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These days, it is common to hear people saying, “Everything happens for a reason.”  Not all, however, who make that assertion have in their minds the biblical truth of Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Some express it out of their fatalistic mindset. Fatalism recognises neither God’s sovereign providence nor His overarching plan. Instead, fatalism propounds some blind, arbitrary, aimless impersonal force that controls and determines everything. To its adherents, there is no rhyme or reason to the “fated” outcomes. So, to them, the world is an arena of irrational events and calamities.

However, Scripture teaches (as in Romans 8:28) that it is God who controls and directs all things. God’s providence coordinates all the events of this world, for the good of His people and for His glorious purposes. So, the biblical view, which is contrary to fatalism, states that God “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11b), and that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

While it is true that everything happens according to God’s providence, it is totally wrong to think that all things will work out for good to those who conduct themselves irresponsibly and without faith in God. It is a vain assumption that all things will work together for good to those who reject the Gospel and defy the LORD. The sad truth is, things do not work out for the good of those who renounce the grace of God and live in their sins without repentance.

God’s providence works everything out for the good of those who love Him, and for His praise. This is a very comforting promise of God in the Scriptures for His people. When we trust and obey God, He guides our every step forward. As the Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass” (3.1).

God determines not only the final outcomes of events, but also the means to those ends. For instance, God, who decreed that Joseph would be the second-in-authority in Egypt, next to Pharaoh, for the good of his family, also ordained the successive events that led him to that outcome (Gen 50:20). The cruel actions of his brothers, and even the malice of Potiphar’s seductive wife, which led to his incarceration, were all determined by God’s providence.

It must also be asserted that the biblical teaching about God’s providence in guiding His people to a good end does not eliminate human responsibilities and duties. Fatalism, on the other hand, suggests that no matter what we do, fate will serve us a quite different outcome. So, it implies that our actions are completely futile. Such a notion is totally contrary to the biblical teaching of divine providence in His people’s lives. According to the Scriptural revelations, His providence does not negate our decisions and responsibilities in life. God’s sovereign decrees and outworking include man’s choices and actions. God foreordained our faith and obedience to His truths, expressed in our choices and actions, to accomplish His good purposes. His foreordination also includes the serious repercussions resulting from man’s unbelief and disobedience.

Of course, God’s secret decrees include our every choice and action. There is no need for us to worry about what He has not revealed to us. We also need not be anxious when calamitous situations arise that threaten our plans. Instead, we should rest in His good providence and wait on Him with faith and obedience. He will accomplish all His wonderful plans concerning those who love Him, as well as the great purposes of His kingdom, through His obedient people.

We should never adopt the fatalists’ mentality that our choices and actions are of no importance to God. Regrettably, some people, who embrace the doctrines of God’s sovereign and gracious will, use them illegitimately to justify their laziness and disinterest towards serving His purposes. The Westminster Confession of Faith firmly rejects such an idea. It tells us that God “by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established” (3:1).

God’s foreordination of all things includes us as agents free to act according to our choices. God requires us to choose to serve Him willingly, readily and obediently to bring about His purposes (Mic 6:8). No Christian ought to stand by idly, expecting things to happen on their own. Neither should a Christian cite or be overtaken by fear of possible dangers and calamities (Prov 22:13; 26:13), because God’s purposes are accomplished not without His people’s willingness and obedience. We must always do what is right in His sight, and then wait on His providence to guide us to the ultimate destiny He has planned for us.

Scripture gives us the understanding of God’s sovereign providence for the sake of His glory, and our comfort and strengthening. The biblical knowledge that God governs all things in order to fulfil His perfect plan through us, is most assuring to all His people. There is no greater comfort than remembering and being convinced that God will successfully work out all things for our ultimate good.  Even in difficult and uncertain times, we can recite the great and precious promise of Romans 8:28, deriving comfort from it. John Calvin wrote, “Ignorance of providence is the greatest of all miseries, and the knowledge of it the highest happiness” (Institutes, 1.17.11). When our minds acknowledge God’s sovereign providence as always working for us, we will be filled with confidence and enthusiasm to seek and to do His good pleasure.

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19–20
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 30th May 2021

(Sermon starts around 36:23.)

For more than a year, many globetrotting people have become homebound people. Worse still, all have become homebound, leaving home only for essential matters. That is what the pandemic COVID-19 has done to us all.

Christians have lost their opportunities to worship and serve together. The fellowship gatherings are no more. The recent surge in COVID infections once again stopped us from meeting together for our usual spiritual activities.

However, the enforced restrictions to our social gatherings and travelling, though necessary, should not make us “introverts”. We cannot become negligent of our LORD’s mandate to reach others, with love and compassion, to care for them and spread the Gospel. Even though we have many constraints today in physically meeting with others, especially those who are far away, we must resist the temptation to become introverts.

We must be thankful that by His good providence, we have many ways to reach others these days (e.g. Zoom, Facebook, live streaming, etc.), to encourage them and to spread the Gospel blessings even to people farthest from us. After all, the mandate of our Lord – “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) – challenges us to be always outward-bound for the Gospel’s sake; not even this time of pandemic should negate this mandate. Our methods of reaching people for the Gospel’s sake may change, but we must not waver in our commitment to being outward-bound for the LORD.

Christ’s commission to His apostles gives the Gospel work a global scope. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be offered to the whole world. It is His will concerning us that we make every effort to extend the Gospel beyond all boundaries, divisions and classes. The whole world is to be reached with the Gospel. When it comes to our commitment to spreading the Gospel, it should not be subject to limitations of country, or distinctions of culture, or barriers of ethnicity, or restraints of language. We are commissioned to preach the Gospel to “every creature”. Wherever there is man, Christians should attempt to bring the Gospel. Our Lord has commanded us to expand our vision for the Gospel outreach constantly. It is gross disobedience to limit our attempt to spread the Gospel beyond our region. We must be ever ready to forward the Gospel to new frontiers.

No one who takes the words of the Lord seriously can remain passive about the global advancement of the Gospel. Christians must know that they are commissioned by their Lord and Saviour to be wholly involved in the global movement for the Gospel. They must join forces, as God has enabled them to send forth the Gospel everywhere with the rest of the church. Not every Christian is called to be an evangelist or missionary or preacher. However, every church and every Christian must joyfully yield to advancing the Gospel across the world.

The preaching of the Gospel is the greatest work that Christ has entrusted to Christians. Therefore, all true Christians must enthusiastically give themselves to make Gospel-preaching a worldwide movement. It must be their joy to be part of the Lord’s grand plan for redeeming sinners and gathering them as His saints for the eternal celestial home which He is preparing. The apostle Paul asks us, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15).

Our Lord says to us, “Go”. Will we then answer Him, “No, we will stay back or hold back”? Our Lord’s charge is that we must always be committed to spreading the Gospel. Let us arise then and go to preach the Gospel to the uttermost part of the world. Let us do our part for global evangelism.

The 6^th Missionary Conference is organised to strengthen our mission efforts around the world. It provides every Gethsemanean and all our friends an opportunity to joyfully partake in fulfilling our Lord’s mandate concerning global Gospel dissemination. May none of us turn his/her back on this extraordinary occasion to serve our King in His kingdom expansion on earth. Let us participate in the Conference prayerfully and enthusiastically. See you online during the Conference (7-11 June 2021).

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A Report on the Preparation for the 6th Missionary Conference

(A recent report on the preparations for the upcoming Missionary Conference presented by Elder Mah to the Church Session is reproduced below, with minor editing.)

n just about two weeks, the 6th Missionary Conference will begin on Monday, 7 June 2021. Much has been achieved by all the various teams over the past months, with a few important tasks remaining. Thanking the Lord – for all that He has provided in enabling the progress thus far – is due. Thus, I would, with much joy, share some recent accomplishments, updates and relevant information on behalf of the teams.

Participants

From the registrations received thus far, we expect 396 adults and 23 children to participate in the conference. Praise the Lord for this encouraging response. Of course, some members and regular worshippers have not taken time to register (Please don’t delay any further in registering, if you have not yet done so.)

Children’s Programme

We praise God for providing two brethren from our like-minded churches to teach the children, namely Bro. Kelvin Li (from Berith BP Church) and Sis. Rachel Leong (from Tabernacle BP Church). They will be teaching 7 lessons each, based on the theme, “Life of Jesus Christ”, with the aim that the “children may grow to manifest the traits of Christ-likeness in their lives”. May the Lord be pleased to grant these two brethren, who are recent FEBC graduates, the joy and blessedness of serving Him – that through them, the younger children of our members and friends will be drawn closer to the Lord as they learn more of Him.

Hymns and Spiritual Songs

We praise the Lord for His enabling grace given to the Music Team in their recording of all 33 hymns needed for Singspiration Time during the conference; they are 100% completed. The audio and video recordings of 4 special items by the Children and Youth Choirs are also almost done – with some editing remaining (which is certainly expected to be completed within this week).

Technical/Operational Aspects

The technical/operational aspects of planning and managing this online Missionary Conference were undeniably a major focus area in recent weeks. The drive to enable a flawless execution and to produce audio/visual content of high quality for brethren over the large expanse stretching from Ethiopia to Australia (across a time-zone difference of 7 hours), amid varying bandwidth qualities, poses significant challenges to the team. A simple indication of the amount of work done just the previous week, may be seen from the 8 trial runs conducted to simulate the challenges and issues that may arise when we have these online/virtual meetings. We praise the Lord for the lessons learned through the 2 local trial runs last Wednesday, as well as the 3 trial runs with our Asian missionaries and with Rev Paul Cheng in the morning, and the 3 trial runs with our Ethiopian missionaries in the afternoon. Another 3 trial runs on the Children’s Programme were also held on Wednesday afternoon. A further internal technical trial run on Wednesday evening was conducted to test the quality of a completely home-based event in Singapore as a contingency plan.

Brethren, pray for the spiritual building up of all participants, our church and our mission endeavours. May the LORD continue to open more doors of Gospel mission through faithful and fervent men whom He will call and send.

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From Ethiopia—in view of the upcoming Missionary Conference

Dear Pastor,

…We also thank God for a successful trial session to help us from Ethiopia to participate in the upcoming 6th missionary conference. We praise God for all those who are working hard to make the online conference a success.

We are looking forward to the refreshing, strengthening and enriching time of fellowship with all Gethsemaneans during the conference.

Please convey my regards to your dear family and all the brethren in the church…

Yours in Christ,
Ephrem Chiracho

Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 7:18–29
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 23rd May 2021

(Sermon starts around 21:09.)

What is the greatest problem that the church is facing today everywhere? Pandemic? Economic downturn? Persecutions? Though all of these are undoubtedly painful and disconcerting, nothing is as acutely damaging as the opposition posed by the haters of God and of His truths among church members.

How ironic it is that some of the most defiant and dangerous enemies of God are found in the church! They claim to be believers and outwardly express a superficial devotion to Christ. But they speak and live contrary to the truths and counsels of God’s Word. Such people are found even in the leadership of the church. They are apostates who embrace false doctrines, worldliness, materialism, etc. They distort the truths of God, and propound and propagate perverted forms of Christianity.

Just as in the past, such God-haters are found even now. The Bible warns, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). Apostate Judaism and false Christianity, along with all their teachers and adherents, are deceivers and haters of divine truth and of God.

God had the harshest criticism for such people in ancient Israel. The Bible records in many places God’s strong condemnation of them. Isaiah 1:11-16 is one such severe denunciation – “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil”.

God has no pleasure in worship from those who live in an unbiblical manner. Isaiah 29:13-14 reiterates this matter – “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men…for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” Through the prophet Amos, God also declared His utter disgust for the haters of His truth who were disguised as genuine worshippers – “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols” (Amos 5:21-23).

Those haters of God’s truth would even “swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness” (Isaiah 48:1). The LORD directed the prophet Jeremiah to deliver a hard-hitting reprimand to the counterfeit religionists of his day – “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these… Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 7:4, 8-11).

During Jesus’ public ministry, He did not spare the Pharisees who rejected His teachings from His unvarnished condemnation. He plainly told them that they were motivated by greed, avarice and covetousness: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:13-15). While the Pharisees were listening to Jesus’ teachings, they were mocking Him. What triggered their hostile reaction and scorn towards Jesus? Their obsession with material gain was the root of their rejection and ridicule of Jesus’ doctrines. Moreover, they were self-justifying. They wanted to avoid being seen by people as mistaken in their thinking, teaching and conduct. To them, accepting Jesus’ teachings would mean that they had to confess they had been foolish in their ways and then repent. But as Jesus noted about them, they would rather “justify [them]selves before men”.

In 2021, what do we see in the church? Increasingly, Christians are denying the plain teachings of the Scriptures, branding them as impractical, inconvenient and unworkable in this post-modern world! Many churchgoers have upheld material success as more important than spiritual excellence. Greater possessions, a glamorous lifestyle, a place among the world’s elite, etc. are more commonly cherished passions of contemporary Christians than a lowly, biblically ordered life. Are we not now living in the perilous times that the Bible warns about in 2 Timothy 4:3–4? “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Let us examine ourselves and see whether we are turning against God and His truths to justify our love for worldly living.

Colossians 3:2 exhorts all Christians to “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Those who are risen with Christ have not only a new spiritual pursuit (Colossians 3:1), but also a new passion, as Paul described in this verse.

The verb “set your affection” (phroneo) means “direct your mind to something”. A Christian’s thoughts should be directed to Christ and the things associated with where He now dwells. That is our ultimate destination; hence it must be our preoccupation while we live on this earth. We are to be heavenly-minded (“on things above”) because, as Paul says in Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation (or citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ”.

What are your great interests? The great object of our contemplation should be the celestial city that Jesus is preparing for us. Readiness for that final home must be our greatest passion on earth.

While we are exhorted to be heavenly-minded, we are also cautioned not to be earthly-minded – “not on things on the earth”. Our affections should not be placed on wealth and health, houses and lands, honour and pleasure, etc. Neither should our passions be the worldly fashions and corrupting entertainments of this world. Worldly lusts must be denied. The deeds of the flesh, which are sinful, must be mortified. No provision should be made for the encroachment of worldly allurements.

While Christ and heaven draw us upwards, the world and its charms draw us downwards. Let us not yield to the pull of earthly things, but earnestly pursue heavenly things. Let us not love things that are earthly and perishing, but those that are heavenly and everlasting. The apostle John admonishes us in 1 John 2:15-16, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Christians must always be conscious and deliberate to prefer and pursue heavenly and eternal matters above earthly and carnal matters. Unless our affections are set on the heavenly matters, we will never seek after them in a proper manner. Let Christ and heavenly things be our greatest concern, passion and pursuit. Let us be desirous of everything that fixes us to heaven and its eternal glory.

Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 7:1–17
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 16th May 2021

(Sermon starts around 37:37.)

Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 7:1–17
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 9th May 2021

(Sermon starts around 38:29.)

Materialists

In our English Bible, we come across the depiction, “greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Tim 3:3, 8; cf. Tit 1:7, 11; 1 Pet 5:2). What does it mean? It translates the Greek New Testament word aischrokerdḗs, a compound word made up of two words – aischrós (which means indecent, dishonourable, etc.) and kérdos, (which means “gain”). Thus, it depicts those who are shamefully greedy for material gain or profit. Such persons who value material possessions and physical comfort and pleasure as more important than spiritual principles and purposes are referred to as “materialists”.

Materialists are not just among the rich; even among the poor, there are many lovers of wealth. It is important to emphasise that greed and its ills are not found only among wealthy people. Even among the poor, there are lovers of wealth who are driven by the impulses of envy and greed. There are those among the poor who idolise the rich and famous, and constantly dream about the acquisition of wealth. Some, even though living with little income, take pride in the ostentatious display of material things they obtain. The “love of money” does affect both rich and poor. Ordinary folks are not exempt from the biblical warnings against materialism.

Scripture also warns us against money-lovers found amongst the congregation of God’s people. Its warning is that greedy men would masquerade themselves as pious and compassionate. This sort of people will be found even in the church leadership. Jesus called such greedy men in the spiritual leadership of His people, “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8, cf. v.1)! The prophet Isaiah wrote censoriously about greedy men who infiltrated Israel’s leadership, decrying, “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter” (Isaiah 56:11).

Materialists’ Filthy Character

Have you wondered why the word “filthy” is attached to the biblical depiction of those who are greedy for money or gain – “filthy lucre”? Scripture asserts that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money has caused people to commit all kinds of sins. Lovers of money pervert justice for personal gain and indulge in cheating, stealing, extortion of the poor, murder, and all kinds of shameful and heinous activities. They pursue all forms of evil in order to satisfy self-gratification. They are selfish men. Like the wealthy man in the Lord’s story who ignored the sick beggar, Lazarus, at his gate (cf. Luke 16:19-31), materialistic persons ignore the destitute and the needy to secure their wealth to themselves. They are selfish and self-serving, in that they refuse to be kind-hearted and generous towards the poor and the Lord’s work.

More of their degrading behaviour is mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:9 – “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” This caution is not merely about the rich, but “they that will be rich”. In other words, those who want to get rich, those who cling on to their wealth, and those who multiply their money just so to become richer than before, are all prone to engage in “many foolish and hurtful lusts”. People who love riches are always subject to strong temptations and will be led into snares of hurtful lusts. Their insatiable desire for wealth produces in them obsessive and compulsive behaviour of evil passions.

The availability of an abundance of wealth makes many people snobbish and rude. Their conspicuous consumption and ostentatious display of material goods and wealth are often paired with an elitist mentality and vainglory. Hence, the Scripture’s insistence: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded” (1 Timothy 6:17a). The word “highminded” translates the Greek compound verb hupsōlophroneo, which means “to think lofty”, “be haughty”, or “have an exalted opinion of oneself”.

The temptation to put on airs of superiority is constantly part of the wealthy’s demeanour. Thinking highly of themselves causes the rich people to look down on those in the lower economic strata. This is a common evil in every human society. Despising the poor is a disgusting tendency of human nature. Proverbs 22:7 declares, “The rich ruleth over the poor”. Likewise, Proverbs 18:23 laments, “The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.” The wealthier an individual is, the greater the temptation to be self-exalting. This is because, as Proverbs 28:11 says, “The rich man is wise in his own conceit”. It is extremely difficult for a wealthy person to be humble and submissive before a poor person. The temptation is to view the poorer people as repulsive. Riches and pride are frequently found together!

The materialist’s pride in his wealth is so insidious that he even resists and disregards divine authority and supremacy. Such is the depiction of the materialist in Psalm 52:7, “Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” The lover of money who puts his confidence in wealth will disdain God’s perfect wisdom and power. He adores and seeks after money more than God. Thus, he becomes an idolater. The Bible warns us that covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Greed – a desire to have more and more wealth – disregards the necessity of righteousness, truth, God’s will and glory. It opposes the pursuit of godliness. Even though the materialist does not possess a brass statue or idol, he is an idolater because he pursues wealth at the expense of godly worship and service. A materialistic individual may manifest some form of godliness, but without the power thereof (cf. 2 Tim. 3:5)!

Materialists’ Awful Tragedy

The Bible warns God’s people that it is foolish and ruinous to trust and pursue riches at the expense of God’s truth and purposes. It admonishes them not to “trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17b). Wealth tends to generate a false sense of security. Nevertheless, Proverbs 11:28a warns, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall”. Proverbs 23:4–5 further adds, “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

Pursuing wealth by neglecting the counsels of God’s Word would only result in sorrow and shame. Even when God blesses us with more wealth, we must not put our hopes on it – “if riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psalm 62:10b). Pursuit of wealth will mislead and even apostatised the hearts of man. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10).

The awful tragedy of the materialists is that they are unsaved. Jesus lamented the sorrowful departure of the rich man who came to Him for eternal life – “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! … Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mk 10:23-24). Those who love and trust in material wealth would deny the Lord’s goodness, truth and authority, just as that rich young man who was sad at His words which demanded him to give up his wealth and follow Him (cf. Matt. 19:17-22). The Bible warns us about the utter uselessness of money in securing and guaranteeing eternal life. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Ps. 49:6-7).

Dear brethren, do not be caught up in the modern world’s unhinged materialism. Modern-day Christians are in great danger of being seduced by the world’s lie that happiness will be found in more things, bigger things, and better things. Regrettably, many professing Christians have fallen prey to this false philosophy of the world.

Sermon Text: Genesis 28:16–22
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 2nd May 2021

(Sermon starts around 1:01:15.)