Category Archives: The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life

The Small Gate and the Narrow Way

Posted on by
Reply

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (14)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

In the last two messages we have looked at two very important questions: Why is it that we cannot have eternal life simply by doing good deeds? And will Christians who still live in sin have eternal life? Today we are going to study another important aspect of eternal life.

NAU Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Here the Lord Jesus says that if we want to have life, we will have to choose the narrow gate because only the small gate and narrow way leads to life, but few people find it. Most people will enter though the wide gate and the broad way, but that only leads to destruction.

  • Why do so few people find the small gate and the narrow way? Why do most people find the wide gate and the broad way?
  • What do the small gate and the narrow way stand for? What do the wide gate and the broad way stand for?

Now we will look into the word of God to find the answers.

Continue reading →

Will Christians who still live in sin have Eternal Life?

Posted on by
1

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (13)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0p1XxfRCK0&t=6s

Today we are going to study another important aspect of eternal life, that is, after we have come to know Yahweh God and the Lord Jesus Christ, if we continue to live in sin, will we have eternal life in the kingdom of God?

I had this question in my heart before I became a Christian, before I committed my life to Yahweh God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? At that time I thought I was quite a good person, even though I did sin, but those were very minor sins such as selfishness, arrogance, looking down on people who were worse than me, being jealous of people who were better off than me, and I did tell some minor lies a few times etc. But I felt that all these were very minor sins, while some so-called Christians had committed far more serious sins than I, they were far worse than me. If on Judgment Day Jesus Christ will punish me for those minor sins that I have committed, yet grant those so-called Christians eternal life in the kingdom of God, that would be really unfair! This judgment is unfair! That’s why I didn’t want to become a Christian!

Praise be to Yahweh God, He understood me, He didn’t punish me. On the contrary He granted me grace upon grace, He helped me again and again despite my criticism against Him and His Son. Finally His great love changed my heart! You can read my testimony “Goodness and Lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” on the CDC website.

I think many people think in the same way as I did. Today we are going to look at this question: Will Christians who still live in sin have eternal life in the kingdom of God?

Continue reading →

Why We Cannot Have Eternal Life simply by Doing Good Deeds?

Posted on by
1

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (12)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B7m-n-R1zA

In the past messages we have looked at various aspects of the foretaste of eternal life in the present age:

  • The link between eternal life in the present age and eternal life in the kingdom of God in the future.
  • Eternal life is to know the only true God Yahweh and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Eternal life in the present age is a life of freedom, a life of righteousness, a life of peace, a life of joy, and rivers of living water flowing from the innermost being.

Today we are going to study another aspect of the Kingdom of God and eternal life. First let me tell you the true story of a middle aged woman; we will just call her Auntie C. She did not believe in Yahweh God and the Lord Jesus Christ, but followed Chinese traditions in worship­ping different deities and family ancestors. Auntie was a very moral person, she took very good care of her husband and her children, she had three girls and one boy; all the family members loved one another deeply.

Continue reading →

Rivers of Living Water

Posted on by
3

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (11)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZaUaygf7kc&t=108s

We have studied eternal life in the kingdom of God, yet we can also have a foretaste of eternal life in the present age, which is a life of righteousness, peace, joy, freedom, and knowing the Only True God Yahweh and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today we are going to study another aspect of the foretaste of eternal life.

NAS John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”  (Joh 4:14 NAS)

 Here the Lord Jesus says he is going to give us water to drink; whoever drinks of this water shall never thirst, because this water shall become in that person a well of water springing up to eternal life.

Continue reading →

A Life of Freedom

Posted on by
3

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (10)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbjSajoOtU&t=41s

Recapitulation

Brothers, sisters and friends, last time we saw that the apostle John defines eternal life is to know Yahweh God and the Lord Jesus Christ; If we truly know Yahweh God and the Lord Jesus Christ in the biblical way, our lives in the present age is the foretaste of the eternal life in the age to come. Today we continue to study the eternal life in the present age.

ESV  John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

This statement is from the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Son” refers to the Lord himself, he likes to refer himself as “Son of man”, that is his prefered title. The Lord says if he sets the people free, then they will be free; that means they won’t be free if he doesn’t set them free. That means right now the people in the world have no freedom!

This contradicts with most people’s thinking; most people think that when they become a Christian they would loose the freedom, they can’t do this, they can’t do that, a lot of things they can’t do. But the Lord says exactly the opposite, you don’t have freedom unitl the Son of Man sets you free.

Now let’s look at the Bible to understand the Lord’s teaching on this.

Continue reading →

Eternal Life is to know the Only True God and Jesus Christ

Posted on by
2

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (9)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaTI3201Ja4&t=104s

Recapitulation

Brothers, sisters and friends, last time we studied eternal life in the kingdom of God; if you want to have eternal life, you have to be in the kingdom of God, which means that you submit to the kingship of God, you obey God’s commandments. Apostle John defines eternal life as the life in Jesus Christ. If you live in Jesus Christ in the present age, you will have eternal life in heaven in the age to come; but if you don’t live in Jesus Christ in the present age, you won’t have eternal life in heaven in the age to come. Life in Jesus Christ in the present age leads to the eternal life in heaven. That’s what we studied last time, today we are going to study deeper about the life in Jesus Christ.

Eternal Life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ

NAU John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

This verse is in the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ before he was arrested and then crucified on the cross. Here the Lord says that eternal life is to know the Father the only true God and Jesus Christ whom the Father has sent.

Are you surprised at this statement of the Lord Jesus? If you know the only true God and Jesus Christ, you will have eternal life, it sounds so easy! Today we are going to study this verse to see what it means to know the only true God and Jesus Christ!

Continue reading →

Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God

Posted on by
2

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (8)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK8D_RUnxsA&t=4s

Recapitulation

Brothers, sisters and friends, in the last several messages we have studied different aspects of the kingdom of God; I hope that the glory of the kingdom of God will attract you to pursue after it. Today we are going to look at one important topic: eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Introduction

Many years ago I met a Christian sister, she said that having eternal life is different from entering the kingdom of God, because the term “eternal life” and the term “kingdom of God” never appear together in the Bible! According to her reasoning, if you want to have eternal life, you only need to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then you can have it right now! But if you want to enter into the kingdom of God, you have to obey the commandments of the Lord Jesus, which are very difficult! She said that if you believe Jesus is the Son of God, you will receive eternal life right away; after that even if you don’t obey the Lord’s commandments, you won’t die, because you already have eternal life! Someone who has eternal life would not die, right? If you don’t obey the Lord’s commandments, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God, but it won’t affect your eternal life!

This teaching is dangerous; it can lead to very serious consequences in people’s lives because people would simply disregard the commandments of the Lord Jesus as well as the commandments in the Old Testament Law, they have nothing to fear anymore! Indeed there are whole groups of people who believe this teaching. Through all these years, the more I know about the Bible, the more I see the danger of this teaching. That’s why I decided to address this wrong teaching.

Continue reading →

Who Can Enter into The Kingdom of God?

Posted on by
2

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (7)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6YWWfKt_54

Recapitulation

Last time we saw that the greatest in the kingdom of God is the one who humbles himself to become a slave to save people. Of course ultimately that is our Lord Jesus Christ. If you follow the Lord’s example, if you humble yourself to be like a slave to save people, and if you obey God’s teaching to the point of death, then you will also be great in the kingdom of God. After hearing this, do you still want to enter into the kingdom of God?

NAU John 3:1 – 5 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

This Pharisee named Nicodemus came to talk to the Lord Jesus at night, and the Lord said to him, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. ” Nicodemus did not understand what it means to be born again, so the Lord explained further that, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Please take notice of this statement, this is the very word declared by the Lord Jesus, if you want to enter into the kingdom of God, you have to be born of water and the Spirit.

Continue reading →

Who Is The Greatest in The Kingdom of God ?

Posted on by
2

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (6)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy    

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GLboUL_n8

Brothers, sisters and friends, in the past few weeks we have seen that being in the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you don’t experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, then you are not in the kingdom of God; If you are not in the kingdom of God in this age, then you won’t be in the kingdom of God in the future when the Lord Jesus comes back. Today we are going to look at another aspect of the kingdom of God.

NAU Matthew 18:1 – 4 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Some people may say, “That’s nothing new, I have known this for a long time!” But have you ever put this teaching into practice? How are you going to practice it?

Continue reading →

Joy in the Holy Spirit

Posted on by
2

The Kingdom of God and Eternal Life (5)

Sermon by Pastor Sylvia Chan

PDF copy  

Link to YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIqKuAbNw2E

Recapitulation

Brothers, sisters and friends, in the past few weeks we have been studying Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We have studied the qualities of righteousness and peace, today we are going to look at the quality of joy.

Introduction

According to this passage if you live under the kingship of God, you will experience joy. But some people would say, “ I don’t believe in God, but I still have joy”; And some other people would say, “As long as I have money, my money can buy me joy; I don’t need to submit to the kingship of God!” Then another group of people would argue in a different way saying, “Does it mean that when Christians run into disasters in life, they will still laugh and rejoice? That’s crazy! Only crazy people would rejoice when disaster strikes!”

Brothers and sisters and friends, the joy in the kingdom of God is entirely different from the joy that people in the world have. Let’s look into the word of God to see what is the joy in the kingdom of God.

Continue reading →