SHINE FORTH: Light Up The World- Ben Lau
Introduction:
Good morning everyone! I’m Ben Lau, the Camp Commandant for this year YM Camp. Today I will be sharing a message that’s very close to my heart,& my journey with the Lord ever since my first camp.
I grew up in this youth ministry ever since YM started 10 years ago. Back then it was still held at the old YMCA. It may be hard for many of you to believe this, especially my youths when I told them this story, but I use to be this quiet introverted boy, who would only come on Sundays as my parents would drag me to church. Previously, I would make all kind of excuses not to go for YM camps. It was only until in my sec 4 year in 2005, did I decide to go for my first camp.
Up till today I still remember vividly my first real experience with God at that camp. I responded to an altar call to surrender my life to God. & I recalled a few leaders were praying for me when this sudden deep intrinsic sense of love just filled my heart. That Love from Christ transformed me & led me to this sudden passion for Christ which stirred greatly in me to share this love with others!
Experiencing God has actually led me to understand His heart for us. And that’s why before we can talk about living our life on earth. We need to understand God’s heart for us.
1) GOD’S HEART FOR US
“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.” Titus 2:11(NLT)
That grace he poured out for us all has actually gave us ALL that opportunity to know Him! And that’s why each of us plays a part in reaching out for Him.
Illustration:
Right after that YM camp, I went to CJC for the first 3mths, during my time there was this first 3 months system where you apply through your prelim results. I believe God had a purpose for me there as I didn’t actually plan to stay but to pursue Design in TP after. By the end of my time there, I had the opportunity to talk about God to my entire class of about 25 students. I manage to bring a couple of them to church. And found out 1 of them accepted Christ a year later! This was where I also got this nickname “Father Ben” by my classmates there.And somehow that nickname stuck with me even in my days in TP, and even carried forward to my army days! As I constantly kept sharing abt my Faith in God to my friends around me! This is what Acts 4:20 means “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
After understanding God’s heart, He actually gave us a GLOBAL STRATEGY to fulfill that!
GREAT COMMISSION
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and
on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new
disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)
Perhaps many of you may have heard of the Great Commission before. I still remember a lesson when I was sec 3, when my YSGL shared this topic, but I never really understood it than, until in recent years.
That was Jesus last words to his 11 disciples at Galilee. And you know how powerful a man last word’s is right; you would want to hear every word He says. Especially if this man was Jesus Christ the Son of God!
I thought this is such a great challenge from Jesus to us, but it seems so hard to achieve?
We are all mere human beings, how do we reach out to the world?
And this is when I was deeply reminded of the Power of that Holy Spirit indwelling in each of us if we believe in Jesus Christ!
2) THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV)
If you read the earlier verses, God promised to give us this Holy Spirit after his son Jesus was resurrected. And this is the promise Holy Spirit that will actually empower us to fulfil that great commission!
Illustration:
I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.
I use to do street & campus evangelism in my time with campus crusade; this is a practice which I would say test the faith of one more than the people you share to actually. And you really need to trust on the Holy Spirit leading, as you won’t want to offend the people you meet. I remember the last time I did that my team was sent to China town, (the ironic thing was), the only 2 times I ever did street evangelism, I was back at the same place out of all places in Singapore! Although I was very reluctant to go back there the second time, I somehow sense that God
wanted to show me something of his plan that very day.
So what happen was, I recalled of this 16 yr old boy doing some charity drive there. And I was somehow prompted to talk to that boy about Christ. And the amazing thing was, after my sharing he actually accepted Christ on the spot and I prayed with him there after! It was my first personal encounter of one actually turning to Jesus so immediately! And what was even more amazing. At that point after that sharing, I remember my dad randomly sent me an SMS which said “You shared & the Holy Spirit convicts the heart, Be gentle & courageous Ben”… It was way too timely! As my dad didn’t even know I was doing street e at that point of time! And I really believe this was all the Holy Spirit doing.
You know the song we always sing in YM, COUTING ON GOD, with the line “Joy Unspeakable that won’t go away.” That’s the kind of Joy which one willexperience when the Holy Spirit just indwells one to overflow to others!
It’s like being swept by this new unspeakable level of JOY, LOVE and ASSURANCE that leaves one overflowing with His Love, & boldness to witness to others.
And we get this deep Assurance of our Salvation that only the Holy Spirit can testify to us that we are a child of God. As what is said from Romans 8:16. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
We move from knowing & telling others about Christianity just from our HEAD to being a true witness to others from our HEARTS.
So what I have just shared sets the context of the Camp theme...
First Understanding God's Heart for the people, second Living it out in the Power of the Holy Spirit & this is when we can be that True witness for Him & SHINE FORTH Christ in our Lives!
3 a) SHINE FORTH
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
This verse clearly shows that YOU are the LIGHT of the WORLD. That’s ourprimary identity in Christ. We have the LIGHT living in us already! And we shouldn’t hide our light, but let the light shine!
It’s like this analogy of how an apple seed will ALWAYs be meant to grow to an apple tree. And with Christ Light in living in us, it’s MEANT to SHINE FORTH & we shouldn’t hide what we are meant to be.
b) LIGHT UP THE WORLD
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14
That’s the eventual vision of God which we all can be part of! Imagine one day,with all of us playing a part in God’s plan in whatever areas we are called too,eventually the gospel will be preached throughout the world and then the end
will come. And that’s God’s Promise!
( Illustration) Show Clip of movie “Pay it forward”
This clip is a idea of a concept of a boy who had a dream to pay it forward to others. Which really showcase this theme of what it means to SHINE FORTH.
Imagine if everyone here catches that same vision like that one boy. To truly SHINE FORTH Christ in our lives! Imagine the great impact to the world if others catch that same vision.
With everything I just shared, I like to challenge you all to ponder about thesestatements.
Would you able to look beyond yourself and really start being OUTWARD-LOOKING.
Would you see beyond these 4 walls of the church which we have all grown so comfortable with only looking at our OWN needs building our very OWN kingdom and not what’s truly on God’s heart?
Would you want to love others & meet the needs of the poor, the oppressed and those who are really of need?
Would you want to make that difference in your schools, campuses, army camps, and workplace! To be that living testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ!
IMAGINE IF EVERYONE in this ballroom follows to that... Imagine how much impact it will create to this world of the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
“There’s one more story very close to my heart which I would like to share with you all, 5 years ago, there was a good friend of mine from school whom I was praying for & been trying to share Christ with and bring to church. But year after year, I actually failed and we rarely met up after we went our separate ways in army. Less than a couple mths ago, I was randomly prompted one day to send him an sms to invite him for a normal Saturday service in church. And I was actually ready to expect another rejection as I just sent that sms just to test that prompting, but to my surprise he actually replied YES. And when he came to church that day, I just ask him what made him said yes, and his reply was he also didn’t know. As he said that, I just knew the Holy Spirit was behind all this, in prompting me & for my friend to actually agree to come. From that very day onwards, found out that God has been speaking to him & he has been coming to church with ever since that day. And right now I just know that his very close to actually accepting Christ as his Lord & saviour one day & he actually finally agreed to come for this year end ym camp after I failed to invite him 5 yrs ago!”
I will like to leave you with this statement to ponder which changed the way how Iled my life as a student, “Are you a student who so happens to be a Christian? Or are you a Christian who’s called to be a student?”
Whichever side you take would actually change the way you spend each day in school for God & imagine the lives you can touch when you just Shine Forth for our lord.
“A LIFE TOUCH BY GOD ALWAYS ENDS IN TOUCHING OTHERS”
Before I end, God has actually inspired Paul to compose this song which talks about shining Forth our Light. Do look at the lyrics as he plays it for us. But before he goes up to play that song, as you have received this heart when you came
in; I would like you all to take the next couple minutes to write down a name of someone you would want to bring to camp, or someone you would just want to bless this week or someone you would want to eventually share Christ with. Keep that heart, and I would like to pray for you.
