We thank God that we are able to have service through the internet. Our topic this morning is Facing the Challenges of our Faith. In whatever we do we will face challenges. What’s the challenge? It means trouble. Usually when something is meaningful and something that is significantly worthwhile, we will face a lot of challenges. If you are able to overcome these challenges then you will succeed. However, if you retract or if you fail to overcome these challenges then you will not achieve your goals. For example, in our careers we will face challenges, in our family we will face challenges. Similarly, the most important thing in our life is also the challenges to our belief. Because faith is our relationship with God and it pertains to our eternal life and salvation. During this pandemic, we tend to value our lives. Nothing is more precious than life itself. We have to protect ourselves from the virus and we have to preserve our lives. More importantly, we have to preserve our spiritual life. The Bible tells us that we will face many challenges in our belief.

Acts 14: 22 Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

This verse gives us a very important lesson. Paul exhorted the members by saying that to enter into the kingdom of God, they must go through many tribulations. Faith is a journey; the starting point is our life and the ending point is eternal life. We now live on the kingdom on earth. In the future we shall go to the kingdom in heaven. And in between these points, through the decades that we spend on earth is our life on earth. Do not expect that after believing in God, all we have to do is stay comfortably at home or in the church, read the bible, pray and that’s it. The Bible has already warned us. If you choose this path, you will surely meet with many challenges and tribulations. When you don’t encounter tribulations, you may be on the wrong path. If you have many difficulties and you start wondering why is this happening and what am I to do, then it means you are on the right track. Every brother and sister must know the challenges ahead of you.

Next we learn how to overcome those challenges. Especially during this period of the pandemic, we have seen that all the challenges we face in our daily lives have been magnified. It simply serves as a reminder to us. Let us go over the type of challenges we will face in our life of faith

First, the challenge of fear

Our enemy satan will use fear as a means to stop us from going ahead on our journey to heaven. Fear is that dread in your heart. We are afraid of bad things happening to us. These things may not necessarily happen, but when we are afraid that it happens, even though it doesn’t come to fruition, it would have caused us to change the way we think and behave. Sometimes, fear itself is more frightful than the event itself. Let us take a look at an example from the Bible.

John 20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

This was the first day of the week and the Lord Jesus had already resurrected because Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week. Even though the Bible recorded that Jesus resurrected on that day, but the Bible neither says nor emphasizes that the disciples must observe Easter. We see that the disciples did not celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but they were in fact hiding in their homes. Easter is not a teaching of the Bible. It was something that was added to the religion later on. For that reason, True Jesus Church doesn’t celebrate Easter. On the evening that the Lord Jesus resurrected, the disciples were hiding in the house with the doors closed because they were afraid of the Jews. It says here that the doors were shut because the disciples were afraid. This does not refer only to the physical doors, it also refers to the doors of our heart. If you are afraid that bad things are going to happen to you, then you will say to yourself that I don’t want to see or meet anybody or even do anything. So it says here that the doors were shut. What were they really afraid of?

One, they were afraid of the Jews. Why were they afraid of the Jews? Because they were afraid that they might be captured by the Jews.

Next, they were afraid they would be judged, and then they were afraid that they would be crucified on the cross like Jesus Christ. Because of this fear, they dared not venture out. Is there any difference between being in prison and being locked inside our own homes? There is no difference because they were still kept inside. The disciples had lost their freedom and they were afraid. They no longer resembled disciples that followed Jesus. Same here today, when we are afraid of certain things, or afraid that certain things might happen, this thought would keep recurring in our minds. Then our faith will lose it’s strength. And our journey to the heavenly kingdom will be hindered. For example, if you are afraid to fly, you are afraid that the plane would fall off from the sky, then throughout your life you will not be able to go to many places. Even though the chances of the plane falling from the sky are low but you have been hindered. So today, what are we afraid of in our hearts? Today everyone is afraid of contracting this new virus. Some people are afraid of losing their careers. Without a job, what am I going to do with my life? Everyone has their own fears. When you are afraid that negative things are going to happen to you, then you have already lost your focus on Jesus. And you have forgotten that Jesus wants you to march on forward. All you do is to worry at home.

Let us think about what are our fears. Whatever you are afraid of, that is your challenge. Some people are afraid to open their mouths to testify for the Lord. Some people would say, I can come for service, but if you want me to preach the gospel, no, I am too scared.

Some people are afraid to do holy work. I don’t want others to grumble about me so I don’t want to do any holy work. I don’t want to be criticized. If you are afraid of everything then you won’t be able to accomplish anything. This is where the devil excels. He doesn’t need anything else to hinder you. He will use your own fear to hinder you. And now that you have believed in Jesus, you will also be afraid that your family members might not be very happy with this. If I tell my classmates that I am a Christian, will they look down upon me? So they lock themselves up. This is rather frightening. The first challenge is to overcome the fear in our hearts, regardless what the fear is. How do we overcome this fear? By handing over everything to the Lord. To allow Jesus to come into our hearts.

Verse 20 mentions that Jesus came among His disciples and said “Peace be with you”. When Jesus entered, fear left. When Jesus opened His mouth, fear left. Jesus didn’t say anything except “Peace be with you”. Especially during this period of the pandemic, everybody feels anxious. Physically, everyone is fine but mentally, they are not.

Yesterday, I had someone over to fix the garage door. So I struck up a brief conversation with him - are you well, has your business been affected? And he showed that he was very worried. What was he worried about? He said there are so many cars on the road now, we are all going to die. What he meant was that there are too many people coming out of their houses and there are too many cars on the streets. Of course the government has told us not to venture out unless it’s essential. And people who have matters to take care of have to go out too but why are they so afraid? We have the Lord Jesus. We have to do whatever we need to do but we don’t have to be afraid.

From the perspective of faith, is there any other way we can overcome our fears? We have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit in order to overcome the fear in our heart.

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

Here Peter was very brave. With the other eleven disciples they all stood up and lifted up their voices. Earlier in John 20, weren’t they afraid and hiding in the house? Why is it now they are able to stand up to speak to the congregation? And they preached the gospel of God among the Jews? Were they not afraid they would be reprimanded? Were they not afraid of being captured and thrown into prison? Were they not afraid of losing their lives? The reason is simple. In chapter 2 they had already received the Holy Spirit. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will no longer feel fear. But satan is not going to give up that easily.

Let’s read chapter 4:1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. And in verse 3 they were arrested and put into custody until the next day. Think about it, today, if you were captured and jailed simply because you are a Christian, how would you feel? You would think, how can I go home, how do I please these officials? And you would feel afraid, what am I going to do if I can’t go home? So satan will use this very method to cause fear in your heart. When you become afraid, you will start to shake but the Holy Spirit will give you strength.

Acts4: 8 - 10 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”

The more the pressure was on Peter, the stronger was his testimony. Without pressure, he was unable to deliver such words of conviction.

And in verse 12, he said one of the most important sentence in the entire New Testament. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Such precious words indeed. Peter, along with the other 11 disciples had conquered their fear. He no longer feared. There’s nothing to be afraid of being imprisoned. What’s there to be afraid about losing your freedom? The name of Jesus, that’s what I must preach. So the challenges of our faith sometimes come from internally. You may be facing the pressures of life, or rather you may be facing criticisms from others regarding your belief, perhaps you have seen that the world has become so turbulent, so you become afraid. But rely on God to overcome our fears especially nowadays when the pandemic is so prevalent.
We have a deacon in the church. He is a doctor and works in the front-line therefore, he has to meet many of his patients. One month ago, he contracted the virus. Many people were praying for him. Because people understood the consequence of contracting the virus. In his age range there is a 50% chance of those contracting this virus would die. Members in the church were praying fervently for him. Miraculously, he did not display much of the symptoms of Covid-19. He just felt tired and he had a bit of a sore throat and he had lost his sense of taste and smell. That was all. He didn’t even need to take any drug for fever. He relied on prayers and thank God, after two weeks, he went back to the hospital for a test and he was declared free from the virus. Now he can go back to the front-line to help treat those who are sick. That is the abidance of the grace of Jesus. That is what our Lord Jesus said “Peace be with you”. Jesus didn’t promise that we won’t encounter adverse situations, Jesus never promised us that we won’t fall ill. But He promised that when we fall sick, He will abide with us. Jesus never promised that we will always be employed, but when you have lost your job, Jesus will abide with you. If you have the abidance of God, what is there to be afraid of?

The second challenge of our faith - the lack of necessities of life

Even though we live on earth and long for our heavenly home but everyday we still need to strive hard for our life on earth. Sometimes our lives change quickly. Let’s take a look to see what are the challenges the apostles were facing.

Heb 10:34 For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven

Some members in those days met with difficulties in their lives. Where did these problems come from? Christians of the early days were persecuted. One of the ways to persecute Christians in those days was to take away their possessions. For example, if you were a fisherman, and others were to persecute you, they will confiscate your boats and cut your nets. So without a boat you can’t fish and your properties were taken away. So they faced a big challenge in their lives. We must understand that our faith and our life are inter related. When we face such a big change in our lives, especially when there’s a lack of necessities, our faith could be shaken. Of course, if you are a Christian and you are still employed, you have savings and your family is wealthy, then you won’t be afraid of persecutions. But, after you become a Christian, your bank account is confiscated by the government, and for the sake of upholding your principle, you lose your job. Then you will face an immediate lack of necessities. This is now a challenge to you. Do you want your life or do you still want to uphold your principle? Do you want food or do you want heaven? A lot of people may think this way, heaven is so far away from me now and it is in the future. But today, if I don’t have food, I will die of starvation. And if I can’t put food on the table, then my children will be crying from hunger. I don’t have time to think of something so far away like the kingdom of heaven. This is very realistic. Take a look when the pandemic struck, what were many people rushing to the grocery stores to buy? First, they were buying masks, after that came the toilet rolls, then they started to hoard rice and other food stuff. Was there anyone going out to hoard up on branded bags? Was there anyone hoarding designer clothing? All these stuff are useless, food is most important. Now that our daily necessities are being challenged, and our faith too is being challenged. If God allows people around us to face such challenges, it’s in fact an opportunity given to us to help them out. If we ourselves face this challenge, it is time for Jesus to test our faith.

When I was in Western Africa, I met a local preacher. I still remember him very well. His name was Noah. He was in fact a pastor from another church denomination. He had his own church, and had a stable income every month. But God gave him a chance to come to know the true church. In a vision he saw the true church descending from heaven being the only church of salvation. And a voice told him he must to go to True Jesus Church. Somebody preached the gospel to him and he came to study the truth. Indeed everything we say is in accordance to the teaching of the Bible. He decided that he must be a part of the true church. If he were to be a part of True Jesus Church then he would lose his original job and he would lose his income. His own sister was helping out with financing the education of his five children, but she warned him that if he were to go to the True Jesus Church, she will break their relationship and stop providing money to his household. She will no longer provide money for his children’s education. This is a very big challenge - if I go to True Jesus Church, I will lose all financial support. But thank God, in his heart there was only one thing. I want to follow the Lord Jesus, I want to follow the truth, I want my entire family to be saved. I don’t care about anything else. God will lead me. Thank God, with his courage and resolve, he became a part of the true church. God moved a lot of brothers and sisters in our church to help him out. There was a preacher in the church who was also very poor. But when he saw this brother coming to the church and facing such difficulties, he too helped him out many times. Many brothers and sisters also brought food to this brother. In our life of faith, if our livelihood is being challenged, we must believe that the Lord will provide. But we must also help one another.

Acts 2:44-45 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need

This is facing challenges in life with love. During the apostolic days, the members didn’t just tell each other that I will pray for you and God will allow you to go to sleep and once you wake up, you will feel full. Or if you find that you have no clothing, then I will pray for you and after that you will feel warm. That’s not the way it was done. True Christians would show practical love to help others overcome their challenges. Especially in those days they were all together. What do you lack? I have extra, I can help you. They also sold their possessions and distributed to all who were in need. This is the type of spirit that is much needed today. Of course we are not encouraging everyone to sell off their houses and give the money to the church. But if you have excess, or that you feel you have been moved by God, then take out your excess and help others. I feel that Vancouver Church is full of love. I understand that privately many members are helping out the senior members by calling them and asking them how they are, buying face masks for them and also helping them with grocery shopping. They were not asked by the church but they did it on their own initiative. We are all facing this pandemic together. And everyone seems to be only looking out for themselves and asking others to keep a distance from them. For those who truly love the Lord, they will pick up the phone and call up others to ask how they are doing. Are you lacking in masks, do you need food? As for myself, I too have felt a lot of love from the brothers and sisters. After coming back, I was self-isolating for two weeks and couldn’t go out for grocery shopping. Many brothers and sisters called me. And there were even some who brought groceries to my door step. I said I don’t need those groceries, I have enough at home and maybe it’s a good time for me to take this opportunity to lose some weight too. But members are still full of love. We have to use this kind of spirit to overcome the challenges in our life.

Recently I received news from East and West Africa. It tells us that members in these regions are facing difficulties in their lives. Because of the pandemic, the economy has stopped. A lot of people, like the Americans and Canadians have lost their jobs. We know that it is completely different to lose a job in Africa than to lose a job in Canada. If you lose your job in Canada, you can apply for EI (Employment Insurance); the government has a number of aids, and you can delay paying for your credit cards and utility bills. Majority of our members do have some savings in the banks. They will not feel the immediate threat of losing their homes and having no food on the table. But in Africa, if you lose your job, no one is able to help you because there are too many poor people. The government is too corrupt and even if it has money, it will not use it for the people. So the churches have written letters to the African Mission to tell them that our members are suffering right now because they have no food and to ask how we can help them. The International Assembly is now thinking of ways to help them out. They may even think of a global fund raising for other regions of the world to help out Africa. This is what we need to do. Sometimes we face difficulties in our life too, so we need to help one another out. Just paying lip service is not going to help. Today, have we helped one another out when we are facing challenges? This can only be overcome with the help of the love that our Lord Jesus has showered upon us.

Our third challenge - the challenge of sin

Acts 5:1 - 4 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

This is the next challenge that the members during the Apostolic days faced. We can call this the challenge of sin. Sometimes sin enters into the church through the smallest hole. Sometimes sin comes through when you are most not vigilant. Today everyone is afraid of the virus. What is worse than the virus? There is one thing that is more frightful than the virus , i.e. sin. Sin has the same characteristics as the virus. It will creep up upon you when you least expect it, and you won’t even know that it has entered into your body, you don’t think that it’s going to affect you.

Let’s take a look at an example. Ananias and his wife seemed to be doing something good. They sold their property. They saw others selling their property so they too sold theirs. Others brought the proceeds to the church and they did likewise. To observers, it seemed good. This is a lot of money. Who could donate as much as they did? On the surface, everything seemed fine. We can’t see anything wrong with it. But sins are very small. At the very beginning, it was only a slight deviation from what is right. Where did they go wrong? They lied. They sold the property but kept back part of the proceeds. And they said that this was all that they sold for. He had to be like the others who had brought the proceeds of their sale to the church. But he had withheld back a portion. Then he lied and said this was all the proceeds he received. Liken to a virus, it’s so small that you can’t see it with your naked eyes. Because if you can see it, you will avoid it. If it’s as big as a rat, of course you will run away from it. But a virus is so minute you can’t see it. It will hide itself. If you do not deal with it, sometimes we tend to think, why are we so hard on ourselves? The conclusion of the story is that Peter rebuked the both of them and they died. Why so harsh? It’s just like the virus, and when the virus appears and you don’t contain it, it will spread to more people. Satan entered into the heart of Ananias; he didn’t get rid of this dishonesty, and started lying. If this lie had not been stopped and revealed, then one will learn from the next. If you can lie, so can I. Then the church will then become an organization of lies. Everyone is just paying lip service and all they do are superficial stuff, thinking that God is not even looking. Soon after that the whole church will become corrupt. Sin is liken to a disease that will slowly infect and corrupt the members. Today, we have to contain the virus and protect ourselves. What is even more important is that we have to preserve our hearts. Do not allow the virus of sin to come into our life. Verse 3 Peter asked why has Satan filled your heart to lie? It’s because Ananias gave satan the opportunity to come in. If you did not provide an opportunity for satan to come in, he will never get in. If you are egoistic, if you like to compare with others, you like to hear compliments, you like others to flatter you, then this is something that satan loves too. When there is pride, hidden pride then this virus of sin will enter into you. Let’s think about it, virus is scary, but sin is even more frightful. When everyone is afraid of the virus, shouldn’t we examine ourselves at the same time to see whether satan has come into our hearts.

The coronavirus has the same characteristics as sin. First, this virus is contagious, highly contagious. So the government tells us that we have to keep at least 2 metres distance between two people. What about sin? It is also contagious. The virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China and was initially known as Wuhan Virus. Who was the first patient? Until today we still do not know who is Patient Zero. Even for sin, there is Victim Zero.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

It says here that death came through one man. What does it mean? Victim Zero of sin was Adam. Because of him, sin entered into the world. Therefore all men sinned. Today, the same principle applies. We must reject sin from coming into us.

Next, this sin can hide itself. Just like this virus, it has a 14-day incubation period. You may not be showing any symptoms but you may be a carrier of this virus. You may not have a fever, you may not be coughing but in fact you are spreading the virus. Because this virus is hiding in you until it replicates itself enough times that it shows itself. Sin also hides itself. Psalm 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.

Here is a prayer of David. He wasn’t praying to God to forgive him for the sins he had already committed. Of course if he had committed sin, he would ask God for forgiveness. If you have committed those errors, you need to repent. But there’s another type of sin which you have to repent. Hidden or secret faults. What do hidden or secret faults mean? The thoughts in your heart. You thought about it. For example Jesus said that if you look at a woman and you have adulterous thoughts about her, you have already committed adultery. Why? Because you keep thinking about it and one day, you will put it into action. If you are greedy for money and keep thinking about being rich, and thinking about how you can get more money, then you will stray from the right actions. Therefore this thought in your heart is now a sin. And all you can ask is for Jesus to forgive you. Hidden faults may also mean that you have already taken the first step but others haven’t realized it. If you have any deeds that you don’t want other people to see, that is already a sin. For example, you have visited certain websites that you don’t want others to know. Other people may not know but God already knows. Then you should immediately ask God for forgiveness. Do not wait until everything has been exposed only then you ask God for forgiveness. For example this Covid-19 has 14 days of incubation period. If we do not deal with our sin, it will grow. If this sin is not resolved, then the conclusion will be death.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It says here that the ending of sin is death. If you do not deal with it, if you do not eradicate it, if you do not prevent it, at the very end it will lead you to death.

Today, during this period of pandemic, we can do a lot of self-examination. The biggest challenge of the church today is not because we can’t come to the church during this period. The biggest challenge of the church is the challenge of sin. Especially with the convenience of the internet, and society is so open, it can certainly influence a lot of hearts. Let us not become too worldly, especially since we have so much time on our hands. If during this period of time, you are spending your hours watching dramas or movies online, or watching things that are not edifying, then satan will put this virus into your heart. You have so much time and your heart is so empty and you are now facing the challenge of sin. What can you do? Rely on the Holy Spirit and put to death the desires that are within us.

Romans 8: 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

There are two ways, just liken to a person who is sick. You have been infected by this virus. If your immune system can overcome the virus, you will live. If your immune system is not strong enough to fight the virus, and the virus is victorious, you will die. There is no medication for the virus, you have to rely on your own immune system. Similarly today, we face the challenges of sin, if you don’t overcome it, it will overpower you. At the end you won’t be able to enter into the heavenly kingdom.. What can you do? It says here to be led by the Holy Spirit. If you think you have weakness, you have to pray more often, listen more to the words of God. The word of God is Spirit. It will continue to help you. Now that you have so much time at home, then you should pray more often then you will be able to overcome the challenges of sin