1 Kings 9 sermon, “Solomon and the Temple, Part 3”

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. We have been studying the story of King Solomon for the last few months. Today we will read 1 Kings chapter 9, which is near the end of his story. Solomon had spent the last 20 years building the first permanent temple, a magnificent building he dedicated to God. Chapter 9 is about how God responded to Solomon after he completed this grand achievement. Let us pray before we begin. [Read 1 Kings 9:1-9] I’d like to reflect on 3 ideas today: First, God desires our faithfulness. Second, sin is costly. Third, our salvation is

1 Kings 8, Part 2: “The Contrasting Qualities of God”

Last month, we looked at the contrasting qualities of God in 1 Kings chapter 8. We saw how God is mysterious and yet clear. He is the King of the world and yet loyal to his people. He is much greater than anything and yet wants to have a relationship with us. Chapter 8 was quite long, so we didn’t finish it. Today we will finish it by looking at a few more contrasting qualities of God. The first contrast is judgment and mercy, and I would like to focus on that. The second contrast is the big picture and the little details. So let’s read chapter 8, starting from

Team Evangelism

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. – Acts 13:2-3 From 22 March to 31 March 2017, we went on a field trip to visit a church in Detroit, Michigan, with support from the Japan Covenant Churches Evangelism Committee. It has been 7 years since Pastor Shunichi Miyamoto and his wife Masako began reaching out to Japanese people living in Detroit. They had a hard time initially and felt ill-prepared for the

1 Kings 8 sermon, Part 1 of 2, “Six Qualities of God”

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. Today we will read 1 Kings chapter 8, which is the final chapter about King Solomon’s Temple. The temple has been built, and now Solomon will dedicate it to the Lord. Since this chapter is long, we will only read half today and half next month. Today, let’s explore six of God’s qualities. One Old Testament scholar has suggested that this chapter reflects many qualities of God which can be seen in pairs. First, God’s mystery and clarity. Second, His loyalty and sovereignty. Third, His immensity and intimacy. [Read 1 Kings 8:1-30] Mystery and clarity

1 Kings 7 sermon, “Solomon and the Temple, Part 2”

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a new missionary at IBF. Last month, I talked about how King Solomon built the first temple for God. Today’s sermon continues reflecting on the temple, but this time, the topic is about achievement and dependence. Let’s ask if our achievements bring glory to God or only to ourselves. Let’s also reflect on whether we remember God in our daily life and depend on Him. Our main text today is 1 Kings 7. This chapter is full of details about the buildings Solomon constructed, including the temple. But I will only read a few verses, and you can read

1 Kings 6 sermon, “Solomon and the Temple, Part 1”

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. Today, we will read 1 Kings chapter 6. It is about King Solomon building a temple for God. We will reflect on two things: the importance of obedience and the meaning of the temple. Let us pray. Background Before we read 1 Kings 6, I’ll summarize chapter 5. In chapter 5, King Solomon announced that he wanted to fulfil the dream of his father David, which was to build a temple for God. At that time, there was no temple for worship. There was only a special tent called the Tabernacle, which contained the Ark