I’m reminded of the story of Joker as it was mentioned a while ago in the sermon this morning. How he became an actual villain. He was very motivated in his stint of becoming a comedian, a standup comedian. He was getting commendations. He in fact dreamt of his favourite TV show host. He was motivated by that when there was a time when his video was televised and he was mocked. Such words of Murray, his idol, were really crushing for Joker. So we see there that there are effects in the words, whatever we say. We can say that our tongue can produce life and death in words. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 40 as we will read the entire chapter. This is a two-part sermon on this chapter. Turn to Genesis chapter 40. Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favourable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.” On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. The grass withers, the flower fades but the word of our God will stand forever.
So Joseph in the story is now in prison because of the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife. And while Joseph was there, two more were incarcerated— they were Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker. The cupbearer was someone who before he gives a drink to the Pharaoh, he must drink it first. He must try it first, okay. Mamaya, may lason yan. Ikaw muna, mamatay ka muna, parang ganun. Malason ka muna bago ang hari. The baker on the other hand was the one who makes cakes, the one who makes bread for the Pharaoh, okay. So malapit na servants itong dalawang ito. Apparently, Pharaoh got angry at them and because of their offense, in fact because of an offense, so probably they were together committing whatever that offense was. They were put to prison, both of them. And now, surprisingly, you have here the captain of the guard, the same captain of the guard in the previous chapter, Potiphar who again was angry in Genesis chapter 39, but it seems as if he wasn’t really that angry at Joseph. Kasi siya pa din ang nag-a-assign kay Joseph even in the prison. So Potiphar really trusted Joseph despite the accusations. Probably he knew how, kung gaano kasama ang kaniyang asawang babae. And so he appointed Joseph to be in charge of the two officers, officers in prison chief cupbearer and chief baker. And then one day, one day, the two officers dreamt and they told Joseph the dreams. Then Joseph interpreted their dreams. The cup bearer’s dream was about the three branches on a vine that budded, namulaklak; eventually ripened into grapes. So Joseph interpreted it saying in verse 12, Joseph said this is its interpretation— the three branches are three days, in three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, okay. It is it is a term to say na papatawagin ka ng pharaoh. Pharaoh will lift up your head. Papatawagin ka, palalapitin ka sa hari okay, that’s what it means. Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office. Hindi ka lang palalapitin ng Pharaoh sa kanya, you will go back to what you were doing before. What were you doing before? You place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand. You put the grape there, you taste it first and then you give it to the Pharaoh. So the cupbearer will be back to his position and will be back serving Pharaoh, that’s what it meant.
Now the baker. The baker heard saw saw how Joseph was able to interpret the dream. He also mentioned his dream. Pareho silang nanaginip. In the baker’s dream, there were three baskets on his head, magkakapatong, the topmost one has um baked food and then birds went there to consume all the food. So again, Joseph interpreted the dream Verse 18 says the three baskets are three days also, three days. In three days, Pharaoh will also, using the term ‘lift up your head’ pero, play of words..sinabi niya, lift up your head from you. Pupugutan ka ng ulo, decapitation and then hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you. We don’t know what happened afterwards. We don’t know what exactly their offense was. We don’t know the specifics as to why the baker was punished and the cupbearer wasn’t. Bt we know what happened to them— life for the other, death for the other one, right. Yun yung pinapakita sa atin ng revelation from Joseph. In 3 days, the baker will die, in three days the cup bearer will continue to serve.
Now, was it necessary for these dreams to be interpreted? Would that even benefit them? Magbe-benefit ba si cupbearer or even si baker to hear those words? Yes, I believe it was necessary that Joseph interprets the dreams so that they could be aware of what’s going to happen. I mean most especially for the baker. Remember that such interpretations were what, revelations from God, right. Katulad nung nangyari kay Joseph before. He knew that’s why he represented himself, he presented himself as someone who can interpret because it happened to him before. God gave him the dream and although he was able to inter interpret it, he knew that the actual interpretation what.. belongs to God, right. So it was necessary to convey such interpretation to both cupbearer and to the baker. Of course as we know providentially in the future in the next chapter we’ll know that kaya nga siya ipapatawag ni Pharaoh in the first place because the cupbearer remembered after 2 years that there was an interpreter, right. So it was necessary, yes. But also we can say it was necessary for the two officers to know what’s going to happen to them. Especially the baker, right. He’s going to die in three days. I mean if you knew, right,, if you will die in three days, right, would you want to know? Maybe some of you would say no, but I would say some of you also would say yes, right. You might do a lot of things from now before you die, right, like meet your friends, meet your loved ones, talk to them, right.. do things that you didn’t do before, say sorry, ask for forgiveness. You can do a lot of these things, right. It was necessary. Same is true for us especially that we know that these interpretations are not just from Joseph, a mere man, sinner. These words are from the living God. These are revelations from God. So it was necessary indeed.
Ganun din sa atin, it is necessary for us to know what God’s purpose is. Ano yung purpose ng Panginoon? Yun yung narinig ni baker, yun yung narinig ni cupbearer. And for us, again, He speaks to us now, not through dreams. He gives to us His purposes, hindi sa mga panaginip, hindi rin sa mga propeta, hindi rin sa mga apostles. But through His written word. And we know that it would definitely as well benefit us. That’s why it is necessary to always hear whatever that revelation is, we can definitely say necessary yon. It comes from the living God. It is a message for people; ganun din sa atin. If we are saying that the complete word of God is on our hands, then definitely this is necessary for us and it would definitely benefit us. Yun yung message natin this afternoon. God Reveals His Purpose To Us In His Word For Our Benefit. We have two points we need to understand the source of this revelation. We’ll look at the Source Of Revelation that’s our first point and then lastly we’re saying that it could, it benefits right so we’ll be looking at the second point Benefit To Others.
So let’s consider the first point Source Of Revelation. So in their time, if you had dreams, you could know what the future would hold as long as you have an interpreter. May idea silang ganun. And it just so happens that Joseph had dreamt before and he was able to interpret those dreams before. But he understood that those dreams were interpreted by none other than God Himself. Kaya nga nagwo-worry yung cupbearer at baker, downcast sila because they dreamt. They want to know what’s going to happen, ganun nung mga time na yon, okay. Even especially in Egypt there were a lot of interpreters, okay. Kaya may idea sila kaagad to interpret it. Kaya nga sinabi, there’s no interpreter. There was this expectancy, they were anticipating someone to interpret a dream. And again, providentially, Joseph was there, right. Joseph was there who was able to interpret his own dream before. But knowing that that interpretation does not really belong to him. That’s what it says here: do not interpretations belong to God, right? He knew where the source was. Sino yung source ng revelation, ng interpretation ng such dreams. In fact, even after 2 years when he’s still in prison and papatawagin siya ng Pharaoh, Pharaoh will lift up his head and will ask him to interpret Pharaoh’s two dreams to him. Ano’ng sabi ni Joseph sa Genesis chapter 41, next chapter verse 16? Sabi ni Joseph, it is not me, okay. When Pharaoh asked him to interpret his dreams, sabi ni Joseph, it is not me, God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer. He knew and he understood that the dreams were from God. And because it is from God, the only one who can truly interpret the dreams is God. That’s how Joseph encountered God before. God revealed to him His purpose. If you remember his dreams, the sheaves bowed to him. Sun, moon, stars bowed to him. Meaning all his brothers and sisters, parents will bow to him, okay.
Now how about these two officers? Did they also receive revelation from God through dreams? The answer is yes. God was gracious to the two officers by revealing to them His purpose. I mean, pwede namang hindi na Niya gawin yun. Pwedeng hindi na managinip yung dalawang officers. But God was gracious for both the cupbearer and the chief baker to receive word, to receive revelations from God. That is a picture of grace from God! That was an opportunity for them, okay. God wasn’t just telling them what’s going to happen in the future, actually. God was basically telling the both of them who He is. That He is the God who is sovereign, the God who knows what’s going to happen next. In fact the God who has decreed what’s going to happen.. this is what’s going to happen to you, cupbearer… this is what’s going to happen to you baker, right. That’s, eto yung sinasabi dito. Gracious pa ang Panginoon sa pag-reveal sa kanila ng mga panaginip na yun, di lang panaginip, pero yung revelation of that dream, it is God telling them who God really is. This is the God of Joseph, the God who decrees what’s going to happen next. In fact God was also merciful to them at that time, most especially to the baker. Now that the baker learned about his future, he had this wonderful opportunity to know who the source of the interpretation was. The fact that he encountered God through the dream, that was an opportunity to know God more, to know the source more. May opportunity si baker, may three days pa siya, right.
Same with us brethren, although we don’t receive revelations like that, we have received His word which reveals to us Himself, which reveals to us His purpose that benefits us. And by God’s grace we are enabled to encounter Him in His word. Nagbabasa tayo ng Bibliya, nae-encounter natin ang Panginoon. We cannot encounter Him now by visibly seeing Him, touching Him. I mean you want to know God, encounter Him, talk to Him, or hear Him rather. He has already provided His complete word to you, right. And if we can say that God was gracious to the cup bearer and baker for them to even dream in the first place, for them to even receive the interpretation of the dreams in the first place, I mean God was gracious to us to even compile the complete word, have this on our hands, in our phones, in our homes, so that we can encounter our Lord. Whether you read the word or you hear the word of God, you encounter God because God acts through His word. God’s work is not separate from His word because in His word, people get saved. Saints are sanctified, we are strengthened, those who are in Christ are strengthened by the word, by the Holy Spirit through the word of God, right. So hindi ito basta-basta salita lamang ng kung sinu-sino, right. Si Joseph, ganun na lamang ang tingin niya sa interpretations ng dreams, sa source of revelation. Hindi ba’t galing ito sa Diyos? Hindi ba itong mga interpretations na ito galing sa Diyos? O, ibibigay ko sa iyo ngayon ang salita ng Diyos. Eto ang salita sa iyo ng Diyos, specific para sa iyo cupbearer, para sa iyo, baker, para sa inyo Christians, eto. Ibinigay na sa atin ang kumpletong salita ng Diyos. He acts through His word. It is not separate. Hindi separate ang work ng Panginoon sa Kaniyang salita. This is why we ought to read. This is why we ought to know, to understand. Kung wala tayong time every week, we have the time every Lord’s day. Di ba? Na kung saan tayo ay magkakasama at uupo lamang at makikinig sa Kaniyang salita. We ought to listen to the word of God. Again, God acts through His word most especially in Jesus Christ. God’s great work involves His word, The Living Word. None other than Christ— the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Sabi nga sa Hebrews 1: 1-2, long ago at many times and in many ways God spoke to us. See, in many ways God spoke. Kasama doon ang dreams in ancient times, Hebrews says. Again, in many ways, God spoke to our fathers also by the prophets. You have God sending the prophets to the Israelites who have continue their rebellion against God. Ano’ng ginawa ng Diyos? Padala Siya nang padala Siya ng mga propeta, right. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachi. Andaming ng pinadalang propeta ng Panginoon. That’s how God revealed His purpose to them. That’s how God rebuked Israelites through His prophets. Pero sabi dito sa Hebrews? Hindi na. Hindi na sa dreams, right. See, napakagandang privilege nung time ni Joseph that God was even able to use the dreams for the both of them, right. I mean, nangausap ang Diyos. Just imagine that. The most holy God communicated to two sinners— cup bearer and baker through their dreams. And they received it no matter what the outcome was of that dream, God spoke to them, right. Sino sila para kausapin ng Panginoon? Pero sinasabi dito sa Hebrews chapter 1, that was a privilege. It was a privilege for God to send His prophets for the Israelites to hear the word of God through the prophets. It was a privilege for the cup bearer, the baker to hear the word of God through the mouth of Joseph as revealed by God. But in these last days, wala na yun. In these last days, Hebrews chapter 1 tells us He has spoken to us by His son, His word became flesh. Yung salita ng Diyos na naririnig nung Old Testament, yung salita ng Diyos na nagbe-benefit ang Old Testament believers, nagkatawang tao for our benefit.
He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the the heir of all things through whom also He created the world. Jesus Christ is the last word of God. It says in these last days, kung hindi ka makikinig sa interpretation ni Joseph, that’s the word of God…kung hindi ka makikinig doon, kung hindi ka makikinig sa mga propeta ng Old Testament, I’m giving you the last chance. This is the last chance. I’m giving you the last word and His name is Jesus Christ. I’m giving you the last prophet who brings all My purposes who is the exact imprint of God, who is the glory of God became flesh and if you did not listen to the previous revelations of God, kapag eto, hindi ka pa makinig, you will be condemned.
Jesus Christ is the last Word. Jesus Christ is the last prophet of God. Jesus Christ is the greater Joseph because in Him, we understand the purpose of God. If Joseph was able to interpret the words of God through the dreams, Christ is a greater Joseph. In him we understand his whole counsel. In him, we understand who God is because Christ is God but also because all attributes of God are made known in Christ. You want to know na ang Diyos ay grasya at merciful? It is confessed in the Old Testament that He is Holy! Holy! Holy! He is mercy, He is grace, He is just. You want to see all those attributes, you will see them in Christ. They are what? Interpreted in the person and work of Christ. You have here the greater Joseph.. Christ. And that’s what we have if you are in Him. If you are in Him, you have been enable to understand such interpretations and your interpreter is none other than the Holy Spirit. Now we understand who God is because of Christ, because of what what He has done.. and what He has done is that He has shown us the grace of God. He has shown us the mercy of God. He has shown us the Holiness of God— living a perfect life, He did not sin. He showed us the justice of God by dying on the cross God showed us in Christ that He is Holy Holy Holy that He is merciful because on the cross. Walang kasalanan ang Kaniyang bayan ang hindi naparusahan sa krus. God showed us in Christ that He is Holy! Holy! Holy! That He is merciful because of on the cross you and I, if you are in Christ, will not receive such wrath. And God shows us in Christ His grace because despite our sins, yes we have escaped such wrath, but He still continues to bless us spiritually, that is grace. Something we don’t deserve. We all see that in Christ, The Living Word. We see all these things in Christ.
He’s calling you now to repent of your sins and come to faith in Him if you are not a believer of Christ. If you listen to this last prophet, He will lift up your head. Makakalapit ka sa Panginoon. If you don’t listen to this last prophet, He will lift up your head from you.. that’s eternal, spiritual death awaiting. But if you are in Him, remember the great privilege of encountering God in His word. Let us have that same heart as Joseph had, who understood this belongs to God. This word belongs to God, therefore I will give value to this word. I will I’ll be truthful I will give you the word of God. That’s a challenge for us Give Value To The Word Of God, prize it, give value, revere it.
2 Timothy 3:1 16 Paul says all scripture is breathed out by God. Just imagine you have there the words of God on the table in your home. Marahil ay puno ng alikabok, or it’s inside your closet napapatungan ng maraming damit, right. Kung nasaan man yan, salita yan ng Diyos, right. You have the word of God in your home. You have the word of God also heard every Lord’s day. You have that great privilege to hear it. It is for your benefit. Sabi ni Paul, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for reproof. Pang-rebuke, for correction, what else? For training in righteousness. See, you cannot be trained in righteousness apart from the word of God. There’s no such way! You can’t be a better Christian if you have not been dwelling with the word of God, that’s impossible! Hindi pupuwede iyon! You must be dwelling in the word of God. Sometimes we say that we have high reverence or high regards for the Lord. Gusto ba nating i-evaluate ang regard natin sa Diyos? Then evaluate your regard for His word.
Last time we said that God sanctifies us during times of trials but how does he sanctify? how? Through The Interpreter, Holy Spirit using the word of God.
That is how you are sanctified. How does He give life? How does He give life to those who are totally depraved, to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, how does He give life to them? How does he give life to dry bones? He calls them through His word. Yun yung power ng word. Marahil balewala lang sa atin at times because of our sinfulness. But today, you reminded what you have, what is, what has been given to you by God. He has given to you His word. Give value to His word for it is for your benefit. The word gives life. Do we give it time? Do we allow ourselves, our spouses, our children to always hear the word of God? Do we come here with having limited minds that think that the preaching of the word is just a public speaking event done by a public speaker? Baka ganun lang ang tingin natin sa preaching ng salita ng Diyos, or do we think of it as God meeting His people. It is our encounter with God through His word that we encounter Christ in His preaching. That it is actually an event, event siya where God acts, where God works, where God saves, where God sanctifies, where God changes the heart, where God rebukes, where God comforts, where God assures, where God gives hope. So how is our heart toward the word of God? Meron ba tayong impulse or immediate, kumbaga parang ayaw agad nating marinig ang salita ng Diyos.I-evaluate natin ang ating mga puso.
Maganda yung sinabi ni Jonathan Leeman and I quote he said: “To read the Bible is not merely an exercise in intellectual comprehension. It is an opportunity to stand before the throne of the King of the universe. It is an opportunity to encounter Him. God communes through communication.” Just imagine. Hindi lang ito parang theologically ay maging marami tayong alam about God. But it is an opportunity where in fact it’s like we are standing before the holy God. Sinners who are given His word, given an an opportunity to benefit from Him. So give value to the word of God, brethren. So when we are convinced in the truth of scripture, ano raw ang dapat na response natin in this truth?
My last point is Benefit To Others. So when Joseph gave the interpretations to the two officers, he was firm, firm si Joseph, hindi siya nag-dalawang isip; walang sugarcoating ‘no..ah ang ibig sabihin niyan makakakain ka ng mga bread, tatlong basket, after three days, makakakuha ka, yayaman ka. Hindi ganun ang sinabi ni Joseph, right. I mean, pwedeng may temptations na ganun. He proclaimed the interpretation as revealed to him by God. He didn’t add to it, he didn’t remove anything. That’s exactly what happened to the two officers. The chief cupbearer was re-installed to his position and he was able to serve the Pharaoh again, while the chief baker met his doom as prophesied. He was firm in telling the baker that he’s going to die soon. Imagine if Joseph would say, huwag ko na lang sabihin, baka magalit ito sa akin, right. Hindi ba usually ganun tayo. Ayaw natin ng confrontation, wag na lang..kahit na alam natin na magbe-benefit yung tao sa maririnig natin. We shy away. Baka hindi pa maging maayos yung relationship natin. Paano pa kung lifetime yung imprisonment nito? Ayoko naman na meron kaming prublema buong stay ko dito. Tapos ako pa ang may hawak sa kanya. Ayoko kaya magkaroon ng tao na may issue ako, right. Hindi ganun ang ginawa ni Joseph. Joseph was faithful. He didn’t just say that, kumbaga ininterpret niya. Hindi lang niya ininerpret dahil wala siyang pakialam, eto yung sinabi ng Diyos sa ‘yo huh, right. Wala akong pakialam sa ‘yo. Hindi ganun. In fact makikita natin yung heart ni Joseph, verse 7. Tinanong pa niya, why are your faces downcast today, right. May puso talaga si Joseph. Hindi lang basta-basta ipaalam lang niya, right. Mayroong care, may pakialam si Joseph. It was indeed necessary for the baker to hear the message of God. Of course pati na rin si cupbearer, mas lalo si baker to hear that he will die in the next 3 days because now he has three days to repent of his sins and come to faith in the source of revelation. Now you have that great opportunity where God encountered you, talk to you through the dream. This is your great opportunity to turn away and be like Joseph who also has faith. Now he has that opportunity, hindi ba gracious ang Panginoon? Yes, he will meet his doom for sure, but if he won’t repent of his sins, a greater doom is at hand. Same goes to those who do not repent and come to faith in Christ. It is only by the grace of God that all of us, that all of us are like the chief cupbearer who was given the opportunity to live more. But don’t waste that life by rejecting Christ. If you do, then such life is in vain.
It is only by the mercies of God that all of us too were like the chief baker who’s been warned by His word that eternal death will come, and if not for the word that was also proclaimed to us, we will truly end up receiving the anger of our King. So see how the word proclaimed to us. Have its effect on us. The word gave us life you are saved because you heard the word of God. The baker could have been saved if he knew, if he understood who gave that revelation to him. Baka nga binalewala pa niya yun heh. Hindi natin alam. Pero knowing who the source was, that was a great opportunity to turn back from your old life and turn to the source. Ganun ang epekto ng salita ng Diyos. May epekto ito sa lahat ng mga nakakatanggap. Ganun ang epekto sa inyo. The word gave you life. The word continues to give you life. The word continues to transform your lives, continues to rebuke us, to edify us, that’s what the word does. Whatever present reality we are in, we are confronted by His word. Whatever circumstances we are in, God will confront us in His word. Joseph shared the truth about the baker’s dream because that’s what the baker needed. Same for us brethren, that’s what we all need, the truth of the word of God what we all need is the word for the word will confront us in every aspect of our lives. We need the truth of the word when we sin. We need the truth of the word also to be edified.
So challenge ko sa lahat: let us then, just like Joseph how he did not compromise, gave the faithful word to both the cupbearer and the baker. Let us also do the same thing to one another by building up. And the only thing that can build us up is none other than the word of God. We are but channels God uses us also to be built up in the church. Ephesians 4 tells us the goal to be mature, to mature manhood. The goal is Christ likeness as all of us hear the word preached to us by the preachers to equip us, to equip the saints, for the work of ministry. It says there in Ephesians 4, we are equipped so that you and I can equip one another for the building up of the church. See kung papaano umiikot ang salita ng Diyos sa iglesya ng Panginoon. Se the source: we hear it in the pulpit preaching, and then when we hear it, we are equipped so that we will be equipped in equipping one another, right. That is how we build up. We build up by sharing the gospel, by proclaiming the gospel to our brother and sister when a brother is sinning. Hindi natin dapat isu-sugarcoat, tapos sasabihin natin okay lang yan, hindi naman nakikita ni Pastor or kung sinuman, tara sasama ako sa iyo. Rather tell them what hope we have in Christ, that Christ on the cross has made us conquerors with Him. That we can by the power of the Holy Spirit say no say flee to such temptations, kaya mo iyan kapatid kasi namatay si Kristo sa krus. Nags-struggle ka ba sa sin na ito? Kapatid, pinagdadaanan ko rin yan, pero pinanghahawakan ko lang ang krus ng Panginoon. Yun ang nagpapakita sa akin na ligtas tayo kahit ang kasinungalingan ng kalaban, hindi tayo maa-accuse. Hindi Hindi mawawaala ang pananampalataya sa atin kahit patuloy ang accusations ng kalaban, hindi tayo ligtas. Tumingin ka lamang sa krus kapatid, build up one another. Kapatid, repent, repent of that sin, it will destroy you.
Kadalasan sa atin, masyado tayong mainit naman. Minsan prublema, we don’t confront. In other extreme, we confront, confront, confront, right. Sabi rin sa scripture, weep with those who weep. Umiyak ka kasama ng iyong kapatid. Maramdaman niya na itong kanyang nararamdamang struggle ay isang something na nararamdaman din ng isang kapatid. And then tell him, tell her, kaya, kaya sa Panginoong Hesus, kaya nating talikuran ang ating mga old selves. Because of Christ, we are redeemed. We can say no to such temptations and we can mortify our sins. Minsan wala tayong puso as we confront with one another. Hindi tayo.. oh why why is your face downcast today? Kumbaga tayo, hindi… bahala ka. Eto ang katotohanan, eto yung…alam mo yon? Minsan, naquo-quote tayo sa ganung klaseng extreme. Huwag nating kalimutang mag-build up kasama ang weeping with those who are weeping.
It is our responsibility to be truthful and the truth that we need is the word of God. If your brother has been sinning, you’re not going to say that’s fine. Tell them the victory that Christ won. That is how we are saved brethren. The truth was preached to us that we are sinners but we are not hopeless because of the saving work of Jesus Christ. And by the way when we say build up, I’m not saying flattery. We’re not saying flattery here. Okay lang yan, ang galing galing mo! Maganda yung sinabi ni Mark Jones na quinote niya sa isang Yiddish na proverb. Hindi Christian na proverb yun. Sabi niya: “ Flattery makes friends and truth makes enemies.” Mali yon! Pero yun yung naiintindihan ng mundo. You would just flatter someone instead of lovingly rebuking and building him up by giving the truth of scripture. You would just flatter them. Ano’ng sabi? Flattery makes friends but sabi ni Mark Jones dun sa article niya: those are not real friends.
Sabi nga sa Proverbs chapter 18 verse 21, death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits. If we sugar-coat, right. If you don’t tell them their hope, if you don’t rebuke them lovingly and tell them that they are indeed sinning, malinaw sa salita ng Diyos, then there will be death. Yun ang sinasabi sa Proverbs 18:21, right. Not kung siya’s kristiyano, not death in a condemning way, pero hindi buhay ang binibigay sa kaniya. See what the Proverbs is saying. There is life and death in words. It can build up or it can destroy.
There are many adults na in some interviews that I saw in you YouTube, they’re saying that they are like how they are now na sinasabi nila na kung may prublema siya, nakulong siya, naging problem child siya. He traced back from one instance with his parents na may mga sinabi na talagang nakurot ang kaniyang puso na hindi niya makalimutan. Yung mga sinasabi sa kanya na ampon ka lang! Yung mga ganyan hanggang siya’y tumanda na, naalala niya yun. Yun yung dinala niya buong buhay niya. See how such words can destroy. Ganun din sa atin. If we don’t tell our brother or sister, if we don’t speak the truth in love sabi sa Ephesians chapter 4, then we’re not building one another up. Brethren, yun yung kailangan natin. Yung katotohanan when one speak the truth in love and edify them and remind them of of what they have in Christ. Maging totoo tayo sa isa’t-isa, yes. Pero ipakita natin ang pagmamahal ni Kristo. Ganun klaseng katotohanan. Hindi yung gusto lang natin silang latiguhin. Eto yung katotohanan, eto. Pero hindi natin pinapakita, ine-extend ang grasya ng Panginoong Hesukristo. The love that we should showcase to our brothers and sisters is the same kind of love that Christ gives to us. Firm and yet compassionate. Maging totoo tayo sa isa’t-isa dahil ang katotohanan ang tunay na nagbui-build up. May God use our tongues to lift up one another in truth so that we would be holy and blameless before Christ.
Isa sa mga puritans na naka-receive ng rebuke sa kaniyang buhay. Sinulat niya in one sentence lamang sa kaniyang diary. Ang pangalan ay Thomas Boston. Ang na-receive iyang rebuke because of his unnamed sin. Sabi niya: “I received the rebuke and admonition as an ornament put upon me for the cost of Truth.” So it was a beautiful thing. Yung rebuke na iyon because if not for the rebuke, then he might continue what he was doing. And that was sin. Kumusta ang mga bibig natin? Do they build up or do they destroy? Do you build up your brother or your sister in Christ or your spouse, your parents, your children? Lumalabas ba ang salita ng Diyos sa mga bibig natin? Ang mga conversations ba natin sa ating mga pamilya ay fostered ang Christ-centred conversations? Yun ba ang lumalabas? If we struggle with this, remember God’s word incarnated. Always remember that and we will struggle my brothers and sisters. We will struggle with our tongue. We may, we might forget building up one another. In fact at times our tongues may in fact destroy. We will struggle, but always remember our hope that the word that we use to build up incarnated in Christ. And let that Incarnate Word who truly builds up, enable you to also build up others. We need Him, we need Christ, we need his word. Our minds must be convinced that apart from the word, wala talagang tunay na Christian growth. Walang tunay na sanctification. Dapat mabuhay tayong nasa isipan nating hindi natin kaya na wala ang salita ng Diyos. And so we must then give value to it and use it to build others. May the word of God enrich our knowledge of Him and may it stir us to live in light of these truths.
Let us pray. Panginoong Diyos, aming Ama, marami pong salamat sa Inyong salita na ibinigay sa amin na patuloy na nagpapalakas sa amin. Lord, salamat sa kaligtasan na graciously You’ve given us. Lord, hindi namin deserve because of our sins but because Lord You love us. Christ died for us. Lord we have this truth that we’re holding onto. I pray Lord that we’ll always cling to it because Lord we still struggle with sins. I pray Lord that You would enable us to really give value to Your word knowing oh Lord that it builds up, knowing that it gives life. And Lord enable us as well to encourage one another, to be carrying one another’s burdens, to edify one another using Your word. So salamat po Panginoong Diyos. May You continue to build up this church. May our goal be holy and blameless before Christ .Salamat po in Jesus’ Name, amen.