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READ:

2 Corinthians 5:9

⁹ Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle Paul had been explaining the future glory that awaits all Christians. He also spoke about how Christians ought to bear their bodily afflictions on this earth as they awaited their heavenly abode. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

Having persuaded his readers of their blessed hope, Paul here said, “Wherefore we labour”. The Greek word for “labour” (philotiméomai) has the idea of exerting oneself out of a love or sense of honour. We endure all our hardships and serve our LORD, who shall receive us soon to His glorious presence. Our future glory is a great motivation for enduring afflictions as we strive to do all His will on this earth.

When the Lord returns, all our works, be they good or bad, will be revealed before Him. At that time, He will reward us according to our deeds. So Paul said in Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

In a similar vein, Paul exhorted in Hebrews 10:35-37, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Furthermore, in Hebrews 12:28, he reassured the believers, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear”.

We look forward to be “present” (or be at home) with the Lord. However, now being “absent” (or away from home) from the Lord, our greatest desire is that He may be well-pleased when He examines our works at His second coming. The Greek word for “accepted” has the idea of “well-pleasing”. May the Lord “make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21).

READ:

Acts 5:29b

^29b We ought to obey God rather than men.

EXHORTATION:

These were the words of Peter and other apostles who were brought before the Jewish council that prohibited them from preaching the name of Jesus Christ. The high priest who headed the council charged them, saying, “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:28). However, on an earlier occasion, Peter and John had already told the very same council that “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

The apostles’ bold and forthright reply was a much-needed spiritual lesson for the self-promoting, self-seeking, unreasonable Jewish religious leaders, who exhibited their utter defiance to God by crucifying Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Their hatred for the Gospel of Jesus Christ was the main reason for their ungodly demand that the apostles be banned from speaking about Christ.

Man’s greatest obligation or duty in life is to obey God. So the apostles said, “We ought to obey God”. We owe to God our obedience. It is a requirement abundantly set forth in the Scriptures and in our conscience. For instance, in Deuteronomy 13:4, the LORD commanded, “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him” (cf. Deuteronomy 27:10). The prophet Samuel taught that obedience to God’s Word is more important than sacrifices: “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). Jesus also taught that obedience is the proof of one’s love for Him: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15; cf. Exodus 20:6).

So by declaring their commitment “to obey God rather than men”, the apostles exalted God above all human authorities, whether it be secular or religious. They and all other Christian martyrs chose death rather than a disobedient life. They were men committed to obey the Lord at any cost. Making the ultimate sacrifice in obedience to the Lord should be the Christian’s highest honour and privilege.

The Bible Witness Bible Land Study Tour was truly unforgettable, marked by God’s providence and grace from beginning to end. One day before departure, we were shocked to learn of our flight cancellation! Helpless, we turned to God in prayer, and He enabled us to reschedule our departure flight the following day. With the help of our tour agent, Immanuel Tours, our site visits were rearranged. This early trial reminded us to trust Him continually for a smooth and safe journey.

Among the 45 participants were elderly individuals, toddlers, and some with health struggles. Yet the Lord’s grace proved sufficient, strengthening and guiding us throughout our journeys in Greece and Turkey, the very lands where the Gospel first spread from Jerusalem to the nations. Walking in the footsteps of the apostles, we were freshly reminded that God’s Word is living, powerful, and still shaping lives today.

In Thessaloniki, we stood where Paul had reasoned with the Jews out of the Scriptures. In Philippi, by the riverside where Lydia’s heart was opened, we gave thanks that God has also opened our hearts to believe. In Troas, Pergamum, Smyrna, Ephesus, and Assos, we reflected on the stedfast apostles and the early churches that stood firm amid trials, and we prayed for grace to remain faithful ourselves too. On Patmos, where John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we marvelled at God’s eternal plan and rejoiced in the hope of Christ’s return. In Athens and Corinth, where Paul bore bold witness, we were challenged to greater courage in proclaiming the Gospel.

This journey was far more than a tour, it was a spiritual pilgrimage. Our faith has been strengthened, our love for Christ has deepened, and our hearts have been stirred with renewed devotion. We return with joy and gratitude, giving all glory to God, who was with us every step of the way. 

Sermon Text: Psalm 119:33–48
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 21st September 2025

READ:

Galatians 1:10b

^10b Do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

EXHORTATION:

Christianity is not about following any man-made philosophical system or way of life. Neither is it about winning the approval of men at any cost. The Christian ministry’s main concern is to follow Christ and please God.

The Gospel that Paul preached was “according to the will of God” (Galatians 1:4). He warned the Galatian Christians that those who preached a different Gospel from what they had heard from him were attempting to “pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:7). He even pronounced them as “accursed”! “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). The apostle’s pronouncement of curse on the perverters of the Gospel proves abundantly that he was not a man-pleaser.

In fact, he repeatedly condemned such who perverted the Gospel. Paul was firm in guarding the truth: “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:4-5). He was uncompromising when it came to false teaching – “he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be” (Galatians 5:10); “I would they were even cut off which trouble you” (Galatians 5:12). Evidently, Paul was not a flatterer. He was not the kind of preacher who cajoles a congregation by playing on their vanity.

Many churches nowadays, being driven by the marketing principles of the secular world, have sought to be “seeker-friendly”. Such churches do not take firm doctrinal positions based on God’s Word. They view strong doctrinal convictions as unhelpful to the growth of the church. Neither do they rebuke worldliness and sin among their people. Any man-pleasing approach that compromises the biblical truths is contrary to the service of Christ. Man-pleasers are not Christ-pleasers. Anything that pleases man which displeases the Lord is accursed conduct in the Christian ministry. Thus Paul advises us, “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

READ:

Galatians 1:4a

^4a Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.

EXHORTATION:

Herein Paul declares in a sentence the grand plan of God concerning our salvation. He begins with Christ’s self-sacrifice for our salvation. He says that Christ “gave himself for our sins”. Christ’s death on the cross was voluntary. He came into this world for that purpose. On numerous occasions, our Lord declared that His mission on earth was to lay down His life for the redemption of sinners. He had Himself said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The apostle John recorded Jesus as saying, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). His death was neither accidental nor forced upon Him. Prior to His death, Jesus said, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18).

Christ’s giving of Himself for our sins was the perfect and final divine act of redemption. His death appeased God’s just wrath against sinners, reconciled people to God, and provided for their redemption. So Paul said in Titus 2:14 that Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

One purpose of Christ’s death is to deliver us from the present evil world. By His death, Christ delivers believing sinners from the power of the present world system. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an emancipating message. His death draws us to Him and separates us from the governing power and influence of this present world’s wickedness. It is deliverance from the power of this world, fuelled by its threefold seductiveness “in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16)!

Unsaved persons live under the corrupting influence of this world and its god, Satan. As 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” But Christ’s death frees all who have trusted Him from the defiling world. Those whom Christ has saved by His death will have His saving power that liberates them from the pollutions of this evil world. We are saved to love Christ and His righteousness, certainly not this world and its ungodly ways of life.

READ:

Philippians 4:20

²⁰ Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

EXHORTATION:

This is one of the many doxologies in the Bible. A doxology is an utterance or a short hymn of praise to God. The word “doxology” comes from the Greek words, doxa (“glory, grandeur”) and logos (“word, speaking”).

Giving glory to God is the believers’ greatest duty on earth. It is their natural inclination to ascribe to God the glory (i.e. the honour and praise) due unto Him. Glory is due unto our God. His people are repeatedly exhorted in the Scriptures to be mindful of this chief end. “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 29:2). Similarly, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts” (Psalm 96:8).

Observe the apostle Paul’s utterance, “God and our Father”. In the previous verse, he had said, “my God shall supply all your need”. Paul was speaking assuredly of God’s gracious provision for all his needs and those of the believers. Here he calls all believers to join him to give glory to God by referring to Him as “God and our Father”. We must, like Paul, urge one another to gather together in the church to praise God as His children. How wonderful it is to glorify God as our Father!

God is our Father in Christ Jesus. Jesus taught us to pray and glorify Him, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). We must praise our God because “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:13). We should never regard Him as a despotic ruler of the universe. He is no tyrant, but a kind and loving Father to all His people. As a father is concerned for his children, so is God concerned for all the believers. He will supply all our need “according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Therefore, to God our Father, be glory for ever and ever!

May it never be said of us that we have not returned to give glory to God our Father. Let us be God’s thankful and worshipful people always. One activity of God’s people here on earth that will continue into eternity, even after their life on earth is over, is their giving of praise unto God. All His redeemed and the angels shall praise Him in His celestial glory for ever. God is to be praised for ever. “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

READ:

Philippians 4:19

¹⁹ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

EXHORTATION:

Being thankful for the love and concern expressed by the brethren in the Philippian church through their financial support, Paul was moved to utter these words. Just as the brethren were concerned for Paul’s well-being, he was also concerned about theirs. He knew that they showed generosity towards him not because they themselves were free from financial needs. Paul could do little to help them on his own, but he prayed that God would provide for all their needs. Essentially, he was saying, “Brethren, I am unable to return your kindness, but I pray that my God will supply all your need just as He has supplied my want through you.”

The expression “my God” conveys Paul’s confidence in God as his unfailing Provider in all of his life’s needs. God was his most benevolent benefactor. The sentiment conveyed here by Paul is very much like that of David who said, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Because God has been wholly in charge of all of his life’s needs, he is also assured that God will attend to the needs of his fellow Christians at Philippi.

Paul’s words, “my God shall supply all your need”, exalt God as the most merciful and faithful Provider of all His people. God’s ability and willingness to supply all our need, as well as His commitment to do so as our covenant God, are conceived in Paul’s words. God undertakes to meet all our needs. Yes, our needs (both temporal and spiritual) are many, but the extent of His supply is “according to his riches in glory”. God gives unto His children, not as a poor man who struggles to provide in the face of scarcity, nor as a rich man who gives grudgingly. He supplies according to His boundless riches in glory. He will look after us till we get to the glorious celestial home which He has prepared for us.

How inadequate words are in describing the riches of God! The grandeur of His supply is conspicuous throughout the universe – in the light of the sun, in the starry sky, in the flowers of the field, in the birds of the sky, in all things both seen and unseen. “The whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). It is God’s inexhaustible supply that is promised to us which will be channelled to us by Christ Jesus. Christ is the guarantee of the divine supply. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

READ:

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

EXHORTATION:

This is the solemn witness borne by the apostle Paul while he was bound in chains and imprisoned for Christ in Rome. His confinement and intimidating situation could have broken his spirit and left him in utter distress. He could have wept over his inability to do what he had been doing before his arrest and confinement in the high-security prison of the Roman emperor’s palace. As he was not allowed to visit the churches which he loved so dearly, he was left yearning for their fellowship which was deprived him. “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:8). Being also severely hampered in the oversight of all that he had been praying and planning for the Gospel’s advancement, he was most concerned about the preaching ministry in those churches and their spiritual safety (cf. Philippians 1:15- 16, 27-30).

Regardless of all those heart-breaking deprivations, Paul was absolutely confident that his Saviour and Lord would continue to strengthen him to do all that he had been called to accomplish. He did not fear that his present imprisonment would shut him away from divine purposes and power. Instead, he believed with all his heart that all that had happened to him would lead him to new frontiers of Gospel advancement.

Earlier in this epistle, Paul had comforted the Philippian Christians who were anxious about his arrest and confinement by reporting to them that the Lord had paved a way to new Gospel frontiers through his incarceration. “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). In the next verse, he explained that the palace (of Caesar) and its vicinity had heard of his suffering for Christ. Apparently, the Lord had given him opportunities to explain his faith to the guards, officials and workers whom he met in the palace’s prison. Thus, the Gospel spread quickly through those who believed through Paul’s testimony. Even within the palace, some had turned to Christ, as Paul wrote at the end of this epistle that “all the saints” in “Caesar’s household” joined him to salute the Philippian Christians (Philippians 4:22). Paul could not have devised a plan so effective as this to enter Caesar’s palace with the Gospel, Caesar being a sworn enemy of the Gospel. In effect, it was Christ who sent Paul into the palace as a prisoner to preach the Gospel! Christ can fulfil all His will concerning us, just as Paul had testified.

READ:

2 Thessalonians 3:13

¹³ But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

EXHORTATION:

As much as this exhortation is a warning to Christians against becoming weary in well doing, it is also an encouragement to continue in their commitment to be charitable and helpful to others in need. Throughout the New Testament, Christians are urged to be welldoers. Jesus exhorted His followers in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Likewise in Titus 3:8, we are instructed by Paul “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.”

The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” So, how do we know what are the good works that God wants us to fulfil? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us that “All scripture is given … that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” In pursuing well doing, we are obeying the will of God revealed in the Bible.

Even among those who oppose us, we are commanded to show our good works. We read in 1 Peter 2:12, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Christian women are told that what is proper for godly women is not so much “broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” as “good works”. In 1 Timothy 6:18, rich Christians are admonished to be mindful “that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate”. Though widows are often needy people, they too are encouraged to be engaged in well doing, so that they may be found worthy to be in the list of women who can be entrusted with responsibilities in the church. In 1 Timothy 5:10, Paul advised that such a widow should be “well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.”

Quite often, we may be disappointed and even discouraged by the ungratefulness and abusive reaction of the recipients of our kindness. However, we should not allow our hearts to grow weary in well doing.