57:23 exile teach us to be a blessing to the country we are in. Teach us to love
57:29 every race in this country. Extend the hand of friendship and prosper this
57:34 country. And we say this in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you.
57:40 We we come to a time now of holy communion. I would like all of us to sit down as we continue and could you raise
57:47 your hands if you haven't had any of the elements. And this morning I thought we
57:55 will take the communion in participation
58:02 and remembrance of the persecuted church.
58:12 [Music] I want you to take a moment
58:19 to think of Christians in Pakistan, in Iran,
58:28 our brethren in Nigeria, [Music] in Sudan, in Daur.
58:37 The civil war rages now. Our
58:43 brethren in Ukraine,
58:53 we sit here. We take many things for granted.
59:02 But there are those who for the sake of the gospel have lost wives, husbands,
59:11 family have become
59:16 destitute. This morning
59:21 we take communion remembering
59:28 we are one body.
59:33 First Corinthians 10:16, the cup of blessing that we bless.
59:42 Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
59:49 The bread that we break, is it not a participation
59:58 in the body of Christ? Lord, the body of Christ,
60:05 your church where the gates of hell will not prevail
60:18 is built on the blood of marts.
60:25 [Music] This morning we think of the suffering church. We think of the persecuted
60:31 church. And we remind ourselves,
60:37 Lord, we are fearful. We want to give into selfdeception.
60:43 But you are a God of justice. As your image bearer,
60:50 let us stand alongside our brethren. And this morning as we
60:57 drink from the cup and eat of the bread, we remember them.
61:03 Matthew 26 26-28. Now as they were eating,
61:11 Jesus took bread and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples
61:17 and said, "Now eat this is my body. Shall we unwrap the emblems
61:25 and take off the bread?
61:37 This is my body broken for me. Shall we take?
61:47 And he took a cup and when he had given thanks
61:53 he gave it to them saying drink of it all of you
61:59 for this is my blood of the covenant
62:04 which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
62:10 And before we drink let us do a prayer. Lord, teach us to blot out sin in our
62:16 life. And we thank you for the King of Kings
62:22 who took that punishment for us for our sins.
62:29 Let us not give the devil foothold
62:34 and make us captive in our minds that we learn to hate people.
62:41 That we learn to turn a blind eye to sufferings, especially family believers.
62:47 We thank you for your blood that washed away our sins.
62:53 And this morning we remember the blood of many who suffered for simply being
62:60 Christians. We uphold article 18 of the United
63:05 Nations Charter. Everyone has a right
63:10 to believe what they want to believe in faith. Let us continue our fight in the courts
63:17 of law as exiles in this country. The victory
63:22 belongs to you. And as we drink this cup,
63:30 we think of all the churches who suffer
63:35 as of now. pastors in China who have been arrested.
63:42 Ukrainian churches who are worried the bomb will just go off during service.
63:50 Minority groups in Pakistan and Iran and in Syria who face persecution and
63:57 degradation. Let us join hands.
64:02 Give us clean hands, pure heart. And as we drink this,
64:10 we remind ourselves they are our brothers and sisters. Shall
64:16 we drink? [Music]
64:21 Let us close with a benediction now onto him
64:29 who's able to do immensely more than we imagine.
64:35 For every court case we win, every court case we lose,
64:40 every humiliation suffered. Victory is in the cross.
64:51 Teach us to be image bearers, oh Lord, in this world.
64:56 In any conflict, in any injustice, when people see us, they would say,
65:04 why are they different? Because
65:10 they bear the marks of Jesus, the God who loves them,
65:16 the God of peace, the God of grace, the God of forgiveness.
65:25 And we pray that all those who hate us
65:30 that you put in our midst whether it's colleagues at work,
65:35 relationships at home which we struggle with or other people we meet
65:42 that when we see how we conduct ourselves,
65:48 they will see Jesus. And by this shall all men know you are
65:54 the son of God. And God's people say, "Amen." God bless you all. Have a good
66:00 week ahead.
