Lessons from MET 2023

 

On July 5-11, 2023, the UPDCF once again conducted the Missions Exposure Trip, the first one after the pandemic. A group of 21 UP Diliman students, DCF alumni and Diliman Campus Bible Church members joined the week-long evangelistic and discipleship follow up activity in Baguio City, La Trinidad and Bokod, Benguet. I want to share some of the highlights of my experience from MET 2023:

1.We were able to share the Gospel message to a 90-year-old lola at Burnham park who was very responsive to the Good News. She was part of a group of elderly who frequented the park to ask for food or help. Though her condition was difficult, I realized God’s grace for giving her long life so that she can learn of Jesus’ love and respond in faith, all by grace. As we helped alleviate her physical needs, I was joyful that we could give her the best gift there is—the Gospel of Jesus.

2. The family of Kuya Julius, a UPDCF alumnus, joined the team. I was so blessed seeing them serve the Lord together, including their five-year-old son, Jes. I was especially moved by Jes’ excitement to share the Gospel with other children using the Evangecube. He even hiked 60-degree slopes to reach the church in Bokod, Benguet. Indeed, no one’s too young or too old to take part in God’s Great Commission.

3.  It is usually more challenging to share the Gospel in urban and commercial settings. We experienced this first-hand at San Vicente. Owners of shops and stores were busy going about their business. Many refused to listen, but God still led us to people who were open and eager to hear the Gospel. We are indeed just links in the chain of people’s spiritual journeys. Sometimes we are called to till dry and hard ground, to plant seeds, water saplings, cultivate plants or reap the harvest. We rejoice whatever role God gives us in His mission!

 

4. During our day-long evangelism activities, me and Alvia often struggled with hoarseness of voice and sore throat after talking to several people, non-stop. We thought of being consistent in sharing the Gospel even to just one person each day so that we will not have that problem. We can pour out our hearts and share passionately to that person as we continue to take part in God’s work even after the MET. Indeed, the Missions Exposure Trip has ended but the Great Commission continues until the Lord Jesus returns.

5. A few years ago, we made a tract to share the Gospel in UP. It is entitled, “The Bridge to God.” When we went to Quezon Province for MET, we wrote the Filipino version so that it can be easily understood by the people. I am joyful that we completed the Ilocano version in time for our MET to Benguet. Before this trip, I shared the Gospel in my mother tongue only less than five times because I am not as fluent as I used to. But with the Ilocano translation of our Gospel tract, I was able to share many times in Ilocano, especially to older people in Bokod and Baguio. Using my mother tongue helped the people better understand the Gospel. It was a joy to proclaim Christ in my heart language!

6. During our closing fellowship, we were asked to write down an encouragement for our fellow MET members. God again reminded me to pray for a missional heart, love for the brethren and compassion for those who don’t know Jesus yet. I remembered the words of Marie Louise de Meester, “Let your heart be like Christ’s so generous and so great, that the whole world may find room in it.” Jesus is the perfect example of passion and compassion for people. When he saw crowds, he was moved because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And so, he told His disciples to ask God to send workers in the harvest field. I am praying that the Lord will enable us to respond to this prayer.

7. I also experienced several spiritual struggles during the MET that could have distracted, discouraged, or frightened me. But I praise the Holy Spirit for His abiding peace and presence amid all these. At one time, the phone we use for our online financial transactions got lost! Though it stressed me at first, we surrendered it to God. He protected the phone, and we were able to retrieve it from our jeepney driver. At another time, we also experienced spiritual opposition while sharing in two households. At the corner of my eye, I noticed someone or something peeking from the window. But when I glanced at it, there was no one there! This happened twice. But instead of being afraid, I just prayed for God’s protection. I remembered Kuya Caloy’s reminder that when there is spiritual opposition, it means the enemy is not happy with what we are doing. In this case, the enemy surely hated the gift of salvation being spread in Bokod.

8. I was also blessed by the opportunity to minister to several members of the MET team. When I was busy completing my MDiv, I couldn’t spend much time in talking to and encouraging members of the fellowship. But during the MET, I had several opportunities to pray for and talk to the students. I was blessed to be given the chance to catch up with them and to pray for their struggles during the MET and even in other areas of life. The Missions Trip is truly a ministry not just to the community but also to the team members. God also speaks and transforms them as much as He transforms those whom they serve.

9. Lastly, I am also blessed by God’s Word during our Sunday service in Bokod. Before the MET, I asked God to use the outreach to help me better sense His leading for the next season of my life. During the service, I was pleasantly surprised when the text used by Pastor Marlon was the same text God used to call me in campus ministry—Philippians 4. Though Pastor Marlon focused only on the first half, I was blessed to be reminded again of the two truths that God used to lead me to full-time campus work. I should not be anxious about anything but surrender everything in prayer. Though the next season of my ministry life remains uncertain, this reminder is still true, especially when I am paralyzed by the struggles of campus and church work. And when this happens, it is also crucial that I fill my mind with what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. I thank God for these reminders, even as they help me better hear His leading in the ministry. 

In all these, I share our team’s refrain, “That’s God’s faithfulness. Praise the Lord!”

(1 Kings 18:20-40) Praying for an Encounter with God

 

What can we learn from Elijah's confident prayer against the prophets of Baal? And what does his example teach us about praying for unbelievers?

In this message, may God grant us the same heart as Elijah and pray while we pray, "Lord, make Yourself known personally and powerfully in people’s lives so that unbelievers will be drawn to You and believers will deepen in their walk with You."

Here is the outline of the message:

Image source:

(Luke 9:57-62) Three Demands of Obedience

Obedience is a heavy word. But often, we speak of it flippantly, forgetting that it demands much from us, even our very lives. This is especially true when we speak of obedience to Christ. In this sermon, we will hear about three demands of obedience based on Luke 9:57-62. May God grant us willing hearts to embrace and practice these demands:


1. Obedience demands sacrifice (vv. 57-58)

2. Obedience demands immediacy (vv. 59-60)

3. Obedience demands commitments (vv. 61-62)


Listen to the whole sermon here:

Length: 38:51 (Please wait for a few seconds for the audio to load)




Here is the outline of the message:

Image source:

(Luke 9:57-62) Ang Katotohanan sa Pagsunod kay Kristo

 Sa mensaheng ito ay ating makikita ang katotohanan tungkol sa pagsunod o pagiging disipulo ni Hesus. Mainam na balikan ang mga katotohanang ito upang makapagmuni-muni tayo patungkol sa ating relasyon kay Hesus at pananampalataya sa Kaniya.

Tatlong bagay ang matututunan natin tungkol sa pagsunod:

1. Huwag asahang madali ang pagsunod kay Kristo (vv. 57-58)
2. Huwag ipagpaliban ang pagsunod kay Kristo (vv. 59-60)
3. Huwag palilihis sa pagsunod kay Kristo (vv. 61-62)

Mapapakinggan po natin ang mensahe rito:

Length: 41:13 (please wait for a few seconds for the audio to load)

Narito po ang outline ng mensahe:

Image Source: https://everydayexiles.com/2019/06/04/obedience-is-belief/lydiamccord/

(Luke 22:39-46) Jesus' Prayer in the Midst of Struggle

Today’s passage brings us nearer to the culmination of the Passion Week where our Lord is about to face the cross. But before the physical sufferings, the beatings, scourging, mocking, crowning, crucifixion and death, everything started with His private struggle in a garden in Jerusalem.

Let us learn about the powerful narrative of Jesus’ struggles in Gethsemane as we learn truths about prayer. Let us learn from the narrative how Jesus was able to face the cross with peace in His heart.

We'll do this by looking at four scenes of struggle that will teach us three truths about prayer:

Four Scenes of Struggle
1. The Summons (vv. 39-40)
2. The Struggle and Surrender (vv. 41-42)
3. The Strengthening amid Suffering (vv. 43-44)
4. The Scolding of the Apostles (vv. 45-46)

Three Truths about Prayer
1. Prayer as a weapon against temptation
2. Prayer as a sign of humility and submission
3. Prayer brings comfort in suffering 

Listen to the whole sermon here (44 minutes) :

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Photo is taken from http://paintingandframe.com/prints/guiseppe_cesari_the_agony_in_the_garden-8031.html

(1 Timothy 6:3-21) Guarding our motives in Ministry

In our passage today, we are called to guard our motives in ministry or service. Paul says there are three things we need to focus on to be able to do this. He said, we should:

1. Not to be motivated by personal Glory (vv. 3-5a; 20-21)

2. Not to be motivated by Gold (vv. 5b-10; 17-19)

3. BE motivated by God (vv. 11-16)

Length: 46:29





Here is the outline of the message:

Image taken from: 
https://i1.wp.com/proverbsnwisdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/freeimage-1942594.jpg?fit=2048%2C2048

(1 Timothy 1) Dealing with False Teachers

"What will you do if you hear false teachings or meet a false teacher?" This is the question faced by Timothy in Ephesus, and Paul was concerned about his young apprentice that he wrote this letter of 1 Timothy.

Today, we also face this question one way or another. And how should we respond? There are at least four ways based on the first chapter of 1 Timothy.

When dealing  with false teachers, we need to be:
1. Bold (3-4)
2. Salvation Focused (5-6)
3. Scripture-Grounded (7-11)
4. Gracious (12-17)
 

Errata (lest I become a false teacher): 
            1. Romans 6:24 should be Romans 6:23

            2. Paul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus NOT Road to Emmaus

Listen to the whole sermon here (39 minutes) :

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Here is the outline of the message:

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(Nehemiah 9) When God's Word Confronts You

Nehemiah 8 to 13 came about as a response to the reading of the Book of the Law (Gen-Deut) beginning in Neh 8:1-2. All the things we’re seeing are evidence of the transforming power of the Word of God in the lives of the Israelites.

Confronted by God’s Word, they responded accordingly. That’s our focus in this passage. When you are confronted by the Word of God, there are at least three responses that will happen. You will respond in:

1. Confession

2. Celebration/Worship

3. Confidence

Listen to the whole sermon here:

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Here is the outline of the message:

(Nehemiah 3-4) Facing Opposition to God's Work

Faced with opposition, big or small, against our faith, our Jesus, how will you respond? Our passage in Nehemiah answers this very question through the Jewish experience of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 3 and 4.

And as we study these chapters, particularly Nehemiah 4, we will see three distinct themes that occurred again and again in the passage. We will see:

A. Challenge
B. Divine Pursuit/ Encounter
C. Response of Faith

Keep these three themes in mind as we witness how Nehemiah faced the opposition against fulfilling God's work.

Listen to the whole sermon here:

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Here is the outline of the message:

Image is taken from: https://aprilcoon.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/opposition/

(John 5:1-18) Trust in the Son, Not in Tradition

This is my sixth sermon for the Afternoon Service of the Diliman Campus Bible Church. Here, we will see the tension between Jesus and the Sabbath tradition of the Jews, and we are confronted to choose one of the two.

The choice cuts deep in the Filipino experience, being a nation steeped in religious traditions and beliefs. But God's Word invites us to take the bold step of trusting in the Son, not in tradition.

Listen to the whole sermon here:

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Here is the outline of the message:

(John 15:1-11) Abiding in the True Vine

This is my fifth sermon for the Afternoon Service of the Diliman Campus Bible Church. It is an exposition of John 15:1-10 on the series of Jesus' 7 I am's.

In this passage, Jesus speaks of Himself as the True Vine. In order to understand this statement, we will focus on the following points:

1. The Metaphor of the True Vine, the Vinedresser and the Branches (vv. 1-3)

2. Two Questions about Abiding in the True Vine

a. Why abide in the True Vine? (vv. 4-6)

b. What does it mean to abide in the True Vine? (vv. 7-11)

Listen to the preaching below for the entire message. May you be blessed!

Here is the outline of the message:

(John 10:1-10) None but Jesus

This is my fourth sermon for the Afternoon Service of the Diliman Campus Bible Church. It is an exposition of John 10:1-10 on the series of Jesus' 7 I am's.

In this passage, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Door for the Sheep. This is one of the three truths taken from John 10:1-10.

Here we see that Jesus:

1. Leads us to the Truth
2. Liberates us from Sin
3. Lays down His life for His people

Listen to the preaching below for the entire message. May you be blessed!

    

2Peter 3 Three Encouragements about Jesus’ Second Coming

This is my third sermon at Diliman Campus Bible Church, PM service. It is an exposition of 2 Peter 3:1-18 on March 25, 2018.

The passage contains three encouragements for believers about Jesus' Second Coming. These are:

1. Believe His Return

2. Be Aware of His Return

3. Be Steadfast for His Return

Dive into the message to find out more. May you be blessed! :)



    
  

Joshua 23- Remain Steadfast in God

This is my second sermon at Diliman Campus Bible Church, PM service. It is an exposition of Joshua 23. As we near the close of our book study, this chapter is a fitting challenge for all believers to remain steadfast in God.

Why? Joshua gives two reasons: 1) Because God is faithful and 2) Because God is fearsome.

And How can we remain steadfast? He adds three ways:

1) Keep and Do the Word of God

2) Cling to God, and

3) Love God

Dive into the message to find out more. May you be blessed! :)

  


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Remembering the other crucified men

Source: https://wonderwhat.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/three-crosses.jpg

On a Friday, more than 2,000 years ago, three people were crucified in Jerusalem. The one in the middle was Jesus Christ, and the two others were unnamed “robbers”[i] or “criminals.”[ii] Jesus’ crucifixion is undoubtedly the most famous in the world, but little is known of the two men who hung with Him, one on his right, the other on his left.[iii]

Did they know Jesus? Chances are, they have heard about His teachings, miraculous works and claims. This is the reason why they joined the religious leaders, Jews and soldiers in mocking and ridiculing Him on the cross.[iv] Their taunts follow the same line, “If this man is truly the Savior, the Son of God, the Christ, a powerful miracle worker, Israel’s King, then, why can’t He save Himself from the cross? If He is able to free Himself, we will believe!”

It is surprising to read that even at the point of death, these two robbers found the time to revile the Christ. Luke’s account preserves the mockery of one of the men, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself—and us!”[v] Truly, the depravity of the human heart runs deep. Paul was right when he wrote, “…There is no one righteous, not even one…Their throat is an opened grave; they deceive with their tongues; the venom of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness…The fear of God is not before their eyes.”[vi]

But the story doesn’t end here. One of the robbers who previously joined the chorus of mockeries had a change of heart. After hearing his companion’s words, he “answered and rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!’”[vii]

Why the sudden 180-degree turn? Why this unexpected defense for Jesus? It is only by God’s grace that this man’s eyes were finally opened. The Lord removed the veil so that he could finally see Jesus for who He really was.[viii] He recognized His uniqueness when he saw the great crowd of people following Him, and of weeping women on the road to Calvary. Why were they weeping?[ix] They were weeping for Jesus! He must have thought, “Why are these women wailing for a criminal? What kind of man is this that a great crowd is hurt to see Him die?”

Then he heard Jesus address the women. He spoke tender words for a man condemned to die.[x] And on the cross, he heard Him pray for His persecutors, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[xi] He may have asked, “Where does His peace come from? How can He ask for their forgiveness after the injustices He experienced?”

And he saw his silence and meekness amid the mockery and insults, pain and suffering. This man is totally in control. He can face death without fear.

And suddenly it hits him! Everything falls into place. He realizes Jesus’ innocence. People followed and mourned for Him because He was not a criminal. He did nothing wrong. He was gentle and kind, forgiving and composed because His conscience was clear. [xii]

And faced with the righteousness of Jesus, the robber saw his own wretchedness. His heart was gripped with the fear of God. He saw his wrong and acknowledged that he deserved the penalty of death.

And finally, he believed that Jesus is the Christ, Savior and King. The man understood that his body is doomed, but he sought salvation for his soul from Christ. He pleaded with the King to remember him when He’s back in His Kingdom in heaven. He sought the unimaginable but divinely possible by grace—a sinful criminal accepted as God’s righteous child.

And Jesus, full of mercy, responded, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”[xiii] How is this possible? Peter has an answer, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order that he could bring you to God…”[xiv] Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for God’s people. He took the death penalty of the unrighteous and freely gave His very righteousness to all who believe so that they can become blameless, holy and acceptable before God.

The repentant man on the cross teaches us a great deal about salvation. Firstly, we are never saved by the good things that we do, by our religiosity or charity. He is the perfect example. If God had a scale and weighed his righteous acts against his sins, he does not deserve to enter paradise.

But Jesus gave Him access to heaven! Paul explains, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”[xv]

Salvation is by grace alone. It is a gift. It is not dependent on works. It is not dependent on the things we do. For if it were so, we can boast about our righteousness. We can say, “I was allowed to be in God’s presence because I did a lot of good things, I helped the poor, I prayed a lot, went to church often, did all my religious obligations.”

To this attitude, Paul adds, “I do not declare invalid the grace of God, for if righteousness is through the law (human works), then Christ died to no purpose.”[xvi] That is, if we can gain our salvation by being good here on earth, what’s the use of Jesus’ death on the cross? Why don’t we just spend all our energy doing good to reach God?

Secondly, we receive this salvation by grace through faith. Faith is the channel by which God declares us righteous, sinless, acceptable. Faith in what? Faith in Jesus. This faith begins with an understanding of who Jesus is—that He is holy, God’s Son, Lord, King, Savior, Christ. And it extends to an acknowledgment of who we are—sinful, wretched, filthy creatures deserving of death.

It is a faith that clings to and trusts in Jesus alone for one’s salvation. It turns away from man-made ways and institutions to reach God, admitting that there is nothing one can do to enter His presence. And finally, this faith submits to Jesus’ Lordship. It says, “I bow down before You, Lord.
You are now King over my life. I turn from my sinful ways. I give up the self and let you rule over every aspect of my being. Not my will but Yours be done.”

And thirdly, Salvation is ultimately the work of God, not man. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”[xvii] God chooses us, draws us to Jesus, by grace gives us faith, declares us righteous, slowly transforms us into Christlikness and promises glorious perfection at His return. There is really nothing we can boast about. It was even said that humanity’s only contribution to the story of redemption is sin.

But the repentant robber’s story is a reminder that even the most vile among us is never too far away from God’s grace. All it takes is a heart of faith that is willing to acknowledge one’s need of Christ and willing to submit to His Lordship in one’s life.

If you have not yet done this, I invite you to seek Christ, trust in His salvation and submit to Him as King! God bless you!

---

[i] Mat 27:38

[ii] Luke 23:32

[iii] Luke 23:33; Mat 27:38; Mark 15:27; Mark 19:18

[iv] Mark 15:32; Matthew 27:44

[v] Luke 23:39

[vi] Romans 3:10-18

[vii] Luke 23:40-41

[viii] 2 Corinthians 3:16

[ix] Luke 23:27

[x] Luke 23:28-29

[xi] Luke 23:34

[xii] Luke 23:41

[xiii] Luke 23:43

[xiv] 1 Peter 3:18

[xv] Ephesians 2:8-9

[xvi] Galatians 2:21

[xvii] Luke 19:10