Preaching on the Trinity

Today I preached a sermon on the Trinity based on Matt 28:19, John 20:23 and Rev 1:4-7. I wanted to talk about Eph 4:7 and Phil 3:3 as well but time ran out on me. Nowadays I try to limit my preaching to 30 minutes among Singaporean churches. From Matt 28:19, I spoke about the nature of our salvation is directly related to the Trinity. Each person of the truine God is directly and completely involved in our salvation. The Father sent the Son; the Son died for our sins and the Spirit quickens us in the knowledge of God and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. I spoke about the nature of baptism as immersion, a participation in the Godhead. We are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Greek preposition eis (into) signifies movement into something - participation in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We have our being in the Trinity; we live in God - Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Conversely, the triune God makes his dwelling in us. I spoke about the singular name in Matt 28:19, it is the name and not the names of the Trinity, showing that God is one but in three persons.

I spoke about the Trinity and mission based on the Johannine Pentecost in John 20. I explained that John 20 does not contradict Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit was poured on Pentecost but in John 20 Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" on Resurrection Sunday. "As the Father sent me, I send you". Hence, Jesus commissions us to preach the Gospel in the world with the power of the Holy Spirit. I spoke about knowing the divine purpose in our lives; having a reason for living and a purpose-drive life in the Lord. I gave a modern analogy about how people are successful because they had a mission and a purpose. I challenged the church to bear fruits for the Lord and serve him unreservedly. I challenge the church that if the Holy Spirit is indeed present, things will happen. People will be converted; mission will be birthed; the church will be edified and built up.

Finally I spoke about the Trinity and the coming kingdom based on Rev 1:4-7. The Triune God is the source of blessings for the church; Out of the Father, the Spirit and Jesus Christ flows kingdom blessings: he has made us a kingdom, priests to God. I said that we should not doubt God's promise of His coming. He will come; even though in human calculation it has been almost 2,000 years since the Christ event. But God dwells in eternity; creator of time for he is neither bound by time nor constrained by it. One thousand years is but a day to the Lord, a day like a 1,000 years.