Preaching at CSI Church Sharjah (UAE)

Church : CSI Sharjah worship center
Date: 15 August 2008
Topic: Gospel and Religious Pluralism

Greetings to you in the matchless name of our lord and savior Jesus Name , because there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved.(Acts 4:12)
Happy Independence day.1947-2008 August 15th 61 years, in the place where I come from we celebrate 60 years since it was under the Nizams Rule.
Introduction
Breaking the word religious Plurality which would only mean, many religions and its perceptions
Adherents of religious pluralism recognize that different religions make different truth claims. For example, most Christians believe that Jesus was (is) God incarnate and that he died for the salvation of humanity, while most Buddhists believe that enlightenment liberates the individual from the cycle of rebirth so that he may enter Nirvana.
The gospel would go a step forward to prove that the Christian claim is the truth on the basis of non contradiction.
Explaining the word non-contradiction would mean, there can be only one truth, and that there can’t be 2 truths which would eventually make one truth to be a lie.
Example: Mr. Ashish meets with an accident along with his friend Benoy, on the express way, Mr. Ashis dies, but Benoy is in no position to speak. But an onlooker reports it to the news paper that he was not looking at the road while driving, and they print it. “car hits the divider”. To Which Benoy, after unconscious state reports that the onlooker was wrong in his claims. Benoy was in the center of the accident. To which he would say “the steering wheel came off the hook”
Whom would you believe or why would you Believe?


My first point is
Isa : 45:1-8
Cyrus:
Who was he? Cyrus ; c.f 2 Chronicles 36 : 22
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the lord spoken by Jeremiah, the lord moved the heart of Cyrus King of Persia to make a proclamation throughout ………….” The lord has given all the kingdoms of the world and has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
V:4 Though you don’t acknowledge me , I am the lord there is no one besides Me….let salvation spring up (v:8)
Why did God choose Cyrus instead a heir of King David?
God’s Ways are not stuck up with His people. But his people are the world.
In our context the general presumptions of being saved are to be pious and do good works, and be a Christian. God’s view is that People are saved by Grace and not by works.

My second point is
Psalm 67
As we look at the crux of the passage in verse 4 :
May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
Ps 96 : 10 -13
God Judges with equity.
The Lord we worship is for justice, from the beginning, even at Egypt or the apartheid movement or the quit India movement.
The lord acted justly towards his people to which we celebrate Independence Day. Some say its because of the freedom fighter we got independence, so was the leadership of Moses, Which brought the people came back to their land. God uses his people for his purpose.
But in all this God hovers over the world. To relieve his people from their oppressors.
Our whole Justice system is based on him. Because from the beginning he is the moral law giver.
Jesus was put on the cross, to say and to fulfill the law.
How are we responding to that Law? Only by accepting it. It is finished. On the cross.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
We are Justified

My third point is
Matthew 15:21-28
To the Dogs?
Why dogs? From the passage Mt 15 21-28 that even the dogs eat the crumbs that are fallen from the table?
Jesus’ incarnation took place firstly to his own chosen people. That is the place where he was born.
What happens? Jesus 3 ½ years preaching to his people, which would mean Samaritans also, because they were connected.
during that time a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him and begs Jesus to Heal her Daughter. He says that I have come for Israel and not for others. To which She says that ‘even the dogs eat the crumbs that are fallen from the table?’
After much persuasion her daughter was healed.
Why did Jesus move away from his focus?
Because his people had closed their minds and hearts to the gospel. But still he tried.
He came unto his own but his own rejected him.
The people who followed Jesus are 2 kinds – 1. Oklos (pagan crowd) 2. Laos (spiritual crowd)
The majority of the people that followed Jesus that are mentioned in the gospels that is Oklos than Laos.
They that did not have hope, recognized their need of hope. That is to look at Jesus, even if they would have been called as a dog. No matter what they had received their Hope.


My final point is

To the God nobody knows
Acts 17 :16-31
Paul is angry and upset that the people , he looks at the and they are aimless.
Paul is reasoning and preaching the good news with his people in the synagogues, and here comes the Epicureans and Stoics who basically believed in ‘eat make merry and listen to new ideas’. They Invite him to the main ‘theater of discourse’, so that Paul can present the ‘new way’.
The first thing Paul does is he appreciates them saying that they are religious, and fascinated by the shrines points to the one which has an inscription saying ‘to the God nobody knows’
Paul says= I am here to introduce it to you. He explains God to them as the creator not as a creation. Then presents the Good News the Gospel to them and offers repentance.
This incident happed in a pluralistic world.
When an opportunity like this comes the gospel walks in, the only thing is that we walk the gospel into their worlds.

What an idea sir ji


In conclusion
It’s the gospel good news – Incarnation God becoming flesh. Not only when Jesus came but that was His intention from the beginning. Adam was not an Israelite. But Israelites were called only after Jacob’s name changed.
Gospel is God reaching out to man, not man reaching to God
Max warren says, ‘What a wonderful opportunity that religious pluralism offers to Christians and to everyone else to make a new discovery of Jesus Christ. How gratefully we should accept God’s providential challenge.’
The gospel is working…God is working NOW.
· So from my first point
God uses anyone from any Anglician/CSI / Martoma / Methodist/ Pentecostal / Hindu/Muslim /Buddhist etc
For his purpose. Are we available for him to be use as an instrument for his glory. Or are we sitting comfortably like Israel? Still waiting for God to work
· Secondly
When we go through pain or suffering ? and ask for justice
Do we believe that God is a just God who will hear our cry, no matter who I am.
Do I act justly according to my heavenly father .
· Thirdly
Do we trust in Jesus in all the areas like that gentle lady?
Or do we depend on our own money /medicine/ power/ tradition/ religion/ knowledge ?
· Fourth
Are we like Athenians who are very religious. But very reluctant to ask for forgiveness and believe in gospel
There is no point in knowing about apples? How good? what nutrition? Or the color.
What matter is the Taste.
Lets taste and see that God is good. Not only for us but for all
Jesus Said: ‘Just as the father sent me (Incarnation) so I send you (Incarnation)

Closing Prayer
Amen
Jai hind

Bangalore - Dubai - Hailsham

Dear friends
sorry its been a long time scince i updated.
We got our visas to UK on 12th July which took only 3 working days.
We will be going to St. Marys Hailsham to volunteer in the church, for which i request you to pray for us. we will be involved in the ministry of the church.
it will be for a year.
ill keep you all posted of the latest as well as the book reviews.
Much love
Sangster and Asha

Book Review

RUN
Jeff Abbott
Ben is on his honey moon, after a wonderful time she is shot and there are no answers for the shooting. Two years after the shooting. Ben is tragedy struck, the Homeland offices come for interrogations, asking who had killed Mr. Adams, since he was supposed to meet him. Another killer placed Ben’s visiting card on the Body. Which would make Ben the first suspect.
Many people start so search for Ben. His best friend Hector has a company called Hector Global. This group is involved in counter terrorism. The search for Ben is on and Ben is framed for the killing
Ben encounters a man called Pilgrim who has many pseudo names. Hector Frames Ben and also wants to kill Pilgrim who is also called a Randall.
Finally after much search and beaten up by killers the hard truth comes out. And Ben gets the answers to his life’s questions.
-Was waiting when this book would get over
-A book for Time Pass
Sangster Sukumar

Book review

The Street Lawyer
John Grisham
The top American firm Drake & Sweeney, where the top lawyers worked and always won their cases. The lawyers made money at the client’s cost. They lived luxuries lives. One day, a homeless named DeVon Hardy walks in and takes nine lawyers hostage, asks questions like how much they earned and how much each lawyer would spend for a meal and etc. after a long ordeal is finally killed by the SWAT Team.
One of the layers named Michael Brock who was a hostage among the nine, is happy that the hostage crisis is over but his family life is deteriorating with his wife Claire, which soon diminishes. But is caught on to the questions of the homeless man. So Michael starts to search Deeper into the hostage crisis. Then realizes that the firm was involved in a settlement where the squatters (Homeless) were sent out of a Godown where they used to pay rent and the place was given to make a post office without any prior notice. The quick settelment ended up by sending the people to the streets.
At the same time while exploring the case . Michael encounters many homeless people through a lawyer named Mordecai who also runs a legal clinic, rescuing and helping with justice. Michael gets into it, His entire life changes. one day while helping Mordecai in one of the shelters he sees a girl age 22 having 4 chidren at the shelter and helps these kids with food and changing nappies. One thing that he had never thought in his entire life. on the next day there is a snow storm, on the headlines is the death of the mother and children in a old car where they used to stay and keep themselves warm.
Michael provides for a great funeral. Which starts to make headlines.
As the days go he is more committed in rescuing the homeless, quits the job and starts to work with Mordecai, then his wife files for a divorce.
On the last day of work at Drake and Sweeney, Michael takes the file regarding the evection of the homeless. But he had never intend to steal but just to have a look at it. The police chase him and at the same time, the firm files a case of larceny. The homeless legal clinic files a case against Drake and Sweeny and other involved in it. The case is closed with a mighty settlement and a negotiated pardon for Larceny for Michael.
The book ends with Meghan a worker at the Samaritan Home for women on his encounters of the homeless. And the Firm Drake and Sweeney coming forward in helping the homeless with their needs.
It’s a thrilling story with suspense so you wouldn’t want to put your book down
“…Priviledge people don’t march and protest; their world is safe and clean and governed by laws designed to keep them happy. I had never taken to the streets before; why bother? And for the first block or two I felt odd, walking in a mass of people, holding a stick with a placard bearing the face of a twenty -two-year-old black mother who bore four illegitimate children…”

A Must read book for all


Sangster Sukumar
JOY Works

Book Review - The Appeal by John Grisham

'Justice on whose side'
I started the book thinking, that the book would be of an appeal of the good would win over the evil.
John Grisham starts the book of with a hung jury hungry for the verdict,
It is a story of the Payton family who files a case against Krane Chemicals, illegally dumped deadly chemical near a village called Bowmore. The chemical eventually got into the ravens and polluted the drinking water supply and with that effect, people affected with cancer die.
With that that place is called the cancer county. The verdict is pronounced and there is a payoff of 41 million dollars.
The case goes to an appeal to the supreme court where the The Krane chemical company manuplates and buys out the entire supreme court and gets the verdict in favour of the chemical company.
A case that had been held for under a hot trail for four months, and 16,000 pages of writing and then the verdict, which was hard to believe for the council. Followed by an appeal at the supreme court after 2 years.
The entire process of this book is, getting to the supreme court, and then the verdict.
The story is a 50/50 % a complicated fictious book.
My verdict: A good writing skill to keep the page turning.

The latest Camp at Avalanche

at the start was Na na na na na na na , Na na na.......dip de de dip.......Fa fa, Ga ga, Ho ho, La la and continued with In the Jungle. These were the songs we listened. The camp was at Avalanche organized by J- Team Chennai and the Fishermen's Trust Bangalore.
it was one awesome time.
Sure the kids did enjoy all the activities and the Word, that was shared through Dr. Avila , Dave and Shake Bahi. It was one thrilling experience for us all.
Asha was in Kerala helping her sister who is pregnant, she missed it.
This time for me was a time of reflection, and spending more time in reading his Word and Oswald Chambers Devotional in my tent. I did miss Asha, so i got back to her as soon as the camp got over.
This camp i realizied the 'waiting times are not wasting times'.
We had Ambresh from Deodurga, Raichur and Anu John form Kerala attend the camp.
Continue to pray for theose who have comitted themsevles to their creator.
finally the song all sung was.... i found the wayyyyyy.... the way to go home.

Much Love and Prayers
Sangster and Asha
JOY Works

E - Square

Dear friends

We leave Neerekshe for a year on August 1st 2008, and we finish our work with the Camp at Avalanche. Scritpure Camp site. An awesome place on the hills

First time in the History Of Raichur a group of village people, from 6 villages attended a camp in Ooty, Avalanche. The Number of villages we have covered are Muranpur, Kalmala, Gabbur, Deodurga, Turkun-doni and Raichur. All these places are situated in Raichur District. It is also called the Grave Yard of Missions in Karnataka.
We have organized this camp for these Students. It was a first time experience for the ones attending.
A Friend asked me, why would I keep a camp in avalanche for these people, you just do it in the village, my reply to that was why do we in cities go to camp. don’t they deserve it also?
Well here is a chance for you to give these students a chance to see Gods Creation in its fullness, and also so that they can enjoy them selves.
The Theme was E- Square

Elijah and Elisha

This would mean a lot to them. So to us.

Now
Thank you
Sangster and Asha