13/08/2026
My beLuv'ds,
Below is a brief summary of my Sat wOrship Svc sermon:
Today, I want U to discover 4 yrself the Panorama of Your Purpose , Posture and Position within this local Body. Remember, there ain’t any ‘Spare-part’ or ‘Sleeping-partner’ within the Church but all of us are the Active, Serving and Functional parts of the Body of Christ. We are Saved to SERVE !
□ Be GRATEFUL of Your PRIVILEGE within the BODY [vv.1-2]
1st: Serving within the Local Body begins with Personal Dedication.
According to Romans chapter 12 verses 1 to 2: Four things we can observe here:
♤ The Reason - In view of God’s mercy… Logically if Christ Died for me, then, I want to Live for Him. To me, Grace [unmerited favor] is simply something we don’t deserve but God choose to give it to us e.g. salvation. Mercy is something we deserve [e.g. His wrath and judgment etc] but God choose to withhold.
♤ The Request - To offer yourself as a Living Sacrifice. Only problem here: a living sacrifice can walk away from the altar of sacrifice!
♤ The Requirement -
Conform Not to the World but be Transformed by the renewing of your mind. As disciples of Jesus, we are in the world but we are not of the world. Look at some of the churches around you… Are they different from the world? You know the answer. God put the Church in the World to Transform it but now Satan put the World back into the Church to Deform her! Let’s turn the church right-side up.
♤ The Result -
U will discover God’s good, pleasing and perfect will of God for you. Friends, some Christians are like ‘solid rock’; Fossilized and Unmovable. They might be sitting in the church for umpteen years yet they know not God’s will for them. Why? It’s always hard to steer a vehicle when it’s stationery. When you step out by faith to serve, then you will eventually be able to discover God’s gifting and will for your life.
2nd: Serving, is then, followed by an Honest Evaluation.
□ Be CAREFUL of Your PRIDE within the BODY [v.3]
Just as with salvation, the ability to serve in the Body is also by the Grace of God. The apostle didn’t say you can’t think of yourself; but he did warn us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We’re exhorted to think of ourselves with sober judgment i.e. sane or intellectual judgment.
There are at least 4 ways U can look at yrself [self-image]:
I. Image that is true - your true self with a God-given DNA, talents, potential etc.
II. Image we have of ourselves - could be distorted depending on our self-perception, upbringing, cultural background and external factors like the mass-media etc.
III. Image we project to others - ranges from Pride, Inferiority or False Humility.
IV. Image others have on us - beyond our control, but one thing I am very sure, and that is: no one can look down on you unless you look down on yourself.
Look at the 2 pictures on your right, two extremes to avoid and i.e.
□ Pride = Sᴇʟғ-ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ
□ Inferiority = Sᴇʟғ-ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛɪᴏn
The Bible constantly warns us against Pride [Read Proverbs 13:10; 16:18] and upholds the virtue of Humility [James 4:6, 10]. Believe me this: Little you can be trusted, God will give you more. If a man thinks he is too BIG for a small job, then most likely, he is too small for a BIG TASK! Is there pride in our life? Are we small enough for God to use us in His Big Plan to reach and disciple the World?
□ Be MINFUL of Your PLACE within the BODY [vv.4-5]
More than 2,000 years ago, Christ Jesus walked here on earth with a physical body. He taught, preached, touched, healed and delivered and set free those under the power of the Devil. Today, He is still in the business of doing those things through His Body known as the Church.
What an appropriate analogy the apostle Paul used to describe the Church here: One Body [Unit] with many parts. Also in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
Can you recall the illustrative story I told you about the ‘Carpenter Tools’ Meeting’? Eventually that Jewish Carpenter Jesus came into the picture and utilized all the tools to create a pulpit out of the raw materials available. God is the potter and we are the clay. The tools [hammer, screw driver, saw, ruler and sand-paper etc] represent the different characteristics, personality, talents and roles one play within the church. His intention is to make us all into a Walking and Living Pulpit to tell the world about Himself.
My beloved, God is spirit and no one can see God. They can only see God through our lives because we are all the image of a Living God. Are you projecting and reflecting a Positive image of Jesus or are we casting a bad or negative image of Him? Remember that we are called to be the Light of the world and Salt of this earth - Matthew 5:13-16.
Young or old, male or female, Jews or Gentiles don’t really matter. What is important is that we all have different talents, gifting and roles to play and serve. Let’s not become Independent of one another but let’s be Inter-dependent. I need you as much as you need me in fulfilling the calling of God. We don’t have to compare, compete, criticize or condemn one another. Let us compliment and collaborate with one another and help each other to fulfill a God-given destiny and purpose.
🙏🏻 shaLom
Ps. Paul Ng
10th Aug. 2026
