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True CHRISTIANS. True MALAYSIANS .

True CHRISTIANS. True MALAYSIANS. Can we be truly both?. The Christian mission in the public realm. To witness the Gospel, directly or indirectly, to ALL peoples in the country. To help ensure the rights of the church to worship freely are upheld.

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True CHRISTIANS. True MALAYSIANS .

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  1. True CHRISTIANS. True MALAYSIANS. Can we be truly both?

  2. The Christian missionin the public realm • To witness the Gospel, directly or indirectly, to ALL peoples in the country. • To help ensure the rights of the church to worship freely are upheld. • To prosper thecommunity that God has placed us in.

  3. It is our Christian responsibility to… • Profess • Practice • Propagate • Prosper

  4. Social and religious setting in the Book of Acts • Religious and racial extremism- Mobs that riot and stage protests against Paul and his colleagues. 19v27, 13v50, 14v19, 16v20, 17v5, 17v13, 18v12, 21v27-28, 23v9 “ These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” (16v 20) …they all shouted..for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (19v 34)

  5. Social, religious and political setting in Book of Acts • Extreme Cultural Differences Hellenistic Gentiles- pagan worshippers of Greek gods such as Diana/Artemis, Goddess of Fertility. Lifestyle of liberal morals and free thinking. Orthodox Jews- outwardly apparently morally upright and conservative people who enforce a strict legalistic version of the Mosaic law.

  6. Social, religious and political setting in Book of Acts • Conflicting and corrupted legal system “…since it involves questions about words and names and your own law-settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” (18v15) At the same time he (Governor Felix) was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe…(24v26)

  7. Discernment • Know what are the real issues. (What was the real grievances of Demetrius that led to the riot in Ephesus? (v25)) • React to these issues calmly after considering possible responses. ( Consider Paul’s response to the riot, during and after it (v30, 20v1))

  8. Some issues requiring discernment in Malaysia • Dealing with sensitive issues such as issues of conversion and freedom of worship. • How to react during times of racial/religious tension. • Handling Pagan religious practices which are rooted to culturalissues. • Ensuring our church activities do not unnecessarily stumble other communities. • Using local culture as a vehicle to sensitively preach the gospel.

  9. “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” ( 17v22-23)

  10. “ When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow down there also-when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this” ( Naaman speaking to Elisha in 2 Kings 5v18 )

  11. Legal defense of the Gospel Church conduct must always be above the law as many will levy charges against Christians. Are we people of the whole truth or people of selective truths? • “ I found…there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.” (23v29) • “ I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” (25v8) • “ I found he had done nothing deserving of death,…” (25v25) • “ This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” (26v31)

  12. Legal defense of the Gospel (cont.) • It is our Christian responsibility to know and exercise our civil rights. “ Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(22v25) • There is a place for Christians to exercise restrained civil protests when injustices has been done. “ They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman Citizens, and threw us into prison. And now they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” (16v37)

  13. Legal defense of the Gospel(cont.) • It is our Christian responsibility to seek legal redress to the HIGHEST level to protect the work of the church. Paul endured 5 TRIALS for the sake of the Gospel :- (1) Before a Jewish crowd in the presence of the Commander of Roman troops (22v1) (2) Before the Supreme Jewish Council in Jerusalem (23v1) (3) Before Governor Felix in Caesarea (24v1) (4) Before Governor Festus in Caesarea (25v1) (5) Before King Herod Agrippa II (26v1) Finally Paul appealed to have his case heard before Caesar (25v11)

  14. Legal defense of the Gospel(cont.) • We must not be discouraged when we lose cases in court for the Gospel, for ultimate victory always belongs to God. “ This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (26v31) What was Paul’s intention of taking his case all the way to the highest Authority , Emperor Caesar Nero?

  15. Be truly part of “1 Malaysia” • God uses non Christians to save Christians from difficult situations. • Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (18v14-17) • The City Clerk of Ephesus (19v35-41) • Claudius Lysias, commander of Roman Garrison in Jerusalem (21v30-34, 23v12-35)

  16. Be truly part of “1 Malaysia”(cont) • Network with influential people for the Gospel. “Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.” (19v31) • Do your bit to prosper your country. Don’t always complain. (Jeremiah 29v7)

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