Chinese for Christ Church of San Jose
English Worship Service
Worship Service: 10:00 –11:10 am followed by snacks in the Fellowship Hall.
Call To Worship* -Hannah Lee
Praise & Worship*- Praise Team and Congregation
Welcome & Announcements -Daniel Chen
Sermon “Wake Up to God’s Faithfulness!” Malachi 4:4:6 – Kenny Chan
Communion (Lord’s Supper) – Baptized Believers
Song(s) of Response* – Praise Team
Doxology (Words of Praise)*- Congregation
Prayer & Benediction (Lord’s Blessing)* – Kenny Chan
*Please stand, if physically able. Also, please set your cell phones to “silent.” Please exit through the ‘front’ of the sanctuary at the end of service. Thank you
Previous Week’s Sermon Notes
We are concluding a sermon series through the book of Malachi, titled, “A Wake Up Call from God.” The book of Malachi was God’s last words to the people of Israel for 400 years (until the New Testament). The primary purpose was to wake up the people of God from spiritual complacency.
Malachi 3:13-4:3 “Wake Up to The End!”
- The Charge: Speaking Against God (vv.13-15)
– Over time as the people of God looked around and saw such evil, corruption and sinfulness, they began to question, doubt and ask “Is it pointless to serve God?” To them it seemed like there wasn’t much difference. This also led them to ask, “Is it pointless to God?” “Did God really care about sin, right/wrong, justice/injustice, etc.?”
Reflection: What is going on in your life (or around you) where you find yourself wondering whether following or serving God makes any difference at all?
God’s Response: No! (vv.16-18)
– God’s response in these verses is a clear “no!” It’s not pointless to follow and serve God!
– God reminds the people that sees, hears, remembers, and will act (in time). Every temptation or doubt we face is whether we believe and trust God’s Word, His promises.
– But we also see that in the midst of a group of doubters, there was a group of people who feared the Lord. They encouraged and reminded each other of God’s truth — that it does matter whether they serve and follow God.
Reflection: Whom can you encourage this week to someone who may be discouraged in following and serving God? Who can you share these struggles with?
Day of the Lord (vv.1-3)
– God reminds His people that there will be a day He returns to this world. What will happen on that day? It will either be a Day of Judgment & Punishment (v.1) for those who don’t follow God (actions and attitude) or a Day of Joy & Victory (vv.2-3) for those that fear and follow God.
Reflection: How does keeping “the end” in mind help you to live today? How does knowing how everything will end help guide your choices, priorities – as well as face current circumstances?
Gospel Truth: The Gospel reminds us that we are all deserving of judgment and punishment. But because of God’s grace through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, when He comes again it will be a day of joy and victory for those who repent and believe!
Live life keeping the end in mind!
We are glad you are here this morning to worship God together with us! We hope that this morning you would wake up to the reality of God’s grace, love and purpose for you through Jesus Christ.
Please fill out one of the pink cards in the pew and pass on to any of our ushers if you would like us to contact you with more information about our church.
Announcements
- Persecuted Church: Please make sure to pick up a free special issue of Voice of the Martyrs, a magazine that shares stories about our brothers and sisters around the world. This special issue includes a pull-out map poster which includes how to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters.
- Blood Drive: Please contact Christine (christine.tsao@gmail.com).
- Community Groups (Operation Christmas Child event): We’ll be purchasing and assembling gifts for children in need this afternoon at 2 pm in the Fellowship Hall to purchase items and then gathering at Ellin’s Parents’ Home afterward to pack, decorate and write notes to the children. Please see Ellin (ellinchen@gmail.com) for more information.
- Community Groups: Our small group fellowship for adults (college, single/married, working, etc.) will be meeting next Saturday 10 am – 12 pm and next Sunday 4-6 pm. Please contact Pastor Joey (joeywang@cfccsj.org) or Pastor Kenny (pkennychan@gmail.com).
- Saltshakers (Youth Group): We will be gathering this coming Saturday (11/14). Stay tune for more announcement. For more information, please contact Daniel Chen (dantchen83@sbcglobal.net).
- Commissioning Service: We will be having special commissioning service for the core team (Elder Steve, Edward Chien, Henry Chien, and Sammy Hu) as they go out and plant a church in Palo Alto. This will take place at 12:30pm during the 2nd Chinese Service.
Prayer Requests & Praises
- Pray for our persecuted brother and sisters in Christ around the world. Praise God for their continued faithfulness to the Gospel in the midst of suffering and anguish. Pray that they will experience God’s comfort as well as God’s power as they continue to live out and proclaim the Gospel.
- Pray for our young families (Paul & Jamie Yuan, Jay & Pui-Yun Sha, David & Ivy Lee, Kenny & Yun Ho, Daniel & Hue Han) — that in the midst of adjusting to newborns/young children that they continue to grow in the Gospel, to experience God’s grace, and to follow after Jesus.
- Pray for our church plant in Palo Alto. Pray for the core team (Elder Steve Chen, Henry Chien, Edward Chien and Sammy Hu) as they prepare for the upcoming first worship service in December. Pray for team unity as well as God’s calling for more coworkers to partner with the core team. Praise God for His provision of a meeting location as well as opportunities to share the Gospel with the Chinese community in Palo Alto!
Recommended Books on Giving
The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn
– The best (and short!) book on understanding the principle(s) of stewardship and giving from a biblical perspective. This is required reading for every Christian family or individual!
Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn
– This book is the longer/expanded version of The Treasure Principle which addresses in greater detail the issues of money, faithfulness, generosity, stewardship, debt, etc.
Recommended Commentaries on Malachi
Joel, Obadiah, Malachi (The NIV Application Commentary) by David W. Baker
– User-friendly commentary that spends equal time on original context as well as contemporary significance. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) by Andrew E. Hill
– An excellent shorter commentary that provides good background as well as exposition of the verses.
The Books of Haggai and Malachi (The New International Commentary on the OT) by Peiter A. Verhoef.
– A very technical and detailed commentary that gets into the original Hebrew text (verse-by-verse) and interacts with other scholarly works. Not for the faint of heart but those that want to dig deep into the passage.
New Bible Commentary edited by G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Caron, R.T. France
– The best one-volume commentary (on the entire Bible). If you can only have and use one commentary, this is the one. While the information provided on each book won’t be as detailed as single volume commentaries on a specific book of the Bible, this commentary is a collection of the works of some of the best biblical scholars on the different books of the Bible.
New City Catechism (adapted from www.newcitycatechism.com/intro.php)
We hope that this will be a tool for us to use in disciplining our children, one another and ourselves as a church community. The New City Catechism is also available online and for your smart phones.
Question 9: What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?
Answer: First, we know and trust God as the only true and living God. Second, that we avoid all idolatry and do not worship God improperly. Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence, honoring also his Word and works.
Passage(s): Deuteronomy 6:13-14